345 - 3-Extra Chapter

The strength God possessed as Greed was mostly exhausted from his clash with Michael. However, thanks to sacrificing that, God could regain his very own powers from Michael.

And now, it was time to steal Michael's power as well.

[How, but you... how...!

[The five of you, in the end, were still unable to surpass me. That is simply because you are bound to me. You, Lucifer, and Gabriel too. Lucifer has expressed his subservience to me once again, and Gabriel has passed on so you are the only one left. And unfortunately, my child, I do not plan to leave you alive. I need your strength. So offer yourself up to me.]

[How, how can you be here!]

[Child, my naive child. Let me ask you one thing.]

God pointed at one object. It was the Wall of Chaos that separated Elo Katra from Heaven. The final wall that protected Heaven from the predators.

[Who put up that wall?]

[Who? What do you mean who? Of course, it was....]

The wall was built by... who? The wall was built around the end of the great war, and the Destruction Demon Army could not invade again. With that, the war came to a halt and... but how?

Michael momentarily could not find the answer. God smiled and told him the answer.

[It was me.]

[How, how did you!]

[How exactly could Elo Katra be right next to Heaven?]

God's eyes flashed with a glint of sadism. All this while, Michael's power was being stripped away little by little, but his realm wasn't something that was lowly and easy to manipulate.

Although it originated from God, Michael, like Satan, had become able to stand whole by himself. He wouldn't so easily go down just because he lost God's power...!

[That, is you utilizing your powers as a predator...!]

[Wrong, you are wrong. It is because both of them are my worlds. Elo Katra is just an imaginary world that I made up. They are both part of Heaven. They are one and the same.]

Michael gritted his teeth. He couldn't hide his frustration at the fact that he was played the fool from beginning to end.

[Even so! I, Have become God! You were wrong, and I am right! My father, I do not consider you as my father anymore! I shall not serve you as your son, I will not kneel in front of you, nor will I harbor any hope for you!]

[Yes, you are completely correct. I was wrong. However, that does not mean that you were right either. We were both wrong.]

God's lips twisted. By peering into his mouth, all that one could see an endless abyss of nothingness.

[Mana is wrong. I should not have relied on it. I should have walked a different path from the beginning. I should have acquired something else, and should have created more… creative things. I have finally recognized my mistake. That is why I intend to fix it. I will erase everything that I have done wrong, and make them anew.]

[That's impossible!]

[It's possible!]

God put his arms wide. Michael sharpened his light with the intent to pierce through his body, but the tide that had changed wouldn't come back so easily.

[Yes, my children! When I fell thanks to you, I thought that all was over. However, it was ironic that you also gave me hope! The power you gave me in compensation for my divine power! The power of stealing! With that, I regained my will to surpass records once again!]

He devoured everything in sight. The power of stealing that originated from Michael had evolved in a completely different direction thanks to his evil intentions.

He gathered all records, and dreamed of making a new record with it. He intended to comprehend the entirety of the Akashic Record, and dreamed of an improved Akashic Record.

[And I have regained my power! I have found a new path! I have gathered not those who harbored will to betray me like you, but monsters that only aimed for one thing in the first place! I have long since fallen from the ever-glorious and sacred position and had to take in those maggots! Michael, can you imagine the dejection, the despair I felt then! The feelings I had when I had to console lowly monsters that praised my hideous body! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!]

[Not my problem! I don't care and never will, you damned monster!]

Michael's light brightened. His power was endless! As his power was stolen by God, Michael instead actually started gaining enlightenment into his own unique realm of power.

Since what was God's went back to his posession, Michael only had the light left. The light that he had wished to acquire for all his life, it still remained his. It was solitary, but retained its brightness and assaulted God once again. No matter how much of it was devoured, it continued to burn even more brightly!

[I am God! You are merely the God of the past, a record that cannot return to prominence, the sun that has long since fallen below the horizon!]

[I am not the past, but the future. What you are grabbing onto is but an illusion, and what I shall acquire Is true Creation!]

God's body expanded. The stronger Michael became; the stronger God became as well. Then, the tide was reversed again and God pressured Michael again.

[The era of humiliation is over. I have endured for a truly long time, working to raise my power, went berserk, erased, prevented myself from being discovered, and lay hidden while crouched in a corner. In my long years of waiting, Lucifer understood me, came to me and I regained what I had lost in the past. So, I no longer need that wall anymore.]

Just as Michael was about to counterattack, he heard something of tremendously large size crumbling. He instinctively knew what it was and turned around.

The Wall of Chaos that separated Heaven and Elo Katra was collapsing. The border between two worlds that were part of one, but still separate, had already disappeared. Mixing without harmony, attacking each other amidst the chaos that was left behind.

Despite that, the two were one. God's past and God's present were unwilling to accept each other but still homogenised with each other. It was as if one were looking at the figure of God now.

Power drained from Michael's body. Because the world he reigned over was being ruined?

No, his magic power was actually decreasing. He could feel the league of his soul decreasing.

[Just, what....]

[Heaven and Elo Katra are one and the same. They are all merely illusions that will disappear soon, but it is a suitable object to crush you with. So, my child... do you feel it? You have become alone.]

God's power was becoming stronger. As Heaven and Elo Katra mixed into one, power was stripped from Michael and flowed into God. Michael finally realized why God was in a hurry to regain his power.

Heaven obeyed whoever possessed God's power. Since that power returned from Michael to God, this was a natural flow of events.

Michael lost his world. Now, all of this was God's again. Not even aware of the tyrant that will destroy the world, this world was granting power to that man.

God opened his eyes. With the unstable, but strong body, he pressured Michael and spoke again.

[Where are the angels that was with you? Where are the ones that followed you? Where is the world under your management? What is the source of power that gives you strength?]

[I... I am light. I am wholly complete, and luminescent, I do not need a place to call home!]

[In that realm which you believe to be wholly complete, many, many, have ascended to it.]

[What...?]

Michael lost his final bit of will as well. However, God mercilessly forced the cold hard truth onto him to rip his morale to shreds.

[You have merely reached the realm of recorded gods.]

Recorded, gods...? The original owners of those blessings that Yu IlHan and his group use all the time? The unique power that is granted unto a single being through the Akashic Record? Michael clenched his teeth and denied that.

[R, recorded gods... they are merely records! They are merely agglomeration of records and are not real!]

[And who was the one that told you that?]

[You! It was you! None other than you!]

[Yes, it was indeed me. So, my child, I will correct it for you.]

God's lips twisted hideously. Mana gathered and covered his body, and became a murky armor that escaped the boundaries of mana due to the integration with countless mutated soul fragments that he had devoured until now.

[That is a lie.]

[What....]

[That term is the biggest insult and arrogance in front of them. They are not 'recorded gods'. In fact, they originated from records but have surpassed it. I estimated that the answer to surpassing mana would lie within them. That is why I captured them. Because they were beings that could not be bound with records, I attempted to capture them with something that were not records. I put them all into one world and bound them there.]

[Just, what are you saying....]

[Can't you even imagine? You are foolish, my child. I have attempted to make a new record storage for the multiverse. I wished to become the Creator, and the manager of that multiverse.]

If Yu IlHan was here, he would have been annoyed, saying something like 'don't mention something that was mentioned before already', but unfortunately, God didn't even realize that Yu IlHan not only saw through his schemes, but had even obliterated it into tiny pieces.

[I have attempted to make them into a new library to store new records. Gathering soldiers that obey only my will, to gather information, reflect on them, manage them, and create them. Although I temporarily lost my power thanks to your interference before I could finish, I have in fact been able to complete a more perfect record storage after my fall. Thinking back on that, I should instead thank you.]

Michael took a step back without knowing.

Recorded gods were real, making a new Akashic Record by capturing them – these were things he actually knew of before, but this man was definitely insane. He mistook his emotions for reason and was enforcing them on others as well!

[And now, I have gathered many, many beings that have surpassed records. Although some of them escaped and dreamed of rebellion, that's merely a portion of them. I can just get them back later. I can just fill the empty slots again. The new world will arrive soon. Though, I had to test it before it was fully complete because the situation became urgent....]

Thinking about the Legnae and Archlegnae that weren't fully satisfactory, God shrugged his shoulders. All of this was due to Yu IlHan. He could only shift his plans forward as his growth was much too fast.

[However, all is well. Yu IlHan has grown, and acquired power that is close to Creation. This is what it means to reverse the tides.]

Although the power that Yu IlHan had acquired was that of Creation, one that surpassed God's by miles, God still looked down on him. That was why he could be at such a leisure.

[And then I reunited with you again. Now I will devour you, and devour Yu IlHan as well, in order to become more perfect than before. I will create a new world, and a new set of records.]

[You're looking down on my power... a being that is in the wrong; a relic of the past, you can only boast with the powers you have stolen from me, and you insult me for desiring something that was not mine...!]

Michael brought up his power for one last time.

However, what he chose was to escape. He judged that there was no hope of victory head on.

What did he have to do, and how? He thought that he had to ally with Yu IlHan albeit unwillingly. Yes, since God was aiming for Yu IlHan right now, Yu IlHan would also have to kill God. With their powers combined, someone that just fell from power in a hideous and unsightly manner should easily be dealt....

[My child, where are you going.]

[Kugh!?]

God appeared again in front of him when he tried to cast magic to flee. Michael tried to activate Warp with his eyes widened in shock, but his hopes didn't come to fruition. God's hand was already right in front of his head.

[Truly foolish and unfortunate. There wasn't even a one percent chance of victory for you in the first place.]

"Just, what...." (T/N: Quotation marks in the raws as well)

[Didn't I already say it, that you have been left alone.]

God chuckled and twisted his hand.

Michael's head split into two with those movements.

[There is nowhere for you to go, my child.]

[G, ggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!] (T/N: Back to brackets for this one….)

Michael died, and God devoured him whole.

The rightful ruler of Heaven had returned.

"I, I had a feeling that this would happen."

Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders the moment he arrived in Heaven. What spread out in front of them was the limitless skies, along with the clouds that filled it, as well as....

[It's the first time we meet like this, is it not, Yu IlHan?]

Satan was standing amongst the mountain of angel corpses. The thirteen wings behind his back flapped loosely as if mocking Yu IlHan and the others.

"My word, all the angels were...."

"Satan, what did you do! All of these innocent angels.... Although Yu IlHan did something similar in the past! But even so!"

"I still believed in you in one corner of my heart, Lucifer...."

The ex-angel dragons became enraged and Uriel shed tears filled with sorrow and disgust. Satan made a bitter smile for a moment after hearing Uriel's words, before shrugging his shoulders.

[You should have trusted someone else who you could place your trust in, Uriel. I was your enemy from the moment I created the Army of Brilliant Light. Didn't you know that?]

"Why? You and the four of us were of one mind. Me, as well as Gabriel as well as-."

[Stop dreaming, lady.]

Satan sighed. With a voice that sounded neither like the truth nor the falsehood, he blamed Uriel.

[It was only you that thought like that in the first place. All of us five were aiming for different objectives.]

"Lucifer, no, Satan...! I am sure of it now. You are our enemy! Unforgivable, a treacherous existence that has to be killed!"

Uriel abruptly turned around to Yu IlHan. She felt like a little child that asked her parents to scold her opponent after having a quarrel, so Yu IlHan ended up laughing even though the situation was urgent. Then, he scratched his head and spoke.

"I would have been able to minimize damage if I came here a little earlier. I hurried a lot but it still turned out like this. It hasn't been that long since you came here too, no?"

[You are quite smart, fellow. Well, you can hear that loud noise over there, right?]

Satan pointed his hand beyond the Wall of Chaos. Yu IlHan nodded his head. He already knew who were clashing there.

"Michael and Greed...no, the God of Heaven, I guess? I think they're still fighting with each other."

[...!]

"What!?"

"IlHan, what did you just say?"

The others doubted their own ears after hearing Yu IlHan's words. The leader of the Destruction Demon Army was actually the God of Heaven? What sort of connection did the two have? Yu IlHan just replied nonchalantly.

"What? It's nothing surprising. Even the ex-Archangel Satan made the Army of Brilliant Light and my old man Gabriel made his own faction too, so there's no way their master, God, couldn't do the same thing? Hey, even I could have done it."

"Can you really do it too... no, no, no. That's not the important thing here. So did you just say that God, is the leader of the Destruction Demon Army himself...!?"

"What, did no one actually realize that? There will never come a day where I'll hand down the mantle of foreshadow master to you guys. Such a pity."

"How!"

"Why!"

"My head hurtsssss!"

The others all fell into confusion at the same time! And Satan wasn't an exception either.

[You... how did you know that?]

"I wonder if I really have to tell you, but fine. It's a special service from me."

Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders and explained in a warm and kind voice to Satan.

"There are quite a lot of capable people in my group. There's even one that can discover worlds that each factions have been hidden away or even interspatial dimensions."

[Discover, hidden worlds...?]

"And I happened to have the ability to erase them and bound them to our world."

[That's definitely an interesting topic. Yes, I also had a time when I found fun in hiding things. So you're saying that you erased them all and made them yours?]

"Correct, and among those worlds."

Yu IlHan nonchalantly uttered.

"Was Greed's, that is, God's, flesh."

[Flesh...?]

"Ah!"

Yu IlHan's group also understood when he phrased it like that. Na YuNa widened her eyes and exclaimed.

"The one that looked like someone swallowed it whole and vomited it back out with stomach fluids splattered all over it!"

"Thanks for the reminder of that disgusting scene, Miss YuNa."

"Ehehe."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

Replied Yu IlHan with an unpleasant expression as he raised his hand. Inside there was a small vortex, and everyone realized that it was a very small interspatial dimension.

"At my level, creating such an interspace isn't hard at all."

"Whoa, so cheeky."

"Of course, this means that it isn't hard for Greed to, right? And inside his own stomach too."

[Indeed... that should have been the safest place.]

Even Satan didn't know about this. God did not reveal everything to him after all. If he knew everything, then Satan would have already found numerous ways to screw God over.

Satan didn't know the process of making Legnae and Archlegnae, and did not know what mechanism God's so-called new world will run with. No matter how capable he was, there was a limit. However... if he thought about it, it was actually quite possible.]

[Yes. Perhaps someone like him can do that. And you... and your comrades, opened the doors to that hidden world.]

"Yup, the mage on our side is amazing."

Kang MiRae blushed. She might die of happiness if he praised her any more. Yu IlHan smiled at her and continued explaining to Satan.

"No matter how amazing I am, there was no way I can see through his real identity just with one meeting with him. But then, I got a piece of his flesh, and something that was deep inside his body, so wouldn't it be strange if I didn't know anything about him? Moreover, there are plenty of samples around me that contain traces of God's power."

[That maybe from him devouring angels and acquiring a tiny portion of God's power....]

"Not that one, God's power that the Four Great Archangels 'and you' shared. A portion of that was with him as well. So, who else could it have been apart from God himself? Greed is the fallen God, the same God that was chased out by you five, and the same God that vowed to avenge the betrayal of his children."

Satan decided to give up on this battle of smarts with Yu IlHan. It would in fact, be better for his mental health to converse with him under the assumption that Yu IlHan knew everything.

He was the worst kind of monster since genesis. He was a talent that could achieve everything he wished for and still have room for more. He would truly stand with his chest held high, in a place where the God of Heaven, Michael, Gabriel nor Satan, could stand.

Satan felt his heart thumping. With the existence of Yu IlHan, his plan would be a success. Without hiding his joy, he stopped Yu IlHan; not doubting that he would speak of even more amazing things!

[Then I ask, Yu IlHan. ...What was inside!]

"Recorded gods, and the new record storage that he tried to make using them."

[....]

No, but even so… Satan became speechless because he didn't expect this. Yu IlHan finished off with a bright smile.

"So, God can't do anything now. He's doomed. Legna or Archlegna, he can't even make a single one of them, much less anything else. Even if he tries to make a new record storage by gathering new gods, they're all within my group now. So, in the end, he will have to kill me, but he wouldn't be able to win against me even if he dies and revives three times. So, it's game over."

[Pff....]

The dumbfounded Satan burst out in laughter.

[Puhahahahahahahaha! Keke! Kehihihihihihi! Oh, my stomach hurts! Kuhahahahahahaha! Wheeeeeew!]

"Was that so funny?"

[The best! It is the best! Yu IlHan... You just gave me the greatest joy of my life! This is really amazing, I will admit it! You are the best across all worlds! Aaaah, I knew I was in the right to have let you go! I would have been in so much trouble if I killed you by mistake.]

"That Lucifer actually praised someone else this much...."

Uriel, who knew the past Satan, muttered in a voice of disbelief. However, Yu IlHan nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Hm, as expected of a leader, he knows his stuff."

[Yes, of course I do! That is why it's even more funny! Loooool, I want to show you the serious expression he made when he mentioned the new world he was going to make!]

"Yes. And so... are you forfeiting because you know everything?"

Yu IlHan's cold words run inside Satan's ears the next moment.

Satan stopped laughing and raised his head. The thirteen wings reflected the ripple inside him and trembled slightly.

[Forfeit? Me? Forfeit what? I'm not four-feeted at all, fella.]

"That's the third time already. What I meant is that... you have already given up on yourself."

[I did? On myself?]

Satan asked back and concentrated mana on one hand. He, who was greater than any other mage in the world, had the ability to manipulate magic that was twisted to the point that no one could tell the original source of, or type magic.

The magic in his hand was also a high-levelled one that looked extremely difficult to block or dispel.

[I don't know what kind of misconception you have, but my fellow young transcender. I have never stopped believing for one moment. I've been proceeding towards my destination all the time, and I'm planning to arrive there soon. And that is why you are wrong. Or... should I let you experience it for yourself!?]

The sphere disappeared from his hand. It was a magic that could strike anywhere with unknown effects! However, Yu IlHan extended his hand as if he knew what was coming.

Then, he pulled Uriel into his arms.

"Whoa?"

Uriel, hugged by the son of the man she likes, thought 'perhaps it would feel like this to be hugged by your own son?' and was slightly happy even while feeling awkward, the sphere that appeared where she was disappeared after being gazed at by Yu IlHan. Satan's expression turned strange.

[You...?]

"What could have made you aim for Uriel and not me? What could have allowed you to kill my father Gabriel by yourself? Why is it that you are trying to get yourself killed by me at this point in time, especially now that Michael is being killed by God and victory is oh so close?"

[Yu IlHan, you....]

"Although I was suspicious, I'm sure of it with that attack just now. I would be an idiot if I hadn't realize with all these hints."

Yu IlHan spoke with a strange conviction.

With the sharp and cheeky expression of the high school boy trapped in a little kid's body, five minutes before the ending of an episode of an anime, he asked Satan. (T/N: Conan probably)

"In order to kill God, the ones that stole God's power must all die, right? That is why, you five were unable to kill God in the past."

Satan closed his mouth. Uriel widened her eyes. The others were shocked.

Satan eventually nodded his head.

[Yes.]

Like the culprit confessing his crimes, he admitted to Yu IlHan's claims powerlessly.

[You are correct.]

In just the right time, the Wall of Chaos started collapsing. Soon, Michael's aura could no longer be felt while God's own presence increased. He had managed to recover his powers and became slightly stronger.

The final battle was coming.

"W, wait... I didn't know anything. I didn't know about this!"

Uriel exclaimed in a panic. Her eyes were trembling.

"How? Wasn't it because we were lacking in strength? Wasn't it because God slipped away nimbly? Isn't it because your final attack missed him that he was able to escape?"

[Michael's ability was not perfect. He could not steal God's power completely from him and ended up leaving a slight trace. He ended up foolishly giving a part of his own power to God, and we, having received a portion of God's power, became unable to kill God. That included Michael as well.]

"Are you serious...!"

Uriel was flabbergasted. They failed for such a stupid reason? They finally came back to this point after countless sacrifices, but what was this? They were toyed with like clowns! They did all that in vain! Yu IlHan asked in her stead.

"Michael doesn't know about that, right?"

[If he did, he wouldn't have foolishly charged towards God. I'm the only one who realized this until now.]

Uriel shouted with an expression as if she would vomit blood at any moment.

"You should have said something to us! You should have explained it properly!"

[Haha, no way. Will you obediently give up your life if I said that you needed to die in order for God to die?]

Uriel became speechless. She couldn't do that. She couldn't give up. She couldn't give up on herself, or Gabriel.... Satan nodded as if he knew it all along and continued speaking.

[That is why I needed to prepare a more perfect stage. I had to aim for an opportunity to kill God as well as everyone who possesses God's power. I thought such an opportunity will never come, but Gabriel's son, that is, you, Yu IlHan, came and the opportunity arrived. I was sure that you will accomplish our goals for us.]

"And you tried to kill my father because you knew I wouldn't kill him myself. Right?"

[...So you even know that I failed to kill him.]

"Ah...!"

Color came back to Uriel's face after hearing that Gabriel was alive. Kim YeSeul was relatively calm looking though. As though she was sure that he had been in no real danger from the beginning.

[Yes, he ran. That is also why I blocked your path. He's not a man who would hide when his own son is in danger.]

"So you were going to kill Uriel, and kill my dad as well using me as the bait and be insta-killed by me in a fit of rage."

Even third-rate movies don't have that kind of generic plot nowadays. When Yu IlHan mocked him, Satan started becoming enraged. Yu IlHan's ability to tick others off was top-notch as well!

[Although the scenario didn't go as I had anticipated, since you know everything, can't we do this smoothly? It's a good news that you erased God's final objective cleanly, but that guy just became stronger after eating Michael over there ...You seem to believe in yourself very much, but God isn't such an easy target to deal with.]

"8 things."

Yu IlHan suddenly uttered. When Satan asked back "What?" Yu IlHan explained nonchalantly.

"I have 8 different methods to kill God for sure even if he is stronger in physical terms than I am. You seem to take me lightly, but unlike you, I can easily kill someone even if that guy has God's power, or a predator's power or even if they are a monster that manipulates the Akashic Record. So shut up and listen to me."

"Wao...."

Na YuNa exclaimed. Such charisma. There was no way she wouldn't fall for that. Seeing Yu IlHan uttering words with even more arrogance than Satan himself, he was stunned for a moment when Yu IlHan pushed one hand in front of him.

Space distorted and Gabriel popped out. Satan shouted with his eyes open wide.

[You were hiding in Heaven!?]

"Sheesh, I can't even hide properly."

When he lost the fight with Satan and ran away, he would have been found out if he maintained the world of the Garden of Sunset.

So, Gabriel had currently let go of his power as an Archangel and the power he possessed as the leader of the Garden of Sunset, and was currently an ordinary human. Of course, with a portion of God's power, his might wasn't anything to scoff at.

Yu IlHan glared at his father and spoke.

"You heard that, dad? It seems like you need to die in order to kill God."

"Tch, I guess I can't help it. Do I need to die?"

"You can foresee everything and still didn't see that?"

"If I could read the future and know everything, I would have beaten God's ass long ago."

The father and son were just having a casual banter as if nothing serious was happening. That was what was more shocking. In order to kill God, Gabriel had to die, so why was the person in question making such a peaceful smile, and why was Yu IlHan, the one who had to watch his father die, still making such a calm expression?

Of course, Gabriel's smile was fundamentally different from Yu IlHan's. Gabriel's smile was one from someone who had resigned himself to fate and gave up thinking about everything, while Yu IlHan's smile was that of desire that only those who did not let go of anything could have.

"Dad, you want to live, right?"

"Sure, who would want to die? At least the only one I know is Lucifer right there. But wouldn't I need to die in order for you to kill God?"

"Good, I'll give you 70 points. That's a B grade."

"Son, you're so harsh."

Yu IlHan groaned and estimated the distance between God and them. It seems like he still needed a little time to fully absorb Michael's power, but he sooner or later he would come. So, in fact, there wasn't much time left.

"As Satan said, we're in quite a hurry so let's get this over with quickly."

Yu IlHan pushed Uriel who was in his arms, forward. Satan and Gabriel instinctively looked towards her. Yu IlHan spoke to Uriel.

"Hey, you still have God's power in you, right?"

"I do."

"Use it."

Uriel felt strange, but still obediently extended her hand and used her power that was stolen from God. Beautiful red mana flowed out and burned up as flames.

[What!?]

"Hah, now that I think about it."

However, Satan and Gabriel became pale after looking at that. Uriel also soon realized why they were making such an odd expression.

It was partially God's power, yet it was something fundamentally different.

"Listen carefully you two."

When they were busying themselves by being shocked about the scene in front of them, that hadn't been possible when they stole God's power in the past, Yu IlHan spoke as if to boast.

"I'm the Lord of Dragon's Nest. I'm the closest person to the Akashic Record as of now, and a person capable of changing whatever comes at me as I wish. What I mean is that, everything that enters my hands will all-"

When he put his hand towards the flames that Uriel had made, the flames divided into countless little butterflies of fire and scattered.

The power that was Uriel's but not under Uriel's control, easily obeyed Yu IlHan and flew around in the air.

"-become mine."

The surrounding quietened down. Everyone knew what he was talking about and the implications of such words.

Gabriel had to admit that his prophecy was wrong, and Satan had to admit that he had misjudged Yu IlHan to a great extent.

He had long since surpassed both Gabriel and Satan. There was no way he wouldn't be able to surpass Michael. Unlike Michael who had to leave God's power alone as it is, Yu IlHan made God's power his own and even evolved it to a higher level.

Would he fear God? Would he really be unable to kill God?

"You surpassed my prophecy."

[You are beyond what I could have possibly imagined.]

The two that harbored a similar train of thoughts ever since their rebellion against God had failed; the two who made the Garden of Sunset and the Army of Brilliant Light in an attempt to stab at God's heart once again, uttered similar words and looked at each other before laughing.

Just like the flow of a river, new water would constantly replace the old. The two painfully realized and admitted that it was their mistake to think that everything would go their way simply because they wished as such.

"Son, let's do it your way."

[Yu IlHan, do as you wish.]

"I was waiting for those words."

Yu IlHan raised one hand and shook it. It didn't matter whether if it was in heaven or Elo Katra. Right now, they were within a portion of Yu IlHan's domain of Earth, the aerial city that resonated with the Flying fortress and the Guardian fortress. Without any delay, the Declaration skill activated his abilities as a leader of a faction.

Of course, there would be no need to say what that was for.

***

At that time, God, who had regained most of his powers thanks to devouring Michael, laughed out in a joyous mood. Now, there was no need to be bound to anything anymore. There was no need to skimp and save on strength anymore. There was no need to hide himself, or hesitate.

[Fuu...Kuhahahahaha! I can finally move freely! It is now the time of judgement! I shall destroy everything and create them anew!]

However, there was still one more thing he had to do before that. The man who possessed the key to opening the new world, Yu IlHan. That damned son of Gabriel that grew up too rapidly!

[He is here. Satan too, and... Gabriel? That bastard still hasn't died yet?]

No, this was for the better. Gabriel's soul would become a great material for Legna! In order to punish them all at once, God moved forward and called out his loyal subo....

Called out his loyal subor....

Subordinates?....

[...?]

God stopped in place. He tilted his head and tried once again, realized that something was wrong, and the next moment, he thought that there was a need to check up on it himself.

Then, he realized.

[Wait... how?]

Gone. He couldn't feel it. How did he not know until now? Well, he thought that there was no way it could disappear so he never noticed it until now. Yes. There's no way it could have disappeared. No one could possibly have entered his stomach.

But why? And how?

[Critical Hit!]

A message that he hadn't seen in a long time filled his vision. However, he didn't remember attacking anyone, so this message meant that...

"Hi, Greed. Oh, should I call you loser? Anyhow, hi! Isn't it such a good day with wonderful weather to die for?"

...it was him who got hit.

[YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!]

Shouted God at Yu IlHan, the one who had thrown the 'Blade of the Avenger' right through his head.

However, Yu IlHan didn't even pretend to listen to anything and aimed at God with a long cylinder in his hand. An enormous amount of mana, that couldn't even be described with the word 'enormous' at this point, had agglomerated and in the very center of the tube, a white metallic cannonball could be seen.

"Can you please be honest here?"

Asked Yu IlHan.

"Are there any hidden bosses, true bosses, hidden dungeons or expansion packets after I kill you? If there are I'll kill you less painfully, and if there aren't...."

[YU IL HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!]

"I'll just pour everything on you and treat you like the true last boss."

Yu IlHan winked after saying that.

"It's not a loss either way, right?"

[I will kill you! The very sin of looking down on God, the sin of injuring this Lord! Kill yourself now to repent if you know the severity of your crimes!]

"This child still has a long way to go until he can walk on his own."

"He can't even stand properly!"

No matter how hard he tried to move, God's body didn't flinch. God was going to utilize all of his transcendent powers that he had regained and even upgraded, to pull out this puny spear and crunch Yu IlHan to pieces, but if everything went the way he wanted them to, he wouldn't have fallen to such dire straits in the first place.

In fact, the more he tried to move and to resist the effects, more and more of his enormous energy was sucked into the spear!

[How! How can I!]

"No! If you're the last boss, say something cooler! Say something that sound like you still have tricks up your sleeve!"

[KHAAAAAAAAH!]

God was enraged, but the more he furious he became, the more energy was sucked into the spear! Spiera, who was in control of the spear, asked Yu IlHan in worry.

[Yu IlHan, what happens if the spear suddenly explodes without being able to handle this crazy amount of energy?]

"You just need to go along with my guts at that point."

[You deceived me, Yu IlHan!]

"You can do it! I have faith in you!"

[KHAAAAAAAAAAAH!]

God struggled without being able to endure Yu IlHan's leisurely attitude. A single spear on his head had disabled him from doing anything, it didn't make any sense. He had to be able to do something! He was going to be the Creator of the new world!

AT that moment, Yu IlHan fanned the flames.

"Oh, by the way, it was me who erased the fake record storage. Didn't you feel more empty inside?"

[YOUUUUUUU!]

"Very good. The suction sped up. Wait, should I provoke him a little more?"

"Yu IlHan, It'll really exploooooode!"

[....]

Satan, no, the dragon Lucifer with thirteen dragon wings behind his back, had his eyes flipped because he couldn't believe the situation.

Even he would have to risk utter and complete annihilation while fighting God, but right now, Yu IlHan had pretty much immobilized God with just a simple spear attack.

"Son, just when exactly did your concealment level surpass mine?"

"Dad doesn't know what a true loner is like. You need to study more. Everyone in Dragon's Nest will help you. Let's try starting from eating alone in school everyday."

[Lucifer, Gabriel! Have you fallen to the status of a mere dragon! You went under a mere insect and are trying to go against me?]

Since it was pretty much impossible to provoke Yu IlHan, God changed his targets to Satan and Gabriel.

"Honestly, aren't these wings way cooler than those pigeon wings, old man?"

[It's useless no matter how calm you act! I will not die, I will come back and punish all of you before opening the door to the new world!]

"Honestly, I thought I had to die too, but apparently I don't have to."

This time, it was Gabriel. Although there was a bump on his forehead after being smacked very, very hard by Kim YeSeul, he was still a very healthy 9th class dragon.

"So old man God. Let's test if you'll die or not. According to my foreknowledge ability, I think you have 100.1% chance of death, but my senses have dulled a little nowadays so I'm not so sure."

[You dare... you dare!]

God's body expanded rapidly. Just as Michael did in the past, he was getting stronger with rage. Though, he still couldn't pull out the spear form his head!

[If you wish to stand against me, then fine! I shall destroy all of you! The me you once called God, has already fallen thanks to your rebellion, I have become Greed of the Destruction Demon Army! I shall destroy! And devour! I'll let each and every single one of you reunite inside me!]

Yu IlHan thought that this scene was quite familiar and pondered about it briefly before realizing. That's it. Isn't this the typical pattern where a game boss recovers to full health and becomes stronger?

As he had surpassed the expectations of everyone, God also had the potential to grow beyond his expectation. This was also why Yu IlHan came up with 8 different methods of killing him.

However, he could kill him quickly, so was there any need to wait for him to become even stronger? Why was it that in games or in anime, the main character always obediently waits for the enemy's awakening? You should just kill him when it is still easy!

Yu IlHan always wondered about that, and gad already resolved to not miss any chances if he came to the same situation.

So, he fired the cannon without hesitation.

[Critical Hit!]

[Khaaaaaaaaaaargh!?]

Even though he fired a material cannonball with a material cannon, no one could see the firing process or the path of the trajectory that they cannonball took. However, it splendidly landed at the region surrounding God's heart and exploded in an extravagant fashion to wound him with all of its explosive energy.

Moreover, even though it was just one shot, God's entire body was bursting apart and riddled with holes in various places. Yu IlHan had applied his Transcendent Trajectory skill to instantly multiply his attack by tens and hundreds of times! Even the Creator himself would have died!

[This, is, Legna's....]

Due to being hit squarely by the cannonball, God felt his very existence being split up into pieces and being annihilated thanks to the power within them, and uttered some words. Yu IlHan smiled and nodded.

"You're right. I put this together using the fragments from the Archlegnae that you created. Doesn't it hurt?"

[Grrk, how can... I, I... d, d, die her....]

He probably held a lot of resentment. He probably had a lot to say. However, Yu IlHan didn't bother listening to him anymore, so he approached him and twisted the spear on God's head in a random arc, churning it round and round until…

God's health rapidly fell towards the bottom, and eventually disappeared.

[You have earned experience.]

[You have earned the records of the Lord of Heaven's Army, ...]

[You have become level 911.]

[You have mastered the skill, Creation.]

"Uaaaaaaaaah."

Never did he know he would undergo a mass level up again at this point! Yu IlHan checked to make sure that God's body disappeared for real and gathered the remnants to burn them cleanly before retrieving the Blade of the Avenger. Then, he grabbed onto his head due to the headache.

Seeing Yu IlHan cleaning everything up properly even while grabbing onto his head while grimacing, the others were flabbergasted.

"Son, did he really die with that? Really? Has God really, finally disappeared now?"

Asked Gabriel. This looked too easy considering the suffering they had to go through until now. Yu IlHan shrugged his shoulders and asked him instead.

"Dad, did you get experience when you chased out God before?"

"No."

"I did."

"Okay...."

Assume that all enemies are not dead until you get their experience points! Vice versa, it followed that logic that acquiring records and experience from one's enemy meant that the enemy was dead for sure! He erased the body as well just in case some undead overlord rose from the corpse and even collected his thought-soul, so there was nothing to be afraid of now!

Having been persuaded by Yu IlHan with concrete evidence, Gabriel felt a sense of defeat and turned around. Lucifer placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulders and was giggling, so he punched him in the guts to assuage his annoyance. Yu IlHan spoke to them.

"Oh yeah, Lucifer, you ordered Lazière to provoke me, didn't you?"

"I thought you'd fight me more easily that way. And there was a need to clean up the fallen angels under me so...."

Lucifer quickly figured out that Lazière was alive and widened his eyes. Yu IlHan mocked him even more.

"You tried to commit suicide but still couldn't control any of my actions."

"...I should just."

"Think of it as the price for mocking the others until now."

Just as when Satan was about to use magic, he was held back by Gabriel. Yu IlHan ignored them and raised his hand, and Heaven reacted sensitively to it. The Trap of Restoration that he had planted here before had started activating with Yu IlHan's magic power.

"All the faction leaders have either died or have come into my camp, so the only existing higher existence organization is Dragon's Nest. The higher existences that have lost their leaders should still be alive, though they should have fallen back to being lower existences.... Of course, I shall give them an opportunity to enter Dragon's Nest if they wish to, so don't worry about it so much."

"What are you doing, wasn't everything over, son?"

"I'm about to begin the next step. I still can't fully toss aside away my worries about hidden bosses so can everyone stay alert?"

"Well, I don't think there's anything left...."

Just as the others were about to get fed up at Yu IlHan for meticulously preparing for anything else that may occur, he laughed and waved his hand many times.

Whenever he did so, The Trap of Restoration expanded and enveloped the remainder of Heaven, as well as the dark recesses of space that was once called Elo Katra. The ownerless world had accepted the new owner and started changing.

"Anyway, we did what we came here to do, so it's about time we do what we were originally going to do."

"What we were originally going to do...? Oh."

Muttered Liera before clapping. How could she forget! Yu IlHan's aim was this in the first place!

"The people of Earth!"

"Yeah, we need to return them back to their proper home now."

Just how many of them have survived? Wouldn't the parents that have lost their children in the Great Expulsion wish to live on in another world without accepting the truth?

"But even so, we need to return them to their original places first."

"Okay...."

Although it was all to kill God, their sins were not small as well. Whether it was Lucifer, Gabriel or Yu IlHan himself. Their sins could not be washed away by the righteousness of their actions despite whatever objectives or good intent they had at that time. They would all have to bear the burden for the remainder their lives.

"And well."

Yu IlHan continued speaking.

"I think I can return them the ones they've lost."

"What? How?"

"Just watch for a minute.

The world changed according to Yu IlHan's hand gestures. Although they were in Heaven until just now, they were currently teleported to the Netherworld, no the Crevasse Garden, no, not that but Breya, Lanpas, Earth....

"Don't tell me...."

"The Traps of Restoration have now completely proliferated across all worlds."

Yu IlHan gripped his fist.

All existing worlds started being summoned to Earth and started being fused with it.

"It's time to gather them into one."

"All worlds...."

"Every single world? Into one...?"

No one could possibly dream about this. No one could possibly imagine such a scenario. And that, it was actually happening for real. They still could not see through Yu IlHan completely.

[The world is subliming into one.]

[You become the lord of the world. Using the name of the world you were born in, the completed world shall be called 'Earth'.]

"Earth, shall become a world vaster than Heaven...."

Muttered Gabriel as he watched the fusion of worlds.

"Yes, so this is what it meant...."

"Hhp."

Yu IlHan closed his eyes. He could feel countless souls scattered across the vast expanse of the universe.

The souls of those he had killed and taken in, the souls of those he did not kill but still ended up staying by his side, the souls that did not leave this world, they were all here.

It wasn't like he didn't wish to revive all of them, but since he couldn't do, that he gathered only the purest of souls;

Of the children that had to die just because they were born, and watched over them.

[O, children who died unjust deaths.]

The mana that his level 900 soul possessed became a strand of Declaration and enveloped the world.

[Come back to the world, and we shall live on together in peace.]

"Ah, aaaah...."

Seeing his Declaration being realized, Kim YeSeul ended up crying. Was it happiness, or sadness? It was an emotion that she felt after looking at something beyond the realm of recognition, so that emotion should be well beyond the realm of recognition as well, she did not mind whatever that she was feeling and just cried according to her parental instincts.

"Fuuuu."

Yu IlHan, having spent an enormous quantity of mana to complete this process, sighed and looked around to the others.

Some were crying like Kim YeSeul, some were looking at him with adoration like Na YuNa, and some were making vain expressions like Lucifer and Gabriel, while there were some that looked forwards toward the future like Kang MiRae, while some looked at him with warm eyes like Liera, while some shrugged their shoulders while thinking 'oh well, whatever happens, happens.' and smiled like Erta.

"Now let us go greet the returnees."

"Returnees... yes, they are indeed returnees."

Chuckled Kim YeSeul while some tears still remained on her face. The others let out hearty laughs as well. At that point, Na YuNa suddenly shouted.

"Mr. IlHan, epilogue! The epilogue between you and meeeeee!"

"You really have an amazing tenacity as well as the audacity to suggest that."

Yu IlHan giggled as well and lowered the aerial fortress to Earth. Although he was slightly sorry for Na YuNa, his mind was currently filled of thoughts about what he had to say to the people who have gathered in this world.

Oh, yes. This would be quite suitable to start off the speech.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen of the returnees faction.

I'm the loner that had been waiting for all of you.

The multiverse simply cannot be observed in its entirety. Worlds are continuously being created and destroyed even at this very moment.

There were numerous worlds that did not evolve and were thus unable to come into contact with the Akashic Record, leaving them unable to produce mana. There were also plenty of worlds that grew smoothly but had no special characteristics or traits that caught the eye of higher existences and consequently, were not allowed to become higher worlds.

And the Traps of Restoration that Yu IlHan had made, proliferated even to these worlds through other nearby worlds, and forcibly fused them with Earth.

"Just what is happening...."

"M, mana is."

It wasn't like Yu IlHan recklessly lumped them all together. He formed regions that separated less evolved worlds, more evolved worlds and higher worlds through the usage of mountain ranges and large bodies of water as boundaries.

Since the density of mana would change according to these regions, the monsters living inside them also differed.

"IlHan is now just straight-out doing Creation work….."

"I don't like that. Don't you have to work for 6 days and get only one day of rest at first? My future life motto is 6 days of rest a week."

"At that point, I wonder what you'll end up doing in that single day of work!"

The world Yu IlHan was creating was quite similar to the past multiverse. Looking at the world, it didn't seem so wide, but the only one that could observe Earth as a whole was Yu IlHan alone.

Even the elite members of Dragon's Nest weren't exceptions, and after they focused their attention on one corner of the world that was being made, the moment they raised their head, they would not know where exactly that corner of the world ended up settling down at.

"Amazing. All the truths about magic that I have learnt until now... all of them are so naturally being sublimed into this world."

"Even if I can fuse all worlds into one, it will only become an endless expanse of chaos if I just recklessly lump them together. The ideal would be eventually becoming one after harmonizing piece by piece."

Like that, Yu IlHan was working on the natural fusion of the worlds, but how was it natural to the others? The people of Earth scattered across multiple worlds as well as the residents of other worlds were repeatedly summoned to Earth, and all of them had to go through a period of confusion.

However, wherever they were summoned to, they could still observe the aerial city where Yu IlHan resided in. To them, Yu IlHan would seem like an omnipotent, omniscient God. And this was also what Yu IlHan intended to showcase himself as.

"The people are looking up to us!"

"They're shouting something but I can't hear it properly."

"If they wish for me to, I will answer, but unless that's the case, I don't plan on enforcing any communication with them."

What Yu IlHan aimed for was the fusion of worlds and the concentration of all energy. He was planning to erase the cycle of birth and death of worlds by fusing not only the existing worlds, but all potential worlds as well.

And since he had succeeded already, there was no need for him to keep interfering with the residents.

"Ah, look at those children. It looks like they're safely going back to their parents."

"I set it that way...The children whose parents are dead, will have to be taken care of by me."

Said Yu IlHan in a bitter voice before extending his hand. A huge mansion suddenly rose up in one corner of the aerial city that was descending. In the future, the children that have lost their parents will live there under Yu IlHan's protection.

Liera, who watched that, asked carefully.

"IlHan, this maybe a simple question for you but... don't you have any thoughts about resurrecting the others and not just the children expelled from the Great Expulsion?"

"I thought someone might ask that."

To Yu IlHan who was now capable of doing anything as he was in management of both souls and matter, the biggest problem for him was to decide on who to resurrect and who to leave alone.

When he was still a human, there was a path of retreat and a bunch of excuses since he wasn't suited to manipulating souls, but that wasn't the case right now.

He was the sole God, and all body and soul were within his dominion. So, he could be overbearing and not care about any voices and cries of injustice that may rise from the others. There was no one that could do anything to him after all.

That was precisely why Yu IlHan had to be more serious in his consideration pertaining to the matter.

"But look, all worlds are one now. The origin of souls all became one as well, so even if I don't resurrect them to their former states, they will be born back into this world not too far in the future. Do I really need to interfere with that? Do I really need to interfere with the single chance life at that is given to the people, of which if I were to interfere, would be rather sacrilegious and make their value decrease as a whole?"

"But Your Majesty."

Paté was waiting for this moment and spoke. Ironically, he was the second closest to death and souls in this group, and could understand Yu IlHan's worries the most as well.

"I think that Phiria wishes to return to Your Majesty's side. If she was of any help in Your Majesty reaching this place, wouldn't it be fine to return her to her position as a reward?"

"...Reward those that helped me in the process of reaching divinity? In other words, have an exception to those that are in Dragon's Nest and differentiate them from the common people? Is that what you're saying?"

"Please excuse my words but... yes. To her, who longed to be of use to Your Majesty, even at the very end of her life, could you not bestow your grace unto her?"

Yu IlHan glared at Paté. Paté, who loathed being hated by Yu IlHan worse than choosing death, twisted his body in agony, but did not plan to back down. Such a state continued for quite a while before Yu IlHan heaved a sigh and finally nodded his head.

"Fine, I'll let it go just this once."

"Your Majesty!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The three elves jumped around in joy. Since he was here, Yu IlHan said to the others as well.

"Since I decided to differentiate between our members and the general populace, I may as well take it a step further. Paté's words aren't that wrong either. Everyone helped me out a lot in my reaching of divinity, so I shall give you all one chance to 'cheat'. Please speak if you want anything right now. I won't allow this after the fusion of worlds is completed."

"If, if our parents have died then please...."

"Oh, the parents of both of you Smithson couple have already returned safely. You two can just prepare your marriage ceremony."

"I want to have your child!!! kehhhhhhhhhk."

Na YuNa was shot down quickly. However, Liera, who shot her down, made a slightly difficult expression. Everything was too different from before.

When she was an angel and when Yu IlHan was still a human, or when both of them were momentarily human, they could hold each other's hands at their leisure... but right now, Yu IlHan was the God that had to look after the entire world.

Liera also knew that his ego had undergone a series of great cataclysm just as the worlds had.

"Am I being too greedy if I still want to monopolize IlHan...."

"Liera, if you wish for me to do so, I will only look at you."

Spoke Yu IlHan. These words were the truth.

"However... yes, I'm sorry. I think my vision is different from before. Even if I want to look at you alone, the others still end up entering my train of thought as well. Perhaps it's a backlash after being a loner for so long, I want to keep them all within an arm's reach. I want to grab them tightly so that they can't run away."

"Ah."

"Uuu."

He was probably the biggest jerk in the world right now. However, Liera only made a bitter smile as if she had known that this was coming. She had realized this early on, after Yu IlHan, who was initially like an iron wall to everyone else other than her, started smiling at other women some time ago.

She did not doubt that he loved her the most. It was fine monopolizing him until now. She was God's first woman, and will remain as his very first woman in the future as well.

"You can't do anything to your emotions just because you want to, right? They say the first one to fall in love is the loser... so, I wish you'd accept all of your feelings. I like you that way."

"Unni...ugyagyak."

Liera stopped Na YuNa from speaking. Physically, that is.

Then, she spoke in a grave voice.

"Instead, I'm going to be the first one to have the marriage ceremony. Grandly, so that everyone in the world knows that I'm the main wife!!!!!!!"

"Unni!"

"Liera...!"

"Liera, I love you!"

The ones that were left quaking in nervousness after Yu IlHan left the decision to Liera, all cheered.

"Liera... thanks."

"You're such a bad guy. But I still love you."

Countless gazes were exchanged between Yu IlHan and Liera, some had been bashful while others were filled with passion. Just that was enough for the two to completely understand each other, and finally settled on a consensus with regards to their relationship.

Orochi, who was watching quietly all this time, added.

"Since you are loved by so many, it will be hard to become a loner again, master."

"Orochi, you don't even dream of it."

Mystic's sharp words made Orochi tilt his head in confusion. His expression was very clueless and looked as if he had mastered the acting skill.

"Of what?"

"Ugh."

The Great Fusion was finished. Finally, The aerial city settled down in the middle of the Pacific, and synchronized with Earth. Now, all worlds were perfectly one.

"Wow, look at the density of mana."

"Perhaps there may be naturally-occurring higher existences."

"Ah, around this area, there may actually be natural-born true dragons."

"I was joking though, but for real!?"

After Yu IlHan finished his work, he inhaled a deep breath of air. Then, he raised his voice for all on Earth to hear and spoke.

[Hello, ladies and gentlemen....]

***

Yu IlHan and Liera's marriage was planned for the very next day, but it ended up having to be delayed for a whole month.

It was impossible to physically bring all humans into one place, so Yu IlHan had to construct a venue with clouds in the skies and cast magic for everyone to watch God's marriage. This was his negotiation with Liera.

"I still don't get why I have to be the wedding officiator."

Lucifer seemed to be uncomfortable wearing a suit, but Lazière straightened his sleeves and smiled brightly.

"Only someone of your caliber should officiate Lord Yu IlHan's wedding."

"You're smiling too much, Lazière."

"It's because your figure in a suit is too cool."

Lucifer snorted at her words. However, Lazière's smile only became brighter. She was happy that she could continue serving Satan by his side as well.

"Just how was this place constructed?"

"It's God's power. It's something we can't understand."

"And that same God has human emotions and is marrying someone?"

"Perhaps we're witnessing a moment of a myth or a legend."

Even though the wedding venue was very large, there were countless people in it. It was natural since representatives from countless worlds wished to participate in God's wedding, and there were hundreds of representatives of each world under Yu IlHan's subordination!

"Honey, what are you thinking about?"

Gabriel, Yu YongHan, lightly tapped on Kim YeSeul who was wordlessly sitting in one corner. She finally looked back to her husband and laughed smiled while shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm thinking about our son's past. I was worried that he might not even date a single woman in his entire life, but it's so funny now. So many people are interested in him, and love him."

"You were also very popular with men in the past. Heck, sometimes, I even wonder why you married me."

"Oh, my."

Kim YeSeul's eyes narrowed. She chuckled and spoke.

"You were the only one for me ever since I met you."

"Nothing would come out of flattering me."

"But it's the truth. That is why it was more frustrating. I wanted to see you so much, but you were really so hard to find."

"Gabriel was always a man who didn't know his own worth. He believed that everyone would not look for him and was always absorbed in whatever he was doing. That's what makes him more attractive though."

Uriel, who was quietly sitting by the side, added. Kim YeSeul sulked, and Gabriel, who wasn't used to such a situation like his son was in, suddenly felt his stomach aching.

"Ehem, I'll go somewhere else for now...."

"Where do you think you're going, the ceremony will begin soon."

Kim YeSeul pinched his arm. Uriel looked at Kim YeSeul still with a smile.

"Isn't it about time we talked seriously about this? YeSeul, the couple that's being married may have waited centuries, but I have waited tens of thousands of millennia for this."

"...Let's do it later, please."

As all the guests sat down, and the scene inside the wedding venue could be seen by all places around the world, the ceremony finally began. Since no one there was particularly concerned about the formality of the procedure, the bride and the groom entered together.

"Wow."

"So pretty...."

"Huh, but I can't see the groom properly."

"No way, master, he's actually concealing himself at this time...?"

Yu IlHan lightly concealed himself to emphasize the beauty of his bride! His little scheme worked wonders and Liera, who entered whilst wearing a pure white dress, attracted the attention of all the guests as the most beautiful woman in the world, without any form of exaggeration involved.

The gently brushed golden hair and her sparkling ruby-red eyes, her slightly blushed cheeks that were tinged a shade of light pink stole everyone's attention. Her dress emphasized her perfect figure without adding anything superficial. Now that she had become the goddess of love and gained what was considered as victory in her quest for love, her magic power lightly radiated from her skin and formed a translucent veil that paired perfectly with her dress and further reinforced her transcendent beauty.

"She can't hold back her joy."

"Ugh, I'm jealous... I'm so envious of Liera and I can't hold myself back."

"Me too, me too, I want to marry godfather!"

""Not you,""

Everyone was enchanted by the bride's beauty, and there were increasingly more and more attendees that couldn't find the groom. After a brief period of time that felt like an eternity, the groom revealed himself and the pair finally stepped onto the platform.

Lucifer, the officiator, looked at the two and spoke.

"Love is infinitely beautiful, while simultaneously dirty and murky. Marriage is the most sacred oath and ritual, but at the same time, it's also an event likely to be filled with lies, deceit and hypocrisy. Heck, the groom in front of me right now is going to welcome numerous more brides in the future."

"Hey, change the officiator."

Yu IlHan objected, but unfortunately, there was no backup officiator. Lucifer's words continued.

"Despite that, you two have stood here knowing that. I praise the bride's generosity, as well as the groom's shamelessness and capability."

"You! Come and see me after the ceremony."

"The bride and the groom are so strongly connected that even if the two wished to, even if others wished for them to, the two cannot be taken apart. So anyone who has complaints about the union of the two should either eternally shut up or take your own life before it gets any harder for you."

No one took their life. It looks like they chose to eternally shut up. After that, the bride and the groom greeted the guests. After the ironic scene of the residents of the world giving their blessings and good wishes to their God, Lucifer finally went on to the climax.

"It's the monumental event of the marriage of the sole God. God, Yu IlHan, should realize the weight of the matter, and shall now present the wedding gift to his first bride."

"...Fuu."

Yu IlHan took out a small ring holder from his bosom as his hands trembled ever so slightly in nervousness. A pair of sophisticated rings made of a metal that harbored a deep and profound red aura was inside. Looking at the rings, Liera's eyes widened.

"IlHan, you...."

"The marriage ceremony was delayed because I was busy with making this. I had to put inside all the different metals in the world as well as the hearts of all existences."

Its value couldn't be measured. The marriage ring that he completed after a month of manual labor from himself. The entire world was embodied within the ring.

Yu IlHan felt embarrassed as well and he scratched his head while speaking to her.

"You will be my number one forever, Liera. If you wish it so, I'm going to stay next to you forever. I love you."

"Ah...."

The ring fit each of their ring fingers perfectly. This basically meant that Yu IlHan had publicly announced that Liera would stay by his side as his equal. Stroking the ring on her finger, Liera's eyes welled up in tears.

"I love you too!"

"Well, then... hey, hey, do it after I say it."

Liera couldn't hold back her emotions and assaulted Yu IlHan with kisses, and thanks to that the ceremony became a mess. Lucifer shouted in annoyance.

"The two have become God and his wife respectively, so all beings in this world shall obey and submit to the two! The beginning of a new myth has started right here right now! Hey! Throw the bouquet! Dammit, throw the f**king bouquet already!"

Liera, who was triggered by Lucifer's attitude, threw the bouquet behind her and focused on assaulting Yu IlHan again. Yu IlHan came to a quick decision and teleported them to his own room within the Flying fortress.

Although no one who was in the know of things had expected that the ceremony would go well, the wedding ceremony ended in such a mess, and the only trace left of the groom and his bride was the bouquet that was flung into the air.

"Well, then."

The bouquet suddenly stopped in midair. The one who did that was none other than Erta. A murderous aura was coming out of her.

"Should we decide who's next then?"

"... I'm sorry but I can't let the second place go."

Kang MiRae stood up with a look of firm resolution on her face. Na YuNa was laughing, but her hands were full of sparks generated with holy power.

"It was me who shotgunned after Liera-unni."

"No, it's me."

"I think it's me who understood darling's true value first."

Helièna's lips had a murderous smile as well. She did not care how many wives Yu IlHan had, but she wanted to set the hierarchy straight!

The ones that could participate in the battle were actually quite well-off already. In the case of Phiria or Ericia that couldn't even stand on the stage due to their lack of power, they could only swallow their bloodied tears. Paté was just crying by himself in one corner. Reality was always harsh, cruel and cold.

"Good, we're entering the next event very smoothly."

Lucifer, who somehow had a much better expression than before, picked up the microphone again.

"The clash for the position of God's second wife! Who will become the second? Let's start the betting!"

"Hey, you, Lucifer!"

Regardless of whoever took 2nd place, this thing was for sure.

Yu IlHan was never going to be called a loner again.

Author's notes

Why does this feel like the true epilogue and not just a side story.

I had a lot of worries while writing this one. There were many of you who wanted one-way-Liera, and many others who wanted him to accept everyone. That's why I also wished to leave it as an open ending as well. I just showed you the marriage scene like this because I thought that Yu IlHan could truly escape his loner days by understand the hearts of all heroines and love them after becoming someone higher than human, God, and having a wider view than before. I, as a human, do not dare describe how a God feels, but I wondered that someone who was reborn into God after starting off as a human might make such choices.

I wanted to write the afterword right after the epilogue, but it got delayed because of the side stories. I'll write two or so more side stories and immediately upload the afterword.

"Fuu."

Mystic had a lot of worries nowadays. After Yu IlHan had entered the realm of perfect Godhood, there was no need for her head to ache while managing Earth anymore, but now that her workload had decreased, just as many miscellaneous thoughts had entered her mind.

Why was she born, for what purpose did she live for, such middle school-like thoughts entered her mind and did not let her go about her daily business in peace.

"Lord Earth, why was I born?"

[You were a being born in order to kill Yu IlHan who ruined Earth. There were no other objectives or motives behind your conception.]

Answered Earth. Although he didn't talk much to others save Yu IlHan or Kim YeSeul, he had slight feelings of partnership towards Mystic, who originated from itself, and couldn't completely ignore her when she was worried like this.

"Then you really did make me without thinking further."

[I had one clear objective, but I did not wish anything of you after that whether you succeeded or failed. Now that everything is solved, you just need to live on in whatever fashion that you deem suitable.]

"I don't really get what living is."

As Earth had replied, she was born solely to kill Yu IlHan. She was killed by Yu IlHan without being able to do anything, and after that, she was revived by Yu IlHan and lived a new life, but she could only support Yu IlHan's life, and did not have any other things to do. So, perhaps she was like a newborn babe in this regard.

[No one knows what life is about. Even if you ask master Yu IlHan, you would not get anything useful out of his reply.]

"I can't even approach master now. Master really cherishes me. Although he denies it himself, he really loves all of creation after he became God. Honestly, it's a little awkward."

[Are you afraid that you will fall in love with him?]

"I don't get what love is. And also...."

There was someone else that came to her mind when it came to love. At first, she just enjoyed fooling around by exchanging words with him since they were in similar situation, but from some time, her emotions changed to something still similar, but fatally different.

"It's like... my heart pounds whenever I see him, and I get annoyed at him for no reason. I know that this is not ordinary. Why is it? We weren't in such a relationship. Isn't it too sudden?"

[What are you saying.]

Earth mocked her.

[There is nothing that can be properly explained in this world. Are you trying to explain the world? We only have to accept. We only have to be swept away by the currents. We only proceed forward. ... And that is life.]

She did not know why she was born. She did not know where she had to go. So, she just had to go wherever she wants, and do whatever she wants. It would be an embarrassment if she didn't know what that was about or what it entailed. Didn't Mystic have that right now?

[The reason you're all acting serious is because of that snake, no? Just don't uselessly deny your own feelings and try to escape. Just accept it as it is.]

"If Lord Earth was me...."

[I am not you.]

Earth mercilessly cut her question. Then it added.

[I cannot give you any help, so why don't you ask for help from someone who's suffering from similar emotions?]

"...That's true. Okay, I'll ask them."

Mystic stood up. She pressed down the straw hat she received from Yu IlHan on her head, and went to someone that might help her out.

***

"Mm, that's a difficult question."

Being questioned, Carina Smithson groaned. A handsome boy was grabbing Mystic's finger with his twig-like fingers in her arm.

"Kyauuuu!"

"Do you know about love, Nick?"

"Our child doesn't know something like that yet, probably."

Carina stroked Nick's hair and started speaking.

"This will be a very subjective story. Will that be fine with you, Mystic?"

"Sure. I want to get as much data as possible."

"Then... actually, when I first saw that man, I thought he was the cheekiest bastard in existence."

Michael Smithson was a man full of stubbornness and greed. He was full of himself, his clan, and his country, and he even felt that everything other than his own objectives were wrong.

"However, the passage of time and the environment started to change him. At first, we only entered an alliance because we had the same enemy. But he was desperate to keep the alliance, and albeit arrogant, he still had a gentleman-like side of him. He cherished the ones within his perimeter as much as he did the opposite to the others, and later, that perimeter started being widened."

The trigger of that change, though frustrating, was probably when his love for Kang MiRae sprouted – thought Carina. His realm of recognition had started to widen after someone outside his perimeter had entered.

"Since he wished to see others, he had to accept himself that was in the eyes of others, and as a result of that, he became a little humbler. I think I was the one who watched the process while closest to him. I think he was a truly foolish man, but was disappointed in myself since I realized that I was similar to him, and was also quite proud to see his growth... and when I came to it, I was stuck in a cycle of only looking at him, and thinking only about him."

"Mm."

Hearing her words, Mystic naturally compared her own situation with hers. Carina smiled and finished her story.

"I saw myself in him, and that is precisely why I felt more emotional as I saw him changing. Mystic, aren't you the same?"

"I, I."

Thinking about Orochi, she felt fluffy on the inside. Orochi and Mystic did indeed experience many changes while acting with Yu IlHan. They mocked each other, sometimes relied on each other... and in that process, Mystic must have sprouted new feelings.

"Thanks for the answer. I think it will be a good reference."

"Mystic."

"Yeah?"

"When it comes down to it...."

Carina blocked Nick's two ears and whispered to Mystic. After hearing that, Mystic's face reddened like a tomato.

"Okay?"

"Y, yeah."

Like a rusted robot that hadn't been oiled in centuries, Mystic left the room as stiff as she could be, without even bending her knees and simply trudging from the left leg to the right like the little nutcracker. Carina giggled while looking at her fading back and stroked Nick. He looked so much like Michael Smithson and couldn't be any more adorable.

The one Mystic looked for next was none other than Uriel. Coincidentally, she was with Gabriel.

"Where's Kim YeSeul?"

"She went to see IlHan with two pieces of big news."

"Big news?"

When Mystic titled her head, Gabriel nodded his head and spoke.

"IlHan will get a little sibling."

"And the other one?"

"IlHan will get another little sibling...."

"...."

Mystic narrowed her eyes and glared at Gabriel. Uriel, by their side, was stroking her belly with the most pleasant face she could make.

"You're the worst...."

"You're misunderstanding, Mystic. We'll go through the wedding together soon."

Kim YeSeul had already done the marriage ceremony waaaay back. Despite that, they were going to have another wedding this time with Uriel included as well. She wanted to wear the wedding dress again or something.

Of course, Gabriel did not have the right to object, and Uriel was satisfied with just standing by his side.

"What was his proposal line?"

"You are my wings... sorry, that was a joke. I said sorry."

"Uriel."

Mystic classified Gabriel as a potential Yu IlHan and ignored him before turning her gaze to Uriel.

"Why did you fall in love with such a man?"

"Is there really a reason needed before someone can fall in love?"

Answered Uriel, the sole conscience of the former Five Great Angels, with an angelic smile.

"I just liked him so much. Whenever he pranked me in Heaven, whenever he was agonized due to a future he had seen, whenever he sighed due to Luciel and Michael's twisted logic, and whenever he gave orders to the humans while taking care of them...."

"Don't say such things in front of the person himself, Uriel."

Gabriel was embarrassed, but Uriel's smile only became thicker.

"I can say this any time. Love is not an embarrassing emotion after all. It's the most bless-worthy, bright and beautiful emotion. It came to me without my knowledge and when I realized it, it was already ruling over me. Of course, there are people who escape those emotions, but I wished to continue loving him and it finally became true."

"For tens of millennia?"

"There was not even one moment that I didn't. But... yes, even if my feelings changed, I will not regret at that time. Never was I unhappy even while I waited for him."

"...."

"So don't be afraid, Mystic."

Uriel extended her hand and rubbed her cheeks to tease her and at the same time, provide reassurance.

"Your feelings aren't something that's supposed to be hidden, but something you need to show off. Don't be afraid of the future, don't lose faith in yourself, and accept yourself as it is. That is enough."

"Accept, myself...."

Mystic stiffly nodded her head. Although she couldn't quite sympathize because Uriel had lived for countless more years than her, it was true that her truthful words hit her heart at the right spot.

"Thanks for the help. I'll go now. Oh, congratulations on your pregnancy."

"I want a daughter this time. I've had more than enough with one son."

"I want a son, Gabriel. A son that's exactly like you."

"Hiiik, I don't want another IlHan!"

Thinking that she should tell Yu IlHan exactly what Gabriel said, Mystic exited that place and headed to the garden. She was going to calm down and organize her thoughts, but well, there was someone who got there before her.

"Oh, Mystic."

"Kang HaJin."

"It's not like it's the first time we're meeting, but you sure are awkward."

Kang HaJin made a bitter smile. Mystic only snorted.

"You didn't have your share of the limelight until the end."

"Yeah, I somehow managed to reach higher existence, but I don't have any talent in this regard."

Kang HaJin honestly confessed. As he had just spoken, he was currently living a life that had nothing to do with battle.

As he was with Yu IlHan when the worlds united into one, he cleverly started a new business when the others were having a hard time adapting to this new world. He started a railway business that connected all the regions of Earth.

The word was 'railway' but in fact, with the help from Yu IlHan, the rails were incredibly sturdy and were pretty much unaffected by the surrounding environment, and created a train that ran on top of it to go anywhere within this world! Naturally, Yu IlHan's share of the work was a big help in this, and his business had been completely successful.

Perfect safety and ideal speed, as well as the title of 'cooperation with God'! He became the leader of a massive corporation that even his father Kang Chan couldn't hold a candle to, after he returned to Earth safely.

Yu IlHan was a co-CEO as well, but he didn't do anything publicly, so Kang HaJin was practically the leader.

"Though not in our opinion, you are nearly as famous as master on Earth, aren't you?"

"I'll be marrying soon too. Father wanted me to marry a Korean woman, but it didn't really go as I wish to."

Lepina was a world that had experienced the 3rd Great Cataclysm, and they were one of those that was dragged to Earth due to the Trap of Restoration after living their own lives quite well. Kang HaJin's fiancée was the only daughter of the Lepina Empire's emperor.

"Of course, it's a political marriage. This won't be the only marriage either, probably."

"You... loved Na YuNa, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Kang HaJin admitted. Mystic asked.

"Does it hurt?"

"It did. However, when I realized, it was too late to do anything. That's why I organized my feelings. It looks like there are people who can easily do that while others have difficulty doing that, but fortunately, I seem to be part of the former."

He looked quite bitter for that to be true. She wasn't in a position to console him, so she stayed quiet, but Kang HaJin spoke of his story anyway.

"I think I had an opportunity to get her. However, I was too leisurely, and was arrogant, and in the end, I lost her. No, perhaps even this is just me being arrogant. I was the only man who was close to YuNa, but perhaps YuNa thought of me as a tagalong for MiRae in the first place."

"Mm...."

After her marriage with Yu IlHan, Na YuNa became even prettier. It wasn't because her smile never left her face, but rather, because Liera and Na YuNa were goddesses whose dominions were over love and beauty respectively, and were gradually becoming more beautiful the more time they spent with him.

Mystic thought about the case where Na YuNa ended up with Kang HaJin, but all of that was meaningless since it was no longer possible.

"So Mystic."

"Yeah?"

"When you think it's time, charge ahead so that you aren't left with any regrets."

Spoke Kang HaJin. His words were heartfelt.

"Before it's too late, regardless of whatever the other thinks of you, charge ahead with your true feelings and get a proper answer. Even if it's a loss waiting at the end, you will at least feel better."

Mystic accepted his advice.

"Yeah, okay. ... and Na YuNa probably didn't like you even for one moment! So you should rest easy too!"

"I know, you idiot. I only wanted to boast a little bit."

Kang HaJin snorted as he turned around. Having acquired an answer, Mystic rushed out without hesitation. The place she was heading to was the not-so-aerial-anymore aerial city, where children who lost their parents in the Great Expulsion resided in.

"Over there, faster!"

"Yes, great master!"

Orochi was looking after the children in that place. He was in charge of education and training of the children along with others, and was being called the 'great master' by the children.

"Orochi!"

"Mm?"

Orochi noticed Mystic's presence mid-training and turned around with a vexed expression. His expression turned to one that exuded even more annoyance after looking at the smile on Mystic's face.

"The common point in those related to master is that matters will get more annoying the brighter the smile they have...."

"Orochiiiiiiiii!"

Mystic threw away her straw hat. The world's operation momentarily stopped, but believing that Yu IlHan would take care of that for a moment, she focused all of her magic power on her legs and kicked off the ground.

"You idiot, the children can't endure the mana waves well yet...!!!!?"

Then she knocked Orochi over to the ground without stopping, and smashed her lips against his. It was the method Carina taught her! She drained Orochi's soul out with a violent kiss that lacked any technique or time for breathing, and shouted while looking down at him after a loooong kiss.

"I love you!"

"Th, this idiotic woman. What the heck are you saying so suddenl...hhp!?"

"Kyaaak!"

"He's smooching! Great master is smooching!"

An uproar broke out. Not to mention the children who were training, even the children in their homes rushed out and watched that spectacle. Orochi tried to resist, but Mystic had completely restrained him with her magic power so that was impossible as well.

"Let's get married!"

"Keep the order of things properly! There's a limit to being so sudden....!"

"Let's get married!"

"Kyaaaak!"

"*whistle*! So cool!"

Orochi desperately used his magic power in an attempt to escape from Mystic. However, Mystic had already set her eyes on a target and didn't seem like she would back off that easily.

"Don't run away anymore and answer me, you damned snake-head!"

"Just what did this woman eat wrong... haah, sheesh."

Looking at her serious expression, Orochi scratched his head. Although he knew about this before, she was completely unable to read the mood. At this point, it was refreshing instead.

"Orochi, please?"

"...Fuu."

Despite that, he didn't hate her. Love was quite the strange emotion. Perhaps even God would not be able to explain it properly. Oh yeah, God was Yu IlHan wasn't it, shit. Orochi put his thoughts into his speech.

"I don't want to."

"What!?"

Mystic despaired as if she was the leader who had accidentally ruined an entire country. Orochi added.

"I still don't get what love is. So... why don't we start off by dating."

"...you idiot! IDIOT!"

Mystic sobbed and assaulted Orochi again. Orochi, barely able to receive her properly, felt the gazes around them and heaved a deep sigh.

In time to come, they would come to accept each other's feelings.

It was at that moment that the Snake x Mansion couple was born.