Chapter 82 - Please Don't Do This (7)

Aren't you upset about why you have to suffer through this?

And aren't you angry that you have to endure humiliation you don't even deserve?

Don't suppress it. Pour it out.

Your anger is justified.

* * *

"Hah, hah."

The Inquisitor furrowed her brow slightly at the severe pain that rushed in the moment her tension slightly eased. Her heavy breathing was slowly restoring the edges of her vision, which had been smeared white.

"Is it done...?"

Wiping her sweat, she quietly glared at the person who had been thrown far away.

Did she finish him off? Was it true that the demon could no longer run rampant in the Demon Knight's body?

The Inquisitor's green eyes continuously examined the fallen figure.

The person who had sustained a deeply gouged wound in his abdomen lay completely motionless.

"... Phew."

Only then did she sink down to the ground. She hadn't suffered a single injury, yet her entire body felt like it was screaming.

"Ugh."

The remaining side effects of using divine power couldn't be cured by anything.

Thus, she endured the pain and caught her breath.

TAP, TAP, TAP.

Footsteps could be heard from afar.

"Are you alive?!"

To think the first thing he'd say while approaching was asking if she was alive. Of course she was alive; was he hoping she was dead? Regardless, she just couldn't look favorably upon that Thief.

Along with her pointless grumbling, the Inquisitor let her limbs droop lifelessly.

She should have maintained a proper posture according to the Order's teachings, but there was nothing she could do. Right now, just sitting up was suffering enough.

"May God not be angered..."

Since she at least hadn't lain flat on her back, she could only pray that He would look down on her with grace.

"Tsk, you are alive, right? Why aren't you answering?"

"... You're loud."

"You're perfectly alive. But what's wrong with your hair? Did a rat chew on it?"

At the Thief's pointed remark, she reflexively raised a hand to touch her hair. Her ear hadn't been completely severed, so it had somehow reattached itself, but the hair around it was chopped shorter than a finger joint.

"It got cut."

The Inquisitor felt a bit disappointed at the uneven length of her hair, but then composed herself, thinking it was lucky her ear was still intact. Hair would just grow back over time anyway.

"... You look like a complete mess."

When a fight got rough, clothes were bound to get torn and ruined. Yet he was pointing out such an obvious fact. He really was an idiot.

She just sulked and didn't even answer. The Thief didn't seem to expect an answer either, as he didn't pry any further.

Instead, something was draped over her shoulders. It was the hooded shawl the Thief always wore.

The Inquisitor's gaze turned toward the Thief.

"What, why?"

It was quite chilly since it was night, but dawn would break soon. In the first place, this level of crispness wasn't even cold to her.

Thus, she blinked her eyes.

"I don't need this."

"Just take it when it's offered. Or what, you don't want it because it belongs to a lowly thief?"

"That's not it, but."

'I'm not cold, though.' The Inquisitor fingered the green hood before eventually giving up on returning it. She was too exhausted to argue with that loudmouth.

"Did you evacuate the people before coming here?"

Instead, she only asked what she was most curious about. The answer was obvious just by seeing that slacker make his way all the way here, but she wanted to hear a proper verbal confirmation.

"Hah, of course."

'As expected.'

She was relieved to hear that the people had been evacuated. Even if there was still a mountain of work left to do, she couldn't help but welcome the news that the biggest threats had been eliminated.

"The main force has arrived, too. I saw them coming."

"That's good news."

If the main force had arrived, they could clean up the remaining demons in the city. In addition, the people could be moved to proper locations, and also...

"The Demon Knight is..."

"Over there. But do not approach."

They would be able to properly seal the Demon Knight.

"... Has the demon retreated?"

"Well."

She hoped so too. However, she could feel that the demonic energy inside the Demon Knight wasn't diminishing at all. He was unconscious for now, but no one knew if he would be in his right mind when he woke up again.

"Even so, he will return."

But she believed. Even if it wasn't the next time he woke up, then the time after that, or the time after that—the original Demon Knight would awaken.

"I should get up."

She had caught her breath enough. Swallowing a groan that naturally escaped her lips, she forced herself to stand.

"Why don't you rest a little more."

"No. I have to place a seal."

She had to cast at least a simple seal before the Demon Knight woke up. Thanks to the Demon Knight resisting from within, she had subdued him without major casualties, but there was no guarantee it would be the same next time.

She also needed to heal the wound on his abdomen if she didn't want to see the Demon Knight die from his injuries worsening.

"A seal?"

"It's just in case."

"I mean, I get that. But then what happens to Sir Knight?"

She wondered why the slacker was panicking so much.

"Then I can just break the seal?"

"... You can break it?"

"There is no seal in this world that cannot be broken."

"Aren't seals... supposed to take a long time and be all grandiose? Like something that prevents someone from ever waking up?"

"There are large-scale seals like that, but I don't know how to do them."

The most she could do was a simple restraint seal. A seal that restricted movement by binding the body tightly with chains of divine power.

"I wouldn't do it in the first place anyway."

More than anything, a large-scale seal would prevent not only the demon but the Demon Knight as well from waking up. She couldn't do something like that. Because she believed in the Demon Knight.

"That's a relief, but... kind of anti-climactic."

However, the incoming Order's opinion would probably be different.

The Inquisitor swallowed back that future. The Demon Knight would wake up perfectly fine, just like always. He would.

He absolutely had to...

"Is that a spell formula?"

"Yes."

"... Want to borrow my shoulder?"

"... Yes."

Staggering as she wrote the formula, she accepted the Thief's offered consideration. Her pride was hurt, but her body was in no condition to be stubborn. Her limbs trembled needlessly from the throbbing pain etched all over her body.

The Thief wasn't mentioning it, but her entire body was likely drenched in a cold sweat.

"Why is this formula so huge..."

How long had she been painstakingly writing the circular formula around the Demon Knight step by step?

"Doesn't this end with just one line?"

"Sealing formulas usually start with at least two lines."

"That's a pai— dodge!"

Just as she barely finished filling in the first line, the Thief shoved her body to the side. There was no need to ask what the fuss was about.

CRASH!

Pitch-black energy swept past the spot where they had just been.

"...!"

The creeping anxiety reached its peak the moment she raised her head to grasp the situation.

She could see the Demon Knight standing up. However, half of his face was dyed black as if encroached upon by something.

Murderous intent given form by demonic energy swallowed his right eye and flowed down from his socket.

Lethally potent demonic energy squirmed throughout his entire physical body.

"Damn it, we're screwed, aren't we?"

The tension that had already unwound once left her whole body feeling heavy as lead. Yet, just because her body felt heavy didn't mean she could avoid the fight.

She gritted her teeth and gripped her mace tightly. It was a huge relief that she hadn't left her weapon on the ground.

"I'll handle this here, run away!"

"Goddammit!"

The Inquisitor offered a prayer to God. An amount capable of instantly healing a wound from a blade was bestowed upon her.

The price for this was the kind of muscle ache one would feel the day after over-exercising.

"Kugh!"

But even that was a burden for her right now. A groan leaked from between her teeth.

SNAP.

Unfortunately, her opponent didn't care about her circumstances. As the Demon Knight's left hand flicked, the demonic energy swirling around his body began to clump together into several clusters.

The elongated lumps of demonic energy with sharp tips were exactly reminiscent of spears.

"...?"

Was something like that even possible? Wasn't clumping energy together in midair and launching it—rather than emitting energy imbued in a body or weapon—the domain of magic?

The Inquisitor held a fleeting doubt. It was a doubt that would soon vanish.

The spears rained down on her.

THUD-THUD-THUD.

She quickly rolled across the ground with her heavy legs. The spears continued to plunge into the earth, tailing her.

SSSSS.

The Inquisitor ran sideways, maintaining her distance from the Demon Knight. At that moment, what entered her vision was something cutting through the darkness and flowing.

It was a black air current. No, it was red blood. The bloody water that had spilled from the crater of iron fragments as it tilted and shook while she and the Demon Knight fought.

"What in the...!"

The blood that gathered in front of the Demon Knight's left hand slowly began to take on a form.

It was a sword. A sword composed of terribly dense impurity.

The Zweihander he originally held was becoming thinner and slightly shorter, transforming into a size that could be wielded with one hand.

"Dear God, grant me the strength to fight once more."

Would God bestow more divine power upon her? More importantly, could she handle that pain?

Could she purify that?

The Inquisitor suppressed the urge to voice her weakness. If she couldn't overcome even this adversity, how could she defeat the Demon King?

DRIP.

Her nosebleed flowed once more. She felt something trickling from her eyes, too. It was fine. Her memory was hazy, but it was like this when she hunted the Sea Dragon as well.

So, just as she had succeeded then, she would overcome this time too.

She would definitely overcome...

SLASH!

She hastily rolled to the side to dodge the swung Zweihander. However, contrary to her expectation that she had escaped the attack range, the Demon Knight's sword path gouged out the flesh of her shoulder.

The hem of the clothes the Thief had lent her was also terribly torn.

"...!"

Why had she been hit? She kept her eyes wide open, completely unable to figure it out. The Demon Knight, having awakened once more, swung his sword.

She quickly stepped back. Only then could she understand why she had been hit.

Whenever the Demon Knight swung his sword, a quarter of a beat later, another trajectory was etched in the empty air—following the same path as the swung sword strike, but about 30 centimeters away.

Two additional attacks were coming in parallel above and below the flat of the blade.

To dodge that, she needed to jump a little further away. She realized this fact.

"Kugh!"

But if merely knowing allowed one to dodge everything, anyone could become a master of combat.

Another stab wound was carved into her forearm.

"Demon Knight!"

Endure. She approached the Demon Knight while feeling the presence of her nosebleed and bloody tears, which were purified and vanishing via divine power.

The spears generated in midair flew at her, obstructing her path.

In the meantime, the Demon Knight slid backward and scraped his blood sword from the bottom upwards.

Demonic energy cleaved the earth and began spreading outward in a fan shape. It was just like a flame.

"...!"

This couldn't be dodged.

She brought her divine power to the forefront. The solid barrier of light was battered by the black energy. What could faintly be seen within that was the Demon Knight, preparing to swing his sword with his arms crossed.

Following her instincts, the Inquisitor rolled forward. The demonic energy that was still clinging to the earth and burning seared her cape and mangled her skin, but ultimately, it was the right choice.

The Demon Knight shot forward in an instant, right up to the spot where she had been, and swung his sword as is. The extending sword strike split the ground and even cleaved the castle beyond it.

The scenery beyond the castle seemed to faintly show through the severed gap. It was terrifying martial prowess.

Still, thanks to rolling forward, she was able to seize the Demon Knight's back. She swung her mace, having poured every ounce of divine power she had into it.

Twisting his waist, the man blocked the mace with his blood sword and tried to stab her abdomen with his Zweihander.

SWOOSH!

From the sword thrust in a straight line, spiral demonic energy shot out, piercing everything in its direct path. She avoided a direct hit from the blade, but a massive wound opened on the Inquisitor's side as she failed to escape the range of the swirling demonic energy.

Her ragged flesh and torn muscles, looking as if they had been forcibly ripped off, spewed out blood.

"Ugh."

Recovery was possible, but the ever-increasing burden was inevitable. Steeling her stumbling body, she rolled across the ground.

Damn it, fitting for a Great Demon, demonic energy seemed to overflow endlessly as the opponent swung his blood sword diagonally without giving her a moment's pause.

The earth split apart, and demonic energy surged through the cracked crevices. Black flames that would burn for a long time were left along the trajectory.

There was absolutely no opening to attack. The Inquisitor's lips were ultimately crushed between her teeth.

"Haaaaah!"

However, if there was no opening, she just had to create one herself.

After barely dodging the straight-line thrust shot through the flames, she gripped her mace. She intended to shake the ground and make him lose his balance.

CLANG!

"...!"

But he was too fast.

Before she could even strike the ground with her mace, she had to parry the incoming attack. Two swords, concentrated on a single point, left a scratch on her mace.

It was the very first mark ever etched into the mace, forged solely from starmetal and baptized iron.

"What in the—!"

And out of the two swords thrusting against her mace, the Zweihander—now shortened to the size of a longsword—retreated. Thanks to that, the pushing pressure halved, but there was hardly any time to exploit it.

The Zweihander cleaved the air, aiming for her head. The Inquisitor hurriedly bent her waist.

SWISH!

She dodged the sword itself, but a few strands of her hair were sliced off by the additionally carved trajectory.

At the same time, the Inquisitor tackled the Demon Knight's body. It was an instinctive judgment, thinking something might happen if she knocked him down like this.

BOOM!

It was a foolish hope. Demonic energy momentarily surged from the Demon Knight's body, then completely exploded outward.

"Ugh."

The divine protection shielding her body saved her from being torn to shreds. However, rolling backward as if she'd been bounced off, and suffering a few scratches, couldn't be helped.

The same went for having her thigh and forearm pierced by the generated demonic spears.

SQUELCH.

She moved her body, refusing to yield to it.

The Demon Knight approaching her happened in a mere instant. The blood sword, which had approached while scraping the floor, soared upwards and unleashed a fan-shaped wave of burning demonic energy.

The sword strikes swung in rapid succession as if predicting the direction she would dodge. Three-pronged sword scars resembling flames and a beast's claw marks were successively left on the earth.

The Inquisitor's face fiercely contorted. There was an opening—there was absolutely no opening. Even if she wanted to create one, the difference in speed was too great.

She was too busy just dodging.

But.

But.

She couldn't surrender here.

For the first time, she tried releasing her divine power purely through her flesh without going through her mace. She had never attempted such a thing before, but this was no time to be picky.

The moment her reinforced body stepped on the ground, the energy that escaped using her foot as an exit violently shook the earth.

"...!!"

RUUUMBLE.

Just as if an earthquake had hit, the ground randomly rose or sank.

Amidst that, the Inquisitor's nosebleed burst out violently. It really was quite different to spew divine power using one's flesh as the axis compared to using a weapon as the axis. Such a realization was imprinted in her mind.

Doing it through her flesh was a bit more intuitive, but the release of power was unstable and even more painful.

It hurt.

Despite having grown used to pain, it truly hurt.

"Demon Knight!!"

Even so, she could still stand. She could still move.

The Inquisitor tightly gripped her hand, which was threatening to lose its strength, and pushed off the ground with her feet. Her body surged forward.

STAB!

Right on time, the Demon Knight slammed his blood sword into the ground.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Starting from one step behind her, pillars of fire made of demonic energy erupted. They would only stop after the Demon Knight realized he was consistently half a beat late and retrieved his blood sword.

And from amidst that, the Inquisitor picked up an iron fragment from the crater used to hold blood. The iron fragment that bounced up after being struck by her foot was caught in her empty hand and sent flying.

A three-pronged slash cut it into four pieces. The Inquisitor now stood right behind him, intending to violently shake the earth once more.

"Please, snap out of it!"

With three deep lacerations carved into her body, the Inquisitor stomped hard. The ground rippled, robbing the Demon Knight of his balance. The demonic energy wavered.

[Gretchen.]

However, the moment she took a step forward, thinking it was an opening—the very instant she was about to swing her mace.

The corners of the Demon Knight's mouth slyly curled up.

[Submit to the wrath.]

Even if the demonic energy wavered, the sword could still be swung. Even if he couldn't fire off a slash with its proper power, he could still imbue the sword itself with demonic energy.

The Inquisitor overlooked that, and as a result, the Demon Knight yanked his blood sword out of the ground and swung it.

[Then, at least you'll feel better.]

This sword path was absolutely impossible to dodge.

A conviction akin to a prophecy etched itself into the Inquisitor's mind. The area around her neck went cold.

"Coalesce and build up, a protecting wall!"

Then, suddenly, several layers of transparent walls were erected in front of the Inquisitor.

SHATTER!

Even without demonic energy being properly loaded onto it, it was a wall that completely fractured from a single strike of the Demon Knight's sword.

However, it definitely bought the Inquisitor enough time to pull her body back. That was enough.

"Inquisitor!"

"...! Archmage?!"

She confirmed the face she felt she hadn't seen in a very long time. The Archmage, whose robes were completely disheveled from rushing over hastily, had dozens of Mages and priests trailing behind him.

"Goddammit, I'm not too late, right?"

Along with Deathbringer's panting, the Demon Knight's gaze snapped in that direction.

"Get down!"

She shouted urgently, stepping between the reinforcements and the Demon Knight.

Her divine power rapidly aligned to form a protective barrier as the Demon Knight swung his sword. Four trajectories sliced through the barrier as easily as bread dough and clawed the castle wall behind them.

Fortunately, thanks to everyone listening to her and ducking down, no one ended up split in half. At least, that's how it looked.

"Cast binding spells!"

"No, you must not spread out! If you spread out, I cannot protect you! Please cast Purification from where you stand!"

At her shout, the priests took their positions and began to offer prayers. Originally, Purification was most efficient when close to the target or surrounding them, but the situation was what it was.

She didn't have the ability to cover all directions, and the Demon Knight could cleanly sever people with a single hand gesture. It was better for them to be clustered in one direction that she could defend.

It should be better.

The back of the Inquisitor's hand wiped her nosebleed. Normally, her divine power would have burned it away, but she didn't even have the leeway for that anymore. She pretended otherwise, but her vision was hazy.

It was arduous.

"Binding!"

At that moment, several Mages chanted binding spells. White and blue chains shot up, attempting to bind the Demon Knight.

With a single wave of his hand, as if annoyed, all the chains shattered and scattered. Truly, he was far too strong.

"Take this!"

Still, the time bought in that brief instant granted her another opportunity. From behind, the silhouettes of two people approached and tossed something.

"This is..."

THUD!

Just like her mace, a holy relic made by mixing starmetal and iron—and her reliable partner—a large shield finally stood before her.

BANG!

By a hair's breadth, the spears launched by the Demon Knight slammed into the large shield. Unlike a cheap shield, the holy relic, which efficiently accepted massive amounts of divine power, easily eradicated the spears.

Her burden had lessened. Not that the fatigue she had already accumulated would disappear, though.

"O flames, burn away my enemies!"

Meanwhile, several Mages led by the Archmage fired offensive magic.

The Demon Knight's hand drew a circle on the ground using the blood sword he was holding. Flames soared, blocking all the offensive spells.

[I'll kill everything that torments you.]

Because they had launched their attacks at varying timings, the same went for the attacks that flew in after the flames died down. The Demon Knight easily extinguished them with just a light swing of his sword.

[I'll burn and tear them apart to ease your heart.]

Instead, he launched an attack right from that spot. The blood sword stabbed into the floor and extended demonic energy using the earth as a pathway.

Pillars of fire. The Inquisitor's eyes shot wide open at the pattern she had already experienced earlier.

"You cannot pass beyond this point!"

Her hands slammed the shield down onto the earth. The capillaries in her eyes must have burst, as parts of her vision were mottled with red.

The light that bloomed after drinking her blood purified the incoming demonic energy.

[So why are you interfering?]

It hurts. The Inquisitor's legs shook slightly.

[Why... won't you just submit?]

"Dear God, burn away impurity and erase the wicked!"

A sword strike from the Zweihander flew at her. Leaving behind the prayers echoing from behind her, she squeezed her eyes shut. She still, she still had to endure longer.

[Why.]

CLATTER.

The sound of something dropping rang out.

[How come?]

Through her reddened vision, she looked forward again. The Demon Knight had dropped his blood sword and was clutching his forehead.

For an instant, the Inquisitor's green pupils sparkled with a thin glimmer of hope.

"Now's the time, attack!"

No. The state he was just in was definitely...

"W-Wai... cough."

The Inquisitor wanted to block the flying attacks. But she couldn't.

The various skills used by the Mages and priests flew through the air and bombarded the spot where the Demon Knight was standing. A cloud of dust rose.

"... Did we get him?"

... Don't tell me, did he die?

She stared into the dust cloud with anxious eyes. The hope that the Demon Knight was unconscious crossed with the wish that he hadn't died despite everything.

She knew he was a truly dangerous existence, but even so, she wished for the Demon Knight to be alive.

[Dear Gretchen.]

... But she still hadn't wished for him to remain in a state possessed by the demon.

The murderous intent dripping from the Demon Knight's right eye was just like drops of blood.

[That won't do.]

His hand, freed after setting down the blood sword, swept across the blade of the Zweihander. The sword regained its original—long and massive—shape, before being gripped firmly in both hands.

The blood sword that had fallen to the floor had already dissolved into bloody water and was gathering on the blade of the Zweihander.

[Wrath, is an existence that swallows everything.]

A big one was coming.

Pushing aside the jumbled emotions of sorrow, relief, and helplessness, her instincts sounded an alarm.

"Everyone, gather in the center!"

She reflexively shouted and slammed her shield down in front of her. Divine power, gathered with an unfathomable state of mind, filled the shield and completed a rectangular protective barrier. The overly distant pain made it so she could no longer move her fingertips or toes, yet it still couldn't conquer the screaming of her instincts.

SWISH.

A sound like sweeping dust briefly rang in her ears. The expected blunt pain didn't occur.

"...!"

Rather, she couldn't feel it. The sensation of something crushing them and passing by was vivid. For some reason, her back felt empty.

"..."

The Inquisitor's head turned backwards as if possessed. She saw the people. And she saw the city. She saw the city that shouldn't have been visible, obscured by the castle.

"The castle..."

It vanished.

Goosebumps erupted in that moment.

"Had he been, going easy on us until now...?"

No, that couldn't be. Not only was there no way the demon occupying the Demon Knight's body would go easy on her, but if he had poured out such a massive attack, even a Great Demon would surely face a strai—.

[When there is no place to return to, even resistance becomes meaningless.]

GRAB!

"Kuhuk!"

The shield was forcefully wrenched aside. Her arm hurt as if it were being broken, but another part of her was the bigger problem.

[Right?]

"Ugh!"

Her neck was grabbed.

[So give up.]

"Ugh—"

She stared at the Demon Knight who had grabbed her neck and hoisted her up. She was somehow resisting with her divine power, but the pressure being applied to her neck was gradually overwhelming her.

[Wail over your own helplessness.]

She wanted nothing more than to swing her mace or kick him to put up some resistance, but why wasn't her body listening to her?

[Be wrathful like that.]

Her windpipe started to slowly close.

"Let her go, you demon!"

THUD-THUD-THUD!

At that moment, a few individuals who were likely Heresy Inquisitors rushed at him.

No. Her throat desperately tried to push out those words, but it was impossible.

The Demon Knight moved the sword he held in his other hand. SLASH! The sound of flesh being severed and blood spurting rang out.

"God sayeth...!"

[... How continuously annoying!]

In rapid succession, spears generated in the empty air above the Demon Knight's head.

They flew past her to the back. The chanting of the Mages, including the Archmage, was cut off, and screams clamored out.

[So persistent!]

"Ugh!"

Helplessness began to dominate her entire body.

STAB.

"Damn it, I don't know what you've been muttering about since earlier, but please snap out of it."

Then, for a moment, the sound of something being pierced rang out.

[... This is.]

"Keugh, cough."

Just before her vision went completely black, her neck was released.

She slumped to the ground as her legs gave out, urgently gasping for air.

Her line of sight had lowered, but through her hazy vision, she could see the Demon Knight's legs and the legs of the existence standing behind him. It belonged to a person she could recognize even with her dazed mind.

"Why...?"

When he was always whining about how he wasn't superhuman, why?

[A mere human...!]

"Ah, fuck."

SHATTER.

She watched as the Demon Knight smashed the kukri embedded in his shoulder with his bare hands and turned his body toward the Thief.

"N-No..."

She had to stop that, no matter what. That Thief only had a few little skills; he was no different from a normal civilian. He would die even if the Demon Knight just swatted his hand without swinging his sword.

She absolutely had to stop him.

"No...!"

Get up. I have to get up.

Her blurry vision forcibly came into focus.

"You can't, Demon Knight!"

The Demon Knight's sword was eventually swung downwards.

* * *

'What are you saying.'

'Stop your bullshit and piss off.'

* * *

Deathbringer subconsciously raised his arm. He knew it couldn't protect him, but it was a physiological reflex.

However, even though he clearly heard the sound of a slash being launched, he felt no pain. He carefully opened his tightly shut eyes.

"... Sir Knight?"

The Demon Knight's right eye, which had been filled with crimson energy just moments ago, was turning back into a normal person's eye, with the whites and pupil separated.

The sword that had clearly been aimed at him now existed having smashed into the earth to his right.

"... Dum."

"...?"

"Dumpling."

'Dumpling? What was that?'

He heard the word the Demon Knight muttered. He had no idea what it meant. It was a word he had never heard in his entire life.

"It's meat dumpling."

However, he was able to vividly witness everything that happened in the next moment.

"I'm sorry."

With his back to the breaking dawn, the Demon Knight—whose hair was returning to gray as if color were draining away, and now even draped with an orange veil—

"I'm really sorry."

—was smiling tenderly and apologizing.

While stabbing his own stomach with his sword.

40 participants. 31 mildly injured. 4 critically injured. 0 casualties.

It was the moment the vessel harboring a Great Demon was subdued.