assistirfilmes Chapter 499 - Stragglers (2)
Chapter 499 - Stragglers (2)
Chapter 499 - Stragglers (2)
“Did you say... Doomguard?”
Balrog, who had instantly flown to Oh Kang-Woo as soon as he received the call, clenched his fists.
“Hmm. I can more or less tell what happened in the Ninth Hell.”
Lilith, who came with Balrog, sighed and shook her head. Kang-Woo had ordered them to come to the Gate leading to Aernor as soon as he guided the archangels Michael, Uriel, and Gabriel to the Hall of Protection.
“If Doomguard was the only one there... would that mean Arakyle, Nahila, and Wrethion were all killed by Bael?” asked Bael with a heavy expression.
Kang-Woo’s army used to be divided into five battalions. Balrog led the first battalion, Destruction Corps, Arakyle led the second battalion, Despair Corps, Doomguard led the third battalion, Ruin Corps, Nahila led the fourth battalion, Grief Corps, and Wrethion led the fifth battalion, Resentment Corps.
These five battalions fought alongside Kang-Woo in the war to decide the true ruler of the Ninth Hell. And of course, the one who decided those cringy names was not Kang-Woo.
‘It’s all Balrog’s naming sense.’
He had decided on those names without consulting Kang-Woo, claiming that the names were required so that they could strike fear into their enemies.
‘My god, just thinking about those days makes me...’
He recalled cringing every time he commanded each battalion. Memories flashed before his eyes like a panorama.
- Uh, mm... R-Ruin Corps, strike the enemy from behind, and... Despair... do we really have to use these fucking names?
- Of course, we do!
- Why? Why the fuck do we have to?
- Because they are cool!
- Son of a bitch.
“Urgh...”
Kang-Woo wildly shook his head to shoo away his dark past.
“Even if you were absent, all five battalions being wiped out is impossible,” stated Balrog as he shook his head incomprehensibly.
Kang-Woo remained silent, his expression hardened. Balrog was right; even if he, Balrog, and Lilith were absent, there was no way that all five battalions were wiped out. Unless...
Kang-Woo smiled somberly. “Yeah... it’s impossible.”
“Please wait, my king. Didn’t Eilles say that Amon dealt with most matters of the Ninth Hell?” asked Lilith as she frowned.
Kang-Woo clicked his tongue.
‘As expected of Lilith. She noticed the worst possible outcome.’
“Then it could mean that—”
“Enough.”
Kang-Woo cut Lilith off and gestured at Balrog with his chin. Lilith’s expression hardened.
“What are you two talking about?” Balrog stared at Lilith and Kang-Woo with his head tilted.
Kang-Woo refused to elaborate and turned around. He remarked, “Let’s find Doomguard first.”
“Yes, my king.” Lilith nodded.
“...?”
Balrog narrowed his eyes, unable to understand, but he did not demand an explanation.
“Let’s go.”
Whoooom.
Kang-Woo walked into the Gate leading to Aernor. His vision distorted and he felt nauseated. Once they arrived at Aernor, he held Lilith, who couldn't fly and lifted her.
Lilith would have stuck to Kang-Woo to seduce him in normal conditions, but she was off in her thoughts with a gloomy expression. Kang-Woo sighed.
‘Authority of the Sky.’
He slowly floated once he activated the Authority. Balrog sprouted his gigantic wings and followed behind him.
‘The southeastern region of Aernor, I believe they said.’
It was not far since the Gate connecting Earth and Aernor was located in the southernmost region of Aernor. It was impossible to know Doomguard’s exact location since he was on the move, but...
“That way.”
Kang-Woo could find him easily because Doomguard was one of his retainers. He quickly flew toward the direction that he pointed at.
Whoosh—!!!
The possibility that he wanted to deny had become reality.
“Arakyle did this... didn’t he?”
“...”
Doomguard lowered his head, looking like he was about to break at any second. He kneeled in front of Kang-Woo as if he were confessing his sins.
“What... do you mean?” asked Balrog with a trembling voice. His eyes were shaking as if he couldn’t understand. “Arakyle is... your loyal subordinate, my king.”
Arakyle was the commander of the Demon King’s second battalion, the Despair Corps.
“Why would he... attack Doomguard?!” Balrog shouted.
As someone whose loyalty to his king was on par with that of the king of the Frostborn for Bael, Balrog was having a hard time understanding.
“Why would fellow commanders—”
“Balrog, stop,” said Lilith as she sighed deeply. There was no change in her expression since she had already expected this to happen. “I’m sure you’ve already figured out what happened as well.”
“...”
“Most of what happened in the Ninth Hell was done by Amon, not Bael. If Bael didn’t involve himself, there was no way that only a hundred survived, even if they had to retreat against Bael’s army.”
Merely a hundred surviving was logically impossible, considering the size of the Demon King’s army.
“It would’ve made more sense if no one survived. It would just mean they decided to die honorable deaths.”
However, they had run away instead of going out with a bang.
“If only a hundred managed to survive...”
If it was logically impossible, it would mean that something illogical had occurred.
Lilith shut her eyes tightly and continued firmly, “It means our king was betrayed.”
Kang-Woo had been betrayed by his subordinates, his retainers whom he had led throughout the war and fought alongside to the very end.
“We were... betrayed,” Lilith said hesitantly.
She knew how much Kang-Woo cherished his retainers as well as how many he lost during the thousand-year war. She couldn’t even imagine how Kang-Woo was feeling after finding out one of those retainers had betrayed him.
‘My king...’
Lilith turned to Kang-Woo, who was looking down at Doomguard with his head lowered. She wanted to embrace and console him, telling him that it was not his fault and that it couldn’t be helped.
“...”
However, the sorrow, rage, frustration, resentment, and regret in his eyes kept her legs from moving.
Boom!
Balrog stomped his foot and stared at Doomguard, grimacing like a Yaksha.
“Is that true?” he asked.
“...”
“I asked you if that’s true, Doomguard!”
Balrog roared like a ferocious beast. Doomguard simply trembled in silence with his head lowered. Balrog walked to him and reached out for him.
“Balrog.” Kang-Woo grabbed Balrog’s arm. “Stand down.”
“But...!”
“Stand... down,” Kang-Woo said in a deep voice.
Balrog flinched and took a step back.
Kang-Woo lightly placed his hand on the kneeling Doomguard’s shoulder and said, “Doomguard.”
“Yes.”
“Good work for making it this far.”
“...”
Doomguard looked up at Kang-Woo in silence. Black blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and welled at the end of his chin.
“Heh... hehe.” Doomguard smiled innocently in a way unbefitting a demon. “If I knew... this would happen...” He raised his shaking hand and grabbed Kang-Woo’s hand on his shoulder. “I would have... come to see you... sooner.”
Doomguard smiled brightly again as the light in his eyes dimmed. His hand on Kang-Woo’s hand dropped as if a string holding it up was cut. The light in his eyes disappeared.
“And...” Kang-Woo said as he slowly raised his head. He stared at one of the hundred demons collapsed behind Doomguard. “It’s been a while, Arakyle.”