The Cardinal's Fall
“Whoa…… what the hell is that?”
Canteas, watching from a rooftop, dropped his jaw wide open.
He’d known for a long time that Do-ha’s power had no bottom, but he’d never seen the man unleash everything at once like this.
“Ah—no, wait. He did the same thing when he wiped out my undead back then, didn’t he? Damn it.”
A distant memory surfaced and Canteas frowned.
Living as friends had made him forget.
Forget this overwhelming spectacle.
“But just how strong was the Demon God, really?”
Thunder arts, sound arts, poison arts, water arts.
On top of that, vampire magic, plus sixth-circle and eighth-circle spells.
How had the Demon God ever withstood all of it?
And back then Do-ha hadn’t even been at his peak.
“Look at that. That Karma—or Germa, whatever—his face has gone white as a sheet. He’s about to die.”
The Sea God Flood had raised the water so high he could barely move.
Sweet Fruit Honey Poison kept spewing toxin into the air until every breath burned.
The Curved Path Bird had wrecked his sense of balance; his vision was probably spinning like a top.
“And then the magic on top of it all…… tsk tsk. Poor bastard.”
In a way, the cardinal was impressive.
He was still dodging and enduring every one of those attacks.
“Khh, even while getting wrecked he’s diligently stealing power.”
Canteas clapped.
Most people would barely be able to move under that kind of assault, yet Germa was still managing to snatch abilities.
“But is Do-ha going to be okay after losing that much power?”
“Haa…… haa…….”
“You’re lasting longer than I expected.”
Splash. Splash.
Do-ha walked across the water’s surface and looked down at Germa, who was gasping for breath.
Every martial art and spell Do-ha had used so far had been stolen, but Germa had taken them all with his own body, and the cardinal’s condition was a wreck.
Healing magic was trying to restore him, yet even that crawled at a snail’s pace thanks to the earlier poison arts.
“Still, I’m surprised how much of my power has vanished. Anyone else would have broken mentally after losing four or more.”
At first he’d thought the cardinal was simply weak. Now he realized the man was troublesome in an entirely different way.
Do-ha himself could freely switch between martial arts and magic, so he always had options. Others did not.
If their power had disappeared the way his had, the pressure would have crushed them. Even if an opening appeared they would hesitate, their true skill would never come out, and every single movement would require calculation until concentration itself became impossible.
Zwaaang.
Blood Spear.
Puh-buh-buh-buhk!
Thud!
“Ghk!”
A crimson spike erupted from the ground and pierced the cardinal. Germa let out a pained groan even as he stole the Blood Spear as well.
Haa…… haa…… Just what kind of monster is this guy……
Watching Do-ha stroll toward him at a leisurely pace, Germa’s pupils shook.
Where did this man’s limits end?!
He had already stolen more than fifty techniques and spells.
So why was there still no end to them!!
After losing this much, there should have been nothing left—that was normal, wasn’t it?!
“You look pretty thirsty. Want some water?”
Mokhon-sura-gong — Third Form: Water Sovereign’s Throne
Thud.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaah!
Do-ha tilted his head and unleashed the water art. A wave the size of a ten-story building crashed down over the cardinal.
Ah…… the pressure……
The crushing weight of the wave left Germa unable to keep his balance; his arms trembled.
He decided not to absorb this one.
The pressure was too immense. Better to use the force itself and dive deeper for a moment of refuge.
Even if he surfaced, the entire area was flooded—no different from a tsunami.
Do-ha’s water arts had already submerged five-story buildings.
Splash.
Yet above the raging waves, Do-ha stood in perfect calm.
“Looks like your strength is starting to drain.”
Sparks began to leap from Do-ha’s body as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing downward.
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong — Twelfth Step: Thunder Origin Stem
Crackle.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
A single bolt of lightning shot into the water where Do-ha stood. That bolt split into two.
Then into ten.
At last it forked into thousands upon thousands of branches, filling the entire underwater world.
What the hell is that……?!
Germa, swimming deeper, flinched in terror and paddled frantically.
No good.
Change of plans.
He’d intended to hide underwater and recover his stamina, but first he had to steal that attack.
Tszzzzzzz.
Ssssss.
Huh……?
Germa’s eyes flew wide as he tried to snatch the opponent’s power.
Why……
Why couldn’t he take it……?
Why had his ability stopped?
“After gorging yourself that much, of course your stomach’s full.”
Do-ha smiled at the sight.
At the same time—
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
Gyaaaaaaah!
Germa took the Thunder Origin Stem head-on and screamed underwater.
Air bubbles burst from his mouth; a moment later his body went limp.
Thud!
The cardinal blacked out. Do-ha lightly stamped his foot.
Mokhon-sura-gong — Sixth Form: Water Demon’s Path
Shwooooo.
Boom!
From the depths a colossal water spout writhed like a serpent, shoving the cardinal upward toward the surface.
Boooom!
Shwooo.
The spout that had risen from the deep shot skyward in a single instant, piercing all the way to the clouds.
“Ugh…….”
Feeling the violent wind, the unconscious cardinal frowned and opened his eyes.
“Sleep well?”
“Ba…… Baek Do-ha?!”
Waking high in the air, the cardinal took one look at Do-ha and the scenery around them and nearly had a heart attack.
Why was he floating in the sky?!
Shwooo.
Ah…… no! I’m not floating—I’m falling!
He was plummeting toward the ground at terrifying speed.
If he hit the earth like this, he would burst like a ripe fruit.
“You like skydiving?”
Thud.
Do-ha used Fly magic to move and planted himself squarely on Germa’s stomach.
“Kh…… kh-heh-heh, you idiot! You know what happens when you touch my body…….”
“I know. But you can’t absorb anything right now, can you?”
“Th…… that’s not even funny!”
“Then stop stuttering.”
Whiiiiish.
“We’re about to crash. Maybe try doing something?”
Grind.
Do-ha smirked as he spoke, and Germa ground his teeth.
This bastard knows everything…… Fine. First I get out of this freefall.
Zwaaang.
Gritting his teeth hard enough to crack them, Germa began casting Fly magic.
Of course Do-ha had no intention of simply watching.
Dispel.
Paaang!
“You son of a bitch!”
Guh.
The spell shattered and blood surged up his throat; Germa roared.
He’d forced the magic out while poison still roiled inside him.
Having it dispelled in that state made his mana reverse and run wild.
“Not planning to steal my Dispel, I take it?”
“Grr…….”
Thud!
In the end Germa grabbed the ankle of the man standing on his stomach.
Tszzzzzzz.
Ssssss.
Grin.
When the cardinal’s ability failed to activate, Do-ha wore a cold smile.
“W-wait! If you kill me…….”
“All the stolen abilities disappear?”
“Yes!”
Germa nodded frantically.
He did not absorb other people’s powers.
He merely stole them so they could no longer be used.
Therefore, if he died, those abilities would vanish completely and the Awakened would never recover their strength.
“I didn’t absorb them, damn it!”
“I know.”
That was why Do-ha had never said “absorb”—only “steal.”
Even without that, he would have known instantly that true absorption had never occurred.
If it had been like the Star Absorbing Great Art, he should have been able to use them.
Yet Germa could use neither the Hunters’ powers nor Do-ha’s own martial arts and magic.
“But you see…….”
“?”
“I’m not stupid enough to fall for your lies.”
“I-it’s not a lie! I-it’s the truth…….”
“There have always been demons who seal power. Know what they always said right before they died?”
“If I die, the sealed power vanishes too……?”
“Correct.”
Ten-Thousand-Catty Hammer
Clunk!
Whiiiiiiiiish!
The moment the Ten-Thousand-Catty Hammer activated, Germa plummeted even faster.
Only three hundred meters left to the ground.
“I-I’ll tell you the Pope’s plan!!!”
Shwooo.
Thud.
At Germa’s scream they stopped with barely ten meters remaining.
“Haa…… haa…….”
Having brushed the threshold of the Underworld, Germa poured cold sweat and gasped for air.
Human psychology was simple: when you know a massive impact is coming, your body instinctively holds its breath.
“What’s the plan.”
Still standing on the cardinal’s stomach, Do-ha looked down at him.
“My power’s still active. So you’d better speak carefully.”
As proof, Do-ha and Germa remained floating ten meters above the ground.
“Th-they’re proceeding with a plan that failed once before.”
“What plan.”
“…….”
“Feeling better already? Clamming up the second you catch your breath?”
“Anubis!!”
“?!”
At the name Anubis, Do-ha’s eyes widened.
Previously the cult had tried to sacrifice Egypt’s population of over one hundred million to summon Anubis.
Do-ha had killed the cardinal in charge of that operation and fed the man’s energy to Baal’s daughter, ending the matter.
And now they’re trying to summon Anubis again?
He’d wondered even then—why had Anubis joined hands with the Demon God?
Or had he only joined hands with the cult itself?
A so-called god trying to crawl out into the world using the souls of sacrificed humans.
“When.”
“I don’t know the exact timing either. After the last cardinal botched the plan, His Holiness no longer entrusts important work to other cardinals. He handles the critical ones himself.”
“Khh, see? Education really is important. The guy who used to dump everything on others is finally doing the work himself. Right?”
“Shut your mouth! How dare you insult His Holiness!”
“So you also don’t know what kind of sacrifice is being used this time?”
In Egypt they had planned to sacrifice the people of that nation.
Would it be the same again?
“I don’t know. Only that the plan is in motion…….”
“Hmm. I see.”
Squeeze.
Whiiiiish!
Do-ha nodded and shot skyward at tremendous speed.
Far higher than before.
“Ahh~ beautiful, isn’t it? This is the stratosphere. First time up here?”
“W-why are you doing this?! You said you’d spare me if I talked!”
“I never said I’d spare you if you talked.”
“Just now you told me to speak carefully…….”
“I told you to speak carefully. I never said speaking carefully would keep you alive, you moron.”
“…….”
“Why do cult bastards always hear only what they want to hear and interpret everything the way they want? Talking to you people is genuinely exhausting.”
Tap-tap-tap.
Annoyed, Do-ha sealed the cardinal’s pressure points.
“Still, I’m soft-hearted by nature, so I always give people a chance.”
Shwooo.
Thud.
Whiiiiish!
The moment he withdrew the energy holding them aloft, the cardinal began freefalling again.
“If you can undo the pressure-point seal I just set, you live. If you can’t, you die. Simple, right?”
“U…… uwaaaah!”
The cardinal screamed and frantically tried to use his ability.
Sealing pressure points was not merely pressing on them.
It meant blocking the meridians with internal energy.
Therefore, if he could properly activate his power, undoing a mere seal would be trivial.
Tszzzzzzz.
Ssssss.
“Come on, put some effort into it.”
Do-ha fell at the exact same speed beside him, offering cheerful encouragement.
“G…… grr……!!”
Tszzzzzzzzz.
Shwaaaak!
When only a short distance remained to the ground, the cardinal’s ability finally returned.
“F…… finally……!”
At that exact moment—
“It’s back? Congratulations.”
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong — Second Step: Unbroken Leg
Booom!
From high above, Do-ha drove his heel into the smiling cardinal’s back and sent him plummeting the rest of the way down.