---

On the upside-down pentagram drawn in blood, Jeong Ha-yul lay, and in front of her stood the figure of the cult leader, seemingly guarding her.

1966. Anton LaVey, who inherited Crowley’s ideology and founded the Satan Church.

Anton LaVey, who led millions of followers in the U.S. before being struck down by the Golden Dawn.

Born in 1930, he still maintained the youthful appearance of someone in their 20s.

Red pupils and thick silver hair.

His lips, as red as his eyes, seemed as if they had just been stained with blood, a deep crimson.

With his pale complexion and robe, he resembled Dracula from Romania.

Despite his bored expression and gestures, the energy emanating from him was overwhelming.

As far as Jeong Gyeoul knew, only three people had opened all 365 circuits: the Queen of England, Jeong Ha-yul, and herself.

Now, that number had increased by one.

“…Why would someone so strong want to summon Satan?”

“Oh, three different lineages merged into one body, and at such a young age, all your circuits have opened. Until now… were you living under some kind of seal? Did Helena help you? If not, did you survive alone? Impressive.”

The cult leader ignored Jeong Gyeoul’s question, only spouting what he wanted to say.

He seemed to know Queen Elizabeth VI and Queen Helena as well.

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me what you did to my sister.”

“Did your intelligence not develop as much as your magic power? To ask the most useless question right off the bat, how stupid. Tsk.”

The more Jeong Gyeoul spoke with the cult leader, the more she felt an unpleasant energy trying to bind her.

An inexplicable discomfort made her want to stop talking to him.

“Stop playing games!”

Whoosh!

Jeong Gyeoul threw a dagger imbued with magic power.

The cult leader showed no movement until the very end.

The dagger pierced through his neck, and blood gushed out.

“…What? Did I get him?”

“No, he seems fine.”

The pierced neck began to bubble, and in an instant, the wound healed, and the skin regenerated.

The recovery speed was astonishing.

It was on a completely different level from the 12 Apostles’ healing through their staffs.

Not only was the speed of regeneration incredible, but there were also no restrictions.

The cult leader cracked his neck a few times and spoke to Jeong Gyeoul.

“How about it? Even with your body, this level of regeneration would be difficult. If you want, I can share it with you.”

“I don’t need that, so keep it to yourself.”

“True, with that body, you wouldn’t get such injuries. There’s no human who can touch a Transcendent Being.”

“…Transcendent? Are you saying I’m a monster?”

The Transcendent Species, learned in Introduction to Monster Studies.

They appeared only once during the great cataclysm that created the current era of the Awakened.

Humanoid monsters capable of communicating with humans, some even calling them gods.

The cult leader seemed to be saying that Jeong Gyeoul was one of those Transcendent Species.

“Ah… Transcendent Beings aren’t monsters. The child lying here, the one in England, you, and me. We’re all human, aren’t we?”

“…I won’t waste any more time. I need to get my sister back.”

“Fine, take her if you want.”

“…?”

The cult leader gave up Jeong Ha-yul far too easily.

He seemed sincere, even stepping back to give them space.

“You let your subordinates die for something you’d give up so easily?”

“Give up? What an interesting thing to say. I’ve never failed to obtain what I wanted. Even though I’m not a god, I made it possible. Do you know why?”

“….”

Jeong Gyeoul didn’t answer and walked toward Jeong Ha-yul.

She walked slowly, constantly wary of the cult leader’s possible tricks.

Whether Jeong Gyeoul listened or not, the cult leader continued speaking.

“It’s because I never gave up. I never stopped obsessing over something until it was in my hands. If I wanted a person, they had to come into my arms even if they became a corpse. If I wanted an object, I would kill hundreds, thousands, and burn billions to get it.”

“That’s just being a psychopath, isn’t it? And… didn’t you already give up on Gyeoul once?”

Lee Ha-yoon, who had been with Jeong Gyeoul and Jang Gil-yong during their fight, pieced together the situation from the stories she heard at the church and from the cult leader.

If what the cult leader said was true, he should have been obsessively searching for Jeong Gyeoul since she escaped the Satan Church as a child…

But her life had been too smooth for that.

‘Of course… she got involved with all sorts of villains since she was young, but at least until then, she had no connection with the Satan Church.’

At Lee Ha-yoon’s words, the cult leader’s lips curled, and his eyes brightened.

His red pupils seemed to glow faintly.

“I never gave up, I just waited until it came to me. And now, the time has finally come, hasn’t it?”

“…What? He’s really a psychopath. No need to deal with him, Gyeoul. Let’s get your sister and leave.”

Just moments ago, he spoke as if he achieved everything through his own power, but now he sounded like a fatalist, changing his words left and right.

Lee Ha-yoon was slightly disappointed by the cult leader’s sophistry.

Still, this was once a religious organization that nearly plunged the world into evil.

Even now, they refuse to give up, dreaming of Satan’s descent.

They bestow the title of Apostle on numerous strong individuals and issue all sorts of commands.

According to Jeong Gyeoul, he had opened all 365 circuits, making him a formidable figure.

Even as an enemy, there should have been something to learn from fighting and talking with him…

‘But now, he just seems like a pure psychopath…’

She thought he wasn’t worth dealing with and decided it would be better to help Jeong Gyeoul get Jeong Ha-yul out.

“I’ll help!”

It was the moment she cautiously approached Jeong Gyeoul, who was walking warily.

Ziiiiing—

“What, what’s that!”

“Gyeoul! Be careful!”

Light began to seep out from the reverse pentagram drawn in blood.

Startled, Jeong Gyeoul tried to pull Jeong Ha-yul’s body with telekinesis, but it didn’t budge, as if fixed in place.

“Sister! Ha-yul!”

No matter how much she shouted, Jeong Ha-yul didn’t wake up.

Even trying to lift the entire floor with telekinesis didn’t work, leaving her with no options.

She thought killing the cult leader might change something, but… the cult leader was different from the Apostles.

It was uncertain if he could be subdued, and it might take hours or even days.

She tried to find a way, but…

“It’s futile, a passage already connected to the Demon Realm. Unless you’re a god, you can’t destroy it.”

“Shut up!”

“Ah, that child was the hero called the Demon King, right? Then this might be a good chance to become the true Demon King.”

“I said shut up!”

Whether Jeong Gyeoul cursed or not, the cult leader continued indifferently.

“There’s a way to save the child in front of you. Want me to tell you?”

“…If you’re just spouting nonsense again, you’ll really die by my hand.”

“No, Gyeoul!”

Both Jeong Gyeoul and Lee Ha-yoon knew.

The method the cult leader was about to suggest to save Jeong Ha-yul.

ST – 156, originally intended as a sacrifice, with Jeong Gyeoul taking Jeong Ha-yul’s place.

Jeong Gyeoul whispered to Lee Ha-yoon, holding her shoulder.

“…All the strong heroes in the country are gathering here. If Satan enters my body, they’ll find a way to deal with it. If they’re not enough, the Vatican and the Clock Tower will step in. It’s no different from protecting world peace.”

“But then! You won’t be there!”

“I was never supposed to exist.”

“…What? What are you talking about!”

Jeong Gyeoul smiled faintly, leaving Lee Ha-yoon with incomprehensible words.

“If I don’t come back, tell everyone I was grateful. Especially Ha-yul. And… tell them not to forget me. If they forget within a year, I’ll be pissed.”

“No! You can’t go! I won’t let you!”

Realizing that no words would stop her, Lee Ha-yoon tried to block Jeong Gyeoul with her magic, but…

Jeong Gyeoul temporarily closed all of Lee Ha-yoon’s circuits.

Lee Ha-yoon had once intervened in Jeong Gyeoul’s transcendence using her own magic power.

At that time, Jeong Gyeoul’s magic power was heavily influenced by Lee Ha-yoon, and as a result, Lee Ha-yoon’s body accepted Jeong Gyeoul’s magic power without any defense.

Even so, if Lee Ha-yoon tried to take control, she wouldn’t last 30 seconds.

In that time, Jeong Gyeoul immobilized Lee Ha-yoon and walked toward the center.

“…Thank you for everything, sister.”

Jeong Gyeoul walked into the reverse pentagram, pushing Jeong Ha-yul’s body toward Lee Ha-yoon.

At that moment, the light that had been seeping out intensified, covering the entire sixth underground floor.

The light became so strong that it was impossible to see, then quickly subsided.

 

---