Chapter 156 - Lord of Pride – 2 (1/2)
Lord of Pride – 2
“Gahak!”
“Ahhhhh!”
“This filthy demon…!”
No one, not even Lucifer, could prevent them from regaining the power of a demon. I was the one who took away their names, so it was enough to call them out once more. In this battlefield, where their power was buried, it was possible to forcibly restore the power of a demon to all the fallen angels here.
“I cant…no!”
“I’m running out of power…! Great Satan, save us!”
[Not able to control their strength…they don’t deserve my name!]
The angels fell with dirt-stained wings. However, Lucifer’s gaze and voice were cold and ruthless. He knew that if he worked to save his subordinates now, there was a possibility we could retaliate against him. The battlefield shook violently, an earthquake running its course as the mana in the ground began to run wild. Lucifer exerted his power over the environment, forcing it to recover, but the cracks had already shown. This place was far from being an entire world.
The names of the fallen angels and demons were used as materials to build this place, holding the power of their existence. They tried to build a new world with it, but now I was here. By removing their strength, I was able to deal a blow to this world. Lucifer should have killed them in advance. If they were dead, I couldn’t return their names no matter how much I called them out. But he must’ve assumed that I would not have been able to return here. That was all thanks to Mireina.
[To be humiliated like this by such an insignificant thing as a hybrid…!]
Lucifer spread out his twelve wings, hovering in the air as he stared at Mireina. At the overwhelming murder in his gaze, Mireina quickly hid behind me. The situation was a bit funny. It was a humiliation oddly suited to such an arrogant being. But I had no time to enjoy it; now I had to take the offensive. I whispered to Rain, reaching out to him.
“Please…Belphegor.”
“…” At that moment, an enormous amount of energy began to soar. A fierce flow of mana that was incomparable to the fallen angels began to emanate from around us. The battlefield began to crack as all that energy focused on the man who was always by my side.
[You dare!]
Just receiving the name would be meaningless. It was only worth anything if I could restore their powers when I gave them their names. I said so, and they agreed. Nevertheless, I would be criticized for restoring his name first. I called it out because I was able to keep my promise. The battlefield was changing into an unstable new world, the power of the angels within stolen away as they were incompletely sealed. Now that Lucifer was solely focused on Mireina, it was time to pull out the demon’s power. My attempt was largely successful. Returning the name let me recover the power of my subordinates.
“Whoo…” Belphegor, having regained his strength, let out a deep breath. His appearance didn’t change at all, but he exuded a sense of overwhelming dignity unlike before, almost on par with Lucifer. If he hadn’t been working a great deal on maintaining this world, we would’ve been slaughtered the second we arrived, but it was because I knew that would be the case had we arrived so recklessly.
[What difference does one name have? It will just take a little longer to complete my work. But…I don’t like that stuffiness!]
Belphegor ignored Lucifer’s mana, bowing his head to me.
“It’s really annoying, but you are my lord. I will do as commanded.” Tens of thousands of chains protruded out from Belphegor at that reliable answer, spreading out in all directions to slow down the flow of mana around us and even interfering with Lucifer’s magic.
[Huh…! You’re like a nasty bug creeping along the floor! Dirty!]
He was trying to give me enough time to do what I intended. Belphegor was the demon of sloth. He hated moving and tried to keep others in their place. Right now, that was exactly what he was trying to do. His strong will strengthened him even more. And unlike L’s power, which was more effective against a weaker majority, his laziness was able to play a role even against strong people like Lucifer. There was no one better than him to assist me.
[Level up!]
[New Magic increased by 27.]
“Lucifer, you always were a contradictory sort. You fell underground and became jealous of Fate. Instead of a vague heavenly world to blame, you chose the one above you.”
[Jealousy? How stupid.]
[Soul Magic increased by 31.]
All of Belphegor’s actions were imbued with his power. It wasn’t only his chain that was imbued with magical power; even his trivial movements and the words he spoke worked to make the opponent lethargic, weak, and dull.
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
“New, intense emotions gave you new powers and opened up new possibilities. But that was it. You could never reach Fate. It was that pride that made you fall, that won’t let you admit you were jealous.”
[I thought it would be interesting, but how stupid.]