Chapter 36: Fulfillment of Promise

The scene reeked of blood.

This was the result of Khan gathering himself and Zefi and using self-detonation as his last resort.

It was the very spot on stage where, just a moment ago, Taehoo had stood.

But now, nothing remained intact.

Only Jin Tae stood, having lost half his body, feet planted firmly on the ground.

‘Do I not even need to lift a hand myself?’

“Where’s Jo-seph?”

The Arena was where the opponent emerged from the other side.

Of course, there were two Pathways from Basement to Stage.

Jin Tae asked as he saw Juhyeok walking out from the opposite side.

At the threshold of death, the first thing he sought was him.

“Here, right behind you.”

A sense of joy, relief, and gratitude radiated from Jin Tae’s back. Even though he couldn’t see his face, he could tell.

Jin Tae couldn’t turn around and collapsed right there. The bleeding continued.

It was a strange feeling.

In his previous life, Jin Tae had been an obvious villain, and now, he was someone who had to be killed.

Had he grown attached, somehow?

That guy was genuinely treating him sincerely.

Juhyeok turned Jin Tae’s body over. He looked down into his eyes.

The eyes of someone resigned to death. There was not even a hint of regret. So much could be felt from them.

Perhaps Jin Tae, too, had read the silence.

“Jo-seph, it was you, wasn’t it?”

He must have been asking about the current situation.

A laugh burst out at the end. Eyes that entrusted everything to what came next.

“Not Jo-seph, Nam Taehoo. Remember that.”

He plunged his sword into his heart.

Rain fell.

Red water washed by the blood pooled on the floor.

And before Jin Tae’s heart could stop beating—

Belial descended into his body.

[Oh, that guy’s gone completely mad, huh? His eyes are flipped. Are you sure about this?]

Ba’al asked, sounding amused by the turn of events.

He had played the trump card of Descension in front of so many people. It was easy to guess just how far gone he was.

‘What else can I do if I’m not fine?’

Taehoo thought in response. Meanwhile, from Jin Tae’s body, a surge of ashen energy erupted.

Belial’s Demonic Energy.

The flowing Demonic Energy replaced the half of his body that had been cut away. Like the roots of a tree, it clung to his body.

‘As expected, a Constellation is a Constellation.’

To think that even an intangible force like Demonic Energy or Mana could stand in for flesh.

Just from the presence Belial exuded, Taehoo’s throat felt parched and cold sweat trickled down.

Just how much could he withstand against a being of this level?

Taehoo signaled Juhyeok with his eyes.

Go to Muncheol. Take care of the children together.

[So, let’s hear your excuses.]

Even now, Belial questioned him. All of his attention was fixed on Taehoo.

Excuses?

If he was asking for a reason why he had to be killed, there were more than enough.

He knew how Belial had flourished in his previous life. He could easily imagine what fate awaited the children who had once eaten from the same pot as him in that future.

‘The way Kim Jin-tae expanded his House wasn’t so different from Dantalion’s.’

Prosperity blooms from someone’s sacrifice.

The Jin Tae of his previous life followed the same path as Dantalion.

And in that method, it was always clear who would be forced to sacrifice.

In his past life, Taehoo was the one sacrificed.

That’s why he killed him. Though he’d felt a fleeting, strange emotion, he hadn’t hesitated.

Now, the future of the Belial House was in Taehoo’s hands.

But it was his own choice, not Jin Tae’s will.

Taehoo opened his mouth.

“Excuses? Would you even listen? Or would you rip out my tongue first?”

Jin Tae’s pupils turned black.

[You did all this even though you knew?]

“Even if I hadn’t, he was going to die anyway. Looked like, in the end, he wanted to die.”

[I told you your plan wouldn’t bring harm to my servant.]

“For someone you care about so much, you sure ignore your servant’s feelings, don’t you?”

[Guess I’ll have to cut out that tongue first.]

A sign that the conversation would go no further.

He’d struck a nerve.

By the time they got to that point in the conversation, Taehoo was sure.

‘So you never truly cared about him. It just suited your purpose to keep him around.’

Then why?

Why take the gamble of Descension, risking so much?

Descension was the act of forcing a god’s power into an unstable human vessel.

If the servant’s body suddenly collapsed, even the Constellation would suffer.

‘It must mean there’s something to gain, worth the risk.’

Therefore—

“Instead of excuses, let me make a proposal. There wasn’t just one promise, was there?”

Belial had fallen for proposals before, and now, with the only servant he’d truly trusted dead, he couldn’t simply ignore it.

[If your tongue remains in your mouth until my life runs out, then I’ll listen.]

Belial responded.

[Ha, that guy sure loves his theatrics, huh?]

Ba’al sneered in his head. For Taehoo, that was more than enough.

“Fine.”

At that moment,

[The ‘Fulfillment of Promise’ quest is changing!]

[The description is being updated!]

[Fulfillment of Promise (Trial)]

Description – Belial is furious that you broke your contract! However, the magnanimous Constellation grants you another chance! Withstand Belial, who has descended into his servant’s body! If you endure, Belial will listen to what you have to say!

Reward – ??? / Failure: Death.

There had always been two promises.

Not harming Jin Tae, and making the House greater than ever.

The first was now impossible, but the second was different.

Belial was now asking whether the second could be achieved without Jin Tae.

In the earlier conversation, Taehoo had both gauged Belial’s intention and steered things in this direction.

He’d created a pretext for the conversation to flow this way.

‘Constellations are proud. That’s why justifications are important.’

If you looked at it, even quests were a form of that.

Creating a justification out of nothing.

Taehoo, having always been with Ba’al, understood Constellations better than anyone. That was why he could make such a decision.

[You sure can talk the talk… but can you really handle this?]

Ba’al asked.

‘If it were a full, perfect Descension, it’d be impossible….

But Jin Tae’s body wasn’t whole.

‘Belial’s power must be weakened. He must be spending a lot of energy just to forcefully maintain a fatally wounded body.’

Therefore—

Now.

‘There’s a chance.’

If he went all out, he might not be able to defeat him, but he could hold out to Jin Tae’s limits.

That’s why, when he saw Belial’s Descension, he’d assessed how long he could hold out against him.

‘It’s definitely possible.’

The surging Demonic Energy not only reconstructed the body but also layered new armor over it.

He could feel the resolve to allow no further wounds.

Taehoo’s eyes fixed on the black Reaper advancing toward him.

“Seems you’ve got more power left than I thought… Let’s see who falls first.”

He gripped the Fallen Flower Sword in his hand. Aura gathered upon it.

At the same time,

Belial rebounded like a bullet, swinging his armored arm.

“…!”

A tremendous speed.

Kaang!

He barely managed to move his sword in time to block the strike.

The assault didn’t stop there. The Demonic Energy, trailing like a tail, lashed at Taehoo again and again.

The force contained within was formidable.

All Taehoo could do was meet it head-on with all his strength.

[Skill ‘Single Stroke Severance’ activated!]

Sword and Demonic Energy clashed, a thunderous roar echoing.

The Arena was overturned once more.

The aftershocks alone shattered the audience seats.

Some of the VIPs, caught in the onslaught, met death helplessly.

Once, twice—his Mana drained rapidly.

‘These aren’t even finishing blows, just swings, but they’re this powerful…’

Just like how Namjin could cleave a mountain with a single casual stroke.

Belial’s technique neared that level of divine power.

‘Not quite my grandfather’s strength, but…

Blocking them head-on repeatedly was certainly overwhelming.

The third strike.

Kaaang!

Using the rebound from blocking the tail for the last time, Taehoo launched himself to the other side. In the spot where he’d just been standing, another blow landed.

The ground was sliced apart like tofu. Relentless, powerful strikes.

Taehoo couldn’t help but feel chills down his spine.

‘As expected, there’s no way to keep blocking these consecutive attacks.’

Reading the situation, he dodged yet another blade aura skimming past his nose.

The arm he’d been using to block felt like it would fall off from the pain.

Dodging as much as possible was the best he could do.

[Do you think you can prove yourself to me like that?]

Belial asked in disbelief.

[Ba’al, where is that guy?]

In my body.

He couldn’t very well answer that.

Ignoring Belial’s words, Taehoo dodged the lashing tail.

He was at a greater disadvantage than he’d thought.

‘If I could just land one blow to buy myself some time…’

He had to find a way.

The rain grew heavier.

What had started as gentle drops was now pouring down, almost blinding his sight.

A torrential downpour.

The rain settled the dust kicked up by the fierce fight and washed the blood from Taehoo’s body.

He breathed heavily. Rainwater entered his mouth.

Belial’s power felt like a thunderstorm pouring down from the heavens.

Even just enduring the aftershocks that swept around, Taehoo’s Mana was almost depleted.

‘Find it.’

Taehoo gritted his teeth. His eyes darted, desperately searching for a weakness.

‘One chance to buy time.’

Belial, using the Demonic Energy tail, now attacked from a single spot.

Taehoo was the only one dancing about, dodging here and there like a stray dog.

‘If he’d charged in up close like at the start, this would’ve been an easy fight. Why?’

He racked his brains.

If he had kept pressing close for melee after the first blow, Taehoo would’ve been at an even greater disadvantage.

After blocking that first strike, Taehoo had realized there was a considerable gap between him and Belial.

And yet, Belial kept his distance, sending sword auras at Taehoo.

As if enjoying his desperate struggle.

But—

‘Or is it not that? Then why?’

Rain poured down on Belial, too, without exception.

Raindrops crashed onto the black armor, ran down its seams, and pooled on the ground.

‘What’s that?’

The rain soaking the ground beneath Belial was red.

The earth had already been upturned once.

There was no blood left on the ground.

Which meant, the blood on the ground had to be Jin Tae’s Blood.

‘Just as I thought!’

As Taehoo had suspected, Belial’s power was incomplete.

Blood was flowing out—meaning there were cracks in the armor.

In other words, the body’s reconstruction was not perfect.

Using his remaining Mana, he enhanced his vision. Taehoo heightened his perception to the extreme.

On the verge of death.

Finally, Taehoo—

‘Found it!’

He found a gap in the armor.

There was a spot where rainwater, after pooling on the armor, dripped through.

‘So all that taunting was just a smokescreen.’

Kwakang!

Demonic Energy crashed down before his eyes.

There was no more point in dodging.

He poured all his remaining Mana into the Fallen Flower Sword.

Changing direction abruptly, Taehoo charged straight at Belial.