“No. That’s not going to happen.”
It was at that moment.
While Thanatos nodded with a look of mild annoyance, a smooth, dignified voice cut through the space between them. Melinus turned to see a devil of striking appearance approaching.
Lucifer stood before Thanatos and bowed politely.
“First, I apologize for the confusion.”
“Hm?”
“We, the Six Great Devils, will also be heading to the Great City. Of course, we intend to bring along several of the Fourteen Demon Lords, as well as some of the highest-ranking demons.”
“Lord Lucifer!”
Melinus, who had just raised his voice, quickly lowered it when he caught Lucifer’s piercing gaze.
Though Belial was one of Satan’s closest aides, his official rank was still that of a Fourteen Demon Lord. There was a world of difference between him and a ‘Fallen Angel’—one of the top-tier Great Devils.
When Lucifer’s eyes softened, Melinus took a few steps back.
“My apologies.”
“Belial, no—Melinus. Satan’s plan has not been derailed.”
“…Yes?”
“The Northern Continent arrived sooner than expected. That’s certainly a variable. But if we proceed as you suggest, the plan might truly fall apart.”
“B-But—”
“Clearing the path to the Temple of Promise can be handled by the remaining demons.”
Lucifer’s tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Melinus had no choice but to fall silent.
At this moment, all demons were moving within the framework Satan had devised.
‘We only have one chance.’
But that was merely the outcome, not the process. In other words, everyone knew what needed to be done, but no one knew exactly how to do it.
Well, there was one exception. Lucifer was the only demon Satan had met before becoming the seed of his plan. So perhaps he had some insight into Satan’s intentions—at least more than Melinus himself.
That was why Melinus kept his mouth shut.
“Whether you come along or not, do as you please…”
Thanatos licked his lips slightly and stretched out his hand in another direction. Instantly, another group of humans began to melt away gently.
“You sure about this?”
“Huh?”
“Well… I don’t know all the details, but I’ve absorbed a fair amount of Satan’s knowledge myself.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. To be blunt, if things keep going like this, you might lose.”
“Probably.”
Thanatos finished with a sly glance.
But instead of bristling, Lucifer simply nodded, as if agreeing that it was obvious. Thanatos’s narrowed eyes flickered with surprise.
Moments later, the once lively atmosphere dropped into a heavy silence.
‘We’ve already lost. Haven’t we, Lucifer?’
As the awkward quiet stretched on, Thanatos stared at him with dark, sunken eyes, as if trying to pierce through his very soul.
But Lucifer only smiled calmly, offering no further reaction.
In the end, Thanatos was the first to break the silence. He snorted dismissively and shrugged his compact shoulders.
“You guys are ridiculous. Why make things so complicated?”
“It really is difficult. There’s almost nothing we can do there, right? I won’t deny the situation has become complicated.”
“Heh. If it were easy, we’d have taken the humans by now. Was all this really necessary?”
“If it were that simple, we wouldn’t have come this far. Besides, our main forces have already turned to the Eastern Continent. The leftovers are just a waste of time.”
Lucifer muttered softly as he slowly turned away.
“But…”
Just before leaving, he spoke quietly over his shoulder to Thanatos.
“Thanatos, you can’t be unaware of this.”
“Hm?”
“The Temple of Promise—or rather, the Zero Code.”
“……”
Strange words had been exchanged for a while now. Thanatos chuckled and withdrew his outstretched arm.
“Look, just because I don’t know everything doesn’t mean I’m not prepared for a backstab.”
“That’s…”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should betray us.”
“……?”
“For now, I’ll go along with your plan. It’s entertaining.”
“…You don’t say.”
Lucifer replied a little late, then turned back with a smile.
“Betrayal? Besides, you already have hostages, don’t you?”
“True enough.”
Thanatos nodded in reluctant agreement.
“If Satan is to return as you believe, he’ll still need me, right?”
“That’s part of it, but it’s also to ensure the fairies’ involvement.”
“Fairies?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just a little arrangement made for when you’re freed, Thanatos.”
Thanatos shook his head and stretched vigorously.
“Ugh, I hate it when you guys spout vague nonsense.”
“Haha…”
“Well, either way, we’re going. But these guys can come along and eat, right?”
“Of course.”
Thanatos pointed at the pile of humans, and Lucifer smiled as if to say, ‘Why wouldn’t they?’ Then he placed a hand over his chest and bowed leisurely.
“Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”
Night passed, and the eastern sky brightened.
The clear, quiet morning made last night’s battle feel like a distant memory, but the castle was still somewhat bustling.
Driving the enemy out of the city was not difficult, but the aftermath was another matter. The Eastern Continent had been utterly crushed, and the number of wounded before our arrival was staggering. The surviving priests couldn’t handle it alone, so even priests from the Northern Continent were called in. Judging by the activity, they had been treating the injured all night, and now things seemed to have calmed down somewhat.
Putting that aside—
We could say the Twilight Battle was a decisive victory.
Of the additional enemy units that charged yesterday, three secured escape routes and retreated immediately, while one was routed by my brother’s Brain God technique. Our casualties were minimal, especially compared to the Southern Continent, where over two thousand users died.
Of course, the enemy’s main forces remained intact, and their numbers were still at least double ours.
Most importantly, the demons had yet to appear. So, the battle was only just beginning.
Just as I was about to inspect the castle, my brother came looking for me. He looked a little tired, probably unable to sleep due to his thoughts.
“Suhyun, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
“Is there a meeting?”
“No, something personal.”
“……?”
He turned and started walking somewhere.
The castle was still scarred and gloomy in places, but much better than yesterday. The wounded and grotesque corpses that had littered the streets were mostly gone.
He stopped in a quiet, secluded spot away from the busy streets where users hurried about. As soon as he stopped, he looked back at me.
“I heard… the Southern Continent has put a significant distance between us.”
I nodded slowly.
No need to send scouts; with his abilities, he could confirm it easily. After helping our forces retreat yesterday, the Southern Continent quickly put space between us. They hadn’t fled entirely but set up camp about two kilometers away. Since then, no movement.
We were doing the same—tending to the wounded from the Eastern Continent and recovering our strength after the rapid advance.
“And the demons still haven’t shown up.”
I looked at him, waiting for his point.
“So, I’ve been thinking.”
His expression suddenly grew serious.
“What if the Southern Continent is just bait?”
“Bait?”
“Yeah. Like what happened with the Western Continent, using the Southern Continent to hold us in place while the demons head to the Temple of Promise…”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. My brother looked surprised that I found it funny.
“That’s unlikely. Satan’s no fool.”
“Why not?”
“Simple. Angels and demons can’t enter the Temple of Promise.”
“What?”
“Listen. We call it the Temple of Promise for convenience, but the Zero Code’s location is essentially a protected zone. Angels, demons, gods, monsters, beasts—none can set foot there. Only a select few humans are allowed entry, and only humans can interact with it. It’s the strongest domain of law in this world.”
“Domain of law…?”
He repeated my words blankly, clearly not understanding. I tried to explain more simply.
“Think about it. If it were possible, why wouldn’t demons have gone there in the first place? The angels were at a disadvantage back then, but why bring us along?”
He seemed to grasp it slowly, his expression softening.
“Wait. Then what about this possibility?”
His face quickly turned serious again.
“Demons could be taking users from the Southern Continent, using those facing us as bait.”
Hmm. That was definitely a possibility.
“I don’t think Satan would choose that.”
But I denied it without hesitation.
“Even if that’s true, I’d be grateful.”
“Why?”
“I already told you, that place is a Law Territory. The laws there are so rigidly enforced that ordinary users can’t do anything about it.”
“But humans can enter, right? You said that earlier.”
“I said only a select few. In the very first cycle, no user was granted permission to enter. They had to start from the outside and work their way in step by step.”
“Work their way in?”
My brother’s questions kept coming, one after another. I wasn’t sure why he was so curious, but I patiently explained, like a teacher guiding a student.
“Sure, the first step is to break the Law Territory, but even if you manage to lift that, it’s not over. There’s the Shadow Zone, the Sword Zone, the Blood and Iron Zone, the Sacred Zone, and even the Trial Zone… Do you have any idea how many traps you have to get through, or what kind of guardians appear along the way?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The elite—ten thousand of them—went on eighteen expeditions before they finally found the Temple of Promise. And it was terrifying inside. That whole process, including travel time, probably took at least half a year.”
“So…”
“If what you said is right, then here’s what we do: we wipe out the main forces on the southern continent as fast as possible, then head straight back to the northern continent and make for the Temple of Promise. After dealing with those lazy demons twiddling their thumbs, we take out the remaining forces on the southern continent who are struggling inside. Even if we’re slow, it should be doable within four months.”
“Ah! So we just take them down one by one.”
Only then did my brother let out a shout of realization and a relieved sigh.
“So it was all just a false alarm. It actually makes more sense that they were trying to lure us out by keeping their distance.”
“Okay, got it.”
After I said that, he finally relaxed and gave a small smile.
But then he blinked and tilted his head, clearly puzzled. Had I left something out?
“Wait, you said earlier that a few were allowed to enter, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“So what conditions do you have to meet to get in without any trouble?”
“Well…”
I hesitated and scratched my head.
To be honest, I didn’t really know much about that part. Back then, my focus was entirely on the Zero Code, and I only knew what was publicly revealed. The deeper details were beyond me.
So…
“One king… or was it your queen?”
I couldn’t quite remember.
What exactly had I heard back then?
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I imagine some readers might have had a sudden realization after this chapter.
You might even want to go back and check previous chapters, but to save you the trouble, I’ll just copy and paste the note here. (__)
Mar, who had been looking around just like everyone else, soon brightened up. It was inevitable—just moments ago, she was bored out of her mind, but suddenly, fascinating things started catching her eye. Compared to Kim Soo-hyun’s bleak and desolate office, this place was like a whole new world.
So, her quiet observation didn’t last long.
“Woah!”
Mar opened her mouth wide and began to crawl off to one side.
“Let’s see… last time, we brought in the Crystals of Light and Darkness. Where are the other two crystals?”
Lee Yoo-jung had no idea Mar was moving around like that. She was lost in organizing the warehouse, daydreaming that if she completed this mission well, maybe Kim Soo-hyun would give her a kiss on the forehead again.
But did Yoo-jung know what was about to happen by bringing Mar here today?
Did she know that somewhere, far beyond her awareness, everything was about to be turned upside down?
And that the irreversible choice Kim Soo-hyun made—once twice having the chance to eliminate Yoo Hyun-ah but not doing so—was about to be dramatically undone?
Probably not. She would never know.