Ranker Who Lives Twice

As soon as Yeon-woo read the messages that they had managed to reclaim the temple, he could sense all his subordinates cheering.

「Finally, finally…!」

「It's too soon to rejoice! We can celebrate after those Gigantes bastards have been kicked out of the Great Temple!」

「All soldiers, forward!」

「Eradicate those Gigantes bugs!」

「Let us clean this temple before our lord returns!」

「Death to the enemies!」

「Fight for our allies!」

Dis Pluto happily congratulated themselves but continued to watch out for the Gigantes' next actions. The Ghost Giants and dragons were also in high spirits after the overwhelming victory.

Boo/Faust had contributed more than Yeon-woo expected, so he didn't think he needed to worry about them anymore. His next act was to slice space with Vigrid, and he came face to face with Persephone, who sat across from him with a stiff expression.

"I suppose this is the only place you could escape to?" Yeon-woo smirked at her. It was the same expression Persephone had shown him as he'd escaped with Hades on his back.

Aside from who was doing the smirking, the main difference was that Hades' sacrifice had allowed Yeon-woo to escape safely, but there was no way out for Persephone now. Since Boo/Faust had taken over the center altar that led to the heavenly world, her lifeline was gone. If she really wanted to escape, however, there was one place left: Erebus. But would Persephone, the arrogant and prideful goddess, choose exile from the heavens, which was what entering Erebus meant?

Yeon-woo was certain she wouldn't. He took a step forward into emptiness. At that moment, the various spells and powers that had activated inside her space fell on Yeon-woo.

[The power 'Depressed Plant' has been activated!]

[The power 'Icy Frost' has been cast!]

[The power 'Decomposed to Waste' has been activated!]

…

[All powers have been transplanted with death and destroyed!]

However, Yeon-woo brandished Vigrid and the spring of death began to rotate, instantly taking apart all her attacks. "Such strength," Yeon-woo scoffed. Most powers and curses meant nothing to him now. As long as the black chains were connected to Vigrid and the spring of death was spinning, most attacks toward him would be nullified.

The concept of death didn't just apply to living things. As long as something existed, it could be destroyed. This was the kind of death that Yeon-woo had inherited from Kronos.

"You…why do you get in our way for every single thing? What have we done to you…!"

"Too much talking." Yeon-woo brought Vigrid down on Persephone, who was glaring at him menacingly.

Clatter. As the black chains spun around, emptiness opened behind her head. Persephone shifted her head and barely managed to evade it. At the same time, she manifested a part of the World Tree, lashing out with its roots as though they were tentacles.

Clang! However, Vigrid easily sliced through them. Rumble! The Sword Thunder on the blade exploded and continued from the Second Extreme, the Third Extreme, the Fourth Extreme, and to the Fifth Extreme. They didn't stop, and the blessings and barriers protecting Persephone shattered. Vigrid's sharp tip pierced her through the ribs on her right side.

Clang! The roots of the World Tree shoved Vigrid away, but Yeon-woo suddenly appeared in front of Persephone and twisted Vigrid into her heart. Puak! Blood spurted from Persephone's mouth.

"I-I…!" Nevertheless, Persephone continued to glower at him in rage. The Sword Thunder injured her spirit body, and the energy of death took over her body, but her steely mind couldn't be broken that easily. "I worked so hard to get here!"

She tried to turn the tables by grabbing Yeon-woo's collar instead of pulling Vigrid out. Yeon-woo just pushed Vigrid in deeper.

"I!" A wave of heat blew. It was a fiery wind she'd gained from her position as Hades' wife, the Queen of the Underworld. It forced Vigrid out, the fire feeding on the roots of the World Tree and rising from her hands, growing bigger.

Boom! Boom! When Yeon-woo tried to distance himself, Persephone thought he was trying to escape and sent her attacks to him. The explosion cracked the ground and destroyed all the temples nearby.

Crash! Yeon-woo left the holy territory and the ruins. Where Persephone had stood was a giant, lava-covered wooden figure. It was her gigantification. She had finally used the power she'd ordered the Titans to use, the same power she never wanted to use herself.

pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ Kroooo! A violent roar rang in the air. An immense amount of holy power that made the Titans and Gigantes seem insignificant shook the Temple of the King of the Underworld. Yeon-woo's subordinates and the Gigantes stopped fighting, turning to look at the sight.

『Persephone is using Kronos' holy power…?』

『Gigantification?!』

『Is she planning to destroy this place?』

The Gigantes, who believed in Persephone, realized they were in danger and froze. They believed she was using her final card that she was cornered. However, Yeon-woo knew this was Persephone's real form.

『Son.』 Just then, Kronos spoke up.

'Yes?'

『I'm sorry I've been thinking of you as a horrifying hybrid mutant all this time.』

'What…?'

『To think there's a worse hybrid than you…ha!』ραпdα `nᴏνɐ| сom

Yeon-woo was speechless.

『As I said, she's a copy made up of many various things. I don't know if she's being impudent or idiotic to use my holy power.』 When Kronos first opened his eyes, he was shocked to see the Gigantes using his holy power in that manner.

Yeon-woo couldn't find it in him to tell Kronos that the Titans had taken it even further than the Gigantes. He didn't know what his father would think when he saw the gigantic figures kilometers in height walking around.

『Let's end it quickly.』 Kronos spoke as if he didn't want to look at the gruesome creature any further.

Yeon-woo nodded and tightened his grip on Vigrid.

* * *

In the end, although the manifestation of Persephone's true body made her larger, she wasn't much of a threat. No matter how hot her winds were, she couldn't defeat the power of the Throne of Death, Purgatory Furnace. Even if she brought hellfire from the depths of the underworld and burned the roots of the World Tree, it couldn't grow hotter than Sword Thunder. The power that strengthened her was Kronos' holy power, and now it belonged to Yeon-woo.

Above all, now that Tartarus was Yeon-woo's holy territory, the authority of the Throne of Death was working more effectively than it ever had. "Underworld Domain Declaration."

[Tartarus has been declared your underworld domain. You can now access more features!]

[Your allies are being blessed.]

[Your enemies are being cursed.]

Clatter.

Persephone was stronger than a supreme god, but unfortunately, her nature and power was incompatible with Yeon-woo's.

Crash!

『No…!』 Perhaps this had been fated to happen after Hades gave Yeon-woo the Throne of Death or after Persephone had chosen to take the powers she had now. 『Noooo!』

Rumble. Despite her fearsome appearance, Persephone was at the mercy of the chains. She thrashed and struggled until her hands and feet were eventually hacked off. Sword Thunder ripped through her giant body like paper.

『Not like this…!』 Persephone used the weapon she'd been saving as a last resort.

[At Apostle Persephone's request, Mother Earth's manifestation is beginning!]

With bloodshot eyes, Persephone mustered the strength to call Mother Earth down to Tartarus. Mother Earth had ordered her to stop Yeon-woo, his subordinates, and his allies, but Persephone knew it was impossible now.

When Yeon-woo took Kronos' corpse, his subordinates were already on par with the Gigantes, and Yeon-woo on his own was as powerful as a supreme divine being. Perhaps he was even as strong as Zeus. He wasn't someone Persephone could handle.

She knew that Mother Earth was busy trying to take over the World Tree, but she needed her mother's help right now. If not, everything would be over. She didn't think Mother Earth would refuse her request. Losing Tartarus and Olympus would be a huge setback for Mother Earth's plans as well. Most importantly, Persephone believed Mother Earth, whom she considered more like a mother than Demeter, wouldn't deny her plea. 'Mother…Mother will help…!'

[Mother Earth has refused her Apostle Persephone's request!]

Persephone froze at the unexpected response. Her wooden face was filled with shock.

"I guess you were rejected." Yeon-woo landed on Persephone's forehead with a smirk, as if he had been expecting this. "Pawns are discarded when they're no longer useful."

『That can't be, that can't be…! Mother is the only person who understands me! Don't speak like you know…!』

"No. You're wrong. Mother Earth isn't the one who understands you." Yeon-woo's eyes darkened. "It was Hades."

『What kind of nonsense…!』 Persephone was about to shout in fury, but she stopped after realizing Yeon-woo was serious. Now that she thought about it, Yeon-woo had succeeded to the Throne of Death from Hades. That meant he hadn't only received divine authority but also Hades' legends.

『What…did you see?』

Yeon-woo didn't feel the need to answer her question.

『Tell me what you saw!』

"You foolishly stepped on Hades, the only person who understood you, to get to where you are. Now, it's time for me to step on you." After several clashes, Yeon-woo already made his judgment. There was no point in conversing with her further. He thought she had more to her, but after her betrayal of Hades and ascent as queen of the Titans and Gigantes, she turned out to be nothing.

She was just a foolish being drunk on authority, assisted by Mother Earth's power. The Crawling Chaos or Typhon were better than her. The Crawling Chaos was acting out of amusement, but he had the ambition to find darkness, and Typhon had fought to avenge his race.

Kashing. Yeon-woo brandished Vigrid and cut apart Persephone's body.

[Unrivaled Disorder]

The power Yeon-woo had gained from watching Kronos' legends activated, and black winds spun over Persephone's giant body. Spurt! Cracks appeared along the bark, and black holy power sprayed in the air. Yeon-woo's bracelet sucked everything in.

The roots tried to resist him, but they couldn't get past the wall of chains in mid-air. Clatter! The black chains stretched taut in the air and wrapped around Persephone, who had returned to her human form. She hung from the chains, kicking and struggling. "K-Kegh…!" For the first time, desperation appeared on her infuriated face.

She still had lingering attachments to Mother Earth and questions to ask about Hades, but she couldn't speak because she couldn't breathe. Yeon-woo looked at her with an indifferent expression, then pulled the chains to twist around her neck.

Crack. Persephone's head fell powerlessly to the ground, her tongue lolling out.

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