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Whatever Yu Junghyeok expected when he stormed the 73rd Demon Realm, it certainly wasn't this.
He expected to be welcomed with weapons, magic, and curses. With expert soldiers hidden in the shadows, gutting the angels in silence, neatly controlled by the words of a single man.
He expected to be welcomed by the devastating force of the demon king, by cunning tricks, by hideous battles, by sly chuckles that echoed in the battlefield.
That was why he only brought a handful of Powers, the best warrior angels under his command, so that they may survive.
Whatever Yu Junghyeok expected when he stormed the 73rd Demon Realm, it certainly wasn't this.
He did not expect the 73rd Demon Realm to be eerily silent, not a single breath heard throughout the city.
He did not expect the roads and buildings to be littered by demon corpses, hideous and tragic in their death.
He did not expect the smell of blood to fill the air.
He did not expect the once mighty Demon King's castle to be turned into a pool of red, looking like it was just rained on by blood.
He did not expect to see the King of 73rd Demon Realm to be hung from the ceiling by chains inside his own throne room, bathed in blood, a deep wound carved in his stomach, barely breathing.
Yu Junghyeok's steps were steady when he walked towards the dying demon king, but the magic in the air trembled, simmering with dangerous, brimming rage.
He stopped before the demon, lifting his hand to touch a bloody cheek.
"Kim Dokja."
The Demon King stirred awake, blinking dazedly, taking a concerningly long while to focus his eyes and acknowledge the archangel in front of him.
"Yu J'hyeok…" he breathed, nearly inaudible. A smile made a way to his lips in a mockery of his usual grin, far too exhausted to be called playful. "…you're late."
Yu Junghyeok clenched his sword a little harder. Yet the hand that was touching the Demon King's cheek was still painfully gentle.
"Who did this," he said, dangerously calm and unhurried.
The man just chuckled, the voice sending a searing flame through Yu Junghyeok's veins. What was there to laugh about?
The demon slurred, "Why? Wha'you gon' do…?"
There was a flash of gold, then a sound of metal breaking echoed. The Demon King was suddenly falling like a puppet cut from its strings. However, before he could reach the floor, a pair of strong arms embraced him, holding him carefully and setting him down in a gentle movement, slowly so as to not jostle any of his injuries, which was a nearly impossible task to do, given the number of wounds and their varying degrees of severity.
The Demon King whimpered without meaning to.
"Kim Dokja," Yu Junghyeok repeated, "Who did this."
The Demon King could only blink blearily, looking as if Yu Junghyeok's words were merely a product of his imagination, as if the steady arms supporting him were merely his own broken mind's way to ease himself into the pain of death.
Still, as always, it appeared that Kim Dokja could never ignore Yu Junghyeok.
"Hey," he rasped, smiling more genuinely this time, as though he couldn't help the fondness seeping through his voice. "Why're you frowning?"
The fool just chuckled again, coughing more blood.
He tried to touch Yu Junghyeok's forehead, but he could barely lift his hand. Yu Junghyeok caught the hand when it faltered.
"Don'worry, J'hyeok-ah… you won."
Some magic sparks filled the air, bristling.
"I don't need this kind of victory, Kim Dokja. Now tell me who did this."
Kim Dokja's eyes shook, his lips quivered as though he was contemplating not to tell the truth. Yu Junghyeok felt his anger rising, watching how the stupid demon trying his best to deflect the question.
It felt infinitely worse because Yu Junghyeok knew, painfully clear, that Kim Dokja was not trying to protect his enemies. Rather, he was trying to protect Yu Junghyeok.
"Stop whatever you are thinking and just say it."
He did not think his rage could settle before he bathed his sword in red.
Before the Demon King could answer, however, another person busted into the room, panting and heaving in urgency.
"Captain! It's terrible! Everything is—" the voice faltered, finally registering what was in front of them.
"Lee Jihye," Yu Junghyeok commanded, his tone calm yet laced with rage, "Do your report properly."
Lee Jihye choked on her own breath at the terrible coldness of her Captain's words. But as a trained warrior angel should do, she immediately straightened her body and knelt on the floor, bowing her head down, her shock and horror buried under the devotion and loyalty she had for her Captain.
"Uriel had found some traces of Eden's weapons, while Kim Namwun recognized a poison in some of the corpses to be from other demonic species. It somehow… it somehow looked like they were… working together."
Hearing the report, Yu Junghyeok exhaled slowly. His gaze was still leveled at the dying man in his arms, who had closed his eyes again at some point and was trying his best to breathe in a way that wouldn't cause him too much pain.
There was no movement from the archangel, yet the air suddenly dropped.
Lee Jihye could do nothing but shiver in place, couldn't even lift her head due to the terrible pressure that was suddenly emanating from her Captain.
Her Captain was always strict, ruthless and unbending in whatever he did, always cold and deadly, but he was never cruel. Deep inside, her Captain was always kind, always nurturing, always protecting.
It was the first time she felt something far more terrible than killing intent to fill her Captain's magic. It was the first time she saw her Captain to be engulfed in wrath, to bristle in a rage so deep she was afraid of what he would become.
All for the Demon King in his arms.
"So it was both Metatron and Agares," Yu Junghyeok concluded, the tone of his voice barely changed despite the suffocating magic around them.
Lee Jihye instantly replied, "It's highly likely, Captain."
She did not understand.
They had been at war with the Demon race for millenia. It had been a century since Yu Junghyeok's army spearheaded the battles, fighting head-to-head against the Demon race's war general, the Demon King of Salvation.
It had always been their duty to attack the demon's army, to directly go to the battlefield and fight the war. They had gone to attack the 73rd Demon Realm time and time again, just as often as the Demon King of Salvation's army stormed into Yu Junghyeok's domain.
There were times, between the lulls of truces and the brief respites, where they would go on their way to observe the enemies' territories, to see what the other side was like.
They were the first to directly witness how a war could affect both races. They were the ones who had developed a sense of respect towards their adversaries, the ones to see that they were not so different after all, the ones who first hoped that maybe it was possible for them to coexist.
This time, they had been so close to victory, to just silently capture the slimy demon king and cut off the enemy's military strength, but why was this? Why were they suddenly getting discarded? Why weren't they informed about this plan?
Why did the Scribe go behind Yu Junghyeok's back, going as far as to work together with their bitter enemy to do something like this? Why—
As Lee Jihye dared to raise her head, she was frozen by what she saw.
Yu Junghyeok was caressing the Demon King of Salvation with a strange look on his face.
Oh. So it was like this.
The look on her Captain's face was too unsettling to be called a mere rage. It was deeper, churning with something Lee Jihye didn't dare to name. It spoke of a promise, of an oath to massacre whoever dared to do all of this, of a vow to revenge. If she did not know any better, she would say that was a look of a crazed lover.
Shuddering, she quickly washed her thoughts away.
"Lee Jihye, call Seolhwa and Uriel. Make sure they won't let Kim Dokja die."
It was when her arms were full of a bleeding demon king that Lee Jihye registered what her Captain just said. A shiver ran down her spine when she saw the glint of red in his golden eyes.
"Wh—wait, Captain—"
No, that couldn't be. Surely her Captain wouldn't—
"Jn'hyeok…" the Demon King of Salvation deliriously whimpered, looking anxious that he abruptly lost Yu Junghyeok's warmth. He opened his eyes shakily, latching a trembling finger onto Yu Junghyeok's coat. "Where're you goin'…?"
Gently, Yu Junghyeok released the weak hold, shushing him. "You don't have to worry about that."
Yu Junghyeok's face was impassive, but Lee Jihye could see his other knuckles turning white by how tight he held his scabbard.
Uneasiness bubbled up in her chest. "Captain, are you—?"
"You'll Fall, J'hyeok…" rasped Kim Dokja, cutting off Lee Jihye's distress, his breathing getting heavier. "Don't."
"As I said," Yu Junghyeok replied to the Demon King, standing up. "You don't have to worry about that."
Outside, a storm was coming.
It spoke volumes of how terrifying Yu Junghyeok's strength was, of how his control over himself was steadily slipping away. He was always composed at all times, always made sure he had full control over what his magic was doing. But now, that resolve rapidly crumbled away, because he subconsciously called for the magic in the air, enough to summon a hail into the Demon Realm, reflecting what was happening inside his chest.
Distantly, Lee Jihye recalled how the Principalities used to teach young angels that they should never use their magic to act on selfish desires, to never succumb to their emotions and abuse their power.
Yet now, facing the overwhelming rage, guilt and grief of her Captain, her Master, Lee Jihye could do nothing but agree.
"You have vowed to see the end of this story together with me," Yu Junghyeok continued, unsheathing his sword. "So you better hold your promise."
The Demon King stared at him with a complicated look on his face. Lee Jihye felt like she was intruding, like she should not bear witness to this private moment, but she was helpless.
"'S'not worth it, J'hyeok…" was what the Demon King of Salvation managed to say after a pregnant silence.
"You don't have the right to judge that."
A blinding light flashed when Yu Junghyeok revealed all six of his wings. In horror, instead of pure white, Lee Jihye saw some patches of his feathers already turned black; a sign of a Fallen Angel. The bright and pure halo behind Yu Junghyeok's head was slowly cracking, seeping into his eyes and gradually turning them glowing a reddish gold.
"If Falling is what I should do to repay what they have done to you, Kim Dokja," he declared, "Then I shall Fall."
