Leveling with the Gods

C327

Flap~

Michael approached.

The pupils of the Archangels, including Raphael, filled with astonishment.

They had heard rumors, but Michael had really risen in rebellion.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to restore everything back."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"The Great Heaven Demon War must stop."

Buwong-.

Pum!

Raphael's fist extended towards Michael.

The resulting impact caused the floor of the Heavenly Castle to sink. Michael raised his arm and frowned as he blocked Raphael's fist.

"You still have that impetuous temperament."

Archangel Raphael.

If they only based it on skills, he was the next strongest after Michael in Heaven.

A quite tough opponent for Michael.

Above all, Raphael wasn't patient enough for a calm conversation.

"The situation doesn't leave us with any other choice but to be hasty."

Buwoooong-.

Jjeoong-!

The two fists and the spear collided.

There was no hesitation in Michael's spear anymore.

In a collision, Raphael realized that fact.

"It seems you're confident."

"Yes."

"I'll accept your words."

Huuuuu-.

Raphael's fist filled with Arcane Power.

"But still, you should have continued with your faith."

In the moment his fist pierced through Michael's residual image, Michael's spear struck Raphael's chest.

Jjeoeeong-!

"Kk...!"

"Should I have faith in something that clearly seems wrong?"

Paaat-.

Buwoooong-.

Michael moved blended in the wind.

Raphael couldn't see the end of Michael's spear. As equal Archangels and, secretly, as rivals.

They had had countless duels, but such a fast spear was something new.

"Awaken already!"

The spear headed directly towards Raphael's chest.

In an instant, he crossed his arms trying to block it, but it was already too late to block it.

Jjeoeeeong-!

"Kwuk...!"

A strong impact that felt like it pierced through his body spread throughout his being. Raphael, who staggered back from the impact, was engulfed in shock.

"Was there that much difference?"

Surely, he felt that if he reached out a little more, he would catch up.

The difference in ranking was simply due to Michael's achievements so far, it wasn't considered a difference in skill.

Raphael's target was Michael.

The strongest Archangel.

That title was the reason why Raphael had trained tirelessly throughout his life.

Then, why!

Why?!

Tak-.

"Faith in the Heavenly King is the reason we exist as Angels."

Kwaduk, kwadud-.

Raphael's muscles swelled.

A High-Ranker with a physique as imposing as Hercules. Raphael also possessed skills that amplified his strength, although not at the level of Gigantification.

"Your actions are an evident and inexcusable betrayal, Michael!"

Kuuuuuu-.

A great wave of Arcane Power emanated from Raphael.

As a result, the other Angels couldn't approach.

At that moment, Raphael was going to give it his all.

"... You've always wanted to defeat me."

All this was an ability to beat Michael. Although they had spent so much time together, Michael wasn't so naive as to not realize that Raphael was training to defeat him.

"About 200 times, more or less. That's the number of times I've defeated you in our duels."

Step-.

Michael approached Raphael.

"We've always fought in a very close match. Sometimes it seemed like you were going to win, other times not."

Raphael frowned as he saw Michael coming directly towards him. At least in terms of strength, he had always been ahead. He didn't understand why Michael was facing him directly in such an important fight.

"But still, you've never defeated me."

The tip of the spear moved.

Buwoong-.

A fist rose in response.

Jjeong-!

Raphael's arm was raised sharply. In an instant, his body staggered and lost balance.

Tak-.

"If our skills were really similar, there should have been at least one different result, don't you think?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"You can't defeat me, Raphael."

Swish-.

Michael's wind tore through Raphael's energy.

Surprised, Raphael extended his fist towards Michael. At that moment, Raphael's body soared into the air.

"Eh?"

Kwaang-!

Raphael's body fell to the ground.

The floor of the Heavenly Castle sank, and Raphael's body was thrown beneath the earth.

"Now wake up from your slumber, please."

Swik-.

Michael's gaze turned towards the other Angels.

The wall of the Heavenly Castle that Raphael had broken.

Outside of it, Angels were forming an army.

"No one should interfere. If anyone stands in the way..."

Gwaak-.

He clenched the handle of his spear so tightly that his hands hurt. Michael had made a firm decision.

"I will kill them all."

This fight was something he had started.

Hesitating to fight in this situation would have been evading responsibility due to guilt.

He clearly understood the situation.

Michael glanced at YuWon, who was fighting Metatron.

"We can't resolve this fight on our own."

He couldn't attack Metatron alone.

And probably, that was true for other angels as well.

At this moment, they were in a situation where they inevitably needed external help.

"Please."

YuWon looked at Metatron, who moved away and rose above the roof, with his arms crossed, watching him from above.

"Don't you intend to fight?"

After the fight started, Metatron never attacked YuWon even once. He only dodged the attacks.

Since the fight wasn't even established from the beginning, YuWon was getting more and more tired.

"Isn't it unnecessary to fight personally?"

Flap~

Some Angels blocked the path in front of Metatron.

"There are many people here protecting me."

"Please spare yourself the trouble, Heavenly Majesty."

"We will stop this guy here."

Uriel and Ramiel.

Several Angels, including the two Archangels, protected Metatron.

No matter how much better Michael's skill was, in the end, he was alone.

He couldn't stop all the Angels who were becoming more and more powerful with just one hand.

"No problem."

Uriel turned his head at Metatron's response.

"But..."

"This is my home."

A firm voice.

"Shouldn't I protect it?"

The words made the Angels nod their heads.

"Understood."

"If that's what the Heavenly King says..."

"We'll expel the intruder."

YuWon laughed ironically at their conversation.

It was truly blind faith.

Actions based on the belief that they were doing the right thing. None of them questioned why Michael was doing such a thing in the first place.

"Regrettable."

The voice that was heard from behind made YuWon turn his head.

"To meet you like this."

An Archangel with dull yellow curly hair and a pure white uniform.

He looked familiar.

"Suriel, right?"

"It's been a while."

He was the Angel who had come to YuWon during the Murim Competition to invite him to Heaven. Naturally, YuWon rejected the offer, and Suriel left without any hesitation.

Although it wasn't an especially memorable encounter, to meet again in this manner felt unpleasant.

"No matter what happened, we can't disobey the orders of the Heavenly King," said Suriel with a polite tone, but his gaze as he held his white sword was filled with intense hostility.

"With your permission."

Just at that moment, as Suriel was about to stretch his foot towards YuWon...

-With your permission...?

Crack!

Fragments of white ice rushed towards Suriel.

Suriel quickly turned his body and wielded his sword. The bright light and the ice collided, and the ice fragments lost strength and broke.

It didn't take long for Suriel to identify the adversary who attacked him.

-If that's your way of asking for permission, I'd rather you didn't.

Arthur.

He approached Suriel, holding Excalibur in his hand.

The ground where Arthur stepped froze, creating a surface of white ice.

"A formidable opponent."

While complaining with apparent difficulty, Suriel approached Arthur.

Soon, both of their swords clashed. Some of the Angels who were protecting Metatron started to surround YuWon.

The situation became urgently complicated.

YuWon looked up at the sky above the roof, where Metatron had risen and murmured to himself.

"The real fight is about to begin."

The Angels aimed their bows simultaneously. The arrows charged with Arcane Power turned into rain falling from above.

Bloop-.

YuWon's arm moved in a fan shape. Along his hand, drops of blue water formed and enveloped his body.

Pluff, pluff-.

The rain of arrows stopped, unable to penetrate the water barrier.

Just after the rain of arrows ceased...

"Not yet..."

Giiiiin-.

"It's not over."

Thwock-!

An arrow of light more powerful than all the previous arrows combined.

Uriel's arrow, the Archangel who repeatedly brought down the castle of the Demon Realm, was heading for YuWon's head.

However...

Kwon-.

Uriel's arrow didn't reach YuWon and was blocked by a gigantic hand.

[Heavenly Demon Spirit]

Fwiiish-.

The fire giant protected YuWon's body.

Uriel frowned as he saw the form of the giant and prepared to shoot his bow again.

"How annoying..."

Giiiiin-.

The battle of the Angels escalated.

Michael fought against several Archangels, just like YuWon.

But their opponent was Heaven.

A powerful Grand Guild-level army.

The difference in numbers was obvious, and besides, there were High-Ranker Archangels in Heaven.

A fight with no possibility of losing for the Angels.

But then, why?

'...It's strange.'

Metatron was strangely unsure.

'They don't seem so rushed.'

YuWon and Michael were in an unfavorable position, trying to buy time.

To stop Michael's rebellion, Metatron had summoned all the Archangels and Guild Angels.

At this very moment, the Angels would be gathering more and more.

From Olympus to the Celestial Realm and Muspelheim.

YuWon, who had turned several Grand Guilds upside down, couldn't be so foolish as to not know this.

'Why?'

As time passed, Metatron felt more and more uneasy.

And this feeling had never failed him before.

Woosh...

It was then that YuWon looked up at the sky.

An act that repeated over and over again.

Metatron suddenly felt that there was a reason behind that act.

And so it was.

"I have no intention of fighting needlessly, just like you."

YuWon, who had been silent since the beginning of the fight, finally spoke at length.

YuWon told Michael that there was only one way to win this fight.

They must capture the King as quickly as possible.

That statement was half true and half false.

It was true that once they captured the King, the fight would end. But that wasn't all winning meant.

"I have given up on the idea of trapping you since Michael stood up."

YuWon, in the first place, didn't like the idea of a fight with only one way to win.

"So, I prepared with an insurance policy."

Metatron realized that YuWon's eyes weren't looking at him while he spoke.

The colors reflected in YuWon's pupils.

Then Metatron raised his head and looked at the sky above his head.

And at that moment, for the first time.

The smile on Metatron's face disappeared.

"Why so soon...?"

The sky gradually began to turn red before Metatron's eyes.

The meaning of this sky was one and only one.

[Within 10 minutes, the Great Heaven Demon War will begin]

A war that had repeated hundreds of times.

The Great Heaven Demon War was about to begin.