Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 359

359. Join (2)

Seongjin stared at the demon king’s soul that was blinking red without a word.

‘… The demon king returns? To Gehenna?’

To be honest, I was quite embarrassed. It was something I hadn’t even thought of at all until now.

After all, it was a strange thing. Sung-jin already knew that there was a passage in his body connected to Gehenna.

Where is that? There was also a time when I was thrown out there myself through a passageway.

If so, the demon king’s soul should have known that such a thing was possible.

‘Somehow I believed without grounds that he would continue to be here in the future.’

It might be natural for the demon king to want to return. It’s because he’s been losing himself little by little, steadily.

He lost all his strength and dignity, as well as the senses necessary for living, and now even his name is about to fade away.

Maybe it was once or twice until now that the demon king whimpered without hesitation from that shock.

‘but… … .’

Even so, Sungjin was not easily convinced.

to return to Gehenna. And to regain its former shape and strength. Is it okay to think that this is the way to truly regain the demon lord himself?

[If I go back to Gehenna, I might become a stronger demon king than before.]

[okay?]

[huh. Sigurt District 34 and Gehenna have completely merged. Now, if I regain the status of the demon king, perhaps those two dimensions will be able to leap into one new and more solid dimension than before.]

[hmm.]

When Seongjin responded without much inspiration, the demon king’s soul swayed irregularly as if impatient.

[I won’t invade another dimension for a while now. I’ll have to work on my level of stability first. Of course, as time goes by, there will come a day when you have to make another leap forward… . ah! Of course, I will never invade Delcross where you are!]

[…] … .]

[This is a high-level dimension that I can’t do anything about right now, right? Plus, just imagining having to face your monstrous father head-on… It’s to the point where all the hamstrings that aren’t even in the soul are numb.]

okay. Since he knows my father well, I wouldn’t expect him to be safe even if he dared to do such a thing.

‘but… … .’

Seongjin had been feeling a strange feeling since before.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been hanging out with him for a long time? He didn’t have the ability to see through the truth like Logan, but for some reason, he thought that the demon king was trying to avoid the topic he really wanted to talk about.

So I asked straight forward.

[What are you so afraid of, Demon King?]

Wouldn’t it be over if I just went back through the aisle and became the Demon King again?

Is there anything in the process that makes you feel afraid?

[…] … !]

However, it seems that the point was correct. Because the demon king flinched and shut his mouth.

There was a break in conversation for a while. Seongjin and the Demon King, lost in their own thoughts, silently watched the dark red scarlet flower helplessly being pushed out of the aisle.

And around that time, Seongjin realized that the power of Seonghwang’s aura to push back the flames was getting weaker little by little.

‘… … ?’

what? what happened to your father?

Seongjin was puzzled, but before long, the demon king let out a small sigh as if he had made up his mind on something.

[Lee Sung-jin, you know what?]

[hmm?]

[When I first met you, you were a crazy person who couldn’t communicate properly. Compromise or appeasement was impossible in the first place, and I fearlessly burned hostility toward an opponent much stronger than you. I thought there were crazy people like that in the world.]

Shut up, demon king bastard!

In the end, with my fists in ruins, do you want to slander a person’s personality until this situation?

[But after coming to this world and staying together through force majeure, I learned more about you than I thought.]

The red soul gave off a faint light as if recalling old memories.

[You’re not as angry as I thought. Even if the situation that is enough is repeated over and over again. I thought you’d be a psychopath who pushes ahead with anything you like, but doesn’t he have a side like Hogu that goes well except for a few special cases?]

… what? Hogu?

Seongjin was so dumbfounded that he had no desire to reply.

Who is this now? Is there anyone who is as good at calculating profit and loss as I am?

[Especially, he showed infinite generosity to weak things that couldn’t threaten you. I let your lady-in-waiting feed you bile, and that swearing knight commits blasphemy. Where are you? Even towards the cheeky resident knights who occasionally look at you, I have never frowned.]

[…] that’s what.]

It wasn’t that I was determined to respect their basic rights, such as freedom of expression.

It’s just that their actions meant nothing to Sungjin.

It’s not worth worrying about, is it? As if you don’t feel the need to clean the stones that get knocked off your feet while walking, just because they’re a little annoying.

[So I realized. That your hostility basically works only against things that threaten your people and that are strong enough to threaten your survival.]

Having said that, the Demon King paused for a moment before continuing with a bit of difficulty.

[Then, what about me?]

pyeoong.

The red spirit floated up and flickered dimly facing Seongjin.

[Lee Seong-jin. You said you became a Hunter to kill me. And in the end, that purpose was achieved.]

okay. It was.

By completely burning his own body as well as his colleagues, he finally finished off the Demon King.

[The reason you left my soul alone was because you didn’t know how to kill me, right? But if I regain my strength and return to my original form… … .]

The small soul, silent for a moment, emits an irregular light as if reflecting anxiety.

[I’ve hurt your people, and I’m no longer weak enough for you to be generous… What kind of existence am I to you?]

[…] … .]

[Will you treat me like you do now? No, can you leave me alone? If you are willing to sacrifice everything again and kill me, then I… … .]

Seongjin couldn’t answer the question quickly. Because he didn’t know how to deal with the demon king who had regained his power.

Nonetheless, I had this question.

‘Why does the demon king bother to ask such a thing? Are you asking my permission to regain your strength?’

why? If I’m scared, shouldn’t I just run away?

Seong-jin, who has now decided to live as Mores in Delcross, will not be able to chase after him by throwing everything away like before.

Then, suddenly, Seong-jin remembered the desperate moment when he was consumed by the flames of Gehenna.

– Seongjin Lee. maybe it’s not too late Now, I can stop Gehenna’s fire with my remaining aura.

At that time, I could now understand why the demon king was in fierce conflict.

There must have been only one way for the demon king to return to Gehenna.

Seongjin is engulfed in Gehenna’s fire and dies, so the passage is completely dominated by Gehenna’s fire.

If it wasn’t for that, even if he knew of the existence of the passageway, the Demon King would have a long way to go back.

No matter how much he put on his father’s barrier, he wouldn’t have been able to break through the aura filled with divine power and cross that long passage.

‘but… … .’

In the end, instead of returning to Gehenna and regaining his strength, the Demon King decided to save Seongjin first.

Then the story wasn’t too difficult.

‘I will never forget the fact that he is my parents’ enemy.’

But the fact that he worked hard for himself until now also doesn’t change. It was not that difficult for Sung-jin to return the favor he had received.

‘And if you really wanted to go back, you wouldn’t have started this conversation with me in the first place.’

There were enough clues to guess the devil’s true intentions.

Didn’t he just say that himself?

-Don’t regret it later. Do you like this place quite a bit?

He probably thinks that he just represented Seong-jin’s thoughts at the time.

But deep down, the Demon King loves this place too.

A place where there is bear meat steak and many delicious dishes. There is a leader Bruno who will be criticized for being an idiot, and a place full of noisy human relationships.

Seongjin is probably not alone in not wanting to leave this place easily.

So Sung-jin was able to propose with a slightly relaxed mind.

[Just don’t go, Demon King.]

[…] uh?]

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, the Demon King’s soul flickered as if he was bewildered.

However, Seongjin’s words that followed were clearing water.

[As long as I’m alive, the passage will continue to exist anyway, and someday it will open again. It means you can return to Gehenna at any time.]

okay. The road will open again soon.

For some reason, Sungjin had such a strong premonition.

[So, do we need to hurry? After all, there would be nothing left over there. The fire of Gehenna must have consumed the earth and everything in Gehenna.]

[…] that’s by the way… … .]

[If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be useless to go back anyway? What are you going to do there alone?]

[No, but Seongjin Lee. As I said before, the enormous potential of the fused two worlds… … .]

[Then what are you doing? There is no bear meat steak there.]

[…] … !]

Seongjin raised the corner of his mouth and drove a wedge toward the demon king, who blinked strongly as if to indicate an inner conflict.

[And without you, I have a lot of uncomfortable things.]

[huh?]

Perhaps it was an unexpected word, the demon king scattered an urgent light and asked Seongjin.

[I… do you need me?]

[okay. of course. You have spiritual eyes, you can detect lies, and you can scout quite far outside the ecliptic, don’t you?]

Plus, I hate to admit it, but he’s also pretty smart. Like a demon king, he knows a lot.

[Besides, think about it, Demon King. If you stay by my side, won’t you be my companion even if something happens to me?]

[uh… … ?]

[If I die, you will die too. Do you think I will leave you alone and go smoothly?]

[…] … !]

The demon king stopped blinking for a moment as if he had lost his senses.

In the meantime, the space where they were staying also gradually changed.

The ominous light emitted by Gehenna’s coward is pushed far away, and the son-in-law is covered in dazzling white light.

The aura of success had restored about half of the passage.

‘Slower than expected. Dad, what are you doing? Are you going to not push me away this time?’

Seongjin looks around and thinks about that…

[Eh… … .]

The Demon King, who was unable to speak for a moment, immediately circled around Seongjin, who was dumbfounded.

[What is it? what is that? A guy who is good at negotiating with others, why the hell is the proposal to me like that?]

what? why? what?

Is there room for negotiation here? What more do you need than bear meat steak?

Seongjin held out his hand with an impudent face. I had a strong hunch that sooner or later I would leave this place and open my eyes.

[…] okay. Anyway, you don’t intend to end me right away.]

After hesitating for a moment, the demon king sighed and sat down in Seongjin’s grip.

[And that I won’t kick you out of the side. Still, can’t you soften his words a bit, you heartless bastard?]

But there was a faint hint of relief in the voice of such a lamentable bastard.

What is this guy so worried about? He always thought that he knew quite a few things while getting along with him, but he is still a guy with a lot of unknowns.

[Sniff. But when I go, you mean to be my companion too, right? Right, Seongjin Lee?]

[Noisy. Stop whining now.]

[Sniff. sniff Seongjin Lee, you idiot.]

Seongjin didn’t respond anymore and wrapped his arms around the demon king’s soul.

at that time-

– Mores.

He heard someone calling him.

Seongjin welcomed the call with joy and slowly closed his eyes.