Chapter 117

Ha Yeri had made up her mind long ago.

To exterminate the beings from another dimension that had driven humanity to the brink of extinction—to drive every last demon from this world and trample upon their homeland—she was prepared to make any sacrifice.

The death cries of comrades sacrificed in battle were the kindling that kept her resolve burning, and the tears of innocent citizens were the oil poured onto that singular conviction.

However, as time passed, she realized something.

The absolute beings of the Demon Realm.

In the face of the transcendent power of the Archdukes, the banner of justice she had staked everything on looked too small to even be seen. As a result, the fighting spirit that once surged within her was thrust into cold mud, slowly cooling. Her facial expressions, which once betrayed her emotions, hardened as stiffly as her heart.

Nonetheless, she hadn’t given up on everything.

Though she felt her own inadequacy, even if the value of Ha Yeri as an individual was infinitely light compared to the weight she carried as the de facto second-in-command of the Special Unit, she was still ready. If it were to purge the demons, she was prepared to lose an arm or a leg. And if that wasn’t enough, she was ready to throw away everything she possessed.

…Or so she thought.

Until she started preparing to enter their den.

“First, we’ll set the wig to this length. I’ve ordered purple color contacts, so let’s hit the optician next.”

“Hayan, wait a moment…”

“The appearance won’t be perfectly identical, but demons don’t really pay attention to that sort of thing, so it’ll be fine. They’re the type to judge someone just by checking how many horns they have. Even if the shell of an Avatar’s appearance changes a bit, they won’t find it particularly strange.”

In a Rodeo Street in Busan.

Ha Yeri was in the middle of a literal full-body transformation, from head to toe, following the styling Hayan dictated. The reason was that for her to enter the Demon Council, she needed to disguise herself as the shell of an Avatar known to be under Patel’s wing.

To use his words, she had to disguise herself as ‘his younger sister.’

“The overall tone should be black, but I think the frills should be more elaborate. Since we’re at it, shall we try braiding your hair into pigtails?”

“Hayan…”

“Yes?”

“That person you call your sister. If it’s the child I saw, she definitely didn’t have her hair tied.”

A boiling emotion surged from within her. It was pure killing intent. She was a woman prepared to throw away everything for humanity, but her pride was a difficult thing to let go of. No, this wasn’t just pride; it was the dignity of Ha Yeri as a human being.

And Hayan was ruthlessly trampling on that dignity.

“No, the last time I went to the Council, she had her hair tied, so you must tie yours as well. I’ll set it for you in a jiffy.”

“Didn’t you say just a moment ago that demons were insensitive to appearances?!”

“Oh, that was strictly regarding clothing. Or does Commander Ha Yeri happen to know more about them than I do?”

Grind!

Where had the man who was trembling in fear just a moment ago gone? He was now acting completely triumphant. Ha Yeri ground her teeth at her own inability to argue back. She didn’t realize it, but the sound of her grinding teeth actually made her seem even more like Hayan’s younger sister.

A long while later.

Having spent nearly the entire day rotating through various select shops in addition to the optician, Hayan nodded with a satisfied look. Atop her delicately braided hair sat a yellow chick hat that a local kindergartner might wear.

Beside him, the Upper Level Awakened Ha Yeri, the guardian of South Korea known as ‘Minor Justice,’ was no more. There was only a woman who had lost all her dignity.

“Hmm, the synchronization is finally right. Anyone would see you as my sister.”

“Is… this…”

“Yes?”

“Is this finally the end…?”

Once the Council is over, I will kill him without fail.

If I can’t kill him, I’ll at least inflict severe brain damage so he loses his memories.

As Ha Yeri made these vows repeatedly in her mind, Hayan stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

When she looked up after barely avoiding a head-on collision, he was staring straight down at her.

“W-what is it?”

“I almost forgot. I left out the most important part.”

“Pardon? And what would that be?”

“Height. My younger sister isn’t as short as you, Commander Ha Yeri.”

So what was she supposed to do about it? Was he suggesting she match her height now, too? Her patience had reached its breaking point. Was there even a need to go all the way to the Council to find demons? The man standing right in front of her was a hornless demon, a tailless devil.

“At this rate, we’ll be caught the moment we step inside.”

“I hope you aren’t suggesting that all the effort we’ve put in so far has been for nothing.”

The greatsword she had left in the umbrella stand before entering the shop rose into the air on its own, pounding against the glass door as if ready to shatter it. It was a Flying Sword, a technique that only a tiny fraction of those who have mastered the highest levels of martial arts can even mimic. Ha Yeri knew basic martial arts, but she wasn’t a formal swordsman trained by The Old Gods’ Wound. Nevertheless, her ability to perform this feat was largely fueled by her pure, unadulterated rage toward Hayan.

“D-don’t worry! I won’t ask anything more of Commander Ha Yeri!”

Feeling his life was in danger, he waved his hands frantically. I suppose his life is still precious to him, after all.

“I’ll just be the one to suffer a bit.”

Hayan muttered those cryptic words in front of a barely calmed Ha Yeri. Once the moon rose, she finally understood what they meant.

My third visit to the Council.

As soon as I entered, I headed for the West Plaza where the clock tower stood. It was the pre-arranged meeting spot for Velada and Flauros from Ground Zero.

“You’re late, Patel. Why do you always make me wait—Gasp!?”

“That thing on your shoulder…”

The two demons tilted their heads back further than usual to look up at me. To be precise, they were staring at Mala-nim—no, Ha Yeri—who was riding piggyback on my shoulders. I had made her appearance as similar as possible to Mala-nim’s avatar, but I couldn’t bridge the gap in height. So, I put her on my shoulders to keep others from noticing the discrepancy, but it seemed to have drawn far too much attention instead.

It was also Ha Yeri’s first time seeing the two of them. However, since she was currently infiltrating the heart of the demons, she didn’t seem inclined to start unnecessary trouble.

“…….”

Or maybe she was just too embarrassed to lift her head.

“You didn’t bring her last time… I thought you’d lost interest in her?”

“I never said that.”

“Why only her…? That’s unfair! Flan! You, you say something too!”

“Hmm? Me?”

At Velada’s urging, Flauros stepped closer. Her eyes met Ha Yeri’s, who was gripping my hair tightly as if she were about to scalp me. Soon, a small smile played on Flauros’s lips.

“You’ve brought something interesting.”

“Pardon?”

“I heard you helped the nightmare demon last time. Don’t forget your duty, even when you wander far away.”

Because the place you belong is by my side. Having said that, she naturally tucked herself against my right side. Not to be outdone, Velada stuck to my left and pulled on my hand.

“It’s Patel, the black mage!”

“Tentacles! Give us tentacles!”

“Is that really Patel?”

“He’s tall, you idiot!”

“He looks bigger? And he has two heads?”

Witches from the plaza began swarming around me, singing the “Tentacle Song,” turning the area into a scene of absolute chaos.

“Ow! Patel! This thing kicked me!”

“Don’t lie. This avatar’s legs aren’t long enough to reach your head.”

“Grind! Ha… Patel, do you want to die!?”

Just then, I caught the eye of Norkel, who was passing by on her way to the Council.

“Wow… pure human trash personified. As a demon, I respect you.”

After seeing me surrounded by Flauros, Velada, Ha Yeri, and the witches, she muttered to herself and hurried out of the plaza without slowing her pace.

“We will now convene the 170th Supreme Council of the Demon Realm. Since we have urgent matters today, we will skip the demonic rituals and begin with the chanting of the mottos for each territory…”

“Phew, sorry I’m late.”

“Patel, tonight, time is more precious to us than gold. As a disciplinary measure, I will ban you from speaking during the first half, so please ensure you strictly observe the entry time from now on.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I finally made it.

Due to the commotion, it was 6:69 PM by the time I entered. Passing through the *ate of Eternal Flame, I apologized to Kravec and barely managed to join the session. Normally, the hall would have echoed with jeers about how a mere human dared to interrupt the Vice-Chairman or how I couldn’t even tell time because I had two eyes, but today, no one complained.

The reason was that my standing had become incomparably higher than before.

“The Archduke of Flames is also in good health. Many, including myself, were worried you had been annihilated by the Apostle of the Outer God.”

“As you can see, I am safe thanks to Patel. I am currently recovering my strength in a secure location, so there is no need to worry, Kravec,” Flauros replied.

“I see. I heard the nightmare demon faction is also in his debt…”

“It’s just as I said earlier. We have decided to serve Lord Patel until the Hooves of the Statue descends upon this land,” Norkel added.

I was the closest confidant of the one who had made Flauros the Chairperson of the Eternal Flame, and the black mage who had successfully recruited all the demons in Korea, including Norkel, to serve as his subordinates. At this moment, with Furcas’s group defeated and suffering heavy losses after encountering the Apostle of the Outer God in the Thirteen Palaces of Emptiness, I was also the human closest to summoning an Archduke.

The demons were noticeably shaken when they saw me bring the avatar’s shell to the Council today. I could hear whispers wondering if the Hooves of the Statue—Gamigin—was finally ready to emerge into the world.

“Everyone, calm down. Today’s discussion is not about summoning a new Archduke.”

Kravec returned to the agenda. However, his presence was more solemn and overbearing than before. Though he usually acted as a mediator between factions as the Vice-Chairman, Kravec also belonged to a specific faction within the Council.

In other words, his taking the lead meant the Seats of the Abyss—those whose identities and which Archduke they served were still unknown—were about to begin their official activities. And their leader sat right where my eyes could reach.

A woman in a black dress wearing a hat with raven feathers. According to Rubietta, she was the mistress of all witches and the person who created this Council.

“Once tonight passes, there is only one thing we must do according to the will of our Great Chairperson.”

As Kravec gestured toward Trishy, all the demons sitting in the Seats of the Abyss looked at her with awe.

“We will bring down every Magic Tower in the world.”

Amidst their cheers, Trishy flashed me a smile whose meaning I couldn’t fathom.