Chapter 186
[How could this happen?]
Chulapantaka felt his emotions surge at the sight of Heavenly Demon’s suicide.
It was a shock to see her reject the terrible act that she should have done as an evil being, and end her own life with her own hands.
Heavenly Demon was a phantom created by the real seed of evil.
Although a phantom was different from a mere illusion or a fake, Chulapantaka had doubts about whether it could match the real thing.
That doubt was shattered today.
‘Evil has always been like this.’
Evil never disappears from the world.
No matter how hard one tries to cleanse and eliminate it, it reappears like dust that accumulates over time.
‘Evil never changes.’
The invariance of evil.
Chulapantaka had felt it keenly.
He had seen and experienced the world for a long time.
Evil never disappears, nor does it change.
What he had seen were such things.
To Chulapantaka, Heavenly Demon was also an evil being.
Her evil deeds could not be erased.
The blood on her hands could not be washed away.
‘But I thought so.’
Heavenly Demon chose to kill herself at the last moment.
She did not let go of everything and run wild, nor did she commit the slaughter that she should have done.
What unfolded was a story completely different from what he had expected.
A story that should never have happened.
The one he thought was evil had changed.
[I am…]
Chulapantaka felt his conviction, which had been firm even in the passage of time, waver for the first time.
Heavenly Demon made a different choice from the original history.
She cut off the chain of evil that should have unfolded in this world with her own hands.
She showed him that evil could change.
Chulapantaka, who had never wavered, witnessed that possibility.
[That can’t be.]
Chulapantaka steadied his shaking heart.
What does it matter?
What if evil can change?
What if he fails by betting on that possibility?
How many more people will suffer then?
What kind of disaster will happen because of that?
He could not risk anything on such a slim chance.
He could only trust what was more probable and certain.
However, Chulapantaka could not completely hide his inner turmoil.
‘He is wavering.’
Yu-hyun felt the pressure that was crushing him weaken. Chulapantaka was wavering. His belief, which he had firmly believed in, had lost its light because of Heavenly Demon’s suicide.
But as soon as he saw his face return to its original calm expression, Yu-hyun regained his composure.
Chulapantaka’s gaze turned to Yu-hyun again.
[Is that so.]
Yu-hyun resisted him until the end. Even though he knew there was no hope in fighting, he raised his sword against him with death in mind.
[You are different from me.]
Yu-hyun bet on the very unlikely possibility
Chulapantaka ignored that possibility and bet on what was certain.
They were similar yet opposite, like two sides of a coin.
Chulapantaka wondered if it was because of some great fate that he faced Yu-hyun here today.
He felt certain that even if not now, they would inevitably clash in the near future.
[In the end, it doesn’t matter. Now that I’ve come this far, I will stake everything and achieve what I want to do. So you too, stake everything and clash with me.]
This place was no longer an execution ground where evil and justice were judged.
It was a battlefield where they pierced each other’s beliefs
And pushed their unwavering wills to the end.
Clack.
Chulapantaka clasped his hands together again.
His voice, which had become even more calm, recited the second verse of Gyesong (a Buddhist chant).
[Like a flower that blooms at dawn and emits fragrance]
Kwaaaa!
A huge pressure came down on Yu-hyun again with light.
Yu-hyun had prepared for this, but the second verse of Gyesong was incomparable to the first one in power.
Yu-hyun could not withstand it all by himself.
At that moment, he thought so.
Rumble!!
A sound came through the gap of the still swirling black clouds.
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A roaring sound that vibrated the air and made even his heart tremble.
At the sudden and strange natural phenomenon, Chulapantaka looked puzzled.
Right after that, a blue lightning bolt pierced through the black clouds and struck Chulapantaka.
Crackle!!
The lightning was powerful, but it couldn’t erase the light that surrounded Chulapantaka.
Instead, it weakened the intensity of the light he emitted.
The spirits who were watching Yu-hyun’s library in silence spammed the message window.
[The spirits shout that they have been waiting for this.]
[The spirits cheer for the two people who appeared at a perfect timing.]
Yu-hyun smiled faintly behind his mask as he saw the falling lightning.
Two people who were like blue thunderbolts stood beside him in an instant.
“Isn’t it too late? I thought I was going to die waiting.”
“We couldn’t help it. We had some trouble on the way.”
“What about you, are you okay?”
Yu-hyun touched his sore wrist and answered.
“Well, it was nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing… What’s with that mask?”
“Mr. Yu-hyun. The atmosphere is definitely different from before. What on earth happened?”
The two people who had known Yu-hyun for a long time noticed his change sharply.
Even if not, anyone could tell that the mask he was wearing was not an ordinary thing.
Yu-hyun waved his hand and said it was nothing.
“I just had a hole in my heart and replaced it with something else. That’s all. I just died and came back to life.”
“What?! How is that nothing! Are you out of your mind?!”
“You died and came back to life? I think we need to hear a detailed explanation.”
Yu-hyun shrugged his shoulders at the strong glares from both sides.
“Sure. If we can get out of here safely, that is.”
“You promised, right? You promised, right?”
“We just need to knock him down.”
It sounded like a casual remark, but their voices were serious.
Kang Hyerim and Kwon Jia knew that Chulapantaka was not an ordinary being.
That presence.
That overwhelming aura that was hard to look at with closed eyes was something that humans could never have.
Could someone who emits light by himself be a normal human?
Maybe, the author is…
“Get ready.”
Yu-hyun’s words cut off their thoughts.
At the same time, Chulapantaka, who had adjusted his posture, attacked again.
[Like something that blooms at dawn and emits fragrance]
The second phrase unfolded again.
In the huge pressure that felt like the sky was falling down, the three people raised their energy at the same time.
Black current, blue lightning, purple aura.
Three energies collided with the pure white light and created a huge impact.
Kuuuuung───!!!
The world shook.
Flashes of light and countless sparks flew in front of their eyes.
“You, you’re too heavy!”
“Ugh! That’s the power of a single being.”
Kang Hye-rim and Kwon Jia couldn’t help but realize what Chulapantaka’s identity was after exchanging blows with him once.
They looked at Yu-hyun with disbelief.
This man had been holding on against that monster alone before they helped him.
“More importantly… can we knock him down?”
“No matter how I look at it, I don’t think we can do anything.”
“It’s okay.”
Yu-hyun said that to the two people who were anxious.
“If we hold on for time, he will self-destruct on his own.”
He said that, but Yu-hyun knew.
The biggest key to this fight was in Seo Sumin’s hands.
It wasn’t enough to just buy time.
Yu-hyun’s gaze turned to Seo Sumin.
Seo Sumin was staring intently at the sword that Heavenly Demon had held until a while ago.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking because he could only see her back.
But maybe it was an illusion. Or maybe it was because of her desperate wish.
Her back seemed to emit a more stable energy than before.
[Amazing. Truly amazing.]
Chulapantaka muttered as he looked at the three who blocked his attack.
He expressed his honest feelings.
He didn’t want to hide his heart from them.
His praise for them was sincere.
Chulapantaka’s eyes alternated between Kang Hyerim and Kwon Jia.
[There were such beings in the lower world.]
Kang Hye-rim was similar to Seo Sumin.
She was weak, but she was a sword without a heart itself.
A very dangerous sword that would inherit the personality of whoever wielded it. But because of that, she was strong and had no hesitation in swinging it.
On the other hand, he saw himself in Kwon Jia.
A person who had no talent and was clumsy, but rose high with endless effort. She had a precarious but unbreakable integrity.
It was beyond surprising and almost disappointing that two opposite people would do so much for one person.
[…How can this be possible.]
Chulapantaka saw the light in Yu-hyun.
Ironically, it was Chulapantaka, who shone brighter than anyone else in this place, who felt dazzled by Yu-hyun.
And that too, by the evil being that he had to eliminate.
[That can’t be.]
Chulapantaka felt his death approaching. Time was running out.
He recited the third verse of the Song of Enlightenment in a prayerful posture.
[Behold the Angirasa(sage) that shines everywhere]
Paah!!
This time, what unfolded was lotus petals fluttering with light.
As a single lotus petal flew in the wind and collided with the energy of Yu-hyun, Kang Hye-rim, and Kwon Jia, it instantly melted their energy as if dissolving it.
“Kruk!”
“Kak!”
The lotus petals disappeared at the same time, but the impact they received was considerable.
They had blocked the second verse, but the third one was different.
Their defense, which they had exerted with all their might, was destroyed in one blow.
Kang Hye-rim and Kwon Jia were thrown back. Only Yu-hyun barely stood his ground.
It was an unbelievable power.
They couldn’t take it twice.
Was that a consolation?
Cracks began to appear on Chulapantaka’s flesh.
The aftermath of manifesting in the lower world began to take its toll.
[That’s all over now.]
Chulapantaka was confident that he could finish everything in the time left before his death.
He clasped his hands again.
***
Seo Sumin stood alone in a silent world.
She silently watched the sword that her past self had left behind.
The flawless blade was black as if soaked in ink.
Seo Sumin wondered how much blood of others had stained this sword so far, and found it hard to count.
‘No, it’s not the blood on the sword. It’s the blood on my hands.’
Seo Seo Sumin bent down and grabbed the sword.
She had been afraid of many things until now.
Her extraordinary talent tormented her.
It was this talent that made her strong, but also ruined her.
It was a great blessing to others, but a terrible curse to her.
‘No. Actually, that’s all an excuse.’
The moment she grabbed the sword, she came back to reality.
Behind her, three people were doing their best to join forces and protect her and her friend.
Seo Seo Sumin’s gaze suddenly moved to where Heavenly Demon had last headed.
There stood Grandpa, whom she had missed so much even in her dreams.
“…”
Seo Seo Sumin bit her lip and bowed her head.
She didn’t want to meet Grandpa’s eyes.
She was more afraid that he had betrayed her and hated her than wanting to see him.
Did he still hate her?
Did he resent her for betraying the dreams of the believers?𝗻𝗼𝘷𝑒𝘭𝗯𝓲𝒏.𝓃𝑒𝒕
‘So, you change too’
“…!”
As she heard the words of another self echoing in her ears, the last hesitation disappeared.
As if shaking off her fear, Seo Seo Sumin gathered courage and lifted her head.
Her trembling eyes met Grandpa’s.
Grandpa whom she had longed for so much.
Grandpa whom she wanted to ask why he did that.
He was her benefactor and teacher, her guide in life and
And, family.
“…”
Grandpa looked at Seo Seo Sumin and widened his eyes.
He was shocked by the suicide of the one he served, but more so by the fact that a child who looked exactly like her was watching him anxiously.
But why? Why did he feel such a heartbreaking longing?
Hwang An Jun recalled his old memories from Seo Sumin’s young appearance.
The innocent girl who smiled at him even when she was covered with wounds from harsh training and asked him how he was doing.
The girl who kept talking and asking for praise from him even when he applied medicine to her wounds.
The warm heat of early summer when he stayed with her.
Hwang An Jun smiled softly at Seo Sumin holding the sword.
He nodded slightly toward her.
He didn’t say anything.
Words were not needed.
‘Do what you want.’
She realized from his expression.
Grandpa didn’t blame her.
Grandpa was always the same.
He was a family who cared for and cherished her more than anyone else.
It was all herself who thought otherwise.
Seo Seo Sumin felt something invisible blocking her sight break away coolly.
‘I’ve been wishing for it so much, but I didn’t know until now that it was me.’
How foolish.
Seo Sumin smiled wryly.
She was so ashamed of her own ignorance that had kept her from realizing something so important until now.
But now, she knew.
What she had to do.
Crack!
Seo Sumin felt all the things that had bound her disappear.
Her arms, which had felt so heavy, were light.
Her whole body was filled with a sense of freedom that overflowed.
Her mind and soul were liberated from the shackles and oppression.
She finally understood her true calling.
The power of the Heavenly Demon, which she thought she had discarded and forgotten.
“Once more.”
She used it with determination.
To protect what was precious to her.
To never repeat the mistakes of the past.
“Definitely.”
A brilliant light rose in her eyes.
