Chapter 177: Home Ground<em>Thud.</em>


    The air inside the banquet hall began to change with the simple act of the fallen one-armed man pushing the ground with his left hand, starting to rise.


    The demons'' arrogance and mockery, which had once settled heavily, froze cold.


    A fierce wind blowing from somewhere sent shivers down the spine, causing the movements of the insects crawling in search of prey to stiffen.


    "..."


    Demon Lord Magan, who was standing closest to him, felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck.


    <em>Am I getting tense?</em>


    By simply realizing that the man in front of him had risen once again, it made his body tense up.


    He reached his hand inside his mouth and pulled out the soul he was chewing on, inspecting it.


    Although they looked the same, the dissipating soul in his hand was not the Soul Whisperer he knew.He had also been deceived by this insignificant soul—he was certain of that much.


    "So, you were the original Deus Verdi.”


    As Magan stared at the slowly rising mana, he licked his dry lips with his thick tongue.


    He had no idea what kind of being that man was, but Magan didn''t care at all.


    After all, all he needed to do was kill and devour both of those souls, there was no need toplicate his thoughts.


    "Magan."


    A voice, dull to the point that even a chill could be felt, echoed.


    Just one word.


    With just one word spoken.


    He was now certain that he was facing the real Soul Whisperer, Deus Verdi.


    It was almost ridiculous that he had been deceived by the clumsy fake performance just moments ago.


    Therefore, Magan felt even more irritated and was about to try to devour the soul he held in his hand. However…


    <em>Thwack</em>!


    A flying spear made of blue mes pierced through his wrist.


    It was a sudden attack from Deus, who was still unable to control his own body properly.


    Magan, who hadn''t even expected him to be able to cast a spell in that state, clicked his tongue. It was such a ridiculous attack that it didn''t even make him feel an itch.


    However, with a hole pierced in his wrist, his fingers lost their grip. Seizing this opportunity, Deus snatched the soul with his mana and pulled it into his arms. Upon seeing that, Magan ground his teeth.


    That man truly lived up to his title as the Soul Whisperer.


    Despite his enemy standing right before him—a monster who had severed his right arm, the Demon Lord who previously possessed the left arm of the former Saintess and treated it like a trophy.


    Deus still chose to ignore someone like him for the sake of the soul that was about to disappear.


    "How dare you...."


    To Magan, it felt utterly disgraceful. It was as if Deus had squandered his only opportunity tounch a surprise attack, all for the sake of saving just that one soul.


    The Demon Lord felt that he was not as valuable as that soul in the heart of the Soul Whisperer.


    <strong>[...Ah.]</strong>


    With holes caused by Magan''s teeth, the dissipating soul of Deus stared into his face.


    They had the same face but carried an entirely different atmosphere.


    He had to admit that although the man in front of him was merely someone who used the same name as him, he was apletely different person.


    Was it because of that?


    That Deus could ept his own annihtion more easily.


    <strong>[It was as you said.]</strong>


    For the first time in a long while, as he slowly closed his eyes, Deus showed not a smile tainted by alcohol, drugs, or lust, but rather that of an innocent, sunny smile of a child.


    <strong>[I was a human who was capable of change.]</strong>


    For souls, there were only two possible endings: eternal rest or annihtion.


    Eternal rest was the kind where you simplyid down and closed your eyes forever, while annihtion meant you disappeared without leaving anything behind.


    This man woke up from his eternal rest to fight for his family, and in order to do that, he had to abandon himself.


    At the moment of annihtion, because he did not lose his smile…


    "I just..."


    The remaining Deus Verdi in this world honored his departed self.


    "Thank you."


    * * *Because the original Deus'' soul upied the body, I had no way to show up.


    Even though I knew about the ongoing tragedy, I couldn''t help butment my inability tomunicate.


    "I just…"


    However, Deus Verdi''s noble will and sacrifice enabled me to stand here again.


    "Thank you."


    It was like the words I said when I sent him off at the funeral without mourners in the past.


    He was the kind of person who could sacrifice himself for others. And if given the opportunity and the right circumstances, he could have changed.


    He , who, while embraced in my arms, departed with pride for having sacrificed himself for his family and me at the very end.


    I probably would never be able to forget him for the rest of my life.


    "<em>Huff</em>."


    I slowly raised my head and faced the demon, who had turned purple with rage right in front of me.


    Though I feltpletely drained of energy and breathless with my shoulders slumping, my senses were sharper than ever.


    The mana sleeping inside my body had awakened once again and weed me.


    “Just to bid your farewells to such an insignificant soul… How dare you ignore me standing in front of you?!”


    "He was someone much more valuable than you."


    "Are youparing me, a Demon Lord who has lived for centuries, to that worthless trash who couldn''t even live for a few decades?"


    "I cannot say that he is a good person. However..."


    I slowly concentrated on the mana with my left hand since I no longer had a right arm. It was not easy bncing my mana while standing still.


    "Yet, he was not someone who gave up on changing like you."


    "Ridiculous! It was not that I gave up on change, but it was simply not necessary!"


    The conversation itself wasn’t something that could be continued.


    After all, I was human and he was a demon.


    The difference in perspectives and our preconceptions determined from birth could never be narrowed.


    That was why there was no future where Magan and I would leave this enclosed banquet hall together.


    One of us would definitely die here.


    Although Magan also felt this, he had absolute confidence.


    "What a fool."


    Magan smacked his lips, sighing while shaking his head.


    "It is hard to find something as sweet as the soul of one who sacrifices their life for others."


    My eyebrow slightly twitched as he mentioned Deus just now.


    "However, the taste of the man just now was so terrible that the sweetness could not overturn it."


    "..."


    "But just like you now, those who struggle in the face of life-threatening situations are quitemon."


    After all, when faced with a life-threatening situation, it was natural to struggle until the end rather than to give up on the spot.


    And Magan was already sick of enjoying such a naturalness.


    "Your dilemma is not over yet."


    Strength returned to the hand holding Deia and Darius.


    "Choose, Soul Whisperer."


    He hoped that I would make the same decision again. He didn''t simply desire the ordinary taste of struggling at the expense of others'' lives. He must have also wanted to experience the delicacy of sacrificing myself to the extent of throwing away my own life.


    "This banquet hall is inessible from the outside."


    Magan looked puzzled after seeing me suddenly uttering irrelevant words. However, despite this, his curiosity was piqued, and he lifted the corner of his mouth, urging me to continue speaking.


    "Are you nning to resolve this situation with external support? The moment moonlight shines into this ce, I will immediately kill them both."


    It meant that he would kill Deia and Darius the moment he sensed any movement from outside.


    With a sneer, I shook my head.


    "Support is already here."


    "Lord Magan!”


    At the urgent cries of his Secretary, Magan hastily turned around. But it was already toote.


    No matter how enclosed the chamber was.


    No matter how thick the walls were.


    It was all useless in front of her.


    "I am a Necromancer."


    <strong>[It’ssss finaaaaallllllly you!! I was worried sick!]</strong>


    The Dark Spiritualist, who had been hiding from Magan, immediately noticed my return and joined me without hesitation.


    And like a guillotine, the sword created through her mana sliced through the wrist of the massive arm that was holding Darius and Deia.


    The two fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Even if I wanted to help them, there was no time for it.


    At the thought of being caught off guard, Magan violently turned his head and red at me. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth; his eyes were bloodshot red and the veins popped out around his eyes, revealing the enormity of his wrath.


    "Deus Verdi. It seems like you want to be devoured while still alive."


    It was a warning growl from the Demon.


    Despite seeing Darius and Deia getting back their senses and hurriedly rushing towards me in desperation, he paid no attention to them whatsoever.


    No, it probably didn’t matter to him.


    Because as long as we were trapped in here, no human could escape his grasp.


    This was his dining table.


    "This will bepletely different from our first encounter, Deus Verdi."


    <em>Thud</em>!


    His heavy steps were approaching. Just a single step was enough to send a tsunami-like wave of terror crashing over us humans.


    He was one of the top predators surpassing the human race.


    "I am Magan, the Demon Lord of Gluttony!"


    <em>Thud</em>!


    As he got closer, the pressure bearing down on my shoulders felt like it would crush my entire body.


    "How dare you oppose me at my dinner! You pathetic humans! You mere pieces of meat!"


    Deia and Darius had already sumbed to the pressure and fallen to their knees, while the Dark Spiritualist urgently stayed close to me.


    <strong>[Y-you have a way to escape, right?]</strong>


    "No, I do not."


    <strong>[What?]</strong>


    "There is no way to escape. And I have no intention to."


    <em>I will kill him.</em>


    As I uttered these words, the Dark Spiritualist widened her eyes and stared at me with astonishment.


    Although it was for a brief moment, I nced at her; out of the blue, a chuckle escaped my lips.


    "It is good to see you after so long."


    <strong>[Uh...]</strong>


    In an instant, I pushed away the frozen Dark Spiritualist and warned her.


    "Keep your distance, this is not a battlefield for humans."


    <strong>[W-what are you...]</strong>


    Before the Dark Spiritualist finished her sentence, a burst of maniacally excitedughter resonated from my empty right arm.


    <strong>[Keehahahaha!]</strong>


    <em>Crack! Crack! Crack!</em>


    My right arm felt hot.


    Despite having nothing there, my skin started swelling and I felt like blood was flowing, almost as if I had an arm.


    Souls contained mana.


    And the mana from the Demon Lord''s soul inside me swirled like spiral particles, forming the grotesque shape of an arm.


    "Velica."


    Magan called out the name of another Demon Lord. In response, the projection of Ste''s soul, with horns on her forehead, emerged behind me.


    <strong>[Magan! That fat body of yours is still the same, huh?!]</strong>


    "How dare you mock me, you moron, you’re only a Demon Lord who acts like a parasite to the Saintess."


    <strong>[You fool! I am only adhering to my nature, you know? I am Velica, the Demon Lord of Deformities! It means my demonic nature is just as twisted as well! Very much unlike you, you psycho bastard!]</strong>


    "Yeah, that fucking mouth of yours sure knows how to y."


    After saying ‘but’, his tongue flicked restlessly as if he couldn''t hold back any longer.


    "How dare you think of fighting <em>me</em> at my dining table? Has your deformity affected your foolish brain?! This is my stage! Have you forgotten that no other Demon Lord would dare challenge me at my own table?"


    As if everything until now was just a trivial disy of his power, Magan''s mana exploded forth, causing the world to tremble.


    It was a power that could turn even the most powerful forces of each country into mere dishes.


    Facing such an enemy, Velica, who was already a dead soul, practically couldn''t be considered a match for Magan. However…


    <strong>[Did you eat so much that even your brain got fat from it?]</strong>


    Instead, Velica let out augh. It was not an empty taunt, but one filled with deep trust and conviction.


    Magan''s visibly narrowed eyes showed that he felt it.


    <strong>[It seems like you forgot what kind of Demon Lord I am!]</strong>


    Behind me, Velica''s energy started to fluctuate as it tried to burst out.


    I epted her without any resistance. As my mana mixed with Velica''s, spider-like legs took position behind my back like wings.


    <strong>[I am Velica, the Demon Lord of Deformities! And the bastard with me right now…]</strong>


    <em>Bang! Bang!</em>


    Velica patted my shoulder without holding back and smiled brightly.


    <strong>[His right arm is now gone, disappeared! His emotions have been worn out! His body is not his own! And even his soul hase from another world!]</strong>


    I thought she was mocking me.


    However, from Velica''s perspective, there was no better praise than this.


    <strong>[That’s why he is a truly deformed human! I mean, his whole existence, you know? You pig!]</strong>


    The rather rough introduction line didn''t sit well with me.


    However, if someone asked who would be the best match for the Demon Lord of Deformities on this continent…


    Someone whose every aspect seemed to bepletely deformed.


    I thought the answer might be me.


    <strong>[Has the reward for Ste''s faithe to me as well? How could such a perfectly fitting guy appear before me?]</strong>


    Velica lifted her middle finger and directed a confident smile towards Magan.


    <strong>[How about we fight once on each other''s home ground!]</strong>