Side Story Chapter 186 - The World Without Law (6)

Only Amon could open a Gate that led to the Nine Hells; he had opened it using the seven Hell Armaments to send Oh Kang-Woo back to Earth.

“Y-You want me... to open a Gate?”

“Yeah. As large as possible.”

“But I cannot open the Gate without the Hell Armaments...” slurred Amon as he looked away.

“Here.”

Kang-Woo took out five Hell Armaments laying dormant in the Demonic Sea. There were two missing but since Kang-Woo possessed far more demonic energy than before, Amon likely could perform the technique with just five.

Bash!

“There’s no time, so move your ass,” Kang-Woo commanded as he smacked the back of Amon’s head again.

“...”

Amon looked down at the five Hell Armaments, strengthened by the Demonic Sea, in silence. They contained far more demonic energy than the seven possessed in the past.

‘I can perform the technique with this.’

No, Amon could open a Gate far larger than in the past.

‘But...’

Amon smiled faintly as he stared at the Demon King. “Hmm, is there a reason why I must follow your orders?”

“Hah?”

Amon flinched as Kang-Woo frowned menacingly but he quickly looked around to grasp the situation.

“It seems you would be greatly troubled if I don’t open the Gate for you... I find your attitude of asking for a favor rather forceful.”

“Bwehehe!! Look at you, damn schemer.” Kang-Woo shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“Can you blame me? I would rather not be killed after the fact.”

“Well, it looks like you put a lot of thought into this, but you messed with the wrong person.” Kang-Woo grabbed Amon and asked, “You have a complex about that hunchback of yours don’t you?”

Amon always wore robes to hide his hunchback.

“Why are you mentioning my back all of a sudden...?”

“I’ll fix that complex for you!”

“What...?”

Amon narrowed his eyes and tilted his head at Kang-Woo’s absurd claims. Kang-Woo grabbed Amon’s arms to pull them back and placed one foot on his back.

“W-Wait—!” shouted Amon hurriedly, realizing what Kang-Woo was about to do.

However, Kang-Woo ignored him.

“SLOUCHING ISN’T GOOD FOR YOU!!!”

“S-STOP!!! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!”

“OH KANG-WOO, THE SPINE FAIRY, WILL STRAIGHTEN YOUR BACK!!!”

CRACK—!!!

Hideous screams rang in Kang-Woo’s ears. He pulled on Amon’s arms and pushed his leg forward, turning Amon’s back from ⊃ to ⊂.

“OHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!! YOUR BACK WAS BENT THE OTHER WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!”

“KURGH!! ARGHH!!!”

“THE SPINE FAIRY DOES NOT TOLERATE BENT BACKS!!!”

The Spine Fairy bent Amon’s spine back to its original shape.

Crush.

“Huh?”

The sound of something breaking echoed. Kang-Woo stopped pulling on Amon’s arm and examined him.

“Oh, fuck.”

A broken spine was protruding from the skin of Amon’s back.

“Grrrk, grrrrk.” Amon convulsed as he foamed at the mouth.

“H-Hey!! Get it together, man!!!”

‘Breathe! Don’t die!!!’

Kang-Woo quickly used the Authority of Regeneration on Amon. His spine healed as if rewinding time.

“Phew,” the Spine Fairy sighed in relief and grabbed Amon’s shoulders. “Alright, let me ask you sincerely, okay? Please open the Gate just once.”

Kang-Woo smiled brightly as he draped his arm around Amon’s shoulders. Amon nodded like a bobblehead.

“U-Urghh.” Amon tremblingly extended his arm toward the five Hell Armaments on the ground. “ZAZAS ZAZAS NASATANADA ZAZAS.”

Crack, crack—!!

An unsettling black Rift split open in midair.

“Haaa, haaa, no...”

Akart, breathing heavily, quickly stepped forward as he clenched his scale spear. The red demon covered in muscles stood in his way.

“You shall not pass until the spell is complete.”

Rumble—!!

Balrog slid his foot to create a line on the ground.

“Do you truly believe... you can stop me?” asked Akart as he glared at Balrog.

Balrog laughed heartily and answered, “Indeed, it will be difficult to stop you.”

His opponent was Akart, a Titan born from the Primordial. No matter how tough Balrog was, he was no match for a Titan.

“Normally, that is,” Balrog added.

“...”

Akart was exhausted— he was staggering intensely as if he would fall over at any moment.

“Well, then.” Akart bit his lip and raised his spear. “TRY IT IF YOU CAN!!”

Boom!

Akart stomped his foot and charged at Balrog.

“Overlord Armor.”

Ker-thunk, ker-thunk!

Black armor enveloped Balrog.

Boom—!!!

A massive dust cloud formed as Balrog and Akart clashed.

“Hey, there’s no time. Hurry the hell up.”

Kang-Woo poked the chanting Amon’s flank as he watched the battle. Amon trembled as he increased his chanting speed.

Crack, crack.

The spiderweb-like black Rift grew larger. The shattering sound of glass echoed and thick demonic energy flowed from it.

“Haaah,” Kang-Woo exhaled heatedly as he felt the familiar energy he had not sensed in a long time.

“GRAWR—!!!”

Something jumped out of the black Rift that was rapidly growing larger. It was three meters tall, had glossy black fur, and a mouth fuming with flames. It was the First Hell’s apex predator.

“A Hellhound, huh?”

Kang-Woo chuckled. He had a rather deep history with the demonic beast, although he no longer felt the intimidation he had felt when he first encountered it.

Wriggle.

“Grrr?”

The black mucus covering the paradise squirmed toward the Hellhound.

Crunch! Crunch!!

“

Whine—!!

”

The surging black mucus swallowed the Hellhound whole like a starved beast. A drop of demonic energy fell into the nearly empty Demonic Sea. It was nowhere near enough to fill the Demonic Sea, but—

“Hmm? Where am I...?”

“Kurgh!! Dammit!! What the hell is this place?!”

Demons and demonic beasts poured out of the widening Rift. Paradise and the Nine Hells were intermixing through the Gate.

Wriggle—!!

“Huh...?”

“Wh-What the hell is this?!!”

The demons pouring out of the Rift were enveloped by black mucus. They struggled flusteredly but couldn’t escape the sharp teeth holding them at bay.

Crunch!! Crunch!! Crunch—!!

“Haaah. Yeah, this is it.”

The Demonic Sea voraciously devoured their flesh. The nearly dry sea was moistened with demonic energy one drop at a time, slowly filling it.

“N-No...!” shouted Akart in pallor.

He could only watch as the Demon King slowly regained his power by devouring the demons pouring out of the Rift.

“S-Stop...”

At this rate, the souls waiting for salvation will...

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!”

Akart swung his golden scale spear.

“Kurgh!!!”

Crack!!

Balrog reflexively crossed his hands to block the blow but his arms exploded along with the armor around them. Black blood spurted like a fountain.

“GAHAHAHAHAHA!! I LOVE IT!!!”

Balrog laughed heartily as he felt the intense pain radiating from his arms. The Overlord Armor grew stronger the more he bled.

Tssssssssssss—!!!

White steam fumed from the gaps in the armor.

“MOVE—!!!”

“I TOLD YOU!!” Balrog stomped his foot and lowered his stance. “YOU SHALL NOT PASS—!!!”

If he lost his arms, he simply had to block with his body. He protruded his bleeding shoulder and charged like a bull.

“UNTIL THE SPELL IS COMPLETE—!!!”

“Kurgh... Dammit!!!”

Wham!!

Balrog charged toward Akart who was charging toward Kang-Woo. The Overlord Armor that had grown stronger by absorbing Balrog’s blood fumed intensely.

“[Overlord’s Titanic Might],” Balrog muttered.

His muscles swelled immensely. He rammed into Akart’s side like a cannonball.

BASH—!!

“Kurghhh!!”

Balrog had put his entire weight behind that charge but he was the one to be blown away with his shoulder destroyed. It was like throwing a pebble at a steel door— Balrog’s shoulder attack instilled with his full power was not enough to defeat Akart.

“Kurgh...” Akart grunted.

To be exact, it was enough to push Akart back by a few steps.

“Gehehehehe!!!” Balrog cackled on the ground, coughing up blood. “I see. So, this is the power of a Titan.”

He could only describe it as overwhelming. It only made Kang-Woo, who had fought on par with Akart, even more impressive.

“But...”

Crack, CRACK—!!!”

The Rift connecting the Nine Hells and Paradise grew large enough to cover nearly the entire Paradise. The black Rift covered the skies of Luceo Pure. Countless demons and demonic beasts fell like rain. It could no longer be stopped— Paradise and the Nine Hells had fully mixed and become one world.

Balrog smiled and continued, “It seems I have fulfilled my objective.”

His battle against Akart was only to buy time until the spell to connect Paradise and the Nine Hells was complete. He didn’t have to destroy the steel door; slightly denting it was more than enough.

“N-No...”

Akart desperately extended his arm but there was nothing more he could do. Not even a Titan could close a Rift this big. Luceo Pure, the beautiful world he had created with love, had ended at this moment.

“Right, then.” The king of demons slowly stood up amidst the rain of demons. “It’s time for the final phase.”