Chapter 93: Desperation
’What the fuck!!’
The colour drained from Edgar’s face when he noticed how terrifying that thing was.
Edgar knew how dangerous this place was. He had seen the origin of this world, yet never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would face something like this so soon.
Edgar forced himself to look away from the corpse.
Calming himself down, he looked at the other soldiers and yelled, "Hide behind the battlements now!"
The others quickly followed his advice without a word. They all crouched down instantly.
Edgar did the same while his mind raced to find any solution.
’What the hell am I supposed to do?’
He had no idea what that thing was or what it was truly capable of. The fear of the unknown was too much for Edgar to handle.
’Is there really a way to kill it? What if I use the Flamethrowers and Ballistas all at once?’
Edgar bit his lip. His idea was good on paper, but it could have adverse effects as well.
What if his bombardment only made the creature even angrier?
Right now, that thing was attacking whatever it saw. What if his aggression caused it to focus solely on the Fortress?
’What can I do against such a thing??’
Just as Edgar was considering every possibility, including running away--
"Oh, it’s a Bell Demon~"
A melodious voice rang out beside him.
Edgar slowly turned his head to look at Semele, who stood calmly atop the Fortress Wall, her crimson eyes quietly observing the grotesque creature as though she were admiring an unusual flower.
"You stupid---!!"
Without thinking, Edgar grabbed her wrist and yanked her down.
She stumbled before landing beside him behind the battlement.
"That thing can copy your face and kill you!" Edgar shouted. "It can kill you, for fuck’s sake!"
For a brief moment, Semele simply stared at the hand wrapped around her wrist.
Then, in a gentle voice, she said, "...You are hurting me."
"...Sorry."
Edgar instinctively let go of her hand, feeling a little embarrassed.
’Wait... isn’t she stronger than me!?’
Another thing also registered in his mind. The lady had given it a name.
"Do you know what that thing is?" Edgar asked.
The enormous bell continued wandering through the crimson mist while its countless faces laughed, cried, and shrieked in turn.
"...A Bell Demon."
Edgar’s heart skipped a beat. "So you know what that thing is?"
"I do."
"...Then tell me."
Semele looked at Edgar with her crimson eyes, which flickered slightly.
For some reason, Edgar felt she was enjoying the panicked look on his face.
Finally, she replied, "A Bell Demon is born when countless souls fail to pass on and are instead fused together through an ancient sacrificial rite."
"How do I kill that thing?" Edgar asked without beating around the bush.
Semele smiled. "You can’t. I don’t think anyone within this kingdom can kill that thing."
The little bit of hope Edgar had vanished instantly.
He felt as though both his mind and body had aged considerably from the stress.
"Though, you can wait it out and let the summon break," Semele continued after a while.
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked, looking at her.
"It wasn’t summoned completely."
She pointed toward the still-glowing ritual circle far below.
"That ritual wasn’t powerful enough to permanently anchor a Bell Demon in this world. It will vanish as soon as you kill the summoner."
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Just then, the monster that had been roaming around aimlessly turned toward the Fortress.
The thing had already taken the lives of countless Nightmares and was now coming for them.
Edgar immediately felt the pressure to do something.
"There is a way to completely blind it," Semele said softly. "But are you ready to take the risk?"
Edgar’s head snapped toward her. "...What?"
She continued watching the Bell Demon instead of him.
"Bell Demons live in the underworld. The thing hates both Nightmares and the ⟨Unbroken Fire⟩."
She slowly turned her head back to Edgar.
"If you put out the ⟨Unbroken Fire⟩ for a while, then the monster will go after the Nightmares or another Fortress."
Edgar stared at her as though she had gone mad.
"Are you insane? It’s like asking for death--."
"You will not die from the Eternal Night, at least not for a while," she cut him off. "Your only problem will be the Headless Nightmare."
"..."
She folded her hands neatly in her lap. "You asked how to survive. I never said survival would come without sacrifice."
Edgar bit the inside of his cheek while his mind raced.
If the Bell Demon reached the Fortress, everyone might die.
If he extinguished the ⟨Unbroken Fire⟩, the Bell Demon would leave, but hundreds of Nightmares would descend upon them instead.
Still, he was more than hesitant. "...How am I supposed to kill the Headless Nightmare?"
Semele tilted her head and looked at him strangely. "Are you joking?"
Edgar looked at her. "...What?"
"Don’t you know your own strength?" she asked, tilting her head. "Don’t you know how powerful you are?"
"..."
Edgar found her words strangely reasonable. He had never truly gone all out. He was still unaware of his true strength.
"A person’s true strength only comes out during the Eternal Night," Semele added gently. "Especially yours."
Taking a deep breath, Edgar looked at Semele. "What if you’re lying?"
"Then you can do anything you want with me," she replied with a gentle smile. "And I like your warmth. It would be a shame if you died."
Edgar closed his eyes and relaxed his tense nerves.
He could clearly hear the sound of the monster inching closer.
’...Ah, fuck it.’
Edgar drew in a deep breath and decided to go with it.
With a single thought, the entire Fortress fell silent.
The light of the ⟨Unbroken Fire⟩, which had always been burning, withdrew back into itself.
The Eternal Night swallowed everything, including the Fortress.
The Fortress stood completely exposed beneath it.
An oppressive silence descended over everything.
Edgar remained still, holding his breath as he watched the monster pause in its tracks.
Slowly, the creature turned around and walked away from the Fortress.
As it moved, it continued killing every unfortunate Nightmare that crossed its path.
It took some time for Edgar’s eyes to adjust to the Eternal Night, but they gradually adapted.
At the same time, his body began to change as well.
The Solar Heart, which had always remained silent, began beating louder and louder.
An unexplainable strength surged through his body.
Golden veins emerged beneath his skin, illuminating the area around him.
Edgar slowly turned his head when he heard the neighing of a horse.
The Headless Nightmare slowly approached the exposed Fortress.