Chapter 103: The Object of Worship

Two Authorities crossed paths.

[1st Place Nominee Stage]
[Self-Hatred]

At first glance, a combination of mismatched words.

To loathe oneself on a glorious stage where one does their best toward 1st place.

However, the Demon God was an existence familiar with malice.

The moment the mirrors covered the stage, he saw through the evil spirit’s intention.

“Are you telling me to try and succeed the stage while fighting myself. Of course, a price will be waiting if I fail.”

A mirror stage that seems like it would appear in a fairy tale.

But that fairy tale would be a cruel fairy tale.

Mirrors that were pale rather than transparent, were looking rather than reflecting.

Coldly.
Ruthlessly.

To thoroughly dig up and show the flaws of the observed subject.

– What makes you so great?

“Hm?”

– Even seeing you guys go up as 1st place nominees, I couldn’t accept it. What makes you so great? Why are you chosen by the world?

The form of the Authority was speaking of the evil spirit’s nature.

It wasn’t ‘competing’ on the 1st place stage, but ‘interfering’ with the opponent’s 1st place nominee stage.

The evil spirit was ‘one who drags down’.

“Is that so.”

The Demon God guessed the essence of the evil spirit.

Simultaneously, he also decided on a nickname.

“From now on, I shall call you ‘Deprivation’.”

The evil spirit ‘Swift Elimination (Kwang-tal)’ was a nickname that came to mind, but Swift Elimination at least got eliminated itself.

The evil spirit ‘Deprivation’ tries to deprive others of their qualifications.
Or, it is feeling a sense of deprivation alone.

– Deprivation? Are you mocking me? Why? What’s wrong with this? Everyone has an inferiority complex, and jealousy too.

“Correct.”

– ?

The Demon God recalled the scribbles he saw in the supply room.

They were scribbles that laid bare an inferiority complex and jealousy.

“Anyone can live harboring a few lines of bad writing in their heart. However, living exactly as those words say is a separate matter.”

The Demon God added one more sentence.

“Becoming an evil spirit exactly as those words say is even more of a separate matter.”

– …….

Anger was felt beyond the silence.

The air inside the mirror stage seemed to tremble slightly.

But the Demon God paid no mind to the anger of the evil spirit ‘Deprivation’. He stood before the mirror and naturally took a pose.

“Shall we begin the stage.”

In the end, it would be a matter of showing how great this body is.

The malicious mirrors minutely reflected even every single pore of the Demon God—

“Is it not perfect. I always think so, but it is perfect.”

He was a Demon God confident even down to every single pore.

There was no damage at all.

– I hate guys like you the most.

Swish swish swish.

The Demon God’s forms surfaced within the numerous mirrors.

– How about this?

“Ugh. T-This is—”

It was the ‘smiling Demon God photo’ that had taken the place of the amulets just before.

The Demon God ended up surrounded by his own smile again.

Moreover, because there were so many mirrors, the pressure was immense. Himself smiling from all directions-.

– Kyahahaha! Look! Even you cannot accept yourself!

That is not it, my smiling appearance is awkward.

Also, honestly, wouldn’t anyone flinch if there were this many.

The Demon God tried to say something, but.

The intro flowed out.

Exactly 3 seconds. And Crash!

The Demon God had no time to speak.

Because the intro was short, he took a pose and immediately executed the crashing and jumping moves.

Next time let’s lay down a normal intro, he thought while focusing on the stage.

“?!”

The mirrors weren’t simply reflecting.

Conversely, the Demon God in the mirrors moved minutely slower than the actual Demon God.

‘I feel a resistance grabbing my body.’

The forms in the mirrors influence the Demon God.

The forms didn’t stop at slowing down.

They slightly messed up the moves, or came to a halt.

– Even with eyes closed, I see
Only you, clearly

Even as the song progressed, the Demon God’s body felt a progressively stronger resistance.

He properly performs the choreography with top-tier physical abilities.
The forms return to the correct posture again. But soon they mess up again.

– How is it? Yourself making mistakes and being negligent?

Have you never made a mistake while acquiring and showcasing idol choreography? Have you never been negligent?

Deprivation seemed to whisper like that.

“I have not.”

– ????

It is a strong-strong-strong-strong song, so it is hard to even speak in the middle.

Still, the Demon God spoke to show off himself.

“This Demon God has never been like that. Hmph.”

Because he did his best every moment to break the chains, he has never been negligent.

A lofty status and a top-tier body returned corresponding results if practiced without negligence.

Therefore, there is no way he would be bewildered by such false forms.

‘Authority [Aura].’

The Demon God released his [Aura].

The influence possessed by a mighty and lofty status completely fills the mirror stage.

Now, the Aura was overlaid on all the mirror forms that had started to completely change the moves themselves.

– Crash! To you!
Here, here you are!

The forms simultaneously follow the Demon God’s choreography properly.

Then, the mirror stage seemed to have become the scene of a perfectly unified mega-crew group dance.

– …….

Deprivation kept silent for a moment.

– No, not yet.

Because its Authority is [Self-Hatred].

Click clack clack!

The sound of more lighting coming in from somewhere was heard.

The light the mirrors receive becomes stronger.

That light was so strong it began to distort the forms in the mirrors.

Waver.

The forms change.

For example—

‘Former subordinates?’

They are being routed. Former subordinates running away after losing the war with the gods were seen.

Scars were everywhere, and signs of bewilderment were also evident.

“Tsk.”

The Demon God realized what the next scene to unfold would be.

Namely—

– The Demon God has been captured!

– The gods have achieved victory over the Demon God!

– Praise them! The Demon God has fallen to the ground.

‘Is it the sight of that day.’

A single defeat.
But a decisive defeat.

The day the Grand Commander who led a massive army became a mere prisoner. The day he was dragged down.

It was a sight shown by Deprivation, the one who drags down.

The Demon God’s [Aura] wavered and headed toward one mirror showing that sight.

– So there is something? It is invisible to my eyes, but it must be visible to you! You have flaws too!

Instantly, the music stopped, and time stretched out.

Deprivation, having noticed the Demon God was looking at some sight, was adjusting the time in its Domain.

To make him look at that sight longer and in more detail. To make him ruminate on the failure even more deeply.

“Hmm.”

The Demon God also did not take his eyes off the mirror.

In the middle of the plains that were a battlefield. Himself, bound in chains with his upper garment torn away, in front of the gods. The gods, his opponents in a long war, are glaring at him with stern eyes.

“Did I look like this.”

– Yes. Whatever it looks like, that is the sight of your failures, weaknesses, and flaws gathered together. How is it? Your thoughts on looking at such a self?

Your thoughts on facing your only defeat directly?

Just as everyone has an inferiority complex and jealousy, everyone also has at least one failure they want to cover up. Or perhaps more.

Such failures are too painful to look into, so one ends up not looking. Even while always being conscious of it, one does not immediately turn their head toward it.

And right now, the Demon God has unintentionally come to face that failure head-on—

“I definitely heard it then? Wasn’t it around this time?”

– ?

The Demon God was waiting for a certain scene. In his memory, the gods definitely said—

[By the way, the Demon God is really handsome.]

[Right? The fact that he’s actually dangerous makes him even more attractive, doesn’t it?]

The goddesses’ interlude talk.
He was waiting precisely for this scene.

“I didn’t know who it was, but it was those goddesses. They have a good eye.”

Thanks to Deprivation’s Authority, he watched the scene of his defeat, which he had experienced in the first person, in the third person.

The bastards who shouted at him, the bastards who whispered behind his back.
He memorized them all.

The day he recovers his power, he will show them.
With this resolve, the Demon God took his eyes off the mirror.

“I feel like taking only this part separately.”

– ?

“Failure? What does that matter?”

– What?

As the Demon God, he could not understand.

“I just have to get revenge.”

– Huh?

When the solution is this simple.

If you fail?
Take revenge on those involved.

Isn’t it so simple that there is no need to even think deeply about it?

‘Is it not common sense?’

The Demon God was merely bewildered.
He was a Demon God who didn’t even dream that it might not be common sense.

– What? That’s what you say after seeing the sight of the remaining failure in your life?

Deprivation was also merely bewildered.
Because it had never met an existence so aloof in the face of failure.

The Demon God also realized that point through Deprivation’s reaction.

“Ah ah, so that’s how it was.”

If so, he has no choice but to tell it.
The reason the Demon God is aloof.

“Because that is obvious.”

In a loud voice so it can be heard well.

“Because I worship even my own failures.”

– What? Worship failure?

“Because above all else, I worship myself.”

I am the supreme majesty.

Therefore, failure will not actually be a failure.
Isn’t it just a stepping stone toward a better future?

Of course, those involved who caused the failure will be punished, but even that will be a pleasant amusement.

“This is precisely what is called, self-worship.”

As the Demon God finished speaking, something called narcissism exploded within the mirror stage!

– A-A-Are you crazy!

Deprivation let out a scream despite being an evil spirit.

– There is a limit even to cherishing oneself! To worship?!

Not an Authority showdown or anything, it was just appalled in the face of an obese and excessive ego.

Even the mirrors seemed to sweat cold sweat.
No matter how palely they glared, he was not an existence they could do anything about.

“Will you worship?”

– Kuaaaah!

A scream flowed out from Deprivation involuntarily.

The enemy was a true narcissist who loved even his own failures!

– S-Shut up! My Authority is not over yet!

“Probably so. You likely have around three Authorities too.”

The Demon God also nodded.

Not more than that.
Just pulling out a past scene that Deprivation itself cannot see through a mirror is an Authority that requires tremendous spiritual energy.
Since its spiritual energy would have a limit, this seems to be its last Authority.

– It won’t end like this. I will definitely drag you down!

With Deprivation’s shout, one mirror cracked.

Crack, crackle. The cracks connected to other mirrors.

Like that, the mirrors were dismantled in an instant.

Exactly four remained.

And the stopped time flowed again, and the title track played again.

Because the Demon God was not letting his guard down, he could immediately continue the choreography and song.

– Keep running, hold breath To you who are there
To the end Rush! Crash into you!

The rap part Ji-ho does.
The Demon God executed the part as he had learned so far.

But.

– Keep running, hold breath To you who are there
To the end Rush! Crash into you!

From one of the four mirrors, this time even sound was heard.
It was executing the rap sharply and properly.

“?!”

When the Demon God looked, one of the mirrors was showcasing elegant choreography.

Another, clearly with the Demon God’s face, was expressing various emotions that the Demon God was not good at.

Yet another executed the climax of the song with outstanding vocals.

Because the four mirrors were showing four Demon Gods with abilities superior to the actual Demon God.

Authority [Comparison].

An Authority that promotes and accelerates the Authority [Self-Hatred].
The Authority that makes one dig into oneself upon seeing someone better than themselves was activated.

– How about this?

Deprivation threw a question filled with a triumphant smile.

Can you worship yourself even when a better version is right in front of your eyes?

“Excellent.”

– ?!

He could.

He can worship himself even seeing a better existence.
Self-worship is not being shaken by another existence.

Furthermore, if those other existences—

“Are they not my subordinates.”

Especially when they are copies of the members’ forms.

“To be better than me in this song, it has to be the members. To copy their forms, you used your head quite a bit.”

Because the Demon God was fundamentally a Grand Commander.

“I do not compare myself with my subordinates.”

Loved, no, cherished, um, not this.

“Why would I compare myself with the subordinates I am using usefully.”

The moment the Demon God finished speaking, the four mirrors shattered.

Not dismantled by Deprivation itself, but an outright explosion.

The Authority [Comparison] didn’t work at all and was smashed to pieces.

– Ah, ah, ah-.

Only after all the mirrors broke did Kwak Su-eon, possessed by the evil spirit Deprivation, become visible. The blue-green energy wavered roughly, revealing its agitation.

Now, the song has ended too.
Shall I deliver the finishing blow.

“Deprivation.”

– Ugh, ugh….

“But by the way. Where are you in here?”

– What?

“In the end, you were not on the stage, were you. Even though you possessed the body of an idol member.”

It could have made the conditions of the Authority different.

It even possessed a member of EXI, a group with skills.

– …….

“At that rate, isn’t it not that you couldn’t come up, but that you didn’t.”

It tried to thrust its Authority at the one standing on the 1st place nominee stage and make them fall into self-hatred, but—

“Ultimately, because you stay there without going up, you only try to drag others down, don’t you. Is self-hatred not your own story?”

Do not compare it with the emotions people generally have.
It is completely different from the inferiority complex, jealousy, and self-hatred naturally felt while living.

– Uuuuuaaaah!

Deprivation’s blue-green energy wavered dangerously.

It wasn’t just wavering, it was outright running wild.

‘Even this is as expected.’

Seeing the evil spirit’s nest, he knew it would be this type. The type that runs wild right before dissipation or defeat.

If it were the Demon God alone, he could just dodge far away.

However, there are people here, and even with the Demon God’s photos, it is difficult to block the aftermath of a rampage—

It was time to play the final move he prepared.

“Ji-ho, have you not woken up?”

Unlike the other people who were still asleep, Ji-ho had woken up a little while ago and had his eyes slightly open.

He was blankly watching what on earth this sight was, then heard the Demon God’s call. Ji-ho tried to quickly close his slightly open eyes—

“It is time to wake up.”

It was the unyielding Demon God.

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