【The anonymous Recorders have started reading the Sophist of Evil’s time rift.】

【…….】

【Asmodeus?】

【Ah, sorry, Heavenly Flying Fox. This is the first round I’ve seen where someone like the Blood Demon is that strong.】

【It’s because Kim Dokja interfered. Even so, it’s a story that can’t become official history.】

【Official history. You think that story is nothing but an unofficial history?】

【Yes. It’s nothing but a diversion to satisfy a single Recorder.】

At Heavenly Flying Fox’s words, Asmodeus laughed.

【That’s not something a Recorder would say.】

【…….】

【Didn’t you say it? That the anonymous Recorders started reading the time rift.】

In the darkness, Asmodeus’s teeth gleamed white.

【If more Recorders end up liking that record, that record could become official history.】

Staring into a distant abyss, Asmodeus muttered.

【I wonder what the King of Terror thinks.】

*

In pitch-black darkness, a myth flowed down.

Corpse soldiers who didn’t know how to scream charged in. Athena’s shield poured out light, and Artemis’s arrows drew their arcs. Apollo’s heat burned the corpse soldiers, and Dionysus, drunk, tore apart the bodies of the dead.

Even so, the corpse soldiers didn’t fear. For every number that fell to the Constellations’ attacks, even more corpse soldiers were replenished.

As if sick of it, Athena muttered.

[How tedious.]

And so five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes.

As time passed, the Constellations also began taking damage little by little. From the mutual destruction carried out by incarnations who didn’t fear death, small wounds were increasing across the Constellations’ limbs.

It was only possible because there was a “giant myth” suppressing the Constellations’ pressure.

[Giant myth, ‘Darkness That Eats Starlight’ continues its story.]

Tzzztzzzt!

From the Blood Demon’s seven apertures, which had been forced to drag in excessive probability, blood poured down without pause. Clumps of myth heaved up and spilled onto the floor.

Die. You damned Constellation bastards.

Even as he felt the myth throughout his entire body shattering into pieces, the Blood Demon was smiling.

He felt like it would be enough if he pushed just a little more. Even if it was four myth-grade Constellations—no matter that they were four of the Twelve gods of that great Olympus—down here, they couldn’t beat him.

A glint of greed passed through the Blood Demon’s eyes as he watched the Constellations being gradually driven onto the defensive.

What if he could obtain their incarnation bodies. If only he could turn those bastards into corpse soldiers.

[Truly a disgraceful thing.]

With Athena’s admiration, a brilliantly white shining sacred relic formed a semicircular wall of flashing light around the four Constellations.

[Absolute Defense Zone].

An “immortality zone” that lasted for ten seconds.

It was the ability of Athena’s sacred relic, ‘Aegis’.

The Blood Demon laughed.

“Stalling for time? It’s useless.”

He’d lost more than half of the Seoul Station corpse soldiers, but if he kept pressing like this, the side that won was him anyway.

“I will kill you and take your corpses. And then I will break through the final scenario. I will smash the Ark and cross the ‘Final Wall’. And then, at the end of that scenario, I will make a wish.”

The Blood Demon thought.

He didn’t need regression anymore. His wish would be fulfilled in this round.

“I will meet my little sister once again—”

Pshut, and blood sprayed from the Blood Demon’s right chest. His surroundings shook, and his body rolled across the floor.

Ragged breaths mixed with blood came out.

Dududududu!

Bullets flying in from somewhere were indiscriminately bombarding the corpse soldiers protecting him.

Looking at the collapsing ranks of corpse soldiers, he thought that couldn’t be. His corpse soldiers wouldn’t fall to mere bullets. Because the incarnation who could ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) “do something like that” had already died long ago.

So when that existence appeared at the edge of the battlefield, the Blood Demon could only mutter stupidly.

“The Armed Fortress Lord?”

An armed fortress crushing the station as it advanced from behind the Constellations.

He couldn’t believe it. Gong Pildu, the Armed Fortress Lord who had once been one of the Three Evils, was killed by Cheon Inho. Then what in the world was the thing he was seeing now?

“What in the—”

It wasn’t just Gong Pildu.

There were figures walking up beside Gong Pildu.

“The Steel Sword Emperor… the Admiral of the Sea… even the Delusional Evil Spirit? How—”

He couldn’t believe it.

There were the dead Tyrant King’s companions.

[Constellation, ‘The One Who Gouged Out His Own Eyes’ descends to the ground!]

Athena smiled in satisfaction.

[You’re late, Oedipus.]

[My apologies.]

Oedipus, with blazing eyes, stared at the Blood Demon from the darkness. Then an oracle filled with vicious mockery flowed out.

[Why are you so surprised? Did you think we wouldn’t know about your ability? Your giant myth isn’t very useful against ‘incarnations’. So we brought these ones, specially.]

“That can’t be.”

[What are you denying, foolish evildoer?]

“I saw it clearly. The Armed Fortress Lord, too! The Steel Sword Emperor, too! The Admiral of the Sea, too! I saw them all die with my own eyes. So how…?”

[Do you think only the ‘Sophist of Evil’ knows how to use [Summon the Dead]?]

With stunned eyes, the Blood Demon looked at the incarnations approaching.

[To begin with, who do you think taught that skill to humans?]

“Even if you bastards have that skill…!”

According to the Blood Demon’s memory, Gong Pildu and Lee Hyunsung weren’t in a state that could be revived even with [Summon the Dead]. Because they were, literally, torn to pieces when they died.

“What did you bastards do, exactly.”

In the darkness, the hulking bodies of Lee Hyunsung and Gong Pildu came into view in flashes. Countless incision lines stitched onto their skin, from head to toe.

The Blood Demon’s shoulders trembled.

Those mad stars had collected the fragments of the incarnations that had been ripped apart, all for this moment. To bring them back into this hell of a scenario once again.

[Ah, actually, we stitched your little sister together diligently, too.]

“What?”

[But we simply couldn’t restore this head.]

In Oedipus’s grip was a child’s corpse dangling without a head.

Familiar arms and legs. The exact sight he had seen in his dream just over ten minutes ago.

From the Blood Demon’s throat burst a strange roar that was neither a shriek nor a scream. How long did that roar last? At some point, the sound cut off abruptly, and an eerie silence filled the underground.

“You bastards.”

The Blood Demon’s eyes, burning blood-red, were wavering toward the stars.

“From now on, don’t think a single one of you is going back alive.”

*

“So that was why you came here.”

After hearing my story to the end, Yoo Joonghyuk looked at me with an expression like he couldn’t believe it.

“Of course. Why else would I take a risk like this?”

From the moment we infiltrated the Blood Demon’s base, I’d been aiming for the Blood Demon and the Constellations to tear each other apart.

It was only possible because I’d already confirmed all of the Blood Demon’s skills, stigmas, and myths through the [Character List].

“He probably activated 「Darkness That Eats Starlight」 by now.”

The giant myth, 「Darkness That Eats Starlight」.

A terrifying giant myth that halves the Constellations’ power underground.

I’d wondered how someone like the Blood Demon managed to obtain a myth like that, but when I dug through my memory, it seemed like, when the <Underworld> was destroyed due to Cheon Inho’s instigation, the Blood Demon helped with something and obtained a giant myth.

A strange light flickered through Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes as he heard.

“So the Blood Demon isn’t without a chance.”

“As long as a myth-grade Constellation doesn’t descend.”

“Even if the final scenario has started, those cowardly myth-grade ones won’t recklessly leave the Ark.”

I thought so too. The Constellations who attacked the Blood Demon’s base were probably the remaining myth-grade, or great-person-grade remnants of <Olympus>.

“Even so, it’s not a situation we can look at optimistically. Either way, they’re Constellations who made it all the way to the ‘final scenario’. Their heads have gone stiff from living too long, but we can’t ever underestimate their power.”

Then Ye Hyeonwoo, who had been listening beside us, asked.

“Then in your eyes, which side has the advantage? The Blood Demon, or the Constellations?”

“In my opinion…”

Just as I was about to answer, a bright light surged up from Anna Croft’s entire body. At last, Kim Anna’s soul had successfully settled in.

What I had called was “Anna Croft of the 41st round,” from the same worldline as me.

As she slowly opened her eyes, I smiled faintly and spoke. If [Summon the Dead] had succeeded, she would understand my words.

“Ms. Kim Anna, welcome back to the mess that is the 40th round.”

Even at my playful greeting, Anna Croft didn’t smile. As if she knew exactly what she had to do, she merely stared at me, blinking slowly. In her eyes, the “eyes of a great demon” were swirling.

[Future Sight].

Already, she had begun reading the future of this round.

The prophet left her first prophecy.

“They’re coming.”

At the same time, the iron door shook violently. The Ten Evils jumped up in alarm, and Yoo Joonghyuk took a combat stance.

I asked Anna.

“Who’s coming?”

Anna didn’t answer. Judging by the way she was frowning hard, it seemed she was suffering aftereffects from just having been possessed.

When I signaled to Yoo Joonghyuk with my eyes, he drew up his momentum and stood before the iron door.

Maybe because of the reassurance of having the Tyrant King on our side, the other Ten Evils’ expressions looked noticeably calmer, too.

The Sage of the Horizon muttered.

“Right. The Tyrant King is on our side, so what’s there to fear? Unless Zeus comes, maybe—”

I watched the situation while holding onto the back of Ye Hyeonwoo’s neck, who had already finished preparing to disappear.

Yoo Joonghyuk said.

“The Qimen Formation is being dispelled.”

Not breaking apart, but being dispelled? Then the existence that was about to open the iron door and enter…

“Like I thought…”

With a creaking sound, the iron door opened. In the blinking light, a single silhouette appeared.

“The Blood Demon.”

Covered in blood, he stared at me with a horrifying gaze, his right arm missing.

I grinned and asked.

“Did you enjoy the dumplings?”

If the Blood Demon appeared here, it meant he had killed the Constellations and had his underlings surround this place.

Until Anna found the answer through [Future Sight], I had to buy time somehow.

“Cheon Inho.”

A voice like blood boiling flowed out of the Blood Demon’s throat.

I took a step back and said.

“No, why don’t we talk first? Now, now, calm down—”

But the Blood Demon staggered toward me, then dropped to his knees right in front of me. Then he looked up at me.

He was making an expression I’d never seen before. It looked like he was grateful to me, like he was laughing at me, like he was furious at me… like he pitied me.

As if gathering up that storm of emotions, the Blood Demon said.

“Now you are the last humanity.”

Skak, and the Blood Demon’s head fell to the floor. Something had cut off the Blood Demon’s neck.

In that unreal scene, I slowly raised my head. A shiver ran down my spine.

A skill that could kill an expert on the Blood Demon’s level in a single strike.

I knew what this skill was. A wounded sword demon who trained and trained with the sword, and at last, upon reaching the ultimate essence of swordsmanship, created a killing move.

“Instant Kill.”

The moment I lifted my head, a flash flared in front of my eyes.

A sensation like time slowing. It was too late to use [Incitement]. As a distant feeling washed over me, a man in a pitch-black coat was already standing before me.

“Step back.”

With a roaring boom, the Instant Kill was knocked away.

Tzzztzzzt.

Sparks bursting violently.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s penalty, 「Curse of the Stars」, had activated.

「When Yoo Joonghyuk fights an incarnation, his pressure is reduced to one-tenth.」

From far away, I could see a crowd of stars walking in. Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus. Four of the Twelve chief gods of <Olympus> were there.

The stars approaching, killing the crazed corpse soldiers one by one after the Blood Demon died.

And incarnations standing as if escorting them.

Yoo Joonghyuk was staring at the incarnations with eyes that gave nothing away.

From Lee Jihye, who had just used Instant Kill on me, to Lee Hyunsung, Gong Pildu, and even Kim Namwoon.

Looking at how they were crudely stitched together like old dolls, it was clear what had happened.

Those damned Constellations had revived them with [Summon the Dead].

[What a strange thing. Tyrant King, how did you revive? Your soul should have already left this worldline.]

A subtle glint passed through Apollo’s eyes.

[We’ll take him to Hermes. He’s worth studying.]

At the same time, the four incarnations moved to surround Yoo Joonghyuk.

“Idiots. Snap out of it.”

Even at Yoo Joonghyuk’s threat, the four incarnations showed no response.

From the look of it, they weren’t simply revived with ordinary [Summon the Dead]. They likely used some high-level brainwashing-type skill, or there was also the possibility that they summoned a soul that had already been destroyed and implanted it.

Either way, it was the worst possible situation.

[Tyrant King. They’re your companions. You know full well you can’t win no matter what you do.]

“……”

[If you surrender now, we’ll give you the chance to board the Ark with us.]

A chance to board the Ark.

Apollo was offering Yoo Joonghyuk a proposal right now. To a mere incarnation, he was offering to grant the “qualification” to stand equal to the Constellations of the final scenario.

Of course, the answer was already decided.

“I refuse.”

The transcendent throne’s pressure blooming from his entire body.

In an instant, Yoo Joonghyuk leaped and swung the Yellow Heaven Moon Halberd straight ahead.

“No matter how many times I regress, there will never be a time I ride in the same vessel as you bastards.”

With just a single arc, the formation the four incarnations guarded collapsed. For someone supposedly only exerting one-tenth of his pressure, it was unbelievable divinity.

Well, that Yoo Joonghyuk was a madman who had broken through the encirclement of great-person-grade Constellations and slain Ares even without the Yellow Heaven Moon Halberd.

“Lee Hyunsung. If you block me, you die.”

At the blade of the Yellow Heaven Moon Halberd that shot out like lightning, the front of Lee Hyunsung’s clothes was slashed wide open. Watching that movement that didn’t acknowledge him as a former companion at all, I felt a strange sensation.

I know.

That is Yoo Joonghyuk.

This likely wasn’t the first time, either, for a situation like this. Even so, watching him made me feel strange.

“Sophist of Evil. There’s no time. The Tyrant King is overreaching. He can’t last long against incarnations.”

Hearing Ye Hyeonwoo press me, my head was a mess. What can I do right now? What do I have to do to save that Yoo Joonghyuk “properly”?

It was then that Anna Croft muttered from behind.

“Staging.”

Staging?

“Dodge!”

With Yoo Joonghyuk’s shout, a hail of bullets swept the front. A few bullets grazed my side, and dizzying pain flared up.

These were the bullets of Gong Pildu who had reached the final scenario.

Taking those bullets head-on, Yoo Joonghyuk swung his spear and protected the group.

Skagak!

Lee Jihye’s and Kim Namwoon’s sharp blades cut Yoo Joonghyuk’s arms and legs.

Tu-kwang!

Lee Hyunsung’s heavy fist exploded into Yoo Joonghyuk’s stomach.

Even as he retched out a breath, Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t take a single step back.

Not a single step.

“Cheon Inho.”

That single step was so heavy that I realized a little late that he was calling me.

The moment our eyes met, I understood what Yoo Joonghyuk was thinking. That terrible thought I was having right now—Yoo Joonghyuk was having it too.

“Use 「Staging」.”

In truth, I already knew. Even before hearing Anna Croft’s words, I knew what I had to do right now.

Because the moment I looked at Lee Hyunsung, at Gong Pildu, at Lee Jihye, and then again at Kim Namwoon, death memories that were painfully clear rose up in my head.

That’s right.

Right now, the ones in front of my eyes—

“They’re all guys you’ve killed before.”

All of them had died “once” by Cheon Inho’s hand.