[Fuuu, fuuu,] The Constellation of Fear took deep breaths.

To be more exact, he was not breathing, but letting out deathly energy made out of vengeful spirits to quell his boiling rage. He clenched his scythe to calm his trembling hands.

He knew that, and he was not foolish enough to fall for it. However…

“You’re actually scared? Come on, man. Aren’t you a god, at least in name only? Hm? You’re not actually trying to run away because of one puny human, are you?”

All sorts of curses swirled around in the Constellation of Fear’s head. He would not have been this angry if the human had mocked him in any other way. However, it was hard to endure when he was being ridiculed in such a primitively childish way.

[...]

The Constellation of Fear clenched his scythe so hard that it could break. Before serving Demon God Bauli, he was revered as the god of the Underworld. He had been a god since birth, and was worshiped by all wraiths and vengeful spirits. He was not able to endure such cheap mockery.

The Constellation of Fear shut off his ears. He turned away from the frozen wraiths and flew into the air.

“Hah,” Oh Kang-Woo chuckled, honestly impressed.

He knew very well that such childish taunts would not work against a regular opponent. However, his opponent was not regular in the slightest; he was a god, and Kang-Woo was merely a god’s retainer.

That was the case in the Constellation of Fear’s perspective. To make a comparison, it was like a private slapping a colonel in the face and mocking him that he was too chicken to fight back.

“Why the fuck is he so scared?”

Kang-Woo rolled his feet while frowning in displeasure. His plan to make the opponent charge at him first had failed. In that case…

“Close.” Kang-Woo slowly raised his arm and used Soul Speech.

The entire garden shook. Darkness shot out from the surroundings and gathered to form a dome, as if a giant black bowl had been placed over them.

[What the…]

The shocked Constellation of Fear quickly flew up and swung his scythe at the darkness covering the sky.

An opening formed in the darkness, but only for an instant.

The darkness, as viscous as tar, squirmed as if it was alive and resealed the opening that the scythe had formed. It had been so fast that the Constellation of Fear did not even have the time to get out.

[Kuh.] The Constellation of Fear grimaced. [Bastard! What did you do?!]

He turned around while clenching his scythe. He would be able to make an opening to escape the dome of darkness if he had time, but he doubted he would have that leisure when the enemy who had formed this dome was inside with him.

The Constellation of Fear made a quick judgment.

[You seem to be eager to die by the hands of the God of Fear.]

He could tell that he could no longer avoid a fight. He clenched his scythe while exuding chilling deathly energy.

Kang-Woo scoffed. “The fuck? You’ve been trying to run away all this time, but look at you putting on airs now that you can’t. Well, regardless…”

He slowly lowered his arm and smiled in absolute ecstasy.

He had been suppressing his desire with all his might after the battle with the Constellation of Agony, which he had been so excited for, ended so anticlimactically. He was looking forward to a desperate battle with his life on the line… a frontal assault against a being of godhood.

“Fuuu,” Kang-Woo took a breath so deep that his lungs were on the verge of bursting, and released the desire that he had been suppressing all this time. “Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”

The demon of demons, the Hell of Hells, and the predator of predators roared. He stomped his feet and jumped as he was filled with delight.

The ground caved in a dozen meters as Kang-Woo leaped toward the Constellation of Fear. He stretched his right arm back midair.

The Key of the Demonic Sea transformed into an ax covered in freezing air. He grabbed the ax and threw it.

The ax was deflected along with a clear metallic sound. The Constellation of Fear had not blocked it; the attack had simply been deflected by the power of Divinity within the countless spirits that made up his body.

The corners of Kang-Woo’s mouth rose so high as if they were ripping. Irresistible pleasure set him ablaze.

A battle against a being of godhood— an illogical and unfair fight. Kang-Woo had been waiting for this feeling of vain and despair. He had been wanting a prey that would push him to his limits that not even he was aware of.

“Pfft, hahahahaha!!”

Kang-Woo laughed as he used the Authority of the Sky to fly through the air at supersonic speed. The ax that had been deflected off of the Divinity returned to his hand. It changed form into a sword, and Kang-Woo swung it down at the Constellation of Fear.

[Crazy human…]

The Constellation of Fear swung his scythe, dumbfounded. The scythe of vengeful spirits and the Key of the Demonic Sea clashed.

The Key of the Demonic Sea was deflected once again. The sword that had clashed with the scythe clad in Divinity shattered into pieces. Kang-Woo used the repelling force to twirl, and transformed the Key of the Demonic Sea into a spear. The dark red spear dodged the scythe and aimed for the Constellation of Fear’s neck.

[Not good enough!]

The Constellation of Fear fell back and swung his scythe, pouring out hundreds of vengeful spirits in its path.

“Kurgh!”

Kang-Woo’s skin that had made contact with the vengeful spirits turned black as if it had rotted. He fluidly fell back and stretched his left arm downward.

“Stab him to death.” Kang-Woo used Soul Speech.

His demonic energy responded to his words imbued with his will; countless black needles shot up from the ground.

Sharp sounds as if an iron plate was being hammered nonstop echoed throughout the dome. However, none of the thousands of black needles were able to break through the Constellation of Fear’s barrier of Divinity; it had only made it a little thinner.

The Constellation of Fear swung his scythe at Kang-Woo’s head. Kang-Woo ducked to dodge; he thought that he had dodged it completely, but hundreds of vengeful spirits poured out from the scythe’s path like rainfall.

“Kurgh, argh.”

Kang-Woo took the brunt of the vengeful spirits on his back, and they ripped his flesh apart. Rather than falling back, he walked toward the Constellation of Fear as he was being ripped apart by the vengeful spirits, and grabbed him with his right hand. Although the Constellation of Fear’s body was made of translucent spirits, Kang-Woo was able to grab him with ease.

[It’s no use!]

The Constellation of Fear swung down his scythe while shouting, cutting off Kang-Woo’s right arm.

Red blood spewed out like a fountain.

[Hmph. It seems you were all bark and no bite.]

The Constellation of Fear snorted and trampled on Kang-Woo’s severed right arm.

Kang-Woo’s left leg was bent at an unnatural angle.

The Constellation of Fear cut off Kang-Woo’s right leg as well, and swung down the scythe at Kang-Woo, who only had a working left arm remaining. The scythe pierced his stomach and embedded itself on the ground.

[Anyway…]

The Constellation of Fear frowned as he thought of the black barrier around them and the techniques that the human had used.

The Constellation of Fear tilted his head in confusion. He had a feeling that something was off; there was no way that the human’s attacks were befitting a retainer of Gaia.

The power that the human had been hiding was nothing special.

[The likes of a god’s apostle dared to mock a god,] the Constellation of Fear said leisurely.

Contrary to his worries, there was an insurmountable gap between a being who possessed Deific Essence and one who did not. Not a single one of the human’s attacks had managed to break through his barrier of Divinity, and the human had not been able to block a single one of his attacks imbued with Divinity. The result of the battle had been decided from the beginning.

The battle had been so anticlimactic that the Constellation of Fear couldn’t help but think as such.

[Die.]

The Constellation of Fear pulled out his scythe while thinking that his instincts had dulled, splitting the human in half from his belly to head.

[Fuuu,] the Constellation of Fear sighed as he turned around. He needed to find a way out of this barrier now. [Let’s s—]

Just then, he heard the sound of a viscous liquid. He looked down to see that it had been from his leg. The Constellation of Fear aggressively frowned after seeing the source of the sound. The right arm of the human that he had cut off was still grabbing his leg.

[You’re unpleasant to the very end.]

The Constellation of Fear slowly reached down to grab the human’s right arm. Just then…

A giant mouth shot out from the right arm and ate the Constellation of Fear’s arm whole.

[Gaaaaaaaaahhh!!] the Constellation of Fear screamed.

Although it had only been a mere fragment of the hundreds of thousands of vengeful spirits that made up his body, a splitting pain spread throughout his entire body.

[Wh-What the hell?!]

The Constellation of Fear jumped back in shock.

The giant mouth that had come out from the human’s right arm ate the arm made of vengeful spirits as if it was a delicacy.

The Constellation of Fear’s eyes shook. He had existed ever since the era of myths, but he had never seen something like that. He trembled. The fear that he had felt a while ago as he looked at the human returned.

[...?]

The Constellation of Fear heard more sounds of a sticky mucus. He turned toward the source of the sound.

[What?]

“. Eating spirits is a first for me.”

There, the human that should have died from being split into two was getting back up. He was chewing on something while looking like he couldn’t be any happier.

“It doesn’t taste all that bad.”

Kang-Woo smiled extremely widely, the corners of his mouth actually tearing open to reach behind his ears. Saliva was dripping from the sharp teeth of a beast that had protruded out from his cheekbones.

[What the hell… is that?]

The Constellation of Fear’s eyes widened. Something that should not be happening was happening before his very eyes.

“Now, then.”

Kang-Woo slowly raised his arm. The right arm that had been severed at his elbow crawled toward him and stuck back on the severed area. He put his hand over his heart.

“Time for round two.”

Ten Thousand Demon Core…

First Door, open.

***

Lucifer’s voice flowed out from the black orb.

[I heard that you had contacted me.]

“I did.” Tai Wuji nodded.

Before he had stolen the Demon God’s legacy, he had contacted Lucifer to ask him if he had any intention to join forces with the Constellations of Evil.

[I refuse,] Lucifer responded without hesitation.

Tai Wuji nodded, having expected the response.

“You’ve changed quite a lot. I had high hopes for you since you had managed to acquire Divinity despite being a mere demon.”

Lucifer remained silent.

Tai Wuji stared at the black orb expressionlessly.

“That aside, it seems the retainers of Gaia are mistaking us for you.”

[Mistaking?]

“It’s nothing for you to bother with, since we will be correcting that mistake today.”

[Are you planning on killing Gaia’s retainer?]

Tai Wuji simply nodded without a word.

[Gaia will not stand for that.]

“What could she possibly do with her damaged Deific Essence?” Tai Wuji replied with his signature monotone voice.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes and asked, [Who was Gaia’s retainer again? It was a human named Kim Si-Hun, correct?]

“There is one other.”

[Who?]

“A human named Oh Kang-Woo.”

Silence fell.

[What?]

Tai Wuji could see Lucifer flustered from across the black orb. Tai Wuji stared at Lucifer while slightly tilting his head.

[Oh… Kang-Woo? No, no, wait. It can’t be.] Lucifer expressed panic. He asked impatiently, [Can I see that human’s face?]

“Of course.”

Tai Wuji slightly turned his head. A boy with blank eyes approached and opened his right hand. On top of it appeared the blue window known as the among Players. On it was a picture of Oh Kang-Woo, back when he had accepted Gaia’s light and became the Protector of Light.

[Ah.] Lucifer’s eyes widened after seeing Kang-Wo’s face. [Wh-Why? Satan surely had…]

Satan had said that he had taken the Demonic Sea from the Demon King. Although it was impossible through normal means, Lucifer had known about Satan’s final plan to make the Demon King clash with the dimensional wall to annihilate him. Lucifer had thought that Satan had acquired the Demonic Sea back then, but…

[Why… Why…]

Why was the Demon King still alive? Lucifer trembled; he scanned the picture of the Demon King on the blue window in pallor. If the Demon King had become a retainer of Gaia, it meant that he had regained his strength to the point that he could fool a god of the highest rank.

“What’s wrong?” Tai Wuji asked.

Lucifer did not answer him and asked instead, [You went to go… kill Gaia’s retainers?]

“Yes. The Constellation of Fear went personally to exact punishment with his own hands.”

Deathly silence fell. Lucifer said with a shaking voice, [Run… away.]

“What?”

[I said to run away! Right now!!!]

Lucifer’s shout echoed from the black orb.

Tai Wuji frowned dumbfoundedly. “Surely you don’t mean from Gaia’s retainer?” Even he, who was mostly devoid of emotions, couldn’t help but chuckle at Lucifer’s words. “He is but a mere human without Deific Essence. He is not even an incarnation. He is but one of Gaia’s puppets.”

If one was not an incarnation, it was impossible for them to borrow Deific Essence from the god that they worshiped. Although the human had received Gaia’s blessing, that was it. There was an insurmountable wall between those who possessed Deific Essence and those who did not.

[God damn it!! You’d be better off fighting Gaia or Seraph!!] Lucifer clenched his fists in pallor. He shouted, [Deific Essence? Incarnation? That doesn’t mean anything to that monster!! Just shut up and run! Run as far away as possible before that monster devours you all and becomes stronger!!!]

Lucifer’s roars echoed.