After smoke billowed from Thanatos’s body, a subtle shift rippled through the battlefield that had seemed frozen in time. Everyone stood dumbfounded, unsure of what to do next, when Lucifer gave a sharp glance toward someone.
“Melinus.”
Though his voice was quiet, the old sage’s eyes caught something unusual. Soon, Melinus slipped away stealthily, and the six Great Demons swooped through the air, circling swiftly before gathering around Thanatos.
Kim Suhyun, who was supporting Ansol, frowned deeply. No matter how strong he was, facing that level of combined power all at once was impossible. Of course, Kim Suhyun’s allies quickly surrounded them from all sides, having caught on to the demons’ intent.
But Lucifer paid no mind and hurriedly moved his hands. His delicate, almost feminine fingers swept over Thanatos’s entire body. Though Thanatos’s face was etched with bitter rage, he showed no sign of resistance. Soon, his whole body began to glow faintly, enveloped in some mysterious energy.
When Lucifer finally turned around with resolve, Kim Suhyun could hardly believe his eyes. At some point, Thanatos had split into six separate forms, each gasping for breath.
Before he could even process what was happening, Lucifer shouted something long and loud. The echo barely faded when the Great Demons each grabbed one of the six Thanatos forms, spreading their bat-like wings wide. Only then did Kim Suhyun realize Lucifer’s plan and quickly activated his Third Eye.
“What?”
But he was soon left speechless. He had assumed five of the six were illusions and only one was real—but none of them registered any information. In other words, all six were genuine.
In the next instant, Lucifer, Baal, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Astaroth, and Lilith—the six Great Demons—shot straight up into the sky, then streaked off in different directions like arrows. Kim Suhyun’s eyes snapped wide open, utterly unprepared for their escape.
“Everyone, capture them!”
A deafening roar shook the heavens. Almost simultaneously, Kim Suhyun and all the others launched their pursuit in different directions.
From that moment, the battlefield rapidly transformed.
Murmurs spread.
At the edges of the fortress, the Southern Continent users who had been fiercely resisting grew unsettled. They saw the Great Demons speeding away—not toward the fortress, but in the opposite direction.
Caught off guard by the sudden retreat, the users hesitated. But they knew the tide was turning against them. Meanwhile, the Northern Continent forces surged forward like a tidal wave, their momentum suddenly swelling. Eventually, they turned their backs and withdrew as swiftly as a receding tide.
Yet the Northern Continent pressed forward even faster, like an incoming flood. Seonyul, having taken command, swiftly ordered a relentless pursuit. Perhaps sensing victory instinctively, their morale soared sky-high as they doggedly chased the enemy.
Of course, not all users stood idle.
War rarely results in the greatest casualties during head-on clashes; it’s the chase and retreat that inflict the heaviest losses. Yet Kim Yuhyun stood rooted to the ground, not joining the demon pursuit squad.
“Hah, running away, huh.”
His whole body crackled with yellow electricity.
“Who gave you permission?”
Rumble, rumble!
The already dim sky darkened further. But Kim Yuhyun held back his power, waiting. From his earlier fight with Astaroth, he’d learned something: even the power of the Thunder God, when divided, couldn’t deal a decisive blow.
Killing them all in one strike would be ideal, but nearly impossible—and unnecessary. For now, just slowing them down was enough. There was only one solution.
A thunderous roar shook the world. At the same time, a massive pillar of lightning—no, a colossal bolt resembling a pillar—pierced through the storm clouds, glowing bright yellow. It rose like a dragon stretching its neck, casting a shadow over the land.
Moments later, Kim Yuhyun’s eyes, which had been staring into the distance, burst with a transparent golden light—the hallmark of merging with Jjorongi’s vision. Raising both arms high, he then slammed his hands down with fierce determination.
The sky trembled. Nearby users clearly saw it: a gigantic column of lightning, formed from hundreds or thousands of bolts, zigzagging downward at incredible speed, aimed precisely at Baal, who was flying ahead. The attack accounted for Baal’s velocity with deadly accuracy.
In less than a second, Baal was swallowed by the yellow pillar of lightning before he could react.
KRAK!
“AAAAAAH!”
A long scream was drowned out by the deafening explosion at the impact site. The earth shattered into fragments, and a cloud of electrified dirt exploded skyward. Baal vanished into the pillar momentarily, then reappeared, scattering in pieces through the air.
Though he tried to steady his wings as he bounced toward the ground, it was clear he was still alive—but his flight had completely ceased. A squadron of knights charged in, quickly surrounding him. It was the Third Legion.
By the time Baal regained his senses, Behemoth already had his sword pointed at him.
“Heh heh heh! Hey, aren’t you the one who once lost your life to our First Legion Commander? Truly, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”
Baal’s fierce expression darkened with despair as he realized he had been caught.
At the same time—
Baal wasn’t the only one trapped. Beelzebub was also caught midair, surrounded. Ha Seungwoo, who had duplicated Asmodeus, and over forty Valkyries clad in silver armor formed a circle around him. Han Soyoung had dropped her magical lady act and summoned the queen’s army.
“Grrr!”
Beelzebub growled in frustration and flapped his wings again. A Great Demon of his caliber could easily handle a battle maiden, let alone a fake demon. But that was only if the opponent let him fight on his terms.
As Beelzebub surged forward, the Valkyries scattered in all directions, aiming their spears and firing beams of light in relentless torrents. The silver rays rained down like a storm, targeting his wings. Whenever he tried to break free, Ha Seungwoo would ram into him, naturally slowing his flight.
Tormented like a mosquito bite that never stops, Beelzebub ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and fight outright—but that was exactly what his enemies wanted. He had come prepared and had to adapt to the situation. Because this was the most critical moment.
What Beelzebub didn’t know was that reinforcements to cut off his escape were already close at hand.
Meanwhile, Lucifer flew in a straight line through the sky alongside two demon lords. The fallen angel headed straight ahead at top speed. Though they had nearly left the battlefield behind, the surrounding flashes of light still flickered incessantly. Without a thought to look back, Lucifer pushed through the air with all his might.
“Hey, they’re chasing us like crazy, aren’t they?”
Suddenly, a giggle came from his arms. Lucifer glanced down to see Thanatos nestled against him, grinning like a child thoroughly amused. It was a stark contrast to the furious figure who had been pounding the ground moments before.
Well, it was strange. After Thanatos’s carefully laid plan had been foiled, the Great Demons had reacted with astonishing speed and precision—as if they had anticipated it all along.
“You don’t seem all that upset!”
Lucifer shouted, straining to keep up.
“Well, I was really mad earlier, not just smoky,” Thanatos replied. “But I think Satan had this scenario in mind too.”
“Sure, it would’ve been great if it worked, but the chance of failure was higher.”
“Seriously. I just don’t get these guys. Why go this far? What’s this grand prophecy all about…? Behind us!”
“!”
Thanatos suddenly shouted. Startled, Lucifer turned to look, but a sharp energy grazed his cheek. He sensed a group rapidly approaching from behind. Without even turning fully, he knew exactly who they were.
Frowning briefly, Lucifer quickly regained his composure and kept flying, shouting:
“Demon Lords, block the pursuers!”
Immediately, the two figures flanking him spun around and dropped down. Not demons, but demon lords used as a buffer to buy time. Under normal circumstances, this would be unthinkable—but there was no choice. The pursuers had come faster than expected, and for what lay ahead, it was more important for the Great Demons to survive than the demon lords.
Having left a guard behind, Lucifer hoped to buy enough time for their retreat. But that was a miscalculation. Because the pursuers were not alone either.
Suddenly, the air around Lucifer’s surroundings began to tremble violently.
Moments later, a man’s fierce, thunderous shout rang out, and brilliant sparks exploded in every direction. A scorching wind swept through the air. A deafening roar of blasts filled the space, and Lucifer felt a searing pain along his back, as if it were burning. Fortunately, none of the explosions hit him directly, but he couldn’t avoid being caught in the shockwaves.
“I won’t let you escape!”
Before he could even catch his breath, a voice filled with rage and determination struck his ears. Glancing back in that instant, Lucifer was stunned for two reasons. He was in the middle of a fierce battle against two demon lords and their forces, yet cutting through the chaos was a familiar figure, flying through the air in pursuit.
Kim Suhyun, wings spread wide like a dragon’s, eyes blazing with fire, was closing in fast. His twisted, grim expression was almost demonic, and the threatening aura radiating from his entire body felt like thousands of needles piercing the flesh.
The message was clear: he would never let Lucifer go. No, he was determined to kill him.
Lucifer let out a bitter smile, feeling a strange sense of relief.
“If everyone had fled in the same direction, this would’ve been a real disaster.”
In that fleeting moment, a flicker of conflict crossed Lucifer’s face. Should he face Kim Suhyun alone while the two demon lords held off the other pursuers? But he quickly dismissed the thought. Even the mighty Thanatos hadn’t been able to defeat him; what chance did he have? The risk was too great. Above all, survival and escape were the top priorities.
“If only I can get through this moment… just this one moment!”
Just as he resolved to focus on fleeing, the air around him was engulfed in a sudden burst of flames again. Lucifer abandoned his straight flight and began weaving through the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The empty air thundered with explosions. Dodging the fiery bursts that dotted the sky like scattered stars, Lucifer traced an S-shaped curve through the air, almost like an acrobat. His posture wavered once, but he managed to break through and resumed flying straight ahead.
“Damn it! Come out! Haeryuma!”
Then, abruptly, Kim Suhyun’s presence vanished. But Lucifer didn’t relax. Instead, a vague dread settled over him, as if the pursuer could reappear at any moment.
Even a great demon like him felt fear. He desperately hoped Kim Suhyun wouldn’t chase him, but of course, it was the one person he least wanted on his tail who was now hunting him. The taste of bitterness was unmistakable.
Unable to bear it any longer, Lucifer glanced around with vacant eyes. The relentless pursuer who had been closing in just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly—
A blade shot up from below, narrowly grazing his left wing. Reflexively, Lucifer looked down, his eyes widening like lanterns.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Kim Suhyun had landed and was chasing him on horseback—an unfamiliar steed, its coat as white as jade and its mane as black and lustrous as a pearl.
The problem was the horse’s speed—it was incredible. It seemed to glide over the ground like ice, charging forward as if flying. And the faster it ran, the faster it became.
A horse faster than a winged being? That should be impossible.
Yet it was happening. In a flash, the horse caught up to Lucifer, then surged ahead.
In that moment, Lucifer caught the gleam in Kim Suhyun’s eyes. Dozens of fiery swords materialized instantly, shooting up like a blazing red carpet, rising vertically. The flames quickly transformed into a sea of fire, blocking Lucifer’s path.
“Argh!”
Lucifer screamed and flung himself aside. By sheer luck, he managed to veer away just before touching the wall of fiery swords. But it was only a moment’s respite. Suddenly, a firework exploded right before him, and the precarious balance he’d maintained shattered. Thanatos wore a look of utter despair.
“Ah, it’s over.”
At the same time, Lucifer spun and twisted through the air like a dancer.
In his mind, thoughts raced:
“Yeah. The opponent is definitely strong.”
“Powerful, well-equipped, lucky, and above all, they know us well.”
“Besides, the prophecy foretells our defeat.”
“But Lucifer, do you know the exact details of that prophecy?”
Memories of Satan flickered in his mind.
“One king and four queens will appear. The first condition of our diversified defeat is met.”
“It’s open to interpretation, but the key word is ‘diversified.’”
“That means it can change, shift, evolve.”
“So what we have to do is clear: how do we deal with an enemy stronger than us?”
The sky gradually shifted in his vision, flowing like a panorama before his eyes.
“Simple. We lose. We satisfy the defeat condition one step ahead.”
“Then, what if we remove ‘defeat’ from the prophecy?”
“One king and four queens will appear. The first condition of diversification is met.”
“Using defeat as bait to lure an opportunity.”
Suddenly, a dark shadow surged up directly in front of the slowly descending Lucifer. Thanatos, who had left his side, was being torn apart by the neck.
“Huh? What if we get wiped out? Well, then so be it. It was a gamble from the start. The important thing is whether we can deceive the enemy or not. That’s what it all depends on.”
“Admit it. We can’t beat Kim Suhyun. But the Northern Continent is a different story.”
“If we can just endure that defeat… no, if it’s a defeat we can endure…”
“Opportunity will come. Just once. It will come.”
After dealing with the remnants of Thanatos, Kim Suhyun glared coldly downward.
At the final moment,
“Hm?”
“Is there a chance?”
“During the Hell Plan, our demons cooperated for the first time.”
“That’s where I saw the possibility.”
The slow-moving thoughts abruptly stopped.
“Satan…”
At that moment, an invisible blade plunged down, spewing clear flames, and Lucifer whispered softly:
“Please.”
Leaving those words behind, he felt a hot energy touch the back of his neck and gently closed his eyes.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Sorry for the delay! But I’ve packed this installment full, so please forgive me… (bows deeply)
Oh, and I read the comments from yesterday. Ansol didn’t block Kim Suhyun’s attack. Kim Suhyun briefly weakened his power, and instead of Thanatos, it was Ansol’s arm that got torn off and severed. I revised the narration a bit because the first comment seemed to cause some misunderstanding. :)
Ah, Episode 3 is finally over. I thought the toughest parts would be chapters 7 to 5, and then 3, but thankfully, it all wrapped up somehow.
Starting tomorrow, I’ll be back with Episode 2. Wishing all readers a lively and wonderful day!