[The Zodiac Saints of the Serpent Bearer temple have destroyed the Pisces’ holy ground (Alps).]

Pisces was being stepped on by Lee Gun, shocked.

‘What the hell...!’

Power was draining out from her body, and she was barely able to make a fist. She found it difficult to imbue her fist with power.

Pisces gnashed her teeth. She realized what was happening to her.

‘Damn it! My holy ground is...!!’

Yes. Among the multiple ways to rob the Zodiacs of their power was one to blow up their base.

The Serpent Bearer disciples not present in this place must have done something. That wasn’t all.

“Gun! Are you ok?!”

“Lee Gun!”

Pisces glared as people approached the bloodied Lee Gun. It seemed the mere sight of a bloodied Lee Gun made Hugo angry. He glared at Pisces.

However, the truly pissed-off one was Pisces.

‘As expected, they messed with Giselle in the Alps.’

The ability of Time was the ability of a monarch. Since it couldn’t be used with the magical energy of the Zodiacs, Pisces had kidnapped Giselle and used her magical energy.

‘I can no longer use the power of Time.’

So Pisces urgently looked for the Time monarch. It didn’t have to be for long. She wanted to ask the monarch to stop Lee Gun’s time since Time seemed to show great interest in Lee Gun.

‘That bastard...!!’

However, Time was already gone. His business seemed to be done here, so he had left.

Pisces ground her teeth.

“Didn’t you say earlier that you knew about my little brother?”

“!”

Pisces became surprised when she lifted her gaze.

“I’ve never mentioned his name, yet you knew my little brother’s name.”

Junwoo and Yeonwoo were his only family, and they had lived together before Lee Gun became an awakened being.

While keeping his foot on her, Lee Gun raised Pisces’s arm. “At the time, there was a lack of manpower, so he had died before he could be taken to the emergency room. We immediately had his funeral. The only ones who know the exact state of his corpse are the family of the deceased and...”

Bbah-gahk!

“Koo-oohk!!!”

“...the culprit.”

When both of Pisces’ arms were broken, she gnashed her teeth.

‘I cannot draw my spells if my arms are broken.’

Lee Gun preemptively blocked the Pisces’ power, then asked, “You guys didn’t want the truth of your deeds revealed, so you killed the previous Serpent Bearers in Junwoo and Yeonwoo, right?”

Pisces screamed again.

Boohoo-gahk!

This time, her legs were broken. It was the same location where Junwoo had suffered damage.

Of course, Junwoo didn’t have his limbs broken. His limbs had been severed, and one of his eyes had been dug out. One would be better off being dead than suffering such a pain.

However, Junwoo had never said it hurt. In fact, the young child had said he was relieved that Lee Gun and Yeonwoo were safe.

That was why Lee Gun’s red eyes turned more violent. “You tortured a child who couldn’t use his power. Did you have that much fun? You kept smiling when you mentioned his name to me.”

Another scream left Pisces’s mouth. Lee Gun had plucked out her eye, and red blood flew into the air.

After having her eye stolen, Pisces glared at Lee Gun as if she wanted it back. It was to be expected since that eye was...!

Lee Gun let out a murderous intent after extracting the eye. “You put an organ of a monster in the body of a Zodiac. How can you say you guys are gods who are here for humanity?”

“Lee Gun!!”

The reporters who had been called to the palace froze when they saw this. “L-Lee Gun-nim! That is...!”

Lee Gun nonchalantly tossed the eye that he had ripped out of Liv.

Seeing the item, the reporters fell back as they screamed.

Lee Gun clicked his tongue. “Don’t freak out. It’s an artificial eye.”

“What?!!”

“I’ll have to take it and confirm it. However, it looks like a contract. It is obvious that a contract was made with a monarch.”

“!”

In truth, Lee Gun had activated the 13th Sense as soon as he entered the palace. When he had seen Pisces, he found it odd that he saw the light of the enemy circulate around her eye.

Moreover, he had confirmed that a strange contract had been engraved into the eye. Of course, he had no idea which monarch had made a contract with her.

‘Anyway, the only ones left from those who invaded us are Time and Confusion.’

It was one or the other.

“You made a contract with the unknown civilization, yet you pretended to be saving humanity by creating the Temple system.”

The reporters froze.

“That means...!”

“Gods become stronger if they are worshiped.”

“!”

“It’s the basis of the system that they are talking about. Moreover, fear is the easiest way to gather disciples to worship them.”

“!”

Lee Gun contemptuously stepped on Pisces. “After I disappeared from the world, the Zodiacs were very half-hearted in getting rid of the monsters. Was it really because they were lacking in abilities? Or was it because they would be put in a bind if the monsters were gone?”

“...!”

“Speak if you’re innocent. Why did you kill me inside the Devil’s Tower?”

“...!”

“A part of the reason may have been the possibility of your secrets being revealed, but if we’re being honest, you guys would have been in a bind if I had gotten rid of the unknown civilization. Right?”

Pisces gnashed her teeth as she looked at Lee Gun. In truth, Lee Gun was right.

Gods lost power if they didn’t have worshippers. If they weren’t on everyone’s lips, they would be forgotten. In the end, they would weaken. This was why they had determined the best way to gather human disciples was to use monsters (fear). Humans looked for gods in their darkest times.

Moreover, the Zodiacs hadn’t minded Lee Gun acting as the hero of humanity. The Zodiacs were known to have given divine power to the awakened beings. Their status would rise alongside Lee Gun’s accomplishments.

However, Lee Gun had been too outstanding, causing a problem.

‘He was different from the twelve Zodiac Saints.’

It seemed like if he were left alone, he would get rid of the unknown civilization. Moreover, he was so outstanding that people’s faith might be directed toward him, and that would put the Zodiacs in an awkward position.

‘I would have become deified.’

Lee Gun laughed as if he had wised up to them. “Anyway, I have witnesses to reveal the truth. It’s the real Pisces Saint Liv and the other Pisces, who is this one’s sister.”

The reporters gulped.

“W-Where are they now...”

“Ah! They are inside my blast furnace.”

“What?”

“What?!!!”

The reporters thought they had heard wrong, but Lee Gun merely picked at his ear. “They are floating around in the blast furnace at my home. Both of them are being extracted so that I can make holy items using them.”

The reporters froze. Did they just hear right?

“I-I really think he is the villain...”

“That’s right! Look at his actions and expressions... How can he be the hero... He’s like the boss villain..”

Lee Gun realized his mistake. He grabbed his face once again and enthusiastically (?) started to sob. “I did it for humanity... For humanity...!”

When Lee Gun sobbed (?) as his shoulders shook, sparks flew from Hugo’s eyes. “Hey! You guys want to die? Gun said it isn’t like that!!!”

“That’s right! Our Zodiac-nim said he isn’t a villain! How dare you!”

This time, Stevens became angry.

Hugo glared at Pisces as he throttled a reporter. Normally, he would be the one holding others back since reporters were gathered here. However, things were different right now.

‘Even if we have to use an underhanded method, we have to take down Pisces once and for all.’

The power of all the Zodiacs had to be turned into Lee Gun’s power. It was to be expected since Hugo was worried about the future he had seen.

It was the future where the Sagittarius temple had gone extinct, and his children had died. Moreover, Lee Gun was mourning as he hugged some woman.

‘It must be the work of the monarchs.’

They were the main instigators of the invasion by the unknown civilization. Both Time and Confusion were referred to as the two leaders.

Hugo was uneasy.

‘The future changed not too long ago.’

He felt as if he had been hit on the back of his head. With his many experiences, Hugo immediately realized what that meant.

‘It’s a signal that says the future has changed.’

However, he believed that the future would settle the same way. It was likelier that the events had been pulled forward. As if to pour fuel on his ominous thoughts, Pisces laughed.

‘Witnesses? Idiot.’

Liv might be understandable, but the other being was her sister. She, the older sister, had locked up her younger sister within the Double Fish Palace, the main holy ground of the Pisces temple.

After escaping Lee Gun’s holy ground, her younger sister had done something contemptible when she had tried to stop her.

‘There is no way she’ll be a witness....’

Although they were somehow able to destroy the Alps, the Pisces’s holy ground in Venice wouldn’t fall easily.

‘There is no way he’ll be able to bring....’

Flash!

[Unni!]

[...!!!]

Pisces froze when she heard the unexpected voice. The one to appear in front of them was the other Pisces twin.

The older Pisces twin possessed the Divine status of Isis, the goddess of magic. Unlike her, the younger sister possessed the Divine status of Nefertiti.

When her young sister appeared, Pisces trembled.

‘It’s his doing...!’

Her gaze headed toward Hugo. Hugo held the Bow made out of Fish. As the owner of the bow, he had used the Imprint skill to call forth the younger Pisces twin.

It was understandable since her younger sister was already Hugo’s bow. Her personality hadn’t been completely scrubbed since they planned on using her as a witness.

Since the Imprint skill could summon the weapon, Hugo could also bring the younger twin here.

In the end, the summoned younger sister saw her bloodied older sister and realized what was going on. She spoke.

[Please let’s stop doing this!]

“!!”

The younger sister yelled out in despair.

[I’ll bring Zodiac Saint Liv-nim and reveal everything. That’s why we should stop doing this!]

The older sister ground her teeth.

‘That crazy bitch! What is she saying right now?’

She wondered how her younger sister was able to exit the Riverine temple. However, she soon realized the reason.

[The Pisces temple’s main palace, Riverine temple, has been destroyed.]

[It was destroyed by the enraged Serpent Bearer disciples and the Scorpio Saint.]

Lee Gun laughed in a satisfied manner, while Pisces trembled.

‘My idiot sister will reveal everything to the humans.’

Her younger sister had been so annoying that she had put her Zodiac Saint’s soul inside Abundance as a way to threaten her.

‘Shit! The Divine world won’t go easy on me if they find out the truth...!’

If the news of her having killed the original owners, the heroes of the Divine world, were revealed...!

‘It won’t end well for me.’

The enraged Pisces shouted in anger. “Do you think the monarchs will stand by and do nothing?”

“!”

“They are beasts! Do you not realize that our presence kept them in check— Koohk!”

Lee Gun grabbed her by the hair and pulled back. Unable to move, Pisces trembled.

“Do not look down on Time and Confusion. They are the leaders who had attacked the earth. Only those two may be left now, but there is no way you guys can kill them. They’ll slaughter all the humans.”

“How dare you!”

“Did you really think we were passive in getting rid of the monsters merely for our plan? In the past, they may have been our equal, but they are on a different level now. Someone like you can’t do anything in front of— Kuhk!”

Lee Gun grabbed Pisces by the face and let out a harsh laugh. “That’s not the words of someone who’s going to die soon.”

“...!!!”

At that moment...

Kwahng!

[Divine Status: 100% Release]

Chaotic magical energy surged up from Lee Gun’s body. The power of the God of calamity made the Pisces tremble. It was because she had seen someone in Lee Gun’s face.

‘That person is...’

Pisces soon screamed. The third stage of Death fell on her. After Death swept her up, the sound of her core breaking rang out. It was the death of the last Zodiac.

‘Shit!’

It was as if Pisces had seen the thirteenth original owner in Lee Gun’s smile.

* * *

Around that time, at the Alps mountain range...

Goat was shaking after he returned from his visit to Venice.

“I can’t believe they are so ruthless. They got rid of her as soon as she wasn’t useful”

The person in question was the Gemini Saint Heiji. She had been the teacher of Chun Sungjae and the leader of the magic temple for a reason. She had dispelled the barrier around the Alps mountain range instantly.

In fact, she had also dispelled the barrier around Double Fish palace, which was located at the main holy ground of the Pisces temple!

However, Hailey, Chun Yooha, and Carly had attacked Heiji as soon as the barriers were dispelled. Their teamwork was astounding.

This was how Heiji was instantly buried in the depth of the Alps. Moreover, the burial process wasn’t that difficult.

They used their Saint-rank powers to dig out a manhole. Chun Sungjae used his Creation skill to create a coffin and dirt.

‘They are terrifying.’

In the end, Heiji was buried, and then they came to the Alps to find Giselle and Hah Jimin.

Chun Sungjae scolded Goat, who continued to shake. “Stop shaking, Goat. You’re the Archer Saint. How long are you going to be like that?”

“B-But....”

“That Zodiac Saint deserves it. How dare she aim for Uncle??”

He had been her disciple at one point, so he knew Heiji’s true nature. This was why Chun Sungjae was angry.

“I’m the one who’ll seduce Uncle!”

Goat clutched at his face as if that wasn’t the problem.

‘Lee Gun-nim... He’ll never get to marry in his lifetime.’

Well, it didn’t matter.

“Jimin!!”

“!”

Goat became surprised by Chun Sungjae’s urgent voice. Chun Sungjae discovered his friend fallen underneath a tree and quickly flew toward Jimin.

“Jimin! What’s wrong? You are hurt! What happened?”

The bloodied Hahn Jimin looked like he wanted to throw up. “I...I’m fine, but....”

It seemed Hahn Jimin was watching over the fallen Giselle since he knew his friend would come.

“Over there! A monster suddenly appeared and...”

“!”

Everyone froze as they looked in the direction Jimin had pointed at.

Giselle had turned into a lump of flesh. Her body and soul both had been cruelly ripped apart. She had suffered a true death. Then there were the words written on the floor using her blood.

“T-This is...!”

[I’ll give this to you as a present, Lee Gun]

It was a cruel writing style.

[It’s the payment for helping raise my child. You’re next.]

The one who had done this was the father of Chaos, who had born Red Eye. It was the appearance of Confusion.