00957 If You Change, One.
Bang!
The first thing to happen was a pillar of light crashing down as if splitting the earth itself.
“What the…!”
On the trembling platform, Kim Su-hyun let out a shocked shout. His wide-open eyes betrayed utter disbelief. Because the pillar of light was gradually taking the form of an angel, revealing one undeniable truth.
The final power of the Radiant Priest—the miracle—had been activated.
Wooooooosh!
In the next moment, the boxes scattered around Thanatos all emitted a pale, ghostly glow. Brilliant magical circles burst forth into the air like mushrooms after rain, each radiating a dazzling light accompanied by a deep, resonant hum. There were dozens of them. The beams of light were so intense that the entire area was instantly bathed in radiance. In the blink of an eye, the battlefield became a space where nothing could be seen.
Amid the blinding white, a desperate cry echoed faintly from the heavens.
It must have taken about ten seconds—an event that unfolded in the blink of an eye. The cluster of light rooted in the battlefield was so dazzling it obscured the enemy right before their eyes, forcing everyone to stop and lift their gaze upward. Even Thanatos was drawn in.
Still blinded by the whiteness, Erwin strained his eyes to glare at the sky. He could barely make out the sight of magical circles spinning vigorously, sparks flying—something he’d seen once before while watching a recording of Lucifer. But there was one difference this time.
Though the angel’s appearance and the chaotic shifting of the magical circles were similar, the dozens of spinning circles were now intertwining and merging into a massive, newly formed circle—a phenomenon Erwin had never witnessed before.
Moments later, the colossal circle covering the vast sky unleashed another burst of brilliant light. The already faint vision was overwhelmed by a stronger flash, and even Erwin, who had been staring intently, couldn’t help but close his eyes.
At the same time, the entire arena faded into a distant void, sound and sight receding, leaving only a strange resonance flowing through this eerie space.
About thirty seconds later, the newly arranged magical circles released the energy they had been steadily gathering all at once.
Boom!
The earth screamed. The ground shook violently, and everyone collapsed without exception. The Temple of Promise trembled as if it might collapse at any moment. An unprecedented, terrifying energy swept across the area like a tidal wave, heralding the summoning of a fearsome being never before seen.
Boom!
Then, with another thunderous roar—
“…!”
A shared sensation swept through everyone’s minds on the battlefield. It felt as if time itself had stopped. More precisely, the relentless chaos suddenly ceased. The powerful upheaval that had seemed to turn heaven and earth upside down vanished in an instant, as if it had never been.
Haa… haa…
Just by enduring, their breathing had become ragged. The sound of their breaths seemed to echo from within their bodies rather than their ears.
Ansol forced down saliva that threatened to rise, struggling to steady himself as he weakly lifted his head. His vision was still blurry—was it the lingering aftereffects of the light, or his eyes failing to adjust? Either way, he caught sight of a small, indistinct figure descending through the hazy sky.
Suddenly, a question struck Ansol. Though the ‘Monster Summoning Box 4’ had been opened recklessly, there were at least dozens of boxes. So why was there only one figure visible?
As he scanned the area, wondering if others had been summoned elsewhere, the forcibly summoned being gently landed on the ground. Erwin and Ansol turned their eyes simultaneously.
And then—
“…Ah!”
Ansol’s expression fell into utter disbelief.
“Huh…?”
Erwin quietly widened his eyes, a hint of disbelief on his face.
One thing was clear: despite investing dozens of boxes, only a single entity had been summoned. And it wasn’t the Obelo Knights. Nor was it Gehenna.
The figure was a very young girl, barely three or four years old, maybe a little older. Her lava-colored hair was neatly tied into twin tails. Her round eyes shone with a light deeper than blood itself. Her tiny index finger rested lightly on her small, plump lower lip.
“Uh, huh?”
The little girl looked around with a slightly dazed expression, turning her head as if trying to make sense of her surroundings. She looked even younger than a kindergartener, but was incredibly pretty.
“Ha… haha…”
Ansol let out an involuntary, hollow laugh. The half-raised body collapsed back down with a thud.
The simultaneous opening of all the boxes—using Miracle, Blue Dahlia, and As You Wish—had been their trump card against the great Thanatos dragon.
If it were possible, they would have begged to summon the entire hellish demon legion. At the very least, they expected one of the boxes to summon Gehenna again, like last time. But the result was just this unfamiliar little girl. It was only natural for their strength to drain away.
Of course, Ansol’s thoughts came from knowing almost nothing about the enemy.
He had no idea that this girl was the absolute ruler overseeing the eight layers of hell.
That even Gehenna—the strongest in the Whole Plane—bowed before her.
That with a snap of her fingers, she could summon not only Gehenna but the entire legion of sixty-six demon beasts.
In other words, Ansol had no clue that his wish had already been fulfilled.
“Where am I?”
Regardless, the girl was already busy trying to understand the situation herself.
“Hmm. This is really strange… So, Behemoth was summoned again right after the report ended… and I was telling Gehenna to find a way to reach Dad…”
Counting on her fingers, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and urgency.
“…Huh? You guys are…”
Her eyes widened as she spotted Ansol and the Mercenary Clan.
“Hmm? You too?”
She also noticed Aranya and Imprison, who were bowing their heads nearby. Then, spotting Behemoth stiff and with his mouth agape, she suddenly—
“Ah!”
Her eyes snapped open, and she clapped her small fists together with a sharp clap against her palm. Smiling brightly, she nodded as if she’d already figured everything out. Whoever’s daughter she was, she was smart beyond her years.
“Wow, that’s amazing. Even someone like me can be forcibly summoned… Oh!”
Suddenly, her smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. She strode—or rather toddled—with great dignity across the silent space, stopping in front of the seated Ansol.
Even though the battlefield had just been splattered with blood, she walked without a hint of hesitation. Clearly, she was no ordinary child.
With all eyes on her, the adorable girl cleared her throat awkwardly, hands on her hips, and lowered her gaze with an air of arrogance. No wonder a question mark popped up over Ansol’s head for the first time in a while.
After a moment, she spoke in a calm, yet joyful voice.
“A familiar face. So, you’re the one who summoned me?”
Ansol nodded dumbly, and the girl continued in a stern tone.
“How utterly ridiculous! I was just enjoying some leisure time… The sin of summoning me deserves to be punished a thousand times over!”
No, that was a blatant lie. She wasn’t enjoying leisure at all—she had just received Behemoth’s report and was anxiously worrying about what would happen to Dad. In her mind, she had already torn Thanatos and the demon race to shreds a thousand times over. Besides, hadn’t she just said she ordered Gehenna to find any possible way to reach the Middle World?
“…But! Since I’ve seen you a time or two, I suppose I’ll hear you out. Speak! I’ll listen first, then decide.”
“?”
“Why do you keep showing that annoying hook symbol claiming it’s safe? So, where is my dad… No! I mean, I’ll listen first, but it’s not like I can’t lend you some power!”
“?”
In short, she wanted them to quickly say where their father was. But Ansol only responded with a confused expression and a barrage of question marks before cautiously speaking.
“Um… I’m sorry, but…”
“Hmph. Sorry, huh?”
“Who are you?”
“Well, of course I’m sorry… huh?”
A flicker of displeasure crossed the girl’s face. But her sharp mind quickly realized, I know who they are, but they don’t know me. Her chubby cheeks flushed red, and she suddenly scowled.
“Eek!”
At that moment, some clan members noticed something familiar. That distinctive “eek eek” sound reminded them of a certain baby.
“Wait, hold on!”
Suddenly, they realized the girl’s true identity: Suna.
“W-Wait…?”
“You idiots! It’s me! Me! How could you forget me already after so little time?”
She let out a cute little squeal, then bit her lower lip tightly and shot a sharp glare. Her voice betrayed an unmistakable sense of shame.
But the truth was, beneath her grown body—far beyond the baby she once was—there was something hidden: after receiving Kim Soo-hyun’s record orb and letting go of her anger, Soona had completed her first true awakening as a genuine queen under Gehenna’s guidance. So it wasn’t surprising that she didn’t recognize him right away. Still, that didn’t stop her from feeling a bit hurt.
Just then—
“Hey, little missy? Hold on a sec.”
A low voice suddenly sounded as someone gently tapped Soona’s petite shoulder.
“I don’t know what you’ve been muttering to yourself all this time…”
Peeking over her shoulder was none other than Thanatos.
“Your sister’s starting to get a little annoyed, you know? This isn’t your playground.”
Her face smiled, and her tone was sweet, but there was an unmistakable edge of menace beneath the words. Soona had just been gearing up to have some fun, but strange interruptions kept halting the battlefield, and it was starting to get on her nerves.
However—
“…And what’s with this clueless idiot? I’m already in a terrible mood.”
Even Thanatos, the dignified god of death, couldn’t hold back.
“And take your hand off my shoulder! Who do you think you are, putting your hands on me?”
“…What?”
Without a doubt, this time she had picked the wrong person to mess with.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I resisted the temptation to skip Monday’s update and somehow managed to post it after all…
I beat the Monday blues. Feeling pretty proud.
…Actually, I’ll be taking a break on Wednesday, August 12. I’ve got an important appointment then. ^^;
Wishing all my readers a lively and energetic Monday! :)