361 - 368

Chapter 361 – Seimeis Legacy (2)

Wuuong!

There was no room to avoid it. Theodore couldn't cope with the speed of this light despite being transcendent. The three artifacts were the true nature of the light.

If they contained any hostility, his super sensitivity might be able to read it. However, there were no such feelings at all. After a moment, Theodore realized that the three artifacts were assimilating with his body, and he could use all three powers naturally without any sense of incongruity or rejection.

'…Amazing. They truly are treasures worthy of being called 'divine artifacts.'

The concentration of power flowing throughout his body was unreasonable. He could now fully handle a dragon heart, but the power of the three artifacts went beyond that. If possible, he wanted to try using it right now. Theodore felt a sense of fulfillment and was looking down at his palms when there was a sudden sign of an attack.

"You thief―!" Kamiizumi, the young swordsman couldn't shake off his pride despite being reproached by his grandfather.

Magoshiro was a genius who became a swordsman at the age of 30 and whose grandfather was called the greatest samurai. Who would've taught him to be humble? Nobutsuna sometimes told him to control his temper, but Magoshiro had a thick head and only listened with one ear.

'How dare this outsider?! The Heavenly Sword is my fortune!' Magoshiro thought this despite not having the courage to challenge the Heaven and Earth test. While the people present were baffled by the unexpected event, Magoshiro raised his sword and stepped forward. Nobutsuna belatedly tried to stop him, but Nobutsuna couldn't move faster than another master.

Kiiing- There was the sound of Magoshiro's sword emerging from its sheath.

'Hoh, it is faster than I thought?' Theodore watched the sight and understood Magoshiro's acceleration. The technique of acceleration by using the opposing force of the sheath and blade was quite fresh. It was a difficult technique to use unless the blade was a dao, but Randolph used two swords and had more application possibilities.

'No, can I imitate this acceleration with the magnetic field?' Theodore only thought up to there as the tip of Magoshiro's sword arrived at his neck. From here, Theodore had to move quickly.

Pajijik. He turned into lightning in a flash and raised two fingers. His right hand was clenched into a fist, with two fingers raised like a blade. It was an action to borrow the power of the Heavenly Sword. A sword energy formed around one finger while Theodore struck forth like he was holding a real sword.

"Heok!" It might be due to his mood but Sword saint Kamiizumi Nobutsuna saw it one step too late.

At this moment, lightning broke the whole world into two.

"Kuook! M-My arm…!" Simultaneously, Magoshiro's right arm was cut, spraying out with blood. The aura blade of the god-sword, which could slice apart the clouds, tore up the opponent's arm.

Theodore inwardly felt a sense of amazement, but he spoke in a detached manner, "You can see that I wasn't too excessive on that boy."

"…Of course."

Magoshiro collapsed. His injury wasn't more severe because Nobutsuna had used his sword to block the attack. Otherwise, Theodore would've taken Magoshiro's life.

However, could this prideful grandchild overcome the reality and the sense of loss? Nobutsuna sighed as he thought about the difficult future. He picked up Magoshiro and took a few steps back, expressing his intention to not intervene in this situation.

"There is no need for things to be difficult." Theodore said

It was an irreversible situation. Theodore thought so, but it was too much to come here and leave with only the divine artifacts. He needed their help to overcome this disadvantageous situation.

"It may be hard to believe, but I came here because Abe no Seimei told me to. It is why I could pass the Heaven, Earth, and Human Test right away and also why the divine artifacts recognize me as their master."

"…"

"…"

The Japanese people looked at Theodore with disbelieving eyes. Even so, they didn't have the courage to antagonize Theodore, who had used their founder's name. Besides, there was some evidence despite it not being confirmed. Theodore naturally perceived their thoughts but couldn't do anything. Then at that moment…

"Hmm?"

Something wriggled inside his body. Theodore felt uncomfortable and concentrated on the sensation. Suddenly, it burst out of his body like a popcorn kernel popping. A blinding light poured out.

"Oh! It is as good as I thought. Is my soul treated as part of the subject?" It was the same Seimei as the one Theodore had met in the spirit world.

"…Seimei. Did you use the Eight Jade Magatamas?" Theodore immediately grasped the situation. Seimei nodded with admiration. "That is correct. You understand quite quickly. I can't use my strength properly, but this is the immediate effect. Isn't that right?��

The last question wasn't toward Theodore but to the Japanese people, who were facing someone who seemed to be a ghost.

A living legend, Abe no Seimei—his portraits were still hung in many places, and there were hundreds of adaptations of his biography in literary works. He might be over one thousand years old, but it was rare for a person in Japan to not know his face.

"I-I greet Founder Seimei!" Suzuka realized his authenticity before anyone else and fell to her knees, with Nobutsuna and Toman quickly following. It was a bow that even the Japanese monarchy didn't receive. However, Seimei just nodded lightly and gestured for them to rise. "That greeting was enough. Child, I have a long story to tell you. Can you provide me with a space?"

"Of course, Founder! We will do our best!"

"Yes, thank you. And…the descendants of Kamiizumi?"

"Yes, Founder," Nobutsuna replied in a heavy tone.

Seimei pointed to Magoshiro. "I will pay my respects to all your hard work so far. But that child doesn't have a good spirit."

Nobutsuna blushed and bowed. "I am sorry."

"He must've been born with that temperament. I will reattach the severed arm as soon as he grows."

"Yes! I will teach him strictly."

"I believe you."

After speaking a few words with Toman, Seimei finally turned to the waiting Theodore. The humiliation of handing over the three divine artifacts to him was already forgotten. Seimei ignored the shocked and delighted Japanese people as he pointed in a single direction. "Now, let's separate. We have become two bodies, so can't we move more efficiently?"

"To where?"

"It is determined. The mountain nearby."

It was the great mountain where Seimei had sealed the youkais in the past. In front of a place that was more dangerous than anywhere else, Theodore accepted the proposal with a calm expression.

* * *

Kuoong― Kuoong― There were sullen cries as a bird flew away from the dreary and twisted mountain. The bird's reddish eyes, black feathers, and distorted body were proof that it had been bitten by a youkai. Theodore stepped on decaying leaves while thinking. The Oe Mountain that Seimei brought him to truly had a different interior. The flora and fauna were beyond the standards of living. Ordinary humans wouldn't be able to survive for more than a few minutes after entering this mountain.

"…At the very least, their instincts will be left behind. But for how much longer?"

The creatures knew instinctively not to approach Theodore and didn't dare do so. It was proof that the beast's instinct was suppressing the urge to attack and kill the living, but there were limits to self-control. Once the urges surpassed their instincts, the creatures would pounce on Theodore.

'I want to face the big ones before that.'

It wasn't scary. It was just annoying. If the number of creatures reached the thousands or tens of thousands, fatigue would pile up. He didn't want to waste unnecessary energy in a situation like this. The flora and fauna of the mountain had been influenced by the youkai for centuries. Once they emerged, he would need to sweep away all the worms or weeds without leaving a single one behind. At that moment, Goetia's voice filled the quiet mountain air, [Master, there is one life form approaching Master. No, two, three, four… They are continuing to increase. There are at least 10.]

"This seems to be the right place."

Once Goetia finished speaking, Theodore's super sense shook sharply. It was proof that the power of those approaching could threaten Theodore. The monsters from the old days were coming. In Oe Mountain, his detection ability didn't work well. The sensitivity of a transcendent fell to less than half, leaving Goetia to do the work. Therefore…

—Tuhwak!

Theodore moved quickly as something reached his location. It was teeth strong enough to chew steel armor and crush rocks, and its speed was comparable or even faster than an aura blade.

Chaaeng!

However, its level wasn't high enough. Theodore unleashed one punch, and the monster's body was thrown out in the opposite direction. Some of its prized teeth shattered, feeling the air with debris. Even so, it wasn't enough to take the monster's life.

'Besides, there isn't just one or two. Are they small fries?'

They were on the same level as the creatures he had seen in the swamp a while ago. It would be difficult for a master to cope if the number was in the double digits. The creatures left their injured colleague and came rushing in.

"Hrmm." Theodore changed his mind about his actions regarding the power of Magoshiro's aura blade and his right arm. He wanted to apply some of the original strength of the Heavenly Sword. In his lightning state, he was able to mix lightning with his brain. Then he consciously used his Sorcery.

Synergy-Harmonize.

Soul Calibre on his right arm was combined with the Heavenly Sword.

Fusion Complete: Beheading Heavenly Sword.

Theodore swung his right arm horizontally at the monsters. He didn't care about distance and just emitted power. A green flash filled the mountainside, but there were no visible changes. There were no rushing monsters, no chaotic atmosphere… Nothing.

The leaves cut in two scattered in a lonely manner, while the bodies of the monsters were cut in half as the momentum drove them past Theodore. Some were cut at the waist, some from the throat, and some from the chest. The sword that cut the soul ignored any regenerative power, cutting at the flora and fauna that had become youkai. It blew them away! Theodore opened his mouth after sweeping the battle line away with a single swing.

"I won't talk with these small fries," Theodore's harsh words filled the Oe Mountain. "The man who is the leader of this mountain should come out."

Theodore had come to a forbidden zone, which had been sealed for a thousand years, and spoke haughtily while spilling blood. A youkai growled at the provocation. It was a one-eyed giant holding a club. The whole mountain was filled with tension like a fight would begin at any moment.

…Kuhat. Then someone's laughter broke the silence.

"Kuhahahahahat!" A giant appeared with a loud laugh. They had purple skin and a monstrous presence.

The giant had a metal clasp on his leather clothes and stood near Theodore. His pace was relaxed as he gazed into Theodore's eyes. This giant was much stronger than Nobutsuna. Theodore looked up confidently and asked, "You are the leader?"

This caused the giant to laugh with delight and nod. "Kuhuhu, you are a funny guy. That's right! The name of this elder is Shuten-doji, leader of Oe Mountain."

Chapter 362 – Seimeis Legacy (3)

Theodore's eyes sharpened as he heard the name of Shuten-doji. It was one of the great youkai Seimei had mentioned before Theodore entered Oe Mountain. Among the hundreds of youkai on the mountain, Shuten-doji was in the top three. He was the leader of the Oni and someone worthy of being called the strongest! Even Theodore, who had become transcendent, felt a tingling sensation on his skin. It would be difficult for the current masters of Japan to endure Shuten-doji's presence.

'If the youkai in the mountain are to be released without a collar… It would be an even more terrible disaster than what happened in the middle empire.'

Most of the mutants were driven by their instincts and were busy eating each other. They might be strong, but they were simple beasts. It was possible to find a way to break through somehow.

However, Shuten-doji and the youkai were different. They were cunning creatures who had lived for nearly a thousand years… Monsters who could skillfully use their strengths. They were so terrible that Seimei had sealed them up. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a weed left in Japan.

"I am Theodore Miller. I have something to say to you." Theodore subconsciously spread open his feet. It was like meeting the gaze of a predatory beast. The moment he turned around or stepped back, the beast would surely rush in to prove its superiority.

His intuition told him that Shuten-doji was such an existence. If Theodore exposed the slightest weakness, Shuten-doji's hidden bloodlust would rise and his fangs would become exposed. Would it be the prey's blood or his own blood that spilled in the end? Either way, it wasn't the ending that Theodore wanted.

"Hrmm? Did you want to speak to this old man?" Shuten-doji gazed at Theodore with a smile on his face.

"I want to speak to everyone."

"Kuhat! It must be a big topic. How long has it been since someone called me out like this? Well, good. If you are the owner of the Heavenly Sword, I have to acknowledge it!"

"…How did you know?"

"I don't know about others, but I can't not know it!"

While Theodore was feeling astonished, Shuten-doji eyed the large scar that crossed his own upper body in a diagonal direction.

"Seimei, that swindler used the sword to cut my intestines! He tore up a body that couldn't be cut. Kuhaha! I can't forget such a hot and wonderful strike!"

"You didn't die." It wasn't a taunt. Instead, they were sincere words coming from Theodore.

The Heavenly Sword's power was much greater than that of aura blades, and just like Magoshiro, it could cut 8th circle magic like paper. Shuten-doji grinned and nodded. "It was too good an attack to be content with one blow. Thus, I came to this Oe Mountain while believing in the promise of a rematch…"

Then the expression of the laughing Shuten-doji distorted. "That damn fox! Abe no Seimei! I have waited a thousand years while he forgot his promise! I knew his nature was close to a scammer, but to think he actually dared to trick me!"

Kurururung.

The mountain was surprised by the intense anger, and the trees shook. The monsters surrounding Theodore and Shuten-doji fell to the ground, while the youkai breathed in and waited for the tsunami to pass. It was truly a lion's roar! The mountain had shaken with one roar from the youkai.

Shuten-doji looked at Theodore with blazing eyes. "Okay! I won't wait any longer! Tell me what you have to say, master of the Heavenly Sword! If it doesn't make sense, I will throw you out and go down Oe Mountain, stepping on the worms!"

The leader of the Oni was serious. In a crisis where one wrong word would turn the whole mountain into his enemies, Theodore contemplated the use of the word 'master.' It was a treasure of Seimei's, the one who had made a mountain of youkai submit to him. If Theodore used it, even Shuten-doji would have to comply with his words. However, was that judgment the best?

'There is a limit to the 'master.' The burden will grow tremendously if I try to control so many monsters.'

Then Theodore changed his mind and opened his mouth, "A fight."

"Hoh?"

"I will provide a battlefield and the enemy. There are monsters that can be a threat to you. You can trample, crush, and eat them without leaving a trace. How about it?"

"Kuhat, it is tempting." Shuten-doji realized the words were sincere, and a bit of his previous good mood came back. The youkai, who had come to Oe Mountain based on the promise of fighting Seimei again, had been born of violence and impulses. For him, Theodore's proposal was no different than a nail in the throat. However, he wasn't the only youkai on Oe Mountain.

"It is up to here, Shuten-doji," a giant crow fell down between the two of them and spoke in a profound voice. "I acknowledge that you are stronger than us, but you aren't qualified to represent all of us."

Following the crow, a spider youkai walked forward. "I, Tsuchigumo, agree with Daitengu."

This caused Shuten-doji to frown. "I never asked for your opinion! Birdie, spider! Do you want to fight today?"

"Well, you won't be able to deal with both of us at the same time."

"I would die rather than submit. That is what I think."

It seemed like a big fight was going to start between the top three youkai. The youkai who couldn't withstand the pressure were thrown back or spitting out blood. The strengths of Shuten-doji, Daitengu, and Tsuchigumo were that great. Shuten-doji would be the strongest in a 1:1 fight, but he couldn't be sure of winning or losing when it was 1:2. It wouldn't be good for Theodore whichever side won.

'That can't happen.'

It would end up like that if Theodore wasn't here.

Kiiiiing!

A moment later, a wave of pressure swept over the three youkai. It was an outrageous force that could wreak havoc on the entire mountain. The youkai naturally stopped their war of nerves and shifted their gazes to Theodore.

"Are you fighting without listening to me? Won't you regret this?"

"Human! Even if you are strong…"

"Freedom."

This one word caused Daitengu and Tsuchigumo to stiffen. Filled with desperate longing after being trapped on Oe Mountain for a thousand years, the two youkai stopped after hearing that word. Were Theodore's words true or false? Without missing this gap, Theodore continued speaking, "If you cooperate in my fight, I will provide you with a place to live freely out of this narrow mountain."

"How can we believe you?"

"If you don't believe me, I will give you a vow. How about it?"

Shuten-doji wasn't much interested in a free life, but the reactions of the two great youkai were immediate. They would become allies depending on the severity of the vow. If a transcendent vowed using their name, it wasn't unusual for them to die if the promise was broken. So, it was a promise that even the great youkai could trust, despite knowing human malice.

"Can you explain in detail? I will listen and decide."

"Me too."

"Okay, I was already going to do that."

Daitengu, Tsuchigumo, and the other youkai focused their attention on Theodore. Maybe 100 or more youkai were caught by his words, drawn by the promise of freedom. Theodore's lips curved at a pleasant thought. 'The southern swamp will be able to accommodate all these youkai.'

This wasn't something he had thought of on the spot. He had been planning it since knowing about Oe Mountain.

Despite Sloth's disappearance, the swamp was still unstable. It was the epicenter where an excessive amount of mana gathered, so it would take a long time for the transformed ecosystem to return to normal. The swamp wasn't a place for an average person to go in and out, and it went without saying that the ecosystems of the nearby areas couldn't adapt to it either.

'But the youkai can adapt to this ecosystem.'

Youkai were a phenomenon, rather than creatures. The high mana concentration in the swamp would just be a life force for them. It would be a place where they could leisurely relax and wouldn't have to eat each other to maintain their existence.

Of course, there were a few violent ones who would attack humans, but he would add restraints so that they couldn't leave the swamp. In any case, humans needed several centuries more to open up the southern swamp. By that time, the youkai that moved to the swamp would've disappeared due to the greatly diminished mana concentration.

"…Okay. We will be your force if you keep your promise."

"I, Tsuchigumo, will follow you."

Once the two great youkai agreed, the rest of the youkai raised their respective voices. It felt like the entire Oe Mountain was crumbling.

"I swear by the name of Theodore Miller!" With his right hand shining a golden colour, Theodore proclaimed the liberation of Oe Mountain in a loud voice, "―Follow me!"

Oe Mountain—the knot of a thousand years was broken.

* * *

Wuuuong-

There was a hole in the air where there was nothing, and a black-haired young man slowly walked out. Theodore Miller—the greatest magician of the present age, according to Seimei—returned from Oe Mountain. He didn't even get a moment to enjoy the blue sky as the waiting people rushed toward him.

"You are back!" The crowd split apart as Seimei spoke in a bright voice. "Is the story good?"

"Well, it is okay."

"It wouldn't be difficult to convince Shuten-doji, but how many others did you convince to come along?"

Theodore nodded and pointed at the hole that hadn't yet been closed. "All of them."

"…What?"

"They all said they would follow my orders."

"Don't tell me…" Seimei's eyes widened with astonishment as a palm appeared through the hole. With purple skin, an ugly face, and a strong presence, this was the appearance of the youkai that many Japanese people had nightmares about during their childhood.

"Kuhuhu, the outside air after a thousand years isn't bad." Shuten-doji looked down at the frozen humans behind Seimei and laughed. It was because he saw a human who shouldn't be here.

"Seimei! You damn bastard! You're still alive!" Once Shuten-doji saw his enemy, he roared loudly, and the air became several times heavier.

An explosive aura emerged, and most of the people present collapsed, aside from Nobutsuna, Toman, and Suzuka. The power that Shuten-doji spontaneously emitted was terrible. However, Seimei just laughed. "No, look carefully. Why would I send him if I had been alive all this time? I'm not without conscience."

"…Damn fox!" Shuten-doji said, gritting his teeth after he realized Seimei's condition. "You broke your promise to fight again because you died! I have nothing to talk about with a person like you!"

"I didn't want to break it. I'm sorry."

"Shut up!" Shuten-doji moved past Seimei who was making excuses. He outwardly looked angry, but the appearance of his back was different. Theodore sent Seimei a subtle look. However, Seimei just shrugged. "I thought we would fight once before I died. I didn't know I would be defeated in the empire."

"Don't give excuses."

"I'm not. I didn't mean anything. You should know that."

Seimei might be shaped by the power of the Eight Jade Magatamas, but his current self was just a fragment of his soul. He might be able to act independently, but he was just a fragment who couldn't be far from Theodore. As such, he wasn't in a state to keep his promise with Shuten-doji.

Kung. Kuuong. Kung.

Subsequently, the youkai emerged after Shuten-doji. Each one was a national threat stronger than the top rated creatures. Daitengu and Tsuchigumo were surprised to see Seimei, but they passed by him without caring once they realized his state. It was a different reaction from Shuten-doji's. As the youkai quickly filled the area, Seimei spoke with half surprise and half excitement, "You did a lot better than I expected. The more you have, the better. This should be enough."

"What are you thinking?"

"It is impossible to mix humans and youkai together in the same unit. So, I will do the opposite."

The best shaman, Abe no Seimei, had been named as a great master, and there were countless records about how he had tricked the youkai. 'Strange trickery' was a synonym for 'Seimei'.

"I will split the troops into two forces between the north and the south, and use a blitz attack to crush each base!"

It was the earnest start of the war.

Chapter 363 – Seimeis Legacy (4)

"…A blitzkrieg is the key to this war." Theodore understood Seimei's intentions in a matter of seconds.

It was expected that the army would be split into two. The onmyōjis of Japan wouldn't be able to fight alongside the youkais. Furthermore, the violence and strength of the thousand-year-old monsters, who were stronger than the top-rated creatures, wouldn't be able to be controlled by an army. As such, the formation of two separate units of humans and youkai was natural.

"Correct. And as you know, transcendents are too powerful to move in one unit. It is inefficient in situations where we need to move quickly."

"So, it is a blitzkrieg? Then the burden on my shoulders will be heavy."

"Kik, don't exaggerate. Your abilities have been boosted to their prime after possessing my three artifacts. No enemy outside of Geongun Castle can threaten you," Seimei said while smiling lightly and poking Theodore in the chest. Then he took a few steps back and continued speaking, "Then shall I summarize the points we must penetrate?"

The most important thing with a blitzkrieg was to break down the sustainability of the war by rapidly breaking the enemy with mobility and speed. Even a big building or a big country would collapse when the pillars crumbled. Like an arrow shot in the dark, they had to penetrate the enemy's backbone.

"Now, everybody pay attention!" Seimei clapped a few times to get everyone's attention before raising his hand in empty space.

Wiiiiing!

Then a translucent map appeared in the space, showing the borders and boundaries of each territory. It was like a map of the East Continent had been drawn from the sky and then copied and pasted in front of them. Theodore thought he might learn something about the magic when Seimei snapped his fingers.

"Ah…!"

"Hmm?"

"What is it, Fox? Are you going to act like you are surprised?"

The people present reacted differently. There was someone who understood the meaning of the change and was surprised, someone else who didn't understand the meaning, and another person who picked a fight just because it was Seimei. Red and blue dots filled the map.

Seimei looked at the crowd and asked, "Theodore, you know what these points and colors mean?"

Theodore nodded with a long sigh. He knew it with one glance and became aware of the seriousness of the situation. There were countless red dots, while less than 30% of them were blue. Once they were placed over the territories, anyone could understand.

"The red dots are the mutants while the blue dots are the survivors. A dark color indicates the strength of the object or a large number of people in a small area."

"That is correct. Then can you see the goals of our army?"

"Apart from the capital of Geongun Castle, there are eight castles."

Nobutsuna and Toman agreed when they heard the answer. However, the youkai didn't know the situation and could only listen with puzzled expressions. There were 256 castles at key points in the central empire. Each castle had a lord they needed to pass before reaching the empire. The lords who ruled 32 provinces each were said to be the core power of the empire.

"That's right. Only the royal family, apart from the heir, is eligible for the title. The goal of this blitzkrieg is to defeat their armies as soon as possible."

"Seimei, I want to ask one thing."

"Hmm?" Seimei looked back at Theodore's question.

"At present, the empire isn't a proper kingdom but a den of monsters. What is the point of subduing the strongholds? It won't change the situation unless we defeat the main culprit of the disturbance."

"You are half right, half wrong," Seimei said, shaking his head. Then he added, "As you said, the empire has lost most of its functions as a kingdom. Their fingers won't stop even if their shoulders are cut. However, there is meaning in disconnecting the shoulder and fingers. If we do this, won't it be possible to hit the arm with the shortest distance?"

"Are the eight feudal princes that dangerous?"

"I think so," Seimei stated. Narrowing his eyes, he then explained the threat of the eight feudal princes, "They are the same as those with a slim chance of becoming an upper species. They are creatures created by the generations of breeding between the royal family and Lust. There is a higher possibility of them become upper creatures, as well as obtaining variant powers."

"…Can the creatures form armies and use military strategy?"

"If that happens, it is all over." Despite his mischievous tone, Seimei's eyes were heavy.

They were outnumbered, and there were strong individuals that were hard to win against. Instinct told them to run away. Humanity's only hope of winning was breaking through the creatures, but there would be no breakthrough if the creatures could be controlled like an army.

The humans could only fight to the death.

"Sigh, we can only try."

The core of this blitzkrieg was entrusted to Theodore, who was faster than anyone else as he was a magician who transcended space and could become lightning. Beyond the limits of a mortal, he was a lightning bolt that would pierce the hearts of the eight feudal princes.

"Please specify a goal."

Coincidentally, once Theodore woke up his fighting spirit, dark clouds on the horizon let out thunder.

Kururung―

The sound of thunder resembled that of war drums.

* * *

Kwarurung! There was a loud sound as a single lightning bolt cut apart the clouds. The lightning bolt moved horizontally across the blue sky. The identity of the lightning was Theodore. He kept moving without looking at the torn wind and landscape below.

-It might be a blitzkrieg, but you don't have to do it all. Two masters will be in charge of two places, and the big armies will be in charge of two places. The two princes in the west are too far away… You only need to take care of the two eastern regions.

Theodore thought back at Seimei's words and muttered the names of the two eastern castles. The names of the princes' castles were similar in that they started with Cheon (Heaven).

'Cheonkang Castle and Cheonju Castle. I am close to Cheonju Castle. At my pace, I will arrive there in 10 minutes.'

It was an hour after the meeting in Japan ended. Even if there was a mole present, the speed of the raid was so fast that informing the middle empire was useless. Theodore moved a dozen times faster than the speed of speed and passed several territories in one blink of the eyes.

The blitzkrieg was a lightning fast attack. However, the strategist who invented the concept wouldn't have known that an attacker could turn into real lightning.

-Don't spare your strength. The enemy's armies will have Lust's eyes present. The longer you fight, the more your information will be exposed. Defeat the targets as quickly as possible.

'I know that much.'

Who would mention the importance of information to a magician? Theodore smiled as he flew over a few rivers and four mountain peaks before starting to slow down. Lightning was a favorite technique of his because of its tremendous speed, but the shock wave caused by the discharge phenomena was too loud. Theodore stopped 10 kilometers away in order to avoid the attention of the enemy.

Kwajijijik.

Theodore halted only after his speed became safe. His eyes could already see Cheonju Castle.

"Hugin."

A large crow, three or four times larger than its original size, emerged in the empty space. It was the remaining pet of the summoning master, Satomer.

"I'm going to borrow your eyes."

Kyaack-! Hugin cried out in agreement, and Theodore's vision was further expanded. Crows like Hugin and Muninn were a species that served the gods in the Age of Mythology. Of course, Odin was equivalent to the king of two species. However, after Hugin signed a contract with Theodore, he wasn't lacking any power.

"…Umm, it is a pretty solid castle." Theodore was briefly impressed by the defenses of Cheonju Castle.

'It is several times stronger than Tae Rang's ward, and there are no gaps. It would be much faster to break through than to try and manipulate it. If the other castle is like this, it might take more time than I think…'

There were two ways of passing through a ward—either trick the ward or destroy it. However, these choices were only possible for Theodore. It was almost impossible for others. Although it was possible for youkai like Shuten-doji or a Nobutsuna-level swordsman to break through, it was difficult to concentrate on only the ward during a siege.

'A ward based on the feng shui method and a castle swarming with variants… The risk level is equivalent to grade 1.'

Theodore's lips curved as he declared, "So what?"

Wanting to discuss a fortress in front of a great magician?

Forced Harmonization.

Four types of magic spells were activated—fire, water, wind, and earth.

All four elemental magic were mobilized for only one thing—Abraxas.

The force that had destroyed Theodore's mortal wall and placed him in the domain of an immortal—it was powerful magic made for going beyond his limits, but it was also possible to exert more destructive power than imagined by colliding strong magic with each other.

Kiiiing-!

The space screamed from the enormous force gathering together. As four beads became one, the dimensional shaking shook the surroundings. If Theodore gathered a bit more strength, the dimensional wall would tear, and an empty space would open its mouth.

A bead made of pale light…

A force that could blow away a mountain was leashed on his palm.

'Not yet.'

However, Theodore moved the power in a strange way.

���Your turn, Heavenly Sword."

He pulled up the power of the new sword in his body through his right arm. A strand of light stretched out faintly, and the wind passing over him was cut. This was the power of the sword itself, despite it not doing anything. Couldn't it show enough power to cut the world to pieces?

"Beyond the clouds in the sky, cut through the world!"

The power of the great magic, Abraxas, permeated it. The fearsome output out a burden on the god-sword, and it felt like the bones in his right arm were being crushed. However, Theodore didn't give up.

Synergy-Harmonize.

The first attempt at the fusion of the great magic and god sword had succeeded!

Fusion Complete: Unprecedented God Sword.

As the whole world seemed frozen, Theodore didn't miss the gaze coming from the distant castle. The eyes of the monster were filled with malice, bloodlust, and astonishment. This monster was one of the eight feudal princes of the empire.

"―Die!"

The god-sword struck down vertically from the sky. It broke the clouds, split apart the ground where the castle was located, and broke the ward in a line. This was a blow that surpassed even Seimei in the past!

The destruction of Cheonju Castle started with this absurd surprise attack.

Chapter 364 – Final Evolution (1)

Kukukukukung!

The earth under the sky was torn apart. A shockwave emerged from the space where the Unprecedented God-Sword had cut, and the ward protecting the castle shattered like thin glass. The same was true for the enemies lurking in the castle. A few managed to dodge a direct hit, but the numbers inside Cheonju Castle were reduced by nearly 80%. The monsters, which were hard to kill even with the right magic, died instantly in the aftermath of the incident. It was as if a violent earthquake had occurred as buildings collapsed and remnants of dead monsters flowed down.

"Ah."

One more swing could wipe out the remaining 20%, but Theodore didn't do this. No, it was more correct to say that he couldn't do it.

'I somehow succeeded in combining the Heavenly Sword with the great magic, Abraxas…'

However, the fatigue that came immediately afterward was several times more than the ultimate magic.

Kukukung…! The earth shook below him as he staggered in the sky. The blade, which had soared to the stratosphere, fell vertically. It was no wonder that magma sprang up since the sword had penetrated a few kilometers below ground and thinly cut into the mantle.

The castle collapsed in two pieces with a loud sound. In the meantime, Theodore didn't lose sight of the dwindling variants. There was one whose momentum became stronger rather than weaken.

"My aim was a little off. Even so, I didn't think he could survive that attack."

The aftermath alone caused changes in the earth. Looking at all the monsters that didn't survive… Theodore himself would've avoided the attack if it had been coming for him. The god-sword, Heavenly Sword, and the great magic, Abraxas—the combination of these two was enough to shake the world.

Kuoooooh―!

Nevertheless, the variants that survived in the castle soared into the sky. With wings that resembled a bat's and a body that resembled a tiger's, the variants were monsters that couldn't be called a species. Despite their broken bodies, they could fly hundreds of meters at a time. These monsters could treat wyverns as their prey if their physical condition were normal.

Memorize.

Theodore didn't miss the monsters' unguarded moment.

Ice Magic: Diamond Dust.

Compound Magic: Lightning Vortex.

No Attribute Magic: Force Cannon.

Three types of spells were cast in an instant. A snowstorm, a lightning storm, and bullets of pure energy poured out of the sky. The monsters were first frozen by the blizzard. Then they fell due to the lightning, and their bodies were turned into beehives. Of course, their breathing ceased.

"Their vitality is amazing, but I can't acknowledge anything other than that."

After a few deep breaths, Theodore slowly descended to the ground of Cheonju Castle. He cared about neither the corpses of monsters nor the variants that stepped back as he walked. They realized that the person before wasn't prey and that the relationship between prey and predator had been reversed.

[Huhahahaha!]

At that moment…

[How exciting. A foreign shaman! It isn't enough to cut Cheonju Castle apart. You have to exercise magic powers to stir up trouble! I don't know who the monster is!]

"You are?"

It was different from the other monsters. Theodore read the humanity mixed up in that laughing tone. In this situation, only one person came to mind.

[It isn't possible for a visitor to come to this Cheonju Castle without knowing me. Maybe it is because my appearance is so different!]

"You use the imperial I/we."

[That's right. I am the feudal lord of this Cheonju Castle, King Zhouyan.]

Power could be felt from his exposed bones, and he had skin that looked like a rice paddy and scales that covered his face. However, the dignity in his body couldn't be hidden. He was a person who received the worship of all people in the empire, who ruled 32 provinces on behalf of the emperor. King Zhouyan, one of the eight feudal lords, sat on the throne. Of course, Theodore's god-sword had broken the throne, but he still looked quite imposing.

"You didn't lose your sense of self."

[Do you think that someone who carries of the name of a king will be someone else's puppet…? I want to shout, but this is my limit.]

"Can you talk?"

[Before that, get rid of these wastes. I can't concentrate when they are around me.]

The variants growled at the king's words.

Grrrr….

Kuhuhuhu…!

They looked quite impressive with their horribly distorted faces and muscular bodies that were holding onto knives and chains. These variants were different from those who didn't know how to fight. Theodore realized the reason and spat out, "A yaksha? It is a shame that enforcement officers who judge evil have fallen to this state."

If they were yaksha who were responsible for the punishment of sinners, their combat instincts would've awakened. Unlike the others who lacked rationality, their instincts were still alive as the yaksha looked around. They looked ugly, but they couldn't be happy about becoming Lust's minions.

Kyaaaack!

'I will kill them quickly.'

In order to avoid the god-sword, they had to be faster than the speed of sound. Moreover, they had powerful bodies that could even threaten a master class person. A sword master's winning percentage would drop to half or less if they had to deal with more than a dozen of the yaksha, and they were difficult to defeat in one blow with a great magician's firepower.

Therefore, Theodore stretched out both palms. He had never used it in practice before but now was as good as ever a time to use it.

Fire Magic: Inferno.

Ice Magic: Blizzard.

Wind Magic: Gust Tornado.

Ground Magic: Gravity Bound.

Four elemental spells emerged from both of his hands. A person would be called a great magician if they could cast just one of these spells, let alone four. It was an astonishing sight, but this was from the point of view of a magician who went by common sense. They were fools who didn't understand the relationship between attributes.

'It is time to transcend common sense.'

Just before the four spells burst against each other, Theodore's Sorcery intervened.

Coexist in harmony—it was neither a harmony that enhanced the power nor a forced harmonization that forcibly combined conflicting attributes.

It was a waste to put these four elements together in the shape of Abraxas just to get rid of the yaksha. Therefore, Theodore came up with a different application—Elemental Cluster!

The yaksha were sucked into a vortex of four elemental spells. A heat wave, cold winds, a storm, and a gravity phenomenon occurred independently in one space.

The vortex burned, froze, tore things apart, and destroyed. It was absurd, like an iceberg floating on top of magma. This was a scene that never could've happened with the normal laws of physics.

■■■■―!

Nevertheless, it pierced through.

■■■■■■■――!

The yaksha couldn't stop the violence of nature itself. With half their limbs torn off, the monsters were turned to charcoal. Theodore had read this ending from the beginning.

Kakiing. With Soul Calibre in his right hand and the Heavenly Sword in his left, they crossed in an 'X' shape.

"…Sigh."

This was the end. The yaksha spasmed one last time before they finally stopped moving. They had been reborn as imperfect beings and died challenging a transcendent.

[Fantastic!] King Zhouyan clapped loudly. [The double sword is the romance of all men. In fact, it is actually weaker than one sword, but I don't think that is the case with you.]

"In the end, it is about the user's capabilities rather than the weapon."

[Hahaha! You are absolutely right. Now, we are ready to talk. I don't have a lot of time.] King Zhouyan laughed like the conversation with Theodore was interesting and got up from his seat. The throne was broken, but neither of them cared because there would be no further use for it in the future.

King Zhouyan wiped away all the laughter from his face and said, [I was born with great blood and tried my best to watch over thousands of people.]

His dry tone might be his way of hiding his true heart. [I killed my loyal servants and people with my own hands, making them the prey of monsters. I have tried to stop a few times, but I can't do anything about this cursed body.]

"It isn't your sin."

[It doesn't matter who holds responsibility. I carry the name of the king. Since I couldn't prevent this tragedy, I became a deadly sinner.] Guilt, hatred, and a desire for revenge filled the eyes that were looking at Theodore.

The king had a tortoise's shell and a dragon's head. With such distinct characteristics, it was rare for humans not to recognize it. Thanks to Seimei, Theodore remembered the details of the top species on the East Continent. Spirit tortoise, one of the four axis beasts and a symbol of longevity—it was a higher species comparable to a divine creature.

[Please. End this life before I tell you everything,] the king said, putting down his pride.

Theodore responded to this request, "Yes."

Shortly after that, the king who turned into a beast confronted the magician.

* * *

Kururung! A slight thunderous sound was heard.

However, it wasn't magic. Instead, it was from the dark clouds that came to wash away this bloody earth. Theodore looked up at the sky where one or two raindrops had started to fall from, before looking in front of him again.

[…Cough.]

The tortoise's shell, which was harder than a dragon's scale, was shattered. The king knelt down while bleeding from the dragon's mouth. At the end of his life, he finally regained the freedom of his body.

[Behind the imperial family… The monster, who is acting behind the scenes… in front of us, talked…] The hatred grew stronger as his voice faded. […You. Great one… nutrients. Obediently serve him… die like a lowlife. And, you… a few words about you, too.]

"Tell me."

[This… world, last transcendent. Perhaps you, being watched… from the moment I met you.]

Theodore knew it as well. There was a gaze licking at him from a distance that couldn't be measured. It was surveillance that had started from the moment he attacked Cheonju Castle. Perhaps Lust had read his attack from behind the eight feudal lord's eyes. Otherwise, the response wouldn't have been so quick.

[Please… careful. You… Birth of evil… have to stop…] Until the end, King Zhouyan was concerned about his kingdom as his eyes stopped.

It was great that he could speak despite his heart being torn and his body burned. This was a feat only possible because he was a top species.

"…Rest easy. You have fulfilled your duty."

It was a horrible-looking body, but Theodore didn't turn away, watching the king to the very end. Then Theodore moved his fingers, and earth assembled around King Zhaoyan, creating a grave. He couldn't give the king a proper funeral, but he didn't want the body of King Zhouyan to be used for anything. Just as Theodore was about to fly back into the sky…

"Tch." He felt dizzy, and his feet were shaking.

'I consumed more power than I expected. I didn't know that such an enormous presence would appear, and the fight took longer than expected because I didn't want to kill him immediately.'

The other variants were unknown, but King Zhouyan was a species similar to a divine creature. Having used ultimate magic and then the god-sword, it was natural that Theodore couldn't hide his fatigue. Among the Japanese troops, only Shuten-doji, Tsuchigumo, and Daitengu might be strong enough to win.

"It can't be helped. I will take a short rest before going."

Then he decided to have a conversation with Gluttony.

"Gluttony."

-I know what User wants to ask.

"Yes, King Zhouyan's will. What does he mean by 'birth'?"

It was a lightly spoken question. At the most, a strong mutant would be born. This was what Theodore thought. However, Gluttony didn't answer for a while.

"…What?"

Theodore felt the weight of the silence and was about to ask one more time when the grimoire sighed.

-The advent of a demon—it is the starting point of the disaster.

Chapter 365 – Final Evolution (2)

"Heavenly demon?"

If he took the literal interpretation, it was a 'demon of heaven.' It didn't seem to refer to a specific species, but it was a very unusual name for demons who were usually associated with hell. Yet a demon from the sky was the symbol of the greatest authority on the East Continent?

From the standpoint of the West Continent, it might be the same as a 'demon king.'

As Theodore got that thought, Gluttony spoke in a heavy voice, -Demon king… It might be a bit different from User's guess, but it has been called that in other dimensions. The demon emperor, the first demon king of heaven, only king existing in heaven, and Māra-pāpīyas are some aliases?

"…What?" Theodore's froze at the unexpected words.

-Only king existing in heaven, master of the sky, the ruler of the demon world. It is true that it is an unclear existence in User's mind.

"No, what nonsense are you saying?" Theodore's patience finally broke.

Māra-pāpīyas was an existence that could crush this material world with one finger! Such a being hadn't existed in the world at the height of the Age of Mythology.

No, it was almost impossible for it to exist. Just like a bowl couldn't contain a larger volume than its size, Māra-pāpīyas was a monster that this small-scale material world couldn't afford. This was also true of the seventh stage of the Seven Sins. Calling Māra-pāpīyas to this material world meant the destruction of this dimension.

"It is ridiculous enough to leave rationality and irrationality behind! Isn���t the purpose of existence the primary goal of you grimoires? Even if it is a dead end, what is the meaning of shattering this material world itself?"

-You misunderstand.

"What?"

-My description hasn't ended yet, User. I tried to explain the concept of 'heavenly demon', but I never said that the heavenly demon is the same as Māra-pāpīyas.

Theodore escaped from the hell of despair, closed his mouth, and listened to the following explanation.

-I'll explain it in a manner easy to understand. 'Heavenly Demon' is the name of the project, not the name of a specific entity. Lust started this project when she thought she exhausted all possibilities of this dimension and concentrated all resources on the birth of one creature.

"Not the ultimate creature?"

-The goal itself is the ultimate creature. However, the problem is the probability of success. The heavenly demon will be born from the failure of the 'ultimate creature.'

The failure of the ultimate creature was the heavenly demon.

Theodore's complexion was currently slightly better than before, but it was still pale. He didn't have to fight a fearful threat like Māra-pāpīyas, but the threat was more than he had imagined. It was a monster that could be reborn as a great god in other dimensions! He didn't know how much resources Lust had collected, but it would be a threat to the entire material world.

"Wait, then that means Lust knows that failing will create the heavenly demon?"

-That's right, Gluttony replied without any hesitation. -It is because data can be obtained even from failures. Lust will give up this dimension to the heavenly demon project, analyze the 'defects' of the created heavenly demon, and send it onto the main body. The large-scale mutation of the East Continent is just a process of materials supply to complete the heavenly demon.

"Dammit! That is the only reason for killing billions?"

-Common sense and ethics are meaningless concepts for grimoires.

An eerie sound emerged from Theodore's tightly clenched teeth. He suppressed his boiling rage and admitted that his way of thinking was too normal. A grimoire could sacrifice the population of the entire continent for one experiment, just like finding a herb root in the back mountains. High intelligence and logic were just a small breakwater in front of the madness that was the 'purpose of existence.'

"…We must stop the birth of the heavenly demon itself."

-That's correct.

There was nothing more foolish than waiting for the enemy to prepare. Every time Theodore breathed, he gained strength inside his body. The presence of the 9th circle meant communication with the world. Even if he didn't have maximum magic power, he could recover perfectly in an hour. He learned a few tricks with the Heavenly Sword and found ways to apply it to ultimate magic. If Theodore could fully control the two artifacts that he was still unfamiliar with, he would be half a notch stronger than he was now.

"Gluttony."

If he knew himself and the enemy, then he could fight and win 100 times. So, to prepare for any unforeseen events, Theodore consulted Gluttony.

"Teach me about the common strengths and characteristics of the heavenly demon."

-Okay. The heavenly demon has a body ability close to the limit of the genetic factors that make up its body. It also possesses an absorption capacity resulting from incomplete spiritual scars, as well as transcendent power. This means it can eat a soul without a physical substance just by touching it and also eat any creatures killed by its hand…

Theodore's blue eyes stared at the wind that started to swirl while he listened to Gluttony.

It was because he felt that an unbelievable wind was blowing.

* * *

Wohhhhhh!

At Hyungkang Castle, a castle approximately 300 kilometers to the northwest of the Baekun Mountains, there was a fierce battle going on.

It was because the monsters swarming the mountain smelled the people still living and flocked for three days, regardless of whether it is night or not. The variants piled up beneath the walls were half the height of the castle. It was natural that things would become more difficult.

If it wasn't for one man, Hyungkang Castle would've already become a feast of the dead. A middle-aged man rushed in the lead, raising the morale of the soldiers with a loud voice, "If you are alive, swing your swords! Don't give our families to these monsters! I will join you along with the rest of Hyungkang Castle!"

Chwaaaaak!

The aura blade, which was called the energy sword in the East Continent, sliced through the necks of the monsters. The charge of the soldiers was reminiscent of the armed forces from olden times.

'Not yet, not yet. We can buy two days if we hold on.'

Unlike his energetic behavior, Wichung was watching the scene with sober eyes. He was a superhuman who was beyond the limits of humanity, a swordsman who reached the level of a master… Wichung hadn't been able to close his eyes for three days, and his body was as heavy as a wet cotton pad.

He felt the sense of responsibility and pride of being a warrior. Now, there were only two pillars remaining to support him.

-Castle Lord, please take a few steps back.

As soon as he followed the instruction, a blue lightning bolt fell from the sky and struck. Wichung kicked the body of a monster, which had been turned into charcoal, and glanced over. He couldn't afford to perform a sound transmission. If it wasn't for timely assistance, he would've fallen a few hours ago. Thus, this battlefield was on the edge of a cliff.

'…No, it would've been over a long time ago if it wasn't for these women.'

After breaking a leopard variant in two, Wichung squinted at those who were supporting the front lines from a distance—two foreign magicians who resembled fire and ice. It had been absurd when the two beauties first arrived as reinforcements, but that had only lasted a few seconds. The silver-haired woman with the cool atmosphere couldn't promise victory or defeat, but the woman with blazing hair was overwhelming.

They called themselves the Blue Tower Master and Red Tower Master, and they were the last bastion of this castle.

Kwaaaaaaah-!

Fire pillars appeared. One, two, three… Eight pillars tangled together, burning the monsters in the area into a handful of ash. It was a destructive power that bought a bit of time to breathe on the battlefield. Of course, Veronica was the caster of the spell.

"Shit!"

However, the gap from killing the thousands of monsters was filled in seconds. Where did so many cockroach-like monsters come from? Veronica had a huge amount of magic power, but even she was becoming tired little by little. If she fought efficiently, the loss of troops would be too great. If she used a lot of magic spells, she would lose strength.

'Sylvia… She's still okay. It looks like she gained some experience from the northern war. Blundell trained a reliable talent.'

The monsters rushed in Sylvia's direction once again.

Veronica punched out before drawing a deep breath, intentionally reducing as much power consumed as possible. It was the dragon's breath that hadn't been seen in the East Continent for thousands of years.

―――――――――――――!!

The incandescent glow that emerged from Veronica's lips ripped through all the monsters within a distance of one hundred meters in an instant. The force was less due to not using as much strength, but it wasn't a level that the variants could endure.

100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters…

As the variants near the castle ceased to exist, cheers calling for her rang out all over the castle.

"Goddess! Goddess!"

"The Goddess of Fire has done it!"

"Don't turn your eyes away, you idiots! Move quickly so that the goddess can rest!"

Was it thanks to experiencing life and death together? Veronica laughed a little and took a few steps back. The fullness of her magic power had been reduced significantly after using Dragon Breath. If it was this much, the castle could cope. However, if the number of variants kept on increasing, it would be a tough battle by noon tomorrow.

[You are good, Woman.]

A verbal message.

Kaaang!

A fist moved through the air. Sparks flew as Veronica's fist collided with the enemy. The shock waves that flowed from the midway point cut at the wall, pushing the passing wind away. It was a collision of two forces that was closer to a bomb than a conflict of powers.

Veronica realized that the enemy wasn't pushed back and interest filled her golden eyes. "…I have to say it. Aren't you good, white cat?"

A monster in the form of a white tiger let out a low roar. [Know who you are speaking to, exotic woman! It is enough that I have to come and pay a visit directly when I carry the blood of a sacred creature. I will deal a terrible punishment onto you 100 times!]

"'I'? It is strange. These days, cats also use the royal 'I'?"

[―This bitch!]

Kuhuhuhung! It felt as if the air in the area had become heavier by several times.

Fear—it was a mind and body dominance that can be used by the top species like a dragon. Veronica was inwardly amazed at the Fear, while she was smiling outwardly. There was no species in the world that could apply Fear to dragons.

"Why, kitty? Nyang nyang, do you want to play with this sister?"

[Maybe you won't stop flapping your tongue until your breath is cut off!] Finally, as it stood on two legs, the monster who awakened the power of the sacred creature, the White Tiger, unveiled its identity. [I, King Hodae, will kill you! Regret your fearless tongue before the great king!]

"King? King? Are you the leader of these crooks?" Unlike King Hodae's intentions, Veronica just giggled. "Okay. It is good to know that I just have to kill you."

Veronica formed two fists as flames started to emerge all over her body. "Bring it on kitty. I will give you a present."

[―Kuwooong!]

The literal dragon and tiger fight began.

Chapter 366 – Final Evolution (3)

Kwaaaaang!

King Hodae's fist hit empty air, producing a shockwave that broke the wall. Even a stray fist contained enough power to break down the wall. If even one blow landed properly, Veronica's movements would be hindered. Veronica thought this and immediately changed her balance.

She saw it not once but twice. King Hodae's attack had the speed of the wind and the strength to break the castle, but that was it.

'The strikes depend on physical strength while the power to control the wind isn't as strong. Perhaps his skills weren't that different from before he changed.'

She avoided King Hodae's fist and moved her hand without hesitation. It was simple. An object moving quickly in a straight line was vulnerable to attacks from the side. It was the same principle as when arrows were deflected off leaves.

Teong!

[Huh?] As his fist moved vertically into the empty sky in vain, the ferocious face of the tiger king took on a dumb expression for a moment. It was because his fighting capacity was so low he couldn't grasp the situation. Veronica wouldn't miss this moment of inexperience.

「ускорение (Acceleration)! 」

Dragon Words—this was a hand that allowed her to overturn the limitations of a quarter dragon a few times a day. Veronica became three times faster and shot forward, leaving blurry afterimages behind. It happened before King Hodae could even adjust his position. At a speed faster than sound, Veronica's fists struck.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

The solar plexus, the ribs, the lower part of the abdomen—she hit King Hodae's body three times before aiming for any part of his face that was within distance. It was an all-out barrage. Veronica's fist came shooting forward again only for King Hodae to fall back a few meters.

"…Tch!" However, Veronica clicked her tongue at the result. She had tried to break bones. Yet, rather than bones being broken, only some of the leather was peeled off. It might be a perfect counter, but it meant Veronica couldn't defeat him in her current state.

Unsurprisingly, King Hodae soon regained his balance. [Y-You dare! You dare swing a fist at me…!]

The force increased in response to the irrational wrath. It wasn't a lie that the blood of the sacred creature, the white tiger had awakened. Before Veronica could say anything sarcastic, a storm blew.

Kuooooh!

This was a whirlwind that was like the blade of the sword. The tiger king wrapped himself in the sword-storm and rushed at Veronica. The storm would tear steel with just a touch. Veronica realized that this was several times more annoying than before and increased the flames around her body. As long as these flames survived, the storm couldn't hurt her.

[Using little tricks!]

"You are one to talk, damn cat!"

This was the dominance of a superior relationship, with the fire burning the wind. The wind might respond to the white tiger's call, but it couldn't remove the flames of a red dragon. Veronica would've overwhelmed the situation if she was at full strength. However, after the last few days, her strength was much less than what the perfectly fine King Hodae possessed. Additionally, this battlefield itself was like a shackle to Veronica.

'I can win if I turn into the draconic state. But if I transform now… the castle won't make it through the night.'

It was a technique that had, for a few minutes, held back Invidia who boasted more destructive power than a transcendent. If Veronica transformed into the draconic state now, she had the confidence to destroy that tiger in a few minutes. The problem was that she would be drained and would have to rest from defending the walls for half a day. Was it possible for them to maintain the current situation without Veronica?

'No. If I'm not present they won't be able to endure for two hours, let alone half a day.'

It was a battle where she couldn't be defeated and also a battle where she couldn't fight with all of her strength. Considering all these variables, was there a way for her to defeat this cat? Veronica thought about it while avoiding the still crude punches and came up with an answer. It was impossible alone, but it was possible for two people.

'Will that kid notice my intentions?'

One step, one more step… She pretended to be pushed back. Veronica didn't dare look away and had to rely on luck. Sylvia who had come to Hyungkang Castle with her… Veronica had to join up with Sylvia and knock out the tiger in a two against one match. There was no other solution.

Chaaeng!

At this moment, King Hodae swung his fist with a big action, and Veronica took advantage of this momentum to lift her body. It was to approach Sylvia as naturally as possible. Nevertheless, the impact of lowering her guard was significant.

"Cough!"

She had never met a human more powerful than her before, and now there was a whole area full of monsters. The muscles in both her arms were torn, but fortunately, the bones were okay. However, they would also break with two more hits.

[Huhaha! You will finally die!] King Hodae ignorantly swung his fist without even guessing Veronica's intentions.

One hit, one more hit… Their positions changed every time a shock wave burst out. As Veronica planned, it was slowly heading toward Sylvia. Unfortunately, the soldiers in the way were adversely affected. However, Veronica was getting closer to her destination.

-Red Tower Master, Sylvia's voice rang in her head at that moment, -I'll match the timing. Red Tower Master, give the signal.

There was no time to answer magically, so Veronica responded with her flames. Now was a chance to win, to cut off the head of the enemy. Veronica's two golden eyes narrowed as she moved like she was dancing through the storm that King Hodae had caused. There was only one chance. If this failed, only a gamble remained.

Huuung!

A big fist moved above Veronica's head.

'-Now.' Veronica saw the right timing and took a step.

Flames flowed from her fist as three magic spells worth of magic power was consumed from her body. From now on, Veronica's strength would increase for a few seconds.

'Victory Fist.'

Theodore wasn't the only one who had grown over the last five years. Veronica had gotten to know her weaknesses and gained some knowledge in other fields, including martial arts.

Jeeeong! The sudden blow hit King Hodae's body. The attack was unexpected, and the power was ridiculous. King Hodae stopped breathing for a moment as his body stiffened in the air. As he lost control of the wind, his unprotected body caught Sylvia's waiting eyes.

"I call the guide of permanent frost!" Sylvia called out, and cold gathered around the end of the large staff that was the remains of Blundell. It was a cold that could freeze wind, water, and even fire. Now, the greatest attack spell that Sylvia could use was unleashed. "Absolute Zero!"

Absolute Zero's pale light wrapped around the tiger king's body.

Jjejeok. Jjejejeok…!

Freeze… It didn't care about the magic resistance of a divine creature as the cold captured the body. Absolute Zero perfectly entered the gap caused by Veronica's attack. The tiger king couldn't resist the overwhelming strength, and the wind couldn't melt the frozen body.

Veronica also saw it.

"Suuuuop―" She opened her mouth toward King Hodae, who was sucking in all the air around him. Veronica was trying to use her second breath today. No matter how strong a variant, he would be dead when hit with these type of attacks in succession. Veronica intended to destroy him completely.

Kakiing.

However, at this moment, someone interfered.

"What?" Veronica cried out in shock as she narrowly avoided the blade aimed at her. It wasn't because it was an aura blade. Just like there was a variant wielding the power of a sacred creature, there wasn't a big difference when dealing with a variant using the power of a sword master. However, the two magicians felt shocked because the person who prevented the end of King Hodae was a well-known person.

"Lord of Hyungkang Castle, Wichung! Why are you doing this?"

Wichung didn't respond to Veronica's question that was filled with surprise and anger. No, it was more accurate to say that he couldn't answer.

"…Red Tower Master, look at his eyes."

"Eyes?" Veronica looked at the eyes as soon as Sylvia spoke and gasped.

Wichung's eyes looked cloudy and lost! As a magician, Veronica figured out the reason and muttered, "Mind control? They managed to do it on a sword master?"

The mental defense of a sword master was stronger than imagined. Unlike magicians, sword masters were monsters who dedicated their lives to training their bodies and minds, and achieved their own accomplishments. If they were killed and turned into a death knight, a force equivalent to a transcendent was needed to control them.

The two magicians looked at each other in alarm and realized all the noise around them had stopped.

"Stopped… moving?"

The variants, soldiers, and all living creatures had stopped, but time hadn't stopped. Their breathing and pulses were normal. The beings who were killing each other just a few minutes ago were now standing idly. Everything in Hyungkang Castle seemed to have become puppets of someone.

"―Huhuhu, I'm a bit late." The silence was cut off as a voice seemed to melt their ears. "If I was a bit later, I would've lost an important chess piece. You are more active than I thought."

'Don't look back.' As horror that was beyond fear froze her spine, Veronica turned in the direction Sylvia was facing.

Then she could see it. "―Ah."

All reason melted down. Despite being a woman, she couldn't resist the beauty. Pleasure emerged in Veronica just by touching her with her eyes, and Veronica was willing to lick her feet if that was what it took. She was going crazy. An endless madness eroded her head. This was a being that humans shouldn't face. It was one of the Seven Sins grimoires that Theodore had warned her about before.

Crunch. Veronica's molars broke. There was a sharp pain as soon as Veronica remembered Theodore, and she regained her sanity.

"Hah! Hah!"

It was risky. She had been only a few seconds away from becoming a slave to that fascination. Veronica looked at the ground to avoid 'her' and focused her attention on the 'string' inside her body. As long as the agreement existed, her soul belonged to Theodore. Lust's mythical fascination couldn't overpower this.

"Oh, my, not bad. To be able to see me and endure, even if you aren't gay… What a great person."

"Y-You, are you, Lust?"

"Yes, did you hear about me from Gluttony's owner? Then I'll have you talk with me a bit more." Lust had on a relaxed smile that prevented the eyes from moving away. Every gesture of hers showed a deadly attraction.

While Veronica was stiff, little cracks appeared on the frozen body of the tiger king.

Kakakang!

He shook off the ice and was restored to his original state.

'…Checkmate. My side has lost,' Veronica thought in despair.

According to Theodore's explanation, Lust had no direct combat ability. It meant she could kill Lust if she endured that fearsome attraction. However, was it possible to break through King Hodae and Wichung? The odds didn't exceed 30%, even in draconic mode.

"Stop trying, passionate guest." Lust smiled and pointed beside Veronica. "Your friend doesn't want it either."

"Ah." Veronica looked around and saw Sylvia's blurred eyes. Sylvia was weaker than her and didn't have the contract with Theodore, so this result was natural. Could she kill Lust through all the soldiers, variants, two masters, and a sacred creature?

'Of course, it is impossible.'

Thus, Veronica quickly made a decision.

"Haaaap!" Her body burned. Scales rose, her blood boiled, and a pair of horns sprouted through her hair. Her draconic mode came quicker than before! It happened before King Hodae or Sylvia could do anything to stop it. Heat emerged from Veronica's back as she rushed away from the castle at a tremendous speed.

"…Wise. Escaping because she can't win. It is efficient," Lust said, watching the sky with dull eyes. Then she said to King Hodae, "I will trust you. Catch and even kill her. There are plenty of red dragon samples."

[Yes.] The faithful servant, King Hodae rushed out of the castle using the wind. He left in the exact direction that Veronica had disappeared in. Then Lust reached out and touched the jaw of the blankly staring Sylvia. She had risked moving for a reason.

"…I've received an unexpected windfall."

This could be used as a means of inducing that 'man' and would be a useful tool as a vessel. The beautiful woman chuckled as she thought of some evil plans. It wouldn't be long before the completion of the final project.

Chapter 367 – Final Evolution (4)

A single ray of light crossed the sky. The sky was getting darker and darker because the sun had started to set, so a person would've been able to see the light if they raised their head in a timely manner. It was a fireball that divided the sky like a meteor. The identity of the fireball was naturally Veronica, who fled from Hyungkang Castle.

Kwaaaaaaah-!

In the draconic state, her output was three times higher than usual. Furthermore, all the power was poured toward the flames on her back as she accelerated without caring about her limits. The momentum was enough to reach supersonic speed. The clouds near her were torn apart, and the sudden heat burning in empty space produced a tail of light. People thought it was a shooting star and sought the trail, but Veronica was already kilometers away.

'C-Choking! The pressure is too high! I won't last for another three minutes!'

If she were a complete dragon, it would've been possible for her to not rely on oxygen to breathe. However, she was only a quarter dragon. She couldn't exceed a human's biological limits, even in draconic mode. Veronica's eyes were bloodshot, and she was breathing heavily. She couldn't breathe, but she had to exhale in order to release the heat in her body.

"Haack! Hak! Haaaah…" Her heart beat like it was going to explode, and her boiling blood made her dizzy.

How comfortable would she feel if she could close her eyes right now?

If she hadn't cooled down occasionally in some dark clouds, even the vitreous of her eyes would've evaporated. She just escaped without resisting the heat of friction. Moving without knowing the direction, she was just being dragged by instincts.

How far away was she from the hideous, beautiful monster? 100 kilometers? 200 kilometers?

'My mind is fine. I won't go back.'

Veronica's limit came before she could complete the calculations.

Peeng! Her wings exploded and scattered. Her skin that was covered in scales returned to being smooth skin, and her dragon pupils returned to those of a normal human. The draconic mode was forcefully turned off! She had consumed this much power just trying to escape and survive, not in a battle.

Kwang! Kuwang! Kukukung! Her body plummeted to the ground, breaking through a few trees and rocks, and then bouncing tremendously off the ground. Veronica would've died instantly if she were an ordinary human being. Fortunately, the strength of her flesh was like steel even before the transformation.

"…Uh, urghh!"

If her body condition were normal…

'Oh, I have to move. A pursuit is obviously coming.'

She could be reassured about escaping quite a long distance, but her instincts were sharper than ever now. Before crossing the castle wall, Veronica had seen it.

'That monster wants to kill me.'

The red eyes of Lust were filled with killing intent. Those dull eyes didn't find any value in Veronica. A madness in which all living things were just seen as a means to be used… Regardless of strength or weakness, that transcendental darkness was fearful to face.

"—Ku, ock!" Veronica tried desperately to raise her body. She didn't have the strength to escape, but she didn't want to sit back and wait for death.

Veronica took a deep breath before walking. The priority was to recover her magic power rather than widen the distance by running. One breath caused a handful of magic power to fill her circles. It was quite strange to feel her hollow and empty circles, which were usually overflowing all the time.

Still, five or maybe ten minutes would be enough. The moment Veronica was trying to catch her breath…

Roaaaaar!

A storm struck her body from the sky.

"Aaaaack!"

Despite her high body strength, she was cut by the wind, and a red haze of blood was blown out. She tried to fly up, but there wasn't enough strength in her knees. Veronica used her arms instead of her legs and barely managed to get up. The tiger king laughed when he saw it.

[Kuhahaha! You ran away well, girlie! Are you doing to try and beg for your life from this king?]

"…Hah." Veronica twisted her lips. "You… Are you a dog instead of a cat?"

[What does that mean?]

"You are barking without context, bark bark! And my hips are already taken. I don't desire a son of a bitch like you."

King Hodae's face twisted dramatically due to the words. […You bitch, I will pull out your tongue and eat it.]

With black stripes on white fur, the tiger variant raised his big fists. Veronica also raised her fists, but it was hard to maintain her posture. It would be fortunate if she died instantly, rather than endure this. However, King Hodae didn't know it was bravado and carefully aimed for a gap. He had insufficient experience, and the previous fight made him cautious. He didn't know that he missed his last chance due to these four or five seconds of hesitation.

Kwarurung!

Simultaneously, thunder was heard above their heads.

[Hrmm? Thunder when I don't see any rain clouds?] King Hodae felt uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Veronica released her posture at the sound of the thunder. Her vision became blurred because all her tension was released. She let out an involuntary giggle as she spoke, "Ahahat, I don't think you should be looking here."

[What?]

"Get your guard up, you asshole!" Veronica cried out happily as strength returned. "My fiance is here!"

Before he could understand her meaning, six lightning bolts fell from the distant sky in different directions.

It was the ultimate electrical magic—Keraunos.

The six branches of the ultimate magic surrounded King Hodae.

This was the Art of Onmyōdō taboo spirit method—Hexagram curse.

A hell that could burn even sacred creatures was created.

―――――――――――――――!!!

Lightning, lightning, lightning, and lightning. King Hodae was surrounded by countless lightning strikes, and the air burned. The boundary between matter and non-matter became meaningless. This was the counter that Theodore had developed for immortal creatures.

The hell turned into a pillar of pale light. Screams weren't even allowed as the bloodline of the sacred creature burned meaninglessly.

"Becky, I'm back."

"Yes," Veronica changed positions as she replied. She looked at Theodore's back, which seemed bigger and more dependable than ever, and sat down without any hesitation. Simultaneously, the lightning god curse finished.

■■■■■■■■――!! King Hodae emerged as a lump of charcoal. Despite his brain being boiled up, the instincts of a sacred creature aimed precisely at the enemy. The fist that had the strength of a dragon aimed for Theodore―

Fairy Dance's Direct Transmission.

Four Major Hidden Techniques.

Moon Breaking through the Clouds.

However, it couldn't touch one hair on him.

Puk. A blade protruded from Theodore's right hand and pierced King Hodae's heart.

「Burn him. 」 Theodore added hellfire to make up for what was lacking. King Hodae was torn apart by Soul Calibre, then the flames quickly spread over his body. The end of the already dying body was determined.

Kung.

Even a golem made of mithril couldn't maintain its form after all this firepower, yet the variant of the sacred white tiger managed to keep his shape. Theodore remained vigilant to the end, cutting off the charcoal head. He didn't bother trying to capture the sacred creature since it could escape with an unknown power. That's why his first attack was to kill, and it was an effective strategy.

"Becky." Theodore turned away from the tiger king's body and saw her.

"Theo!" Unlike her usual self, Veronica's hair smelled of blood. Theodore continuously used healing magic on her and didn't ask what happened. He just increased the strength in his two arms that held her.

Veronica buried her face in his chest and said in a drained voice, "Ahaha, it is strange. Why do I keep crying?"

"It's okay."

"Theo, do you know? I ran away. I couldn't win by myself. I left Sylvia there alone…"

"Veronica," Theodore said, feeling his chest gradually become wet, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

She didn't need to hear consoling words right now.

"No."

"I was too late. And…" He embraced her tightly and closed his eyes. "Thank you for surviving."

"…Yes."

The two people stood there for a while. They leaned on each other and rested their tired and injured bodies from the last few days. There was still a long way to go, but they could rest for a while.

* * *

Flash!

There was the unique light of space movement, and two shadows stood in the moonlight. It was the middle of a quiet night, near the walls of Hyungkang Castle. Theodore and Veronica regained their strength after a few hours of rest. They knew it was dangerous to do space jumps in the East Continent right now, but they couldn't be moving any slower in this situation. Lust might've already gone, but they needed to arrive at Hyungkang Castle even one second faster.

'However, I don't know why Lust did it.'

Theodore, unlike Veronica, had a lot of power left and could afford to think about the situation during the half day of rest. One of the things he couldn't understand was why Lust had come personally to Hyungkang Castle and taken Sylvia. It wasn't a cool judgment. If there had been another person beside Veronica who had been able to shake off her bewitchment, Lust would've lost her life in vain.

'A master-level power isn't a big advantage in this situation… Of course, a magician is quite useful, but it isn't great enough for Lust to move directly. She also wouldn't be seeking hostages. A grimoire based on rationality won't make a gamble…'

Hypothesis after hypothesis popped up, only to collapse. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find the answer. Theodore had great objective and subjective reasoning, but he couldn't see Lust's intentions.

"…It is an unknown problem."

There was only one hypothesis left—Lust had information about 'Sylvia' that he didn't know. Theodore Miller didn't know the value of Sylvia Adruncus. This was still a hypothesis, but based on this premise, he could understand Lust's dangerous outing. If it helped to carry out her purpose of existence, she wouldn't worry about the risk. Theodore's boldness was based on this impulse.

"―Theo." At that moment, Veronica's stiff voice woke him up. "The castle, look at it."

"Huh? …This?"

The expressions of the two people stiffened as they climbed the castle walls without any resistance. They had no choice. Before they arrived at the castle, they thought that all the soldiers and variants would be in Lust's hands. If even a master could be controlled, then they were all puppets the moment they saw Lust. Nevertheless, this sight couldn't be imagined.

"Suicide. Both humans and variants."

The soldiers had stabbed themselves with a spear or a sword, while the mutants choked each other or pulled out their own hearts. It was different from a battle. The living creatures had taken their own lives without any emotions. The scene of 'death' in front of them caused even the two people, who were accustomed to the horrors of war, to feel nauseous.

Veronica formed tight fists and growled, "Why? Why? She killed all her subordinates."

"Because they have no value." Theodore was accustomed to the way that grimoires acted and realized it immediately. "The soldiers of this castle, as well as the variants she made—they are equally worthless to Lust."

"Crazy woman."

"I agree."

After replying to Veronica, Theodore was about to say something else, but he then shut his mouth. There was one sign of life remaining in the castle. The two of them turned their heads, and the person soon appeared. He had a stately gait despite his blurred eyes.

"…Head of Hyungkang Castle, Wichung," Veronica stated.

As if in reaction to Veronica's murmur, Wichung spoke, "You are Theodore Miller?"

"That's right."

"Theodore Miller, I have a message to pass onto you. Please listen carefully." He didn't wait for Theodore's reply as the message flowed out. For some reason, Wichung's attitude was unfriendly. "Sylvia Adruncus. Go to the village 50 kilometers north to talk about her treatment. It is a place where the people who escaped from Hyungkang Castle have gathered. I will send an incarnation there so wait for them."

"You son of a bitch."

"You! Don't disgrace the great lady!" Wichung, who was known for his noble personality, drew his sword at the insult. It was completely different from his personality before becoming enamored. Despite his regret, Theodore raised his magic power with a deep sigh. As Gluttony had explained, the fascination caused by the 6th stage Lust couldn't be turned off once a person was caught. Even the owner of a Seven Sins grimoire was only capable of resisting the indirect fascination. If they had sex with Lust, they would become a subordinate.

"…You won't want to live like this."

This was a sword master who had lost the people he had striven to defend, who had lost his soul to the grimoire that caused this tragedy… The determined Theodore raised his hands to meet the sword rushing toward him. The skill of the sword was no different than before. Despite being manipulated by Lust's power, Wichung was still a sword master.

"Rising Sword." The aura blade soared. Theodore was still at ease despite the blue aura arriving in front of his neck. He foresaw that it couldn't reach him.

Gravity Bound.

Force Grab.

Fusion Complete: Coffin of Gravity.

A ball of black magic captured Wichung's body. Metal couldn't endure this squeezing pressure, but a sword master was truly amazing. The pressure of the gravity was reduced using his magic resistance, and he raised one hand to try and destroy the magic.

However, Wichung was already defeated by this point. From the beginning, he shouldn't have been caught by the gravity. During the time in which Wichung's movement was bound, Theodore carried out his next attack.

Kiiing.

As a flying sword shot out from his left hand, something round fell from Wichung. Theodore looked down at Wichung's head and said quietly, "I will pay back your grudge, Lord Wichung of Hyungkang Castle."

It was an unpleasant finish.

Chapter 368 – Choice and Responsibility (1)

After checking Wichung's body, the two people searched the castle in case there were any survivors. However, there was none. Only death remained inside and outside the walls.

Lust hadn't spared anyone except for Wichung, who had been used as a messenger. Brothers held the spears they used to stab each other, and parents held the blanket that strangled their child… This was an artificially created hell. After opening the doors to a few private houses, Theodore accepted the futile reality of Hyungkang Castle.

"Veronica, please."

"Yes."

She didn't need to be told. Veronica let out a deep sigh and produced fire from her fingertips.

Incinerate.

Veronica burned down a mansion, and the fire spread to nearby buildings. If left alone, it would set the whole castle on fire. With the corpses and buildings as firewood, an unprecedented cremation began.

'Cremation… It isn't a sentimental thing.'

Theodore looked around the burning castle with dry eyes. Hyungkang Castle wasn't very big, but neither was it small. Looking at the total population of the castle, it might be at least 10,000. Just the number of variant corpses alone exceeded that number. If this hell were left alone, it would become the dining place for the variants who would soon come.

"…What are you going to do?" Veronica asked after she finished spreading the flames.

"Well, I guess I have to go to that village and see."

"It might be a trap for you."

"I don't think so."

The present Lust didn't have the combat forces to take Theodore's life. If she had such power, she wouldn't have fled Hyungkang Castle before he arrived. Instead, she would've tried a surprise attack. It would be hard to kill Theodore with the defense system of Geongun Castle which had killed Seimei, let alone a trap in a remote village.

"Perhaps it is true that she has something to say to me."

The problem was that Lust would need to be prepared for danger when talking to Theodore. It involved the reason why Lust had left Geongun Castle in order to kidnap Sylvia. Unless he knew this reason, Theodore couldn't speak at the same level as Lust.

"Won't it be a hostage situation?"

"Considering all the uncertain assumptions, it is likely. Still, it is hard to understand why."

If Lust offered Sylvia's life, it would be enough to keep Theodore's feet tied up until the heavenly demon was born. However, there was no guarantee that the offer would be accepted. It was illogical for a Seven Sins grimoire to take action for such an uncertain possibility.

"Well, I can't think of an answer to the problem."

It was good to think, but this was a time to move. Theodore didn't worry about it anymore and held Veronica in his arms. Her wide eyes which held no resistance were pretty cute. Theodore briefly chuckled before saying, 「 Transition. 」

Then a light appeared around their bodies.

Flash!

The two magicians disappeared from Hyungkang Castle and appeared again 50 kilometers north, near the village that Lust was about to visit. For Theodore who once moved across continents, a distance of 50 kilometers was just like a stone's throw. The two people looked around with a similar expression.

"This village…?"

"…Nothing?"

There was only a wasteland to the north, south, east, and west.

"No, wait a minute." Theodore wanted to check if Lust had left the wrong coordinates, only to realize a faint discomfort. Mana flowed in a calm but strange direction. There was a distortion of light that couldn't be detected with ordinary vision. Around 30 meters from where the two people were standing, there was a 'boundary' that couldn't be seen through. A ward that even Veronica couldn't detect…?

'Amazing. An illusion like this… the person who did it must be at least at the 8th circle.' Not long after, Theodore realized that his evaluation was wrong.

'No, they wouldn't have gotten away from Hyungkang Castle if they were that strong. Tae Rang is on a similar level to a grand master, and he would find it impossible to make this ward.'

Nevertheless, seeing as this barrier was established, the person who did it was likely to be in possession of an artifact. If broken by force, the barrier would undoubtedly break down. Theodore didn't feel the need to cause hostility. So, instead of attacking the ward, he opened his mouth, "Great monk, if you are inside the ward then please listen."

It might be funny to talk to air, but he knew his words would be heard by the great monk maintaining the barrier. Theodore's voice continued, "I have been asked by Tae Rang who is in the Baekun Mountains. He asked me for help with Hyungkang Castle, but it has long been captured. My identity will be proven with my companion Veronica, who has been fighting with you for the past few days."

Despite his persuasion, the ward didn't open. Instead, he heard a voice in the air, -Impossible. I know the identity of your companion, but how can I trust her mental state?

"W-What? Hey! Open it immediately! Otherwise, I will blow it away!"

Unlike the furious Veronica, Theodore just laughed. It seemed he wouldn't be able to persuade the monk with words.

"It looks like you saw Lust's power. You have no choice but to feel doubt."

It was a power that made a sword master into a slave at once. Theodore didn't know how the monk overcame the fascination, but if he had seen the scene, then it was natural that he wouldn't believe Veronica.

'The Heavenly Sword or attack magic is too dangerous… It is appropriate to shake the flow a little bit.'

This was a ward that focused on secrecy, so its defense was relatively inferior. If attacked with ultimate magic or the god-sword, it would not only be destroyed but the survivors in it would suffer major damage. Theodore thought so and carefully raised both his hands. No intense destructive power or sharp breaking force was necessary. He just gathered his concentration and took away the flow of one point.

'Break.'

At a point where nine lines overlapped, a large crack appeared on one side.

Jjejejeok…!

There was a line in the foundation of the ward that shouldn't be broken. The same was true no matter how good the ward. If one hole was made with a needle, it would collapse from there. Just like how a dam that failed to overcome the internal water pressure would collapse, the ward that isolated the space would collapse at that point of connection.

-W-Wait a minute! I understand! I will face you directly, so don't break this ward!

"I accept."

-Sigh…

With one stage left until the collapse, Theodore let go of the power. The monk made a sound, and the crack in the ward started to be filled again. This was because the monk knew it was useless when Theodore could effectively neutralize the ward.

"Sigh, I am the monk, Taeryun. Who are you?"

"Theodore Miller, the chief tower master of Meltor."

"…I didn't believe it when the crimson goddess said it, but you are a real person."

"Crimson goddess?" It was Theodore's first time hearing this title. Taeryun looked in Veronica's direction. "The crimson flames always fought at the forefront, so the castle's people called her that. The other one is called the blue goddess. Both of them were shy about it."

"Ack! I told you not to say that!" Veronica cried out indignantly.

However, the middle-aged man continued without a smirk, "Didn't you say that he is your military superior? Missing information is a felony on the same level as false reporting."

"Y-You!" Veronica couldn't kill the monk, so she formed tight fists and gritted her teeth. To think that this shameful nickname was actually uttered in front of Theodore! If there was a mouse hole around, Veronica wanted to enter it immediately.

Of course, Theodore thought that her struggles were cute. "Thank you for complimenting my lover. I heard that the monks are reluctant to engage in worldly affairs, but they are good at speaking."

"It is useless for someone born as a person to imitate a cloud. I also have to get rid of the prejudice that all zen answers are boring."

Taeryun's behavior was flexible compared to Tae Rang's. If Tae Rang were here, the ward would've ended up completely broken. Theodore considered Taeryun's eloquent way of speaking while the situation was still unclear. The monk's skills were unknown, but Taeryun was superior to Tae Rang when it came to adaptability.

"Here, this is something Tae Rang gave me as a token." Before starting the story, Theodore pulled out the token he got from Tae Rang.

It was a wooden plaque with the word 'Kunlun' carved on it. At first glance, it was a poor piece of craftsmanship. However, perhaps it could only be understood by a monk? It seemed to be the case as the hardness in Taeryun's eyes softened. "I have been very rude. Please forgive me."

"The situation was understandable to don't worry about it."

"I am grateful for your generosity."

The misunderstanding was cleared up with a few words. Then Theodore opened his mouth, "I have more to talk about. We should be as quick as possible."

Taeryun must've felt the weight in Theodore's words because he replied with a cautious attitude, "Please tell me. I won't neglect a single word."

* * *

The long night passed, and the sun came up. Light poured from the horizon on the east, while the flower buds opening announced that day had come. As always, white clouds floated in the blue sky. Sometimes the wind would scatter the clouds in strange shapes. The green leaves and chirping birds were signs of life. It was a cliche morning from a storybook.

"…" He sat in the middle of the village where everyone had disappeared and waited for the guest who said they would come.

Meanwhile, he refilled the energy that had been consumed by several battles. The usage of the three artifacts were still mysteries, but their abilities were intact. If he had a few hands-on experiences, he might be able to demonstrate equal or an even better performance than their previous owner.

He was the master of Gluttony and the unique transcendent of this material world. Theodore was in a perfect state for battle.

'―She's coming.'

His senses, sharp enough to catch a dandelion, perceived a presence a few kilometers away. It was coming at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. The presence didn't have much fighting power. Was it a master? If Theodore moved to kill, he would be able to annihilate the presence before they could even recognize the attack. He could also make them talk after getting rid of all their limbs.

Currently, Theodore was very powerful and very angry.

Step.

However, he didn't attack the person who appeared in this place. He gritted his teeth instead. As Gluttony had said last night, there was some leeway for this. He just hoped it wasn't as he thought. Theodore took a deep breath to control his vision that was distorted by red, trying to suppress the overflowing anger.

"Hello! Gluttony's owner, hasn't it been a long time?" In a voice that couldn't help being familiar, 'she' had come to talk. "Huh? What is it? Ah, yes. This is the first time you are facing me in this body."

With a sly manner, the beautiful woman standing there with silver hair made a strange expression. If it hadn't been for the voice, Theodore wouldn't have known it was a smile. A sinister light appeared the eyes of Lust, who had taken possession of Sylvia Adruncus' body.

Theodore barely endured his anger and asked in a heavy voice, "…Didn't you say you would send an incarnation?"

"Ah, there was such a promise," Lust spoke like she had forgotten. "That is why I came in this body that I am not used to."

"…You!"

"Why are you suddenly acting like a brat? Think about it from my perspective. Is there a better protection for my own neck? Can I trust you? It is impossible. We are the worst grimoires ever, the Seven Sins."

Sylvia's blue eyes were reddish. Being Lust's terminal was eroding at her body, and she was also robbed of control of it.

The only comfort was that no apparent change was seen. In a same-sex body where Lust planted her terminal, the erosion would first accelerate by making a placenta. After that, there was no turning back from being one of Lust's people. If Sylvia were in that state, Theodore would've killed her without any conversation.

"….What do you want?" He cut to the chase.

Standing before him with a dreadful momentum, Lust wore Sylvia's body and licked her lips sexily. "Okay, shall we weigh the pros and cons?"