Chapter 98: The Count’s Despair

What kind of place is the middle world?

It is called a paradise flowing with milk and honey, a world incomparable to the demon world.

Yet the current sight differed far too much from the middle world Kalbornia knew.

No matter how he looked at it, it did not feel like the middle world.

Where is Edian?

At the sudden thought, Kalbornia recalled Edian.

Edian, who had gone ahead to the middle world to prepare.

Where was Edian now?

Right at that moment.

Boom!

With an explosion, something flew toward him.

Kalbornia extended his hand.

The flying object stopped dead in mid-air.

“…!”

Kalbornia couldn’t help but be shocked.

Because of the identity of the ‘something’ halted in the air.

“…C-Count.”

The something was none other than Edian.

Covered in blood, Edian softly called out to Kalbornia.

W-What is this…

Kalbornia was flustered.

Who was Edian?

Though the lowest rank, he was still a titled noble.

Holding a title meant possessing the power to dominate others in the demon world.

Yet Edian was drenched in blood?

It wasn’t the blood of another.

Wounds covered Edian’s body everywhere.

Some might be mixed with another’s blood, but most was likely his own.

“What happened?”

Kalbornia asked.

“T-That is…”

Edian opened his mouth.

But Kalbornia could not hear Edian’s answer.

Kalbornia reflexively raised his head.

A magic circle appeared in the sky.

Lightning fell from it.

The lightning’s target was Edian.

Crackle!

Bloody Edian could not dodge the lightning.

With his mouth still open, he took the strike directly.

Edian’s already poor condition worsened further.

Kalbornia swallowed hard.

What destructive power…

The lightning’s might was not something even Kalbornia could take lightly.

So Kalbornia hurriedly released demonic energy toward Edian.

To protect him.

If left alone like this, he would die.

He needed treatment as quickly as possible.

Crackle!

But before the demonic energy arrived, lightning struck once more.

Edian’s condition deteriorated further, and Kalbornia realized.

It’s too late.

Treatment was now impossible.

He could not be saved without a miraculous elixir of legend.

Kalbornia withdrew his demonic energy.

Swish.

Turning his head away from the dying Edian, he looked in the direction Edian had flown from.

From that direction, a figure slowly flew toward him.

Shockingly, the approaching figure was a ‘human.’

…Is it really human?

Having the appearance of a human did not mean one could be certain it was human.

Kalbornia himself could transform into a middle-world human.

In the blink of an eye.

In other words, the approaching being could be something else in human form.

No, it would be something else.

Understandably—could a human, one from whom no demonic energy was felt, reduce a titled baron demon to this state in a region thick with demonic energy?

Impossible.

Kalbornia quickly racked his brain.

About the identity of the being in human form.

A dragon?

The first thing that came to mind was a dragon.

If it was a dragon, called the adjuster of the middle world, Edian ending up like this would not be strange.

It won’t be an easy fight.

Of course, even if it was a dragon, Kalbornia was not afraid.

It wouldn’t be easy, but he was confident he could win.

Right then.

The man presumed to be a dragon, in human form, opened his mouth.

“A count?”

“…!”

Kalbornia couldn’t help but be shocked.

How had he discerned his title?

Had Edian perhaps told him?

That wasn’t the only shocking part.

How does he know the demon language?

The language from the man’s mouth was ‘demon speech.’

And extremely fluent at that.

For now, Kalbornia answered the question.

“Yes, I am Kalbornia, faithful servant of the great ruler, Demon King Frey. Who are you?”

“Gaon.”

“…Gaon?”

Kalbornia couldn’t help but repeat it.

Because it was a name he had heard somewhere before.

…Wait!

Soon recalling Gaon, Kalbornia was shocked.

Fifty years ago, during the invasion of the middle world, a list was given to demons holding count rank or higher.

A list of beings to be cautious of in the middle world.

Most were dragons, with few humans.

And one of those few humans was ‘Gaon.’

In other words, a person of caution.

Having identified Gaon, Kalbornia raised his demonic energy.

Two pairs of black wings spread wide behind Kalbornia’s back.

He immediately charged at Gaon.

Gaon was a mage.

He must not be given distance.

Nor time.

If he denied only distance and time?

It would end easily.

The distance closed in an instant, and Kalbornia thrust his fist.

Rumble!

The fist, laden with immense demonic energy, distorted the surrounding space as it advanced toward Gaon.

Kalbornia felt a sense of discord.

Because of Gaon’s reaction.

Why is he just standing there?

Gaon was an outstanding mage.

A human, yet listed for caution.

He could not possibly be unaware of how crucial distance and time are to a mage.

Yet why was he standing still?

Did he not notice?

No, Gaon had clearly noticed.

Right then.

Whoosh!

Gaon thrust his fist in response.

“…Huh?”

Kalbornia was bewildered.

For a moment, he wondered if he had seen wrong or fallen into illusion magic.

A mage engaging in close combat?

Of course, high-rank mages possess bodies stronger than most.

But Kalbornia was not human—he was a demon.

And not in the category of ‘most.’

The count title was not obtained by luck.

Soon the two fists collided.

BOOOOM!

A explosive roar echoed.

“…!”

Kalbornia was horrified.

Not because of the roar striking his ears.

What!

It was the repulsive force generated the moment the fists collided.

Naturally, Kalbornia had expected his fist to crush Gaon’s outright and tear off Gaon’s arm.

Yet what was this repulsive force?

Pushed back by it, Kalbornia did not charge again immediately.

Instead, he raised his energy further and watched Gaon.

Soon confirming Gaon’s state, Kalbornia furrowed his brow.

Why is he completely unharmed?

His expression was extremely calm.

Not an act.

He checked everywhere—no wounds visible.

Exactly the same as at the beginning.

Of course, Kalbornia had taken no wounds either.

Only some demonic energy consumed.

That was the problem.

Even though it wasn’t full power, he had engaged in close combat with the mage Gaon yet failed to wound him?

Moreover, though not full strength, it wasn’t a light attack either.

It was meant to inflict serious injury even if not kill.

At that moment, Gaon smiled faintly and said.

“That wasn’t your full strength, right?”

“||”

At Gaon’s words, Kalbornia could say nothing.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and raised his demonic energy further.

Right then.

Swish.

Gaon took something from his pocket.

Kalbornia frowned as he raised his demonic energy.

What Gaon drew was a ‘sword.’

The problem was that Kalbornia knew Gaon’s sword well.

Behiar, one of those who had gone to the middle world with Edian.

It was the sword Kalbornia had bestowed upon Behiar.

Gaon possessed Behiar’s sword?

It meant one thing.

Behiar had fallen to Gaon.

Of course, Edian had also fallen to Gaon.

Behiar falling was not strange.

The problem was that despite facing Behiar and Edian, Gaon’s condition was extremely good.

This will be a harder fight than I thought.

Kalbornia steeled himself.

He charged at Gaon again.

He did not know why the mage Gaon had drawn a sword.

He probably didn’t intend to fight with it—perhaps to provoke excitement?

Whatever the reason, Gaon drawing the sword was an excellent opportunity for Kalbornia.

Soon the distance closed, and Kalbornia infused even more demonic energy into his fist than before.

Gaon swung the sword.

“…Huh?”

Kalbornia flinched.

Not because he hadn’t expected the swing.

His entire body sent warnings.

To dodge the sword.

Not to clash with it.

Kalbornia hesitated for a moment.

Should he follow instinct and dodge?

If Gaon were a knight, he would have trusted instinct.

But the fact that he was a mage bothered him.

Having to dodge a mage’s sword wounded his pride too much.

But in the following moment, Kalbornia realized.

That he should have trusted his instinct.

Rumble!

Gaon’s sword cleaved through space as it approached.

What is this power!

The force in the sword was immense.

He must not clash.

He would only take one-sided damage.

In the end, Kalbornia abandoned his attack.

He twisted his body.

Because of that brief hesitation, it was too late to dodge perfectly.

Rumble!

“Kuh!”

He was not directly cut by the sword.

Instead, he was cut by the space the sword had cleaved.

Of course, being ‘cut’ did not mean a physical slash on his body.

Yet though no direct wound formed, the demonic energy cloaking his body was massively torn and dissipated.

This is bad…!

Immediately widening the distance, Kalbornia re-cloaked himself in demonic energy to protect his body and thought.

…Is this really Gaon?

It was strange.

How could a mage wield a sword to this extent?

Perhaps it was a lie to let his guard down?

But there’s no one else nearby…

Yet the lightning that struck Edian was clearly a grand mage’s magic.

And no one else was around except Gaon.

In other words, though strangely skilled with the sword, he was definitely a mage.

That was the problem.

If the sword alone was threatening, adding magic would make the fight far harder.

…What should I do?

At first, thinking him a mage, he had charged recklessly to deny distance and time.

But now he could not.

Charging blindly would only lead to bleeding as before.

Yet giving distance and time worried him because of the magic.

Right then.

Swish.

Gaon aimed the sword.

Kalbornia flinched.

Did he truly intend to keep fighting with the sword?

Or was he buying time?

Hummm!

Suddenly, Gaon’s sword vibrated.

And.

Pop!

The sound of something bursting rang out.

The problem was the location of the sound.

Kalbornia looked down at his leg with a bewildered face.

“…!”

He was horrified.

A hole the size of a fist pierced his right thigh.

Pain soon assaulted his entire body.

“Kuh!”

Kalbornia let out a short scream and used demonic energy to heal the wound.

He extended his hand toward Gaon.

Feathers from both his wings rose in unison and flew toward Gaon.

Of course, not a single feather struck Gaon.

Whoooosh!

A translucent barrier appeared.

The feathers embedded themselves into it.

Not one pierced through.

Having blocked the attack so easily, Gaon looked at the bewildered Kalbornia and thought.

I still need more practice.

What Gaon had just used on Kalbornia was the Pacheon Sword Technique’s ‘Third Form.’

In practice, it had never missed.

So he was confident.

But real combat was different.

He had aimed for the heart, yet the hole was in the thigh.

Time to end this.

Gaon could have killed Kalbornia immediately.

The reasons he hadn’t were two.

First, to confirm if swordsmanship worked, and second, to gauge the level of a count-rank demon.

He had confirmed the sword worked and gauged the level.

All objectives achieved, there was no reason not to kill him now.

Having decided, Gaon activated his circles.

He opened his mouth.

“Hellfire.”