Chapter 202

Ｒ​ｅａｄ ｏｎ Ｋ​ａｔＲ​ｅａｄ​ｉｎｇＣ​ａｆ​ｅ

Space Manipulation.

Space-based abilities are notoriously difficult to deal with.

Space, along with time, is one of the fundamental elements that constitute the world.

The ability to manipulate it opens up a myriad of applications.

Connecting spaces for teleportation.

Teleporting objects instantaneously.

Separating spaces to create barriers.

Distorting space through spatial refraction.

Compression, expansion, folding, detection, storage, clairvoyance, invisibility, assimilation, omnipresence…

The possibilities are truly endless.

However, space-based supernaturals are usually limited in the scope of their abilities. 

Most specialize in just one type of spatial manipulation. For example, Si-ul, the assistant homeroom teacher of Class A in the first year, could only bend space.

With practice, the range of their abilities could expand. But this was more about mastering their primary ability to the point where they could mimic other spatial abilities, not actually acquiring new ones.

For instance, bending space and then restoring it could mimic teleportation, but the principles and processes were fundamentally different. 

Similarly, manipulating spatial coordinates to simulate spatial refraction was not the same as true spatial refraction.

Thus, even though spatial abilities were powerful, they came with clear limitations. 

A space-based supernatural typically had one primary ability, which they honed to its extreme, allowing them to replicate other spatial abilities to some extent. 

Even if they awakened and became “god-like”, the premise remained the same.

‘…That was the common understanding until now.’

Isabella, the captain of the 3rd Division, steadied her ragged breathing.

She glared at the child in the white cloud mask, Murmur, and let out a bitter laugh.

‘That’s just cheating.’

To dominate the very concept of space.

To freely use all types of spatial abilities.

How terrifying and overwhelming that was.

She was experiencing it firsthand.

“Ugh, this is so annoying.”

Murmur muttered in an irritated voice as she flicked her fingers.

The rock and ice golems that had been charging at her were silently sliced into pieces.

She had severed the space they occupied, ignoring their durability and obliterating them.

Spatial Severance.

One of the ultimate techniques among spatial abilities, considered the pinnacle of mastery, was used by Murmur with effortless ease.

She expanded space to create distance or compressed it to close gaps instantly. Since space itself was under her control, she dominated the battlefield at will.

It wasn’t just about having access to numerous spatial abilities.

Abilities were tools, and how they were used depended on the wielder.

Murmur wielded her countless abilities with skill and efficiency.

In contrast, Angelica, who also dominated a concept—the earth—had a more limited range of abilities. 

Even if the potential abilities were infinite, the human wielding them had limits. Infinity was too vast for humans. But for a devil, that wasn’t the case.

Her opponent was clearly a single devil.

Yet, it felt like fighting hundreds of spatial ability users at once.

‘She’s ridiculously strong in a different way from Astaroth. Seriously, tone it down a bit.’

She ignored perspective, reflected attacks by reversing spatial vectors, manipulated gravity by exploiting its presence in all spaces, folded, severed, and twisted space to unleash unavoidable attacks. 

She could collapse space to annihilate everything within a range down to the atomic level, store attacks in subspace to counter later, and even swap positions with Angelica to induce friendly fire.

As a captain, Isabella had fought in countless battles.

But never had she felt so nauseated during a fight.

There was no way to win.

No strategy to defeat the ruler of space.

All they could do was hold on and drag it out.

“…Ugh, this is exhausting.”

Isabella exhaled a cold breath.

With a wave of her hand, ice golems were created.

Statues of Ni-ōs, yakshas, rakshasas, and all sorts of beings took form.

“Buying time is really tiring.”

If all they could do was hold out.

Then that’s all they needed to do.

She hadn’t even considered winning from the start.

Their goal was to keep the devil occupied.

If they could do that, their mission would be accomplished.

“If Kaen and the leader of the Sacred Knights have arrived… doesn’t that mean Azazel and Elijah, who are also in District 25, will be here soon?”

Given the distance, the two had arrived first, but the other two captains wouldn’t be far behind. 

Once they arrived, the situation would shift. The premise would change. Murmur’s strength was awe-inspiring, but against multiple captains, even she might not prevail.

It had been a series of anomalies.

An academy student, kidnapped, had returned as a devil.

Another academy student had awakened to become “god-like”.

Yet another academy student was now engaging in combat with a devil.

‘Alice… I was worried about her, but with the Knight Captain involved, there’s no need to worry anymore.’

It was Johan, after all.

Against undead, who are tied to death.

Johan was nothing short of a reaper, offering them peace.

Eugene had Kaen by his side.

One by one, the concerns were being resolved.

There was no more need to hesitate or worry.

“Phew, if we get through today, I’m taking a break.”

Vacations were a luxury for captains.

But a short rest wouldn’t hurt.

With a lighter heart, Isabella unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Murmur.

‘…This is so annoying.’

On the other hand, Murmur’s mood was growing increasingly irritable.

At first, she had intended to buy some time for Belial to take over Lucia’s body.

But after Agares’ intervention, she had shifted her focus to killing the captains.

Then, the chosen one’s incomplete awakening changed the situation again.

She had planned to withdraw before provoking a full awakening, but Belial had acted out of character.

The usually rational devil had suddenly decided he wanted to fight the chosen one, causing chaos.

Why was he acting like this? He knows that with the ‘Needle of Causality’ in place, we can’t kill the ‘Chosen One’, right? 

Provoking him will only hasten his awakening. There’s no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily, is there?

Murmur felt like smacking Belial’s head in frustration. Her chest tightened with irritation.

‘But…’

Even as she fought two god-tier supernaturals, Murmur continued to think. 

It wasn’t difficult. She divided her thoughts—one part focused on the battle, the other on sorting out her concerns.

‘Belial wouldn’t act like this without a reason.’

Belial valued rationality and efficiency above all else.

Though he could sometimes be swayed by emotions, he never acted so recklessly.

For Belial to act so impulsively…

‘It must be because of the vessel.’

Lucia’s body must be having a significant influence on him.

Even his speech had started to resemble Lucia’s.

Clearly, the vessel was affecting him.

Thinking about it, Lucia was an incredibly tenacious human.

It wouldn’t be surprising if she had left behind some influence on Belial.

If Belial had fully absorbed and integrated her, it might be different, but with Lucia’s will still lingering, this was bound to happen.

“Sigh, he was such a diligent worker too…”

Seeing him act like Astaroth now made her blood boil.

Speaking of Astaroth, there was still no news from her. What was she even doing? It’s not like Agares only gave orders to me, right? 

Yet, all she sent was her familiar, and then… radio silence. Should I be grateful that she at least sent her familiar? 

That familiar is quite diligent and likable, though. Maybe I should ask for it. She wouldn’t give it to me, would she?

‘More captains are arriving one by one. Right now, there are only two, but more will come soon.’

Once that happens, the situation will reverse.

Murmur will become the hunted.

Even the weak can bring down the strong if they gather in numbers.

And if multiple pinnacles of humanity come together, even a devil can be toppled.

‘…Should I retreat now?’

With the anomaly of the “Chosen One” appearing, Agares would likely understand.

Killing the captains in such a short time is impossible.

But running away is a different story.

Murmur was confident in her ability to escape.

Authority of space.

She could just teleport far away, and that would be the end of it.

What could the captains do about it?

Even if they could interfere with spatial abilities, they couldn’t completely block them. They had no means to stop her.

‘I’ll wait for the right moment, then take Belial and the familiar with me and retreat.’

It felt a bit uncomfortable to turn her back on the humans and run away. 

But that was all it was—a slight discomfort. This was the rational choice, so why hesitate? 

Once Belial fully absorbs Lucia’s will, he’ll return to his usual self.

The problem was whether Belial, who was currently caught up in the thrill of battle, would agree to retreat. 

Even Murmur couldn’t force him if he refused. They were both devils, equals in rank. 

If Belial resisted, even spatial teleportation would be difficult to control. She could still do it, but if he resisted, the coordinates might go haywire, sending them to some random place. 

If they ended up in the Earth’s mantle, even Murmur would start cursing.

A cold wave swept through, shifting the seasons.

The ground trembled as rocks erupted.

In the distance, light and darkness clashed.

Deafening explosions and heat filled the air.

Amidst it all, Murmur calculated the perfect timing.

It would be best to retreat before the other captains arrived.

Long-distance spatial teleportation required concentration, even for Murmur.

If multiple captains interfered, it would be a nightmare.

“Hmm?”

The opportunity came sooner than expected.

An explosion of life formed a dense forest.

Tree trunks expanded, and vines snaked across the ground.

Though she had seen this spectacle several times before, Murmur’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Is Belial… going berserk?”

The uncontrolled outpouring of life force.

Creation without restraint, simply scattering energy everywhere.

This was unlike Belial, and Murmur clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Tsk, it seems Lucia’s mental strength is something else.”

If she had known this would happen, she would have opposed using Lucia as a vessel. But well, it wasn’t a terrible situation now. 

While his rampage would interfere with spatial teleportation, it was still better than facing systematic interference. 

Annoying, but manageable.

Alright, the opportunity is here.

A faint smile spread across Murmur’s face, hidden behind her white cloud mask.

The game is over.

Let’s retreat for now.

We’ll go back and discuss our next steps with Agares.

The “Chosen One” has revealed himself.

The sword forged to kill devils.

The strongest sword, tempered by the four seasons.

We must complete our plan before that sword is fully forged.

‘Those damn four seasons.’

To reclaim the pride they stole from us.

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
The power of a Devil God is very overwhelming.

However, they are not omnipotent, so if you are determined and keep attacking, you can break through them.

The problem is that you have to be at least at the pinnacle of humanity.

Only the captains and captain-level individuals could dare stand a chance against the devils after all.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
It’s funny to think that they still mistake it as Lucia’s willpower, heh.