WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 385: Episode 73: The Hottest Place in Hell (4)

──────

There were times when someone's expression felt completely raw.

Moments when I thought, So that's what their real expression looks like.

[Kim Dokja!]

That's how Uriel looked to me now.

With her arms stretched wide, Uriel hugged Huiwon and me, rubbing her cheeks against ours for a long while.

Huiwon finally scolded her.

"Uriel, I can't breathe."

[M-my bad.]

She stepped back in flustered embarrassment, but her eyes still sparkled. Sometimes, I couldn't understand how such a scatterbrained Archangel had earned a modifier that called her demonic.

[How did you know to come here? Huh? Did the Kaizenix Archipelago Scenario end well? I managed to watch a few parts, but I didn't have much time... I'm really sorry! You're not upset because I didn't sponsor you, are you? It wasn't on purpose...]

It wasn't just her expression. Every word she said was completely raw.

As I listened to Uriel's voice, Huiwon and I looked at each other. She was probably feeling the same way I was.

There was no polished expression or painstaking revision in those words. Still, some words moved you most when they were raw.

"Uriel. I understand. But I think it'd be best to discuss the details later."

[Huh? Ah, right. This isn't the time.]

Uriel's gaze left me and fixed on the Demon King army glaring at us from across the battlefield. The moment I saw her expression turn cold, I realized my concerns had been unnecessary.

This angel was undoubtedly the Demonic Archangel of Fire.

[The Demon King Lord of Stars and Logic cannot understand your actions.]

And there were Demon Kings standing against that Archangel.

The 10th-ranked Demon King, Lord of Stars and Logic, Buer.

The 18th-ranked Demon King, Demon King of Sonic Speed, Vashin.

The 29th-ranked Demon King, Grand Duke of Dragons and Stench, Astaroth.

Even excluding Yejegong, who had died by my hand, three Demon Kings remained. None of them would be easy opponents.

Especially Lord of Stars and Logic and Demon King of Sonic Speed.

If Buer still had both arms and Vashin still had both legs, I might've had to risk my life here.

[Demon King of Salvation!]

[What is the meaning of this? Why are you opposing fellow Demon Kings?]

I shamelessly shrugged and made an excuse.

"I only participated in a Promotion Match."

[You think that excuse makes any sense...]

"There's no rule saying I can't attempt a Demon King Ascension Match while the Great war of Angels and Demons is underway. Things like this happened often during the first Great war of Angels and Demons too."

[What...!]

Vashin's face twisted viciously, as if ready to cut off my head at once. Still, with both legs gone, there was nothing Vashin could do.

[You have recreated part of the first Great war of Angels and Demons!]

[The Demon King Demonic God of Wrath and Lust is interested in your unexpected actions.]

What I had done was exactly what Demon King Asmodeus had done during the first Great war of Angels and Demons.

With a hardened expression, Buer, Lord of Stars and Logic, asked.

[Do you think you'll be fine after doing this?]

"Of course I won't."

Without being intimidated by the Demon Kings' momentum, I raised my Status.

"But I don't think I'm the one who should be worried right now."

[You have unleashed the Demon King's Status!]

[You have activated Exclusive Skill Bookmark!]

[The fifth Bookmark has been activated!]

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

[Your physical composition differs from that character's physical composition.]

[Your Status has overcome the penalty imposed by your body's conditions.]

My shoulders itched at the sensation of wings pushing through my skin.

Then the electrifying sensation of Electrification joined it, and my entire body was covered in lightning.

The three Demon Kings looked alarmed at my rapidly rising Status.

Lord of Stars and Logic had lost one arm.

Grand Duke of Dragons and Stench had lost his pet and was covered in wounds.

Demon King of Sonic Speed had lost both legs, so Vashin was already out of the fight.

Beside me, Huiwon drew the Sword of Judgement and activated [Demon Slaying].

"I was disappointed I didn't get to finish fighting a Demon King last time..."

As the Demon Kings started backing away, Uriel quickly became smug.

[You ■■s were running your mouths earlier, weren't you? Go on, say something now.]

"......"

[Dokja, Huiwon. Let's go! Let's tear all those Demon King ■■s apart...!]

I grabbed Uriel's shoulder as she charged forward, burning with fury while dragging along her damaged Incarnation body.

Her shoulder was far too frail.

Uriel turned toward me with wide eyes as my hand held her back so easily.

"Uriel, please step back."

[Huh? Ah... Are you worried about me? It's okay. I'm Uriel!]

Uriel tightly held my hand, looking moved. The sight made me a little sad, and I smiled quietly.

"That's not what I mean."

[Then what...?]

[The Demon King Demon King of Salvation has decided his alignment.]

My participation message floated in the air. Uriel had probably not read it properly.

Then Uriel's body gradually stiffened. Her eyes slowly widened.

Looking directly into those eyes, I said, "Stay still, Uriel. It'll be over soon."

Perhaps Uriel was reading the message I was looking at now.

[The alignment chosen by the Demon King Demon King of Salvation is evil.]

* * *

"Kim Dokja is being Kim Dokja again."

Han Suyeong muttered as she watched the battlefield from afar.

The battlefield, which had been nearing a lull, was now heading toward chaos because of Dokja's sudden intervention.

A Demon King who had killed a Demon King. A Demon King who still didn't hide the fact that he was evil.

She could see Huiwon's troubled expression as low-grade angels surrounded Dokja.

Lee Hyeongseong asked worriedly, "Is it really okay for him to do that?"

"What if it isn't? Are we supposed to tell him to side with Eden now? Dokja was born a Demon King."

Suyeong grumbled and looked toward Junghyeok.

"You're not just going to watch, are you?"

"Of course not."

"There's no need to ask me. I'm evil."

Suyeong's Patron was Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.

There hadn't been many options to begin with.

"What are you going to do, Yu Junghyeok?"

"......"

"What does your Patron say? No answer?"

Rather than answer, Junghyeok looked at the Incarnation bodies strewn across the battlefield.

There were angels and Demon Kings among them, but most of the bodies belonged to humans, namely Reincarnators.

"Do you recognize anyone?"

Junghyeok silently looked down at the fallen Reincarnators. A few twitched and reached out to him. Their wounds were too severe. It was already too late to save them.

Junghyeok bent down and drove a dagger into their necks. Before long, they fell asleep with peaceful expressions.

Yuri di Aristel, who had been watching, spoke.

「Suyeong.」

'Don't worry, Yuri. I won't let you end up like that.'

The souls of the dead Reincarnators scattered before Suyeong's eyes.

The Reincarnators bound by Mandala's yoke would come back to life even if they died on this Island. But that didn't mean their deaths were acceptable simply because they were immortal.

[The Great Fable that lost its name is disappearing.]

Every time they were mobilized for another Scenario, they lost more of their world. They forgot the lives they had originally lived, and eventually, they even forgot death.

[The oldest good urges Reincarnators to do good.]

[The oldest evil forces Reincarnators to choose.]

Most of those who had died had probably never even considered the vast concepts of good and evil.

Han Suyeong closed a dead Reincarnator's eyes.

With their eyes closed, the Reincarnator's face was, of course, neither good nor evil.

[You must choose an alignment to intervene in this battlefield!]

"I will choose an alignment."

The moment Junghyeok spoke, Suyeong narrowed her eyes.

"You're not thinking something else, are you? You two had a huge fight before we went to the Kaizenix Archipelago."

Junghyeok stared at Suyeong without answering. Just as she was about to yell, thinking she understood the thoughts behind his frustrating expression, Junghyeok replied.

"This war must become our fight, not the Great war of Angels and Demons. This place must not become someone else's battlefield."

Kim Dokja Company's fight, not the Great war of Angels and Demons.

Suyeong immediately understood what that meant.

"That way, we can keep both good and evil from winning. And that's probably the development Dokja wants."

"I understand what you mean, but that's an extremely difficult path."

Suyeong immediately objected.

"If we do that, we'll make enemies of both the Demon Realm and Eden at once."

"You were the one who said this wasn't the 1,863rd round."

Suyeong pursed her lips, looking as though she had taken a hit.

"Kim Dokja... What a vicious bastard. In a situation like this, he's the only one who'd present something like that as a solution."

"That's who he is."

"You're the same. The two of you are exactly alike."

Junghyeok replied in a blunt voice.

"You don't look very different either."

"What are you talking about? I'm different from idiots like you two. Stop talking and let's get moving."

In the distance, Dokja was being trampled while surrounded by angels. Then again, he had suddenly declared for evil while in their camp, so it made sense that Eden's angels were trembling with a sense of betrayal.

Junghyeok declared, "I won't hold back."

"Who said you should? I'm planning to kill you too if things go wrong."

"Good. It'll only be worth fighting if it's that serious."

"Let's settle the match we couldn't finish in Kaizenix here."

Their figures vanished toward the battlefield at the same time, leaving Lee Hyeongseong alone. He cried out.

"W-wait! Suyeong-ssi! Junghyeok-ssi! What am I supposed to do?"

"Figure it out yourself!"

[The Incarnation Han Suyeong has decided her alignment.]

[The Incarnation Yu Junghyeok has decided his alignment.]

[The alignment chosen by the Incarnation Han Suyeong is evil.]

[The alignment chosen by the Incarnation Yu Junghyeok is good.]

At last, their Great war of Angels and Demons had begun.

* * *

The vast plain of Main Island, where all the forces of the Heavenly Realm had gathered.

Metatron, the leader of the Heavenly Realm, was receiving status reports from the other Chief Archangels inside a tent modeled after Metatron's office.

―Olympus has expressed its intention to participate.

―Veda has also sent word that it will participate.

―Papyrus says it will send some Constellations as well.

―Asgard has declared its participation. Due to its own Great Fable, it doesn't appear that many Constellations will enter the war.

―There has been no contact yet, but there are signs that Emperor is moving too. They have long been known for using both war and diplomacy...

―Scribe of Hell is working diligently in the neutral zone. Thanks to him, participation among both Constellations and Reincarnators has risen sharply.

Metatron carefully wrote down every report, then sent an appropriate response.

This Great war of Angels and Demons Scenario was, in every sense, a war that placed the fates of good and evil on the line.

That was why Metatron was being especially cautious with this Scenario.

[The current absolute good alignment score is 56.]

So far, the war had progressed smoothly.

Except for one special restriction attached solely to this Great war of Angels and Demons.

[The current chaos score is 51.]

The chaos score. When Metatron had asked about it, the Great Dokkaebi had answered like this.

―It is rare to provide a stage of this scale for the conflict of old Great Fables. Therefore, Plausibility requires an appropriate risk as well.

―What do you mean?

―It would be no fun if I explained it in detail, so I will not say much. But remember this. No matter what happens, you must not let the chaos score reach 100. Do you understand? Something truly terrible will happen if you do.

The Great Dokkaebis had no interest in the fates of nebulae.

They only obsessed over creating more stimulating Scenarios.

The chaos score was likely the product of such a wicked scheme.

[I am bored, Scribe.]

The one who said this was Michael, who had been sharpening his sword in the corner of the tent.

[I will bring back Agares's head. Send me out.]

Michael had suffered humiliation twice at the hands of Kim Dokja and Yu Junghyeok in the Middle Island Scenario. After restoring his Incarnation body through the power of resurrection, he had advanced to the Main Island Scenario.

Metatron smiled faintly at Michael, whose resolve burned fiercely.

[Then the war will end too quickly.]

[Isn't it better for a boring war to end quickly?]

[No. This war must be longer and more desperate than any Scenario that has ever existed.]

Metatron looked at the screens transmitted from every corner of the battlefield.

Those who had chosen good or evil by their own will were raising weapons against each other. For now, they were participants who had entered as mercenaries, but Metatron knew that would change as time passed.

[The oldest good encourages the Great Crusade.]

The Constellations who had entered this war would someday hate each other in the name of good and evil. That hatred would burn again and create fables for later generations.

Michael, watching the battle, spoke curtly.

[Then at least let me kill those Kim Dokja Company bastards. I have a score to settle with them.]

Metatron shook his head.

Kim Dokja Company was an important variable in this Scenario. They were a force that had to be used as much as possible.

[Perhaps before, but not now. I have another use for them. If Michael steps in...]

That was when a Scenario message sounded.

[The 113th local battle of the Great war of Angels and Demons has been forcibly ended.]

Metatron checked the details attached to the message.

Uriel had participated in the 113th local battle.

[Forcibly ended?]

No such message had ever appeared before.

The message did not end there.

[The chaos score has increased by 5.]

[The current chaos score is 56.]

[Warning! The chaos score has exceeded 55!]

......

[Something is writhing in the hottest place in hell.]

[The Calamity of the Apocalypse that decides the end of all things has begun to stir.]

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried