Chapter 21: Partus (4)
It was perplexing and far from ordinary, yet it boiled down neatly to two sentences. First: Demon King Partus had done something with his demonic energy. Second: The Black Heart—the final boss trait from Kill the Evil—had reacted to it.
That pretty much confirmed it. The Black Heart... was a power tied to demons. And not just any demons, either. It might even connect directly to something beyond a demon king—perhaps the entity that served as the final boss in World Guardian. A question flickered through my mind in that instant.
Then why had the Black Heart reacted at Silver Demon Mountain? That place wasn't linked to demons; it was where Rabbit Mask had fought the long-lived species.
And one more thing. Right after the Hand of the Demon incident, the multiple-choice question I'd posed to the hologram: Lee Si-hyeok, Jeong Se-bin, Lee Sea, and Lee Dojin. A way for all four of us to survive. One of the options it presented mentioned fully awakening the Black Heart as a condition.
Honestly, given how things were unfolding... awakening it didn't exactly scream "happy ending."
Whatever my doubts, outside, Partus kept spewing demonic energy. Ssssss...Shwaaaaa—! He was far above the Han River, quite a distance from our apartment, yet the whole building shook like there was an earthquake. Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gu-gwang!
A thunderous roar shattered the windows and echoed inside. Around then, two phones buzzed with incoming calls. Bzzz, bzzzz. One was mine; the other, Sea's.
"Yeah... okay. Got it."
As Sea talked to someone, I caught the urgent voice on my end too. Arnaud Duré sounded unusually grave, nothing like his usual cheer.
<Jin, can you hear me?>
"Yes."
<Good. Things seem okay for now, but comms will cut soon. No time—keeping it brief.>
Shelters for S-rank-equivalent rifts were spaced at regular intervals. This apartment, Jin Yu-ri's place, and Yoo Hae-bin's were all in the same zone. Arnaud Duré and the other two European heroes were heading there too.
need you there. Meet at the shelter—>
Chijik... A piercing static cut Arnaud off. Just as he said, the rift's intensification was disrupting comms. I barely managed to message Yoo Hae-bin.
That exchange killed my phone entirely. Sea rushed back from her room, dressed in whatever she could grab, and said,
"Yu-ri called. She's coming to the shelter."
"Got it. Let's go."
Sea and I slipped on shoes at the door and headed for the window. No time for stairs or elevators. Sea hugged my midsection tight, arms wrapped around me.
"Count of three, we jump. One, two... three."
Taang! We vaulted the windowsill and plummeted like arrows. Blue mana flowed from Sea; I assisted, ensuring a safe landing.
The ground we hit... was already pandemonium.
Kkiiiiiik! Cars screeched across intersections, ignoring signals, slamming to halts beyond drivers' control. Roads choked with vehicles, paralyzed. Screams laced with terror echoed everywhere.
Gripping Sea's hand, I pushed toward the shelter, eyes on the sky. Partus, radiating black light, hovered motionless in the air. More accurately, he couldn't move. Even an S-rank rift couldn't handle a full demon king descent. Proof: no other monsters in sight. Summoning just Partus had maxed out the rift's capacity.
Lucky, in a grim way... but only a brief reprieve. In World Guardian, he was top-tier among the fourteen demon kings. Strongest in the demon ranks now, probably. At full power, no single human could match him solo. He could trade blows with full-moon Seo Yeon-hee.
Sea half-dragged me as we sprinted to the shelter. Hunters and officials directed evacuees inside at a frantic pace. Familiar faces waved near the entrance.
"Professor! Sea!"
"Over here!"
Jin Yu-ri and Yoo Hae-bin shouted, waving wildly. The three European heroes hurried over too.
"Your parents?"
"Inside already. Charlotte—"
"I told Yu-ri to stay. Can't miss a chance like this."
Charlotte Tate cut in on Sea and Jin Yu-ri's exchange.
"Perfect spot too—watch close, both of you. This moment beats a year of training. Your friends can spectate too."
She stretched her limbs in warm-up poses. The shelter's perimeter had a mana barrier—safe enough. I caught her plan. But her next words surprised even me.
"Arnaud, Andrey, Dojin—take care of things."
"Wait, are you—"
"Going alone?"
Sea and I blurted. She smirked. The others didn't flinch—pre-arranged, probably. Then came her bold declaration.
"Don't worry. Human, monster, demon... nothing in this world tops me."
"We get it—just don't overdo it. Reinforcements incoming soon."
"Got it. We trust you, Lotty."
"Come back safe, Roti."
Trust laced their words. Then—Kwaang! Charlotte stomped lightly and rocketed over a hundred meters skyward, kicking off again mid-air. She landed above the Han River. Partus approached, intrigued.
Battle imminent. I asked Arnaud Duré,
"What about us?"
"Me, Andy, and you head to the rift's edge while Roti holds it. Not dangerous, but essential."
No long explanation—just enough for me to grasp.
"Jin, I think I know this rift."
"You mean..."
His research had laid the theoretical groundwork for the Great Rift, willingly or not. This one resembled it.
"Not certain, but similarities abound. Enough to punch a hole. I'll lead, you fine-tune, Andy powers it. You'll see that coward Partus trembling against seven—look forward to it."
Arnaud beamed with false bravado. Then—
Instant Foresight (Rank A+)
A faint flicker—like a glimpse slightly into the future—vanished. I glanced at Andrey Ilyin. His dark eyes glowed navy with blue mana.
And then—Ku-uuuuuung! The world trembled. Black light exploded afar. The rift was complete.
Kiiiiik! Wooooooor! A dozen or so monsters poured through—not many.
Partus, now mobile, took a step into empty air. Charlotte mirrored him.
And—Ku-oooooo—! Black demonic energy, scorching all it touched, clashed with pristine white mana.
"Hey, we've met before, right?"
Partus eyed the human woman addressing him. Lean but muscled, tall for her kind, face alight with... anticipation, more than cheer. Like a predator sizing prey, she pressed.
"Seen the others a couple times at least, but you? Never got the chance. Last time, you didn't even show. Word got around—you're the biggest coward of the bunch, Partus or whatever."
[Was I?]
His dry reply made her frown, dredging old memories.
"Gayer, was it? Wildest of your fourteen. He said it too: Partus is trash."
[Gayer had the right. Bravest among us.]
"Not embarrassed, huh."
Her taunt lost its edge. First, it flopped. Second... his black demonic energy swelled endlessly.
Feeling his bindings fade second by second, Partus spoke.
[Brave Gayer was torn limb from limb. Cunning Deuv, who mocked the world, had his skull crushed. They earned their mockery in life; now I laugh at them. That's the law of this cosmos, child of man.]
"Survivor's the winner? Lame mindset."
Partus smiled at her scorn.
[I remember you. Meager talent, but admirable effort. Decades aren't short for humans—impressive growth.]
Casual, like old friends. Yet their killing intent peaked. Partus continued, amused.
[But alone—not even three... That's not courage; it's folly. No time to reflect, but repent till your last breath.]
As he finished, the rift completed. Monsters emerged. Partus unleashed a fraction of his world-shattering power.
Kwaaaaaa—!
Undaunted by the oncoming demonic surge, she flicked her finger—ting.
Pishwoong, shuu, shwaak! In a split-second splintered a hundredfold, over a hundred white swords materialized in the pitch sky. Mana-forged, they flew to intercept.
Puuuung! Light bursts illuminated the darkness.