Hell Gate Over Fukuoka

The church was filled with corpses.

All of them had been ordinary people living everyday lives.

A nurse raising three children alone. A woman seeking to overcome the pain of lost love through faith. A middle-aged man sunk in despair after his business failed. A young mother who had fled domestic violence. A father praying for his young daughter's recovery from a serious illness...

Each one had been comforted by the bishop.

Even if, in the end, it was the bishop's own hand that clutched their hearts.

"Those who believed in God sacrificed their final souls to open the door. Did they know, always coming to pray at the appointed hour, that the name of the god they prayed to was Anubis?"

The villain executives prostrated themselves, slamming their heads against the ground repeatedly.

In the fairly spacious church, villain forces packed the spaces between the corpses, chanting praises to their god in unison.

""Death Manager, Death Manager!""

- Kuduk. Kududuk.

Slowly, the statue of the saint on the church altar began to warp with grotesque sounds.

A statue with the face of a jackal.

Holding the cross inverted, a funeral wand in the opposite hand, as if reading the Book of the Dead.

Above its head hovered a scale weighing hearts.

"The plan has not changed. We must simply take a slight detour to receive our grace."

The villains responded with prayers verging on shrieks.

Amid the resounding chants that shook the entire church, the bishop gazed at the transformed Anubis statue.

"The plan proceeds without issue, Death Manager. This lowly one has only... failed to meet 'Your Father.' No matter how long it takes, no matter the detours! Someday, someday!"

The bishop screamed words that made no sense.

The fanatics' chorus continued unabated.

Then,

- Kwaaaaaang!

"......"

Numerous worshippers praising Anubis exploded simultaneously. And it didn't end there.

- Chaeaeaeaeaeaeang!

"!!!"

The bishop's eyes were momentarily blinded by the sheer force of the divine energy.

Physical force, and now holy power too.

I knew it.

Because I'd peered into the gate with my soul's eye.

"How did you find this place, Unregistered."

- ······.

But no answer came from anywhere. As always. With that nauseatingly inexplicable power, he'd raided the hidden dungeon 'Abandoned Subway Station' before, and now this 'Plan's Church' too.

- Kwaaaaaang!

- Kwaaaaaang!

Villains and executives burst apart from all directions without the slightest resistance. The church interior had become a gruesome scene of shredded flesh and blood.

"Hahahahahahahahaha!"

The bishop laughed.

Still, he didn't kill him. Just like last time.

He merely erased the villains around him from existence.

I already knew why the Unregistered was doing this.

"You want the [Power Fragment], don't you! Unregistered!"

- ······.

"Do you think you can? It's a fragile thing, like glass, shattered by the slightest impact. And it's inside my body."

With that, the bishop spread his arms wide and shouted.

"Try to kill me. The world is already finished. You can't stop the apocalypse or reach the power."

All the villains inside the church, executives included, had been wiped out without a chance to flee. Only the bishop remained.

"Capturing me alone won't thwart His will. It's like trying to fell a single tree in a vast forest...... Khek!!!"

The bishop, lost in ecstasy and spewing taunts at the Unregistered, suddenly convulsed in the same psychic agony as before and began vomiting.

"Kuuuugh......"

Just before his mind collapsed entirely, the bishop jammed his fingers into his own brain. This formed a sliver of independent ego, slightly detached from the mental breakdown.

Though his body and ninety percent of his mind had reached their limit and crumbled, he broadcast telepathy through that isolated fragment of self.

But the bishop's telepathy cut off there.

- Paaaak!

- Thud. Thud.

The bishop's body exploded without form.

From within rolled a thickly enchanted sphere onto the floor. Inside were two Power Fragments.

『······.』

Hovering above it was a purple soul that perfectly mimicked the bishop's appearance until moments ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ago. The highest-grade sorcery that ejects only the soul from the body.

Unable to speak, wearing an expression of extreme rage, it simply stared at the enchanted sphere.

- Wuuuuung...

A faint haze rose,

and the sphere slipped neatly inside.

『······.』

The bishop's soul watched the scene. Its gaze shifted to the Anubis statue.

It squeezed its eyes shut, muttering something in a voice that wouldn't come out. A prayer.

With that, the bishop's soul vanished somewhere.

Cheon Seung-hyuk gripped a single sword.

It wasn't his usual [Holy Sword].

Rather, it was a blunt ceremonial tool, not even sharpened.

[Sa-in Cham-sa Sword]

According to the document prepared by Hunter Yoon So-i, this was an absolutely essential weapon.

Yoon So-i's idea was a clever plan to forcibly activate it temporarily.

Even with her holy power nearly depleted, she had procured these items:

[Essence of Tanlang Star] [Essence of Jumen Star]

[Essence of Lucun Star] [Essence of Wenchu Star]

[Essence of Yanzheng Star] [Essence of Wugou Star]

And finally, [Essence of Pogun Star]

- I'll condense the power of all seven essences into one burst. That should mimic the Year-Month-Day-Hour effect, activating the Sa-in Cham-sa Sword.

Afterward, she warned that she might lose her power for a while.

'To conduct this level of research and procurement alone.'

Cheon Seung-hyuk felt awe at her abilities.

He recalled Yoon So-i's state just before: her pupils dilated, looking so fragile he could barely recognize her.

'Neutralizing the authentic Jackal Mask' had required maintaining the highest concentration of holy domain continuously—an absurd method.

And amid that, she'd made the destruction method viable.

- Kwaaak.

He had to succeed.

After returning from inside the gate, to close even a bit of the gap with the Unregistered, he'd obsessively honed the 'Basics.'

'I won't let it go to waste. Hunter Yoon So-i.'

With that resolve, Cheon Seung-hyuk headed straight to Fukuoka.

It was practically confirmed: gates opened from the Holy Relic that had absorbed the most souls. The analysis was unanimous worldwide.

Thus, the most dangerous Holy Relic at present had to be destroyed—and that was Japan's Fukuoka [Reverse Cross].

.

.

.

Among the high-rankers currently in Fukuoka,

Cheon Seung-hyuk was the only one who could withstand the pressure of the Sa-in Cham-sa Sword. And with the essence of the 'Basics,' he planned to destroy it.

[Reverse Cross].

The freshly recovered 'authentic Reverse Cross' lay before Cheon Seung-hyuk. Surrounding it, Japanese high-rankers and high officials prayed desperately for their lives.

Cheon Seung-hyuk deployed the holy tools Yoon So-i had prepared in advance.

Inside were seven gems. Essences of the Seven Stars.

"Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenchu, Yanzheng, Wugou, Pogun."

Precise.

Cheon Seung-hyuk compressed the energy of the seven gems into a single point, just as Yoon So-i instructed. Then,

- Kwaaaaaang!

Immense energy shot skyward from that point,

A noble voice, like that of a god, rang out to everyone present. Immediately,

- Kugugugugu...

"Kuhuhuk!"

Unbearable agony assailed Cheon Seung-hyuk's form.

'Is this the power of a constellation!'

He'd felt a faint taste through the Holy Relic, but it felt like his entire body would shatter.

'Quickly—break it in one strike!'

[Basics]

Cheon Seung-hyuk swung the activated Sa-in Cham-sa Sword.

Toward the [Reverse Cross].

The Management Bureau rooftop.

This smoking area held Kang Ye-bin.

"Fuuu."

Kang Ye-bin. Mid-tier who'd helped Hunter Yoon So-i procure the Seven Stars essences.

It had been truly grueling.

If she hadn't known it was crucial for saving the world, she never could have pulled it off.

"I feel like I'm gonna collapse... seriously gonna die."

Even smoking hurt her heart. She really needed sleep now.

"Ye-bin, you really not joining UNOFFICIAL?"

Currently beside her: Song Chi-woong.

A healthy guy who could do 500 three-set reps, and her fellow recruit.

He'd been spouting nonsense lately—urging her to join the Unregistered fan cafe. She couldn't tolerate it anymore.

"What kinda childish crap is that."

"Unregistered is a god! You don't get it?"

"Hell Gate was about to open right in front of us—no mood for jokes. I get your department's cushy, but I'm beat. Piss off before I curse you out."

With that, she stubbed out her cigarette and headed down from the rooftop.

Wrong timing to laugh. The world had nearly ended—how'd it bounce back? Crazy bastard. Just because he's a fellow recruit.

Her rising anger made her turn back for one last word at Song Chi-woong.

"Join UNOFFICIAL, I said? Join UNOFFICIAL, I said? Join UNOFFICIAL, I said? Join UNOFFICIAL, I said? Join UNOFFICIAL, I said? Join UNOFFICIAL, I said?"

"!!!"

Kang Ye-bin instinctively stepped back three paces from Song Chi-woong.

"Who the hell are you."

"Unregistered is god. Unregistered is our god!"

Song Chi-woong's face darkened in real-time.

'Necrophilia!'

"Tch!"

As a key Management Bureau operative, Kang Ye-bin swiftly drew her suicide bomb from her pocket. But,

- Thump!

The hefty Song Chi-woong's body blocked her already.

"Join UNOFFICIAL. That's how you dig up even one more scrap of info."

Song Chi-woong's face had turned almost pitch-black.

In his hand gleamed a single 'gem.'

[Essence of Tanlang Star].

"!!!"

Then, the Tanlang Star Essence in Fukuoka...

- Kwaaak.

"Gek, kek."

Song Chi-woong began strangling Kang Ye-bin's throat.

At that moment, Yoon So-i.

Drained of all holy power, she lay collapsed in the treatment room, little more than a corpse.

But clinging to consciousness through sheer willpower, she summoned a holy auxiliary hunter.

To confirm the mission's success.

The auxiliary hunter rushed in at her call and reported on the mission.

"Success!"

The result: success.

"Haaaa......"

Tension drained from Yoon So-i's body. She felt like she could collapse and see her life flash before her eyes any second.

"The Sa-in Cham-sa Sword activated! Hunter Cheon Seung-hyuk struck the Holy Relic [Reverse Cross] with great force!"

'It worked.'

But one more thing to confirm.

The Sa-in Cham-sa Sword revealed its power only when the seven spirits harmonized perfectly.

The result could be verified immediately after activation by the resonant, profound incantation echoing everywhere.

"Tell me the incantation's content."

"Yes! Ahem, ahem!"

The auxiliary hunter cleared her throat and recited it verbatim.

"Heaven bestows essence and earth aids spirit, so sun and moon take form, mountains and rivers shape themselves, and lightning rages."

Then she approached to check on Hunter Yoon So-i's condition.

"That's it?"

"Pardon?"

"Was that all?"

"W-what do you mean? Yes! Th-that was everything......"

Yoon So-i rose from the bed and grabbed the auxiliary hunter's hand.

"Su-yeon. No. It can't end there."

When the Sa-in Cham-sa Sword activated normally, the incantation rang out:

And,

Why hadn't this phrase appeared!

"There must be more after that. Spit it out!"

"Uh, uh, aaaaah!"

Only then did Auxiliary Hunter Yang Su-yeon seem to remember, clearing her throat to recite the incantation again.

"Reporting once more! Hunter Yoon So-i!"

"······."

Yoon So-i listened desperately to the re-report.

What reached her ears was this:

"!!!"

"!!!!"

"Ah, no......"

In the treatment room where she finally lost consciousness, the unending prayer echoed on.

"Fuuu."

I returned, holding the Power Fragment enchanted sphere.

'The Power Bullet will be ready soon. About 10 minutes.'

Once I shattered this barrier, four Power Fragments would be in my hands.

The Holy Relic destructions were proceeding smoothly, and the Hell Gate was sealed forever.

All that remained was analyzing the church and fully deciphering the four murals to eliminate future threats.

'Yeah. Keep going. To the end.'

Then,

"Caaaaptaaain!!!"

It was a scream-like call.

"Ollie?"

This level of urgency was usually Jenny's domain, but Ollie came sprinting on his short legs, calling for me.

"What's wrong, Ollie!"

"Th-this, you gotta see this yo! This!!!"

Thus, the scene on the screen in the operations room.

In Fukuoka's skies... a colossal 'door.'

"······."

If the moon collided, it wouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blanket the sky like this. The door hovering over Fukuoka turned the daytime region into night.

Clearly just a door, yet grotesquely alive and eerie. Made of massive stone, but it pulsed like a living being.

- Aaaaaa...

- Aaaaaa...

Statues embodying myriad souls protruded and were sucked back in repeatedly, eternally battling on the door's surface—some fleeing, others dragging them in.

"······."

From the gaps, pitch-black blood ceaselessly dripped, as if the door itself bled. Blood rain fell on Fukuoka.

At the door's center loomed a massive eye.

- Ttorruk. Ttorruk.

The pupil scanned ceaselessly. Friction of flesh sounded with each movement. Meeting its gaze sent a chilling terror, as if it pierced the soul.

Black, viscous fluid oozed around the eye, corrupting everything it touched upon hitting the ground.

It was above Fukuoka, Japan.