After Ten Millennia in Hell

Clang!

White flames poured in all directions. The sword and fist collided.

Massive pressure tore Ludwig's hands apart, but that only lasted for a short while. His radiant sacred energy healed the wounds on his hands.

"Kuh," he grunted.

Ludwig took a few steps back, lowered his posture, and raised his sword again.

They clashed once more.

Slash!

Ludwig slashed the demon's wrist. Blood poured out of the deep wound, but…

Bash!

"Kurgh!"

The demon ignored the wound and countered.

The massive shock shook Ludwig as if he had been hit by a battering ram. His vision swirled. He was shaken by the sensation of flying through the air and gravity smashing him down onto the ground.

Ludwig felt like the entire world was spinning. He coughed up crimson blood.

"Haaa, haaa…"

His breath became heavier, and he raised his head to look at the demon who called himself Yogg-Saron.

They had been fighting for thirty minutes. Ludwig's stamina was about to bottom out, the strength in his hands was gone, and his legs were shaking.

The brilliant light enveloping him was also dimming. He could feel that he'd lost.

"Kuh."

Ludwig frowned. He couldn't accept it.

The demon in front of him was still in perfect condition.

'Demons… must be killed.'

Whatever it took… Whatever needed to be sacrificed… demons had to be eradicated. That's what he'd known since birth.

His memories of the despair he'd felt in the past returned to him.

Demons… Whenever he thought about those disgusting beings, he felt nauseous.

"I will… kill you," Ludwig said in a low voice.

His eyes were full of madness. He was trying to hypnotize himself.

He put more strength in his trembling legs and stood up, gripping the holy sword with both hands and preparing to fight again.

[Amazing,] Yogg-Saron said in surprise.

He felt Ludwig's indomitable will. It was an obsession close to madness.

Yogg-Saron smirked and clenched his hands into fists.

The heat of the battle made his blood boil.

Slam—!!

They clashed, exchanging rapid blows over the course of a second in midair. The battle couldn't be observed with even a sixth sense.

Ludwig swung the holy sword downward on Yogg-Saron's shoulder.

Yogg-Saron blocked it with the back of his hand, spewing black blood. His Demonic Armor deflected the holy sword away, and he used the recoil force to twist his body midair. He flapped his wings to correct his unstable posture.

Ludwig once again swung down the holy sword, aiming for Yogg-Saron's head this time.

[However…]

Yogg-Saron stomped on the ground. He lowered his body as the ground caved in. His thigh muscles inflated, and the tentacles were torn away.

He swung his fist like an uppercut, colliding with the holy sword that was being swung down.

Boooooom—!!!

A huge explosion shook the dark cave, and a blinding light swept away the darkness. Ludwig was pushed back by the impact, and he rolled on the ground.

[This is your limit.]

Yogg-Saron looked down at Ludwig with deep, sunken eyes.

"Cough! Cough!"

Ludwig coughed blood while digging his fingers into the ground. He tried to get up, but he couldn't put any strength into his arms. He collapsed, falling face-first into the dirt.

"A-Aargh."

Ludwig struggled and squirmed like he was trying to deny reality, but he simply did not have the strength to stand back up. He raised his trembling head to see the demon looking down at him.

He could instinctively feel that his death was near.

'At this rate…'

It would be the end.

He would die in a faraway world without having done or achieved anything.

'No.'

Ludwig's eyes filled with desperation.

He wasn't afraid of dying. It was an honorable thing to die in a battle against demons. This was the most secure way to reach Heaven, which was what every Watcher of Light wanted.

Yet…

'At least…'

He couldn't die at this moment. He had found a reason to survive.

‘I have to tell Lord Raphael.'

Ludwig thought of the 'seed' he'd found by coincidence before coming here. When he thought of the esteemed one who was trapped in the body of a lowly human and living the life of one, he couldn't help but tremble.

He clenched his hands into fists, ground his teeth, and tried to stand again. He shook from the strain and gave out again before he could fully raise himself.

"A-Aaaahh,” he cried in despair while Yogg-Saron walked toward him.

The light around him faded, and darkness fell.

Then…

- Do you want power?

"...What?"

Ludwig had heard a quiet voice in his mind. He looked around, but he couldn't see anything.

- There is no need for you to speak out loud.

'Who… are you?' he asked the voice in his mind.

- I am death. I am the end. I am the father of all wrath, and I am wrath itself, the voice continued rhythmically like a singer or a poet reading a poem.

- I am Satan.

'Sa… tan…?'

Ludwig frowned aggressively after hearing that name.

Rage toward Satan boiled up from within him.

- I have come to make you a deal.

'Get out of my head. I will not listen to the whispers of a demon.'

Ludwig firmly shook his head.

There was no need to listen to what a demon had to say, especially Satan.

'He is the Demon of Prophecy.'

He was the Demon of Prophecy who would bring destruction to this world. But it wasn't just Earth. A god had foretold that the Demon of Prophecy would destroy Aernor, Huan, and all other worlds connected to the Nine Hells.

So, there was no need to listen to such a being.

- Hahahahaha!!

An evil laugh echoed through his mind.

- As expected from a Watcher of Light.

'Silence. I will listen to you no longer.'

- Hehehehe. Can you truly afford to do that in the situation you are in?

'…'

Ludwig remained silent and raised his head. He saw Yogg-Saron walking toward him.

Yogg-Saron was walking very slowly. Perhaps it was because Yogg-Saron thought he'd already won or because he wanted Ludwig to be fearful of his approaching death.

Regardless, there was one thing Ludwig was sure of. When the demon reached him… he would die.

'It matters not.'

- I cannot see that being the case, Satan remarked mockingly.

Ludwig bit his lips.

'I would rather die than make a deal with a demon.'

- Hahahahaha! Good! That is a good mindset to have! But… I wonder if you would still make the same choice after knowing the truth…?

'What?'

- Even if I tell you that Raphael could die… if you do not let this truth be known?

'What are you talking about?'

Ludwig's eyes wavered.

What sort of truth could it possibly be for him to dare to mention Raphael dying?

- Have you still not realized it even after listening to Yogg-Saron? Can you truly not imagine why I am trying to make you a deal?

'...What in the world are you t—'

- I am not the Demon of Prophecy.

'…!'

Ludwig's eyes widened, and he trembled.

Raphael had already posed the possibility that Satan might not be the Demon of Prophecy, but hearing it from Satan himself sent chills through his entire body.

'In that case…'

The retainers of Gaia were being deceived by the true Demon of Prophecy.

"Kuh." Ludwig anxiously bit his lip.

'If you are not the Demon of Prophecy… Is the Demon of Prophecy the demon king whom this demon in front of me mentioned?'

- You are fortunately not a moron.

Satan laughed softly.

- Correct. I was captured by the demon king and was reduced to being his mere subordinate.

'…'

There was a short silence.

A demon strong enough to make a prince of Hell his subordinate… Ludwig couldn't even imagine who such a demon could be.

'Is the demon king… Bael?'

- No. It is not Bael.

'Wha…'

Ludwig's thoughts became even more of a jumble.

Even the demon that the angels were most wary of wasn't the demon king…?

'How am I supposed to trust you?'

- Use the sword.

Ludwig lowered his head to see a sword emanating a white light.

Holy Sword Ludwig… It was a sword with sacred energy, and it was capable of locating the Demonic Sea.

"Kuh…"

[What? Are you thinking of putting up some sort of last stand?]

Yogg-Saron chuckled as he approached Ludwig. He then stopped and crossed his arms.

[Then give it a shot. I will wait.]

"…"

Ludwig bit his lip and raised the holy sword.

The success rate was higher only if he focused entirely on it in a quiet place, but he did not have the leeway to choose at the moment.

Ludwig closed his eyes and focused. He soon found the Demonic Sea.

"Ah…" Ludwig gasped.

He trembled after realizing the truth.

"The Demonic Sea is…"

- You seem to have found it.

Satan laughed.

"...Inside Guardians?"

Ludwig didn't know who had the Demonic Sea, but it was currently in the Hall of Protection, Guardians' headquarters.

If that was the case… that meant…

"Hypothetically speaking… what will you do if there really is a demon in Guardians?" Ludwig recalled Kim Si-Hun's words.

'The retainers of Gaia…'

They were being completely deceived by the Demon of Prophecy. They'd been deceived so perfectly that they'd even accepted him as a member of Guardians.

No, there was a chance that they hadn't been deceived.

'Guardians could be…'

They could be in leagues with the Demon of Prophecy.

"N-No."

Raphael had accepted the request from the gods of Earth and was working with the retainers of Gaia. Yet, the Demon of Prophecy was inside Guardians….

'I have to let them know.'

Ludwig had to tell Guardians, who were being deceived by the Demon of Prophecy. He had to tell Raphael, who was trying to help without knowing that Guardians was being deceived by the Demon of Prophecy.

Ludwig couldn't even imagine how many lives would be lost if he didn't reveal the truth. In the worst-case scenario that he didn't even want to think about…

'Lord Raphael could die.'

There was no guarantee that the darkness that had devoured Guardians wouldn't spread to Raphael.

"A-Aaaahh."

Crack.

Ludwig clenched his hands into fists.

He widened his eyes. He swung his hands as if he were trying to grab the air and then desperately stood up with every bit of strength he had.

[Hah, you call that your last stand?] Yogg-Saron said disappointedly.

Ludwig's eyes filled with despair.

At that moment, he heard Satan's voice.

- Now, I will ask you again. Would you like to make a deal with me?

"…"

There was silence.

Ludwig did not take long to think.

"I…" Ludwig said in a firm voice with an unwavering gaze, "...refuse."

Riiing.

[The Authority of Subordination has failed due to the subject's resistance.]

Ludwig gripped his holy sword tighter. White light poured out of the sword and covered his body.

"Do not delude yourself, Satan," Ludwig continued with blazing eyes.

Even if he lost everything…

Even if everything was destroyed…

"I do not compromise with demons."