Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan (LN)

Vol 13 Chapter 3 Part 5

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Part 5

Amidst the cool, clear air of the forest, surrounded by dense trees, there was a mysterious open space.

When a gentle breeze blew, the trees swayed, and the lush green leaves fell from their branches into a small spring. The surface of the water gently shimmered and rippled before disappearing. Surrounding the fountain were a variety of flowers, beautifully lit by the string of lights coming from the blowing passage.

Then a young man appeared.

He was so handsome that a woman would be intoxicated just by the smile on his face.

But their instincts would not allow them to approach him.

The deadly atmosphere he exuded, the spirit that surrounded him, and the oppressive feeling wrapped around him would surely cause them to flee.

His golden eyes were fixed on the two statues in the well.

To be precise, he was staring between the statues of the “First God” and the “God of War,” two of the Twelve Great Gods of the Grantz. But there was nothing there. But the young man kept staring at the statues as if he wanted people to believe that something had actually happened there.

“The Spirit King… has been captured, and I am the only one left of the Five Great Heavenly Kings.”

Despite the sadness in his words, there was no emotion in them.

No sorrow, no lamentation, no anger.

“My brothers and sisters. At last, the long struggle is coming to an end.”

Brothers and sisters who had lived together since the birth of the world. Now he was the only one left.

But this did not mean that he was sentimental.

It was this young man, the “Faceless King” himself, who took the lives of his brothers and sisters.

“When I think back, it was a long time before I came here. If I count the thousand years, and even before that, I can no longer remember them.”

As if speaking to someone, his voice echoed through the night forest.

Only the chirping of the insects continued in his ears.

There was no response. He knew there was no one to answer.

So now that he was alone, he could not help but murmur.

“My victory!”

As the Faceless King declared in a low voice, he heard a noise coming from behind the grass.

The tactless intruder had no intention of hiding his presence.

He walked normally, breathed normally, and sent out his murderous intent normally.

The Faceless King slowly turned his gaze in the direction of the sound.

“O king. Our father. I have a question for you.”

A thousand years ago, the leaders of the demon tribe, the Twelve Demon Lords, were defeated in vain by the God of War.

A pathetic child, deprived of the “magic stone,” the source of their magical power, they could only produce power below that of an ordinary human.

Having lost interest in them after their defeat at the hands of the “God of War,” the Faceless King did not even offer them a word of comfort. They became convenient pawns, ordered to perform their duties without any consolation. Nevertheless, they continued to serve the Faceless King with a passion for him.

However, the Twelve Demon Lords were now reduced to only two.

“Chimera, what do you want? I didn’t order you to escort me, so why are you following me?”

The Faceless King, who had averted his gaze from the pathetic child, was fascinated by the ripples created by the fountain.

The man called Chimera’s face contorted in frustration as he continued to act as usual.

“O king. Do you really want to win against the God of War?”

“That is a foolish question. You should not ask such an obvious question.”

The Faceless King looked back at him with a wry smile, and his body was suddenly thrown from its stance by the impact.

Kneeling on the ground, the Faceless King stared at his left arm floating in the air as if it were a strange object.

Then he looked down at the culprit who had cut off his arm.

“What are you doing, Chimera?”

The Faceless King did not seem to be angry, despite the surprise and betrayal. He just stared at the traitor.

Chimera backed away, perhaps intimidated by the light in his eyes and the “nothing” that remained unchanged.

As if nothing had happened, the Faceless King’s left arm rose in front of him, restored by super-speed regeneration. However, the recovery was incomplete, and the flesh was peeling off the arm.

“It’s your fault.”

“Hmm, my fault? State your reasons.”

“We have worshiped you as our father for a thousand years. We have obeyed your commands for a thousand years. And yet, and yet! There are no words of thanks. Not a single tear, not even when your children died. Are you really our father?”

If it were possible to shed tears, Chimera would have wept. But deprived of his “eyes,” he could not, and his only option was to let his voice tremble with emotion.

“Nonsense!”

He refused. He said it without hesitation.

“I am one of the ‘Five Great Heavenly Kings’ who are said to be close to ‘God,’ and everyone who lives in this world is my beloved child, my beloved toy.”

“I-if that is so, then we, the Twelve Demon Lords who have sworn allegiance to you with our lives, are also toys!”

Chimera shouted with inarticulate sobs,

“Of course!”

The Faceless King said as if he was going to throw up.

“Then die! You are no longer our king!”

Chimera’s hesitation vanished. With his weapon in his hand, he leaped at the Faceless King.

However, the Faceless King made no move to avoid the attack.

With a gentle, natural motion, he called out the “Immortal of Death” and swung it at the oncoming Chimera.

With a single slash, a spray of blood rose. Upon impact, Chimera took a step or two backward.

Instead of falling, Chimera stared at the Faceless King through clenched teeth, bleeding profusely.

Chimera was about to open his mouth to appeal for something,

“You are in my way.”

――A black sword reached out from behind him and pierced him.

“Ah?”

Chimera grabbed the blade with both hands as he felt the black sword pierce him. However, the tip of the sword was pulled out with great force, cutting off both of Chimera’s fingers. The severed fingers fell to the ground, bounced, and began to roll as if they had gained momentum. However, there was a boy who mercilessly crushed the fingers and walked past Chimera.

“I was looking for you, Faceless King. I never thought I’d see you here.”

Chimera reached for the boy’s back as he walked away, but he fell back to the ground and died, his mouth open and closed. The boy glanced at him and gave the Faceless King a dark smile.

“Now, there are no more obstacles in our way. Let’s put an end to the fate that has befallen us for the past thousand years.”

“Don’t be in such a hurry. We have a lot to discuss. First, we should talk to each other.”

The Faceless King opened his arms to greet the visitor after pointing to the boy who did not stop walking.

“I thought this would be a fitting place to end. This is where it all began.”

This forest was called Unfang Forest.

It was located on the eastern side of the Great Grantz Empire and was the place where Hiro met Liz and where he met Rei a thousand years ago. This forest was also the “sanctuary” where the “Spirit King” resided.

“Now, which way?”

The Faceless King, impatient with the boy’s lack of response, demanded an answer.

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

The Faceless King snapped his fingers as he cleared his throat in response to the boy’s answer.

As if on cue, the room cracked open, and a spear shot out.

The divine spear that pierces everything――the Creation of Heaven and Earth.

The Faceless King pulled the spear out of the space and turned his piercingly cold gaze towards the boy.

“Black Dragon King… No, God of War… is an ambiguous being that has many names.”

The Faceless King, radiating a murderous intent, arrogantly raised his weapon as if to say that he was ready to fight.

“You have served me well as a vessel. You must have worked hard. As a reward, I’ll make it easy for you.”

“That should be my line.”

The boy returned his black sword to its sheath and readied it in the lower stance, leaning forward at the waist.

“Finally, I can kill you.”

The boy stormed to the ground with his face lowered, leaving a strong trail of footprints behind him.

In the next instant, their fighting spirits collided.

A violent slash cut through the darkness in all directions.

＊＊＊＊＊

The “monsters” were hideous.

They were disgusting to the point of nausea.

They were unintelligent, ate dead people, and sometimes even their own kind.

To them, everyone but themselves was either food or an enemy.

That’s why Keryneia detested creatures that had no intelligence at all.

“Their smell is also very strong.”

The Twelve Demon Lords, Keryneia, frowned as she looked around the camp of “monsters.”

There was only one reason for Keryneia to be in this place of the most disgusting creatures.

The reason was that the “King” she so adored has disappeared from the main camp.

There was no use for a “monster” who could not communicate with her. So Keryneia’s feet were directed to the noisiest place. As she approached, the sound of vulgar laughter and the smell of alcohol on the wind tickled her nose.

In a monster-dominated camp, there was only one intelligent monster who could speak the language. The humans who lived in this world called them the “Marked Tribe” and feared them, but from Keryneia’s point of view, they were just as disgusting as the monsters.

“Excuse me.”

When she arrived at the place where the “Marked Tribe” was camped, she found that the flesh-eaters, hideous creatures who had failed in the process of demonization, had brought the corpses from the battlefield and were now devouring the flesh of the humans. They were creatures with no dignity at all but still more intelligent than the monsters.

“Where is your commander?”

The flesh-eaters who had devoured the organs pointed to the desired place with a lung in their mouths. The fresh blood of their prey dripped from their fingertips. Without a word of thanks, Keryneia began walking again.

“If Chimera is not here… he might not be here.”

Normally, she would not search for the “King” just because he had disappeared. But now her companion, Chimera, had also disappeared. The recent attitude towards the Faceless King had made her uneasy. She understood Chimera’s feelings. It was true that she was beginning to have doubts about the Faceless King’s leadership.

“I don’t think he would turn his blade against the king as expected…”

Hoping that her fears were unfounded, Keruneia stepped into the area where the “Marked Tribe” had their stronghold.

Keryneia’s shadow, illuminated by the bonfire, overlapped with a shadow larger than herself.

“…I thought I smelled something, but it’s you, Keryneia.”

“It’s better than the stench of death you all waft about, Null.”

A tall, brown-skinned man with intricate patterns etched all over his body appeared in front of Keryneia.

He was the chief of the Marked Tribe. Before that, he was a member of the “Human Race” and could have become one of the Five Great Generals. In other words, he realized that he was no match for the Five Great Generals and fled, but he could not accept his defeat and sought power, and this was the result of his current situation.

Most of the “Marked Tribe” were in a similar situation to Null.

Thieves who have done evil and lost their way, warriors who have fled the battlefield, fallen nobles bent on revenge, clerics who have lost the power struggle, they were indeed all losers.

That was why Keryneia looked down on the losers, the “Marked Tribe,” who had failed to become like the God of War. Normally, she would not want to be on the same battlefield with them. However, they had some intelligence, and their fighting power was superior to that of the monsters, and most importantly, they were beings created by the Faceless King himself, so she had no choice but to accept their current state.

“So you didn’t come here to smell death, did you? Now tell me what you want.”

“The king has disappeared. So I came to see if he visited you.”

It was possible that the Faceless King had visited this place.

It was impossible to read his mind. She didn’t even know what he was thinking.

Therefore, she wanted to look at all the places she could think of.

Even if it was the place she hated the most.

“I don’t know. But knowing Father, he’ll probably go back there soon.”

“Then have you seen Chimera?”

When Keryneia asked, Null formed an eerie smile with the corners of his mouth turned up.

“You know what I mean. You twelve demon lords――oh, now it’s only two, isn’t it?”

Null says provocatively, and one of Keryneia’s eyebrows twitched in response.

“Watch your language. You’re just a failure.”

“Kukuku, just like you, Chimera hates us and won’t come near us. And don’t think you can look down on us forever, you are the weakest of the weak.”

Null’s anger swelled, and the “Marked Tribe” gathered around Keryneia.

“The Fox, who has the power to kill you, can kill you right here. I have to put up with you, for Father’s sake. If I knew that I would not incur his wrath, I would attack you anytime.”

The greasy sweat beads on Keryneia’s forehead as she was exposed to the hostility and murderous intent of the foxes. If they wanted to, they would be no match for the fading Keryneia. And, fatally, they have been informed of the Faceless King’s absence. Now that the brakes had been removed, they would not hesitate to kill Keryneia. Still, she refused to let her self-respect be broken. She would not allow herself to run away from the Marked Tribe, whom she despised as failures.

As she thought about how to get out of this situation, something unusual happened.

The Flesh Eaters and the Marked Tribe who had surrounded her began to move away from her.

Null, who was standing right in front of her, was also disturbed and retreated as if under pressure.

Keryneia, who was skilled at reading signs, noticed this as well. She also understood why Null reacted the way he did, for Keryneia had sensed the presence of the mysterious creature before they had. But the presence of the strange and powerful creature was so strong that they were unable to move.

“What’s going on?”

The moment that voice was uttered, everyone dropped to their knees and hung their heads in fear.

The less intelligent Flesh Eaters, the self-respecting Marked Tribe, and even Keryneia were no exception, trembling with fear and sweating profusely as they bowed to their subjects.

“Null, Keryneia, explain.”

The familiar voice made Keryneia incredulous. It belonged to the “Black Dragon King.” But the presence he radiated was also mixed with that of the Faceless King. The fact that he appeared as an ambiguous presence, so vague that it was impossible to distinguish between the two, made Keryneia extremely shaken.

At that moment, the surrounding flesh-eaters stood up and began to shout, perhaps getting used to the pressure. Null threatened to tell them to calm down, but some of the flesh-eaters were so excited that they jumped on the “king.” Caught in the moment, many of them attacked the king all at once.

“Stop!”

Null’s voice does not reach them.

The “king” appeared, and the flesh-eaters rushed toward him with open hostility.

And then――blood rained violently to the ground.

One blow.

Just one blow.

At the same time as a gentle wind blew, the Flesh Eaters’ bodies were ripped open, and a great deal of fresh blood stained the night sky. Their organs emitted a sticky sound as they hit the ground.

With overwhelming force and a light blow to the head, many Flesh Eaters were mercilessly turned into pieces of flesh. As the rain of blood poured down upon them, Keryneia sensed the presence of the approaching “king,” and her body stiffened in fear. Null, who was standing next to her, also seemed to crumple, and the sound of his heavy breathing was carried to her ears. He was so terrified that he was not taking in oxygen normally.

“Null.”

His huge body trembled under the relentless gaze.

“It seems I did not train you well enough.”

“Gaaahhh!?”

There was no mercy. Null screamed in pain as he was mercilessly stomped on the head.

His skull began to make an eerie sound.

“Do you know who you attacked? Or did you give the order?”

“O Father. Forgive me… Please have mercy on me and give me another chance.”

Null apologized in pain. He waved his arm haphazardly and motioned for the wary flesh-eaters to return to their posts.

The exchange between the two men convinced Keryneia. Finally, she realized that the Facless King had obtained the vessel. She trembled with joy, knowing that he had attained his full power.

“Congratulations! You finally got the vessel.”

She said these words as if to express her joy from the bottom of her heart. But the Faceless King didn’t respond. Instead, he removed his foot from Null’s head and sat down, using Null’s back as a chair.

She seemed to be ignored as usual, but that was the Faceless King’s sign.

It was not unusual. She has been treated the same way since she started working for him.

If he had said something to her about her work, she might have doubted it.

So――,

“Chimera is not here. Does the ‘King’ know about this?”

She decided to be as usual.

“He tried to kill me. So I took care of him.”

He told her simply as if he was squashing a bug.

She had expected as much. Chimera’s recent attitude towards the Faceless King was different from the previous one. Suspicion had taken root in his mind. It was no wonder he was out of control. Still, her feelings were mixed. The condemnation of her foolish compatriots and the loneliness of being the last of the Twelve Demon Lords hit her at the same time. But there was no time for sentimentality, so she suppressed it.

Even if she is the last, she must continue to support the Faceless King.

“O King. I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“For the final battle, I am not good enough at what I am doing now. Therefore, I would like to borrow the Death Immortal.”

It might have been a superficial and impolite request. She felt some regret.

However, the current Faceless King had no need for the Death Immortal.

Now that he had received the “Vessel” and gained full power, he decided she could afford it. Sweating on her back, Keryneia continued to wait for the Faceless King’s words.

“Do as you please. Do what you want. Use it as a pawn.”

The “Death Immortal” was tossed from the Faceless King’s hand and thrust in front of Keryneia.

Her body shook with joy.

Though she accepted it lightly, it was not a weapon she would have let go of so easily. It was also proof of the trust Keryneia had earned from the Faceless King.

“Null, Keryneia, gather the tribe leaders.”

The Faceless King stood up and looked into the night sky.

They nodded silently and began to act. There was no need to ask why.

Hearing the footsteps of the men leaving in the distance, the remaining Faceless King reached out to the moon hidden in the clouds.

“There is no one left to stand in my way. “