The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

150 – 150. The Pilgrim of Black and White (2)

A coldness that seemed to freeze even the soul erupted.

Hoo-.

A breath of white mist escaped into the air.

The eternal frost of the tundra.

The demon lord’s castle, built of black metal and rock, was now suffused with a pure white chill. The glory and majesty of the demon lord’s army, which had stained the continent with blood, lay submerged beneath the snow and ice.

“…Beatrice.”

A biting wind howled around the demon lord’s castle.

There was no doubt.

Beatrice must be in the demon lord’s castle.

The castle, transformed into a white expanse of snow at the heart of the demon realm, was surrounded by a sacred barrier. Despite the fierce assault of the biting wind, the sacred barrier boasted an impregnable defense.

“Liza, stay close.”

Ludmila pulled Elizabeta close, wrapping her arms around her waist. At the same time, she reached out her hands and conjured flames.

Whoosh—.

The flames of tyranny drove away the surrounding chill.

The blackened cold possessed a lethality capable of bringing any living being to death in an instant. Sensing this, Ludmila erected a barrier of flames to protect everyone who had passed through the long-range teleportation magic.

“It’s incredibly harsh. Was the demon realm always like this?”

A relentless, fierce wind swept in from beyond the snow and ice-covered tundra.

A realm of death that denied all living beings.

The pure white hell unfolding before them resembled a world personifying death itself.

Elizabeta, gazing at it, let out a voice tinged with horror. It was only natural to feel fear in a demon realm teeming with demons and monsters, surrounded by the unknown.

“This area is indeed consumed by a dreadful magic… but the demon realm was once a land where living beings thrived. Perhaps the deathly calamity unleashed by Beatrice has begun to run rampant, covering everything in snow and ice.”

The situation was nearing its worst.

Could it have deteriorated this much?

Damn it.

Was it too late?

Images of Beatrice and her companions flashed through his mind like a fleeting dream. Regret and guilt washed over him, but without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped forward.

“Damn it, the sentinels of the demon realm are closing in.”

Rumble rumble rumble──.

The ground trembled violently.

At the same time, dark shadows emerged beyond the biting wind.

It was undoubtedly the legions of the demon realm guarding the castle. Edanant, who had once reached the demon lord’s castle with the saint party, was aware of the presence of the vanguard.

Kuuooohhh─!!

Grrr, grrrr—!!!

The surge of magical power unleashed by the long-range teleportation spell drew in countless monsters. As if to prove this, creatures of all shapes and sizes, grotesque in appearance, charged forward with fierce roars.

“There are so many… and aren’t they all apex predators in the food chain?”

A wyvern with three heads.

A beastly monster covered entirely in sharp spines.

A mutated giant charging with over ten arms wielding weapons.

It was unbelievable.

Wasn’t this a collection of monsters that could only exist in legends?

Ludmila could hardly contain her shock as she broke through the fierce icy winds, witnessing the spectacle of monsters rushing in. These were the very creatures that had carved their infamous names during the Third Racial War with their brutal strength and cruelty.

Kwahahahaha.

When the army of monsters, gathered like clouds, completed their encirclement,

an anomaly occurred.

The blizzard that had been sweeping through the area around the Demon King’s castle began to engulf the monsters.

A vicious chill struck.

Sharp shards of ice turned the massive creatures into mere flesh in an instant.

Was this what it was like to grind a freshly slaughtered calf whole in a meat grinder? It was such a horrific scene that Ludmila raised her hand to cover Elizabeta’s eyes.

“Belasiel.”

-…Yes, I understand.

As Edanant called out, the orange-haired archangel raised her bow, aiming at the monsters that had barely survived the blizzard.

As she pulled the bowstring taut, a flash of annihilation emitted a dazzling brilliance.

Like light reflected in stained glass, the divided beams of annihilation flew forth, granting peace to the monsters that had begun to freeze in the cold.

– Behold the radiant flash. The archangel Belasiel has descended to purge the filthy monsters.

Three pairs of wings spread wide to the left and right.

The platinum full armor symbolizing the archangel’s majesty.

And over fifty sacred weapons bestowed by the One True God.

The angel of justice had descended.

The divinity of Belasiel spread widely like the dawn’s light announcing the morning.

Though she had suffered the humiliation of being subordinate to Edanant, Belasiel’s might remained undiminished. True to her nature as an archangel who had recorded a decisive victory against the calamities of war, she swiftly severed the lifelines of the monsters that had survived the blizzard.

“Indeed, she is an archangel…!”

“Isn’t she the messenger of the celestial realm commanding the archangels?”

Thousands of monstrous beings had vanished.

It felt as if divine retribution had descended.

Led by the Archmage Querisa of the Mage Tower, the great sorcerers who had passed through the long-range teleportation spell marveled at the majesty of the Seraph Belasiel.

Hearing the awe and admiration directed at him, Belasiel instinctively shrugged his shoulders. Having endured the humiliation of being called a “self-proclaimed Seraph” and “the concubine brought by Lord Ethan” by the servants of the Hoenberk family, he appeared even more arrogant.

“Ludmila, I will now seek Maximilian.”

“Understood. I’ll leave this to you.”

He entrusted the command to Ludmila.

And Edanant set forth to find Maximilian, who had sealed the ashes of death.

* * *

Maximilian, who had squeezed even his life force to seal the ashes of death and its minions, remained conscious despite his body being frozen.

The barrier was still unstable.

If he lost focus now, a catastrophe would occur as the ashes of death would be unleashed.

To save the present world threatened by the end of all things, he had to make the tragic decision to seal his beloved partner and comrades within the Demon King’s castle. Gripping the hilt of the holy sword with his ice-cold hand, Maximilian exhaled a white breath.

“…You’ve come.”

He had expected it.

Yet, even while anticipating it, he wished it wouldn’t happen.

“Ethan.”

His heart would waver.

Regrets and lingering attachments would remain.

Thus, Maximilian cast a meaningful glance at Edanant, who emerged through the snow and ice.

“Is that the sacrifice you could come up with? Pathetic to the end.”

“…Yes.”

“Who would recognize the sacrifice of a traitor? The betrayer who resurrected the ashes of death will be pointed at for hundreds of years, facing the consequences of his actions.”

“I don’t care… It’s the path I chose…”

No matter what was said, Maximilian would not reverse his decision.

A noble justice that sought no reward.

Truly, he was a hero worthy of the name of a legendary champion.

Exposed to the cold of death for an extended period, his bodily tissues were beginning to necrotize. Even though he was in critical condition, on the verge of death, Maximilian did not let go of the hilt.

“Shall I lend it to you? If you don’t need it, then forget it.”

Edanant offered the holy sword he had at his waist to Maximilian.

Aldebaran, the Yellow Star.

Maximilian, witnessing the golden gleam of the holy sword, displayed a look of bewilderment.

“…What are you thinking?”

“Open just a part of the barrier surrounding the Demon King’s castle.”

I will extract the death’s residue clinging to Beatrice.

As he heard Edanant’s instructions, a look of confusion spread across Maximilian’s face.

“That’s impossible. The death’s residue was completely integrated with Bea. There’s no way to extract it.”

“No, it is possible. If the death’s residue cooperates.”

The reason the death’s residue made contact with Elizabeth was to prepare a new vessel that would free itself, trapped within Beatrice’s soul.

If it actually comes into contact with Elizabeth, the death’s residue would likely attempt to escape.

The probability of failure is high.

Even if the death’s residue actively cooperates.

Despite sensing the significantly low odds, I asked for the seal to be lifted. At that moment, Maximilian, who was on the verge of the final stage of the seal, showed a moment of hesitation.

“I brought the Third Princess Elizabeth. The fiancée you cruelly cast aside.”

“Elizabeth? Why on earth…?”

“Her Highness the Princess will become the new vessel to replace Beatrice. It seems the parties involved have already decided so. Since the death’s residue attempted contact first, it must be certain.”

“…….”

It was difficult to understand the explanation.

How on earth did the Third Princess become connected to the death’s residue?

Unfortunately, there was little time for a kind explanation. The ‘Empress of Death,’ realizing that Maximilian was still hesitating at the final stage of the seal, began to pound on the barrier in a bid to escape.

“Then how do you plan to detach the death’s residue? You won’t easily separate it once it starts rampaging.”

“You need to understand what I’m saying.”

Edanant nodded as he spoke.

Maximilian was left speechless.