[Eight o’clock news. A giant gate has appeared in Africa. Unlike a normal gate with colors that go from lowest-ranked, white, to black, this one had a deep blue color. The gate disappeared soon after appearing. All the monsters, animals, and vegetation around that area have died.]
[Guardian is investigating a possible connection between this and the Grand Canyon volcano incident, but they said they hadn't been able to find any for the moment.]
[Since the blue gate appeared, explosions have been seen around the world. Most of them have occurred in areas absent of human habitation, so there haven't been civilian losses, but it seems we're going to be careful of what's happening.]
"It seems like everything is going according to plan."
The tips of KangWoo's mouth went up while he watched the TV.
Using Lucis as a provocation had been a success.
Lucifer had gone to Earth and engaged in an all-out war with Satan and the Demon Cult.
The battle was obviously an overwhelming victory for Lucifer's forces.
He wasn't sure how Lucifer's forces were finding the Demon Cult’s hideouts, but they were good at it.
The entire world had a hard time finding where the Demon Cult had their bases, and Lucifer's forces were not only finding them, but they were smashing them with overwhelming strength.
They were acting as if all the calmness until that point had been for that.
They were one-sidedly being beaten in such a way that one could even feel pity for them.
'I wish the Demon Cult offered a bit more resistance.'
He didn't think it was all the Demon Cult could offer and that it was their end.
Although they might not be able to reverse the situation, he at least wished they would offer some resistance.
'Not everything goes as intended.'
Unlike his expectations, they were being one-sidedly beaten up, but he didn't feel that anxious anymore.
KangWoo looked at his hands.
He'd grown strong enough to fight against archdukes.
He didn't need to try to exhaust Lucifer any longer.
'I'm also preparing a hidden card.'
KangWoo lay on the sofa.
Anyway, the only thing he had to do was watch the fight between Lucifer and the Demon Cult from a distance.
"KangWoo, I want to watch anime. Today is the day Konosuba airs."
Echidna walked toward him.
She sat on her exclusive place, his legs, and spread her short hands.
He smiled and gave her the remote control.
"Hngh! Hngh!"
She changed the channels while snorting, but her expression soon became filled with despair.
"It was canceled again…"
She lowered her head.
Most shows had been delayed because of the Gate Lucifer had used to invade Earth.
"Everything is going to calm down soon."
"Okay."
Echidna turned and grabbed KangWoo's collar.
"KangWoo, I learned more dragon magic. I can use three of them now."
"Woah, you learned another one?"
He stroked her hair.
Most hatchlings couldn't use dragon magic.
In most cases, you had to be at least an adult dragon.
Even if she'd become connected with KangWoo and could receive his strength, without some effort, you usually couldn't do the impossible.
"Maybe you're going to be able to use Brass soon?" he asked playfully.
"Hngh! Hngh! I'm going do my best!"
"Well… It doesn't seem to be something you can do by making an effort."
He laughed lightly.
Based on what he heard from her, only a few dragons could use Brass.
Maybe she'd be able to do it in the near future, but she was just a hatchling at the moment, and it was a technique that was too difficult for her.
"KangWoo, KangWoo! Are you still busy these days?" Echidna carefully asked.
He'd been very busy trying to control the archduke's Authority over the past few months, so it was a normal reaction.
KangWoo stroked her hair while making a bitter smile.
"Yes, but I think that things are going to get sorted soon."
Once he devoured Lucifer, he would be able to complete the immediate goal.
Of course, he would have had to train a bit to control Lucifer and Mamon's Authorities, but he probably wouldn't need to hurry like he was doing.
"I see…"
She lowered his head while making a sad expression.
He stroked her hair and kept talking.
"Then, once this is finished, should we go on a picnic together?"
"A picnic?"
"Yes. With Seol-ah."
"Hngh! Hngh! Okay! Yes!"
Echidna nodded in excitement.
KangWoo smiled.
'This is what I call healing.'
He thought that if things turned out well and he had a child with Seol-ah one day, that was what it would probably feel like.
KangWoo smiled while imagining it.
"Can we go with Lilith and Balrog too?"
"Why…?"
"They aren't that friendly with Seol-ah. Lilith and Balrog are very nice, and I want everyone to get along."
"…"
He fell into thought.
In reality, Balrog and Lilith weren't that close with the people he'd met on Earth.
The problem was that Balrog and Lilith knew him too well.
What kind of person he was, how he'd lived in Hell… They knew everything.
'How troublesome.'
He'd warned them about what not to say, but he still found it troublesome.
Still, it wouldn't be good if Lilith, Balrog, Kim ShiHoon, Han Seol-ah, and the others weren't well-acquainted with each other.
'I'll have to think about this later.'
It was important to keep a good relationship between allies if he wanted a cohesive force.
A day when Balrog and Kim ShiHoon had to collaborate or Han Seol-ah had to cure Lilith might eventually arrive.
"I have things to do, so I'll be going out, and… where’s Seol-ah?"
"She went out with the redhead."
"With Chae YeonJoo?"
"Yes. They've been hanging out together a lot."
"Hmm."
He nodded and got up.
Chae YeonJoo and Han Seol-ah…
At first glance, they were like oil and water.
'Well, maybe that's why they became friends.'
He started to move.
* * *
Tap-
He began walking through a dark cave with a lot of humidity and sloshed through the stagnant water.
The metallic odor of blood filled the passageway.
"Cough… Cough."
He heard a weak cough.
KangWoo was wearing the red mask.
"You're a tough one, huh?"
"…"
Lucis was being restrained by the Authority of Blockade.
There were wounds all around his body, and his state was dreadful.
He glared at KangWoo with sharp eyes.
"Kill me."
"I won't."
"KILL ME!!"
"Hahaha. There's no way I'd kill you."
He smirked, spread his hand, and pulled Lucis's hair.
"Don't ask for death. Letting you live or die is my decision."
"…"
He frowned.
KangWoo turned his head and saw Balzac.
Balzac was wearing a black robe with blood all around it.
He wasn't even wearing the cute apron he liked to wear.
"He isn't giving up, huh?"
[I'm sorry, Mr. Satan.]
He bowed.
[I've used all sorts of black magic… but I haven't been able to break him.]
"Hmm."
KangWoo fell into thought.
'How unexpected.'
He wasn't expecting Lucis to be that persistent.
'How troublesome.'
He frowned.
If Lucis didn't give up, he wouldn't be able to execute his plan.
'Haha.'
Lucis began to laugh out loud.
"Kill me. I'll never surrender to you."
"Hmm…"
At first, he thought he was just bluffing, so those results were totally unexpected.
'Well, I guess there's no other choice.'
Authorities like the Subordination or Fear ones didn't work on him.
He'd even weakened him with the Authority of Blockade, but the result was the same.
It was as if Lucis was proving he really had the blood of an archduke. None of the controlling Authorities worked on him.
'What should I do?'
He sighed.
'Should I change plans?'
It wasn't impossible, but he didn't like the idea.
He felt he was about to lose against a character whose only characteristic was how much they talked.
It was an unpleasant feeling.
Tap-
"Mr. Satan, so you were here."
Lilith entered the cave, looked at Lucis, and frowned.
"That brat still hasn't broken?"
"Yeah."
"Hmph. To think that you'd inconvenience Mr. Satan…"
Lilith frowned as if she didn't like that.
She walked toward KangWoo and touched him in a sensual manner.
"You're quite tired because of that brat, right?"
"Not really…"
"In times like these, I should f… satisfy Mr. Satan's needs."
A deep smile appeared on Lilith's face.
"Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I spent the night with you. How about that?"
"Save me."
Lilith's sudden proposal…
Was it because she'd spent a lot of time going around gathering information about Lucifer and the Demon Cult? It seemed like she had quite a lot of lust stuck inside her.
"Fufufu."
Squeak- Squeak.
Her beautiful, brown hair started to turn into green tentacles.
Her face started to split, and 18 eyes appeared.
KangWoo subconsciously took a step back.
Then…
"A-ahh!!"
'Huh?'
Lucis's eyes widened.
'What?'
He looked as if he'd just seen a ghost, and his body was starting to tremble.
There was no way a demon would be scared after seeing a ghost, so he wasn't sure why Lucis had reacted like that.
'Is he also afraid of Lilith's appearance?'
He was starting to feel a bit of empathy when…
"O-oh my god… Such a beauty…"
"What?"
"Wh-why is… such a beautiful woman following a piece of trash like him?"
"What the fuck?"
He felt betrayed.
Lilith snorted while looking at Lucis.
"Hmph, it seems like you can recognize beauty even though you're just a kid."
'No.'
"Go drink some more breast milk from your mother, kid."
'What's going on?'
He felt troubled.
What he saw didn't match what Lucis was saying.
Lucis bit his lip and shouted.
"You're being deceived!"
"What do you mean?"
"A woman as beautiful as you… doesn't go well with a piece of trash like that!"
"If you call my King trash one more time, I'll tear off that mouth of yours."
"Ugh!"
Tears dripped from Lucis's eyes.
"Please, come to your senses. I… I fell in love at first sight. I want to protect you," he said in a trembling voice.
'What? Fell… in what?'
"Fufufu! You're saying some cute things."
'What…? Things are going to flow like this?'
He was so surprised that he found it difficult to close his mouth.
KangWoo grabbed his head in confusion.
At that moment, Lilith put her lips over his ears.
"Demon King, you said you've been having trouble trying to break that kid, right?"
"Y-yes…"
"Fufu. I guess there's nothing you can do about it. I, Lilith, will solve that for you."
She elegantly took a step toward Lucis.
"You fell in love at first sight?"
"Y-yes…"
"Fufufu. Now that I have taken a closer look, you look cute, so… show me how you feel."
Squeak-
Tentacles spread from Lilith's body and surrounded Lucis.
"A-ahh! H-how beautiful… Y-you…"
"Call me Lilith."
"Ah, Ms. L-Lilith… Aah!"
"Fufufu!!!"
"Ugh, E-eek!"
"…"
Thud-
KangWoo fell to the floor.
Something he couldn't believe, something he didn't want to believe, was happening in front of him.
A man who looked like he was wearing cosplay was moaning while the tentacles slithered over his body.
"Ugh."
He covered his mouth and lowered his head.
"BLAARRGGHH."
