Episode 540. Lucifer of Ruin (4)

Zzzzzzz-

Warm light envelops Lee Hoyeon’s body.

Baek Ahyoung’s healing magic power gently seeped into Lee Hoyeon.

Lee Hoyeon, who had been lying down, clenched and unclenched his fists to check his physical condition.

‘I think I can get up now?’

Because the wounds were so severe, I had been lying down as if dead for almost an hour.

Lee Hoyeon, placing his hands on the floor, groaned as he pushed up his upper body.

“Kkeuh-eu. Hoo.”

“Honey. You shouldn’t get up yet…”

“If I don’t go, it might be even more dangerous. You know that too, Ahyoung-ssi.”

“…”

Baek Ahyoung averted her gaze slightly.

Although she couldn’t fight directly, Baek Ahyoung could also read the flow of the battle. Even though it looked neck-and-neck at first glance, looking at the stamina drain or accumulated injuries, it was clear one side was gradually falling behind. But as a healer, sending a severely injured patient to the battlefield was unthinkable. What’s more, that patient was the man she liked.

“B-but just a little longer. If I treat for just 5 more minutes, I think it’ll be enough…”

“Ahyoung-ssi. I appreciate you looking out for me. But 10 minutes ago, too, you asked me to stay for just 10 more minutes.”

“… sniff.”

Lee Hoyeon patted the head of the crestfallen Baek Ahyoung and got up from his spot. I’m grateful for your concern, but there’s no time.

Pop-pop-

Just moving a little made my joints cry out. It felt like my body was breaking apart, it hurt so much. But it’s okay. Inside my body, there was enough magic power, and my consciousness was clear. My magic circuits and muscles responded to my will. To feel grateful that my body moved according to my will.

‘Good. This is enough.’

Lee Hoyeon had faced Lucifer for hours in worse condition than this. Right now, the heroines are fighting Lucifer. Since I could get up, I couldn’t just keep lying down.

“I’ll rejoin the fight. Ahyoung-ssi, please take care of the others.”

“Mm-hmm. Okay.”

The closest person was Im Sol. Lee Hoyeon circulated magic power within his body and approached Im Sol. As he got closer, he saw the backs of Im Sol and Lucy, pouring magic power into Lucifer while sweating. Lucy, in particular, seemed to be nearing her limit, her expression grim.

Whoosh-

Lee Hoyeon subtly stood behind Lucy and added magic power to the magic circle. The hundreds of fire arrows, far hotter and more destructive than those Lucy created alone, surged towards Lucifer.

“Ah…?”

Sensing the familiar magic power suddenly, Lucy turned around, and as soon as she saw Lee Hoyeon, she broke into a bright smile.

“Lee Hoyeon! Are you okay now?”

“Hoyeon-ssi…!”

“Yeah. I can fight now.”

Lee Hoyeon smiled back at Lucy and Lumi, who had widened eyes. Seeing everyone struggling pained his heart.

“My disciple, are you sure it’s okay for you to move?”

Im Sol replied without taking her eyes off the magic circle. Although she was focused on the magic, she could feel that her disciple’s magic power was weaker than usual.

“This much is fine. More importantly, how is Lucifer?”

“… He’s much stronger than expected. For close combat, we seem to need help.”

Lee Hoyeon looked at Lucifer and frowned. Lucifer didn’t dodge Lucy’s fire arrows, even allowed some of Im Sol’s magic blasts, and continued his relentless assault.

“Why isn’t Lucifer defending?”

“It seems he’s changed his strategy. Ignoring everyone else, he’s persistently targeting only Scarlet.”

As Im Sol said, Lucifer was allowing minor attacks and sticking close to Scarlet. Knowing it’s difficult to handle everyone at once, he must be planning to take them down one by one. With his monstrous regeneration, it was an arrogant fighting style he could afford.

“… This seems dangerous.”

Although Scarlet’s evasion skills are excellent, if she receives Lucifer’s focused attack, she too would be in danger. Before Lucifer’s body could accumulate more injuries, if Scarlet were even grazed by an attack…

Thwack-

Just then, Scarlet was grazed by Lucifer’s attack. Even though it was a light attack, Scarlet immediately lost her balance.

‘Acceleration.’

I knew it.

Lee Hoyeon clenched his trembling fists tightly and quickly circulated his magic power.

*

And now.

Lucifer looked down at the humans before him. Why has this hunt dragged on for so long? He was just one step away. He was moments away from capturing Lee Hoyeon alive, and moments away from eliminating a bothersome fly. Only to be interrupted by Lee Hoyeon. Next would be Liliana. Then back to Lee Hoyeon. The obstacles blocking his path were displeasing. Just a little more time, and everything would have been over. At first, he could watch with amusement, but Lucifer was starting to get annoyed by those interfering with his grand plan.

“Lee Hoyeon!!!”

Lucifer gathered his magic power. The humans’ attacks were merely annoying, not threatening to him. Lee Hoyeon had returned, but his condition was far from normal. There was no reason for him to lose, and all circumstances favored him.

“If you had just stayed lying down, you wouldn’t have had to feel this pain. In the end, you too were just a foolish human.”

Lucifer watched the humans flinch at his magic power and smiled. In the end, they were just bugs. Adding Lee Hoyeon alone wouldn’t change anything. That confident appearance must be torn apart right now.

Crackle-

The space where Lucifer stood distorted. Dark magic power enveloped his body. The first target was Lee Hoyeon. Capturing him alive was erased from his mind. It lowered his dignity as the Demon King’s successor, but that couldn’t be helped.

BOOM-!

“… Huh.”

Lee Hoyeon swallowed hard. From Lucifer emanated killing intent. He had given up on capturing, intending to genuinely kill everyone here. Strictly speaking, it was to throw them into a healing space, but even that was likely a concession of pride for Lucifer. Lee Hoyeon, overwhelmed by the immense pressure, glared at Lucifer.

KOOOONG-!

With power that seemed capable of shattering the entire magic circle, magic surged into Lucifer’s fist. The ground Lucifer stood on trembled, and in an instant, his fist lunged towards Lee Hoyeon.

‘This much was predictable.’

While the speed was still hard to handle, he had expected to be the target of the first attack.

Eye Opening.

Acceleration.

Dodging Lucifer’s fist, Lee Hoyeon created distance and gathered his magic power. Lee Hoyeon hadn’t just been resting during his treatment; he hadn’t considered countermeasures against Lucifer. His speed and strength surpassed his own. He could dodge the first attack, but he didn’t know what would happen next. Lucifer’s attacks, which were lethal even on contact, needed a countermeasure first. Move faster with Acceleration? No. With insufficient magic power and unable to use Blood Beat, speeding up now would have poor output.

Thump. Thump.

Lee Hoyeon surrendered himself to the combat sense filling his entire body. There was only one way. If I can’t increase my speed, I have no choice but to read the opponent’s speed. The plan was already complete. Lucifer’s attacks were destructive. Letting down his guard even for a moment meant facing attacks that would turn him to dust, which he unleashed endlessly. But the more intense it got, the more Lee Hoyeon’s combat sense shone. The strength to not give up even against an opponent he couldn’t possibly beat. It was an ability that created at least a chance to jump, no matter how high the wall.

Lee Hoyeon focused his magic power into his golden, shining eyes. From the depths of his chest, vitality spread throughout his entire body. Contrary to the boiling combat sense, his mind grew cold. He felt a slight pain in his eyes.

‘Transcending Eye Opening, imitating Lucifer’s demonic eyes.’

Lucifer’s demonic eyes, which could read everything. Although Lucifer possessed them from birth, if one reached the pinnacle of magic, there was nothing they couldn’t imitate. Eye Opening could read magic power. Nevertheless, the reason he couldn’t keep up with Lucifer’s speed was because Lee Hoyeon’s magic power couldn’t overcome Lucifer’s.

“Then I just need to read the phenomenon itself.”

After closing and opening his eyes briefly, Lee Hoyeon’s golden eyes shone even brighter. Things that couldn’t be felt were felt, and things that couldn’t be seen were visible. Beyond the mana visualization of Eye Opening, it was the power to directly perceive the target’s inner self.

‘Eye Opening. Heart (心)’

Flash-.

A one-step-evolved Eye Opening settled in Lee Hoyeon’s eyes.

“You’re doing something strange.”

Although the attack missed, Lucifer’s magic power hadn’t decreased at all. He approached Lee Hoyeon again.

‘Now I can see.’

The power contained in the attack was still immense, but now he could read it. In the blink of an eye, Lucifer’s fist reached Lee Hoyeon’s face, and simultaneously, Lucifer’s magic power, crushing the entire space, enveloped Lee Hoyeon. It was the same magic power that had turned Lee Hoyeon into rags hours ago. However, the result was different this time. Lee Hoyeon was not swept away by Lucifer’s magic power. Naturally. Like a gentle breeze passing by, he let Lucifer’s magic power flow past him.

“… Hmm?”

Lucifer retracted his fist and created distance. He had accurately assessed Lee Hoyeon’s combat power. That last attack shouldn’t have been avoidable. He couldn’t understand how he had dodged it.

“Tsk.”

Lee Hoyeon smiled. The reason he deflected Lucifer’s attack just now was because Lee Hoyeon’s Eye Opening had awakened, but there was also a secondary factor.

“You were acting tough, but it looks like you’ve lost more stamina than expected.”

“…You’re talking bullshit.”

Even for Lucifer, after wrestling with Lee Hoyeon for hours and continuing to fight the women, it seemed difficult. He had braced for a slight recoil when he deflected it head-on, but there was no recoil at all. This meant the attack was lighter than before. The fact that he suddenly went all out and gave up on capturing alive must stem from the thought in the back of his mind that he might lose if the battle dragged on.

“Lee Hoyeon…. Kkeup!”

Shink-

Lucifer’s arm was sliced by an intangible sword. Nam Daeun didn’t give the complacent enemy any time. Lucifer’s magic power immediately covered the wound, but allowing the attack wasn’t a good sign.

“Kuaaaaaah!”

Lucifer’s red demonic eyes glowed. He couldn’t understand Lee Hoyeon’s magic, but it was fine. Killing everything in sight was all that mattered.

KUUUUUNG-!

The magic power enveloping Lucifer’s body surged violently.

WHOOSH!

Around Lucifer, the flames of hell appeared. As tens, hundreds of flames spread, a jet-black beam shot from the magic power surrounding Lucifer’s body. The attack, making a terrifying roar, swept through the space.

Lee Hoyeon looked around with his brightly shining golden eyes. Evolved further from reading magic power, the advanced Eye Opening could now perceive things invisible even to Eye Opening.

“Rune barrier.”

Lee Hoyeon stirred his magic power. At a similar timing, he infused his magic power into Rebecca’s deployed rune barrier and Lumi’s shield.

“What the…? My magic…?”

“Uh, hmm?”

Rebecca and Lumi also looked back in surprise at their magic circles. They hadn’t coordinated beforehand, yet the magic circles merged as if they had been one from the start.

KWA-!

The powerfully refined shield blocked Lucifer’s magic. Having blocked Lucifer’s magic, Lee Hoyeon re-examined something that had caught his eye earlier.

“Now I can even see things like this?”

Lee Hoyeon looked at the magic circle forming the core. No, he wasn’t just looking. He perceived the structure of the magic circle and read its interior. He pierced the gaps in the magic circle, already dominated by Lucifer’s magic. And then, a method to subdue Lucifer flashed through Lee Hoyeon’s mind.