Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 100

The day of the duel arrived.

Before heading to the circular arena, we met Lucifer and received gifts. All the thorns that had densely covered my body were removed, and I was given a fancy outfit to wear.

It was so extravagant that it was almost comical. Gold foil was applied to the front and back, and colorful beads were attached to the wrists and ankles.

‘This is too much. Are they trying to make me a clown?’

Following Lucifer, we arrived at the circular arena, which was already filled with heat.

Lucifer sat down and pointed forward.

“Go down, Pachaon. Show off your skills to your heart’s content.” Next to Lucifer sat the dark angel we had seen yesterday, along with Jeokrua, Seolran, Hwana, Hwaa, Cheona, and the other Great Demons except for Bali. I looked at them one by one, but my gaze lingered on Seolran and the children, unable to leave them.

“Hoo…” After taking a long, deep breath, I spoke to Lucifer.

“You have to return my power, right?” “Of course.” Cheonma, who had been sitting in front of Lucifer, suddenly stood up.

“I have one request.” All eyes turned to Cheonma.

“What is it?” “Give me a chance before Pachaon duels.” “What do you mean?” “I’ll fight first.” “Who are you going to fight?” “I’ll choose.” It was a sudden proposal from Cheonma. Lucifer seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“Alright, it’s only fair to give you a chance too. Choose your opponent.” “Thank you. I’ll fight Dasa.” “Dasa?” The one Cheonma chose was, as expected, a Great Demon. If it were the old him, there would be no one except Asasel who could give him trouble. But that was not the case now.

Dasa, who was sitting on one side, didn’t seem too pleased with Cheonma’s choice. He slowly stood up and politely said to Lucifer.

“May I kill Baalzebul?” “No! Keep him alive. He must remain detained in the main realm.” “Understood. Well then, shall we go down?” Dasa said with a relaxed attitude and then lightly tapped Cheonma’s shoulder.

In that instant, Cheonma’s face contorted. It seemed like the guy had played some trick. Dasa’s green hair swayed in the wind as he led the way down.

“Baalzebul, I’ll return the power you once possessed.” Lucifer said as if doing a favor and wished him good luck.

But was this a wall that could be overcome with luck?

Cheonma had all the memories of his past life. So, he would remember the Demonic Arts he possessed when he was a Great Demon. But the problem was that he didn’t have the spiritual body to trigger the Prisma [a spiritual energy source]. However, he was on equal footing in that he knew the opponent’s attack methods inside and out.

Cheonma gave a faint smile as he looked at me and my family. I tightly grasped Cheonma’s hand as he passed by.

“Be careful.” “I will.” Our eyes met briefly in the air and then parted. After he went down the stairs, I stood there blankly. Then, I heard Lucifer’s voice from behind.

“You go down and wait too. There’s no need for you to be here.”

The confrontation between the two continued for a long time. It was a battle between Baalzebul, who had once competed for the top spot among the Great Demons, and Dasa, who was considered to be in the middle in terms of strength among the Great Demons.

But now, the situation was the complete opposite of what it used to be. Cheonma was a weakling in every way, and Dasa was a strongman with an absolute advantage. Dasa opened his mouth.

“It must be frustrating that you can’t use Demonic Arts. You don’t think human martial arts will work on me, do you? What on earth made you want to duel me?” “Don’t get cocky. Are you that great? Of course, as you said, I can’t use Demonic Arts. But I won’t be easy to deal with.” “Then that’s even better. I’ve been longing for a real fight lately. Now, I’ll show you the magnanimity of a strongman, so attack me as much as you want.” Dasa spread his arms wide, exposing his entire body without any defense. I stood next to Bali on one side of the arena. If someone who didn’t know about our relationship saw us, they might think we were particularly close.

“Dasa is being too relaxed.” Bali had a strong competitive spirit towards Dasa. I had heard that they didn’t get along very well, though I didn’t know why. As expected, even though Dasa was likely listening, he didn’t seem to care and spoke ill of him. He whispered, but it was unlikely that Dasa couldn’t hear him. I kept my ears open to Bali but fixed my eyes on Dasa.

“Well then, shall we begin? Experiencing human martial arts will be something new.” With those words, Cheonma closed his mouth and slowly circled around Dasa.

Dasa had his arms crossed, showing a nonchalant attitude as if to say, ‘Go ahead and attack.’ His feet, planted on the ground, seemed like the pillars of a steel tower, and his eyes, facing forward, shone like torches illuminating the darkness.

As the duel between the two was about to begin, the countless demons and fiends in the arena raised their voices in a roar, stirring up their fighting spirit.

“It’ll be over in a flash if he wants it to be.” Bali’s prediction was probably true. There was no chance of an upset. Cheonma, what are you planning…? I was only hoping to leave a small scratch on Bali, but Cheonma wouldn’t have volunteered for this duel with that in mind.

Could there be a clever plan to turn the tables with inferior skills? It was something to watch and see.

Cheonma continued to circle around Dasa, observing his opponent. But just because the opponent was standing still didn’t mean he could find an opening. If they were of similar skill, he could try to induce an opening, but if he couldn’t even inflict a small blow, it would be useless.

“This is called the Formless Sword in human martial arts.” A Formless Sword [a technique that uses energy to create an invisible blade] appeared in Cheonma’s hand and swept across about a meter in front of him. It instantly bisected the space that Dasa occupied. But Dasa was still standing there, unmoved. I wondered what had just happened.

“Slow. At that speed…” It was only after hearing Bali’s words that I realized what was going on. Dasa had evaded the Formless Sword that was coming at him, moved out of the attack range, and then returned to his original position. A speed that couldn’t even be captured by the eye. This was an opponent that was impossible to deal with.

“Is there anything else?” “Of course.” Cheonma leaped into the air. After leaping about 15 feet, he quickly descended and flicked his hand.

Kwaaaah! The Formless Sword emitted light again from Cheonma’s hand.

“I told you I wasn’t interested in that kind of thing.” Dasa, still not tense, raised one hand above his head and spread it wide. Was he trying to catch it? It seemed like it. Trying to catch a Formless Sword with bare hands was unheard of in the martial world.

It was something that a human body made of bone and flesh couldn’t withstand, and it would destroy even the most powerful weapons as if tearing paper.

‘Cheonma, the Formless Sword won’t work. You need to use the Natural Sword to have any chance.’ I wanted to shout. But I also thought that there must be a reason why Cheonma was repeating a useless attack method. Cheonma had a natural sense for fighting. He might have a secret plan that no one else knew about.

Chichik! The moment Cheonma’s Formless Sword emitted light, a strange noise accompanied it from Dasa’s hand. It was the sound of putting hot iron into water.

Retrieving the blocked Formless Sword, Cheonma stood a foot away from Dasa, planted one foot, and swung the other like a windmill.

Dozens of foot shadows appeared. I was momentarily flustered. I had never expected him to use such a striking technique. Considering that even a low-ranking demon couldn’t be dealt with using that, Cheonma’s current attack was full of questions.

As expected, all of Cheonma’s foot shadows were blocked and couldn’t advance. Well, even if they hadn’t been blocked, what kind of power would they have?

After that, Cheonma unleashed incomprehensible attacks. He used various techniques from the Central Plains [a region in Chinese-inspired fantasy], such as palm strikes, finger strikes, footwork, and stealth techniques, attacking Dasa’s entire body indiscriminately. Dasa easily nullified his attacks.

What is the purpose of using such low-level attacks?

Time passed, and countless martial arts from the Central Plains were perfectly executed from Cheonma’s hands, feet, and entire body, tormenting Dasa. But Dasa, the one being attacked, didn’t seem to be having any trouble at all, looking very relaxed.

Gradually, Cheonma’s attacks increased in speed. He circled around Dasa, continuing with dazzling moves.

“If these pathetic attacks are all you have, then it’s time to stop…” Thud! Dasa’s body, which had been fending off Cheonma’s attacks with almost one hand, flinched for a moment. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Was what I was seeing even possible?

Cheonma’s attacks were penetrating Dasa’s entire body. Cheonma’s feet, fists, and shoulders were striking Dasa’s body with satisfying force. I tried to figure out the reason. I had to rack my brain to understand what was happening before my eyes.

How on earth?

And why was the Great Demon Dasa being so helplessly beaten? Looking closely, it didn’t seem like Dasa was allowing it on purpose. He seemed flustered as well, taking a step back for the first time since the duel began.

At that moment, Cheonma’s hands and feet penetrated Dasa’s chest in a continuous motion. Then, Dasa tried to fend off Cheonma’s attacks with the same fast hand movements as before.

But it wasn’t working. Cheonma’s hands flipped over like a blooming flower, and his feet pointed downwards, creating a strange movement where they crossed each other’s paths based on a vertical line. In that instant, Dasa’s hands lost their target and allowed the attacks to land.

Thwack! “Ah… I see now…” I exclaimed. Now I could understand why Cheonma’s attacks were working. It was the dazzling attacks in the simple attacks, and the rapid changes at the closest range, the unexpected strangeness that momentarily confused Dasa and made him miss Cheonma’s attacks.

No matter how fast your hand movements are, if you are attacked unexpectedly at close range, you will be momentarily unsure of how to defend. Cheonma’s current attacks were too simple, but each move was independent, disrupting each other’s flow and creating new changes.

And when he approached, Cheonma seemed to be blurring the opponent’s judgment by varying his speed instead of maintaining a constant one. His attempt was working perfectly. Dozens of hands and feet were dominating the air, striking Dasa’s entire body here and there.

Currently, even Cheonma’s small blows had the power to split rocks. Moreover, as time passed, the Formless Sword began to transform from his fingertips.

The moment he reached the final point of impact, that is, the moment he struck the opponent’s entire body, it was the Formless Sword that exploded brilliantly from his fingertips.

It was a scene that was hard to believe even while watching it. I asked myself. Can I do that?

The answer was ‘difficult.’ I could do it, but it would be hard to capture the most appropriate timing. Moreover, in a situation where the enemy is moving and defending, it’s hard enough to land a punch, let alone the appearance of the Formless Sword at the moment of impact.

Every moment of retracting and releasing had to be perfectly synchronized with Cheonma’s calculations.

“As expected…” Cheonma had a natural talent for fighting. His numerous battle experiences and his broad and deep understanding of martial arts had led to such perfect application.

The countless demons and fiends watching the scene in front of them had expressions of disbelief. The same was true for the Great Demons and Lucifer. Cheonma, they might be acknowledging him once again.

But soon, when one fact came to mind, I couldn’t just watch with a comfortable heart. The attacks were landing, but they were ineffective. That was the reason. Even the Formless Sword had no power against Dasa. Cheonma must have known that too.

But he would be satisfied. I was the same. I didn’t think I could beat Bali. I would be satisfied if I could just put a small dent in his arrogant pride.

With Cheonma’s attacks, Dasa had completely withdrawn his hands and was just taking the hits. No, he was enduring them with his body. He was even smiling, as if to say, ‘Go ahead and do whatever you want.’

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Dasa still hadn’t moved an inch. In contrast, Cheonma was rapidly circling around him. Was it impossible after all? Was it impossible to damage the body of a Great Demon like Dasa with the power of martial arts? Was it a wall that could never be overcome…?

Fwoosh! In an instant, a bright blue light burst from Dasa’s entire body. Then, Cheonma quickly retreated. Dasa laughed loudly and praised Cheonma.

“As expected of Baalzebul! But you know that you can’t do anything to me with that level of power. I think it’s time to stop now.” I carefully observed Dasa. I calmly watched him, trying not to miss any of his changes. He would attack soon. It would be like a storm. Cheonma retreated about nine feet and took a moment to catch his breath and prepare.

He knew it too. This duel could not achieve any more meaning than this. There was a clear gap that could not be overcome, and he himself, Cheonma, knew that best.

Yesterday, I had asked Cheonma about the system of Demonic Arts in preparation for the duel with Bali, and he had briefly explained it. He had started with the Prisma, just like Britra had done for me. I had asked if the Prisma was the same as Qi [a vital energy force]. He had shaken his head.

“No, they are definitely different. They have many similarities in nature, but there is one major difference. Humans cannot possess the Prisma. Only spiritual bodies can possess and use the Prisma. In my opinion, Qi is a power that corresponds to the material aspect, while the Prisma is a power that corresponds to the mental and spiritual aspects.” He said that all forms of Demonic Arts were merely transformations through this Prisma. The nature of the Prisma cannot be defined as one thing. The same original Prisma and the individual Prismas equal to the number of spiritual bodies interact with each other to create different forms of power.

Cheonma added that the important thing was not the diversity of attacks but the understanding of the nature of the Prisma. He said that the stronger the experts in the dimensional realm were, the more they preferred simple attack forms and focused on their purity and precision.

“Even just considering the Incarnations [beings who have manifested in a physical form], there’s a renowned warrior from the Infinite Realm named Buntval, who transforms his entire body into a crystal of light and relies mainly on strikes, yet he’s exceptionally strong, even making the Giant Race struggle. There are quite a few spiritual beings who have secured such unique positions across all dimensions, and there are too many powerful beings to count on two hands, even those comparable to the Great Demon Gods of the Demonic Realm.” Just as Cheonma said that, I asked out of curiosity,

“Then, wouldn’t it be easy to stop the Demonic Realm?”
“No, what’s terrifying about the Demonic Realm isn’t the Great Demon Gods, but the demonic energy itself. The demonic energy supplied by Metatron, the source of that power. What I mentioned earlier was about the Great Demon Gods in their normal state, but the Great Demon Gods who have maximized their demonic energy and incarnated show another level of power.

That’s not all, but decisively, other dimensions don’t have such a unified system as the Demonic Realm, and they won’t easily unite in the face of any crisis. That’s the decisive factor.”

Even while I was lost in thought, the duel between Dasa and Cheonma was still ongoing.

Cheonma was gradually using the power of the Natural Sword [a sword technique that embodies the natural order], but it was still ineffective. Dasa seemed to be simply enjoying the current duel. He didn’t show the kind of anger he had when I pointed out Bali, and rather, he seemed to be leisurely savoring his opponent’s helplessness.

The situation where Cheonma was suffering a setback was by no means someone else’s problem for me. I glanced at Bali next to me. He was simple and ignorant, but his attacks were indeed as strong as befitting the position of a Great Demon God, unimaginably powerful. The initial look of interest was gone, and his face was full of boredom.

“Just end it already, why are they dragging it out like that….” Then he clicked his tongue. I reminded Bali of yesterday’s promise.

“You haven’t forgotten the promise we made yesterday, have you?” At first, he looked like he didn’t know what I was talking about, but then he chuckled as if he remembered.

“I don’t go back on my word. I always keep my promises. And after that… I’ll crush you miserably. You’ll regret choosing me, Bali.” I once again recalled the miserable scene of my subordinates being defeated by this guy not long ago. I was resentful of my own powerlessness, unable to get revenge. There must be a way, I thought, but he was too great a wall to overcome, and it was hopeless to just blindly hope.

The confrontation between Dasa and Cheonma was heading towards its climax. It seemed like Dasa was about to start launching proper attacks. His attitude, which had been focused on defense, began to change. This time, Cheonma was seen moving urgently. Black storm clouds formed around Dasa and began to spread low across the floor. Seeing that, Bali muttered,

“Looks like he’s trying to bind him and then punish his soul.” Cheonma, too, seemed to know what Dasa was doing, and he quickly tried to retreat, but the black mist chased after him as quickly as he retreated. Cheonma’s body soared into the air and then stopped. This was because a wall of mist that was trying to press down from above had blocked him and was slowly descending.

He was trapped between the two. What is that that makes him so flustered? Flames erupted from Cheonma’s hand and struck the wall of mist. However, it didn’t budge at all and slowly continued to advance.

“It was a good idea to try with firepower, but his power is still lacking.”

Bali once again gave his own commentary, leaving the impression that Cheonma wouldn’t be able to resolve the current situation.

At that moment, Cheonma quickly moved his form and charged towards Dasa. He moved while fiercely rotating in the air with his hand extended forward, and what was emitted from his hand was, as expected, the Formless Sword [a sword technique that is invisible and formless].

The Formless Sword separated from his hand and rushed towards Dasa’s entire body. Dasa gave a faint smile and swung his arm. Then, the walls of mist that were spread out above and below merged into one, trapping Cheonma.

Cheonma was unable to move and was forced to stop in mid-air. It was clear that he was struggling to escape. However, the more he struggled, the more the mist swirled and fiercely enveloped Cheonma’s entire body.

Sometimes, there are times when you have to pretend not to know even when you do, and more often than not, there are times when you are so frustrated that you can’t help but feel helpless. In desperate times when you can’t reach out, can’t share the burden, you can only stand by and watch.

Even knowing Cheonma’s dire situation, I could only watch with the same feeling. It wasn’t that I had to endure, but that there was no use in interfering, and moreover, because it was a duel, which could be a sacred ritual for someone, I had to stand still due to the weight of the cause. All I could do was shout at the top of my lungs to encourage him. Bali, unable to understand my behavior, said briefly,

“You’re acting like you didn’t expect this.” Yes, as you say, I am panicking even though I expected it. Cheonma, who was a legend of the martial world and a symbol of myth. He, who is my teacher and friend, is putting on a strange scene that I have never seen before, and moreover, he is filling my eyes as the main character.

He, who seemed like he would never know defeat, the one person to whom such a thing should never happen, has fallen so helplessly. He has become a pitiful figure, like a moth caught in a spider web. The situation that will soon befall me is now driving my heart to a state of anxiety.

Dasa slowly walked towards Cheonma and grabbed his face with his bare hand. And he gave his final verdict.

“Honestly… your attacks were boring. Now it’s my turn… but since I was told not to kill you, I’m not interested. I wanted to watch a human die with my own two eyes. I wanted to feel the moment when the soul leaves the body… what a shame.” A shame? Does that mean he has never killed a human before? There are countless living humans here. If he wanted to, he could have easily done such a thing. I was puzzled. If he were a being who valued human life, I could understand, but he is a Great Demon God. And he himself said he wanted to kill humans.

“You are one of the strongest among humans. You were a Great Demon God before… there aren’t many targets that pique my interest as much as you. Baalzebub, do you regret being in this state?”
“Not at all.”
“Let me ask you one thing. Why did you want to duel me? You didn’t think you could win, did you? I couldn’t understand it. Especially since you know our abilities better than anyone… why?”
“Just… I wanted to feel that I was still alive. Now, do as you please.”
“Is that all? Humans’ mental state is incomprehensible.” Suddenly, Cheonma’s clothes and hair burst into flames, and his face began to burn black.

“Keok.” It wasn’t just his face. His neck, his entire upper body was slowly burning. After a while, his skin peeled off, and water dripped down.

“Stop it. The match is decided, isn’t it?” Dasa glanced at me at my shout and continued what he was doing.

“He won’t die, don’t worry. If I let go, he’ll die, but as long as I don’t let go, he’ll never die. He can’t even kill himself. He’ll just be in pain for a while from the intense heat. Still, it’s a bit weak for someone who challenged a Great Demon God.” Bali said to me, and then gave me a look as if to say he would give me true pain soon. I stepped forward a little and looked at Lucifer, who was sitting far away at the top of the arena. Naturally, my eyes turned to Jeokrua, who was sitting next to him.

She had her head down, unable to look straight at me, and Seollan was patting her shoulder. In a little while, Seollan might turn her head and Jeokrua might be the one comforting her. I said loudly,

“The match is decided, so how about stopping now?” There was no answer. Does that mean that as long as he doesn’t kill him, Dasa can do whatever he wants to Cheonma?

“Bali, shouldn’t we settle our match now?” I asked Bali for help. However, he also didn’t seem eager to step forward. It seemed that he was reluctant to interfere with what Dasa, a fellow Great Demon God, was doing without any connection.

Cheonma’s appearance had changed so badly that he was unrecognizable. He was completely black to his toes, and even smoke was rising from him. And I could even smell the burning flesh….

“You… vicious bastard.” These Demonic Realm bastards were all cruel. Well, humans would be the same. If the situation were reversed, it would probably be worse. I was about to give up and step back when Dasa’s closed mouth opened.

“It’s boring. I should stop.” He said that as long as he didn’t let go, he wouldn’t die? Then, if he let go, Cheonma could die like this? I didn’t feel the need to hesitate any longer and immediately charged towards Dasa. In my hand, the Five Elements Energy [a type of energy based on the five elements] was already gathered. I threw the Five Elements Divine Spell with all my might, making it explode as soon as it reached his surroundings.

Kwaang! It exploded. I felt like cheering. I thought that the explosion of the Five Elements Divine Spell wouldn’t harm Dasa, but Cheonma’s body would be shattered. Now, I wanted to let him rest in peace. The current situation, where death had to be a rest, was frustrating.

However, this thought had to be withdrawn immediately. The expectation that he would be shattered and piled up on the floor as a handful of dust was wrong, and both of them were still intact. Even though the ground was torn up and clods of dirt were soaring, the area around the half-length where Dasa was standing was untouched.

I didn’t have time to be surprised. I knew very well that opportunities don’t come often. My hands moved quickly, and gusts of energy swept towards Cheonma’s body, which Dasa was holding. Not only that, but I also detonated the space around Cheonma. But it was the same. It was as if he was one with Dasa now, and he seemed completely unharmed. Nevertheless, I couldn’t give up. My stubbornness soared.

“Stop it.” The moment Dasa said those words, an astonishing change occurred in my body immediately. It was the moment I felt an unbearable heat rush towards me.

Whizz! I was flung out twice as fast as I was going towards Dasa. I crashed to the ground. My whole body was numb and sore, and I couldn’t even think of getting up. What kind of attack was that? I was watching Dasa’s other hand, not missing the moment it might move, in preparation for a possible attack. His hand had never moved even once. And yet….

“This is really… too much.” I barely managed to utter these words and then barely raised my upper body, exhausted.

“Hoo.” I felt a dull pain in my chest, as if a bone was injured.

“You’re my opponent, but I don’t know why you’re stepping in and making things difficult for yourself.” At Bali’s words, I replied irritably.

“Then, would you pretend not to notice even if your fellow Great Demon God is being attacked by an enemy?”
“Why should I?” How absurd. Do these guys not have any sense of loyalty?

I was speechless and just stared blankly, then chuckled and stood up. Ugh, it seems something is injured. I raised my head and looked ahead, and I witnessed another astonishing scene. A clear blue energy was rising, enveloping Dasa’s hand, and then gradually flowing into Cheonma’s body. Several times, the energy traveled all over Cheonma’s body. Cheonma’s body, which had been burnt black and looked like it would soon turn to ashes, returned to its original form as if new flesh had grown, and he began to regain his complexion.

“Now it’s our turn.” Bali said with an expectant voice as he watched that.

Thud. Cheonma’s entire body, released from Dasa’s hand, slumped to the floor.

“Hoo, hoo.” He was clearly alive, breathing heavily. I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about it, and I stood there blankly for a moment. Bali tapped my shoulder.

“Let’s go out now, even for the sake of the waiting audience.” I mechanically followed him as he went ahead.

I passed by Cheonma and checked his condition again. He was definitely safe. He was just exhausted from using all his energy, but he was vividly alive. Bali and I stood facing each other in the middle of the arena as planned. My mind was busy thinking about how to injure him at this moment.

It was at that very moment.

Bali cleared his throat a couple of times, then looked around at the Demon Gods and Demons who were watching him, and then he put his hands on the floor and prostrated himself as if he were bowing. And then, he stuck his butt out and supported his weight with his hands and feet, and barked, ‘Woof woof.’ In that instant, I was jolted awake. Oh my god, now that I see it, that guy is keeping his promise….

“Pfft, pu ha ha ha.” Cheonma, who was severely beaten, couldn’t help but laugh while still lying on the floor, and that was the beginning. I couldn’t help but burst into uncontrollable laughter at that sight. However, laughter only came from the two of us, and everywhere else was silent. It was so quiet that it was rather strange.

“Woof woof.” He wasn’t satisfied with just one, and he barked like that repeatedly. He really thought that the actions we had told him to do were some kind of ritual that warriors perform before a duel.

“Woof woof.” At this moment, I didn’t think I would be too upset even if I were beaten to death by Bali.

“Bali, what on earth are you doing?” When Lucifer asked loudly, Bali finally raised his body and said with a dignified look,

“I was performing a warrior’s ritual. I made a promise.” He still had no idea what his actions meant. However, there was no way that all the Demon Gods and Demons who filled this vast arena didn’t know. Everyone was silent, with expressions as if they had seen something embarrassing.

Among them, there were some who were struggling to hold back their laughter. It was just that no one dared to laugh at a Great Demon God with mockery.

“A warrior’s ritual? Bali… since when were you a fighting dog?”
“Huh? A fighting dog? What’s that?” From that moment on, laughter began to erupt here and there, as people could no longer hold it in. Dasa carefully explained it to Bali.

“Bali, a fighting dog is, well, it means a dog that fights.”
“A fighting dog?” Bali still didn’t understand and asked back.

“Yes, you were imitating a dog a little while ago. A dog from the human realm.”
“A dog? What’s that?” He didn’t even know what a dog was. Oh my god.

“It’s better if you don’t know.” Everyone was in an uproar for a while at this absurd situation, but they couldn’t openly laugh. After all, he was a Great Demon God.

“Hey, what’s a dog?” Was Bali the kind of person who had to solve his questions no matter what? He was asking me, so I had to answer. Now that he knew he wasn’t a warrior, what could I do?

“A Great Demon God who was fooled by humans…” Lucifer muttered to himself, but I heard it, and Bali must have heard it too.

“You… you tricked me.” Only then did Bali, who had noticed that the atmosphere was strange, glare at me as if he would eat me alive and growled.

“Tricked you? Not at all. As Lucifer said, I taught you the ritual that fighting dogs perform before a fight. You agreed to do it without any unpleasantness, didn’t you? I thought you liked dogs.” Even now, Bali clearly didn’t know what a dog was, what it meant for a human to imitate a dog, or what kind of feeling his actions were giving to others. Nevertheless, he glared at me with an angry face and a murderous look.

“I will not forgive you.” When were you ever going to forgive me?

“Alright. Before we start…”
“You bastard.” Bali’s body rushed towards me. In that instant, I stopped what I was saying and quickly used the Cheonma Concealment Technique [a technique to conceal one’s presence]. Then, I was planning to leap into the air and jump over his body. But his hand grabbed my ankle and threw me down. I tried to quickly regain my balance, but… my body wouldn’t listen.

Thud. I was thrown to the ground in an unsightly manner, and I felt so much pain that I had to stay still for a moment. However, if I stayed like this, I would be exposed to his continuous attacks. I quickly got up, feeling a sense of crisis, and moved quickly to one side.

Thwack. “Keok. Ugh.” Bali’s tightly clenched fist, which had reached me at some point, dug deep into my abdomen. It was the first time I had ever been hit by such a strong punch. I threw up a mouthful of what seemed like more than a bowl. At that moment, I could instinctively sense that Bali’s hand was vaguely heading towards me again. I tried to avoid the punch by stepping back, but it was ineffective.

Thwack. I was repeatedly struck in the abdomen and had to kneel. Bali, who had buried his hand in my hair, looked at me with a murderous gaze, grinning.

“I’ll cook you with just strikes. I’ll take you to the brink of death.”
“Wait.” Bali, who had raised his fist again, paused.

“Don’t you want to know about dogs?” I don’t know why those words came out. Maybe I was just frustrated that I was being beaten like this, and I wanted to provoke him even more.

“Tell me.” Surprisingly, Bali said that and lowered his fist, and he also released the hand that was holding my hair. It seemed that he was very curious about it. I decided to tell him the truth and renewed my resolve. No matter how good my endurance was, I didn’t think I could withstand that guy’s punches.

“Hoo, actually, dogs are the closest animals to humans in the human realm. Sometimes, dogs fight to protect humans, and we call those dogs ‘fighting dogs.’ So, we call a courageous person a ‘fighting dog,’ and we also call someone who imitates a dog courageous.” I blurted out whatever came to mind. The guy looked at me with a dubious expression, then glanced around to see if it was true.

“It’s true,” I emphasized again, and Bali seemed a little convinced. It seems that intelligence and fighting ability aren’t that closely related after all.

“Okay, that seems to be true, but still… you have to be beaten by me. It’s a well-known fact in the demon realm that I’m a courageous warrior… and it has nothing to do with today’s duel. For me to have to be courageous to fight you… that’s why everyone is reacting like that…” “Moron!” Dasa provoked Bali again. At Dasa’s word, Bali turned his head sharply to face him. Sparks seemed to fly from their eyes.

“Everything that guy said is a lie. And yet, someone in the position of a Great Demon is being toyed with by a mere human… tsk tsk.” “What did you say?” “What that guy made you do is the same as you pathetically imitating the life or struggle of a demon. Especially in the duel arena. You’ve been completely fooled and toyed with by him all this time. And you didn’t even realize it, you pathetic creature…” At Dasa’s decisive criticism, Bali’s face turned cold. He knew about life and struggle well. They were demonic beasts of the demon realm, how could he not know? In the end, even the slightly dim-witted Bali realized what it meant to imitate a dog. I knew I was going to get it anyway, but now that I knew the intensity would be different, I felt a little fear.

“You…” He really seemed angry now. It seemed like today wasn’t going to pass by easily. Oh well, it’s come to this.

“I saw you barking earlier, and it suited you. It suits you to get rid of that ridiculous title.” I provoked his temper even more, as if I had thrown gunpowder into an already burning forest.

“Not once, but three times… Instinctively, you knew that it suited you. Why don’t you do it one more time? What do you think all those demons and fiends thought when they saw you? They must have been laughing at you for strutting around like you were a Great Demon…” Before I could even see how his hand moved, my body was sent flying into the air like a popcorn. Before the pain could even hit me, his blows continued. Attacks came at me from all directions, so much so that I didn’t even know which part of my body was being hit. Even so, I clenched my teeth and tried my best not to make a sound. He was already as angry as he could be, so it didn’t seem like he would stop easily.

The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible in my ears. My shoulder blade was dislocated and broken. It was quite an experience to see the bone fragments sticking out through my skin. I was suffering extreme pain in mid-air, unable to fall to the ground.

“You… you pathetic…” I could only hear Bali’s panting occasionally, and the surroundings were quiet. Even my ears were ringing, as if blood was flowing out of them, and I couldn’t hear well. Then he stopped moving. I must have looked terrible. Even though the blows had stopped, I was still floating in mid-air, and when the energy that was holding me up suddenly disappeared, I fell straight to the ground.

“Ugh.” I trembled all over, feeling the extreme pain of my whole body being shattered. My body was twitching uncontrollably, probably because of the broken bones. I was lucky I didn’t foam at the mouth. Sulran, Hwan-a, and Hwa-a were watching, so I couldn’t show them such a pathetic sight. My last bit of pride made my mind clearer.

“If I leave you like this, you’ll die. So, I’ll heal you.” With a nasty laugh, his hand brushed over my whole body, and a burning energy flared up all over my body at once.

Then, miraculously, the extreme pain all over my body quickly subsided, and I was filled with vitality. This guy was determined to torment me. Ah, they, my friends, must have gone through this pain. They must have experienced the misery of giving their flesh to the demonic beasts, filled with resentment and bitterness, blaming their own powerlessness.

I had to be beaten by him again. He was going to torment me, a toy that he could break with a touch, until he was tired of it, to restore his wounded pride. I could only feel the increasing pain as I felt his blows gradually becoming more skillful. Resistance was not only reckless, but it didn’t even give me a chance.

Then he started giving me different pain to give me a different experience. He peeled off all my skin, then repeatedly blew hot energy to scorch my skin and pushed in cold air as if filling my blood vessels with ice.

My peeled skin was already stinging and tingling even if I stayed still, and he dragged me around, and he also tormented me by creating illusions. Most of those illusions were either replaying the times I hated to remember the most or creating situations I hated to experience the most.

In an instant, I suffered, raged, and trembled in the illusion that it was real. My body was regaining its function and pulsating powerfully, but my consciousness and mind were gradually dying. Even anger became painful, and I, who hadn’t even lived a hundred years, began to feel powerless as if I had spent a thousand years in boredom.

It seemed like Cheonma was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear it well. Sulran would flirt with me with a seductive smile, then suddenly leave my side, cursing and mocking me, and the illusion of my friend embracing another man in front of me was so heartbreaking and sad that I couldn’t bear it. For some reason, I didn’t feel any anger.

“Hah… hah…” I was exhausted. I didn’t have the strength to endure any more. In fact, I had just been dragged along without any resistance, not enduring or bearing anything. Bali’s gaze was like looking at a bug crawling on the ground. His foot pressed down on my stomach, which was lying on the ground, gasping for breath. The pressure increased as his weight pressed down, and my stomach felt like it was about to burst.

“I want to let you be eaten by the demonic beasts, but… it’s a shame I can’t. I’ll torment you over and over again. You’ll have to spend your life as a slave anyway, so you’ll have plenty of time. I’ll make you feel how reckless it was to provoke me to the bone.” He didn’t seem to know that Lucifer had promised to release me. But could I really get out of this hellish place? What joy would there be in escaping alone, leaving my family behind?

“Stop it. That’s enough.” It was Lucifer’s voice. I didn’t have the strength to lift my head, and I didn’t have the energy to lift my eyelids, which were starting to close. I just wanted to rest.

I could feel Bali’s foot being lifted off my stomach. After a moment of lingering, Lucifer’s booming voice pierced my ears again.

“Everyone, listen to my words carefully. And look here. These children are my children. They will be the leaders of the demon realm in the future, and they will be at the forefront of the dimensional conquest. The last step of the human realm conquest is to cut off the Sun Meridian [a vital energy pathway]. It will begin soon.

In the meantime, all the demons and fiends of the demon realm must not be lazy for a moment and must focus all their efforts on increasing their own power. A moment of effort will guarantee eternal glory. I promise you that I will make you rule the universe. I will make it so that there will be no one to make you fear anymore.”

“Waaah!” “Eternal demon realm!” “Eternal demon emperor!” “Achieve the great work of conquest!” “Make the arrogant kneel!” The various voices were so loud that the circular duel arena seemed to be about to collapse. I didn’t open my eyes, but I could vividly picture the scene. They were shouting in a frenzy, and it didn’t stop even after a long time.

Then the sound stopped abruptly. Lucifer must have raised his hand or something.

“These two women here are the mothers of my children. I will let them share the glory.” It was quiet. At that moment, I don’t know where the strength came from, but I opened my eyes wide. What was he going to do to Sulran and Jeokrua?

“On the day the Sun Meridian is cleared, they will be reborn and become the consorts of this demon emperor, and they will see eternal glory.” No way. Was that guy really coveting them?

“Because of these noble ones, this realm will shine even brighter.” “Waaah!” The shouts continued again. I had to get up. I had to object and refuse this unacceptable situation, even if it was just me. Heavens, no. Is it not enough that you took my children, and now you are trying to take my beloved women from me? This alone, this alone, please stop it. Take my soul, take my spirit, but please don’t make those women unhappy. Please…

“Everyone, listen to the words of the eldest son who will succeed me. His words are my words, so everyone must obey.” I struggled to sit up. I opened my eyes and looked at Hwan-a, who was just standing up next to Lucifer in the distance. Was that young man, who was raising his hand to respond to the cheering demons, really my son Hwan?

“Everyone, calm down. It hasn’t even started yet. The kingdom that will be built in the future will be exceptionally beautiful above all else, and the world will create glory and present it as a gift, and swear eternal obedience. I will be at the forefront of the dimensional conquest, and I will not spare my strength and will be loyal until the day the kingdom is completed.” “Waaah!” Huh… Hwan-a… how could he say such things? You are my son. My only son. Your father is in this state, and how could you try to do such a thing? No. Can’t you see your father’s miserable state? My son, my son.

Sulran stood up from her seat. And she started walking down the stairs. Then Lucifer called out to her.

“Where are you going?” “Please let me say goodbye. I beg you.” Good… bye…? Sulran, not you too? No, it can’t be. It can’t be. It can’t be.

“Ughhhh.” Heart, stop beating. Eyes, go blind. Ears, close your doors. Please don’t let me see those sounds, those sights, those faces. It’s hard to bear.

“Do so. You must say your last goodbyes.” Sulran was coming towards me. To say her last words. To slowly approach me to stab a dagger into my heart. She was still beautiful, with the same lips that had spoken of love, coming to say goodbye to me. I felt Cheonma’s arm around my shoulder.

“Pacheon, don’t forget, today’s events. And what I said yesterday.” What you said yesterday? Escape? Yes, let’s do that, my friend.

Sulran came and stood in front of me. Her eyes were filled with shimmering tears. She crouched down in front of me and looked down at me quietly. Her warm hand touched my cheek. She traced my lips, nose, and eyelids. And then her lips touched my forehead. I felt like I was being electrocuted.

Ah, this is!

I opened my mouth to say what she had conveyed to me. But I couldn’t speak. In frustration, I hugged her tightly, but my mouth wouldn’t open easily. She broke away from my embrace and smiled quietly. Her eyes conveyed a clear message. Goodbye… It was time to say goodbye.

“Ah… ah… no.” Before the small sound that came out of my mouth could even spread, Sulran raised her hand straight to her neck. Sulran was trying to kill herself by piercing her neck with my little remaining power. At that moment, I was sure of Sulran’s death and was filled with the thought that I had to stop her.

“No! Sulran!” I tried to stop her with a slightly louder voice. But there was a hand that moved before that.

Thud. In an instant, I felt my whole body lose its strength and my vision blur. I quickly raised my hand and wiped away the moisture that was blocking my eyes. Sulran, Sulran… Ah, in the end… it ended up like this.

Cheonma’s raised hand had pierced her heart. Cheonma, who had noticed Sulran’s suicide, had used a killing move first. My hand grabbed her hand as it fell to the ground. I gave strength to her still warm hand.

“Sulran… Sulran.” Sulran was still looking at me. Tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Her lips were forming her last words, but no sound came out. I felt the strength leaving her hand, and I couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out uncontrollably. My heart was pounding, and my head was spinning. When Cheonma’s hand was pulled out of her heart, she collapsed weakly.

I held her in my arms. I would never send you anywhere again. I will never let anyone take you away from me. Sulran, Sulran, Sulran is dead.

“I… I love you too.” I confirmed the last words Sulran had made with my lips. I love you, Sulran. I will love only you forever. Forever.

“Pacheon, let her go now.” At those words, I remembered what Cheonma had said yesterday. The way to escape. I had promised that Lucifer would let me out. Then there was only one way to get Cheonma out.

“Farewell, Cheonma.” I released one of the arms that was holding Sulran and quickly stabbed Cheonma.

“You fools, how dare you in front of me.” “Th-this…” I was momentarily flustered and shouted. I and Sulran were already in front of Lucifer. Lucifer stood up and let out a cry of anger.

“Baalzebul, you keep getting in my way. Have you forgotten how great the mercy I showed you was! I will imprison you in eternal punishment.” I was so sorry. What he had told me in front of the cave of Taesan was to kill him at the last moment. I had confirmed it again yesterday. Because I had delayed for a moment due to Sulran’s death, everything had gone to waste.

Ah, what should I do now? Cheonma, I’m sorry. Teach me what to do. I was in so much grief and sorrow right after losing Sulran, but I was going crazy thinking about the pain that Cheonma would suffer in the future because I couldn’t kill him.

Drrrrr. I was bewildered by the sudden change. The entire circular duel arena began to vibrate. It was as if the entire ground was shaking greatly from side to side.

The ground cracked. Thick, foggy pillars that looked like trees or hands rose from the cracks, and the ground where Cheonma was standing suddenly sank down.

“Ah.” I exclaimed. In an instant, all the Great Demons around Lucifer stood up from their seats. At the same time, Lucifer glared at Jeokrua and then quickly moved to the space above where Cheonma had been standing. As he did so, he opened his mouth and said words full of anger to Jeokrua.

“Seven Stars Great Virtue, how could you do such a foolish thing… You, one of the leaders of the Ghost Realm… you will regret it.” Lucifer’s hand was spread out downwards. At that moment, I could clearly hear Jeokrua’s voice. The voice of the mute Jeokrua.

“Rest in peace. Thank you so much for letting me know true love… I loved you too.” Lucifer seemed to be overly excited, probably because of the series of events that had just happened. The continuous vibrations that seemed to be collapsing the entire circular duel arena did not stop easily. Lucifer was still floating in the air, with one hand spread wide towards the ground.

Drrrrr Shushushushu. The vibrations continued again, but this time the ground that had sunk down was suddenly rising up as if it were a lie. The speed was very fast. A part of the ground that was rising as if it would pierce the sky stopped right in front of Lucifer, and Cheonma was lying on it, covered in blood.

His whole body was crumpled and torn like a rag, as if the ground had sucked him in and crushed him. I watched Lucifer’s expression carefully, trying not to miss a single detail. Was he dead or alive? Ah, please. I hope no more tragedies happen now.

Lucifer’s hands quickly rummaged through Cheonma’s whole body.

“Come back to life, come back to life. I command you to come back to life. By the omnipotence of me, the Demon Emperor Lucifer, I command you, the dead, to come back to life.” It was the first time I had seen Lucifer so agitated. Especially in front of the demons and fiends. Why was Lucifer, who had always been so calm, so flustered? He clearly said, ‘the dead.’ Even I could not feel any sign of life from Cheonma.

He was dead. Unless Lucifer was a god, he could not bring the dead back to life. Was it because he saw himself becoming infinitely small in the face of the insurmountable omnipotence of God? Or was it because of the anger that he could not stop the actions of the weak and imperfect humans, who had done it without his permission, in front of himself, who believed himself to be omnipotent? Now Sulran and Cheonma could rest in peace.

The deaths of the two. I turned my sadness and grief into anger. The unbearable anger towards the demon realm, which had caused all these tragedies, was dominating my mind, body, will, and soul.

Now, there were only a very small number of humans left on this land. The history of mankind was coming to an end.

I don’t know when humans started living on this land, or what they looked like when they lived. They had prospered until now, but now they were facing a break. In front of the moment of complete severance, not decline, only I and a few people remained as the last witnesses.

Peace was on Sulran’s sleeping face. Because I believed that we would meet again someday. Because I believed that separation was not forever, I would not be sad that you were not by my side for a while. Farewell, Sulran.

Lucifer calmed down his momentary excitement and slowly looked around the silent arena. He lifted Cheonma’s body with one hand.

“From now on, I will issue an order to the entire demon realm.” It was a sudden change.

I thought that the deaths of Cheonma and Sulran must have been the motivation. He was showing a cautious appearance as if he was about to make a major declaration. Then he said in a loud voice.

“All humans who do not acknowledge and accept this realm will be banished from this place. I will give them the death they so desire. Instead, they will all see us again. I will watch them collapse with their beliefs and faith in God. For the dimensional conquest, I hereby declare an indefinite state of war. Amin, regardless of demons or fiends, all the citizens of the demon realm must prepare to wage war and wait for my orders.” “Waaah!” Everyone stood up at once. And a fierce shout that seemed to tear the sky continued for a while. When the shouts reached their peak, a huge pillar of fire rose into the sky from Lucifer’s hand. At that moment, Cheonma’s body was engulfed in flames and disappeared into ashes in an instant.

When the flames disappeared from Lucifer’s hand, the shouts subsided, and then Lucifer turned to me and Jeokrua.

“Seven Stars Great Virtue, what is your choice? Do you intend to oppose this realm?” Jeokrua was still sitting upright in her seat, accepting Lucifer’s gaze calmly. “You know too well that your rash judgment could ruin the relationship between the Ghost Realm and us, and yet you made such a foolish decision.” It seemed that the two were communicating with each other through their minds, not through words. After a long time, Lucifer gave her a cynical look, and then pointed at me and said.

“Pacheon, follow me.” As Lucifer flew up to the palace in the sky, the Great Demons and demons followed him all at once. It was a spectacular sight. I hesitated for a moment, looking at Sulran in my arms.

“Give her to me.” I felt a hand grabbing my shoulder from behind and quickly turned around. Hwan-a was standing there.

“What are you going to do?” “I’m going to do my last duty. But after this moment, the relationship that gave birth to me will end with this. I came from the earth, so I will return her to the earth. Please give her to me.” All I could feel from Hwan-a’s eyes was a sense of emptiness. I didn’t feel any sadness. I handed Sulran over to my son Hwan.

Hwan-a, holding his mother in his arms, quickly flew away in the opposite direction from where Lucifer had gone. Then I heard Hwa-a’s urgent voice.

“You could just burn her, where are you going? Soon