Father and Daughter

Father and Daughter

Olgan stood gazing up at the imposing castle, soaked by the falling rain. She felt nothing towards this place other than sorrow and misery. While the castle already loomed over any who beheld it, Olgan knew full well how vast the unseen portions of the castle were, expanding underground for over fifty stories. The workforce that dug the expansive catacombs was mostly comprised of Kobolds, but included a significant number of enslaved Anima who were forcibly put to labor. Dwarves, who were highly skilled with their hands, were prime targets for this sentence. No prisoner had ever returned to their home.

(What did I used to think, watching them as a child...?) The slaves were put to heavy labor with meager food, miserable conditions, and no forms of entertainment or free time. Even the strong bond among the Anima crumbled at the endless days of hopelessness, as they always began to turn on each other. Those who shouted in protest, those who fought back, and those who cried... They all fell one by one. If they didn’t come to by morning, they never did. (Didn’t I use them to make me feel better about my own situation...?) Those under trying circumstances tended to look for those in worse conditions, and there was always someone who had it worse. Olgan used to peer into the dark tunnel, watch the silhouettes move, and told herself that she at least had it better than them, justifying her situation in the process. (I always found an excuse to stay, and nothing changed from it...) Changing one’s environment requires great strength and a brave decision.

“Why the long face, Red Riding Hood?”

“It’s you...” Olgan looked towards the source of the cheerful voice to find Akane.

After a beat, Mynk appeared, hip-hopping “Where were you, Olgan!? Do you know how long I was looking for you!?” Mynk demanded, still bouncing on her Moon Shoes.

“You’re always up to shenanigans.” Olgan thought that she had gotten used to Mynk’s bizarre actions, but this was on another level. She let out a quiet laugh. “Forget another level... You were always on another plane than me.”

“Olgan...?” Just as Mynk was left confused by her reaction, a revelation hit her. Olgan had clearly changed. “You’re...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep them hidden when we’re among humans.” Olgan said, before Mynk had a chance to ask. She did have a magical item to conceal and camouflage the aura of her Hellion blood.

“Hey, hey. Where’s Hakuto? Of course he goes and does fireworks when I’m not around. I bet he’s scheming somewhere again...”

“Scheming, huh...? Now, how to put this...” Olgan frowned, recalling the Demon Lord’s lackluster actions, then his relationship with the dragon whom the Anima called Great Mother, the words of the Great Priestess, the seemingly random clash with the ape-hybrids that turned into invading Hellion territory, the night of drinking with the Dwarf and his group of Anima, as well as the interactions with the princess of Palma and the Duke of Darkness.

(I was just drifting along like a log in the current...) At no point had Olgan taken any initiative. The Demon Lord had initiated, taken action, and spoken out time and time again. (And each time he did, our situation kept changing...) And change it did, suddenly and rapidly. Before she knew it, the Demon Lord was laughing and drinking with the dwarf, who never hid his animosity. He had even roped in the ape-hybrids whom he had fought against. Now the apes were on his side, tearing up Hellion territory. To top it all off, the Great Priestess had all but encouraged such actions. Olgan felt like she had been put under a spell.

“Gotta keep your guard up, you know?” Akane called. “Every little thing Hakuto says or does moves along some kind of scheme or another. How can you deal with that?” Akane’s words carried a kernel of truth. Of course, none of the Demon Lord’s actions were ever premeditated, but Olgan couldn’t help but read into his actions after everything that had happened. “Well, thanks to Hakuto, we got here easy breezy. Didn’t have to make any pit stops.” Just as Akane cracked a grin, an explosion could be heard in the distance, slightly lighting up the area. It seems the apes were hard at work causing a distraction. “I’d love to stay for tea, but I can’t. I’m going to go hunt for treasure. You two wait for Hakuto to come back.”

“Y-You’re sure you can go alone?” Olgan asked.

“There won’t be any loot left if you keep waiting for orders. When you play against Hakuto, you have to move a couple steps ahead and take him by surprise.” With a wink, Akane ran off towards the castle.

Olgan and Mynk watched her speed away.

“I’m impressed you rode that storm this far...” Olgan said.

“You have no idea... You owe me one, Olgan,” Mynk said, despite continuing to happily bounce along.

Olgan consciously refrained from drawing attention to the bouncing, when Xiaoshou and Monkey Magic appeared, panting.

“Where is that false god...?”

“Who knows? Probably having a drink,” Olgan dismissed, recalling the night in the cabin. She might have had a different reaction if she knew that the Demon Lord was, in fact, drinking wine.

“Tell that false god that we’re the ones who serve the Great Mother. You guys can back off now.” Monkey Magic’s demand was met by Olgan turning her head away in silence. The ape glared at her for a while before turning to Mynk beside her. “Human, you better... Ooh-ah?”

“Wh-What!? You don’t have to tell me twice to get out of here!” Mynk bounced high into the air, visibly on alert.

The leader of the apes watched her bounce up and down. It looked rather rhythmic and fun. “Human, what’s with your feet... Shoes?”

“We don’t have time to deal with some deer-hybrid,” said Xiaoshou.

“Who’re you calling a deer!? I’m a human!” Mynk protested.

Monkey Magic reluctantly turned to the castle. Their distraction wouldn’t last much longer. Besides, for whatever reason, the castle gate was open. “Whatever! Tell the false god that we’re stealing the thunder!”

“Geh heh heh heh! I’m going to be the first one in!”

“H-Hey! I ’m going to be the first one in, Baldibald!”

“It’s Xiaoshou!”

The pair ran off through the castle gate, followed by a horde of ape-hybrids that appeared out of nowhere. There were easily 500 apes in all.

“What should we do, Olgan? The gate’s open and there are no monsters. Something’s wrong.”

“It shouldn’t have been this easy to even get close to the castle.” Belphegor’s army was stationed at the border, while other monsters were running all over the territory after the distraction operation. Whatever Belphegor’s intentions were, they couldn’t deny that this was an opportunity too good to pass up. “My only concern is Count Impaler...” Woe shaded Olgan’s expression as she recalled her father’s long-serving right-hand devil. She wasn’t sure if she could kill the Count off entirely, even if she pulled out every trick up her sleeve.

“Is that the Living Dead with a spear? The one that sounds really condescending?”

“That’s right... Did you encounter him?”

“Akane took him out. She’s just as ridiculous as the Demon Lord.”

Olgan couldn’t have been happier. Even if Akane had only taken out a Double, the damage would have affected the Count’s core. Not even he would recover quickly from such a blow. “We won’t have this chance again. We can’t let it slip.”

“Give me a break...” Mynk whined. “The Demon Lord and Akane are going in, on top of all of those Anima. What are we going to add to the mix?”

“If I don’t go, nothing will change. I won’t even get to change. If I don’t... I’ll be stuck here forever. Mynk, you can head back to town—”

“I’ll come too...” Mynk sighed. “I’ve followed you far enough. But as soon as things get hot, I’m getting out of Dodge with these shoes.”

“What now? You’re pretending that a Griffin or something’s sealed in the soles of those weird shoes?”

“No! These shoes, I’ll have you know...”

The pair ensued their bickering as they headed towards the castle. The wide-open gate awaited them as if it was the gaping jowl of a carnivore.

Once inside, they found countless corpses of monsters strewn throughout the ballroom.

“Did those apes do all of this...?”

“They are formidable. I watched them fight in the Slave Market, and they dominated.” Each ape-hybrid could easily take on five human soldiers. One could only imagine a horde of 3000. What’s more, the apes were even more powerful in numbers, as if their strength was boosted by a modifier. They could go toe-to-toe with an army of 30,000 humans. “And that’s only one of the Animania. The fact that there are eleven more of them is nightmarish.”

“Hey, Olgan... You don’t think the apes will cross over , do you?”

Cross over into human territories, she meant. The Anima reserved their strength and kept quiet, waiting for conflict to erupt within Hellion territory, but there was no telling when they would bare their deadly fangs against the humans.

“We’ll see. It all depends on him, I suppose.”

“Him...? The Demon Lord? They were calling him a false god, or something...”

“A false god... That’s one way of putting it.” Olgan couldn’t argue with that. The horns on her head were a testament to his nature.

“Now something has to be done about that Demon Lord hogging all the cool monikers.”

“Cool...?” Olgan stepped farther into the castle and found only corpses, no ape-hybrids.

The only soul alive was a kappa in distress. “Geh heh! What kind of castle is this...? It’s all empty.”

“The castle up here is just a façade. Its heart is underground.”

“Underground...? Do Grand Devils have some mole-like qualities?”

“I don’t know what they’re like,” Olgan answered. “But many devils have underground bunkers for their safety.”

“Now that’s a good tip. I better go talk to the leader.” Slapping the dish on his head, the kappa ran off.

Olgan observed the interior of the once-familiar castle with mixed emotions. “Empty, huh...? He’s right. There’s nothing here.”

“Olgan, I understand how you feel, but... Be careful, okay?” Mynk feebly said, knowing Olgan’s circumstance full well. In fact, she had fought Belphegor’s attackers alongside Olgan before, and knew how formidable they were.

“I found the hidden staircase that’ll take us underground, geh heh heh!”

“Atta boy! You’re on a roll, today!”

“I got a lot of smarts up here.” The kappa tapped his dish with a finger, beaming with pride. Truth be told, the staircase was hardly hidden, and had been pretty much built in plain sight.

As the ape-hybrids gathered and descended underground, Olgan headed to an entirely separate room and pointed at a mirror. “Mynk, we’re taking another route underground.”

“What is this thing!? It creeps me out!” Mynk jumped, seeing the floor-length mirror with a blob of silver slime around it. She could tell that the mirror was cursed right away, and instinctively raised her staff.

“Wait, don’t smash it. The slime will go berserk if you break the mirror. It’s something my father found. Only two of them in existence.”

“So it’s a dangerous monster, then!”

“We can use it no problem. Hey,” Olgan turned to the mirror. “Take us underground. Fortieth or so.” She took a step, ready to walk through the mirror.

Mynk grabbed Olgan by the arms and dragged her backward, out of the room. “Walk into the mirror, are you insane!? My right eye rejects it!”

“Your ‘right eye’ again... Wait! Stop bouncing! Can’t you just walk!”

“I would love to, but I can’t make it stop!”

“Then take them off!”

“Impossible. This is the Dark Opera with the air, my third form. These shoes have already synced up to my— Don’t just yank them off of me!” Hopping away, they entered the mirror. Silence returned to the halls as the first floor became detached from the commotion that would ensue underground.

After some time, a man entered the room, prompting a change in the mirror. A line of text appeared on its surface.

Welcome home, Creator. The mechanical line of text faded in a flash as the next line appeared. Change current settings? YES / NO . After that, the mirror became still again.

——B38, beneath the castle.

Olgan and Mynk were walking through the soulless underground passage. Despite the fact that they were underground, the place was lit up as much as an above-ground room was during the day, owing to the liberal use of Light Spell Stones. It was hard to imagine how a passage this far down was so wide with a ceiling this tall.

“This place is crazy... I wonder how long it took to build,” Mynk muttered, albeit with a bored expression. They hadn’t encountered a single monster so far. They had passed a few corpses along the way, but most of them were isolated. “Kind of like a dungeon. In terms of depth, it would be close to the E-Rank Blue Bricks.”

“Right.” Olgan answered, her expression more pained than Mynk’s. She knew extremely well how much blood and tears were shed to build this place. The underground labyrinth they were traversing now was much more expansive and deep than Olgan had remembered. (I wonder how many Anima lost their lives... I’m sure some of the slaves were humans, too. Not that I could afford to pity any of them back in the day.) It seemed like the passage, its walls and its ceiling, were all paved with blood. Olgan saw countless faces appearing on the walls, all screaming in lament. (I won’t ask for your forgiveness... But I will kill him.) As Olgan renewed her resolve and continued further underground, a large cry was heard, followed by screaming and the clashing of swords. Apparently, some large-scale combat was taking place on this floor. The pair rushed towards the noise.

“Fu fu fu... Finally, some monsters. I thought they all fled in fear of my... darkness...” Mynk was at a loss for words upon witnessing the carnage. There were countless bodies strewn about, spread throughout a room that seemed far too large to be underground. All of the bodies belonged to ape-hybrids. Some seemed beaten to death, others had body parts melted away, and more still were as thin as a tree branch, having been crushed.

“This is what happens when the mirror breaks.”

“That slime...”

The two watched the steel-colored slime flying around the room. It stomped the apes flat, spewing out mucus to stop them in their tracks, and even swallowing them whole or melting them. The slime was a brutal force.

“Boss! Magic don’t work on this thing!”

“No good slicing or smashing it either! Nothing!”

The slime simply stuck back together after being cut, and hitting the slime only momentarily dented its surface in, dealing no damage. To boot, it even resisted magic.

The leader of the apes shouted, with a desperate expression. “Get away, everybody! I’ll get it with my Jingu Bang!” At each hit of Jingu Bang, the slime slightly slid backwards. The staff’s penetration damage seemed effective, even against this slime.

The silver slime shifted, locking onto Monkey Magic. It seemed to recognize the leader of the apes as an enemy. The slime changed its shape into what appeared to be a wave, as if it was trying to swallow the ape whole.

Seeing the change, Olgan immediately went to fire off a powerful spell. “Back off, Anima... Diamond Dust .” An incredible burst of cold erupted from the magic circle that Olgan created, blanketing the room in shimmering silver. The ice attack immediately crystallized the slime on contact. “This is a waste of time... Hydro Cannon .” Following up with another spell, a concentrated gush of water shattered the frozen slime into pieces. Even its magic resistance was worthless against a combo like this.

Watching Olgan fire off class-4 spells like it was entirely routine, the leader of the apes swallowed his spit. “I won’t thank you. You’re the daughter of that coward. If it wasn’t for the word of the Grand Priestess... If it wasn’t for that infuriating false god, I would have killed you already.”

“I don’t need your thanks... I have no intention of fighting you or your kin until this fight is over.”

Olgan and the ape stared off for a moment, but Monkey Magic looked away. He had sensed powerful determination in her eyes. “I like the look in your eyes. A real warrior strives to beat their father, their father’s father, and any ancestor that came before him.”

Olgan was speechless at the comment that came out of the blue. She had never expected to hear such words, much less from the leader of the apes. She had simply come to crush her father’s heart with her bare hands.

“As rambunctious as always. Bringing home a trove of monkeys?” A lascivious woman appeared from the end of the passage. Her lower body was that of a horse, signifying that she was a Centaur. The surviving apes stood on guard, and Mynk adorned her Angel Garb. The Centaur was a powerful force, often considered to be the third most powerful in Belphegor’s army.

“Gretel... Where’s Count Impaler?”

“He’s off on a stroll. I think he’s just about tearing up the forest of some filthy monkeys.” Gretel laughed, which enraged the apes.

“Not happening.” Mynk simply said. She had watched the very count being obliterated. “That Living Dead was destroyed not too long ago.”

“Who do you think you are, bug ...?”

Now Olgan had to laugh. Gretel had a brother. “Hansel, was it? Your brother. He’s been killed by a little bug , too.”

“You must be joking, Miss. My brother is far from perfect, but a human? We may need to work on your sense of humor.”

“I don’t want a sense of humor. I’ve only told the truth.”

Gretel’s eyes shifted by Olgan’s matter-of-factness. The human beside her with the Holy element armor may very well have done it. “You killed my brother,” Gretel said. “Thank you... for killing that disgrace to our clan!” She lunged and swung her curved sword at Mynk.

Mynk tried to dodge the attack, but her Moon Shoes bounced in a completely different direction, throwing her into the wall head-first.

“Owww... I don’t even know who your brother is!”

“Silence, human. That armor of yours is perfectly disgusting.” Gretel swung her sword again, only to be stopped by the kappa’s lance.

The kappa wore an uncharacteristically serious expression. “Do those legs belong to a Unicorn? That’s a divine creature that lives by lakes. Always cleans the water. For someone like me, they’re as precious as any god.”

“What’s your point, filthy beast?”

“Poor thing. Its beautiful white fur’s turned all grey.”

“Silence! Move this spear out of...” Gretel tried to knock his lance away to no avail. Xiaoshou’s eyes thinned. “Unhand—”

Gretel’s head was obliterated. Xiaoshou had shot from his mouth a laser-like beam of water, which pierced the ceiling above them with ease, silencing the other members in the room. Then, Xiaoshou began chopping Gretel’s torso off of her lower body with his lance, as if he was a lumberjack felling a tree. Gretel’s flesh tore, her guts spilled, and the sound of crunching bones echoed through the room.

After keeping at it for a while, Xiaoshou finally spoke. “Phew, that about does it. Now the spirit of this Unicorn can rest in peace!” The kappa wiped the sweat from his brow like he had just finished a good day’s work. Now that he was soaked in blood, however, even his smile seemed chilling.

“You scare me, Baldibald...”

“What’s that supposed to mean!? That monster took over a Unicorn’s—”

“The quiet ones are the scariest when they snap.”

“I didn’t snap at anything! I’d give anyone a big round of applause if they could make me snap!”

As the leader of the apes and the kappa kept at each other, Olgan pulled Mynk to her feet and turned to continue further downward. She noted how reliable the Anima were when they were on her side.

“Hey, Olgan... You’re sure they won’t cross over?”

“We’ll see,” Olgan said, and she hoped that they never would.

The pair descended lower. The only monsters they encountered were sporadic and unthreatening. As if they were being drawn in by something, they kept going lower and lower into the ground.

After they passed the fiftieth floor down, they noticed a difference in the area. This particular floor was decorated with vibrant flowers all over, and adorned with jewels. There were even fresh fruits and drinks placed on crystal furniture. This was nothing short of a grand welcome. They had now walked into an unbelievably extravagant ballroom the size of a baseball stadium. There was an eerie series of paintings on the walls and ceiling, hundreds of them, and all of the same beautiful woman.

“Welcome to my castle. Allow me to sincerely welcome you, my dear guests...!” Belphegor appeared, wearing his golden armor. Even amidst the glamor of this room, his full armor shone particularly bright, and his pitch-black wings elegantly stretched behind him. Belphegor faced Olgan and spread his arms like he was the dad of the year. “I’ve been long awaiting your return, dear daughter.”

“Your taste is revolting as always. Including that armor.”

“My, my. You must have left your manners down there . You’re breaking your father’s heart.”

The woman in each of the numerous paintings was Olgan’s mother. That fact alone seemed distasteful enough for her, but Belphegor’s armor seemed even worse. Back in the day, Olgan recalled that her father had worn something less obnoxious. “It suits you. Really highlights how hideous you are.”

“You don’t see the beauty of gold, the epitome of sloth and elegance...? Oh, dear daughter. Did you miss your father in your journey?” Belphegor shook his head and gazed up at the ceiling with what seemed like genuine sorrow.

Every dramatic gesture only enraged her more. “Once you’re gone from this world, I’ll begin to learn what happiness is.”

“Oh, I can’t believe my ears! A daughter killing her father!? It’s unthinkable... The Great Light must be taking a nap!”

Before Olgan could reply, Monkey Magic broke the top of a wine bottle off against a table and drank from it. “We finally meet, coward. Today will be your death day.”

“Please, read the room, won’t you? This is a father-daughter reunion. Also, the wine you just had was a 367-year-old rarity. Why don’t you at least try and taste it?”

“Yammering on and on... Feel the wrath of our kin!”

Jingu Bang extended, striking Belphegor straight in the torso. The other apes assaulted Belphegor with their weapons, turning the party room into a brawl.

“My, what uncivilized friends you have...”

“I’ll tear off your head and drink your blood instead!”

“Oh! What an undignified declaration, befitting of beasts!” Dodging the Jingu Bang, Belphegor danced with one hand extended. With the occasional flutter of his wings, he tore any ape-hybrid he touched to pieces.

Seeing that the casualties of his men grew with every second, the leader of the apes looked desperate and exhausted, especially after fighting for an extended period of time. “I may die here and now, but you’re coming with me...!” Each and every one of Monkey Magic’s do-or-die attacks was dodged, as the pile of dead apes grew higher. However, their leader was past the point of no return.

Belphegor crooked his head as he diced up a pair of apes with his wings. “Sorry to interrupt your melancholy... But have I ever done anything to warrant such hate?”

“As if you don’t know...!”

“Don’t you step on ants when you walk, and crush nameless bugs when you lay? I simply took a few strolls through the woods.” Belphegor spread his arms in a wide shrug, genuinely wondering.

“You...!”

“Some ants happened to be under my boot during my strolls in the woods. And now, a red-faced monkey rushes into my castle, screaming that I must pay for the deaths of their clan? Wah ha ha ha ha! I think you were born to amuse me.” Belphegor guffawed, shaking his shoulders, leaving him completely vulnerable.

The apes seized the chance and swarmed Belphegor, their weapons in hand. The frontline attackers struck Belphegor once and backed off, while those in the back fired off magic and arrows. The coordinated attack was executed at an incredible speed, but Belphegor continued laughing.

The kappa had an eerie feeling about it. “S-Something’s not right about this...”

“Keep going!” Monkey Magic shouted. “Keep attacking!”

“Your faces as red as your rear ends... Wah ha ha ha ha! You are truly—!” Belphegor held his gut and buckled over, losing his breath from laughing too hard. It almost looked like he was taking some damage from the attacks. “I am thankful for this wonderful encounter...! Gust of Death x2 .” The wings on his back spread wide and flapped, generating whirlwinds that ruthlessly tore through the apes, filling the decorated interior with horrible blood splatter and screams.

After the winds had passed, the only ones left were Monkey Magic and the kappa, although both of them were torn up and badly bleeding. Behind them, Olgan was concentrating on some sort of work while Mynk protected her with a Defense spell.

“There’s only one thing left to do...” Monkey Magic muttered, reaching for his throat and yanking on a chain, as if he was trying to tear it off.

“Huh!? You can’t do that!” The kappa rushed to try and pry the ape’s arms away. “Not without Lady Tatsu’s permission, anyway! You’re losing your mind!”

“Losing my mind’s the only way to take him down.”

“Give me a break! Pull that trick this far underground... and we’ll be dead, too!”

Belphegor began to show interest in their quarrel. He didn’t seem to consider any of this to be combat. He saw this as merely an interactive performance. “You have some sort of secret weapon. Oh, do show us. What’s a party without some entertainment? If I was a betting Hellion... Yes, you must be preparing to throw a monkey wrench !” Belphegor curled up on the ground from laughter.

Monkey Magic’s face grew even redder, but Olgan’s voice finally stopped Belphegor’s laughter. “I have a secret weapon,” she said.

“Oh? You were so quiet that I thought you were crying in terror...” Belphegor crooked his neck upon seeing what Olgan had produced. He recognized the beautiful crystal ball. It was a treasure called Merciless World, and it used to belong to the treasury of his castle. “Bad, bad daughter. It seems you need a heavier punishment.” Even as he chuckled, Belphegor couldn’t look away from the crystal ball, which contained incredible magic within it.

This world was rife with Spell Stones that contained the power of simple magic and could be used by anyone. This crystal ball, on the other hand, could store a class-4 spell: the crowning achievement of magic in the scope of humanity. And Olgan was imbuing it with a class-5 spell. The crystal ball shone crimson, containing a Scorch spell, elevated from Fire.

Belphegor stared at the orb with nostalgia. “You’ve always liked to burn things. I can’t remember how many times you tried to burn down this castle. I thought you might have grown up a bit from your journey in the...” Belphegor cut himself short, seeing that Olgan had produced another Merciless World, this one imbued with a class-5 Ice spell, elevated from Water.

“These take a long time to activate. You bought me enough time,” Olgan said, casting a glance at the leader of the apes and the kappa. She was determined to take advantage of the apes, no matter how many died in the process. Monkey Magic stood, his face clouded with indignation. Then, Olgan produced a third crystal ball.

Even Belphegor let out a sound in shock. “Now, daughter... Where did you find—”

“I’ve traveled to dungeons all over the continent. I didn’t spend my time as an adventurer for nothing.” The third crystal lit up green, emitting violent gusts of wind in display of a class-5 Storm spell, elevated from Wind.

Finally, Belphegor had run out of patience. He charged at Olgan in large strides. “Dear daughter... Let’s hand those over to father!” He, however, was blown back. Mynk’s Twinkle Star had struck him in his abdomen.

“That’s for all the times you sent your goons after us...” Mynk snarled. “You’re going to die now. Let us have a good night’s rest for once.”

Olgan produced yet another crystal ball, which began darkening to brown, indicative of a class-5 Rock spell, elevated from Earth.

The completion of the Four Elements prompted Belphegor to rush to his feet. “Th-This isn’t funny! Daughter, what is the meaning of this!?” He leapt towards her through the air, drawing his sword. Then, a shadow rushed above him.

Leaping above Belphegor with her Moon Shoes, Mynk cleanly struck his golden helmet with Twinkle Star. Belphegor crashed to the ground, and Mynk declared victoriously: “Not so fast. You’re not the only one with a pair of Dark Wings.” With a hand on her right eye, Mynk let out a cute snicker.

After watching these events unfold, the ape and the kappa gave each other a look before charging at Belphegor at incredible speed. They were going to buy Olgan more time. Despite the damage they had accumulated, their attacks were as sharp as ever.

“You...! Stay down, you dying beasts! How dare you, scum of the continent...!”

“You don’t sound so confident anymore!”

“Geh heh heh... Your daughter’s something else, pops!”

Still affected by the hit he took from Twinkle Star, Belphegor was faltering, unable to focus his vision. Olgan produced a fifth crystal, into which she poured a Black spell, elevated from Darkness. Her expression could have been described as solemn, but she seemed to struggle controlling all of the crystal balls. Sweat poured down her face, and a violent chill coursed through her body, threatening to tear her to shreds.

“This is my last mercy to you...” Olgan produced a final crystal ball that emanated a bright, holy light. This seemed to severely affect Olgan herself, as a streak of blood spilled out of the corner of her mouth and her eyes became blood-shot. She had paid a fortune to have a cleric from the Tzardom of Light infuse this crystal ball with a class-5 Holy spell, elevated from Light. Belphegor’s armor began clattering at the ambient Holy energy from the class-5 spell, the most devastating kind of magic to Hellions. Now, the six crystal balls floated before her to form a magic circle known as the Six-Elemental Star, glowing in all colors imaginable.

“No...” Belphegor muttered.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Olgan answered.

Seeing that the spell was about to activate, the ape and the kappa delivered one last blow before retreating out of the way, as if they had all rehearsed this coordination. The colors from the star blended into one another, until the light from the magic circle formed and took the shape of a woman. The woman, glowing in all colors, soon became engulfed in flames, shifting her appearance into that of a horned devil.

Belphegor seemed to realize who the image was depicting. He let out a cry in a desperate tone that he had never used before. “Wait! Stop it, I tell you... Olgan will you really... kill your own father!?”

“You’re not my father.” With Olgan’s final declaration, the incredible spell was unleashed.

—Judgment Day

The blinding flames, with the devilish woman at their core, rushed at Belphegor. An explosion occurred once the woman hit her target, and embraced by the infernal pyre that remained, Belphegor twisted, screaming in agony. His silhouette blurred in the inferno as the grand devil stumbled to and fro like a zombie. The destructive energy of the spell closed in tighter on its mark before dissipating, and vision returned to all in the room.

Belphegor, who stood at the epicenter of the explosion, was now in a pathetic state, his golden armor completely bent out of shape as black smoke rose from his body. “Ol...gan...” Belphegor cursed, reaching out in front of him. Then, he fell onto his back.

For some time, no one dared speak. Finally, Mynk called out. “It’s finally... Over.” Relieved as she was, she spoke with some trepidation. Olgan had just killed her own father, after all. Mynk couldn’t entirely celebrate their victory, not just yet.

“I’m sorry I used all those treasures. One of those could have bought us a mansion or two.”

“Dummy...” Mynk countered. “We’re adventurers. We’ll settle down when we retire. But first, we need to get you some rest somewhere.” Mynk looked around, supporting Olgan. She felt powerless, as any of her healing spells would only hurt Olgan instead. She was reminded of the painful divide between humans and Firebrands.

“Drink this...” Monkey Magic grunted, tossing two tablets their way. The black spheres emitted a stinging smell.

“Wh-What are these!? They stink!”

“They’re a precious medicine called Pop Pop Fizz Fizz, that my clan made.”

Mynk shrieked at the stench, but Olgan tossed them into her mouth. She looked like she nearly choked on them, too weak to swallow. “Can I get some water, Mynk?”

“Geh heh heh. I got you covered,” the kappa said, rubbing his dish with his hands. Then, bubbles of water began to form on the surface. The color drained from the faces of the adventurers. “This one’s on me. Now drink up.”

“No thanks...” Olgan muttered.

“No! Never! That’s disgusting!”

“Disgusting...!?”

As the kappa parroted, Monkey Magic reached for a handful of bubbles and swallowed his own medicine with it. “Hm. The Baldibald water is the best.” The kappa did the same with his dose. Olgan and Mynk drank water with one of Mynk’s spells and forced the bitter medicine down.

Mynk yelped from the overwhelming bitterness and rolled around on the ground. This particular medicine was made from various herbs and materials dug up by the Boar Animadmiral, with the properties to heal any species. However, the thing was powerfully bitter and this was completely unhelped by a mouthful of water.

“Don’t you wish you didn’t have a sense of taste, Mynk...?” Olgan muttered.

Mynk continued to cast her Water spell, chugging as much as she could as she laid on the ground. She almost looked like she was a drunk desperately trying to sober up. “How can something be so bitter...!? My damage is healing, but I’m dying inside!”

“Healing but dying? Are you an idiot?”

“Says the ape!”

“Apes are the wisemen of the forest. We’re born different from you humans.” Monkey Magic dramatically tapped his temple.

Just as Mynk was about to retort, the golden helmet rose from the ground. Everyone in the room was stunned.

“Interesting piece of medicine,” Belphegor spoke. “I make my own medicine on occasion and spread it among the ants.”

“How...?” Olgan muttered.

“Yes! That’s it! That’s the face I wanted to see!” Belphegor stood, clapping his hands, as if he was long awaiting for this very moment. “Now, it’s not easy to feign damage! But I wasn’t too bad of an actor, was I? Anything for my dear daughter.” He rambled on, nodding in excitement. The armor, which had been bent in all over and scorched, began to return to its original form and luster.

“It can’t be...” Olgan mumbled.

“Of course it can. I prepared this armor to surprise you for our reunion. It’s an Ancient Fragment that negates even class-5 spells. All of that magic, wasted... Truly a testament to the power of fatherly love!” Color drained from the faces of everyone else in the room, as they began to realize the gravity of the situation. “What’s more, this armor negates all forms of physical attacks, too. Those apes danced their hearts out, but had not even dealt me a single point of damage. Oh, how cruel it can be to peek behind the curtain.” Belphegor looked to the ape corpses strewn about and picked one up while pinching his nose. “You were just talking of some strange medicine. Why don’t you use some of these? I’ve heard that ape brain is quite the delicacy. Perhaps they’ll make for a useful remedy.”

Monkey Magic forced himself up. Unable to keep quiet while his men were desecrated. “I will kill you...”

“Now, now. Weren’t you listening? Swing around your precious stick as you may, it would only be gentle taps to me.”

“Get your filthy hands off of my men...”

“Let me give you a clue as to how you can defeat me! You should drag that Greole out of the ground. Even this armor, tragically, can’t protect me from a class-6 spell like his. Of course, he’s been done in by those wretched angels.” Belphegor feigned a sigh, as he chucked the lifeless ape aside. He knew that, even if he did break Greole free, the King of Devils would not possess the full powers he used to. “As fun as that was, it’s time to wrap things up. I’ll have the non-family rest for a while. I’ll send someone to fetch you later. Dark Beam .” With the wave of a hand, a black beam swept through the room.

Mynk alone pulled herself up from the cloud of dust. She had accumulated the least amount of damage. “You won’t... get away with this... anymore...”

“Ah! My dear daughter calls you a friend! In consideration of your service thus far, I will be happy to appoint a special room for you. You can look forward to it,” Belphegor cheerfully declared as he grabbed Mynk by her head and slammed her into the ground, as if he was taking out a pest. “Now for some quality father-daughter time.” Belphegor grabbed Olgan by the leg, and began dragging her away like some monster dragging its prey into a dark corner.

“No... Let me... Go...”

“Mm, the hopelessness in your eyes. Finally, you’re daddy’s girl again. Don’t worry, I’ve kept your old room exactly as it was. Built a new ‘hut,’ too.”

“Demon... Lord...”

“Hm? The King of Devils, you mean? Sorry to give you a false sense of hope. Greole has been long sealed away for 2000 years. Even if he did come out of it now, he wouldn’t stand a chance against me in his weakened state.”

“Help...”

Seeing a tear fall from Olgan’s eyes, Belphegor guffawed, slapping his knee. Finally, he had reaped the fruit of his dramatic presentation. “Wah ha ha ha! No one’s going to save you. Has anyone ever saved you in your life? I let you go on purpose last time, but not again. You’ll spend the rest of your life under my roof. Isn’t that wonderful?” Belphegor’s helmet twisted, his eyes gleaming is a cruel, infinitely slimy way.

Old memories flooded Olgan, finally breaking her resolve. “N-No... Noooooooooooooo!”

“Wah ha ha ha! That cry! We’re father and daughter again, after those long centuries!”

Mynk tried to crawl after Olgan as she was dragged away, but even she didn’t have enough strength to rise to her feet. “Ol...gan...” Mynk saw that both the Animadmiral and the kappa were out cold, not moving a finger as they lay on the ground. She couldn’t even tell if they were alive. Mynk inched in the direction where Belphegor had taken Olgan. She was surrounded by ape corpses, making her feel like she was in hell.

——??th floor below Belphegor’s castle, the Treasury.

The room was piled high with treasure, works of art, magical items, and historical artifacts from all over the world. There was a High-Ranking Devil raking in all sorts of treasures and magical items into a big cloth-wrap. It was Kale, infamous for his free-spirited nature.

“Gonna borrow these for a bit, Bel. You don’t mind, do you? You look pretty pleased with your toys up there,” Kale said to himself, as Kale used a literal rake to pull treasures into his wrap. Mysteriously, the treasures that touched the wrap disappeared into the piece of cloth, indicating that it was some sort of magical item that provided storage. “But does reuniting with your daughter really mean that much to you? I guess I’m happy you’re happy.” Each piece he was stealing was invaluable treasure, but the devil in a boy’s skin was regarding them like he was just raking in leaves in a yard. After raking in all the treasure into his wrap, he slung it over his shoulder like a cartoon thief.

“Sniff sniff sniff... I smell treasure around here... Hey! You’re a thief!”

Kale jumped at that voice. He would have a hard time explaining himself to a guard. “No I’m just borrowing these from Bel... Huh?” Somehow, a human was standing opposite him. A girl, no less. Kale stood confused for a while, before making a conclusion. “Oh you’re one of the intruders? I heard one of them was a human!” While Kale’s eyes lit up with intrigue, the only thing Akane was looking at was the wrap on Kale’s shoulder.

“Yeah, whatever. That’s my treasure, so I’m gonna need that back.”

“That’s quite the audacity... I guess I can’t blame you,” Kale said, laughing at himself. He stopped when he realized a familiar scent on the girl. “You have the same smell as him. You know him?”

“Who, Hakuto? Anyway, give those back to me.” Akane began walking right up to Kale.

The devil frowned. If he caused a scene now, he might be swarmed with Belphegor’s guards. “If you know that guy, I’ll kill you too, someday...”

Just as a broken pumpkin appeared at Kale’s feet, Akane sprinted. Her tonfa struck Kale right in the gut, buckling him over. A few shiny things fell out of his wrap, but Kale didn’t have the strength to even reach for them. The pumpkin broken in half began to restore itself. Akane silently slammed a series of attacks into the pumpkin in an attempt to smash it, but it was unaffected as it began to swallow Kale up. “Ha ha... Nice try. This is my favorite magical item. Once it starts, no one can stop it or attack me. How’s it feel, stupid!?”

“Give me back my treasure.”

“I told you! No one can stop—” Kale shut up, noticing Akane’s expression. He felt like the void in her eyes was sucking his soul out.

“Give it back.”

“Stop... I told you, it’s no use!” Even as they spoke, Akane never relented in her attacks. Her barrage of tonfa , elbows, and knees shook the pumpkin further, freezing Kale’s spine even in the middle of his assured safety. “Hurry up... Go! Go!”

“I’ll never forget your face. No matter where you hide or where you run, I’ll find you and end you.”

“Hurry up and take me away already!” Kale shouted, feeling like Akane’s storm of attacks might actually break through.

Soon, the pumpkin finally completed forming and disappeared like a puff of smoke.

Akane was left alone with a few of the treasures that had fallen out of Kale’s wrap. “Tsk. Not fair... That was my big chance.” Picking up the few on the ground, Akane began closely inspecting the treasury. As she had gone deeper than the rest of the party, she really didn’t want her effort to be for naught. “Wonder what Hakuto’s up to. He better not be doing something fun without me again.” Akane produced a magnifying glass, inspecting the walls and the ground.

After a while, she felt an incredible quake, far above her. “That’s...” Akane reached for a bottle of water from her Backup Backpack and drank it. For some reason, she was parched.

She recalled a particular summer, long ago. It was the day she first tasted defeat. A scorching day where anyone would have kept reaching for some water.