[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 407

Beelzebub.

One of the Five Named.

‘So that’s a Named?’

Harneon, seemingly meeting Beelzebub for the first time, studied him with curious eyes.

‘Yeah. That’s Beelzebub.’

Beelzebub.

Before his regression, Jeong-hoon had memorized the faces of all the Named, including Beelzebub.

That face remained vividly etched in his memory.

But he had never imagined Beelzebub would already be here in the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm.

‘I was planning to coax Baal over… shame.’

At the very least, Baal could have been used as a pawn in a diversion strategy.

But the fact that Beelzebub was here meant he had already executed Baal.

It wasn’t surprising—this was a Demon Realm that had once been under Escanon’s command.

Baal had already betrayed once before, siding with Jeong-hoon.

“The problem is whether I can face him head-on.”

This was Jeong-hoon’s first time standing against a Named.

He lifted his head.

‘At least I’ve managed to secure some control over the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm.’

Upon entering, he had unleashed his spiritual energy without restraint to wrest control of this place.

And judging from the fact that no other Named had shown themselves despite Beelzebub’s presence, it seemed he had succeeded in severing the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm from the rest of the Demon Realms.

But the real problem was Beelzebub himself.

He had no expectation of cutting him down with simple physical attacks.

These were beings born at the dawn of creation, and even after their fall, they had carved out their own realms, destroying dimensions at will.

Even if he had ascended to Demigodhood, gathered the Seven Heavenly Lines, and claimed the Holy Sword, there was still bound to be a gap between him and a Named.

So the only option left to him was—

‘Endure. As long as possible.’

At least until the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm was fully taken.

If he succeeded in completely subjugating it, then all the Archangels would be able to intervene.

And with their aid, even Beelzebub could be brought down.

Jeong-hoon launched himself forward, stepping onto the Heavenly Demon Lord’s Dominion.

‘The Holy Sword doesn’t have a sword art of its own!’

The sword arts Jeong-hoon had mastered could not be activated while wielding the Holy Sword.

The Holy Sword had only one role—

to cut down Evil.

And only its master could designate what that Evil was.

Vwooom—

Jeong-hoon swung the Holy Sword in a great diagonal arc, from overhead to low.

As befitted one who had ascended to Demigodhood, his speed defied comprehension.

He moved with such overwhelming force that even Mukho, Anima, and Harneon could not track him.

But to Beelzebub’s eyes, it was so slow it nearly made him yawn.

Tiiing—!

With a casual flick of his middle finger, Beelzebub knocked the Holy Sword aside.

He had expected resistance—but with just a single finger? Discover more novels at novel⟡fire.net

The sheer disparity in strength was such that Jeong-hoon nearly lost his balance in that instant.

“Oh? So it wasn’t all just bluffing?”

Beelzebub let out a faint sound of admiration.

When the human had first declared he would kill him, Beelzebub had thought he was just a fool who didn’t know his place.

But it wasn’t just that he had claimed the Holy Sword—he had something else as well.

Otherwise, when Beelzebub had attempted to drain his life force the moment he flicked the sword away, the absorption should have succeeded.

Instead, all that had happened was the recoil sending him back.

The life force absorption had failed.

That meant this human possessed something capable of neutralizing his ability.

“I never said I’d be the one to kill you with my own hands.”

Jeong-hoon smirked as he pointed toward the sky.

High above, a small gate shimmered faintly.

Beelzebub’s face stiffened at the sight.

“Heaven.”

“Correct.”

“So that’s what you’re counting on? Puhuhuhu!”

Beelzebub suddenly burst out laughing.

“Why? Still got some hidden card to play?”

A hint of caution flickered across Jeong-hoon’s face.

“Don’t tell me you really thought you could seize control of the Demon Realm I created? And if you did, your plan must have been to let the Archangels step in afterward and drag me away, right?”

Bullseye.

He wasn’t dealing with an ordinary opponent.

“And if that’s true?” Jeong-hoon prodded, deliberately testing him.

“Puhuhu! Did you really think I would have created it so carelessly?”

“……”

“It won’t go the way you want.”

“And why not?”

“Why not? Haven’t you noticed even now—you can’t completely subjugate it?”

As Beelzebub said, no matter how much spiritual energy he unleashed, Jeong-hoon could not fully seize control of the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm.

Only then did Jeong-hoon’s expression harden, and he instinctively put distance between them.

“Kuhuhu… Didn’t you say you’d kill me? Well then, go ahead. Try.”

Beelzebub spread his arms wide, watching Jeong-hoon with amused eyes.

The humiliation of being so underestimated burned inside him, and Jeong-hoon steadied his stance before surging forward.

“Hup!”

In an instant, he closed the distance, thrusting the Holy Sword straight ahead.

Ting—!

The blade’s tip struck squarely against Beelzebub’s left chest.

But instead of piercing through, it merely bounced off his skin.

“With such a flimsy attack, how do you expect to kill me?”

Beelzebub scoffed, amused, before throwing a punch.

“Guhh—!”

Jeong-hoon’s body folded in half, and he was sent flying, suspended in the air for a long stretch before crashing back.

Even after ascending to Demigodhood, Jeong-hoon hadn’t been able to react to the sheer speed of Beelzebub’s strike.

‘Master!’

‘If you lose consciousness, it’s over!’

At Mukho and Anima’s urgent cries, Jeong-hoon quickly activated Divine Healing.

Fortunately, the skill worked, and his body returned to normal in an instant.

‘Hah… What kind of monster is that…’

Harniôn had just realized it from Beelzebub’s attack.

No matter that Jeong-hoon had shed his human shell—before Beelzebub, he was nothing more than a newborn pup.

“That’s exactly why we have to take him down here.”

Jeong-hoon rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

If he let that monster slip away now, every battle afterward would only tilt further against him.

Thankfully, Beelzebub was underestimating him.

Had he wished, he could have ended it before Jeong-hoon even had the chance to use Divine Healing, but instead he merely watched, as though daring him to try again.

‘There has to be a reason for that.’

‘I think the same. After Master provoked him like that, there’s no way he’d just let it slide.’

Jeong-hoon agreed with the two.

Then why was Beelzebub holding back?

‘Could it be… because I tried to seize the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm?’

As Beelzebub had said, Jeong-hoon couldn’t fully take control of it.

But he had succeeded in severing it from the rest of the Demon Realm.

That was why Beelzebub couldn’t return, and why the other Named couldn’t join him.

It wasn’t an impossible assumption.

‘Then why is he just leaving the power of the Virtues alone?’

Harniôn turned his gaze from Beelzebub to Jeong-hoon, voicing his doubt.

“I don’t know how to use them.”

‘You don’t?’

“Yeah. Do you know something I don’t?”

‘…If I did, I’d have told you already.’

“Useless as always.”

‘What?! Then at least grant me ascension!’

The Virtues…

Jeong-hoon placed a hand over his chest.

The Seven Virtues etched into his soul.

Even the Archangels themselves knew nothing of their true power.

Because no one had ever succeeded in opening all the Virtue Chests before.

‘Hey! Are you even listening to me?!’

Harniôn circled around Jeong-hoon, squawking at the top of his lungs.

‘Shut it! Master’s thinking right now!’

‘Fool! And this is the one strutting around as the wielder of the Holy Sword?’

Mukho and Anima grabbed Harniôn by both arms and dragged him back from Jeong-hoon.

Being in spirit form, they could restrain him.

‘Let me go, you lizards! And did you just say I was strutting? You dare to judge me?!’

‘Lizard? Ha! Says the hypocrite. Look at this piece of trash.’

Even as Harnion and Anima bickered and squabbled, Jeong-hoon never stopped thinking.

‘If it’s the Virtues… could I use them to deal with Beelzebub?’

The problem was that he didn’t know how to wield their power.

“Not coming? Then I guess I’ll just have to go to you.”

Beelzebub yawned in boredom, then in an instant appeared right before Jeong-hoon.

A heavy impact struck his side, his vision spun, and his body was hurled far across the ground until it slammed into a withered, demon-corrupted tree.

The blow drove his waist straight into the trunk, and Jeong-hoon crumpled to the ground with a pained groan.

“Urgh…”

[‘Divine Healing’ activated.]

He poured holy power into himself without hesitation, quickly restoring his body.

Beelzebub sighed at the sight.

“Haa… I’d really like to finish you off quickly.”

At those muttered words, Jeong-hoon’s eyes lit up.

‘Don’t tell me…’

If he was right, then Beelzebub wasn’t sparing him—he simply couldn’t suppress him.

Jeong-hoon rose to his feet and spread his arms wide.

“What are you trying to pull now?”

Beelzebub’s gaze instantly turned icy.

It was the exact same gesture he himself had made just moments ago.

“If you can erase me, go ahead and try. What’s wrong? Can’t do it?”

“You wretched little pest!”

“Virtues.”

At that word, Beelzebub’s body gave an involuntary shudder.

“What…?”

“Exactly. One of the Virtues I hold seems to neutralize your power.”

“Tch… So the High Heaven has staked everything on some mere creature. They must be getting pretty desperate.”

“Is this really the time for you to act smug?”

“What?”

“I told you—I can neutralize your ability. That means I can also seize this Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm completely, doesn’t it?”

“…!”

Only then did Beelzebub realize, and he lunged at Jeong-hoon. But it was already too late.

The moment Jeong-hoon invoked the Virtues, he succeeded in taking full control of the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm.

The gate writhing in the heavens expanded to an immeasurable size, and through it poured the Archangels and their hosts of angels.

“Goodbye.”

Jeong-hoon smiled faintly and waved at Beelzebub.

“Damn it!”

It seemed he had never considered the Virtues. In a panic, Beelzebub tried to unleash his powers.

But with Jeong-hoon—holder of the Virtues—now in control of the Ninety-Sixth Demon Realm, none of his abilities would manifest.

“You’re not the only one who can build a domain, after all.”

“Ghhk…”

Beelzebub could no longer move.

For standing before him, sword leveled, was Michael.

“Traitor. I hereby take you into custody.”

Beelzebub glared at Jeong-hoon, silently mouthing words.

‘Don’t think this will end so easily.’

* * *

Beelzebub was dragged away to the Divine Realm by the Archangels.

“Thank you. Without you, we would never have captured Beelzebub.”

Michael, having completed the task, offered Jeong-hoon a respectful nod of gratitude.

“Yes.”

Jeong-hoon returned the nod, though he couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease.

Beelzebub had mouthed those words—declaring it wasn’t over—yet he had gone along quietly, without resistance.

That had to mean he was hiding something.

“I know what troubles you. But there’s no need to worry too much. Once he’s inside the Divine Realm, there’s no way he can escape.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Still.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on Beelzebub.

‘Even handling just one of them was overwhelming.’

If he opened the gates to the Demon Realm now and waged an all-out war, the disparity in raw power would be far too great.

And it wasn’t as though he could realistically seize control of such a vast Demon Realm either.

“Take this.”

Michael then handed him a slip of paper.

On it, a set of numbers was written.

“What’s this?”

“Coordinates.”

“Coordinates?”

“Where Tenebris is.”

“I see.”

“Now that Beelzebub has been captured, perhaps it’s time to release the seal.”

Because he had regressed, Tenebris too had returned in his sealed state.

After wandering sealed away for so long, surely he would want to reclaim his freedom as soon as possible.

“I’ll see it done.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

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