Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Argo possessed a vibrant personality from the moment he entered the Land of the Faithless.

Although he could be seen as an embodiment of Beelzebub, he cultivated his own distinct identity in the land of Anfang.

Argo's individuality yearned for freedom above all else, a deep hunger that set him apart. He expressed this unique character through his music, unlike any heard before in Anfang.

Argo made a significant name for himself through his concerts and shows, becoming Anfang's sole worldwide celebrity whose fame transcended kingdom boundaries and controlled territories. With his captivating music and wits, he carved a special place in the hearts of the masses.

After opening his restaurant chain named Billy's, Argo made fewer public appearances. Yet, the memories of his music and his iconic status remained vivid in people's minds.

In a twist of fate, this same Argo was now gravely injured by two Sages from Anfang after his true identity was exposed.

"Ugggh!"

An agonized moan escaped Argo's lips as he felt the blade's sting. He turned to glare at the man with intense resentment.

"This Prince Shall capture your soul for your impudence," Argo declared.

In the next moment, the Sage Ranker from the Anfang Alliance witnessed his blade shattering into numerous pieces. He was then engulfed by Gluttony Mana, initiating his transformation into the Creature of Gluttony.

Garos had contacted the Alliance while en route to the battlefield. Therefore, he wasn't taken aback when the Sage-ranked long-blade swordsman came to his aid.

Rather than engaging in conversation or preventing the fellow Sage Ranker from dying by Argo's attacks, the King's Hand opted to launch his own attacks on Argo to neutralize him completely. Even if it meant sacrificing the long-blade Sage swordsman at the hands of Argo's Gluttony powers, Garos was determined to seize this opportunity.

The Sage-ranked water-element wielder summoned his gladius for the first time in a long while to do his bidding and launched a swift sword attack. His strike was both ruthless and rapid, targeting both Argo and the long-blade Sage.

Garos was all for collateral damage if it could ensure the neutralization of a Demon Prince.

Swoosh. Zoom. Chop.

Though it seemed ordinary and unthreatening, the attack embodied the true essence of his Elemental Attainment and Weapon Comprehension. Garos' will blended these two concepts, forming a Sword Intent that cleaved both Argo and the long-blade Sage horizontally.

Argo, despite Garos' assault, focused on incapacitating the long-blade swordsman. Since the newly appeared long-blade swordsman was being sliced horizontally by Garos' attack along with him, Argo found it easier to inject the Sage from Anfang with Gluttony Mana.

Domain of Gluttony: Beelzebub's Authority

In the blink of an eye, a miniature Domain of Gluttony materialized. Following Beelzebub's command, the long-blade swordsman from the Anfang Alliance transformed into a Gluttony Pearl expediently, practically skipping the stage of being converted into a Gluttony Creature.

Just as Beelzebub and the swordsman were sliced horizontally, this Gluttony Pearl was dropped on the ground, awaiting someone to claim it.

Swiftly, Argo's body was barraged by hundreds of Sword Intents from all directions. Garos staked his life, disregarding his severe injuries, the foreign mana invasion from Gluttony Mana's devouring nature, and his missing right arm, to launch this precise and controlled assault on the demon beast.

With a resounding thud, Argo's severely wounded and split-in-half body laid on ground as Garos' relentless wave of sword strikes took its toll. In the last few days, ever since he ascended to the S-Rank, Argo had endured significant torment. He had practically battleled day and night. The exhaustion finally got to him.

Before Beelzebub could enact any changes, he was vanquished by the unrelenting King's Hand, Garos Renar, renowned throughout Edinburgh and beyond.

***

Argo's connection with Beelzebub grew fragile due to his severely weakened body.

The vessel containing Beelzebub's consciousness had been so battered that it could no longer serve as a proper host. In fact, Beelzebub's consciousness became more of a hindrance to Argo. Even his mana core had suffered damage from Garos' relentless attacks.

"Hmph. As I told you, demon, you're powerless here."

Garos remarked as he observed Argo's pitiable state. Despite his own injuries from Beelzebub's attacks, Garos could still stand and continue his mission: to end Argo once and for all. Yet, he couldn't see the despair painted on Argo's face.

'I really got him right? What the fuck was he planning?'

Garos thought to himself. He desired to understand why Argo had taken such perplexing actions after keeping a low profile for nearly a decade. These conflicting actions made no sense to him.

At this moment, Anfang's World Will intervened, converging on the battlefield and exerting pressure on Argo, signaling that it wanted Beelzebub's consciousness to leave this world.

Coughing violently, Argo's condition couldn't have been worse. His vision blurred, and his heartbeats slowed. It appeared that Garos had once again employed his reserved Trump Card, preventing Argo from accessing his Elemental Attainments.

With each step, Garos approached Argo, his gladius in hand. He was breathless, and his eyes focused on the demon's battered and bloodied form lying just a few steps away.

As the King's Hand loomed over Argo's broken body, he saw something unexpected – Argo was smiling.

"It is over, demon. Do you have any last words?"

Garos asked as he raised his gladius over Argo, hoping to extract some useful information that might shed light on Argo's perplexing actions.

'Why do I feel like I have not won even after doing everything I could to beat this calamity?'

A growing unease gnawed at Garos' heart.

It felt as if something was warning him that eliminating Argo wouldn't be the end of his troubles. Therefore, Garos wasn't content to wait for Argo's eventual demise. He was determined to be the one to end it, hoping to find peace of mind in doing so.

Argo managed a feeble laugh upon hearing Garos' words. Though his battered body could give out at any moment, his eyes remained full of life and authority as he spoke with a feeble yet confident voice.