Chapter 727: The Trump Card
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 727: The Trump Card
An saw herself once again.
That self who stood at the far end of the River of Time.
The crowds had vanished, and the mountain-shaking cheers had naturally faded into silence.
No one stood by her side; she looked utterly desolate.
“...”
She was simply weeping, her lips moving as if she were saying something again.
This time, An could finally make out a few syllables.
【Please, you must...】
“Must?”
【Save...】
“Save?”
Must... save?
Save whom?
The Demon Race?
But wasn't it the Demons themselves who had ignited the war?
An wanted to ask, but her vision began to blur, replaced by new images.
Something atop the High Tower was swelling violently.
Then came a sun—a gargantuan sun descending from the heavens.
The moon was grinning hideously.
The stars began to weep blood.
Wails of agony rose from the earth, and some stopped crying out, turning instead to shout curses.
These images multiplied, yet her mind only grew more chaotic.
Divine Will believed she had remembered much. In truth, she had, but most were fragments without beginning or end. She couldn't use these flashes to piece together a coherent... "me."
So, what did the words of that "me" in the vision actually mean?
“So hot.”
An jolted awake again.
This time, it wasn't because of Muen’s shouting, but because of the searing heat in her hand.
The Ancient Artifact, the Eternal Cycle, which she had been clutching, had suddenly become scalding.
It felt like red-hot iron.
An snapped back to reality and glared at Divine Will. “What did you do?!”
“I did nothing,” Divine Will replied with a smile. “All of this is the King’s Authority.”
“What authority...”
An gritted her teeth, trying to use the methods surfacing in her mind to regain control over the Eternal Cycle.
But she eventually realized with despair that no matter how hard she tried, she could not contend with the other force controlling the artifact.
Perhaps that force was the true master of this Ancient Artifact.
What she could influence was merely a tiny fraction.
Thus, she could only watch as this despair descended.
Clang... Clang...
“What is this?” Muen’s eyes widened.
Accompanied by the faint, rhythmic sound of clashing metal, the scene before Muen’s eyes shifted.
He saw... chains.
Not just one chain, but chains upon chains upon chains... an uncountable, dense thicket of them.
Those chains extended from the circle in An’s hand—the artifact known as the Eternal Cycle—and stretched into the distance, pulsing in sync with the Crimson Sea.
Muen looked up blankly. Perhaps the entire circle was actually constructed from countless microscopic chains, or perhaps it was the manifestation of some fundamental rule.
The chains were like a web, blanketing the entire blood-stained sky.
On one side of the firmament, a waterfall of chains hung from the heavens, a black mass obscuring half the sky and stretching to the horizon’s end.
On the other side, many chains descended directly into Gutons Fortress.
Muen turned his head. He saw a chain connected to Zagu, and there was even one attached to the Seductive Woman, who had been left on the brink of death just moments ago.
Which meant...
“Every single Demon... has this thing?”
No.
At least Divine Will didn't have one, and neither did An.
And now, Muen watched as a single chain dropped from above, reaching toward him.
“Don't even think about it!”
The Black Sun ground forward, causing the countless chains to vibrate violently. Muen reacted instantly, using his Black Flame to block the incoming chain.
He didn't need to be a genius to know that this damn thing was nothing good.
However...
After blocking one chain, more surged toward him, so many they were impossible to count. Finally...
A chain burrowed into his palm.
Clang!
The chain snapped taut, and Muen stumbled.
Wait. No.
His physical body hadn't moved.
So why did he feel like he was stumbling?
Enduring a soul-deep agony, Muen slowly lowered his head.
Looking at the faint, shimmering phantom of himself that was gradually drifting out of alignment with his physical body, he suddenly understood...
“This thing... is pulling on my soul?”
A chill instantly raced up Muen’s spine. No, for him in his current state, that chill came from the very depths of his soul.
His Death Premonition hummed... or rather, it had been humming all along, but never had it been this clear.
No, this wasn't just a premonition of death. If he didn't break free from this chain immediately... something far more terrifying would happen.
“What the hell is this thing, Divine Will?!”
Ignoring the tugging on his soul, Muen threw another punch at Divine Will.
However, he soon understood why even the Grand Duke of Bewitchment had been so easily suppressed by the Eternal Cycle.
This soul-based attack was simply too terrifying. No matter how strong the body or the mind, once the soul was shackled, one became incredibly weak.
The Black Flame could burn the chains, but there were simply too many of them. Doing so was merely draining his rapidly dwindling stamina.
He could only use the Black Flame to buy himself brief moments of respite.
“Please do not profane the King’s Authority so,” Divine Will said coldly. “Rest easy, kid. Since I’ve been pushed this far, I won't kill you with my own hands. Right now, the Eternal Cycle is merely marking your soul. Once you are completely shackled, you will become a part of this cycle, just like all the other Demons.”
“To hell with being a part of it!”
Muen tore himself free from the chains and lunged at Divine Will with a fist wreathed in Black Flame.
But the Gray Curtain expanded, easily blocking Muen’s path.
With the entity deep underground taking action and no one else left to restrain him, Muen could no longer pose any threat to Divine Will.
The pulling sensation on his soul grew stronger, and the mental agony became sharper. Muen could even feel the flickering Black Flame beginning to weaken.
Yet he still threw himself at Divine Will with reckless abandon.
If he couldn't even save his own girl, what kind of "Yellow Hair" was he supposed to be...
He’d said it before—he was a Warrior of Pure Love!!
Boom!
The Black Sun, encircled by the Holy Corona, ground across the sky. The entire world seemed to plunge into a profound, eternal night, as if the end had truly come.
It lasted only an instant.
But in that instant, a grand, echoing bell seemed to toll.
That sound caused even Divine Will to freeze for a moment, a flash of shock crossing his eyes. It was as if a single second of time had been forcibly carved away.
When the light returned, Muen had already broken through the Gray Curtain and the layers of chains, appearing right in front of Divine Will.
One punch.
He gathered every drop of Holy Light remaining in his body, every spark of Black Flame he could muster, and every ounce of his strength into this single strike.
His mental world was fracturing, teetering on the edge of collapse.
Muen didn't care.
His flesh-and-blood body could hardly withstand the load of power so far beyond his realm; his skin cracked, and a mist of blood seeped from his pores.
Muen didn't care.
His soul was still being tugged by that chain, the agony causing his eyes to turn bloodshot, even though he was well-acquainted with pain.
But Muen still didn't care.
He simply threw the punch.
Even if it meant death, he would—
“Alright, that’s enough, Young Master.”
Regrettably, that punch—condensed by burning his very life—never landed.
Muen’s movements suddenly halted.
He felt a familiar embrace wrap around him.
“An, get out of the way.”
After a moment of shock, Muen’s expression returned to one of cold determination. “Wait to the side. I’ll save you in just a moment...”
“Young Master, it’s enough now.”
An held Muen tightly.
Since becoming the Young Master’s personal maid, she had many opportunities to embrace the man she loved.
But she had never held him with such strength.
“You’ve worked so hard. But now... it’s enough.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I haven't even—”
Muen began to snap at his maid, intending to command her to move. He knew that as his personal maid, An would obey him in everything—except, perhaps, matters of "love."
But the command never left his lips.
A sweet kiss sealed them shut.
His lips were parted, and a nimble tongue slipped inside with practiced ease, greedily drinking in everything.
The tingling sensation of their lips meeting, mixed with the metallic taste of blood, was vivid even amidst the pain flooding his nerves.
It was as if the kiss could soothe all his wounds.
“Human emotions... how laughable.”
Coldness flowed through Divine Will’s eyes. He did not want An—the one he had sought for so long—to be drowned in the pathetic emotions of a human. He prepared to step forward, separate the two, and end this once and for all.
However, before he could move, his body froze completely.
A dense thicket of chains, hanging from the sky, blocked his path.
“No...”
Divine Will realized something instantly and roared in fury, “Stop it right now!”
...
“Young Master, thank you.”
Their lips parted.
An gently rested her head against Muen’s chest.
“Thank you... You always manage to appear by my side when I’m in the most danger.”
“An, what are you saying...”
I am your Young Master, and you are my maid.
Isn't it only natural for me to save you?
“But, it really, truly is enough.”
An took Muen’s hand.
Though he hadn't suffered many external wounds, and though both Holy Light and Black Flame were powerful enough to heal him completely, Muen’s arms were currently flayed open. The speed of his recovery couldn't keep up with the rate at which his flesh was tearing.
“More than myself... I want the Young Master to be safe.”
“An, what the hell are you talking about? Move, I’m about to—”
Muen’s voice was hoarse as he tried to push An away.
But his body had weakened to a degree he hadn't anticipated. An easily evaded his movement.
“If something happened to the Young Master, I would be very sad. So sad, so very sad... the kind of sad that makes me want to destroy the world.”
An looked up, a rare smile gracing her elegant face.
“So, this time, let’s end it here.”
A thread—one that seemed to have been peeled away from the great circle—was gently wound around Muen’s wrist by An.
Muen immediately realized what she intended.
“No, we go together...” He shook his head.
“I told you, Young Master. This thing doesn't have a function that lets both of us leave together. It can only exert its power here, atop this tower.”
An gave him a forceful push.
Muen tried to resist, but the chains pulling at his soul suddenly snapped taut.
He could only watch as his own figure began to fade.
“An!” Muen roared.
This disobedient maid—was she insane?
She actually wanted to...
“I’m sorry, Young Master. As your maid, I’m always so disobedient.”
An gazed into Muen’s eyes.
“But, please let me—who has already been so derelict in my duties and so willful—be willful just one last time.”
Yes, just one last time.
As a maid, she shouldn't behave so selfishly toward her master.
But, as a lover...
The scene grew blurry.
Muen felt as if he were being thrust into a tunnel filled with chaotic light and shadow, left powerless to do anything but drift with the current.
In the final moment, he saw only An’s breathtakingly beautiful smile.
“Young Master, I will be waiting for you here. Until then, I will be fine. So please, you must also...”
Be safe.
Once, she thought love was total possession—that as long as they were together, nothing else mattered.
But as the stabs of pain reached deep into her soul time and again, she finally understood what love was, and what truly mattered.
So.
It’s okay even if you don't come.
As long as you, Young Master, can...
Dong!
Suddenly, a magnificent bell tolled!
It seemed as if even time stopped at that moment. The shrinking spatial passage actually froze in place.
An’s beautiful eyes widened in confusion as she saw that face—bloodied, battered, yet still resolute. It was a face that had matured so much more than the playboy he once was.
“Fine then.”
Muen spoke to his maid with absolute seriousness.
“Wait for me, An.”
Wait for me to come... and give you a damn good spanking, you disobedient maid. I’m going to make sure you relearn the Campbell Family Maid Code from scratch!
...
...
“Hey, hey, I’m really just borrowing something. A good borrower always returns what he takes. It’s not like I’m stealing it, so why be so aggressive?”
The chains had extended even to this room within the city. Black Jazz wiped away cold sweat as he leaped through the pools of blood. In his haste, he even took two direct hits from Divine Will.
He looked quite pathetic now, losing his usual poise. He didn't even stop to pick up his beloved gentleman’s hat.
It wasn't that he was a coward, but since he had come to "borrow" that thing, he naturally knew how terrifying it became once it was fully operational.
Can't provoke it, definitely can't provoke it. If he stayed here any longer, he really would end up as a Demon's plaything!
Black Jazz’s retreat was incredibly swift, but compared to him, a certain someone... or rather, a certain something... slipped away even more naturally.
In the underground space.
Divine Will looked at the large mass of a corpse that had already melted into sludge. His expression was complex, and he remained silent.
This...
Even that one...
Escaped way too fast.
...
...
“We should leave as well. We’ll be caught in the crossfire if we stay.”
The Pope swept his sleeve, and the Gate of the Holy Domain began to close. The Judgment Archbishop also returned through the passage.
“The completeness of that Ancient Artifact exceeded my expectations. But what surprised me even more was that girl named An...”
The Pope fell into deep thought.
“Hmph.”
At the mention of An’s name, Liya curled her lip in dissatisfaction.
The moment the Gate of the Holy Domain vanished, her gaze lingered one last time on the High Tower.
“To think he was saved by another woman... I’m so annoyed...”
...
...
Everything finally settled.
The Holy Light, the Black Sun, the Crimson—all those terrifying sights vanished. What shrouded the sky above Gutons Fortress was once again that same gloomy firmament.
Divine Will walked to An’s side, his face dark with rage.
“I didn't expect you to be able to control the Eternal Cycle to this extent!”
“Isn't this exactly what you wanted?” An sneered.
“...True. The more you control it, the more it proves you are awakening. However... how ridiculous.”
Divine Will looked at An, his expression returning to its usual calm, though it was tinged with a hint of disdain.
“If you truly wanted to maintain that pathetic 'self' of yours, this was your final trump card. Yet you completely threw it away just to save a human? Utterly foolish.”
“...”
An did not respond.
Perhaps she felt he wasn't worth responding to.
She simply stared at the spot where Muen had disappeared. After a moment of daze, a smile curved her lips.
A trump card?
No. The Young Master was her greatest trump card.