Chapter 49 – I Saw the Devil

“Seems like, that b*tch has run off.”

When the yellow eyes, suddenly seeking him out, spoke thus, the man hummed a low, drawn-out sound.

Too unexpected, this news? He suspected, despite knowing the other was not one to lie.

“Certain of this?”

“Do you think I would soil my lips with a ‘falsehood’ before you?”

“…Perhaps not.”

He scratched at his head, then glanced up at the ceiling for a moment.

Gathering the words that loosely drifted to mind, he pushed them out into the air.

“Damn it all. That mad thing truly left on her own accord?”

“So I say. Verified it several times already. Nowhere to be seen in her territory.”

“And the… ‘it’ she kept about her?”

“Likewise absent. Is that not sufficient confirmation?”

Hmm. The man hummed once more, then, after a moment’s contemplation, shrugged.

“Let her be. Ignore it. She’ll return after her fun, I expect.”

“Regardless, she left of her own volition. More than that, to commit such an act without a word has further depleted our painstakingly accumulated energy.”

Whether the woman went out to die or thrive was of no concern to the yellow eyes.

The singular problem was the energy. The resources for their future.

Had they not spent a considerable amount of time deploying only beasts to gather it?

Only now had they amassed enough to use little by little.

The fool Zagan, sent before her, did not even return alive.

And now this one, not even in her appointed order, had taken it upon herself to act.

“This is exhausting. It could set a poor precedent.”

“A poor precedent, you say?”

“What else? To depart as one pleases, without waiting one’s turn. Should she return without proper punishment for this transgression, the chances of it happening again will only increase.”

Punishment. The yellow eyes placed an emphasis on that word.

This was a world overrun with beings consumed by their desires.

Without it, they would follow their impulses and ruin the greater design.

Thus, punishment was the only law upheld here.

But perhaps that was not all.

Beyond the rules of this world, the yellow eyes seemed to desire something more.

“Looking at you now, one might think you see this as an opportunity.”

“What nonsense are you speaking?”

“Undeniably, to open the gates without permission warrants punishment. But that is not for us to decide. It will be determined by the King, upon hearing this report.”

“… .”

“More than that, it seems your emotions regarding that woman are quite… tangled. Almost like the inferior creatures.”

As if struck to the core, the yellow eyes flinched.

But quickly regaining composure, they spoke.

“It’s laughable, that’s all. When asked to stir herself before, she had no inclination to do so. Now, suddenly, she violates even the rules to act as she pleases. If she was going to, she should have shown such zeal before.”

“There is a point to that, certainly.”

As the man conceded, the yellow eyes continued to vent.

“I’ll say it now, that one is far too idle. Sloth may be her fate, but this exceeds all bounds. While we were raising beasts and pouring ourselves into it, she did nothing at all.”

“….”

“And now you come back and use the energy you gathered as you please? If you’d at least said something before leaving, I wouldn’t be this angry.”

Hmm. I thought their relationship was just bad, but it’s actually the worst.

Oh King, why did you throw these… things… to me to deal with?

Damn it. I’m a warrior, not a babysitter. This is driving me mad.

The man, pressing hard on his temples, slowly began to speak.

“Listen. It’s not like I’m particularly fond of that she-devil either. But you can’t just berate her for being lazy. You know it too, don’t you? That laziness of hers is actually quite convenient for us.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

“Exactly. Her sloth is a kind of check. Frankly, the thought of her being diligent sends shivers down my spine. Don’t you agree?”

The yellow eyes considered this for a moment before uttering a simple, “Damn it.”

It wasn’t hard to understand why he swore. Thinking about it, he must have realized that he wouldn’t have a chance either.

“If that woman goes crazy, it’s a real pain to stop her. No. That’s putting it mildly. Thinking about it a little more, it’s not just a pain, it’s something we should be thankful to avoid.”

“…”

“Are you going to stop her? Or will someone else? Don’t tell me you’re expecting me to do it? Doing this much work already, if you told *me* to do it, I’d snap the neck of whoever told me to.”

The man shook his head as if the mere thought disgusted him.

The memory of her dancing with her axe in the past was still vivid in his mind.

He really didn’t want to recall how devastated the surroundings became every time she lost it.

It feels a little… difficult to say this, but how should I put it? Reluctant, I guess.

“Let’s be honest. Among us, who has the greatest brute strength?”

“That black-furred beast, right?”

“Really? I can sense some hesitation in your voice when you say that.”

“…Damnation. Fine. I get it. That damned woman. She’s the strongest, physically. It’s just that she hides it all behind her laziness and sloth.”

In truth, that was precisely why the yellow eyes disliked that woman, Astaroth.

Because if you clashed with her, it didn’t matter what techniques or tricks you had, you’d just be crushed by pure power.

And the fact that someone with such brute strength was also disgustingly lazy, well, it just churned his stomach.

Someone who preferred to apply anything other than brute force to win.

Someone who strived to win by playing with his opponent.

From the perspective of the man with yellow eyes, she was the polar opposite of everything he stood for.

“When she comes back, give her an earful. I’ll provide support for that much.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

Finally calming down, the yellow eyes vanished with a puff of black mist, promising to return.

‘In any case, there’s never a peaceful day. More importantly, I feel sorry for that lowlife who fought Zagan. If they had sent someone else first, he might have had some chance to resist. But it became impossible because of her.’

Thinking this, the man paused, suddenly pondering something.

Not that it would happen, but what if, just in case, that woman didn’t come back either?

*

Each time the deafening roar echoed, the world trembled.

“Hehehehe! What are you doing? Hurry up and try harder!”

“….”

The axe held in Astaroth’s hand steadily increased in size.

Yet, there he was, wielding it all with one hand, as if it were nothing.

Not merely brute force, but a subtle technique intertwined.

Did that mean it lacked weight? Not at all. It felt like a mountain.

With each and every attack, Deus felt his arm throb.

This was no ordinary weight. How much mass could that axe possibly hold?

“So, that’s how it is. No wonder that fool, Zagan, ultimately fell!”

Casting aside the sloth that usually cloaked him.

Astaroth spun the axe half a turn with an artistic flourish, then slammed it into Deus.

‘No finesse, no contemplation, no thought. Just raw power!’

In their world, Astaroth himself was known for his brute strength.

Thus, he knew a thing or two about those of a similar ilk.

But he wasn’t one to rely solely on it in battle, to let it decide the outcome.

Rather, he would use it as a foundation to devise more ploys, more techniques.

Of course, he usually just stayed holed up in his domain, as fate intended.

That was his constraint, and also the source of his power, so there was no real problem.

He already possessed ample strength, so a little laziness couldn’t be much of a flaw!

— *Kwaang! Kwang!*

With each swing of the axe, the crimson aura intensified.

That lesser being was probably unaware, but the preparations were nearly complete.

He had been a fleeting amusement, but that was all he would ever be.

So, he shouldn’t feel too wronged by what was to come.

“Oof-cha.”

Deliberately creating some distance, Astaroth gazed at his opponent.

He ought to check its condition before one last round of play, don’t you think?

“…”

Deus was staring down at his arm.

Seeing this, Astaroth let out a soft chuckle.

‘Seriously. It’s damn durable. I’ve been pounding on it, and not a scratch?’

It was absurd, but not unwelcome. Good, even.

A toy that wouldn’t break, despite such rough handling.

He ought to be grateful. Yes, that’s right.

‘I went to the trouble of stealing all that energy, I can’t go back disappointed.’

*Kik kik*, Astaroth giggled, then spoke.

“Impressive, whelp. Such raw power, coming from a lesser being.”

“…”

“Of course, brute strength devoid of finesse, contemplation, or thought is just plain idiotic.”

He was about to explain the finer points, but Deus cut him off.

“So what?”

“Huh?”

“Do I really need finesse, contemplation, or thought? When discussing strength, are they necessary considerations?”

What’s with the sudden change of tune? Does she really have that much faith in her own power?

What could she possibly do? That power of hers won’t be enough to hold an advantage anymore, will it?

Looks like I should probably start letting this inferior being know her place.

“So, you think you’re strong, huh? Well, yeah. I guess you are strong. But, can you even afford to say that now?”

—*Shhhissss*

The crimson energy erupting from the axe flowed into Astaroth.

All the heat that had accumulated during the battle began to course through every part of her body.

It became, true to its name, ‘power’, further awakening her wildness.

“The ‘me’ from before, and the ‘me’ from now on, are completely different.”

“….”

“Guess you could say I’m warmed up now?”

“….”

Hmm. Is she so shocked that she can’t talk? Or is she just bewildered?

Astaroth narrowed her eyes for a moment, then shrugged.

“Say something. Am I just talking to myself here?”

“Ah. Are you done with your monologue?”

“…What?”

“I was waiting. I’m the type who thinks it’s polite to wait when someone’s delivering a line or transforming.”

“…??”

What the hell is this guy rambling about?

“And one more thing.”

I’ve sized her up well enough, and Nefertiti is as far away as she’s going to get.

The distance between me and the unconscious knights is also sufficient.

There’s nothing else to worry about, so let’s get serious now.

I was taking things too easy because I thought this was a comedy.

Honestly, wasn’t it? A fantasy world with *jeyuk bokkeum*, soju, *makgeolli*, and *pajeon*.

A world where a social hierarchy exists, but doesn’t feel suffocating.

But looking at it like this, it seems that’s not the whole story.

Dead serious. For real.

Like, this is an apocalyptic scenario.

“Just because you’ve gotten stronger, doesn’t mean I’ve gotten weaker, does it?”