Chapter 470
A tingling sensation…
An overwhelming presence of murderous intent and mana crushed his entire body.
Guntafer should have been focusing on Berial—so why had he come here?
There had been a few unexpected developments, but from the enemy’s perspective, the odds of successfully defending the fortress were still in their favor.
Gulp.
Jinhyuk swallowed dryly.
‘This wasn’t part of my plan…’
At most, he had expected Guntafer to send a handful of his most trusted subordinates.
It seemed he had underestimated the demon king’s obsessive perfectionism.
Buzz!
The crimson light that had descended began to fade.
At last, the figure within was revealed.
“I don’t recall sending out invitations… yet here come the rats, scurrying in droves.”
Guntafer dusted off his clothes.
As the lord of the fortress, his mere presence alone turned the tide of battle.
“Ooooohhh!”
“The Demon King has arrived!”
“Crush those foolish angels in one sweep!”
The demon soldiers on the ramparts roared in unison.
A deafening cheer reverberated throughout the stronghold.
“A Demon King appearing in person….”
“What do we do…?”
“Where is Lady Gabriel right now!?”
Meanwhile, the archangels wavered.
Even as battle-hardened elites, they hesitated before a demon king known for butchering angels like mere insects.
It was natural for their morale to plummet.
“Damn it, Kang Jinhyuk!”
“Jinhyuk!”
Chun Yoosung and Teresa urgently gathered their mana.
“This is… quite a mess.”
Even Chuhon Sayoung smiled wryly.
It was a fear reminiscent of the time he had faced the Heavenly Demon at his peak.
An overwhelming despair that seeped into his very bones.
‘This is why I never wanted to fight him inside his own fortress.’
Even a mutt could put up a decent fight in its own territory.
One of Guntafer’s innate abilities allowed him to enhance all his powers within his domain.
The same applied to Berial, who was barely holding out thanks to that buff.
But that was a separate issue.
Right now, just when victory was within reach, an unexpected obstacle had appeared.
And…
Guntafer had prepared more than one trick.
—
[Guntafer activates Lv?? ‘Illusory Barrier’!]
A barrier unfurled, obscuring the entire fortress from sight.
Simultaneously—
Bzzzzzt!
More lights rained down from the sky.
But they weren’t demons with horns.
They were angels with pure white wings, descending from Eden—the faction that ruled the celestial hierarchy.
“You spoke of gathering the archangels for an emergency council to solidify our unity… yet here you are, secretly diverting Eden’s forces. Is this what you call your ‘great cause’?”
Twelve angels, including Uriel and Kizakiel, the exalted guardians of Eden, had arrived.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Due to Kizakiel’s rebellion, Eden had fractured into radicals and moderates.
The once tranquil paradise was no longer a dreamlike haven but a den of suspicion and betrayal.
The so-called angels now tore at each other, claiming righteousness with their own words—closer to hell than heaven.
Thus, the Seraphim, the highest-ranking angels, had agreed to meet, seeking a peaceful resolution to this growing strife.
An endless war of attrition wasn’t an option.
But then—
Gabriel, the very one who had proposed the meeting, vanished.
And she took Eden’s elite battle angels with her.
—
“At first… I didn’t believe it. Who would accept such nonsense? That a mighty Seraphim would abandon Eden just to save a dying Demon King, siding with mere humans?”
Uriel’s voice was filled with venom.
He barely restrained himself, but his fury was boiling over.
“But after seeing this with my own eyes… I am certain.”
Bzzzt!
A massive iron flail materialized in Uriel’s right hand.
In his left, an ominous triangular shield appeared.
“For a mere human… you would betray Eden? Answer me, Gabriel! Is the pride of angels so worthless?”
Rumble!
A colossal surge of mana exploded outward.
Cracks split the fortress walls from the sheer pressure.
“…That’s….”
Gabriel bit her lip.
It was true.
She had prioritized this battle over Eden.
She had deceived Uriel and the radical faction.
No matter how she tried to justify it, she had no defense.
“Indeed, it seems you have no words to offer….”
“Pfft!”
A new voice interjected.
“…Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to laugh during such a serious moment.”
Jinhyuk scratched his head.
“But hearing those words come out of your mouth is just too damn funny.”
Uriel’s gaze snapped toward Jinhyuk.
“You must be Kang Jinhyuk, the infamous manipulator. They say your serpent’s tongue has deceived countless fools. You are indeed bold—perhaps too bold for your own good.”
“I get that a lot.”
Jinhyuk shrugged nonchalantly.
Seeing a human standing his ground so effortlessly made Uriel’s expression harden.
“So. What is it you wish to say?”
“Oh, not much. I just found it hilarious that you’re accusing Gabriel of siding with a Demon King… when you teamed up with Guntafer just to confirm it.”
A classic case of hypocrisy.
What was this, some grand religious unification?
A Seraphim standing next to a Demon King while condemning others?
It was beyond ridiculous.
“I did not ‘team up’ with him. Our interests simply aligned for now. Once you are all eradicated and balance is restored, Eden and the Demon Realm will resume their war as always.”
‘Balance’ and ‘holy war’ were just excuses.
In reality, this was about purging the moderates under the guise of a holy war.
For Guntafer, this was a perfect opportunity to eliminate Berial and the old guard in one fell swoop.
Thus, the phrase ‘interests aligned’ was nothing more than a convenient pretext.
‘But using this method, gaining internal support will be difficult for him…’
If the truth got out that Uriel had collaborated with Guntafer, he wouldn’t escape scrutiny either.
And at that moment—
A crimson status window flickered.
—
[The Sealing Stone is activating!]
[Time remaining: 0h: 29m: 59s]
—
The Sealing Stone, which Frey had supposedly stopped, had begun absorbing mana once again.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Crackle…!
Faint lines of energy coursed throughout the entire fortress.
Whatever trick had been used, it was clear that they had found a way to activate the Sealing Stone indirectly.
Jinhyuk’s brows furrowed sharply.
So that was their plan.
“…You’re even more of a piece of garbage than I thought.”
“Oh? You actually understand my intentions?”
“Yeah. You’re planning to build an altar made of blood.”
If all the battle angels here were slaughtered, the blame would fall entirely on Gabriel.
Uriel would then frame himself as the righteous judge, condemning her as a traitor to Eden.
The dead wouldn’t be able to speak, and the sole survivor’s testimony—Uriel’s—would be all that remained.
If he had calculated everything up to that point, then this was indeed a well-laid trap.
“Fufu. It is all for the greater cause. Just as Abraham offered Isaac and Noah carried only a chosen few onto his ark, greater good often requires sacrifice.”
“If you love noble sacrifices so much, why don’t you set yourself on fire? Your wings would make for a nice, crispy roast.”
“Blasphemous nonsense… But then again, I never expected a mere human to grasp the weight of such sacrifices.”
Uriel scoffed as he gathered mana.
—
“Gabriel.”
“I know.”
Gabriel sighed softly.
A battle between Seraphim was a tragedy.
But at this point, it was inevitable.
“Uriel. One last time… If you truly care about Eden, then fight Guntafer, not—”
“Silence, worm!”
BOOM!
A divine punishment fell upon the spot where Gabriel had stood.
Fragments of shattered stone exploded outward.
“Tsk…!”
Gabriel barely managed to dodge.
“Kizakiel!”
“You called for me, exalted Seraphim?”
“I will handle Gabriel. The rest of you—eliminate them all.”
“As you command.”
Kizakiel nodded toward the angels who had arrived with him.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
“Alice.”
Jinhyuk called out.
“Yeah?”
“Support Gabriel along with Remia. She can handle Uriel, but if Kizakiel interferes, it could turn ugly.”
The other Seraphim had predictable limits to their actions.
But Kizakiel was different.
He was the kind of fanatic who would discard everything for his beliefs.
In fact, it was Kizakiel’s influence that had turned Uriel, Raphael, and countless others to the radical faction.
“So, I can go all out?”
Crack.
Alice flexed her fingers, joints popping.
Sure, Uriel was strong.
But Alice was once a towering force among the strongest beings in the Tower.
If she had a proper supply of mana, she was a monster no one could afford to ignore.
Her current mana reserves—429.
Splitting his mana between fighting Guntafer and supporting Alice meant she would only last for so long.
“I’ll support you as much as I can.”
“…There’s one more thing I require.”
Alice’s voice suddenly changed.
A regal presence radiated from her.
Jinhyuk felt a twinge of unease.
“…What is it?”
“You know… those movie theaters humans love so much? The ones with the weird glasses and moving seats?”
He knew exactly what she meant.
4DX 3D.
Alice had been to normal theaters before, but she had always been curious about the special ones.
“…Alright. Once we get out of here, I’ll take you.”
“And! You must buy me caramel popcorn, nachos, garlic hot dogs, and buttered squid! Oh, and the entire theater must be reserved just for us! And—no stupid saint, blue-haired doll, or any other pests allowed!”
…Her demands were piling up.
“That all?”
“A-And! After the movie… we’ll have a fancy dinner, then a nighttime drive along the Han River… a-and finally… a h-hotel with a view of the city lights…”
Smack!
Jinhyuk flicked her forehead.
“Ow! What was that for!?”
“Stay focused.”
If he gave in, she’d never stop pushing.
At this rate, Gabriel might actually die while they were talking.
“I’ll grant most of your wishes, so just finish this fight first.”
“…Really? You promise?”
“I don’t break my word.”
“Fufu. Then behold the true power of the great Ataraxia!”
Alice unleashed her full mana reserves.
Crimson streams of energy coiled around her, forming a fearsome armament.
The ground rumbled.
And so—
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
BOOM!
The battle began.