Chapter 38

To be precise, I hadn’t completely destroyed her before—it was more like I’d retired Flauros after she revived once.

But perhaps that bitter defeat had seared into her bones. The Archduke who’d never opened a Gate herself descended directly this time.

I pulled my hood lower, making sure not to reveal my identity.

Even Varein, Karzos’s subordinate, was shaken by the unexpected turn.

“W-we greet the Archduke of Flames!”

She ranked forty places below Furcas, whom he served, but that didn’t matter.

The power of an Archduke wasn’t something an ordinary demon could hope to withstand.

Heat radiated so fiercely the seawater around us boiled.

Even Ha Yeri, the only one among us with prior experience facing an Archduke, dared not step forward lightly.

And with her body not yet fully manifested, no one knew how much of her true power she could wield here.

Flauros raised her arm, and fire blossomed.

“You said puppeteer. You prepared this vessel?”

“Y-yes! We bound the corpse of an Awakened trapped in the Sea of Decay, using Black Magic to temporarily animate it…”

“Pathetic.”

—Whoosh!

Flames spread from her fingertips, flowing toward the heart and rebuilding the vessel’s flesh.

Ashen hair turned to the glow of sunlight, and pale new skin filled torn ligaments in her arms and legs.

Instead of the tattered rags clinging to the corpse, a light Chinese-style martial robe wrapped itself neatly over the restored form.

The body’s original owner, the Ice Ghost, had been a mage. But Flauros herself was a martial fighter.

“This sea, this vessel with its affinity for frost—none of it pleases me. At best, the appearance is passable. Hardly worth anything.”

“M-my apologies! I never dreamed the Archduke of Flames would descend herself…”

The soul of an Archduke slowly settled onto a corpse that had lain rotting in the sea for decades.

It was the same ability I had seen from her in our battle: the Flame of Resurrection.

A power no ordinary being could show.

And reconstructing her own Incarnation vessel meant she had crossed dimensions with a portion of her true strength intact.

“More importantly, do you know the whereabouts of the Apostle of the Outer God?”

“The… Apostle of the Outer God?”

So Karzos had fled.

One of the charred demon corpses nearby bore traces of a sudden molt, as if he’d shed his skin to escape.

“I-it would be best to discuss this outside. For now, shall we not deal with those humans first?”

Varein pointed toward us, deciding there was no reason to leave obstacles alive once the summoning was complete.

But before he could finish, his gaze met the Archduke of Flames.

Sensing a bad omen, he dropped his eyes immediately.

He tried to speak words of apology, but Flauros spoke first.

“You cannot discern, you cannot answer, and now you cannot even comprehend your own station.”

“A-Archduke?”

“I told you—I came to slay the Apostle of the Outer God. Beyond that, nothing else concerns me.”

Her flame-bright eyes blinked once—and fire engulfed the puppeteer’s body.

Varein bolted toward the wall of water, but even beneath the sea, the flames refused to die.

“I granted you mercy thrice. I’ve no reason to endure your noise again. Farewell.”

She had no tolerance for someone who couldn’t even recognize her, ignored her question, and dared to demand of her.

Another corpse joined the sea.

“Do you have business with me as well?”

Now only the Special Unit remained.

“Wh-what do we do, Commander!?”

“If we leave now, we might still escape.”

“But what if humanity faces a Ninth Night?”

“We can’t win alone. We should call for reinforcements…”

“…”

Even with retreat being the rational choice, Ha Yeri hesitated.

If they withdrew here, the conquest of the Sea of Decay would become all but impossible.

And the Seed of Calamity lay close.

Right behind where Flauros now stood.

The great scale, lodged in a jagged black rock made of rotting coral, was the Seed itself.

And I wasn’t the only one hesitating.

Hiding behind Moon Ah-rin’s wings, I hastily opened a Channel to seek Mala-nim’s counsel.

『What do we do, Mala-nim? I didn’t think she’d chase me all the way to Earth!』

『Fear not.』

『Look at those vicious eyes! She’s clearly been gnashing her teeth on tentacles this whole time, waiting to get back at me!』

『Fear not.』

『You’re telling me to use this chance to erase her for good? But if I fight here, everyone will see my abilities!』

『Fear?』

Mala-nim pressed me instead—was I ashamed of my tentacles?

To think I’d lived all this time without committing a single crime, only to realize I had no allies in this world. Truly tragic.

The thought of defeating an Archduke without using tentacles was as absurd as trying to make sparkling water by dropping lightning into the sea.

Even if I somehow managed to fight evenly, the trust I’d built with the Special Unit would be shattered beyond repair.

Was there no way to protect my comrades, keep my identity hidden, and secure the Star Scar at once?

While I agonized, Ha Yeri decided first.

“Scatter and withdraw. I’ll destroy the Seed and regroup at the coast.”

“That’s too dangerous!”

“It’s also dangerous to let an Archduke claim it. She hasn’t fully regained her strength. There’s a chance.”

But despite her words, her trembling eyes betrayed that she knew the odds were almost zero.

It took someone at the Transcendent Realm to even stand against an Archduke. She couldn’t be ignorant of that.

“Do you know of the Apostle of the Outer God?”

“Ugh…!”

Just one glance from Flauros sent nearly everyone staggering, save for Kang Nabi and Ha Yeri.

The heat wave was so intense it set everything around us aflame.

Even the air in our lungs turned volatile—without magical protection, we couldn’t even breathe.

Moon Ah-rin fainted in my arms, her wings still spread.

“Haah… cough, cough!”

Unlike me, shrinking behind her wings, Ha Yeri forced herself up, sword raised.

Flauros was one of the rare Archdukes who had never invaded Earth.

She wasn’t the type to relish crushing ants for sport.

But she had no reason to spare humans either. The act was still a death sentence.

Her burning hand fell like a judge’s gavel.

“You don’t seem to know.”

“If it’s about him, I know, my lady.”

Just before Ha Yeri’s body ignited, a figure appeared behind Flauros.

Black hair, a long robe like a black mage’s, and a grotesque swirling mask—laughing or crying, no one could tell.

It was me.

『…?』

『What, I thought you weren’t going to help me.』

『Fear not, fear not?』

『I merely realized a truth at the border of life and death—that the only one who can save me is myself.』

It was me, or rather, a clone.

Using my Tentacle of Replication, I created a double, masked it, and sent it around the water barrier to emerge dramatically.

The sensation of split vision made me dizzy.

But if I played this well, I could have everything I wanted.

Feigning calm, I lowered my head before Flauros.

“I am Patel, a black mage of the Black Tower. My goal is to welcome the Hooves of the Statue to this world.”

“Where is he? Speak.”

“His exact whereabouts are unknown.”

“Then—”

“But!”

At the very least, I’d succeeded in diverting Flauros’s attention.

As her pressure lifted, the Special Unit members gasped for breath. I drew out the black-sealed invitation Aldrick had once handed me and held it forward.

“There’s no need for you to search personally, my lady. If others are made to, you’ll know soon enough.”

“Others?”

“The Council. The ones who summoned you belong to it as well—though they’re of a different faction.”

“Hmph.”

The Archduke of Flames laughed, showing her disdain.

“Herds are always weak. And I have no use for the weak.”

It was the exact same response I’d once given Karzos.

No wonder she’d spared me back then—we shared that streak in common.

“I feel the same. But efficiency matters, doesn’t it?”

“Efficiency?”

“The world is vast. Not as wide as the Demon Realm, but full of self-proclaimed kings. Why not wait comfortably? I will personally bring you the Apostle of the Outer God.”

“Hm.”

For the first time, her reaction leaned positive.

After a moment of thought, her flame-bright gaze burned into me.

“What do you want?”

“Pardon?”

“A man without a pact isn’t altruistic. A black mage… do you seek enlightenment in your art?”

“No. What I want… is that.”

I pointed to the Seed of Calamity.

Yes, it could serve as a Dimensional Core. But to a black mage, its uses were limitless.

Of course, my true aim was the Star Scar sealed within—but that was a secret.

Flauros was strong, yes. But within the Demon Realm, she ranked in the lower seats.

She likely didn’t even know the Seed contained a Star Scar. Even if she did, she surely couldn’t wield it.

“The Legacy of Tempests, hm?”

“It’s essential for fulfilling my oath.”

“I suppose. Though it seems unlikely you’ll succeed… do as you wish. I have no need of it.”

Just as I expected, she mistook my request as an attempt to summon Gamigin. She nodded without hesitation.

“I’ll accompany you to the next Council.”

“Very well. Then what of them…?”

“Shall I take care of them?”

“Do as you like. I don’t care to remain here a moment longer.”

She traced her toe across the ground. A geometric sigil blazed into being, and fire roared upward.

Without any catalyst, a pillar of flame rose and wrapped around her entire body.

When the heat faded, all that remained was a small ring lying on the ground.

Realizing it was a token for future contact, I picked it up, wiped it clean, and slipped it onto my finger.

One problem solved.

All that remained was sending the Special Unit back alive and retrieving the Star Scar.

“That one…!”

“Do you recognize him, Agent Kang Nabi?”

“Yes. Likely the one who flooded the Sea of Decay.”

“What!? Then he’s the cause of this entire disaster!”

“He spoke with an Archduke as an equal. There’s no way he’s an ordinary Awakened.”

As if Archdukes and demons weren’t enough, now a mysterious black mage had appeared.

The squad’s faces darkened—convinced the situation had reached its worst.

If I failed to deceive them here, everything I’d built would collapse.

But tricking comrades, lying outright… that was hardest of all for someone with as pure a conscience as mine.

Even if it was for their sake.

If not for the mask, they would have seen the tears slipping down my cheeks.

I feared even opening my mouth, in case my trembling voice gave me away.

Yet the first exchange went flawlessly.

“I was certain I took your head…”

“Pfft! Did you really think such a feeble strike could kill me~?”

“Grr!”

“You damned devil!”

Spreading my arms, I played the villain to perfection—and not a shred of suspicion remained.