S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 219

Chapter 219

There was not the slightest interest in the succubus before her eyes. The initial proposal had been made solely because of her supporting forces, a desire that had already waned after learning of her scandalous private life.

But now, things were different. This fairly pretty succubus was the woman Belial had been interested in. Just thinking about that made his interest surge uncontrollably.

What could be so special about her?

Even for him, who had embraced countless beautiful women, Adelaide's appearance was particularly outstanding. Her combat abilities weren't bad for a woman, either.

However, this alone would surely not win Belial's heart. The fact that she was relegated to just one among his numerous lovers suggested there must be some hidden charm.

Agapanthus narrowed his eyes, sizing her up. His gaze quickly shifted to her side, towards where Belial was located.

The Demon King's throne, power, supporters. Having already lost all of that, what expression would you make if you were to lose the woman you love as well? Just imagining it made his chest tingle, causing the corners of his mouth to constantly twitch.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I was foolish back then," Adelaide said in a voice filled with regret.

"There was no need to hesitate. I was truly stupid."

Her violet eyes quietly observed Lisianthus, seemingly anticipating his reaction. However, Lisianthus maintained a blank expression without any notable response. Bound tightly with ropes, his face looking blankly downward was as still as a statue.

Hmph, maintaining such a dignified pose even in this situation. Agapanthus snorted and gestured towards Belphegor.

"Belphegor, bring the prisoner."

"Yes."

Unlike their first encounter, Belphegor was visibly tense. Throughout their conversation, he had not lowered his guard, wary that Lisianthus might attempt something rash.

Adelaide glared slightly at Belphegor, who was slowly approaching Lisianthus, grinding her teeth. Remembering how he had tried to disguise an attempt to eliminate her was utterly revolting.

"I will respond again to Your Majesty's proposal."

As the distance between Belphegor and Lisianthus became considerably close, she slowly raised her head. Then, staring directly at Agapanthus, she continued:

"No matter how I think about it, I do not want to marry a demon as contemptible, insidious, and even imitative as you."

"...What?"

"Moreover, I no longer wish to serve you as king. So, I will have no choice but to take that position myself."

As soon as she finished speaking, she rose from her seat and swung her sword towards Agapanthus. In less than a second, Belphegor urgently tried to attack Adelaide, but Caladium was not about to let that happen.

Whoosh!

Hellfire blazed fiercely, engulfing Belphegor. Simultaneously, Lisianthus dissolved the ropes binding him and immediately leaped forward. His target: the Demon King, Agapanthus.

Crack! A loud sound was accompanied by a faint groan.

Adelaide, who had retrieved her whip, furrowed her brow and quickly assessed the situation. Belphegor, that demon, had somehow escaped the hellfire and was blocking Lisianthus's path.

Lisianthus's massive sword pierced Belphegor's shoulder, but no blood was drawn. He had somehow managed to block the attack.

"Damn, what's making him so fast?"

"L-Lord!"

As Caladium grumbled in frustration at losing Belphegor, the guard unit finally realized the situation and hastily drew their weapons.

Should have killed him in one strike. Adelaide swallowed her regret and traced a circular shape with her finger. Suddenly, blue light burst forth in mid-air.

"The ability to generate portals...!"

Someone muttered sharply, seemingly considering it an insignificant ability causing needless commotion. She had actually generated the portal through wish power, but she was content to let them misunderstand.

"Grrrr... Wol!"

A massive Cerberus burst from the blue portal, instantly tearing out the guards' throats. Lupinus, skeletons, Durahan, vampire siblings, and other demons of Greenville followed behind.

They leaped towards the Demon King's direct guard without the slightest hesitation. Renowned as powerful monsters even against high-level warriors, each of their strikes was devastatingly precise—slicing throats and carving hearts.

Boom! Crash! Crack!

Lisianthus and Caladium attacked Belphegor and Agapanthus at a speed impossible to follow with the naked eye. However, proving he was no ordinary demon, Belphegor managed to face both attackers simultaneously without showing any weakness.

"How dare, how dare you...!!"

Agapanthus, who had been hiding behind Belphegor, finally exploded with rage. The gaze directed at Lisianthus and Adelaide was so fierce that it seemed suffocating.

In fact, it was difficult to breathe, indicating he had indeed used his ability. A power similar to Adelaide's, but slightly higher in rank.

"Ugh."

Adelaide used her power to dispel the force blocking their throats. Though his ability was of a higher rank, it wasn't to the point where she couldn't resist.

The wish power, called the King's Authority, lost its strength and vanished instantly. Agapanthus's face grew even more savage, searching for the culprit who had interfered with his power.

During this time, she exchanged a brief glance with Lupinus. Tap! The two devils quickly leaped to target Agapanthus's back.

No matter how great the Demon King and Belphegor are, they can't handle four devils simultaneously. Even more so if a former Demon King is among them.

'Must kill quickly...!'

Confirming that Lupinus had firmly grabbed the Demon King's back, Adelaide took a step back and remained vigilant of Agapanthus's energy. Her role was not to attack him but to detect and neutralize his abilities.

And at that very moment, a massive energy she had never experienced before surged towards her. Large as a mountain, powerful as a wave—so sudden that she couldn't respond.

"Oof!"

Feeling her body swept away by the wave to a distant place, Adelaide instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the location had changed.

"Where am I...?"

She quickly turned her head, surveying the situation. The magnificent Great Hall was gone, replaced by a vast courtyard.

She wondered if she was the only one affected, but the Greenville demons were gathered with bewildered expressions. Lisianthus was no exception.

"We're in the Demon King's inner courtyard. It seems he used the King's Authority to move us all," Lisianthus said. "This has become troublesome."

Indeed, things had become complicated.

Their strategy was to pretend to return Lisianthus and then quickly launch a surprise attack to take down Belphegor and subdue Agapanthus. Adelaide was supposed to interfere if Agapanthus tried to use the King's Authority.

However, Agapanthus's King's Authority were faster and more powerful than anticipated. It seemed the casting time was quicker, not related to combat abilities.

If only they had been just a moment faster, they could have neutralized it. Adelaide bit her lip, deeply feeling her mistake.

"N-no way, is that all...?!"

Christopher pointed somewhere in shock. She could sense the presence even without looking. She exhaled and nodded.

"Yes, it seems to be the entire Demon King's army."

The inner walls surrounding the courtyard were packed with the Demon King's army. Bone dragons and wyverns occupied the sky, military troops were stationed in watchtowers, and demons filled the courtyard's edges.

'How many are there? No, is it thousands?'

Adelaide let out a small laugh. After being surprised during the battle with Los Halde, she thought she had seen it all, but the Demon King's military force was far more impressive. It made even Uriel's necromancy-created corpse army seem insignificant.

"Adelaide and the devils! Don't waste your energy!"

"Yeah, we can handle these little bugs!"

Despite the clearly overwhelming enemy numbers, their group spoke with confidence. To some extent, their words made sense. They needed to conserve energy for the upcoming confrontation with the four devils and the Demon King.

The problem was that these "little bugs" were far too numerous.

As the Demon King's army began its advance, attacks came from every direction. Bone dragons and pitch-black wyverns breathed fire from the sky, demons surrounding the courtyard swung massive swords and spears, while those on the inner walls and watchtowers rained fire arrows.

"Yaaaaah!"

"Wol! Grrrr!"

Bell and the demons fought truly bravely. With each swing of an arm or kick of a leg, the Demon King's troops collapsed without even applying their full strength.

But that was all.

With Julliard gone, there was no one capable of handling multiple enemies simultaneously. Their stamina was continuously depleting, and without receiving Pia's healing, the Demon King's army surrounding them remained overwhelmingly numerous.

Adelaide, who had been swinging her red whip, furrowed her brow. She realized there was no other way forward.

'I should expend some magical power, even if it means some consumption.'

It was most rational for her to use her power, as she was the one with the lowest attack power and combat skills among the four. This was something she had already agreed upon with Lisianthus before leaving Greenville.

She had practiced an ability that could kill hundreds at once. Though still inexperienced, having learned it recently, it would be sufficient to handle the mid to high-level Demon King's troops.

The advantage of Adelaide’s wish power was its ability to excellently mimic other powers. Lisianthus, who had lived over seven hundred years, possessed more than ten abilities. Thus, he had become her best teacher during their brief half-day together.

"Lisian!"

She glanced at Lisianthus, signaling her intent to use her ability. However, Lisianthus quietly shook his head.

Why was he stopping her?

Just as she wondered, a fluttering sound began from a distant place. Initially too soft to distinguish, the sound grew louder over time. It was the wing beats of a large beast.

"Kya-ah-ah!"

When the familiar cry was heard, Adelaide instantly lifted her head to look at the sky. Soon, her face was deeply colored with surprise, confusion, embarrassment, and gratitude.

Far away, riding a wyvern, a woman was approaching. Leading numerous demons behind her, confidently entering the battlefield.

"Adela!"

It was Penelope.

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