After Ten Millennia in Hell

"Kurgh!"

Kim Si-Hun went flying, rolled across the ground, and smashed into a wall.

"P-Protector Kim Si-Hun!!" Gaia urgently shouted. Although she couldn't see, she could more or less tell from the sound what was happening.

"Wh-Wha…"

People trembled in shock when Si-Hun had suddenly gone flying from Kang-Woo's attack.

"Hyung-nim…?"

Even the people watching were shocked, so it was not hard to imagine how shocked the one who had been blown away was.

Si-Hun was looking at Kang-Woo with trembling eyes and a pale expression. His cheek was numb from the pain. No, it wasn't just numb. His cheekbone would've been crushed if he had not reflexively twisted his body.

"Wh-Why are you doing this, hyung-nim?!" Si-Hun exclaimed.

"…"

Kang-Woo didn't answer. He looked down at Si-Hun with a face that did not have even a single hint of emotion.

"You have finally shown your true colors!" Shalgiel said in a confident voice, as if proud that his prediction had been correct. He gripped his sword even tighter. His six wings flapped, and he flew toward Kang-Woo.

"Stop, you son of a bitch!!"

Yeon-Joo quickly spread her chains, but it was nowhere near enough to stop the second-in-command of Raphael's army. She was the one to be pulled by the chains instead.

"Kuh!!"

"Please… Please wait!!"

"Even you…!"

Si-Hun blocked Shalgiel's path.

Yeon-Joo could not stop Shalgiel on her own, but it was a different story when Si-Hun helped out.

Shalgiel grimaced.

"Have still not come to your senses after being attacked by that demon?!"

"…"

Si-Hun kept his mouth shut. He couldn't think of anything to say to refute Shalgiel or to justify his actions.

'No.'

Si-Hun's eyes widened. He recalled the name of the sword he was holding. To be more precise, he thought of his friend whose name was the same as the sword.

"H-Hyung-nim must be being controlled!"

"What?"

Shalgiel frowned.

"I am sure that he is being controlled by a demon, just like Ludwig!!"

"…"

There was a heavy silence.

Shalgiel snorted.

"Do you seriously believe anyone would be capable of controlling the Demon of Prophecy?"

"Like I said before, hyung-nim is not the Demon of—"

"So what?!" Shalgiel shouted. He trembled while clenching his fists. "What did you do with Ludwig?! What did you do with the saint that had been corrupted by Satan?!"

"…"

"Did you not kill Ludwig with your own hands?!!"

Si-Hun's expression paled.

It was true.

Kang-Woo couldn't be saved just by the fact that he was being controlled. The situation could not be reversed. If he was being controlled… if he had been corrupted just like Ludwig, he ultimately needed to be killed.

"… Hyung-nim."

"…"

Kang-Woo once again didn't answer.

The situation could not be changed just from the fact that he was being controlled. Si-Hun needed to find another reason—another solution.

"Please say something, hyung-nim!! Whatever happens, I'm on your side!"

"…"

Kang-Woo slowly raised his arm.

Schwing.

A black blade shot out from the back of his hand. It was a weapon that he often used.

Despair dyed Si-Hun's face.

"Hyung…"

Clang!!

Kang-Woo rushed forward, going for Si-Hun's neck without hesitation.

Si-Hun raised his holy sword.

They exchanged countless blows in the span of a second.

Si-Hun parried the black blade going for his neck and pulled back his arm to block the attack aiming for his left shoulder. He lowered himself and took one step back. Then, he swung his sword wide to gain some distance.

However, that distance had only lasted a moment; Kang-Woo rose into the sky. No, to be more precise, he ran while 'stepping on the air.'

Si-Hun lightly jumped. He used Sword Control to raise the weapons on the ground. He stepped on the weapons to rise into the air, turning it into an aerial battle.

CLAAAANG!!!

Boisterous sounds of steel rang out, and sparks poured in all directions like fireworks.

One was one-sidedly attacking, while the other was one-sidedly defending.

"Kuh!"

The result of such an unfair battle was obvious. One would not be able to win just by defending.

Si-Hun was pushed back.

Sharp attacks aimed for his vital points. He was able to dodge them by a hair's breadth, but he was still cut by the pressure, and blood spurted in all directions.

"Stop, you crazy fucker!" Yeon-Joo entered the fight.

Red chains spread and applied pressure on him like a net. Kang-Woo turned 180 degrees and swung his arm around like a windmill. The chains were cut in the blink of an eye.

"Why are you doing this?!" Tian Wuchen also charged in to stop the rampaging Kang-Woo.

BOOM!

Two World Ranker–level Players charged in at once, but they were nowhere near enough. They were able to stop him only for a brief moment.

"Hyung, please stop… Stop!!" Si-Hun shouted.

Shalgiel gestured to his subordinates. "Kill that demon!"

"Ah…!"

Si-Hun quickly turned around. He had been blocking Kang-Woo's attacks, so he had not been able to stop Shalgiel.

"N-No!"

He quickly extended his hand. He wasn't worried about Shalgiel's subordinates hurting Kang-Woo. Rather, he feared the opposite.

"Die!!"

"Kill the Demon of Prophecy!"

"Those tainted by darkness, receive the judgment of light!"

The angels rushed toward Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo turned to them, his eyes devoid of emotion. He raised his hand, and…

Slash!!

"Kurgh!!!"

"N-Noooo!!!"

Si-Hun's scream echoed.

The angels rushing toward Kang-Woo were bisected in an instant, and white blood splattered in all directions. Their sliced internal organs wet the ground.

"A-Aaaahh…"

Si-Hun knelt, his face pale.

It was too late. There was no going back now.

Kang-Woo had killed angels with his own hands—the trust relationship between humans and angels was broken. From this moment on, all angels had become their enemies.

"You crazy son of a biiiiitch!!!"

Yeon-Joo stomped on the ground, her red hair fluttering in the air. She pulled her left arm back.

Clatter!

The red chains gathered around, twisting and intertwining.

"Kuh…!"

Blood leaked out of her mouth from drawing out mana past her limit. Her body was under huge pressure. At that moment, sadness was visible in her eyes. She had never imagined that she would use the trump card she had been hiding on Kang-Woo, of all people, in a place like this.

"Red Lotus, First Form."

Clatter!

The red chains covered her left arm. She focused the power of the Trait that she had opened on her Tenth Awakening and rose to the ranks of World Rankers, the Trait Red Flower.

"A-Arrgghh."

She groaned from the huge pain spreading through her left arm.

Yeon-Joo bit her lip.

It had been over a year since she'd awakened the Red Flower Trait, but no one knew about its power yet. Not only was she unable to properly use it, but it was also far too burdensome on her body.

'One day…'

Yeon-Joo looked at Kang-Woo, who had gotten too far away for her to reach.

'I'll master this and…'

She had been practicing in secret so that she could hear Kang-Woo say that she was amazing and to have him rely on her like he had in the early days.

Yeon-Joo clenched her eyes shut.

"Come back to your senses, asshoooooole!!!!"

She swung her left arm. The chains that had been crunched up shot out as if a flower was blooming. The chains with sharp thorns engulfed Kang-Woo, and…

Bang.

Crack!

"Huh…?"

With just a light flick of the wrist, the trump card that Yeon-Joo had been practicing in secret for a year had been torn apart all too easily.

Yeon-Joo's eyes widened.

Kang-Woo extended his hand.

"Kurgh!!"

He grabbed Yeon-Joo's neck.

She twisted her body in pain and wriggled her legs.

"Oh… Kang-Woo…"

Yeon-Joo looked at him with sad eyes, recalling the first time she'd seen him in that noisy internet cafe.

She had been furious beyond belief at him at first, not understanding how a guy like him could possibly exist. Then, she had been given shivers from how he had grown so much in such a short time. She had thought to use that possibility for her own gains. And then…

"You're doing great."

Back when a horrifying sense of shame had been weighing down on her, he had told her that she was doing great.

"Don't worry. I'll help you."

He had told her that he would help her.

'And…'

He had actually kept his promise and fulfilled his promise of helping her take revenge on the Demon Cult.

Who other than Kang-Woo would have been able to wipe out the worldwide Demon Cult?

As Kang-Woo strangled her, Yeon-Joo desperately said, "Come… back to your… Cough!"

Tears dripped from her eyes.

Rather than feeling hurt that her attack, which she'd struggled so much to practice, was cast away so easily, the fact that Kang-Woo was the one strangling her hurt her heart far worse.

Despite that…

"…"

Kang-Woo didn't answer. He turned his emotionless face toward Si-Hun.

"Hyung…"

The situation was too messed up.

Tears dripped from Si-Hun's eyes.

"Hyung. Say something, please…"

His head drooped.

"Say something… Anything…"

Tears gathered at his chin. He could barely hold on to his sword.

"Please… Hyung," he desperately pleaded.

Si-Hun extended his trembling hand toward him, and…

Kang-Woo threw Yeon-Joo to the floor.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Kang-Woo covered his mouth with the hand that he had used to strangle her.

"Pfft."

Laughter leaked out from between his fingers.

"Pfft, pwahahahahahahahaha!!!!"

Kang-Woo laughed in madness.

Si-Hun looked up at him with trembling eyes.

Kang-Woo's eyes, which had been emotionless earlier, were full of 'ecstasy.'

"Hahahahahaha!! Man, I was really trying to hold it back, but you're making it impossible!!"

"Kang-Woo… hyung…?"

Si-Hun looked at him in confusion due to his sudden change of attitude.

Kang-Woo slowly walked toward him.

"Wonderful. Truly a masterpiece. I wonder how mere mortal insects can burn so beautifully. Oh, could it be because you're mortals?"

"H-Hyung… what are you talking about…?"

Kang-Woo covered his face with his hands.

Kekeke.

Suppressed laughter came out.

"Kang-Woo, huh…?"

He burst into laughter again.

"Do you…"

Kang-Woo tilted his head and spoke as if he couldn't understand.

"… Still see me as Oh Kang-Woo?"