The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 454 Campbell's Legend
The moment Rolandall finished speaking, a mournful and somber melody of a piano rang out across the battlefield.

The music seemed to possess a life of its own, like an invisible venomous snake burrowing into the hearts of every warrior, bypassing the rousing war drums and clamorous battle cries, tearing at their spirits.

The Campbell citizen cavalry, who were gaining the upper hand, suddenly halted their charge. The joy of victory on their faces was replaced by a sudden fear, as if they had rushed from an open plain into a dense fog where they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces...

Countless souls wailed in their ears, like vengeful ghosts, trying to drag them into a bottomless abyss!
It wasn't just humans who were affected, but also the dwarf warriors.

Those battle-hardened warriors were pounding their helmets in agony, trying to awaken themselves from the curse of the Chaos Spirits.

However, their efforts were in vain; the metallic clanging could not withstand the music that reached the depths of the soul.

"Get out of my head!" A dwarf centurion roared, his eyes bloodshot, as he slammed his axe against his helmet, nearly knocking himself unconscious.

The dwarf priest raised his warhammer, attempting to resist the evil spirit's curse with magic, but was quickly struck in the chest by a translucent, bluish-green ripple, causing blood to seep from his mouth and rendering him incapacitated on the spot.

As for the rat people—

They were certainly affected as well.

However, they were already "crazy" and did not stop their attack. Instead, they went even crazier under the stimulation of the "background music".

"Human wretch! Die! Die!"

A clan warrior screamed in fury, wielding his long-handled hook sickle, indiscriminately reaping lives around him.

Although he was quickly cleaved in two by a sworn warrior wielding a battle axe, he was not deterred by the thousands of equally insane creatures behind him.

Encouraged by the music, the horde of frenzied mice still managed to inflict considerable damage on the combined forces of the dwarves and Campbell.

It was clear that Rolandall was not using his full strength.

Perhaps to fully enjoy the thrill of tormenting his opponent, or perhaps simply because he had just mastered this powerful force and was not yet proficient in using it, Eileen could clearly sense that although his strength had reached a new level, it was not yet powerful enough to inspire despair.

How to do?
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Eileen's forehead as she struggled to steady herself, frantically searching for a way out of the predicament.

If it's Mr. Colin...

What will he do?
"It's a psychological attack! Stay calm!"

Theresa shouted sharply, trying to awaken the chaotic soldiers with her battle cry, but she was just an ordinary knight and could hardly protect herself.

Her voice was quickly drowned out by the all-pervasive mental attack, her shaky spirit drifting between mist and wilderness.

In her vision, the rat-men soldiers had all transformed into chaotic beasts three meters tall, and the same was true for her allies beside her; their familiar faces were distorted by the green mist.

Seeing the soldiers and guards around her fall into danger one by one, Eileen gritted her teeth, raised the Light of Praise in her hand, and a dazzling golden light burned in her emerald eyes.

Can't wait any longer!
"The great ancestor, Angus Campbell, commander of thousands, the 'Unyielding Wall' standing atop the hills—"

"I call upon your glory!"

As she solemnly declared, a pure golden light descended from the sky, like a sacred shooting star, precisely enveloping her and the knights guarding her.

The light rapidly expanded, forming a huge and sturdy golden shield that kept out the mind-distorting music!

Inside the light shield, the knights, who had fallen into chaos, gradually regained their senses.

They were panting heavily, their faces filled with the shock of surviving a disaster, gripping their lances tightly as if they had just woken from a nightmare.

Deep in the dense forest, Roland Dahl's piano playing paused slightly.

He seemed somewhat surprised, but only a few seconds later, a smile of appreciation appeared on his face hidden in the shadows.

"As expected of the Light of Praise... it actually managed to block my 'Illusory Heartbeat'. But how long can your ancestors protect you?"

Before he finished speaking, his index finger twitched twice, and the music that echoed across the battlefield suddenly became chaotic and turbulent!
The mournful whispers turned into piercing screams, as if countless wronged souls were howling and scratching outside the light shield, trying to drag those vibrant souls into the boundless purgatory!

The golden light shield began to tremble violently, ripples spreading across its surface, and the shimmering light flickered erratically, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Eileen's face grew even paler.

The previous battles had already drained her energy, and Rolandar, who had been conserving his strength, suddenly broke through his own bottleneck!

This can't go on!
If we only rely on passive defense, our strength will probably be exhausted in no time!

She must take the initiative!
The "Light of Praise" transformed once more in her hands, its dazzling golden light converging into an unstoppable lance, its tip pointing directly at the source of the melody in the forest.

She has made a decision to eradicate this source of evil completely before Rolandall can escalate into an even greater crisis!
"Your Highness!?! You can't go! It's too dangerous!"

Seeing the light recede, Theresa immediately understood Eileen's intention. She was horrified and tried to stop her, but was interrupted by a shout.

"I must go! It's my duty!"

Eileen responded loudly, her imposing eyes filled with an undeniable authority, just like her father, Aaron Campbell.

There is not a single coward among the Grand Dukes of the Duchy of Campbell!
They always consider themselves knights, always stand in front of their people, never arrive late, and never be the first to leave!
This is why the corruption of chaos rises and falls in the upper reaches of the rushing river, but never touches the lower reaches!
now--

This is the time for her to fulfill this mission!
"Theresa! You stay here and command the army! That's an order!"

At that moment, she seemed to be possessed by the late king, so much so that Theresa was stunned and couldn't utter a single word to persuade her to stay.

Having said that, Eileen no longer hesitated. She spurred her horse and, riding a golden bolt of lightning, resolutely charged towards the forest shrouded in darkness and the chaotic sound of the zither.

Seeing the lone golden figure charging towards them, Rolandall's face in the dense forest showed surprise again, but that surprise quickly turned into a delighted smile.

"This is...how incredibly moving!"

Like a poet talking to himself, his fingers trembled slightly with excitement as he plucked the strings, and his voice became passionate and stirring.

"To protect those useless and weak burdens, the noble knight chose to die alone. Let us applaud the bravery of the Campbell family! It is truly a moving and tragic story. It is a pity that they encountered the true 'echoman,' whose lance, imbued with glory, is destined to write an epic of tragedy!"

A confident smile bloomed in the shadows.

However, he did not rush to bring death to his opponent, but instead manipulated the music to lead her into the depths of the jungle.

Fighting the legendary rulers of the Duchy of Campbell amidst the chaos was not a wise decision; too many demon lords had died at the hands of that "Utawarerumono".

He could have settled things with Eileen first, and then gone to support his men.

Just as Rolandall was thinking this, a golden light suddenly flashed through the shadows in the forest, instantly catching up with his retreating figure and almost grazing his cheek!

The sharp wind left a shallow bloodstain on his face, pierced through the trunk of an oak tree behind him, and finally crashed into a distant mound with a loud "boom"!
It was an arrow woven entirely from divine power.

Feeling the burning heat on his cheek, Rolandaal's confident smile gradually froze, and he stopped retreating.

"Bow and arrow?!"

He glanced at the leveled mound behind him, then looked at the figure in the distance who had drawn the light bow again, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"I never expected that 'Utawarerumono' could actually transform into the form of a bow and arrow... Interesting, you are more tenacious than I thought."

Rolandar touched the tiny wound on his cheek, feeling the divine power contained within it, and a deep interest appeared in his eyes.

It was this tenacity that ignited his competitive spirit!

Rolandaur no longer held back or retreated. Instead, he held the lute horizontally to his chest and frantically plucked the strings with his long, slender fingers, creating a series of discordant chords that instantly exploded outwards!

In that distorted music, the entire forest seemed like a pot of boiling water, twisting and turning in the mist along with his frenzied spirit.

"Absurd Theater—!"

That was the ability he comprehended when he broke through to the Amethyst level. Although it was different from a powerful domain, it had a similar profound meaning.

At least that's how he sees it.

A moment of confusion flashed in Eileen's eyes, and the world before her eyes suddenly became bizarre and surreal.

The ground beneath her turned into a flowing swamp, and the warhorse let out a mournful cry as its hooves sank deep into the swamp, unable to extricate itself.

Not only that, but the surrounding trees sprouted grotesque human faces, silently mocking her. And the gathering dark clouds in the sky were even more bizarre, raining down burning clocks!

In this realm where the laws have been rewritten, swords seem to have lost their meaning.

With a neigh from a warhorse, Eileen lost her balance and fell heavily from her horse, landing in the mud.

She struggled to get up, only to find herself trapped in a labyrinth with no end in sight. Twisted mirrors surrounded her, each reflecting her deepest fears and her own terrified face.

"It's over, little girl."

Rolandaal's figure appeared behind her like a ghost, the dagger in his hand gleaming with a poisoned light, silently stabbing towards her unsuspecting back.

However, just as the dagger was about to touch the armor, Eileen, who was trapped in the illusion, suddenly turned around, and the light of her voice transformed into a sword, sweeping across the air with a whooshing sound!

This attack was faster than Rolandall had anticipated!
He hurriedly leaped backward, the wielding sword narrowly grazing his nose.

Although he moved quickly, a few tufts of hair on his forehead were still cut off and drifted away with the clamor of the sword wind...

He was not a swordsman after all, but a bard, and close combat was not his forte.

In contrast, he is better at providing support to friendly forces from the rear, or launching psychological attacks on enemies with weak wills!

At the same time, Eileen's attack did not stop. She swung her longsword continuously, unleashing more than a dozen strikes in an instant.

Her combat boots left a trail several meters long across the leaf-strewn forest floor, and the violent sword wind raged through the forest, catching up with Rolandar's leaping afterimages several times, though the latter's ghostly and agile movements quickly evaded them.

What a great speed!

Seeing the relentless attack, Rolandar was both shocked and furious. He kept changing his fingering on the lute, but the sharp blade remained completely unaffected!

What's wrong with this guy?!

He made a snap decision and forcefully tore off a black string with his index finger.

A mournful wolf howl erupted from the harp, transforming into a ghostly blue frost wolf, its massive claws lunging at Eileen's blade.

"clang--!"

The metallic clang echoed out!

A hint of surprise flashed across Eileen's face as she watched the frost wolf emerge from the lute.

Although she quickly withdrew her sword and used a thrust instead of a slash to pierce the frost wolf's throat, Rolandar still managed to seize that moment of hesitation and create distance.

"...You're not afraid of my illusions."

Looking at Eileen, whose eyes were clear and whose breathing was steady, Rolandall lowered his voice, and for the first time, the flippancy on his face was replaced by seriousness.

Eileen did not answer, but simply assumed an offensive stance, gripping her sword with both hands, the blade pointed directly at his nose, unwaveringly preparing for her next attack.

The descendants of the Campbell family have been blessed by God since the first Duke, and are naturally able to resist the devil's whispers that bewitch the mind.

Especially the whispers of succubi.

This ability was not bestowed upon her by the "Light of Praise," but rather by the inherent blessing of the "Campbell" surname itself, flowing in the veins of every direct descendant.

Rolandar's silence confirmed his suspicions: his most proficient illusion magic was useless against her. No wonder he had struggled so much against this guy before.

However, Rolandall was not discouraged; the burning desire in his eyes became even stronger than before, and it was mixed with twisted delusions.

What a wonderful person.

This tenacious knight was even more delicious than he had imagined! Although he had captured some resolute sacrifices before, most of them went mad after only two rounds of torture and could only be made into specimens to hang on the altar to rot.

But this guy is different—

She might be able to hold on for a very long time, and this is undoubtedly the finest sacrifice offered to Chaos!
She's even more advanced than that saintess named Karen!
"Hehehe... Then let me test just how much pain your soul can endure!"

Rolandaal's laughter gradually became manic, merging into his frenzied chanting.

Eileen quickly raised her longsword in defense, but to her astonishment, she found that the ground beneath her feet began to tremble violently!

That's not an illusion—

It's magic!

As Rolandall chanted in a high-pitched voice, dark cracks opened around him, exuding the smell of sulfur and decay.

Immediately afterwards, one after another, distorted and chaotic beasts crawled out of the cracks, just as sung in the apocalyptic poems. Some of them had the limbs of insects and the heads of wild beasts, with foul-smelling pus flowing from their mouths, while others were simply writhing lumps of flesh, with tiny eyes replacing their pores.

Manipulated by Rolandar's music, hundreds of chaotic beasts roared and launched an attack on Eileen from all directions.

Eileen brandished her longsword to meet the attack, but was immediately caught in a fierce battle.

With each swing of her longsword, she pierced or smashed a monster, but more and more monsters kept surging forward.

Their claws and fangs left scratches on her armor, and each impact made her blood boil.

She could feel her energy being rapidly depleted.

In particular, the light of praise had already exhausted too much of her life force, to the point that her face grew increasingly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"What a brave man, but unfortunately... death is the final destination of all heroes."

Rolandall's voice, like the whispers of a devil, hovered over the battlefield, attempting to break Eileen's will to resist.

What he needs are fresh sacrifices.

Rather than a sacrifice that has burned out.

"Admit it, your glory is meaningless, and your resistance will only bring more suffering! Look around you, that is the future of this world! Our starry sky is destined to fall into eternal heat death, and the great true god Urgos is the forerunner who will rule over all the future—as for you, no one will come to save you!"

Eileen gritted her teeth and cleaved a twisted monster in two with her sword. However, the claws of the other monster left three deep wounds on her arm, and blood instantly stained her arm armor.

A shrill laugh echoed from the sky, seemingly mocking her mistake, or perhaps celebrating her death.

Looking at the chaotic beasts surging in like a tide, Eileen showed no sign of retreat, but her heart was filled with sorrow.

Is it...

Is this the end?
She remembered her brother's instructions, the expectations of the people of Thunder City, and the soldiers who had followed her...

In the end, a gentle and refined face appeared in her mind, perhaps the one she missed the most.

Colin...

I'm sorry, I might... have to break my promise.

An unprecedented surge of longing and regret welled up in her heart, but it was quickly replaced by resolute strength.

Now is not the time for sentimental attachments.

In that instant, the power transformed into a warm current, slowly flowing over her aching arms and wrists, and merging into the sword she gripped tightly in both hands.

That was her last ripple.

This was her last act of defiance!

For the people suffering on this land, and for the loyal soldiers behind her, she vowed to do whatever it took to slay this devil who sold his soul to chaos!
to this end--

She will summon her own miracle!

Grand Duke Aaron Campbell probably never imagined that his preemptive strike to the next Demon King would unexpectedly pierce the very heart of another crisis.

In terms of the outcome, that would certainly be better.

After all, the labyrinth has never conquered the surface, but chaos has plunged the surface into a true purgatory time and time again.

If the Twilight Province falls, the Principality of Campbell will certainly not be spared.

Rolandall frowned slightly, suddenly feeling a strong sense of crisis. He then changed his mind about keeping her as a sacrifice and decided to deal with this trouble first.

"The Poem of Death—"

The moment his index finger pointed forward, the entire forest suddenly went dark, so that his death curse instantly lost its target, disappearing into the darkness like a wisp of smoke being extinguished.

He messed up!

Not only did he fail, but the dozens of Chaos Beasts surrounding Erin Campbell were also instantly annihilated by countless longswords falling from the sky!

Seeing the sudden turn of events, Rolandar was slightly taken aback, then his expression changed drastically as he looked around to find the reason that had caused him to fail.

magic? !
Do not--

It was his specialty: illusion!
The black fog faded into a gray forest, and the faded leaves suddenly opened pairs of scarlet eyes, like bats hanging upside down from the trees.

Campbell's knights were certainly no strangers to the swarm attacks of imps, but Rolandall had never seen such a thing before and was caught off guard.

"...Although I wouldn't mind if a noisy toad taught a lesson to a powerful gorilla for me, it is, after all, His Majesty's toy."

Sitting on a pine branch, Sisi, dressed in a red and white striped dress, lazily admired her nails. This mature and charming gesture was something she must have learned from another woman; it just didn't suit her at all.

Not far behind her, in the bushes, Yuxi and Missy were enthusiastically praising their king and cheering for Sisi.

"Oh my god, as expected of Lady Sisi! That insult was absolutely top-notch! I bet her opponent was scared out of her wits!"

"Yes, yes! Yusi has already leaked!!"

"That's right! Huh?! You're the one who's leaking!!"

Sisi yawned and glanced at the rescued Eileen.

She had just led her people to this area when she unexpectedly found the two locked in a fierce battle as soon as she landed.

Although she had considered whether to teach the gorilla a lesson, perhaps by waiting until it was crippled before taking action, she acted immediately upon remembering His Majesty's orders.

and--

That guy's strength made her unable to let her guard down.

The faded forest echoed with noisy laughter and playful noise, like a group of little mice plotting mischief in the shadows of the woods.

The sound was like mental pollution, making you want to chop it into minced meat and knead it into a pie.

Roland Dahl squinted, searching his surroundings for the source of the mental attack, and quickly pinpointed the approximate location of his opponent.

He could clearly sense that the guy who was targeting him wasn't very strong, and was even no different from the guy who wielded the Light of Utawarerumono.

Platinum level is at its peak, still somewhat inferior to Diamond. The only thing that surprised him was that the guy, only at Platinum level, possessed such a terrifying total amount of magic power, surpassing even his own, who had already advanced to Amethyst level.

Who is this guy?!

Just as he was wondering, the thick fog that shrouded the forest began to slowly approach him, along with the murderous intent brewing within it.

Looking at the motionless Rolandall, Sisi, sitting on the tree branch, smiled with a hint of crimson, and a long sword appeared in her hand.

ended.

Annoying bugs—

Just as she was about to finish off the guy who was trying to dirty His Majesty's toys, a sense of foreboding suddenly crept over her.

Sisi's expression hardened, and with a flap of her wings, she flew more than ten meters away like an arrow released from a bow!
Almost at the same moment she broke free from the branch, a four-armed, chaotic beast leaped up from the ground like a bolt of lightning and snapped off the branch she had been sitting on.

"Roar—!" The chaotic beast roared, attempting to use the momentum to leap again.

Without pausing, Sisi, who had flown into the air, flicked her right hand behind her, and a bolt of black lightning struck the head of the chaotic beast!

That was the "Eternal Nightmare" bestowed upon her by the Demon King!
The chaotic beast, struck in the head by the longsword, didn't even have time to let out a wail before painfully falling to the ground, turning into a wisp of broken black smoke that merged into the cracked earth.

The longsword, named Eternal Nightmare, returned to Sisi's hands.

She looked at Rolandall, who was imprisoned by the illusion, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The person is gone!

When she came to her senses, she found that the world around her had turned into a thick, gray-green fog that swallowed her up.

This guy--

In just a moment, they turned the tables and locked her in the cage of illusion!
Listening to the melodious piano music, Sisi's rosy lips curled into a forced smile, and she gritted her teeth and whispered something.

"What an ungrateful worm..."

It's pretty good!
However, to think that you can defeat her with such mortal tricks is to underestimate the Queen of Nightmare Land!

She is invincible when she stands with her people!
Vast, ocean-like spiritual ripples were gathering in her mind. She closed her eyes, but saw the entire forest.

Every leaf seemed to be breathing, and those were the sounds of her familiar tribesmen.

However, just as she was about to use this power to completely destroy the other party's spiritual sea, those eerie red eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

The music wasn't just directed at her; it swept across the entire forest with overwhelming force!

Under the influence of the music, her people, their faces contorted in pain, fell one after another from the sky to the ground.

As she watched her people fall in agony, her beautiful face twisted in an instant.

"I'm going to tear you apart!!!"

How dare you harm my people!

With a roar, Sisi broke free of the illusion and charged towards Rolandar, who had emerged from the forest, with murderous intent. She thrust her sword at him, but it struck the transparent phantom.

Her heart sank suddenly. She was still in an illusion, and breaking free from the shackles was just a fabrication created by the guy holding the lute.

"It seems today is a fruitful day... I actually reaped two excellent 'sacrifices' at once."

"..." Sisi didn't speak, calmly and carefully observing her surroundings, searching for a breakthrough to break through the illusion.

"Tsk tsk... It's actually a little devil. But I don't understand, why are you standing with this guy? Aren't you sworn enemies?"

"A figure emerged from the other side of the woods," Rolandall said curiously, glancing at Eileen, who had been silent for a long time.

However, in that very instant, the expression on his face suddenly froze, even though he had been so confident of victory just a second before.

The Campbell princess stood on the ground, leaning on her longsword. Her seemingly exhausted body was surging with an astonishing energy!
Especially the "Utawarerumono" in her hand, which was shining brighter than ever before!

The light was no longer simply in the form of a weapon, but instead outlined a slender and elegant figure in mid-air.

The light dissipated.

A handsome man holding a magic wand stood quietly in front of Eileen.

He was dressed in a deep purple robe, with gleaming silver clasps, and his deep eyes calmly observed everything before him, as if everything was under his control.

Rolandall was stunned.

The same was true of Sisi, who was fighting him. Both of their distorted faces were filled with indescribable shock and jealousy for different reasons.

The Light of Utawarerumono can even take human form?!
what's the situation? !

"What blasphemy! It seems your delusions have reached the point of no return. I will make you all into sacrifices for Urgos!"

Rolandall roared furiously, unable to accept that someone was more handsome than him, while Sisi was burning with jealousy, not understanding why it had to be the Demon King!

What a blasphemy!
He's clearly just His Majesty's toy, yet he dares to presume that His Majesty belongs to him!

Only one person showed no surprise: Eileen, who was leaning on her longsword.

He always arrives just in time...

When she needed him most.

Looking at that always reliable figure, a relieved smile appeared on Eileen's face, and her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

Straining her fading consciousness and increasingly blurred vision, she murmured something in a slightly hoarse voice.

"So you were my miracle..."

(End of this chapter)