Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Ark Angels
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Lilith, Astaroth, Barbatos, Leraje, Gremory.
These five female demons had no choice but to despair at the situation they found themselves in.
They had boldly slain an angel right before everyone's eyes, planning to make the public recognize the existence of demons and gain power...
But it had all gone wrong because of one oversized erosion entity that appeared out of nowhere.
And what exactly was this mess they were in?
"...This has to be a dream."
They all had pure white wings and halos sprouting from their heads.
They had lived as demons for eons since the day Yahweh turned them into demons.
The form of an angel felt utterly unfamiliar in every way.
How should they put it?
It was like their senses themselves had changed.
Up to that point, fine. They could understand that.
The real problem was their current situation.
"Um, Seraphim? What did you just say...?"
"You all are going to become idols from now on."
"I-dols...?"
"What does that even...?"
"You don't know? Idols. Idols. At the very least, don't you have to pay for the houses you trashed? More importantly, Yahweh wants to form a choir suited to the 21st century."
The demons were quite savvy about modern civilization, so they knew exactly what "idol" meant.
Beings admired by others.
Lilith pondered deeply and realized this wasn't entirely bad.
'Huh? Isn't this actually good? We went through all that chaos just to survive, and becoming idols could let us maintain our existence stably... Well, now that we're angels, survival isn't an issue anyway... Still, for transcendent beings, recognition equals the level of our souls and power...'
The one sticking point was becoming Yahweh's minions... But what could they do about it now?
Hell was reduced to ashes, and Heaven was the same.
A war between Heaven and Hell?
War, my ass.
There was only one Seraphim angel, and all five demons—that was it. Calling that a war was laughable.
Lilith couldn't help but think this way. The more she considered it, the less it seemed like a loss.
What did idols do, after all?
They enchanted people and became objects of admiration.
And for these former demons turned new angels, that was far too easy.
What had allowed them to exist all this time?
Their stories spreading, stimulating human desires, appearing in various media.
So, being idols played to their strongest suit.
They were skilled in song.
Skilled in dance.
And above all, skilled in captivating people... which was child's play for them.
The funny part was that there wasn't some grand reason for them becoming idols.
The biggest reason they became idols?
It was simply...
Because Yahweh was obsessed with idol culture.
Let's rewind time a bit to when Seo-hyun was still pinning down Lilith and the others, and look at the conversation between Han-gyeol and Yahweh.
-Daughter.
'Yes, Father.'
-I've had this thought for a while.
'What is it?'
-Idol culture, isn't it great?
'No, what are you talking about in a situation like this? Can't you see them? They turned the massive offerings to you into worthless scraps of paper.'
-That's exactly why I'm saying this. It's a way to recover the offerings and earn even more, isn't it?
'...Tell me more.'
-If those demons truly repent, I can rebirth them as angels. And once they're angels... we call them angel-type mutants and debut them as idols. As far as I know, there's no idol group made entirely of mutants right now.
'Are you sure about that?'
-This time, I'm certain. Think about what I've been watching all this time. What matters for idols is buzz, looks, outstanding talents in various areas. Those kids, who were once demons, surely can't lack in that.
'No, were you watching stuff like that while I was bombing around? And "kids"? Since when did you start calling demons so fondly?'
-Th-that's not important.
'My faith is starting to waver, Father.'
-Tsk.
'I'm kidding, kidding. So, what do you plan to do? Turn them into angels and start an idol group?'
-Not a bad idea. They were already good at bewitching humans, so it'd be perfect for exerting positive influence.
'What's this sudden talk of positive influence?'
-As the saying goes, those admired by others wield tremendous influence. Even people who don't believe in God tend to heed what their idols say. So, what if those kids become such beings?
'...Come to think of it, yeah. So, you're planning to use them that way?'
-Good idea, right? The potential threat of demons disappears, and they avoid existential crisis.
'But... Father. With me here, do you really need that approach?'
-...
'Tell me the truth. You just want to see the idol group you put together succeed, don't you?'
-...
'Father, sometimes silence is another form of answer.'
-Th-that's not wrong.
'It's not wrong. Anyway, if making those guys successful idols is your will, then I'll do it. I've been bored lately anyway... Might as well have some fun watching them.'
-If you were going to agree anyway, why pry like that?
'It's fun. Whatever. Got it. Looks like I'll have to swing by the Middle East again soon. Gotta recoup the investment, though. Raising world-class idols takes that kind of capital.'
-Do so. And the profits from those kids can fund a foundation to help the needy. Of course, those with Heaven in their hearts.'
'I know that much. There are plenty of shameless people in the modern world. I'll need someone to manage the foundation too.'
That was the process leading to Han-gyeol's "approved."
'By the way, what about their names? Names like Lilith are deeply rooted as demon names.'
-Names aren't important. Just change them. Assign them the names humans already associate with angels. All angels except you are gone anyway, so appointing new ones is no issue.
And so, Yahweh bestowed new names on the demons.
Lilith became Michaela.
Astaroth became Haniel.
Gremory became Gabriella.
Barbatos became Auriel.
Leraje became Raphaela.
...He'd just reassigned the traditional seven archangels' names in a mix-and-match fashion.
Anyway, back to the present.
Han-gyeol pushed the project at astonishing speed, successfully pulling in massive capital from the Middle East.
She then acquired a fairly well-known entertainment company that had produced popular idols but was teetering on financial ruin.
Realizing that was her role, Han-gyeol kept the existing staff intact and pressured them to launch a new idol group.
Since Han-gyeol was the one who acquired the company, the CEO welcomed it with open arms. They were on the brink anyway.
From then on, the five great archangels seriously began preparing to become idols.
Of course, not a single one lacked in looks, dance, singing, stamina—everything an idol needed—so they breezed through training like it was free pass.
With skill, capital, the buzz of being angel-type mutants, and viral potential, they generated more hype than expected.
Their transcendent beauty, fitting their angel-type mutant nature and far surpassing humans, inevitably captivated everyone who saw them.
Their group name was simple: Ark Angels.
It was a straightforward name meaning "Archangels," but since the entire team were angel-type mutants, Ark Angels passed unanimously.
Who could argue with angels calling themselves angels?
Debut preparations progressed smoothly, with only the album and music video left.
And not long after...
Ark Angels' debut album and music video were complete.
Just three months after the demons became angels.
Truly a miraculous speed.
* * *
Three months flew by like an arrow.
I blinked, and that much time had passed.
Broadcasting Yeon-hwa unnie's streams had become one of the Management Bureau's key tasks.
It informed citizens about the traits of general mutants (excluding special high-level variants), points to watch out for, and how to interact with mutants carefully, earning praise for being informative.
I couldn't just stream games forever, so we shifted gears, and it turned out more helpful for real life than expected.
Ha-rin was practically Yeon-hwa unnie's manager these days.
The deputy director and I... just went about our daily routines.
Nothing major had happened since the demons invaded.
If things stayed quiet, maybe I could prepare to return to school.
Just one more year of senior year, and I'd be done.
Lost in such thoughts,
I got a call from Han-gyeol, the one who'd cooked up that insane plan to turn demons into idols.
The guy who'd been too busy to even reply lately suddenly contacted me, so curiosity got the better of me. I asked what was up.
And then...
-Yo, come watch my kids debut.
"...What?"
Idol debuts could happen that fast...?
Didn't they usually take years?