East Road Quest

Chapter 54: The Shackles of Ruby

As Jade climbed the mountain, the name ‘Bariphel’ that she had been pondering suddenly came up in conversation.

“Was it three years ago?” she asked immediately.

The question seemed incomprehensible to Ruby and Saph, who were listening nearby. However, Yol understood the meaning behind it. Jade was asking if it had been three years since Yol had acquired ‘that appearance’ or ‘that power,’ and Yol, already flinching, agreed.

“Three years… Yes, it’s been three years. I’ve never counted the years, but it must have been three years ago. I’m curious how you know that number,” Yol said, his voice now completely different from the artificially kind tone of Father Puyol’s voice in the evening.

‘I can see it too. Smaller in stature than the demons of the desert and less repulsive than the Beisuphers, but this guy is a much stronger demon.’

Yol raised a large spear in each hand. A dark blue smoke was flowing over the surface of the spears. It could have been flames burning, not just smoke.

‘Yet, I’m not afraid at all. With Ruby and Saph here, it’s as if someone has set it up perfectly, like I have my match.’

Yol, holding two spears, began to saunter, not towards Jade but sideways. Between Yol and Jade, Ruby stood like a barrier, draping chains.

As Yol moved further to the side, Ruby adjusted her position slightly to stand precisely between Yol and Jade.

Saph stood behind Jade, continuously emitting a faint healing light.

“Three years ago, I was no different from any other insignificant demon residing in this desert. Have you met Brother Autis? Compared to me, the evil spirit within him could be considered a higher demon,” Yol continued slowly.

“That’s why I had to live in a human body, leading a human life. As a demon, I might be small and weak, but as a human, I had a body stronger than anyone else!”

“Why did you, a demon, serve as an inquisitor?” Jade inquired.

“To hide a jewel, hide it in a jewel box, right? If I’m in a position hunting demons, I can conceal my own demonic nature. And that position was also the best to enjoy the corruption of humans.”

Yol whispered with a soft laugh.

“There’s nothing that gives me greater pleasure than to falsely accuse innocent humans and burn them.”

“So, you tried to burn me this time too?”

“If I had burned you, the pleasure would have been even greater.”

Yol laughed. His laughter shook the ground and stopped the winds around them. He was not just a demon with physical strength.

Jade started to worry, but Ruby was not concerned at all. She even had the leisure to turn slightly and ask, ‘Shall I kill you now?’

“Kraukus.”

Saph spoke from behind.

It was said quietly enough for only Jade to hear, but Yol, hearing it, stopped laughing and shouted.

“You witch, what did you just say?” Saph instinctively shrank back. Jade stepped forward to speak.

“If Bariphel gave you power and orders, why did you obey Cardinal Lorenzo’s commands?”

“It was a contract formed because we wanted the same thing.”

“The same thing?”

“Cardinal Lorenzo also ordered to eliminate those embarking on the Holy Grail quest, and so did Bariphel. The pleasure of murder was the same, so there was no reason to refuse.”

Jade nodded emphatically.

‘A big secret has been unraveled. But now, a bigger secret has emerged. Did Lorenzo know that Yol was a demon? If he assigned such a task knowing that, I will never forgive him.’

“Was it Cardinal Lorenzo who ordered you to kill Father Daniel?”

“Lorenzo always kept a close watch on Daniel. But he never ordered his death. The only person he wanted dead was you.”

“Then why did you kill the priest?”

“Bad luck.”

Yol answered shortly, and Jade clenched her jaw.

“Was that the only reason?”

“Can you call that ‘only’? You’re alive right now because of that very luck!”

“Fine. Your luck ends here, Kraukus!”

Jade growled.

“So, the horned witch did mention my name. How did you know?”

Ignoring his question, Jade asked,

“Ruby, can you beat him?” Ruby replied as if it were obvious.

“I can toy with him.”

“Then do it.”

Jade commanded.

Yol, or rather Kraukus, laughed heartily as if spitting out saliva.

“Let’s see whose luck has run out, Jade.”

He raised one of the spears in his hands high and threw it.

The black spear flew faster than an arrow towards Jade’s face.

Jade knew the spear was coming but couldn’t think to dodge or block it.

Ruby reached out her hand and caught the spear mid-flight. The moment she caught it, a tremendous vibration spread out, pushing Ruby back. Moments later, Jade and Saph, who had been standing back, were thrown as if pushed by someone.

“See that? I’ve really gotten stronger?” Ruby dropped the caught spear to the ground. The fallen spear shattered into dust, and the blood flowing from her torn palm dripped onto it.

Flames as black as the night sky began to fiercely burn along the shoulders of Krauks. He hurled his spear once more. The black spear, cutting through the wind, narrowly missed Jade, who chose not to catch it this time but to dodge instead. The errant spear vanished into the dark night sky.

No sooner had Jade dodged than she whipped the chains wrapped around her wrists like a lash. Poe charged at her, blocking the chain with his spear. Despite having thrown two spears, Poe still had another in his hand.

A loud metallic clang resounded as Poe’s spear shattered. Yet, in his hand appeared another spear as if he had known all along that the first would break. Without hesitation, he discarded the broken spear and thrust the new one towards Jade’s face.

Jade pulled the chain taut to block the spear, then swung the other chain at Poe. The chain struck the ground with such force that rocks shattered and fragments flew in all directions.

Jade, with Sapphire by her side, retreated against a large boulder and opened a book to search for the name “Krauks.” The battle before her was invisible to her eyes.

It was an unthinkable assumption, but if Jade were to lose, both of them would surely die. Therefore, it was better to prepare for what would come after Jade’s victory.

The moment Jade found the name “Krauks,” a deafening sound tore through the air, and the boulder she leaned against split in two with a loud crack.

Jade, having hit her head against the rock, lay bleeding beside it.

“Jade! Are you alright?”

Jade shouted.

“Don’t make a fuss. Stay there. Someone might think I’m struggling.”

Darkness, deep and blue, settled around the spot where Krauks stood. His form was not clearly visible. Only the bat-like black wings that sprouted from his back and his increased size were certain.

The voice of Krauks shook the ground.

“Now that I have taken this form, there is no longer any reason to hide. I will kill you three and then lead the demons of the Red Desert to march upon Rome. Jade, you won’t be able to see it, so I’ll tell you. One week, that’s all the time Rome will have left in this world.”

Whether Rome could truly be destroyed in a week was uncertain, but if such a demon led his minions, it was clear that no human army could stop them.

‘The dream of Emperor Benclauss might come true tonight.’

Clouds in the sky gathered around where Krauks stood. Soon, thunder struck above his head, illuminating the surroundings with an intense brightness before plunging them back into darkness.

Jade had never seen thunder fall so close. Her ears rang.

“Stand back!”

Jade yelled.

Krauks, glowing brightly, charged at Jade and swung his fist. Jade barely dodged, but she couldn’t avoid Krauks’s tail that followed. She tumbled to the ground once again.

Jade couldn’t even ask if Jade was okay.

‘I’ve managed to find his name and the verse to annihilate him, but I can’t do anything. In the end, I need to touch his body, but I can’t get close!’

Jade remembered a moment when she couldn’t even properly eliminate the little demons called the Loyalists of Baipel with the light of annihilation from afar.

Jade, getting up and spitting out blood-stained phlegm, said,

“I hate to admit it… but Jade, you might be right.”

“About what?”

“That these shackles are draining my power.”

The dwarf, or rather the Angel Chief, had deliberately made three bets with Jade. He made her lose two bets unrelated to strength to bind her with shackles, and the third bet was a fight of strength.

By then, the shackles had already weakened Jade, and she lost the third bet. It was said to be a fight against herself, but if Jade hadn’t been weakened, the trick might not have worked.

“I need to break these.”

Jade spun the chain and threw it.

Krauks blocked the chain with two spears overlaid, but the spears shattered and he was thrown backward. However, he seemed unfazed by the impact, grabbing the extended chain and soaring into the sky with his wings spread wide.

“But if I break the shackles on my wrists, the one on my neck will…”

Jade stopped mid-sentence.

Jade was caught by the chain in Krauks’s hand and was pulled up into the air.

Krauks shouted,

“Is this your weapon? How crude. An angel should have a resounding weapon! Without it, you’re not an angel. You’re just a little brat with a bit of strength!”

Krauks spun Jade around in the air. Shackled by the chain, Jade could do nothing but spin.

He then swung the chain, slamming Jade to the ground. Before Jade could even rise, Krauks pulled her up into the air again and slammed her down in the same manner.

“Let’s see how long you can last, little one!”

Krauks spun Jade around like a stone tied to a string, repeatedly slamming her to the ground and lifting her back up.

‘I need to release Jade’s shackles. But loosening the shackles on the wrists and ankles will tighten the one on the neck. If I loosen the neck shackle, the wrists and ankles will be bound again.’

Jade desperately racked her brain, recalling what she had learned from Daniel.

‘Should I try a different verse? No, if I tighten the neck in this situation, I might end up killing Jade myself.’

From behind, Sapphire said with sorrow,

“Jade is… bleeding too much.”

After Jade hit the ground and was pulled up by the chain again, a dark liquid splattered along her trajectory.

“Can I… can I help somehow? I blocked his spear once.”

“Jade said it herself. She’s become stronger. But if he thrusts the spear with full force, even Sapphire’s strong light won’t be able to block it…”

Jade could list a hundred reasons why Sapphire shouldn’t interfere in the battle between the two monsters. But Sapphire, driven by distress, insisted,

“Then I’ll use two protective lights at once! One hand to block the spear, and the other to prevent the demon’s approach!”

Jade’s eyes widened in a flash.

“Both at the same time?”

“Yes. Both at the same time.”

Jade hastily searched for the incantation to unlock the shackles and spread open the book.

Ruby once again crashed to the ground, but in that moment, she cleverly pulled on the chains.

Kraoukros staggered in mid-air and lost his grip on the chains. Ruby narrowly regained her freedom.

“Ruby! Come this way!”

Jade shouted.

With just three leaps, Ruby covered the distance of forty steps and landed in front of Jade.

“Why? Did you call me because you thought I was going to lose? Just so you know, the shackles did weaken me, but I’ve only gone from 1000 to 100. And that guy is barely a 10…”

Jade cut off Ruby’s rambling with a shout.

“Do you trust me? I have something to try on you.”

“I don’t trust you!”

Ruby, clutching the shackle around her neck, showed extreme resistance.

“If you can’t trust me, then hit me and go. If you die, we both die, so I’d rather die by your hand!”

“You always get stubborn at the crucial moment, don’t you? Fine! Do as you please.”

Jade recited the unlocking incantation and extended one hand. Light was absorbed into Ruby’s shackles. Ruby flinched but did not retreat.

Jade then read the incantation backward. A different colored light appeared in his other hand. He placed that hand on Ruby’s neck.

Two different lights illuminated the shackles they touched.

“Father!”

Saph pointed to the night sky.

Around Kraoukros, who floated in the air, four spears were forming. They seemed to move on their own, precisely aiming their tips at Ruby and Jade.

The shackles on Ruby’s wrists and ankles came undone. That was as expected.

The problem was what came next. Ruby braced for pain, clenching her teeth. But nothing happened. The shackle on her neck remained, and the ones on her wrists and ankles did not reseal.

“Ah, it’s done.”

Jade said.

At that moment, four of Kraoukros’ spears flew towards them. Simultaneously, Kraoukros also glided with a fifth spear in hand.

Ruby turned her back to Jade.

“If my power remains unchanged, I can’t block those standing.”

“If you can’t block them, leave me and escape!”

“Am I crazy?”

Kraoukros’ spears descended upon them, and then Kraoukros himself swooped down, thrusting his spear. Jade tried to keep his eyes open to see everything, but in the end, he closed them at the last moment. A loud noise and an explosion sounded before he opened his eyes again.

What Jade saw next was Kraoukros being forcefully knocked back.

In Ruby’s hands were four spears, two in each. On the ground lay another spear, already broken.

“You were right after all.”

Ruby snapped all four spears against her thigh at once. The shattered spears vanished with a dark blue flame.

“It seems the shackles suppressed my power more than I thought.”

“So you’ve finally gone from 100 to 1000?”

“Feels more like 2000.”

Ruby turned to Jade with a smirk and then charged at Kraoukros.

Kraoukros, who had been downed, spread his wings and soared again. But Ruby jumped up and pounced on his body.

He drew his spear but couldn’t even swing it. Ruby’s arm swung, shattering the spear.

It was frustrating how easily Ruby pinned Kraoukros to the ground after struggling so much before.

‘Ah, the fight was practically over with that one counterattack Ruby made to protect me earlier. Now, it’s just Ruby finishing off Kraoukros, who’s lost his strength.’

Ruby climbed onto Kraoukros’ body and pounded his face with her fist.

“You won’t die from this, will you, demon?” Ruby shouted as she hammered down on Kraoukros’ face.

“Let’s see if you can die from this.”

One, two, three, ten, twenty times she continued to strike from side to side, to the point where even Jade felt sick watching.

There was no sign of fatigue. In fact, the twentieth strike was so powerful it could have caused the mountains to echo. From afar, it might have sounded like thunder rolling through the mountains.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Ruby’s fists broke Kraoukros’ horns, and his face was mangled beyond recognition. Yet, he did not die but instead pushed Ruby away and slid across the ground to escape. He was still able to stand and still had the strength to hold a spear.

Kraoukros threw his spear, but it was so slow that even Jade could see it and dodge. Ruby caught the flying spear with one hand and threw it back. The spear pierced Kraoukros’ neck and exploded.

The head, blown off by the explosion, rolled on the ground towards Jade. The face, smashed beyond recognition, looked up at Jade with barely distinguishable eyes, nose, and mouth.

The eyeballs were shattered, blood flowed like water from the nose, and a sticky black liquid oozed from the ears, as if insects were crawling out.

Jade slowly approached the severed head. He placed his palm in front of the face and said,

“Where were we in our conversation, Kraoukros T…”