Chapter 251

○ Great Demon King Dalm’s Castle – Lesser Demon King Melvis

Dalm was known to actively take the Fallen under his wing. This was very unusual.
Most people in the Demon World held less than friendly views of those who had once lived in the Celestial World.

In comparison, you could say that Dalm was a very open-minded person.

“So, the chaos in the Celestial World is greater than it is here?”
“Aye…much time has passed since the road to the Human World was closed off, and this has apparently made it difficult for them to replenish their holy power.”

“Ah… Holy power… I had once heard that it increases through the prayers of humans.”

“Apparently, so. Unlike mana, holy power is not something that flows without limit. It comes from the holy vein, and the amount they receive has decreased visibly. That is why they are panicking.”

Residents of the Celestial World store holy power in their bodies.
That is how they perform miracles. But if they use too much, their bodies become dried out, and they die. Either that, or they will be eaten away by mana.

Yes, there were small quantities of mana even in the Celestial World. It was said that negative emotions turned into mana.
But the holy power in their bodies would cause the mana to vanish when touched.

Because of this, they were not in danger from it.
Unless, of course, they used all of the holy power in their bodies.

The parts that were eaten by mana would change color as it absorbed and spread out.

This was considered the greatest shame in the Celestial World, and being polluted by mana was their greatest fear.

“So after the Human World was closed off, the holy power was no longer able to get through.”
“It appears to be the case. Well, it is not exactly surprising.”

“No, the soul after death continues to go through the barrier. So it would not have been strange to assume that holy power could as well. Perhaps this is something that even Zeus, who created the barrier, did not know.”
Dalm nodded at Melvis’s words.

“According to the Fallen, Zeus was a traitor who cared more about the Human World than the Celestial World. Enra as well, as they are trying to bring him back.”

“But Enra is the greatest research institution in the Celestial World. I doubt anyone could argue against people with such great power.”

“That does not seem to be the case… Well, we are being side-tracked. I understand by what they told me, that holy power has decreased in their world. In fact, the small and weak have been culled.”

If there were less people who used holy power, then less of it would be consumed. That’s what they thought.
It was very logical. Very much something that they would think of.

And so the weak and persecuted chose death, while others chose to fall into the Demon World.
Dalm offered his protection to these Fallen, and gathered information.

“I suppose then, that it’s possible Hera was found and killed amidst the chaos.”
Melvis muttered to himself.

“So, what will you do now? I would prefer it if you do not bring more chaos to the Great Demon King countries.”
As always, Dalm was talking as if Melvis was his superior.

“…Can you see this?”
Melvis raised his arms.

“See? Is there something there?”

“These wrists are shackled. It is the last curse that was cast on me. I think that being rid of them will be my primary focus for some time.”

The reason that the ancient Great Demon King Melvis had fallen to the position of Lesser Demon King was because of the curse that Hera had cast on him.

This curse affected the soul directly, and was the great achievement of Hera’s research. And so Melvis had not been aware of it until he awoke.

He had thought that the curse was something that forcefully absorbed his mana while sending him to the Under World.
Once he had deciphered that much information, Melvis decided that it was harmless, and left it alone for a while.

After that, he went to the Under World in order to search for Lesser High King Yamato. Along the way, he decided to break the curse.

It should have succeeded and his mana returned to normal.

However, there were in fact chains there that no one could see. And in spite of his soul being purified in the Under World, the chains remained.

“What about your search for King Yamato?”
“It was my plan to travel to the Human World through the Under World, but that road was blocked. I have no way to proceed now.”

Melvis thought that the reason he could not find Yamato after so much searching, was because Yamato was in the Human World.
His name remained on the Tablet of Control, so he was not dead.

And so for a long time, he had not even thought to go to the Under World.
That changed when the curse was cast on him.

But the human world had a strong barrier cast over it because of Zeus.
Melvis would have had no reason to go to the Under World then, but he noticed a single exception.

When people died, their souls were sent to the Under World. After that, they were purified and reborn in the Celestial World, Human World, or Demon World.

In other words, if you were just a soul, you could go to the Human World.
Thinking this, Melvis became a soul by his own will, and headed towards the Under World.

However, what was waiting for him there was Zeus’s barrier.
And he discovered that only souls who had been purified would be able to cross.

Of course, Melvis’s soul was still connected to a body.
And he was not purified.

And so try as he might, he was unable to enter into the Human World.

“Now that I think about it, a lot seems to be happening in the north.”
“The north? Do you mean that upstart who attacked? Kyuka?”

“He did? How reckless.”
Dalm said. And there was a long silence.

“But he fled, and so I sent someone after him. I’m sure she’ll bring me his head soon.”
Melvis had no doubt of this.

“I don’t know about that. It is my opinion that he will be the cause of much trouble.”
“Then I just have to crush him before that happens.”

The cause of much trouble… In other words, if a new Demon King were to be born, the wars in the surrounding areas would continue for even longer.

Would he fall amidst the turmoil? Would he overcome it and rise to Great Demon King? Or would he find stability?
No one could know which way it would fall, but great wars would precede it.

And of course, it would spread far and wide.
Dalm could not think of anything more annoying. And…

“In the first place, this Kyuka has expanded his forces in a very short amount of time. Surely that is proof that he has more power than what is known.”

If your enemy was great, then you prepared in accordance.
And since he was able to expand so rapidly, it must mean that his own ability had won in a way that others had not been able to see.

“If something happens, I will go out in person.”
“That worries me in a different way…”

But Dalm swallowed his words after that.
He did not have the courage to step on Melvis’s tail.

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Makai Hongi