before Kang Woo could reply, Mikhail's voice rang sharply in his mind, his tone precise and urgent. Master, we're almost reaching the bottom.
Kang Woo only nodded slightly, then lifted his hand. With a thought, he summoned the Ring of Narya into his palm. Its crimson gem glimmered under the soft blue rain, now engraved with a tiny, luminous Quincy emblem.
He turned and held it out toward Makima.
Makima blinked at him, confusion and cautious hope swirling in her gaze. "…Kang Woo, what's your intention? Be honest with me. Are you trying to abandon me?"
Kang Woo sighed softly. "No. Not that."
Instead, he reached for her hand. Slowly, deliberately, he slid the ring of narya onto her finger himself, his touch firm and steady.
He met her gaze directly, his voice low but unwavering. "Makima the Control Devil… will you accept me—Kang Woo—as your husband?"
Makima's eyes went impossibly wide. Tears burst forth, spilling freely down her cheeks as a trembling, radiant smile broke across her face. She stood silent for a long moment, too overwhelmed to speak, breath hitching as sobs caught in her throat.
All this time… she'd feared Kang Woo would vanish again, leaving her to chase him endlessly through eternity.
But Kang Woo, true to himself, couldn't resist adding his usual twist. He tilted his head and gave her a sly grin. "Though… I still aim for a harem. But you'll always be my first wife."
Makima blinked through her tears, then let out a breathless laugh. Ignoring his teasing, she lunged forward and kissed kiss was fierce, desperate, and filled with relief—
Makima's way of anchoring herself to the man who had become her entire world. When she finally pulled back, she rested her forehead against his, her eyes shining with fresh tears.
"Dummy," she whispered, her voice trembling with gratitude. "Didn't I tell you my confession? Even if somehow… I could only be your concubine… lower than your true wife… I would accept it. But you want me to be your wife…" Her lips curved into a tearful, radiant smile. "That's the best thing that's ever happened in my entire century of life."
Makima held onto Kang Woo tightly, burying her face against his chest for a moment. When she pulled back, her eyes were still damp, but they sparkled with determination.
"Kang Woo… I've confessed everything to you." She squeezed his hand. "I think it's time I know your secrets as well."
Kang Woo exhaled, looking away for a moment. "I think it might be… overwhelming for you."
Makima tilted her head, a sly smile returning to her lips. "Like the Citadel of Ricks? Or the Central Finite Curve? I think I'll be fine. "Or… do you have another request for me? Besides the harem you're obviously planning to form?"
Kang Woo paused, a faint shadow crossing his features. If I told her that my Kaisergesang ritual involves me dying… she'd be furious.
Makima immediately sensed his hesitation. Her gaze narrowed as she leaned closer. "Kang Woo… you're thinking something. Come on—share it. I know you've got a ton of secrets. Whatever it is, I'll bear it all."
Before Kang Woo could reply, the Reishi platform gave a soft shudder beneath their feet. A moment later, it touched down on solid ground at the very bottom of the cavernous pit that the Nightmare familiar had drilled.
The Nightmare familiar, still in its towering, gelatinous slime form, rippled once—then collapsed into a smaller mass and slithered back into Kang Woo's body, merging seamlessly into him.
Kang Woo's eyes sharpened. He gave Mikhail a subtle glance and sent a silent command. Do your thing.
From the back of Kang Woo's left palm, the Eye of Mikhail flared open, crackling with power. In the space before them, glowing runes and geometric circles blossomed in the air, forming a hovering hologram.
Mikhail's voice reverberated, crisp and grave. "All right. Now listen carefully."
Makima and Kang Woo both focused on the projection as Mikhail continued. "The current situation is dire. Three massive magic circles have formed on this lowest layer. A high-ranking devil from the Qliphoth is about to manifest."
Makima's brows knit as she stared at the swirling images.
Mikhail's pupil contracted. "And let's be absolutely clear: this entire mess is Master's fault. That Trompette ability you fired, Kang Woo, tore a hole in the veil of this world. The world-ending risk? It's your doing."
Mikhail turned its gaze to Makima, tone icy. "And it's your fault too, Makima. Because you forced my Master to fire that X-Axis Trompette into the sky in the first place."
Makima went deadpanned, her expression flattening as reality came crashing back around her. Right… the current situation hasn't been resolved yet.
She crossed her arms."You're being dramatic, Mikhail. I think you're just paranoid. Didn't Kang Woo already handle one Primal Devil? He weakened the Aging Devil and stripped it of its power."
Kang Woo shook his head firmly. "Pay attention, Makima. This isn't a Primal Devil. This is a high-ranking Qliphoth devil. And they wield real magic. The kind of magic that can flatten cities with a single attack."
He gestured toward the hologram, where shifting runes and devilish glyphs pulsed like a heartbeat.
" The problem with this world. A world filled with devils, Vought supes, and regular humans. An average-to-expert magic user going up against someone like you, Makima… Even though it'd be a fierce fight, I'd put my money on the magic user. Why? Because magic uses mana—an energy comparable to what gods themselves wield. Meanwhile, negative energy wielders or fear-based beings like your race—the devils—sit at the very bottom of that hierarchy. But a high-ranking Qliphoth devil… they're on a completely different level. They wield magic like legends—probably strong enough to kill a demigod or even a low-ranking god. this situation is pretty damn dire."
Makima furrowed her brow, folding her arms tightly across her chest. "Sorry to say this, Kang Woo, but I'm not just some devil you'd find lurking on the street. I am the Control Devil, One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Fear of control is my very embodiment. Even if I'm severed from my damage-transfer contract right now… the fear of control itself still exists. I think you need to stop mocking my race."
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing further. "And besides… aren't Qliphoth devils basically the same as us? Just from a different world?"
Kang Woo let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "No. Not at all. Do you want to know why Evil Morty looks at all of you with disdain—and why sometimes I share that bad habit of looking down on others? It's because of how low your tier is, Makima. Sorry, but it's true. If there were an all-out war against other worlds rich in magic—and there was someone like you, Makima, but a masterful wielder of powerful magic—your entire world would be finished in a day. Maybe a week. A year at best… if the person in charge happened to be a complete idiot."
Makima drew a breath, ready to respond, but before she could speak, Mikhail's voice suddenly echoed through the depths, vibrating from the eye on Kang Woo's left back palm.
"Less talk. More work," Mikhail interjected sharply.
The crimson eye fixed its gaze on Kang Woo as Mikhail spoke, choosing his words with careful weight. "Master, I recommend we abandon this world. There is no survival here. The second enemy has been identified."
Kang Woo's jaw tightened. Without hesitation, he activated his Authority of the Beholder, his senses flaring outward to probe the veil of reality. The truth hit him like a hammer. His heart sank as recognition dawned.
Ah, shit… I was hoping my guess was wrong… but bad luck always finds its way here.
A chill swept through him as he clenched his fists. His thoughts darkened further.
…the fucking Crimson King from the Dark Tower. Ohhh motherfucker., of all gods… Why does it have to be him?! My X-Axis blast must've traveled far enough to catch that bastard's attention…
Makima stood silent beside him, her brows knit with concern. She couldn't hear Kang Woo's thoughts, but Mikhail's warning alone was enough to leave her pale. The words "there is no survival in this world" hung heavy in the air, pressing down like a suffocating weight.
Kang Woo blinked once. Twice. Then, with sudden decisiveness, he reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek device.
He held it out to Makima—a portal pistol, its design sleek and aerodynamic, encased in a gray-white curved shell. A glowing purple core pulsed inside, casting soft reflections across its smooth surface, and the carved grip handle seemed to fit perfectly into a user's hand.
"No time to explain," Kang Woo said, his voice clipped and urgent. "As contingency—get the people you want to save and get out of this world with that pistol I gave you."
Makima stared at him in shock, her eyes wide. "Kang Woo… Didn't I tell you? We share this problem together!"
Kang Woo's expression hardened. "Right now, there's a variable I don't like at all. I don't want anyone becoming a nuisance."
Makima's breath came faster, fury sparking in her gaze. Her confidence, once shaken, now roared back with the force of a storm. Her voice cut through the dark, echoing with the authority of the Control Devil she truly was.
"I am no liability, I am your wife. And if there's a being who dares to come between us—then I'll bend that being to my will and make it kneel at my feet."
A grin pulled at the edge of Kang Woo's mouth despite the chaos. Heh… her confidence is fully healed. Let's hope that courage doesn't shatter again… because right now, it's all riding on a glimmer of emotion.
But before he could respond, Mikhail's voice cut sharply between them. "Master," Mikhail interjected, his tone brisk, "one of the magic circles is flaring. A Qliphoth devil is attempting to breach this world."
Kang Woo's eyes narrowed. "Where is it now? I was focused too much on the second variable."
"Five meters north of here," Mikhail reported instantly.
Without hesitation, Kang Woo and Makima exchanged a look—and then sprinted together toward the location, the rain of blue Reishi cascading around them as they raced into the unknown.
As they arrived, Kang Woo suddenly yanked Makima by the wrist, pulling her into a shadowy alcove where his Authority of Stealth cloaked them in a shimmering camouflage. The world beyond blurred like heat ripples, concealing them from view.
Out in the open, dozens of low-ranking Qliphoth devils stood in tight formation, guarding a massive magic circle etched into the ground, its runes pulsing with dark light.
Slowly, he raised his hand and formed deliberate gestures in the air, crisp and precise: Don't use the Commandment of Piety I gave you.
Makima's eyes darted left, thoughtful. Then she raised her own hand and flashed back a series of gestures: I threw it down into the forest. Remember?
Kang Woo's crimson eyes narrowed, his face flattening into a deadpan stare. He simply held her gaze, silent and exasperated.
Makima only smiled faintly—a sly, mischievous curve of her lips—and remained wordless.