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墨書 Inktalez
I was sent back to the rebel camp under the name of a hero. The great iron gates had been opened, and it seemed that the army was about to mobilize. Before I could even catch my breath, the troops were already gearing up for departure. The general had died, and this time, the leader of the rebels was leading the charge himself. The half of the soldiers who had just returned seemed to be unaware of their fatigue, immediately rejoining the ranks for battle.
"You are our hero!" the leader said, gripping my hand. "This time, whether we can completely defeat the Demon King depends on you. Right now, the Demon King must be feeling the impact of the Five Great Lords being eliminated. The longer we delay, the more prepared he will be, and we will be at a greater disadvantage."
"So!" The leader did not look at me but shouted to the lined-up soldiers, "Let’s strike directly at the Demon King's lair! It’s time for us to return to the surface! Let’s fight back!"
"Fight! Fight!" the soldiers chanted.
The rock walls on both sides echoed with the sound of cracking stones, and debris occasionally fell from above us. The two iron gates roared as we felt the ground beneath us begin to rise continuously. Soon, a large section of ground split away from the surface and slowly ascended. Only then did I realize that those iron gates were part of an elevator mechanism. It seemed that the rebels had long been prepared, always waiting for the day they could return to the surface.
The yellow sand continued to blow relentlessly; all we could hear were the sounds of hooves and soldiers marching.
I looked at the other three members of the mercenary group and said, "This is our final battle; soon we will be able to go home."
They simply nodded in response, saying nothing.
Time was of the essence; we made almost no stops along our way. In less than a week, we arrived beneath the Demon King's Palace. The Demon King's Guards were already gathering, but they could never have imagined that we would arrive so quickly. "They’ve come back from underground! They’ve come back from underground!" shouted a soldier of the Demon King upon seeing our vanguard. "Quickly close the gates; don’t let them in!"
"Charge in!" shouted the Rebel Leader.
The two armies immediately engaged in a series of offensive and defensive battles around the city gate. We could constantly hear weapons clashing and the roars of both sides. Those inside the castle were shooting arrows while those on top were also firing down. Until I faced the Demon King himself, they wouldn’t let me join in; they needed to ensure I could safely meet him first.
This battle dragged on for a long time with both sides attacking and defending. On the surface, we couldn’t tell day from night or how many days had passed. Finally, one of the city gates was breached by the rebels, creating a large opening. Everyone surged forward into it. Blood flowed like rivers, and corpses littered everywhere.
The yellow sand swirled around us as figures fought fiercely all around. The ground was strewn with severed limbs, heads, arms, and thighs—evidence of war's brutality. Some people had been stabbed dozens of times; others were riddled with arrows. This was a struggle between those above ground and those below—a battle between light and darkness. Everyone understood that this fight would be one to death.
No one flinched; the guards at the gate braced their long spears against it while behind them, rebels surged forward without fear of death. Those in front were pierced by spears while those behind pushed their bodies against them again. In this way, one spear managed to impale three bodies; their weight caused the Demon King's Guards to collapse under it all. Countless lives were lost; amidst the dust and chaos, blood from many stained our bodies.
We finally broke into the castle's interior, and I knew that my real battle was just beginning. The leader shouted, "The Demon King is in the Inner Sanctum! We’ll cover you as you go in!" A tall set of Stone Steps appeared before us; at its end lay the Demon King's Inner Sanctum. The dark door was tightly shut with no signs of opening.
"Stop them!" shouted a commander from among the Demon King's Guards. "Don’t let them enter!"
"Go!" yelled the Rebel Leader.
As he spoke, these long Stone Steps became a battleground fiercely contested by both sides—the guards on these steps were quickly surrounded by rebels. But those surrounded rebels soon found themselves encircled by reinforcements from the Demon King's Guards as more rebel troops rushed in to help. Thus began layers upon layers of encirclement until half of each side mingled together in chaotic combat.
In the end, it had all turned into Chaos.
The long Stone Steps stretched out like an endless Underworld Path. On each step lay soldiers who had collapsed. Blood flowed down the steps like a waterfall, and I could no longer remember how many times I had swung my dagger or how many heads I had severed. All I knew was that the number of steps was decreasing, one by one.
"Kill!" I shouted numbly, slicing down two guards rushing at me and continuing forward. The leader of the rebels led their forces to encircle a few members of our Mercenary Group, protecting us as we pressed on up the steps. The steps were soaked with blood, and there were countless Entrails and Broken Limbs scattered across the ground. This made the steps extremely slippery; with just a slight misstep, someone would tumble down and knock over those behind them.
I had no idea how long we had been walking when The Black Gate appeared before me. A few rebels and my Mercenary Group members pushed against the heavy door, unsure if it was locked from within. The Rebel Leader shouted, "Cover us! We must push this door open and let him in."
We gritted our teeth and pushed with all our might. The door creaked loudly as it began to move slowly, each person's face turning red with effort. "Push harder! One, two! Push!" the Rebel Leader called out.
Juan Juan looked at me seriously, and when she saw my gaze on her, she said, "I hope you know what you're doing! Our hopes rest on you."
I nodded and smiled at her, saying, "Trust me, just like before."
We managed to push the door open, but it seemed some force was preventing us from fully opening it. Despite our combined strength, we could only create a small gap just wide enough for one person to enter. The Rebel Leader leaned against the door, using all his strength to hold it.
He shouted, "No one else is allowed inside the Demon King's Palace; only the Demon King himself is here now. We will hold off the guards for you outside. Remember, only you can kill the Demon King. Go! Our hero."
I nodded and charged through the small gap as the door slammed shut behind me.
Inside was empty, but there sat a figure in the center; this must be the so-called Demon King. Until now, I had always imagined a demon with horns and multiple arms and legs. But seeing him in person made me realize he was once a warrior—a brave human being.
He kept his eyes closed, seemingly undisturbed by the chaos outside. I tightened my grip on my dagger and slowly approached him. When I was only a few meters away, he finally spoke: "You have finally come; I have waited for this day for so long that I almost forgot who I am."
I stopped in my tracks and studied him closely. He appeared to be around forty years old but already had gray hair. His stern face showed no expression, and his Phoenix Eyes remained shut. The Demon King did not exude any sense of threat; he seemed like an ordinary person—where was this so-called demon?
"Sit," he said without opening his eyes but gestured for me to take a seat before him.
I hesitated for a moment; outside my Mercenary Group was still fighting fiercely. My best course of action would be to kill him quickly, declare him dead, and end this battle. But for some reason, I chose to sit down instead. I wanted to hear what he had to say and see what schemes he might have.
As I sat down, he nodded slightly and said, "I have something to tell you; you must remember what I say. You have been in Shadow Maze for quite some time now; in fact, from the moment you arrived here on your first day, I knew you were here. I know your purpose is to kill the Demon King."
"Since you knew I was coming to kill you, why didn't you stop me beforehand?" I asked in confusion. "Why did you allow me to kill your Five Great Lords without any intervention?"
The Demon King smiled slightly before replying, "Because I've been waiting for you—waiting for your arrival. After all this time, can't you see? Some things I cannot explain too clearly; otherwise, everything here will vanish, and our efforts will be in vain. However, there are some things I must tell you because our time is running short."
I have heard this phrase many times in the Shadow Maze, but I still don't understand what it means. I know that many people are hiding things from me; they want to tell me, but they can't. This feeling is maddening, and I shouted hoarsely, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush and leave things half said."
"We can't reveal everything; you have to figure it out yourself," the Demon King opened his eyes and said. "You still don't understand, we..."
I looked over, and there was a glint in the Demon King's eyes, as if he were trying to communicate with me through his gaze. But just as he began to speak, I saw an arrow pierce through his head and land on the ground right in front of me. The force of the shot was immense; the arrowhead sank deep into the ground, and the fletching continued to flutter.
It was clear that the archer had deliberately aimed low; if he had raised his aim even slightly, I would have been struck as well. I looked up to see a young man appearing on the beam of the palace. He leaped down and said, "We finally meet."
His words made me realize that this was the person who had saved me several times before. I quickly stood up and asked, "Who are you?"
"I was sent by the king," he replied. "It has been said that only you can approach the Demon King. To be safe, he didn't just send one team of mercenaries." He put away his bow and arrow and continued, "Now, we should return to our own country; the Demon King has been eliminated!"
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