Chapter 109: Miracle

It was not only South Korea’s Awakeners and the followers of the Victory Order who were dispatched to subjugate the Demon Clan.

“Uwoooooh!”

A creature let out a ferocious roar. 

It was Minotauros. 

However, its massive size, much larger than an ordinary Minotauros, the spiral horn on its forehead, and the pitch-black armor encasing its sturdy body signified that it was an executive of the Demon King’s Legion.

“E-evacuate!”

A battle was underway. 

However, the sudden threat caused a commotion everywhere. 

It was only natural, as the creature was charging with its horn lowered.

“Thump, thump, thump, thump!”

The earth shook from its movements. 

This was no simple headbutt; it was an act of destruction imbued with Authority. 

Naturally, it was not a power an ordinary Awakener could withstand.

“Step.”

I walked through the crowd as they parted like the Red Sea. 

Of course, from the opposite direction, the Minotauros, boasting immense power, was approaching at high speed. 

While one side walked leisurely as if on a stroll, the other continued its movements for the sake of destruction. 

To any observer, the outcome seemed obvious.

However…

-Swish.

That was only true before a trajectory was drawn from my hand.

It stopped. 

The Minotauros’s charge, which seemed as if nothing could halt it, came to a standstill. 

It was as if time itself had frozen, like someone had pressed a pause button.

A moment later…

-Splatter!

From its horn down to its crotch, the creature’s body was split perfectly into two halves and collapsed powerlessly.

Silence dominated the area for an instant. 

Then…

“Woooooah!”

“Victory is with us!”

“Subjugate the Demon Clan!”

The silence quickly turned into cheers. 

The high-spirited Awakeners and the followers of the Victory Order began to push back the surrounding Demon Clan. 

The fate of the small fry who had lost their focal point was obvious.

-Stab!

-Slash!

The sounds of death echoed everywhere. 

Those who had been dispatched to France with me began to show their prowess.

‘It’s over.’

The problem here had originally been the Minotauros that just fell. 

A request for cooperation had been sent because France was having a headache trying to deal with it. 

Hosik Jeong had responded to that request. 

This was because France had shown a favorable reaction toward South Korea in the past.

Originally, someone else was scheduled to be dispatched, but I insisted on coming here myself. 

Because…

‘I felt his energy nearby.’

Salmora.

I was here to catch this gloomy bastard whose tracks remained hidden even after the deaths of the Demon King and the God of Darkness. 

I knew his death was false. 

No, he did die, technically. 

However, that was merely a clone he had created of himself.

That was why I had struggled to find his whereabouts. 

I had even exhausted my Divinity to find him, but he was not easy to discover. 

I hadn’t found him until recently. 

But a short while ago, I sensed his presence in France. 

As it happened, a dispatch was scheduled, so I led them — though I wasn’t the one officially in charge — to subjugate the Demon Clan.

It was around the time victory was almost certain.

“My, my!”

It was a voice that was not within my range of perception.

“To think the hero of the East would be in a place like this.”

I turned my head toward the source of the voice. 

The person there was neither an Awakener dispatched from South Korea nor a follower of the Order. 

He was a middle-aged gentleman. 

And his face was one I had seen in the past. 

Frankie Duncan — or rather, the name hidden behind that name.

“Salmora!”

It was Salmora.

The moment I recognized him…

-Flash.

My body crossed through space and reached his immediate vicinity. 

In that brief moment, which felt like time had been stretched thin, I placed him within my range of attack.

[Ultimate Technique: Piercing]

Every movement of my ultimate techniques is based on my full power. 

Perfect unity of mind and spirit. 

That movement, which one could only hope to mimic after achieving the state of the sword and body as one…

-Schwing!

It was executed, piercing toward the space between his brows. 

The moment I thought of the thrust, the causality of my sword piercing him had already been reached. 

It was something no one could avoid…

“Clang!”

…or so I thought.

“…!!”

Something had intervened in the causality. 

It was…

‘An iron sword?’

It was just an ordinary iron sword. 

It wasn’t even a sword imbued with Authority. 

How could a mere iron sword block Anus, which had manifested a blade of will?

Naturally, I turned my head. 

Who on earth could possibly block my ultimate technique?

What I saw when I turned my head was…

“Velator?”

A handsome blonde man. 

He certainly bore a resemblance to Velator. 

However…

“I believe there has been a misunderstanding.”

Salmora — the man — opened his mouth. 

But…

‘This is…’

I felt an unexpected energy. 

I had clearly felt Salmora’s presence. 

That was why I hadn’t hesitated to try and take his life. 

But this…

‘…A human?!’

I confirmed it through my Insight Eye. 

Surprisingly, the man was not a member of the Demon Clan, but a human. 

A human with the same presence as Salmora.

“Leo, lower your sword.”

“Yes, Father.”

The young man called Leo. 

The one who resembled Velator lowered his sword.

“I believe there is a misunderstanding. So, Mr. Kim Si-won, please lower your sword as well.”

“…”

Even if my emotions had been worn away, I wasn’t so broken that I would commit murder without reason. 

Besides, the situation unfolding was quite interesting.

-Shing.

I sheathed my sword and looked at the human who possessed Salmora’s presence.

“I am Emile Ricard, and this is my son, Leo Ricard.”

“Emile?”

“I am a scientist who has been conducting independent research here in Paris. It seems you have mistaken me for someone else…”

“Mistaken, you say…”

Possibility of a mistake? 

It converged to 0%. 

Even so, the reason I didn’t act was that the current situation made no sense. 

I had lived for nearly 1,000 years. 

I had often experienced incomprehensible things, but this case was on a different level.

‘Can a demon become human?’

Humanization of the Demon Clan. 

Since humans could be demonized, wasn’t it entirely possible? 

No. 

At least according to my common sense, it was impossible.

It had to be that way because humans can be considered chaos. 

Since they can belong to either light or darkness, it is possible for them to become part of the Demon Clan if they are stained by darkness. 

However, it is impossible to change a demon who has already been dyed black back into a human.

That was the reason I didn’t attack even though I knew I wasn’t mistaken. 

It should be impossible for Salmora to become a perfect human.

“You still haven’t cleared your suspicions. I understand. A person like you, who has frequented so many battlefields, would naturally have deep doubts. However, I am definitely a human, not a demon.”

He was certainly right. 

He was human and he was 100% pure human. 

Therefore…

“…What is the reason for your appearance here?”

The people who had already received evacuation orders had left the vicinity. 

So why was he, a mere human who identified himself as a scientist, in a danger zone?

“Ah! I came to verify my research results. I can’t help it if you think it’s suspicious, but I was counting on my son.”

His son. 

I stared at the one he introduced as Leo Ricard.

“…”

Our gazes clashed in midair. 

First, I felt anger from him for attacking the one he introduced as his father. 

And…

‘He is also human.’

The blonde young man was also human. 

That made it even more surprising. 

A mere human could block my ultimate technique? 

Some might think it arrogant, but no. 

I could guarantee it.

Unless they were someone born for a specific purpose like a hero, a being living a finite human life could not withstand my ultimate technique. 

Yet, despite being human, he had blocked it. 

And he did so very easily, as if he hadn’t received any impact at all. 

It was a level of martial prowess that had already surpassed that of an Awakener.

Furthermore…

‘My Insight Eye cannot pierce him.’

Insight Eye. 

The eye of the mind that only those who have achieved enlightenment can obtain. 

Until now, I had been able to gain a lot of information from allies and enemies through this eye. 

However, this beautiful young man was different. 

There was nothing I could read through the Insight Eye.

How should I put it? 

It was like a phenomenon where thick fog had settled. 

Of course, that was something I had experienced occasionally.

‘A phenomenon seen only in gods who had obtained status, or in transcendent beings.’

None of them were human. 

Yet this beautiful young man was hiding himself from my Insight Eye. 

Perhaps if someone looked at me with an Insight Eye, would they feel something like this?

“…Research results? What kind of research results are you talking about?”

“Since explaining would likely take a long time, I will show you directly.”

The man called Emile stared at Leo. 

At that moment…

-Flash!

He vanished. 

Then, he reappeared before I knew it. 

It was an amazing speed that could be called teleportation. 

Just through that series of movements, I could grasp the realm the opponent had reached. 

In his hand, as he returned to his original spot…

“Kyaaaak!”

A demon was being held. 

Looking like a Lizardman, its spirit was completely suppressed, leaving it unable to budge.

“This…”

He took out a syringe filled with a yellow liquid from the bag in his hand.

-Stab!

He plunged it straight into the space between the creature’s eyes.

“Kyakh, kyaaaaaaargh — !”

A terrible scream rang out. 

Even if its body were being torn into pieces, it probably wouldn’t let out such a scream. 

And in the next moment…

“…What?!”

It was rare for my composure to be shaken. 

However, I couldn’t help but be agitated by the shocking situation happening before my eyes. 

A miracle occurred. 

A miracle? 

No, it was something that could be called an anomaly. 

Something impossible was happening.

“Ah — “

The Awakeners and followers who witnessed the scene together let out exclamations of admiration. 

It was only natural.

“H-how am I…?!”

A naked human man. 

The man with brown hair and visible freckles was human. 

The demon that had looked like a Lizardman until a moment ago had turned back into a human.

“This is my research that I mentioned earlier. Turning the Demon Clan back into humans.”

The impossible had happened. 

However, I couldn’t deny what had occurred before my eyes.

“It’s a pity. If only I had arrived a little earlier, I could have saved more people — those who were unfortunately demonized.”

His words sounded regretful. 

But I knew. 

It was a reproach directed at me.

An accusation toward me, who had engaged in slaughter and killed them when they could have been turned back into humans.

“But it’s not too late. We must pull those who remain out of the darkness.”

A question arose here.

“…How do you distinguish which demons can be turned back into humans?”

This wasn’t turning demons into humans. 

It was reverting humans who had undergone demonization back to their original state. 

To do that, he had to categorize those among these many demons who used to be human. 

That was something even I, with my Insight Eye, couldn’t do.

“My son has the ability to distinguish them.”

As if he had been waiting for this, he looked at his son, Leo Ricard. 

And at that moment, he moved just as before. 

It was a movement that transcended the realm of speed that crossed through space. 

In an instant, he categorized all the demonized humans in the area and gathered them in one place.

And then…

“Wh-what?!”

“Where is this…?”

In an instant, he turned them — the demons — back into humans.

“Ah!”

“Ohhh!”

At that moment, I realized that the gazes that had been revering me until now, that worship, was shifting toward this father and son.