Chapter 204

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This is a dream.

I’m watching Lucia’s memories in this dream.

At least, that’s what I thought until a moment ago.

‘Yoo-seong? Lucille?’

No, Lucia doesn’t know these people. Who is Yoo-seong? And who is Lucille? These are characters who don’t appear in the “novel” I read.

“The Dawn of the Sword” wasn’t particularly long, but it had a fair number of characters.

However, no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall any information about these two.

The only person that came to mind when I saw the boy named Yoo-seong was the Commander of the Celestial Corps.

At first, I was too flustered to think of it, but upon closer inspection, he bore a striking resemblance to the Commander. 

After all, he’s an incredibly famous figure. His photo was even in the textbooks distributed at the academy. 

Though, for some reason, looking at him made my chest feel uneasy, so I never paid much attention to it. That’s why I didn’t immediately recognize him.

But that night-sky-like hair is too distinctive to miss.

Jet-black hair.

With golden streaks shimmering within.

It was like watching stars twinkling in a cloudless night sky.

‘But the Commander’s name was Mars…’

The God of War, Mars.

That was his name in the novel, and it was also recorded as “Mars” in the textbooks.

For a moment, I wondered if he was just a separate person who happened to look similar.

After all, there’s already a precedent for similar cases. Alice and Eugene’s younger sister looked very much alike. That was the fundamental reason Eugene cared so much about Alice. His lingering feelings for Yui, who had left, had transferred to his interest in Alice.

But there was something unsettling about brushing it off like that.

In the novel, the Commander appeared only a handful of times. 

It couldn’t be helped—he was overwhelmingly strong. He fought on par with the final boss of the “novel”, which spoke volumes about his strength. 

He was a god among men. If devils were gods inhabiting human bodies, the Commander was a god who remained within the realm of humanity.

He was simply too powerful of an ally.

He was a massive hindrance to the story’s progression.

If the Commander was around, the protagonist’s achievements would pale in comparison.

He could just solve everything himself.

There would be no need for Eugene to grow or awaken.

That’s why, midway through the story, the Commander was written out.

He fell into Agares’ trap and was banished to the void between dimensions. 

Even the Commander couldn’t do anything about it, and it took a long time for him to reappear.

He only managed to break the seal and return near the story’s conclusion. But by then, Eugene had already achieved his final awakening, leaving the Commander with nothing to do.

His last contribution was giving Eugene advice to help him awaken.

Thus, the Supreme Commander’s role in the novel wasn’t particularly significant. Even the golden generation, the main characters of the novel, only interacted with Eugene. 

Despite his overwhelming combat power, his actual contributions were minimal. 

To put it bluntly, he was a character with grand settings but little substance. Perhaps it was the price of being too strong for a non-protagonist.

Though the Commander appeared infrequently, he always left behind plot threads.

Most of them were unresolved.

They were MacGuffins.

The novel ended without properly resolving them, which was incredibly frustrating. It made me suspect that the story had become too tangled to continue, forcing a rushed ending. Though, to be fair, the story’s structure was quite tight, so that might not be the case…

Well, who knows? Maybe the author planned to write a side story to address the unresolved plot points after the main story ended. As someone who had become Lucia, I had no way of knowing.

I tried to recall the unresolved plot threads. The Commander didn’t think highly of the gods of the four seasons. 

While supernatural abilities were a gift from the four seasons, there was a hidden secret behind them. 

Before he was called the God of War, the Commander had fought a grueling battle against a formidable enemy in the distant past. And…

‘It’s highly likely that the name Mars is an alias.’

This was practically stated outright.

He was called by a different name in the past.

With that in mind, I looked again at the boy called Yoo-seong.

‘If Yoo-seong is the Commander’s real name…’

…Then what?

Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t resolve any of the questions.

Let’s say Yoo-seong is the Commander.

Then who is Lucille?

Why does the Commander and a woman who looks like Lucia appear in Lucia’s memories?

Wait, maybe I’ve been mistaken about the premise. What if these aren’t Lucia’s memories, but Lucille’s? 

That raises another question. Why am I seeing Lucille’s memories? What’s happening to me in reality?

Ugh, I’m so frustrated I feel like my head’s going to explode.

I wish it would just physically burst open.

“What’s wrong, Lucille? You don’t look so good. Is something bothering you?”

Yoo-seong asked with a worried expression.

Lucille, who had been upset by the earlier declaration of friendship, forced a bitter smile and replied,

“No, I’m just a little sleepy from being so busy since early this morning.”

Yes, you’re really something.

I woke up early just to make myself presentable for you.

Why don’t you notice? Look at my hair! Look at the accessories! You’re the one who gave them to me!

Sigh, but I’ll forgive you. You’re just too lovable. I didn’t expect much anyway.

You’re so oblivious. Even if I hint at it like this, you won’t get it.

That obliviousness is part of your charm. What can I do? The one who falls in love first loses… Ugh, what am I even saying?

‘…Here we go again.’

The phenomenon of being assimilated into Lucia’s—no, Lucille’s—emotions.

This is why I’ve been trying to wake up from this dream as soon as possible.

The feelings of a love-struck girl are transferring to me.

I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of pink happiness, and I might turn into a lovesick fool.

Lucia doesn’t want to become a lovesick fool! I won’t do it! A lovesick fool? As if!

Huh? What do you mean, “What have you been until now then?” That I’ve already become a lovesick fool? 

Wrong! My identity is still that of a man! Do you think I’d fall in love with a man? 

Don’t get the wrong idea. Wanting to be ravaged and toyed with by a man is completely different from falling in love with him! I want to be Eugene’s toy, not his lover!

‘Who is this person?’

The person I thought was Lucia from the past.

Lucia, but a girl who looks exactly like her, called Lucille.

I’m curious, but there’s no way to find out… Wait, actually, there is. It’s right in front of me. I just don’t want to do it.

‘If I use the assimilation of emotions in reverse… and completely entrust my consciousness to the memories…’

Then I could read Lucille’s memories in detail and figure out her identity. The problem is what comes after. 

I have no idea what state I’ll be in after being assimilated into Lucille’s consciousness. I might not be able to return to being “Lucia”, or even if I do, the emotional impact might linger too strongly. 

The risks are too great. It’s not something I can attempt lightly.

“Alright, shall we get going? We have a lot to do today.”

Lucille skillfully hid her disappointment and reached out to Yoo-seong.

Her hand, white and clean, as if it had never known hardship.

Yoo-seong naturally took her hand in return.

“I’ll leave the escort to you.”

“Sure, leave it to me.”

Yoo-seong smiled softly. It was a refreshing, grass-like smile. Truly adorable… Ah, there I go again. I really can’t let my guard down.

“I’ll keep you safe, my saintess.”

“I’ll trust you, my hero.”

…Hero.

Now, the term refers to the members of the Celestial Corps.

Anyone who fights for humanity is a hero.

That’s why the Celestial Corps calls its members heroes.

But if you trace the origin of that title.

At the end of it stands one man.

The hero, Mars.

The first hero.

◈

Yoo-seong.

Suddenly, the name lingered on my tongue.

For some reason, it felt nostalgic and bittersweet, making my chest tighten.

But Belial was aware.

That these emotions weren’t her own.

It was just the “body” reacting on its own.

Thinking back, this wasn’t the first time this had happened. When she first encountered Eugene and Alice, she had also felt a sense of familiarity. 

She had even greeted them with a bright smile. Though it was a sneer, it was something the original Belial wouldn’t have done. 

Perhaps her excessive obsession with Eugene was also influenced by Lucia.

“…What’s this? Is no one going to explain?”

The God of War muttered quietly. His tone was flat, devoid of emotion, but everyone present could feel it. An unmistakable, vivid anger.

“Then I’ll interpret it as I see fit, no problem?”

One step.

He resumed the step he had paused.

The air trembled. A terrifying pressure weighed down on the space. Eugene let out a shaky breath. 

Even though it wasn’t directed at him, his spine turned cold, and goosebumps ran down his back. 

His pupils shook. 

The word “aura” was insufficient to describe it. “Killing intent” was too short. 

An intangible energy spread. The world flipped upside down, with the God of War as its axis. A dazzling golden light began to illuminate everything.

“M-Master!”

At that moment, Kaen raised her right hand and shouted.

Her attitude was like a student raising her hand to ask a question.

“That girl in the green mask has had her body taken over! She’s not a monster!”

Kaen’s face was clearly panicked. She had never seen her master like this before. What could have happened before he arrived here? She was curious but didn’t have the courage to ask. 

More importantly, she had to explain the situation before her master acted. If he made a move, the girl in the green wolf mask might not even leave a corpse. 

Killing a devil was one thing, but an innocent girl whose body had been taken over didn’t deserve to die.

“…I know, too well.”

The God of War replied without even turning around. 

Did he hear her? But his aura was still sharp. No, it had grown even fiercer. 

Master?! You’re not planning to just kill her, are you?! Kaen trembled as she stared at her master’s back. 

She didn’t dare intervene. She felt like she’d be swept up and killed if she tried.

‘What is this guy…?’

Murmur felt her mouth go dry. Her legs were shaking from the pressure. 

She had fought captains before. She could confidently assess their level. 

Alone, they were no match for her. Two were tricky, and three posed a real threat. But what about this boy? Murmur could immediately judge.

‘…At least, he’s on our level.’

I can’t believe it. Is he really human? He’s not even the Chosen One, so how…?

The scale of his existence was incomparable to ordinary humans. That made him even more alien. 

It was as if an impossibly vast soul had been forcibly crammed into a small human body. 

At that scale, he should have already transcended into a higher realm… So why was he still confined to the limits of a human? 

It was like an elephant pretending to be an ant. 

Murmur let out a bitter laugh. She wasn’t in a position to judge.

‘He’s dangerous. This guy is dangerous.’

Murmur flicked her finger.

With a click, space began to change.

‘He’s blocking spatial teleportation. Fighting him… avoiding him is the better option.’

In a situation where other captains are gathering, fighting a human on the level of a devil? That’s just another way of saying suicide.

‘He’s holding onto space itself to block teleportation.’

It would take some effort to forcibly break it.

But he won’t give me the chance.

If there’s no chance, I’ll make one.

‘Expand space, create distance first…’

While he might block teleportation, he hasn’t sealed all spatial abilities.

If he’s just holding space in place, he can’t stop other spatial abilities.

Her vision expanded. The surroundings rapidly grew distant. 

Spatial expansion. Space began to expand around Murmur. 

Naturally, the humans caught in the expansion were pushed back even as they stood still. 

Watching Eugene and Kaen shrink into dots and disappear at the edge of her vision, Murmur let out a deep breath. 

Good, now I can recalculate the coordinates… Wait, hold on.

“How are you…?”

The God of War was still walking forward.

Even within the expanded space, he didn’t stop.

He was an exception to the flow of the expanding world.

“Spatial abilities… Yeah, annoying. I’ve dealt with them before.”

The God of War spoke flatly.

“But you’re not even close. Not even close. That guy’s authority was far beyond this.”

“…Who are you talking about?”

Murmur gritted her teeth. Her pride was scratched. “Not even close”? My authority? Among the Devil Gods, no one handles space as well as I do. 

When it comes to spatial abilities, I’m the unrivaled strongest. And you’re saying I’m “not even close”? Me, the ruler of space?

But the God of War’s next words made Murmur’s jaw drop.

“Your king. That bastard.”

Before she knew it, the God of War was in front of her, raising his fist.

Murmur hastily created a spatial rift. A technique that separated space from space. It was several levels above spatial refraction, offering absolute defense against external interference. Murmur’s pride.

And yet,

Crash!

“Argh?!”

Her pride shattered like glass.

The spatial rift crumbled into pieces.

The God of War’s fist struck Murmur’s cheekbone.

The white cloud mask shattered into fragments.

Murmur staggered and collapsed to the ground.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her nose felt wet. When she touched it, blood was flowing.

“How… What…?”

That single punch had drained the strength from her legs. 

A simple punch, without any special force, had left her unable to stand. 

Murmur, her lips wet with blood, looked up at the God of War. But he didn’t even glance at her. 

His gaze remained fixed on the girl in the green wolf mask. From the beginning, Murmur had never been in his sights.

“Sorry. I was too late, wasn’t I?”

The God of War bit his lip slightly.

For the first time, a different emotion surfaced on his face, which had been tinged with faint anger.

In his blurred eyes was a deep sense of guilt.

“Lucille.”

My saintess.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
“My closest friend whom I met after a long time is infected with a parasite (devil).”

The commander was furious.

He was hit with a bludgeon of anger and it hurt so much that he was about to cry.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Fragments of gods calling themselves the absolute sure is ironic, don’t you think?

I guess pride cannot be fragmented, heh.