Chapter 510

The Demon King called for a meeting in the conference room of Lazark Castle, where all the high-ranking officials including the Elder Council and the Subordinate Council gathered. He gave a brief order to organize an elite unit, not discussing any reprimands or rewards for past events, but rather focusing on future actions. The goal was to take preemptive measures against monsters on the alliance's route. The Demon King's army would do what the Imperial scouts and extermination units were doing, but a little ahead of them, acting as an escort that the alliance army couldn't even know about. The situation was dire, and if the alliance army detected the Demon King's forces, it could lead to a disastrous situation. The gate destruction was a priority, but if the situation was not favorable, negotiations with the Emperor could be an option. The Demon King assigned Olivia Ranche to organize the army, and all the five duchies nodded in agreement to cooperate with the operation. Therefore, it was true that everyone had become better at following the Demon King's orders than before. Everyone was running towards the complete end of the gate incident. "The meeting is over, and Iri will stay. There's something to talk about." Following the Demon King's clear instructions, Succubus Queen Iri stayed in the conference room. Iri approached the Demon King, trembling slightly. During the previous incident, Iri was the one who put Reinhardt to sleep. Therefore, she was very nervous about what she would hear. In her childhood, Iri and Valier had a rivalry. And in reality, Iri was in a position to beat Valier. But now that a lot of time has passed, Valier is an undeniable and powerful Demon King with the ability of a Demon King. She regained her horns and could control magic, so Iri was much stronger than when she lost her horns in the past and could use a lot of power. However, since she had done something wrong, Iri could only shrink like a mouse in front of the Demon King's words telling her to stay here. Looking at the Demon King who was silent for a moment, Iri opened her mouth, trembling slightly. "Um... I'm doing what you asked me to do last time..." Implementing dream magic into general magic and artifactization. Although it was something that Hareth had asked for, Iri was already cooperating with Hareth on the matter as she needed Iri's cooperation. "Really? Do you think you can do it?" "I'm not sure yet. But the Secretary seems to have a feeling about what Reinhardt asked for." Implementing the unique power of demons into magic. It was something that she had never thought of before, but Hareth seemed to be getting a sense of what Reinhardt had asked for. A country where everyone is guaranteed a comfortable dream. It may not be clear whether it has a really big meaning or not, but it would certainly help many people if there were many places where people were hurt. "Well, that's a relief." The Demon King smiled as if he didn't know that he had just floated his luck. But as if it wasn't the case, the Demon King looked at Iri. "Anyway, now that there's no more refugee search, you don't have anything to do, right?" "Huh? Oh... yeah. Actually, that's true." Iri's original mission was to take care of the psychological state of those who arrived in Edina. It was also a practical counseling and dream-making job. In the early days of Edina's founding, she was very busy, but as the number of refugees decreased rapidly, Iri had a little more free time. And now that the operation of Port Mocna has been completely suspended, there is no need to replenish refugees. So, the existing counseling and dream care tasks could be left to other succubi. So, in the long run, Iri could be assigned to another position. "You saw my dream last time." "Oh... yeah." "It was pretty good. Definitely." The Demon King had never experienced what it meant for a Succubus Queen to take care of his dreams. In the first place, the last time was the first time he had directly experienced that power. "It was determined that Iri's power had a significant impact on being able to hold onto the dying psyche. So, I hope you can continue to show me good dreams as much as possible in the future," said the Demon King. Iri finally understood what the Demon King was saying. Even if she pretended to be okay, her heart would be confused and full of anger. The Demon King had to endure all the negative thoughts and words, and it would still be very painful as there was a high possibility of still having nightmares even if the spirits that tormented the soul and mind disappeared. So, he could ask for dream care anytime, not criticism or reprimand, but help. "Yes, I can do it anytime. I'll make sure to give you good dreams," Iri said, nodding her head excitedly at the thought of being able to do something. "Iri and even Hae-ri were looking at me with sympathetic eyes as I made my request to purposely have nightmares. They would know what I was trying to endure. There is no predetermined future, only a future that will be determined. I change the future, I have changed it many times. I now know that some very important futures will never change. I will change it. 'How...will I do it?' 'How?' I asked. Iri looked at me with shaking eyes. 'I can make it weaker, so you don't feel pain...or anything like that.' 'You have to make it stronger.' I thought she knew that, but Iri looked at me with those eyes, biting her lips as she looked down at me lying in bed. Fighting in dreams, wounds in dreams, and death in dreams. If no one actually gets hurt, the more pain, the better. She looked at me with those eyes, wondering if it was necessary to go this far. Iri put her hand on my forehead. Her touch was warm, but that hand would plunge me into a deep nightmare that I didn't even want to think about. She was the Succubus Queen. If Iri had malice and put someone to sleep, she could plunge them into a nightmare from which they could never wake up, regardless of energy absorption. 'Sleep well...Valley.' I heard Iri's trembling voice in my ear. I fell into a deep sleep. * * * Normally, dreams are not consciously aware. If you are aware, your brain wakes up and pulls you back to reality. It is very difficult to artificially dream lucid dreams, and it is difficult to control them. But the dream I am having now is very special. In a dream under the control of the Succubus Queen, I am dreaming as if I am awake. A vast reed forest. The time is daytime. Is it autumn? I cannot tell if it is Iri's imagination or my own. But probably, this is my imagination. I asked Iri to make me dream of a nightmare where Ellen tries to kill me. However, Iri doesn't know much about Ellen. So the Ellen that appears in the dream will be the Ellen that I have constructed based on my understanding. The Ellen Arthurius that I imagine. Such Ellen moves with the will to kill me. If Ellen completely assimilates with the spirits that have attached to her and becomes a doll that moves according to the will to only seek the death of the Demon King, then the Ellen that appears in front of me now and the Ellen that I will face later will be the same existence regardless of actual ability. A shell of Ellen with no self, only the will to kill me. I summon that in my dream. Later, I may actually have to fight such an Ellen." Backing away in fear, a shockwave generated by swinging a sword down destroys part of the reed forest. Ellen Artorius in the dream with empty eyes rushes towards me.

-Jjeoeng!

The Alsvinger with the Ora Blade clashes with the Void Sword, and another shockwave occurs, bouncing Ellen and me off each other with its recoil.

The Ellen I imagine.

I have never properly defeated Ellen before.

How much difference is there between the real Ellen and the Ellen in my dream?

I still remember the sentence engraved in Raphaelt.

Burn with hatred.

Ellen carries all the hatred in the world.

So Ellen must have been able to wield the true power of Raphaelt.

I don't know what that power specifically is.

I can only roughly guess that it is related to flames.

So I don't know much about the current Ellen.

So the Ellen in my dream will be weaker than the real Ellen.

I don't know how strong Ellen, who has drawn the true power of the two relics, will be.

-Pat!

The Void Sword of Ellen, who jumped through the reed forest, stabs into my chest.

I deflect the sword with Alsvinger and stab her in the neck.

If I keep going like this, I can cut Ellen's throat.

I do it.

Even though it's a dream.

Me.

Ellen?

The moment I discover myself in the dream, even afraid to see Ellen die.

The sword has already slowed down, and the grip has weakened.

The existence in my dream doesn't miss that moment of hesitation.

Taking advantage of that moment, Ellen swings the Void Sword, which returns along its trajectory, with her left elbow, making a full circle.

-Skuk!

She cut off my neck.

* * *

I died six times to Ellen.

The fact that I died six times means that even if the fight actually happened, the predetermined future would unfold as it was.

It wasn't because the Ellen in my dream was too strong.

I had dueled with Ellen many times. So even if it was just my imagination, clashing swords with Ellen is not a strange thing.

However, I felt how difficult it was for me to sincerely swing my sword against Ellen, who attacked me with the intention of killing me.

Even though it's a dream, there's no problem with getting hurt, but when my sword is about to touch Ellen's body, my body stiffens on its own.

The Ellen in my dream moves only to kill me, but I am afraid to hurt her even in my dream.

Regardless of the issue of strength, regardless of the problem of the strength of Ellen that I imagine.

In a situation where I might cut off Ellen's life, my body stiffens with fear.

Because it's a dream, it won't have any impact on the real world, so I don't have to hesitate to hurt Ellen.

But what if I become too accustomed to it? "Could it result in actually hurting or even taking the life of Ellen? What if I become too accustomed to hurting her in my dreams?" The protagonist's vision returns to the night demon castle ruins, the central garden where the fight between Lagun Artorius and the previous bearer of Valiere took place. Ellen stands on the opposite side, holding the Void Sword. The clash of the Void Sword and Alsvieth echoes through the air, scattering dust.