Could it be said that this is truly a bizarre coincidence?
Just as there were thirteen original holders of the thrones, there were likewise thirteen monarchs.
But among those thirteen, only six monarchs invaded Earth.
Most were deep in slumber, or simply had no interest in humanity.
And the six monarchs that did invade were perfectly suited to tormenting humankind.
The first was the Monarch of Proliferation, who endlessly multiplied monsters no matter how many were killed.
The second was the Monarch of Barriers, who kept letting monsters slip inside cities no matter how many walls were built.
The third was the Monarch of Misguidance, who led heroes down the wrong path.
The fourth was the Monarch of Assassination, who secretly eliminated priority targets like powerful subordinate deities.
The fifth was the Monarch of Futility, who returned all human effort back to square one.
And the sixth was the Monarch of War, who gifted humanity with the chaos just before the end.
In fact, it was the Monarch of War who, twenty years ago,
scattered the "Seeds of War" for the end of humanity, and now, twenty years later, sowed new seeds of annihilation.
And not just one—three of them!
[Keeaek!]
–Breaking news. The sudden monster attack has caused cities worldwide to fall.
–Currently, 78 cities including Paris and locations across the United States have been destroyed, and casualties are rapidly increasing.
The monsters invaded the cities and devoured the people.
Of course, at this moment, most of the world's domes were being converted into Serpent Bearer domes, keeping them safe—
"Argh! Help! My brother is trying to kill me!"
"The saints are killing our allies!"
"The dome manager is dead! The dome is opening! Aaagh!"
Inside the domes, it was already a scene of slaughter, people killing one another.
–The reason casualties are skyrocketing like this is not so much the monsters, but the attacks between people... Gack!
–It's as if half of humanity is trying to kill the other half, this eerie... Aaah!
And the one inciting humans to fight each other like this was the Monarch of War's third child, the Calamity of War.
Then came the second child, the Calamity of Famine.
–This is serious! In Asia, including China, a phenomenon has occurred where saints cannot use any magic power at all!!
–And they're suffering bleeding of unknown cause!
–As a result, damage is piling up... Ugh!
The Calamity of Famine was the one who subjugated humans through disease and famine.
And last was the Monarch of War's first child, the Calamity of Death, which no living thing could ever escape.
–Breaking news. In the Southern Hemisphere, people are dying from unknown causes... Gack!
–H-Hey! Snap out of it!
–He's not breathing! Doctor!
Not even a full day since the unknown civilization's invasion.
The world was a veritable melting pot of chaos.
And at this very moment!
[Keeeaeeek!!]
Before Igeon's eyes, the masterminds appeared.
"...Gasp!"
As dragons of colossal size appeared, the saints who had been helping with evacuation were horrified.
But there was no time to be shocked.
Boom!
The instant those gigantic beasts appeared in the sky, the city was swept away by wind pressure beyond imagination.
Crash! Bang!!
"Aaaaagh!!"
"Aaack! Save me!"
Along with dizzying screams, Hyugo felt as if he might lose consciousness.
Rumble!
Unbearable wind pressure struck from the front, and the flash blinded everyone's eyes.
Trees, buildings, signboards—all were swept away in a single moment by the wind pressure.
Boom! Crash!
Screams of people being hurled and falling from everywhere could be heard.
And then the blackout that followed.
"Kuheok...!"
Was this what it felt like to oscillate between heaven and hell?
And when Hyugo came to his senses within that blackout, he was aghast.
"The city...!"
The city was gone entirely.
As if a nuclear bomb had fallen, buildings, trees, everything that was in Seoul had been completely obliterated.
'Annihilation.'
All that remained was a giant crater, and the foundations of buildings and tree roots that barely hinted at what had once stood.
That was why Hyugo froze up.
Because he felt it in his body, not his head,
the future of humanity, and the extinction of humankind.
'There's no way... any survivors remain.'
But then.
Perhaps a miracle existed even in such a situation.
"H-Huh?! Huk?!"
"W-We're not dead?"
"!"
Hyugo was astonished.
The shouts came from all directions.
"W-We're alive!!"
"We survived!!!"
Though the city had blown away, the people were unharmed.
Even those who had been dozens of stories up had fallen to the ground without a single scratch.
The reason was simple.
"Th-This light...!"
It was because of the green light enveloping the people.
And that was the Serpent Bearer's defensive authority.
[Effect guaranteed, Physical Version (SSS)]
–Physical attack defense skill
–Protects the body from all physical attacks. (100% absolute defense)
–Effect is impeccably perfect, but comes with a risk of embracing pain (one of: terrible migraine, stomach ache, fainting, muscle pain).
Hyugo also looked at his own body in surprise.
This was unmistakably Igeon's defense skill.
And that was why he was shocked.
'Gun used a defensive authority!'
He had temporarily spread the Serpent Bearer field, granting the defense skill to all living things within its range.
To all flora and fauna except monsters, whether they were saints of the Serpent Bearer or not.
Well, the Serpent Bearer's defense skill had a 100% effect, so it was outstanding...
"U-Uweeek...!!!"
Hyugo vomited from a sudden wave of motion sickness.
The Serpent Bearer's defense skill was so flawlessly perfect that the Taurus couldn't compare, but the aftereffects were tremendous.
No doubt it was a risk originating from that perverted system message.
[It is said that only through feeling pain, can one know the preciousness of being alive.]
As proof, groans of migraines and stomachaches could be heard from all around.
"Aagh! I got a cramp in my side!"
"Charley horse!"
"Heok... motion sickness! Urk!"
Even so, it was a thousand times better than dying.
"Hurrah for Igeon-nim!"
"Waaaah!"
The people who had been saved cheered.
The saints also beheld Igeon, the very picture of a miracle.
"Thank you, Igeon-ni..."
But at that moment.
"Gun!"
"!"
From little Igeon's mouth, blood was trickling down.
Hyugo immediately recognized the reason.
'Overload!'
The range of the city that had been swept away by that single strike was beyond imagination.
'Probably all of Seoul was blown away.'
Covering every single human within that range would have cost an enormous amount of magic power.
Yet Igeon calmly wiped the blood flowing from his mouth.
And instead, he looked up at the sky with contempt.
"The bastards are firing off a destruction beam out of nowhere."
Those who looked at the sky fell back in shock.
"Aak!"
In the sky were creatures, each a different color.
Black (death), yellow (famine), gray (war). And even a deeply familiar, very familiar dark red hue, close to the color of blood.
"Wh-What are those things!"
"Th-Three calamity-level monsters...!!"
But it seemed Igeon was enraged for a different reason.
"Hey. Dragon-yong. Why is your brat randomly mixed in over there??"
That was it.
His murderous gaze was fixed on the crimson eyes.
Well, it wasn't unexpected.
'That thing is a monster, after all.'
Judging by its appearance, they seemed to be its siblings, and since someone it trusted had appeared in its own way, it was only natural for it to change sides.
As proof, the three siblings were very delighted to see the Red Eye.
[Who is this, if not our youngest.]
[Heard you were caught by a pathetic human, but you look perfectly fine.]
[Father will be pleased when he sees you.]
[Keeaek!!]
In response to its siblings' greeting, the Red Eye cried out spiritedly.
At that sight, all the saints tensed up even more and drew their weapons.
"Damn it! I knew that bastard would do this! It saw this as a chance to escape!"
"Blast it. Humanity nearly ended because of the Red Eye alone!"
"There are four of them?!"
Hyugo, activating a skill, also ground his teeth and stayed on guard.
'Strong.'
He had heard it from Igeon, but they seemed far more experienced and higher in stats even just to look at than the Red Eye.
And these bastards were the ones turning the world into a mess right now.
Surely, unless they were eliminated, the situation unfolding across the world would not stop.
But...
'How do we deal with those...!'
This was practically four monarchs at that level!
'The Red Eye even happily went over to that side!'
But perhaps pleased to see its youngest approach?
Boom!!
The siblings jeered as they spoke.
[Good. We'll take care of the human who tormented you.]
[Let's give him a proper revenge.]
At this, Igeon raised the Celestial Judgment, but Hyugo was on high alert.
He knew better as a saint of the Serpent Bearer.
'Gun's magic power is woefully insufficient.'
He had used almost all his magic to save the people.
'It will take some time to recover.'
And the creatures must have realized Igeon was weakened.
[We will not give you time to recover your magic power!]
[For our youngest's vengeance!]
Finally, it was the moment the three calamities attacked Igeon.
Thud!
"!!!"
Suddenly, the Red Eye shoved its siblings aside.
As if to protect Igeon, it stood before him.
At that sight, Igeon, the saints,
and above all, the siblings seemed utterly flustered.
[Youngest?!]
[Keeeaeeek!!!]
The Red Eye roared fiercely, as if telling them not to lay a hand on Igeon.
And the siblings who understood the meaning of that roar were dumbfounded.
[You've been kept by a human, and now you've completely lost your mind.]
[You've been brainwashed in the brief time we haven't seen you.]
[Do you think you can survive doing this to us?]
The voices were filled with disgust, but the Red Eye stood firm.
[Keeaeeek!!!]
At the resounding roar, Igeon smirked.
"You little brat. You know how to pick a side, at least."
Was it worth all the times he'd almost killed and been killed?
Or perhaps he had really liked the Taurus gum Igeon had given him?
At the same time, Igeon's brow furrowed.
'That voice I heard earlier. It's the same one.'
The voice that had provoked him.
But unlike the other monarchs, its presence was not felt at all.
He wondered why, but soon realized the reason.
[It is hiding its form among these humans.]
[Masked by the scent of humans, its aura cannot be detected with a skill.]
'Disgusting bastard.'
So the War Monarch was hiding by pretending to be a human and instigating chaos.
But what was even more curious was something else.
Flash!
The glass figurine that showed Yeonwoo's location had begun to glint.
Could it be that those calamities had swallowed Yeonwoo's soul?
'Did it receive it from that bastard?'
And that moment was it.
Perhaps to help its master recover magic power.
[Keeeaeeek!!]
Enraged by this, the siblings ground their teeth.
[You ungrateful wretch who knows not the grace of your father!]
[We will obliterate you along with the humans!]
[Do you think your strength can handle us!]
At last, the three beasts and the one beast clashed in the firmament.
Rumble!!!
The tremendous force seemed to tear the humans' bodies apart.
"Grrk! Gun! Are you sure this is okay?! Is this buying us time?!"
"No, it's not just buying time."
"What do you...!"
But soon, Hyugo was shocked.
The Red Eye, having become a prisoner of the Serpent Bearer, had its stats elevated far higher than before.
[The Serpent Bearer's blessing is upon the Red Eye.]
[The Red Eye's attack power has increased.]
[As many times as it died, its body has super-regenerated into a tougher state, becoming even more durable.]
[The Red Eye uses its authority.]
The Red Eye unleashed its power without hesitation.
Boom!!!
That power was none other than Domination!
[Keeeaeeek!!!]
The siblings were pushed back by an oppressive force, like an invisible shockwave.
[Grk! This bastard!]
[You cheeky mongrel!]
[It's because of that human! If we just eliminate him, even the youngest will return to normal!]
At that moment, as if daring them to try, the Red Eye guarded Igeon's front.
[......!!!]
The Red Eye flinched for a moment.
Because someone was glaring at it.
A place quite far by human sight.
But a place clearly visible to the Red Eye's vision.
Near a destroyed building, a familiar face was standing.
And that was none other than the War Monarch!
Encountering its father at last, the Red Eye froze in terror.
He was none other than a figure it had occasionally seen beside Igeon.
And that bastard had been watching Igeon from not far away, wearing the face of someone beyond suspicion.
Finally, that figure smiled and murmured.
[My adorable child. You must not disappoint your father's expectations.]
At that voice, the trembling Red Eye's morale was utterly broken.
And that moment was it.
Crunch!!!
[Did you hear Father's words!]
[How dare you challenge us!! You are far too early!]
At last, the reckless gray—the Calamity of War—bit into the flinching Red Eye's neck.
[Keeaek!]
The Red Eye bled and staggered in the sky.
But as if it would not yield even to the fear of its father, it trembled but still lifted its neck.
[Keeaek... Keeaek!]
But perhaps it was its limit.
Boom!!!
"Ah...! The Red Eye!"
In the end, the Red Eye plummeted toward the ground.
[Cheeky cur. A worthless thing dares to challenge!]
But it was then.
[The Serpent Bearer has qualified as a vassal.]
[Divine power has been charged to 80%.]
[Magic power has been fully charged.]
(Continued in the next episode)