Kang Woo clapped slowly, his grin wide. "This winning round belongs to Aki Hayakawa."
Reze, watching from the sidelines, furrowed her brow, her thoughts racing. Did Aki just beat the Control Devil? Or… is there something I'm missing?
Himeno, on the other hand, couldn't contain her excitement. She jumped up, pumping her fists in the air. "Woohoo! Aki just won! He actually beat Makima! Hell yeah!"
At the center of the magic circle, Aki sat, exhausted and legless, the toll of the battle evident on his face. His voice, however, was steady as he asked, "Ms. Makima… why did you hold back? You could've won this round easily with that dark flame at your palm. It could've wiped me out in an instant."
Makima tilted her head, her smile faint. "I don't know," she said lightly. "Maybe I just wanted to give you a parting gift on good terms. Or…" She paused, her yellow-ringed eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Maybe there's an invisible panel you can't see, but I can. Something akin to what Kang Woo always sees when he looks at his system quest. Who knows?"
Makima raised her hand in her signature finger-pistol gesture, smirking as she aimed it at Aki. "Do you want me to kill you again? Because sitting here legless is quite a pathetic display."
Aki sighed, shaking his head. "No, I'll handle it myself." He conjured the red flames of Blazing Courage, stabbing himself in the chest without hesitation. His body dissolved into light before reforming moments later, fully healed and standing once more within the magic circle.
Kang Woo stepped forward, the ice bridge forming beneath his feet, creating a path toward Taiyo in the spectator seats.. Behind him, Makima and Aki followed closely, both silent, their thoughts lingering on the events that had just unfolded.
Reaching the center of the seats, Kang Woo waved his hand, summoning a lifeless body from his system inventory. The figure appeared humanoid, its metallic form gleaming faintly under the artificial light. Its forehead bore a glowing gem—the Mind Stone, nestled in the synthetic skull.
Makima's yellow-ringed eyes narrowed as she studied the figure. "It's not human," she remarked, her voice calm but curious. "But it resembles one."
Kang Woo turned his gaze toward her, his tone casual yet instructive. "This is Vision—a synthezoid. His body is made from vibranium, the hardest metal on Earth. Not this Earth, obviously," he added with a smirk. "This one's too preoccupied with devils and the endless power struggle between Vought and the rest. Vision was created by Ultron, with the assistance of Helen Cho, and brought to life by the Mind Stone."
Kang Woo leaned closer to Vision's lifeless form, his crimson eyes gleaming as he spoke. "But what we need isn't him—it's the stone on his head. And his body if necessary …" He tapped the vibranium shell with his finger. "It's a shame. Vibranium is a fascinating material. I was planning to create my own version of Ultron. But," he said, his tone shifting as he straightened, "a deal is a deal."
Without hesitation, Kang Woo placed his hands on Vision's skull. . With a sickening crack, he forcefully broke open Vision's forehead, extracting the glowing Mind Stone from its place. The faint hum of the stone's energy resonated in the air as Kang Woo held it up, inspecting it briefly before turning his gaze to Aki.
"What a shame," Kang Woo muttered, his voice laced with a faint trace of disappointment. "The potential for Ultron could've been extraordinary. But, as I said, I honor my deals."
Makima crossed her arms, her expression unreadable as she watched the scene unfold. "Efficient as always, my King," she remarked. "But now that we have the stone, what happens next?"
Kang Woo glanced at the glowing Mind Stone in his hand, then at Taiyo, whose transparent form flickered faintly in the light. "Now," he began, his tone as steady as his movements, "let me begin what I like to call repair time. I'll stabilize his mind here in the Hidden Wonderland, but keep this in mind, Aki: Taiyo's soul remains tethered to the Gun Devil. He won't move to the surface or Japan's streets. His mind will stay here, at least for now, because I don't want people asking why the fuck there's a stone on Taiyo's forehead, and I sure as hell don't want my shit getting stolen."
Aki's gaze shifted to Taiyo, who stood nearby, his form faintly shimmering. "Taiyo, what do you think? Is this okay with you?"
Taiyo shrugged, a faint smirk on his lips. "I don't mind, heartless bastard. It's way comfier here than being stuck in the Gun Devil's stomach."
Aki's expression softened, guilt flickering in his eyes. "That's on me. I taught your name to him… I'm sorry for that. But don't worry—this guy here…" He gestured toward Kang Woo. "His name is Kang Woo, and he's going to save you."
Kang Woo rolled his eyes, muttering, "Whatever," as he stepped toward Taiyo. Carefully, he placed the Mind Stone on Taiyo's forehead. The glowing gem began to emit threads of golden light, weaving around Taiyo's form like delicate, intricate stitches in a tapestry. The stabilization process was slow, but steady.
"Now we wait," Kang Woo said, stepping back and crossing his arms. "And while we do, let me explain something. This Mind Stone? It's real. It originated in this universe. There's no second Mind Stone, no duplicates, no resets. This is unique—and irreplaceable."
With a wave of his hand, Kang Woo conjured a hologram in the air, depicting six glowing stones, each radiating immense energy. "Before the universe began, six singularities existed. The Big Bang condensed these singularities into concentrated crystals and sent them hurtling across the cosmos. These are the Infinity Stones, each representing a different aspect of the universe: Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul."
The hologram shimmered as Kang Woo continued, his tone casual but sharp. "Only beings of immense power can harness them. Except for the Mind Stone—it's just a glorified 'mind.' Kind of sucks at its job, really."
Makima raised an eyebrow, her tone edged with dry humor as she replied, "Only you, Kang Woo, would call powerful artifacts like that 'suck at their job.'"
Should I tell the Soviet Union that the ruler of hell itself has descended into our world? Reze thought, her expression unreadable as she observed the interaction. No one would believe me anyway. I'm just an agent—a Bomb Devil hybrid. But I need to ask this, even if it sounds ridiculous.
Reze, who had remained quiet, finally spoke up. "Kang Woo, how do you know all this? It's like you're not just from the deepest part of hell or a Demon King—it's like there's more. Like you've had these stones before."
Kang Woo smirked, tilting his head slightly as he teased her. "What's this? Is the waitress asking her boss about his hobbies now?"
Himeno chimed in, unable to resist the chance to prod Kang Woo further. "Yes, Kang Woo. And as Aki pointed out earlier, you seem more interested in these stones than even regaining your own power."
Kang Woo's smirk faded slightly, his tone dropping to something sharper. "That's outside your line, Himeno. Makima's already told you all far more about me than I intended. It's getting annoying."
Makima's playful smirk immediately faded, her posture straightening as she recognized the shift in his tone. He's not joking this time, she realized. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't know."
Kang Woo's expression softened slightly as he leaned in, planting a kiss on Makima's cheek. "It's okay," he said, his voice gentler. "Just pick your jokes more carefully next time."
Makima nodded, her yellow-ringed eyes flickering with understanding. Even when he's annoyed, he doesn't completely lose his temper. That's what makes him… different.
Aki crossed his arms, his tone deliberate. "Then I'll change Reze's question: how powerful are these stones, and why don't we—"
Kang Woo raised a finger, cutting him off mid-sentence with a sharp glance. "The Power Stone, for example," he began, his voice calm but deliberate, "has enough power to flatten your planet's surface and kill everyone on it."
The room fell silent as the gravity of his words sank in.
Aki's face paled. "What the hell? That's… ridiculous. Something like that actually exists?"
Himeno's jaw dropped, her voice tinged with disbelief and rising panic. "You're joking, right? That's—how the fuck is that even fair? That's not power—that's annihilation!"
Angel Devil crossed his arms tightly, his usual deadpan expression giving way to genuine unease. " you're saying this Power Stone can just wipe us all out? Great. Just fantastic. And here I thought you were already scary, but now there's something out there that's worse."
( according to angel devil mind since he doesn't know what kang woo fully capable )
Taiyo, flickering faintly as his form stabilized further, managed a weak chuckle. "Well, uh, I guess being stuck in the Gun Devil's stomach isn't as bad as that. Thanks, Kang Woo. That's comforting."
Kang Woo smirked slightly at their reactions, clearly entertained by their unease. "As for your second question," he continued, turning his crimson gaze to Aki, "why don't we just grab the Soul Stone? Let's just say… it's complicated."
Aki frowned, his voice cautious but firm. "Complicated how?"
Kang Woo's smirk faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. "First off, I don't think the Soul Stone will be served to us on a silver platter like the Reality or Mind Stones. I know exactly where it is and what fucking trial I'd have to go through to get it—and trust me, I hate the idea of going through that trial. Second," he paused, his voice dropping, "the Soul Stone's job isn't as straightforward as you think. Sure, it deals with souls—but not in a way that would help you. In your brother's case, his original soul is stuck inside the Gun Devil. If we used the Soul Stone, it wouldn't pull his soul back. No. It'd kill your brother's original soul and replace it with a new one."
Aki froze, his hands balling into fists. "You're saying it would erase him completely?"
Kang Woo replied, his voice low and unyielding. "That's a fucking bad situation, right? You'd save Taiyo's body, but what would be inside wouldn't be Taiyo. It'd be someone else entirely—a stranger wearing your brother's face."
Himeno visibly shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to process the information. "That's… horrifying. Why does something like that even exist?"
Angel Devil sighed, shaking his head in dismay. "It's just one bad thing after another. I'm not sure whether I should be thankful or terrified that Kang Woo seems to know all this."
Kang Woo's smirk returned as he glanced at Taiyo, who was silent but listening intently. "The easiest solution," Kang Woo said, his voice matter-of-fact, "is to kill the Gun Devil. Take it down, and all the souls it's consumed—including Taiyo's—will be released. Easy peasy."
Taiyo nodded slightly, a small, tired smile crossing his lips. "Well, I guess that's the plan, then. Sounds simple enough, right? Just kill the scariest devil ever made.
Kang Woo's smirk deepened as he looked at Taiyo, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. "For you all, taking down the Gun Devil will be hard as hell. But for me? Easy. Just kill the invalid, who copy my soul-devouring technique, and it's done. Though, to be honest, I hate it when some invalid mimic my devouring powers without paying me a proper tribute. Still…" He shrugged casually, "I don't think I should interfere in someone else's vendetta, huh?"
Aki stepped forward, his palm igniting with the fierce blue flames of Azure Resolve. His expression was resolute, unwavering. "Kang Woo," he said firmly, his voice steady, "I will be the one to kill the Gun Devil. Not you. It's my target, and I'll bring Taiyo's soul back with my own hands—using the power you granted me."
Himeno stepped up beside Aki, her tone equally determined. "As Aki's partner—and his lover—I'll stand by his side, no matter what." She took a swig from a flask of water-alcohol she'd conjured using Lucky Drunkard, the faint smell of booze wafting in the air. "Guess that makes me his backup, huh?"
Makima's yellow-ringed eyes glimmered with amusement as she watched the two of them. "A drunkard and a former orphan. What are the odds?" Her teasing tone carried an edge, her faint smile mischievous.
Kang Woo chuckled lightly, folding his arms. "Fortune favors the bold, anyway," he said, his voice tinged with mock indifference. "Who am I to judge? Besides…" His gaze lingered on Aki and Himeno for a moment longer before he turned away. "Every good vendetta needs a little chaos to spice things up."
Kang Woo's crimson gaze shifted to Taiyo, where the Mind Stone pulsed faintly on his forehead, stabilizing his form. Kang Woo smirked, satisfied. "The Mind Stone did its job. Your form's stabilized. You're welcome."