King Hades

AZAZEL

UNDERWORLD ARC

Chapter 12: Azazel

The ruins of Typhon's battlefield fell silent.

The colossal monster's corpse lay motionless behind Hades, its blood flowing through the cracked earth like rivers.

Hades rested the Divine Bident across his shoulder and sighed.

"...That was easier than expected."

A slow clap echoed through the shattered fortress.

Clap... Clap... Clap...

A lone figure emerged from the shadows.

Azazel.

His golden eyes narrowed with amusement.

"Congratulations."

"You defeated that fool."

He glanced at Typhon's lifeless body.

"He underestimated you."

"And he paid dearly for it."

His smile faded.

"...Don't expect me to make the same mistake."

Hades casually scratched his cheek.

"So you're next."

Azazel nodded.

"I am."

Before taking another step, Hades suddenly asked,

"Can I ask you something?"

Azazel raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You and Lucifer keep talking about humanity."

"You rebelled against the Supreme Creator."

"You want to destroy everything."

"...Why?"

"What exactly did humanity do to you?"

For a brief moment...

Azazel became quiet.

Then he laughed.

"Truth be told..."

"I've never even lived among humans."

"I've never spoken to one."

"I hold no personal grudge against any individual."

He slowly raised his head.

"But I still hate them."

His voice became colder.

"I hate their arrogance."

"I hate their ignorance."

"I hate their pride."

"They were molded from dust..."

"...yet they walk as though they're the center of existence."

His eyes burned with disgust.

"They invade the heavens under the excuse of exploration."

"They murder."

"They betray."

"They wage endless wars."

"They kill in the name of faith."

"They poison the very world the Creator entrusted to them."

"They destroy creation..."

"...then call themselves righteous."

He spread his arms.

"We angels were born from light."

"The demons from fire."

"We possess knowledge far beyond theirs."

"And yet..."

"Those creatures of dirt boast as if they surpass us."

His face twisted in contempt.

"It makes me sick."

He pointed at Hades.

"And your kind isn't any better."

"The royal bloodlines."

"The self-proclaimed rulers."

"Odin."

"Jupiter."

"Shiva."

"Osiris."

"Cronus."

"Buddha."

"You all sit upon your thrones..."

"...believing yourselves special."

His aura erupted.

"That..."

"...is why I joined Lucifer."

"We shall trample the Creator's masterpiece."

"We shall spit upon His creation."

"And reduce every realm to nothing."

Silence followed.

Hades simply looked at him.

Then...

He sighed.

"...That's it?"

Azazel frowned.

"What?"

"That's your reason?"

"You looked at humanity's flaws..."

"...and decided everyone deserves to die?"

He shook his head.

"I'm disappointed."

Azazel's expression darkened.

"You dare judge me?"

Hades smiled faintly.

"You call humans arrogant."

"You call kings prideful."

"But isn't your hatred born from the very same pride?"

"You couldn't accept that beings born from dust could grow."

"You couldn't accept that imperfect creatures could achieve greatness."

He pointed toward the heavens.

"The Creator made everything with flaws."

"That's what makes life interesting."

"Without flaws..."

"There'd be nothing worth overcoming."

He rested the Bident on his shoulder.

"So..."

"Whether you agree or not..."

"I'm taking you down."

Azazel slowly smiled.

"...We don't think so."

Hades blinked.

"...We?"

The air suddenly became heavy.

Azazel spread both arms.

His body trembled violently.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Dark clouds spiraled across the sky.

The entire fortress shook.

Then...

Screams.

Thousands of horrifying screams echoed from inside his body.

Hades frowned.

"...Okay..."

"That's disturbing."

Azazel let out a monstrous roar.

His flesh began tearing apart from within.

Bones twisted.

Muscles ripped.

His body split open as blinding crimson light burst from every wound.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The explosion blasted apart the remaining castle walls.

Smoke covered the battlefield.

When it finally cleared...

Three figures stood where Azazel once had.

Hades stared.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

The first stepped forward.

He was over seven feet tall.

His body was thin and skeletal beneath long priestly robes adorned with skulls.

He carried a staff fashioned entirely from bone.

At its tip rested a screaming skull, a crimson ruby lodged within its mouth.

Lightning crackled around him.

His expression radiated nothing but hatred.

"I..."

"...am Aza."

"The Wrath."

"The Judgment."

"The Thunder."

The second figure cracked his neck.

Nearly six feet tall but immensely muscular, his body was covered in irregular black markings.

His purplish-red mohawk stood wildly upright.

Heavy bracelets wrapped around his wrists and ankles.

He wore no shoes.

A manic grin stretched across his face.

His eyes danced with insanity.

"Hehehehehe..."

"This looks fun."

"I'm Zxe."

"The Madness."

"The Strength."

"The Fist."

The third remained completely silent.

He wore the robes of a wandering swordsman.

His long black hair reached his waist.

Where his face should have been...

...was a hollow void.

Inside that darkness floated five restless eyes.

Each moved independently.

Each watched Hades from a different angle.

His voice sounded as though he were constantly holding back tears.

"...I..."

"...am Zel."

"The Sorrow."

"The Blade."

"The Cold."

A flesh-like katana slowly slid from its sheath.

Frost spread across the ground beneath him.

The three stood side by side.

Then—

They all spoke at once.

"We..."

"...are Azazel."

Their voices echoed together.

"Three bodies."

"One soul."

"One will."

"One mind."

Hades blinked several times.

Then pointed at them.

"...So..."

"You literally tore yourself into three people?"

Zxe laughed hysterically.

"HAHAHAHA!"

"You should've seen your face!"

Hades rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah..."

"That's definitely nightmare fuel."

Aza raised his staff.

"After our banishment..."

"The Great Satan blessed us."

"Our body was divided."

"Our personalities separated."

"But our consciousness remained one."

"We fight independently."

"We think as one."

"We cannot hinder one another."

"We are..."

"...Perfection."

Hades looked at each of them carefully.

"The mage."

"The brawler."

"The swordsman."

He sighed.

"...What a troublesome combination."

Aza smiled proudly.

"You should feel honored."

"You are only the second person..."

"...to witness our true form."

Hades shrugged.

"I would've preferred not to."

He twirled the Divine Bident once.

Then pointed it toward the trio.

"...Guess I'll just have to beat all three of you."

Dark lightning crackled.

Ice gathered across the ruined floor.

Demonic energy exploded around Zxe's fists.

The three monsters slowly spread apart, surrounding Hades from different directions.

Hades looked left.

Then right.

Then behind him.

"...Three against one."

He sighed dramatically.

"Seriously?"

He looked upward.

"Whoever's writing my story..."

"...You've got some nerve."

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"But that's fine."

"I've got plot armor."

For a brief second...

Even Aza looked confused.

"...Plot..."

"...what?"

Hades lowered himself into a fighting stance.

Divine energy erupted around him.

A soft lavender aura surrounded his body.

Dark crimson sparks danced through the air.

Golden pressure waves rippled across the battlefield.

Divine Energy Omen.

The Bident hummed with power.

Hades smiled.

"Come on, then."

"Let's see if three of you..."

"...are enough."

The battlefield trembled.

The greatest fight of Hades' journey...

...was about to begin.

End of Chapter 12