Chapter 89 : Thank You For Your Hardwork

Victoria drew her sword from Kalian.

A trail of crimson blood followed the blade’s path before scattering onto the ground.

As blood gushed from his abdomen, Kalian instinctively clutched his wound.

His legs gave out, and before he realized it, he had dropped to one knee.

But it wasn’t the fatal wound that made him collapse, nor was it exhaustion from prolonged battle.

“Why…?”

Kalian stared blankly at Victoria.

She stood there expressionless, gripping her sword as droplets of blood dripped from its blade.

He couldn’t understand.

This wasn’t what she wanted.

So how had things come to this?

“You let your guard down on the battlefield.”

Victoria spoke.

“When you stand there so defenseless, this is what happens. If you’re facing an enemy, you should always stay alert.”

“Victoria, you’re not my enemy.”

“No, I am. You’re human, and I’m a demon. We are meant to kill each other.”

“Just because we’re from different races doesn’t mean we have to kill one another. You know that.”

“In a time of war, what other reason do you need?”

She flicked the blood from her blade and pointed it at Kalian once more.

“It’s over. The time we spent together is in the past. Now, we must kill each other. I am the Demon King. I can’t ignore the deaths of my people and simply do as I please.”

“But… that’s not what you truly want, is it?”

“This is exactly what I want.”

“Then why are your hands shaking?”

Kalian saw it—the trembling of her blade.

Victoria stood at the pinnacle of her race, capable of slicing through steel with ease.

Yet her sword wavered.

It wasn’t due to a lack of skill or physical exhaustion.

Kalian rose to his feet.

If Victoria’s intent to kill had been absolute, he wouldn’t have known what to do.

But now, he saw hesitation in her heart.

And that meant there was still hope.

“Victoria, I’ll say it as many times as it takes—you don’t want to kill anyone. You want this fight to end.”

“Stop saying such foolish things.”

“If making a decision is hard, then I’ll stay with you until you find the courage to make one.”

“I told you to stop talking nonsense! If you don’t want to die, draw your sword. Stand there unarmed, and I’ll take your life myself!”

Victoria gritted her teeth.

Kalian drew his sword.

He had no intention of harming her.

He wasn’t trying to gain an advantage in the fight.

He simply wanted to help her realize what was truly in her heart.

And this was the best way he could think of.

Clang!

Their swords clashed.

A battle even fiercer than before erupted between them.

They swung as if they truly intended to take each other’s lives.

A sharp slash—

A wound appeared on Kalian’s body.

With every clash of their blades, more wounds accumulated.

His armor was torn, and blood seeped from the gashes.

Victoria shouted fiercely,

“Are you not taking this seriously?! Fight me with everything you have! Come at me like you mean to kill me—cut my throat, pierce my heart!”

“I am fighting with everything I have. You’re just stronger than me.”

“Urgh…”

“What’s wrong? The fight isn’t over yet.”

She had not sustained a single wound.

It was inevitable.

The gap in skill between them was insurmountable.

Had he grown stronger, things might have been different, but as he was now, Kalian could not defeat her.

Yet, despite the undeniable difference in strength, the battle refused to end.

Kalian’s body was covered in wounds, his blood dripping onto the battlefield, leaving him in shambles… and yet, Victoria had not been able to strike him down.

On the contrary, as his wounds increased, her expression contorted in pain—almost as if it were her own body being torn apart.

Though she held the upper hand in the duel, the one truly struggling as time passed was not Kalian, but Victoria.

“Your sword has grown heavy, Victoria.”

“Whether you aim for my heart or my throat… I can no longer defend myself properly. So why won’t you finish this?”

Kalian asked, his voice growing faint.

Victoria’s attacks were growing weaker.

The once-blazing strikes that tore through the air had slowed to the point of being visible, bouncing off even the most lackluster defenses.

Victoria spoke, her voice desperate.

“There’s no way… There’s no way to end this war now. Even if you and I join hands and make peace, nothing will change!”

“That’s not true.”

“This war won’t end until one side is completely annihilated. If not, then both sides will have to perish together.”

“No… There is a way for everyone to survive. Wade told me.”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Her sword strikes no longer held any strength.

Like a child throwing a tantrum, her blade flailed wildly, clashing powerlessly against his.

Tears streamed down Victoria’s face.

“Stop… Just stop. Don’t do something this foolish for me. Don’t throw your life away so recklessly…”

“I’m not throwing it away. I’m simply fighting for someone precious to me.”

“I can never be forgiven. I’ve already killed too many people. Why do you still care for someone as stained as me…?”

“I, too, have killed countless demons. Even though I knew they were no different from us, I kept looking away. We are not so different, Victoria.”

Victoria froze.

Like a frustrated child, she clenched her fist and struck Kalian’s chest.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

“Why… Why do you keep hurting me like this? You could just carve out my heart, take my life. But instead, you keep making it harder and harder for me.”

“Because I love you.”

“…You really are an idiot…”

Thud.

Victoria let go of her sword and collapsed to the ground.

She was neither the one covered in wounds nor the one drained of strength, yet Kalian was the one still standing.

At this sight, the soldiers from both the Empire and the Demon Army turned their attention toward them.

Even as the two armies continued their fierce battle, they kept an eye on Kalian and Victoria, waiting to see how their confrontation would end.

If Victoria rose again, the Demon Army’s morale would soar.

But if she remained down and Kalian took her life… the demons would retreat to the inner walls at once.

“Victoria.”

But the outcome was neither of those.

Kalian extended a hand to her.

“Let’s end this. Our battle… and the battle between humans and demons—let’s end it all.”

“Kalian…”

“Stand up and come with me to the Demon Castle. Wade said he’d be waiting there. Let’s go and hear him out—hear how we can stop this war.”

Victoria stared at the hand extended toward her, as if it were an illusion.

Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out her hand.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

But she never reached him.

Spears and swords infused with mana came flying from somewhere, piercing Victoria’s body.

“Ugh…!”

“Victoria!”

Victoria coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Her body was ravaged by six weapons embedded in her flesh, and an uncontrollable torrent of blood gushed from the gaping wounds.

“It landed properly.”

Six noble family heads, including Nervas, approached, each wielding their own weapons and magic.

Their robes and armor were tattered from the prolonged battle, yet their faces were filled with exhilaration.

Nervas stroked his chin as he looked at the mortally wounded Victoria.

“I didn’t expect this attack to be so effective. Guess we got lucky since her focus was elsewhere.”

“You… all…”

“Kalian, well done. From the start, you were chosen to face the Demon King as humanity’s representative, but I didn’t expect you to do this well.”

The noble heads remained cautious in case Victoria made a desperate attack, but they were clearly at ease, believing the victory was now firmly in their grasp.

Especially Nervas, who examined Kalian’s face with a knowing look, as if he were already celebrating their triumph.

“Not just any demon, but the Demon King. Facing her in a one-on-one battle and holding your own—you’re worthy of being called the strongest in the continent. Once this war ends, your status will rise endlessly.”

“No, I…”

“The empire will grant you immense rewards. Well… enough talk about that. Step aside now.”

Nervas casually patted Kalian on the shoulder, pushing him back.

“She’s as good as dead, but still, she’s the Demon King. You’re already exhausted—handling the final blow would be too much for you. We’ll take care of the rest.”

A hum filled the air.

The noble heads, including Nervas, began casting magic.

It seemed they found their previous attacks insufficient and were now preparing something to completely annihilate Victoria.

Victoria, who had been blankly watching them, turned her gaze toward Kalian.

Then, with a resigned smile, she closed her eyes.

Perhaps she believed this was the best choice for Kalian.

Rather than resisting and killing the noble heads, it was better to quietly accept her death, allowing Kalian to become the empire’s hero.

Whoosh!

But their attacks never landed.

Kalian swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing them away from Victoria.

Nervas, who had been at the forefront, barely managed to evade the strike.

The front of his robe was sliced open, revealing the clothing beneath.

“What are you doing, Kalian?”

Nervas narrowed his eyes.

“Do you want to personally claim the Demon King’s head? There’s no need—you’ll receive all the credit regardless—”

“No, it’s not about credit. I just… want to protect her.”

“Protect? The Demon King?”

“That’s right.”

Nervas exchanged glances with the other noble heads.

A human siding with demons—no, with the Demon King herself.

Despite the unexpected development, they remained calm.

As if they had foreseen this possibility from the beginning.

“Kalian, you fool… so the rumors were true. You harbor special feelings for the Demon King.”

His voice was laced with disdain.

“This is my first and final warning. Stop this nonsense and step aside. If you do, we’ll overlook your actions and spare you from execution.”

“I refuse. Even if it costs me my life, I will protect her.”

Kalian’s mana flared as he prepared to face the noble heads.