Chapter 268: King of the Battlefield (1)
Baal stared at Solomon and then turned his head at Muyoung.
“You can see through me.”
Baal’s appearance changes according to those who see him. He takes on the form of what they fear the most, and Baal overwhelmed them by pretending to be their ‘terror.’
However, Muyoung was exempt from this illusion because he had eyes that could see the truth. Muyoung saw Solomon and Baal as two same beings who cannot and should not be the same, but WERE. What was going on?
“Are you curious?”
Baal seemed to know what Muyoung was thinking, and his slight smile was like a small victory.
On the other hand, Solomon was silent because he feared Baal, who was the same being as him.
“We were once one god but are now divided in two.”
Baal spoke, and no one could move. His words had power different from Solomon. If Solomon could affect the world through Diablo’s power, Baal overwhelmed everyone just by his presence.
“He wanted recreate the world after destroying it, and I wanted one single evolved being who overcame everything. There could be no compromise on our positions.”
Solomon denounced the possibility of evolution. He wanted to destroy everything and wanted to collect the data to create a perfect race. On the other hand, Baal wished to gather all the races in a killing jar and have them fight to the death, so only one race could reach the goal. While their ideas were similar, there were definite differences between them.
“I stole The Lemegeton from him but lost control of Earth.”
The Lemegeton was a book that held all including Ars Nova, Ars Paulina, and the seventy-two demon gods. Baal had stolen what could be called Everything from Solomon.
“I returned to the demon world and turned back time through the power of Ars Paulina. This is the reason why the memories of beings who entered the Underworld are different.”
Ars Paulina, the Angel of Time… The name of the angel that Muyoung possessed was mentioned by Baal.
Also, another secret was revealed, and now Muyoung knew why people who arrived at the Blue Temple had different memories of the past.
“I could not use Ars Nova because it is the power of miracles. It is a power only those who had been touched by a miracle can use. This was why I unleashed Ars Paulina.”
Baal talked as if he had calculated everything from the beginning. Ars Paulina held the power of time, and it was like a miracle itself. The angel Ars Nova could only be received by someone who had been given the Authority of Divinity, which is the final divine qualification that the Masters in the Darkness lacked.
However, Baal began to question something.
“It’s strange because Ars Paulina had been almost exhausted, so there was no way for it to go back in time…”
“Did you make me search for Ars Nova?”
Muyoung spoke because he did not like being Baal’s puppet. Baal replied with a smile.
“The being that carries Ars Paulina will receive a strong power over time, but it was difficult to find an appropriate subject. It took a century to find you. Because of it, you have become stronger than anyone else since you have gained strength that would have taken other individuals decades in a year or two.”
What he spoke was true since Muyoung had become stronger at a breakneck pace. If what Baal said were facts, the being that carried Ars Paulina was destined to become a divine being.
However, Muyoung was sure it was not merely because of Ars Paulina. The reason Muyoung had become stronger was because of his aspirations, desperation and strength of will. It was because he was incapable of giving up.
Baal acknowledged these traits.
“You surprise me. I did not know you could become an ‘anomaly’ this fast. Thanks to you, Solomon took the bait and came back to the demon world with Diablo.”
Baal’s eyes turned back to Solomon, and Solomon’s body shook with emotion at Baal’s words. There was not even a trace of composure left in Solomon. It was as if he had surrendered when Baal appeared.
“Solomon, you wanted to become a wise king like your namesake, but the results were different. While it is an embarrassment, you’re my other half. Now the time has come for us to become one.”
“You and I had been separated for too long, and now we are two different beings! You really believe that you can take all of my powers?”
Solomon opposed Baal, and Baal stared at Muyoung as an answer.
“Isn’t that why we prepared a ‘vessel?’
Baal reached out with his hand, and though Muyoung drew Anguish, he froze in place.
‘I cannot move.’
Muyoung furrowed his brow. He could not resist Baal’s power despite having gained true divinity because there was an insurmountable gap between Muyoung and Baal. The reason Baal had not been able to touch Solomon was because of an ‘imaginary god,’ Diablo.
Muyoung had cut through the illusion to allow Baal to act.
With a loud screech, Solomon’s body began to be dragged towards Baal. His form started to disintegrate into smoke.
“Baal! Baal! Baal…!!”
Solomon dissolved with a final cry, and Baal raised both of his hands.
“You will be purified again and again within the ‘vessel,’ and I will take what remains.”
Muyoung’s body floated, and Baal began to inject Solomon’s power into him.
“The long journey has come to an end.”
Muyoung felt an explosion inside his head. He immediately felt blurred and helpless.
‘Was everything planned by Baal?”
Muyoung began to question everything. If Baal intentionally created Muyoung, and everything he had done up to this point was for this moment, it was unbearable. Muyoung had raced to come here without any rest and gave up everything for victory. The purpose of his existance was to give birth to an anomaly and attract Solomon. Muyoung was a trap set by Baal for the sole purpose of capturing Solomon!
“No.”
It was that moment when a small echo rang in Muyoung’s head. Another angel that had been hiding appeared the moment Solomon’s divinity dug up Muyoung’s soul.
‘You’re not a mere vessel, and you promised me that you would overcome all ordeals and hardships. Don’t lose.”
Who was this voice? Muyoung felt nostalgic, like he had heard it a long time ago. However, he did not remember who it was.
“The Kingslayer made preparations to wake me up for you. He had cast the Oath of Time on Solomon, and we gained some time thanks to it.”
At the moment Solomon’s divinity mixed together with Muyoung, the Oath of Time the Kingslayer had cast on Solomon was activated. It was a curse to confine Solomon, who had escaped the restrictions of time, back into Reality. The curse enabled the angel of time, Ars Paulina, who had been asleep deep in Muyoung’s soul to wake up.
Wings spread above Muyoung’s head, and a beautiful angel with eight pure white wings showed herself.
“Ars Paulina! You must have exerted your strength!”
Baal shouted in shock at this unexpected event.
“Baal, not everything will follow your will.”
“How? What can you do now? The vessel is already in my hands, and your role is finished!”
“Muyoung is not a mere vessel, but someone much nobler than you. He just needs to understand.”
Ars Paulina gathered her hands together, and Baal glared at her action.
“What? You b!tch, you’re going to…!”
With a seething noise, at that moment, Baal and Muyoung’s time stopped. All light dissipated from Ars Paulina’s wings, and she fell down. She could only stop time for a little while with the strength she had left. It was literally their one chance.
“Please, win as you had before. You want to win, don’t you?”
Ars Paulina believed that Muyoung would become complete by absorbing Solomon’s divinity, and will not be swallowed by it. The noble knight of glory gave everything he had for this one chance. So, she continued to believe as others did. (EN: Noble knight of glory=Kingslayer)
Suddenly Muyoung, Baal, and Solomon disappeared.
‘What happened?’
Gremory was shocked like other demons and demon gods. However, this war did no end because they had disappeared.
“Muyoung will return because he is someone who will not die because others tried to kill him.”
Tacan approached them first with a sword in his hand. He knew that battle lines had to be quickly formed at this moment. Crimson Balrog, the Hell Horse, and unicorns, the dead, including the nine-taled fox and demons under Gremory’s command, also gathered together. They were outnumbered, but Gremory was not alone.
“Amon?”
“Do not misunderstand. I just do not want to be trapped by Solomon or Baal again.”
Amon was on Gremory’s side. He was the master of magic and had become stronger by Muyoung, freeing him from his shackles. Amon was now the essence of magic itself.
However, they were still on the losing side because no one from the coalition took Gremory’s side. There were a mere thirty thousand soldiers, including Amon’s subordinates, that Gremory could battle with, and the opponents had tens of times more troops.
“Amon! Are you betraying us?”
The eighth demon god Barbatos spoke in anger as his goat horns shook. Amon coldly shook his head.
“I never pledged my loyalty to Baal. He just acted on our fear.”
All demon gods had lowered their heads voluntarily to suppress their fear by being loyal to Baal. Amon had been the same, but not anymore. He would not be governed by fear now.
“Do you really believe Baal is right? We’re not insects he can put into a pot for us to battle.”
All demon gods knew what Baal wanted, so no one intervened in this war. They only gave orders to eradicate all races and the opposite side because they knew Baal would only take one race, who would survived the war with him when he returned.
That was why they were so desperate, and Baal had been a cruel tyrant because his followers had truly believed in him while it would have been right to betray Baal.
“Amon, only he can protect us from everything. We will not lose our home in vain like that anymore. We will not let our lives be stomped down.”
Of course, Amon understood their thoughts. They had felt helpless by enemies that suddenly appeared one day which destroyed their home and caused many deaths. They did not want to go through that again and searched for a protector. Both sides just had different ideas to achieve that goal.
Amon invisibly shook his head because he knew that his words would not reach them. Barbatos spoke again.
“We are going back to Earth, our home! So, we will eliminate you all. We will crush and take everything for us. Do not curse us as base and ruthless. We also have had everything taken away from us.”
“Yes, you cannot survive here if you’re normal.”
Amon acknowledged their wishes and thoughts as Gremory did. He could not denounce them for taking a different path, but it was evident that only the victorious side will survive. They prepared to attack, and Crimson Balrog let out a battle cry.
They did not know who was going to return, whether it was Baal, Solomon, or Muyoung, but they all burned for their desires and ideals.