DKFTI 51

In an instant, Sibel’s body floated into the air and his whole body was bound as if he was caught by an anaconda.

“Ugh!”

The spiders Sibel had been summoning suddenly stopped.

Ron was turning the pulley to open the castle gate. There was no way to expect him to help.

“Catch them. Catch them all! I will tear their limbs apart and use them as sacrifices!”

What bound Sibel was Egmund’s power. The black smoke from his hand began to strangle the knights.

“Ugh.”

The knights coughed up blood from the poison of the black magic. Ron’s breathing also grew labored from the poisonous smoke.

“Just a little more…, just a little more….”

Boom, boom, boom. The sound of drums signaling an emergency echoed. The roar of a crowd could be heard from somewhere.

But Ron’s hand slipped from the pulley.

“Ugh.”

Blood spurted from his mouth. The demonic energy in his body, which he had barely managed to suppress, twisted his organs rapidly when it met the poisonous smoke.

“Don’t give up! Hey! Ron!”

Who was he supposed to trust if he collapsed like this!

Sibel grew more anxious in the worsening situation and flailed in the air. Ron’s gaze reached him. His face had turned pale.

“…I’m, sor….”

Ron’s body tilted.

‘It’s over.’

So this was how he was going to die.

Not even in the Demon King’s castle, but in this strange place.

Faced with a death he had never imagined, Sibel’s vision turned yellow.

Kwaaang!

At that moment, the castle gate shook with a huge explosion, and a shockwave spread the gate.

“Ugh!”

“Argh.”

People were thrown off balance by the sudden blast. At the same time, the black aura wrapping around Sibel disappeared.

“Ugh.”

Sibel fell to the ground. His tailbone hurt as if it had been split in half.

“Ow ow.”

He rubbed his backside and looked at the smoking castle gate.

“That is….”

Knights in pure white armor and fluttering golden flags.

When he saw the massive army, Sibel froze. Enemy? Ally?

“…It’s, the Holy Kingdom’s… knights.”

“They’re knights of the Holy Kingdom!”

“The Apostle has appeared!”

The area suddenly grew noisy.

‘Holy Kingdom? Apostle?’

Overwhelmed with incoming information, Sibel looked at the suddenly appearing army. The emblems symbolizing the sun and the gleaming weapons.

“So those are… knights of the Holy Kingdom.”

There was an overwhelming atmosphere about them. The white figures crushed the unholy aura.

‘Wait. Why the Holy Kingdom all of a sudden? Then for me, both sides… are all enemies.’

He had thought a path to survival had opened, but that was also a road to hell. His head began to spin.

‘Isn’t this too cruel!?’

Screaming inwardly, Sibel slowly shuffled backward while still sitting on the ground.

“In the name of Seleaum, seize the heretics who commit wicked acts!”

The paladins began to move in perfect order. White horses cut through the field of view as they charged forward.

“Run! Everyone, run!”

The heretics started to flee in a panic. They could not match the overwhelming number of knights from the Holy Kingdom.

“Do not let a single one escape!”

Just like that, the situation completely turned around.

“Hey, Ron. Wake up.”

Seeing a chance, Sibel ran over to Ron. He shook Ron’s limp body and slapped his cheek.

Slap, slap.

“Get it together! What am I supposed to do if you just pass out like this!”

Ron was supposed to handle the situation, but since he was unconscious, there was no other option. They had to escape right now.

‘The heretics are better than the Holy Kingdom. I must not get caught by them.’

Sibel felt sorry for Ron, but decided to put his own life first. He quietly moved his body toward the outside of the gate.

‘Careful, careful, don’t get noticed….’

Just as Sibel was about to use the chaos to escape,

Pah!

“Eek!”

A sharp piece of metal stabbed into the ground right at Sibel’s feet.

‘If I had taken one more step, I would have died….’

It was a moment when he almost wet his pants.

When Sibel raised his head, a man with a golden cape was looking down at him from atop a horse.

“A demon.”

The man already knew Sibel was a demon. He had a bad feeling.

A sharp aura wrapped around the man’s body. It was a presence Sibel had felt somewhere before.

‘An Apostle….’

It resembled the power that surged when Aizen drew his holy sword.

As a strange light flickered in the man’s golden eyes, the sword stuck in the ground rose up.

“Ugh!”

He was going to die.

Sibel flinched in shock and raised his arms to cover his face.

Fuck, are you trying to kill me without even asking a word first! I could be a good demon! This is exactly what makes the Holy Kingdom bastards!

Clannng.

Just as the sword was about to strike Sibel, black wings rose Sibel’s shadow.

The wings, easily three meters long, wrapped around Sibel’s body.

Crackkk.

The holy sword and the wings clashed, sparking on impact.

“Haa, haa….”

Sibel, stiff from tension, raised his head and saw only a world of black.

“Wh-what is this?”

The black wings were protecting Sibel and effortlessly blocking the holy sword. This power was absolutely not his. It was darker and stronger than Sibel’s own energy.

“…Who are you?”

Feeling the extraordinary power, the Apostle questioned Sibel.

‘Fuck, would you answer that if you were me?’

As the wings from Sibel’s shadow flapped, the Apostle’s horse stepped back. With his sight cleared, Sibel’s eyes went to what had emerged from the shadow.

‘What the hell is this….’

The powerful aura seemed ready to crush him, but at the same time it strangely felt familiar.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak. A demon only needs to be slain.”

The Apostle threatened again, he was determined to kill Sibel.

‘Ah, damn.’

Time to get ready to run again.

Sibel put his hand to the ground and prepared to stand. But the Apostle, as if he would not allow it, controlled his sword without lifting a finger.

Thud–! Clang–!

The sword aimed for Sibel, and the wings from the shadow shielded him. A simple exchange of attack and defense kept repeating, and Sibel’s knees went weak under the murderous aura.

If he slipped even once, he would die.

Sweat poured down like rain and his fingertips trembled.

“You use cunning tricks.”

The Apostle seemed angry at the power blocking his strikes.

What a real son of a bitch. Getting angry by himself and making a whole damn fuss. A whole damn fuss!

Sibel wanted to cry, and the Apostle dismounted to hold his sword directly. Once he gripped it, his aura grew even more violent.

“No, wait. Hold on, let’s… talk this out…!”

Bang!

The Apostle leapt, and in the blink of an eye his sword was right before Sibel’s nose.

Through the feathers of the wing, the Apostle’s sword forced its way in with a screech, drawing closer and closer to Sibel’s face.

“Ugh.”

The Apostle strained with all his might to drive the blade between the feathers.

Ah, someone stop this bastard….

Just as Sibel grabbed a fistful of dirt to do something, anything,

Clang–!

A sword flew in from somewhere and struck the Apostle’s blade aside.

“Eek!”

Sibel hunched his body to avoid the sword that brushed past him.

The Apostle turned his head to find the new opponent who had interfered. And there he was….

“Aizen.”

Aizen had arrived. Sibel saw him too. His chest tightened up all of a sudden.

Hey, you… why are you only coming now.

He did not know why that thought came to him. The moment he saw Aizen’s face, he was relieved but also resentful. He wanted to complain about how long he had waited, neck craned, for him to show up.

The sword that had deflected the Apostle’s was traced back in a golden arc and returned to Aizen’s hand. He walked slowly, step by step, to Sibel’s side.

“Aizen, why are you doing this?”

The Apostle in the golden cloak asked him. Anyone could see Aizen was interfering with the Holy Kingdom, not helping them.

“Why am I doing this?”

Aizen’s eyes shone sharply.

Sibel could not take his eyes off him, curious what he would answer.

Aizen, walked up to him and stood in front of Sibel. He did not spare a glance at the Apostle who had spoken to him.

Keeping his gaze fixed on Sibel, Aizen spoke.

“You can’t touch him.”

“What are you saying? Where have you been hiding, and now you appear… His Holiness is looking for you.”

“I know.”

Aizen spun his sword lightly.

“But that’s not what matters right now.”

“Why are you protecting that demon?”

“Does this look like protection to you?”

After checking for a long moment that Sibel’s body was unhurt, Aizen finally looked at the Apostle.

“Even a stray dog knows this much….”

Aizen muttered. The Apostle did not understand what he meant.

“In any case, you can’t touch him. I won’t allow it.”

“…I don’t know the reason, but destroying demons is the doctrine of the Order. I am only carrying that out.”

“Did you stick a dick in your ear?”

Aizen sneered. His attitude made the Apostle’s face twist in a frown.

“You are still arrogant as ever. You think it’s because you are favored by His Holiness? But if he finds out you protected a demon, do you think you can keep that favor?”

“What are you talking about? What would I do with an old man’s favor.”

Aizen snorted.

“You’re the only one drooling that thing.”

It was Sibel who was unsettled by his reckless words.

‘This bastard… did he come not to help me but to make things worse?’

While Sibel faltered, the wings that had risen from his shadow vanished with a whoosh.

“Put away your sword and step aside.”

“Apostle Aizen. Fulfill your mission!”

“Let’s just keep this peaceful. I don’t want to kill humans. Not yet.”

Aizen’s hold on his sword tightened. In that instant, the air between him and the Apostle grew taut. The Apostle too reset his grip on his blade.

“You’ll go through with it to the end? That’s why you never get that favor. You can’t seize the chance when it’s handed to you.”

As soon as Aizen finished speaking, the Apostle’s body shot forward.