After Ten Millennia in Hell

[Not yet, it seems,] Lilith's voice came out of the orb.

Kang-Woo nodded.

"When he arrives, he'll most likely appear in Africa."

Both Ludwig and Raphael had first appeared there.

He wasn't sure if they could open a gate anywhere they wanted, but the chance that the Gate would open in the same place was very high.

'Even if he doesn't end up there…'

If he wanted to figure out the truth about the call, he'd have to come to Raphael's fortress in Africa.

"Gather more forces and keep watch twenty-four seven. You can even use Guardians members. We have to find him as soon as he arrives."

[Understood.]

After saying that, Lilith cut the call.

Kang-Woo sighed and got up. He'd also sent Halcyon and Echidna to help Lilith, so the house was awkwardly silent.

Knock, knock.

He heard a careful knock on the door. Since Halcyon and Echidna weren't home, there was only one person it could be.

"Come in."

"… Are you done with your call?"

Han Seol-Ah opened the door and carefully peeked in.

When Kang-Woo nodded, she walked over and sat on the bed.

"…"

There was an awkward silence.

Kang-Woo stared vacantly at Seol-Ah while sitting on a chair.

He had given her a general explanation of the situation after he had finished making the stage and was standing by at home. He had told her that the soul of Celestial Goddess Seraph was within her, that the angels were trying to use that to revive Seraph, and that her own soul may fall into a deep slumber like Kurosaki Yurie.

"… Kang-Woo."

"If you're gonna say what you said last time, don't even think about it."

When Seol-Ah had first heard the explanation, she had asked Kang-Woo to let her be sacrificed and revive Seraph, since that was the best way for Kang-Woo to live in peace.

"And besides, you're basing your decision on the wrong premise. If Seraph is revived, forget my peace, they'll try to kill me."

After all, he was the Demon of Prophecy. No, even if he could hide that he was the Demon of Prophecy, it would be of no use since he was still a demon. He needed to prevent the outcome of antagonizing a god—a god powerful enough to govern an entire world, at that.

'Of course…'

Reviving Seraph for the sake of the star known as Earth was the right choice. Her power would surely help protect Earth, but…

'Fuck that.'

There was no point if the god who would protect Earth took action to eliminate him.

'What's the point of a safe and peaceful world if I can't live in it?'

Kang-Woo had no intention of sacrificing himself for world peace. If he had ideals like that, he would've killed himself a very long time ago.

'After everything I went through to survive.'

He had to stop this world from ending, but sacrificing himself to achieve that was out of the question. The same went for if he was lucky enough to be acknowledged by Seraph; the happiness he would attain would be half-baked without Seol-Ah.

"Everything I've ever done has been for me to stay happy."

He had struggled through ten whole millennia just to be happy—all for a joyous, fun, and occasionally sad and depressing life that was, ultimately, full of laughs.

"If you die, I won't be happy."

"…"

Seol-Ah kept her mouth shut in a daze, and then she giggled.

"Okay. I won't ever say it again."

Seol-Ah nodded as if truly happy.

Kang-Woo finally felt relieved.

"Seraph, huh…? Oh, maybe that's why."

"Why what?"

"Back when… you were kidnapped. After we managed to get you back, I've been having these dreams."

"Dreams?"

"Yes. Dreams of… being enveloped in cozy light. And…" Seol-Ah groaned. "I'm not sure if I should be saying this, but after I started having those dreams, I started to feel as if you were younger than me. N-No, not younger, but… more like I want to look after you. I've only ever seen you as cool and amazing, but I've been seeing you as cute lately… "

"…"

"A-Anyway, I've been feeling this way."

Kang-Woo crossed his arms and nodded.

'That does seem like Seraph's influence.'

After she awakened Seraph's power, the power seemed to have also somewhat influenced her personality. According to Shalgiel, Seraph was the Goddess of Parental Love, so it was understandable why Seol-Ah had lately begun to see Kang-Woo as younger than her.

"Then how about I call you Seol-Ah noona from now on?"

"Gasp."

Seol-Ah's eyes widened, and she started to tremble.

"N-No!" She strongly refused. Blushing, she shouted, "I might die!"

Kang-Woo laughed out loud.

"Oh… Right! I almost forgot!" Seol-Ah clapped her hands together and said with sparkling eyes, "C-Come to think of it, when I-I… ahem, lifted your clothes to look at your… I think that was Seraph's influence as well."

She looked at him with intense eyes and clenched her fists.

"…"

Kang-Woo remained silent, thinking back to that time.

'That's low, Seol-Ah.'

He averted his gaze from Seol-Ah while thinking that he would never make her put on a performance.

"Y-you don't believe me?" Having noticed that, Seol-Ah puffed her cheeks and softly hit him.

Kang-Woo burst into laughter.

Just then…

Whoom.

The communication crystal orb rang.

Kang-Woo got up and grabbed it.

[My king.] It was Lilith. [Uriel has arrived.]

"…"

Kang-Woo's eyes shone, and a smile crept up. The time had finally come.

"Keep me updated on his live location."

After saying that, he cut the call.

Seol-Ah looked at him with a hardened expression.

"… Are you going?"

"Yeah."

He had caused this trouble, so it was also his responsibility to patch it up.

"Let me also—"

"No." He firmly shook his head. "Seraph's existence can't be revealed to the angels."

If that happened, even if the plan succeeded, what had happened with Shalgiel would happen again.

"…"

Seol-Ah nodded while making a bitter expression. She also knew why she couldn't allow other angels to see her.

"… Please be careful."

Seol-Ah grabbed Kang-Woo's hands.

Kang-Woo smiled and nodded. Then he turned around and opened a gate that led to the Hall of Protection. At the same time, he sent a message to Gaia, Kim Si-Hun, Cha Yeon-Joo, Grace McCubbin, and Tian Wuchen, among others.

'I have to bring the others as well.'

He would not be the lead character on this stage. He would be but a spectator, and the more spectators there were to watch a show, the better.

'And…'

His eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. There was something else that he needed to do no matter what besides being a spectator.

* * *

"… Fuuu."

The boy with short blue hair sighed and slowly opened his eyes. He saw a blue sky and an open expanse.

'So this is…'

Earth.

"It's not much different from Aernor," he mumbled in a low voice.

After looking up at the sky for a while, he shook his head. This was not the time. He took out a piece of paper on which the location of Raphael's temporary base was written.

'Raphael…'

Uriel anxiously spread his wings. He wanted to bring his army as well, but there had not been enough time.

'I'm coming now.'

Uriel quickly flew into the air in search of his comrade-in-arms, whom he wasn't exactly sure what had happened to, but Uriel was sure that something had happened nonetheless.

"Hm?"

At that moment, he saw a group of humans wandering around the fortress. His eyes widened, and he landed where they were like a bolt of lightning.

Crackle!!

Blue electricity swept their surroundings.

"Who are you?" he said in a voice full of bloodlust. He quickly scanned the group.

'Humans.'

There were six of them.

The one at the front was a young man with sharp eyes. Behind him was an impressively handsome young man. In the middle, a brown-haired woman was seated in a wheelchair, and a middle-aged blonde woman was pushing it. Behind them was a woman with short red hair and an old man with a sword at his waist.

The sharp-looking young man took a step forward.

"We are Guardians."

"Guardians?"

Uriel had heard of them. They were the protectors of Earth who had allied with Raphael.

Uriel first doubted whether their identity was true or not, but he nodded after taking a closer look at the woman in the wheelchair.

"You have the incarnation of Gaia with you."

"Greetings, O Great Angel."

Gaia politely bowed her head.

Uriel asked while keeping his guard up, "Why are you all here?"

"Before that… who are you? I don't believe I have ever seen an angel like you among Lord Raphael's subordinates."

The sharp-looking man was also looking at Uriel warily.

Uriel groaned and opened his mouth.

"I'm Uriel."

"Ah…!"

The sharp-looking guy let out an exclamation and lowered his head.

"My apologies. I had known that you were an angel from your wings, but… I was a little cautious due to recent strange events."

"… Strange events?"

"We have not been able to contact Lord Raphael or Shalgiel. They had not even shown up to our usual meeting, so… we came here because we were worried."

"Oh."

Uriel's expression hardened. He understood why the Guardians members were roaming around the fortress and anxiously bit his lip.

"Since when has contact with them been cut off?"

"About five days ago."

"… Shit."

Uriel frowned.

The sharp-looking young man said in a worried tone, "Has something happened to Lord Raphael?"

"… No, nothing at all."

"Your expression says otherwise."

"I said it's nothing!" Uriel shouted in irritation, but he soon grabbed his forehead.

'If it's Guardians…'

Their strength had been detailed in Raphael's report. Most of them were only as strong as intermediate angels and below, but a few of them apparently surpassed upper angels.

From what he had heard, one of them had inherited the Holy Sword Ludwig and another was the apostle of Tirion, God of Heroes.

"Are the humans Oh Kang-Woo and Kim Si-Hun among you?"

"… I am Oh Kang-Woo."

"I am Kim Si-Hun."

"… I see." Uriel nodded.

The situation had changed. If they were stronger than an upper angel, it was a different story.

"Can you help me?"

Uriel had been in such a hurry that he hadn't been able to bring along his subordinates. He was in desperate need of these humans' help.

"Is it about Lord Raphael?"

"… Yeah."

"We planned to investigate regardless, so there is no problem at all," the human Oh Kang-Woo said in a calm voice.

And so, Uriel and Guardians began moving to the angel fortress in Africa.

"What in the…"

"I-Is this really the same fortress?"

The beautiful fortress that had exuded serene light was nowhere to be seen. Instead, dark energy enveloped it. The destroyed sections of the fortress and all the corpses scattered around made the atmosphere of the fortress even darker.

"Kang-Woo hyung-nim."

"… It seems something really did happen."

"Kang-Woo, this is…" Gaia slurred.

"Gaia, have you received any revelations from the gods?"

"No… Nothing."

Kang-Woo and the other Guardians members seemed shocked at the fortress's changed atmosphere.

Uriel bit his lip, his anxiety growing.

"Let's enter. Follow me."

Uriel took a step forward, and the fortress gates slowly opened.

Then…

Riiing.

[You have entered the SS+ rank dungeon 'Fallen Angel's Nightmare My King—]

"Kurgh!! Kuh… Gaaaaaahh!!!"

As the blue message window appeared, the human who revealed himself to be Oh Kang-Woo screamed in pain as his body bent like a bow. His eyes rolled back as if he were having a seizure.

"H-Hyung-nim!!"

Si-Hun quickly ran toward Kang-Woo.

Uriel also turned to look at the human who had suddenly collapsed on the ground and was having a seizure.

The blue message window in the air disappeared.