Azazel had been predicting her victory for a long time.
It wasn’t just a simple superiority in abilities; it was because of the rules of the world they had previously belonged to.
‘I’ve trained longer than that trash.’
Time was crucial in the original work, I Got Trapped in a Game. The characters in the novel grew stronger based on the time invested due to the idle game setting.
Basically, you could get stronger even if you left it alone, but controlling it by hand made the increase much steeper.
‘There’s no way I can lose…!’
Azazel smirked confidently. Unlike Kang Si Woo, who spent his days fooling around with women, she had been honing her strength in the northern monastery.
If she grabbed victory in the end, Bing Yeon would think differently of her. She lamented over why she hadn’t noticed such a good man sooner.
‘Thus, I shall slowly make my brother fall for me. This time, I want to experience love that I receive, not just unrequited love.’
The person who admonished Kang Si Woo’s harsh words and consoled her—something she deeply needed when she had no one to lean on.
One day, she really wanted to ensnare her master, Bing Yeon, and make her unable to hide her feelings.
– Azazel, can you win?
While she was flying high on her happy imaginings, the tentacles on her back wiggled, speaking to her.
The outsider Mordigian, who had been through thick and thin with her for a long time, couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
Things were unfolding too perfectly.
Even though her opponent was Shub Niggurath, the Outer God.
Despite being an outsider god beyond human comprehension, there was still a difference in status.
“Of course, I can, Lord Mordigian.”
Azazel said while recalling the martial arts she learned from Bing Yeon. Her fists bled and calloused from the power she exerted with every swing.
Hadn’t the other apprentices who fought before done the same?
It was only a third-rate martial art, akin to beginner magic, but still, there were those who reached the pinnacle with it. The ongoing practice of fundamentals reveals what lies beyond.
“If I don’t win this time, who else will bring medicine to brother?”
She could feel the fiery heat of the Bimu Jang as she stepped into the arena.
With the initial rounds tying, anticipation from the crowd surged for the final match. Originally, they hadn’t anticipated this outcome and set the rules as best out of five.
It was Bing Yeon Blossom Heart that had shattered that expectation.
“If I lose, brother might have to fight. I’m perceptive enough to know that, you know?”
– Yeah, no matter how strong that guy is, he can’t defeat an Outer God like Shub Niggurath.
“Plus… personally, I also want to beat that raving jerk.”
Azazel clenched her fists fiercely, her tentacles making her adept at martial arts unlike anyone else.
Bing Yeon knew this, which was why she recommended the Six Harmonies Fist to her.
“The technique used by the person who fought the Bi Wol sisters was similar to what I learned.”
Azazel had witnessed just how powerful Kang Hyul’s movements were firsthand. With this, she could take down Kang Si Woo without relying on the outsider’s power.
“Today, I will put an end to this tiresome fate.”
Crack—!
Azazel’s fist was charged with power.
*
Waaaaaa—!
As Azazel walked through the passageway towards the Bimu Jang, cheers and shouts from the other martial artists erupted.
The essence of Verdandi from the Western Region used the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, causing plum blossoms to bloom in that space.
Bing Yeon preserved the pride of the martial artists who thought they could end the Yong Bong Gihwa with mana and magic from the Western Region.
“Yong Bong Gihwa Finals…! The heat is now charging toward its climax!”
Cheoncheonmu responded to the excitement with a loud narration, using his sonorous voice.
“The contestant emerging from the Yong Bong Gihwa is none other than the outsider Azazel, who is said to use the Six Harmonies Fist, much like the earlier Kang Hyul!”
Azazel felt a bit shy hearing such descriptions. Did she ever imagine she would fight while receiving this much attention?
If she had remained alone in the northern monastery, she would never have experienced such a thing.
“Facing her is the familiar name, Seongyeongmun’s Kang Si Woo…!”
At last, a familiar name echoed, and a man with black hair walked onto the stage. For Azazel, he was the object of her secret affection, but now stood as an even worse foe.
“…Kang Si Woo.”
“Azazel, I’ll say this one last time.”
Kang Si Woo looked at Azazel with a sneer, opening his mouth.
“Really, are you going to follow that sick chicken instead of me?”
He smiled as if immersed in some ominous energy, causing her to click her tongue.
Why did everything seem to come together so easily? Perhaps he too had used a similar method to contract with an outsider, just like she had.
But,
“Brother Bing Yeon is not someone a raving jerk like you can casually talk about.”
Azazel wasn’t the type to get intimidated by such trivial matters. The power of an outsider deity was far too great for an average human to withstand.
Azazel herself had spent years isolating herself just to refine and control Mordigian’s strength.
She couldn’t have mastered it perfectly in just a few hours.
“Right, so you’re saying that?”
Kang Si Woo chuckled at Azazel’s strong demeanor. He still thought of her as a character he could toy with, not a living human.
Different from the other protagonists, Kang Si Woo had never stood on the front lines and was just sucked into this world while playing a smartphone game.
“…You’re going to regret this.”
“Regret that you feel free to say?”
The two glared at each other as if they wanted to kill one another, preparing for the fight.
*
Kang Si Woo resembled a hero similar to Verdandi, but in reality, was completely different. He lacked a sacred sword and didn’t have a holy armor to protect against attacks.
His ability was to ‘command’ the hero character he had played in the game.
If left alone, he would collect resources, use them to summon characters, and push through events or stories—just like a game.
That was the setting of the original I Got Trapped in a Game, where both Kang Si Woo and Azazel originated.
‘But, that’s in the past now.’
Azazel gritted her teeth, watching as Kang Si Woo pulled out his smartphone. Normally, teammates from that point would have popped out, but—
‘We can’t be commanded without a bond of affection.’
Kang Si Woo as a player and his real-world self were practically polar opposites in personality.
Like a lecherous man swinging his lower half around, it seemed unlikely anyone would obey commands from someone who regarded people like Azazel merely as useful tools.
“Typical useless waste.”
Kang Si Woo showed his smartphone to Azazel and with a disappointed tone said, “You failed at your little scheme.”
If she had exceeded a certain affection level, he could command Azazel to move at his whim.
“…I dislike guys like you the most.”
Right now, her affection level had dipped so low it was nearing minus figures. Just talking to the man named Kang Si Woo was revolting to her.
Crash—!
Azazel’s fist and tentacles struck at once. The tentacle rolled up like a sledgehammer, a brilliant maneuver to use in the Six Harmonies Fist.
Utilizing existing elements like this is a necessary quality for any author.
“Ugh…!”
Kang Si Woo let out a grunt, getting hit in the solar plexus and face. His nose broke, blood flowed, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.
– Azazel, something’s off.
Sensing the dissonance, Mordigian used the tentacles to bind Kang Si Woo’s arms and legs. He figured it could be dangerous if Kang Si Woo reached for the smartphone to call for help.
“What’s off? It’s rather fortunate he’s weaker than I anticipated. Just like the trash he is…”
– Doesn’t it seem like your opponent is just taking your hits without any kind of counterattack?
With Mordigian’s question, Azazel soon showed a look of realization. Just a moment ago, he had seemed to have the power of Shub Niggurath.
‘Why didn’t he resist at all?’
Cold chills ran down Azazel’s spine.
It felt as if her opponent had fallen too easily, as if he had been waiting for this situation.
Immediately sensing the danger, Azazel attempted to wrap her tentacles around Kang Si Woo’s smartphone to break it.
“Heh, hehahahaha…”
Seeing that, Kang Si Woo laughed maniacally, staring at the sky. His black eyes shone with the starlight.
It was high noon with the sun shining brightly.
– It’s dangerous. Azazel. Something feels off…!
“If I can knock him out, wouldn’t that be just fine?”
Azazel calmly attempted to hit a pressure point with her tentacles. The Six Harmonies Fist used every part of the body as a weapon.
No matter how strong the power of the outsider may be, it can only manifest within the limits of a human form.
“If you think knocking me out, you?”
Tap, pop.
Even after hitting the blood spots she was certain should bring on unconsciousness, Kang Si Woo didn’t lose consciousness. Instead, he seemed to find it amusing, his facial muscles twisting in laughter.
“…Oh dear, I see you’ve already given up on being human.”
Azazel realized something while checking the blood points. The man named Kang Si Woo had turned into Shub Niggurath’s plaything, having become something beyond human.
Though his appearance remained the same, what made him up and his soul were now entirely different.
“To possess a limited character, I’d do anything…and…”
“Such nonsense you’re spouting.”
Twist, tilting his neck at a 90-degree angle, Kang Si Woo continued speaking. Azazel struck again with a fierce punch to his chest.
“Haha! Your little punches don’t even hurt! If you lose here, you won’t be able to save that Bing Yeon guy, you idiot?!”
As if it meant nothing, he continued to monologue, and then, the pieces of the smartphone that Azazel shattered began to levitate into the air.
“Now, go on and struggle.”
As the fragments of the smartphone began to reform into their original shapes, Kang Si Woo laughed like a madman.
