To the Depth of Abyss
Chapter 168: Entrusted Hope

The Demon Queen opens her eyes. She has a form of a teenage, winged demonic girl. Her eyes are reddish black. Her entire body covered in blackish aura except her dreadful face.

In front of her stood the intimidating Catastrophe Beast. All the nine-headed seems ready to attack the Demon Queen. But they are smart enough to not being rushed and look what the Demon Queen is going to do first.

The Demon Queen pointed her right hand up front.

At that simple move, the sky begins to rumbling. A rumbling that sounded like a scream gave terror to Floor 2.

"~I command~"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky above them suddenly grew darker. It happened at the same time as the sound of hundreds of flapping wings flying towards the Ruins of Ancient Cognity.

"What in the world-"

Hwang couldn't believe what he was witnessing. The same goes with all the colleagues.

"They are all, demons?"

Winged, an ugly face creature like a goblin. There were hundreds of them, like little children going on a picnic.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What happen to my troops?"

Jared has also fled outside the northeast region. He watched as his army of gargoyles, which shouldn't be in the hundreds, flew towards the Ruins of Ancient Cognity.

"Is that the power of a Demon King?"

Demon Queen, to be precise. However, the Demon Queen was created from the blood of the Demon King, which could be said to be the strength of the Demon King himself.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Aina..."

Arlene wept bitterly, at the little girl she used to carry, turned into something she could not recognize.

Elisa felt the same way. The incident reminded her of a male friend who turned into someone she didn't know.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Let me help too, sir!"

The scream caught the attention of the Green Tree Family members.

"Jade."

Jade stood straight in front of Roger. She looked all ready to sacrifice her body and soul in that battle.

"The fight between the Catastrophe Beast and the Demon Queen won't be a quick, and easy one. If the Demon Queen had the same strength as the Demon King, it was very likely that the battle would not only involve this northeast region. This Floor 2, is in a dangerous state."

When Roger and Jade had serious conversations, Ars yawned; feel bored.

As a living man who had witnessed the Demon King's power, Roger understood Jade's feelings. The Demon King was a figure who nearly killed his master, the Spear Saint.

"Wait!"

Someone suddenly entered their conversation with an expression of refusal.

"Seonbae - !"

"No!"

Hwang hasn't said anything yet, but Jade refused his proposal.

"This is a Diamond and Legend level of a fight. You can't participate in it."

"Hey, don't forget to count me in."

You know who responded.

"And that's why-!"

Before Jade could finish her sentence, a rumbling happens behind their back.

Three of Hydra's head begin to amass a fire breath. Their target is the Demon Queen.

The Demon Queen pointed her hands up front in respond to deflect Hydra's incoming attack.

Hydra finally unleash three ways of tremendous fire breath to the Demon Queen. In a volume large enough to burn down a territory.

Demon Queen fully covered up by the fire breath. But inside, she has a dark, invisible barrier deflecting the fire's breath.

Knowing that, Hydra keep unleashing three way fire breath. When the rest of his head going around Demon Queen position.

The Demon troops are still on their way to the queen. So Demon Queen has to protect herself for the time being.

"~Disintegrate~"

With that one word, a wind wave over push Hydra's fire breath and shattered three of Hydra's head.

This shocking thing required Hydra to retreat. That also alerted Hydra to the danger from the Demon Queen. But that didn't mean he was afraid. Besides, his three crushed heads grew back.

Except for Jade, Roger, and Ars, everyone who saw the battle got speechless.

"Her power is not powerful such as Demon King." Roger speak. "But she is still more dangerous than the Catastrophe Beast."

Catastrophe Beast is said to be invincible. However, the Demon Queen just made the beast to retreat.

"Ars." Roger turned to the greedy young man. "You know what you have to do, right?"

At that question, Ars fold his hands. "Just understand one thing, 'I will make moves if I feel I have to'. Plus, your contract doesn't include these weak people."

Ars pointed at Jade's subordinate.

This certainly provoked Jade people, especially Jade herself.

"We don't need your protection. Besides, I will be the one who will protect them all with my strength."

"Oh, well then, you saved like 5% of my energy."

They weren't all in a good state, but they did agree on one thing, which is to stop the fight between the Demon Queen and the Catastrophe Beast.

"Alright, I will leave the defense to you, Jade."

Roger gave that last message as he flew to the battlefield.

Jade climbed onto the Green Boy, then the two of them went back inside to the Ruins of Ancient Cognity. After running for about 2km away, Green Boy knelt down with both hands touching the ground. This was done to grow wooden walls that covered the door into the northeast region, a large, strong wall to withstand any attack. To protect the other region.

On the other hand, Ars lazily flying with his jet ski. But before he was going up, someone called his name.

"Ars!"

He turned back and found the red-haired woman looking at him in the most breaking heart expression he could have seen that day.

"I beg you, please, save them!"

"That's too much of a request."

Ars responded to Arlene's request in the usual way, but sounded quite cruel.

"I have to fight fate to save two. That's hard and requires a lot of effort. So I can only save one."

Ars' words once sounded cruel, but they are facts and that is what he will do.

Arlene could do nothing but accept the truth.

_____________

The Demon troops had already gathered around the queen. They are ready to against the Catastrophe Beast.

All of Hydra's heads screamed. They accepted the challenge.

"~Swarm~"

Demon troops shouted and shot forward, towards the Catastrophe Beast.

The battle has started.

Hydra accepts the arrival of demon troops with four heads spitting fire breath, burning dozens of demon troops. The rest face the Demon troops with their teeth.

At the outset, the battle seemed to be dominated by Hydra. Because his fire breath kills a lot of demon troops.

But strangely, the number of demon troops didn't seem to decrease. Instead, they multiplied and begin to swarm Hydra.

Roger, who is still far from the battlefield, can recognize the phenomenon that is happening.

"That power, is the same as the Demon King."

The power to multiply demon troops. The power that can create unlimited demon troops. The power that the Saints feared.

The power gradually surrounded Hydra, and the demon troops began to land on Hydra's body.

But just perching didn't give Hydra any problems. Not until the Demon Queen given another command.

"~Pierce~"

The order made the demon troops who landed on Hydra, change their hands into sharp weapons, then stabbed the Hydra with it.

It somehow managed to inflict dozens of pain on Hydra. Making the Hydra go on a rampage in disbelief.

Without thinking, Hydra exhaled flames through its nine heads.

It burns space over a long, wide area. Long enough to hit Jade and her fortress. Long enough to be seen from the other region. Strong enough to destroy the surrounding mountains. But Hydra also burns itself to get rid of the perching demon troops. Even though the endless demon troops is still swarmed it no matter how wide and long Hydra fires its fire breath.

"I thought the demon leader had horns in their head, but is it because you are a female, and still so young, that you don't have one?"

Someone suddenly appeared in front of the Demon Queen. A strong, red-eyed man.

"On record, I'm also a dragon, but stronger than that one. So, don't try to – "

"~Death~"

Hundreds of glass shattered before Ars after the Demon Queen said those words.

Ars sighed. "So death costs 500k, huh? The price is quite expensive I could say."

Ars took out Blue Sky Sword and walked closer, right in front of the Demon Queen. Blue Sky Sword shines bright like a star in the sky.

Then he directly stabbed Demon Queen in the stomach. Killed the tremendous enemy with just one move.

"What a terrible fate we have to face."

The light from the Blue Sky Sword disappeared. One by one, the demon troops fell because their mother got killed.

Arlene runs to Ars, who is holding a teenage girl's corpse in his hand.

The teenage girl's corpse emitting black aura, but Arlene still wanted to hold it badly.

Ars gives the corpse.

Arlene holds the teenage girl's corpse like she finally holds her most precious treasure. That is why, she hugged the treasure tightly and crying heavily, like it was death for herself.

Those who witnessed the scene could not hold back their tears.

Not far from the position, a certain mad scientist can't feel anything when he saw the scene, because he is already dead inside.

_______________

"Now, you, who are the messengers of God, I won't let you pass."

Roger is dealing with Hydra, the Catastrophe Beast who looks like still wants to chase the dead Demon Queen.

Facing a mortal like Roger, Hydra did not want to give mercy by immediately preparing its entire head to attack Roger with fire breath.

Facing that, Roger closed his eyes first. "Until we meet again, comrade."

Roger was burning in a strong, bright white flame. Bright enough to win against Hydra's nine-headed flames.