Chapter 18: The Devil That Society Made
The days blurred into nights, and the concrete walls of the cell closed in like a coffin. Ji-ho sat in the corner, his legs crossed, eyes closed—but his mind far from calm.
His brother lay curled beside him, silent, exhausted. The bruises on his back hadn't faded. The wounds from the beatings reopened every night. And all they had done was speak the truth.
No food. No light. Just pain. Just the whispers of demons that society chose to ignore.
That's when the air shifted.
Time seemed to still. The very breath of the prison paused.
A voice, deeper than thunder, echoed in Ji-ho's head.
> "So this is the world you tried to save…
Look at what they've done to you, my inheritor."
Ji-ho opened his eyes.
The world around him had changed.
Gone was the prison—he now stood in a shattered void, with floating chains, ruined cities crumbling in the distance, and blood falling like rain from a sky split in half.
And there, seated on a throne made of bones, was the Devil.
The same presence that offered him power before.
Its burning eyes locked onto Ji-ho. "Still think this world deserves your mercy?"
Ji-ho didn't speak.
He clenched his fists, trembling not with fear—but with the rage of betrayal.
"They tortured your brother," the Devil said. "They watched the footage of the experiments… and still they spit in your face. They fear truth. They only kneel to power."
Ji-ho gritted his teeth. "I hate them…"
"And now you see. Chaos is not the enemy. It's the cleansing fire."
"I'm not your puppet," Ji-ho said, his voice hoarse. "I'll never lose myself."
The Devil grinned. "You already have. That rage… it's mine. That despair… it's mine. But if you insist on being the hero—then take this burden and carry it to its end."
Ji-ho gasped.
A torrent of memories surged through his mind—battles from ancient wars, visions of devils tearing through dimensions, and one horrifying truth:
> This world has always chosen power over justice.
---
When Ji-ho opened his eyes, he was back in the cell.
But something had changed.
His aura shimmered faintly—black and crimson. His body no longer felt broken. The pendant pulsed softly.
He heard footsteps. Guards approaching.
A voice barked, "Time for another round."
As the door opened, Ji-ho stood slowly. The two guards smirked.
But Ji-ho didn't flinch.
> "You think I'm broken?" he muttered.
"No… you've just awakened something far worse."
With a flick of his mind, his Destructive Ray formed—not from his hand, but from sheer thought.
It hovered behind him like a spear of wrath. And then—chaos.
One guard reached for his weapon—but the Destructive Ray pierced his chest, blowing a hole through the reinforced steel behind him.
The other screamed, but before he could run, Ji-ho's eyes locked onto him—eyes that now glowed with a dark crimson.
> The Eye of Evil activated.
Ji-ho saw it—a glowing red number:
5 Ways to Kill.
He chose the most brutal.
The ray twisted into a sword and sliced cleanly through the man's body—cutting both legs before cleaving the head.
Blood splattered across the hallway.
Ji-ho walked forward, lifting his brother gently. "Ye-jun… wake up. We're leaving."
---
The prison fell into chaos.
Screams echoed. Alarms blared.
But Ji-ho didn't run. He walked through the fire, cutting down anyone who dared block his path.
> "This society… you want power?
Then I'll show you a power that tears through your lies."
As they reached the outer gates, helicopters descended.
Devil's Association Elite Units.
Ji-ho turned to face them, his brother behind him.
"I'm coming for you," he whispered to the wind. "Six of you left. And then, I'm coming for the President."
Then—his Destructive Ray shattered the gate, and they vanished into the chaos.
---
To be continued...