Chapter 725: The Momentum of Defeat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 725: The Momentum of Defeat
"Liya!"
To be honest, Muen’s heart was pounding as he called out her name.
Though he knew from the Judgment Archbishop’s words that Liya might be watching, if he had a choice, he’d rather she didn't.
Don't look... please don't look... at me in this shameful state.
...Dammit, he was supposed to be a legendary Yellow Hair. How did he end up in this flat-chested, pathetic state?
How did it even come to this?
Wasn't he just supposed to put on a disguise and infiltrate the place?
Why was he in this predicament?
If he did the math... An, Senior Sister Anna, Celicia, and now Liya.
Didn't that mean everyone knew what he looked like right now?
...They wouldn't actually try some "special" roleplay in the future, would they?
At the thought of himself, a dignified Yellow Hair, being ruthlessly "handled" by a group of wicked little devils in the future, Muen felt a wave of cold shivers. Can a Yellow Hair ever catch a break? When will we finally stand up...
However.
Once he pushed those depressing thoughts aside and felt that surging torrent of heat flooding his body, Muen instantly perked up.
Because Holy Light was descending from the heavens.
"What?"
The Grand Duke of Divine Will sensed something was wrong immediately. But perhaps it was because of his contempt for Muen—a mere Fourth-Tier Martial Artist—or perhaps because the majority of his attention was focused on the other three more critical fronts.
By the time he reacted, it was too late.
The gray curtain extended, but before it could touch Muen, it was devoured by black flames.
This time, the black flames weren't just a flickering spark, nor were they a mere wisp that could only dodge and weave according to Muen’s will.
They were... a roaring sea of fire!
The sea of flames surged, beginning a frantic reverse-consumption of that deep gray curtain!
"Surprised?"
Muen flashed a smile.
Of course Divine Will was surprised.
After all, Muen wasn't a believer of the Life Church, nor was he a member of the clergy.
He knew even less about the Power of Faith, and he certainly didn't believe the Goddess would be generous enough to bestow a blessing upon a "yellow-haired pig" who had rooted up her "Saintess cabbage."
Therefore, he should have had absolutely nothing to do with the Holy Light of the Life Church, let alone be able to wield it.
But.
Think back—how was this Evil God power of his born?
The most important factor was undoubtedly the Divine Blessing provided by "Wilted Guy." That could never be forgotten. If they won this battle, Wilted Guy deserved at least a third of the credit. Muen figured he could sacrifice a few femboy evil cultists to Him later to help Him vent some of that "heat."
However, on top of that foundation, Muen’s black flames had been forged under the guidance of a certain Old Loli. They were a fusion of the Goddess of Life, the Mother of Abundance, the Silent Moon... and perhaps even a few powers that even that Old Loli hadn't anticipated. All of these had merged to construct the current Pitch-black Sun.
In other words, the Holy Light of the Goddess of Life was the best possible fuel for the black flames. He didn't even need to consciously devour or digest it; the Holy Light itself would naturally strengthen the black flames.
Of course, all of this depended on the Life Church being willing, as they held the "administrative rights" over the Holy Light.
But for Muen, that major hurdle was no longer an issue.
Because...
"This is the power of love and bonds, you old, immortal single dog! Do you even understand?"
Muen wiped away his continuous nosebleed and grinned savagely at Divine Will, whose expression had turned incredibly ugly.
His mind was still enduring unimaginable agony. Even with the support of the Holy Light, his spiritual space could hardly withstand such colossal power.
But Muen continued to use the Holy Light to repair his spirit while simultaneously pushing the Pitch-black Sun that hung high within his spiritual space!
And so, the sky that had been illuminated by Holy Light suddenly turned dark once more.
A pitch-black sun wheel, seemingly capable of devouring light itself, now hung in the high heavens, wreathed in a holy corona, looking down coldly upon the entire city!
"That is..."
Divine Will was momentarily stunned.
Not long ago, he had received a report from the Grand Duke of the Dark Abyss at the front lines.
An unknown Evil God projection had passed through the Imperial Defense Line battlefield. Its defining characteristic was a pitch-black sun!
"I see."
Divine Will’s expression gradually darkened.
"So the entire Demon Race was played for fools by your schemes and trickery!"
Back then, an army of a million had been frightened into retreat by that Evil God projection. That single retreat had sapped their momentum and likely delayed their offensive by a full half-month!
"Schemes and trickery? No!"
Muen swung his fist, swirling with surging black flames, and smashed it toward Divine Will.
"In the common tongue, when dealing with a villain like you who wants to snatch away a beautiful girl, this is called being 'resourceful'!"
"And we aren't 'outnumbering' you. This is a 'righteous group beating'!"
"It’s four-on-one now, old man!"
The black flames burned silently.
They lacked the searing intensity of Holy Light, the eeriness of Black Jazz, or the horror of the corpse-amalgamation in the underground space.
Yet, this fist wrapped in black flames made Divine Will incredibly wary. It even forced him—the First Grand Duke of the Demon Race—to actively retreat to avoid a mere Fourth-Tier Martial Artist.
Everything had changed.
Even his "Domain" as a Crown Bearer could not completely evade the consumption of these black flames.
The black flames, bolstered by the Holy Light, seemed to have undergone a rebirth... No, it wasn't a rebirth; it was simply that its original, exalted status had finally received enough power to support it!
The black sun hummed, vibrating with excitement. A massive pitch-black ring gradually descended alongside the sun wheel, threatening to burn the entire city to ashes!
"Don't even think about it!"
Divine Will roared in fury.
A Brilliant Crown rose.
This crown was more ancient and solemn than any Muen had ever seen. Those sacred totems were even stained with blood.
Normally, the mere majesty of this crown rising would have crushed Muen into mincemeat.
But unfortunately, he now had to focus most of his attention elsewhere.
As Muen said, it was four-on-one.
Before he could even manifest the crown’s full power, the deep gray curtain was forced open again. Divine Will forcibly resisted the descending black sun, and simultaneously pointed a finger at Muen.
Pop.
Like a bubble being pricked, Muen coughed up blood.
His body nearly split apart under that single finger. The female form hidden by the potion was momentarily exposed in a flash of skin, blood flowing freely. He looked utterly wretched.
But that wretchedness was fleeting. Under the dual restoration of the black flames and the Holy Light, the wounds on Muen’s body vanished as if time were reversing, leaving no trace behind.
"Do you understand the value of having double healers?"
Muen wiped his nosebleed and threw another punch.
Against an enemy of Divine Will’s caliber, Elizabeth had temporarily lost her effectiveness. Muen himself was too weak, and as his weapon, Elizabeth couldn't pose a threat to Divine Will.
A simple fist was better!
To hell with you trying to steal my little maid! Who do you think you are?
The deep gray curtain was suddenly burned through, and this punch actually managed to land on Divine Will’s abdomen.
Divine Will didn't budge. His physical strength was far superior to Muen’s; even if Muen hit him, it was no different from a mosquito bite.
However, the black flames had made contact with his flesh, beginning to burn and devour a body that had been tempered for a thousand years!
Divine Will was quickly consumed by the black flames.
But another Divine Will stepped out again, as if the one just burned was merely a phantom.
Divine Will’s face was as cold as still water.
In a thousand years, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? To be pushed into a corner by a mere Fourth-Tier Martial Artist.
This sparked a murderous intent within him. He wanted to concentrate his power and thoroughly crush this brat who kept shouting about "love" and "bonds."
But the moment that thought arose...
"You're distracted, Divine Will."
High in the sky, the Judgment Archbishop smiled faintly.
Infinite Holy Light swirled. With a flip of her palm, it condensed into thousands of falling Holy Light Crosses!
A brilliant majesty descended, and the Light once again gained the upper hand!
Though most of it was still blocked by Divine Will’s deep gray curtain, a small portion penetrated the barrier that seemed to isolate space itself, falling upon the ancient city.
Dust billowed, earth and stone roared, and several high towers slowly collapsed.
Time had failed to destroy them, yet they were reduced to rubble under the cold Holy Light.
Divine Will watched all of this, his eyes reflecting the destruction. He looked down at his sleeve; it had become somewhat tattered.
On the other side, Black Jazz took advantage of the opening. The shadows beneath his feet began to eat away at the space around Divine Will, forcing him into a constant state of passive defense.
The corner of his robe was torn.
In the underground space, the monster formed from countless melted corpses roared, charging recklessly again and again. It seemed on the verge of breaking through Divine Will’s seal.
And then, a smear of bright red appeared on his palm.
How long had it been? How long since he had felt the sensation of bleeding and being wounded?
"Well? Still won't surrender?"
The human brat in front of him was spitting blood a thousand times faster than he was—to the point where one might wonder if he’d just die from blood loss—yet he kept swinging his fists. By all rights, he should have collapsed long before Divine Will.
But Muen didn't fall.
Though his movements were starting to look a bit ridiculous, Divine Will couldn't find it in himself to laugh.
The wounds on his own body were increasing.
Hands. Feet. Body. Face.
Step by step.
Even though he was powerful, even though he could easily crush any one of them in a one-on-one fight, right now, he felt like a beast being slowly driven into a dead end.
"Give up, old man!"
Muen’s mind was on the brink of collapse, but he grew more excited the more he fought.
After all, opportunities to beat up a big boss like this didn't come often. The satisfaction was probably second only to pinching the Old Loli’s soft cheeks!
"You have no hope of winning."
"Surrender, Divine Will," the Judgment Archbishop said. "There is no point in further resistance."
"Why bother, Lord Divine Will?" Black Jazz added. "I only wanted to borrow one thing."
"GAHHH!" the monster roared. "Get lost! Human!"
"..."
Divine Will remained silent. Then, he suddenly let out a long sigh, looking as if he had aged significantly in an instant.
"It seems... I have lost."
Perhaps he shouldn't have sent nearly all the Demon Grand Dukes to the front lines, leaving only that useless waste, Bewitchment, behind.
Or perhaps he should have killed this annoying human brat right at the start, preventing him from causing so many unforeseen complications.
Or perhaps... he should have been colder, pushing the plan forward earlier so that even the Life Church wouldn't have had time to react.
But... there were no "perhapses."
At least for now, he had been outmaneuvered.
Therefore...
"I am truly sorry."
Divine Will suddenly turned to look at An, who was standing nearby. A profound sorrow flowed from his clouded eyes.
"In the end, it seems our King must take action personally..."