716 Episode 26 Star Ladder (12)

Cigarette smoke scattered in the air.

From a distance, the warrior god Ares frowned and spoke.

"Are you taking the demons’ favors? You are an unholy bastard."

"I don’t smoke either. But…"

Memories slowly came back along with the cigarette dropping.

"There was someone who really liked this."

With the memories slowly seeping in, the Demon King of Salvation recalled an old face. The girl who especially loved smoking.

'Kim Dokja', who used the rest of his life to save one person—

Did Han Sooyoung in the 1,863rd round feel this way?

Did she endure this feeling every time she used [Avatar]?

"Youngest."

It wasn't his job to remember someone. The second one does it much better than that.

But since meeting the youngest, old memories have often come flooding back to him. He was filled with old tales, as if asking people not to forget him.

The Demon King of Salvation slowly looked back, as if looking back at his own life. The history he lived in was torn apart and it was difficult to find the proper path to it.

However, this place had its own history.

In the distance, Anna Croft and Christina Page were talking toward the sky with Cheon Inho on their back.

It seemed like they were negotiating a 'star ladder' with someone.

His right arm felt like it was twitching, and a faint fragment of a story came to him.

'The right arm of the sword master who was stabbed in the back by a colleague'.

The Demon King of Salvation remembered fragments of the story. When he first obtained the fragment of the story, his incarnation body was in tatters, just like it is now.

Yes, you remember too.

"The sword master’s tale? You have a trash story."

Ares's brows furrowed slightly as he watched the Demon King of Salvation from afar.

"You haven’t been able to subdue that guy yet, Gatekeeper of Thebes."

"We’ll kill you right now! Everyone charge!"

The great-grade constellations, energized by the command of the narrative-grade constellations, shouted and rushed in once again.

The Demon King of Salvation dodged the incoming attack with minimal movement. Every time he shook his head or turned around, a bloody trail passed over his body.

The 'Dark Keeper’s' body began to tremble as if he was nervous.

The Demon King of Salvation spoke as if to reassure him.

"Don’t worry. I can kill them all."

"I still think this makes no sense—"

This story fragment was a story that the Demon King of Salvation discovered in the 'Scenario Horizon'.

A tale that was abandoned because no one wrote it.

Waste excluded from the scenario.

Ares was looking 30 steps ahead.

"It’s just this story—!"

The incarnation of the great constellation that shouted like that was split in half. The astonished incarnations of great-grade screamed.

Sword Master.

The incarnations of the great-grade constellations were collapsing helplessly due to the 'mass-produced stories' that the constellations ignored.

One step at a time. The number of corpses increased at every corner of the path that the Demon King of Salvation walked.

No matter how much the constellations have increased their synchronization rate, this scenario is ultimately the 'seventh scenario'.

The constellations were unable to fully reveal their status, and they were not familiar with the fighting methods of the lower-level scenarios they had graduated from a long time ago.

In the end, lower level scenarios are advantageous to those who are better at using 'lower grade' stories.

And the Demon King of Salvation,

It was the constellation that could do that job best in this world.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Twenty steps.

"Please, please stop him!"

Ten steps.

"Kaaaaaaak!"

The Demon King of Salvation was just around the corner.

Ares's expression suddenly hardened.

"Bouncer!"

As the story of Ares began to unfold, the Demon King of Salvation could no longer move forward.

In an instant, a fierce battle ensued.

The fragments of the story could not withstand the pressure and broke apart. For a moment, his body lost its balance and tilted. Ares's spear tore through the air.

Blood dripped down.

The right arm of the Demon King of Salvation rolled on the floor.

"It's all over. Fragment of a discarded god."

The moment Ares was about to deliver the final blow to the one-armed Demon King of Salvation.

"Ares."

The Demon King of Salvation said.

"I’m so glad you came here."

"What?"

"Do you know why?"

Tsutsutsutsutsu.

"I’ve already killed you before."

As the tales flowing from the Demon King of Salvation began to encroach on the surroundings, Ares's pupils widened.

"How dare you—"

The story of the defeat of the 'Warlord of Ferocity' in the 3rd round. However, in order to unleash the power of this story, a condition was needed.

Yoo Jonghyuk in the 3rd round.

And the 'long spear of Hercules' that will defeat him.

However, compared to the third round, Yoo Jonghyuk is beyond the curtain, and the spear they threw together back then is not here.

Props to recreate the stage do not exist here.

"Back then, we killed you with a 'fake story'."

But here, however clumsily, there was an item that could satisfy both at the same time.

"I really wonder what it will be like this time."

A pre-saved image appeared in his thoughts along with a bright beam of light.

Weolgeuk.

In the 41st round, 'Yoo Jonghyuk's 'spear' was in his hand.

The Demon King of Salvation also knew this spear well.

One of Yoo Jonghyuk's favorite weapons along with 'Jincheon Paedo' and 'Heukcheon Mado'.

Someday, this window will be completed as 'Amcheonwolgeuk'.

"You—!"

Unfortunately, he won't be able to see that scene.

Coo coo coo coo!

Ares, who had raised his level, and the Demon King of Salvation clashed. As the story of the formidable <Olympus> became entangled with Ares's spear, the battle became a high pitched battle.

In an instant, Ares's thigh burst open, piercing the side of the Demon King of Salvation. Every time attacks were exchanged, the two incarnations bodies were brutally destroyed.

"I will definitely kill you—!"

As if he couldn't accept the story of how he was murdered, Ares unleashed a storm of blows.

Now it was time for the finale of the story.

The Demon King of Salvation thought of an incarnation who was better at using weapons than anyone else in this world.

"I am."

But he couldn't continue talking.

Tsutsutsu!

Wild sparks flew out as if even the scale would not allow that probability.

Perhaps after using this [Bookmark], he will no longer have any possibility of existing.

Still, he had to complete this story.

"Han Soo Young."

At some point, the sentences written on the [fourth wall] for him were cut off.

The Demon King of Salvation instinctively knew.

There is no way that the one who started the story to save Kim Dokja could write a story that kills Kim Dokja.

However, there was one more writer in this world line.

"Youngest."

"You have to do it."

Ares's enraged voice was getting faster and faster. Every time the spear’s blade was struck, the new form of the Demon King of Salvation stumbled dangerously.

"Just one line."

Finally, as if preparing for the final blow, the incarnation body of Ares erupted into pitch-black flames.

The moment when the entire story exploded to burn down the entire area.

"I am."

The Demon King of Salvation said.

Lightning struck and the world became bright.

The incarnations of the area stared at the battlefield with their eyes wide open.

The two weapons flew towards each other, and the sound of something being roughly torn apart was heard.

And after a while.

"Ugh, uhm, uwwaaaaa!"

Tebe's gatekeeper screamed in fear.

The incarnation of Ares, whose entire lower body had been blown away, was writhing on the floor.

Across from him, the Demon King of Salvation, who had lost both legs, was breathing heavily.

The dying incarnation of Ares looked up at him.

"Demon King of Salvation. I will admit it. You are really strong."

The next moment, Ares's incarnation body was engulfed in a pitch black air current.

"Enough to be worth sacrificing our greatest."

The incarnation body engulfed in demonic energy was regenerating Ares's severed lower body.

A feat that sacrificed Olympus’s 'giant story'.

The revived Ares roared into the air.

Even in the face of his death, the Demon King of Salvation had a calm expression.

Now, <Olympus> and <Asgard> will not be able to intervene in the scenario in any way for the time being. If they go against probability even further, the 'Outer Gods' they fear will come.

The youngest will be able to continue his own story.

The third fateful message finally fell. The end that not even the stars can resist had come.

Thank you. I will go soon too.

One character exits and the story comes to an end.

Through his darkening vision, the Demon King of Salvation recalled the story he loved.

When he thought about it, there was one last scene I wanted to read.

"For Dokja (=reader), a reader’s life."

And, for the Demon King of Salvation...

He didn't even have the strength left to open his mouth anymore.

The Demon King of Salvation closed his eyes as he watched the flying weapon.

As always, death was something he was familiar with.

But this time, even after this, he didn't feel any pain.

Is he already dead? But has there ever been a painless death like this?

Did his incarnation disappear and even the sense of pain disappeared?

At that time, a breeze blew from somewhere.

A nostalgic scent followed.

The sound of the old subway lingered in his ears like an auditory hallucination.

The Demon King of Salvation slowly opened his eyes.

"I missed one."

A faintly fluttering silhouette.

The story on the wall was speaking.

Nevertheless, the story became reality and picked him up as he fell.

As if whispering the origin of a memory he had long since forgotten.

"For Sangah, an ivory life."

The Demon King of Salvation smiled faintly.