1217——————==

The Soul of the Evil God

The Soul of the Evil God…?

That strange word seemed lodged in my heart. It was something I’d heard before, but at that moment, the severe pain that felt like my brain was splitting made it impossible to think straight, and I let out a scream, forgetting all my composure.

“AAAAAAAH – !!!”

It hurts.

It hurts so much…!!

Even the agony of having my flesh poked with a branding iron would feel less brutal than this!! After living as a martial artist and suffering through all sorts of pain and injuries, I thought I had built some tolerance, but pain always feels fresh, no matter how much you experience it. Even while I deeply feel that this is the most critical moment of my life, all I can do is weep and suffer from this torment.

“Uuugh, AAAAAAH!!”

I don’t even have the time to figure out why I’m in pain. It just hurts. As I rolled on the floor, frantically touching my cheekbones and eyelids, I heard the Emperor’s voice.

[It can’t be helped…. The ability fueled by karma… Since you used a power that is the very essence of reversing fate, you must pay the price….]

“Gah, gah. AAAAAAH!! AAAAAAH!!!”

Where am I right now?

Why was I fighting?

I feel like wanting to drill a hole in my temple and pull out my blood vessels. There’s a nonsensical urge to tear off my eyes, nose, and ears with my bare hands. A coppery smell of blood mixes with the fragrant note lingering in my nostrils, and with an illusion of blood pooling in my eyes, my head is spinning.

“Ugh.”

As I finally vomited amidst the extreme pain, the Emperor’s low voice echoed.

[Nyarlathotep. Decide the victor of this duel.]

Swish

When I managed to clear my mind a little after vomiting, I noticed Nyarlathotep’s divine form appear in the arena. Nyarlathotep was smiling just the same as before, but he was looking down at me with oddly narrowed eyes.

“Heh heh, interesting. Seems Master Mangnyang had a good reason for raising the stakes, huh? I didn’t expect such a trump card to be hidden.”

[Are you going to follow the rules, or go with your whims?]

“I’m pondering that too. I don’t mind either way…. Hehe.”

Nyarlathotep, who had been casually smiling, continued.

“First, it seems I can’t declare a judgment until the duelist regains their senses. So, if Baek Woong doesn’t recover within half a breath, he automatically loses, but if he manages to regain consciousness, I’ll give a new conclusion at that point.”

[Understood.]

At the same time, I felt both the Emperor’s and Nyarlathotep’s gazes piercing into me. Even amidst the lingering nightmarish pain, I could rationally grasp one thing.

I need to get my act together.

Whether I win or lose, I have to end this fight…

For the sake of all the souls that have come this far…

“Ugh… ugh…. Ugh.”

I grit my teeth and forced myself to stand. I tried to stimulate the blood vessels that numb pain using the blood within, but it hardly worked. Experiencing the worst agony of my life, the urge to tear off my blood vessels continued to creep in.

‘No way… It’s pain like I’ve never felt before. I won’t regain my senses through ordinary means….’

As I despaired, I had no choice but to resort to the extreme strategy I’d heard from Zhuge Sa.

[To stop the pain, you need to induce a sharp pain continuously. The method would involve some bodily harm. Especially here… Do it.]

[Th-that nonsense…. Get your hand away! Am I insane? Why would I pull that out!?]

[Hehe. It’s just a trick of the senses. If it’s just a matter of what reacts more to pain, then the only way is to trick the brain. This method will likely bring hellish suffering, but I hope you remember it well.]

…

I’ve made it this far to my death anyway….

If I’m going to die… should I try to die a little more painfully…!!

I relaxed my body for a moment, then raised my hand and brutally poked it into my eyelid.

Squish!

I nonchalantly grabbed my eyeball and slowly pulled it out. Strangely, just as Zhuge Sa said, a wave of extreme agony surged, and for a moment, the pain that had been wrecking my entire body felt subdued. No, it was just an illusion, but it’s a relief to know this crazy method works.

Trembling

Holding my eyeball in one hand, I slowly stood up, overcoming the pain. And then I chuckled.

“Hehe… Hahaha…. I… have recovered… The conclusion… is….”

A moment of silence fell in the arena.

[…….]

“Oooh, this is quite delightful~ It seems this reborn person came well prepared.”

The Emperor remained silent while Nyarlathotep wore an even broader grin. Nyarlathotep approached me, gazing intently at my hand, then said.

“Hey, that eyeball looks delicious. Want to give it to me?”

What a madman….

…No, am I the one going crazy?

I felt myself slipping into madness uncontrollably. It wasn’t just because I’d plucked out my own eyeball; rather, it felt like madness had detected my mind thanks to the technique I’d just used.

Maybe that’s why, even at a proposal I would typically panic about, I just smiled and replied.

“If I say… that I’ve won… I’ll… give it… to you….”

“Hmph. Well, that won’t do. A biased judgment ruins the fun.”

With a disappointed turn, Nyarlathotep continued.

“I will declare a judgment.”

As Nyarlathotep’s words followed, I suddenly lost all strength and dropped down.

“This duel is the victory of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen! Congratulations~”

What… the…

This… can’t be happening.

[…….]

I collapsed, but Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen remained silently folded his arms.

I forgot all my pain and shuddered, addressing Nyarlathotep.

“W-why…?”

“Haha. It’s not because you didn’t give me your eyeball. There’s a tragically rational reason behind it.”

Nyarlathotep grinned and continued.

“While it’s acceptable to use the power of the Martial God, you trespassed into the realm of the [Mask]. You are the one who violated the duel’s initial rules, Baek Woong.”

“…What… do you mean….”

“Hmmm. Should I explain it in a simpler way? Considering how dim-witted you are, you’re likely not in your right mind from the pain.”

Muttering as if it was a bother, Nyarlathotep pointed at me with his index finger and said.

“Your imaginative thievery using the mask technique. That’s a foul.”

“What….”

“It’s the foul of all fouls. Hehe…. If you’ve bypassed the restrictions I placed on this throne’s domain, it makes sense that you can use your power.”

“I don’t… understand….”

“So it’s a power I’m talking about.”

Nyarlathotep smiled frostily.

“I said to fight only with martial arts. Yet you used a power. Thus, you’re disqualified. Isn’t it simple?”

“…….”

A power…?

‘Is imaginative control a power?’

N-no way. I merely stole with my imagination; how could this be not martial arts but a power!?

This is my unique skill that I developed.

Don’t say such a thing…!!

I unconsciously erupted.

“No!! This is martial arts!! I stole it using the Technique of All Things, why isn’t it?!”

“Oooh…. Is that so? Then let’s have a vote.”

“A vote?”

“I say it’s a power, but there are certainly many ambiguous points, so let’s ask the witnesses of the duel for their opinions.”

Thump

At that moment, Master Mangnyang appeared in the arena. Above the heads of him and the two other fiends, papers floated in the air. Nyarlathotep, conversing like he was addressing the three, said.

“Do you acknowledge Baek Woong’s foul?”

Uwoong

The papers hovering above their heads each changed color. I noticed that the ones above Master Mangnyang and the Demon Sorcerer turned dark, while the one above the martial artist turned white.

Seeing this, Nyarlathotep smiled.

“Hah, with two votes for foul and one against…. It’s a loss for Baek Woong by majority rule.”

“……!!”

What?!

So, the two who turned their papers black… Master Mangnyang and the Demon Sorcerer believe I committed a foul?!

I looked at Master Mangnyang, almost forgetting my pain in disbelief.

“M-Master Mangnyang…!! You know what happens if I lose here!! How can you….”

[Because of situational biases, I cannot compromise my belief.]

Master Mangnyang responded without any emotion.

[According to Nyarlathotep, the mask technique you used falls within the realm of power. While it mixed martial arts and power, my judgment is that it’s hard to consider it purely martial arts.]

“…….”

[It’s a contradiction. Despite wanting liberation more than anyone, the fact that I cannot favor one side due to my own tendencies….]

“Damn…!!”

Without meaning to, I felt the foul language slip out.

That crazy cat! Master Mangnyang!

Even with the fate of the universe at stake, you sit there judging fairly according to your beliefs! This isn’t just someone else’s affair; it’s your affair!

In other words, that martial artist’s view of the Divine Skill as not a foul grows my favor slightly. But regardless, if this continues, I’m bound to lose to the Emperor, and despair swept over me.

I fought with all my might only to end up with this conclusion?

“Unbelievable….”

“That’s the charm of this world, Baek Woong.”

“…….”

“This world is chaos and despair. Isn’t it somewhat lovable?”

Nyarlathotep smiled serenely as he approached while making a hand gesture.

“Once, in an outer cycle, I think I took your head off. Looks like I’ll be experiencing something unique as well.”

“…….”

Could this bastard have received the memory from that time…?

“Then, farewell.”

Swish

As Nyarlathotep’s hand flew toward my neck, I stood still, unable to move. Knowing that the opponent was a cosmic entity and realizing that even if I tried to dodge, I likely couldn’t escape, coupled with the overwhelming pain, made it impossible to comprehend this outcome.

But the next moment –

Kaboom!!!

[…….]

“Oooh. What’s going on?”

With a colossal boom, someone was standing before me. Silently emitting a golden light, that entity stretched one hand out, blocking Nyarlathotep’s strike right in front of me. And it seemed Nyarlathotep, unable to penetrate that being’s defense, stepped back a notch.

Nyarlathotep looked at the figure in front of me with a strange gaze and said.

“Are you going to forsake the victory offered to you… Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?”

Indeed.

In the final moment, the figure that blocked my battered frame was none other than Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, who had just been fighting for his life alongside me!

For reasons unknown, he protected me from Nyarlathotep, who was intent on finishing me off!

With an outstretched hand, Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen seemed to fix his gaze on Nyarlathotep. Then, he reached out to me in thought.

[Baek Woong. I have read the law of cause and effect. And your memories showed me the concealed law of cause and effect like pieces of a code…. At this moment when you struck me, it was to show me the truth….]

“…….”

[From the beginning… it was all calculated. Perhaps when you first reached this throne… it was when that’s started… Interpreting the law of cause and effect that exceeds the [Great Cycle]… Who knew the previous Reborn Person had such capability.]

What are you talking about?

Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen muttered grimly.

[I always knew I was merely a supporting character in the great cycle…. However, wishing to overcome fate, I traversed through all the chaos and games…. That fate was altogether denied, so I must remain true to the karma of my birth.]

At that moment.

“Heh heh. Wanting to remain true to the karma of your birth?”

Suddenly, Nyarlathotep appeared between me and the Emperor. Seizing Emperor Gong Sun’s face, he spoke.

“I’ll grant you your wishes…!!”

Squish!!

Emperor Gong’s face was ripped from his body, revealing an enormous void and chaos swirling behind the silver surface of the shattered mask. The face of the Emperor itself appeared to be a miniature universe. With the Emperor stuck there, Nyarlathotep spoke.

“Do you still plan to deny your essence?”

It was a reproachful tone.

There was a hint of compassion seeping through.

[My….]

The Emperor hesitated for a moment before releasing a radiant golden light from his entire being.

[The one who shall govern the universe, Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen…!!]

Kiiiiiiiing

The unimaginable divine might erupted from the Emperor’s form! As everything seemed to be annihilated by the golden waves of that power, Nyarlathotep effortlessly swam through, like a carp, trying once more to plunge his hand into the Emperor’s face.

“……!!”

W-what?!

Does that powerful strength of the Emperor not affect him at all?!

Even Pangu couldn’t withstand such strength!

As I was startled by Nyarlathotep’s move that seemed to disregard all laws, the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen spoke.

[As expected, just as the law of cause and effect read.]

Thud!

The Emperor’s hand had surprisingly gripped Nyarlathotep’s wrist. The exchange seemed quick and simple, yet it encompassed the clash of cosmic beings. Nyarlathotep’s face first expressed shock as he spoke.

“What? Gong Sun Xuanwen, how could you reach here through the laws of cause and effect you read? How did you do it?”

[…….]

“Ah, I see. You’ve used the advance calculation instilled in Baek Woong back then for this moment.”

[That’s right.]

“Tickle tickle! So you calculated the cause and effect so that through the Heavenly Demon, Baek Woong could accept the memory. Now that’s impressive.”

In the moment, Nyarlathotep, who seemed to grasp something, directed his crimson gaze at someone.

The focus of his sight was right upon the monster dressed as a Demon Sorcerer standing next to the throne.

“……?”

Huh? Why is he looking there?

The guy who just disqualified me…

‘Could it be that he’s the one who orchestrated this whole thing?’

While I struggled to comprehend the situation, the Emperor suddenly stretched a hand at me, launching a beam of golden light.

Zing!!

As I felt that golden light hit me, my body was wholly restored. As I looked down at myself, Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen said.

[Baek Woong. Listen well. I did not win this duel. No victory can count if the victor does not acknowledge it.]

“Emperor….”

Crack

The Emperor tightened his grip on Nyarlathotep’s wrist with even more strength.

[This duel is a draw. Neither of us was adequate; you weren’t a sufficient challenger, nor was I a sufficient overlord.]

Boom

A massive force surged between Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen and Nyarlathotep. The power that had been suppressed by the Emperor’s golden light began to swell dramatically. Once Nyarlathotep unleashed his true strength, it was apparent that even the Emperor would lack the means to contend.

In confusion, I questioned the Emperor.

“Why? Why are you giving up the chance to ascend?”

It was such a favorable situation for me, yet I couldn’t comprehend the Emperor’s sudden change. Now that he had easily bested me, it was only right to ascend and become a greater being, so why was he adamant about a draw while resisting Nyarlathotep?

[I will no longer let Nyarlathotep play with me.]

The Emperor declared.

With his deep voice, I began feeling myself gradually ejected from this throne’s realm.

[This is not the path I envisioned for the Overlord…!!]

Kugugugugugu…!!!

I felt Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen and Nyarlathotep gradually recede, their figures becoming smaller. In that instant, the Emperor attempted to bloat his form to crush Nyarlathotep, but simultaneously, a monstrous figure burst forth, tearing the Emperor’s upper body apart.

Yet the Emperor did not relent against Nyarlathotep. He continued to relentlessly press forward. Nyarlathotep’s laughter echoed like an infernal echo.

[Ascendant challenger. Are you now trying to fight through force?]

[…….]

[If you’re going to strike me with force, you ought to have gotten rid of Chi You! How foolish…. Ahahaha!!]

Crack

Nyarlathotep’s pitch-black claws pierced the Emperor’s chest. Even as the Emperor grasped those claws with his hands, he seemed to hit Nyarlathotep’s body, but that form appeared to be filled with swirling chaos, rendering even the Emperor’s overwhelming divine strength ineffective.

In a moment, Nyarlathotep’s shell, which transformed into a colossal black dragon traversing the cosmos, shed itself dramatically. Upon witnessing that, I gasped.

“……!!”

W-what is that…?

An infinite number of masks floated within Nyarlathotep’s body…?!

As each mask toppled back, a universe formed itself behind them. It wasn’t just a mere explosion; it was like the very genesis of a universe.

“Ugh….”

With that bizarre and dreamlike sight, I realized Nyarlathotep was an entity that defied common sense. And I could suddenly comprehend that Master Mangnyang, who was keeping Nyarlathotep at bay, was likewise a monstrous being.

Kugugugugu….

The moment Nyarlathotep’s eyes glowed, incantations spilled from his mouth.

[Let me, Nyarlathotep, command to dissolve the Dala into my flesh.]

Crackle

The universe surged. Billions of stars evaporated within the span of a second, visibly absorbed into Nyarlathotep’s scales. It was a horrific sight to behold, as if infinite creation was devoured by colossal chaos.

[Hahaha… Ahahahaha!!]

Kaboom

With Nyarlathotep’s maniacal laughter, his tail struck the Emperor’s body once more. The Emperor staggered, clearly thrown back by that blow. The gap in power had obviously widened.

In a vast throne realm that had expanded unimaginably, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the Emperor was killed. As Nyarlathotep opened his mouth to strike once again, the Emperor’s eyes glowed.

[Gotcha.]

Suddenly, the Emperor stretched forth his hand, chanting a spell.

[Here lies the contract, the origins of the Ten Thousand Realms, by the names Hindu, Sodama, Ajatra. With the command of the words of life and the unity of the ruler of 666, I seal the Coming Chaos, by the name of Eternity. It is the culmination praised by the great outer deities that is known as the Azure Dragon. This is proof of attaining the extreme of the Demon Path.]

At once, Nyarlathotep, who had been overwhelming the Emperor, appeared startled.

[…That incantation is…?]

[You figured it out.]

Bang!!

Moments later, Nyarlathotep’s divine form, which had become a dragon devouring the universe, shrank mightily, while getting trapped in a prison made of radiant beams formed in various directions. Instantaneously, Nyarlathotep’s size reduced to no more than that of a small draconic species, barely less than the size of the Emperor’s finger.

[That’s the spell used to seal you away by the Demon Emperor back in the day.]

For a moment, Nyarlathotep stood in stunned silence before bursting into laughter.

[Hehe… So, the little one instilled the countermeasure into the memories that Baek Woong took over. That’s why you dared to plan a rebellion against me.]

[…….]

[How amusing…. So very amusing….]

Nyarlathotep laughed heartily.

[The result of accepting the calculation of cause and effect that surpassed you… You have lost the ability to discern free will and gain. Yet I affirm even such you….]

[…….]

[That chaos which self-destructs…. Is myself…. My true self….]

Fizzle

Moments later, the Emperor’s body began to crumble into dust and vanish. I stood there, taken aback from afar.

“……!!”

Is he vanishing as a price for using that incantation?

As expected, the Emperor’s voice resonated in my mind.

[While Nyarlathotep is sealed, I will send you to the next life…. O Reborn Person….]

“…Why….”

I shouted to the Emperor with a trembly voice.

“If you’re a bad guy, then act like a bad guy until the end!! Damn it!!”

I found myself angry for some reason.

It was palpable that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was making every effort to finish this match and pass me on to the next life. But oddly, that brought me a sense of humiliation. The Emperor didn’t bend his will to mine; he had merely been persuaded by the calculations of that [Demon Emperor].

Now it dawned on me.

When I initially reached before the [Throne] that day, getting killed by the [Coming Chaos].

The memories that the Demon Emperor had infused into me were none other than the [calculations of cause and effect leading to this moment]. And the Emperor acquired the sealing spell against Nyarlathotep alongside those calculations and carried it out.

From the start, the Demon Emperor had precisely calculated for me to control [Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen].

This realm was merely a stage he had set.

Such outrageous calculation abilities of cause and effect!

‘Disintegrate.’

In the midst of those colossal beings battling, I felt the disgrace of not being able to stand as a human king—

The defeat of being overwhelmed even by those beings even as I fought them all.

The Emperor seemed to read my emotions and chuckled softly.

[As I said, you are still lacking everything…. It should be a fitting leisure for you.]

“What?”

[The ultimate spell to seal Nyarlathotep. The price for casting this spell is imprisonment in the [next cycle]. The Demon Emperor likewise suffered defeat by Nyarlathotep for this reason. How it will be for me, I cannot say.]

“……!!”

At my astonishment, the Emperor spoke softly.

[Dull-witted king of humans. Can you become my equal when you strive again? Answer me!]

“……”

I clenched my teeth and snapped back.

“Of course!! While you’re stuck away, I’ll grow strong enough to toss about the Heavenly Demon with one hand!!”

[With your talent?]

“Yeah!! If I can’t, I’ll keep at it until I succeed!! For thousands of years, tens of thousands of years! I’ll die a hundred or a thousand times and keep trying!!”

I shouted, shedding tears of blood.

Feeling incredibly insulted to be lectured and even pitied by that bastard.

“Absolutely, it won’t go like last time!! You bastard!!”

[…That’s right.]

Sssss

The Emperor’s body was now almost entirely vanishing. Seemingly recalling the past, he murmured slowly.

[Perhaps… erasing Chi You was my mistake….]

“Damn it!! What good is regret now?! You started this!!”

[Perhaps you, the Reborn Person, can change that.]

“What?”

[The possibility presented by the Demon Emperor…. That’s what I hoped for when I did this….]

As the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen babbled incomprehensibly, he stretched both hands toward the prison where Nyarlathotep was held.

[Behold… I am the one standing at the pinnacle.]

With a flash, the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s entire person radiated with golden light.

[I am Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen…!!]

Kugugugu

The prison that had sealed Nyarlathotep soon faded into shadow. With the Emperor’s final blow, Nyarlathotep completely erased his presence. And that marked the last form of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.

‘…Is it over?’

The universe seemed to explode.

Eons of stars left no trace, while infinite constellations twisted and howled amidst the confusion, finally, the ethereal mist surrounding the realm of confusion slowly began to dissipate.

As the mist vanished, what appeared were – those who sang.

Aaaaaah –

Incredible beings sang along with strange melodies. They circled the throne, eternally chanting. What that song meant remained a mystery, but I understood that—mortals who heard it would go mad and die.

There’s no need for someone to explain that those beings were something from the [outside].

‘It’s… serene….’

I felt my eyelids growing heavy in the very song. It was such a sweet song, and I sensed that I would soon dream again.

A song in a dream? Or a dream in a song?

Maybe…

It doesn’t really matter.

[Is that your choice?]

…An unknown phrase from the past.

That phrase seemed to drift by as the final flash of the shattering universe seared into my eyes.

Flash

That was my 28th death.