He was the most destructive among the first-generation Monarchs.
No one knew his true appearance, and none who fought him survived.
All he possessed was madness, boredom, tedium, and dullness.
Though his face was unknown, his existence was so renowned that all trembled at the mere mention of his name.
And as one who had toyed with the entire Divine Realm, many in the universe still grind their teeth at him.
That much, was overwhelmingly strong.
So much so that when it was said no living creatures remained wherever he appeared, everyone accepted it as fact.
Because of that, even on the day of his execution, all were afraid.
They cast him into the Samsara Hell to obliterate that wicked soul entirely, but there was no way a soul of that magnitude would be dissolved.
Everyone thought he would surely be resurrected.
Thus, that vicious Monarch would revive again.
That was what they thought.
"Hey!! Are you brazenly declaring you'll take my wife and children?!"
"Yeah. That's right."
The vicious Monarch, no, breathed fire at Igeon's words.
Even knowing this bastard was crazy from the start, to spout such a thing as stealing someone else's wife!
"Hey! You crazy bastard! Not until dirt fills my eyes! Are you insane?!"
In the end, Hyugo tried to grab Igeon by the collar.
But.
"What, you bastard."
"!"
Far from grabbing his collar, Hyugo froze under Igeon's menacing glare.
As expected.
"You said you made a promise with that bastard. That you'd hold hands and play 'ssessesse,' devouring gods and humanity together. But what? Wife? Children?"
"...Ah, no... I didn't say anything about holding hands and playing 'ssessesse'..."
"What?"
At the bloodthirsty glare, Hyugo yelped in terror, unable to say a word.
If he didn't shut up, it felt like Igeon would behead him.
But at that sight, who had been struck and sent flying by Hyugo, seemed to find it absurd.
[That brat, he's going too far.]
The force he'd just unleashed was no joke. In fact, had it dealt a considerable blow even to ?
Even if it was an act, it was beyond the scope of force one would simply let slide.
But precisely because of that, an offended approached Hyugo.
[Brother. I know you're putting on an act.]
"!"
[But you don't have to pretend to fear that snake god; you're plenty strong eno— Ugh!]
's head flew off again from another blast.
"Geon!! Are you going to let him keep spouting nonsense?! Kill him! He's our enemy! Kill him!"
Hyugo shouted desperately.
It seemed he was terrified of being recognized as a fellow Monarch by Igeon.
Because he didn't want to be killed alongside him!
At that point, raised his voice in anger.
[Until when will you keep up that unsightly...]
BANG!!!
"Shut up!! You bastard! Are you trying to get me killed too because of you?! Do you know how much he hates Monarchs?! He'll go wild and kill us all!"
seemed to be reaching the limits of his patience.
[... Hey. There's such a thing as the dignity of a first-generation Monarch. I know your cunning acting methods all too well, but tone it down a bit....]
"It's not an act!!"
[......?]
's expression was a sight to behold.
[Not an act?]
"Yeah, it's not! If I spout nonsense, I'll get sliced to pieces by him!!"
At that terror-stricken face, was dumbfounded.
No matter what, was one of their four sworn brothers.
Among those sworn brothers, there was and the mother of Heilli, but was the most reliable and the strongest of them all.
So when he heard that he was being executed in the Divine Realm, he was greatly disappointed, but it didn't matter.
Because he would be reborn.
In fact, hadn't he said so himself?
Wait. I won't die. Let's meet again and turn the world upside down.
He had declared so, and thus had waited for endless ages.
But what was this? Sliced to pieces?
Now thoroughly angered, glared at Hyugo.
[Are you going to break our promise so futilely?]
"What?"
[How do you think I raised the kids??] ¹
At that, Igeon let out a scoff and raised his Judgment.
"Ha. A promise. Even raising kids?"
As Igeon's eyes flashed, Hyugo screamed.
"No, there aren't any! I have no kids!!"
"Oh ho, you're lying about not having kids now!"
"Aaagh!!"
At the incoming strike of Judgment, Hyugo turned pale white.
It was no lie.
He was pouring the red-eyed power meant for Monarchs into his blows, swinging it at them!
In the end, the blade of Judgment barely grazed past his face.
BANG!!
Trampled by Igeon, Hyugo, feeling like he'd really die at this rate, shouted.
"Geon! I'm truly innocent. I have no relation with him at all!!"
"Yeah. I have no relation with you either."
"Ack!! If you don't believe me, I'll take care of him!"
Igeon's Judgment, about to strike down, paused slightly.
Well, his reaction to the talk of taking his children and wife, and all.
Was it perhaps worth trusting him as a friend for now?
"Fine. Then take care of him now."
At Igeon's words, Hyugo let out a relieved sigh as if he had survived, but then.
BANG!!!
"!!"
A vicious wind flew at the back of Hyugo's head.
And a similar force nullified it, blocking the attack, but the expression on 's face froze Hyugo.
[Fine, I understand.]
"...!"
The expression of , who moments ago had been rejoicing at meeting his brother, had transformed completely.
An expression of betrayal, swallowing the fury that surged inside.
And the pressure he emitted, befitting a first-generation Monarch who had raised the second-generation Monarchs and , was anything but ordinary.
In an atmosphere where a single wrong word could cost Hyugo his head, smiled.
[It's probably because that god is a Creator, isn't it.]
"What?"
Igeon raised an eyebrow as if to ask what kind of bullshit that was now.
"Hey. This bastard is mine, and I'm going to make him humanity's slave. Don't try any tricks."
At that, smiled wickedly.
[Tricks? Why is that, brother? Didn't you go to the Creators back then because you had something to gain as well.]
"...!"
Hyugo flinched.
Because it wasn't something he didn't remember.
[Others think you approached the Creator, the only direct-line god of the Primordial God, to bring down , the King of Gods. But in reality, didn't you seek them out because you needed something more? Then, after failing to achieve your goal, you ended up killing all those Creators you were with.]
"What? No, hey!!"
[Brother. The way you slaughtered every last Creator back then was truly magnificent. That cruelty without a shred of hesitation!]
"Ah, you really! Won't you shut up?!"
But regardless, as if needed Hyugo's power for the resurrection of Kruder, laughed eerily.
was a first-generation Monarch who had single-handedly wrecked the entire Divine Realm.
He clearly had no intention of letting Hyugo go.
And then.
[Well, now that those Creators are all dead, you won't be able to get what you wanted. But if there is a survivor, that changes the story.]
looked at Igeon.
[Reincarnated as a human, but choosing that Creator was also you. The instinct from when you were .]
"!"
That the direct vassal god of the Creator and current Eul was chosen as your wife was also 's instinct.
[And even now that you've regained your memories, you're recalling that and pretending to be human.]
Terrified of death, Hyugo grew desperate.
"No, Geon. No. I can't act. I haven't even regained my memories."
[You mean a guy who hasn't even recovered his memories has the power to blast me away?]
"I said no..."
[And you've been playing at being a god. Acting out that kind of faith is nothing. Didn't you do it in the old days too? When you pretended to serve the Primordial God, you deceived with 1000% faith and played around.]
"Ah, you, shut up! Go raise kids again! Anyway, Geon, I'm really human..."
But the look on Igeon's face as he watched Hyugo was a sight to behold.
"Ah. So you can even fake faith."
"...Huh? A-ah, no..."
"Ah. So that's how it was. You were a swindler."
At that expression, which even carried a hint of contempt, Hyugo felt truly wronged.
"No! That's all in the past!"
"But you're not denying it's a lie?"
"!!!"
Right at that moment.
Hyugo turned pale at the power of radiating from Igeon.
"No, wait! Let me explain—"
At that instant, pure white power flew at Hyugo. And as Hyugo squeezed his eyes shut.
BANG!!
's power struck . And an immense force wrapped around .
But smiled lightly.
[No matter if that power is on par with a Primordial God, do you think it will work unconditionally?]
As soon as the words left his mouth, 's eyes flashed.
[Something that's not even at 100% of its power!]
Then, a powerful wind force twisted 's power.
It seemed he was not a first-generation Monarch who had raised numerous Monarchs for nothing, nor one who could humiliate the King of Gods and make the Elder Gods tremble in fear.
[This land already bore me ill-will for killing one I cherished. I might be cursed, but I'll annihilate you entirely.]
At this, Igeon frowned. And just as he was about to use the Battle God Instinct he had refrained from to avoid straining Earth.
Crack!!
[Ugh!!]
Hyugo kicked as if telling him to get lost.
Kicked, seemed dazed. And surprisingly, Hyugo's kicking foot had transformed into a black foot—not a human foot.
Ultimately, kicked away by Hyugo, turned into a gust and disappeared.
"Bastard, when you're not even your main body!"
Landing safely, Hyugo approached Igeon.
"Geon! Did you see that!"
As if asserting his innocence, that he was absolutely not on that side, but Igeon's expression was a sight to behold.
"Ah. Look at this bastard, sending his brother away first out of fear he'll die."
Hyugo screamed as if wronged.
* * *
Around that same time.
"Geon! Believe me! I can't live without Jiu!"
Returning home, Hyugo clung to Igeon's legs and dragged on.
And the gathered family watched them with puzzled expressions.
"Igeon-nim, you seem... in a bad mood."
"Did you fight with Dad and Uncle?"
At the questions from his wife and children, Hyugo flinched.
"It wasn't a fight..."
Hyugo recalled what Igeon had said on the way home.
- Well, trusting or not, I can't send the kids' father over to that side.
- Of course!
- I'll keep it a secret. But the moment you devour a god or a human, I'll kill you.
- ...!
- Even if your instinct surfaces, I'll ensure you can't stay by the kids or Jiu-ssi.
- Alright. Since you trust me, I'll help you...
- Yep, don't need it, swindler. Get out of my vassals.
- ?!
It seemed Igeon was displeased with 's ulterior motives.
After all, a Monarch was still a Monarch.
Especially the fact that he had deceived and devoured gods in the past, had stayed by the Creators for a purpose before killing them.
And perhaps he had been by Igeon's side for a similar purpose. That fact was displeasing.
It felt more like being used than pure intention.
And as Igeon went upstairs, Yuha called out in surprise.
"Uncle, are you going up without dinner?"
"Yeah. A guest is coming."
The lower floors of this building—the former Singungjwa Sanctuary, now Igeon Tower—were used by Hyugo's family, while the upper floors were mostly used by Igeon.
"Anyway, no one come up here today. It's an important guest."
"An important guest...?"
"Don't worry. They'll just eat and leave soon."
At those words, Hyugo froze. He couldn't not know that the guest was .
And the instruction not to come up was likely because of the danger of a possible fight, but still.
"Geon! That's it! The guest's purpose is...!"
Hyugo hurriedly tried to tell the truth, but Igeon kicked him away.
"Bastard. I told you not to talk to me."
"Ugh..."
Fallen, Hyugo clutched his forehead.
'Eul.'
He, too, only vaguely felt with his kin's senses that it was a female, so he wasn't certain, but...
'Well, the eating thing could be a joke.'
Now, Hyugo shook his head as if he didn't know anymore.
Because if he went up to stop Igeon, it felt like Igeon would kill him.
'Yeah. What could possibly happen.'
But two hours later.
'No. What kind of situation is this.'
Alone, Igeon was sweating coldly.
A room where no one would come up.
A building outfitted with all sorts of defenses and soundproofing in case of a possible fight.
And inside the dark room where he had lain down to sleep, someone had come.
[Yes. You were here.]
Igeon was flustered, seeing the naked beauty sitting on top of him.
With an unfamiliar face, just as he was about to ask who the hell this was.
[As promised, I came to eat.]
smiling brightly, pinned down Igeon's arm tightly.
[Why that expression? Didn't you say you'd dress up and come to be eaten? You allowed it too.]
...?
...?????
Realizing who the other party was, Igeon's pupils shook like an earthquake.
"...????!!!"
Was that what it meant?
No, more than that.
This bastard was a female!!
(To be continued in the next episode)