Ranker Who Lives Twice

Chapter 751 - Day and Night (1)

Crash, crash, crash! Yeon-woo and Sage clashed endlessly. When Sage stretched his fist out, Yeon-woo struck back with Scythe. And when Yeon-woo attempted to strike with Sword Thunder, Sage exploded with Lightning Strike.

Darkness stained with their colors crashed into itself, repeating strike after strike. As if two cogwheels that were spinning in opposite directions had given off sparks after crashing into each other, the darkness was in pandemonium. It was an intense battle, making it hard to tell what was where.

Pahahaha! I didn’t think the battle would be this tight!

It’s interesting to see the one dominating over me fighting me like that.

Yeah! Fight! Continue fighting each other and lose stretch! Who knows? Maybe both of them will become exhausted and we can take them for ourselves! Keekeekeek!

Our greedy ones won’t stay still if we get that buffet.

Who cares! Even if I die here, I’ll still be a part of me!

The Demonisms standing far away from the battle were clapping and laughing in amusement. They didn’t care who won because both were egos of the Black King. Rather, they were glad the Black King’s ego would become stronger. In fact, they could also attack if either Yeon-woo or Sage began to show weakness. Although they were all sharing the same fate, they were all looking for the opportunity to kill each other to become “one.”

The egos of the Black King considered the fight between Yeon-woo and Sage to be a part of a long-standing tradition. It didn’t matter who won.

On the other hand, Yeon-woo, who was still more independent, wanted to put darkness at his feet, and Sage, who had ruled as the main ego of the Black King for a long time, had no intention of handing his spot over.

Sage considered this an opportunity to absorb Yeon-woo into darkness and capture this dream’s Opponent, as well as take back Quirinale and Pneuma. However, it wasn’t easy.

Hm! I did feel you taking my children.

But I didn’t know you’d become this powerful after absorbing them.

It’s hard for me to keep my powers hidden if you come out like this.

When Sage eventually revealed his Heavenly Bracket’s Five Elements, he seemed flustered. He had wanted to keep secret the fact that he practiced the arts of the Heavenly Demon, who was the Black King’s mortal enemy. There was no need to reveal his secret weapon. However, Yeon-woo had become quite strong compared to when Sage last saw him, and the Bright Tai Chi Pangu Sword complete with Black Gubitara was enough to make chills run down Sage’s back.

It was impossible for Sage not to use his secret weapon. Thinking he wouldn’t be able to defeat Yeon-woo if he didn’t use full power, Sage raised the intensity of his holy power. Swish swish! The darkness trailing after Sage whirled and speeded for Yeon-woo.

Clang, clang! Yeon-woo deflected the waves of darkness with Eight Extremes of Sword Thunder and frowned.

‘This guy…’

The sensation that was delivered through Scythe was familiar… Flowing Water was another art that was a part of the Heavenly Bracket’s Five Elements. The art that absorbed darkness and exploded it at once was also part of Heavenly Bracket: Flame Wheel.

‘What I felt before was right. Heavenly Bracket’s Five Elements… This is familiar!’ With this, Yeon-woo was able to realize the identity of Sage, which had been a mystery until now. Only one being came to mind as an ego of the Black King and master of Heavenly Bracket’s Five Elements… The being was also relatively small compared to the other Demonisms.

However, Yeon-woo was curious how such a being was able to become the Black King’s ego and descend without using many laws of causality, just like himself. But that was something that could be answered later. Right now, he needed to find a way to defeat Sage.

Yeon-woo currently possessed fifty percent of the darkness. It was the result of absorbing several egos after being acknowledged as the true father of Night. Of course, Sage also possessed exactly fifty percent, so victory was hard to tell. Yeon-woo needed another method—a method Sage would never be able to imagine.

You must be thinking the same thing as me.

Just then, Sage pushed Scythe aside as he spewed out letters. It was impossible to see his face, but he was most definitely smiling.

If we continue to clash like this, we’ll only wear each other out. You started out as a mere mortal and arrived up to this point… It’s truly amazing.

So you need a method to turn the tides. Isn’t that so?

I have a method… Do you?

Sage suddenly spread open his palm and brought his hand down in the air. Crack! Fissures began to appear mid-air with a loud cracking sound. Crack, crack! The cracks spread throughout the darkness. Just as space was opened for darkness to appear in this world, another darkness appeared through the cracks…

It felt ominous. Each of them were pieces of darkness…but they emanated a different feeling from the darkness that Yeon-woo knew. Crash! An army surrounded by darkness began to rain down.

『W-What is that?!』Kronos exclaimed in shock.

* * *

[‘Army of Perished Gods’ has been activated!]

[The darkness is stained into a different color!]

『Perished Gods…? What’s that?』Agares paused watching Yeon-woo and Sage’s battles and frowned at the messages that suddenly popped up. He had lived the longest out of all the L’Infernal demons except for Ba’al, so he knew most things, but he had never heard of the “Perished Gods.”

Of course, such things had repeatedly occurred after Agares met Yeon-woo and Jeong-woo. The identity of the fearsome otherworld, the relationship between the Black King and the Heavenly Demon, the “wheel” or “dream” that was the truth of the universe, the eternal war between Day and Night, and the information in the revelations that recorded all these events… But they were all hidden truths known by very few beings.

What was happening now was nothing like that. They were gods. They were demons. They were dragons, and they were giants. They were all transcendents.

However, the important thing was they “were” all transcendents. The army that appeared through darkness with Sage’s summons was composed of transcendents, but they were all dolls empty on the inside. Their eyes had no focus, and they didn’t even seem to have any vestiges that dead creatures had. They were Perished Gods because they had lost themselves.

Woof! Fenrir barked. He made a low growl, seeming quite angry.

『I know. It seems he’s collected them instead of erasing them from the past dreams.』Feeling the same as Fenrir, Agares’ face crumpled.『You dare to treat us revered demons like marionettes on a string? I’ll kill you!』

Agares spread open his hundreds of pairs of wings. Demonic energy trailed after him and the army of demons he brought began to move. Next to him, Fenrir had returned to his large wolf form and dashed toward the Perished Gods.

Crash!

「For our god!」

「Victory!」

「Honor!」

With Valdebich’s boisterous shout, the Ghost Giants, who were now accustomed to battle after fighting the last ten years against Night, ran forward.

「Let’s go.」

「Hmph! Always fighting so inelegantly regardless of whether we’re in or out of the darkness.」The Summer Queen snorted at Kalatus’ words, but she flapped her giant wings and spewed a powerful Breath toward the army of Perished Gods.

「What…are you doing… Step forward… Show Master’s glory…and demonstrate…who the true owner…of darkness is…」At Boo’s command, Shanon, Hanryeong, Rebecca, and other ghosts led Dis Pluto at the forefront.

The beings of Day that came along also moved toward the army of Perished Gods.

The clash of the two armies was a sight that made onlookers shiver.

[‘Day (Eros)’ is illuminated!]

Night turned anxious.

Need. To. Help. Father.

But. Which. Father.

All. Father.

Choose. Who.

Our. Father. There.

Not. Choice. But.

Real. Father.

They contemplated for a short while, but they all reached the same decision. Even if this was their great father’s arms, if they didn’t make a choice, they wouldn’t be doing what their father wanted. It would be embarrassing to call themselves their father’s children if they didn’t do anything! Moreover, there were so many of their father’s subordinates here that if they didn’t do anything, they wouldn’t be able to stand by their father’s side when he woke up.

For. Father’s. Glory.

They quickly moved to action after coming to a decision.

[‘Night (Nox)’ descends darkly!]

Yeon-woo’s shadow became elongated and the otherworld gods within it came out.

[‘The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young’ curses the ‘Army of Perished Gods!’]

[The ‘Army of Perished Gods’ becomes contaminated.]

[Their defense has decreased.]

[More of their attacks are failing.]

…

[‘The Source of Uncleanliness’ sends an untreatable disease toward the ‘Army of Perished Gods!’]

[The immortality of the ‘Army of Perished Gods’ has disappeared!]

…

Day and Night, who had been enemies just days before, were fighting together in front of their common enemy, Darkness.

How foolish.

Sage exuded letters of disbelief as he watched the sight. As one who had lived for a long time as an ego of the Black King, he didn’t understand the scene in front of him.

Of all the egos, Yeon-woo was the youngest. Sage didn’t understand why the beings of the Night were following him. Day should’ve been furious at Yeon-woo for being an ego of the Black King, but they were collaborating with him. This was why Sage thought they were foolish, but he didn’t see any way to divide them.

I really have no idea.

Yeon-woo himself was unpredictable for Sage. He’d planned on using Yeon-woo to carry out his goal, but no being had ever messed up the order of a dream like this.

Heavenly Demon. What are you thinking? Sage wanted to ask the Heavenly Demon. However, he didn’t think he would lose here. The army of Perished Gods he had collected from the disappeared dreams wouldn’t disappear no matter how many were killed.

Getting rid of unnecessary things and starting anew isn’t bad either. Sage could erase the order that was Day and Night, and wake from this dream again. Since he finally had Pneuma and Quirinale in his hand, he’d be able to dream a dream he didn’t have to wake up from…! But Sage wasn’t able to continue his thoughts.

[The sun of ‘Day (Eros) has risen!]

What? At that unexpected message, Sage whipped his head around.

Ping ping ping! Magic circles appeared in the air, and countless rays of light poured down, instantly sweeping away the army of Perished Gods.

〈Wave of Light〉

〈Random Shooting〉

Above the darkness that destroyed all, Jeong-woo looked down at Sage. Standing next to him was Rhea, who was still pale. “Long time no see, twerp.”

Oh, dear. This is awkward. On Sage’s left were Yeon-woo and Kronos, and on his right were Jeong-woo and Rhea. Sage smiled wryly at the holy power the family exuded.