"The Demon of Prophecy…?"
"…"
Gaia and Kim ShiHoon's expressions understandably darkened.
The Demon of Prophecy… the owner of the Sea of Demonic Energy who had 666 Authorities.
It was the being who had destroyed the Gaia System and allowed foreign beings to invade Earth.
He'd killed a Guardian and had assassinated a hero called Reinald.
He was the Root of Evil… Satan.
Since they were hearing about him from someone of another world, they couldn't help but be surprised.
"Ah, is there anything you know about the Demon of Prophecy?!"
Kim ShiHoon grabbed Ludwig's shoulders while making an excited expression.
Ludwig nodded and made a heavy expression.
"Mr. Raphael said that he didn't know about the Demon of Prophecy before talking with the gods from Earth. I heard what that being did… and it was truly horrifying."
He shook his head as if he didn't want to think of that.
"I heard he also killed the apostle of Hero God Tyrion."
"Ah…"
Reinald…
The group let out an exclamation after hearing that name.
KangWoo, who had cried when Reinald died, frowned.
"Are you going to help us find Satan?" Kim ShiHoon, who had a deep trauma regarding that demon, asked in an excited voice.
Ludwig nodded.
"Yes. Ah, before that… Mr. Raphael said there's a chance Satan isn't the Demon of Prophecy."
"He did?"
"Wh-what does that mean?!"
Gaia's, Kim ShiHoon, and KangWoo's expressions hardened after hearing those shocking words.
KangWoo's expression paled.
Ludwig kept talking.
"Mr. Raphael said that the Satan he knew didn't have the Sea of Demonic Energy. In the worst-case scenario, there's a chance Satan is his underling…"
"There's no chance."
KangWoo opened his mouth.
"Why do you think that? We clashed against Satan once in the past. At that time, he said with his own mouth that he had obtained the Sea of Demonic Energy. There's no doubt Satan is the Demon of Prophecy."
Ludwig nodded.
"I see. If Satan himself said he has the Sea of Demonic Energy… Then he's definitely the Demon of Prophecy."
"…"
There was a short silence.
KangWoo opened his mouth.
"How are you planning to find the Demon of Prophecy?"
"This."
Ludwig spread his hands, light gathered around them, and a white sword appeared.
"It's the Holy Sword, Ludwig."
"Ludwig…?"
"Yes."
Ludwig nodded.
He turned his head and smiled toward Gaia.
"Just like her, I've abandoned my real name. This sword is my life and reason for existing."
Ludwig touched the white sword.
"This sword can only be used by a pure soul that hasn't been tainted by evil. It has a great ability to find evil. Using this word, we're going to be able to find the exact location of the Sea of Demonic Energy."
He touched the sword very proudly.
Kim ShiHoon took a step forward.
"Then let's use it…"
"No. I'm sorry, but we cannot use it immediately."
Ludwig shook his head while making a bitter expression.
"It seems like the sword still hasn't gotten used to this world. The Holy Sword can't maintain its light."
"When will you be able to use it?"
"In about a week? After that, I think it will be possible to use it," Ludwig said with a smile on his face.
"Why don't you tell me about Earth in the meantime? I'm ashamed to say this… but, to be honest, I'm very interested in this world."
Ludwig's eyes shone.
A smile appeared on Gaia and Kim ShiHoon's faces after seeing how pure he looked.
"Hahaha. I'll guide you,” Kim ShiHoon said.
The two walked toward the gate that led to the Hall of Protection, and the four Light Watchers followed them.
* * *
"I had a good time sightseeing. Earth's civilization… Haha. It's hard to find the correct words to express my opinion. It was impressive."
Ludwig smiled.
Tall buildings that reached the sky and a city covered in gray…
It was a civilization so advanced that the capital of the Arnan Empire seemed almost barbaric in comparison.
"Next, I'm going to present to you the foods of Earth."
"I'll be waiting. We’ll return to the grassland after that."
"Are you talking about Africa?"
"Yes. We have to find Lucifer's trail there."
He nodded without hesitation.
Gaia opened her mouth.
"It's already late today. How about you sleep in the Hall of Protection and keep working tomorrow?"
"No, we can't take a break while we're in the middle of the important task of getting rid of evil."
"Can't we help you with something?"
"Don't worry," he said in a firm voice.
Gaia's expression hardened at his sharp voice that cut like a knife’s edge, but she soon regained her smile.
"Understood. Since you say it like that, there's nothing to be done. We're going to give you a communication crystal, so please contact us if you need anything."
"Thank you."
Everyone was about to go their own way.
Kim ShiHoon took a step forward and gave Ludwig a small pendant—it was a cross that an angel was hugging.
"This…"
"You were looking at it closely, so I bought it in secret. It's a gift to commemorate your visit to Earth."
"Woah."
Ludwig let out an exclamation.
"Thank you! I thought it was a pretty pendant, but to think you would gift it to me…"
"It's nothing."
"No. At least, for me, it means a lot. Thank you, Mr. ShiHoon."
The two men shook hands.
Gaia smiled after seeing that, although they'd just met, they got along very well.
It seemed like they could become friends. After all, Kim ShiHoon had very few people he could call his friend.
"I'll contact you when we find traces of Lucifer."
Ludwig bowed respectfully.
A white gate opened, and the four Light Watchers entered.
They saw the grassland they first looked at after arriving on Earth.
Ludwig opened his mouth.
"They were very nice people."
"Yes. I'm thankful that Gaia's apostles are quite collaborative."
"Hahaha. They also seemed quite strong."
Ludwig smiled.
"It seems like we're going to be able to use them in our fight against demons."
"Ah… I… I see…"
The apostles seemed flustered.
Ludwig nodded.
"Yes! At first, I was worried we wouldn't even be able to use them as bait, but they were better than expected."
"Hmm."
"M-Mr. Ludwig."
"Yes?"
One Apostle carefully began speaking.
"W-won't it be a problem if we use Gaia's Apostles in such a way? Gaia is still a higher god…"
"Ah, the word ‘use’ seems wrong."
Ludwig smiled and touched the pendant he'd received from Kim ShiHoon.
"Sacrifice… Yes, it's a sacrifice. To get rid of all the evil that exists in this world, we need sacrifices."
"…"
"The Guardian members will probably feel proud to lose their lives while fighting against demons. Yes, they definitely will."
"I… I see."
"Everyone, don't forget this…" Ludwig said in a firm voice to the other apostles, "To destroy evil, we must use any possible means and methods—even if the lives of many have to be sacrificed… Yes, even if the Earth is destroyed, we must eliminate the Demon of Prophecy, Satan, no matter what. Everyone knows that, right?"
"O-of course!"
The Demon of Prophecy, Satan. The demon a god had predicted wasn’t a danger to only the Earth.
Raphael said that, after destroying Earth, there was a high chance that the next target would be the angels on Ernor.
'I cannot let that happen.'
To make him less worried, they had to eliminate the Demon of Prophecy at all costs—even if he had to push Gaia's underlings into a corner.
"Hahaha! I'm glad. Don't worry, the souls sacrificed to eliminate evil will be looked after by the Heavens."
A smile appeared on Ludwig's face.
His beautiful, blue eyes—which resembled the sea—sparkled with madness.
The apostles trembled while looking at Ludwig and remembered his nickname.
Pure White Executioner, Ludwig…
* * *
'FUUCCKK!'
Curses that couldn't leave his mouth bounced around in his head, which felt like it was about to burn up.
KangWoo was grabbing his head while sitting in a dark room.
'Damn it.'
He anxiously bit his lips.
'To think they'd have a way to find the Sea of Demonic Energy.'
He still wasn't sure if the holy sword had a way to see through Ruler of Demonic Energy.
Of course, there was a chance that its capabilities of detecting demonic energy were good, and that if he used the Ruler of Demonic Energy and hid its traces, Ludwig wouldn't be able to detect it.
'But…'
KangWoo's eyes shone.
There was a chance he could be found out, so he couldn't stand still.
'I must do something.'
He had a week before the holy sword was used, and he had to do something before that.
"…"
He remained silent and began thinking about different possibilities.
'Should I transform into Satan and ambush them?'
That seemed like a good idea. It was what he had done to attack the vault and how he had killed Reinald.
'I can't keep doing that.'
Even a lizard's tail could be caught if it was too long.
If he kept doing things the same way, then there was a chance someone would notice something was off.
Basically, they could suspect that the timing in which Satan appeared was too good.
'It isn't good.'
If he kept using the same strategy, there was a chance people would suspect him.
Ludwig had said there was a chance Satan wasn't the Demon of Prophecy, so he couldn't use the same strategy.
"Then…"
He kept thinking and remembered something Ludwig had said.
- This sword is one that can only be used by a pure soul that hasn't been tainted by any evil at all.
KangWoo's eyes shone.
'Yes, there was that way!!'
The tips of his mouth went up.
If only a pure soul could use that sword…
'I just have to make him fall!'
Pure white was the easiest thing to stain, after all.
