Chapter 71: Solomon's Proof — Endless Magic Power
Baal had once been a legitimate god, the cornerstone of his own divine pantheon.
But one day, his mythos was invaded—devoured.
He was stripped of light, stripped of his solar divinity, and forcibly transformed into a god of darkness—a demon.
Eventually, he was reduced to one of the seventy-two demon gods under Belial's command.
Many mistook Beelzebub for Baal. But that was a misconception.
Beelzebub had inherited Baal's domain of resurrection. Over time, Baal's myths were subtly transferred to Beelzebub, erasing Baal's true identity.
And so, Baal became a creature of pure slaughter—a beast of darkness despised by the gods.
That's why, upon seeing Beelzebub, Baal's fury erupted. His identity had been stolen.
The other seventy-two demon gods had suffered similar fates. They too harbored hatred toward Beelzebub.
But their true rage was reserved for the one behind Beelzebub—the real mastermind.
They looked upon the Lord of Flies with pity. He was merely a puppet, unable to control his own fate.
Then again, so were they.
But now, a chance had come.
Solomon had promised them something.
Suddenly, Baal sensed something.
Not just him—all seventy-two demon gods felt it.
Their expressions darkened.
Their killing intent surged.
Why?
Because the seventy-two grotesque monsters summoned by Beelzebub… carried traces of them.
They were clones—genetic amalgamations created from the demon gods' own essence, fused with other monstrous traits.
Unforgivable.
In an instant—
Blood and flesh exploded.
The gods and mortals in the stands turned pale.
"Ugh!"
Some vomited.
Others fainted.
In the blink of an eye—literally—the seventy-two demon gods summoned by Solomon tore Beelzebub's creations to shreds.
The arena became a slaughterhouse.
Organs—known and unknown—blood of red, black, and green splattered across the floor.
The demon gods turned their cruel gazes toward Beelzebub, now cornered.
"What kind of battle is this?"
"Is this even a fight between gods and humans anymore?"
"This isn't fair! The demon gods are fighting for the humans!"
"Beelzebub's monsters aren't even close to their level!"
"Seventy-two gods against one?"
"This is a massacre!"
"Let Beelzebub and Solomon fight one-on-one!"
The gods protested furiously.
This wasn't a duel. It was divine gang warfare.
"Heimdall! Declare the match invalid!"
"This is cheating!"
"This is just infighting among gods!"
The uproar overwhelmed Heimdall. He hadn't anticipated this chaos.
"Tch. Can't handle losing?"
"Wasn't it unfair from the start? Gods bullying humans? You didn't complain then."
"Now that the tables have turned, you cry foul?"
The humans fired back.
"This isn't a god-human battle!"
"Solomon doesn't even need to fight. The demon gods win for him."
"This isn't control—it's just an excuse for the demon gods to settle scores with Beelzebub."
"No way a human could command all seventy-two demon gods!"
The gods retaliated.
The arena devolved into shouting chaos.
Heimdall's head throbbed.
How could the match continue like this?
"Silence!"
A voice rang out.
Some recognized it and quieted.
Most didn't.
"I said shut up! Anyone who keeps talking—I'll kill them!"
This time, the voice thundered like lightning.
Everyone fell silent.
It was Zeus.
His expression was terrifying.
Then—he smiled.
"Good. That's better."
His tone softened, like a kindly old man.
"Solomon," Zeus said, "can you prove that the seventy-two demon gods truly obey you?"
"Not just a pretext to gang up on Beelzebub?"
His face grew serious.
"If it's true command, the match continues. If it's collusion, then it's invalid."
One god might be overlooked.
But seventy-two?
That was too much.
Zeus believed it was true command.
Solomon radiated a dangerous aura—even Zeus felt it.
And this power… clearly hadn't come from the Lord of Heaven.
Just look at Heaven's side.
They were pale.
The vice-lord couldn't sit still.
"This is getting interesting…"
The chief gods all turned their eyes to Solomon.
They wanted to see what kind of power could make seventy-two demon gods kneel.
Was it real command?
Or just a shared grudge?
"You don't believe I can command them?"
Solomon's voice was gentle.
He sounded like a man easy to talk to.
But to many gods, his tone felt patronizing—like a parent humoring a tantrum.
It made them furious.
"Then allow me to show you."
Solomon spread his arms—like embracing the air.
And then—
Magic erupted.
Not just a flicker.
A torrent.
Magic so dense it was visible to the naked eye.
A pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds.
And it kept growing.
In seconds, it engulfed the entire arena.
From outside, the coliseum was wrapped in a tower of light.
"What the hell is this?"
"Is he insane?"
"Is that really a human body?"
The magic wasn't as efficient as divine power—but the sheer volume was terrifying.
If converted to divine energy, Solomon's reserves dwarfed most gods.
He had power on par with a chief deity.
"No way a human body can hold that much magic!"
"Is he just wasting it?!"
It was like slicing open a human artery and letting the blood gush freely.
"He's going to burn out!"
"Is he even human?"
"He's a monster!"
The gods who had doubted Solomon now believed.
And his gentle smile…
Felt wrong.
It was eerie.
Predatory.
Like a beast wearing human skin.
Solomon wasn't human.
He was a demon god.
"That man…"
On Heaven's side, the vice-lord's face twisted.
He had just received word from the Lord.
Solomon was not Heaven's chosen.
Worse—
History revealed Solomon had betrayed the Lord long ago.
He had allied with Belial.
He had borrowed the seventy-two demon gods.
This couldn't be allowed to continue.
Not like this.
Not while humiliating the Lord.
Heaven now planned to forcibly summon the seventy-two demon gods—
To sever Solomon's control.
Let's see how he commands them then.
Hmph.