Chapter 375

The Nordian appeared and immediately scanned Christian.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, Grandfather.”

“Still, you’re reckless as ever.”

Nordian frowned deeply.

As always, his grandson was utterly foolhardy.

“Enough. Let’s deal with that skull-headed bastard first, then talk.”

Nordian stepped forward with purpose.

“I think the two of us will be enough.”

[You fools.]

The Overlord of the Four Kings ground his teeth.

[How arrogant. I am no longer who I once was. I have ascended perfectly to the rank of Great Demon King’s Right Hand.]

Both Christian and Nordian were at the pinnacle of the ninth star.

Generally, even two ninth-star warriors combined were no match for a lower ninth-star opponent.

That is, under normal circumstances.

“I wonder who’s the one deluding themselves.”

Whoosh!

Nordian unleashed his aura.

A dense, pitch-black dark magic clashed against the Overlord’s murky white death magic.

The crucial point was the outcome.

Nordian did not falter.

His dark magic should have been no match, yet it held firm.

With a smirk on his youthful face—a damnable expression reminiscent of Chris—Nordian taunted.

“Isn’t it obvious that my magnificent dark magic surpasses your lowly, filthy magic?”

It was a matter of magical affinity.

Dark magic held superiority over all other types, including death magic.

Of course, if the gap was too wide, such advantages meant nothing.

“Do you think I’ve been idle all this time? To be so cocky just because you reached the lower ninth star—especially by using the methods of the Apostles.”

[You… could it be?]

The Overlord’s voice trembled faintly.

Only now did he realize what had changed about Nordian.

It wasn’t just the Overlord who had grown stronger.

Nordian had also developed significantly in the time they hadn’t seen each other.

‘He hasn’t fully reached the lower ninth star yet, but he’s close.’

In other words, the Overlord and Nordian were now separated by only the thinnest of margins.

“Grandfather, let’s just finish this quickly. It’s a hassle.”

Christian stepped up beside Nordian.

A different kind of dark magic flowed from him—noble and refined, even commanding the light itself.

Two types of dark magic surged toward the Overlord.

[You bastards…]

The Overlord ground his teeth, trapped.

He knew well that if this fight continued, he was doomed to lose.

Yet, he couldn’t avoid battle.

If the Silver Snow Demon King were unleashed, death would be inevitable.

A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.

[It can’t be helped. Don’t blame me. This is all your fault.]

After an ominous warning, he did something unexpected.

[Mystery! I accept your offer! Lend me your power!]

“!!”

Christian, Nordian, and Idrinne’s expressions hardened.

“Could it be?”

“…It seems so.”

A fierce, terrifying aura surged from the darkness beyond the labyrinth.

Footsteps echoed softly.

Four figures appeared.

All bore grotesque appearances.

Wings covered in a blood membrane, slit eyes like serpents, horns like beasts.

They were human in form but looked like demons.

The minions of the Mystery Mage!

‘So the Mystery Mage’s forces were waiting here all along.’

Christian’s gaze darkened.

He hadn’t expected the Overlord to stand idly by as his fortress fell.

But the Mystery Mage’s absence until now had been for a reason.

[Overlord of the Four Kings, if we aid you, will you swear to hand over everything in the fortress to our Mystery Mage?]

The Overlord ground his teeth but answered.

[…I swear.]

[Good. The contract is sealed.]

The one at the front nodded.

Unlike the others, he was a handsome young man—if not for the four wings on his back, he could be mistaken for an ordinary human.

[In the name of our Mystery, all the rats of the Dark Alliance who have set foot in the Four Kings’ Fortress will return to the embrace of the great Gehenna.]

Such arrogance.

Yet neither Christian nor Nordian dismissed the words as empty threats.

‘A cardinal, huh? To have such a heavyweight show up.’

The Mystery Mage was a cult of demon worshippers, each blessed by demons.

Among them, the highest priests—cardinals, bishops, archbishops, and priests—were especially powerful.

‘Usually, cardinals are at least mid-eighth star, bishops at upper eighth star, and archbishops at ninth star or above.’

In other words, this boy’s power was on par with a ninth-star true Great Demon King.

The tide had turned instantly.

‘And the other three are all cardinals or bishops.’

Nordian frowned.

“We need to call in the younger brothers outside as soon as possible.”

He meant the heads of the Destruction Mage and the Extreme Poison Mage.

“It’ll be difficult. The Mystery Mage has probably already set up barriers nearby. They won’t be able to come until this fight ends.”

“…Then you should run.”

“Why would I run?”

Christian said calmly.

“We’re going to win.”

“!!”

The Overlord and the Mystery Mage’s minions looked stunned.

Nordian and Idrinne were equally surprised.

They were in a hopeless situation, with no chance of victory.

“Grandfather, do you think I didn’t anticipate this?”

“…No, I would have expected you to.”

Yes, they all expected the Mystery Mage’s minions to appear.

Still, they had gone ahead with this plan for one simple reason.

They were confident of victory.

“I’ll take out that archbishop in one blow, then join you. That will be our win.”

Christian knew that even if the Mystery Mage supported the fortress, no one above archbishop would intervene.

The time for the Mystery Mage had not yet come.

As long as no ‘priest’-level appeared, victory was possible.

“Grandfather, hold the Overlord down for a moment. Idrinne, you handle the other scum. I’ll finish this quickly.”

The archbishop boy gave a disdainful look.

[Truly a great vessel, aren’t you? Your confidence is impressive.]

“Seems like you’re the one who’s overconfident.”

Christian smirked.

“Or maybe you’re just stupid for underestimating me. I don’t think you’ll last five breaths.”

[!!]

The archbishop’s face hardened coldly.

[I tried to treat you gently, but it seems that’s impossible.]

Flames flickered.

A chilling aura began to radiate from the archbishop.

Malice.

[Now that it’s clear you’re the vessel, it doesn’t matter anymore if I get rough. Prepare yourself.]

A crucial piece of information slipped from the archbishop’s lips.

‘They’re almost ready for the apocalypse.’

After Idrinne had defeated the Bloodthirsty Demon King who had possessed her, they suspected the Mystery Mage would prepare alternative methods.

Besides using a ‘vessel,’ the Mystery Mage had many tricks.

That was why Christian had pushed to bring down the fortress as quickly as possible.

‘From now on, the Mystery Mage will act even more aggressively.’

But that was a problem for after the battle.

Whoosh! Dark magic clashed with malice.

Idrinne and Nordian moved.

“Leave it to me! I’ll help you with the power of friendship!”

“…Friendship? Who are you?”

“Grandfather! I’m Idrinne, Christian’s closest friend! It’s an honor to meet you! I’ve wanted to see you for a long time! Seeing your cute—no, noble presence fills me with joy! After we take care of those bastards, I’ll properly pay my respects!”

“Ah, ahem? I like your manners. Alright, let’s finish off that bonehead first.”

[You fools…! Do you mock me?!]

Idrinne faced the bishops and cardinals.

Nordian confronted the Overlord.

But despite their confidence, both were soon pushed onto the defensive.

Their opponents were beyond their capabilities.

They trusted Christian’s words, but they wouldn’t hold out long.

Yet the biggest problem wasn’t Idrinne or Nordian.

[Foolish. You will all die in despair.]

The one in the direst straits was Christian.

Whoosh!

Malice pressed against Christian’s dark magic.

Contrary to his confident boasts, he was being pushed back badly.

[How dare you, barely having reached the ninth star, think you can stand against me?]

The archbishop sneered.

Even among the ninth stars, power varied greatly.

Christian had just barely ascended.

The archbishop wielded the strength of a seasoned ninth star.

It was only natural he had the upper hand.

Crack! Unable to withstand the malice, Christian’s dark magic was pushed back completely, and his surroundings shifted.

The archbishop unleashed the Genesis Descent.

[The abyss of Gehenna descends.]

A gray world.

Horrific screams of the suffering.

The ‘Shadow of Gehenna,’ a Genesis Descent technique used by the Mystery Mage’s archbishops.

It granted their minions demonic power.

[I won’t kill you. I will make you suffer every pain imaginable until your mind is destroyed, so you become a proper vessel.]

Shraaak.

Malice materialized into countless invisible scythes.

An ultimate skill.

The Demon’s Scythe.

Not only did it possess immense power, but it also cursed the target with the dreadful Gehenna’s curse, rendering resistance impossible.

The battle had reached a terrifying new level.

At the critical moment, something utterly inexplicable happened.

Chris curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

A smile that didn’t fit the situation at all.

And then—

The swirling scythes of the demon suddenly froze midair, then crumbled into dust with a soft rustle.

[…Why?]

The archbishop muttered in stunned disbelief.

He couldn’t make sense of what was happening.

In that instant, the surrounding scene shifted once more.

Cracks began to form in the ashen world of Gehenna.

The Genesis Descent was collapsing!

From the fractures, darkness surged forth.

A deep, unfathomable darkness.

Not just mere blackness, but a wondrous shadow that held within it a radiant light, a darkness that gazed down upon the entire world, pushing back the gray realm and filling everything around.

Chris’s Genesis Descent—the ‘Throne’—was swallowing up the archbishop’s own Genesis Descent!

[H-How?]

“Why ask when you already know?”

Chris smirked.

“My Genesis Descent is superior to yours, that’s why.”

It was an unbelievable claim.

But it was true.

“Of course, I’m not saying I’m stronger than you overall.”

As mentioned before, Christian had only just reached the 9-star rank, so his overall power was still lacking.

But when it came to Genesis Descents, the story was different.

“My worldview has been on par with most Genesis Descents since I was at 8 stars.”

No matter the difference in rank, the archbishop was still just a fellow 9-star.

Compared to Chris’s Genesis Descent, his was inevitably inferior.

“That’s why I deliberately let him unleash his Genesis Descent.”