“Ah…!”
“Ah…!” When Seong Ha-yeon came to her senses, Kim Jin-seo had already thrown herself into the flames. Amid the miraculous blaze driving out the darkness of the “banquet,” two pitch-black silhouettes flickered as they faced each other. It was Kim Jin-seo and the demon species.
Kim Jin-seo stood unarmed, facing the demon species with nothing but her fists, while the demon species was a weapon from head to toe. She knew there was no chance of winning. And yet, she had leaped in. Knowing she might die. No—knowing full well she would die. Even so, she had recreated a miracle to summon the pillar of fire and plunged right into it.
It wasn’t for some noble resolve to save Seong Ha-yeon. She didn’t care about Seong Ha-yeon enough to throw away her life for her. Revenge against the demon species that killed her adoptive mother? That wasn’t it either. She had simply charged in without any special reason.
Maybe it was a moment of utter recklessness.
“Jin… seo. Kim Jin…!”
Crack!
Kim Jin-seo’s body floated up lightly amid the flames. Her knee rocketed toward the demon species’ face as it murmured her name. Something shattered. The demon species’ nasal bone and Kim Jin-seo’s knee broke simultaneously.
Thanks to Seong Ha-yeon’s blessing boosting her physical abilities across the board, she could inflict damage on the demon species even barehanded. The problem was durability. The demon species’ body was rock-hard, and no matter how rigorously trained, Kim Jin-seo’s remained human.
Every attack meant she had to accept injury in return.
“Doesn’t hurt.”
The one silver lining was that she barely felt any pain. That too was thanks to Seong Ha-yeon’s blessing. Or perhaps her senses had gone numb with death staring her down. Either way, it didn’t matter. Kim Jin-seo decided to stop thinking for now. What she needed wasn’t perception, but judgment. This wasn’t the time to analyze what was happening—she had to decide what to do next.
Whoosh—!
Her body launched into the air again. She climbed onto the demon species’ shoulder. It resisted a bit, but the flames had slowed its movements drastically, letting her dodge everything. A quick glance at its carapace showed scorch marks from the miraculous fire.
She hadn’t climbed up for strikes. Against a body like forged steel, blows would only hurt her more. Joint locks were her only option.
She wrapped her legs around its arm and twisted her body.
Crunch!
“Kieeeek—!”
The technique landed perfectly. The demon species screamed and thrashed.
“Ugh!”
Kim Jin-seo, clinging to its body, tumbled to the ground. It had flung her hard—even with Seong Ha-yeon’s blessing, it stung. Rubbing her lower back, she stood and glanced at the demon species’ dislocated, dangling shoulder. She let out a light chuckle.
Using joint locks against a demon species was something she’d learned from the Northern Holy Warrior Order Captain. Preparation for sudden encounters with magic beasts or demon species while unarmed. “Holy warriors must always be ready for battle,” the captain had drilled into her until her ears rang. Kim Jin-seo was the only one who’d taken it to heart and trained seriously. She believed there was truth in his words. In fact, she’d been ambushed by demon species and magic beasts more often when off-guard.
“Kiek, kieeeek—!”
Kim Jin-seo approached the screeching demon species. She’d ripped out and crushed its right shoulder—now for the left. Its movements were still sluggish; dodging was effortless. She thought her training was finally paying off. For a fleeting, arrogant moment, she imagined she might actually win barehanded, achieving revenge through blessing, miracle, and hand-to-hand combat alone.
Crack.
That thought shattered the instant a third eye engraved itself between the demon species’ brows.
The Third Eye.
In that moment, the demon species’ movements became unnaturally swift. Gone was the flailing beast crippled by pain—its eyes now gleamed with calm killing intent.
Whoosh!
It swung its arm. Kim Jin-seo ducked, barely evading. But the next came immediately. She braced defensively and squeezed her eyes shut. She’d dodged the first somehow, but the second was impossible from her crouched position.
After opening its Third Eye, the demon species wasn’t just faster—it fought smarter.
Crunch.
“……”
A gruesome sound echoed, followed by silence. Only the occasional crackle of the demon species’ carapace burning filled the air.
Kim Jin-seo opened her eyes. She should’ve taken a direct hit, yet her body felt strangely intact. Through the flames, she saw two silhouettes: the demon species and the back of a man. He wielded a mace and sword, blocking the demon species’ strike with the mace.
The man turned to look at her and offered his sword.
“Can you move?”
“……”
“Ah, barely hurt at all. Good.”
Mun Yo-seop flashed a casual smile. Kim Jin-seo took the sword. He gripped his mace tight and glared at the demon species. Watching him, she felt a tingling in her fingertips—like witnessing black magic up close. Ominous. Dangerous.
“Day of atonement.”
Mun Yo-seop advanced on the demon species. A single tear rolled from his eye. His gaze held rage, regret, a strange sorrow—and affection.
The demon species raised its arm. Mun Yo-seop raised his mace.
Crunch!
Their fists and mace collided. The demon species’ fist shattered, vanishing without a trace. In an instant.
The armless demon species howled in agony. Mun Yo-seop gave no quarter, swinging again.
Thud.
A light sound, like bouncing a ball. Yet its shoulder tore free. With mere swings, he was dismantling the demon species piece by piece. Another swing, and a leg ripped off.
Kim Jin-seo watched, sword in hand, ready to jump in if he faltered. But she didn’t need to. Mun Yo-seop dominated. No—he was toying with it, refusing to kill outright.
“……I thought killing this would ease my mind.”
Mun Yo-seop muttered, swinging.
Squelch.
“Kieeeek—!”
Limbs gone, the demon species writhed on its torso alone. Mun Yo-seop mounted it, staring calmly into its glaring red eyes.
He thought of his wife. Butchered by this pathetic, worthless demon species. And himself, who’d let her die to such a thing. He recalled the years of mad training, hating his former weakness. The days blinded by petty revenge, missing so much.
His grip tightened on the mace.
“Looks like there was never any atonement for me to begin with.”
Stab.
The sword pierced the demon species’ heart—not by Mun Yo-seop, but Kim Jin-seo. She twisted it. The demon species screamed, convulsing. The red glow in its eyes faded. Black smoke poured from the corpse.
It was dead.
Mun Yo-seop blinked at her. The pillar of fire had vanished. She blinked back.
“I wanted to do it.”
Kim Jin-seo said calmly. Mun Yo-seop stared blankly, then smirked and nodded.
“Yeah, definitely better this way.”
Shrrrk—!
The surrounding darkness lifted like a curtain rising. A horrific scene unfolded before Mun Yo-seop, Kim Jin-seo, and Seong Ha-yeon.
Fallen people first—limbs or heads torn off, dead or barely clinging to life. Grotesque demon species encircled them.
In the center lay Han Dae-ho. Defeated and wounded, collapsed. The Southern Priest Order Captain, pouring blessings on him through bloodshot eyes, had collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
And the man behind it all: Satan Cult executive Lust.
“Sturdy body. Strong will. But such lacking intellect is a pity.”
He eyed the fallen Han Dae-ho appraisingly. Han Dae-ho glared up with his last strength. Even near death, his eyes burned with sharp, unyielding killing intent. But soon, that light faded.
Lust’s gaze shifted to Kim Jin-seo and Seong Ha-yeon. Lust boiled in his eyes as he alternated between them.
“Kim Jin-seo, Seong Ha-yeon.”
He called their names with a smile. Their shoulders twitched. Seong Ha-yeon feared he knew her name. Kim Jin-seo shuddered for another reason.
That low voice from the pale eyes on the demon species that stalked her relentlessly. Chilling, repulsive. Identical to Lust’s.
She realized: Lust had commanded those demon species after her.
“Go, my finest breed.”
He addressed the largest nearby demon species. It nodded and advanced on the three.
Kim Jin-seo, Mun Yo-seop, and Seong Ha-yeon stared it down. Kim Jin-seo knew its core: the Northern Holy Warrior Order Captain. The man who’d taught her combat and more. He’d fallen to black magic on death’s door, becoming this.
Kim Jin-seo gritted her teeth, gripping her sword tight. Four arms, six eyes—it exuded overwhelming pressure unlike the others.
“Four arms. Must be a boxing monster.”
Mun Yo-seop chuckled at it, setting his mace down gently. He clenched his fists and assumed a stance.
“Kim Jin-seo, Seong Ha-yeon. You two handle that demon species? I’ll take the… dumb-looking guy.”
He jerked his chin at Lust. Kim Jin-seo and Seong Ha-yeon swallowed hard, steeled themselves, and nodded after a moment’s thought.
Mun Yo-seop grinned. Lust’s face soured.
“Dumb-looking, you say. First time I’ve heard that. To get such words from an inferior, vulgar breed at a glance. What humiliation…”
“Vulgar.”
Step, step.
Mun Yo-seop walked toward Lust, continuing.
“Ever seen the essence of Nasil?”
*
We’d finally arrived at the Central Priest Order Affiliated Cathedral. But when we got there, it was engulfed in some unidentified black mass.
Seong Yu-da scanned it quickly with his eyes before speaking.
“Black magic.”
“We’ll dispel it with Purification Blessing.”
“An executive’s black magic won’t even yield to—”
Seong Yu-da cut off mid-sentence, still eyeing the black mass. He touched it cautiously with a fingertip.
“No… it’s weaker than it looks. Not an executive’s.”
Slash!
He drew a dagger from his robes and slashed his palm. Blood dripped. He drew a blessing circle in one breath and poured it in. Pure, radiant light poured out—on another level from Seong Ha-yeon’s Purification Blessing. Pristine brilliance.
“Erasing it outright is tough for now, but I can make a gap. Once there’s an opening, we can squeeze in and…”
As Seong Yu-da said, a tiny gap formed in the black mass around the cathedral. Barely enough for a body if squeezed.
I peered inside. Pitch darkness; nothing visible.
“I’ll go first.”
I tried to wedge myself in. No idea what was happening inside. No plan. I’d figure it out once in.
“Wait, I’m coming too!”
Someone shouted, rushing toward us. Sweating profusely like Seong Yu-da, charging desperately—it was none other than Florence Chairman Kim Chang-won.
(To be continued)