The moment my fist struck true, the Hell Duke’s body tilted sideways and was sent flying through the air. When he collapsed with a heavy thud, he didn’t immediately get up as I had expected. Instead, he propped himself up into a half-sitting position, like a mermaid rising from the water, and gently placed his hand over the spot where I had hit him.
“In all these thousands of years… I’ve never been struck like this before…”
He muttered to himself with a dazed expression.
Right now, none of that mattered. After all, I had succeeded in making the sun he had created disappear.
After a moment, the Hell Duke slowly rose to his feet. His face and posture still betrayed disbelief, but his eyes—deep and unfathomable—studied me carefully, as if weighing every detail.
Then, his gaze landed on my right hand, still burning with flames.
“…Ah!”
Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on his face. The confusion melted away, replaced by certainty and a radiant smile that seemed almost too beautiful for this grim moment—like a flower blooming in full glory. But in this situation…
“You are…”
The Hell Duke spoke softly.
“You are…!”
His voice rose as he clasped his hands to his chest, calling out to me.
“At last, at last I’ve found you!”
He shouted with a voice full of exhilaration, his eyes shining with a mixture of joy and longing. I met his gaze with a glare, but he seemed unfazed, even pleased, as he swept his hair back. Meanwhile, he continued muttering to himself.
“Truly, I can hardly believe it… Something I searched for so long and never found… And now, here you are. Is this fate? Or should I be thanking those bastards? Ha ha ha!”
He seemed so excited he could barely speak properly.
“Yes, now I understand. You possess a power equal to mine—the ancient fire itself. That’s why I felt those emotions toward you.”
Hearing that, I pressed my left hand gently against the lower left side of my chest. Maybe the Hell Duke was after Hwajeong. If not, why else would Hwajeong suddenly hide?
A soft rustle.
I slowly drew my blade, raising the sword upright. Though I barely kept my wits about me, nothing had changed. Feeling the reality settle in only made the bleakness hit harder.
The other users still surrounded the Hell Duke, but now they seemed to have sensed his strength and had backed off somewhat.
Of course, they weren’t just standing idle. Now that I was free, I could feel the flow of magical energy from all directions—clearly preparing a focused assault. Not a bad choice, but the problem was that their target was the Hell Duke.
One enemy, and over ten thousand allies. Yet here, I couldn’t count on anyone’s help. The enemy could crush me in a second if he wished—so who could possibly stand against the Hell Duke? No matter how many there were, in this situation, they were like moths flying into flame, wings soaked in oil.
That was the kind of being the Hell Duke was.
“Hmm? Is that the Sword of the Annihilator?”
At that moment, the Hell Duke’s eyes, which had been appraising me as if inspecting a specimen, suddenly lit up.
“That must be the Chaos King’s sword from the Spirit Dimension… Quite an interesting weapon you carry.”
He spoke in a friendly tone, but I gripped the hilt tightly. Every move was charged with tension, as if a single misstep could trigger disaster. Just watching him made my eyes feel like they’d burst, cold sweat trickling down my back. I had to focus solely on the battle. I knew I couldn’t win, but I still wanted to survive—and protect others if I could.
Then, the Hell Duke, ignoring all the other users, fixed his gaze solely on me and took a step forward.
Ping!
Suddenly, an arrow shot from an archer across the way, aimed straight at the Hell Duke. No warning, no sign.
“Suhyun! Fall back!”
Had they already coordinated this without me?
Starting with the archer’s arrow, a fierce wind whipped up. At the same time, someone began chanting a spell, and multiple layers of protective barriers sprang up around the Hell Duke.
Looking up, I saw a rain of magical orbs and arrows blotting out the sky—ice spells and glowing arrows charged with magic, all relentlessly targeting the Hell Duke.
But he didn’t flinch.
“Tch.”
Not only did he not flinch, he clicked his tongue and paused for a moment. Still staring at me, he stretched out both hands toward the onslaught of magic and arrows.
What happened next was breathtaking, even though I had expected it.
With a single elegant wave of his hand, the Hell Duke sent all the attacks that had closed in on him veering off course. The spells and arrows stopped aiming at him and instead spun away in the direction he gestured. The whole process was so natural, it didn’t even feel strange.
A whirl.
Yes, a grand spin.
Like a dancer twirling gracefully, the rotation quickly gained speed, forming a powerful vortex. The ground trembled loudly under the force of the storm, but the Hell Duke stood calm and still at its center. He glanced briefly at the swirling chaos, then stretched his arms out forcefully to either side.
In the next instant, an overwhelming pressure exploded outward, sending shards flying like bullets in every direction.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak kwak!
The blood-red wasteland swallowed by the storm boiled fiercely. The unleashed vortex accelerated, returning all the fragments with devastating force, carving deep craters into the earth and drawing screams from the users.
“…”
Even as I heard their near-screams, I couldn’t bring myself to look away. The Hell Duke wasn’t directing his power toward me.
“This should quiet things down a bit.”
Amid the continuing screams, the Hell Duke muttered to himself with a serene smile, then looked back at me. It felt as if he was saying, “I’m watching you, so you’d better watch me.”
“Well then…”
He began walking toward me again.
With every step he took, the despair I’d been holding at bay grew heavier. The closer he came, the more I felt like I was sinking into an inescapable abyss. I had steeled myself to fight, but there was no opening to strike.
No, I didn’t even know how to attack such a being. I knew trusting only Hwajeong and charging in was foolish, but ironically, it was the only plan I could think of.
Honestly, I wanted to retreat badly, but I forced myself to stand firm. If I ran now, it would be worse than not running at all.
So I steadied my stance and drew power from my circuit. Soon, a clear flame ignited along my blade, the sword glowing white-hot.
Had he read my resolve?
A subtle change flickered across the Hell Duke’s face. The faint smile on his lips deepened dangerously, and his eyes curved like crescent moons. It was as if he was daring me: “Go ahead, try your best.”
Meeting his expectant gaze, I felt like I was being tested. But in my current state, I had no choice but to respond.
He was stronger than me. Clumsy tricks wouldn’t work.
‘Then…’
Biting my lower lip, I stomped my foot hard against the ground.
“…!”
I was shocked—he leapt lightly into the air just as I did, as if he had anticipated my move.
What surprised me most was the incredible speed of his approach. In a flash, he broke through all my senses and defenses, closing in head-on. I couldn’t help but let out a breathless “Ugh.” The gust of wind his movement created even lagged behind him by a beat.
In a split second, I instinctively twisted my body to the side. Tilting my sword, I tried to deflect his strike, but suddenly a flash of crimson light exploded in my vision. Something I hadn’t sensed surged from the Hell Duke.
And then—
Kwang!
An immense impact hit me before I could react, so powerful I thought my sword might bend. I gritted my teeth against the pain, reflexively spreading the shock through my body, but soon my whole body trembled uncontrollably.
My magical circuits were raging. Even as I tried to disperse the force, my body sent out warning signals.
“Did you endure it~?”
A voice praised me, but I had no energy to care. After exchanging that first blow, my mind went blank. I had expected a big difference in strength, but feeling it firsthand was hard to accept.
Anyway, I figured it was best to steady myself first, so I put some distance between us with a swift move and landed on the ground. Watching the Hell Duke spin his right hand in a blur, I finally understood what that fiery red light from earlier was.
Then, it happened.
“Watch out!”
Hwa-jeong, who had been silent until now, suddenly shouted a warning.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shattered the air, far louder than before. Because I’d immediately used the Otherworldly Shift upon hearing her warning, I found myself soaring through the sky. Glancing down without thinking, I saw the spot where I’d been standing just a second ago now consumed by blazing, molten lava.
There had been no warning at all for that attack. If Hwa-jeong hadn’t shouted, I probably would’ve been hit. Thankfully, my experience from the previous battle with Father kicked in, letting me react instantly.
“Huh, you dodged that?”
The Hell Duke looked up at me, surprise flickering across his face.
But only for a moment.
“I was trying to end this quickly, so I put some real effort into that attack… but your evasion senses are better than that girl’s. Ha ha ha!”
He laughed, genuinely amused.
“By the way, what was that ability you just used?”
Right then—
“…Like this?”
Before I could even respond, a sweet voice whispered softly in my ear.
Almost simultaneously, the Hell Duke’s form, who had been looking up and laughing, began to dissolve like a fading afterimage. In other words, he’d used the Otherworldly Shift just like I had—and perfectly, after seeing me use it only once.
The voice came from my immediate left. Turning my gaze in a daze, I saw the Hell Duke sitting cross-legged in midair, just like when I first descended. The only difference was that the hand that had been propping up his chin was now resting on my forehead.
Looking up, I noticed his thumb pressing down on his middle finger, bent halfway—like he was about to snap a finger.
And then, moments later—
“That expression suits you well. Honestly, I’d love to keep teasing you until I get bored.”
With that, the Hell Duke flicked his middle finger lightly.
Snap!
A heavy impact struck my forehead, forcing my head back. I felt my body tilt unsteadily.
“…Ah.”
I began to fall.
As I descended, I caught sight of the Hell Duke’s face—covering his mouth with one hand, shoulders shaking with a sly smile.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hello, this is Royujin.
Yesterday, the comments exploded.
It’s okay. I’m perfectly fine. Really? Yes, I didn’t delete yesterday’s note—that’s proof enough.
Let me remind you again: I imagine all your comments as coming from women, and I interpret them however I like.
For example:
Ex) “Flute Royumi, you’re such a fool… but somehow you seem to enjoy it… hmm… the comment section’s gone crazy again… they say you’re cute…” (2014.08.16 09:03)
My take) “Oh, our Yujin’s at it again, playing around? Really, you’re such a prankster! But you’re so cute~ Come here, let your big sister give you a hug~”
Ex) “aria2301: Oh my, this lady is fearlessly declaring things to the readers???” (2014.08.16 07:57)
My take) “Hey, you dummy! Who told you to go making declarations on your own? Have you lost your mind? Geez, you’re worrying me! Hmph! (sigh… idiot…)”
Ex) “GLaDOSbird ♡ (2014.08.16 06:38)”
My take) “Yujin oppa… I’m worried you’re pushing yourself too hard lately… ㅜ.ㅠ But I love you. Please accept my feelings!”
Yes, that’s how I take it.
Ha ha ha. Feels good.
Is this a green light? :D