Sungchul headed towards the top of the blue tower, and no one dared to cross his path. The battle of Elijah and the High Devil of the blue tower awaited him on the top floor. By the time he arrived, the conclusion had already been drawn. The High Devil with the head of a fly seemed to be unscathed while Elijah Breggas was tired and on the defensive. There was a black colored marble rolling by his feet.

"Regardless of your schemes, you cannot win at your level of strength."

The High Devil who had been flying in the air landed in front of Elijah. He was close enough that Elijah could reach out and touch him, but Elijah could not respond. There wasn't even enough strength left in his body to lift a finger.

's.h.i.+t. Is it because I only managed to find a single marble? I should have listened to the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and gathered at least 3.'

The information regarding the marbles sealing the strength of the High Devils turned out to be true. It acted as a sponge for the oppressive amounts of Magic Power that sustained their bodies, but it wasn't nearly enough with a single marble.

The twisted man had recommended Elijah to wait until he had gathered at least three marbles, but the news of the death of the High Devil Troupe had spread panic among the residents of the towers. Elijah felt like he was running out of time, and so he challenged the High Devil before he was ready. As a result, he was defeated. Elijah who was out of Mana and stamina couldn’t do anything but watch the Devil approach him.

It was at this moment that the ma.s.sive doorway to the High Devil's room burst open, and the atmosphere of the room changed instantly. The one who entered the room was none other than the Enemy of the World.

"…"

Sungchul looked around the surroundings with disinterest and walked over to their direction while Sophia and Bertelgia followed behind him. Sophia recognized Elijah and shouted,

"Brother!"

The High Devil who had been preparing to deliver the final blow unconsciously stepped back. He could feel a fearsome hostility and fighting spirit radiating from Sungchul's body that he hadn't felt before.

'Could it be… Was he the one who killed the High Devil Troupe along with the other High Devils?'

If that was the case, it didn't matter what happened to the pathetic human standing before him. The High Devil looked towards Sungchul and said,

"Why have you returned to this place?"

Sungchul did not answer. He took a step back and simply crossed his arms as he observed Elijah and the High Devil. It was an unspoken sign that signified that he had no intention to interfere.

The cunning High Devil understood Sungchul's intent and turned his hideous fly head towards Elijah once again. It wasn't possible to actually know whether the High Devil was smiling or not, but he was definitely laughing.

"Kekeke… Have you been cast aside?"

"…."

Elijah's face grew twisted. He had nothing to say. Strictly speaking, it wasn't him that was abandoned, but rather he who abandoned them.

The High Devil took another step closer. In between the fancy robes reminiscent of a judge's gown, the mutilated hand of a corpse shot out. It held a large spoon in its hand.

"I'll suck your brain while you're alive!"

Elijah pulled out his blade and faced off against the High Devil, but the conclusion was quite obvious. He wouldn't last much longer. Sophia who noticed Elijah fighting for his life let out a short scream and quickly approached Sungchul.

"I beg of you. Please save my brother."

It was the first time when she had lowered her head to him.

"…."

However, Sungchul did not respond verbally or physically. Sophia grew panicked and began fidgeting with her arms. Fortunately, she managed to quickly take a deep breath and pleaded to Sungchul once again.

"I'll do anything, if it will save my brother. Please. Please save him! You have the power to do so."

"…It was his personal decision. I have no obligation to intervene."

Sungchul spoke bluntly wasting no words.

A dark shadow pa.s.sed by Sophia's eyes. She could see with a glance that he wasn't to be persuaded, and so she bit down on her lower lip and bowed her head once again. Her slim form was trembling slightly. She turned to face the High Devil as she drew her blade.

"… I have no excuse. I have shown you something shameful."

"…"

"I am grateful for your help this far."

Sophia turned again towards Sungchul and gave a polite nod before rus.h.i.+ng towards the High Devil. Sungchul's eye lit up with interest.

'She was unexpectedly a good kid.'

If it had been anyone else, they might have shouted profanities towards him before leaving. It was human nature to resent a single moment of refusal regardless of the amount of generosity shown before. However, Sophia Breggas was better than most regarding this. This should be a natural etiquette, but there weren't many good people in Other World.

"Hmm."

Bertelgia began to circle around Sungchul's back as though she had something to say.

"What is it?"

Sungchul asked without taking his eyes off of Sophia who was wielding Cryomancy against the High Devil.

"That woman. She doesn't look so bad. She looks a lot more decent than that Elijah or whoever."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"Can't you save her? You went out of your way to save that Sarasa or Sarada girl from before."

"…"

"Is it because she's not your type?"

"Stop blabbering nonsense before I tear you apart."

"Hiii…"

Bertelgia was intimidated by Sungchul’s threat and backed away, s.h.i.+vering. Sunghcul turned back towards the battle when the annoying kid left his sight. Sophia was putting up a good fight, but it also seemed that she wouldn't last much longer.

"Kekeke! Human tras.h.!.+ You're skittering about without knowing your place!"

Terrifying swarms of giant flies flew out from his robe and enveloped Sophia.

"Ice Storm!"

She used a spell in an attempt to freeze the fly swarm, but there was no end to them as they kept on flying out of the High Devil's robe. The flies managed to break through the spell and overwhelmed the siblings. Sophia's sword danced gracefully while felling the flies, but Elijah was completely defenseless. She noticed Elijah's crisis and ran towards his side, but unfortunately, the giant flies aiming towards her back managed to tackle her with their bodies.

"Ugh!"

Sophia let out a shout, but she soon regained her posture and managed to reach her brother's side while repelling the swarm with magic. Fortunately, Elijah was still alive.

"Are you ok, brother?"

"…"

Elijah nodded weakly. The swarm of flies surrounded both of the siblings. Sophia looked at the countless flies circling them and instinctively knew that they had no chance of survival. Now that she was facing imminent death, she broke into a grin. She began reminiscing an unforgettable scene from her past.

"Do you remember? When we first met?"

She was a girl who lived with the pigs in the pigpen. A miracle came to visit this girl who had been looking after the livestock day after day without the possibility of a better future. Sophia could still remember the well-groomed boy standing in front of the pig pen with a shocked expression on his face.

"…"

Elijah didn't respond. It was because the situation didn't call for such leisurely conversation, but Sophia seemed to have a lot on her mind. She knew better than anyone that they would not have much more opportunities to have a conversation like this.

"There were swarms of flies around us then too, though none of them were this big!"

She began to laugh openly as though something was funny to her.

A few swarms of flies let loose a fierce attack. Sophia sliced through them with her blade leaving their halves on the floor, but there was still hundreds more flying around her.

"I'll break through the front."

Sophia spoke resolutely.

"When I do, run to the Enemy of the World, brother. Get on your knees before his feet and beg for your life."

"Sophia…"

"That's the only way for brother to survive."

As soon as the words left her lips, Sophia poured the last ounce of her magic into a fierce magical a.s.sault to attack the swarm. The fearsome storm of frost roared as though it would freeze the entire room of the gigantic High Devil. Elijah ran out as the swarm of flies began to falter.

Sophia looked towards his retreating figure and allowed herself a quiet smile, but the swarm of flies quickly swallowed her up. Elijah clenched his eyes as he ran over to Sungchul with all of his strength.

"…."

Sungchul looked at Elijah groveling before his feet with indifference.

"Please. Please help."

"Who are you asking for me to save?" retorted Sungchul callously.

Elijah looked at him as though he didn't understand, so Sungchul pointed his finger towards Sophia where the battle was still fiercely raging on.

"There? Or here?"

"T-that is…"

Elijah had nowhere to look. His eyes shook as he continued to stare at the ground. Sungchul walked past him with disappointment hanging densely in his eyes. Bertelgia flew past him as well but allowed herself a single cold word.

"Garbage."

Sungchul walked towards the High Devil who retreated in surprise when it sensed his approach.

"W-what is it? Are you trying to challenge me as well?!"

The High Devils emaciated hand moved, and the countless flies swarming around Sophia began to attack Sungchul. But, their enemy this time was not on the same level.

Fal Garaz struck the air.

Boom!

The hammer when swung with his G.o.dlike strength, resulted in air waves that destroyed everything within its vicinity. The thousands of windows in the room shattered simultaneously and the eardrums of the human maggots spectating the battle ruptured while the swarm of flies in the air popped into a b.l.o.o.d.y ma.s.s.

"…."

Sungchul continued to approach the High Devil who had nothing left in his a.r.s.enal.

"N-negotiation! Let's negotiate!"

The High Devil spoke in a panic, but it was already too late. Fal Garaz rose again in the air and then it fell. Sungchul put the smashed body of the High Devil behind him as he turned around. Sophia was lying on the floor; her body was riddled with injuries large and small. He approached her to gauge her condition. She was still breathing, but not for much longer.

Sungchul looked over at Elijah hurrying over to the High Devil's corpse to loot the item on the floor with disinterest.

"Look! Sophia! High Devil! I got the item that can make me into a High Devil! Finally… I finally have the strength to get my revenge on that person!"

He was hopping about while shouting like a madman. Sophia's dull eyes looked at that excited figure and smiled weakly.

"…Let's go."

Sungchul started to walk away.

"Weren't you going to save her?"

Bertelgia asked sadly while following behind him.

"Her death here might be the greatest ending she could hope for. Just so that she could be spared from the h.e.l.l that would await her from this point on."

Sungchul let out a shallow sigh as he left the room. Meaningless cheers of celebration echoed out from the empty room of the High Devil

–

It was a usual day of training. Sungchul sought out a rundown bar for a bit of peace and quiet when he heard news of a new powerful Devil appearing in the Demon Realm. He seemed to have appeared in the area under the jurisdiction of the Storm Battlefront. This Devil threatening the Dwarven fortifications was powerful, but it was gaining more notoriety for its unusual appearance.

The Devil was terrible to behold as it bled from its empty eye sockets formed after it ripped its own eyes out. But it carried a corpse of a beautiful woman tied to its back. They say that this Devil seemed to shout some nonsense occasionally as he a.s.saulted the Dwarven walls which people have a.s.sumed was the name of the woman hanging behind him.

"…"

Sungchul did not speak regarding this matter. Instead, he bought a bottle of alcohol and returned home.

'It's almost over.'

Sungchul felt the strong alcohol rumbling in his stomach as he looked toward the skyline of the Demon Realm.

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