Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

According to what Shea had said, it seemed that Gushara had allowed himself to get captured by her, to progress with his plan.

But now they suspected he was a Demon Great General, he was likely overwhelmingly powerful.

The Divine Artifact floating above the altar was engulfed in the black flames, which had an ominous appearance like a wraith that had consumed countless lives.

Basque had said something about collecting souls, so the millions of lives lost across the continent had likely been stuffed inside the Divine Artifact.

(It's almost like a bowl to gather human souls. Either way...)

Allen came to a conclusion about the Divine Artifact.

The Demon King's Army had turned countless people into Pagan Worshippers, but the instant that change happened, they had essentially ceased to live as humans.

By creating Pagan worshippers they gathered lives, which were all stored inside the Divine Artifact.

Why they needed so many lives was still a mystery, but they were clearly planning something that required an insane number of souls.

"So you're Gushara?"

Allen had heard a lot about him from Shea.

He had no doubts about his identity seeing the many robes he wore.

'Hohohoh. Yes, that is indeed me. Gushara Serbilor, the founder of Gushara's Sacred Teachings. Do you wish to join our ranks?'

Gushara finally turned around and looked at Allen, asking if he wanted to join the cult.

His voice was rather loud and monotone.

Allen felt like there was a boss like that in a game he played before.

He seemed accustomed to asking everyone that entered the temple if they wanted to join him.

"No, we're here to kill you. Though I wouldn't mind learning what you're trying to accomplish here. All the Demon Generals were too secretive after all."

Basque was the only talkative one, but he did not know enough about their plan there.

'Oh, what a pity. I truly feel for you, coming here without knowing your own purpose. Wouldn't you agree as well, Lord Kyubel?'

"""?!"""

Allen's party listened alert as yet one more figure appeared out of thin air.

He was dressed like a clown, and Allen recalled seeing him in Rosenheim.

'Were you looking for me? I have to applaud your efforts, Hero guided by Elmea. I see you're attempting to defeat the cultist leader, the source of all evils.'

As he spoke, his eyes under the mask turned to look at the black flames around the Divine Artifact.

"Hero?"

Kyubel's usage of the word "Hero" made everyone slightly confused.

It was like he put extra emphasis on it, like there was a deeper meaning behind it.

(There's one more Demon General we have to fight. Not to mention he's the Primordial Demon General.)

Allen had to put even more thought into the fight now.

At first he thought he would need to fight against Basque, Gushara, and the Pope, but then Kyubel, a Demon Great General and the Chief of Staff of the Demon King's Army, also joined them.

Allen had asked Merus about the structure of the Demon King's Army in the past.

He had been planning how to defeat them, and for that he needed to know what types of Demon Generals he would need to fight.

That was how he learned about Kyubel, who had the moniker of Primordial Demon General, and who he had already met in Rosenheim before.

Apparently he was the first Demon General to be born, and had lived since ancient times.

He wore a clown mask and attire so his face was always covered, but maybe there was just an old man hiding behind it.

(Hm?)

Allen looked at Basque and noticed he seemed to be making an effort to not burst out laughing.

Gushara was also chuckling to himself.

'Well, let me throw you a bone. You're all going to die anyway, so let me tell you some things, letting you pass away in ignorance would be too cruel.'

(He even wants to give us a parting gift. Maybe he's actually more generous than he seems?)

"So you want to give us a parting gift? I'll gratefully accept it."

Kyubel seemed willing to tell them his plan.

Allen's main priority was learning what was going on.

He felt like this was the first time in his life he asked for something similar to a final wish.

'I'll tell you since you asked so nicely. I think it all started with Basque. You see, he has this burning desire to acquire more power, and no human could ever satisfy his curiosity.'

"Hm? Basque?"

Allen was wondering why Kyubel mentioned Basque all of a sudden.

Apparently he had misunderstood Kyubel's offering, and he was not going to tell him about the ploy surrounding the Divine Artifact.

'Then came the Hero Helmios. Seeing the failure in Basque, Elmea decided to grant a more benevolent and righteous person the [Hero] Talent. But that did not work out either, do you know why?'

(Ahh, I see. I think I'm starting to get it now.)

Allen finally understood why Kyubel had put so much emphasis on the word Hero when addressing him earlier.

"He did not have the correct personality to defeat the Demon King. He was too kind, so his ambitions weren't high enough, or something like that?"

Kyubel was talking about the people Elmea had specifically chosen to fight the Demon King's Army.

The first one was Basque, but that did not work out.

Then came Helmios, but he was too kind and benevolent.

'Correct! You really are a smart one. Elmea realized that someone with no interest in wealth or fame, yet strived to become stronger than anyone else was too much of an aberrant personality amongst humans.'

Preparing to fight the Demon King and his Army was an arduous and long task.

What Elmea wanted was someone who would never be satisfied with their current position and would strive to become stronger, never settling for less, and with enough charisma to lead others.

Such a personality was essential.

Elmea needed someone like a gamer that would continue farming and grinding levels.

"Is that why I was brought from another world then?"

'Yes, exactly!'

Allen was correct again.

Kyubel loudly snapped his fingers.

'You've done your research on the Divine Realm, I see.'

Merus joined the conversation between Kyubel and Allen.

Apparently only Elmea and a handful of others knew about all that.

Yet Kyubel, a Demon General, had discovered that.

'It was no big deal, my dear Merus. I caught quite a few angels and made them speak. Your kind are truly marvelous teachers.'

Merus had lived for upwards of 100'000 years, yet Kyubel spoke to him as if he was a child.

Apparently Kyubel had learned about the matters in the Divine Realm by abducting and torturing angels.

'Y-you fiend!!'

'I didn't need to capture them to learn that, but they would verify it. Think of it as periodic updates on the latest news from the Diviine Realm..'

He had only captured the angels out of curiosity, but did not seem to think that information was too valuable.

"Hm?"

'Just think about it. This isn't the first time a hero and Demon King clash, is it? How many times do you think that's happened in the last however many hundreds of thousands of times?'

It seemed like Kyubel was grinning below his mask as he said that.

He knew the past of this world, the countless fights between a hero and Demon King that kept repeating.

"And that's why you caused all this commotion? Because you knew Elmea would succeed the next time?"

Kyubel knew it without needing to capture and interrogate angels.

Helmios' successor was going to arrive soon.

And if things went to plan, that next hero would be even stronger than Helmios.

Knowing that, Kyubel had already started planning countermeasures, ways to stop the hero that had not been born yet.

'Allen, how long ago do you think this era began?'

"Hm? Isn't it like ten thousand years or something like that?"

Allen looked at Merus as he said that.

Once the balance of the world was broken, the God of Creation would reset it.

The last reset had happened around 10'000 years prior.

'That's correct. Everything started anew then, and now ten thousand years later the world is about to fall again. So Helmios' successor was sure to appear.'

Kyubel believed that at around the 10'000 years mark, Elmea would create a hero instead of giving up on the world.

The hero would be given the duty of restoring peace and balance to the world.

That was why the Demon King's Army had been planning for decades.

For decades the Evil Cult recruited members, all to plunge the continent into chaos when the time came.

They were sure that that would lure in whoever had been chosen as hero by Elmea, who would attempt to defeat the Demon King eventually.

(So the Demon King's Army has a guidebook? This really is Hell Mode.)

Allen was able to glean that there were Demon Generals in the Demon King's Army that had lived for tens of thousands of years, if not hundreds, and that they knew a hero always appeared to fight them.

That explained why Allen had seen both the Demon King and Hero classes when creating his character.

In this world, only the Demon King's Army possessed a guidebook on defeating the hero.

All the God of Creation had told Allen was to live his life however he pleased.

Kyubel had the authority to send Demon Generals around the world.

There was a reason why they had not appeared in Rosenheim, even though it was common to see them in the war.

They had been standing in reserve in preparations for this plan to get Allen.

"So, what are you going to do with all those collected souls?"

Allen could tell they had been planning to kill him for many decades now.

Now he wanted to know why they were so interested in collecting souls.

Usually one only gathered something in large quantities for a specific purpose.

'They're just an offering to our venerated Demon King, but that's something that will happen after you've died.'

He did not go into any details as to how the millions of souls would be used.

It seemed like the conversation was over, so Allen used Sharing to pass on his orders to Merus.

'I see, I'll do that then. You will die now!'

Merus' stats increased with Kingship, and he rushed towards Kyubel.

In response, Basque took his greatswords and jumped between Merus and Kyubel.

'Hey, don't ignore me like that.'

'Get out of the way!!'

'Hwahh?!'

The last time they fought against Basque it had been a hard fight, but now Merus easily kicked him out of the way.

Basque flew back, past the altar, and hit the wall behind.

'Hehh, so you're regaining your old strength?'

Seeing Merus' movements, Kyubel noticed he was as strong as he was as First Angel in the past.

'More or less. But now I'll kill you, Kyubel.'

(That was way too close, I almost didn't cast Kingship in time.)

Now Merus had the power to easily kick Basque like that, unlike during their last encounter.

Allen was focusing his new tactic around Merus' power.

'Hahahah. That's a bit worrying. I need you to despair a little more.'

(Despair?)

'Hm?'

Kyubel simply laughed after Merus sent Basque and his immense stats flying.

He seemed confident of his victory even now.

'We had decades to prepare for this. Just look at you, already stronger than Demon Generals. I'm glad we were cautious.'

Kyubel patted his chest in relief as a black lump began to form past the altar.

It was like a different dimension was colliding with theirs there.

Clack

Clack

A sound like a horse walking on stone could be heard then.

Something stepped out of the darkness, a creature like a horse, its skin covered in scales, and two horns growing from its head.

(A qilin?)

'...An Arbiter God.'

Allen's first thought was a mythical creature he had seen in his past life, known as qilin.

As if rewriting those thoughts, Merus whispered into Allen's mind.

'Now, Arbiter God Pharnemes. The people you see in front of you are sinners, it's time for them to repay their crimes.'

Hearing Kyubel's words, the Arbiter God's eyes narrowed and it glared at Allen's party.

More despair had been presented to Allen.