After Ten Millennia in Hell

There were ten angels in front of him, and easily dozens more were hiding along the alleyways. Practically the entirety of Raphael\'s forces was here. The energy coming from the angels wasn\'t normal, either, which meant that they\'d brought only the elites among Raphael\'s forces.

Kang-Woo frowned due to the air they were giving off; it was as if the angels had come ready for war.

"…"

Shalgiel silently looked at Han Seol-Ah.

Seol-Ah hid behind Kang-Woo, flinching. She\'d only seen angels from a distance in the war against the Demon Cult back in Russia.

"I knew it… but why…?" Shalgiel opened his mouth in disbelief and grabbed his forehead while feigning laughter.

"Shalgiel."

"Ah, my apologies." Shalgiel shook his head at Kang-Woo\'s call.

"What is it that you must tell me?"

"… Before that, may I first ask what the nature of your relationship with this woman is?" he asked while pointing to Seol-Ah.

"She\'s my lover," Kang-Woo calmly said.

"Hah." Shalgiel laughed in disbelief and glared at Kang-Woo in obvious rage. "A human lover… I can see that you know absolutely nothing, Kang-Woo."

"…"

Kang-Woo was becoming irritated with Shalgiel for evading his question and having such an attitude.

\'Calm down.\'

He quelled his irritation. It was very important to maintain a good relationship with angels. He couldn\'t let emotional outbursts influence his actions.

\'Especially now.\'

Uriel would soon arrive on Earth.

Kang-Woo forced a smile and calmly said, "Could you explain what it is that I don\'t know?"

"Have angel wing symbols appeared on this human\'s—I mean, this lady\'s back?"

"…!"

Kang-Woo\'s eyes widened. It was the same for Seol-Ah, who had been listening next to him. She looked at Kang-Woo as if she were asking if he\'d told anyone about it.

"How did you know that?" Kang-Woo asked in a sharp voice.

It was true that he\'d considered asking the angels about it, but it had been nothing but a consideration; he had not told them yet.

Shalgiel calmly explained, "While investigating Guardians, I coincidentally learned about her."

"…"

Kang-Woo didn\'t intend to ask him why he\'d been investigating them. It was understandable that they\'d try to see if the organization they\'d allied with was trustworthy.

"So, what do the angel wings mean?" Kang-Woo asked.

"…"

Shalgiel closed his eyes. There was a bit of hesitation in his expression.

He sighed.

"It is… a soul."

"… A soul?"

"The soul of Lady Seraph lies within her."

"The fuck you say?"

Kang-Woo unconsciously ended up cursing from Shalgiel\'s absurd words. He looked at Shalgiel with his mouth agape.

\'Is he crazy?\'

There was a limit to how random someone could be.

Kang-Woo glared at Shalgiel as if Shalgiel were talking out of his ass, but he didn\'t seem to be lying. There was no way someone would joke in a situation like this.

\'By Seraph, he means…\'

He\'d heard that name before.

Celestial Goddess Seraph—the angel who had defeated Bauli alongside Gaia and the Heavenly Dragon. The Constellations of Evil were all sealed away because she had sacrificed her own Divinity.

\'But…\'

Kang-Woo looked at Seol-Ah.

She didn\'t seem to know how to react to what Shalgiel had just said.

\'Seraph\'s soul is inside Seol-Ah?\'

There had actually been clues about what it could have been.

\'Back then…\'

Kang-Woo recalled the brilliant light that had come out of her back in the dungeon—the light that had burned him. The power had been far stronger than the maximum power output that he, who had become stronger than his past self in Hell, could release.

\'If Seraph\'s soul is behind that power…

It was enough of an answer to satisfy him, but that was all there was to it. He was not satisfied with the underlying cause.

"Why is Seraph\'s soul inside Seol-Ah?"

"… Do not speak her name disrespectfully. It is not one that you can use however you want."

"Is that important right now?" Kang-Woo frowned.

Shalgiel groaned. "As for why her soul is inside a human woman—and in a human from another dimension, no less—I do not know either. Oh… But I have a theory as to why the soul is in a different dimension."

"… What is it?"

"We have confirmed that Lady Gaia\'s power had also weakened significantly when Lady Seraph\'s seal had significantly weakened. It likely has to do with the Demon of Prophecy."

"Then…"

"Yes. I believe Lady Seraph\'s soul had fallen through the giant hole made between the dimensions."

"…"

Kang-Woo remained silent.

It was simple. To make a comparison, Huan, Aernor, and Earth were like three layers of breakwater that protected against the forces of the outer world. If one layer collapsed, it would naturally affect the other two layers as well.

"So, what is it that you want to say?" Kang-Woo asked.

It was honestly hard to believe, but there was no way an angel would say something so absurd as Seol-Ah possessing Seraph\'s soul without any proof. They had likely brought it up after investigating very thoroughly.

Now, it was time to hear why he was talking about this.

Shalgiel said, "We need her help."

"… Help with what?"

"Lady Seraph\'s power is weakening each second. Before that power completely disappears… we have to return the soul to its rightful place."

"That means…"

"Yes. We need the soul that she possesses. If everything goes as planned… there is a chance that Lady Seraph will be revived within her."

"…"

There was silence.

Seol-Ah looked back and forth between Kang-Woo and Shalgiel, not having fully understood what had just been said.

Kang-Woo slowly opened his mouth.

"What will happen to Seol-Ah if Seraph is revived?"

"Well…" Shalgiel slurred. After organizing his thoughts, he calmly spoke again. "She will share her consciousness with Lady Seraph. You could think of it as coexisting—"

"We refuse," he said firmly.

Kang-Woo glared at Shalgiel.

\'Coexisting, my ass.\'

There was no way the soul of the Celestial Goddess could coexist with a mere human.

Even thinking about Lilith, who had entered the body of Kurosaki Yurie, Kurosaki Yurie had fallen into an indefinite slumber after her soul had been pushed aside by Lilith\'s.

\'But coexist, you say? You think I\'m sharing my consciousness with Bauli without a care in the world?\'

Bauli had not been able to take control of Kang-Woo\'s body due to Kang-Woo\'s exceptional demonic energy control. If he had been nothing but a puppet like Bauli had hoped, his soul would have been devoured already.

"Uhm… Kang-Woo. What is going on…?"

"You don\'t have to pay it any mind." Kang-Woo pulled Seol-Ah close to him. He said to Shalgiel, "If you have nothing else to say, we will be on our way."

"…"

Shalgiel stared at Kang-Woo.

"As expected of a human," he mumbled and clicked his tongue. "Surround them."

The angels hiding around them appeared and surrounded Kang-Woo and Seol-Ah.

"… What is the meaning of this?"

Kang-Woo\'s eyes narrowed.

Shalgiel spoke in a heavy voice. "It was my mistake for having the tiniest expectations for a human."

"…"

"We will be taking that woman," he said firmly as if he would not compromise for anything else.

Kang-Woo grimaced.

\'Endure it.\'

He clenched his fists. His hands were shaking. He took a deep breath and quelled his overflowing rage.

\'If I let my emotions run wild, it\'s over.\'

He had done his best to maintain a collaborative relationship with the angels, even going as far as to do that shitshow with Ludwig. It had all been to ensure Guardians and the angels would work together.

\'We need the angels.\'

To be more precise, he couldn\'t afford to antagonize them. They had been growing in power while the Ninth Hell had been at war for a thousand years. Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel, and their leader Michael possessed great power. Not only that, but their goal was the same as Kang-Woo\'s—to eliminate all demonic beings from the world and bring forth peace.

\'I can\'t do that alone.\'

He wasn\'t a god—he couldn\'t be everywhere all at once.

Earth was in an extreme crisis; the Demon of Prophecy and the Four Heavenly Kings were not the biggest issue.

\'Earth is being invaded by the Nine Hells itself.\'

It was clear to see with demonic beasts and even Halcyon, an ancient demonic beast, appearing within the Gates. Even if the Demon Cult and the summoning rituals did not exist, Earth was becoming more and more exposed to the outer world.

It wasn\'t just the Nine Hells. Earth currently had no defenses to block invasions from any other world. If they antagonized the angels in such a situation…

\'It would be the end.\'

Kang-Woo might be able to survive, but Earth wouldn\'t be able to withstand a full-fledged war.

\'And most importantly…\'

Angels were connected to gods—they\'d come to Earth after receiving a request from Uranus. Fighting them also meant that they would be crossing the gods backing the angels.

"Fuuu." Kang-Woo took a deep breath and calmly said, "I want to talk to Lord Raphael."

"Lord Raphael is currently recovering in the Embrace of Light. Besides, nothing would change even if you talk to him."

"… Are you forcing Seol-Ah to sacrifice herself?"

"If it is necessary."

Shalgiel raised his hand. A few angels approached and grabbed Seol-Ah.

"Kyaaa!"

Kang-Woo raised his brows. He pushed away the angels grabbing Seol-Ah. Although he\'d pushed them slightly, the angels were blown away.

"Are you going to resist to the very end?" Shalgiel said in irritation. "I am sure you are aware of your current situation."

"…"

"Or would you like to take this chance to check if Lord Uranus also feels the same way?"

Shalgiel knew about the relationship between Guardians and the angels very well—they weren\'t on equal terms.

The angels had simply come to help because they had been asked to. Although their objective to eradicate demons was the same, there was no need to even discuss the power dynamic between the two sides.

"…"

Kang-Woo stopped in his tracks.

Shalgiel smirked.

The angels walked toward Kang-Woo and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him down.

Kang-Woo didn\'t resist and kneeled.

"K-Kang-Woo…"

Seol-Ah\'s voice trembled. She looked at the angels with uneasy eyes and gulped.

"I still don\'t understand entirely what is going on, but… you\'re saying that you need my help, right?"

"Yes. If Lady Seraph is revived, humans will not have to fear demons any longer."

"Ah…" Seol-Ah let out a short exclamation, then she nodded and smiled. "If so, then I can do it… as long as it ensures Kang-Woo\'s safety."

There was a short silence.

"…"

Kang-Woo closed his eyes.

The situation was simple. Their relationship with the angels couldn\'t get ruined, and Seraph\'s seal was getting weaker. If Seraph was revived and consolidated the seal, a deity would join them as their ally.

Not just that, since Seraph was of the same rank as Gaia, she could possibly restore a portion of the protective barrier surrounding Earth. At the very least, she would be able to prevent beings of the outer world from invading Earth.

If Seol-Ah, just one person, sacrificed herself, Kang-Woo could obtain the peaceful life he\'d yearned for for ten millennia.

So… it was an easy choice to make.

"Haaa." Kang-Woo sighed deeply. "You fucking pigeons have gone too far."

"… What did you say?" Shalgiel\'s eyes shone sharply. He was not fully used to the human language, but he could easily tell that Kang-Woo had insulted them.

"Don\'t try to act like you didn\'t hear me, dumbass. Are you the lead of a love comedy or something?"

"You insolent…!"

Flames poured out of Shalgiel\'s eyes. As he was about to unsheathe his sword, he bit his lip and opened his mouth instead.

"… I understand your anger. I am sure you are even more disconcerted since this human woman is your lover."

He held in his rage.

"This sacrifice is for the greater good. This world and all of its people could be protected from the hands of demons with the sacrifice of one mere human."

"…"

Kang-Woo remained silent.

He got up.

"Huh? Huuuh?"

A flustered murmur came out of the angel that was holding him down.

Kang-Woo reached out and grabbed the angel\'s head.

"Hey, you."

He stared right at Shalgiel.

"I was solo for ten fucking millennia, okay? It\'s been so excruciatingly painful having no one by my side to embrace me. There wasn\'t even porn for me to watch, man. Do you know what I had at the very least? Huh? Do you?"

He had pus-spewing green tentacles.

"The world is in danger? The seal is about to break?"

He didn\'t give a fuck.

Crush.

The head of the angel he was holding exploded.

White blood and brain matter wet his hand.

"I can\'t live without my darling, you bastards."

The alliance with the angels that he\'d built through so much effort… was overturned.