Chapter 479: Star, the Emergency Meeting (4)

J?rmungandr and the Nine Heavens couldn’t help but be surprised. They didn’t expect Chang-Sun to blow up someone’s head as soon as he woke up, especially not in ‘Nastrond,’ which they had currently designated as a neutral zone due to the ongoing meeting.

What surprised them even more was how easily Satan lost his head. Considering his notoriety before changed its stance to neutrality, such a feat was supposed to be impossible.

Chang-Sun, who had just done exactly that, remained seated with an expressionless face.

After a few moments, a loud, angry voice echoed in the air.『You littler fucker...!』

The blood and flesh on the floor merged and formed a head again. As his face crumpled, Satan growled, “I’ll kill you!”

Rummmble!

A lightning bolt struck down from the sky, the accompanying thunder muffling Satan’s voice. Due to his traumatic experience earlier, Satan hurriedly spread his black wings open and retreated as far back as he could, narrowly dodging the attack.

Booom! Boom, boom!

However, more lightning bolts, this time accompanied by scorching gales, rained down in an attempt to subdue him.

Woosh, woosh, woosh―!

Eventually, Satan was forced to leap several times and take to the skies. A far cry from his normally well-groomed and composed appearance, he now looked more like a beggar, covered in dust and wearing mostly burned clothes.

“Do you really want to do this?! Fine, I’ll grant you your death wish and rip you to shreds right here!” Satan exclaimed through gritted teeth.

A pool of black light spread out from Satan as he transformed into a multiple-headed red Dragon that was missing two heads. One of them he had lost while hunting for Uriel, and the other Chang-Sun had just destroyed with his Rád?us attack. Although Satan could normally restore his missing heads, Chang-Sun’s lightning attacks had clawed him far too deeply for him to recover it.

Roaaaaaar!

Satan’s five remaining heads roared simultaneously. Although he was no longer the same as before, he was still strong enough to unleash a powerful wave of Divine Class.

[Warning! You are currently in a neutral zone. Engaging in nonconsensual or unpermitted battles can result in a penalty!]

[Warning!]

[Warning!]

Red warning messages popped up in the air due to Satan’s murderous energy, but he couldn’t seem to care less.

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for you to react like that,” Chang-Sun calmly said.

Satan stopped in his tracks, his five sets of eyes staring straight at Chang-Sun.『What?』

[A ‘Rád?us Duskfall’ bolt has been fired!]

An incomparably larger lightning bolt—no, a lightning pillar the size of a waterfall struck the ground. Chang-Sun had just made his own version of Perkwunos’ blazefall[1] and summoned it at full power.

[Warning!]

[Warning!]

[Final warning! The unpermitted battle is damaging the Central Divine Ground ‘Nastrond.’ The parties involved are strongly advised to stop—]

Hit by the lightning pillar as well, the ’s warning messages that were popping up before Chang-Sun disintegrated as well—a testament to the power his attack contained.

Rummmble!

Woosh, woosh, woosh―!

“Run!”

“... Since when has ‘Divine Twilight’ been this strong?!”

The Nine Heavens quickly further distanced themselves from the battlefield. Realizing how destructive the Rád?us Duskfall could be, Loki opened up the control panel window and adjusted the divine ground’s laws of nature.

Shaking his head, Loki yelled, “Seriously! What’s all the sudden commotion! That boy’s so wild!”

Woooosh―!

Loki soon applied new settings to the divine ground. Using the spatial coordinates of Chang-Sun and Satan’s location, the entire area they were in was severed and moved as far as possible from the other parts of ‘Nastrond.’

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

『Twilight!!!』

『I’ll kill you!!!!』

『I’m going to kill you!!!』

『You!!!』

『I won’t stop until you’re dead!!!!』

Satan, now left alone in the lightning storm, could barely hold on. His five heads fired [Dragon Breaths] toward the lightning pillar as he surrounded himself with dozens of layers of barriers. However, his defenses were soon destroyed.

On impact, the outstanding damage of Chang-Sun’s Rád?us Duskfall made Satan tremble. His bloodshot glare at Chang-Sun filled with fury.

“You’ve done well to last this long. Let’s see how much longer you can keep this up.”

『N-no...!』

Flick!

With a flick of his finger, the lightning grew even bigger.

[‘Rád?us Duskfall’ bolts are raining down!]

Boom! Boom! Booooom!

Booooooom!

Like a hammer, the Rád?us Duskfall bolts destroyed Satan’s barriers with each strike. The impact sent him staggering.

『

Arggh

!

Argghhhh

!』

Booooom!

『It hurts! It hurts!!!』

“Maybe it’s because you’re one of the Seven Deadly Sin Monarchs, but you’re quite resilient.”

『Fuckkk!!!』

At that moment, Satan finally realized that Chang-Sun was just toying with him.

Despite having more than enough power to get rid of him any time he wanted, Chang-Sun bullied him to his heart’s content first. Only when Satan was terrified and using up every last bit of his power to swim in a pool of anguish would Chang-Sun finally take him out—just like how Satan treated his prey.

Smaaaash!

[The third head of the Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ has been destroyed!]

As Satan exhausted his divine power, he became more and more helpless against the Rád?us Duskfall bolts. As a result, he lost yet another head.

『Surrender! I surrender! Please...!』

For the first time in his life, Satan sounded anxious. Witnessing a sight unprecedented even in all the history of Worldline #801, the Nine Heavens’ expressions subtly changed.

Chang-Sun scoffed. “I do not need your surrender.”

Boooom―!

Smaaaash!

[The fourth head of the Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ has been destroyed!]

『Why?! Why are you trying to kill me?! I-I’m on your side! I agreed to Tiamat becoming a Celestial King—!』

Chang-Sun nodded. “I know.”

『Th-then why?』

“A subordinate of mine wants your life,” Chang-Sun replied.

Booom!

[The fifth head of the Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ has been destroyed!]

「... Master.」

Chang-Sun’s answer made Simon Magus’s voice tremble.

Satan was Simon’s enemy. He manipulated Immortal Overlord Jacque Valentine, Simon’s student, and took his soul. Hence, Simon couldn’t help but get choked up upon realizing Chang-Sun was trying to get revenge on his behalf.

『I’ll give him back! I’ll give him back, so please...!』 Satan begged.

Smaaaash!

[The sixth head of the Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ has been destroyed!]

『Please stop!!!!』 Satan screamed.

Satan’s heads represented the number of lives he had left. Losing one meant taking a step closer to death. At the rate this battle was going, he would eventually die and plummet, joining samsara just like mortals. The despair he felt upon realizing that he could lose his identity and powerful abilities caused his mind to blank out.

“That was probably what Jacque Valentine wanted, but what did you do with him instead?” Chang-Sun reminded Satan.

『I... I—!』

“

Ah

, I guess he was a bit different. Unlike you, a pathetic coward, he was always composed and confident.”

『Th-that’s...!』

Sneering at Satan, he added, “You’re even worse than the mortals you look down on. As a transcendent being, an immortal, and a Nine Heaven, I expected you to act with more dignity,”

Satan slammed the only head he had left on the ground, prostrating to show his absolute submission. 『Y-yes! You’re right! I’m a coward—a wuss! So please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you ask, so please!!』

He was a mess. Just like his six missing heads, every part of him had been broken. His wings were rugged, and his four feet had either been twisted or wounded so severely and deeply that his bones were showing.

Tap!

[The rain of ‘Rád?us Duskfall’ bolts has stopped!]

The storm of lightning, which had looked as if it would last forever, vanished without a trace. Satan quickly looked up only to find Chang-Sun right in front of him, looking down with a cold smile.

“You’ll do anything I ask?” Chang-Sun asked.

『Yes! I will!』

Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. “Let’s start by changing your tone, shall we?”

Satan slammed his head on the ground again. 『My apologies! Please ask me anything! Should you wish, I would even hand over my position in and all my Divine Ranks—!』

“I don’t need them. Give me the soul first.”

『Pardon...?』

Chang-Sun frowned.

『

Ah

! Yes, sir!』 Finally realizing what Chang-Sun was asking for, Satan handed him a marble from his inventory.

Chang-Sun extended his hands. “Simon.”

Woosh, woosh, woosh!

Chang-Sun’s iron mask rose into the air, absorbed all of Satan’s blood on the ground, and transformed into a wizard. Perhaps because he used a Malevolent Dragon’s blood to build his current vessel, Simon’s Class seemed to be a lot higher than before.

With trembling hands, Simon accepted the marble.「Jacque...!」

Sensing how much Satan had tormented and harassed Jacque’s soul, Jacque’s exhausted yet gentle laughter only sounded even more sorrowful to Simon.

―I'm... ok...ay...

Jacque’s attempt to console Simon, his teacher, only further broke his heart.

「We can talk more later. Just... rest for now,」 Simon said slowly, trying to keep his voice from trembling.

Simon held the marble in his arms and absorbed it.

After watching Simon and Jacque’s reunion, Satan’s eyes wandered.『I-I did what you asked... What should I do next?』

Instead of answering, Chang-Sun turned in the opposite direction. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Simon.”

「... Thank you... for keeping your promise.」

Simon raised his arms, incanting magic spells.

Ooooong!

Several runes appeared in the air and slowly landed around Satan.

『Y-you said you’ll spare me if I do everything you—』

“I made no such promise.”

『... What?』

Chang-Sun scoffed. “I made no such promise. You just jumped to your own conclusion.”

『You—!』

“Weren’t deception and temptation your specialty? I can’t believe you fell for this.”

『N-nooo!!!』

Satan desperately tried to stand up. His condition was already far beyond recoverable, but he still had to get out of here somehow.

Oooooong!

However, before he could even attempt to flee, the runes around him spun and unleashed dozens of chains, binding him down.

Clink, clink!

The harder Satan tried to break free, the tighter the chains’ grip on him. He was a Nine Heaven, but he had lost most of his lives and was critically injured. In contrast, Simon had just used Satan’s blood to create a body, making him a lot stronger. With Chang-Sun almost reaching the highest level a wizard could possibly reach, Simon had also recently accumulated a lot of gnoses.

Right now, Satan had no means to resist his magic.

“I sincerely don’t intend to kill you. You’ll live...” Chang-Sun’s cold smile deepened. “...as Simon Magus.”

Realizing that Chang-Sun was talking about Celestial Cannibalism, Satan became even more terrified. That act would leave not even a single trace of him.

Anguish and fear far worse than plummeting surged within him.

Paaah!

『

Arggghhhhh

! What is everyone doing?! We’re in a neutral zone! Get this bastard off me!!!』

A magic circle appeared below Satan. With the sound of pulleys turning, the chains around him tightened, pulling him toward the magic circle.

“I suggest none of you come close.” Chang-Sun looked at the other Nine Heavens with his [Gnostic Eye] wide open. “Anyone who does will be treated the same way as him.”

Chang-Sun’s blatant threat made the Nine Heavens’ faces crumple.

Craaaaack―!

Boooooom!

Like a tin can, Satan, in his enormous Dragon form, was slowly crushed. When he finally lost the only head that he had left, he was helplessly dragged into the magic circle.

[Your Subordinate ‘Simon Magus’ is absorbing the accomplishments of the Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’!]

[Transcending.]

Paaah!

Simon rose to a new level.

1. Previously firefall ☜