The notification that the “Lord of the Abyss has begun to bring ruin to the world” made Ian Volkanov’s eyes sharpen.
‘Quests aren’t tools that predict and warn about situations. If such a message has appeared, it means Lucifer has already started to act.’
He could tell from the timing of previous quests alone.
‘From the preparations for the Wargame to the recent encounter with Satan. Not once has a quest provided a forewarning about the situation.’
While it might seem like a flawed perk for a possessed individual to use, Ian had no complaints.
Of course, it was a bit inconvenient. If the system could predict and inform about how events would unfold, preparing would be much easier.
‘But if it gave answers in advance, it would be too easy.’
The only emotion Ian felt when looking at the quest window was mild discomfort.
It would be an issue if the notifications came right when danger was upon him, but that wasn’t the case here.
‘Not too fast, not too slow… As long as it stays in that middle ground, there’s no problem.’
Even as it stood, the system was fulfilling its role adequately.
Having assessed the situation, Ian turned to look at his younger sister, Ariel, who was trembling slightly while holding her Holy Sword.
It must be unbelievable to her. Such an abrupt divine revelation likely wasn’t part of her calculations.
‘Judging by Ariel’s reaction, it seems like she hasn’t been in active communication with Elysion either.’
If a usually silent being suddenly warned of impending danger, anyone would be terrified.
In that sense, Ariel’s response was not strange.
“Brother, does this revelation mean…?”
“Yes. It likely signifies that the last remaining Demon King has begun to act in earnest.”
“W-What should we do? Should we stop him immediately? No… Should we gather our allies first?”
Her thoughts spiraled in the rapidly unfolding situation, and Ariel clutched her head in frustration.
But the more chaotic things became, the calmer Ian remained.
‘As the helper to the Hero, I can’t afford to panic as well.’
It was his role to guide her to make the right decisions and correct her course if she strayed.
Thus, maintaining his composure became even more essential.
While the final Demon King’s movements were certainly alarming, Ian didn’t find himself overcome by fear.
‘Lucifer’s target is undoubtedly either me or Ariel. But he can’t strike us immediately while we’re in the heart of the Empire, which is essentially enemy territory for him.’
Even if blinded by rage, Ian didn’t consider Lucifer to be someone who acted recklessly.
A direct appearance would be too risky—it would spell the end for him if he failed.
Lucifer’s first move would be to sow chaos in the Empire using every minion at his disposal.
‘Although Lucifer is the imperial family’s archenemy, an attack on the Empire would force its main forces into defensive positions.’
This strategy would tie up the Imperial Knights and retired Masters, individuals who posed a significant threat to Lucifer. During this chaos, he’d aim to eliminate the Hero’s party.
The implication was simple.
‘Even Lucifer cannot attack us immediately.’
Despite the divine revelation, there was still time to prepare a counterattack.
Ian, confident of this, began making plans to confront Lucifer.
Buzz!
[This is Bedon Arcana. I apologize for contacting you despite your condition not being fully healed. However, I have an urgent matter to discuss. Could you come to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible?]
‘Just in time.’
Ian thought as he checked the message on his device, allowing a faint smile to cross his lips.
“…What’s going on?”
Ariel asked nervously, her trembling eyes fixed on Ian, confused by his smile amidst such a grim situation.
“Ariel, we’ll assess your swordsmanship during real combat. Pack your things. We’re heading to the Imperial Capital.”
“Huh? To the Capital? Now?”
Her body stiffened at Ian’s abrupt decision.
***
The moment he received the message, Ian began preparing immediately.
Ariel, caught off guard by the sudden trip to the Imperial Capital, was understandably flustered. However, there was no time to hesitate.
With a divine revelation at hand, there was no room for delay.
Furthermore, if the Imperial family had summoned them directly, it must have been a grave matter.
Realizing the urgency, Ariel also managed to complete her preparations quickly.
Initially, they planned to travel to Ashlan by carriage and then use a teleportation device to reach the Capital.
However, thanks to the assistance of a court mage sent by the Imperial family, they were able to cut down on travel time.
As soon as they stepped into the capital, Bedon Arcana rushed toward them.
The image of Bedon, usually so full of hearty laughter, biting his lower lip in frustration, lingered vividly in Ian Volkanov’s mind.
‘As expected, the reason Bedon summoned me must be related to Lucifer’s schemes.’
Ian replayed their earlier conversation in his mind.
Bedon had started by mentioning a change in the demons’ behavior.
He then described how the demons, seemingly growing in numbers and power, had been launching relentless attacks.
“Thankfully, the damage is minimal for now. But if we don’t address the root cause, the situation will spiral out of control. At that point, even the entire Imperial Knights and retired masters won’t be enough to protect the Empire. That’s why I called you here.”
“You mentioned before that you have a gift for reading the flow of events. Are these predictions based on that?”
Bedon nodded slightly.
The future he foresaw was likely one of despair—Lucifer’s plans succeeding, leading to ruin.
Bedon had never been wrong before, and this time would be no exception.
There was only one thing Bedon could request of Ian under such circumstances.
“If a divine revelation has come down, we cannot hesitate. I will begin summoning those who once fought alongside the Hero.”
“But gathering everyone scattered across the continent will be no small feat. Moreover, Illian Sigrud’s whereabouts remain unknown.”
“That’s my job, isn’t it? Don’t worry. As I’ve said, my eyes are unique. However, it may take some time… Could I trouble you to handle the demons in the meantime?”
Stopping Astelgia’s forces, who had emerged from the shadows to brazenly walk in the light, was paramount.
Bedon was well aware that Ian had only recently finished dealing with Satan, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.
Even so, Bedon could not help but ask for Ian’s aid.
‘He must feel guilty, asking me to fight again instead of letting me rest and recover.’
Ian, however, felt no such grievance.
He had no intention of resting in the first place.
‘With Ariel equipped with her new gear, I need to see her potential. There’s no time to relax.’
As Ian had previously stated, the battle against Lucifer could not be won alone.
No matter how strong he was, Ian could only corner Lucifer.
‘The only weapon capable of ending the Demon God’s life is the Holy Sword Elysion.’
Without Ariel, the wielder of the Holy Sword, it would be impossible to defeat Lucifer no matter how hard he tried.
The implication was clear.
‘That’s why we need to test Ariel’s new equipment. More importantly, she needs to practice fighting alongside allies.’
Synchronizing with Ariel was essential for their eventual confrontation with Lucifer.
For that purpose, nothing could beat real combat.
‘Ariel might be annoyed that swordsmanship practice has turned into demon extermination, but it can’t be helped.’
This task was unavoidable—non-negotiable.
With that in mind, Ian accepted Bedon’s request without hesitation.
That was why.
“Keerrrk!”
“Kraaaaah!”
“D-Demons… I didn’t think there would be this many of them…”
The reason Ian brought Ariel to the location Bedon had mentioned, swarming with demons, was clear.
Standing atop the cliff overlooking the writhing horde, Ariel’s expression had long since twisted in disbelief.
Where did so many of these creatures even come from?
‘I thought I’d killed plenty of demons…’
Though not to the same extent as her brother, Ariel had slain a significant number of demons during her time with the Hero Party.
Her Holy Sword, after all, was the most effective weapon against demons. But it wasn’t just that—Ian’s companions had subtly encouraged Ariel to step forward in battles, wanting to spare Ian from overexerting himself.
Hungry for recognition, Ariel had always sought her companions’ praise. At the sight of a demon, her eyes would light up, and she’d swing her sword without hesitation, believing every strike brought her closer to earning their approval.
The number of demons she had slain was so great that their decapitated heads could have filled an entire city.
But now, seeing this endless mass of demons, she couldn’t help but feel despair.
“I didn’t realize there were still this many left… Was everything I did meaningless?”
Ariel prided herself on being one of the most effective demon slayers. While she wasn’t one to boast openly, she believed she had killed at least a tenth of the demons in all of Astelgia.
That pride, however, began to crumble as she faced this overwhelming scene. Her self-esteem felt like it was melting away.
“Don’t think about it too negatively. Just because there are more of them than you expected doesn’t mean all your efforts were for nothing.”
“…Yeah, you’re right. So, all I need to do now is wipe them all out?”
“Exactly. Exterminate every last one of them, and then we can return. Think you can handle that?”
“If I were alone, it’d be tough… But now, I think I can.”
Ariel replied with a wide smile, her Holy Sword gleaming in her hands.
Even though Ariel had confidence in her ability to face demons, the sheer number of them gathered below was daunting.
Defeating that many was a task that would weigh heavily on anyone.
Under normal circumstances, she might have hesitated or overthought her next move. But this time was different.
“With Brother here… it’s okay.”
Ian Volkanov, the youngest in the Empire to reach the level of Master and someone who had taken down multiple Demon Kings, stood right behind her.
Fighting alongside the strongest human on the continent filled Ariel with courage.
Regaining her confidence, Ariel straightened her knees, stood tall, and turned to Ian.
“So, what’s the plan? Should we descend the cliff and launch a surprise attack into the heart of their forces?”
“Do as you like. This time, I’m here to evaluate your judgment. Are you ready?”
“Yes! Let’s do this!”
Ariel glanced at the Holy Sword in her right hand before shifting her gaze downward.
She was ready to signal Ian, to coordinate their strike into the enemy’s midst.
She was just about to position herself when—
“One… two… thr—”
“You’re counting too slowly. Jump already.”
Boom!
“W-What are you—Aaaaah!”
With a swift motion, Ian casually kicked Ariel in the back, sending her plummeting off the cliff.
Ariel’s scream echoed as she fell.
Ian had pushed his own sister off a cliff into a swarm of demons.
“Brother!”
Ariel shouted, glaring back at Ian in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.
But Ian merely smirked and crossed his arms.
“This way, I can test her survival instincts and resilience when isolated and surrounded by enemies.”
Ariel’s scream faded as she descended, her face a mixture of betrayal and disbelief.
To anyone else, it might have seemed cruel, but Ian had no choice.
After all, he’d never intended to jump down with her in the first place.
While he had brought her here to synchronize their combat skills, the sheer number of demons made it crucial to first test whether Ariel could handle herself independently.
If her survival abilities proved adequate, only then would he join her in battle.
“IIIAAANNN!”
Ariel’s indignant voice rang out as she fell, her frustration palpable even from the cliffside.
Ian, however, sat comfortably on the edge of the cliff, watching her.
“Hmm… I think there’s been a slight misunderstanding.”
He leaned forward, his gaze following Ariel as she began clashing with the demons below.
