Masquerade (3)
“Ugh… If this keeps up, I don’t think I’ll be able to die without being expelled….”
Ken, crawling out from the rubble of the broken wall with his body completely bruised, let out a deep sigh.
The endless strength that had already filled my entire body had disappeared without a trace.
‘If you try too hard, you might be able to hold out a little longer.’
There was no need to resort to unnecessary abuse when the body was rapidly deteriorating over time.
Now there is no reason to go that far.
“Whew, but are they really part of the Masquerade?”
His gaze, which was shaking off the dust from his body, turned to the center of the storm that was breaking out in the distance.
Four figures suddenly burst into the space, tearing it apart.
Those people, with their unique clothing that lacked even a shred of unity, were definitely the support group.
My employer sent me this while telling me to just hold on a little longer!
“But… I didn’t know that the support force would be at that level.”
The number itself was not that large.
But when you look at the level, you can see how absurd it is to have that much power gathered in one place.
‘Just like the executioner, there are three opponents I can’t properly gauge… and another one is stronger than me.’
All those monsters are affiliated with one organization and moving together.
What on earth does this secret organization called the Masquerade do?
To be honest, I was confident I could accept that they were secretly plotting world domination.
Wouldn’t the employer who summoned and commanded you from the Demon World right now be someone with the ability to look up information from all over the world while sitting in his seat?
Ken, who had somehow become a new member of the organization against his will, couldn’t help but feel nervous.
‘And a saint? Surely he’s not the saint of Auterica that I know…?’
Is it because I am a devil?
It was inevitable that the being that scattered thick divine power with a splendid halo would be more worrisome than others, including the masked vampire.
Surely he wouldn’t point a knife at himself to purify himself just because he’s on the same side.
“Hahahaha! Don’t leave any leftovers and eat them all up!”
At that moment, a loud laughter coming from the scene where the momentum was at its peak rang in his ears.
A shock wave followed by a loud explosion.
Ken frowned as he twisted his body to relieve it.
‘···That laughter, there’s something very familiar about it.’
It wasn’t just laughter.
The only difference was the voice, but the way they spoke was so friendly that it felt awkward.
So much so that he was reminded of his three-headed friend who had gone on a life-threatening adventure with him just a short while ago.
‘···Is it because of my mood?’
Ken, who had been staring blankly at the muscular, burly man who had suddenly thrown a punch, nodded slightly.
Yeah, it must be because of my mood.
There’s no way that cute puppy with fluffy fur could be such a hideous savage.
Ken, who had been living in the Demon World for about twenty years and had become completely absorbed in the demonic sensibilities, turned his gaze.
Suddenly, I received a large loaf of bread as a gift.
To where the demon that had been fighting him just a moment ago was.
***
Four avatars dispatched under the name Masquerade.
There was a reason for sending such excessive power.
From the beginning, this place was a stage that the Bancheonhoe had prepared as a trap.
Rather than sending the right amount of power to the wrong place and ruining the job with the desperate measure they came up with, I decided it was better to just use all my power to make it useless no matter what I did.
‘There are also some guys who are already active on Earth to some extent and whose existence has been revealed to some extent.’
Now that a suitable position has been prepared, it is necessary to show off our power to some extent.
Doing so will also help you fully absorb the ‘Burning Torch’.
‘···Now that we’ve lost our leader and are almost in disarray, it’s become a bit of a burden.’
Still, it’s better than nothing.
In order to continue global activities against the Pancheonhoe, the existence of a force was essential.
There are a considerable number of members in the organization, and even some Transcendent beings are included, so if we just gather them together, we’ll probably be able to use them somehow.
“Hmm?”
One of the avatars sent that way.
Harley, a model mercenary who intervenes wherever trouble arises, and a demon hunter who has already faced demons several times, tilted his head.
The individual’s disposition is also like that, and there is a suitable excuse, so it is good to strike first without hesitation···.
[Huh, that’s really tough. No, this isn’t just that? What the hell are you? Are you even a living thing in the first place?]
Why do they have finger-sized holes in their shoulders?
If I hadn’t turned my body following my instincts, I would have had a hole in my heart instead of my shoulder.
Of course, this level of injury was nothing to Harley, but the problem was that even after being directly hit, she didn’t properly understand when and how the attack came.
“Oh, this is the first time something like this has happened. Not only did you fool my senses and evade, but you even counterattacked?”
[That’s what I’m saying. How could you avoid a fatal wound at that moment and only get hurt that much? Indeed, you’re really great!]
“Huh? Fatal wound? Wound?”
Harley, who had been raising her senses to the extreme by activating “Biological Aura”, “Two King’s Seal”, and even “Magic Emperor’s Heart (改)” at her opponent’s words, blinked.
Of course, the hole that had already been carved into his shoulder was gone without a trace.
[······? What the? You regenerated the wounds I received from your attack so quickly?]
Even the flowing blood was completely absorbed, leaving not a single trace behind.
Even the executioner could not help but be bewildered by the sight.
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Of course, among the prey I’ve dealt with so far, those without regenerative powers were actually rarer.
Among them, there were even monsters that could instantly revert to their original state even if only a tiny bit of flesh remained. That says it all.
‘But even those guys were helpless against my attacks.’
It was the same even if he couldn’t crush an opponent of the same level with his ‘strength’.
Because that was the privilege he had acquired by ascending to the position of Great Demon in the other world, which allowed him to challenge the immortal being, the Divine Seat.
And yet, it is said that he is still fine…
“Oh, that’s all I can do to make my stomach hurt. This thing has the worst fuel economy. If I continue like this, I’ll end up losing muscle mass, which will be a problem.”
The corners of the executioner’s mouth twitched at the sound of his opponent’s grumbling voice.
At the same time, fighting spirit slowly began to creep up on my bewildered heart.
A fiery energy rose from his entire body and began to consume all directions in an instant.
[Hehehe… Yeah, that’s about right. Good, very good!]
This was exactly the fight he had hoped for in the first place.
A fierce battle where life, soul, and beliefs collide, using all the power at their disposal.
He usually refrained from using his unique skills as much as possible and mainly utilized only the power he had accumulated as a demon.
It was used as a warning and mockery to the enemy who had just launched a surprise attack, but it was not used with the intention of seriously risking one’s life.
The reason was simple.
[Poohaha! Okay, then I don’t have to worry about it ending in a petty way!]
Until now, no one other than the Heavenly Sword Master was able to deal with him while using his unique skills.
Rather, he was delighted at the fact that an opponent he could use all his abilities against had appeared.
The next moment.
The executioner’s figure, bursting into laughter with a volcanic energy, disappeared.
And at the same time.
“Huh?”
Phew—
Harley’s chest split open as she reflexively twisted her body, and blood spurted out.
As the “ultimate evolved life form”, four deep scars are carved onto its body, which would not be damaged even in the hypocenter of a nuclear bomb.
It didn’t end there.
Crunch— crunch! Crunch!
The hardened skin is cut away by the destructive energy that burns like a flame.
Tough muscles were torn by a grip that distorted even space.
My finger got cut off by something sharp, and my wrist snapped before I could even regenerate it.
[Oh? Up to this point? Then how about this! Try avoiding this too. Okay, okay!]
“Ugh! This guy, am I the only one who’s excited about this?”
Even as all of those things passed by like a storm, Harley couldn’t even dodge the attacks properly, let alone counterattack…
Still, there were some harvests.
By repeatedly rolling over and getting hit with my body while keeping my senses as high as possible, I was finally able to clearly understand what I was getting hit with.
‘No way.’
Of course, that was also thanks to the other avatars who were able to observe the situation from a third-party perspective.
Heinz II’s eyebrows twitched as he used “Insight” to analyze the causal distortions occurring around him.
The same was true for Harris, who used all of his nature-friendly skills, including the “Milky Way Observer,” to read the flow of the atmosphere.
“···Time stopped?”
Heinrich frowned and muttered softly.
He was reborn as a higher being called an angel, and with his eyes wide open, he sensed something unnatural in the world.
In a world where everything has stopped, in a time that cannot be properly perceived, the only exception that moves freely.
The being stopped moving and touched Harley’s blood on its fingertips.
[Wow! That’s really amazing. Did you react at that split second when the attack touched your body?]
Of course, since Harley’s level was not that low, her ability was not perfect.
The ‘Time Stop’ activated by the executioner did not work properly for the split second when the attack hit his body.
‘But that alone won’t be enough to catch him.’
Only then did I understand why he was so relaxed.
Its utility in battle is utility, and if you use that ability in a dangerous moment, you can safely escape at any time, so it was natural that you didn’t feel a sense of danger.
“Tch, this fight is so boring. What you do is so tame compared to what you say…”
[Oh, I guess I got too excited. I hope you understand. Since I returned to Earth, the only one who can receive my power is Hweju. I’ve been a little frustrated. The ones who have potential have become difficult to meet since Hweju has banned fighting between members.]
Well, if you’ve grown to that level in another world, the amount of karma you’ve accumulated must be enormous.
Even if you just look at your own “avatar”, isn’t your unique skill an ability with limitless potential?
If it had attained divinity and reached the realm of power…
‘By the way, thanks to you, I got one more piece of information. So there are more possible ones anyway?’
The fact that they were able to respond to attacks made in the midst of stopped time was enough to tell that they were no ordinary force.
We’ll find out more details as we go along.
As he was thinking that, the executioner, who had been observing the avatars from behind as the search battle began and ended in an instant, opened his mouth nonchalantly.
[Now that we’ve rested, let’s start in earnest. Hmm, it seems a bit burdensome to take on all of them at once, but… Well, it doesn’t matter. This kind of opportunity won’t come again. It would be a good experience to push yourself to the limit and find out your limits!]
The executioner is so confident that he assumes a joint attack and prepares for the battle that will follow.
As I watched that attitude, my stomach started to turn.
It is fully acknowledged that the bastard’s abilities are great, but isn’t it a completely different matter to underestimate him?
‘Of course I planned to do that from the beginning!’
The joint attack of many against a minority, commonly known as ‘Daguri’, is an excellent tactic proven by history and tradition.
Considering its efficiency, my opinion that it is better to actively utilize it when conditions allow has not changed.
but···.
‘···Yeah, come to think of it, just like he said, this is all experience, right? It’s not like you can easily meet an opponent with that level of dangerous ability.’
If you learn something from the process, it’s okay to change your plans a little.
His true opponent was the Byeoncheonhoeju, who was much stronger than him.
In other words, now is the time to gain experience and level up, not the time to easily move on to the next stage.
‘The variety of experiences is also one of the great values that can be gained through battle. ···There are many eyes watching, but it doesn’t always look good.’
I decided.
For now, Harley will try to do it alone until he somehow manages to get a hold of it.
Pushik— Kikigigig—!
His body slowly moved forward, slowly heating up and hot steam began to rise.
The metallic sound of twisting iron resonating with it.
His physique had grown to a size where he could now look down on his opponent.
“Hmph! That’s it, now let’s really fight this time! I feel like I’ve finally loosened up a bit!”
[Huh? Are you planning to fight alone? Well, I don’t mind that.]
The executioner’s gaze shifted to where the other avatars were as he watched Harley stride towards him alone.
Even though he said that, it seems like he’s still quite nervous.
Of course, to Harley, that just felt like she was being made fun of.
“Phehehe… Hyung, should I tell you one truth about life?”
A crimson aura rose from his body.
A foreign energy that is neither vitality nor aura, that seems to contaminate one’s existence just by coming into close contact with it.
It had been suppressed to the utmost through all kinds of control means—.
The pure abyssal ‘madness’ that was squeezed out as if squeezing out the ‘seed of madness’ began to slowly encroach on the surroundings.
“That’s right, there’s nothing more embarrassing than when you confidently stick your tongue out and then end up losing it!”
Bam—!
Harley’s massive body suddenly rushed forward.
[This has nothing to do with me.]
At the same time, the executioner activated his unique skill.
————!
The world began to slow down, like a slow video.
And when everything finally stopped.
In this still world, the only moving being was him, the ‘Great Demon of Eternity’.
‘Hmm, it would have been difficult to win a head-on fight if it didn’t have a unique skill. Could this horrific body that goes against reason be the source of the divinity it possesses?’
Before he knew it, a monster wearing a beast mask was right in front of him, but he didn’t even blink an eye.
Because in the current situation, there was no way the opponent could harm me.
‘I admit that it’s great, but it’s not enough to defeat me.’
To be honest, it was his first time dealing with such an absurd body.
It’s impossible to believe that being exposed to an attack that tears apart space itself would only result in minor injuries.
How dense and resistant to external interference must the alternative existence be to make that possible!
Even then, it wouldn’t be long before it would start to play again.
Even my best attack only managed to blow off the wrist, so even if I could attack unilaterally, I had no idea how much more I would have to hit before I could inflict damage that exceeded my regenerative power.
‘But to me, time is just an infinite resource. If I keep hitting it, it will eventually break.’
A searing energy rose from the executioner’s grasp.
It was quite a burden for him to operate his energy in a world that had stopped, but it was something that could not be helped.
If you don’t do this, you won’t even be able to get a proper wound.
That’s when the change occurred.
The moment I finished preparing to attack and approached the giant stuffed in the air.
His eyes twitched as he witnessed something.
‘under?’
The eye sockets of a large lion’s head cover the entire head.
A pair of eyes shining red and green, reflected in between.
I was staring straight at him.
‘how?!’
With a genuine smile and slightly upward-slanted eyes.
