The hotel room was quiet, but not still. Shadows bent unnaturally around Kang Woo, reishi gathering and solidifying into a throne that rose behind him. He sat upon it with one arm resting on the armrest, the other propping up his chin—an image carved out of arrogance and certainty.
Makima sat on the bed , her eyes watching him with calm curiosity.
"Kang Woo," she began, her voice steady, "can you tell me about the Hōgyoku? And Aizen."
Kang Woo arched a brow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Not going to ask about Yhwach?"
Makima tilted her head slightly, her yellow-ringed eyes unblinking.
"I already have rough information on Yhwach. You've told me enough about him that I can imagine what kind of man he is. But Aizen… you and the Black King both belittle him constantly. I want to know why. What makes him so pitiful, in your eyes?"
Kang Woo leaned back on his throne of reishi, folding his arms across his chest. His eyes narrowed, voice calm but cutting.
"First—don't ever compare your firepower or your intellect to his.. You're not on his level yet . Understand that."
Makima nodded silently, accepting the correction without protest.
Kang Woo continued, his tone shifting to something sharper.
"Aizen might be the most cunning schemer on his world . He lives for stratagems, for playing people in the palm of his hand. Every move he makes is a performance, a theater where he holds all the strings. But…" He smirked, the edge of disdain showing. "…he made one fatal mistake."
He leaned forward, eyes glinting.
"When an adversary grows out of control, you don't waste time with speeches . You end them immediately. Aizen's weakness is that he loved the sound of his own voice more than victory."
Suddenly, black letters rippled into view—Black King's Note. This time, even Makima could see it flicker in the air.
[Black King's Note]
Aizen loved proving his superiority over his enemies, flaunting it at every turn. But above all, he forgot one thing—he was never the one in control. The Hōgyoku was. It carried him, not the other way around. And when his will faltered—when he secretly wished to lose—it abandoned him. No one knows if it was weakness, pride, or cowardice. Either way, he was defeated.
Makima's lips curved, her tone teasing and sharp.
" sounds familiar. Similar to you two, actually. I've never met anyone as narcissistic as the both of you."
Kang Woo only smiled in silence, his expression unreadable—caught somewhere between amusement and contempt. Then his voice broke the stillness, steady and low.
"Makima… do you want to see the Hōgyoku?"
Makima hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly.
" it's incomplete, right? Wouldn't that make it unstable—maybe even broken?"
Before he could answer, black letters flared across the room—Black King's Note, loud and intrusive.
[Black King's Note]
Nonsense. The Hōgyoku has never been broken. It is, perhaps, the most overpowered Philosopher's Stone imaginable. Drop it into the world of Fullmetal Alchemist and watch—it would grant wishes to any who possessed even a shred of potential. That is its nature.
Kang Woo's eyes darkened, his voice sharp but calm.
"Maybe. But it's still incomplete. Its wish-granting ability is unstable. If the wielder is weak, it won't fulfill their desire—it'll backfire . Destroy them from the inside out."
Makima's gaze lingered on him. Her thoughts stirred uneasily.
How am I supposed to handle this? .his history… his collateral damage is catastrophic. Do I dare ask? My curiosity pulls me toward it, yet I know the cost of indulging it.
Kang Woo's eyes shifted suddenly, scanning the room.
"…Oh. Yeah. Where's Kobeni?"
Makima tilted her head, answering smoothly. "Kobeni's distributing the supplies you brought. They probably have some meals set up on the other side of the room."
The knock came sharp against the quiet.
Kang Woo didn't lift his gaze, only said, "Come in."
The door slid open. Aki and Himeno stepped through. Aki gave a curt nod toward Makima.
"Makima-san."
Makima arched a brow, her tone smooth, almost teasing. "Why bow like that? I'm fired, remember? If you're going to nod, do it to Kang Woo."
Aki's mouth tightened into sarcasm, his voice edged dry. "Kang Woo's the usual core problem. We just get stupidly dragged into it every time."
Kang Woo smirked, leaning back on the throne of reishi. "I didn't drag you at all. You barged into my life on your own."
Makima's lips curved faintly, her voice smooth as silk. "Then what is it you want to talk about, Aki-kun?"
Aki's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp but measured. "Right—the current situation, Makima-san. We're stuck on the 8th floor. Every window only leads to another room on the same floor. Denji even tried climbing through the ceiling, but it still brought him back to the same damned place. The 8th floor."
Makima tilted her head, her expression calm. "How's the personnel morale? Are they afraid of starvation yet?"
Himeno gave a half-smile, exhaling smoke before answering. "Luckily, Kang Woo already warned Kobeni to bring as much food as she could carry. In the other room, everyone's eating and laughing like it's a field trip. Honestly… it feels less like a crisis and more like hotel camping."
From the hallway, a sudden commotion broke the moment. Denji's voice rang out, sharp and desperate.
"Power! That's my ramen sausage!"
Power's mocking laugh echoed back, her footsteps pounding as she sprinted away with the food in her hand. "Hah! Too slow, human! Whatever food you bring is mine by right!"
Kang Woo glanced toward the noise, his lips twitching into a faint grin. "They seem cheerful."
Himeno's eyes slid toward him, a mischievous glint sparking as she glared playfully.
Kang Woo tilted his head, voice low, edged with sarcasm. "What? You want more food from me too?"
Himeno smirked, blowing out a thin stream of smoke. "No. I want to know how long you knew we'd be trapped here… and didn't bother warning us. It's almost like you wanted us locked in this prison."
Kang Woo leaned back on the throne, eyes narrowing, his tone calm but cutting. "That's my target. The current devil's ability suits my purpose. You stooges tagging along are nothing more than unnecessary variables."
Himeno raised one brow, her grin sharpening into something sly. "Oh? So we're that weak, huh? Just cannon fodder in your eyes?"
Kang Woo's smirk deepened, his voice carrying the weight of disdain. "By this world's standard, you're above average. But in my standard… you don't even qualify to be guardsmen in the Imperium of Mankind."
The words dropped like stone. Around him, the participants exchanged glances, confusion flickering. Aki's brow furrowed, Power tilted her head, and Denji stopped chasing her down the hallway, scratching at his scalp instead.
"Guardsman? Imperium of Mankind?" Denji muttered under his breath. " Are you seriously that much of an otaku?"
Makima remained silent, her yellow-ringed eyes fixed firmly on Kang Woo. She knew better than to interrupt. Still, a faint glint of satisfaction showed—Himeno's banter had at least shifted Kang Woo away from the subject of the Hōgyoku.
Himeno parted her lips, ready to throw another teasing comment about his impossible standards—
But Kang Woo rose to his feet. The reishi throne dissolved into motes of light behind him, fading like smoke. His steps were slow, deliberate, the floor groaning faintly beneath his weight. Then his eyes shifted—two crimson pupils blooming in each, The Almighty awakening once more.
Himeno instinctively stepped back, her smirk faltering. Something primal pressed against her chest, her instincts screaming at her to retreat.
Aki's jaw tightened, but his voice came sharp, carrying a rare edge of frustration. "Kang Woo… are there any ability you have that doesn't scare the hell out of us?"
Kang Woo ignored him, his gaze shifting toward Makima. "Makima, five minutes are up. The Eternity Devil spat on my mercy."
Makima rose gracefully from the bed, giving a small nod. A teasing glimmer lit her eyes as she tilted her head. "Since you're always telling me about Yhwach… just how big is the gap between him and Aizen?"
A low thump echoed—like a heartbeat pounding through the walls. Kang Woo's eyes gleamed red, the future-bending acausality of The Almighty unfurling around him. In the blink of an eye, Denji and Power were dragged bodily into the room, as if space itself had decided they belonged there.
"Woahh—woahhh!" Power yelped, stumbling as she tried to regain her footing.
Denji blinked wildly, looking around in confusion. "Wait—did we just get dragged inside the room?!"
Kang Woo's gaze turned back to Makima, steady and absolute. His voice was calm, yet the words carried the weight of judgment.
"Yhwach with The Almighty is nigh impossible to defeat in his own world. I doubt even the Hōgyoku could empower Aizen enough to stand toe-to-toe with him."
He and Makima stepped into the hallway. Before closing the door, Kang Woo glanced back at Aki one last time, a faint smile curving his lips.
Thud — the door shut with finality.
Power, still inside the room, blinked and pointed at her own hand as if comparing it. "Isn't that eyeball on Kang Woo's back left palm already scary enough? Now his eyes are like that too. I bet he's a hundred percent a Primal Devil who got his ass kicked."
Himeno gave a small, humorless laugh, exhaling smoke. "Power-chan… I wish that were the case. But no. He's far scarier than before. And more evil, maybe."
Aki leaned back against the wall, his tone flat but edged with dry certainty. "If someone offered me ten million yen just to be stuck in a room with Kang Woo… I'd politely refuse."
Out in the hallway, Kang Woo and Makima walked side by side. Makima raised her hand, her palm igniting with black flame, the dark fire curling upward like a living shadow. Her voice was calm, but edged with intent.
"What now? Should I use Hellblaze on the Eternity Devil—torture it half-dead, since it refuses to cooperate?"
Kang Woo's gaze slid toward her, his voice steady, sharp. "I need that invalid alive—and with his mind intact. As for Hellblaze, Makima, it can kill immortals. Put down your black flame. If you want a punching bag that's hard to kill, use your Quincy abilities instead."
Then his eyes shifted, pupils blooming red once more—The Almighty flaring to life.
Thump… Thump… The sound of a heartbeat pulsed through the hallway.
Suddenly—BAMMM!—the Eternity Devil was hurled against the nearby wall, its grotesque form spilling out like an ocean of meat. Endless arms and heads writhed together in a fused mass, but its body was mangled—covered in deep gashes, torn muscle, and jagged spikes still embedded in its flesh.
A chorus of mouths screamed at once, its voice a broken, desperate howl. "H-how… how did this human find me?!"
Kang Woo stepped forward without hesitation, his boot slamming into the lump of flesh, forcing it deeper into the cracked wall. His tone was cold, absolute, carrying no shred of pity.
"Stand up. Patch up your wounds. We're not done yet."