Chapter 754: God’s Will

The capital, situated at the heart of the United Kingdom.

The area around the Royal Palace, located at the center of the capital, was lit up by the vibrant glow of the sunset.

From afar, it was a truly beautiful sight.

It seemed as though the sunset had descended to Earth, illuminating the sky as if it had been pierced.

“Hah… Hah…”

But the people who had been near the area just moments ago couldn’t appreciate such beauty; they were gasping for breath, fleeing as fast as they could.

“Hurry! Move–!”

Anyone who gave it a closer look could immediately understand why.

Like the saying goes: life from afar is a comedy, but up close it’s a tragedy. A closer look revealed why they were escaping so desperately, despite the beautiful glow of the sunset.

Bubblingrang.. Bubblingrang…

The bent steel rebar, broken bricks from collapsed buildings, fragments of cement, cars, and glass—everything that made up the city was liquefied by the sunset’s light.

Even the ground.

The scene resembled a gigantic foundry, using the city as its fuel, with the heat so intense that it could be felt even outside the city’s outer limits.

A heat not meant for humans.

A sight so terrifying and unreal that one couldn’t even believe it when seen with their own eyes.

In the midst of this surreal landscape, two figures clashed, unleashing enormous waves of lava.

“Quite the pretentious display, oh dignified one.”

***

Eyes that shone brighter than any fire,

A mouth cracked like the fissures in stone,

Skin as charred and split as blackened coal.

A ring of flame spinning above his head,

Wings like lightning made of fire and smoke.

The Burned One leapt through space, throwing a fiery punch as he spoke.

“Quite the pretentious display, oh dignified one.”

In response to the Burned One’s fiery charge, Oliver also leapt through space, striking with his quarterstaff.

“I’m sincere.”

When Oliver’s quarterstaff collided with the Burned One’s fist, a colossal wave of lava erupted.

The wave roared with an ear-splitting noise, and amidst the deafening sound, the Burned One laughed loudly with his own voice.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

When the demon’s laughter echoed, the lava wave collapsed, and the sea of molten lava flared wildly.

Rumble━━━!

Like a stormy sea, the lava waves churned wildly, splashing molten metal droplets in every direction, burning through flesh and bones.

It was as if Hell itself had risen to the surface, and in truth, it wasn’t far off.

After all, the Burned One, one of the 72 lords ruling Hell, had used his power to create this space.

“What a truly amusing joke.”

The Burned One, who had created a new Hell on Earth, shot out his blackened hand with sharp, slicing motions.

Whenever his beast-like slashes moved, the raging sea of lava twisted, creating disruptions like tectonic shifts.

The sea seemed to split into pieces, then, unable to bear the pressure, exploded, causing massive waves to erupt, flipping heaven and earth over in an instant.

Amid this cataclysmic phenomenon, Oliver stood unscathed.

Like the Burned One, he walked over the molten sea, dodging and blocking the Burned One’s strikes, maintaining balance on the churning lava.

In fact, even beyond that, he was alive and intact despite the overwhelming heat that no ordinary person, not even superhumans, could endure for a single moment.

“Calling someone’s sincerity a joke is rather impolite.”

Standing amidst the violently surging lava, Oliver blocked the Burned One’s attack, then lifted one leg and stomped forcefully into the lava.

With that step, the chaotic sea of lava erupted into a column of molten metal that shot up to the sky, creating a rainstorm that distorted everyone’s view.

Sss! Ssssss! Sss! Sssssss!!

The molten metal droplets pouring from the sky reflected light as they evaporated in the intense heat.

The light and heat twisted the view into a surreal landscape, all while the molten metal burned the earth around them, creating a nightmarish sight.

At the pinnacle of this contradiction, Oliver’s figure blurred, appearing and disappearing like a mirage.

He was using the rain of molten metal and his mastery over space to deceive the Burned One’s eyes.

The Burned One’s glowing eyes darted back and forth to follow Oliver’s movements before finally locking onto him on the left.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━!

The Burned One stretched out his left arm, and a roar even louder than a dragon’s bellow filled the air.

It was the sound of the Burned One blocking Oliver’s right hand strike.

When Oliver’s right hand collided with the Burned One’s left hand, a spherical shockwave burst outward, causing the molten rain to stop.

Kwak…!

Without needing to say a word, both immediately locked their hands together.

“Burn.”

“Burn.”

Both Oliver and the Burned One gave the command simultaneously.

As they did, flames burst forth from their arms, blackened and cracked like burnt logs, as they started burning each other.

Fwosh!

Flames consuming them both.

At first glance, it seemed like ordinary fire, but as the two flames collided, the surrounding lava began to bubble restlessly and slowly evaporated.

Fire so intense that it even consumed and evaporated the molten lava itself.

However, the balance of power soon shifted.

“Do you think you can defeat me with the flame I gave you?”

“Of course not.”

Oliver, whose flame and strength were gradually being overwhelmed, clenched his left fist as he responded.

From the beginning, his right hand had been a decoy. Oliver intended to attack again with his left fist.

But the problem was, the Burned One also had a hand left.

As if anticipating it, the Burned One also clenched his free hand.

In the brief, tense moment as they retracted their fists, the Burned One spoke leisurely, as if distorting time itself.

“This reminds me of the past. I landed a good hit back then too.”

“I remember. I was knocked flat with one punch.”

Recalling the memory of the abandoned mine in the New Continent where he had been knocked down, Oliver added.

“That’s why I prepared for this… Now, pierce!”

At Oliver’s command, a quarterstaff came flying from thin air at lightning speed, slamming into the Burned One’s right shoulder.

Crunch–!

It didn’t pierce through the Burned One’s shoulder as Oliver had hoped, but it did at least stop the Burned One’s movements for a brief moment.

A fleeting opening.

Without missing that opportunity, Oliver threw a left-hand punch with all his might, landing it square on the Burned One’s abdomen.

“Fly!”

────────────────!

As Oliver’s fist hit the Burned One’s stomach, a sound too faint for human ears was heard, and the Burned One was sent flying backward.

In the opposite direction of the way the people had fled.

Riding that momentum, Oliver drew his emotions into the quarterstaff and immediately hurled it at the Burned One.

[Black Javelin]

“Pierce.”

With Oliver’s dark magic and power combined, the quarterstaff soared through space, appearing right in front of the Burned One.

Yet surprisingly, it didn’t pierce through.

Even while flying through the air, the Burned One reached out and caught the quarterstaff aimed at him.

The spear created from Oliver’s emotions, capable of opening the gates of Hell, and fused with his power as the Prince of Hell.

Seeing this, Oliver stretched out his hand and commanded.

[Targeting]

A dartboard-like mark appeared on both Oliver’s hand and the quarterstaff.

Oliver unleashed the full force of the targeting skill, intensifying the pull between him and the quarterstaff.

[Thunder Shift]

Thunder Shift. The essence of the Mjolnir Faction—a technique that turns a caster’s body into lightning.

Oliver’s body blurred for an instant, then disintegrated, transforming into pure lightning.

In that state, Oliver merged with the pull of the targeting, flying toward the quarterstaff.

“Shatter.”

Oliver stomped down on the Burned One’s abdomen as he held onto the quarterstaff.

Boom──────!

A thunderous shockwave that reached the heavens.

Oliver glanced at the Burned One.

Although the Burned One’s abdomen hadn’t shattered as Oliver had commanded, the added impact sent him flying even further backward.

[Sealing Spell]

“Freeze.”

Not giving the Burned One a moment of reprieve as he tumbled through the air, Oliver instantly activated his next spell.

Ice, fused with Oliver’s emotions and magic, clung to the Burned One’s body, growing and spreading like barnacles, feeding on the Burned One’s power.

Sssssss······!!

The ice stuck to the Burned One’s body, cooling its intense heat and emitting steam.

Within that steam, Oliver relentlessly moved his empowered fists and feet, striking at the Burned One.

“Shatter.”

Oliver’s fist landed squarely on the Burned One’s jaw.

“Break.”

Oliver’s elbow struck the Burned One’s neck.

“Fracture.”

Oliver’s leg smashed into the Burned One’s knee.

“Pierce.”

Oliver’s knee drove into the Burned One’s stomach.

“Fly.”

Once again, Oliver’s left fist smashed into the Burned One’s abdomen.

────────────────!

But this time, the Burned One didn’t budge.

His blazing wings flapped with lightning-like intensity, resisting Oliver’s blows.

As the deafening sound of the sky cracking echoed, the Burned One smiled.

“You’re fierce.”

“That’s because you called sincerity a joke. You should apologize.”

Oliver brought up the earlier conversation again, even making a joke out of it.

And with that, he threw another empowered punch at the Burned One.

“I refuse.”

The Burned One blocked Oliver’s fist. Not only that, he countered with his own punch.

Barely dodging, Oliver delivered a sharp strike to the Burned One’s arm with his elbow.

“Shatter.”

Shockingly, the spot where Oliver hit cracked open.

The ice shards clinging to the Burned One’s skin had weakened it enough for Oliver’s elbow to make a small crack in the demon’s body.

Having confirmed his attack’s success with his own eyes, Oliver unleashed another flurry of attacks, utilizing his fists, elbows, knees, legs, and quarterstaff. The Burned One, similarly, retaliated fiercely.

The shockwaves of their battle ripped through space as they exchanged blows relentlessly, dashing between the devastated earth and the crumbling ruins around them.

The landscape distorted, evaporated, melted, and shattered.

Amidst this chaotic battle, the Burned One asked.

“Are you alright, dignified one?”

“It’s you who’s falling apart.”

Oliver, who was focusing on battering the ice-covered areas, retorted.

Although it was bit by bit, the parts of the Burned One’s body covered in ice were gradually breaking apart.

Under the force of Oliver’s fists.

In contrast, Oliver appeared perfectly fine.

“Restoring your body with such power must be exhausting for you.”

The Burned One had seen through Oliver’s secret.

Indeed, as he said, Oliver had been using his power continuously to forcibly heal his body.

Even now.

Even though Oliver had completely destroyed the Pied Piper in an instant, he was still being worn down by the Burned One’s heat.

Each time his body clashed with the Burned One’s molten form, a portion of Oliver’s body was eroded bit by bit.

‘So, he noticed after all.’

Oliver thought. In truth, he had expected that it would be discovered sooner or later.

Even if he was the Prince of Hell, the Burned One was one of the Lords ruling Hell itself.

It wasn’t as if Oliver had held much hope of fooling him.

But, admitting it outright was a different matter, so Oliver kept attacking even more fiercely.

“…Ack!”

As Oliver exchanged blows with the Burned One, he suddenly coughed.

Correction. It wasn’t just a cough. It was blood.

“A side effect of overusing your power.”

Pausing his attack, the Burned One commented.

It was unclear why he’d stopped his aggression, but Oliver retreated.

“Even though you are His son, you’re still half-human. You’ve been too reckless.”

The Burned One spoke aloud.

Perhaps because of the demon’s voice, Oliver felt a simultaneous ache deep inside his body, a side effect of overusing his power.

Drip······!

Along with the pain, Oliver’s body began bleeding again. Not just from his mouth, but from his eyes and nose as well.

Because of this, his vision was tinged red, his nose filled with the metallic scent of blood, and the taste of sticky blood coated his mouth.

It felt like he was sinking into a pool of blood. Oliver staggered, and seeing this, the Burned One asked.

“Are you still alright?”

“…No problem.”

“You really don’t need to keep pretending, especially when no one’s watching anymore.”

The Burned One was being sincere.

Like many of the other Lords of Hell, the Burned One had been watching Oliver for quite some time.

He had witnessed his birth into the highest echelon, only to grow up in the lowest of places.

Through that contradictory journey, the noble-born Oliver had lost his confidence, his self-esteem, and even his self-love.

As a result, despite being more blessed than anyone else in terms of talent, Oliver had become someone who couldn’t feel assured or confident in himself. It was pitiful, even.

Yet now, this same Oliver claimed he would defeat him? It had to be bluffing.

The Burned One could understand the reason behind such a reckless bluff, but still…

As Oliver’s quiet breathing faintly echoed around them, he opened his mouth.

“What makes you think I’m pretending? Are you that confident in your own strength?”

“Because my being here is God’s will. Dignified one. You must realize by now, without God’s permission, none of this would have happened—not even a demon’s descent into this world or the end of days.”

It was a fact.

For a demon to descend into the mortal realm, a human had to call, and the demon had to answer. But before that, God’s permission was required.

Without it, no amount of summoning by humans, nor willingness on the part of the demon, would matter.

In other words, this entire event had been sanctioned by God.

“I don’t believe that.”

Oliver spoke with certainty.

“And what proof do you have of that?”

“Because I’m still standing here.”

The Burned One hesitated at Oliver’s response.

For Oliver to claim he was here because of God’s will? That was an incredibly arrogant statement, even for a demon.

While the Burned One had only barely managed to say such words after fulfilling some very specific conditions for his descent, Oliver had just casually stated it.

And yet, he could not rebuke it. After all, Oliver was the Son of God.

God’s first and most beloved son, so remarkably exceptional that he had left His side and descended into Hell to rule as its King.

Power dynamics aside, as God’s son, Oliver may very well have the right to make such a statement.

“So, is your silence a sign of agreement?”

Oliver joked again.

“Who knows? I suppose I should verify it for myself—whether it’s hubris or truth.”

The Burned One’s tone grew ominous.

Oliver could feel the overwhelming energy from the Burned One surge once more.

The molten lava the Burned One had deliberately kept at bay now surged forward as a massive tidal wave.

The molten wave, as beautiful and terrible as a sunset, carrying ferocious heat, overtook the sky, crashing down toward Oliver.

With trembling hands from the side effects of his overused power, Oliver tightened his grip on his quarterstaff and swung it upward with difficulty.

“Cleave.”

Shhhk!

The massive tidal wave, created with the Burned One’s power, split into two, crashing down and forming a violent vortex of molten lava.

“Stop this.”

As Oliver turned around to block the tidal wave, the Burned One’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

It was close.

The Burned One had dived back into the sea of lava, shaking off the ice that had clung to his body and was now aiming a burning fist at Oliver.

The Burned One’s lava-infused fist shone as if it would incinerate everything in its path.

“Kneel.”

Oliver activated his power to target the Burned One directly.

An invisible, giant hand seemed to press downward, an immense force causing the Burned One to hesitate.

The Burned One’s knee and head appeared to bend ever so slightly, but then…

Fwooom─────!

The pressure holding him down evaporated in a burst of flame.

The Burned One regained his physical freedom.

“Pierce.”

Oliver shortened his grip on his quarterstaff with one hand and thrust it into the Burned One’s abdomen.

Thanks to his relentless focus on attacking the Burned One’s abdomen since the beginning, the strike finally had an effect.

However, just as Oliver prepared to follow up his attack…

“Let’s see if you can withstand this too.”

Zzzzzziiiiiiiiiiing──────!!

The flaming ring atop the Burned One’s head spun rapidly as the cracks in his body filled with fire, releasing an intense wave of heat.

The sheer heat was such that it seemed like it would burn and evaporate anything nearby.

To prove this, the lava around him bubbled up like boiling oil, evaporating once again, while Oliver’s own flesh was scorched.

His battered, broken shell of a body barely held together.

Up until now, the Burned One had been holding back. Just like in the New Continent.

“Things haven’t changed much-”

-Thwack!

The sound of something wet and squishy being pierced echoed out.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Again and again.

Oliver, having drawn his dagger from his waist, stabbed the Burned One’s side repeatedly, each wound connecting to form a massive gash.

Grabbing both the quarterstaff and dagger embedded in the Burned One’s stomach, Oliver pulled them together, tearing a chunk of flesh from the demon’s side.

“Not much… What did you say again?”