After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 189 - The World Without Law (9)

“GAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

“M-MY BODYYYYYYYYYYYY!!”

“Do not retreat!!! Fight for the great Akart!! For the light!!!”

Screams echoed throughout the battlefield. The apostles touched by the black feathers shriveled like mummies. However, they continued their charge even in the storm of death.

Clatter—!!

Red chains covered in sharp thorns swept the ground.

“These goddamn lunatics...!”

Cha Yeon-Joo gritted her teeth and spread out her arms. She was more annoyed and enraged than afraid as she witnessed the apostles running toward them with no regard for their lives.

“Kurgh... Arghh!”

She could hear grunts from behind her. Oh Kang-Woo, who usually thought of nothing but teasing her, was grimacing in pain.

“Dammit.” She shut her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. “I’ll kill you if you die, Oh Kang-Woo,” she said paradoxically as she charged forward and swung her arms at the charging apostles. “Red Lotus, Eighth Form—”

All Yeon-Joo could do was prevent anyone from touching Kang-Woo. She spread out her chains by squeezing out all the mana she had to wrap Kang-Woo’s surroundings, leaving no gaps in between.

“Red Lotus Kaleidoscope.”

Swoosh—!!

Bundles of chains whirled as if they were blooming.

“Kurgh!! Sh-Shit!!”

“Keep moving!!!”

Not only were they surrounded by cursed black feathers, but now a storm of sharp chains raged around them. The apostles charging to their deaths collapsed one by one. However, the disaster did not end there.

Rumble—!!

“KRARARARARARARARARA!!!”

A demonic dragon almost thirty meters tall arose. Her tail smashed into the apostles like a whip and she cast dragon tongue magic one after another.

[Hm!! I’m gonna protect Kang-Woo!]

A little girl’s voice echoed from the dragon, unbefitting her intimidating appearance. The demonic dragon’s massive size and her dragon tongue magic that spanned a wide area were perfect in this situation where they needed to face many opponents at once.

“Kurgh!! Damn evil demons!!!” one of the apostles cursed and clenched his golden scale necklace. He shouted crazily, “O Great Akart!!! Grant us the light to light the darkness—!!!”

He ran through the black feathers and storm of chains. Maybe because his desperate prayers reached Akart or he was simply lucky— he successfully broke through the storm.

“H-Haha.”

He looked back in disbelief that he got through the storm of feathers and chains, and smiled brightly. Sparks ran throughout his body.

“A-Aaaahh.”

He was sure Akart’s will had allowed him to break through safely. He smiled and stared at the king of demons, shaking intensely as he held onto the black mucus restraining Akart.

‘Just one little push, and...’

The delicate balance would shift toward Akart’s favor.

“FOR THE GREAT AKART—!!!” the apostle shouted and charged.

He did not need to kill the Demon King; just one nudge and he would fall apart.

Squelch.

Just then, the apostle heard something squishy and sticky moving.

“What a troublesome bunch...”

“E-Eek!”

A hideous monster with eighteen eyes and green skin stood in the apostle’s path. The apostle unknowingly held his breath.

Squirm!

“Gasp! N-No!”

The putrid tentacles wrapped around him. The smaller ones entered his mouth, nose, and ears.

“Kurgh! Krrrrk!”

However, the apostle was in pain only for a moment.

“Heh... hehe... hehehe!”

An indescribable wave of pleasure swept over him as the tentacles reached his brain. He opened his mouth and drooled. The overwhelming sense of pleasure seeped into his soul. The fortress that was his undying faith melted from the tentacles and collapsed.

“I-I... I have to s-stop them.”

The apostle drowning in pleasure turned around and walked staggeringly toward the other apostles who also broke through the storm of feathers and chains.

“NO ONE CAN TOUCH THE GREAT AKART—!!!”

He charged at the other apostles with bloodshot eyes.

“Kurgh! Wh-What the hell?!” one of the apostles shouted in shock as they were about to attack the Demon King.

Grip!

“Kurgh!”

The apostle who was taken over by tentacles clenched another apostle’s head.

“O GREAT AKAAAAAAAAAAAAART!!!”

“Kurgh!”

“I WILL PROTECT YOU IF IT IS THE LAST THING I DOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

“Argh! Gah!! Gurgh!!”

Bang! Bang!

The brainwashed apostle smashed his forehead into the other apostle’s head, breaking his nose and blood splattering everywhere. He stabbed the apostle’s eyes with his fingers, pulled them out, and smashed his forehead into the sockets.

“ARGHHHHHH!! DAMN TRAITOR!!!”

“YOU ARE THE TRAITOR!! HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO LAY YOUR HANDS ON THE GREAT AKART—?!”

“Wh-What are you ta— ARGHHH!!”

The two apostles smashing their heads into each other collapsed on the spot after their skulls shattered, brain matter flowing from the cracks and wetting the ground.

“It’s rather easy to take advantage of such undying faith.” Lilith, watching the gory sight, nodded as she smiled seductively.

“Fuuu. It looks like we can buy enough time at this rate,” said Layla who was assisting Han Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo to stop the apostles.

“No.” Kim Si-Hun shook his head, his eyes shining sharply. “They’re coming.”

“Pardon? Who—”

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

A ferocious roar echoed before Layla could finish and a giant white tiger charged across the battlefield. The white knight riding the tiger fiercely swung down his scale spear and tore apart the feathers and storm of chains protecting Kang-Woo as if they were scraps of paper.

“Yes... I forgot about those two.”

Layla bit her lip and drew out more energy. Akart’s first and second retainers were far more powerful than the other apostles.

“I will stop them,” Si-Hun remarked.

“By yourself...?”

“We’re short on hands, after all.”

“...”

As Si-Hun mentioned, they were already having enough trouble stopping the apostles. The army of the Abyss Kang-Woo summoned had crossed the Rift to minimize the casualties on Earth.

“But how will you face both of them by yourself...?”

They couldn’t defeat the two retainers even when all of them plus the princes of Hell Kang-Woo had summoned joined forces. Not even Si-Hun would be a match for them by himself.

“It’s not a matter of if I can or not.” Si-Hun smiled faintly and readied his sword toward the white knight. “It’s whether I do it or not. And... I can do anything if it is to protect hyung.”

Layla feigned laughter at Si-Hun’s firm words. “Haaa... That’s a bit saddening to hear as your girlfriend.”

“Th-That’s...”

“Hoho. I’m joking.” She smiled as she nodded and turned around. I will come to assist you once we’re more or less done here, Si-Hun.”

They had no time to chit-chat. Even now, the apostles were charging with no regard for death just to attack Kang-Woo.

Schwing.

Si-Hun nodded and faced the white knight.

“Fuuu...”

“There you go again, putting on airs.”

Si-Hun heard a voice next to him as he was about to explosively draw out his Qi.

“Balrog...?”

“They are two, so is it not only natural for there to be two of us as well?”

“Can you even be of help in that state of yours?”

Si-Hun narrowed his eyes sharply and stared at Balrog with his arms gone. Although he was second only to Kang-Woo in regenerative capabilities and strong body, his regeneration was abnormally slow. It was likely because Akart had caused those injuries. A warrior with no arms would not be of much help in battle.

“Gahaha! Having no arms is of no issue!” Balrog stomped his feet and smiled as he continued, “I am confident I can fight better than you with just my legs and torso.”

“Hah, Is that so?” Si-Hun couldn’t help but smile despite knowing it was an absurd claim. “Then why don’t you show me?”

He could feel his body, tense from anxiety, relaxing. He would never admit it but Balrog’s words reassured him for some reason.

“Gahahaha! Very well, brat!!”

“This... reminds me of back then.”

They had joined forces to face powerful enemies during the war against Bael.

“Gehehe, and our king emerged victorious.”

“Yeah. I’m sure... he’ll win this time too.”

They charged forward simultaneously without turning back to look at Kang-Woo.

***

“Argh, kurgh, g-gaaahh.”

The Demonic Sea was drying up and collapsing. The bottom of the sea of demonic energy which Kang-Woo had thought was boundless was visible. He could barely breathe— his limbs trembled uncontrollably as if he would pass out at any second.

[You... cannot stop this.]

Rumble.

The Titan of Light struggled to break free from the black mucus.

“Kurgh!! Argh!!!”

The shock generated from the Titan’s movements were sent directly into Kang-Woo. His consciousness was fading. He was in pain. He was confident in enduring it but he had never experienced pain of this level— it was so painful that he felt like he was going insane. The feeling of his body drying up was agonizing beyond belief.

“Akart...” Kang-Woo called the Titan.

It was not because he had something to say to him— no, he did.

“Kurgh, a-arghh.”

He wanted to beg. He wanted to bow down on his knees and plead for Akart to stop.

‘But...’

It was pointless. No, Kang-Woo had no right to do such a thing. He had not stopped when destroying Akart’s paradise. He trampled on Akart’s pleas and tore apart what was most precious to him. Their places were simply switched.

‘Akart... won’t stop.’

“Haaa, haaa, haaa!”

If that were the case, Kang-Woo wouldn’t stop either— he couldn’t.

‘But... what am I supposed to do?’

The situation couldn’t be worse. Kang-Woo was already at his limit from keeping the Titan at bay. He had no time or luxury to devour demons and replenish his demonic energy.

‘I’m going to die.’

At this rate, he would be annihilated and disappear from the universe without a trace, only memories to show that he ever existed.

‘I need... to think of... something.’

Nothing would change even if they continued this endless game of tug-of-war. The Demonic Sea would be completely dried up soon and Kang-Woo annihilated alongside it.

‘No.’

It would not end with just his annihilation. If Akart weren’t stopped, Earth and Luceo Pure would collide. A collision between two planets would obliterate everything on them— including those precious to him.

Kang-Woo racked his brain to think of a solution.

‘Should I call the army of the Abyss back into the Demonic Sea?’

That would do nothing but postpone the inevitable.

[It is too late, king of demons.] Akart’s voice echoed in Kang-Woo’s head again. [Now that the Rift is open, not even a Titan can close it.]

Closing a Rift was practically severing the bridge between worlds. It was impossible even for Titans to do. Only the Law of Titans, a transcendental power created by the Titans, could make it possible.

“Rift, Rift...” Kang-Woo mumbled, having thought of something. “Yeah...”

He smiled.

“I didn’t think of that.”

His fading consciousness set ablaze brightly again.