Chapter 152
As the countless crows swirling around me like a storm scattered, the scenery around me changed.
Six black thrones and a round table.
Demonic Energy lay thick across the floor.
The familiar sight immediately told me where I was.
The sanctuary and hidden stronghold of Pandemonium.
This was where the High-ranking Executives of Pandemonium held their regular meetings, where countless major and minor affairs were decided.
Caw! Caw!
The grating cries of Malphas made me frown.
Having already drawn up my Demonic Energy beforehand, I was fully armed.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"Human, mind your tongue. Even if you are the Heavenly Demon's disciple, can you not grasp the situation?"
The crow-headed bastard barked at me.
Well, would you look at that?
Rather than anger, I was dumbfounded by his dramatic change in attitude.
The same guy who couldn't even open his beak in front of the Heavenly Demon suddenly became arrogant the moment he got away from her and started talking about rank to me?
To be fair, what he was saying wasn't entirely wrong.
Objectively speaking, my rank was indeed lower than Malphas's.
No matter that I was the Heavenly Demon's disciple, he was the leader of Pandemonium's close aide.
His backing was far more formidable than mine.
Moreover, he was a High-ranking Demon possessing the powerful Authority to manipulate space.
If he had possessed exceptional combat ability as well, he would probably have held a position above even the High-ranking Executives.
The problem was...
He had no combat ability.
In other words, he was the typical opportunist who had survived in Pandemonium, where the Iron-Blooded Law reigned supreme, solely by relying on his meager abilities and powerful backing.
There was no way I could lower my head to someone like him.
Not that I saw any reason to.
Perhaps my indifferent expression irritated him.
Trying to restore his shattered pride, he unleashed his Demonic Energy.
An overwhelming wave of Demonic Energy crushed the surrounding area.
The dense Demonic Energy filling the sanctuary resonated with his power and boiled violently.
Even a rotten fish still smells like fish.
He was displaying the dignity of a higher existence possessed by a Demon.
Most Demons would probably bow their heads just from witnessing it.
There had once been a time when merely looking into a Demon's eyes filled me with overwhelming helplessness.
But now...
A mere level of authority like this couldn't harm me.
I briefly wondered how I should respond.
Should I let him have this one?
Or, since the Heavenly Demon was gone and he'd gotten all puffed up—no, puffed up his beak—should I simply remind him of our proper place in the hierarchy?
If it came down to a direct fight, I was confident I could crush him.
The reason he'd been such an annoying boss wasn't because of his combat ability.
It was because of his outstanding escape capabilities using Spatial Movement and his ability to summon Demons.
The only thing bothering me was...
I looked around, searching for something.
I was looking for the source of the overwhelming presence spread throughout the sanctuary.
Malphas had brought me here, but someone else had given the order.
The leader of Pandemonium.
He wasn't visible at the moment, but a presence this overwhelming meant he was watching us from somewhere.
What exactly was he planning?
Was he trying to gauge my abilities?
At that moment, Malphas roared.
"Cawww! Don't you dare look down on me just because you're a mere human!"
The boiling Demonic Energy throughout the sanctuary surged upward and rushed toward me.
Casting aside my thoughts, I summoned the Jet-Black Sword.
I didn't know what the leader of Pandemonium intended.
But this was self-defense.
He attacked first.
The 【Flames of Gehenna】 ignited along the Jet-Black Sword.
Empowered by the sanctuary's dense Demonic Energy, the crimson flames burned even more fiercely than usual.
A single crimson line carved through the massive tidal wave of Demonic Energy.
Craaack!
Flames erupted from the line etched into the wave, swallowing it whole in an instant.
Beyond the disappearing tide of Demonic Energy, I saw Malphas's bird head.
His beak hung wide open, and his crimson eyes were bulging.
I slowly walked toward him.
"I think you're the one who's looking down on someone."
I pointed the Jet-Black Sword straight at him.
"How dare you point your sword at me! I am His Excellency's loyal subordinate and closest aide!"
"If that's true, then why is the person you trust so much remaining silent? Perhaps even he realizes just how far you've overstepped your place."
"Caw..."
His body dispersed into countless crows.
Trying to run away like a coward?
Relying on the fiercely blazing flames, I thrust my sword forward.
【Asura Divine Art】
【Discipline Through Punishment】
The tip of the swinging sword split into dozens of afterimages, targeting the flock of crows.
Then a voice pierced my mind.
[Enough.]
The divided flames instantly dispersed.
The Mana permeating the sanctuary surged upward, forming a massive wall composed entirely of Demonic Energy.
Seeing that, I let out a hollow laugh.
Malphas was an incredibly troublesome opponent.
That was why I had intended to eliminate him if I ever got the chance.
In other words, I had genuinely meant that attack.
And yet...
It was scattered with nothing more than a single word.
Judging by what I knew, his strength was roughly equal to that of the Heavenly Demon.
Furthermore, this sanctuary of Pandemonium was effectively his Domain.
I looked into the empty air and spoke.
"How long do you intend to test me? You abduct me without permission and won't even show yourself. Don't you think that's a little excessive?"
I had no idea why he had summoned me here.
Surely he hadn't brought me all this way merely to warn the Heavenly Demon.
He definitely had another purpose.
Then his voice echoed through the empty space.
[Devil Knight.]
"Yes. I'm listening."
The Demonic Energy covering the floor gathered together and gradually condensed into a single mass.
It was a collection of pure Demonic Energy.
Its density rivaled even Abyssal Mana.
And the overwhelming presence emanating from it...
That was the leader of Pandemonium.
Seeing it, I found myself puzzled.
The spherical mass of Demonic Energy before me was undoubtedly the leader of Pandemonium.
Its power, presence, and overwhelming authority proved as much.
I looked down as the Armor of Darkness covering my body began to disperse.
Living up to his title as the King of Demons, he interfered with the Authority of others.
More precisely, he exerted control over the Demonic Energy that served as its source, causing it to dissipate.
Such a refined display of divine power couldn't possibly be achieved through a clone or an avatar.
Which meant...
That mass before me was his true body.
And that gave rise to a question.
The leader of Pandemonium who appeared in 《Become a Hero》 had clearly possessed a human form.
Yet the figure before me resembled a spirit far more than a human being.
[I can sense your confusion. You doubt my appearance.]
"..."
Can he read minds?
He had accurately seen through my thoughts.
Of course, I couldn't openly admit that.
"Not at all."
A faint chuckle seemed to echo from within the sphere of black Demonic Energy.
[A pitiful appearance, isn't it? Baek Hyun-joong. He is the one who reduced me to this state.]
Hearing that familiar name, I focused on his words.
There were many things I wanted to know about Baek Hyun-joong.
[Long before you were born, there was a Great War between the Heroes and the Demons.]
"A Great War?"
[Indeed. A holy war fought to bring about the Descent of the End and open the Hell Gate.]
I knew a fair amount about the Great War.
It had been one of the most important events taught during the Academy's history classes.
It was closely tied to the founding of the Academy itself, and our instructor had repeatedly emphasized that it would appear on the exams.
Even back then, Demons had been a serious threat to society.
However, Pandemonium wasn't yet the widely known organization it was today.
At the time, Demons were treated no differently from ordinary Villains.
Pandemonium only truly became known as a global threat after the Great War.
One day, Demons suddenly appeared all over the world, causing destruction wherever they went as they advanced toward a single destination.
The Demons, who had originally acted individually, gradually gathered together as they approached that location, swelling their numbers.
Even the Heroes couldn't stop them.
The army that eventually assembled in Yeouido, where the Academy now stood, was said to have been enormous.
Their objective had been obvious.
The Gate.
They intended to open the Hell Gate and summon the Demons.
But their attempt failed.
Because someone stood before the Demon army.
White Wing Baek Hyun-joong.
The Hero who had saved the nation.
The strongest Hero of his era.
Led by him, the Heroes united and fought against the Demons.
The Great War lasted a very long time.
A relentless struggle centered around Yeouido.
In the process, the Republic of Korea was devastated, and Yeouido—the heart of the battlefield—was left without even a trace of human civilization.
The war's conclusion had been unexpectedly hollow.
Baek Hyun-joong, the greatest Hero of his time, sacrificed his life to defeat the leader of the Demons, and the Demon forces scattered.
Afterward, on the grounds of Yeouido where Baek Hyun-joong had fallen, the Academy was established to nurture future generations.
The Association also reclassified Demons—not as mere Villains, but as an Extremely High-Risk Threat—and began systematically suppressing them.
The leader of Pandemonium continued.
[At the time, I believed I was the End foretold in the prophecy. I possessed power worthy of that title, and I believed the signs of prophecy pointed toward me. In truth, I came very close to succeeding.]
"...If not for Baek Hyun-joong."
[Indeed. His power was as though it had been created for the sole purpose of exterminating Demons. Those cursed powers of the Angels. My body was torn apart by the radiance of light, and I lost my flesh. Yet I have no regrets.]
"No regrets?"
[None. Because through that, I realized my true purpose. And I obtained a new power befitting it.]
A new power?
His story was remarkably fascinating.
Everything he was saying was something I had never heard before.
[Only after losing my body did I begin to perceive things I never could before. I gained the ability to read the Heavenly Secrets... and Fate.]
Heavenly Secrets?
Fate?
Those words made me fall silent.
They were all too familiar.
They were the very names that had repeatedly stood in my way and driven me into despair.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Could it be...
Had everything been part of his plan?
Now that I thought about it, the first time the Demon of the End stole my body had also been strangely suspicious.
The hidden treasure of Mount Baekdu had been Wol-ah.
The Heavenly Demon had kidnapped the world's last surviving baby Angel and raised her as her attendant.
Then, through my own hands, Wol-ah returned to the place where she had been born.
Sandalphon descended through Wol-ah's body.
I died at his hands...
And the Demon of the End took my body.
The same had happened with Lord Biden.
Could all of this really have been mere coincidence?
I raised my head and looked toward the leader of Pandemonium.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
[At some point, the futures I foresaw began to deviate little by little. Events that should have occurred never happened, while events that should never have occurred came to pass.]
I felt my body gradually stiffen.
My neck grew rigid, and my heart began pounding for no reason.
[At first, I paid it little mind. After all, the Heavenly Secrets were merely fragments of possible futures.]
"..."
[But eventually, even events that should never have changed began to shift. The Academy's White Witch never fell into corruption. Berid was defeated. And now, even Lord Biden—who was never meant to die yet—has perished.]
Caw... Caw...
Malphas's cries echoed through the sanctuary.
They sounded almost like mocking laughter.
Then the leader of Pandemonium's next words pierced straight through me.
[Just what... are you?]