While Kwon Tae-ho and Rozelia were locked in a verbal skirmish, Yoo Seol skillfully infiltrated the central building using both clairvoyance and x-ray vision.

‘If I go down here, it leads to the underground prison…’

Yoo Seol thought as she gazed at the door of the staircase hidden beneath the floor. She had managed to sneak this far, evading the guards’ eyes. However, from here on down, it would be impossible.

According to her x-ray vision, a man she had seen just moments ago was guarding the prison door right in front of where Lee Ha-yeon was confined. The prison had only one entrance, so she had no choice but to face that man if she wanted to rescue Lee Ha-yeon.

‘…So, it’s a straightforward approach in the end.’

Having made her decision, Yoo Seol swung open the door without hesitation. The creaking sound caught the attention of the guard, who turned his head in surprise.

– Step. Step. Step.

Yoo Seol strode boldly into the underground prison, making no effort to hide her footsteps.

“Excuse me.”

As she rounded the corner and faced the man, Yoo Seol raised her hand slightly and spoke first.

“May I have a moment of your time?”

“What are you doing here? This area is off-limits to outsiders.”

“I may be an outsider, but I’ve come with permission.”

“What?”

The man was taken aback by her overly confident demeanor. Yoo Seol did not stop there; she confidently pulled out a business card from her pocket.

“Forgive my late introduction. I am Yoo Seol, an advisor from the Kwon Tae-ho Executive Office.”

The guard, bewildered, looked at her blankly as he accepted the card she handed him. He had been commanded by the Celestial Lady to be on guard against intruders. However, her blatant approach caused him to forget his mission in an instant.

Of course, that state of bewilderment wouldn’t last long. If Yoo Seol showed any hostile intentions, he would quickly react and counter.

Thus, Yoo Seol maintained an air of calm as she spoke.

“Our Kwon Tae-ho Executive Office has graciously accepted the proposal of your Celestial Lady Rozelia, and we have decided to establish a friendly relationship with the Church of Truth and cooperate fully. While the two of you are having your discussion, I have come to request the release of our office’s apprentice executive, Lee Ha-yeon, whom you are holding.”

Yoo Seol had overheard the conversation between Kwon Tae-ho and Rozelia through a listening device. Rozelia’s goal was to recruit Kwon Tae-ho.

If Rozelia had informed her subordinates of this intention, there was no way to dismiss her current statements as mere lies.

Yoo Seol’s calculations proved to be spot on. The man, hearing her words, was unconsciously beginning to fall for her bold attitude.

“…Is that true? The negotiations are already concluded?”

“Our executive is quite decisive. And if I were lying, how could I have come down here? The entrance was completely hidden.”

“Really…?”

As Yoo Seol spoke languidly, her eyes glimmered with a violet hue.

Purple. In other words, the Enchantment’s Eye.

From the moment Yoo Seol descended and encountered the man, she had activated the Enchantment’s Eye. While it wouldn’t perfectly ensnare him, it was enough to cloud his judgment.

However.

“Still, I should check with above first…”

With those words, as the man pulled out his phone, Yoo Seol secretly clicked her tongue.

It appeared that contrary to her expectations, the man’s mental resistance was stronger than anticipated. If he began to harbor even a modicum of suspicion or hostility towards Yoo Seol, the enchantment would surely fade.

“…Yes? The Celestial Lady is a hostage…?”

Just like that.

“What are you?”

Seeing the man look at her with a gaze full of suspicion, Yoo Seol let out a deep sigh.

Plan A, the easy win, failed.

Then it was time for Plan B.

-Swoosh!!

Yoo Seol quickly drew the gun she had concealed behind her back. Her movements were so precise they could rival those of a professional.

Except, of course, only in terms of commoners.

-Thud!

Before Yoo Seol could even aim the gun, the man rushed at her and twisted her wrist. In the next moment, before she could let out a scream, he slammed her against the opposite wall.

-Bang!

“Ah?!”

“Your pathetic lies aren’t working, so next is the gun? Did you think such a flimsy trick would work?”

“Well, I did think it obviously wouldn’t work.”

Yoo Seol understood that a small-caliber gun couldn’t possibly deal with a guard specifically set up to be vigilant against intruders.

However.

“…But human psychology is rather simple. When you display such flimsy tricks so openly, it leads to complacency and keeps suspicion at bay.”

“What?”

-Whirl!

As the man tilted his head, Yoo Seol unleashed a magic scroll from her other hand, sending forth swirling blue flames.

And then.

“Eh, wait…?”

At that moment, the man frowned, and as if all his energy had drained away, he collapsed to the floor.

What was once a confusion of sudden lethargy and drowsiness led him to stammer in despair.

“You… what are you doing…?”

“It’s a high-grade sleep magic scroll for treating insomnia, so please sleep deeply for about eight hours.”

“Y-you…!”

With those words, his head drooped heavily. Yoo Seol nonchalantly dusted off the ashes from the remaining scroll while chuckling.

“Such a flimsy trick really worked quite well.”

Having had her fun mocking the man, Yoo Seol opened the iron door that had been closed behind him.

-Creak.

Upon opening the door, she found a woman resembling the Celestial Lady shackled to the wall and Lee Ha-yeon, who was unbound.

…She had no idea what was happening, but checking on Lee Ha-yeon’s state was her priority.

“Ha-yeon!”

As she stepped into the prison, she heard a shout directed at her.

“Don’t come in!”

Park Yoo-jin, who had been shackled, yelled with all her might. However, it was already too late, as Yoo Seol had stepped briskly inside the cell.

Right then.

-Bang!!!

The defensive magic scroll concealed in her cloak activated. It had been set to trigger automatically should Yoo Seol face an attack strong enough to seriously injure her.

The activation of that scroll indicated that just moments ago, her life had been in grave danger.

“Eh?”

However, more than realizing she had narrowly escaped death, Yoo Seol couldn’t contain her surprise at the sight before her.

“Ha-yeon…?”

The fist that struck the translucent defensive barrier was Lee Ha-yeon’s. With a pained expression, she spoke to Yoo Seol.

“I… I’m sorry, advisor. But, the Celestial Lady ordered this. If anyone other than her comes in, they must be taken down.”

-Bang!!!

As Lee Ha-yeon threw another punch, the barrier couldn’t hold up anymore and shattered. Yoo Seol hastily stepped back and shouted toward Lee Ha-yeon.

“Ha-yeon! Get a grip! You’ve been brainwashed by the holy water! You’re not in your right mind!”

“…That may be true. But I must follow the Celestial Lady’s orders.”

After saying that, she charged straight toward Yoo Seol.

-Shriek!

Yoo Seol hurriedly activated the Binding Eye, but it wasn’t enough to stop Lee Ha-yeon’s charge. She barely twisted her body to dodge the punch, but even that was enough to send her crashing to the ground.

“Damn it…!”

Catching herself and standing up, curses slipped out of Yoo Seol’s mouth.

The worst-case scenario envisioned by Kwon Tae-ho and herself had come to fruition.

Lee Ha-yeon was firmly brainwashed. If Kwon Tae-ho were here, he might be able to use magic to break the brainwashing, but unfortunately, Yoo Seol didn’t have that level of magical ability.

She couldn’t dispel the brainwashing. Given that premise, two usual options emerged.

Overpowering or fleeing.

However, both were impossible for Yoo Seol, who had only the physical capabilities of a commoner. Even though Lee Ha-yeon was an apprentice, she was still an executive.

Literally, caught in a bind.

With no viable solution in sight, Yoo Seol let out a heavy sigh.

…She really didn’t want to resort to this.

“I’m sorry, Ha-yeon. I’ll buy you a heap of food later.”

As she spoke, Yoo Seol’s eyes began to glow a deep crimson.

—

Meanwhile, in the audience chamber, an unbelievable scene was unfolding between Kwon Tae-ho and Rozelia.

-Splash!!

Blood erupted like a fountain from Rozelia’s neck. The source was the sword Kwon Tae-ho held tightly. Blood poured down the blade, seeping deeply into Rozelia’s neck.

“What…?!”

Kwon Tae-ho’s expression morphed into one of panic.

Despite holding the sword, why was he the one who was bewildered?

The reason was simple.

Kwon Tae-ho hadn’t intended to swing it, but Rozelia had suddenly slashed her neck against the blade without warning.

-Slash!!

While Kwon Tae-ho was taken aback, Rozelia loosened her bonds and threw herself down the staircase.

To have escaped while sustaining an injury… but the severity of her wound was critical. With a third of her neck severed, Rozelia’s clothing quickly stained crimson.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing—”

-Fwoosh!!

However, the moment Kwon Tae-ho shouted in despair, golden light began to spill forth from Rozelia’s wound.

-Fwoosh….

And when the light finally faded, the scar left on Rozelia’s neck was nowhere to be found. Having healed instantly with divine power, she smiled sweetly and spoke.

“I am the Apostle of God, and I am forever blessed by my father, Dion. This won’t be enough to kill me.”

“…I see. So you’re a regenerater.”

It was rare to find a regenerator capable of recovering from such a critical injury within seconds, even throughout the country.

Yet, despite facing such a troublesome foe, Kwon Tae-ho showed no signs of anxiety. On the contrary, his expression exuded relief or even lightness.

This was understandable.

“If that’s the case, I won’t have to worry about accidentally killing you.”

– Chills.

Seeing Kwon Tae-ho speak so casually, Rozelia involuntarily shivered.

“…Holy Knights! Take down that wicked father’s enemy immediately!”

As Rozelia stepped back, she commanded her knights. The members promptly drew their weapons and charged toward Kwon Tae-ho.

“Come at me if you can!”

Kwon Tae-ho leaped down the stairs, landing in the midst of the knights. Instantly, weapons, magic, and supernatural abilities of all types surged forth like a tsunami towards him.

-Thud!
-Crash!
-Whoosh!
-Bang!

The Holy Knight Order consisted entirely of individuals bearing abilities of at least B rank.

Among them were several who reached A rank as well.

With a total of twenty strong warriors, the scale of destruction they unleashed could only be described as a small-scale war.

No matter how great Kwon Tae-ho might be, he would not be able to handle twenty knights alone. Even if he couldn’t defeat them, he could likely force considerable consumption on their part.

…or so Rozelia believed without question.

But then.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Crash!
-Boom!

As the noise of battle gradually faded, cracks began to appear in Rozelia’s previously confident expression.

And then.

-Bang…!!

When the clamor came to an end, there stood only one person among the wreckage of the twenty knights.

“Is that it?”

Even if he couldn’t defeat them, he would have managed to exhaust them to some degree.

That line of thought became meaningless as Kwon Tae-ho had taken down all twenty knights without even breaking a sweat.

“Johan!!”

Rozelia called out to the man standing behind her, Johan.

“Yes, Celestial Lady.”

– Swish.

As Johan drew his sword, Kwon Tae-ho’s eyebrows twitched. Johan spoke in a serious tone.

“While the other members went down easily, this time will be different.”

“Oh? How will it be different?”

“I am the captain of the knights. And over there stands a Hero.”

“Oh ho.”

-Shriek!

As Kwon Tae-ho was taken aback, Johan wrapped his sword in magical and divine power. The shimmering blade glowed with a menacing aura that demanded caution.

“If you’re confident, then try to take it on!”

-Thrust!!

With his sword leading, Johan charged at Kwon Tae-ho. The deadly strike aimed directly for Kwon Tae-ho’s neck.

-Thud!!

However, Johan’s ultimate strike was effortlessly caught by Kwon Tae-ho’s hand. No, to be precise, it was seized.

“Wha-what?!”

Johan stared in disbelief at Kwon Tae-ho who had caught his strike barehanded. Kwon Tae-ho then launched a punch towards Johan’s gut with all his might.

“Ugh?! Gah…!”

In the next moment, Johan collapsed forward, losing consciousness from the blow to his solar plexus.

“Nowadays, anyone can call themselves a Hero.”

Kwon Tae-ho had seen both the Demon Lord who had destroyed a world and the Hero who had saved it with his own eyes.

To him, Johan looked like nothing more than an arrogant pup pretending to be a Hero.

Kwon Tae-ho had previously locked up countless overconfident returners in a prison.

“A Hero is still just a Hero to their degree. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“…”

In response to his question, Rozelia remained silent. She cast a cold gaze over the fallen knights sprawled on the ground.

Then.

“…Sigh.”

A short sigh escaped her lips. But within that brief sigh, her emotions were thickly woven.

“How pitiful. Even though I worked hard to build an army, to think they wouldn’t even be able to grab hold of you.”

“If you beg on your knees now, I’ll bring an end to this without pain.”

“What blasphemy. I only kneel to one being in this world, my father, Dion.”

-Whoosh!!

Rozelia’s divine aura shimmered and, in a sudden rush, a massive spear of light formed in her hands.

“I’ll inscribe the teachings of God into your insubordinate head personally.”

“Bring it on, I’ll welcome your one shot.”

On one side stood the strongest executive, Kwon Tae-ho, who had locked countless returners into the dungeons. On the other stood Rozelia, known as the strongest angel, the First Spear.

The two of them took their stances and for a brief moment faced each other.

– Clash!
– Bang!!

Immediately after, the two titans collided, unleashing a massive explosion.