<h4>Chapter 396 - Prelude to War</h4>


    “Alright, let’s depart as soon as I contact the angels. You guys can stand by in front of the Gate,” Oh Kang-Woo said as he stood up.


    The party members nodded and left the room.


    “Oh, and Si-Hun,” Kang-Woo called Kim Si-Hun, who was about to leave.


    “Y-Yes?” Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo whilepletely flustered.


    His eyes were shaking and his lips were quivering.


    Kang-Woo asked while tilting his head, “I’m not going to eat you up or anything. What’s been with you since earlier?”


    “Ah, hahaha. It’s nothing. I’m just not feeling very well.” Si-Hun scratched his head while smiling awkwardly.


    Kang-Woo smirked. “I guess even you get like that sometimes. Are you nervous?”


    “Yes, since we’ll be fighting the Constetions of Evil head-on.”


    Kang-Woo put his hand on Si-Hun’s shoulder and patted it lightly. “Don’t worry too much and lighten up. I’ll protect you when ites down to it.”


    Si-Hun remained silent.


    “Come to think of it, you said that people have gathered to join your fight, right?”


    “Oh, yes.” Si-Hun nodded in slight embarrassment.


    After Si-Hun’s name had spread throughout the continent, people who wanted to join the hero’s adventure gathered in the empire. Most of them were swordsmen, but there were many mages, priests, and elementalists as well.


    Kang-Woo had told Si-Hun to choose the most skilled among them and set up a task force simr to the Sirius Corps back on Earth. Although he had been worried that it would be a group of people wanting to y hero, the warriors who had gathered to join Si-Hun’s adventure were more skilled than he had thought. There were even people who were head and shoulders above the rest.


    “Bring them all as well,” Kang-Woo stated.


    “Understood.” Si-Hun nodded. He knew that their help was more imperative now than ever. “In that case, I’ll be taking my leave, hyung-nim.”


    “Sure.”


    Si-Hun bowed and left the room.


    <i>‘Now, then.’</i>


    Kang-Woo took out amunication crystal orb. Since he had exined the situation to his party members, it was now time to have the angels participate in the operation. He called Uriel.


    [What’s up, Kang-Woo?] Uriel answered ecstatically.


    Kang-Woo responded as if he was suppressing his rage, “The Godly Pantheon messed up.”


    [What?]


    Kang-Woo repeated what he had exined to his party members. Uriel cursed and ran straight to Michael. Kang-Woo ended the call as soon as he got confirmation that the angels would head to the enemy’s base right away as well. All he had left to do now was go to his party members who were waiting for him.


    “My king,” Balrog called as soon as Kang-Woo opened the door.


    Kang-Woo turned his head. “Were you waiting for me?”


    “Yes.”


    “Why? You should’ve just waited with the others in front of the Gate.”


    Balrog remained silent as he stared at Kang-Woo with sunken eyes. He said with a low voice, “Kim Si-Hun is—”


    “Balrog,” Kang-Woo interjected. “Shouldn’t you be waiting in front of the Gate?”


    Balrog closed his eyes. “You knew.”


    Kang-Woo smirked. “It’s hard not to when it’s that obvious.”


    He recalled Si-Hun’s expression that had been on the verge of falling apart. There was no way that he wouldn’t know after seeing that.


    “Hah,” Kang-Woo feignedughter.


    He had been prepared for this day toe since he knew that it would happen one day.


    <i>‘The day that everything came undone.’</i>


    Kang-Woo closed his eyes.


    “What will you do?” Balrog asked.


    “I’m not gonna do anything,” Kang-Woo answered without hesitation.


    Balrog’s eyes widened as if he had not expected that answer. “You will be able to erase his memories if you use the Authority of Subordination again.”


    “I know.”


    “Or you could just make him believe that those memories were an illusion. He would believe you without question.”


    “I know.”


    “If even that is unsatisfactory, I believe you could tell him the truth. I believe Kim Si-Hun would underst—”


    “I know.”


    Kang-Woo stared at Balrog with deeply sunken eyes. Balrog flinched. He could feel the unending abyss within his king’s eyes. It felt as if he was being devoured by the ck sea.


    “Kurgh...”


    Balrog could barely breathe. He felt like a colossal energy was weighing down on him. He quickly lowered his head.


    “I... apologize. I was out of line.”


    “As long as you know.” Kang-Woo softlyughed and drew his energy back in.


    Balrog was able to breathe again. Kang-Woo turned around.


    “Let’s go.”


    Balrog’s lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but sighed and stood up. Kang-Woo walked in front of Balrog. He had a bitter taste in his mouth, so bitter that his tongue was numb.


    ***


    A boy with nk eyes on a destend covered in red sand turned his head.


    “He’sing.” The boy trembled slightly. “The monster of the Demonic Sea... ising.”


    Tai Wuji remained silent.


    He ced one hand on the handle of his sword strapped to his waist, and the other in his pocket to grab the darkness that was squirming as if it was alive.


    Tai Wuji asked as he looked down at the object, “What of our forces?”


    “They’ve been reduced significantly.”


    Tai Wuji turned to look at the army of demonic beasts gathered on the red earth. As the boy had said, the numbers of the demonic beasts had been reduced significantlypared to before.


    “Have you still not managed to get in touch with that hunchback?” Proserpine asked while biting her lip.


    The boy nodded.


    “Shit. What the hell is that son of a bitch doing?” she mumbled while frowning. She turned to Tai Wuji and stated, “Let’s retreat for now. Give me a little more time and I’ll be able to charm that monst—”


    “No.” Tai Wuji shook his head.


    Proserpine red at him with her eight eyes as her ck tentacles squirmed aggressively. “What? You think I won’t be able to charm him?”


    “That’s not what I mean.” Tai Wuji looked up in the air. He could see cracks forming on the barrier that they had just repaired. “They’re here.”


    <i>Crack!</i>


    Brilliant golden light seeped through the cracks in the barrier. Dozens of Rifts shining with golden light formed in the air, and out of them walked out angels, humans, and an army made up of the retainers of the gods. The first toe out was a boy with blue hair and eight wings.


    “Shit... There’s so goddamn many of them.”


    <i>Crackle, crackle!</i>


    The blue-haired boy frowned. Blue electricity sparked from both of his hands.


    “Hihihi. It’s better that way, isn’t it? This is gonna be fun!” A woman with a bottle of alcohol in one hand giggled. She chugged down the half-full bottle. “Kaaahh! That hits the spot!”


    “Crazy bitch.” The blue-haired boy shook his head in exasperation.


    “So it was you, Heavenly Dragon.” An angel with short blond hair red at Tai Wuji.


    Tai Wuji also knew the angel very well. “Michael.”


    Michael took out a thick book of hundreds of pages, with each page shining radiantly.


    “Th-These are the reduced numbers?” A red-haired woman stared at the demonic beast army in surprise.


    There were easily thousands of them. If these were the numbers remaining after the battle against the soldiers of the churches, she couldn’t even imagine how many there had been originally.


    “Huuu, huuu. Fuck, I should never havee to this goddamn world.” The red-haired woman grimaced as she panted heavily as if trying to calm herself.


    Although she was panting heavily, her heart was surprisingly as calm as it could be. It was as unmoving as gum stuck on asphalt... Not even a dandelion seed would move an inch from how calm she—


    “What the fuck? I’m feeling like shit all of a sudden,” someone said.


    Cha Yeon-Joo frowned and picked her ears as if she had heard wrong. She looked around with fierce eyes and saw Han Seol-Ah walking toward her.


    “Seol-Ah, did you just sw—”


    “Haaa.” Seol-Ah ignored Yeon-Joo as she stared daggers at one person.


    It was the woman with ck tentacles for hair.


    <i>Grind, grind.</i>


    Seol-Ah red at Proserpine with bloodlust while gritting her teeth.


    “You’re going to... steal my Kang-Woo?”


    It was unthinkable. She could not stand for it... ever. Enormous energy weighed down on everything around her as chilling bloodlust oozed from her gaze.


    “Ahem,” Yeon-Joo quickly looked away from Seol-Ah.


    She could instinctively tell that she shouldn’t talk to Seol-Ah right now.


    Tai Wuji stared in silence at the armying out from the golden Rifts.


    There were so many of them that he did not know where they had alle from, but he was not focusing on anyone else but the monster wearing human skin.


    “You’vee.” Tai Wuji red at the monster while gripping his sword.


    He subtly trembled. He had no idea whether it was because he was thrilled about the battle that was about to take ce, or if it was his unconscious fear of the monster. If there was one thing he knew...


    <i>‘I can’t avoid a battle against him.’</i>


    The battle between them almost felt inevitable.


    “Yeah, I have,” Kang-Woo said as he walked forward with a smile.


    His heart beat crazily with each step he took. He stared at his enemy ecstatically.


    All eyes focused on Kang-Woo the moment he walked forward. It was only natural since the man who seemed to be the enemy leader was staring straight at him, and so were the archangels.


    “Hm?” Kang-Woo expressed confusion as all the attention was focused on him.


    <i>‘The hell?’</i>


    Friends and foes alike were all staring at him.


    <i>‘Is this...’</i>


    The atmosphere called for him to make some sort of battle cry.


    <i>‘Fuck, I can’t think of anything when I’m put on the spot like this.’</i>


    He had never used a battle cry when he hadmanded demons in Hell since they fought all on their own even without him saying anything.


    <i>‘Shit.’</i>


    Kang-Woo turned to Yeon-Joo. “Hey. The battle cry you didst time was pretty good. Why don’t you do it this time as w—”


    “Come on, don’t be like that.” Yeon-Joo snickered and continued, “Our Great Lord Kang-Woo should be the one to sound the battle cry in times like this. Something concise yet powerful, something that will send our morale through the roof!”


    She was getting her revenge from the time in the Manchurian in when Kang-Woo had left her in charge of an entire army and disappeared somewhere. Yeon-Joo stared at him joyfully as if telling him to have a taste of his own medicine.


    “Shit,” Kang-Woo cursed lowly.


    He had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to avoid it. The gears in his head turned in overdrive.


    <i>‘Oh,e to think of it...’</i>


    He recalled watching a movie with Echidna whilezing on the couch. He had no idea what it meant, but it was an extremely cool battle cry.


    <i>‘Yeah, let’s go with that.’</i>


    Kang-Woo nodded and stomped his feet.


    <i>Boom—!!</i>


    The ground shook. Enormous golden light surged out from Kang-Woo as if the sun had appeared atop the red earth. It was a magnificent sight to behold.


    Kang-Woo raised a golden sword high and shouted, “Avengers!!”


    He then lowered the sword and pointed it at the enemies.


    “Assemble.”