Chapter 327: Atonement (5)

"Do not dream of a painless death, Constellation of Corruption," Gaia said as she glared at Rakiel in fury. White energy burst out from her, causing her light brown hair to surge into the air. "I will have you pay the price... for laying a hand on my child."

Gaia unleashed her Divine Essence. The power of the goddess of the earth descended onto the mundane realm through her incarnation. Gaia had not wanted to unleash her Divine Essence because it would place a burden on Layla's body, but now was not the time when she was up against Rakiel.

"H-Haha."

All Rakiel could do as he stared at the goddess who had unleashed her power was laugh blankly. He cried from his eyes that had lost their light.

"It's... over," he mumbled.

Rakiel had lost everything; the woman that he had desired, the atonement that he had wished for, and even his last remaining honor had all been defiled by the words of a demon.

"A-Aaaahh."

Rakiel lowered his head and groaned while grabbing his head. The demonic energy within him rampaged. He did not suppress it; no, he no longer had enough reason to suppress it.

Crack! Crunch!

Rakiel was becoming closer to a demonic beast from being unable to control his demonic energy. His ten black wings contorted, turning into arms. His skin distorted, and his blood vessels and muscles bulged out.

"Grrrrrrrr!!" Rakiel growled like a beast.

He had fallen from an angel to a demon, and now he had even fallen as far down as a demonic beast. Gaia frowned from seeing Rakiel, who had fallen as far as he possibly could.

"... How unsightly you have become."

Rakiel was Corruption, one of the four Constellations of Evil, as well as the being who had massacred countless angels and humans in the war between the gods and the Demon God. The final form of the Constellation of Corruption that had spread enough despair to be recorded in myths could not be any more unsightly.

"Tch, he's completely become a monster." Uriel grimaced.

Kim Si-Hun said coldly while gripping the holy sword, "Whether he be a fallen angel or a demonic beast, our duty does not change."

'Hyung-nim...'

He turned his head to look back at Kang-Woo, who was wincing in pain while in Han Seol-Ah's arms. The demonic energy's influence seemed to be growing stronger within him.

'To save hyung-nim...'

They needed to kill Rakiel and eliminate the demonic energy that he had sown into Kang-Woo.

"... Hyung." Si-Hun clenched the holy sword so hard that it could break, and steeled his resolve. "I will save you."

Si-Hun charged forward.

"... What are you acting all cool by yourself for?" Uriel chased behind Si-Hun while pouting in dissatisfaction, sparks of blue lightning making the ends of his blue hair stand up.

"Kuh... It's dangerous..." Kang-Woo muttered as he reached out in desperation.

Gaia approached him and grabbed his hand.

"My child." She smiled warmly like a mother to her child. "Worry not."

"Ah..."

"You have protected me all this time." She stood up as she smiled, then continued, "This time... I will protect you."

Her energy was as overwhelming as an insuperable mountain. Gaia followed behind Si-Hun and Uriel toward the fallen demonic beast.

***

"Kieek, grrk, grrrrk."

Rakiel, who had turned into a demonic beast, collapsed. He was pitifully shaking on the ground while covered in gruesome wounds.

"Haaa, haaa. What a fucking persistent son of a bitch."

"Fuuu. We finally defeated him."

Of course, neither Uriel nor Si-Hun felt any sense of sympathy for him. It was only obvious since Rakiel had not only corrupted Raphael, Uriel's friend, but had also kidnapped and tortured Kang-Woo.

"Hyung-nim..." Si-Hun quickly turned toward Kang-Woo after defeating Rakiel. "Ah..."

Kang-Woo, who had been in pain from the encroachment of demonic energy, was looking down at himself wide-eyed.

"H-Hyung-nim! Are you okay?!"

"... Yeah." Kang-Woo nodded while smiling faintly. "Thanks, Si-Hun. The demonic energy has completely disappeared."

"Ah..." Si-Hun trembled in delight, and hugged Kang-Woo as he sobbed. "Hyung...! I'm glad. I'm... so glad."

Kang-Woo smirked and patted Si-Hun's shoulder.

"My... child."

"... Lady Gaia."

"How are... you... feeling?"

Kang-Woo's expression hardened. Gaia seemed to be in serious condition.

"A-Are you alright?" he asked.

"Kuh... Do not worry about me. I am simply paying... the price for using too much Divinity," Gaia said while grimacing.

It was a limiter applied to all gods; the more they interfered with the mundane world, the faster their Divinity would be consumed.

"But still... I am relieved." Gaia, who had been wincing in agony, smiled while looking at Kang-Woo and caressed his cheek.

"Lady Gaia..."

"Fufu. As long as you are safe... I cannot ask for nothing more." Gaia's breaths became even more labored. "Haaa, haaa. It seems I will be unable to manifest through Layla for a while."

"..."

"While I recover my Divinity in the divine realm... Can I leave Earth in your hands?" she asked faintly as if she would disappear any second.

"Yes, of course." Kang-Woo nodded without hesitation and grabbed Gaia's hands. "This time, I will protect you."

"Ah..." Gaia's face brightened. She slowly closed her eyes while giggling. "My child. I am truly glad... to have met you."

With that, Gaia lost consciousness. Kang-Wo lifted up Gaia— no, Layla. She was burning up while sweating profusely as if she had caught the flu, likely the side effects of Deific Manifestation.

"Si-Hun," Kang-Woo said as he handed Layla to Si-Hun. "I'm sure Layla will be having a hard time with the side effects of the manifestation Look after her."

"Okay, hyung-nim."

"I'll take care of the rest. You can go on ahead."

"But..."

Si-Hun hesitated for a moment, but nodded soon after.

Kang-Woo looked toward Uriel as well, calmly saying, "You can leave as well, Lord Uriel."

"No. You've only just recovered, so I'll also— Urgh." Uriel winced.

He was hurt all over from the desperate battle against Rakiel.

"I'm fine now. There is no need for you to worry," Kang-Woo remarked.

"... Really?"

"Yes," he answered with a smile.

Uriel, who was staring at Kang-Woo in dissatisfaction, nodded and left through the Rift that he, Gaia and Si-Hun had created.

"Kang-Woo," Seol-Ah called as she approached him.

She lowered her head in mixed feelings while looking down at Rakiel, who had turned into a demonic beast.

Kang-Woo carefully asked, "... Were you disappointed?"

This had been the first time that he had shown this side of himself to Seol-Ah. She thankfully said nothing when Gaia and Si-Hun had been here, but she had likely been shocked.

"... No," Seol-Ah replied as she shook her head. She continued while grabbing his hands, "I decided to be with you despite knowing this is your true self. Was I... of help to you this time?"

"Yeah. I would have had a much harder time if it hadn't been for you, darling."

They were not empty words; Kang-Woo would not have been able to face Rakiel one-on-one if it hadn't been for Seol-Ah's buffs and healing magic.

"Fufu. That's more than enough for me." Seol-Ah embraced Kang-Woo while smiling brightly.

Kang-Woo said while patting her head gently, "I still have some stuff to do, so you can go home first. I won't be long."

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you." Seol-Ah nodded, expressing slight disappointment.

After she turned around and left through the Rift, only Kang-Woo and Rakiel remained in the silent darkness.

"Grrr, grrrr."

Rakiel looked up at Kang-Woo with eyes filled with spite. Kang-Woo slowly walked toward him and trampled on his head without hesitation.

Smash!

"Gaaaaaahh!!"

"I didn't expect you to turn into a demonic beast."

However, the situation had been resolved much more easily thanks to that.

"O-Ohhh... Kang... Woo."

"Hm? You still retained your intelligence despite having become a demonic beast?" Kang-Woo looked down at Rakiel with great interest.

"I-I will... curse... you."

"Countless sons of bitches already have." Kang-Woo crouched down while snickering. He locked eyes with Rakiel and continued, "Though they're all dead now."

Rakiel glared at Kang-Woo in silence.

"Do you... feel... no shame?" Rakiel asked

"Hm?"

"Deceiving a goddess and your own comrades... living on through wretched lies... Do you truly... feel... no shame?"

"There you go again with your bullshit."

Kang-Woo clicked his tongue. It was an interesting question.

'He has a point.'

Considering all that he had done to deceive Gaia, it was not strange at all for Rakiel to think this way. He had pretended to be encroached by demonic energy and rolled on the ground quite pathetically. However...

"Who cares?"

"... What?"

"Who cares if it's pathetic and shameful?"

Kang-Woo didn't care even if he was unsightly and dishonorable.

"If I can get what I want just by doing that..."

He would become pathetic and shameful as many times as he needed to. Kang-Woo had even once become Bael's subordinate to lower the latter's guard. He had gotten on his knees and oinked like a pig to prove his loyalty. He had licked Bael's feet, and smashed his own head on the ground. He had survived and endured that way, and in the end... He had won.

"Does the concept of honor... not exist... for you?!" Rakiel exclaimed.

Kang-Woo snickered. "Fuck, man. I never thought I'd hear that from a dude who fell from grace because he was too horny."

"Nothing of... the sort! My love was... pure...!"

"Pure, huh? Is that why you fell for the Demon God's temptations?" Kang-Woo retorted while clicking his tongue. "Don't try to force a tear jerking scene. This isn't some Korean film."

Kang-Woo grabbed Rakiel's head and brought it closer to his.

"You were nothing but a horndog."

"G-Ghhh!!"

Rakiel's eyes set ablaze. He could not refute Kang-Woo; there was no way that he could, since it was a fact that he had fallen for the Demon God's temptations.

Rakiel lashed out in a fit of rage, "Kuh! How long... do you think your lies... will last?!"

All that he could do was criticize Kang-Woo. However, Kang-Woo only tilted his head in confusion.

"Satan said the same thing. Why do you think they're lies?"

"Wh...at?"

"You did it all, didn't you? You corrupted Raphael, kidnapped the Protector of Light and sowed demonic energy into him. It was you who did all that, so where are the lies that you're talking about?"

Rakiel's face paled. "You... crazy... bastard."

"Think about it." The corners of Kang-Woo's mouth curled up. "Only you and I know the whole truth."

Gurgle.

Black mucus flowed down Kang-Woo's hand and covered Rakiel.

"But if you die..."

Countless mouths with sharp teeth formed within the black mucus.

"... And I forget..."

Crunch.

Chilling sounds of crunching bones echoed. The mouths within the black mucus devoured Rakiel like a pack of piranhas. Kang-Woo smiled crazily.

"... No one will know, will they?"

The cackles of a demon filled the tunnel.