Intruder in Heaven's Fifth District
“I swear I’ll tear you apart and kill you.”
Silchemis’s eyes had turned violet, his wings riddled with holes as he radiated pure killing intent. Being struck by a mere human was already infuriating enough, but being toyed with was unforgivable.
“You’re asking if the mutant wyverns are my work? That’s right! I made them.”
“Ha, see? This really is a tool for getting at the truth, isn’t it?”
“…….”
Do-ha marveled as he showed off his fist, and for a split second Silchemis nearly nodded. It was galling, but looking only at the results, things had unfolded exactly as the man claimed.
“By the way, Heaven’s a complete mess too when you look at it. Fallen angels pop up at the drop of a hat.”
Most of the noble-class demons had once been angels. They fell and became demons—proof enough that Heaven was a dumpster fire.
“A human dares insult Heaven.”
“?”
Do-ha tilted his head at Silchemis’s words. Just what position was this guy even supposed to be in?
“Pick one, just one. A fallen bastard getting pissed because someone badmouthed Heaven? What’s that about?”
A demon now, yet he still flared up over insults to Heaven. What a grotesque hybrid.
“Why did you create mutant wyverns in the Intermediate Realm? You knew full well what kind of damage they’d cause.”
“For my research.”
“Research?”
“That’s right. Heaven refused to acknowledge my research achievements—the ability to create all sorts of mutants. They branded me a fallen one and even banished me to the Demon Realm. So I decided to show them. Just how magnificent my research results truly are.”
A thick, foul smile spread across Silchemis’s face as even more powerful demonic energy began pouring from him. Though he had been cast out to the Demon Realm, he had met a demon who shared his vision there. Thanks to that, he had gained new knowledge and advanced even further.
“Keh-heh-heh. You fool. While we were talking, the preparations were already finished.”
The reason he had deliberately kept talking even while seething from the human’s punches was precisely to buy time. Stupid human. He would never have imagined that conversing with him was the very act that would sever his own lifeline. The weakness of those who possessed great power was exactly that kind of arrogance.
“Ah… so, just to show off your research results to Heaven, you tried to kill humans?”
Do-ha’s expression grew steadily colder. He had already known Silchemis was stalling. He had simply watched to see what the angel intended to do.
“I really can’t kill you cleanly.”
Killing intent began to swirl in Do-ha’s eyes. If Han Jeong-soo had not reported so quickly, countless humans would have died for nothing more than someone’s research.
In that instant—
Rrrrrumble!
Something enormous began to rise from the mountain behind Silchemis. The mutant wyverns were already as massive as dragons, yet the newly appearing thing was several times larger still.
Whoooosh—
Kuuuuung!
“Hahaha! This is my masterpiece!”
Silchemis flung both arms wide. What the angel had summoned was a chimera—and not one mixed from one or two creatures, but a total of five. Angel, demon, dragon, unicorn, and manticore. A chimera of truly nightmarish appearance was spewing thick demonic energy.
“Calling that pile of food waste a masterpiece.”
“Wh… what?! Food waste?!”
Silchemis exploded at Do-ha’s words. Calling it disgusting or horrific he could somewhat understand. But food waste? He had never suffered such an insult in his life.
Whoosh!
Flap-flap-flap!
When the enraged Silchemis waved his hand, mutant wyverns began flying in from the distance—the ones that had been in the Yangyang and Sokcho regions.
Shhhk!
Thud-thud-thud.
“Do-ha!”
“Do-ha-ssi.”
“Do-ha-nim!”
As the mutant wyverns shifted, Canteas and Selenia—who had been fighting them—arrived together with Kang Ji-hwan and Han Se-ah. The wyverns they had been facing had suddenly moved, and they had rushed over in a panic, thinking the creatures were heading for the city center.
“Lots of bastards that need killing.”
“What, a fallen angel? So that guy was the one controlling the mutant wyverns. No wonder something felt off… huh?”
Canteas, approaching, saw Do-ha’s face and tilted his head.
“Why are you so angry?”
The face was expressionless, yet it was unmistakable. Do-ha’s rage. After decades together, he could tell at once.
“Se… Selenia-nim, what is that…?”
“It looks hideous.”
Kang Ji-hwan and Han Se-ah gulped as they stared at the mountain-sized chimera. From afar they had thought it was just a mountain; up close it was a grotesquely formed giant monster.
“That pigeon bastard said he made the mutant wyverns for his research.”
“Ah… so that’s why you’re pissed.”
Hearing Do-ha’s words, Canteas finally nodded. For nothing more than that kind of research, people had nearly died en masse—of course Do-ha would be furious.
“Hey, pigeon.”
“Calling me a pigeon to the very end…”
“All gathered?”
Do-ha looked at the mutant wyverns circling near the chimera.
“Keh-heh-heh. Did you wait for us?”
“I asked if they’re all here.”
“Yes. I’ve called them all.”
Silchemis wore a foul smile. How arrogant did one have to be to even consider facing dozens of mutant wyverns? In this state he could handle a dragon—no, even a noble-class demon. Yet a mere human was acting like this.
“You overestimate your own power far too much.”
“And you underestimate me far too much.”
Rrrrrumble—
Aura erupted from Do-ha and the heavens and earth began to shake. They had been scattered annoyingly, so he had waited until they gathered.
“In… indeed. You do have the level to act that arrogant.”
Feeling the tremendous power, Silchemis was badly shaken.
What is this…?
Was the being in front of him truly human…? It felt exactly like looking at Metatron’s power—could this really be a human’s strength?
“I’ll show you just how much trash that chimera you made really is.”
Gulp.
“…What’s that?”
Han Se-ah, who had been watching quietly, poked Kang Ji-hwan and pointed at the sky. Something was forming above the chimera’s head. From a distance it looked as if a hole had opened in the heavens. Even seeing it with their own eyes, it felt alien.
Wooooong!
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong
Eleventh Step: Cheonhwa Myeongchul
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
From the black hole, a colossal pillar of fire crashed down onto the chimera’s head—a pillar vast enough to completely swallow the mountain-sized chimera.
“Grooooooooh!”
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Uh…?”
In a single instant the dozens of mutant wyverns and even the chimera melted away under the enormous fire pillar. Silchemis’s mouth fell open. What was he looking at? Even wiping out the mutant wyverns in one stroke would have been hard to believe—yet the chimera had been annihilated along with them?
“Haven’t seen this in a while.”
“Right.”
“…….”
“…….”
Watching the all-consuming fire pillar, Canteas and Selenia chatted as if it were nothing special. Kang Ji-hwan and Han Se-ah felt the strength drain from their bodies. They had thought they had grown fairly strong themselves, yet standing before Baek Do-ha they felt like insignificant specks of dust.
Whooosh.
Crackle-crackle.
“As expected. It really was trash.”
“…….”
As the monsters reduced to ash by the fire pillar scattered on the wind, Silchemis’s shoulders began to sag. After witnessing something so overwhelmingly one-sided, even the will to fight refused to rise.
“Ha… haha… looking at it now, you’re the Absolute One…”
“That guy only just recognized Do-ha?”
When Silchemis spoke in a drained voice, Canteas shook his head. He had been with Do-ha the entire time and only realized it at the end. How dense did you have to be to miss that?
Swoosh.
Shwaaaak!
Do-ha stretched out his hand and pulled the angel through the air with telekinesis.
Griiiip.
“You pulled dogshit, so don’t think you’ll die cleanly.”
Killing intent flowed from Do-ha’s eyes as he clamped down hard on the angel’s throat.
“While we’re here, let’s reclaim the ghost city.”
Seeing that, Canteas turned his back.
Wheeeeeee!
“Intruder!”
“An intruder in the Fifth District?!”
As the sirens blared, angels scrambled in panic, snatching up weapons and pouring outside. Heaven was divided into a total of seven districts.
The First District, where ordinary angels resided.
The Second District, home of the archangels.
The Third District, where the Powers, Virtues, and Dominions lived.
The Fourth District, residence of the Principalities, Thrones, and Cherubim.
The Fifth District, where the Seraph Metatron dwelled.
The Sixth District, which held the altar and the space for facing the Heavenly God.
And the Seventh District, called the Heavenly God’s own domain.
The intruder had appeared in the Fifth District—Metatron’s residence. From the angels’ perspective, it was simply impossible. Even during the war with the Demon Realm, nothing had ever breached past the Third District. Yet now an intruder had reached the Fifth.
Rumble-rumble.
“Damn, there sure are a lot of pigeon bastards.”
Looking at the swarming angels, the intruder—no, Do-ha—casually dug in his ear.
“A human?!”
“Just one human reached the Fifth District??”
The angels who had rushed out were badly shaken when they saw Do-ha. The alarm had sounded, yet there was only a single human. At first they had wondered if it was a Demon King, but no matter how they looked it was a human.
“Move aside.”
Sssssk.
Clank-clank.
As the clustered angels parted left and right, a Throne Angel of the third rank, clad in golden armor, strode forward.
“Wow… what’s all that.”
Do-ha’s expression turned to one of surprise at the dazzling armor. In all his life he had never seen armor that over-the-top.
“Doesn’t wearing that give you heat rash? Looks insanely hot…”
“What is your purpose in invading this far?”
The Throne Angel lightly ignored Do-ha’s provocation.
“If you do not state your purpose, I shall deliver the Heavenly God’s judgment.”
“And if I state my purpose?”
“I will listen, then deliver judgment.”
“What, so no matter which choice I make I die?”
The Heavenly God’s judgment the Throne Angel spoke of meant execution. Yet no matter the choice, judgment would fall.
“Hey, lump. Go call Metatron.”
“…A mad human.”
At Do-ha’s words the Throne Angel’s brow twitched. Did he think Metatron was some neighborhood resident…? Even he could not meet Metatron casually. Yet a mere human was ordering him to summon Him.
Whirl—
Kuuung!
“To disgrace Him… I cannot forgive you.”
“?”
Do-ha tilted his head at the angel slamming his massive weapon into the ground. He had only told him to go call the guy—how was that a disgrace?
“You angels have always heard only what you want to hear. Is it because you’re birds…?”
“You bastard!”
Flash!
The Throne Angel erupted with light and charged at Do-ha at high speed. Despite his bulk he was extremely fast, and he swung the enormous mace as if it weighed nothing.
“Ah, if it’s like this I really have no choice but to flip the whole place…”
Grab.
“Huh?”
Do-ha casually snagged the charging mace, and the Throne Angel’s face went blank. What had just happened?
“You need more training. An attack this simple…”
Wooooong!
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong
Second Step: Muje-gak
Puhng!
Whoooooooooosh!
Kuuung.
Do-ha kicked his opponent, and the Throne Angel went flying, smashing straight through a distant massive temple.