00654 – Afterglow’s Last Gleam
My vision began to blaze.
I didn’t fully understand the nature of the Flame Transformation ability. I never expected it to awaken as a latent power. Yet instinctively, I sensed that Hwajeong had been hiding a trump card. The furrowed brow of the Hell Duke’s army watching me now was proof enough.
“Disappointing.”
After a moment, the Hell Duke finally spoke—his first words were of disappointment.
“So this is the trick you’ve been playing…? Just a bunch of awakened powers gathered together? And you’re wagering your own life on it?”
In a way, he wasn’t wrong. But I didn’t feel the need to respond. This was the best I could do right now.
Instead of answering, I thrust both hands forward, gripping my spear and sword. As I focused my strength, the flames flared even higher.
The Hell Duke muttered, “You foolish idiot…” before suddenly extending his right hand into the air.
“Come forth, divine flame of Gehenna.”
His voice was calm, almost gentle.
But the scene that followed was anything but gentle. A grating hum scratched at my eardrums as an immense magical force gathered in the void, warping space itself until a large hole tore open. The Hell Duke plunged his hand into the rift.
What he pulled out was hardly a weapon in the traditional sense. It resembled a rope—or a whip—but not a complete one. There was no handle, only a fiery strand that looked like a whip made entirely of flames.
“This is my companion of many years, a kind of self-awareness.”
Slowly raising his arm, the Hell Duke cracked the fiery whip through the air with force.
Sssshhh!
The whip burned through the empty space, radiating a sinister energy as it struck. The air itself cracked and warped where it hit, the space folding in on itself. The whip writhed as if alive, demanding more power. It was an overwhelming force.
“Well, you can be proud of one thing.”
The Hell Duke tilted his head side to side, spinning the whip as he spoke.
“I’ll commend you for making me consider the possibility of defeat—enough to draw this out.”
In other words, he’d brought out this weapon because he thought he might lose. By extension, that meant he believed this weapon could beat me.
“You’ve talked enough.”
He licked his lips, gripping the whip taut with both hands and settling into a stance.
“Come then. I’ll finish this as quickly as possible before you turn to ash.”
I felt thoroughly underestimated, but I immediately pushed off the ground and charged. Hwajeong said nothing, but I instinctively knew this state wouldn’t last long.
This wasn’t a fight to conserve energy—I went all out from the start, crossing my hands and swinging. The afterimage traced a smooth arc in the air, burning bright as it shot straight at the Hell Duke.
“Hmph.”
He responded calmly, raising his arms horizontally and flicking his wrists like a rhythmic gymnast. The fiery whip spun to meet the two blazing attacks.
In that instant, the two flames were caught and twisted around the whip like a millstone. Then, with a graceful flick of his hand, the Hell Duke scattered the flames into the air.
“Feeling the difference now?”
I swung my Surama spear with all my might. It had evolved beyond its initial spear form into a sickle shape, so I chose a slashing attack. The Hell Duke snorted briefly, then stepped onto the spear and swept his hand downward fiercely.
Whirr!
The fiery whip lashed out, scattering sparks everywhere. I ducked instinctively, but suddenly felt something stab past me from the side. Glancing up, I saw a fiery strand brush my crown, followed by another whip-like tendril slithering in like a snake. Shocked by their speed, I hastily raised my sword.
“Blocking is useless.”
At that moment, the Hell Duke’s smooth voice echoed.
The clash of sword and whip rang sharply as the whip that grazed my head bent at a grotesque angle and struck again. I spun the Surama spear to block its path, and the whip’s tip exploded with a deafening roar. Brilliant flames filled my vision.
Before I knew it—too late—
Wooooooosh!
My sword roared with a deep, resonant hum as heat haze rose around me. The shimmering mirage that enveloped me was brief but blocked the incoming explosion. The power of ‘Annihilation’ had activated.
But I couldn’t relax. No matter how strong Annihilation was, it paled against the Hell Duke’s Flame Transformation. The flames weren’t consumed—they were devouring my defense instead.
While Annihilation bought me time, I quickly retreated. Thanks to that, I minimized the damage from the blast. But the whip soon tore through the explosion and heat haze, writhing as it lunged again for my chest.
I barely raised my arm to shield my side when another fiery strand, the one that had grazed me earlier, twisted in a spiral and slashed in at a sharp angle. It was a timed attack designed to catch me off guard—normally impossible to dodge.
“Ugh!”
I couldn’t just take it, so I had no choice but to tumble on the spot. A chilling sensation grazed my shoulder.
“Your evasion skills are truly impressive!”
I heard the admiring voice, but I bit my lower lip. A somersault was a big movement—there was no way the Hell Duke would miss this chance.
As I spun through the air and landed, I opened my eyes wide. Just as I expected, the Hell Duke was right there—right hand gripping the whip, left hand glowing with flames—closing in on my landing spot.
A sudden tightness gripped my chest. The moment I began to be overwhelmed in close combat, the Hell Duke pressed relentlessly. I wasn’t falling after a few attacks like before, but it was clear he still held the upper hand. And unlike before, he showed no signs of easing up, launching continuous strikes without pause. It was maddening.
This couldn’t continue. The momentum I’d barely grasped was slipping back to him. Before that happened, I had to find a way to turn the tide.
‘In the end, there’s no other choice.’
I steeled myself. There really was no alternative. Just before falling, I drew more magic into my right foot. The moment it touched the ground, I unleashed it all at once and stomped hard.
Boom!
The trembling earth cracked open, spewing dozens—no, hundreds—of flame blossoms. Each one quickly took shape as a blazing sword. I was taken aback.
Was it the influence of the Flame Transformation? These fiery swords radiated a stronger, more intense energy than ever before. They bloomed brilliantly—more beautiful and powerful than any I’d summoned before.
‘If it’s like this…!’
A flicker of confidence sparked within me. Without hesitation, I unleashed the fiery swords straight ahead.
“…Ah? Th-That is…!”
The Hell Duke, who had closed the distance, showed surprise for the second time. He twisted his body and shifted his footing, sliding in a circle from his position. Yet his stance remained unshaken—a masterful evasion.
But I’d expected him to dodge. Just before the fiery swords passed, I flicked my hand to the left. At my command, the swords instantly turned and fiercely pursued the Hell Duke.
“How dare you!”
For the first time, the Hell Duke shouted in anger. He kicked off the ground with force and leapt high into the air. I signaled with another gesture to send the swords after him, but by then, he was fully prepared.
“Where’s your safety now!”
He shouted, spinning his body on one foot while wielding the whip.
The spin didn’t stop there. He kept twirling, circling faster and faster until a terrifying acceleration built. Like a figure skater performing an upright spin, he whirled through the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Accordingly, the whip quickly became a whirlwind enveloping the Hell Duke, deflecting or detonating every blazing sword shot fired from all directions. It was a defense similar in principle to the sword barrier I occasionally use.
Watching the Hell Duke gradually slow his rotation, I calmly steadied my breathing. Though it had only been a short time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d lost ground since our first clash. I had expected to be pushed back, but the fact that he revealed his blazing swords was the most painful blow.
It struck me anew: the Hell Duke’s abilities were superior to mine in every way. Not just his other stats, but even his strength, which had risen to 102, was on par with or exceeded mine.
The blazing swords were the only ultimate ability I’d developed with the Hell Duke in mind.
Originally designed for counterattacks, and by some stroke of luck, I’d managed to use it in this situation. But in the end, I failed to land a hit on the Hell Duke. Now that I’d shown it once, there was no way it would work a second time.
With that thought, I let out a deep sigh. Raising my gaze, I saw the Hell Duke still hovering in the air.
Though I wasn’t exactly thrilled either, the Hell Duke’s expression looked unusually angry.
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. No, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Hell Duke, who had always spoken with dignified composure, was now snapping like a frustrated girl for the first time.
Well, it made sense. The toy he thought he could claim at any moment had suddenly grown and was resisting him. Not just a minor annoyance, but enough to make the Hell Duke himself feel threatened. No doubt his pride had taken a serious hit.
…That aside, I had no idea why he was looking at me with such a mix of affection and worry—almost like a woman hoping I wouldn’t die. Was it because of Hwajeong?
“Why! Why do you keep…!”
Suddenly snapping in anger, the Hell Duke exhaled sharply and raised his hand high into the sky. Moments later, an immense concentration of magical power gathered around his hand, radiating a dazzling light.
‘That’s…’
The Sun. The ability that had once brought me to the brink of collapse in an instant.
Suddenly, the memory of being seen through when I used the Abnormal Phantom Shift earlier flashed through my mind.
‘Wait, how did he do that just now?’
‘…Like this?’
I stared at the Sun, then slowly raised my hand. Drawing in magical power, I quietly spoke.
“How do you do that?”
“…What did you say?”
A flicker of displeasure crossed the Hell Duke’s face for a moment. At that instant, I felt a heavy weight settle in my hand.
Flareeeeeee!
Glancing up, I saw a formidable sphere of magical power gathering in my palm, burning like a clear flame.
I wasn’t sure if it worked on the exact same principle, but I’d always been confident in my magic control. Since I started using my Flame ability, my circuits had been overflowing with magic. Not an endless well, but enough to imitate this with ease.
Watching the second Sun slowly take shape, I calmly met the Hell Duke’s gaze once more.
“Is this how it’s done?”
The Hell Duke’s expression stiffened briefly.
“Ha, ha!”
But then he let out a series of short exclamations, looking at me with a rapturous expression, as if overwhelmed.
“You… truly… you’re driving me to the brink of madness.”
“Hmm?”
“…Yes. A king should have that kind of spirit. I accept your provocation with joy.”
“……”
“Anyway, I’ve made up my mind. No matter what it takes, I will claim you here and now. Whatever the cost, you will become mine.”
“Dream big, huh.”
When he said “claim” and “make mine,” he was probably talking about Hwajeong. Cutting him off immediately, the Hell Duke smirked. Then, raising his hand even higher, I matched him by pouring even more magic into my own.
…Somehow, an overwhelming sense that the end was near washed over me.
And then, moments later—
Kwarrrrrrrr!
Flarrrrrrr!
From the sky and the ground, two suns rose, illuminating the entire world.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Well, it’s still hard to see Kim Suhyun and the Hell Duke as evenly matched. If I had to put numbers on it, it’s about 25–30 (Kim Suhyun) to 70–75 (Hell Duke). If Suhyun manages to raise his stamina to 102, it might shift to around 45–50 : 50–55.
Looking at it that way, Suhyun is actually fighting very well. Comparing the Hell Duke’s attitude toward the Great Demons and the Demonic Tribe with how he treats Suhyun now should give you a good sense of that.
As someone mentioned, the Hell Duke is basically the final boss of the Whole Plane—stronger even than the Great Demons. There won’t be another being like him appearing in the story going forward. :)
This part is slowly coming to a close. Please look forward to what’s next. (__)
P.S. I have a huge backlog of messages right now, but I’ll be replying to them over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday.