Chapter 327

&R;&e;&a;​&d;​& ;&o;&n;& ;&K;&a;&t;&R;&e;​&a;&d;&i;&n;&g;&C;&a;&f;​&e;

“I was robbed… hic, of my body…”

Frey’s face turned ashen at the girl’s words.

Her complexion paled, and her mismatched pupils trembled aimlessly.

Missing pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and the situation began to make sense.

Lucia had said she was Astaroth, but not Astaroth. The girl also said she wasn’t Astaroth. Astaroth was a devil god who steals human bodies. The girl said she was Eugene. The clues assembled like puzzle pieces, completing the larger picture. Frey couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

“Ha, what the fuck?”

“Huu, sniff…”

“N-No, I didn’t swear at you. D-Don’t cry… No, wait, you said you’re Eugene, right? Why are you blubbering?! Stop it, will you?!”

“Uuu, sob, hic, sniffle.”

“…Sorry. I was wrong, so please don’t cry.”

Seeing her desperately trying to hold back her tears, Frey turned his head away.

Don’t cry with that face.

It’s like Alice is crying.

…Okay, fine. Let’s just assume it’s all true for now.

But there’s still something I don’t understand.

This kid is Eugene, and he had his body stolen by Astaroth.

What does that have to do with becoming a girl who looks like Alice?

Devil gods literally steal bodies, right? They don’t change bodies.

Even if I concede that Eugene is a pretty strong supernatural, so instead of just stealing, the bodies changed…

Then that means Astaroth was using the body of a girl who looked like Alice.

So what was that girl’s original identity?

‘Resembles… a face that resembles Alice…’

Our appearances are inherited from our ancestors through bloodlines.

We could infer that much from the God of War’s reaction, who is another ancestor.

He isn’t the only descendant of the God of War, so it wouldn’t be strange if there was someone among the descendants who inherited the God of War’s blood and resembled Alice.

‘Wait, come to think of it…’

There was one.

Wasn’t there another descendant who resembled Alice?

‘Eugene’s younger sister…’

I heard that Eugene was concerned about Alice because she resembled his dead younger sister. Frey paused for a moment, then shook his head. Even he thought it was a foolish fantasy.

Nah, no way.

That couldn’t be it.

I heard she died in the Great Catastrophe five years ago.

There’s no way a dead person would suddenly come back to life.

A younger sister miraculously survives, has her body stolen by a devil god, and then the devil god who stole her body switches bodies with her brother? That kind of cheap, third-rate scenario can only be found in stories. There wasn’t enough plausibility for it to happen in reality.

“Guys, let’s exchange information later and get out of here first. It’s dangerous. We might get caught up in it.”

Lucia said, constantly looking back. Yoo-seong and Astaroth were fighting over there. Normally, the battle should be over quickly. An ordinary devil god can’t stand up to the God of War. Even if he’s weaker than he was in his prime, he’s someone who once competed with the King of the Devil Gods. Astaroth’s defeat was as good as certain. The outcome should have been decided within a few minutes at most.

But the battle was still not over. The chilling explosions continued, and the tombstones that comforted the souls of the dead were being uprooted. The fact that the cemetery still remained meant that the real battle hadn’t even started. Probably just a preliminary skirmish. We had to get out of the cemetery as quickly as possible before Yoo-seong and Astaroth started fighting in earnest. We could talk later.

“Lu-Lucia… let me down now…”

“No. You still can’t move properly, can you?”

Unlike Astaroth, who quickly adapted to Eugene’s body, Eugene was still unable to move Yui’s body as he pleased. He would collapse while walking, and then flail his arms, unable to get up as he pleased. It was like a machine with a corrupted command system. He would try to raise his arm, but his leg would extend, and when he tried to extend his leg, his waist would bend on its own.

Astaroth’s identity was Yui, and Eugene’s body was stolen by that Yui. It was a series of shocking events for Eugene. Lucia patted Eugene on the back as if to comfort him and looked back. She wanted to help him directly, but for now, she had no choice but to trust Yoo-seong.

“It’s okay. It’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

Lucia said, as if to reassure Eugene.

She smiled bitterly and whispered to herself.

Trust Yoo-seong.

The hero of Lucille.

◈

Yoo-seong’s old comrade.

Michael’s Sword is an unremarkable, ordinary sword.

Made from commonly available raw materials, forged by an average craftsman, in a typical manner.

Not a bad sword, but not a good one either.

Just a common, run-of-the-mill sword.

But the user was one who resembled a god.

Once the strongest supernatural, rivaling Yoo-seong.

Since the sword’s owner was the strongest, the sword naturally became the toughest.

Through countless battlefields.

Against countless enemies.

No matter what attack it endured.

The strongest sword that would never lose its edge or break.

More than a century had passed, and even though the owner had changed long ago, that fact remained unchanged.

Michael’s steel sword was imbued with radiance.

It was a legacy left by the one who resembled a god, for his friend, before he passed away.

A holy sword and a divine sword.

The best and greatest weapon among the weapons Yoo-seong possessed.

That’s why Yoo-seong rarely drew Michael’s Sword. Most enemies were no match even without Michael’s Sword, so he only took it out occasionally in special situations. In fact, this was the first time he was using it for ‘battle’. Yes, battle. Not hunting, but a struggle.

“Hahaha, what’s with you? You’re not as good as before.”

The Demonic Sword and the Divine Sword clash.

The sound wasn’t the clang of metal, but an explosion.

The air trembled and the ground was overturned.

The final resting place of the dead was shattered.

“Did you use up too much power escaping the Abyss? Or are you holding back because it’s the body of your successor and disciple? Or maybe…”

Astaroth’s lips curved into an arc.

It sounded like a joyful smile, but it also sounded like a sneer mocking her opponent.

“Have I gotten stronger?”

A flash of light answered instead.

An attack aimed precisely at Astaroth’s neck.

From left to right. A horizontal slash.

There was no holding back. He would cut her down in one fell swoop.

Even if Eugene’s body is destroyed as a result, it couldn’t be helped.

What’s important in supernatural abilities is the spirit, not the body.

Eugene wouldn’t weaken just because his body changed, so there was no hesitation.

If necessary, wouldn’t he be able to regenerate with Super Regeneration somehow?

Yoo-seong decided to think about the aftermath later and intended to kill Astaroth for real.

“Fast. Scary.”

But Astaroth’s neck was still in place. She parried it. She deflected the trajectory of the slash with the Demonic Sword and slightly turned her head. Yoo-seong’s slash, no less. Even though he had increased its power with Michael’s Sword. Of course, she didn’t block it completely. Her neck was slightly cut, and blood droplets splattered. If it had been a little deeper, her artery would have been severed.

“You seemed so huge back then. Now… you’re just so-so.”

He’s strong.

That fact remains unchanged.

The God of War’s strength is awe-inspiring and terrifying.

One wrong step could lead to certain death.

That’s the kind of person he is.

That’s how strong he is.

But.

However.

“I think I can do it now.”

There’s a chance. I can win. It’s not arrogance or conceit. It was an objective analysis. I can win. I can turn the tables on the Commander. He’s overwhelming, but not as much as he was back then. 

Of course, he probably hasn’t used all his means yet, so it’s too early to jump to conclusions… but absolute death has been downgraded to a challenge that can be overcome.

I’m not entirely satisfied.

Astaroth felt both satisfaction and disappointment at the same time.

I stole my brother’s body and became stronger. That’s definitely a good thing.

Even though I’ve become stronger, I can’t be sure of defeating the Commander. That was disappointing.

Astaroth’s goal doesn’t end with the mere extinction of humanity. She has to kill humans, kill all the monsters, and even liberate the Seasons and the devil gods from their original sin. But she’s struggling with just one Commander. How can she possibly cope with the Seasons and Bael like this?

‘Well, it’s okay.’

The plan has already succeeded.

From the moment she stole Eugene’s body.

Astaroth’s plan was as good as realized.

That’s because.

The strength of the ‘Chosen One’ is only just beginning.

“Well, then. That’s enough of a preliminary skirmish, right? Let’s start for real now.”

Both sides hadn’t given it their all for their own reasons. Yoo-seong was buying time until Lucia evacuated. Similarly, Astaroth was moderating her power so that Eugene wouldn’t get caught up in it. She didn’t like that Lucia, that bitch, took her brother away, but she was just entrusting him to her for a while.

“I have to kill you quickly and take my brother back. It’ll be a hassle if I don’t do it now, before I get used to my body.”

Astaroth’s reason for trying to keep Eugene by her side wasn’t just because of her obsession with her brother.

The ‘reason’ that he was a capable asset certainly existed.

From the moment she adapted to her new body, even Astaroth couldn’t easily lay a hand on him. Supernatural abilities are powers that reside in the mind. The ability doesn’t disappear just because the body changes. Moreover, ‘Yui’s’ body is an avatar that has adapted to the power of a devil god. There’s no telling what kind of synergistic effect it might have. It means that Astaroth isn’t the only one who benefits from the body change.

The only chance Astaroth had to easily get her hands on Eugene was, in fact, now.

“So please, just die quietly.”

“Ha, that’s what I want to say.”

Two swords crossed.

The sound was an explosion like thunder.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Today’s note is also end of service!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
So, what about not being caught by Agares?

That’s out of the window now, smh.