Ch.147Chapter 147 – Lucifer (2)

“Gode, you traitorous bastard-!”

The spear, filled with killing intent, aimed straight for Gode’s brow. Gode didn’t just stand there idly. Though he claimed physical combat wasn’t his specialty, hundreds of years of battle experience allowed him to evade Shin Jaehyuk’s surprise attack.

“You, how are you still alive?!”

“That’s what I should be asking. You should have died, shouldn’t you? …Ah, reincarnation. That explains it. That holy power, your changed appearance.”

Gode nimbly dodged the attacks with quick footwork, but he couldn’t hold out for long. Eventually, Shin Jaehyuk grabbed him by the neck and subdued him.

As murderous intent filled those hands, Kwak Taewoo hurriedly shouted.

“Wait, Shin Jaehyuk! Remember that we need a guide! Calm down a bit!”

Contrary to his concern, Shin Jaehyuk didn’t immediately kill Gode. However, still with an angry expression and suspicion in his voice, he asked:

“…You. Why aren’t you fighting back?”

“Satan’s orders are to escort you safely to Asmodeus’s territory. Attacking you would violate the contract. Even if you kill me here, I can’t do anything about it. That’s the contract.”

Contract. That was the price for power gained without effort. Absolute obedience to the contractor until death.

“That would also answer your first question. I sold my soul to Satan in exchange for an immortal body. …Well, the fact that the demon I contracted with was Satan was something I learned later.”

If what he said was true, it meant Gode had lived as Satan’s puppet for hundreds of years and would continue to do so eternally. Kwak Taewoo clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“…You’re insane. The Emperor, no, Sabah couldn’t endure that time and his mind broke. How are you still so sane?”

“Sabah died? I haven’t seen him since we parted ways in hell. Well, someone like him who always chased momentary pleasures would likely grow tired of life quickly. But I’m different. For me, time is not the goal but the means. My aspiration is to discover everything in this world and reach the truth. For me, being alive is not a curse but a blessing.”

Gode’s most fundamental desire is the satisfaction of curiosity. He wants to know what everything in this world is made of and how it works. That curiosity led Gode down the path of mysticism, and became the catalyst for contracting with a demon to pursue forbidden knowledge.

“You sold out your comrades for such a purpose?!”

“It’s funny hearing you say that. Are you in any position to lecture me? You’ve also joined hands with Satan for your own purposes. You act this way toward me while cooperating so well with Satan. I only betrayed nine people, but isn’t Satan the one who directly and indirectly slaughtered billions of humans?”

“That’s…”

Shin Jaehyuk was at a loss for words at the mocking observation. He wanted to refute but couldn’t find the right words. The criticism wasn’t wrong.

Perhaps because the man he had known since childhood as Mr. B felt too familiar, Shin Jaehyuk momentarily forgot about the demon king’s true nature hidden behind Mr. B’s mask. Maybe Satan’s frivolous attitude and manner of speaking were all deceptions designed to scatter his vigilance.

‘According to what Kwak Taewoo told me, Sabah also made a contract with Satan, just like Gode. That means Satan, who was the Demon King at the time, was the one who engineered the downfall of the 12 Heroes party from behind the scenes…’

Was this also part of what the Sage called the “plan”? He couldn’t tell. What role was he supposed to play as a chess piece in their plan?

As his thoughts multiplied, the grip on Gode’s neck loosened. Freed from Shin Jaehyuk’s hands, Gode straightened his clothes and whistled sharply. The Death Worm, which had been standing like part of the background, lowered its head and opened its mouth before the three people. Gode climbed into its mouth and sat on a seat installed inside its throat.

“If you have nothing more to say, let’s go. We have a long way to cross the desert. My role is to guide you, not to be your emotional punching bag.”

Kwak Taewoo nudged Shin Jaehyuk, who was caught in his thoughts and unsure what to do, leading him toward Gode.

“Let’s go for now. We need him at the moment.”

“…Fine. It’s not too late to settle accounts after we finish what needs to be done.”

That applied to both Gode and Satan.

Though he was in a position where he had to cooperate with Satan due to lacking the strength to oppose the forces of hell alone, someday he would have to resolve this relationship definitively. For better or worse…

***

“Reporting for duty. It’s an honor to meet S-rank Hunters. I am the field commander of the Roman front—”

“Ah, let’s skip the tedious procedures. Time is of the essence, isn’t it?”

“…Yes. Then I’ll get straight to the point.”

Inside the command tent at the frontline where Gregory and the military were facing off, S-rank Hunters who had completed their battle preparations met with the commander.

Being at the frontline, periodic explosions could be heard from outside the tent. It was the result of bombardment to prevent the fallen angels from escaping Rome. Whether the tactic was effective or not, the fallen angels were currently pinned down, forming a wide barrier in the sky.

“Please understand the noise. I’ve ordered 24-hour bombardment to stop the enemy’s northward advance. It will cease as soon as you enter.”

“Who else is entering the field besides the four of us?”

“Escort teams, medical teams, support teams, and transport teams. Of course, they’re all A-rank or higher Hunters, and they’ll handle the regular mobs so you can focus on the Four Heavenly Kings.”

“Just Hunters?”

“The military will join as well, but regarding the Four Heavenly Kings, it’s better not to expect too much…”

“Yeah, yeah. That salt conversion ability, right? That’s why we coated our clothes and equipment with special sodium-resistant materials.”

It seemed possible to bombard from a distance beyond Lucifer’s reach, but the military was inadequate for directly annihilating fallen angels. There were no foolish commanders here willing to trade tanks and fighter jets worth thirty billion each for salt.

Pharaoh and Muhammad asked:

“Is the city evacuated?”

“Yes. All survivors have been withdrawn to the outskirts of Rome. You can go all out.”

“You’ve prepared what I requested?”

“Helicopters will drop it as soon as you give the signal.”

Pharaoh nodded with satisfaction.

The time to begin the operation finally came after the final checks were completed. The sound of bombardment ceased. About a dozen vehicles carrying the Hunters entered the city.

“See that translucent barrier in the sky? Head toward the center of it. Lucifer should be there.”

“Judging by the location, it’s near the Colosseum.”

Military vehicles carrying humanity’s greatest forces drove through collapsed building debris and acrid smoke. A group of fallen angels patrolling the area flew toward them, having heard the vehicle engines.

“Go ahead! We’ll hold them here!”

While their assistants engaged in battle, Adriano gauged the distance to the Colosseum and gestured to Euphemia, Zhang Wuyi, and Muhammad.

“This distance should be sufficient. Get ready.”

Adriano’s skill, spatial manipulation, enveloped the four people. Like passing through a gate, the scenery instantly flipped. The battlefield at the center of the Colosseum, where Lucifer was waiting, appeared before their eyes.

“Humans? How did you get here?!”

The fallen angels standing guard rushed toward them as they appeared out of thin air. Zeus extended his finger toward them. Lightning burst from his fingertips, turning the angels into electrical barbecue.

A few who managed to protect themselves with spells charged in for hand-to-hand combat. It was a fierce attack, like gladiators fighting in the ancient Colosseum. It was a charge that could pierce through rock, but a spear with a cold aura suddenly stopped. It was Zhang Wuyi’s telekinesis.

“So telekinesis neutralizes it.”

Zhang Wuyi’s psychic power eroded the angel’s protective barrier. The moment the barrier completely disappeared was the angel’s end. Following the shape of Zhang Wuyi’s fist, the angel’s form crumpled and turned into a meatball.

“The small fry are taken care of. Now…”

Zhang Wuyi’s gaze turned to the center of the Colosseum. Lucifer was floating high in the sky. The arrogant gaze that had been observing the ground turned toward them.

“So you are the heroes who have come to stop me. It seems Azazel has gone out to enjoy hunting… My research on the system isn’t complete yet, how troublesome.”

The four elements swirled above Lucifer’s hand.

“But well… learning in actual combat might be good too.”

“What are you babbling about?!”

The battle began with Zeus’s surprise attack. Moving at lightning speed, Zeus instantly appeared beside Lucifer and gathered lightning in his hand.

“Chidori!”

“Lightning, is it? Elemental skills are too common. Not worth learning.”

An earth wall (dobyeok) unfolded in front of Zeus. It seemed Lucifer intended to use the earth as a lightning rod to divert the lightning. Zeus inwardly sneered. His lightning wasn’t affected by such trivial elemental differences.

The destructive current concentrated on a single point of the earth wall. The high-voltage current created by Zeus went beyond simple charge transfer, accompanied by almost magical phenomena. In the invisible microscopic world, electricity broke the bonds between atoms in the wall, causing it to lose cohesion and collapse.

Zeus’s divine form burrowed through the collapsing dirt. His body, wrapped in lightning, accelerated at an unbelievable speed.

“Lightning Kick!”

With a playful shout, Zeus’s foot pierced through where Lucifer had been. Two pairs of wings blocked the attack.

“Ho… That’s quite interesting. Is it like this?”

Lightning similar to Zeus’s gathered in Lucifer’s hand.

“My technique?”

While Zeus hesitated with his foot caught, Lucifer’s hand extended toward her.

Zhang Wuyi responded in place of Zeus, who was a half-step too slow. Telekinetic force that could part the sea blocked Lucifer’s arm, while the teleporter extracted Zeus.

Despite having his movement blocked, Lucifer’s eyes gleamed.

“Spatial manipulation? A rare skill. I’d like to see that again.”

“Ugh! What strength…!”

Zhang Wuyi extended his hand to block Lucifer’s turning head, sweating profusely. Though he was only restraining Lucifer, it required enormous mental power to block his movements.

“Finish him while he can’t move!”

“I’ll do it!”

Zeus raised both arms to the sky. Storm clouds gathered above. The enemy was in the air and unable to move.

These were the optimal conditions for a lightning strike.

“This is the punishment from the lord of the skies!”

A rain of lightning poured down. Lucifer countered with a dark spell. Lucifer’s wings were covered in black demonic energy, and lightning bolts shot up from their tips.

“To claim to be the lord of the skies is arrogant. Let me personally teach you the virtue of humility.”

Like opposing poles of magnets attracting each other, the lightning from Lucifer and Zeus met and canceled each other out. The lightning lines drawn on the three-dimensional canvas twisted like snakes or vines, writhing to reach their respective targets.

“Intruders!”

“Help Lord Lucifer!”

The loud clash between Zeus and Lucifer drew the attention of nearby fallen angels. Fallen angels that the Hunters outside the Colosseum couldn’t stop gathered densely.

“Tch, I’ll send them all to space at once.”

“Wait. Teleporter, stay out of the battle as much as possible. That Four Heavenly King seems able to copy our skills. If your technique falls into his hands, it would be too dangerous.”

Pharaoh stopped the teleporter who was drawing up magical power to use a large-scale technique. Instead, Pharaoh shot a signal flare high into the sky.

“I’ll handle this. I have a technique prepared for this moment.”

The Hunters and soldiers fighting outside saw the signal in the sky. As previously arranged with Pharaoh, they understood the signal’s meaning and moved quickly.

“It’s Pharaoh’s signal! Everyone withdraw!”

Dozens of transport helicopters were heading toward the Colosseum over the military vehicles retreating from the frontline. Each helicopter was carrying some kind of container box, and while the fallen angels’ attention was focused on the Colosseum, they were able to safely drop the containers in the combat zone and withdraw.

“Intercept them!”

Angels who mistook the containers for explosives attacked the falling containers. Holes were punched through the metal plates, and the contents filling the containers spilled out. Contrary to expectations, one angel murmured in confusion as he confirmed the substance that didn’t explode:

“…Sand?”

Pharaoh smiled with satisfaction as he confirmed the prepared materials had arrived. Magical power surged from his body.

Immediately after, 800 tons of sand responded to Pharaoh’s magical power. Rome was engulfed in a sandstorm.