The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 394

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Chapter 394

Lucifer.

The Archangel of Lightning who spoke that name stepped forward, blocking my path as if drawing a boundary line with blazing flames.

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

The gatekeeper’s name was The Corrupted One Within the Door.

Even taken literally, it was obvious that the gatekeeper itself was in a state of corruption—though what kind of corruption it was, I couldn’t say for sure.

At the very least, one thing was clear.

There was no reason for me to cross beyond that door to where Lucifer was sealed.

— I have a mission. Therefore… release my seal.

“Releasing it wouldn’t be difficult.”

I spoke calmly and stepped forward.

Then, standing before the red barrier that separated me from his seal, I asked,

“But what exactly am I supposed to trust you on?”

— I can give you everything you desire.

I narrowed my eyes at the offer.

“How would you know what I want?”

— Then what do you desire?

This bastard really knew how to talk.

With a dry laugh, I replied,

“An Outer God. Yog.”

KUUUUNG!!!

The air trembled violently the moment I said his name.

— ……

“Can you execute him?”

If that were possible, things would never have become this complicated.

At least, that was something I was absolutely certain of.

— You know that name. You are no ordinary being. However, if it were me, it would be possible. Release my seal. If you do, I shall grant your wish.

“You’ve got some nerve.”

I sneered.

This thing was a compulsive liar—someone you absolutely couldn’t trust.

The Corrupted One Within the Door.

That was the gatekeeper’s name.

In other words, he had been twisted by some inner force, becoming an incarnation of destruction that annihilated everything it perceived.

If the gatekeeper had been corrupted to this extent, then this one needed no further explanation.

If only Luna had been here, I might’ve been able to obtain information on Lucifer through her.

“No. You can’t handle Yog.”

— ……

I was certain of it.

Even if my self from the Closed World had been injured, if I had truly succeeded in executing him, then there was no way this being could defeat Yog.

If that were possible, my Closed-World self would have torn Yog apart already.

Truth was, I didn’t know that much about him.

“Strange, though. You do seem like an Archangel. So why were you sealed so thoroughly—unlike Lispa or Luna?”

If the Chief God had gone this far, even against someone who had raised a rebellion, then the reason was obvious.

This being was more dangerous than the others.

And I had proof.

If he were truly an ally, I wouldn’t have had to emerge from the Rift of Despair half-dead just to finish the job.

— Mortal. I can give you the power you seek. I acknowledge it—Yog is no simple existence. In primordial times, he was a fragment of evil that split off from the Chief God. A devourer of worlds.

“Oh? That’s actually new information.”

So Yog was a fragment torn from the Chief God.

That certainly explained why he wasn’t ordinary.

— However, he is incomplete. Not omnipotent. That is why he hungers. I know his weakness. So form a contract with me—

“Let’s not talk like you’re selling insurance. How did you end up sealed here, anyway?”

At my question, he fell silent.

Let’s hear what excuse you come up with.

[Prolonged conversation with that entity is not advised.]

‘I know. I’m not planning to release him anyway.’

— My sealing is the stain upon the god. The Chief God judged my power to be a threat to his own existence and sealed me, stripping away my authority.

Unlike the other Archangels, this one possessed a clearly defined ego.

If he was the original template of the Archangels, then perhaps the Chief God, after realizing the danger of granting self-awareness, chose not to give it to later Archangels.

Because self-awareness meant the possibility of rebellion.

“You said you were an Archangel. Are there others?”

— There exists only one Archangel. Me alone, mortal.

“Okay. That tells me enough.”

That confirmed it.

“Let’s pretend this conversation never happened. Whatever the case, you’re too dangerous.”

I activated a sealing spell.

The Chief God’s seal was already firm, but since the door had been opened, someone else might tamper with it.

So I added my own seal—locking down his actions completely.

The moment my decision was made, the surrounding air began to quake.

— Did you not speak the name of an Outer God?

“I did.”

— The power of Yog cannot be handled by anyone but me. It is impossible.

“Maybe.”

— Release my seal. I will suppress the Outer God and erase him.

“That’s a lie.”

— How can you be so certain?

I answered simply.

One thing was clear—he knew nothing about the Closed World.

“Simply put, I don’t believe someone I couldn’t deal with can defeat Yog.”

— Indeed. Yog’s power is immense. However, when facing him, my power—

“And whatever reason the Chief God had for sealing you, no Archangel I’ve seen was sealed as meticulously as you were.”

— ……

“In other words, you’re absurdly dangerous. Am I wrong?”

Lucifer fell silent.

If he were truly helpful, the Chief God wouldn’t have sealed him like this.

— Very well, mortal. Then you need not release my seal.

“Really?”

— Instead, take the necklace from my sealed body.

“What is it?”

— A divine artifact forged from my power. Someday, when you require my strength, destroy it. When that happens, my seal will break. The moment you need me will come.

I walked forward at his words.

[Ignoring his proposal is strongly recommended.]

‘It’s better to secure multiple options. I’ll just seal the necklace so he can’t do anything with it.’

I stepped past the red barrier—the boundary of the sealed door.

Then I removed the necklace from the neck of the chained, sleeping figure and took it.

— I will wait, mortal.

“Just so we’re clear—you won’t be able to do anything with this. You won’t see what I say or what happens in the world through it.”

I layered several seals onto the necklace.

— You truly are no ordinary mortal.

“Weren’t you already aware of that?”

— Very well. One day, you will need my power. Until then, farewell. Once you leave, the door will close again. But as long as you possess the necklace, you may contact me at any time.

My Closed-World self had clearly fought this being.

Perhaps…

In trying every possible method to defeat Yog, I might have released his seal.

I doubted I’d done so recklessly—but still.

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Once the necklace’s strange energy was fully suppressed, I stored it in subspace and exited the door.

Immediately, the door began to rapidly restore itself and close.

KWA-A-A-ANG!!!

At the same time, a thunderous roar echoed from afar.

“Keraunos?”

What I had just seen was my own unique lightning-aspected magic.

An unmistakable 8th-circle Keraunos.

Someone else had used it?

I rushed toward the source—and what I found was dire.

The Stars, badly injured, barely holding on.

Isna as well.

And relentlessly assaulting them—

My doppelgänger.

Now that I thought about it, if Isna had a doppelgänger, I should have anticipated the possibility of one for myself.

A foolish oversight.

I drew the demon sword Elekstra from subspace and condensed power within it.

The doppelgänger was pressing Isna mercilessly.

The undead Baril and Nemesis, along with Dagon, ignored their own injuries and charged it.

The brave fire spirit Sur unleashed an explosive burst of extreme heat.

The doppelgänger dodged instantly.

At the same time, the poison spirit Serqet—despite being an otter—hissed and fired concentrated venom.

The doppelgänger took it head-on, then charged forward and kicked Serqet away.

— Kiiiiiik!!

Serqet’s agonized scream rang out.

“Hands off!!”

PUUUNCH!!

Grivy suddenly appeared and flicked the doppelgänger hard on the head.

“Dad isn’t that violent! He cherishes Grivy and the others!”

She was sobbing—and there was a small wound on her arm.

A wound?

I walked forward through the fallen Stars.

“L… Leon?!”

The Stars, tending their wounds, flinched at my sudden appearance—then froze again when they saw my eyes.

“Y-you…?”

As everyone stood stunned—

I said nothing.

I simply strode forward and poured power into my demon sword.

The doppelgänger finally noticed me and activated Keraunos, but a 9th-circle necromancy spell—Black Chains—instantly bound his body.

He tried to hack my magic.

But because he was only an imitation of me, he couldn’t fully match my skill.

In the invisible struggle for control, I won decisively.

He hadn’t reached the 9th circle.

The result was inevitable.

The moment his movement was sealed—

My sword moved.

KAAANG!!!

Blades clashed in an instant, sparks exploding outward.

He wielded Grandmaster-level power and launched lethal attacks, but I deflected and neutralized them all with a cold, unwavering gaze.

“…Unbelievable. Just how much were you holding back on us…?”

Someone among the Stars murmured.

Between identical beings, the stronger one always wins.

He had copied most of me, but not my 9th-circle magic—and the finer details were sloppy.

I forced my way through the gaps and drove my sword straight into his heart.

No words.

No emotion.

No hesitation.

Naturally, even at death’s door, the doppelgänger prepared a final counterattack.

But copying oneself perfectly was never easy.

His struggle was completely shut down by my assault.

If you dare injure someone else’s child, you’d better be ready to die.

As his body fell silent, Grivy ran over and clung to me, sobbing.

“Daaad!!”

“Grivy. Are you okay?”

“I-it hurts! Grivy hurts! Waaah!”

I held her and continuously poured spirit mana into her.

Her wounds healed quickly, but it would take time for her tears to stop.

“You got out more safely than expected.”

“Yeah. I made a slightly different call this time.”

If I’d released Lucifer or clashed with him directly, things wouldn’t have ended so easily.

This time, I reinforced his seal and left with only the necklace.

What kind of variable that would become—remained to be seen.

Looking toward the exit of the rift, I spoke.

“Let’s go. Everyone needs treatment—and rest.”

The rescue operation within the Rift of Despair had come to an end.

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