1035 Episode 63. Ragnarok (9)

The only existence among the four 'Kings' who has challenged 'Snow White'. If so, is this story flowing out in front of my eyes now the side effect of the Mad Emperor facing 'Snowfield Kim Dokja'?

[Hey, wait—]

Despite the Mass Production Maker's restraint, I didn't stop and approached the corpse of the World Snake. Looking closely, the snake had a long cut wound not only on its head but also on its torso. A cut wound deep enough to slip inside. The moment I gently put my palm on the snake's hide, I was startled.

It was hot.

A strong heat was flowing from inside the World Snake's hide. If it weren't for the snake's skin, it was an excessive heat that would have cooked everything in this vicinity.

Lifting my status as much as possible, I lifted the split snake hide. Taking a step forward while enduring the hot wind that felt like it would cook my body, I saw a cavity of ashes spread out where the snake's organs should have been. The inside of the cavity was filled with the poison gas emitted by Orochi's corpse, and in the center of the poison gas, a flame that burned everything was blazing.

In the middle of the flames sat the Mad Emperor cross-legged with disheveled hair.

I called the Mad Emperor's name.

"Heewon-ssi."

The Mad Sword Emperor of the 41st turn. The one who had jumped into the 'Bush of the Missing' with me, then escaped the bush with Yoo Joonghyuk—she was standing there, having become the 'Mad Emperor'.

What on earth had happened during those two months for Jung Heewon to be called the Mad Emperor?

I calmly called her name once more.

"Heewon—"

At that very moment, Jung Heewon snapped her eyes open. In the brief instant I exchanged glances with her, I instinctively realized that something was wrong.

I lowered my head reflexively. Then, along with the sound of hair being cut, something sharp brushed above my head.

Formless Sword Qi.

A terrifying sword qi that even sliced through Orochi's hide cut my hair, tore the hide, and flew outward.

I didn't want to admit that fact, so I shouted at Jung Heewon again:

"Heewon-ssi! It's me! Don't you recognize me?"

"I am Kim Dokja!"

No matter what state Jung Heewon was in, my [Incite] which had reached its limit should have been effective. Yet why? Jung Heewon's expression darkened even further under my [Incite]. Along with terrifying murder intent, Formless Sword Qi burst out from her entire body once more. What was amazing was that she didn't even draw her sword, nor did she stand up from her seat. Cold sweat formed on my spine.

If my guess was correct, she had definitely reached a new realm of transcendence.

A realm where one could turn their own will into a blade. If she could pour out such attacks without breathing, it was natural that not just Orochi, but even Orochi's grandfather would be no match for her.

I pulled out 'Unbroken Faith' and hurriedly deflected the Formless Sword Qi. But I couldn't block all the sword qi.

[Damn it! I knew this would happen!]

Entering through the heat a beat late, the Handsome Monkey King shouted as he deflected the Formless Sword Qi:

[Didn't I say she was crazy!]

The Handsome Monkey King seemed to know well that Jung Heewon was in this state.

[She's someone who cannot be reasoned with! She's a fellow who throws bizarre slashes out of nowhere! Furthermore—]

The Handsome Monkey King's eyes glared at Jung Heewon. Looking at the flames rising on those pupils, I was also thinking the same thing.

Those flames were not the unique ability of the 41st turn's Jung Heewon. Yet, the fact that her entire body was enveloped in those flames meant...

I stared at her stories and made up my mind. As expected, there was only one way to find out.

"Handsome Monkey King. Please buy me some time."

[Are you going to fight? To kill?]

"No, just take a few hits of Formless Sword Qi instead of me. It seems possible with your [Out-of-Body Clone]."

[This bastard thinks my clones are some kind of meat shield...]

"You just need to pluck a few hairs."

[A guy who doesn't even know how precious hair is...!]

Even while speaking like that, the Handsome Monkey King immediately plucked his hair and summoned clones. Instantly dividing, twelve clones charged toward Jung Heewon at the same time.

Kwakwakwakwa!

The Handsome Monkey King's clones fought hard but could not endure the barrage of pouring Formless Sword Qi. But it didn't matter.

Instantly activated star symbols rose over my incarnation body. Activating [Miniaturization] and [Character Transformation] at the same time, I flew toward Jung Heewon like a meteor.

Sgagaak!

The moment the Handsome Monkey King's last clone collapsed after taking the Formless Sword Qi on my behalf, I deactivated [Miniaturization] and [Character Transformation] simultaneously and arrived right in front of Jung Heewon.

"Heewon-ssi."

When my hand touched her forehead, a pain arose as if my hand would burn as it was. Enduring that pain with [The Fourth Wall], I spoke:

"Please endure it for a bit."

Together with those words, I used [Bookmark]. Perhaps this madness could not be calmed by [Incite] alone. For reasons unknown, this madness was resisting my [Incite] particularly fiercely. In the end, it meant calming it from the outside was difficult. If so, I had to find the culprit causing this madness inside her inner self.

"I am..."

And as it happened, I knew a character who could delve deeper into an opponent's 'inner self' than anyone else.

"The Salvation Cult Leader, 'Nirvana Moebius'."

Along with my declaration, Nirvana's exclusive skill activated from my palm touching her forehead.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in pitch-black darkness.

The turbid underground air. The smell of burning mixed acridly. A faint metallic scent. The feel of the solid floor. As my eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, I quickly got a sense of where this was.

There was no doubt about it. This was a subway. Among them, it was the platform of a station I knew very well.

I first met Jung Heewon here. Perhaps because the memory of that time rose anew, a side of my chest throbbed.

Whether I was 'Cheon Inho' or 'Kim Dokja'. The person who stood by my side regardless of what name I was called.

"Heewon-ssi!"

I couldn't even care for her heart to let my companion end up in this state.

"Heewon-ssi! Can you hear me?"

No matter where I looked on the platform, she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, in the center of the platform sat a strange, unfamiliar container I had never seen before.

Is it there?

It was a worn container that at a glance looked like a convenience store building. The door was closed, but a faint light was leaking through the gap in the door.

As I carefully approached the container, the sound of light music was heard from inside. The sound of someone humming was also heard.

I knocked on the door of the container carefully. But perhaps because the music was too loud, there was no response from inside.

After hesitating for a moment, I carefully pulled the doorknob. And the next moment.

[Aaaah, who is it!]

Along with a rough voice, a clattering sound was heard from inside. Startled, I took a step back, and the door swung open, revealing the owner of the container.

[F-Fuck, who dares to enter someone else's room without—]

The moment I heard the voice, a deep sigh escaped. Perhaps ever since I saw those flames, I had been thinking of her all along.

[Ah.]

Confirming my face, she opened her mouth. Ruffled blonde hair on a pink pajama. A constellation staring blankly at me while scattering white feathers was there.

I smiled at my Archangel whom I had missed for a long time.

"It's been a long time, Teacher Yang."

Demon-like Judge of Fire. Archangel Uriel.

*

When I first heard the story of the King of the East, I thought Archangel Uriel would be here. Because the 'Kings' here were mostly the 'oldbie constellations' of the Kim Dokja Channel.

Handsome Monkey King, Abyssal Black Flame Dragon, and even the Mass Production Maker. With all the prominent constellations gathered, I thought there was no way Uriel wouldn't be here.

Above all, the 'East' was Uriel's direction even in the main story.

Since Uriel, who became an Outer God, was also called by such a name, it was natural that the last 'King of the East' would be Uriel. Even if Uriel wasn't the King of the East, I believed she was connected to Uriel in some way.

[I-I mean, you see...]

Staring for a moment at Uriel whose legs were shaking, I looked around the inside of Uriel's container filled with all kinds of little Kim Dokja dolls.

[This! Don't look at this! More than that, the reason I was here is—]

Uriel began to lay out a lengthy explanation. Watching her stutter and even chew on her fingers, I let out a light sigh.

"Uriel."

I didn't know why she was here, but I knew better than anyone that there was no way she would be here with bad intentions.

I quietly looked at Uriel. The last time I saw her was at the Recycling Center. There, she had acted as 'Teacher Yang'. At that time, Uriel had descended with half-god status in the scenario to save us in danger, and while enduring the plausibility, she fought against constellations including Poseidon.

Since then, contact had been lost and I had been worried all along...

"I'm really glad you are alive."

At my words, Uriel's eyes trembled greatly. She twitched her lips as if wanting to say something, then dropped her head deeply. Though her face was not visible, her shoulders were trembling faintly.

I slowly reached out and wrapped my hand around her shoulder. There was a warmth felt from her shoulder. It was the story of the archangel who had crossed distant worldlines to come all the way here just to save a single person.

"Thank you."

Just as the Great Sage Heaven's Equal did, the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon did, and the Mass Production Maker did. Her reason for coming here was also clear. Because I understood that heart better than anyone, I said to comfort her:

"Don't worry. I will definitely make the conclusion you wanted to see."

I didn't know what Uriel had sacrificed to come to this worldline. Even if I didn't know, I knew her sacrifice was by no means small. That was what crossing worldlines was. She deserved to check the conclusion corresponding to her sacrifice more than anyone in this world.

[No, I got to see you. That's enough for me.]

I didn't know how to answer those words, so I only gave a faint smile. Or rather, the Kim Dokja she wanted was not me. Nevertheless, I was the only Kim Dokja who could speak to her now.

"Is it okay for you to be here? There should be an issue with probability."

[It's fine. When I explained the situation to the 41st turn's me, she readily lent me her incarnation body.]

Fortunately, Uriel seemed to communicate well with her other-worldline self. I asked, somewhat relieved:

"You've been protecting Heewon-ssi here, haven't you?"

Uriel nodded faintly.

[Well, how that happened was...]

According to Uriel's story, it was roughly a month and a half ago when she met Jung Heewon who fell into madness. Having barely recovered from the blow received at the 'Recycling Center' and re-entered the 41st turn, she received a call from someone upon entry.

"Was that Heewon-ssi?"

[No, the one who called me wasn't Heewon.]

"Then who..."

A face flashed through my mind. An incarnation of this world who had a connection with the Archangel Uriel of the 1,864th turn and could cheekily ask for her help.

As far as I knew, there was only one such guy.

The Supreme King of the 41st turn, Yoo Joonghyuk.