Chapter 53 : S Class Gate – Hell (7)

An isolated place in Korea, where the entrance to Gate Chunqiu Zhanguo was located.

Han Sol frantically tried to establish communication inside the Gate.

But after a short while. Stomping her feet, she finally lowered her head with a resigned expression.

Around Han Sol, Hunters with stern faces gathered densely.

Bari, who had taken parental leave and left the Association. Veteran Hunters who participated in the Seocheon Flower Garden raid. Excluding Association President Saradoryeong, who went out to block other Gates, almost all of Korea’s high-ranking Hunters had gathered in one place.

However, no optimism or laughter could be found on their faces.

The Gate entrance, which had been emitting a blue light, was slowly fading into a murky red light.

***

Texas, USA.

An anonymous S-rank Hunter. Alias Doomguy, looked down at the Gate with eyes filled with cold fury.

Well over 50 Gates lay across the vast Texas desert. Gates that had been accumulated over several years, maintaining a delicate balance since the decision for the Hell raid.

Though they were ordinary Gates until just moments ago, now tainted red, they emitted a very familiar scent.

Filled with the smell of sulfur and hellfire…

The hateful scent of demons.

Thousands upon thousands of demons would emerge. Though he had agreed to handle one-tenth of Hell alone, he had no regrets.

Rather, it was better, being able to fight freely without worrying about the surroundings.

Drrrrrr. Kwoong!

Doomguy, releasing his body fully hyped on adrenaline, checked the chainsaw and cannon in his hands.

***

Republic of Korea. A-rank Gate ‘Death’s Blessing’ in Gyeonggi Province.

S-rank Hunter Saradoryeong, head of the Hunter Association, frowned, staring at the black Gate.

The Gate, remaining motionless and still black, showed no sign of opening.

Even tapping the Gate entrance with his hand, or throwing flowers that absorb mana at the Gate, it remained unmoved.

Gesturing to a researcher with complex measuring equipment, he sighed, staring intently inside the Gate.

What the youngest Archduke of Hell, the Great Demon holding the seat of Lust, was thinking, Saradoryeong, who had never faced her, couldn’t possibly know.

However. Under no circumstances would demons harm citizens.

The leader of the hunters swore thus, sharpening his blade.

***

Archduke of Hell. Enhen gazed at Earth with strange eyes.
Earth, connected to 666 gates, was clearly visible, and beyond, humans stood fully prepared, ready to greet Hell.

A mixture of lust, ecstasy, longing, resentment, and other emotions she herself couldn’t identify churned within her.

Because she had seen it at some point.

The sight of the person most important in her life smiling happily.

…The person she loved endlessly, and also hated.

Agathe.

Older sister.

Enhen caressed the tail she gained after becoming a succubus, slowly rolling the name in her mouth. Sweet and bitter tastes felt intense.

“…Sister. I pray. It was a misunderstanding.”

May my faith be shattered once again. May my profane guess be wrong.
I pray it’s all a misunderstanding, seeing you laugh ha-ha ho-ho, living with my old first love, after selling my soul to the devil.

…Having been a demon for long, praying to God was just habit, not sincere.

Because she no longer believed her sister. No, rather, because she believed in her malice. Enhen wanted to close off the possibility.

No. Actually, she had poured out dozens more pessimistic predictions about Agathe and Caspar.

That Agathe indulged in gluttony until she ruined her homeland entirely, then brainwashed Caspar, or perhaps conspired with Caspar and sacrificed the entire Land of Prosperity…

Enhen, having become an Archduke of Hell, could easily imagine those scenarios. Also knowing they were sufficiently possible, she secretly considered her sister a traitor and had been sharpening the blade of revenge.

“…”

However… In a corner of her heart, there was also the desire for all this to return to just a nightmare, and for them to return to their good relationship like before.

That was an undeniable fact. The years spent without any friends or family were truly lonely.

Therefore, Enhen calmly sat on the throne and observed this war.

Either way. Nothing would harm her.

If her sister truly had no intention of harming her and felt sorry towards her, it would be a miracle…

And if, just as she predicted, her sister was merely a dirty whore who sold her soul and family. Then she could finally execute the revenge she had desperately desired.

The process of turning Zamiel into a cripple was truly amusing, so this time too, it surely would be. Succubus Queen Enhen thought so, licking her lips.

Of course. In neither case did Enhen predict her own defeat.

It was natural. She too carried Agathe’s bloodline, and was an incredibly arrogant devil.

***

Before the Gate, now transformed into an entrance to Hell.

Seolhyang thought.

Something. Felt terribly wrong.

“Kuaaack! Aack! Mom!”

“M-Monsters! Run!”

Soldiers scream and flee. Everywhere, in every direction, is chaos.

Grotesquely shaped monsters massacre people. Soldiers with eyes rolled back, going mad, begin self-harming or attacking those around them.

“Hut!”

Eyes wide open, Seolhyang thrusts her sword, attacking demons, and continuously protected people with telekinesis.

It wasn’t enough. She was currently weakened, and most of her weakened power was related to protecting others.

“This way! Gather this way!”

Shouting fiercely with internal energy infused, only then did people begin to form ranks and retreat. But Seolhyang bit her lip with anxious eyes.

‘No… Damn it. That side is in complete chaos.’

Her own troops, a ragtag mob, were a problem, but the bigger problem was the enemy army.

Being on different sides originally, they wouldn’t listen to Seolhyang’s words. Even while being massacred by demons, the Qin soldiers fled in the opposite direction from Seolhyang.

It was a move made with some thought, but in the current situation, it was the worst possible move.

“F-Fairy Maiden? Wh-What should we do…”

But she couldn’t save everyone. The current Seolhyang struggled even to save just those who followed her.

“Follow me for now! Absolutely do not engage head-on, avoid as much as possible! We go to the liege first!”

…Agathe. Let’s go to Agathe.

Then everything will be resolved. Because there are 3 S-rank Hunters. At best, isn’t this place handling only one-hundredth of the total force? Everything will be alright. Besides, Doomguy handles one-tenth alone; three people can surely do it.

Thinking as positively as possible. Seolhyang thought so, but inevitably, that thought couldn’t help but surface in her mind.

‘…During this time. How many will die?’

She knew. The hardest part of this fight was protecting civilians.

Agathe, Caspar, and herself could each handle this Gate alone if unimpeded. But trying to protect everyone, even 3 S-rank Hunters aren’t enough.

-Squish. Thwack! Clang!

Swinging her sword frantically, pushing away demons flying in from all directions, Seolhyang soon entered a hazy trance-like state.

Break through the path. Pulverize what lies ahead. Ignore scorched skin, staunch wounds with sheer willpower.

-Crack! Boom! Kang!

“Hwaaaaaa!!”

Throwing away the falsetto voice she faked while acting as a magic girl, shouting, familiar power fills her lungs. The girl’s body overflowed with inexplicable vitality.

-Kwaang!

Striking down her sword like lightning, dozens of demons are cleanly cut apart along with sprays of blood. Seolhyang, covered in blood, didn’t look like a bright young girl at all, yet people still followed her.

Because they knew.

Someone forging a path with such effort. Couldn’t possibly be an evil person.

“Follow! Me! Forward!!”

Screaming hoarsely, slaughtering countless demons, finally, even soldiers from the enemy Qin state began gathering around Seolhyang.

Though enemies until just moments ago, the soldiers under Seolhyang didn’t care much. They were too busy surviving, and besides…

Actually, even amongst themselves, they were enemies just days ago. Moreover, since the monsters from folktales were such clear enemies, the aversion towards anyone in human form drastically decreased.

The path Seolhyang and the soldiers following her took was filled with blood. The term ‘sea of blood and mountain of corpses’ wasn’t an exaggeration.

She used telekinesis to temporarily build barricades using demon corpses. To save even one more person, she completely blocked the left side of the fleeing people with piled corpses.

Demons swarming from all directions. A single swordswoman breaking through the path ahead.

The congregation of people and the mountain-sea of corpses made from demons.

That scene looked just like…

A colossal Taiji symbol.
*(TL Note: Taiji (태극 – Taegeuk) refers to the Supreme Ultimate principle in Daoism, often represented by the yin-yang symbol.)*