Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Holy Kingdom (13)
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The world undergoes a cataclysmic change.
Like overlaying another color onto red-stained drawing paper.
The ominous red moon emitting demonic energy vanishes into the distance, its place filled by a gray sky devoid of sun or moon.
“……!!”
“What the…!”
“...Hah.”
From the gray sky pours red rain. The downpour stains the earth crimson.
From the reddened ground emanates an eerie groan for some reason. Like the resentment of the dead spilling forth, cursing all living things.
“Hic…!”
“Gasp…!”
The chilling, enfeebling sensation raises goosebumps on the skin of everyone who has entered the domain.
‘How can a world like this even exist…?’
The Holy Knight Order Captain swallowed hard as he gazed at this world—or more precisely, at Yujin's back, which seemed to be the master of the mental image.
A colorless gray sky as if the sun itself is forbidden, and an earth filled with the grudges and death of the departed.
How could a person's mental image be this horrifying? A world like this, a heartscape like this, should not exist.
At this moment, more than Lust or Greed, Yujin appeared as a demon, a devil. The overwhelming terror he emanated...
…
‘…So it works.’
‘H-How is this possible…?’
Lust looked up at the gray sky with eyes wide in shock.
The illusory world had been hijacked by a mere human. And atop it, a new world had been overlaid.
‘No way…!’
She desperately denied the fact.
But no matter how much she summoned her demonic energy, her world did not return. Instead, it drained away rapidly, like pouring water into a leaky jar.
‘I, who received the Grand Duke's blessing, losing my world to a pathetic human?’
Excluding the Seat of Pride, no such being existed.
Did that mean the man before her was on par with that Pride? Overlaying and hijacking an illusory world with his mental image?
Was that even possible?
…
‘…No way. R-Right, it must just be luck.’
Though she denied it outright, it was merely covering her eyes with her palm.
Soon, Lust plastered on an arrogant smile, as if hypnotizing herself.
“...Ha! Looks like you pulled off some petty trick.”
“Indeed. For a worthless human, maybe you stumbled upon some lucky opportunity.”
Greed, too, forced down the memories of defeat rising in his mind and twisted his lips into a smirk.
Yujin did not bother responding to their words.
Now that they had entered his domain, they were nothing more than easy prey.
Their yapping felt like nothing but mosquito buzzing.
‘…Right now, I really could squash them like bugs.’
The difference between Yujin before and after absorbing the Dominion Knight was immense.
To the extent that even two Yujins from a week ago attacking him simultaneously would not defeat him.
In short, he had become enormously stronger. Especially now, with Dominion and the domain working in tandem.
Realizing they were being utterly ignored, Lust deployed magic to crush his arrogance.
Over a hundred magic circles etched into the air—all of them 6th circle or higher.
In a way, it was magical computation surpassing even an archmage.
But—
Fwoosh—!
“I've never used magic before, but… is it like this?”
Before Yujin, it was utterly useless. He had seized control of the magic with the power of Dominion.
‘So it works.’
“Impossible…! How did you seize control of the magic…!”
Whoosh—
He chuckled lightly and flicked his hand casually.
The hijacked spells poured down upon them.
Kwaaaaaaaaang————!!!!
Kugugugugugugu————!!!!!
As the dust settled, what appeared was Lust, panting for breath.
The Holy Knight Order Captain, who had watched it all from behind, was aghast.
‘How can a knight seize control of magic…!’
How was that possible? Was he some legendary magic swordsman? How could he simultaneously hijack control of over a hundred spells…!
‘Even an archmage couldn't do that.’
He knew well, having seen many divine spellcasters if not mages. Seizing control of already-cast divine spells or magic was nearly impossible.
In the end, he gave up trying to understand and gazed at the Imperial Duke with eyes full of awe. From Yujin emanated the halo of great souls who had shone in the twilight of the ancient gods.
He knew his impression was deeply heretical. He knew, yet... this was an event so absurd it warranted such irreverent thoughts.
“What are you doing? Attack him, Greed!”
“R-Right!”
Greed, doubting his own eyes, barely regained his senses and drew up all his demonic energy.
Here, holding back would only lead to defeat—he knew it instinctively. Better to go all out and kill Yujin.
‘The Saintess and Holy Knight Order Captain haven't even properly awakened anyway… they're just small fry…!’
An exceedingly arrogant thought, but in truth, it was a desperate flailing to hide his own fear.
Soon, alongside a massive golden dragon, hundreds, thousands of golden knights and monsters appeared.
Individually, their power wasn't great—save for outliers like the golden dragon, which rivaled a master.
It was a force vast enough to call a legion, but—
Slash—
Crack—
With a single swing of his sword, Greed's army was cleaved in half.
…
At the absurd sight, Lust froze completely. A chilling sense of death washed over her, terror rising from deep within.
‘W-What…?’
“You look full of questions.”
Yujin chuckled as he regarded them.
He compressed the mangled golden knights and dragon—unrecognizable as anything but trash—like discarding refuse.
“If you entertain me, I might tell you what changed.”
“You…! I will make you my slave no matter what!!”
Slave?
Pfft—
“Have you already forgotten that you lost to me once?”
On the day the monastery was attacked, Greed had already been defeated once. He had barely escaped, dragged away in pathetic shape by Jane's hand on the verge of death.
And yet? Slave?
It was comical.
“You insolent human dare…!”
Look at that. Reacting right away.
The more they did, the more he mocked them.
“All you know how to do is run your mouth, huh.”
“Urk!”
“Well, yeah. That's why you got dragged away in disgrace by Wrath's hand back then.”
“Kraaaaaaaaah!!”
Greed contorted his face and transformed into a massive demon.
‘So that's it from back then.’
Demonization—something he had seen before.
Regardless, golden coins rained from the sky like bullets. Each one brimmed with immense demonic energy. If they hit the ground, the damage would be catastrophic.
If Yujin took them head-on without dodging, even he would suffer serious injury.
But this was Yujin's mental domain from the start.
In other words, within this domain, Yujin was no different from a god.
‘Dominion.’
In that instant, the falling coins halted in midair.
‘As expected, not just magic—it works on objects too.’
Of course, outside the domain, it wouldn't be this effective…
But right now, the domain was deployed—that was what mattered.
Yujin redirected the coins back at Greed and Lust.
Kwaaaaaaaa————!!!!
Gazing at the tattered Greed, he spat a single word.
“Boring.”
He seemed even weaker than before. Regeneration slower, demonized form somehow smaller?
‘So he really has weakened?’
Hmm…
…
Not that it mattered much.
“I'm bored now.”
Done playing.
“Da—!”
With an emotionless gaze, Yujin snapped his fingers.
Kwachik—
In an instant, the demonized Greed was flattened. Crushed organs, bones, flesh, and black blood splattered everywhere.
“Wha…?”
“……”
Lust, the Holy Knight Order Captain, and Sena hadn't even registered what happened.
‘…What just occurred?’
Just a flash before their eyes—and Greed was flattened.
That was the only way to describe it.
Meanwhile, Greed, still clinging to consciousness, desperately tried to regenerate,
“That cockroach-like tenacity is still the same, huh.”
Chuckling, he snapped his fingers again. Greed was crushed and burst once more.
Spluuurt——!!!
“Grrrrrgh…!!”
Greed thrashed, trying to regenerate. But the more he did, the more Yujin snapped his fingers.
Each snap crushed and exploded Greed's body.
As if testing the limits of his regeneration.
Like squashing a pathetic bug.
Snap—!
Splatter—!
It resembled killing an insect. He kept crushing until that tenacious life force gave out.
Kwachik—!
Crack—!
.
.
.
Kwachik—
How many times did he crush Greed? At some point, Greed's life signs vanished.
“...Gasp.”
“……”
Sena gulped in shock, while the Holy Knight Order Captain now looked at Yujin with eyes beholding a god.
Soon, Yujin's gaze turned to Lust, sending her into a frenzy.
‘Run, I have to run…!’
She admitted it.
The opponent before her was likely a powerhouse on par with that monstrous Pride.
With her power depleted and her illusory world stolen, she could never match him.
Waiting for her would be the same end as Greed—squashed like a bug.
Thus, she attempted reverse summoning.
But—
“You think you can escape?”
Slash—
For a moment, the world appeared upside down to her.
No,
‘My head… it's been severed…’
She realized her head had been cut.
Thud—