Chapter 437

〈Chapter 437〉Part 1, Chapter 18, Section 19

“Aaaah!!”

Lee Seung-hyung plummeted straight toward the Dimensional Gate, emerging from Black Bible. He barely managed to stand, finding himself in what looked like a long-abandoned warehouse.

“…Pity. Young man.”

A familiar voice echoed from the shadows. Seung-hyung summoned his Magic Power, igniting a Flame that dispersed the darkness. There stood a turban-wearing man, proudly holding his Damascene sword.

“How dare you reject the grace of God?”

“What makes that thing grace?”

Seung-hyung raised his fist. The hostility was palpable on both sides, leaving no reason for him to hold back.

“It’s the mission of a Hero to guide those who’ve taken the wrong path! Even if they’re a Hero or part of the Round Table!”

Whoosh.

Flames began to blaze blue from Hwakwon’s eyes.

“I’ll arrest you! You Villain, monster, plotting world destruction! <Saladin>!!”

“Hmph. I wonder if you even have the right to say such things.”

The exposed skin of the villain Saladin darkened and disappeared into shadow.

“If I capture you and offer you to Him, I might receive another baptism. I truly owe you for this.”

Crrack. Crrack. Saladin’s chest split open, revealing a Core with a dark sheen gleaming within the grotesque hole.

“Thanks to you spreading the Black Scorpion cores worldwide, I too could receive His baptism. Hahaha.”

“……!!”

“I never understood why villains always rant before fighting until now.”

Saladin coated his Damascene blade with darkness and sneered.

“Do you think I’m the only one reborn through the grace of God?”

“……Tch!”

The worst-case scenario had become reality. But all Hwakwon could do now was one thing: knock down this monster before Azidahaka could.

Hwakwon gathered Magic Power and hurled a punch at the monstrous Saladin.

“Victory to the First Mover!”

“Hahaha! Azidahaka After Akbar!!!”

BOOOOM!!!

Thus began the opening act signaling the full-scale battle between Heroes and the Dark Legion—an abandoned warehouse exploding with azure flames.

***

It was a pose akin to yoga. Like stretching with a gym ball on your back, Maamryong was bouncing up and down on the bed with all limbs tied.

If he were wearing just a thread, it might’ve been understandable, but Maamryong was covered in all sorts of restraints.

Chains connected cuffs around his wrists and ankles to the bed frame, a ball gag and mask covered his mouth, and an eye mask blinded him. Through the chastity device covering his lower half, massive amounts of fluid leaked out.

Our first encounter with Maamryong had been atrocious, but thinking it was all part of Azidahaka’s plan to collapse Maamryong’s mind made me feel a pang of sympathy strong enough to momentarily dispel my transformation.

“Ethnic hatred…”

“Let go! Let me go!!”

I felt sorry for Azidahaka, whose hair was being yanked by my hand.

Penril spent twenty years as part of royalty, waddling around while mastering skills to escape detection.

Hydra spent twenty years ruling over an underground city the size of Africa as queen, even turning Adolf Wilhelm into a monster.

And what about Azidahaka’s twenty years?

“Creating clones to multiply sex appeal… Using sensation-sharing to drive Maamryong insane… This is why you fail.”

“Shut up! What do you know?!”

“Only one person in the world knows more than me.”

And that one person is on my side. I twisted Azidahka’s main head’s hair and threw it far into the sky. Before it disappeared into the darkness, I sent a flame to burn it completely.

“You hear that? Nod if you can.”

Maamryong wriggled his waist. Since his head couldn’t move due to the restraints, he used his waist, though the motion was so lewd it made me feel uneasy.

‘Does this feel like meeting an idol-turned-AV actress?’

Though Ji Ryun had several issues in their relationship with Hydra, Azidahaka was clearly the screwed-up one—no, honestly, trash-tier.

‘Hasn’t Rusalka been without a commander since the Chaos Incident?’

Rusalka, who only carried the contaminated power of Commander Heo Yoon-hwan, was essentially no different from Whangryong but drowned in the Yangtze River during the Chaos incident.

Excluding them, Karna and Hydra cooperated with me as commanders, but awakening a commander as a Spirit inevitably leads to erasing the personality of the created commander.

In short,

“Planning to incinerate all Azidahakas now. Can you handle it?”

Thud thud. Maamryong pounded his hips against the mattress in response. Though I wanted to immediately release Maamryong from the restraints, they were Cube-powered bindings that couldn’t be easily undone.

Because once released, Azidahaka would possess Maamryong again.

“Just endure a bit longer. Came five years earlier than expected.”

Thud thud thud.

“…No need to reply.”

I draped the emerald veil around my neck over Maamryong. Not only did it envelop his entire body, but it spread across the whole bed. If the bindings were tied to the bed frame, then covering the bed itself would suffice.

Crack.

As I clenched my fist, the bed became vacuum-sealed in the emerald veil. Though the Spanx-like adherence of the veil revealed Maamryong’s figure, it was certainly better than lying naked on the mattress, bouncing around.

“With this, all distractions are removed.”

I exited the basement room and looked up at the sky. Azidahakas swarmed the heavens, blocking out the sunlight—or rather, artificial lighting, since this world lacked a natural sun.

“Heh.”

Then it was time for me to become the sun of this world. I pulled out two weapons from my magical holster.

One was TAT, and the other was Deokbate.

“Well then, Azidahaka?”

[Let’s start our war game.]

Victory Condition:

Total annihilation of Azidahaka.

Transforming into my monster form, I unfurled my azure wings to unleash Full Strength.

[Azidahaka, do you know this?]

Click.

The barrel of the TAT heated up. Though no bullets were loaded, the chamber contained a magic-infused projectile ready to explode at any moment.

[Searing Phoenix Revival can be used…]

Screams erupted as Azidahakas opened their mouths wide, resembling monsters from horror films. Within the gaping voids, black Magic Power began to coalesce.

From every direction, Breath attacks were launched at me. I raised the TAT toward the ceiling. The Azidahakas clustered high above scattered in panic.

But it was too late. To avoid it, they’d have to leave this world entirely.

[Like this.]

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!

In the pitch-black sanctuary, a sapphire sun ascended.

***

Dimensional Gates appeared simultaneously across the globe. These gates were artificially created by people who professed allegiance to Azidahaka.

“Team A, support local heroes. Attack the tail section of the Dark Demon Dragon.”

Promising next-generation politicians, celebrities known for charity concerts, socially renowned figures, and heroes famous for defeating monsters—all kinds of influential individuals came out of the closet as Azidahaka followers.

“Team C, join Team D in Paris. Together, we’ll tackle the Wind Dragon. Ignore the order to protect the Eiffel Tower. Focus on protecting civilians.”

People from all walks of life came out not just as monsters but also revealed hidden aspects of their sexual identities—though 99% were young, handsome men, with a few pretty women mixed in.

“Team F, standby in Kazakhstan. Heal wounds and move after recovery. Team K… Stop. We understand your determination, but your injuries are severe. Order: focus on recovery.”

Suddenly, they became both monsters and came out about their concealed sexual orientations. But who could care about such matters now?

Keeooaaaoo!!

They became sacrifices for Azidahaka to open Dimensional Gates, and from these portals emerged Dark Demon Dragons. The number of Dimensional Gates opened worldwide reached hundreds, with fifty alone spewing out Demon Dragons.

“…This is Executive Officer speaking. Orders to all heroes across the nation, the world, the Earth.”

Baek Hee-a clutched the command console with trembling hands as she issued commands.

“Trust each other, don’t doubt, and fight together as always…!”

Heroes dispatched to various locations were already busy sealing the Dimensional Gates, yet they hesitated, suspecting each other, which significantly hindered the process of closing the gates.

-How can we trust even Round Table heroes when they’re monsters?

Hwakwon and Saladin signaled the prelude to battle with exchanges of sword and fist in Jerusalem. Subsequently, those praising Azidahaka multiplied, plunging the world into great chaos.

Someone needed to restore order. Executioner Baek Hee-a’s influence didn’t extend far beyond the Blue Wind Sect, and tears welled up in her eyes.

[This is Team B, Sky Castle. En route to Bali. We will eliminate the Demon Dragon upon arrival.]

[This is Tempest Lady from Team L. Currently engaging a Dark Demon Dragon in South Africa! A Sea Dragon has also appeared! Assistance required!]

Battles erupted worldwide. Just as the composition of heroes dispatched to each country varied, so did the types and numbers of Demon Dragons emerging from the Dimensional Gates. In Norway, a gate opened but no dragon emerged, whereas in Sydney, a Dark Demon Dragon, Water Demon Dragon, and Light Demon Dragon all burst forth.

“Ugh….”

Baek Hee-a bit her lip tightly. No matter how much control she wielded over the entirety of the Blue Wind Sect, its reach still had limits. The chaos wrought by S-Rank Heroes professing allegiance to Azidahaka disrupted even the command structures of hero associations worldwide.

A reversal was necessary. Despite issuing ceaseless orders to thirteen teams, Baek Hee-a’s voice lacked strength despite straining her throat.

[Ah… uh… cough, spit.]

An inebriated uncle’s voice crackled through the command channel. Baek Hee-a’s heart sank, assuming there was a communication issue.

[Ah, are you listening, cowards?]

“No.”

Baek Hee-a’s heart sank again. The provocateur addressing all Earth’s heroes spoke Korean and clearly mocked everyone.

[You bastards! You seemed fine normally, but now you’re panicking over something like this?! Hey! Back in my day, even after discovering the woman I was dating was actually trying to brainwash me into becoming a pervert, I still managed to do my job!!]

“No!!”

He was definitely drunk. Baek Hee-a blushed furiously, forgetting the chaotic situation. Surely, all heroes currently hearing his voice worldwide must be equally confused.

[Listen, you call yourself a hero, hey! Sometimes you gotta face off against SS-Rank Monsters! How often in life do you get to meet dragons?! Afraid you might die? Bullshit, you won’t! Whether it’s monsters, villains, or dragons, they’ll die—not us heroes!! Heroes Never Die!! What? Light Blade? That guy would’ve lived if he’d followed my orders, you bastards!!]

“…”

Baek Hee-a gave up on everything.

[So repeat after me! Heroes don’t die! Heroes don’t lose!! Of course, if you keep freezing up and acting stupid, you might lose. But we won’t lose to these perverted bastards!!! Do you want future generations to read that Earth fell to pornographic freaks?! Snap out of it!!]

“Hmm.”

Her mind suddenly cleared. Rationality returned, and the racing heartbeat from the chaos gradually calmed.

There was no way she could not snap out of it. The drunken ramblings of the boisterous uncle somehow shocked her back to clarity. Ah, even if I’m bad, I’m not that bad. Quite the extreme shock therapy.

[So listen up! Follow my and the Executioner’s orders, and you’ll live. Disobey, and you’re all Azidahaka lovers. Got it? Upset? Then survive and hit me later, damn it. Don’t you know disobeying command officers gets you expelled from the association? What? How can you trust a man’s words? Azidahaka bastard! Are you satisfied now?!]

“….I give up.”

Baek Hee-a shook her head and straightened her posture. Salamander, assisting beside her, was at a loss.

“Commander, please take charge of the southern hemisphere. I’ll handle the northern hemisphere.”

[Got it! If I let a single hero die, I’ll dance in my underwear in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square!!]

Wouldn’t that have the opposite effect? Calming her boiling insides, Baek Hee-a pulled out an additional console. Panels labeled N, O, P, Q, and R were displayed.

“NTR Operation commencing. Please keep Gwanghwamun pristine.”

A new wind began to sweep across the entire Earth.