Sung Shihyun was pissed. No, he was beyond pissed.

This was fucking impossible. He had assimilated Vulgar Chastity's divinity. All of it! It was a perfect match! Even the Parasite Queen said that she never thought that there could be a being able to so perfectly assimilate one of the former god's divinity.

So then...!

"How the *fuck* are you keeping up?!" Sung Shihyun parried one of Teresa's attacks and growled.

Teresa laughed, drawing her sword back. Aiming it at him, she smiled and said, "Wouldn't you like to know?" It was a jovial tone. Light words. But her eyes were cold. She took a step forward and swung her sword.

Sung Shihyun's instincts screamed at him. At the same time, he felt a cold brush at the back of his neck, like the phantom image of a blade. He clicked his tongue and then stepped to the side, dodging Teresa's sword. As he did, he brought his sword to block his neck.

Sparks flew, showing that his instincts weren't wrong.

Sung Shihyun wanted to curse. That wasn't fucking Ethereal Shift or anything like that. It was just a single slash that somehow hit both at once. And it wasn't something as simple as making an invisible blade with mana.

But he didn't have time to think about it.

Teresa stepped forward again, bringing her sword up in another slash.

This time, Sung Shihyun didn't wait and took the initiative. As Teresa raised her sword, Sung Shihyun kicked off the ground to attack.

He couldn't use Ethereal Shift, space still locked down by that unknown magician somehow, but he was confident in his stats.

And he was proven right.

Teresa was forced to stop her slash and change it to a block instead.

Sung Shihyun pressed forward, locking his blade against Teresa's.

But she didn't budge.

Sung Shihyun felt his face heat up from anger, but he forced it down and examined the princess- No, his opponent. Because as much as he fucking hated to admit it, that princess wasn't a dainty helpless maiden like he thought she was.

Teresa was holding him off. Despite there being no way her stats were as high as his when he had assimilated divinity, she was easily fending off his charge, her blade light as it pressed against his instead of being strained like he expected.

That meant that it wasn't from her stats. Something else was helping her. And if so, the only thing could be her sword.

But that didn't make any sense.

From all that Sung Shihyun could see, the sword was normal. His intuition didn't warn him about it, and while it looked cool from how it pulsed emerald light, at most it seemed to just be a basic mana blade. Something that he could have made back when he was a High Ranker.

So how the fu-

"Is that all you've got?" Teresa's mocking voice cut through the air. Smirking, she tilted her head and said, "No wonder you went crawling to the Parasite Queen. I thought the infamous Sung Shihyun was something special, but here you are, all bark and no bite."

Sung Shihyun narrowed his eyes. "You're underestimating me, *Princess.*"

She wouldn't budge. He didn't know how that was happening, but it was pointless to try and overwhelm her with strength. So instead, Sung Shihyun took a step back. But as he did, he swung his sword.

A faint ripple spread from his blade before a surge of crimson energy swept towards Teresa. Sword qi, amplified by divinity.

It was something that could at least catch those Executor bastards off guard.

But the princess didn't even flinch. Instead of dodging or running away, she swung her sword. And the moment that emerald light struck the crimson wave, it shattered. The crimson wave, that is.

Sung Shihyun clicked his tongue and quickly took stock of the situation.

Nothing was going right. This was supposed to be a quick ambush with him stealing the princess away before running rampant and tarnishing that Jihu bastard's name.

But the maiden turned out to be far from helpless and now he was running out of time. While Sung Shihyun wasn't worried about any of the guards or High Rankers in Haramark, this was Cinzia's territory. Not only that, but weren't there rumors about Yuhui setting up camp too?

From all the alarms that had been set off, it would only be a matter of time before he was facing off two Executors. No big deal, but it'd be annoying. Not to mention Queenie would probably yell at him.

But there was a problem.

Sung Shihyun glanced to the side.

The unknown magician was still sitting there. He looked bored and was idly reading a thick tome. But Sung Shihyun could sense mana all around the guy, rolling off in waves. And considering that space was locked down as well as the fact that he lived through a sword slash at point blank, even if it wasn't Sung Shihyun's full force...

"Today's a fucking mess, isn't it?" Sung Shihyun grumbled and turned his attention back on Teresa. At the same time, he focused.

She had caught him off-guard with everything, but now that he had time to think, he could sense it. His intuition was telling him that she was weaker than him. While her attacks were weird, it was only unfamiliar. Nothing special. So...

Sung Shihyun took a deep breath. When he did, his world expanded. The personal realm he reached, <One with Nature> showed its worth, linking him to the surroundings.

Teresa stepped forward, once again swinging her sword.

Before, Sung Shihyun couldn't see it. But now...

Tying space together with the motion. Resonating mana and energy, causing an attack on two different planes. Not splitting the force or forming an artificial blade, but a simultaneous slash, enforced on the world through perfect harmony.

It was impressive. Even Sung Shihyun had to admit, it was a genius level technique that he couldn't pull off without some practice.

But it wasn't one that could catch him off guard when he saw it. Not only that... but she didn't master it.

If it was perfect, Sung Shihyun would have a hard time. But it wasn't.

He could see it. A gap. One that she couldn't close or block before he reached her.

Sung Shihyun didn't know how she was unaffected by his Authority, but he was sure that if he grabbed her, the princess wouldn't be able to resist.

So...

Sung Shihyun moved. He blurred forward and swung his sword, knocking Teresa's aside.

She pulled her sword back. But it was a feint. Space rippled, a slash coming towards the back of Sung Shihyun's neck.

And there it was. After that secondary slash, she wouldn't be able to make another.

Sung Shihyun kicked off the ground again, speeding up. He switched his sword to his left hand and swept it up to block the back of his neck. As he did that, he reached out with his right to grab Teresa's neck.

Staring at her wide eyes, a lecherous grin spread on his face. Images and fantasies of how exactly he would train that fucking tomboy of a princess into a whore played out in his mind's eye.

And then burning pain erupted from his outstretched hand.

His missing outstretched hand.

Sung Shihyun wanted to scream, but his instincts screamed at him to get away. So instead, he stomped on the ground and forced himself to the side.

The moment he did, a wave of iridescent light shot out, tearing apart the space where he had just been standing. Sword qi... but not just sword qi. Like his own attack, it was sword qi fused with divinity.

A faint red mist appeared in the air where Sung Shihyun had been standing. His severed hand, completely vaporized.

Teresa laughed and lowered her sword. "You fell for *that*? How gullible are you?"

Sung Shihyun glared at Teresa and growled. "How? HOW!? I am unparalleled! I've assimilated divinity! How are you reading my moves?!"

Teresa stepped back, resting her sword over her left shoulder.

Sung Shihyun felt his blood pressure rise. Was she fucking mocking him?!

Teresa smiled and said, "It's obvious, isn't it? You've got some neat tricks, but they're nothing more than degraded copies of my hubbie's skills, you know? Not only that, but your intuition is a lot worse too. To think that you fell for such an obvious trick..."

Sung Shihyun's mana flared, crimson leaking into the surroundings. His divinity boiled with his emotions, causing space to crack. "*I'm* copying!? That fucking bastard is the one copying me!" He smacked his chest and said, "I'm the original! ME!"

Teresa smirked. "I suppose." She placed her finger on her chin and said, "You did make a name for yourself first... but it looks like my hubbie is just better than you in every way. A better swordsman, a better magician and..." She shifted her gaze down to Sung Shihyun's crotch and then laughed. "A better 'man' too."

Sung Shihyun froze. Not because he was caught off guard by her taunt. No, he froze because his anger ran cold. Rage had frozen over into icy wrath.

Teresa stiffened, quickly raising her sword. At the same time, the green-haired magician that had been idly sitting by stood up, his eyes sharp.

Sung Shihyun laughed. "Fine. Fine! Since you want to make me out to be a two-bit villain that much... How about I show you what a real one looks like?"

Space shattered. The spell locking the area down fractured and split apart, completely extinguished by Sung Shihyun's divinity. Crimson lightning crackled, roiling along with Sung Shihyun's mana.

He raised his sword, glaring at Teresa. When he did, he gathered everything into his blade, planning to use all he had to cut her down.

And then he felt it. A faint epiphany. Understanding born from his intuition. Binding the karmic threads, tying up destiny, melding mana and divinity to forcibly sever existence.

But before he could swing his sword, a voice echoed in his mind.

[Stop and come back.]

Sung Shihyun narrowed his eyes.

'Why? I'm about to-'

[Causality will be ruined if you act here.]

'What?'

[...Just come back.]

The Parasite Queen's usually cold and aloof voice was soft and quiet. Cautious.

Hearing that caused Sung Shihyun to hesitate.

Teresa noticed and grinned. "What? Your new Mistress calling her dog back?"

Sung Shihyun lowered his sword and said, "You'll regret this."

"I won't. Besides, I finally managed to make the infamous Sung Shihyun lend Haramark a hand, so we can call it even." Saying that, Teresa shifted her gaze to the red stain on the grass.

Sung Shihyun's divinity welled up.

[Sung Shihyun. Please.]

Please?

The Parasite Queen was saying that? That almighty goddess that had taken over the Chief God of Paradise and ruled over the countless Parasites? The one who was ruthless and believed herself to be the strongest?

Sung Shihyun immediately withdrew his mana and divinity. Ignoring his severed hand, he spun around and kicked off the ground, fleeing.

"Like I would let you!" Teresa called out and stepped forward, swinging her sword.

At the same time, the magician spoke up as well. "I'm afraid you'll have to be our guest a bit longer."

Sung Shihyun's intuition flared.

Not just one slash, but three, aimed at his neck, left arm, and crotch. In addition to that, a buildup of mana soaked the air, preventing space from bending and forming a barrier around the courtyard.

It was a tough situation. But Sung Shihyun wasn't worried.

"Hm?!" The magician looked to the side and said, "This presence...?! The Parasite Queen?!"

The barrier shattered. At the same time, a domineering and corrosive presence descended on the area.

It was just a moment. The Parasite Queen stepped in to interfere.

Seeing that caused Sung Shihyun's eyes to widen.

If Queenie was acting like that...

He threw caution to the wind. Completely ignoring the flustered princess and the unknown magician, Sung Shihyun activated <Ethereal Shift> and kicked off the ground, warping away.

Or he tried to. But the moment before he left, he felt a burning sensation across his face. A slash, tearing through his skin over his left eye.

"Gah! Fucking-!"

Before he could finish his words, his skill activated and he vanished, leaving only behind a few drops of blood and the devastated courtyard.

xxx

Teresa clicked her tongue, staring at the space where Sung Shihyun vanished.

Muto walked to her side and frowned. "Should we attempt to pursue him, Princess? The Parasite Queen must value that one dearly to risk personally interfering and shifting causality."

Teresa shook her head. "It's fine." She placed her sword back at her waist and said, "He was weaker than an Army Commander should have been, but that's probably only because he seems to have just obtained his new powers. And at the end there..." She pursed her lips.

It was similar. The attack wasn't the same, but the way Sung Shihyun had gathered his divinity and mana was similar to the attack that she saw Jihu use against Undying Diligence. Not only that, but while she had been taunting Sung Shihyun... he really did fight similar to Jihu. Too similar. And while that person might not have noticed... She did.

As the two clashed swords, and as Teresa drew more of Jihu's skills from the blade he lent her, Sung Shihyun's techniques started to mimic hers as well.

"...It's better to let Jihu handle him."

Teresa's instincts were telling her that chasing after that person was a bad idea.

"Mm." Muto nodded. "If that is your will. Though..." He looked around at the ruined courtyard and frowned. Waving his staff, he repaired the devastated surroundings and said, "To think that the Parasite Queen would send an Army Commander, even if a traitor, here to try and abduct you... And then to personally step in to retrieve him. Did Jihu make that goddess lose her mind?"

Teresa laughed. "While I don't doubt hubbie's ability to draw in crazy women and tame them, I think that guy was just thinking more with his dick than his head."

Muto chuckled. "I suppose. He was indeed quite vocal about his intents... Though." He frowned and stared off at where Sung Shihyun vanished. "That man..." He rubbed his chin, thinking. "He is not related to Jihu, is he?"

Teresa paused.

Sung Shihyun, related to Jihu?

The two were similar, yes. Both in paths and fighting styles... and admittedly somewhat in dealing with women. But related...

Teresa shook her head. "I don't think so. If that was the case, Jihu would have mentioned it."

Jihu wasn't the type to hide something that big from her. And even if he did... Sinyoung would have made a fuss about it if Jihu was related to Sung Shihyun.

"Strange." Muto muttered. "If that is the case... then it's quite eerie." He continued rubbing his chin, as if stroking a non-existent beard, and said, "Then could it be a counter force? The two are too similar to be mere coincidence... and the timing of their appearances and disappearances are far too convenient."

Teresa paused to consider that.

...Muto was right. Jihu appeared when Sung Shihyun vanished. And now that Jihu vanished, Sung Shihyun reappeared.

As if the world wasn't big enough for the two of them... No, as if the two of them couldn't exist under the same sky at once.

"...Well," Teresa said. "Whatever the case, that dick failed. And since the Parasite Queen stepped in, we won't have to worry about anything on that end either."

She had been a bit worried about the Parasites trying something after Jihu's great success in killing off the Army Commanders, but with that stunt the Parasite Queen pulled, they had some breathing room. After all, the Parasite Queen wouldn't dare to try anything now that the Seven Sin Gods had space to act for her direct interference.

"Mm." Muto nodded. "That is true. In that case..." The magician looked around and said, "I suppose I ought to reconstruct and reinforce Haramark's defenses." He frowned and said, "To have someone that powerful reach this inner sanctum without warning nor obstruction... My pride is hurt."

Teresa laughed and picked up her long forgotten towel. Swinging it over her shoulder, she said, "It seems like you've really become a young man again if you're worried about something like that, Mister Muto."

"Hmph. It can't be helped." Muto walked over to the walls and started conjuring glyphs. "This old man gained his pride back after a certain hero pulled me through the door and helped reach the culmination of my life's work."

Teresa smiled and then she stretched. "Well, I'll leave you to it... And to deal with the reports. Right now, I'm going to take a nice long bath."

Muto paused and then looked over at Teresa. Seeing her towel, and seeing the grime and sweat on her body, he grimaced. "My apologies, Princess."

Teresa waved her hand. "It's no big deal. But still..." She clicked her tongue and muttered, "That damned bastard made me horny with that weird spell and reminded me that Jihu still hasn't done anything with me. Fuck. And now I'm remembering how hubbie ran his hands all over my body and then left like a gentleman without trying anything... Argh."

Muto blinked and then cleared his throat. "Ah, yes... Enjoy your... private time, Princess."

"You fucking bet I will. Fuck." Teresa stomped off, grumbling. "Fuck responsibility or the throne. If that bastard won't fucking fuck me then I'm going to fucking fuck him. Fuck. I don't care anymore. I've already fucking waited in line after Flonnie, and he's fucking off somewhere probably fucking her so he can't fucking say no now. Fuck."

Muto watched Teresa stomp off and then closed his eyes, making a brief prayer. "Oh merciful gods, please have pity on the poor soul who has to face that princess's ire... and desire."

xxx

A shiver ran down my spine. I looked out the window and frowned. "...Why do I feel like something's happened that'll make me regret my life decisions later?"