NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Ascension
With a malevolent grin, Lucifero raised his remaining hand and formed a swirling black sphere. "Gravity…" he muttered, the sphere growing denser as it began to distort the air around them. "
Before he could complete the word, a tear in the fabric of reality opened to their right. A dark void manifested—the Space Between Time—as if the very notion of existence was momentarily disrupted. From the void, an unknown figure emerged, his presence instantly commanding the battlefield.
"Singularity," the figure calmly said, finishing Lucifero's sentence. With that single word, the crushing gravity vanished, dissipating as if it had never been there at all. Makima, freed from the immense pressure, looked up at the newcomer in stunned disbelief, and even Lucifero's eyes widened in shock.
Though the situation remained cloaked in the darkness of the night, a new source of light appeared overhead. Directly above the battlefield, a radiant sun formed in the sky, its brilliant light focused solely on the mysterious figure who had emerged from the void. The sun's ethereal rays seemed to defy the natural order, shining only on this man as if recognizing his significance.
The unknown man stood there with an air of familiarity and power. His hair was a deep black, and his eyes—one green, the other blue—glimmered with an otherworldly brilliance. He looked around the battlefield, his expression calm and collected, and finally locked eyes with Makima. A gentle smile crossed his face.
"Yo… long time no see," the man said casually, as if greeting an old friend.
Makima's breath caught in her throat, her body trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. She felt a torrent of emotions rise within her—relief, disbelief, and an overwhelming sense of joy.
"Kang Woo…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Is that… you?"
Kang Woo, the once-lost Demon King, let his smile widen just slightly. He didn't answer her directly . Without missing a beat, he extended his hand, and with a flicker of spatial distortion, Makima felt the space around her shift. In an instant, she was teleported beside him.
Kang Woo leaned down slightly and whispered into her ear, his voice gentle yet tinged with a playful arrogance. "I need to look cool since this is my resurrection show," he murmured with a smirk. "I'll explain everything later."
Before she could fully process his words, Kang Woo raised his hand and placed it on her head, ruffling her hair in a gesture both affectionate and intimate. The touch sent a warmth through Makima, and she found herself blushing despite the gravity of the situation. A tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away, trying to maintain her composure.
"Can you be a quiet princess for now?" Kang Woo continued, his tone softening as if addressing a delicate secret. "I'll reward you later for being good."
Makima only nodded, unable to find the words. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, her emotions a storm of relief and gratitude. He's alive, she thought, her vision blurring with unshed tears. And he's still as narcissistic as ever… but I'm so glad… my future husband is still the Kang Woo that I know.
Kang Woo's demeanor abruptly shifted, a wild grin stretching across his face. Throwing his head back, he let out an unrestrained, maniacal laugh, "AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" The sound reverberated through the battlefield, a crazed exultation that seemed to echo from another realm. "I can't believe I could do what Acnologia did—and more perfectly, without suffering the drawbacks like he did!"
Lucifero, still seething from his injuries and the humiliation, snarled at Kang Woo's display. "For a man who once died and succumbed to suicidal madness to return as this raving lunatic… You are the pinnacle of filth on this world!".
Kang Woo paid no mind to Lucifero's words, seemingly lost in his own euphoria. His laughter died down into a devilish grin. He lifted his head and addressed the world itself, "Can you hear me, Gaia?!" His voice boomed with authority. "Let's just say… even if I didn't get the reward I threatened you for, I'm still capable of blowing this world to pieces!"
Makima's thoughts flickered with a mix of amusement and exasperation. My future husband has gone as high as a drunkard… and now he's speaking of Gaia, which I know nothing about. But it seems he knows more of our world—even better than I do…
Lucifero's eyes narrowed, his anger reaching its peak. He formed a new Gravity Singularity in his remaining hand, the sphere of crushing energy swirling violently with the power to consume everything. He launched it at Kang Woo with murderous intent, determined to obliterate this insolent man.
Kang Woo merely grinned wider, raising his own hand as if to counter. "Cruel Sun," he said, his voice calm but full of power. The radiant sun above him responded instantly, shrinking and condensing into a burning sphere in his outstretched palm. The miniature sun glowed with a fierce intensity, radiating an almost overwhelming heat.
As Lucifero's Gravity Singularity approached, Kang Woo hurled the condensed Cruel Sun forward. The two forces collided in midair.
Then, in an instant, the Cruel Sun consumed the Gravity Singularity, its fiery brilliance burning the black sphere into nothingness. The overwhelming heat continued forward, its flames wrapping around Lucifero like an unrelenting embrace.
Lucifero's roar of defiance was drowned out as the Cruel Sun pinned him down with its sheer intensity. The flames seared through his defenses, and with a final, mighty push, the burning force launched him upward, sending him hurtling towards the sky. He ascended uncontrollably, his body engulfed in flames as he was sent crashing into the moon, the impact shattering the lunar surface with an echoing boom.
Makima watched in silence, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of Lucifero's fall. This… sudden power of Kang Woo… she thought, trying to process everything. He's become something beyond what I could ever imagine… he's transcended… Before her thoughts could become even heavier, Kang Woo turned towards her and offered his hand—a simple, silent gesture that meant come with me.
Makima stared at his hand for a moment, her mind racing. She recalled their past exchanges, and the question game they played. In a soft, trembling voice, she spoke, "You know… when you judged me, asking if I was worthy to stand beside you… I think I have my answer now. I'm sorry… I can't be worthy of you. You've become so—"
Kang Woo cut her off, pulling her hand firmly into his grasp. "The one who decides that… is me," he said with unwavering certainty, his voice strong and commanding. His eyes locked onto hers, leaving no room for doubt. "And if this world says you need to die for the greater good, that means the world needs to be fucked."
Makima's eyes widened in shock at his words, but then a deep, overwhelming joy washed over her. she surrendered herself into Kang Woo's embrace, feeling the weight of her burdens momentarily lift.
Still holding her close, Kang Woo launched into the sky with a burst of power. The phenomenon that followed was unlike anything the onlookers had ever seen—a swirling dark comet, intertwined with a bright, crimson trail like a shooting star.
Himeno from bellow watched the spectacle with wide eyes. "Did we just… witness a lovey-dovey moment in the middle of an apocalyptic event against Lucifero?" she muttered, taking a slow drag from her half broken cigarette .
Aki, standing beside her, replied with a mixture of concern and awe, "Himeno-senpai… I'm more worried that Kang Woo just created a sun and somehow emerged from some kind of black hole behind him…"
Kishibe, silently observing from a short distance away, let out a low chuckle. His thoughts flashed back to what the Hell Devil had once said—about a noble one with a thousand plans. Kishibe shook his head slightly, muttering to himself, "More like a person who gets stronger at an absurdly fast rate…"
On the moon, Lucifero struggled to lift his head, his vision blurry and filled with spots of bright, searing light. He coughed up blood again, the crimson staining the shattered white surface beneath him. Gritting his teeth, he looked down at his body—his feet were gone, seared off by the sun's intense heat, and much of his once-imposing form was charred and broken.
Lucifero's breathing was ragged as he tried to steady himself. This can't… be real… he thought, his mind reeling in confusion and rage. How did this happen?
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, and Lucifero's eyes widened in shock. Descending with an almost regal elegance was Kang Woo, his majestic wings of darkness unfurled behind him. Beside him, Makima hovered with her own single dark wing, a red halo glowing above her head, contrasting sharply with the moon's stark landscape. She remained silent, simply observing Kang Woo's behavior, a small, contented smile on her face as she watched his chaotic grandeur unfold.
Kang Woo landed gracefully, his feet touching the lunar surface as if he were stepping on a stage. He fixed Lucifero with an intense, almost predatory gaze. "In your head now…" Kang Woo began, his voice carrying a chilling amusement, "You're probably—no, definitely thinking, Why? Why is the suicidal man I crushed beneath my feet alive? Why did my Gravity Singularity, which could destroy mountains, get obliterated by a miniature sun?"
Lucifero's eyes burned with seething anger, but he couldn't find the words to respond.
Kang Woo's grin widened, his expression a mixture of mockery and absolute confidence. "And now," he continued, "you're wondering if I've just provoked you into using your final, most desperate technique. Am I pushing you to your limit? Maybe you're even thinking of creating an ultimate gravity magic technique since you've only shown me five tricks so far… and all because I've pushed you this far, right?"
Lucifero gritted his teeth harder, his rage building. His entire body seemed to shudder with pent-up power and fury.
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly, an almost innocent curiosity in his eyes. "Do you want to know the reason… why you're losing so badly?" he asked. Then, with a sudden intensity, he straightened up, his wings spreading wide, casting a long shadow over Lucifero.
"Did I just lose… or did you underestimate someone willing to challenge the very world that seals my power?" Kang Woo taunted, his voice dripping with amusement.
Lucifero's face twisted in rage as he snarled, "Half of my strength lies in the underworld! If I were at my full power, I would completely crush you beneath my—" Before he could finish, a sudden explosion erupted from his severed arm, flames engulfing it in a violent blaze. Lucifero let out a guttural roar of pain and fury.
Kang Woo merely smirked, lowering his outstretched hand from where he had unleashed the Hellblaze Bomb. "Not everyone gets a speech," he quipped, his tone almost dismissive. "Let's prepare our final event already. I still want to talk to my quiet princess," he added, glancing over his shoulder towards Makima, who hovered silently in space, her dark wing and red halo framing her form against the vast, starry void.
Lucifero's eyes darkened, his fury reaching a boiling point. His anger morphed into an almost eerie calmness as he began to mutter a chant, his words incomprehensible to human ears—a twisted amalgamation of dark incantations. Through the half-manifestation that still remains in the underworld, he thought, I can force full command over all demons, from low to even high-ranking, to surrender their mana and grant me the power of the Qliphoth Underworld itself.
The sinister words reverberated with the heavy weight of gravity magic and underworld tongues, akin to the cursed incantations of devils from the depths of Black Clover's lore. "Givolth… haresh talora… merevisth klezaloth… darziel varashin… anovar elith… ves'gravorith anekoth…"
As Lucifero's chant reached its peak, the ground twisted and cracked, giving way to a mass of grotesque roots and branches spreading like ancient limbs. The air thickened with malevolent energy, and the sky darkened as swirling mist consumed the stars. From the chaos emerged a massive, gnarled tree—the Qliphoth Tree—its branches writhing like serpents and pulsing with a blood-red glow. Strange symbols marked its dark trunk, shifting and coiling as the landscape transformed into an underworld dimension.
Lucifero stood before the towering tree, raising his remaining hand. His voice boomed with eldritch resonance. "Behold… the manifestation of my will, the embodiment of true despair—Qliphoth's Descent!" ( img here )
The Qliphoth Tree responded, its branches extending like claws towards the void of space. Twisted roots began to crack the moon's surface, the space rippling under the tree's intense gravitational force. Kang Woo remained unfazed, with Makima now landing beside him due to the increased gravity—though kang woo demonic energy shielded them from being pinned down.
Makima glanced at Kang Woo and muttered sarcastically, "Your narcissistic personality just made him more pissed, and now he's getting creative and smart."
Kang Woo remained silent, smirking slightly. Should I create my unique world later—the one that truly belongs to me since Lucifero has his own domain expansion?
Lucifero, now wielding the full might of his ultimate technique, stared down his opponent with unbridled malice. "The deepest of the Qliphoth Underworld beings are now at my command, their unique magic and mana of a hundred years flowing through me! With their power channeled onto this moon's surface, it will obliterate you and your companion until there is nothing left—not even a soul to escape!"
"Fall to a Pitch Gravity Underworld—" However, his words were abruptly cut off, a flicker of shock passing through his eyes.
Kang Woo calmly mirrored his words, "Fall to a Pitch Gravity Underworld," as if mocking the declaration. His voice carried a dismissive tone, followed by an amused smirk. "Didn't I warn you earlier? Are you underestimating someone who can truly threaten the world's very system itself?"
Lucifero's eyes widened, disbelief clear in his expression. Kang Woo's smirk deepened as he whispered, "Let me give you a spoiler" The intent behind it was chilling.
As silence fell over the battlefield, Kang Woo's eyes began to shift. His irises darkened, and within each eye, a second pupil slowly appeared—a disorienting reflection of power.
"What reflects in my eyes now… will be rendered useless and powerless," Kang Woo declared, his voice calm yet carrying a chilling finality that seemed to echo in the distorted air around them.
Lucifero's expression shifted to one of panic. Desperate, he summoned his greatest power, creating the largest Gravity Singularity he could muster—a black sphere of unfathomable density and force, growing rapidly with the intent to consume everything.
Kang Woo shook his head slowly, watching the futile struggle. "You're still thinking I'm just a suicidal human?" he asked, his tone almost pitying. As he spoke, the pattern within his eyes began to change, shifting into intricate designs that radiated raw power. His Magic Eyes of Destruction came to life, their ominous glow reflecting in the swirling chaos.
Kang Woo straightened, his expression turning cold and absolute. He raised his hand, and with a voice that seemed to resonate to Gaia itself who seal most of his power he declared the demon name he had claimed in the 9th level of Hell, "My name is Anos Voldigoad—the one who shall take everything from you."
Reality itself seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. And then, in an instant, the result was clear. Lucifero's body shattered into countless pieces, his form disintegrating into dust as the overwhelming force of Kang Woo's power dismantled the Qliphoth's Descent. The massive tree crumbled, its roots and branches collapsing into nothingness, as the gravitational singularity vanished without a trace.
Kang Woo stood amidst the remnants of the battle, holding Lucifero's still-beating heart in his palm. The battlefield was silent. Slowly, he closed his eyes, deactivating the dual-pupiled gaze that had sealed Lucifero's fate.
"Not perfect yet… but still good for a show," Kang Woo muttered to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. He was referring to the new ability he had used to obliterate Lucifero, reducing him to nothing but a heart, acknowledging that the technique still needed some fine-tuning.
As he observed the moon's surface, a faint glow reflected in his eyes. He extended his senses using the Authority of Beholder, and in his thoughts, he noted the damage. Looks like some part of my new ability misfired and targeted the moon as well, he mused, sensing the deep fissures and cracks that now ran through the moon's surface and core. Any ability with a name that starts with the letter 'A' must be flawless…
Makima, who had watched the entire event unfold, broke the silence. "Anos Voldigoad, huh?" she remarked, her voice steady. "Is that the name you used when you threatened the Fox Devil to shut up?"
Kang Woo chuckled. "Just a chuuni name," he admitted with a smirk, "I like presentation."
He turned towards her, his eyes playful. "You're not going to wonder why we can breathe in space, or how we're able to speak to each other in a vacuum?" he teased.
Makima tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful but composed. "Hmm, no need," she replied. "The longer I stay by your side, the more the impossible seems to become possible."
Kang Woo grinned at her response. With a casual snap of his fingers, he revealed a shimmering bubble around them, filled with intricate runes and numbers that glowed faintly. The runes formed a protective barrier on the moon's surface, stabilizing the surrounding space. An additional bubble enveloped Makima, forming a secondary layer of protection.
"You're going to need to train your darkness manipulation," Kang Woo advised, his voice both firm and encouraging. "Since you absorbed my Commandment, you've been granted Hellblaze and darkness manipulation. You even created a new technique and called it Hellblaze Bomb, but that's just the beginning stage—there's much more to be done."
Kang Woo glanced at a translucent status window only he could see, and his grin widened. His eyes sparkled with a blend of satisfaction and anticipation as he read the quest's completion message:
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Grand Quest: Demon King Ascension (Status: Completed)
Objective: Defeat Lucifero's 50% Manifestation Before It Destroys The World.
There can only be one Demon King in this world. Kill him and take your place as the true ruler.
Reward:
-Shop Inventory with Discount
-King of Chaos Power (Allows Kang Woo to use reality-warping abilities associated with Chaos, Cath Palug, and Arthur, including creating his own realm akin to Camelot).
-Alucard's Heart (Contains 10 million souls of varying quality and grants immortality akin to Alucard's. At Level 0, it allows Kang Woo to create a river of death and summon a tsunami of blood with his collected familiars)
.................................….
Kang Woo felt a rush of exhilarating power as the King of Chaos and Alucard's Heart fused back into his being. The sensation was a surreal blend of transcendence and raw, primal energy coursing through him. As he took a step, each movement felt weightless, yet each step seemed to warp the Reality . A faint, dark mist swirled around his feet.
With a mere thought, he tapped into the King of Chaos abilities he had finally regained. The pitch-black night sky that loomed over the moon's surface began to change. A ripple spread across the void, and in its wake, the sky morphed into a serene shade of deep blue, now adorned with countless shimmering stars. The oppressive atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a calm tranquility. The stars seemed to pulse rhythmically, their light reflecting off the craters of the moon, giving the landscape an ethereal, almost divine quality. ( img here )
The entire transformation was majestic, as if the moon itself had been remade to mirror a celestial paradise—a testament to Kang Woo's reality-warping powers.
Makima walked beside him, her gaze transfixed by the mesmerizing sky above. She knew without a doubt that this sudden, beautiful shift in reality was Kang Woo's doing. He did something even the Darkness Devil couldn't achieve… and it's on a scale that rivals or even surpasses Lucifero, she thought. A blend of admiration and curiosity stirred within her, realizing that her husband was capable of bending the very fabric of reality with a mere gesture
Kang Woo extended his hand, and the moon's surface rippled like water, giving rise to a grand, ethereal castle crafted from the moon's very substance. The castle's architecture resembled a celestial palace, with towering spires, majestic archways, and translucent walls that gleamed with an otherworldly blue light, as if made from crystallized stardust. Massive skeletal bridges connected the towers with pathways of glimmering threads, giving the structure an organic, almost living appearance. At the heart of the castle, a spiraling central tower pierced the night sky, crowned with a crescent-shaped pinnacle, radiating lights that flowed like cascading stardust. ( img here )
The castle's expansive courtyard was filled with ghostly, luminescent flowers that responded to Kang Woo's presence, their petals glowing softly and swaying as if alive. The moonstone walls and runes inscribed upon them pulsed gently, creating an atmosphere of serene divinity. As the structure solidified, its towering form stood as a testament to Kang Woo's mastery over reality—a Millennium Castle.
Makima was lost in her thoughts, but Kang Woo's subtle hand gesture brought her back. His gaze was warm but serious. "You know," he said, his voice steady, "I never really answered your question directly about being worthy or not. So, here's my answer you're worth more than the Earth itself, Makima, the Control Devil."
The words sunk in, and Makima wanted to embrace him, but her eyes noticed the scar on his right hand, left by the overclocked Hellblaze Bomb she had used on Lucifero. Looks like the Hellblaze power is starting to take its toll on me, she thought, guilt and frustration flickering through her mind at the unintended consequences of her actions.
Kang Woo caught her hesitation and smiled slightly. "Don't worry," he reassured, "this talk between us needs to be special, right?"
He moved his fingers slightly, and reality warped to his will. A gentle wave of energy washed over Makima, and in an instant, her battle-worn dress began to change. The tattered edges and scorch marks disappeared, replaced by a luxurious, midnight-black gown. Long, elegant gloves formed over her arms, completing the look. The dress fit her perfectly, giving her an air of grace and authority. ( img here )
Kang Woo glanced at her with a playful grin. "What kind of husband would I be if I let my wife eat dirt and stones?" he joked, the tone hinting at both protection and affection.
( note : there will be a double chapter give me time )