Chapter 343

R̀é​àd̃​ ̈ö​ñ ́K̈àt́​R̈ẽád̃îńg̈C̃ãf̂​é

Crack.

The sky splits.

It was a familiar sight. A fissure in the void. A phenomenon that made the world seem to crack. An alarm announcing the invasion of monsters. 

A rift in space-time. But this time, it couldn’t be expressed with just the word ‘rift’. The sky, shattering like glass, wasn’t a rift but a passage. A fissure of that size would allow countless named monsters, the top tier among monsters, to pass through. 

Even during the Great Catastrophe, it was rare to find a fissure of that scale.

“Good. It’s hard to create a fissure of this size because of the Four Seasons’ surveillance. But throwing a match on an explosive is simple, isn’t it?”

All Murmur did was light the fuse.

The barrier had already accumulated a lot of damage from repeated invasions.

The accumulated damage made it easy to break even with a slight touch.

The ruler of space inserted a finger into that loophole.

It was such a simple, easy, and concise act. So, preventing it from the beginning was close to impossible. Even if I had awakened as someone close to a god, even if I had doped myself with the unfamiliar power of a Devil God, even if I had arrived in time and directly stopped Murmur, this result was inevitable.

Knowing that, I moved, and in the end, I faced a predetermined failure.

I tried to hide my bewildered expression and stared blankly at the sky.

They’re coming.

The superior species of monsters.

The Demonic Beasts.

Their strength is not comparable to the Devil Gods.

There are differences between individuals, but usually one Captain is enough to deal with them.

With my current power after obtaining Belial’s authority, I can confront them and even defeat them.

But what makes Demonic Beasts so terrifying is not their individual strength. What allowed them to become the nightmare of human history was that they were not alone. They are a legion. If a Captain commands thousands, a Demonic Beast commands millions of monsters. The descent of a Demonic Beast soon meant a large-scale invasion. They efficiently and actively command monsters that rush in recklessly without strategy or tactics, turning battles into wars. That is the existence of a Demonic Beast.

‘No…! Yoo-seong isn’t here right now…!’

Demonic Beasts can dominate monsters inferior to them.

Not only the monsters that came through the rifts with them, but also the monsters that stay outside the human territory.

The Demonic Realm.

The world outside the borders.

The world beyond the barrier where monsters have driven out humanity and occupied it.

Naturally, the monster’s territory is overwhelmingly larger than the human territory, and the monsters living in that land are also far more numerous than humans.

‘Until now, the balance has been maintained because Yoo-seong, an asymmetrical force… the God of War, has been massacring the monsters of the Demonic Realm…’

But now the God of War is not here.

The guardian deity of humanity was gone.

The Four Seasons will stand by.

Like during the Great Catastrophe.

If the descended Demonic Beast extends its dominion to the Demonic Realm, the resulting tragedy was unimaginable.

‘Unlike Devil Gods, Demonic Beasts are not subject to the Four Seasons’ restraint. They are superior species of monsters, but ultimately subordinates of Devil Gods. To the Four Seasons, Demonic Beasts are not worth guarding against. Ugh, really! What’s wrong with being a little flexible?’

…I know.

The Four Seasons have their own circumstances.

If most of the Devil Gods’ incomprehensible actions are because of the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons’ incomprehensible actions are also caused by the Devil Gods.

Baal.

The king of Devil Gods.

The reincarnation of the ‘Ancient One’.

Having read Lucille’s memories, I also desperately understand the Four Seasons’ vigilance.

That power.

That authority.

That majesty.

Even Yoo-seong feared that absolute being.

The Four Seasons’ always acting passively is also to avoid provoking Baal. If the Four Seasons directly descend and eliminate the Devil Gods, even the lazy Baal would lift his heavy butt. It’s like an adult (the Four Seasons) suddenly intervening in children’s fights. Even a bystander (Baal) who only watched the fights wouldn’t stay still.

‘Baal… even spared Amon, who had betrayed him. He has some affection for his own kind. It’s one thing if a Devil God is killed by humans, but if the Four Seasons kill a Devil God…’

Still, they interfere to some extent.

The Four Seasons haven’t completely let go.

They monitor the Devil Gods and restrict their activities.

But that interference doesn’t reach the Demonic Beasts.

‘We’ve stopped the Devil gods, so do the rest with your own strength.’

As if saying that.

‘…Okay, fine. I’ll do it. I can do it. I never expected your help in the first place.’

The future is bleak, but it’s not so hopeless that there’s no solution. The most terrifying thing is the Demonic Beast dominating even the monsters of the Demonic Realm. 

If that happens, humanity is cornered. A horde of monsters invading under the control of the Demonic Beast. 

Furthermore, they’re invading simultaneously from inside and outside the border. The rifts don’t discriminate against locations. We might be able to win, but the damage would be uncontrollable. It could escalate into a second Great Catastrophe.

‘In other words, if I subjugate it before that happens, it’s solved.’

I was lucky. No, can I call this lucky? Anyway, it’s a fortune in misfortune. The passage of space-time opened right here. Above the sky I’m standing on. 

In other words, the Demonic Beast will descend here. Far from the border. Now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The last chance to prevent it from escalating into a Great Catastrophe.

“Who’s going to come over? Hmm, hmm… Ah, that’s right. It’s that guy.”

Murmur nodded and said with a smirk.

“Not bad. You’ll have to work hard. Even for us, subduing that guy was a bit of a hassle.”

The shattered sky.

Beyond the shattered glass.

A huge shadow loomed.

A shadow like burning ashes.

The blurry shadow gradually took shape.

Beyond the glass. Beyond the sky. Beyond the world.

It began to reveal its magnificent form.

It was a hand.

Five fingers, like a human.

But that’s all it had in common with humans.

A human hand doesn’t burn.

The fingernails aren’t that sharp.

Lava doesn’t flow through the cracks.

And it’s not that huge in the first place.

The hand comes down.

At first glance, it looked like a meteor shower falling from space.

Like burning up in the atmosphere.

Like exploding starlight.

It glows endlessly.

It was fire.

It was light and explosion.

It was a volcano, a meteorite, and gunpowder.

The hand grabbed the void. Glass shards fall. 

Creeeak. 

I couldn’t hear it, but I could feel it. The sound of something breaking. The noise of something shattering. I realized it with my skin, not my ears. I unconsciously swallowed hard. My mouth felt parched. No, it’s not a feeling or a delusion. It’s really drying up. Even the damp cold sweat evaporates quickly.

Crack. Crud. Crunch.

It forcibly pries open, breaks, and distorts the rift. It’s already a ‘passage’ of a scale that can’t be called a ‘rift’ anymore, but as if that’s not enough. It forcibly expanded. 

The rift widens. And what appears is the body part connected to the hand. The arm. Just that alone was bigger than most high-rise buildings. 

An arm like ashes. An arm with all sorts of cracks carved into it. What flows through the cracks is fire like lava.

“Good luck.”

Murmur shrugged.

The white cloud mask looks at me.

I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could feel her gaze.

“The volcanic eruption that incinerates all things (千態萬象).”

Forcibly breaking through the torn space, a huge body finally appears.

The lava flowing down the body falls like blood.

The surrounding air rapidly heats up.

“Living and breathing flame.”

It was a giant.

A burning giant.

The outer shell burning like armor.

The protruding horns were like sacred fire (聖火).

What the giant hand held was an even more gigantic greatsword.

Twilight. Disaster. Sun. Death. Curse. Scream.

A cursed sword that seemed to condense all of that.

“Once rivaled the Colossus Typhon, the monster of the end.”

The incarnation of fire.

The Giant of the End (終末).

Surtr.

“As you are now, merely a mediocre devil, it’ll be quite difficult, won’t it?”

It was a voice mixed with laughter. Her shoulders shook slightly. I’ve heard sneers and ridicule, but this was the first time I’ve heard the child in the white cloud mask laugh so purely.

“I have other things to do, so I’ll be going. Ah, don’t worry. I won’t cause any more trouble. See you next time. I hope you’ll be Belial by then.”

“Dream on.”

I didn’t stop Murmur from waving her hand cheerfully and disappearing. It would be more accurate to say I couldn’t stop her. I had no means to catch Murmur, who was expanding and distorting space, and even if I did, I shouldn’t catch her. 

Because I don’t have the confidence to face a devil god and a Demonic Beast at the same time. I’m worried about other things… but for now, let’s just focus on what’s in front of me.

“Surtr…”

I utter the Demonic Beast’s name.

It was a strangely familiar name. Of course. I already knew it. I knew it even before reading Lucille’s memories.

Surtr was… the Demonic Beast that Eugene defeated in the ‘novel’.

The Demonic Beast who should have descended seventh in human history.

The Demonic Beast that Eugene, who had awakened as a Captain-level, should have defeated after his activities… but now it’s meaningless to dwell on the ‘novel’ plot, right?

I couldn’t help but sigh. I exhaled as if the ground would sink. Even if I awakened as someone close to a god, fighting a Demonic Beast is naturally impossible. That’s a monster that you can’t even touch unless you’re Captain-level. At best, the limit is to buy some time. 

Moreover, my Supernatural Ability is Super Regeneration. It’s not compatible with a guy who’s so overwhelmingly massive and constantly burning.

I move my dry lips and call out a name in a small voice.

Belial.

“I’ll borrow it.”

Your authority.

I’ll definitely pay the price.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
(Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…)

(Giggle~)

(Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…)

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Don’t lose it!!!