Chapter 956
The vast blue light that seemed to hold the sky and the gray light drawn up from the depths of hell clashed within the world of white snowflakes.
Kuwaaaaaang!
A terrifying storm of light surged, and explosions of demonic energy followed one after another. Within the collapsing space, two beings of different hues collided violently.
Chiiiiiiiiing!
The clash between Wrath and [Rage] continued endlessly as the demonic energy blooming between them condensed into small glass-like orbs. (T/N: Changing Rage from Raiz. I just realized that the translation should have been Rage all along as it fits more.)
Uuuuuuuuung!
From Wrath’s hand, a silver light of finality unfurled, revealing its power to freeze the world, while from beneath Rage’s feet, the Authority of Collapse rose, causing ripples that shattered the very fabric of space.
Jijijijijik!
The moment the Authorities of the former Demon King and the current Demon King met head-on, the white condensed orb of demonic energy shattered.
Kuwaaaaaaaaaa!
As the ultimate techniques of the two Demon Kings and the orb of demonic energy exploded simultaneously, a colossal light swept through the world as though to erase everything.
The power that could wipe away even souls spread in all directions, erasing the white snowfield, and the frozen World Tree that embodied Wrath’s soul was torn out by the roots.
However, at the center of that explosion, Wrath and Rage did not move a single step amidst the blackened smoke—as if both had perished.
Fwoooosh.
As the uprooted World Tree fell to the ground, the wind pushed away the smoke, revealing the battlefield of the Demon Kings.
Wrath was on one knee, his hand pressed against the cracked earth, while Rage stood over him, extending a hand, his black eyes gleaming coldly.
“I thought I would always cherish the moment when you killed your subordinates with your own hands and broke my neck…”
Rage clicked his tongue as he glanced at the fallen World Tree.
“To think you’ve forgotten all of it… You’ve changed a lot.”
He let out a thin laugh as if finding it fascinating.
“I have not forgotten. I’ve merely accepted what cannot be undone.”
Wrath shook his head, saying he could never forget.
“That’s what’s fascinating. You, who once exhaled fury even in your breath, have changed like this.”
Rage wagged his finger above Wrath’s head.
“It seems a long time has passed since my death.”
He clicked his tongue, saying that if Wrath still held the rage of that time, the outcome of their battle might have been different.
“It is not a matter of time.”
Wrath wiped the blood flowing from his lips and furrowed his brow.
“What matters is what one experiences during the time given, long or short.”
Though the time he spent as a king in the Demonic Realm was important, the days he spent with Raon and the children of the Light Wind Palace taught him to embrace uncontrollable rage and his past within his heart.
He had indeed grown weaker, yet also stronger.
“So you entrusted your strength to the future… It seems you met someone who pleased you.”
Rage let out a short sigh and lifted his head. His body began to tremble as if caught in a violent wind.
“Pleased me?”
Wrath let out a hollow laugh as if it was absurd.
“It’s the opposite. That damned brat gets on my nerves so much that I want to punch his face every time I see him.”
Remembering Raon’s annoying face threatening him with Nadine bread, Wrath clenched the hand pressing against the ground and slowly rose to his feet.
Kuung!
In contrast, Rage’s legs gave out as he fell forward to his knees on the cracked, blackened earth.
“But thanks to that accursed brat, I learned what my true essence is. My strength may have weakened, but I have not.”
It was true that much of his Authority had been taken by Raon and lost while saving the children of the Light Wind Palace.
But beyond the boundary of human and demon, he had found the answer to his very existence. The years he spent with them were the most important of his life.
“How regrettable…”
Rage bent his upper body and coughed up black, dead blood.
“I’ve become curious about that accursed brat you mentioned. I wish I could have seen him.”
“Forget it.”
Wrath shook his head firmly.
“If you met him, that lunatic would strip not only your power but even your underwear.”
He shook his head as he recalled Raon, the true monster of Greed, who devoured even his rival’s Authority.
“Seems he’s no ordinary demon. Was he born with the fate of a king?”
Rage narrowed his eyes, asking if he was Wrath’s successor.
“He is no demon. And…”
Straightening his back, Wrath looked down at Rage.
“He is a being who could become a Demon God without it being strange.”
“A… Demon God?”
Rage’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You know what that means and yet you say such a thing…”
“That’s why I say it. That brat possesses the vessel of a Demon God, beyond any Demon King.”
Wrath calmly shook his head, saying he knew better than Rage himself.
“Ha, hearing that makes me truly wish I could see him.”
Rage’s trembling gaze dimmed with lingering regret.
“Shut up and disappear. You’re not even real.”
Wrath snorted, looking at Rage trembling all over.
“No, I am real. I was created from your own memory.”
Rage raised his hand slowly, insisting he could not be fake.
“Now take it. Your victory.”
A gray energy rose from his palm, forming a floating orb.
Taaak!
Wrath met Rage’s gaze and slapped the hand holding the gray orb aside.
“Even if you were born from my memory, I do not wish to take power from the likes of you.”
He shook his head, saying he would recover his strength on his own.
“Khrhhrh…”
Rage lowered his head slightly, letting out a laugh through gritted teeth.
“You pass.”
“Pass?”
Wrath frowned, looking down at Rage.
“That’s what it means.”
“For the Lord of Wrath to accept power from his enemy and calm his rage makes no sense. It’s right to keep spewing wrath until the end.”
Rage nodded, saying it was an excellent choice.
“Take it. No, you have no choice.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than gray energy rose from the cracked ground, wrapping around Wrath.
Fwaaaaa!
The gray aura, upon touching Wrath’s body, turned into a deep blue frost that seeped into his body and soul.
“Mmm…”
Wrath examined his body, now gleaming white as if bathed in the first snow, and narrowed his eyes.
‘My soul’s rank has risen.’
Because he had used his power against causality itself, the rank of his soul had diminished—but now it surged back rapidly. It wasn’t at its former level, but he had gained decades’ worth in a moment.
‘No, that’s not all.’
Even the Authority of Wrath, which had been consumed when granting Raon his stats and traits, had been strengthened.
It seemed Rage’s power had merged into his own. It was an unexpected harvest—but not one that brought him joy.
“Rage.”
Wrath stepped heavily forward until he stood before him.
“I will never forgive you.”
He clenched his teeth, glaring down at Rage beneath him.
“If it weren’t for your madness, no one would have died. I will curse you in life and death alike.”
He vowed never to forget that day and clenched his fist tightly.
“That’s good.”
Rage smirked faintly and nodded.
“Even in death, that means I’ll remain in the deepest part of your memories.”
“You damned bastard…”
Wrath frowned as he looked at Rage laughing.
“Khrhhrh…”
Rage let out a distorted laugh and laid his back against the cold ground. His strength was all but gone.
Uuuuuuuuung!
As he fell, a circular dimensional gate of blue flames opened in the air.
“Kill me and step inside. The pain is unbearable—finish it quickly.”
Rage closed his eyes, asking for death. Like a withering leaf, his body slowly crumbled into dust.
“I won’t let you die easily this time. You’ll feel every ounce of pain before you vanish.”
Wrath narrowed his eyes at Rage’s dissolving body.
‘There’s still some energy left, but it should be fine.’
He was, after all, a foreigner within the Chamber of Self.
He didn’t know when this space would disappear, so even in the Black Sea and the Cave of Reflections, he never absorbed all the scattered power—only the core essence before leaving quickly.
He’d already taken everything worthwhile from Rage, so he decided to leave the remnants to scatter and suffer.
“Cruel. As expected of the Lord of Wrath.”
“Especially for you.”
After kicking Rage’s chin, who still smiled through the pain, Wrath turned away.
“Die, and die again.”
Delivering his final words, Wrath stepped into the dimensional gate of blue flames.
Fwaaaaa!
Gravity vanished, and it felt as though his legs were floating in midair. Since nothing forced him down, he let his body follow the flow.
It felt like falling onto a warm, soft blanket. For the first time in ages, he felt deep comfort and closed his eyes.
After some time, feeling refreshed as if he had awoken from a long sleep, he opened his eyes—only to see a massive moon before him. The moon shimmered with a frosty, silvery light, like ice.
“Hah…”
Wrath let out a hollow laugh at the enormous silver moon radiating chilling cold.
‘What is this…?’
Just staring at the silver moon made his soul feel frozen. The immense cold flowing within that lofty moonlight even startled him.
“Does this mean I must claim the moon’s power?”
If he could absorb all the cold contained in that moon, not only could he regain the strength he had spent, but he might even surpass it.
‘Finally, fortune smiles upon me!’
Wrath clenched his fists as he looked at the razor-cold moonlight.
‘You damned weasel! I’m not the only one who gets lucky!’
He’d always envied that Raon devoured fortuitous encounters like meals, but now the opportunity had come to him.
If he could obtain the moon’s power, he could finally repay all his humiliation.
“Fuuu…”
With a tense breath, Wrath closed his eyes. Slowly channeling Glacier, he began to absorb the moonlight’s cold—and immediately felt a pain as though knives were tearing through his insides.
‘This isn’t ordinary cold.’
If it were normal, his breath would have turned it into Glacier instantly—but this chill required a long, excruciating process of refinement.
‘So it’s not given freely? Good. That makes it more interesting. But…’
Wrath’s lips curved into a thin smile.
‘I’ve already suffered worse pain than this…’
He ground his teeth remembering Raon munching on Nadine bread with that smug face. Ignoring the pain, he pushed Glacier to its limits.
‘This pain is nothing compared to Nadine bread!’
—
“Mmm…”
Raon opened his eyes, feeling the chill rising from beneath his feet.
‘Where am I?’
The blue sky was veiled in gray, and the snow-covered ground was shattered, full of countless craters.
Sensing the surrounding energy, he realized—Transcendents had fought here. Monsters standing at the world’s pinnacle.
‘The fallen World Tree of ice… Did Wrath lose?’
Seeing the uprooted World Tree that always appeared with Wrath’s descent, he figured the Demon King must have faced a formidable foe.
‘I can’t feel Wrath’s presence.’
Raon stepped lightly across the broken ground, entering deeper into the split snowfield.
‘Where should I—’
As he pondered where to go to find Wrath, he spotted a corpse lying on the ground—a black-haired man whose body was slowly melting away.
‘Is he alive?’
The lower half of his body was already gone, and only his head and right arm remained, yet strangely, Raon could sense faint life within him.
‘Did this guy fight Wrath? He looks strong enough…’
As Raon tilted his head, the man he thought was dead slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were dark, reflecting shadow itself.
“A human…? Why is a human here?”
The black-haired, black-eyed man tilted his head in confusion.
“I should be asking that. Who are you?”
Raon frowned, looking down at him.
“Ah…”
The man smiled faintly in realization.
“You’re the human Wrath mentioned?”
He nodded as if he understood.
“So you’re the one who was Wrath’s trial.”
Raon clicked his tongue briefly. Hearing Wrath’s name and being recognized meant this man must be the test created by Wrath’s Chamber of Self.
“Your strength is decent, but you’re unlike any human I’ve seen.”
The black-haired man twisted his lips in amusement.
“Stop spouting nonsense. Who are you?”
Raon stood over him and jerked his chin.
“The previous Monarch. A pitiful king betrayed and slain by Wrath.”
The man bit his lip, saying Wrath had stabbed him in the back.
“For you to arrive before I fade… must be the will of the Demon God. If you give me power to avenge myself…”
“Cut the crap.”
Raon raised his foot and stomped on the man’s head.
“Wrath would never stab anyone in the back.”
Having lived with Wrath for so long, he knew for certain. Wrath might be betrayed—but he would never betray.
“Khrhhrh…”
The man let out a twisted laugh, realizing he couldn’t fool Raon.
“Now I see why Wrath said you were different.”
He shook his head helplessly.
“But I’ll remain in his memory forever, bringing him eternal pain… Wh–what are you doing!”
Rage, who had been sneering at Wrath, widened his eyes as his vision darkened.
“Shut your mouth.”
Ignoring Rage’s screams, Raon rolled his head underfoot like a ball.
“What are you doing! I’m a Demon King!”
Rage ground his teeth upon seeing Raon’s face again.
“You still have some energy left. Since you’re Wrath’s enemy, I guess I can devour you.”
“A mere human dares to devour me? Don’t spout nonsense!”
“You’ll see.”
Raon smiled faintly and placed his hand on the man’s head.
“W–wait! I am the former Demon King, Ra—”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take it.”
Sensing danger, Rage tried to reveal his name, but Raon ignored him and immediately invoked [Ring of Fire] and [Glacier].
“Gaaaaaah! W–wait!”
The man screamed, waving his hand as unbearable pain drained his life force.
“I still have things to say to Wrath! Please, wait! When he comes, tell him never to forget m—”
“Say your name, and I’ll tell him.”
“I… I am—”
Raon, having told him to say it, intensified Glacier before he could finish, devouring all of the energy within his body in an instant.
“Ghhkkk…”
Rage’s body vanished in seconds, even his mouth turning to dust.
‘You said to tell you my name, you insane human!’
He’d told him to speak but never gave him the chance. This lunatic was unlike any he’d ever met.
‘This thing is supposed to be human?’
He’s worse than any demon!
As that thought echoed through his fading mind, Wrath’s words resurfaced.
[Forget it. If you met him, that lunatic would strip not only your power but even your underwear.]
‘Crazy…’
The instant before his mind turned to dust, Rage finally understood why Wrath held such bitterness toward that human—and melted into gray light.
“Hmm…”
Raon clicked his tongue lightly as he felt Rage’s Authority flow into his palm.
“Are all demons secretly charity angels or something?”