Chapter 333

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Dawn.

It was like the rising dawn.

A faint light bisects the sky and the earth.

Grasping the day and night that cannot coexist, dividing the world.

As if the heavens and the earth were being split open, all creation fell silent in this place.

A single flash of light.

From left to right.

Laying the blade sideways and swinging it with all his might.

In that instant, Yoo-seong felt his vision turn white. A sensation of freezing from the extremities of his body. In contrast, the blood flowing through his veins boiled like lava. His heart raced wildly. Clearly beating fiercely, yet paradoxically, it felt as if it had stopped. This feeling. This sensation. Yoo-seong knew it. A nightmare of that day that had no connection with Yoo-seong, who was born strong, and therefore he could never forget.

‘Is this it?’

He gripped the divine sword tighter.

He held Michael’s sword so tightly that his grip felt like it would tear apart.

His red-shot eyes looked at the dawn that covered heaven and earth.

‘Is it today?’

He awakened his supernatural ability to counterattack.

Brilliant, radiant, noble, and sacred golden light.

Above and below the sky, the most precious power in the universe opens its eyes.

‘Is this, my death?’

The moment he saw that strike, he realized.

Death.

That it was an unavoidable death.

No, it was a death that should not be avoided.

‘If I don’t offset it now… it won’t end with just one city…!’

Yoo-seong immediately understood why she had kept that strike hidden until now. She had been waiting for the subspace to collapse. She waited for the moment when Yoo-seong could not avoid it. 

Astaroth’s Sun Sword is different from Eugene’s ultimate technique. It has not reached the divine skill of reversing causality to make evasion itself impossible. Perhaps it is because it is not a complete form. Astaroth’s Sun Sword was an incomplete ultimate technique that had not yet been completed.

However, the power is worthy of the word ‘inevitable death’. It is a slash that could bisect a country. A devastating strike that would take the lives of millions, or more. It was truly the majesty of a god. Someone had to stop it. Someone had to prevent the damage from spreading. And there was only one person who could do that. The commander of the Celestial Corps. Yoo-seong, the so-called God of War.

‘If I break the seal, if I return as the Chosen One…!’

If he could only recreate his prime.

If he could return to being a hero, not the God of War.

Then he would be able to stop the Sun Sword.

‘But…’

If that happens, the promise with Bael will be broken.

One of the shackles that hold Bael in place will disappear.

Moreover, Astaroth’s plan will not be completed.

Bael will have even less reason to remain silent.

“Ha.”

Yoo-seong let out a faint chuckle.

He took a step towards the unavoidable death.

One step soon became two steps. Two steps became three steps.

Before he knew it, Yoo-seong had begun to run towards the dawn.

‘More than 150 years. I’ve lived enough. Why would I be afraid of death now?’

What he was truly afraid of.

Was not dying.

But failing to protect.

‘I am the God of War. The god of war. A guardian deity who protects soldiers and defends the country.’

Even if it was just an empty name.

Even if it was just a mask to hide his true feelings.

He had been called that, worshiped that way.

And he had carved himself to become that.

‘It is my duty to protect people.’

No matter how heavy the price.

That is not a reason to abandon his duty.

“Under heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one.”

Under the heavens and above the earth,

There is no one more noble than me.

Yoo-seong’s supernatural ability began to burn.

A supernatural ability that looks down on all things from the highest place.

It has a superior compatibility with any ability.

An extraordinary power that ignores even special authorities and laws.

“I must save all living beings.”

But it is never a self-righteous power.

What lies at the heart of this power.

Is the spirit of a boy who wanted to protect everyone.

It is the sense of justice of a hero who wants to save the world.

“Birth, old age, sickness, and death.”

Not destruction, but protection.

Not annihilation, but preservation.

It was the best defensive technique of the God of War, which neutralized even the repulsive force caused by the clash of powers, created by Yoo-seong, who had always survived alone, in order to live together.

As he extended the divine sword, a golden veil covered the city.

A streak of protective light descends in front of the dawn that cuts off everything.

Like a solid wall, it illuminated all directions gently even in front of the dawn that divided the boundary between heaven and earth, night and day.

Swish.

And they collide.

There was no sound or aftereffect.

There was no shaking or destruction.

As if nothing had happened.

Only a quiet silence settles.

“…Amazing.”

Astaroth said with a short breath. The dawn scatters. It disappears along with the golden veil. The day and night that coexisted separate, and the boundary that divided the sky and the earth fades. Astaroth looked at her grotesquely twisted right hand. Just once. It was just once. She imitated the heavenly god in her memory. It was only once, but her super regeneration broke down. Not only super regeneration but all supernatural abilities malfunctioned.

“It was a desperate move that I did my best with.”

I didn’t think he would block it.

No, strictly speaking, I expected him to block it.

She was not the true heavenly god, and she could not reproduce the complete Dawn with only the body of Eugene, who had not awakened.

It was already at the limit to imitate it by adding the authority of a devil god.

But even imitating it is no problem.

If she could reproduce even a part of that Heavenly God’s strike.

The power alone would be certain.

Even if the God of War blocked it, the damage would be uncontrollable.

Yes, I thought I could save at least tens of thousands of bugs…

“If you block it this perfectly, it hurts my pride.”

Amazing, really.

God of War. You are really amazing.

I almost want to applaud you.

Astaroth looked at the disappearing golden veil.

She looked at the God of War standing proudly beyond it.

Holding the dimly shining divine sword, he was panting.

“Cough, hack.”

Blood foam stained the floor.

The white coat had already lost its former color.

He staggers and kneels on one knee.

Black, dead blood gushed from his mouth and nose as if it would burst.

If anyone were to see him now, they would be shocked.

The pillar that never collapses.

That pillar is shaking.

Something that had never happened in the past 150 years.

And something that everyone was sure would never happen again.

That event was becoming a reality and unfolding now.

“I wonder what you’re thinking. Honestly, even I was quite embarrassed just now.”

Astaroth frowned, having destroyed the myth of the unyielding.

“I could have killed you. Just now, I could have definitely killed the commander. Not just critically wounded, but killed you instantly.”

She could have said goodbye to his upper and lower body.

No matter how good the God of War is, he would die if cut in half.

But he is alive. The God of War was alive. He was spitting blood as if critically injured, but he was still alive. She couldn’t understand that fact. She couldn’t understand the reason why that result occurred. Astaroth asked with genuine doubt.

“What are you thinking? Why did you protect that man?”

Thud. The sound of hard footsteps echoed faintly.

Someone appeared like a phantom from the empty air where nothing was.

One hand was in his pocket, and the other hand was extended forward.

The black leather gloves were torn to shreds, and red blood dripped down his fingers.

His face was not visible. The blue Rakshasa mask was covering the man’s face.

“Agares.”

Rank 2.

The man with the blue Rakshasa mask.

The Noble Prince.

Agares.

“Protecting the worst enemy. Did you go crazy while I wasn’t looking?”

“Those are words you shouldn’t say, Executor.”

Agares said in an indifferent voice.

“Did you really think the King would not know your intentions, that you were plotting to change your allegiance?”

“…So you noticed? But why did you let it go?”

“That was also the King’s will.”

Because Bael had condoned it.

Agares had also condoned it.

He turned a blind eye to the obvious lies.

“Ahaha, is that so? But what does that have to do with saving the commander? The fact that the God of War is the enemy remains the same, right?”

“The contract with the King. This man must not die yet.”

The Chosen One is silent.

If he does so, Bael will also be silent.

Death.

Is eternal silence.

“…I can’t believe that such a monstrous man is in this state.”

Another devil god descended to the ground.

The child with the white cloud mask laughed in vain and said.

“I’ve been waiting for the time of revenge, but at this rate, there’s no share for me, right?”

Murmur stroked his chest, looking at Yoo-seong who was panting heavily. The heart pierced by that man still ached. She almost died if she made a mistake. She was grinding her teeth to pay him back in the same way, but the monster was already a dying corpse. At this rate, she didn’t even feel like taking revenge.

“You came too, Murmur. It feels like it’s been a while.”

“…I thought it was a bad joke. It seems like it was true after all. Well, Agares wouldn’t make such a joke. But I was still hoping.”

“Huh? What?”

“What else could it be? That you stole the body of the Chosen One and betrayed us.”

“Ahaha.”

“You know what? I’ve hated you since a long time ago.”

“No, I didn’t know. That’s a pity~ I liked you.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. It’s creepy.”

“That’s too much~ I was serious.”

Astaroth glanced at the two devil gods in front of her.

Rank 2. The strongest devil god outside of Bael.

Rank 54. Not particularly strong, but a versatile ruler of space.

“Hmm, when was that? Was it a few thousand years ago? It’s been so long that I can’t remember.”

A long time ago.

A distant past.

There was a war that lasted for more than hundreds of years.

The war of the devil gods.

A ranking war where they bit each other.

The current ranks were established as a result of that war.

“How long has it been since it was restarted?”

The Devil God War.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Tomorrow will be 2024.

Time really goes by fast.

Hopefully everyone will be rejuvenated and blessed.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
The good side is so irrelevant now that it’s a battle between Astaroth and the noobs!

I still root for Astaroth!!!