Episode 83.
"Apocalypse, and 18 Years Later."
Splish.
He stepped into a puddle filled with blood.
It was not the red blood commonly known, but black blood that reeked heavily of sulfur.
It was even thicker and more viscous than blood.
An unpleasant sensation that clung like tar, yet there was no time to feel it.
Honestly, he was numb.
He couldn't help it because his surroundings were filled with corpses.
Most of them were demons, followed by angels, and a small number were humans.
"Huff, huff…."
The man catching his breath, Yunchan, stared at the one fallen beneath his feet.
"…Andrew…."
Born in America.
An Awakener who had awakened the special trait, Superhuman Strength, he had been Yunchan's longtime comrade and an executive of the White.
But he was dead.
The bright, innocent smile that had been like that of a simple country youth was twisted in agony, and his mysterious, emerald-like eyes were bloodshot and stained red.
"…You fought until the end."
His waist was snapped in half.
Even with a wound fatal enough to kill him instantly, he still hadn't let go of a demon's body.
In the end, using his superhuman strength, he had taken the demon whose body had burst apart with him as a companion to the underworld.
"Now, there… rest in peace."
He brushed his hand over Andrew's wide-open eyes.
Only then did the eyes close.
Was it an illusion?
The moment his eyes closed, his expression, which had been twisted in pain, also seemed to return to peace.
Splish.
At a sound that pierced his ears like thunder, he raised his head and stared straight ahead.
"Hmm. I had heard the rumors, but to think it was to this extent."
A burly man stood there.
Wearing a monocle over his left eye, a thick book in each hand, he was—
"Dantalian…."
The commander who had attacked the rear that Yunchan was in charge of—it was Dantalian.
Archdemon of the 71st Seat.
Called Hell's Strategist, he had launched a surprise attack on the rear Yunchan was defending, causing tremendous damage.
Of course, Dantalian was not unharmed either.
The legion of Hell he had commanded had been annihilated.
But.
Thud.
His comrades gathering around Yunchan.
They who had survived the Apocalypse for 18 years had survived this war as well.
Although far more had met their deaths than those gathered here, they lived on.
To see the end of this damned Apocalypse.
That was why they could not stop.
He merely clenched his fist until his nails broke, swallowing his tears at the deaths of comrades he had been with for so long.
"I surrender. I launched a surprise attack with far superior numbers, yet was annihilated. This is clearly my defeat."
Seeing the survivors gathering one after another, he raised both hands.
Shwing!
But no one relaxed at his declaration of defeat.
The opponent was Hell's Strategist.
Because there was no telling what scheme he might pull next.
They remained as tense as possible, preparing to move at any moment.
"Hahaha!"
Dantalian, having perceived their readiness, laughed.
"It seems you do not know my sincerity."
"If you were me, could you believe it? The Hell's Strategist, of all people."
"Still, you speak to me. You must be… the Throne of Strength, one of the Ten Thrones."
"…."
"I have heard the rumors well. That you led the White, which was originally nothing more than an emerging force, to the top. I thought rumors were usually exaggerated, but it seems they can also be understated."
That was certainly praise.
It was not an empty word; it was something that could sufficiently come from Dantalian's position.
The forces defending the rear were few.
In contrast, Dantalian's forces, tasked with a do-or-die mission, were elites and far greater in number.
Yet they lost.
Why?
Because they had underestimated Yunchan.
Of course, he had heard the rumors.
That he was one of the strongest of the Ten Thrones among humanity.
But the arrogance that he was ultimately only human—that was what had toppled Dantalian's perfect plan.
Yunchan was powerful, and he had achieved victory against Dantalian's surprise attacking forces.
"To be defeated despite having overwhelming forces. In Hell, the words of a defeated commander are obvious."
The rear surprise attack, which had been the most crucial operation, had failed.
Though it wouldn't happen, even if they were to win the War of Gods and Demons, he would have no choice but to die bearing the dishonor of a defeated commander.
Moreover, with the tide of battle already turned, what more could be done?
"But who am I? Dantalian of the 71st Seat. Hell's Strategist and a master of schemes. I cannot pathetically lose to a mere human."
Before those words could even finish.
Swoosh.
Yunchan—his body moved like a single line.
Slash!
He slashed Dantalian's throat just like that.
Thud, roll—
The severed head rolled across the ground.
"…."
But Yunchan could not be at ease.
'What is this…?'
No matter how much Dantalian was a demon who did not rely on martial force, this was too futile.
There was no reason for an Archdemon who occupied the 71st Seat to be taken down so futilely.
He immediately retreated from that spot and returned to the main camp.
"Oh my, oh my. I hadn't even finished my greeting properly; you are too hasty."
The head that had been rolling on the ground—its gaze turned toward Yunchan and his comrades.
"It is simply too unjust to leave like this. I wish to inform you all of one thing—one forgotten truth."
Yunchan, gripping his sword in hand.
Should he attack again?
But because he couldn't tell what trap lay in wait, he could not move easily.
In the brief moment he hesitated.
"Everyone, I sincerely congratulate you on your victory in this war. But please bear in mind that this moment's choice will bring about ruin."
Was it a curse?
No, Yunchan could tell clearly.
That he—Dantalian—was speaking the truth.
"And an Archdemon who has claimed the glorious 71st Seat cannot exit so bleakly, can he? That is why I have prepared a gift."
Float.
The book Dantalian always carried with him, like a codex, rose gently into the air.
"Receive this worthless servant's body, and reveal a part of your greatness!"
Whooosh!
An ominous black and green light burst from the book, illuminating the area.
"…."
When his vision recovered, he hastily searched for Dantalian.
It was a scene no different from moments before.
Dantalian's head was still severed, and his body remained in place.
Was it over?
'No.'
Yunchan, bothered by those final words, did not let go of his tension.
And that was the right judgment.
Puhwak!
From Dantalian's body, from near the wound where his head had been just moments ago, black tentacles burst through.
Not just one.
Swoosh, swooosh.
Hundreds, thousands, no, tens of thousands of tentacles surged out, targeting Yunchan and his comrades.
*
I learned later through Julius.
That what Dantalian had used at the end was the Necronomicon, a forbidden grimoire.
The Dark Scripture.
A forbidden tome that recorded death.
The records of one who should not exist.
And most importantly.
'One of the highest-grade Noble Phantasms that is difficult to obtain unless one enters the Apocalypse.'
A highest-grade Noble Phantasm that did not yet exist, or even if it did, could not be easily found.
If I could acquire it now, when it could not be easily obtained even after entering the Apocalypse, it would bring about an enormous increase in power.
Moreover, if its owner were Jeong Dohwan.
'The Legion of Death would grow even stronger.'
So the moment his spiritual body appeared, I cheered inwardly.
Because I intuited that he would surely propose a deal, being one who stood opposite Baphomet.
An opportunity that had come unexpectedly.
And I did not miss this opportunity.
"How do you…?"
Dantalian's expression stiffened.
His wide eyes looked as if they would pop out at any moment.
He had acted composed, but it seemed he couldn't help reacting violently to the Necronomicon.
"You don't need to know how I know. Now, shouldn't you give me the reward for the deal?"
I held out my hand to receive the price of the deal.
"…."
He staggered back in surprise.
"You are a demon in name; surely you aren't thinking of breaking the deal."
But there was nowhere for him to run.
Because a demon's deal was something that important—an absolute, unbreakable law.
"That can't be…."
The wretch, having forgotten his place, tried to refuse the deal.
But.
Float—the thick book, no, the Necronomicon, slipped from Dantalian's grasp and rose into the air.
"What!"
The surprised wretch reached out, but.
Crackle!
Green sparks flared, rejecting Dantalian's touch.
It was a phenomenon caused by the forced execution of the deal.
No matter that he was Dantalian, Archdemon of the 71st Seat, he could be no exception to the absolute law of a demon's deal.
And the book that had slipped from the wretch's grasp flew to me.
Emitting an ominous black-green aura, it was unmistakably the Necronomicon.
『Necronomicon
Classification: Grimoire (Auxiliary)
Grade: Low-grade Noble Phantasm
Durability: ∞
Unique Effect: A random effect occurs each time the book is opened
Chapter 1 – Song of the Dead
Chapter 2 – [Sealed]
Chapter 3 – [Sealed]
Chapter 4 – [Sealed]
Chapter 5 – [Sealed]
??? – [Sealed]
Description: This is a forbidden tome that must never exist.』
Because it had become my possession, the Appraiser's Eye activated.
Thanks to that, I could verify the identity of the forbidden grimoire that I had never once seen before.
'It's a bit… ambiguous, isn't it?'
Before my regression, it wasn't that I wanted to summon an "existence that should not be," like the one Dantalian had shown.
It wasn't even the late stage of the Apocalypse; how could it exhibit power equal to an Archdemon?
But this is a bit…
No, not just a bit—I didn't know any of the effects at all.
Of course, I would need to strengthen it before effects like Chapter 2 or 3, which were still sealed, would activate, but even so, I couldn't shake off a sense of ambiguity.
And for good reason.
'A Noble Phantasm outside the norm, not even in the Sage's Knowledge.'
Because even to me, who had inherited the Sage's Knowledge encompassing all knowledge in the world, it was a foreign Noble Phantasm.
Of course, even without information, if I looked through the Appraiser's Eye, I could generally figure out the use of most things.
But not this one.
It said a random effect occurred each time the book was opened, but I couldn't grasp what the Song of the Dead was, or what the sealed abilities might be.
'Still, hasty conclusions are a bad idea.'
The catastrophe Dantalian had caused using this.
Thinking of that, this Noble Phantasm absolutely could not be low-grade.
There must be some secret.
That was something I would have to find out gradually.
I retrieved the Necronomicon floating in the air and put it in my bag.
"With this, the deal is complete."
I spoke to Dantalian, who was still out of it.
"…Haha."
With his characteristic laugh.
"Hahahahaha!"
He even clapped his hands, looking greatly pleased.
Had he lost his mind from the shock of losing the Necronomicon?
"This is a first. To see this Dantalian floundering in a scheme. This feels like an eye-opening experience."
The wretch adjusted his monocle and continued speaking.
"We have suffered great losses, but since we were able to maintain the Hell Gate, it is not entirely a loss. And…"
Flash!
Dantalian's sharp eyes flashed briefly.
"…Somehow, I have a premonition that my connection with you will not end here. Might I have your name?"
An Archdemon asks for a name?
It does not simply mean exchanging names.
It is acknowledging that you are an existence worthy of having your name engraved upon him.
"Shin Yunchan."
There was no reason to hide it, so I answered immediately.
"Shin Yunchan. I shall certainly remember your name."
He bent his upper body, dropped his arm down, then placed it over his right chest.
That was the formal greeting of demons—those of high rank, no less.
It was an unexpected sight.
I had thought he would show anger or hostility at having the Necronomicon taken.
"It seems time is up, then."
Srrk.
Having delivered those final words, Dantalian's form blurred and soon disappeared from sight.