WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 348: Episode 65: Good and Evil (3)

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The man approaching with a confident stride was someone I'd clashed with in this round.

The one who'd run away after I taught him a lesson during the last "confinement incident."

Jo Jincheol, the leader of the Gyeonggi Alliance and one of the Ten Evils.

I'd thought he'd become insignificant this round because my companions had grown too strong. Yet somehow, he'd managed to come back.

Huiwon snorted and drew her sword.

"You?"

Even as she spoke, Huiwon didn't lower her guard. She had sensed the ominous energy flowing from Jincheol's entire body.

It was demonic energy.

Killing intent settled over Huiwon's hardened expression.

She had cleared Dark Castle and completed the tenth Scenario by killing a Demon King, even if only in name. There was no way she wouldn't recognize it.

"You... were consumed by a Demon King."

The energy of a "Demon King," no less.

Jincheol let out a brief hollow laugh, but he was already no longer himself.

He was a subordinate swallowed by pitch-black demonic energy.

[The Demon King Lord of the Serpent Hell has revealed their presence.]

Lord of the Serpent Hell.

One of the 72 Demon Kings of the exalted Demon Realm.

Andromalius was the master of the 72nd Demon Realm.

The other two Incarnation bodies were also giving off similar demonic energy.

[The Demon King Thinker of Lies and Secrets has revealed their presence.]

[The Demon King One-Horned Musician has revealed their presence.]

No fewer than three Demon Kings had appeared through their subordinates.

Yet even after learning they were Demon Kings, Huiwon remained calm.

"It'll be one-on-one, right?"

[Of course it will be one-on-one, fearless Incarnation.]

Even as the constellation's declaration, filled with Status, made the hairs on her body stand on end, Huiwon smiled.

"Fine. I've wanted to face one of you so-called Demon Kings at least once."

There was deep anger in her voice. It could have been Uriel's influence, or perhaps... she'd been building up resentment toward me all along.

Either way, Huiwon looked almost pleased.

[The Representative Match has begun!]

Her confidence wasn't difficult to understand. Even if her opponent was a Demon King, Huiwon had no reason to retreat.

Besides, they were in a state of Possession through proxy subordinates.

If she backed down here, it would damage the Archangel's pride.

Red ghost flames burst from Huiwon's eyes as the Sword of Judgement cut through the air. Her sword trails embroidered the sky like a net.

Slash!

Before he could even dodge, Jincheol's left arm flew through the air.

[How dare you...!]

The startled Andromalius roared, but Huiwon's sword showed no trace of fear. Andromalius was flustered by her overwhelming momentum.

Swordsmanship honed solely for killing, without mercy or restraint.

Her sword was not something an Incarnation who had experienced ordinary Scenarios could withstand.

Slash!

Blood sprayed again, and a deep sword wound opened across Jincheol's right thigh. The gap in their strength was overwhelming.

The crowd gaped as Huiwon's clear advantage became apparent, while my companions watched in admiration.

That was the true strength of Jeong Huiwon, the Judge of Evil.

[The character Jeong Huiwon requests the activation of Hour of Judgement!]

Huiwon was gathering her power to finish this.

A combo of [Hour of Judgement] followed by repeated [hellfire inferno]. Huiwon intended to crush this Representative Match with an overwhelming advantage in strength.

Then Andromalius, having raised their synchronization rate, began to truly Descend into Jincheol.

Rumble.

An arm formed from pitch-black demonic energy rose from Jincheol's severed shoulder, while his mangled wounds healed with overflowing Mana.

It was the authority of the 72nd Demon King.

[The games are over.]

A fist shot out like lightning and struck Huiwon's blade. The Sword of Judgement shook, and Huiwon was driven back ten steps in an instant. Jincheol immediately pursued her and unleashed a continuous barrage of attacks.

Thud, thud, thud!

Andromalius had raised their synchronization rate close to a state of Descent, accepting the risk of damage to both the Incarnation body and Plausibility. A threatening Status poured from Jincheol's entire body.

No matter how strong Huiwon was, without Uriel, she wasn't capable of facing a Demon King in person.

In the end, Huiwon lost the contest of strength and was thrown through the air.

"Ugh, damn it...!"

I couldn't understand the situation. More precisely, it was strange that Andromalius had chosen to do this in the first place.

Not every Demon King was on the same level.

If Andromalius did something like this, the scales of Plausibility would shift, giving Archangel Uriel grounds to intervene. And if she Descended, Demon Kings ranked that low would turn to ashes in an instant.

Yet they were still seriously facing Huiwon. That meant they had something to rely on.

[The activation of Hour of Judgement has been forcibly cancelled.]

It didn't take long to learn what that was.

"Uriel?"

Uriel wasn't responding.

Neither [Hour of Judgement] nor [hellfire inferno] was activating properly. I could understand [hellfire inferno], but it was strange that even [Hour of Judgement] wouldn't activate.

Something had happened not only to Uriel, but also to the other Constellations of absolute good alignment.

Could it be?

In that moment, I thought I understood where this story was heading.

Why these Demon Kings had suddenly caused such a commotion. And why they had come to my Demon Realm at this exact time.

Everything made sense.

Kyrios floated in the air at a distance, looking my way. I met his eyes.

The reason I hadn't moved despite being able to intervene at any time was because he was there.

Yet Kyrios was telling me, "This is something you need to handle."

I shook my head. It wasn't time yet. If possible, I didn't want to reveal my power too early. Just because I'd gained Beginning and Succession didn't mean I could carelessly show that power to the world. It could bring a backlash instead.

Kyrios continued. "If you don't show your strength when you need to, things like this will happen often."

That was true too.

Kim Dokja Company was on the rise, and these Demon Kings had come in person to break our nebula's momentum. If I didn't properly show my strength now, even more insignificant bastards would look down on our nebula in the future.

When I sighed and looked up, Bihyeong was smiling. He looked as though he'd known from the beginning that the Scenario would turn out this way.

Bihyeong had probably been making all kinds of calculations too. The fact that he'd only opened this "Scenario" after I woke up was proof enough.

That damn dokkaebi was clever to an infuriating degree.

"Go on already. Show them that even Demon Kings have different levels."

I leapt down from the Factory and burst into the Grand Battlefield. I heard my startled companions gasp.

I grabbed Huiwon's shoulder from behind.

"Huiwon-ssi."

"Dokja-ssi?"

"You don't need to fight here. I'm not stopping you because you're weak."

I stepped forward, leaving Huiwon behind me.

[The Demon King Demon King of Salvation is releasing his Status!]

The three Demon Kings looked at me.

I used a constellation's declaration.

[Demon Kings. Haven't you chosen the wrong playground? It seems you have something to tell me, so tell me that and get lost.]

Andromalius's expression twisted horribly at my declaration.

[You're as arrogant as the rumors say.]

[Do you know why we came?]

I nodded.

The reason the three Demon Kings had come here was obvious.

Earth's Incarnations had broken through the Scenarios in the sixties, so it was about time for "that event" to begin.

They had likely appeared to invite me there.

The reason Huiwon couldn't use Uriel's power would be related to that as well.

As if everything until now had been nothing but a game, the Demon Kings chuckled.

[You should consider it an honor that your seniors have come in person for the sake of a lowly one like you.]

[You will come with us. Prepare yourself at once. We will leave immediately.]

I smiled and nodded.

[You came to escort me, so I should go. But.]

I looked over Huiwon, who was casually wiping blood from her nose behind me, and my companions, who had come out despite their injuries. They still hadn't been able to rest properly with the aftermath of Gigantomachia lingering.

[I don't think I can let you go just like that.]

[What nonsense is this?]

[If you're a Demon King, shouldn't you have Status worthy of one? Don't you think?]

[The nebula Kim Dokja Company requests a change of Representative for the Representative Match.]

[The Demon King Demon King of Salvation has become the new Representative.]

The Demon Kings realized my intention and were horrified.

[You're saying you'll fight us now? Do you even know what happens when Demon Kings fight Demon Kings?]

[I do. I know very well.]

I answered as I looked at each of the Demon Kings.

[The Demon King Demon King of Salvation has applied for a Demon King Ascension Match.]

A Demon King Ascension Match.

It was a supreme duel where ranked Demon Kings staked their rankings and honor.

[A Promotion Match? Have you gone mad?]

I'd put up with enough. Demon Kings or Constellations, I was tired of being dragged around by bastards like them.

[Are you going to accept or not? Everyone's watching.]

[The Demon King Unfathomable Strictness takes an interest in the battle between inferiors.]

[The Demon King Yejegong says that fights between weakligns are the best.]

[The Demon King Lord of Stars and Logic points out Yejegong's spelling mistake.]

[The Demon King Demon God of Lust and Wrath wears an interested expression.]

Countless Demon Kings had gathered at some point and were watching this match.

I was the lowest-ranked of the 73 Demon Kings, the 73rd Demon King. If they refused my challenge, they would undoubtedly become a laughingstock in the Star Stream.

Even as the three Demon Kings raised terrifying Status, I wasn't afraid at all. Instead, I only felt infinitely calm as I watched them.

「Had Yu Junghyeok once felt this way too?」

Andromalius opened their mouth, face full of humiliation.

[I accept your challenge.]

But I shook my head.

[You're out. I didn't challenge you.]

[What?]

[Andromalius, you're ranked seventy-second.]

I pointed at another Demon King behind Andromalius.

[I challenged Amdusias, the sixty-seventh-ranked One-Horned Musician over there.]

If I was going to fight anyway, it was better to kill someone with a higher ranking.

Andromalius's face turned red with rage at my words, then they charged at me with a scream. The fist containing the fearsome fable of the 72nd Demon Realm released its Status toward me.

[The fable Snake Crouching for a Thousand Years begins its story.]

It was certainly not a bad fable, considering how long Andromalius had lived despite the low ranking.

But they didn't know.

My history was far shorter than yours, but my life had been far more intense.

[The Great Fable Spring of the Demon Realm begins its story.]

[The Great Fable Holy Flame That Devoured Myth bares its crouching fangs.]

The next moment, blue-white lightning colored the surroundings beyond sight.

[Electrification] through [Bookmark].

The blue-white Mana I released for the first time in a while felt wonderfully electrifying.

I saw Kyrios smiling faintly from a distance.

[The gap between you and the character's level is not great.]

[Your understanding of the character greatly strengthens the Skill!]

[The Exclusive Skill Electrification Lv. 23(+13) has been activated.]

It had been a while since I'd used [Electrification] without [Miniaturization].

[Your current bodily composition differs from the bodily composition of the character.]

[Your Status overcomes the penalty of your physical conditions.]

Andromalius's fist stopped right in front of my nose. Andromalius's horrified gaze fixed on me, then slowly lowered toward the Incarnation body's stomach.

Half the horribly torn torso of Andromalius's Incarnation body had vanished.

As I pulled the sword embedded in Jincheol's body free, I said,

[First, rank seventy-two.]

Footnotes:

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