"…I said I didn't want to!"
It burst out of him.
Without realizing, he snapped.
So, he spoke honestly.
And at the same time, a sinking feeling crept in, too late.
"....."
Wait a second.
What the hell did I just do?
Asurat instinctively gulped down a dry swallow. No, he tried to. But it didn't go well. Instead, a hiccup popped out.
"...Hiccup!"
He was too shocked.
Too dumbfounded by his own actions.
Maybe that's why he was so tense.
'Damn it.'
Asurat looked around with trembling eyes.
Everyone was staring at him.
The wide-eyed gazes of the low-ranking demons.
The shocked expressions of the other Four Heavenly Kings.
Even the lightning rod hanging far in the distance—no, even the 3rd Star Master was giving him a look like, "Are you serious right now?"
Zephyros, who had been collapsed nearby, was no different.
"Lord Asurat...?"
"......"
Damn it.
I know.
I know I just did something insane.
So don't ask me why I did it. Don't look at me like that. Just that glare from the 2nd Star Master is already enough to make me go crazy.
'What do I do?'
A thousand thoughts raced through his head.
Should I just throw myself flat on the ground right now?
Say it was a mistake, that I've been in terrible condition lately, that I had a brief lapse in judgment, that I was just confused for a moment—and beg like that?
'That… might be the best option?'
It'd be humiliating and disgraceful.
But it's better than dying a miserable death.
Yeah.
Let's beg.
That might be the…
It was then.
"Hmph, so you've thrown away your final chance, Asurat."
"......"
What?
No.
Wait, that's not what I meant…
"To one who refuses my command, there is only death. Thus, I decree."
"Wait..."
Hold on.
Isn't this decision coming a little too fast...
"I hereby strip Asurat of his position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings and sentence him to a public execution. Hartok!"
"......."
It's over.
It felt like his heart dropped into a pit.
Asurat turned his trembling gaze.
The Four Heavenly King who was called, Hartok, was walking over. Without hesitation. Unflinching. Step, step, step. He approached and stood beside him.
"You summoned me, my lord."
"Yes, Hartok. As the highest-ranking among the Four Heavenly Kings, I order you to divide Asurat and adjutant Zephyros into five pieces and show the example to all."
The 2nd Star Master's command had been given.
The moment he heard it, Asurat clenched his teeth. And realized. So this is how it ends, huh.
'Ha.'
A dry laugh slipped out.
But strangely enough, there was no regret.
'Well, I never really liked him anyway.'
He still didn't know the reason.
Didn't even know what exactly he disliked.
But he kept feeling off, and angry. Was it because the potato field that everyone worked so hard on ended up like that? Was it the feeling of having all the sweat and love poured into the field denied?
Maybe it was.
'Yeah… this kind of end isn't so bad.'
Asurat lowered his posture, preparing to draw his saw-bladed greatsword. To face Hartok, who was coming to kill him by order of the 2nd Star Master.
'Hartok… I never thought you'd be my final opponent.'
He would try to kill him without hesitation.
Because that guy was cunning from the start.
Because he knew how to read the tides.
Right now, he'd act like he'd die for the 2nd Star Master's orders and follow them diligently. He'd try to kill me. And no one here would help me.
'Fine, come!'
Just as he was about to unleash all the energy in his body—
An unexpected voice came from Hartok's mouth.
"If you're ordering me to execute Asurat and adjutant Zephyros, then I refuse."
"...What?"
Asurat froze.
Hartok was still looking up at the 2nd Star Master. With cold eyes. Just like usual. No, even colder than usual, somehow.
"That command lacks a rational reason. I cannot obey such an order."
"What are you...?"
The face of the 2nd Star Master's puppet twisted.
Hartok answered calmly.
"And more fundamentally, I also cannot cooperate with your current policy of halting farming and launching an invasion of the human world."
"Wha... What?"
"Because there is no justifiable reason. Because there is no practical benefit. There was only one reason we ever dreamed of the grand mission to invade the human world—to overcome hunger. That was it. But now we've realized. We don't need to invade the human world, we don't need to commit bloody massacres and pillaging, to not go hungry."
"What are you..."
"That is farming. What Lord Credos taught us."
"...."
The 2nd Star Master fell silent.
Hartok continued speaking.
"At first, we didn't believe it either. But gradually, we began to believe. We had no choice. Because we felt it. That Lord Credos's attitude and approach, his heart, everything was sincere."
"…You dare!"
"And so we all began to think at some point. Maybe we too, from now on, can live simple lives cultivating the ground just like the ordinary humans. Without having to kill anyone. Without having to tear into the flesh of our friends and families with blood-soaked tears."
"You would defy my order! My authority!"
"I am refusing baseless commands and authority born only from coercion."
Hartok replied resolutely.
And in that moment—
"…He's right. Besides, Credos never tried to push things through by threats like this."
A chilly voice chimed in, strengthening Hartok's words. And before anyone realized, she was standing side by side with Hartok and Asurat.
It was Sirgi, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
She spoke.
"That was Credos. He might've seemed reckless at times, but everything he did had a reason. And not reasons that benefited only him, but ones that benefitted all of us."
"...You too, traitor!"
"What? Did you think I'd blindly follow you for no reason, 2nd Star Master Planus?"
"I am not a Star Master! Don't call me that!"
"You want to be called the Demon King instead? That it?"
"This is an order!"
"Didn't Hartok just say we're not following orders without reason? Already forgot? Your memory isn't as good as you look, huh?"
"Do you want to die?!"
"Baal doesn't want to die! But I hate the 2nd Star Master even more!"
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Baal landed beside Sirgi. And he shouted.
"Credos took care of us! But you didn't! You just yelled all the time!"
"…Your voice is louder right now and hurts my ears."
"Sirgi! I'm sorry! Anyway—!"
WHOOSH!
Baal raised his giant axe and yelled.
"Credos! Said he'd feed us till we were full! Said he'd give us lots and lots of potatoes! And he almost kept that promise!"
His roar echoed in everyone's ears.
It sank into their chests.
It brought back memories.
The farming corps began to remember.
A promise.
Yeah.
We made a promise.
A promise to the kids.
That if Daddy worked hard, they wouldn't have to go hungry. That next month, they'd get to eat a delicious dinner of potatoes.
That was the promise.
But then—
"…Goddamn it! Give me back my potato field!"
"What the hell is that! It's all yellow and wilted!"
"I took care of it every day!"
"I checked every morning and night for even one bad leaf!"
"But who gave permission! Who told them to suck it all dry like that!"
"They could've at least asked first, for crying out loud!"
"Just 'cause you're strong, you think you can do anything?!"
The hearts of the farming corps ignited.
Rage and resentment.
The emotions they'd been suppressing all this time in shock and fear exploded at once. They stood behind the Four Heavenly Kings.
In perfect order.
In unified formation.
All with the same voice, the same gaze, directed at the 2nd Star Master.
And Hartok, representing them all, stepped forward.
"Our demon race. The Demon Army. The Four Heavenly Kings. We are the Demon King's vassals, existing solely to serve him. But you, you are not our Demon King."
Hartok's resolute declaration rang out.
Murderous intent flickered in the eyes of the Second Star Master, Planus.
Planus thought.
"......"
I'm angry.
In a way, it's understandable.
Why they're acting like this.
Why they dare to rebel.
'....Right. Those maggots must not have fully grasped my power yet, that's why they're acting up.'
Yes.
This is an abandoned land.
A world where only the strong survive—a law of the jungle.
Here, the words of the strong are authority, and law. That alone is the one true, absolute order and code of this land.
And yet, I was too soft.
It seems I haven't properly shown them my overwhelming power.
In that case…..
'Noisy pests should just be crushed with force.'
Then they'll become obedient in no time.
Because that's the truth of this world.
The natural order of the abandoned land.
…..Crunch!
The 2nd Star Master, having made up his mind, moved.
A massive trunk stirred faintly.
And with that, the 2nd Star Master's punishment was already more than enough.
Rumble—
"....!"
The ground shook.
The earth itself twisted.
In the place where the Four Heavenly Kings and all others had gathered—
From beneath it, hundreds of roots burst forth!
" ... Wh-what?"
There was no time to dodge.
The very ground everyone was standing on collapsed without warning and sank in. Roots shot up from below, coiling around legs, yanking at waists. Twisting chests and throats.
"Keuk, keheuk!"
Most of the Farming Corps were instantly incapacitated. They struggled too late—it was useless.
Of course, not everyone was caught off guard.
Some managed to avoid the ambush from below.
They were the Four Heavenly Kings.
"Krahhh!"
Asurat swung his saw-tooth greatsword. Three roots were slashed apart.
Beside him, Baal brought down his axe. Sirgi's blades of ice danced wildly in all directions. Hartok's nine mist-whips, imbued with mana, slashed through the air.
It was a fierce and desperate struggle.
The roots attacking them hesitated for a moment.
But that was all it was.
Fwoooosh—!
From above, an overwhelmingly massive shadow descended upon the Four Heavenly Kings. Everyone instinctively looked up.
And realized.
A tree branch, over 30 meters thick, was crashing down on them from above.
"You've got to be kidding me….."
Sirgi muttered.
The branch struck the Four Heavenly Kings.
...!
The thunderous crash was so loud, it numbed their hearing.
All senses were cut off for an instant.
A cloud of dust exploded into the air.
After that, not a single voice could be heard.
Only the grotesque creaking and twisting of wood from the massive branch as it moved scraped against eardrums—scritch, scritch.
The Farming Corps members caught in the roots couldn't open their mouths.
They could only watch with pale, blood-drained faces, drowning in despair and helplessness. All they could do was widen their eyes, hoping the Four Heavenly Kings were still alive.
Soon, the dust settled.
The horror was revealed.
" ... G-guh….."
The only one who could even groan was Asurat. It was thanks to his naturally strong regenerative abilities.
'What about the others.....?'
Battered and broken, Asurat barely opened his eyes. And he saw them—Hartok, Sirgi, and Baal—collapsed in worse shape than himself.
".... "
Are they alive?
Were they at least still breathing, faintly?
But... there's no more hope, is there?
'Really, why did everyone have to step up like that?'
And why did I lose my temper earlier, for no reason?
He suddenly felt sorry. Grateful to the comrades who had stood by him without hesitation. And that made him feel even sorrier. So he clenched his teeth tight.
Even just for their sake—
He felt it was his responsibility, since he had stepped up first.
Crack!
Enduring the pain with all his might, he pressed against the ground.
Lifted his upper body.
Raised his head.
And their eyes met.
The 2nd Star Master, looking down on him. That arrogant gaze. A surge of anger welled up—but he held it back. Instead, he bowed his head.
"....K-kill me, and the others...."
Spare them.
Please, do that.
It was a desperate plea.
Pride meant nothing.
Perhaps that sentiment got through.
Creeeak, crreeeaak…!
One of the 2nd Star Master's branches stretched out. Grabbed his head. Lifted him up.
"Kegh ...! "
It hurt.
Felt like his neck would be torn off.
But he wouldn't be killed that easily.
Instead...
'It'll probably hurt… a lot, right?'
Asurat forced a bitter smile.
To be honest, he was scared. Terrified. He wanted to cry. But there was nothing he could do. He had to endure. Just like always. With dignity until the end.
"Are you ready to be slowly, and painfully, torn apart alive?"
"....."
Bullshit.
As if anyone could be ready for that.
He almost let out a bitter laugh.
Wanted to shake his head at the 2nd Star Master's question.
But didn't have the strength.
So he just blinked.
On the massive trunk of the 2nd Star Master, a gigantic face formed, breaking into a satisfied grin.
"Good. I hope you become an excellent example."
"......."
Please.
Let it end quickly.
Let me not scream like a coward.
In the moment Asurat prayed silently to himself with tightly shut eyes—
"....Excellent example, my ass. Who said you could touch my No.1 lightning rod without permission?"
A chillingly pissed-off voice.
And thus, a startlingly welcome one.
Kim Jangchul's voice echoed, cold and ominous.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]