Barbarian's Adventure in a Fantasy World-Chapter 261: The Descent of the Holy Sword (1)

Only after two sleepless nights did they finally finish cleaning up the aftermath. The survivors managed to clear away every last flower and tend to the wounded, purging the tainted land as best as they could.

For two days and nights, not a single person rested. Exhaustion weighed on every soul, but still, the work pressed on. Even so, not everything was restored. The holy land itself remained broken, the sanctuary’s heart still missing. The domain of the God of Harmony had vanished from the Mortal Realm. It was a loss they had no choice but to accept.

Perhaps it was a miracle that things had ended there, with only a single holy land erased. If Floris had managed to escape the battlefield, at least five more sanctuaries would have fallen before she was stopped.

When the dust finally settled, Ketal sat down with the Archbishop to discuss what had happened.

“How did Materia descend into this world?” the Archbishop asked him, his voice hoarse and wary.

Ketal replied matter-of-factly. “She descended through Floris’s body, using it as an avatar. That was her vessel.”

“I see.” The Archbishop still seemed troubled, a furrow creasing his brow. “Even so, no matter how powerful Floris was, I can’t imagine she could have brought Materia into the world on her own.”

Ketal was silent for a moment. He understood the reason but hesitated to say it outright. It was the fracture that Ferderica had created when opening the gate of the heavens, a wound in reality that had given Materia the opportunity she needed. However, Ketal had made a promise to the Mercenary King not to speak too openly about that particular event. The Archbishop arrived at his own conclusion.

“So the fracture in the world has grown that large... What is happening to this world?” the Archbishop muttered.

“Materia is one of the Four Pillars of Hell, isn’t she?” Ketal asked him, changing the subject.

“Yes, that’s correct,” the Archbishop replied, sitting up a little straighter.

“What exactly are they?” Ketal’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

The Archbishop took a deep breath, steadying himself before explaining. “They are the rulers of Hell. You could call them the true lords of the underworld, the proxies of the Demon King. The four greatest demons... those closest to the Demon King himself.”

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Their strength is immense. In this world, the number of gods is not small. Including even the smallest religious orders, there are dozens. But during the Divine-Demonic War, that number was much higher. There were well over a hundred gods then.”

Ketal’s eyes widened in surprise. “Over a hundred gods, and just four Demon Lords held them off? Are they truly that powerful?”

“Not exactly,” the Archbishop admitted. “Things were different back then. The gods intervened in the Mortal Realm to punish the demons who had taken over the world, but it was a world ruled by demons. The demons were free to act as they wished, but the gods could only intervene with difficulty. That’s why the four Lords were able to resist so many opponents.”

“Still, that’s impressive,” Ketal replied, nodding in acknowledgment.

“They were certainly stronger than any ordinary god,” the Archbishop said.

Ketal leaned forward, eager for more information. “So, who are the four Demon Lords?”

The Archbishop shook his head. “There isn’t much information. They were already ancient by the time of the Divine-Demonic War, and records from those days are fragmentary at best. Anyone who faced them was either destroyed outright or left so broken that their accounts are almost impossible to interpret. Even so, we’ve pieced together a few facts.”

He began to recite what little was known. “There is the Writhing Aberration, Necrobix. It is the founder of dark magic. Then there is Caliste, a madman who mastered the sword and rose from obscurity to become a Demon Lord. He’s known as the Demon of the Sword. Next is Abyss, the Living Engine of the Ruin. It is a demon in the form of a device, the first tool of the Demon King, empowered to wield the Demon King’s own authority. And finally, Materia, the Mother of All Demons, the only demon capable of giving birth to others.”

Ketal stroked his chin thoughtfully. “So, the Demon Lord I faced can create new demons. That explains why she wanted my seed so badly.”

“Floris is likely one of Materia’s children,” the Archbishop continued. “Given enough time and the right seed, she could produce demons on the level of Heroes. That’s why she’s called the Mother of All Demons.”

Ketal nodded, considering this new information. It was a serious problem. The fact that Materia’s avatar had managed to descend was bad enough—the real Materia would be a true disaster.

The Archbishop sighed heavily. “I must report this at once. The Earth Goddess must already be aware, but I need to bring this to the church’s attention immediately. News about Materia, and about you as well.”

He bowed deeply to Ketal. “Thank you. Without your help, we would have perished here. A terrible evil would have spread unchecked across the world. You are a savior, both to the Earth Goddess and to all people.”

“I only did what anyone should have done,” Ketal replied simply.

The Archbishop smiled, a trace of humility in his eyes. “Such humility... If you ever visit the church of the Earth Goddess, mention my name. You will be welcomed as an honored guest.”

“I appreciate it,” Ketal said with a small grin.

The Archbishop hurried away, no doubt bound for the holy land of the Earth Goddess to deliver his urgent message.

Afterwards, Ketal met with the remaining survivors. The Mercenary King stood some distance away, staring at the rift that still lingered in the sky.

“What do you plan to do now?” Ketal asked him.

“I suppose I should return to the guild,” the Mercenary King replied. He was the only survivor among the mercenaries. He would have to explain what had happened.

“You’ll have your hands full,” Ketal observed.

“A Demon Lord has descended. This isn’t something that can be kept quiet.”

The world was about to be shaken, and Ketal had been the one to stand against such a being and win. The Mercenary King glanced at the great wound in the sky.

“That was your doing, wasn’t it?” he asked Ketal.

Ketal nodded. “Yes. Though I can’t say for sure how it happened.”

The Mercenary King gave a bitter laugh. He had always believed that, if he worked hard enough, he could one day reach the rank of Hero. However, seeing Ketal’s power had shattered that dream.

No, this is something beyond the level of any Hero, the Mercenary King thought. He hesitated, then offered his hand. “Thank you, Ketal. If not for you, I wouldn’t be here.”

“You’re welcome,” Ketal replied, shaking his hand.

“If we meet again, I’ll make sure to repay you properly,” the Mercenary King promised.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Ketal answered with a smile.

With that, the Mercenary King departed.

Ketal next sought out Kain.

“Master, are you all right?” he asked him, genuine concern in his voice.

“I’m fine,” Kain replied, though he still looked exhausted.

“And what about my senior brother?” Ketal pressed.

“He survived, though his spirit is broken.”

“I’m relieved,” Ketal said, letting out a sigh.

The old master laughed, the sound warm and genuine. There was a time when hearing Ketal speak like that would have made his stomach churn. However, that was not the case anymore. After everything that had happened, Kain learned what truly mattered.

He clapped Ketal on the shoulder. “Thank you, Ketal. You’ve given me another chance at life.”

“It’s only right for a student to protect his master,” Ketal replied.

“And I find that to be a wonderful duty,” Kain chuckled.

He felt no shame in calling Ketal his student now. The man had saved his life; there was nothing left to prove.

“I’ll return to the kingdom now,” Kain said.

“I should be heading back as well,” Ketal replied. “There are people waiting for me.”

“Then, until next time,” Kain said, offering his hand.

Ketal shook it warmly. “Until next time.”

***

One by one, the survivors made their way home. Some left in sorrow, others with relief, and a few with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty.

The Archbishop, too, found a moment to rest as he hurried back toward the church. He paused by the side of the road, rubbing his eyes as exhaustion set in.

“To think Materia would descend...” he whispered to himself.

A Demon Lord of Hell had set foot on the world. It was an event so dreadful that, had things gone even slightly differently, the entire continent might have needed to be redrawn.

Ketal had managed to banish Materia back to Hell. The Archbishop shuddered to think what might have happened otherwise.

He did it alone. Not a soul came to his aid, the Archbishop realized.

Even if it was just Materia’s avatar, she was still one of the Four Pillars of Hell. That put her above even most Heroes.

How strong is Ketal, really? he wondered. He gulped, feeling his throat go dry. This was no ordinary Hero. He was something far greater.

More than that, the world itself was unraveling. The fissure between realms had grown so large that a Demon Lord of Hell could descend. With the world in such a state, the gods themselves would soon take greater action. From their throne in the Hall of the Gods, they would begin to intervene more directly.

“Perhaps even the Holy Sword will descend,” the Archbishop murmured, a sense of awe and dread mixing in his voice. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

***

One day later, Ketal returned to the Kingdom of Denian.

When Milayna saw him enter the city gates, she gasped in relief.

“K-Ketal! You’re back!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry for the delay. I had one last thing to deal with before I could return,” Ketal replied.

“No, as long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters!” Milayna cried, her voice brimming with joy.

She dropped everything she was doing and led Ketal to a reception room, fussing over him as if she were welcoming a hero returned from war.

Milayna looked up at him, her eyes brimming with questions.

“Did everything work out?” she asked him quietly.

“Of course,” Ketal replied, grinning. “Everything went smoothly. I even had fun.”

For a moment, Milayna froze, caught off guard by his answer.

“I... I see,” she managed, masking her concern.

In truth, she already knew exactly what had happened. From the moment Ketal departed, she had sent out agents and informants, tracking every rumor and piece of information. She knew the state of Ferderica’s holy land—the devastation, the ruined sanctuary, the descent of Ferderica, the overwhelming clash of power, and the disappearance of the god’s sanctuary. No one in the city knew more about what had transpired.

However, she kept her questions to herself. Sometimes, it was better not to know every detail. Instead, she shifted the topic.

“You said you had something else to deal with before coming back. What was it?” she asked casually, not really expecting much. After all, nothing could compare to the disaster at Ferderica’s holy land. No matter what Ketal said, she doubted anything would surprise her now.

Ketal answered with a brief explanation.

Milayna’s breath caught as she listened, her eyes wide with shock.

***

The conversation left Milayna half-stunned, barely able to process what she had heard. In the end, she could only mumble that Ketal should get some rest. He agreed and left the city, heading out to the quiet forests beyond the capital.

He had something to check for himself.

With a deep breath, Ketal focused, reaching inward toward the beast of Myst within him. A low growl echoed inside, the beast voicing its discontent. It fought his control, unwilling to be used for such a simple purpose.

It was the complete opposite of what had happened with Materia. Back then, the beast had acted willingly, joining forces with Ketal to overcome a worthy foe.

Ketal narrowed his eyes. Now he understood. He could only truly control the beast of Myst when facing a powerful enemy, when his life was on the line, and he was pushed to the very edge.

The heavenly being Ferderica, the God of Hunger, had been one such opponent. So too was Materia, the Mother of All Demons.

These were the greatest threats he had ever faced. Only when challenged by such overwhelming power could he draw out the beast’s strength.

With a thrill of anticipation, he realized that there were still many enemies in this world who might force him to unlock even greater power. The world was growing more dangerous by the day, but Ketal felt nothing but excitement.

He smiled as he stood in the quiet forest, the wind stirring the branches around him.