WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 317: Episode 59: Kim Dokja Company (6)

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Fwoosh!

By the time I came to my senses, a wall of blazing fire stood between Michael and me.

Michael frowned, shook out his wrist, and stepped back.

[What are you doing?]

[Get lost.]

Michael stared at Uriel for a moment, then scoffed.

[Uriel, it seems you've lost your mind after you quit hunting demons.]

A violet torrent began surging fiercely from Michael's entire body.

[The Constellation Savior of Corruption is preparing the story of the fable Demon King Slayer.]

"Demon King Slayer."

It was the same fable Yu Junghyeok of the 1,863rd round possessed.

Eden's green meadows were being stained purple by rippling waves. The withered grass bent over with a soft crackle, and a chilling sensation crawled up from my feet.

"Demon King Slayer" was a fable that displayed nearly invincible power against Demon Kings. As long as Michael possessed that fable, I could never defeat him.

The moment Michael's Status targeted me, someone stepped in front of me.

"Are angels all vicious by nature?"

Jeong Huiwon stood before me with the Sword of Judgement held out. Her shoulders trembled faintly, and her bearing was subdued. Even so, Huiwon had found the courage to stand there. A human will that dared to face death itself was enduring the torrent of that proud Archangel.

Uriel stood behind Huiwon.

A radiant glow blazed behind her. As [hellfire inferno] raised flames, Eden's fields filled with leaping sparks.

I swallowed at the sight of the imminent clash.

Uriel was one of the five strongest Archangels. Against Constellations of the Absolute Evil alignment, she possessed the greatest compatibility in all of Eden.

Still, her opponent was Michael. An Archangel without equal in every kind of combat ability. In Eden, there was no Archangel who could surpass Michael through sheer fighting power alone.

[The Constellation Friend of Justice and Harmony tries to stop Savior of Corruption.]

[The Constellation Protector of Youth and Travel glares at Savior of Corruption.]

[Constellations of the absolute good alignment rebuke Savior of Corruption!]

Even the messages pouring down from the air couldn't make Michael retreat. He was smiling as if he found this amusing.

[Fine. It's about time we decided who the strongest in Eden is.]

Violet and white auras gathered in Michael's hands at the same time. Power whirled between his clasped hands, and before long, the aura began to take the shape of a two-handed sword.

Cold sweat ran down my back. Was that bastard going to use a constellation artifact here?

[The Constellation Scribe of heaven warns Savior of Corruption!]

A tremendous storm swept through the area, extinguishing all the surrounding sparks at once.

It was the power of Metatron, Eden's highest-ranking Constellation. At least within Eden, it was an irresistible pressure.

The violent silence bearing down on the area made even Michael disperse his momentum at last. Michael looked up at the sky for a moment, then muttered in a resentful tone.

[…Even you? It seems Eden has really gone too far.]

With those words, Michael turned around and began walking away. The heads of demons hung from his waist like fruit.

―The head of Demon Realm Archduke Semida

―The head of Demon Realm Archduke Grapeio

Goosebumps rose across my skin.

Some Demon Realm Archdukes were comparable to low-ranking Demon Kings. Yet he had hung the heads of such Archdukes from his waist like toys.

Only after Michael's figure had completely vanished beyond the hill did Huiwon let out a sigh and sheathe her sword.

When I turned my head, Uriel was looking at me.

Archangel Uriel.

She looked different from when I had seen her at the Constellation Banquet. Dressed in Eden's formal uniform and wearing earrings marked with crosses, she looked elegant. Such a noble Status flowed from her entire body that none of her usual playful nature remained.

[Kim Dokja.]

She looked at me with complicated eyes, then suddenly startled as if she had come to her senses. Turning her head as though avoiding my gaze, she looked at Huiwon instead.

[It's nice to meet you. This is our first time meeting like this, right?]

Huiwon faced Uriel with her lips slightly parted. She looked overwhelmed. It made sense, since it was probably Huiwon's first time seeing Uriel. And the Uriel before us was a form in which her Incarnation body and true body had become one. This Archangel was the true body of the proud Demonic Judge of Fire.

[Come this way. The Scribe is waiting.]

* * *

"How much longer do I have to wait?"

Huiwon and I were immediately escorted to Eden's palace.

Eden was much simpler than I had imagined. I already knew that from the descriptions in TWSA, but it was certainly different from the other great nebulae. There was nothing false about its modest decorations. Even the plain white ceilings and statues in the alcoves carried a strange sense of humility.

The problem was that this humility made my wait even more boring.

[Wait here. A guide will come soon.]

Uriel had said she would show Huiwon around the palace, then left me here and vanished somewhere.

I wanted to see Eden too...

I felt a little disappointed.

It was probably because of what had happened in the 1,863rd round. I had left Jophiel, Uriel's companion, there. Even if I were resented for it, there was nothing I could do.

[Kim Dokja, you're here?]

I raised my head with dazed eyes and saw an angel sitting on a cloud, looking down at me. He had the appearance of someone in his early teens, curly hair, and sleepy-looking eyes. I sprang to my feet.

"Could you be Raphael?"

Raphael nodded.

Raphael, Protector of Youth and Travel.

It seemed this trip to Eden had been quite lucky. After Uriel, I was even seeing Raphael's true body.

Then again... was this Archangel really the one who had driven back that terrifying Asmodeus?

[How'd you find out about the Secret Portal?]

"Jophiel told me about it."

[How do you like Eden?]

"I like it."

[You look sleepy.]

I hurriedly composed my expression and smiled.

Raphael led me down the passage connected to the reception room.

As we walked through the outer corridor, I could see the garden through the open windows. Sheep grazing here and there looked up at me and bleated softly.

I looked at them and asked, "So Eden really does have lambs."

[Nod. They're good for counting when you can't sleep.]

"Are they really here for that purpose?"

[You've probably seen them before. When you close your eyes before bed and picture sheep, these are the ones that appear.]

Since this was something that hadn't appeared in TWSA, I was surprised.

The sheep people counted before sleeping were really these sheep?

[That's a lie.]

"..."

I looked at Raphael in disbelief. Raphael grinned, then continued.

[Did you know? Eden didn't originally have sheep.]

"Are you lying again?"

[This is true. Uriel brought the sheep here.]

Uriel? Why?

[The Scribe once gave Uriel a Sub Scenario.]

Eden's Archangels received their missions through the Scribe of heaven. Naturally, every mission in the Star Stream was reduced to a Scenario. This wasn't in TWSA either, so I became curious.

"What Scenario was it?"

[Bring ten lambs.]

Some Star Stream Scenarios took the form of metaphors. In Eden, "lambs" were an unmistakable metaphor. Put simply, Metatron had asked Uriel to bring ten followers, ten Incarnations.

"Don't tell me Uriel brought actual sheep?"

[Nod. There were ten at first, but they've multiplied. They keep multiplying.]

...It somehow seemed like something Uriel would do.

I could see angels taking care of the sheep along the way. They sheared their wool or fed them. Just as TWSA had described, they were all beautiful.

A few of them looked this way and began whispering among themselves. One, two, three... their numbers kept growing. Someone even made a placard out of freshly shorn wool and began waving it in my direction.

What did it say?

[The Constellation Demonic Judge of Fire puts on a stern expression.]

The angels turned pale and hurriedly scattered. In the distance, I could see Uriel and Huiwon waving at us.

Raphael clicked his tongue and added.

[Angels really do like fallen humans.]

"You can speak normally?"

[Go in. The Scribe is waiting.]

Before I knew it, the Scribe's office stood before me.

I took a brief deep breath, then opened the door and went inside.

The first thing that entered my sight was a spectacle of books piled as high as a person. There were more books than anyone could finish in a lifetime, and I found myself instinctively liking the owner of the room. After all, no one who liked books could be a bad person.

Careful not to knock over any books, I stepped farther into the office. Beyond the mountains of books, I could see the desk.

An ash-haired Archangel sat before it with a tired expression.

[You've arrived.]

It was a reverent voice unlike any I had heard from another Constellation. Metatron pushed up the frame of his glasses and smiled at me.

[Welcome, Demon King of Salvation. I am the Scribe of heaven.]

* * *

There were two main reasons I had come to Eden.

One was my ostensible purpose, and the other was my true purpose.

[First, I would like to hear what happened in the other worldline.]

I nodded and began my story.

I told him about making a contract with Secretive Plotter and going to the worldline of the 1,863rd round. I told him about meeting the people there, leaving Jophiel behind, and returning here. Some things I told honestly, some I explained briefly, and some I left unsaid before finishing my story.

Metatron listened closely. He heard some parts seriously, some calmly, and some with what seemed like interest.

[Secretive Plotter...]

"Do you know him?"

Metatron smiled faintly.

[There is likely no Constellation in this worldline who does not know him. Yet there is likely no Constellation who knows who he truly is.]

I closed my mouth. My story was over.

[Thank you for telling me, Demon King of Salvation.]

"Not at all."

[So Eden of the future will be destroyed after all.]

His voice was remarkably calm for someone speaking of destruction. His face showed no sign of agitation.

I watched Metatron quietly, then asked, "Why did you call me here? It can't have been just to hear my story."

The Scribe of heaven. The one who recorded everything in Eden, and Eden's second-in-command. Metatron's smile deepened.

[Why do you think I called you?]

This was Metatron's way of speaking. He wanted to hear his own desire spoken by someone else's mouth.

This was probably my opportunity. After considering it for a moment, I answered.

"You intend to use me as a tool to stop Eden's destruction."

[You? What use could you possibly be?]

My figure was reflected in Metatron's clear eyes. The Kim Dokja in one eye had white wings, while the Kim Dokja in the other had spread a Demon King's black wings.

"Because I am a Demon King who has chosen no alliance."

Through the previous Demon King Selection, I had become the 73rd Demon King of the Demon Realm. It was a position that had remained vacant for thousands of years. I, a Constellation who had only just been born, had taken that position.

I opened the previous message logs.

[The Demon King Lion of the Black Mane has invited you to his Demon Realm.]

[The Demon King Unfathomable Strictness has invited you to his Demon Realm.]

...

These were the Demon Realm messages that had accumulated ever since I ascended to the Demon King throne.

"Eden's destruction will be triggered by a war with the Demon Realm. You intend to use me as a mediator."

It was only natural that the other Demon Realms would take an interest in me after I became a Demon King.

What about Eden, then?

Eden had shown abnormal interest in me even before I became a Demon King. Starting with Uriel, the other Archangels had also shown me favor. Considering how Eden had treated Constellations with evil alignments until now, the treatment I received was exceptional enough to be called unprecedented.

"You need me. In the history of the Star Stream, I am probably the first being to receive the attention of both the Demon Realm and Eden."

I deliberately raised my voice. Thinking of the negotiations to come, there was nothing to gain from being overwhelmed by Metatron's momentum here.

Metatron didn't answer. He only stared quietly at my face. Then, the next moment, I realized something was wrong.

A brilliant light was rising behind Metatron, accompanied by an intense pressure. I could feel a frenzied gaze from somewhere. A dangerous power was persistently probing my existence.

[The Exclusive Skill The Fourth Wall has activated with great force!]

Tssssss!

Sparks obscured my vision, and I groaned as I stumbled back several steps. Through the sparks, which were gradually fading, Metatron spoke in admiration.

[So it was you. The being chosen by a Final Wall Fragment.]

"What...?"

[The Wall that Divides Good and Evil looks at you in surprise.]

I flinched and stared ahead.

A silver wall rippled behind Metatron. There was no doubt.

[The Fourth Wall bares its teeth at the Wall that Divides Good and Evil.]

The Wall that Divides Good and Evil.

Archangel Metatron was also the owner of a Wall, just like me.

Footnotes:

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