Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Judgment and Hell
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The Twelve Divine Demons were those who had reached the absolute pinnacle in their respective fields, becoming sovereigns over a million demonic paths.
Even among the Twelve Divine Demons, those with relatively weaker combat prowess—like the Divine Yi Jaegwi of the Threadless Witch Hall or the Nostalgic Ghost Yin Trio, originally an evil musician—were acclaimed as having no equals in martial arts in their era. Thus, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the Twelve Divine Demons the twelve strongest leaders in the long history of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
However, even among those Twelve Divine Demons, there existed the Three Venerables of the Divine Cult, whose martial prowess and achievements transcended the others by dimensions.
They were the Asura Demon Venerable, the Gu Yu Sword Venerable, and the Blood Heaven Martial Venerable.
Among them, the Gu Yu Sword Venerable's unique martial art, the Gu Yu Demon Sword, was a legendary sword technique that embodied the Eight Hot Hells and Eight Cold Hells within the blade.
Originally, with my current level of attainment, not only deploying the Gu Yu Sword Formula was impossible, but even wielding the sword according to its principles was out of the question. Yet the divine demon energy that had elevated my achievements just moments ago was naturally and perfectly recreating the Gu Yu Sword in my mind.
But to block that Gu Yu Sword—the Gu Yu Initial Inferno Sword that contained the Three Kalpa Flames of the First Hot Hell—just like this?
The very Gu Yu Sword that even I had been sliced to ribbons countless times to comprehend, and which had taken me an eternity just to block its first strike?
"Blocked it?"
"Brother, calm down and let's talk..."
The time for calming down had passed.
The pink-haired goddess had provoked me by toying with my most cherished and beloved nymph.
And this black angel with closed eyes had dared to block a sword strike that should never have been blocked, trying to steal away the punishment—and the pleasure of it—that was rightfully mine.
As a martial artist and a demon who had endured eons of hardship before even becoming the Heavenly Demon, I could never tolerate such insolence.
Initial Inferno Scripture: Kalpa Fire World Annihilation
The flames that incinerate the world are neither noisy nor violent.
They simply burn, scorch, and blaze.
-Shaaaah...!
A light sound, like a spring breeze rustling, echoed between my black sword gang and the black scales-shaped sword.
"...What is this?!"
Realizing something was off, the black angel tried to withdraw her sword, but it was already too late.
"Where do you think you're going? Let's play a little longer."
-Kwarang!
The black angel flapped her wings and soared upward, while I pursued relentlessly, clashing swords.
The scales-shaped sword trembled gradually against the kalpa fire I had ignited, and in the hellfire-like heat, the surrounding trees and grass began charring black.
Finally, as the kalpa fire slowly seeped into what seemed to have endured for a while—the scales-shaped sword—creating ripples, the angel's closed white eyes snapped open in shock.
"! ? Y-You... Eustathia?"
Her eyes, filled with shock, soon blazed ice-blue, and suddenly, the black scales sword began glowing pure white.
[Judicium (Judgment)!!]
"...Tch!"
At the same time, an immense aura erupted, and the pure white glow from her white eyes and black scales sword forced me to click my tongue and retreat.
It was similar to the divine power release Hermes had shown earlier.
Overwhelmed by the piercing white light that felt like it was shredding my entire body, I withdrew the Initial Inferno Sword and shifted to defense.
Soon, like the arrow barrage I had faced with the Kunlun front line right before me in the past, pure white beams of light rained down toward me, only to be met by my pitch-black sword.
-Chaeng! Chaechaeng!
The clash between the pure white spears of light embroidering the sky and the impenetrable black sword barrier...
Could only end with the decisive descent of the pure white sword.
[Frater, ignosce mihi (Brother, forgive me)]
"Hah, bullshit."
Even as she swung her sword down, eyes burning with pure white divine power, spouting nonsense—I smirked and prepared for the decisive clash.
For both her and me, everything would end with this single exchange—the flower of swordsmen.
It was the perfect chance to test how far this freely unleashed divine demon energy could go.
Gu Yu Demon Sword - Avici Scripture
The pure white sword of judgment, driving away the night, and the pitch-black sword of Avici, seeking to devour even that light, eyed each other, baring fangs as they probed for openings.
And the moment each found the other's gap...
The white sword and black sword crossed...
"Wait!"
They were about to.
Until some strawberry milk-colored figure jumped between me and the angel.
"Eris!?"
"What's this now!?"
The two sword strikes veered sharply.
-Kwaaaaaang!
-Puhwaaaak!
The pure white scales sword twisted skyward, and the completed Avici Sword shattered the earth.
Honestly, since this goddess was the cause of the fight, I briefly considered just skewering her.
But using the finishing blow of a duel between swordsmen to deal with an uninvited interloper felt utterly unchic.
Of course, the aftermath alone tore the sky and cratered the ground.
The pink-haired goddess, huddled inside a pink barrier like her hair, weeping, wasn't harmed in the slightest.
"Eris! Are you okay?"
"S-Sis..."
"Di... Dianes... I feel nauseous..."
"Neri! You didn't get caught up in it, right?"
"Yeah... But the ground... Urk..."
The black-winged angel, shocked at nearly slashing her own sister with her own hand, tossed her sword aside and rushed toward the goddess called Eris.
I, too, had to check on Neri, who was behind me and unharmed but nauseous from the quaking earth.
"I'm fine... Dianes, your nose—there's blood!"
"Huh?"
Blood from the nose?
Hearing Neri scream upon seeing my face, I touched below my nose.
Lukewarm blood stained my finger red.
"Dianes, bloooood..."
"Neri!?"
Seeing it, Neri's face flushed bright red before she fainted, and I caught her in alarm.
Then a calm, clear voice came from behind.
"...It's the aftereffect of overusing divine power. That nymph just fainted from shock, so rest easy."
"Divine power?"
I frowned and turned, finding the pink-haired goddess with a flushed face avoiding my eyes, and the black-winged goddess pitifully eyeing her as she held the princess-carry pose.
The two watched quietly as I carefully sat Neri down on the ground instead of the dirt.
"Doesn't seem like you're up for another round?"
"Hoo... Allow me to apologize first. My sister and I got carried away with our mischief and nearly harmed your lover."
"Sisss~ We just played a teeeny prank..."
"Shut it, Eris."
Eris, fidgeting her fingers to make excuses, clamped her mouth shut at her sister's ironclad glare, not even a needle could pass through.
"First, allow me to introduce us. I am Nemesis, overseer of judgment and justice.
This immature little sister is Eris, guardian of strife and discord.
We are all siblings born from the primordial night."
Primordial night.
The term Hermes had used, referring to the god who created me.
I knew of night goddesses from the orphanage teachings and vague memories of my past life, but the Primordial Night felt unfamiliar, and records showed it wasn't widely worshipped.
"Care to tell me more... sis?"
Moreover, with the siblings from beyond the fog appearing in person at the end.
Above all, after a good rampage, it felt right to hear them out.
And a swordmaster who could cross blades with my Gu Yu Sword, calling me little brother, and such a beauty at that?
Honestly, anyone but me would struggle not to use honorifics.
"More than anything, that swordsmanship—your unique martial art... You seem to have created it yourself. I'd love to discuss it. Sis."
"Sis?"
"Sis?!"
At my "sis," Nemesis's eyes went wide, and Eris jolted upright in her arms.
"Hey! Why don't you call me sis!?"
"Eris?"
Nemesis gave a subtle glance, and the flailing discord goddess went limp like seaweed again.
"Ahem, brother, your swordsmanship was equally impressive. I'd love to discuss it slowly, but..."
Nemesis suddenly looked up at the sky.
Wondering what it was, I followed her gaze: a dark blue barrier draped over the sky was torn and ragged, with a crescent moon shimmering through the gaps.
"Waaah... The barrier I worked so hard on got torn..."
"Insufficient study, Eris."
"It's cuz you're an idiot, sis! What barrier can block your Judgment Sword!?"
"...Who was the idiot who jumped in front of that sword?!"
How does one even conceive of picking a fight with the person holding them?
Eris rolled her eyes again, only to be slammed headfirst into the ground by Nemesis's hand.
"Kkukyak?!"
"I told you! I said just bind the insolent sinner who mocked Mother and our bloodline!
I had to endure that sea god whining in his underwater palace—do you know how exhausting that was?
And you couldn't hold back, started brawling with the youngest, and even got your ass handed to you!?
And you're the goddess of strife and discord!?"
"Kyaa! Euk!? Sis, w-wait a minuuumph!"
Finally snapping, Nemesis began spanking her sister's rear with the flat of her sword.
At a glance, it was clear this bratty sibling had been a headache for far more than a day or two.
"I can never get married..."
"Hoo... What a disgraceful display."
Shaking her head at Eris clutching her reddened buttocks over her clothes and sobbing, Nemesis turned back to me.
"...Ahem, anyway, I'd love to chat more with my new brother.
But staying here will draw Olympus's attention, so let's meet again on a quieter night."
"Olympus?"
Causing this ruckus after erecting a barrier in Chiron's sanctuary—is that fine?
As I furrowed my brow, Nemesis smirked as if reading my mind and answered.
"Even so, the Greece they rule is quite beautiful nowadays.
It's more convenient to keep a proper distance than destroy the land over needless grudges."
"Ah..."
In other words, she and her sisters, unaffiliated with Olympus, saw no benefit in tangling with the Olympian Twelve Gods, so they kept their distance.
"Oh, right—by 'sinner,' you mean Orion?"
The Judgment and Discord goddesses suddenly appearing before me.
Neri pursuing them, then bleeding Orion spotting that, and Eris who supposedly chased Orion.
Me entering the forest upon seeing Eris.
In this situation, "sinner" naturally brought Poseidon’s thug to mind.
"Ah... Come to think of it, you too were humiliated alongside Mother, nearly had your lover defiled."
Nemesis nodded as if only just realizing, then gestured into the air.
"Kwaak?!"
-Thud!
Suddenly, a blue-haired giant, beaten to a pulp, plummeted from the sky to the ground.
"Now, we shall punish the sinner who mocked the gods' name and sought to harm our bloodline. Care to watch together? L-Little brother?"
Nemesis offered with a sly smile, calling me little brother—her face oddly flushing pink.