The day of the decisive battle was approaching.

'There's not much time left.'

Clay held up his hand. On it was the mark signifying the sun.

—He will aim for when my influence is at its weakest.

A while ago, when he placed his marked hand on the desk, letters suddenly appeared as if a picture was being drawn.

—When the moon eclipses the sun, it will begin.

They formed a sentence. It was a message from the Sun God.

It was the same as what Beatrice had conveyed as a guess. Not knowing if it would reach, Clay looked at the mark and asked.

If he couldn't come down and lend his strength directly.

—Not only is a descent not so easy, but Elhaen is blocking the way from a very distant place, making it impossible to go directly.

The outer gods existed in a place far from this world. If they descended like Elhaen, they could cross that distance in an instant, but if not, they had no choice but to travel and come directly.

—There is no way for me or anyone else to defeat and pass Elhaen, who wields even more powerful authority outside of this world.

In other words, all he could do was to check him from a distance.

—Even this much is me doing my best. This is not a duty, but a task I have given myself as a god.

That was as much as he could do.

—The rest depends solely on your will.

That was the end of the message. Clay couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

'In the end, it's a fight between me and Elhaen.'

Even if someone could lend a hand, the fundamental nature of this fight would not change.

"Syltanaro."

Clay extended his hand to Syltanaro, who was standing by his side at some point, and said.

"May I check for a moment?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She became a sword and was held in his hand.

'As I thought.'

Unlike before, he felt a sense of incompatibility from Syltanaro.

'At this rate...'

Fighting while holding Syltanaro had become virtually impossible.

『Your Majesty.』

"Speak."

『If you are alright with it, I will assist you from another side.』

"From another side?"

『Yes.』

Syltanaro said, as if she had something in mind.

『I am your weapon, but if it is my will, to the most suitable person...』

"Are you telling me to entrust you to Beatrice?"

At Clay's question, Syltanaro answered as if sighing.

『That is correct.』

Syltanaro explained that Beatrice would be able to handle her.

『It will be difficult to do it perfectly, but I will be able to lend my strength for a short while at the necessary moment.』

"It could be a strain. You have only lived as the weapon of a Demon King."

『Even a strain is fine.』

Syltanaro conveyed her resolve.

『If I can fulfill my role at the decisive moment.』

It was something Clay found difficult to ask of her. To her, who had spoken up first as a sword, Clay expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you. For taking the initiative and making such a suggestion."

『It is nothing, Your Majesty.』

Then she slipped out of his hand and returned to her human form. She handed him Excalbren, which was standing nearby.

"No matter what you fight with or how you fight, the fact that you are with us does not change. I will do my best for your victory, Your Majesty."

"Yes."

Clay let out a groan as he gripped Excalbren.

'So I, a human, have come to fight as the representative of the demons.'

It was none other than Elhaen who had created humans. From the demons' perspective, humans could only be outsiders who had stolen their home.

With even their history erased and distorted, the demons lived without even knowing who the original inhabitants of this world were.

"Syltanaro."

"It is alright, Your Majesty."

Syltanaro, who had been told this fact, answered as if she knew what Clay was about to say.

"This appearance is enough. For me, and for the other demons. Perhaps it is a relief for the humans as well."

Humans themselves finding the truth and rejecting the false history. That was something only the current Clay could represent and carry out.

"It seems I've taken on a burden greater than that of the Hero."

Clay let out a hollow laugh.

"I'm not trying to do something so grand, anyway."

He just wanted to give Elhaen, who had trampled on all the species of this world for his own myth, a taste of his own medicine.

"You will do well, Your Majesty."

Syltanaro said to him. He now raised Excalbren.

"Yes, I will."

Time was flowing quickly.

***

♧

"The moon..."

"Darkness is coming!"

At the sudden commotion, numerous demons in Barungenia rushed outside.

"That is..."

"Is it finally coming."

"Elhaen!"

Although all the facts had been announced in advance, an unavoidable tension lingered among the demons.

"Inform His Majesty!"

Cardin, who had returned to Barungenia and was participating in the defensive operation, ordered his subordinates.

Clay, who was informed of the situation from them, finally came outside and looked up at the sky.

"Has it begun."

As the moon eclipsed the sun, an unknown pressure grew stronger and enveloped the surroundings.

"Wh-what is it."

"Is it coming?"

"Just that alone is this much..."

The demons, feeling the pressure, muttered as if frightened. Clay was just waiting for the moment the moon completely eclipsed the sun.

When that moment came,

With a tremendous roar from the empty air, dozens of magic circles were drawn on the moon that eclipsed the sun.

"Th-that is?"

Lin, who was next to Clay, let out a sigh.

"Clay! It's a binding circle!"

There was no need to be told what was being bound.

'He bound, the moment the stars aligned?'

Clay frowned. He had thought that he wouldn't try to solve everything in the short moment the moon eclipsed the sun, but he hadn't expected him to extend the time of the battle in this way.

"Everyone, strengthen the defenses! Neville will be here soon!"

Clay shouted loudly and gave orders to the demons.

Whatever it was, the fact that Elhaen needed a medium to appear in this world was certain.

In a situation where he was checking each other with other outer gods from a distance, that was the only way to cross over to this world at once.

"Th-there!"

At that moment, someone shouted.

"He's coming!"

At that cry, Clay hurriedly climbed onto the castle wall and looked beyond it.

He was there.

Neville was slowly walking towards Barungenia.

'He's coming like this?'

Even Clay hadn't known that he would come alone so absurdly, even though he had thought he would approach with some method, if not by exploiting a weakness.

"Your Majesty! Do we attack?"

The demons, flustered by the enemy's blatant appearance, approached Clay and asked. Clay didn't answer for a moment and watched Neville's movements more closely.

"Your Majesty?"

"A moment."

However, Clay also couldn't detect any particular presence from him. If so, there was only one thing he had to do.

'As expected, if he can't attempt to descend directly into my body, there's only one answer.'

He had to descend through Neville's body first and then take his body. Clay gave orders to the demons.

"Attack! Pour everything you have!"

At that, the goblin mages activated the magic circles Lin had set up in advance.

In an instant, numerous magic circles were activated under the ground where Neville stood.

The moment Neville stopped, every place the magic circuits passed through exploded.

The surroundings shook as if an earthquake had occurred. A dust storm soon swallowed up the place where Neville was.

"Elhaen...!"

The ancient god, Athanasia, who was on the castle wall, shouted, gritting her teeth.

"This is not a place for you to come!"

To her, who had already tasted numerous humiliations, Elhaen was the source of all those situations.

The waves she shot out cleared the dust storm in an instant and directly hit Neville's body.

Neville was sent flying. The waves chased after Neville, hitting his body again and again.

KWAAAAAAAANG!

Neville tumbled around powerlessly like a piece of paper.

So easily that one might wonder if he was a fake.

"Don't stop!"

Nevertheless, Clay did not let down his guard.

"His body is not breaking at all!"

And it was true, Neville's body was still maintaining its form. There was no blood. His arms were not broken, nor were his legs cut off.

The blessing of divinity colored his body in a golden light. Then he stood up and walked again. As if to say that nothing could be achieved with an attack like this.

Even after being sent flying several times, he stood up and walked again. His appearance was enough to instill fear even in the demons attacking him.

"Wh-what is that."

"Is he human?"

How much had they poured out?

It was when the attacks, which had been poured out continuously without sleep, had reached their limit.

While the demons were briefly regrouping, Neville had already reached right in front of the walls of Barungenia.

"Lord Clay."

Neville was speaking, with an expressionless face.

"Come down."

The demons were shocked to see Neville, who not only survived but was also speaking perfectly.

"No way...!"

"He's not even scratched?"

"He's a monster!"

Even in that atmosphere, Clay just looked down at Neville quietly.

Then,

"Your Majesty?!"

He jumped far and landed not too far from Neville.

"Your Majesty!"

The demons shouted in surprise, but he paid them no mind. His gaze was fixed solely on Neville.

"Neville."

He said.

"I never thought you would turn your back on me."

"I have not turned my back."

Neville answered softly.

"I respect you, Lord Clay. And I will continue to do so. However, it may not be in the form you wish for."

"How shameless."

Clay's eyes shot up.

"Because of you, everything was almost overturned. Because of you, who are welcoming a god not even born in this world."

"Lord Clay."

Neville stared at him intently.

"You already know, don't you?"

"What is it?"

"The fact that humans have an original sin from birth."

That was something that arose from the fact that humans were created by Elhaen and oppressed the demons who were the original inhabitants of this place.

"There are only two things humans can do. Either apologize to the demons and give up everything they have enjoyed, or consolidate human dominance again."

"So, you chose the latter?"

"To be precise, I was chosen."

Neville pointed to himself with his hand and then to Clay.

"Both you and I, Lord Clay, are humans created for Lord Elhaen. Shouldn't that will naturally be directed towards the creator?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Clay's expression crumpled.

"I grew up on this land. So my will will also be freely exercised on this land."

He raised Excalbren, which he was holding in his hand, high.

"Even if my existence and power contradict that will, I have to live like this at least once to be able to say I've lived properly."

"Is that so."

Neville smiled with a bitter expression.

"Then it can't be helped."

A halo formed behind his head.

"I have no choice but to force you onto your destiny."

(End of Chapter)