Chapter 24 – EPISODE 24 – DEVIL’S HAND (5)
Minos lost his senses for a moment.
The seven strikes poured like a bombing, aiming at the fatal points of the human body such as the solar plexus (pit of the stomach), philtrum (the area between the nose and upper lip), and the temples (area between the ears and eyes).
Although he was called a demonic human, he was still a human now.
Since demonic humans maintain a human body and shape, their vital places were also like humans.
But at the same time, it was a demon.
Minos lost his senses for a moment because of Jude’s attack, but he did not collapse at once.
‘There is a difference.’
No matter how low level the demonic human was in the game’s beginning, a demonic human was still a demonic human.
Their physical abilities and endurance were beyond that of a human being’s.
However, he had already expected this.
Moreover, Minos was exhausted from his fight against Ronin today and was also weakened from the binding of the Bellastin’s magic circle.
Jude didn’t stop.
Once again, he used the Lightning Punch.
Wham! Wham!
The sun G.o.d Solari’s power from the Sun’s Necklace and the demonic energy from Minos’ body clashed, and a roar broke out.
The Devil’s Hand’s combatants were surprised to see Minos being beaten unilaterally and tried to intervene. However, they too had the power of the demons, though much lesser. So it was impossible for them to enter because they were blocked by Bellastin’s magic circle.
“Young master!”
“Miss!”
Moreover, beyond the Devil’s Hand’s combatants were the 12 families’ escort knights.
It was a daunting situation to just stop the escort knights from pushing their way in front of them.
‘It’s only a matter of time.’
After using Lightning Punch in succession, Jude calculated the numbers in his head.
The time for Cordelia to maintain Bellastin’s magic circle.
The time it takes for the escorts to break through the Devil’s Hand’s combatants.
The time when demonic human Minos adjusts to Bellastin’s magic circle and becomes able to move.
It was all a few seconds apart.
It was only a dozen seconds at most, but by those dozens of seconds, lives could come and go.
Thud!
Jude stepped forward again and used Lightning Punch for the third time.
He felt his breath being choked from the technique’s excessive use, but he couldn’t stop.
Wham! Bang!
Lightning Punch struck again.
But this time, not all seven consecutive strikes were successful. The last strike was blocked. Minos desperately moved to stop the attack.
“Ra-kuhaa!”
When the b.l.o.o.d.y Minos burst out into a roar, lightning sparked all over his body. It was a phenomenon caused by the clash of demonic power and the binding power of Bellastin’s magic circle.
And it was at that moment…
“Lucas! Help us too!”
Cordelia shouted while she was clinging to the Moonlight with her posture down.
“Use the Sage King’s Cross Sword!”
Cordelia’s cry was almost like a scream at the end.
And that had awakened Lucas, who was surprised by the Bellastin’s magic circle and Minos.
The Sage King’s Cross Sword was said to be handed down by an ancient swordsman and was only used against the enemies of Count Hræsvelgr.
As the current heir, Lucas also knew how to use the Sage King’s Cross Sword. His skill may still be at a low level, but it was still the Sage King’s Cross Sword.
It was the sword of Graham, the Sage King who built the Holy Kingdom by cutting down five great demons, and it had a powerful effect against the demonic humans who use the power of demons.
Lucas’ breathing changed.
He raised and activated his whole body at once, as his feet completely flew towards Jude and Minos.
Sage King’s Cross Sword: Solar Eclipse – Holy Sword.
Lucas’ sword shone in pure white.
It was a holy light that was powerful against demons.
When Cordelia shouted Lucas’ name, Jude pulled himself out as he gasped and widened his distance from Minos at the same time.
Thus, Lucas dug into the gap that was created.
“Kuaaak!”
Minos screamed as his chest was cut by a holy sword, and black blood gushed out from his chest.
But it was not yet over.
In the beginning of the main scenario, Jude and Lucas’ strength was nearly the same.
It was difficult for Lucas to defeat Minos by himself.
“You lowly beings!”
Minos shouted in anger and exerted his strength even though he was still bounded, and Lucas had a cold sweat facing such Minos.
Jude returned to Cordelia’s side as he supported her and asked.
“Can you do it?”
“I can. Instead, haa…I cut it off.”
Cordelia groaned and answered.
It was a difficult to understand conversation at first glance, but not for Jude and Cordelia.
What Jude had asked for was the power hidden in the Moonlight.
However, the moment she used it, Bellastin’s magic circle will be released in a few seconds. Cordelia’s mana was still too weak to operate both Moonlight and Bellastin’s magic circle at the same time.
Jude calculated it.
Cordelia felt it instinctively.
Thus, the two reached the same conclusion.
““Let’s do it.””
Will Bellastin’s magic circle be maintained until the escorts defeat the Devil’s Hand’s combatants? No… the question was how long can Cordelia be able to hold on?
After all, it was unreasonable.
Minos was faster and could recover his strength by a hair’s breadth.
In the first place, Bellastin’s magic circle was not all-around.
It was due to a number of realistic problems that Jude had to set up Bellastin’s magic circle in the secret room.
Renting the entire banquet hall to draw the magic circle was impossible, and so was activating a huge magic circle that covered the entire banquet hall.
However, if you draw a small magic circle, it was another problem on how to guide Minos precisely above the magic circle.
That is why I chose a secret room.
It’s literally a secret room, so if you sneak in the place, no one will disturb you while you’re drawing the magic circle.
Because the room itself is not very large, installing a magic circle that covers the entire room eliminates the problem of guiding Minos to a specific area.
‘It’s the best solution.’
In the first place, the current situation itself was the best situation that I made with every effort.
So let’s try again.
Instead of vaguely hoping to succeed, let’s struggle in hitting him one more time.
Lucas and Minos clashed.
Lucas groaned at the shock caused by the collision of the Sage King’s Cross Sword and the demonic power. On the other hand, blood spilled out of the nose of Cordelia who was forcibly maintaining Bellastin’s magic circle.
Jude did not hesitate anymore.
As he grabbed and modified the Sun’s Necklace’s position, Cordelia clenched her teeth and stood up.
The important thing is the timing.
In that narrow moment, he needs to accurately strike in that gap.
Jude calculated again.
Cordelia felt it instinctively once again.
1 second.
2 seconds.
When Lucas’s sword cut Minos’ chest once again…
“O glory of the moonlight! Arise, wake up from your slumber and shine!”
Cordelia removed the Moonlight from the magic circle. She lifted it up and chanted, releasing from the Moonlight the moon’s mana which had been stored and acc.u.mulated for over a hundred years!
There was light.
It was a subtle light that spreads in the darkness, and not a light that breaks the darkness.
The moonlight filled the secret room. It did not stop there, as it delivered its power completely into one place – the Sun’s Necklace, causing it to begin shining too.
A light that contained the sacred power of Solari.
The mana of the moon acc.u.mulated over a hundred years was not small.
From the Sun’s Necklace, an equal amount light was emitted like when it was with Gallus, Solari’s champion.
“Keuhak-?!”
Minos winced at the moment the moon’s mana pressed his whole body and closed his eyes with a painful groan.
Lucas opened his mouth in surprise.
Thud!
Jude rushed in. He had to finish it before the effect of Bellastin’s magic circle, which had lost its power source, disappeared.
“!”
It was a simple yet fatal magic that came from the magic circle drawn on his left hand’s glove.
Minos who had stepped back as his eyes were closed, slipped and fell on the floor. And Jude got on top of him and pulled his fist.
He only had one chance.
His current blow should deal the most fatal blow.
Jude held his breath.
Using the power of the sun condensed by the moonlight for his attack’s power source, the Lightning Strike Fist exploded at once.
Boom!
Lightning and thunder exploded.
His fist that hit like lightning struck Minos in the chest.
Moreover, it was not just a physical blow this time.
The divine power of the sun G.o.d Solari penetrated Minos’ chest.
“Aaaghhh!”
Minos screamed in pain.
Dozens of cracks appeared in his entire body.
Spirit Stone.
Located in the chest, it is an organ that replaces the heart of a person who has become one with the demon and turned into a demonic human.
It aggregates mana supplied from the outside like a demon’s horn and is what makes a demonic human exist as a demonic human.
That spirit stone broke.
With the golden light of Solari adding to him being weakened by Bellastin’s magic circle and the continuous blows, the weakened spirit stone finally shattered.
“No! No!”
Mana poured out from the cracks in his entire body.
Minos struggled.
Jude pulled his fist again.
“Gobble it up.”
Is it an illusion that I heard Cordelia’s voice?
Jude fiercely laughed. He used the remaining mana of the moon on the Sun’s Necklace as his own. As he roared, he dealt the last blow into Minos’ chest.
Kuhaaa-!
The light burst.
As he was struck in the chest once again, Minos’ whole body began to break. The demonic power rose like a smoke and dispersed in all directions.
And right after that, a series of white rings of light surrounded the body of Jude.
It was not only that. A phrase came into his mind like when he first attacked the dungeon book.
[You acquired the t.i.tle ‘The One Who Made the Impossible Possible.’]
[All stats increased by 5%.]
A boss that could not originally be beaten.
A scenario designed on the premise of losing.
But we overcame it.
We became victorious.
Jude clenched his fist.
Like when he first got 1st place in the server rankings, the sense of accomplishment coming deep inside his heart made him shout in joy.
Cordelia felt the same.
Despite her bleeding nose, she raised her arms high and shouted in joy too.
“Young master!”
“Miss!”
The voices of Jun and Dahlia was heard in succession.
Jude took a long breath.
A pleasant smile was drawn on his face.
***
“Haa…Haa…I-I’m completely wiped out. It’s enough to faint, so please do me a favor.”
Right after they defeated Minos, Cordelia spoke as she caught her breath and was on the verge of fainting. On the other hand, Jude crawled halfway to Cordelia’s side and responded.
“Sorry, I’ll go first, I-I’m going to faint too.”
“F-f*ck?”
“Gueum…julmaek…kekk-”
Jude, who was lying next to Cordelia, fainted after making a kekk sound.
Both of them leveled up a lot, but the stamina and mana consumed were so great.
“F-f*cking b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
Cordelia swore a little, as she collapsed on the floor too. Using the last of her mental strength to stay conscious, she told Lucas.
“Settle…the aftermath…please…”
And that was it for Cordelia too.
The incomparably beautiful girl, who was bleeding from her nose, lost consciousness too. Lucas, who was asked to take care of the aftermath, tried to shout.
No, he wanted to shout ‘How!’
Cordelia’s Silence spell was still in effect.
Furthermore, it was difficult to take care of the aftermath because there were so many things that Lucas didn’t even know about.
What was that magic circle installed in the secret room? What were the active roles of Jude and Cordelia who defeated the enemy at the end?
‘A-and the f*cks too.’
An incomparably beautiful girl who kept swearing ‘f*ck’. Wasn’t she a Count’s esteemed daughter?
In a sense, the biggest impact of today’s events was Cordelia’s true colors.
Until last year, she was pretending to be an innocent girl, but she was actually different inside.
Lucas shuddered unconsciously as he looked over the collapsed wall. The escort knights had overpowered the demon followers and were coming in groups.
“Miss! Miss!”
Count Chase’s escort, Dahlia, burst into tears at the sight of Cordelia bleeding from her nose, and Count Bayer’s escort hurriedly took Jude’s pulse.
“Young master, are you all right?”
Lucas nodded to his escort who had a deathly pale face, and then turned to Jude and Cordelia.
He looked at the two who had fainted besides each other and had satisfied smiles in their faces. As he recalled how they worked back-and-forth and how Cordelia pleaded to him before fainting, Lucas unwittingly smiled.
‘Really…they’re a fantasy couple.’
No, have I gone mad?
As Lucas swallowed his words and thoughts that Jude and Cordelia would have denied had they heard it, he looked back at his escort. He diligently pointed to his mouth and complained that he was under Silence magic.