Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

Yuna was about to move, but Yeji stopped her. It wasn't the time to intervene. Besides, it was the perfect time to see if Anna was an oracle, like she claimed or not.

"How do you know my brother?" Lucifer snarled, tightening his grip on Anna's throat.

"We can know about you, but not him?" Anna smirked. "Your inferiority complex is showing up."

Lucifer's face twisted in anger and tightened his grip around Anna's neck. But just then, someone appeared between the two and held Lucifer back. Unlike Lucifer, this person had an old man's appearance and sternly looked at his younger brother.

"Enough," he said. "This is not the way to welcome our comrades."

"But brother—" Lucifer protested, but was quickly shut down by Asmodeus.

"I said enough!" he yelled again.

Lucifer clicked his tongue and let go. Anna fell on the tree root, coughing and gasping for air. She rubbed her bruised neck where Lucifer's fingers had left a mark on her white skin. Anna looked up at the older man, recognizing him instantly.

"...you should keep your dogs on a leash," she mumbled, thumping her chest twice to clear her lungs before looking at Asmodeus.

Hearing her remark, Lucifer was about to lunge at her again, but held back when Asmodeus stared at him. Once that was done, he turned his gaze towards Anna.

"I heard a mortal was looking for me," the old man said. "May I ask why?"

Anna didn't reply and took out something from her phantom bag.

"This might jog your memory," she said, handing Asmodeus a ring, the same one he was wearing.

"...I see," Asmodeus smiled, understanding what it was about. "Follow me. We shall talk in... private."

Without waiting for a response, Asmodeus turned and began walking deeper into the root system of the World Tree. Anna followed, still rubbing her neck, while the others stayed behind, watching the two walk away.

Lucifer didn't look pleased with the mortal's sharp tongue but quickly calmed himself down. He couldn't keep looking down on the mortals, not when his life depended on their success in the trials.

***

Asmodeus guided Anna into his room. Then he examined the ring carefully, but his senses didn't betray him.

"This is the real ring," he whispered, glancing at Anna. "But I don't know you. Which means… you must be from another timeline."

"You've always been a sharp, old man," she nodded.

"I told ya to hand over that ring, didn't I?"

Asmodeus remembered his promise of never parting with the ring unless he got a decent disciple. It looked like his other self in a different timeline had found that student and now she was back.

He isn't wrong...

Anna thought how Asmodeus, despite being framed for being a jealous pervert, was more than that. He was her teacher who took her under his wing following YuWon's death and taught her everything she knew, from survival to warfare.

"You even gave me that ring before… before you died at the hands of the fourth disaster," Anna commented.

"I'm surprised I lasted that long," Asmodeus said with a smile, handing the ring back to Anna. "So, what do you need from me?"

Anna took a deep breath, steeling herself. There wasn't an easy way to make this request. Hell, Asmodeus would probably have her head for just saying it. But for YuWon's sake, she had to. After losing him once, she didn't want to lose him again.

"I need you to help me get inside the mole."

The moment she uttered those words, Asmodeus's smile vanished. His entire body stiffened. Did she want help to kill a disaster with their flimsy numbers?

Even if there were thousands of them, Asmodeus wouldn't dare challenge it. After all, there were better ways to die than to challenge a disaster.

"Do you know what you're asking?" Asmodeus asked, barely keeping his temper in check.

"I do..." Anna replied. "I know how powerful it is—"

"Since you were my student, I'll tell you this once," Asmodeus said, cutting her off. "Forget about it and wait for more people to arrive, like the rest of us. In a decade or two, we'll have enough people to think about it."

"I don't have—"

"That creature… it's not something that can be tamed with sheer strength!" Asmodeus yelled, shaking with rage.

"I'm not asking for sheer force," Anna replied. "But I'm asking you to tell me the method. After all... you're the only one who has survived even after being eaten by the mole."

Asmodeus looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. He would not face the beast and risk everyone's life for no reason.

"Don't do it for me," Anna sighed and used her ace. "But for Lilith."

"...it seems I turned you in your timeline," Asmodeus sighed before frowning. "But not in this life. How dare you take her name before me!"

Fuck!

Asmodeus swung his fist at Anna, who immediately used her blade to block the strike. Even so, the force was too much, and she got flung out of the room, crashing into another root before stopping.

But other than a few scratches, Anna was safe. But not for long, as Asmodeus shot into the air before hurling himself towards her. Lucifer took note of the situation and rushed towards them.

"Bind them! Make sure no one intervenes!" he yelled, telling the others to stop Yeji and the rest.

"Don't worry," Yeji mumbled. "We got no intention of helping her."

***

Asmodeus kept throwing punches at Anna, but she kept blocking and dodging his attacks. She wasn't his best student for no reason.

Even though she only had a sword, her performance was on par with some lesser angels. Only then did he realize there was no point in dragging the fight anymore.

Just then, Lucifer reached there, ready to kill Anna. But Asmodeus raised his hand, stopping him.

"Brother—" he complained again.

"She isn't someone you can handle," Asmodeus replied.

"I can't handle her? She's just a mortal—!"

"Not just a mortal," Asmodeus mumbled. "She's a survivor of a world where I died."

"What?"