Chapter 275 - VS Michael
High in the heavens, the God of battle, the only hope, the number one archangel.
Though Michael carried countless honorary titles, none of them could fully satisfy him.
"After all, I'm just a pawn moved like a piece on the gods' chessboard. There's not much difference between me and my subordinates when it comes to following orders."
Despite being worshipped by his subordinates as if he were the sky itself, Michael felt empty.
In the end, he was just in a league of his own.
He knew very well that he was a frog at the bottom of a well.
Perhaps that made him yearn even more for the unique achievement of becoming a god in this one life he had.
"But even that would be in vain."
From Remiel's seventh rank to Gabriel's second rank.
Despite sacrificing the very archangels like lambs on the altar of death, he could not delay it any longer.
"It seems my turn has finally come."
Having to kill Black Scythe with his own hands.
Having to seize the one-time opportunity of a lifetime with his own hands.
[Sigh...]
Michael felt overwhelmed by despair.
His plan to survive until round 20 with Black Scythe to become a God had ended this way.
"No, strictly speaking, it's not over yet."
But in reality, it was.
The gods were watching from the shadows.
The Goddess of Vengeance, Nemesis, and even darker gods were pressing for him to bring Black Scythe as soon as possible.
"Can I really not postpone this...?"
There were no more archangels left to send.
There were no more excuses to give.
If he couldn't deliver Black Scythe to the demon Plunictos before round 18 began...
"Plunictos will find an excuse to manifest, and in the end, I'll even lose in the next celestial battle."
And not only that, he would have to endure the wrath of Nemesis and other gods.
"Damn, how did it come to this...?"
Upon reflection, it all came down to Gabriel.
-"If we use the demon resurrection scroll we found during the last celestial battle, we can turn Black Scythe into a sacrifice. We don't need to intervene ourselves. We just need to use another player with resentment towards him."
Accepting his desperate stratagem was, in truth, the worst mistake.
"If I hadn't fallen for the schemes of the one who suggested using the demon resurrection scroll, things wouldn't have come to this..."
But there's no turning back in regret, no matter how quick it is.
The plan failed and, as a result, irritated Plunictos and even led to the intervention of the gods.
In many ways, his own decision had caused this disaster.
"No, maybe all this is part of Plunictos' plan..."
Was all this to win the celestial battle, securing a place in it, by dropping the demon resurrection scroll?
Could the angels use that as a pretext to retaliate?
"Damn, we've fallen into the demon's trap. How could we be so stupid?"
No matter how much he berated himself with remorse, nothing would change.
Once it came to this point, there was only one option left.
He would have to subdue Black Scythe and deliver him as Plunictos demanded.
Even if it meant postponing the achievement of becoming a god.
"I can never afford to lose in the celestial battle. If I did, even my current position would be in danger."
The Gods and other entities must anticipate the future and resolve immediate issues at once.
With that thought, Michael contemplated Black Scythe from the other world.
With the function of a celestial crystal that had the ability to foresee everything.
"To avoid chaos, it would be better to wait until he's alone..."
At that moment when he awaited the right time to strike.
It was then that the sky seemed to help, and Black Scythe left the camp on his own.
"Where are you going?"
He watched silently as he headed towards the mercenary company and then delved until he reached the dragon's lair using the teleportation device.
"Do you leave the kingdom's war in the hands of your companions and decide to catch a dragon yourself?"
It was indeed Black Scythe.
There was no time to waste.
He was an insignificant human, but one couldn't help but feel admiration.
"Well, with that level of effort, it's natural that you've come this far."
But that's all there was.
Unlike Gabriel, he didn't have the ability to foresee the future, but Michael knew it.
Black Scythe would kneel before him.
"He was lucky to come across a rare one. He also has a 25% stat debuff."
Though it would be easy to suppress him even without debuffs, he preferred to take advantage of the opponent's weakness.
In the end, the opportune moment he'd been waiting for arrived.
After killing the dragon, Black Scythe eliminated the mercenaries and then investigated the system on his own.
"This is the right moment."
Flash:
Michael, who had been teleported to the other world, waited in a cave with his enormous wings spread out.
And finally, he could meet Black Scythe.
"I've been waiting for you. Black Scythe."
Black Scythe's surprised expression at his appearance.
Who would expect a mere insect to know his name?
"You know my name..."
Not just his name.
"The highest among the archangels of the highest heaven."
Honestly, it was surprising.
That a mere insect knew about him.
"Did you expect an angel to appear?"
With his first astonishment now regaining composure.
"Can archangels keep their composure in front of me?"
It was even irritating for the other to joke that way.
"Why? Does it bother you to see me smiling in front of someone as insignificant as you?"
Now even Black Scythe, who used to subtly mock, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Black Scythe, what kind of person did you think I was? Oh, well, it turned out to be a human inferior to my expectations."
"There's no reason for me to adjust to your expectations, is there?"
"... Now that I've met you in person, I understand how our archangels were affected."
"They surely fell prey to such simple provocations."
He didn't even need to see it to understand it.
It was obvious why he was provoking so brazenly.
"He's probably waiting to take advantage of a distraction due to his carelessness."
But he was different from other archangels.
He wasn't so clumsy as to fall for such low provocations.
Hadn't he already anticipated the opponent's intentions?
"As arrogant as a human. Do you think that being chosen by the system makes you something important...?"
He was wrong.
So far, he had only been lucky to kill the archangels.
But now that he was facing an uncontrollable opponent, there was no hope for him.
"Do you know why I've appeared?"
"To kill me?"
"I won't kill you. I'll just subdue you."
"And what will you do by subduing me?"
"Don't you think you should be punished for causing so much chaos in the celestial kingdom?"
"A punishment? Who do you think you are?"
Still as arrogant as ever.
Pfft... I can't even sigh anymore.
I can only look at him with disdain.
"I sold out my subordinates to protect this insignificant creature."
It doesn't matter anymore.
Now, after correcting Black Scythe's mistake, I'll take him before the supreme demon, Thanatos, to appease his anger.
"In the human world, there's a saying."
Tss...
A sword and a shield appeared in Michael's hand.
"It's the law of the world to receive punishment for your sins."
"Do you have anything else to say before you die? I don't need your long words. Just fight."
"Though I'd like to say something impressive..."
Though Black Scythe frowned, Michael didn't back down.
"I know all his moves are tactics to make me lower my guard, they also show his lack of confidence in his abilities."
So there's no need to respond.
My skill will speak for me.
Michael knew that, sooner or later, Black Scythe's arrogance would vanish like the wind, like a beaten dog.
However, Black Scythe was still focused on his words.
"I'll give you a chance to surrender. Understood?"
"What nonsense..."
Michael's gaze changed as he responded with a growl.
"If you don't come, I will."
Like the wind, his sword moved quickly and cut Black Scythe's shoulder.
Tock.
Without any response, Black Scythe simply extended an impotent arm, resigning.
Michael smiled ironically.
"Pathetic."
He thought it might be a challenge, but it turned out he couldn't match my moves.
"I'll cut your arms and legs cleanly and take you..."
Suddenly, Michael turned his head without finishing his sentence.
His animal instinct in battle whispered to him.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine.
He flapped to dodge, but it was too late, his wings were cut.
Thud...
"Gck."
Twelve wings were mercilessly cut off.
Quickly, Michael looked around but didn't see Black Scythe.
"Where is he...?"
With puzzled eyes, Michael searched but found no trace.
He didn't even feel his presence, and his cut arm had also disappeared.
"Was it an illusion?"
At that moment, a voice echoed in his ear.
"How disappointing."
Just as he heard the voice, the sword swung horizontally.
A lightning-fast speed.
But the tip of the sword didn't hit anything.
"Even the first archangel can't distinguish a clone."
Again, the voice sounded from where the sword came from.
A continuous attack.
But this time, it didn't hit anything either.
It felt like fighting a ghost.
"And you can't even see through my invisibility."
"Where did you murmur that from?"
"Here."
Michael turned his head sharply to where Black Scythe's voice came from.
Finally, the stupid human had revealed his form.
"You really appeared when I asked."
Once again, there was no equal to his arrogance.
"This is your mistake."
Michael used a prepared technique.
"Light Strike."
A technique that unleashed a burst of light sword forward, a lethal technique that left no trace of flesh to anyone it struck.
"Ah...!"
He realized too late that he shouldn't have killed him, but it was already too late.
"You managed to kill Black Scythe without any trouble."
At that moment, an incredibly unexpected sight unfolded before Michael.
Clang, clang, clang!
The 28 attacks imbued with divine power were all blocked.
"He blocked them? Even deflecting each blow with the scythe?"
He couldn't understand how it was possible to have such a reflex speed, but that didn't matter now.
"Receive this strike."
Black Scythe's kick, moving like lightning, embedded itself in his abdomen.
"Ugh..."
Michael experienced for the first time the sensation of having his stomach churned.
------------------
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
Seeing Michael impaled on the wall like a turtle, Ryu Min showed a disappointed expression.
"Is that really the first Archangel?"
He understood the words about being the sky above the sky and the god of battle, but he didn't expect it to be so pathetic.
"Just in case, I thought about testing with a duplicate and assessing his skill..."
It wasn't even necessary.
With the current stats he had, it was more than enough to dominate him.
He didn't need to use stat debuffs using the power of death.
"He's as weak as the Archangels I've faced so far. Or am I the one who's strong?"
He had met an angel since the 68th encounter.
It was an angel that radiated overwhelming strength.
He thought that angel was Michael.
"But it wasn't."
The one impaled on the wall at that moment wasn't the angel he had seen then.
From his presence to his appearance, everything was different.
"If it's not Michael, then who was the angel I saw then?"
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