Episode 990

“Hurry! Move toward the Central Avenue!”

Under the guards’ orders, the crowd moved away from the royal palace in an orderly fashion. Some clutched important documents or precious jewels to their chests, but most were rushing along holding children’s hands or supporting the elderly. The rain fell steadily, and the curfew had already struck like a thunderclap on a clear day—what on earth was going on?

BOOM! BANG!

“Ahhh!”

“Come on! Let’s move faster!”

“Pick up the pace!”

With every thunderous explosion from the palace’s direction, people screamed and shrank back. Black smoke billowed up, as if the palace walls had already crumbled. But no one realized that the ominous energy rising was that of Kroni.

“Look, over there!”

Someone shouted, pointing behind them as they scrambled away from the palace. The dark clouds thickened, casting an even deeper gloom over the sky. When people turned their heads, their bodies froze without realizing it.

“Th-That is…”

A humanoid figure. Towering so high it seemed to touch the clouds.

Instinctively, the people recognized it as the Underworld God. Though all who had faced the Underworld God directly a century ago in Toorun had since perished, the memory of its terrifying presence lived on. As some faltered, legs giving out or going numb, the guards urged them on.

“Get up and keep moving! We have to put more distance between us and the palace!”

But look—how far could mere human legs carry them from that? Where could they possibly hide when faced with the shadow of a god?

“Ah, ahh…”

Drawn by the people’s fear, the Underworld God turned its head. It moved what looked like a massive hand toward the crowd.

Whoosh!

“Ahhh!”

“Run! Run for your lives!”

The deeper the terror grew, the darker the Underworld God’s shadow became.

As people scattered in panic, a woman carrying a baby stumbled and fell.

Thud!

“Ah!”

Clutching her child tightly, the woman writhed on the ground, unable to get up. When she looked back in horror, the god’s hand loomed ever closer. A fear unlike anything she’d ever known gripped her heart like a vise.

“Abu—bu—”

Only the baby, unaware of the danger, reached out with tiny, delicate fingers like flower petals.

Just as the woman curled protectively around her child—

Ziiiiiing!

Fwoooosh!

Flames erupted behind her.

The darkness the Underworld God extended was shattered like waves against an invisible barrier. Reflected in the baby’s wide, black eyes were nothing but shimmering, beautiful magical patterns.

“Ah…”

Crackle! Sizzle!

The mages had arrived.

They stood firm, absorbing the god’s assault with their very bodies. Their veins bulged and teeth clenched with the effort, but their golden eyes never dimmed. Thanks to them, while the path beyond the protective barrier crumbled like sandcastles, the ground beneath the woman and her child remained calm and safe.

Shhhhhh!

As the mages held the line, Ian swooped in and sliced through the god’s hand as if cutting through smoke. The chunk of darkness fell apart and dissolved into the air.

“Mage! It’s Ian!”

The crowd’s cries reached Ian, who glanced back briefly. He said nothing, but the steely resolve in his gaze filled the people with deep trust. They would protect us. As long as they stood here, Bariel would be safe. Those fleeing stopped in their tracks and shouted encouragement.

“Stay strong! We believe in you!”

“Mages, please! This is Bariel!”

Ian and the mages responded, soaring high into the sky. The Underworld God’s attacks slithered like vines trying to ensnare them, but the mages deftly dodged with swift flight.

“Ian, do you have a plan?”

The creature was too massive to simply defeat by force. How could they possibly handle it? Records from a hundred years ago mentioned overlapping clone and sweeping magic, combined with divine palm strikes…

‘You want me to do all that?’

Even for Ian, it seemed impossible—and even if he could, the end would surely be death.

One thing was certain: for a mage to layer three powerful spells like that was like a normal person taking a lethal dose of poison. Whether they died from the poison or their stomach burst, death was death.

“I’m setting up the magic circle.”

At Ian’s words, Ako snapped.

“What magic? Whatever you’re thinking, absolutely not!”

Ian must know what happened to the Underworld God back then. That’s why he’s forced to try the same method again.

Naum argued back.

“Ian, this isn’t a hundred years ago! And if the Underworld God could be defeated twice by the same trick, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.”

They couldn’t win using the old ways. The past was the past; this was now. The Underworld God then and now were not the same.

“Still, we have to try whatever we can.”

Whatever it takes.

Ian traced a large circle in the air, aiming to draw the magic circle around the Underworld God. Golden and black runes rose in harmony along his path, blending the powers of Gaia and the East.

—How pathetic, Ian.

Thousands of glowing runes floated around the god like living things. The brighter the light grew, the more the god unleashed a storm of black energy. The opposing forces shook the heavens and earth violently.

Kugugugung! Kugung!

“Damn it!”

Ako bit her lip and reluctantly signaled the mages. While Ian drew the circle, they had to divert the god’s attention.

“Let’s go, everyone!”

“Ughhh!”

The mages unleashed their full power, charging at the shadow.

But against such overwhelming darkness, their individual lights were no more than fireflies. They struck and stabbed repeatedly, only to be pushed back effortlessly by a single gesture from the god.

Shhhhhh!

“Ahhh!”

“Watch out!”

“It’s coming again!”

Crackle! Sizzle!

The Underworld God tilted its head lightly, as if curious how long these tiny humans would keep struggling. It glanced around briefly, then raised its palm to the sky.

Wooooooong.

“…!”

An unbearable pressure gripped the mages’ hearts. The fear was so suffocating it felt like their lungs might burst.

But the most shocking thing was that the Underworld God was only now beginning to show its true power. Until this moment, it had been toying with the mages, barely exerting itself.

Realizing this, the mages’ minds went blank.

—Cry out. Beg for your life in terror.

Thoom. Thud.

As the god lowered its arm, Ian’s magic circle vanished like a mirage.

“…!”

Just as Ian had lightly repelled Kroni’s darkness, the god had lightly brushed aside Ian’s light.

Suddenly, the sky darkened further as the storm clouds swirled, signaling an impending tempest. Ian covered his face with his sleeve and crouched.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

Every nerve felt crushed under the weight.

The Underworld God roared loudly, as if the time had come.

—Kneel!

Rrrrshhh!

“Ahhh!”

“Eek!”

The roar seemed to take shape—whips? No, thousands of giant needles tearing flesh from head to toe, leaving no part untouched.

The mages screamed in unison as they were thrown down.

Whoosh!

Ian reached out to cast a protective barrier, but something blocked him—his magic wouldn’t activate. He didn’t even realize he was falling.

Boom! Thud!

‘Ah.’

No way. Could he really die this quickly? Ian looked toward the mages who had fallen before him. The smoke made it hard to see, but surely…

“Iaaaan!”

“…?”

Ian’s eyes widened. Beric was reaching out to him, shouting. Limping, Beric ran toward where Ian was about to fall.

“Beric.”

As the smoke cleared, sword-wielding magic knights appeared, supporting the fallen mages. All had unleashed their power to catch every one of the falling mages safely.

Hertchi and Barsabe raised their swords and shouted.

“It’s too late, Ian!”

They had been busy clearing out soldiers trying to seize the palace. Those under mind control had only just been freed with Kroni’s death.

“Iaaaan! Hold on!”

Beric’s playful shout made Ian steady himself and step on his chest. Ian landed lightly, but Beric lost his balance and fell backward.

“Ugh!”

Boom.

Ian staggered, struggling to keep his footing. Only then did he realize his condition wasn’t normal. Blood streamed from everywhere except his eyes. The needle-like pain wasn’t an illusion—his internal injuries were severe.

“Ah, I’m really going to die…”

“Everyone, are you okay?”

“Ian?!”

“Look at Ian standing there. So young, so full of life.”

“I-I think I’m dead… cough.”

“Get up, you bastard. Ugh, I think I dislocated something.”

One by one, the mages regained their senses, helped to their feet by the magic swordsmen. Ian wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand, roughly like someone splashing water on their face. The rain had left him mottled and streaked, making him look like a newborn lion cub.

—Foolish humans of Bariel. Sink with the royal palace into the depths below.

The underground god leaned his upper body toward the palace. Then, with a massive swing of his arm, he crushed the fortress walls and tore the building apart.

Someone muttered faintly to themselves.

“B-but there are people inside the main palace…”

At those words, Ian, the mages, and the magic swordsmen all flashed their golden eyes and surged toward the palace.

“Hey! Wait!”

Everyone except Beric, whose ankle was shattered, rushed forward.

Tap, tap, tap!

Shhhhhh!

The magic swordsmen climbed up the underground god’s body, while the mages rushed ahead to intercept his attacks.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Shields. Once again.

Crackle!

Please. Just one more time.

“Hold on!”

The mages’ protective shields overlapped and merged into one. Only the mages could feel it—gathering their magic together like this was only possible if they truly saw each other as one.

“Oh, my god.”

“Divine beings…”

Inside the main palace, those who had locked the doors tight whispered as they looked out the window. The death looming before them, and the backs of the mages holding it back, felt utterly unreal.

Tsuzuzut! Tsuzut!

It was like being a fish trapped in a tank, or a speck of dust utterly insignificant. Before this immense, transcendent power, the people stood frozen, eyes fixed on the window.

Crack!

“…!”

The shield began to crack. Instinctively, they knew it wouldn’t hold much longer. But what could they do? Even if the palace itself was doomed, there were still people behind it.

“I-Ian.”

“No. You can’t go out there. It’ll collapse immediately!”

It would have been great if Ian could step outside the shield and break the attack like before, but this time was different. If Ian withdrew his magic, the shield would shatter instantly.

Grit.

If the shield broke, they’d have no choice but to take the hit themselves. The mages shouted fiercely.

“Please! Someone, do something!”

Thud.

Then—

“Damn it.”

Shhhhhh!

A familiar woman appeared, her long hair whipping through the air as she cut through the underground god’s attack. Behind her, golden eyes followed swiftly.

Though everyone looked worn from the grueling journey, their greeting was stronger than ever.

“Minister’s back, everyone.”

It was Arena and the mages who had gone north.

Boom!

Arena and the mages struck the underground god’s attack down in a single blow.