After Ten Millennia in Hell

Oh Kang-Woo sighed and shook his head.

Although his will to save Lilith had decreased by half, he couldn't ignore a loyal subordinate who had accompanied him for hundreds of years.

'Who could have…'

He narrowed his eyes.

The first question that had popped up in his mind when he had first heard of Lilith's kidnapping was who the culprit could be.

'The likeliest culprit is…'

The Prince of Lust, Asmodeus.

He was the prince of Hell who had frantically tried to get his hands on Lilith ever since they were in Hell.

If Asmodeus had also managed to go back into the past and be revived like the other princes of Hell, that was reason enough for him to kidnap Lilith.

'But…'

There was something he couldn't understand. The feed on the crystal orb was live. If Asmodeus really had kidnapped Lilith, there was no way he would send Kang-Woo a crystal like this. It made more sense to think that someone else had sent the crystal for some other purpose.

"Lilith."

- Sniff. M-My king.

Lilith looked at Kang-Woo, pus leaking from her tentacles.

Doing his best not to vomit, he asked in a low voice, "Who kidnapped y—"

Tap.

Just then, someone walked out of the darkness that was holding Lilith captive.

'Rakiel…?'

The first thing he saw were black wings and a stature slightly larger than a human's. It was only obvious that Kang-Woo would first think of the Constellation of Corruption, Rakiel.

'Rakiel kidnapped Lilith?

It was even more unbelievable than Asmodeus sending the crystal orb. Rakiel was currently sealed by Seraph's power. No, even if the seal had broken and he had crossed into Earth, there was no reason for him to kidnap Lilith out of nowhere.

'What's going on?'

As Kang-Woo's confusion was reaching its peak…

- Are you watching?

The black-winged being completely revealed himself.

"Ah…" A short exclamation left Kang-Woo's mouth.

It was a face he'd seen before, and just the fact that he recognized the face meant that it obviously wasn't Rakiel.

"Fuck… Come to think of it, you had black wings too."

Kang-Woo feigned laughter and glared at the half-human, half-demon.

"Lucis."

He was the son of Lucifer, the Prince of Pride, as well as the half-breed between Lucifer and a human woman.

- I'm relieved you still remember me.

Lucis smiled wickedly.

There was no way Kang-Woo would have forgotten. He had said some bullshit about having fallen for Lilith's true form at first sight, and he was a depraved boy who had stabbed his loving father in the stomach.

'There's no way I'd forget a bastard like that.'

Although he had been slightly instigated, Lucis had ultimately made the conscious decision to stab Lucifer. There was no way that Oh Kang-Woo, the icon of light and justice, would do something so depraved as making a son stab his father.

"Son of a bitch. I'm surprised you had the gall to come back to Earth after doing something as depraved as stabbing your father."

- What…?

Lucis looked at Kang-Woo with a blank expression for a moment before his face crumpled.

- What the hell are you talking about?! It's all your fault that I stabbed my father, Satan!!

"Hah," Kang-Woo laughed in disbelief as he raised his hand to swipe up his hair. He stared Lucis down. "And now you're even trying to pin me as Satan?"

- Do you really think I wouldn't recognize you after you hide in a human body?!

Lucis screamed in anger.

- After that incident, I talked a lot with my father and learned that Lady Lilith used to be a loyal subordinate of the demon king. But back then, she was clearly following Satan's orders.

"…"

Kang-Woo looked back on the past.

'Oh, right…'

This was still back when he was impersonating Satan while wearing the red demon mask. He'd made Lilith and Balrog call him Satan, so it was understandable that Lucis would make such a mistake.

- And after making some deductions, I was finally able to realize the truth.

Lucis glared at Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo could more or less guess what Lucis had concluded.

'If Lilith, who used to serve the demon king, is suddenly serving Satan, and if Satan was in the form of a human instead of his former demon form…'

The first thing that one would think would be that the demon king had made his subordinate pretend that he was Satan. At least, that was the most logical conclusion.

'But…'

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. There were still some variables. The first was that Lucifer fully believed that Kang-Woo was Satan.

'At the very least, there is no way Lucifer thinks that I impersonated Satan.'

Every action had an impetus. Lucifer didn't know Kang-Woo's circumstances, so in his mind, there was no way the demon king would pretend to be Satan in the first place.

The demon king that Lucifer knew was the crazed predator who had driven the entire Ninth Hell into war. From Lucifer's perspective, just like how there was no reason for a billionaire to shoplift from a small convenience store, there was no reason for the demon king to pretend to be Satan. There was no way for Lucifer to possibly imagine that the demon king was trying to save Earth for kimchi stew.

'I built things up immaculately, too.'

Not only had Kang-Woo told Lucifer's subordinate, who had come in search of the demon king's Demonic Sea, that Satan already possessed the Demonic Sea, he had also proven to Lucifer directly that he was Satan by showing him Satan's Hell Armament.

'In other words, rather than thinking that the demon king is impersonating Satan…'

It was more likely that he would think Satan had acquired the demon king's body.

"…"

Kang-Woo looked elsewhere in silence.

The second variable was how Lucis looked in the video feed. His eyes were blazing with pure, innocent love for Lilith. He was truly in love with Lilith; the effects of the brainwashing still lingered, and his love had evolved into madness.

If that was the case… If Lucis's love had evolved into madness…

'All humans—no, all living beings—see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe.'

That was the nature of all living beings. Add madness, and there was no more need to even question it.

- Satan, I know that you've taken the body of the demon king and are controlling Lady Lilith.

'I knew it.' Kang-Woo's eyes shone.

It was a simple line of thought.

Everyone in Hell knew that Lilith was deeply in love with the demon king. If she was being controlled by Satan and the man that she loved was already dead, then it was only obvious that Lucis would also hope for his love to bear fruit.

'In other words, Lucifer and that brat still think I'm Satan.'

It was all coming together, and he was finally starting to understand why Lucis had kidnapped Lilith.

"So what if I have?"

- I will free Lady Lilith from your evil grasp!

"…"

Kang-Woo grabbed his forehead as if it hurt from the obvious answer. The Lilith inside Lucis's head was a poor and weak woman who had been brainwashed by Satan and was being forced to serve him.

'Fuck.'

He had never expected that the seed he had sown would bite him in the ass like this.

"Where's Lucifer?"

- Hmph. Father has nothing to do with this matter.

"What?" Kang-Woo frowned.

'This wasn't orchestrated by Lucifer?'

If that wasn't the case, then that meant Lucis had kidnapped Lilith on his own.

'How did that brat possibly manage to do that?'

Lilith had even managed to escape from Asmodeus's grasp. Although Lucis was Lucifer's son, he was still far lacking compared to a prince of Hell.

'Hm?'

Just then, Kang-Woo noticed the black wings on Lucis's back.

'Eight…?'

When he last saw Lucis, Lucis only had six wings—exactly the same amount as Shalgiel.

He wasn't sure if, like angels, a demon's power was indicated by the number of wings they had, but considering how Lucifer had ten wings on his back, it was likely.

'If Lucis has eight wings, he's on the same level as Raphael and Uriel.'

Considering the overwhelming difference in power between Shalgiel and Raphael, he couldn't understand why Lucis had eight wings.

- Huhu. Don't think that I'm the same powerless self as before, Satan.

Lucis smiled wickedly.

- You have no idea how many trials I've overcome to gain her love.

"…"

Kang-Woo wasn't sure what trials Lucis was talking about.

'But one thing's for sure…'

Lucis had become incomparably stronger than before. In other words, just like what Lucifer had declared when Kang-Woo saw him last, he was making very ample preparations to take his revenge. He was not just becoming stronger but also helping his son grow.

'Well, that answers all of my questions for now.'

There was only one thing left to take care of.

- If you don't free her—

"You can shut up now. I have nothing else I need to hear from you," Kang-Woo interjected. "Let's speak more in person."

- What?

Lucis frowned.

Kang-Woo put his hand on the communication crystal orb, closed his eyes, and focused. The overwhelming level of demonic energy control that he had displayed when he forced the Demon God back into the Abyss was once again showing itself.

'Authority of the Beholder.'

He reverse-tracked the very thin connection of demonic energy between the crystal orbs. He was able to clearly see where Lucis was holding Lilith.

"Stay right there, you fucking brat."

Kang-Woo waved his hand.

Split!

A crack formed in the air, creating a black Rift. Without even thinking about calling Balrog, Kang-Woo threw himself into the black Rift.

Riiing.

[You have entered the 'Dimensional Crack' connected to the continent of Aernor.]

A blue message appeared in front of him. He ignored it and moved forward.

"Ah…!"

He saw Lilith, still restrained by the darkness.

"M-My king!!"

"Kuh! How many times must I tell you?! You are being brainwashed by Satan! The demon king is already dead!!"

He heard Lucis's boisterous voice. As he was shouting at Lilith, his eyes widened once he saw Kang-Woo coming out of the black Rift.

"H-How did you…"

"Haaa, fucking hell." Kang-Woo sighed deeply.

He couldn't help but get angry after finding out that the matter that he had been so anxious over had been nothing more than a childish game.

"Move."

"Kuh!"

Lucis bit his lip at the overwhelming amount of demonic energy coming out of Kang-Woo. He created a spear of darkness and pointed it at Kang-Woo.

Crackle!

Black lightning danced at the tip of the spear.

"Aaah, my king!!"

Lilith shed tears when she saw Kang-Woo. Yellow pus splattered everywhere, exuding a horrendous stench. Her tentacles wiggled and grew longer.

"…"

Flinch.

Kang-Woo stopped in his tracks. He couldn't help but grimace at the tremendous stench filling the entire space.

"Ah… I don't wanna save her…" He unwittingly said his honest thoughts while clenching his hair and lowering his head.

"You scumbag…" Lucis clenched his jaw and glared at him.

He couldn't help but be heartbroken as he saw the yellow pus flowing from Lilith's eyes. Not only had Satan brainwashed her, but he was also trying to abandon her.

"Are you blind?! Can't you see her tears—her sorrowful tentacles?!"

"I can. I can see them all too fucking well."

"Then how… how could you say something like that?!"

"That's what I want to ask. How the fuck can you say something like that?"

"Satan…" Lucis bit his lip and surged with rage. "I know exactly why you took the demon king's body and brainwashed this poor woman! I know it all, Satan!!"

"I don't think you do."

"Didn't you do it to obtain her love?!"

"The fuck d'you say?"

Black lightning crackled in all directions.

"That's how desperate you were for her love!! Because Lilith is…! She's more beautiful than anything else in the world!"

"Stop…"

"But…!"

"I said stop…"

Boom!

Lucis stomped on the ground.

"Your love is twisted, Satan!! There is no point in false love!!"

"Please… don't say cringe lines like that."

"I will take this opportunity to reveal the whole truth to her!!"

Lucis waved his hands, and the darkness that was restraining Lilith moved forward.

He then said solemnly, "Satan, this is your last chance. If you truly love her…"

"…"

"Reveal the whole truth here."

Kang-Woo turned his head to look at Lilith, who was restrained by the darkness. Yellow pus was spewing out of her as if she were a fountain, and her green tentacles were wriggling grotesquely.

"Lilith…" He anxiously called out her name. He kneeled and lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I'm actually Satan. The demon king was torn apart by the dimensional wall as he crossed over to Earth and died. I've been… deceiving you all this time."

Kang-Woo revealed the truth in a voice filled with sorrow. Lucis poked Lilith as if telling her that it was exactly like he had said.

"Ah…" Lilith shortly exclaimed.

She wiped the pus coming out of her eyes with her tentacles and smiled.

"It is okay. I… believe in you, my king. I do not know why you are lying, but… I…" Lilith said with a firm voice, "I love you."

"…"

There was a heavy silence.

Kang-Woo's shoulders trembled a bit.

"Sniff… Sniff, urghhh."

Tears dripped down his cheeks.

"I'm Satan…"

"No, my king."

"I'm telling you, I'm Satan…"

"You are not Satan."

"Urgh… Waaaahh." He wept while grabbing his head. "I'm fucking Satan…"

Please just believe me.