"Ah! Save me!"
"Don't do this!"
BANG!!
Eden.
Originally, it was an ideal realm without a speck of impurity.
At the same time, created for Father, it was the most beautiful and historic land in the world.
But that Eden, so carefully crafted for the slumbering Father, was now turning into a field of blood.
Of course, it wasn't due to an invasion by another faction.
Nor had the Monarchs stormed in!
"Kill them all!!!"
"Arghk!!"
The angels' camp was being destroyed by their own allies.
And by one of their own commanders, no less!
"Lord Gabriel, why are you doing this... Gah!"
BANG!!
The paradisiacal land once overflowing with fruit had long become a frozen wasteland, and the Water of Life, once as precious as life itself, had turned into a flood sweeping angels away.
And that ice and water was unmistakably the authority of Gabriel, one of the Five Great Angels!
Kevin's white robes and platinum hair were stained with blood, looking no different from a demon of slaughter.
In the end, the angels who had come to welcome their commander's return with tears died vomiting blood.
BOOM!!!
At that point, the high-ranking angels gnashed their teeth.
"Damn it! That madman!"
"What is he doing with the power meant to protect Father's people!"
On top of everything, Lee Geon had already altered the coordinates of the Ark, and the damage to their forces was anything but minor.
And now this bastard too!
"Subdue him so he can't use his power! Isn't he already stripped of his divine status anyway!"
"Right! He shouldn't be able to use his major authorities yet!"
But that was the moment.
As if suffocating, the angels clutched their throats and gaped.
Like their heads had been plunged into fishbowls, they writhed in agony.
He had turned the moisture in the air against them, wrapping it over their faces.
[Purification]
The power of the Archangel who cleanses impurity erupted.
But most of the angels had their heads burst within the water and died.
At that sight, Kevin, clenching his fist, sneered as if sighing.
"Utterly corrupt, every last one. So rotten they can't even be purified, beyond salvation."
"Corrupt?! You, who turned Father's land into this, dare to say...!"
At those words, Kevin's eyes flashed with disbelief.
"This land built by wringing blood from colonies, and you...!"
"Kuhuk!"
As Kevin pursued them, they, as if realizing this couldn't go on, urgently searched for the commander-in-chief.
"Lord Michael! Where is Lord Michael right now!!"
"Well, he said he had somewhere to go briefly to recover from his wounds... Gahk!"
"Michael? That bastard probably won't be coming."
Those who turned around froze.
But whether they froze or not, Kevin let out a scoff.
"No matter how much of a gullible fool his opponent is, going directly to a Monarch. Isn't that just retarded?"
At that mockery, the angels ground their teeth.
"This bastard. He dares to look down on Lord Michael!!"
"You think he'd lose to a Monarch reincarnated as a mere human?"
Kevin snorted.
"That's the one who even devoured me once. That bratty little thing... what does he know!!"
Again, the angels' screams rang out.
"Enough! I'll exterminate every last one of you along with Father!"
With that ferocious grin and the rising sword, the angels hurled curses laced with fury.
"You crazy son of a bitch! You're an Archangel!"
"Piss off! I abandoned that long ago!!!!"
What the hell?!
Kevin, whose soul's memories had resurfaced, had a face that was inexplicably boiling.
Indeed.
"Archangel?? I already kept my chastity for decades in Virgo, that's enough!!"
"Wh-what?"
"Archangel has chastity too, you know!! Both of you can piss off!"
"??!"
What is he talking about!
And just 'piss off'?!
"Isn't it a sacred and noble thing!"
"Keeping chastity for ten thousand years even grants a special authority!!"
"Shut up!"
The angels stared at Kevin as if dumbfounded, but Kevin's eyes were shooting out killing intent.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason for his killing intent.
As the memories from his time as an angel returned, Kevin had also recalled something very important.
That was none other than the matter of
And Gabriel, who was in charge of conception records, had exchanges with Virgo. Requests often came to find patron gods who had broken their chastity.
Thus, he also knew the secret of Virgo.
Of course, it didn't matter that the Star God of Virgo had chosen him as her Saint. She probably hadn't known and chosen him, and anyway, he was human now.
But.
-Hey. That light-brained goddess.
-What is it?
-You told me. The Saint of Virgo dies of a heart attack the moment he loses his purity. So I desperately avoided any women. For about 25 years, I couldn't even hold a woman's hand.
-...I did, didn't I?
-You wanna die?
-What do you mean?
-I won't die even if I don't keep my purity!!!! Do you want to die!!!
Kevin had gone berserk when he realized the goddess's scam.
And now, recalling that fact.
"Enough! Just die all of youuuuu!!!"
"Arghk! The Archangel has gone mad!!!"
"G-give me back my 3,325 yearssss!!"
As Kevin rampaged, the angels screamed and died.
* * *
And around that time.
"Let go!"
Michael, his hair seized, glared at Hugo with bulging eyes.
It was a look that said, how dare a filthy lowlife lay hands on him.
"You beastly brat!"
He told him to let go before he cut his hand off, but Michael couldn't finish his words.
"Kuk!"
Because a fist flew in front of Michael, whose hair was roughly grabbed.
At the same time, unimaginable force landed on Michael's face.
WHAM!!!
Michael nearly lost consciousness for a moment. It was a horrifying force, as if his face would be shattered.
There was no will to duel in that power. It was a merciless force swung as if simply trying to crack open the hard shell of a fruit!
And Michael had experienced that feeling before.
'That Monarch bastard...!!'
That power that was eerily emotionless and arrogant before life!
Thus, Michael, spitting blood, cursed.
'He's awakened as a Monarch?!'
No, there was a bigger issue.
'This son of a bitch caught me!'
He was in a spirit state that permeated everything, so right now, no one should be able to touch his body.
And yet!
But in that instant, Michael nearly lost consciousness.
CRACK!!!
Hugo, who had punched Michael's face, tightly gripped Michael's skull, then slammed it down as if trying to crack a coconut.
"Kuhuk!!!"
With his head fractured, Michael groaned.
Blood soaked the floor, and his body trembled as if paralyzed.
He glared at Hugo with bloodshot eyes.
'This bastard...!'
He was laughing with flashing eyes, as if asking if this was all.
Because of that, Michael ground his teeth.
It was true he had come intentionally to provoke this guy. To draw out his instincts and make him lose his human personality.
So that he would revert to those hunting days when he couldn't recognize gods or humans.
That way, the gods would try to hunt this bastard!
Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if his instincts didn't surface.
His mind would shatter and he'd self-destruct on his own!
But.
'This bastard...! He didn't go berserk, and he didn't self-destruct!'
And as if reading that look, Hugo let out a derisive laugh.
"That much won't break my mentality, you dumb fuck. I'm not a grade-schooler."
"......!!"
"In the first place, Geon's mental attacks were way worse."
That was true.
Back when he served Lee Geon as his master.
Though now fallen, Hugo was once a rich young master, and it was Lee Geon who had not just broken his glass mentality but ground it to fine powder.
No, to begin with, an ordinary mentality couldn't keep company with that lunatic.
Thus, the only times his mentality had really cracked were when Lee Geon had turned monsters into mush, making him unable to eat for a week, and when Lee Geon died.
Indeed, Hugo grinned ferociously.
"You're an Elder God, right? Then you've probably never been beaten to the brink of death before, have you?"
"Wha... wai...!!"
Before the words finished, Michael screamed.
CRACK! CRACK!
Brutally beaten, Michael gnashed his teeth, trying to use his authority.
But.
'Damn it, my power won't come out!'
The reason was simple.
'Shit. My recovery from the wounds inflicted by
And that wasn't all.
'This bastard... surely...!'
There was no doubt. Hugo was definitely using the power of
Among the first-generation Monarchs, the reason this one could secretly invade the divine realm and even humiliate the Ancient Gods was because of that ability.
True to its name, Mimicry mimics the gods, perfectly imitating their speech and movements.
Like chaos with no original form from the start.
And if it devours that god, it can even mimic their authority beyond mere impersonation.
And the only being in the world who could completely neutralize him...!
'Father!'
Michael glared at Hugo with veins bulging in his eyes.
"You bastard, did you... the Great Holy God of Eden!!"
Seeing the furious Michael, Hugo smiled with immense satisfaction. It was the face of someone who well knew what angels found most shameful and mortifying.
And sure enough.
"Why do you think your oh-so-great Father hasn't woken up all this time?"
"......!!!"
"That's right. I've already devoured your Father, and with the tasteless parts, I made him into a Monarch."
"What did you say?!"
"So you couldn't even recognize your own Father until now?"
"Wha...? What do you..."
"Your Father, turned into a Monarch, invaded the divine realm and went around devouring you all. And you never noticed?"
At Hugo's laughter, Michael turned deathly pale.
Certainly, that first-generation Monarch had toyed with the Ancient Gods and even tricked their Father, the Great Holy God of Eden, through foul means.
But for Father to have been turned into a Monarch!
It was an absurd claim, but the very fact that this guy could subdue him was already highly credible evidence...!
Thanks to that, Michael, who had come to shake Hugo's mentality, seemed to have had his own shattered instead.
He barely regained his senses only after.
"D-do you think I'll believe that! Father is still in Eden even now...!"
"Yeah. The Father you bastards are so diligently offering sustenance to is a fake. A medium connected to the Monarchs' camp. A supply base that funnels nutrients to the very Monarchs you loathe so much."
"...That can't...!"
"Then here's a question: Among the Monarchs, which one is your Father?"
At last, Michael felt the strength drain from his body.
As if he had lost his mind, his eyes trembled intensely.
"I... have to... confirm it."
In that instant, Hugo's eyes flashed.
As if asking where he thought he was running, Hugo stabbed into Michael's body.
Though Michael widened his eyes and tried to kill Hugo, it was useless.
"Kuhuk! This... wretched snake god's!!"
Michael's mental disturbance had lowered his defenses, and Hugo had aimed for that.
CRUNCH! RIP!
In the end, Michael collapsed, vomiting blood.
At the same time, Hugo sat on the floor as if exhausted.
But it was then.
Thud!
"Urgh!"
As the thick scent of blood spread through the house, Hugo ground his teeth.
In his head, the instinct to tear apart and devour Michael's corpse buzzed loudly.
'Damn it.'
In the end, Hugo reached out his hand.
He had a feeling that if he ate this, he would walk a path of no return, but it was too hard to resist.
The presence of high-ranking gods made it even more so.
Maybe because of that.
'Just this once.'
But that moment.
BANG!
"!"
Hugo flinched at the object that fell to the floor.
It was none other than the newly taken family photo with Lee Geon and the others.
And at that instant.
What was he thinking?
Puhak!
Unexpectedly, instead of craving Michael's flesh, Hugo extracted only Michael's divinity.
[Experience points are directed towards the Serpent Lord constellation]
[The achievement is dedicated to the master]
Simultaneously, the trembling in Hugo's hands stopped.
"Quickly... I need to clean the house before Jiu and the kids come."
Sighing, Hugo crouched pathetically and lifted Michael's body.
He had to dispose of it so that no one would know this had happened.
But right at that moment.
Clunk!
"!"
At the unfamiliar presence, Hugo immediately flared with killing intent and turned his head.
"Who's there!"
But.
"...Jaewon?"
"H-Hugo-nim."
Since when had he been there? Lee Jaewon was pale as a ghost. It wasn't for no reason.
"You're a Monarch or whatever... What on earth do all those words mean, Hugo-nim?"
Hugo thought, 'Oh no.'
It seemed Jaewon had heard his conversation with Michael.
He must have realized the fight with Michael and tried to enter, only to freeze upon hearing that very conversation.
"Hugo-nim."
"Ah... Those chicken bastards were talking nonsense."
"But..."
Lee Jae-won's gaze didn't change. He was a saint, quick to catch on and sharp of mind.
In the end, Hugo spoke as if he had no choice.
"Don't tell anyone else. Especially not Geon."
"What...? You mean Geon-nim?"
Though he thought they should be telling him more, Hugo's expression grew serious.
It was certain. Given the situation, there was no denying it.
If Geon found out that he was a lowly monster...
'I'll be killed by Geon!'
Who knew better than him how merciless Geon was toward monsters?
Just then, as if snapping back to his senses, Lee Jae-won asked.
"Th... Then... the story about making the Eden Great Sacred God a monarch... is that true...?"
"No. I was just spouting whatever came to mind."
It wasn't certain. He'd simply pieced together hazy memories.
"That way, I'd shatter that bastard's mentality."
As if telling him to clean up quickly before Geon saw, Hugo handed a rag to Lee Jae-won.
Lee Jae-won hesitantly began wiping as well.
* * *
Meanwhile, around that time.
Inside a building where Leo was operating with permission from Ophiuchus.
[Master. Is this truly alright?]
The voice of a subordinate god came from Lee Geon's shadow.
[Was it really okay to send the Virgo saint back like that...?]
Lee Geon, who had seemed like he would confront Kevin, had unexpectedly let him go without a fight.
So the subordinate god asked with concern.
[He is one who seeks to betray you, Master. And he is an Archangel-class being, is he not? He will surely bring the Eden horde and a Great Sacred God to exact revenge on Ophiuchus...]
But Lee Geon merely laughed.
"Ah. It's fine. On that end."
[Fine, you say?]
"You guys didn't notice. He was being watched by the angels. They pretended to come pick him up, but they'd actually been there for a long time."
[!]
That was it.
He had sensed the presence of the angels who still did not trust Kevin.
At the same time, Lee Geon seemed to have realized something from Kevin, and had deliberately let him go.
And likely, leaving the matter to him on the Eden side would be without issue.
Hence, Lee Geon had left the hospital to take care of business.
Of course, there was something bothering him.
[My precious Creator, where are you?]
A sinister voice had reached Lee Geon's ears. It was only for a moment, but it was unsettling, which was why he'd put distance between himself and the hospital.
'Well, it's disappeared now, at least.'
Anyway, that wasn't what was important right now.
"...So, Lee Geon-nim. Why have you summoned all of us...?"
Before Lee Geon stood the saints who had driven out the previous ones and claimed their positions.
And Lee Geon, looking at them, raised the corners of his mouth.
"Why indeed. Because I have a task for the new saints of Earth."
"!"
"Before that. Come out."
"Pardon?"
Lee Geon's red eyes flashed as he spoke.
"Don't play dumb. You sent the new saints with this in mind from the very beginning, didn't you?"
"L-Lee Geon-nim?"
"Why, it's one of you, isn't it."
"!"
"The insidious Ennead Great Sacred God."
(Continued in the next episode)