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 [Chapter 206]

[Behind-the-scenes Maneuvering(6)]

The trigger was the Mana Church's Anti-Soul Festival terror.

The Mana Church was gathering necessary tools and illegal instruments for the Anti-Soul Festival.

Though they said it was at the request of believers, it was revealed they had illegally diverted specific corpses.

The investigation had to be concluded as all related parties like bishops and deputy leaders either died or disappeared mysteriously.

It was a case that only left questions.

The investigation ended up in a dead end.

There was no way to investigate without prosecution rights.

But the circumstances were clear.

Darkness was involved.

The Anti-Soul Festival was carried out on a large scale.

They couldn't have obtained the numerous tools and illegal instruments needed for the festival without any noise.

Yet the Mana Church managed it.

In other words, they had a distribution network that could avoid the eyes of darkness.

It was nonsense.

Darkness wasn't so blind as to not grasp such transactions.

In the end, there were two possibilities.

Either darkness turned a blind eye.

Or darkness was responsible for the distribution network.

Either way, it meant darkness was involved.

Since Teacher Baek Seo-jin wouldn't do that, someone among those immersed in darkness must have been supporting the Mana Church.

Darkness isn't like it used to be.

There's a traitor in darkness.

Eun-ha guessed this when he informed Baek Seo-jin about the existence of Ma. So he was able to connect the Mana Church's Anti-Soul Festival terror and darkness.

At the same time─.

─Armageddon might have been behind the Mana Church's Anti-Soul Festival terror.

Eun-ha suspected.

What kind of person was <Madam > Bebe who belonged to On Tae-yang's party in the previous life when he was attending the academy?

She was a Ma.

She was Armageddon's person.

And she had artifacts that <Hell King> Shin Do-rim handled in the previous life.

This created a strange connection between Armageddon and the Mana Church.

Though he didn't know what role Armageddon played in the Mana Church, he could be certain there was a deep relationship.

In other words.

<Abyss > is Armageddon's person.

Armageddon - Bebe - Mana Church.

Darkness - Seon U Hwa-ryeong - Mana Church.

Connecting these two relationships revealed Seon U Hwa-ryeong's identity.

Therefore, Eun-ha wasn't flustered even when Armageddon suddenly revealed himself.

☆

"I never thought Hwa-ryeong would be defeated by you like this. You don't hesitate to do such things despite being a hero."

Armageddon spoke borrowing Seon U Hwa-ryeong's body.

Just that alone cast a strange pressure over the surrounding area.

Han Chang-jin and Twenty-five sensed danger and quickly retreated.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha was composed.

He sneered.

"You can't be dealt with through proper methods. If a sprout is seen, it must be cut off immediately."

"You mean nipping it in the bud? Even so, that's quite a dangerous thought. But I like it more for that. There's only one end for humans who invite danger. Either become a unique hero or die consumed by danger. Which do you think you'll be, boy?"

The old man chuckled.

The aura he emitted was fierce.

In the past, just enduring that aura would have been the most he could do.

Yes, if it was in the past.

Hundred Flowers Blazing in Chaos

Since first meeting that bastard.

He had become even stronger.

Now he could easily repel the aura Armageddon emitted.

When he unleashed the Hundred Flowers Blazing in Chaos magic, red petals fluttered.

The petals blocked Armageddon's aura, allowing Twenty-five and Han Chang-jin to breathe comfortably.

Then the old man's mouth split.

"You've become much stronger than then. Well, that's to be expected. You've built up a myth rivaling living legends since then."

"Enough, just get lost. I have business with that body."

"That's not possible. Don't you know I'll disappear if you try to extract the information Hwa-ryeong has?"

"So? Are you going to make him commit suicide by ripping out his heart like in the past? Do you think I'll just be beaten like back then?"

Proudly.

Eun-ha now emitted his own aura and pressured the old man.

The old man's expression changed.

He knew it wasn't a bluff.

Eun-ha was that strong now.

In the end, the old man withdrew his aura first and pretended to back down.

"Tsk, you brat.... You really have no consideration for the elderly."

"Consideration should be given to those who deserve it. I know there's a connection between you and that <Abyss > bastard, so hurry up and get lost. You can't do anything with a possessed body anyway."

"That's true. But you're underestimating Hwa-ryeong's power. Though Hwa-ryeong was defeated so ridiculously, if he exerts his power..."

"3 vs 1."

"...?"

"Even if you fight using <Abyss >'s body, can you handle 3 vs 1? And my spirit beasts are somewhere here too."

"3 vs 1.... Yes, now that I look, the <King of Shadows> is there. It would be difficult to face three alone with this body."

"So get lost."

"But what if I came out directly?"

At that moment, the old man's eyes flashed.

The red gleaming light in his eyes couldn't be dismissed as a lie.

Armageddon's descent.

If that happened, the situation could be reversed.

But shortly after, bewilderment settled on the old man's face.

"...The world lines are separated. I can't set coordinates like this."

"Too bad."

"Boy, it seems you've gained the power to handle space. Is that why you came out so confidently?"

It was as Eun-ha expected.

The surrounding space was controlled by Eun-ha's hand.

It was a different world from the existing world.

Even Armageddon was useless.

While thinking that─.

"─But it's clumsy. Did you really think I couldn't set coordinates? If so, that's a miscalculation."

The old man grinned.

Eun-ha's face hardened.

His expectation was off.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue realizing someone was stepping into his world.

Eventually─.

─Crack!

Suddenly a crack appeared in the empty space behind Seon U Hwa-ryeong.

The crack grew larger and finally shattered.

A passage to the existing world was created through the crack.

And Armageddon appeared.

"Souls are mysterious. They have the property of trying to gather again, crossing even separated world lines like this. Yes, concepts like time and space don't apply to souls."

"Damn it."

"As long as my soul is connected to the soul fragment I planted in this body long ago, coordinates are as good as set. Now, boy. Will you continue to be stubborn even though the situation has changed like this?"

The being that appeared from the broken space.

An old man with abundant white hair leaning on a cane, wearing sunglasses even in the middle of the night.

And considerable aura holders were appearing behind the old man.

Six in total.

They were faces Eun-ha knew too.

"With this it's 7 vs 3. No, 8 vs 3 including Hwa-ryeong."

"""...."""

"Isn't this our victory?"

It was the appearance of the Ma called Guma in the previous life.

☆

"Even the strongest person can't help but have the emotion of lust."

"You said you were going somewhere interesting, but this is quite the chaos!"

"Those guys..., can I eat them?"

"Except for that guy with tied hair, neither of the other two are my type."

"Well, well... Who would have thought we'd all gather like this?"

"They don't seem to have anything particularly valuable. Tch, I came for nothing."

Lilith, Samael, Abaddon, Beelzebub, Mastema, Mammon, and Armageddon.

Eun-ha was shocked to face the Ma who caused disasters in his previous life.

He never thought he'd encounter them like this.

This is really unexpected.

The Guma weren't supposed to appear for another year, yet they all show up at this timing?

The situation was reversed in an instant.

Even Armageddon alone was a formidable enemy, but there were six more Ma no less powerful than him.

If a battle broke out, victory couldn't be guaranteed.

No, we'd lose.

No matter how much stronger he had become, he couldn't face them alone.

"This is our first time meeting in this form, right? This is my true body, boy."

At that moment, Armageddon who stepped forward spoke while chuckling.

Eun-ha replied while gripping his two swords tightly.

"...I didn't expect you to bring such a crowd."

"You mentioned nipping in the bud earlier. Yes, that's right. If a sprout is seen, it should be eliminated before it grows. So isn't it right to kill you when we can?"

"..."

"Though you still seem to have many shortcomings, you've ripened quite a bit from back then. The rest can be slowly ripened after seizing your body, can't it?"

The Ma laughed along with Armageddon.

Some like Abaddon couldn't control their appetite and looked ready to jump into battle immediately.

So Eun-ha tensed even more.

Even so─.

─He doesn't intend to kill me yet, despite saying that.

Eun-ha could judge by feeling Armageddon's aura.

Though Armageddon emitted pressure, he didn't reveal killing intent.

It's just a simple threat.

Thinking about it, it was natural.

"Do you think I'll just let you have your way?"

"Hmm?"

"If a fight breaks out between us, this space will be destroyed, and then other people will notice, right?"

"..."

"It's obvious that Twelve Seats and players who sense your auras will come running, and you'll end up revealing the identities you've been hiding from the world, won't you?"

"If that happens, it can't be helped. It's earlier than planned, but we don't intend to keep hiding our identities forever. But you seem to know quite a bit about us?"

"It's not that it can't be helped, but you don't want to reveal your identities now, do you?"

"..."

"You must be making thorough preparations to reveal the new human race or whatever, but can you really reveal it so anticlimactically like this? If that happens, you'll just be terrorists caught secretly operating against me. No, you'll be potential criminals caught before even carrying out terrorism."

"It seems you know quite a bit in detail, not just knowing well. Did you see the future with <Future Sight>?"

"There's no reason I should tell you that. And it seems you're missing a few people compared to what I expected.... Is it okay to start terrorism without properly finishing preparations?"

""""...!!""""

"Hah...."

It was a bluff.

A bluff based on memories from the previous life.

So the Ma wouldn't be able to detect this strangely realistic bluff.

Sure enough, the old man sighed.

As I thought, my guess was right.

Even if I killed Belphegor, Agares isn't visible, so they haven't found her yet.

Agares, who had the strongest destructive power among the Ma.

Eun-ha confirmed she wasn't there and used that for his bluff.

And he could resolve his doubts from the old man's reaction just now.

Agares hasn't joined their side yet.

Or she hasn't become a Ma yet.

Either way, Eun-ha was now certain the Ma wouldn't be able to fight him.

Even so, I can't provoke them any further. They might get worked up and start a battle.

There was no choice.

Eun-ha decided to back down at this point.

He pretended to be relaxed and said:

"So get lost. I'll let you go nicely today."

"Hoho.... Well, well.... Like this, I'm not sure who's in a crisis."

Armageddon smiled bitterly.

The situation became awkward.

In a way, they avoided an armed clash and just saved face.

Armageddon achieved his goal of taking Seon U Hwa-ryeong.

Eun-ha saved his life.

"In fact, you're the one who saved your life, yet it looks like I'm running away from you because my life is precious."

"Then why don't we really fight?"

"Kkeul kkeul, you're quite a gutsy child. No, I'll withdraw for today."

Armageddon shook his head.

In the end, he released his pressure.

The Ma looked disappointed but didn't go against his orders.

And just as the cold war-like situation seemed to be concluding─.

"─I came wondering if something happened, but to think such a thing was happening inside."

""""...!!""""

<King of Darkness> Baek Seo-jin.

Space shattered behind Eun-ha, and he revealed himself.

☆

"I noticed <Abyss > had other thoughts. So I was watching to see what he was up to... and it was connected to you."

"Well, well, it's been a while."

It was the appearance of a new intruder.

Baek Seo-jin ignored Eun-ha and stepped forward to face Armageddon.

"I heard you were alive, but I didn't think you'd really be alive."

"It was something that had to be done without you knowing. Didn't you all terribly hate touching taboos related to souls?"

"Putting me aside, all the others did."

There was no catching up between the two who were once comrades.

They just exchanged words coldly while facing each other.

"Ik-hyeon."

"It's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"What on earth are you thinking of doing?"

"Even if it's an old friend's request, I can't tell you now. Because 'you all' will surely try to stop it."

Armageddon chuckled.

Baek Seo-jin closed his mouth.

As old comrades, they knew.

That it couldn't be resolved through dialogue.

Even so─.

"─Seo-jin, you too will have no choice but to let us go like this. Even with you added, you still can't overcome the numbers."

"If I manifest the myth, there's nothing I can't do."

"Do you think only you can manifest that myth? And unlike you, I've become able to endure to some extent even after manifesting the myth. But you'd have to give up your life."

"..."

"I don't want to kill an old comrade either. Let us go like this."

"Alright, fine."

Armageddon made him recognize reality.

Baek Seo-jin knew too.

He finally sighed.

He responded to Armageddon's suggestion.

"But hand over <Abyss > to me."

"Hmm...."

"If he falls into your hands, he'll either become a Ma or your puppet, one of the two."

"So?"

"Though he betrayed me, he was still my confidant for many years. I don't want to insult his death."

"You mean you'll kill him yourself."

"Yes."

"Hmm, since it's an old friend's request, alright, I'll hand him over to you."

Armageddon fell into thought.

Soon the old man nodded.

Then Mastema dropped Seon U Hwa-ryeong he was supporting.

Baek Seo-jin immediately caught him.

"Ah.... Mi-Minister...."

"I'll at least preserve your honor."

"...!!"

Seon U Hwa-ryeong painfully reached out towards Baek Seo-jin.

He tries to say something.

Baek Seo-jin beheaded him without even listening to his last words.

Seon U Hwa-ryeong's head fell.

"You don't intend to give that body, right?"

"Of course not."

"It's regrettable but can't be helped. I've lost a talent I put effort into creating in the darkness."

"Just go. Next time we meet, I won't let you go so easily."

"Well, we'll see. Kkeul kkeul."

Looking at Seon U Hwa-ryeong's corpse.

Armageddon expressed regret.

But the old man showed no lingering attachment and turned his back.

Ripples appeared in the direction the old man was heading, and a subspace appeared.

They stepped into the subspace.

Right then─.

"─Ah yes, even if we're making an awkward exit, I should say this before leaving."

Before closing the subspace.

Armageddon turned around.

The old man's gaze was fixed on Eun-ha behind Baek Seo-jin.

Eun-ha also stared at the old man.

"Well then, boy."

"..."

"Let's meet in the not-too-distant future. By then, have completely embodied the myth."

After saying those words.

The Ma disappeared.