harleyscars Page 254
Page 254
"I think you really don't understand, Artotai..."
Mino sat up in bed, ready to give his holy sword a proper lesson on bare feet and justice.
A cold laugh suddenly rang out beside the cell:
"Don't worry, our hero."
"I guarantee that your days ahead will be a hundred times more humiliating than that...."
The words, tinged with a hint of mockery and malice, entered the room. Mino and Altotai both felt a chill run down their spines, and immediately turned to look at the door, their eyes suddenly shifting.
A demon with a halo above its head and jet-black wings appeared in the arena.
A jet-black holy robe shrouded his slender figure, giving off a dark and blasphemous feeling. On his human-like, refined face, his pupils were filled with the most vivid dark red and emerald green, mixed with a colorful poison deep within them, making one feel as if their soul was being numbed just by looking into them.
"It's you." Mino's face immediately darkened.
"The Fourth Demon, the Plague Angel, Freyr—"
"I didn't expect that after five months, your injuries would have already healed. As expected of the most skilled blasphemous demon who concocts plagues and chaos..."
"Hehe, you flatter me, our brave sir."
Standing in the arena, Freer adjusted the black halo above his head, placed his right hand on his left shoulder, and bowed slightly, saying:
"It took me a full five months to recover from that severe injury, which is quite shameful to admit."
Freer's long, slender fingers traced down from his left shoulder to his right waist as he spoke with a deep and nostalgic tone:
“I still vividly remember your ‘Corona Slash’ from five months ago. With that incredible power and speed, you shattered the combined attack of the three demons in one fell swoop, leaving me with this… almost fatal wound. It was truly a remarkable technique, Hero.”
The red and green eyes stared silently at Mino's face, seemingly carrying a faint chill.
However, Mino remained calm and fearless when facing the demon.
"Likewise." Mino touched his right arm with a forced smile.
"After the Corona Slash, your 'Concentrated Poison Plague' also effectively crippled my right hand... Unfortunately, I wasn't proficient in dual-wielding at that time, and the sword skills I used with my left hand were greatly reduced in power, so you guys still found a weakness in the end."
"That plague that can ignore the protection of holy power and directly corrode flesh and blood is truly a match for your filthy and vicious creature."
The sarcastic remark reached Freer's ears, and he smiled dismissively.
"I am over-flattered."
"If I had to say, your 'ordinary sword strike' was the most brilliant and awe-inspiring, Hero."
He single-handedly neutralized the combined attack of our nine demons, even severely injuring the Fifth Demon at the very beginning of the battle.
"It was clearly a powerful killing move unleashed with the most terrifying holy power, a strike that no hero had ever been able to create before. That earth-shattering, awe-inspiring strike that astonished the nine great demons, was uttered with the casual remark of 'an ordinary sword strike'..."
"Only someone with your radiant, righteous, and heroic facade could do something like that—"
Chapter 367 Fallen Angels and Fallen Heroes
"is it?"
Inside the cell, Mino listened, a slight smile playing on her lips:
"If I had to say, the 'Holy Plague Barrier' you kept using during the battle was also very troublesome. It was able to continuously devour the holy power attached to the surface of the body. To be honest, the plague that could even affect energy was beyond my imagination."
"Just how wicked, despicable, and talented must a demon be to concoct such an inhumane plague... what do you think?"
The words reached his ears, and his eyebrows curved into a comfortable smile; Freer's tone softened as well.
"If you put it that way, then I have to mention your 'Continuous Ordinary Swords,' that extremely fierce and dangerous counterattack, which almost broke through the time magic array—it was truly an incredibly bright and dazzling counterattack that even the plague could not taint..."
Inside the cell, the hero and the demon stared intently at each other, their eyes seemingly flickering with an inexplicable light.
In the corner, after carefully reflecting on the situation, Altottai finally sensed that something was amiss.
Looking suspiciously at the two sides, who were engaged in a heated and seemingly endless exchange of words, his eyes revealed doubt:
"You two... aren't you just flattering each other?"
The air suddenly became still.
"How could that be, Artotai?"
Faced with Altoté's questioning, Mino immediately and resolutely denied it:
"The one standing before me is one of the most troublesome among all the demon officials. He has repeatedly dealt heavy blows to the kingdom's army by using plagues and viruses, and he also possesses extremely terrifying interrogation skills."
Over the millennia, they have pried open the resolute souls of countless iron-willed warriors, using the intelligence they obtained to inflict devastating disasters on generations of human kingdoms! They are truly cruel and ruthless demons!
"Heh, I share the same view. I will not show respect to the enemy."
Looking at Mino, Freer also shook his head and said:
"Even if the one standing before me is the strongest hero in human history, a terrifying swordsman with the title of Light, a great being who has established deep friendships with dragons, dwarves, and even goblins, whose character and willpower are beyond reproach, it's still the same!"
"You're not even going to act anymore, huh?!"
Altottai was shocked: "—You guys are just praising each other!"
"Let's leave the pleasantries here, hero."
With his dark wings slightly unfurled behind him, Freer turned, waved, and walked towards the door.
"This time, I'm just here to give you a brief greeting as a former adversary."
"But next time, it won't be so easy."
"You will witness the most terrifying side of me, the most capable interrogation officer in the Demon King's castle, who is burdened with the power and desire of 'blasphemy'..."
Freer's figure disappeared into the shadows of the dark corridor. A chill ran down Mino's spine as she sensed the intense, intuitive sense of danger. She narrowed her eyes slightly, replying with an air of arrogance:
"And you—will also witness my most vulnerable side, as the strongest hero in human history, the epitome of iron will and perseverance, the light of humanity!"
In the corner, Altottai squinted and muttered:
"That sounds absolutely lame...it has no deterrent effect whatsoever."
Freer's footsteps faded at the end of the corridor. Mino's expression shifted, and she suddenly remembered something.
The fourth demon, the plague angel, Freyr.
Even among the nine great demon officials, he is one of the most terrifying demons to humankind.
Its toxin-like ability caused it to be constantly surrounded by an invisible, dark aura that suppressed its flesh and blood.
Even well-trained kingdom soldiers would feel extremely uncomfortable under that aura, their combat power would be reduced; ordinary humans would be as if they had been infected with a plague, directly becoming weak and paralyzed, completely losing their ability to move.
This is also why Freer, within his own "fallen angel" race, was given an even higher title and became known as the Plague Angel.
But now——
Mino lowered his head, feeling his body completely sealed by holy power, a look of confusion in his eyes.
Why... was he unaffected?
……
……
……
The eerie will-o'-the-wisps illuminated the ground floor hall.
"Demon Conference, activate!"
An invisible shadow outlined a wine-red rose gown on the seat of honor, and Klettina's gaze swept over it.
The vacant seats now belong to the Fifth Demon, whose injuries have not yet healed, and the Seventh Demon, Nightmare Mirror, who has been injured several times.
As for the sixth demon's seat, Fim meticulously sewed a small, mournful green rag doll with a few teardrops at the corners of its eyes, resembling a beauty mark.
This cute, cartoon-style rag doll replaced Astrid and was placed on the seat.
This is Svir's proposal, indicating that the Demon King's Castle's Valery cannot forget the contributions of any member.
Moreover, Astrid is now completely cut off from them and is deeply mired in the turmoil and suspicion of the Kingdom of Kur.
“Friel.” Kleidina looked at the fallen angel in the fourth demon seat and nodded slightly.
"It's a pleasure to see you fully recovered. On behalf of all the demon officials of the Demon King's Castle, I extend a warm welcome to you on your return—"
From his seat, Freer rose with a smile and bowed to Clytina and the other magic officials in turn:
"It is my greatest honor. Thank you for your concern, dear scribe and my fellow demons."
Adjusting the dark halo above his head, Freer sat down again, glanced around, and then suddenly chuckled and spoke:
"What I didn't expect was that, in just five months, everyone here seems to have an even stronger aura than before."
“For example, Miss Fim, you seem to have reached a realm that zombie demons have never been able to reach. Now, you could probably easily take my seat... And Miss Migo, your strength seems to have improved as well. Is this the growth rate of the Horned Demon clan? It’s truly enviable.”
"The same goes for you, strategist. In such a short time, you seem to have accumulated an astonishing amount of knowledge... As for our elder, Apophis, hmm, has your maintenance method evolved recently? You seem to have been completely renewed?"
As a member of the fallen angel race, Freyr possessed incredibly keen intuition. Seeing the great demons, who had recovered from their injuries and made breakthroughs, he couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and prosperity.
Looking at everyone, he exclaimed with great joy:
"All the demon officials have become more powerful than before. It seems that... we now have the upper hand in the battle against the human kingdom!"
The hall suddenly fell silent.
An incredibly awkward atmosphere seemed to permeate the air.
"Well, anyway, Freer, you've only just woken up in the castle and are not yet aware of the current situation outside."
"Before the meeting officially begins, let Swell give you a brief overview of what has happened over the past five months."
Finally, it was Kleidina who broke the silence, looking at Svir who was standing to the side.
“That’s not a problem. I’ll just take up a little of everyone’s time.” Freer nodded readily, looking very relaxed.
After all, it's only been five months, so probably not many important things have happened.
The person in charge of the presentation is still Swell, and it will probably only be a matter of one or two "knowledge" points, which won't take up much time.
I was thinking this so easily.
Then, I heard Swell clear his throat beside me:
"Time is limited, so I'll skip over less important matters like the awakening of heroes and the complete collapse of the first line of defense, and get straight to the more crucial points—"