Everyone worked lightning fast. The moment he realized that two Battalion Commanders had appeared, Yu IlHan immediately activated Warp and put all his allies within his range, and the 2nd Battalion Commander Hillutonne, who realized that he had activated a skill, cast a wide-area magic which Helièna disrupted with her mana interference, Kang MiRae cancelled her gate, and using that mana, Kim YeSeul cast a wide-area slow magic, while Na YuNa prayed to Leytna.
"Help us, Lady Leytnaaaaaaa!"
The changes that had occurred to Na YuNa after she had reached 4th class didn't number just one or two, and the biggest and strongest change was her ability to create miracles. The moment her holy power covered the battlefield, Leytna's power enhanced one skill and one magic.
The enhanced magic was Kim YeSeul's slow magic, and the enhanced skill was Yu IlHan's Warp. Slowing the enemy's reactions while hastening the activation of the Warp skill!
[Just, what!?]
[Such puny magic won't work!]
"It will!"
Leaving behind Hillutonne to his shouts, Yu IlHan's warp skill activated. Not to mention the group that came with him from Earth, Kim YeSeul, Kang MiRae, and Helièna were within the range as well!
All of their figures disappeared from the spot as if they had never been there in the first place. Including those of angels like Titaera.
[How, can this....] Hillutonne muttered in shock, having missed Helièna; at this distance, he would have reached her toes if he had just fallen over. The 6th Battalion Commander Belkatoo, who came with him, shouted in an excited voice.
[She was alive, she definitely was!]
[However, she was not of the Destruction Demon Army.... Right now, she is merely someone else with the power of the Destruction Demon Army. And it's also...!]
Hillutonne watched clearly that Helièna was acting cute towards him while listening to his orders. It was a very different figure from the Helièna he knew. Any time she acted cute towards a man until now was in order to toy around with them or kill them.
[Yu IlHan, it's that man's work. It's his doing...!]
[How is it possible that a lower existence can control her? Is he really the Fifth God or something?]
[It's not important if that guy's the Fifth or the Sixth. He shall definitely die by my hands...!]
Hillutonne's gaze turned to the gigantic wall before them. That resentful wall, the wall that they couldn't cross this time either. Was it because the Destruction Demon Army's mass had disappeared? They could see the holes in various parts of the Wall of Chaos being amended rapidly. They predicted this would be the biggest war yet, but it ended in the worst way possible.
Those who headed to the Netherworld would not be able to return. Instead, their faction would be able to gain the records related to the Netherworld. With the main headquarters of the Army of Brilliant Light exposed to everyone, another gigantic battle would soon break out, and perhaps the Supremes might actually show themselves then. The large-scale chaos and destruction that the Destruction Demon Army so desperately wanted would arrive!
So, from the perspective of the Destruction Demon Army as a whole, this matter was not actually that bad. The problem was that once that happened, revenge would become impossible. Before that, he had to find Yu IlHan, meet him and then...!
[Hillutonne?]
[Yu IlHan...!]
Hillutonne clenched his teeth and muttered. The black magic power boiling from his body clearly represented his emotions.
[You will not be able to run all the time. This damned seed...!]
Meanwhile, the place where Yu IlHan and his group headed to was none other than the place where they first arrived in Heaven. Warp allowed them to leap between dimensions, but also to leap within the same world!
[H-Heaven?]
[We're alive.]
[To think we successfully escaped those frightening beings...!]
The angels each rejoiced as they flapped their wings. Especially Titaera, who had believed that Yu IlHan would leave them to die, sighed in relief when she realized they had returned safely to Heaven.
[Thank you for saving us. Even though that wasn't within the contract.]
"Nah, I only gave a service because I might not be able to get my full compensation if I just left you guys there."
[At least try to phrase it more nicely...]
That was not one of the things one could expect from a loner. Yu IlHan didn't know how to get on people's good side, but even if he did, he wasn't one to put it into practice! He completely ignored Titaera's sharp gaze and looked at the distant Wall of Chaos before turning to order Helièna.
"Now, go back. It will become annoying if they start messing around again after detecting your aura."
[Darling is so devious.... Fine, I will. I hate the way you look at me like that.]
[Wait, Heliè...]
Before the angels could grab Helièna, she entered the mansion. She wouldn't leave again until Yu IlHan told her to. Titaera stared at him with a sharp gaze.
[Yu IlHan, you don't plan to explain anything, right?]
"The high and mighty ones of the Heaven's Army should have realized the existence of Helièna already. What's important is that she no longer belongs to the Destruction Demon Army. Didn't you see? Well, then. Please give me my compensation already."
[...Understood, please follow me.]
Yu IlHan and his group met Leciel once again. However, his attitude towards him had become slightly different from last time. He didn't have the arrogant, sermonic attitude of last time; instead, he contained shock, doubt, and a strand of hope.
[...Is that ability, revival?]
"No, whatever you want of me, it's not that. Revival? I'm still a lower existence, as you can see."
[Is that so...]
Leciel's head drooped powerlessly. However, after he raised his head up, he was surprisingly no longer hostile towards him.
[We didn't put any conditions on the second God-ranked artifact. Of course, not that there are that many God-ranked artifacts in our treasury… I'll give you the most suitable one. This is compensation for decreasing the casualties of angels as much as possible during the conflict, and successfully ending this war.]
The treasury opened again. Looking at what popped out, Yu IlHan subconsciously muttered.
"A magic stone?"
A red jewel compressed into a packet that was about the size of Yu IlHan's fist. The raging-hot mana inside was provoking the fire power Yu IlHan possessed. Pure crystallization of energy, especially the energy of fire, was concentrated to the limits. Magic stone was the most suitable word for it.
However, the archangel shook his head at his words.
[It's an artifact made with a magic stone.]
It looked like someone tried that before Yu IlHan did. Yu IlHan accepted it with a curious gaze... when he realized one thing.
"It wasn't 'made' into an artifact; the magic stone became an artifact by itself?"
[It's frustrating, but you're right. If you are able to discern that much, I guess you will suffice to become the lord of the Heart of Fire.]
"The Heart of Fire...."
It was quite a meaningful artifact for Yu IlHan, who had received the blessing of the goddess of fire. No, to be exact, this was meaningless for anyone other than him.
[Heat of Fire]
[Rank – God]
[Durability – indestructible]
[User restrictions – Must be blessed by the goddess of fire]
[The magic stone of a phoenix that had stepped into the realms of the 7th class had absorbed the mana of a higher world for countless years, giving birth to this.] Just who would be able to control and use the heat stored inside?]
"Do you guys perhaps have artifacts that are only usable by the ones that received the blessing of the god of curse, the goddess of beauty, or the god of love?" Yu IlHan asked Leciel with a bright smile.
[I know why you are asking that, but there are no more. No, why is that there are so many beings that have received blessings in your group? Originally, the blessings of a recorded god aren't that common... perhaps.]
Leciel looked at Yu IlHan's face. It made Yu IlHan feel bad and step back when he snorted, hmph.
[There's no way that's true.]
"It's suspicious if you keep throwing baits so blatantly; I'd appreciate it if you just be out with it already."
[Hah!]
Leciel raised his middle finger to Yu IlHan since he was so annoying.
[Be on your way already. I'm sending you off like this, but the other archangels may not like you reviving a Destruction Demon Army member and being with them.]
"So they can't make any time to protect the Wall of Chaos, but have the time to see me? I'm quite honoured."
[Ugh...!]
Leciel closed his mouth. Even 7th-class archangels lacked the training to win a verbal battle against Yu IlHan! After making him silent, Yu IlHan turned around to his companions and declared.
"Then let's go to Earth. We still have a lot of things to do."
[Go away, shoo!]
"Amazing, he inflicted so much mental damage to a 7th-class being!"
Ignoring Liera's awkward impression, Yu IlHan activated Warp again. Since he had reunited with Kang MiRae, it was now time to look for the other people of Earth. This was the true start of what Yu IlHan planned to do!
"Titaera, see you next time!"
[Yes, Liera. May you be happy in the future as well.]
"I really want to get working on my armour right now, but should I delay it for a little more..."
The cooldown was over and the Warp skill successfully activated. That was the moment when Yu IlHan thought up of one thing.
'Huh, now that I think about it, I wanted to decorate the final form of the armour with the DRAGON HEART.'
However, he suddenly acquired an exceptional material, the Heart of Fire. Then what did he need to do now? Make something else with Echjar's DRAGON HEART?
'...No, I can't do that.'
Both fire and dragons were perfect materials that suited him. If he couldn't let either of them go, he would only use both of them.
That was the moment Yu IlHan decided on making a dual-core artifact.
When Yu IlHan designed the concept of the unprecedented dual 7th-class magic stone cores, a literal 'hell' was being depicted in the main headquarters of the Army of Brilliant Light, the Netherworld.
[Kraaaaaaaaar!]
[Huhi! It hurts, HURTS!]
[Kuggggggggah!]
The countless higher existences that flocked to the Netherworld during the brief time the gate was open began messing it up, as if they had planned to do so beforehand.
First, the predators of the Destruction Demon Army ate all they saw, and the gatekeepers of the Garden of Sunset tried their best to analyze any information about that world. There were a few angels as well, and their objective was not much different from that of the members of the Garden of Sunset.
[You maggots!]
Satière, as well as the other 7th-class Battalion Commanders of the Army of Brilliant Light, had hurriedly wiped them out, but the information leak about the world was unstoppable; not to mention the damage to the resident 5th-class fallen angels from the sudden invasion of the Destruction Demon Army.
[Destruction Demon Army, you foolish creatures. Being toyed by the enemy even while knowing you'll meet your doom!]
[Keke, we always head for destruction. Everyone, including our great lord, loves that the most!]
It was a mistake to have them join the Heaven's Army's invasion after destroying the Wall of Chaos! The fallen angels grit their teeth and attacked them. For the foreseeable future, they would not join hands with them again!
[...It is very noisy.]
At one moment, a beautiful voice resounded across the battlefield, and the entire world suddenly darkened. The already dark world was now devoid of any light, and even the mana in the air was frozen.
[Oh, my.]
Satière, who instantly recognized what was happening, folded his wings and knelt on the spot. The other Wings of Brilliant Light and the fallen angels all followed him. The other beings were, of course, unable to move from the spot.
[We intended for you to never unfold your wings.] Satière spoke as if making an excuse. The beautiful voice replied.
[No, no. I was only curious about how things came to this. Yes, so the Netherworld has finally gotten guests. It looks like things will become noisy from now on.]
[...There are none that require the Lord's hands. We shall take care of it by ourselves.]
[Hmmmmmm, but it will be more annoying for me if you all die. Natière's death was unexpected too....]
[No such thing shall happen again.]
Upon hearing Satière's guarantee, the beautiful voice fell silent for a moment. Soon, the voice replied shortly.
[Yes, I shall believe you.]
[Thank you for your grace.]
[And.]
[Give us any order.]
[That guy, don't touch him.]
[By 'that guy', do you mean?]
[Earth, human, Yu IlHan.]
Satière's breath stifled. There was no way their Lord didn't know, but he actually had an interest!?
[He's the Fifth, I'm sure of it... I can't let the lower ones ruin my interest after such a long time. So leave that guy be. I'm really curious about what will come out of this.]
[...Understood.]
[Good, if needed, I permit a full-frontal clash with other factions.] Especially those damned pigeons.]
[Yes, sir.]
With that, the voice was never heard again. Satière immediately stood up when they felt their ruler's aura fade.
The figures of the invaders had all disappeared as if they were never there in the first place, or perhaps as if they had melted into the darkness.