Chapter 113: The Invasion of Evil (6)

Barbosa paused and collected his thoughts. Ketal was certainly unusual, but he wasn’t insane. Based on Barbosa’s experience so far, Ketal was surprisingly sensible.

I must be misunderstanding him,

Barbosa thought. Clearing his throat, he spoke up. “Ashetiaar said the Demon King was about to descend when she was terrorizing the city.”

She had shouted her words loud enough for half the city to hear, as if wanting them carried across the entire world.

“She said the Demon King would descend and restore this flawed world to its original state,” Barbosa continued.

“I see.” Ketal’s eyes sparkled.

The name

Demon King

alone stirred Ketal’s heart. In a fantasy realm, the Demon King was typically the mightiest foe, and now Ketal was hearing that such an entity existed in this world—and was planning to descend soon. His excitement was palpable.

Barbosa watched his reaction with mixed feelings.

Is he really happy about this?

“I’m curious,” Ketal said. “Who exactly is this Demon King?”

“You don’t know?” Barbosa asked him, puzzled. He considered the possibility that no one could be ignorant of the Demon King—until he remembered who Ketal was.

Ketal was a barbarian from the White Snowfield. He wasn’t of the ordinary human world, so perhaps he had never learned about the Demon King at all. Accepting that, Barbosa began his explanation.

“A long time ago, evil ruled the mortal realm. Back then, this world was their playground,” Barbosa said.

Ketal nodded. “I’ve heard that much. The demons crossed over into the mortal realm, tormenting humans for their amusement and slaughtering them.”

Seeing the devastation, the gods eventually descended and banished the demons, ushering in a long period of peace. As explained by Auqaz, according to myth, there had indeed been a time when demons rampaged freely across the land.

“In that era, evil could manifest on this plane with no restrictions,” Barbosa continued. “To them, humanity was little more than a toy.”

Ketal frowned. “But it doesn’t quite make sense. Maximus and Arkemis managed to stand against the demons.

They were considered Transcendents—very powerful individuals. However, they were not the strongest. There were those more powerful than Maximus and Arkemis, and the so-called Heroes were said to be on a whole different level.

“You’re telling me humanity once couldn’t lift a finger against the demons? Were humans that weak?” Ketal asked Barbosa.

Barbosa shook his head. “It’s not that the humans of that time were weak. According to the records, they had their own Transcendents—though it seemed there were no Heroes. The problem was that demons were overwhelmingly strong.

“Butler and Ashetiaar,” Barbosa went on, “are among the lower ranks of named demons. They aren’t all that impressive compared to the other demons. Beyond them exist demons with dominions and titles—demons so powerful that they might dismiss Butler and Ashetiaar as nothing.”

Ketal’s eyes shone with curiosity. “So there are stronger demons...”

“Yes. Some demons are unstoppable unless a Hero or a saint intervenes. Nowadays, barriers make it harder for such demons to descend, but back then, there were no restrictions at all,” Barbosa explained.

In those ancient days, demons poured into the mortal realm, trampling everything in their path and corrupting the world. Barbosa paused for a moment, glancing at Ketal before continuing, “Most of today’s Demon Realms didn’t exist back then. But there was one exception.”

Ketal tilted his head. “Oh?”

“The White Snowfield,” Barbosa clarified. “That realm existed even in that mythic era, when evil ravaged the earth.”

Raising an eyebrow, Ketal asked him, “Not even the demons could do anything about the White Snowfield?”

“No one knows. The records are silent, as though the details were cut away,” Barbosa admitted.

“Hmm,” Ketal muttered.

Barbosa resumed his explanation. “Eventually, the gods descended in force. Facing their divine power, the demons were driven back in an instant. Though demons are strong, the gods are even stronger, and divinity holds an absolute advantage. Confronted by the gods and the mortal races, the demons retreated. Victory seemed assured.”

Yet, just when it appeared the demons would be fully banished, they made a desperate choice. They sacrificed themselves as an offering and summoned their king: the ruler of Hell.

The Demon King descended onto the mortal realm. What followed was a catastrophe. Countless churches were destroyed, and humanity teetered on the brink of extinction. Numerous species were driven to annihilation. Nine-tenths of the known world was burned by the Demon King’s hand.

“Was it really that overwhelming?” Ketal asked.

Barbosa’s gaze turned solemn. “Words like

overwhelming

barely scratch the surface. The Demon King was closer to a natural disaster than any ordinary foe. The gods, humans, and all living beings in the mortal realm united in an effort to stop him. Famous Heroes fell like insects.”

Countless sacrifices were made. In the midst of that destruction, a fabled warrior—often simply called the Champion—emerged.

“Champion?” Ketal asked.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“The details about him are scarce. The records are patchy at best. But it’s said that this Champion took on the Demon King directly. And through the Champion’s noble sacrifice, humanity managed to banish the Demon King. We reclaimed the mortal realm from the demons.”

Ketal listened with great interest.

“After that,” Barbosa went on, “the mortal realm became ours again, but demons have never stopped coveting it. There were more descents, and the Demon King nearly manifested a few times—always leaving grievous wounds upon this world.”

Ketal stroked his chin. “So, are they trying to summon him again?”

“Some events mirror the past. It’s not an idle boast. We have to take it seriously.”

“What do you mean by events?” Ketal asked him.

“The demons speak of a

revelation

.”

“Oh, right,” Ketal recalled. Butler had claimed they were pursuing their goal according to some prophetic command. He’d initially dismissed it as bragging, but perhaps they truly had received such a revelation.

“They stand at odds with the gods, so it makes sense they’d also have something akin to prophecies,” Barbosa said.

“But they failed this time,” Ketal pointed out. “So maybe their revelation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“No...,” Barbosa said, shaking his head. He knew the prophecies were usually frighteningly accurate.

If the demons’ plan had gone by the proper course of events, the elf would have been taken away, and the Denian Kingdom would have burned. Yet, that didn’t happen.

It must be because of the barbarian standing before me,

Barbosa thought, deliberately skipping that detail. Out loud, he merely said, “So, something unexpected happened. I wonder what that could be.”

Ketal gave a thoughtful hum. “Yes, some unpredictable factor must have ruined their plan. I’d like to know what it is.

Barbosa bit back the urge to say,

It was you.

“In any case, we have to prepare,” Barbosa said, trying to keep his voice steady. “We have to contact the holy lands of every god and the various kingdoms. If humanity doesn’t unite, we won’t stand a chance. The Empire will also take action, and the world will soon change dramatically.”

After a pause, Barbosa turned to Ketal and asked, “What about you? What do you intend to do?”

Ketal shrugged. “Nothing changes for me. I will just keep traveling the world.”

“And if the demons stand in your way?” Barbosa asked him.

“Then I’ll break through them,” Ketal replied calmly.

With that, their conversation ended, and Ketal left. Alone in the hall, Barbosa released a tense breath. “At least that’s a relief.”

Whatever else he was, the barbarian from the White Snowifeld was not their enemy. After seeing him destroy those demons, Barbosa no longer feared Ketal might side with Hell.

It seems the demons’ prophecy was wrong,

he mused.

Demonic prophecies were normally infallible—unless the gods themselves intervened. This time, the gods did not intervene, yet the demons’ plan failed. That meant only one possibility came to his mind.

Do Demon Realms lie beyond the demonic prophecy’s reach?

***

Leaving the royal palace, Ketal went to see Milayna. Over just a few days, her face had aged noticeably.

As she shifted through documents, she greeted him with a weary smile. “You’re here.”

“You look exhausted,” Ketal remarked.

“How could I not be?” She had managed to direct a rapid evaluation of her people when the demons appeared, saving vital documents by moving them to safer locations. Even so, the damage wasn’t small.

After all, Milayna’s livelihood centered on banking, which required public trust. In a time when demons could descend at any moment, people’s faith vanished. They rushed to withdraw their money and valuables, leaving her overwhelmed by the sudden crisis.

“It sounds rough,” Ketal commented.

“It could be worse,” she said with a faint smile. “At least we’re still alive.”

They both knew the entire family—and her business empire—could have been destroyed had things gone differently. Surviving with only moderate losses was practically a miracle.

Milayna looked at Ketal. “You fought as well, didn’t you?”

News about Ketal’s role in the recent demon invasion had not spread widely. The battle where he and Arkemis drove off Butler took place far from the public eyes, and although his confrontations with Ashetiaar happened near the city center, most citizens had already fled.

Only a terrified woman behind Maximus had caught a glimpse—her memories hazy under the influence of demonic energy.

As a result, the people credited Maximus with slaying a named demon, revering him as a hero. Yet, Milayna suspected Ketal had been heavily involved.

Ketal nodded. “I couldn’t just stand by and watch them destroy the city I’ve been staying in—even if it’s only temporary. Besides, they’re enemies of humanity.”

“Wow...” Milayna breathed in awe. A person who could defeat even a named demon, yet couldn’t wield Myst was standing right in front of her. She couldn’t fathom his potential if he ever acquired Myst. Trying to imagine such strength made her head spin.

Eventually, she remembered something. “By the way, how’s Arkemis? She had a demon appear right in front of her, too. I’m sure the aftermath must’ve been brutal.”

“She said she needed a few days’ rest to get her strength back,” Ketal explained. “I suppose I should go check on her.”

He murmured this last part, almost to himself.

***

Later, Ketal arrived at Arkemis’s house. It had been two days since his last visit, giving her time to recover after expending all her power. He knocked, and after a moment, the door opened.

“Ketal...?” Arkemis said softly. Her golden eyes fell on him, and she seemed to steel herself as she drew the door wider. “Come in.”

Ketal stepped inside, immediately catching the scent of herbal concoctions simmering somewhere in the house.

“How is your condition?” Ketal asked.

“Much better now—still need a bit more rest, though,” she replied.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

For a moment, silence hung in the air. Arkemis studies him with a conflicted expression before speaking again.

“Ketal...”

“Yes?” he replied.

“Who are you...?” She looked at him intently, questions clouding her eyes.