Chapter 69: Lakyus Will Support Me (Patreon)

As the meeting ended, the room started to get empty. Princess Renner, team Blue Rose, team Platinum, and Gazef Stronoff were the only ones left to finish making their plan.

Their conversation started as everyone was assigned their roles and positions, but when it turned to the idea of placing Lakyus at the forefront of a re-entry unit composed of Mithril and Orichalcum-ranked adventurers, Lucifer, who had remained silent for most of the meeting, finally stepped forward.

“I have a proposal,” he said calmly, and his voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

“We should divide into two teams. I’ll lead one, with Evileye and Lakyus by my side. The other team will consist of Nabe, Tia, Tina, and Gagaran, with Nabe in charge, leading the adventurers to rescue citizens and fight demons.”

His suggestion caught everyone off guard, particularly Lakyus, who furrowed her brow in confusion and couldn’t quite grasp the logic.

"Lucifer-sama, shouldn’t I be in the back lines?” she questioned. “I can cast Resurrection Magic, and it would make more sense for me to lead the adventurers and focus on defeating the Demon Troops.”

However, Lucifer simply shook his head at what she said, locked eyes with her, and replied firmly.

“You alone wouldn’t be strong enough to face the demons on the front line and would run out of fuel soon. Putting you in the rear would be a waste of your abilities, especially given how severely we lack manpower.”

Lakyus blinked but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“Nabe is a better choice to lead the other adventurers,” Lucifer explained. "Though I kept this quiet until now, she can cast 5th-tier spells effortlessly, and she's powerful enough to defeat your entire Blue Rose team on her own."

"…"

A shocked silence filled the room.

No one dared take Lucifer’s words as mere boasting. Instead, all eyes shifted to Nabe, their expressions shifting to awe and respect as they understood her true strength.

Lucifer, however, paid no attention to their reactions. His gaze remained fixed on Lakyus, who immediately raised her doubts.

"If she is so strong, wouldn't it be better for her to be fighting Jaldabaoth together with you than me?"

“You’re mistaken, Lakyus. Nabe may be strong, but not enough to assist me in a direct battle with Jaldabaoth. She’d be killed by the aftermath alone. You, on the other hand, are different. Your priest class abilities are crucial on the front lines. You can buff me, heal me, counter the enemy’s debuffs, or even weaken them from the sidelines without directly engaging in combat. This battle with Jaldabaoth is the crux of the entire war. If we can’t defeat him, no matter how many lesser demons we slay, it’ll all be meaningless.”

There was no need for him to explain further. Everyone in the room already understood the gravity of the situation, though none had considered using Lakyus purely as support until now. They fell into deep contemplation.

After a moment, Lakyus was the first to break the silence.

“I understand,” she said firmly.

In fact, Lakyus wasn’t foolish.

She knew that her own danger level hovered around 90, while Evileye’s easily surpassed 150. The Bug Maid Evileye had faced was likely also at least 150.

Accordingly, the strength of Aurelius Nova Lucifer—who, according to Evileye, could immobilize her with a single word and kill Gagaran simultaneously—had to be at least double that, around 300.

It was an absurd figure, bordering on insanity. But, after hearing about the legend of Aurelius from Evileye and learning how even the Six Great Gods and the Eight Evil Kings of Greed feared him, such a number started to make sense.

Moreover, even that powerful Aurelius spoke of Jaldabaoth as a terrifying subordinate—an evil so great it could destroy the human world if left unchecked.

Lakyus concluded that Jaldabaoth's danger level had to be at least 200, or possibly 230.

Jaldabaoth—an existence with unknown and terrifying power. And Lucifer—an adventurer capable of fighting such a being as an equal or possibly even greater. Lakyus had fought in countless battles, but this was a series of overwhelming unknowns.

One thing was certain, though: in such high-stakes, intense battles, it was often the smallest details that tipped the balance toward victory.

So…

“If fighting by Lord Aurelius’s side increases our chances of victory, I will risk my life to do so.”

Her decision was made, and Gazef Stronoff was the first to step forward in support.

“Well said, Lakyus-dono.”

“If Lakyus says so...”

“I agree.”

“Me too.”

One by one, the others voiced their agreement, nodding in acceptance of Lucifer’s strategy. Only Evileye remained silent, and her eyes narrowed behind her mask.

While the others praised Lucifer, she cursed him in her heart.

She knew full well that this bastard was using his honeyed words to deceive everyone. Though she didn’t know his exact plans, it was obvious to her that his target was Lakyus.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny his strength or his acting skill. Even she might have fallen for his tricks if she hadn't known his true nature.

But despite seeing through him, she could do nothing.

In the end, the decision was made exactly as Lucifer had wanted. After the meeting concluded, preparations for the full-scale operation began swiftly.

Lucifer left the Blue Rose behind and disappeared first. Evileye watched Lucifer's back, which was getting farther and farther away.

“Bastard…”

She spat the word out, her frustration boiling over as she reluctantly followed Lucifer, who had already vanished into the darkness.

…..

On the other side of the Royal Capital, where the wall of flames had erupted, the battle had already begun.

The world, once swallowed in silence, erupted into chaos. The streets of the capital looked the same as before, except for the collapsed houses and the eerie absence of people.

As Prince Zanac rallied the citizens, the Adventurer Coalition moved into enemy lines, their mission clear: rescue the civilians trapped in the residential sector.

"Where are the villagers? There's no smell of blood, but could they be hiding in the houses?" one adventurer asked, scanning the area.

"It can't be. Look over there. The door’s broken. They must have been taken somewhere."

"Could devils be hiding in the empty houses? We should search them one by one as a precaution, but it’ll take a lot of time."

"It might be better to contact Lady Nabe and get instructions," another suggested.

"Then let's call her—"

"You don’t have to."

A voice cut through their conversation. The adventurers, startled, turned to see Nabe approaching from behind. Her appearance caused them to open their eyes wide in surprise.

"Iron- and copper-ranked adventurers will stay and search the houses. One Mithril team will remain to oversee them. Please spread out and move forward. Any objections?"

No one voiced any complaints. They simply shook their heads in silent agreement.

"Then, let’s move."

Nabe proceeded down, surrounded by Orichalcum-ranked adventurers. The capital's streets were steeped in darkness, the eerie silence surrounding them like a curse, as if demons had already claimed the city.

At her command, the adventurers readied their weapons. 

“Set up the wire from here. When we hit the side road, the lead team takes point! We’ll press forward down this path!” Nabe ordered.

From the shadows ahead, beasts emerged—massive creatures resembling dogs, but their eyes burned with the wickedness of hell, and flames dripped from their mouths instead of saliva.

Hell Hounds. Fifteen of them.

But that wasn’t all. Larger and more menacing creatures soared over the city.

Lizard-like heads, thick, scaly skin glistening under the moonlight, and fangs like razor-sharp weapons on their forelimbs and hind feet. These beasts flapped their enormous wings, letting out grotesque roars that shook the ground.

—Keeeee!

—Kyaaaaa!

Behind them were twisted human-like figures, their skin stripped and smeared with a black, oily substance.

There were fifteen unknown demons, one bloated devil, six devils with flayed skin, and three dragons.

"Oh gods, that... that’s a dragon, isn’t it?!" One of the guards stammered, his voice breaking in panic.

"There’s too many of them!"

The guards shouted in fear.

“We’re outmatched! We need to retreat! We can’t handle dragons with our strength!” 

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

"Hold your positions!" Nabe’s voice cut through the clamor. "Our mission isn’t to kill these demons. We’re buying time until support arrives."

Her words gave the adventurers a brief surge of courage, but it was fleeting. As the demons pressed forward, the guards, one by one, began to succumb to fear. Above them, three dragons floated ominously in the night sky, their red-hot eyes glaring down at the guards like predators eying helpless prey.

“T-this is wrong!”

“There’s no way we can beat a dragon!”

“Hey! Don’t run away! Hold your ground!” One of the captains shouted in vain.

But once one guard broke rank, the rest followed. Their retreat caused the entire frontline to collapse in an instant. The formation, once meant to hold back the demonic advance, crumbled into chaos.

The demons, sensing weakness, rushed forward, smashing through the barricades with ease.

Mocking laughter echoed from the creatures, a sound that ridiculed the foolishness of humans.

Just then, one of the guards, looking up to the night sky in desperation, noticed something unusual.

A shadow was approaching at high speed.

It was a warrior dressed in platinum armor with two figures dangling from the left and right. The air around him twisted unnaturally, transforming into a noble and holy aura. A blue-white glow began to emerge, swirling around the man.

His platinum longsword shimmered as if it were accumulating blue energy, and with a single swing, he sliced through the air at high speed.

In that instant, a blue flash erupted, and a deafening explosion followed.

—boom!

With just one swing of his sword, the ground was set ablaze, and the force of the explosion shook the earth.

Thick fog rolled across the battlefield, and when it cleared, the guards, who had been cowering moments before, stared in stunned silence.

Demons, dragons—all of them were obliterated. No trace of their bodies remained.

The man let out a sigh and revealed himself to the astonished guards.

“Is everyone all right?”

The Platinum Sword King—Lucifer. Every guard now had their eyes fixed on this legendary figure.

“He’s… incredible.”

“That’s the Platinum Sword King, Lucifer!”

Hellhounds, devils, and dragons—with a single strike, Lucifer had wiped them from existence. The guards, once terrified, began praising him in unison, their voices rising with admiration.

“Wow!”

Shouts of joy echoed through the road, their cheers washed over Lucifer like a tidal wave of gratitude. He nodded, accepting their praise with quiet dignity, before speaking once more.

“The counterattack begins now. Hold your ground a little longer. There won’t be any more enemies here for a while, but I must go. Lakyus, Evileye, let’s move.”

With that, the two women, who had landed moments earlier, took his hand again, and the trio rose into the air.

As they ascended, Lucifer’s final words rang out across the battlefield.

“I will subdue the enemy’s leader. Until then, protect the citizens behind you.”