Duke Yuma had just taken down the Great Angel Sarimun, and now the Divine Power Great Angel Raymoon was about to speak.
Raymoon heard the voice of the Celestial Sovereign ringing in his head.
-Hey!! Raymoon! It’s time to return! Return! The target is that human! Not that crazy god of war and conflict!
Raymoon ignored the voice echoing in his mind.
He dismissed the Celestial Sovereign’s words, barking like a scared puppy. Rather than the panicked retreat order from Celestial Sovereign Arten, the duties he had to fulfill as a Great Angel and Celestial Being weighed more heavily on his mind.
He had to take down the eight Evil Gods that were about to disturb the order of the Divine Realm and collapse the world’s order.
One of those Evil Gods had already fallen. If he could take down the Evil God Barbatos right in front of him, that would leave only six Evil Gods.
A truly monumental outcome.
Raymoon sent a telepathic message to the Celestial Sovereign.
-The purpose of the apostle’s birth is to hunt Evil Gods. Isn’t that what you’ve always told us? What’s right in front of us is not just any Evil God, but one of the three strongest Evil Gods that are always mentioned. We must capture him.
-Hey, hey, hey! Shouldn’t you focus on surviving first?
-That human coming to catch us has a history of taking down Evil Gods. Do you really think it makes sense for us to be scared of an Evil God in front of us and run away?
Raymoon unilaterally cut off communication with the Celestial Sovereign.
His silver eyes, framed by white hair, fixated on the divine being Barbatos.
The five Celestial Beings and the divine being Barbatos were still locked in a standoff above the continent, up in the clouds.
Raymoon opened his mouth.
[Evil God Barbatos.]
Barbatos’s red eyes fixed on Raymoon, assessing him closely.
Raymoon’s dignified voice echoed in the atmosphere.
[Once a great god of war, now a foul existence turned into an Evil God that disrupts the world’s order.]
Barbatos sneered as he dared to evaluate Raymoon as a god.
[Celestial Sovereign’s apostle, Great Angel Raymoon. I shall commence execution.]
A golden radiance emanated from Raymoon’s entire being.
Execution.
Barbatos smirked at the flamboyant term.
“Go ahead.”
Crack—
Barbatos loosened his body. Magical power and divine energy surged up from his toes.
‘Is this a warm-up?’
Crack—
Or is this the main course, with that human from the Astes Empire as mere dessert? Barbatos still couldn’t gauge that.
Boom────!
A sound like a thunderclap ripped through the atmosphere.
Two Celestial Beings charged at Barbatos. One was a semi-divine Valkyrie and the other two were Celestial Apostles with Grand Master-level power.
Their mission was simple.
Buy time.
Buy time for Raymoon and the other two Apostles to complete their [Paradise].
Barbatos watched as two streams of golden light rushed toward him.
To Barbatos, the golden trajectories appeared to move in slow motion. He stomped hard on the ground. It felt like he was stomping on the air, yet his body didn’t tilt at all.
As if he was naturally stepping on the solid ground of the continent, he charged through the air.
Instead of dodging the lightning bolts that engulfed the front, he barreled right into them.
Barbatos extended his left leg diagonally.
Crash─
Brilliant beams of light twisted and shattered upon impact. Fragments of golden light scattered everywhere.
Barbatos’s body launched forward like a cannon.
Crash!
His fist soared down, smashing into the Valkyrie’s face, who had reddish hair.
Boom!
The purple divine energy wave spread out in circles. The Valkyrie’s body was sent soaring into the air.
Her beautiful face was flattened like a crushed watermelon. In mid-air, her body spun several times before crashing down unceremoniously below.
Grugru, he fell miserably down there.
Barbatos showed no signs of stopping. He kicked off the air once again and went down.
You can’t just leave a torn-up prey alone. It had to be completely dismantled to cut off its breath.
The red-haired Valkyrie glared at Barbatos, hastily channeling her crimson magic into her dual blades.
And she swung her arms mercilessly.
Whoosh!
To shake off Barbatos, who had charged directly in front of her.
Barbatos was completely unfazed by the countless sword strikes coming from both sides. He grabbed the red sword energy with bare hands.
Shwip!
Then he crushed it. Fragments of red energy scattered in the air.
Barbatos grabbed the Valkyrie by the neck with his right hand.
[Kyahhhhhh!]
Crack—
His grip strength.
Barbatos plucked the Valkyrie’s head off with just his right hand. Red blood flowed on his hand.
“So filthy.”
Barbatos took a stance like a pitcher throwing a ball from a mound. Then, he threw the Valkyrie’s head toward the rushing celestial apostle.
Boom!
The Valkyrie’s head struck the celestial apostle’s upper body directly. It splattered like a watermelon, purple magic spreading from it.
“You celestial beings.”
Red blood erupted from the mouth of the celestial being.
Barbatos stomped on the air like a floor. The atmosphere warped.
“These bugs are deluded.”
Fist.
Bam!
The celestial apostle’s torso bent backward like a shrimp.
“Thinking they can mimic divine power, divine essence.”
Purple energy surged in Barbatos’s hands.
“Only a lunatic thinks they’re a god.”
Barbatos’s lips curled into a smile.
He reached out his fist again.
At a speed so fast, even the celestial beings couldn’t track its trajectory.
Bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap-bap!!!!!
The celestial being’s head and shoulders twisted at bizarre angles dozens of times.
Barbatos’s countless strikes contorted its entire body grotesquely.
In the end, its body twisted like a twisty pastry.
Like squeezing a wet rag, blood flowed from its heavily twisted body.
The massive corpses of the two deceased celestial apostles fell onto the continent.
“How dare you creatures who couldn’t be born as gods try to mimic one.”
Barbatos wiped the blood from his cheek with his left hand.
And lazily swept his black hair back with his right hand, saying,
“Yeah, I think I’ve given you enough time to show everything you prepared.”
Three celestial beings stood in a triangle around Barbatos.
Barbatos raised the corner of his mouth.
“Go ahead, give it a try.”
It was a tone like an adult indulging a child’s antics.
The Great Angel Raymoon, with white hair standing on a cloud, had his eyes closed with a blank expression.
Yet, tears flowed from his closed eyes.
It was sorrow born from losing two of his subordinates in an instant.
[That madness of yours… I will behead you.]
Paradise.
Duke Yuma had given the name to the ultimate technique used by the [Great Demon King] Berzette he faced before.
An absolute realm used by gods like Barbatos right before him, [Divine Domain].
Paradise was created by mimicking that Divine Domain.
And the origin of that name, Paradise, began with the celestial beings.
Raymoon opened his eyes and continued.
[Paradise—Divine Punishment White Palace]
Gggggg!!!
A white palace was born in the air where three celestial beings and one god stood. The caster of Paradise was Raymoon.
This wasn’t a Paradise created alone. It was released with the shared power of the blonde Valkyrie, Ren, standing on the left.
And the white-haired celestial Great Angel, Garmun, standing on the right.
The two shared their strength to unleash it.
“It’s been shared and unfolded.”
“Ho, ho.”
Barbatos gazed at the paradise created by the trio’s magic and their shoddy fake divine power. It was a pure white world.
“Taste the feeling of helplessness. Evil God, Barbatos.”
Garmun uttered in a deep voice. Barbatos grinned and concentrated energy at the tip of his right index finger.
Kiiing…
And then, he shot the concentrated energy like a bullet from his fingertip.
Kwaaaam!!!
It was the energy bullet aimed right at Garmun, who had just been running his mouth. But the energy bullet didn’t even touch Garmun and exploded right in front of Barbatos.
Barbatos tilted his head and tried to move forward.
No, he attempted to move forward.
Tuuuwing!
His body was violently flung backwards instead.
Barbatos looked at this space, the Divine Punishment Palace, with his divine power in his eyes.
Infinite.
Endless white threads were forming infinite walls that blocked him from all directions.
“The dead allies did not meet a trivial end.”
Garmun took a step forward and continued speaking.
“As you attacked, I analyzed the structure of your magic and divine power. There are no variables. You were purely useful for delivering force to the attack.”
Garmun, Raymoon, and Valkyrie Ren simultaneously took their fighting stances.
A posture of sincere prayer.
“The unwavering strength towards that weapon shall kill you.”
Ku…
Landslide.
A sound similar to the natural disaster echoed.
Barbatos looked up.
Kugugugugugugugugu!!!!!
From the sky, huge white swords began to pour down. Countless and infinite.
Kwaaang────!
All the swords were aimed at Barbatos.
His figure was engulfed by the rain of swords.
Kwahziik! Kwaaddeuk! Ujijijijik!
Swords kept pouring down endlessly. Dust swirled thickly around the palace.
The three celestial beings gazed at the spot where Barbatos was surrounded.
The smoke gradually cleared.
“Didn’t I tell you not to be under any illusions?”
Barbatos stood firmly on the ground, totally fine.
“Don’t think you can imitate my divinity.”
Flames engulfed Barbatos’s body. Black flames that transcended purple. Not a scratch on the body of this deity.
“It seems you think you’ve blocked me with this worthless wall.”
Barbatos’s red eyes shone brightly.
He slowly lifted his right foot.
His foot was mixed with divine and magical power.
And the density was on a whole different level than before.
“I simply adjusted my power.”
Barbatos slammed his raised right foot down.
Boom.
“Look.”
The pure white palace shook.
“This is what a step is.”
Heavenly Demon Dominance.
A tidal wave of energy surged from beneath Barbatos’s feet.
Crack…
The four walls that were blocking Barbatos shattered.
Easily, like a sandcastle crumbling.
Barbatos’s divine force was shot towards Garmun.
Thud!
Barbatos’s palm clenched Garmun’s mouth.
[Wuuuhhhh!!!]
“You spoke of my weapon.”
Garmun felt something rising in his mouth.
No, his head was swelling.
“I will kill you solely with divine power.”
Kwahaaang!
His head exploded.
A simple maneuver to unleash the divine power gathered in his palm all at once.
Kugugugugugung!
The Divine Punishment Palace tilted. One of the trio maintaining the paradise just got obliterated.
Barbatos lightly swung his right arm.
To anyone watching, it simply looked like he casually swung his arm sideways, without any meaning at all.
To anyone looking, it was merely a meaningless flail of arms.
But then the white towers tilted diagonally.
Swoosh.
A diagonal line was drawn on the Valkyrie’s body.
Her legs stood firm on the ground, but her upper body leaned pitifully.
Formless sword.
Barbatos, who killed Ren in an instant with the formless sword, walked forward.
Step.
Toward Raymoon.
“Hey, Great Angel.”
A hundred white swords unfurled behind Raymoon.
“Give it your all.”
[AAAARRGH!]
What echoed back instead of a response was a battle cry.
[Barbatos──!]
Powerlessness.
A relentless feeling of powerlessness circled around Raymoon’s mind.
That Evil God didn’t even use divine techniques. He merely killed celestial beings with pure martial prowess.
It’s different. The white palace they had dreamed of collapsing under the shadow of evil was shattered too easily.
Reality and illusion.
The divine power possessed by a true God was far too proper to be countered with mere celestial force that merely imitated it.
Nonetheless, Raymoon did not give up.
The swords unfurling behind him were bait.
The divine punishment palace had not completely crumbled yet. Amid the tilted structures, a million great swords surged forth.
Great swords rushing from all sides.
Barbatos’s lips twisted. Violet currents swirled around his entire body.
Destruction wheel.
Fwoosh—shooooom!
The million great swords touched the violet cyclone and shattered all at once. Fragments of the white blades scattered across the air like stars.
Shreeeek!
Raymoon’s sword path was completely blocked. Even if his divine energy was pushed back, his strength remained equal.
Boom!
[GUUUUUH!]
However, in the countless exchanges, it was always the Great Angel Raymoon who allowed the attacks.
Barbatos grinned, relentlessly throwing punches.
His once-massive body now twisted and slimmed. His body was riddled with bruises.
Like crumpled paper.
The white figure of the Great Angel had become so unsightly.
Having lost all his swords, Raymoon stood still.
Not with a blank expression, but with a dazed face.
“I’m quite disappointed.”
Barbatos stretched out his leg.
He concentrated his magic and delivered a kick. The Great Angel’s body exploded.
The divine punishment palace was annihilated.
After killing five celestial beings, Barbatos stood still for a moment, savoring the aftertaste.
Zzzzz—
In the midst of focusing all his mental energy on battle, Barbatos finally caught sight of a strange flying bug fluttering next to him.
He snatched the circular object.
“What’s this?”
And then, looking at the flying object with eyes infused with divine energy, he thought,
“…Magical engineering? So you’re watching me with this. Is it from the Astes Empire?”
Barbatos spoke, looking at the magical scout.
“Can you hear me?”
Barbatos continued speaking.
“Human, Duke Yuma. I’ve come down to kill you. My friend Barbatos is trembling in fear of you.”
Crunch!
The body of the magical scout crumpled.
“Clean your throat and wait.”
Creeeak!
*
“Clean your throat and wait.”
The owner of the magical scout, Scarlet Tower Master Eldrie, swallowed hard.
The number of people witnessing the catastrophe unfolding in the Intermediate World sky in real-time was scarce.
Aside from Yuma and Eldrie, there were five: Princess Brigitte, Cloney, Bell, and the High Elf Luine, the Great Spirit Mage. Lastly, Michael, Brigitte’s personal guard knight.
Yuma rose with a blank expression.
Bell hastily followed suit, rising her body.
“My, my lord! Where are you going?”
“To meet.”
As Yuma stepped outside the imperial palace, he saw something plummeting toward the palace like a falling star.
[Lv.792] Barbatos
The Divine Being was descending upon the Empire.
To kill Yuma.
