"You lot, have you forgotten that we, the Four Heavenly Kings, stand by the side of the Demon King?"
"..."
Their gazes grew fierce.
Their presence did not retreat.
Baal, Asurat, and Sirgi stood side by side, as if guarding their lord. As if to emphasize that their master was not alone.
"Hmph."
Among the three brothers who served Artanis, the eldest with a weathered face, Largo, let out a chuckle.
"We know nothing of such things."
Largo thought to himself.
The Four Heavenly Kings of this generation?
They're not even worth considering.
Just laughable.
He only wished to extract a fitting price for the humiliation his lady had suffered.
"The one you call your lord, and all of you, have mocked my lady. Without any rightful justification, you ridiculed my lady. Isn't that more than enough? Isn't that enough of a reason for us to be outraged?"
Largo spoke with cold clarity.
But standing on this side was Hartok, who would never let anyone beat him when it came to sharp, logical rebuttals.
"A reason? That's not a reason. You're just dressing up an excuse."
Hartok shook his head theatrically as he spoke.
Largo flinched.
"...What?"
Hartok's sharp words continued.
"Every moment, you and the one you serve are not guests invited here. Rather, you barged into this place—Chavin de Huantar, the region of our Demon King's castle—entirely on your own. Strictly speaking, your party is a group of trespassers. Is that not so?"
"Trespassers, you say...? Absurd. This place was once under the reign of my lady."
"Hmmm, so you're claiming rights from the former generation?"
"It's a rightful claim."
"Sounds more like an excuse from the defeated remnants of an era no one even remembers."
"...Do not insult my lady."
"You were the ones who insulted first. You pointed disgraceful weapons at my lord without any declaration of war, and you launched cowardly ambushes."
Hartok's tongue fired off venomous remarks one after another. Each time, the expressions and eyes of Largo and the other two brothers hardened.
And when Largo replied, his voice was noticeably heavier.
"...I won't scold you for your vulgar tongue. But you cannot deny the fact that your so-called lord openly, and carelessly, mocked mine."
"...Uh, sorry..."
Kim Jangcheol apologized without even realizing it. Honestly, he did feel sorry. After all, it must've been bewildering and absurd for Artanis, who ended up awkwardly jammed in between everything.
Especially because she got struck alone.
While everyone else passed through the barrier without trouble, she ended up frozen like a misaligned mannequin, stuck and completely unable to move. It must've been frustrating and infuriating.
But then Kim Jangcheol laughed at that sight.
He did try to hold it back.
But still, he laughed.
That was wrong.
It must've hurt.
So that's why—
"Uh, I was trying to hold it back, but... it wasn't as easy as I thought..."
"My Lord, please remain silent."
"Eh?"
Hartok interrupted what was meant to be a sincere apology. It was a bit surprising. And yet Hartok was already looking at him, slightly shaking his head.
"This is not the time for the Demon King to step forward."
"...."
"And right now, my Lord, you must not apologize."
"...."
It was the first time Kim Jangcheol had seen Hartok so serious. And part of him understood what Hartok was trying to say.
'These guys...'
They were really angry.
Angry at being targeted,
Angry at being ambushed,
And they genuinely felt insulted.
'So they stepped forward for my sake, but if I suddenly apologize, then Hartok and the others would be put in an awkward position too.'
So for now, he decided to trust and watch.
Meanwhile, the war of words between Hartok and Largo continued.
Hartok struck first.
"What you're saying is strange. Before you blame our lord's laughter, shouldn't you apologize for the disturbance you caused by intruding into this place without permission?"
"Apologize? Us?"
"That's right. If you and your master hadn't come here, none of this would have happened. Shouldn't that be addressed first before anything else?"
"You're saying we have no right to be here?"
"I'm not saying it."
"Then what?"
"I'm merely stating the truth."
Hartok lifted his chin as he spoke.
Largo clicked his tongue.
"How arrogant. Do you believe this place will forever be yours?"
"Are you saying you'll take it back by force?"
"That might be the case. But first, we'll discipline some insolent children."
"Quite the grand boast for a bunch of losers who were chased out long ago."
"I wonder if you'll still run your mouths like that after we defeat you today."
"I'm not curious. Because it's not going to happen. But do we really need to check?"
"We won't know until we try."
His voice turned chilling.
Largo lowered his stance. His two brothers, Veloce and Andante, did the same. The grip on their instruments tightened.
In response, the Four Heavenly Kings raised their auras.
Baal flexed his muscles and stepped in front of Largo. Asurat lowered his saw blade sword, squaring off with Veloce. Sirgi's six icy blades flashed as she aimed for Andante.
The three Heavenly Kings versus the three brothers.
A deadly silence fell between them.
Should he stop them now?
Kim Jangcheol considered it, when—
Clang!
A thunderous noise rang out.
Largo's trombone clashed with Baal's massive axe, and sparks flew.
Thunk—!
Power collided with power.
The past generation and current Four Heavenly Kings clashed.
A fierce shockwave surged in all directions.
That was the signal.
Slash!
A bloody red line was drawn through the air following Asurat's swing. Veins extended from the saw blade sword like tendrils, rushing toward Veloce as if to devour his life.
"...Disgusting!"
Veloce sliced the air upward with his violin bow, severing the tendrils rushing at him. Then he swung his violin horizontally with his left hand and charged toward Asurat.
Claaang—!
"...Ghk!"
Asurat barely managed to block the violin with his saw blade sword, his brows furrowed. In that moment, Veloce's bow pierced him repeatedly with sharp thrusts.
Swoosh, swoosh, swosh!
"...Graaaagh!"
Asurat roared in pain and fury, but in the blink of an eye, he regenerated his wounds and charged again at Veloce.
This time, Veloce's expression twisted in disgust.
"...What a revolting bastard!"
Leaving his horrified cry behind, on the opposite side, Sirgi's six ice blades shimmered coldly.
Crash! Slash! Swish!
"...Ugh. Agh!"
Caught between flashing ice blades, the youngest of the three brothers, Andante, cried out in panic.
"Hey, isn't six swords kinda... cheating?"
"......"
"Waaah, ah! Ow!"
"......."
"This is a little overwhelming."
"...."
"Then I guess I'll... overwhelm you too!"
Clang!
At that moment, Andante bent low and suddenly rose. The large harp he'd been dragging with his small hand all along was swung upward.
With overwhelming force.
It shattered the wave of icy sword auras into countless shards.
"...!"
Sirgi's eyes briefly widened.
But that was all.
She wasn't flustered.
Because she had expected this level of counterattack.
"......."
Clang!
Her six sword blades moved faster, more dazzlingly. In contrast, Andante's massive harp became like a wild, indomitable shield.
"Hey, are you always this quiet?"
"...."
So noisy.
I better shut that mouth soon.
The cold energy in Sirgi's blades thickened even more. Frost began to spread beyond her sword strikes, blanketing the surroundings in white.
On that snow-covered ground, Baal stomped forward.
"Baal! Crushes!"
"...!"
KA-BOOM!
Baal's body-slam exploded forward. Largo blocked with his trombone, deflecting the impact, but stumbled back five steps.
No—he was pushed back.
And in that moment, he realized—
These guys are strong.
They were not opponents to be taken lightly.
That muscle brute bearing down on him, the saw blade sword-wielding madman locked in a bloody duel with his second brother, and the woman hurling dazzling sword strikes at his youngest brother — none of them were easy opponents.
Not a single one of them was.
And in their current state, where their true power remained sealed—
"......"
Should he release it?
Largo hesitated for a moment.
Then turned to look at his lady, the Witch of Melody, Artanis.
'My lady,'
Please, grant us the right to release our true power. So that we may deliver divine punishment to those who dared to insult you.
"......"
Artanis understood the meaning behind his gaze.
She too, hesitated for a moment.
And then shook her head.
'No,'
Now was not the time.
If she recklessly allowed them to unleash their power now, that man could die.
Her gaze fell upon Kim Jangcheol at the end of that headshake.
'He cannot die by anyone else's hand but mine.'
Only by her own hand,
Could the curse tied to his heart be lifted. Only then could the seal artifact binding her be undone.
So, now was not the time to allow her loyal vassals to unleash their hidden power.
Artanis conveyed her will with a stern look.
Largo accepted it as his lord's command.
'...Understood.'
Thwack!
He withdrew the motion he'd begun in preparation to release his power, to begin his performance. He loosened his grip on the trombone as an instrument.
Instead, he gripped it once again as a massive bludgeon. And with that, he swung it to meet Baal's descending axe.
BOOOOM—!
With an explosion like a bomb detonating, Baal and Largo both stumbled back three steps at the same time.
Seeing this, Andante, who had been preparing to play his harp just in case, pouted.
".....Too bad. I could've played you something nice."
"......."
What is he even talking about?
Sirgi, still hammering down on the third twin, paid it no mind and continued flashing her ice blades.
But unlike her, Asurat, who had been fighting about thirty meters behind her, couldn't remain as indifferent.
Because Veloce, who had been locked in a fierce, bloody duel with him, suddenly struck a strange pose and began to play.
...Ziiiing.
"Eh?"
The moment Veloce raised the violin in his left hand, resting its body on the edge of his collarbone, and drew the bow across the strings to scatter the first note—
"....Ghhk!"
Asurat, unable to resist, vomited blood. He didn't know why. The melody from Veloce's violin — no, the strange power embedded in it — felt as though it were scraping out his innards!
'What the hell is this...?!'
He nearly collapsed.
But gritted his teeth and somehow endured.
He glared at Veloce.
Their eyes met.
In that moment, he understood.
'...Die. All of you wretched bastards.'
The second of the three brothers, Veloce, gritted his teeth and glared at Asurat.
He didn't like him.
Not the way he was being forced to fight such scum.
Not the way his lord had become some public spectacle in all of this.
None of it.
He was furious.
So much so that he couldn't contain it.
So much so that his vision narrowed.
And that was why—
Blinded by rage, he failed to notice the silent exchange between his lady, Artanis, and his brother Largo.
His mind was filled with only one destructive urge — to wipe out everyone who dared challenge them, despite mocking their lady.
And so, he began to play.
He released his power on his own.
Because of that, the one who had to bear the brunt of the unleashed melody was Asurat — and he sensed the danger immediately.
'This guy... is dangerous...!'
Something was different.
This wasn't like before — the atmosphere had changed. The scent of death, no, something even more terrifying lingered in the air. It felt like staring into the eyes of something vile beyond imagination.
And so—
'I'll... take care of this!'
Grrrrrk!
Asurat gritted his teeth.
This enemy was his. His responsibility. He had to deal with it. Before things got worse. Before the weaker Heavenly Kings or his precious lord got hurt.
'...I will!'
GRAAAHH—!
Blood vessels surged in Asurat's eyes. A storm of blood, far more intense than anything he'd shown before, erupted from his entire body.
...Ssshhh!
Hundreds of veins exploded from his arms. They wrapped around his saw blade sword, linking his body to the weapon through living blood.
His heart pounded wildly.
His pulse raced like thunder.
All of his blood surged into the saw blade.
The sawblade opened its maw. Its fangs bared, it roared, lunging through space alongside the charging Asurat, straight at Veloce, who was about to unleash his second note.
"...!"
Veloce also sensed Asurat's sudden blitz. And he felt it. This was dangerous. That bastard had been hiding a trump card of his own.
'...So you brought it out too, huh.'
A ferocious smile curled at his lips.
The opponent had revealed his strongest fang. There was no reason to avoid it. He would compose his second note right here. And with it, defeat his enemy, and prove his will to his lord.
'Like this!'
ZIIIIIIING—!
A silent note shook the air. It ripped through space. It slashed across Asurat's charging form.
SHRAAAA—!
A blood mist geyser erupted from Asurat's body. But he did not stop. The momentum of his saw blade sword crashing down on Veloce did not falter in the slightest.
SHRIIIK—!
The saw blade sword flew like a beast.
The violin prepared its third note.
A destructive collision charging toward one another.
There seemed to be nothing left to stop them. Everyone realized it — Asurat and Veloce had each unleashed their trump cards without warning.
If left alone, the two would surely kill each other.
"......!"
Hartok's eyes trembled.
Baal shouted something.
Sirgi flinched.
They all thought the same thing.
Asurat, that idiot — someone had to stop him. But it was too late. Too far.
"....!"
Largo's face went pale.
Andante's eyes widened.
They thought the same.
Second brother Veloce, that fool — he'd gone too far. He had to be stopped. But it was too far, and far too late.
—Stop!
Artanis also let out a desperate, silent cry. Her heart sank. She had to stop them. She had to run. If she did, she could stop them.
But her arms were bound. She couldn't.
Her vision darkened.
She didn't want to lose a loyal subject who had followed her for so long in such a pointless way. But there was nothing she could do. The battleground between the two was inside the barrier — and she was powerless within it.
'Veloce!'
She cried her loyal subject's name in her heart.
At that very moment — when everyone sensed an impending catastrophe they hadn't predicted—
…..Thunk—!
Someone jumped in between Asurat and Veloce.
With arms outstretched toward them both,
He blocked their secret techniques.
It was Kim Jangcheol.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]