860 Episode 47 King of Fear (4)

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned while covering his pounding head.

The moment he ate the dumplings, memories exploded inside him.

It wasn't his memory.

It was definitely his voice, but it wasn't his words.

Yoo Joonghyuk realized. It was the realization he had gained in 'Another Round'.

Just listening to the story, there was a change in his head.

The enlightenment he had gained in the 40th Round was being summoned again and was becoming the driving force for transcendence. The accumulated enlightenment was changing his body.

Of course, not all memories were related to transcendence.

There were also memories of slightly different forms. For example, the memory of the guy who made this 'dumpling',

His head started to throb again. At the same time, the story contained in the dumpling began to envelop his entire body.

'Demon King of Salvation'.

Yoo Joonghyuk had heard that name before. Clearly, the Demon King who appeared in the final battle of the 'Recycling Center' had the same name.

Is that all? The guy who appeared in the Washington Dome also had the same modifier.

The Demon King of Salvation. What on earth is the Demon King of Salvation?

The story made a sound and latched onto his shoulder, transforming into a pair of wings. Despite being born from the Demon King's story, the wings were infinitely white and clean, like those of an archangel.

"Have you become an angel, Supreme King?"

Cheon Inho said as if mocking him. The guy lightly pulled out the sword he was wearing on his waist and aimed it at Yoo Joonghyuk. Then he added in a playful voice.

"Bam."

Yoo Joonghyuk reflexively lowered his head. An incredible magical wind swept past his earlobes. It seemed to be an attack using the skill of the returnee, Myung Ilsang. A technique that focuses condensed magical power on the tip of a sword and shoots it like a flash.

Yoo Joonghyuk answered in a blank voice.

"Your skills have improved, Cheon Inho."

The flash of light cut through the cliff of the 'Big House'. The image of their last battle was rising on the cliff of the Fault that had been cut away.

A crimson coat and a black coat.

On a night when the stars were falling, the 'Supreme King' and the 'Evil Sophist' had pointed their swords at each other with the fate of the world at stake.

"I miss it already. The fight back then was truly great."

"..."

"Now, show me. What you've been through. What stories you've told me. If you want to properly unravel your memories—"

"Where is that guy?"

"That guy? Who are you talking about?"

"You probably already know. The 'Real Cheon Inho'."

The real Cheon Inho. At that expression, a crack spread across Cheon Inho's expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Cheon Inho."

"You're not the one who carried out the scenarios with me."

The fierce [Way of the Wind] unfolded.

In an instant, Cheon Inho, who had narrowed the distance by about ten meters, swung his 'Unbreakable Faith'.

A strike containing the secret of [Way of the Wind].

Yoo Joonghyuk said as he struck the flying wind blade with his spear.

"That technique is not yours."

"I know. It belongs to the Immutar Wolf."

"No, it is the technique that 'that guy' used."

As if to refute, Cheon Inho's sword strike struck from above again. The activated 'Blade of Faith' scattered strong energy.

"That sword is not yours either."

Yoo Joonghyuk's Hwangcheon-wolguk blocked the 'Unbreakable Faith'. The golden strong energy contained in the spear and the blue strong energy contained in the sword clashed, causing the storm to expand. With a loud bang, the two bodies were simultaneously thrown away from each other.

Cheon Inho said with a smile.

"It's mine. This sword, this technique, and the stories you and this body have built together."

The stories of the two people resonated. The stories that Yoo Joonghyuk and Cheon Inho had built together were stirring.

"It was truly an incredible story. Wasn't it?"

"…"

"How did you feel about seeing the end of the scenarios together? How did it feel to become a character in the 'story I created'?"

"…"

"Were you happy? Or were you upset that your position as the 'main character' was taken away?"

Cheon Inho's swordsmanship was getting faster and faster.

Yoo Joonghyuk responded, accelerating his spear strike to match the speed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Yoo Joonghyuk's [Self-defense], which had reached its peak, deflected Cheon Inho's blade.

"I see that you're crazier than last time."

Yoo Jung-hyuk's transcendence was also rising. Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3... Yoo Joonghyuk's power, which had grown strong enough to threaten the Constellations of Narrative-grade, was reflected in his spear.

Kuaaaaaaa!

The Mysterious Soul Spear shot out, scraping the space.

Cheon Inho, who narrowly avoided the attack, asked.

"I was curious. Why on earth did you choose a spear? Your main weapon has always been a sword. The only weapon that suits you is the 'Heaven Breaking Sword'. But why—"

"I decided to end this Round with a spear."

Cheon Inho licked his lips, as if he didn't like that answer.

"Wake up. Your weapon is the 'sword'."

A voice that contained the power of [Incite] that even brought down the Constellations of Narrative-grade. It was a command that no one could refuse.

But Yoo Joonghyuk endured the words. The story contained in the dumplings he ate made it possible.

Cheon Inho's eyes were filled with agitation.

"That skill—"

"Bring him back."

Yoo Joonghyuk, who had closed the distance with [False Flames], swung his spear once again. The spirit of the Soul Killing Spear in the play pressed down on Cheon Inho's 'Blade of Faith'.

Cheon Inho resisted, holding the hilt with both hands.

"Forget that friend now. He has now become a part of me. He was the one who decided to see the end of this world with me, with his name and existence gone."

"That can't be. How can you be sure?"

"Because he promised."

"Promise?"

"That guy."

Again, his temples throbbed and an old memory flashed through Yoo Joonghyuk's head.

He unconsciously repeated the words in his memory.

"He said he'd write my story."

A moment of bewilderment flashed across Cheon Inho's face. It was a brief moment of carelessness. Yoo Joonghyuk's spear moved without missing the moment. With a 'push-shuuk' sound, the spear pierced Cheon Inho's shoulder. Cheon Inho stepped back, blocking the pouring story.

"He won't be able to write any more stories. His stories are all over."

"I know better what stories the Constellations want."

"I'm stronger than him. I'm smarter than him, and I'm more perfect than him. The better you can fool the Constellations, the more helpful it can be to you. I—"

With a sound of tsutsutsu, sparks flew out from Cheon Inho's entire body.

"I, Kim Dokja—"

Whew, stories poured out of his mouth. The backflowing story was collapsing inside Cheon Inho.

When Cheon Inho frowned and raised his head, the story spoke.

"Shut up."

…

The story was going wild inside Cheon Inho.

Yoo Joonghyuk said as he looked at the scene.

"That guy could endure that story."

"..."

"He was a guy who struggled not to take the easy way."

Now, Yoo Joonghyuk was having a hard time realizing what that 'story' was.

The story that gave him great strength was actually the story that brought him the greatest tragedy. He always lived with that despair.

"You can't do it like that guy."

Cheon Inho swung his sword while screaming.

"I can do it too."

A red light shone above Cheon Inho's eyes.

"In the end, 'the only Kim Dokja' will become this body."

The stories flowing out of Cheon Inho's entire body gathered around the guy's shoulder, and soon began to evolve into crimson wings.

A figure that truly fit the description of 'Demon King'.

The senses of the Regressor were warning him. If he didn't kill him now, there would be no chance.

Yoo Joonghyuk ran with all his might using [Jujak Shinbo].

The first form of the Mysterious Soul Spear.

However, Yoo Joonghyuk stretched out his spear. In that moment, a huge amount of magical power exploded from Cheon Inho's entire body with a loud noise. Yoo Joonghyuk rolled around on the floor as if his entire body had been bombed.

"I told you."

The Demon King, with his wings spread wide, was speaking.

"You can't beat me."

In the end, the 「Staging」 effect was activated.

The one who supported Yoo Joonghyuk, who was staggering, was Anna Croft, who had been observing the situation until then.

"Supreme King, you can't do this anymore. You know what kind of being Cheon Inho is now."

Yoo Joonghyuk shook off Anna Croft and said.

"Is your [Future Sight] saying that?"

"[Future Sight] doesn't work on that guy."

"Then there's a chance."

He also knew that there was no chance. Once 'Staging' was activated, the odds of him winning were close to zero. But the reason he didn't lose hope... maybe it was the influence of the 'dumplings' he ate earlier. In fact, memories of the dumplings were still coming back to him here and there. For example, among the memories, there was also this.

The guy in his memory said in his characteristically playful voice.

Normally, he would not have responded to such a joke. But why? Today, Yoo Joonghyuk was different. Thinking that maybe there was something strange in the dumpling, Yoo Joonghyuk repeated the name in his mind.

'Kim Dokja.'

At that moment, Yoo Joonghyuk felt that his soul was connected to something.

And.

—Is the dumpling all digested?

A voice came into his head.

A voice he did not know. And yet, it was a voice that sounded infinitely familiar.

Yoo Joonghyuk asked that arrogant voice.

'Who are you?'

Then the voice answered.

—It's your friend's hyung.

'I have no friends.'

—Oh really, our Youngest only picks out things that will make him sad.

Yoo Joonghyuk thought for a moment and then replied.

'When you say 'Youngest', are you referring to the guy who possessed Cheon Inho?'

—Then, is there another Youngest?

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned silently.

He just remembered the name, and something possessed him.

There must have been something similar last time. While carrying out the 40th assignment of the 'Time Fault', 'that guy's' soul had inhabited him through a special method.

The guy had also possessed Cheon Inho's body, so he thought that perhaps he had possessed him in a similar way.

But this time, something was different.

He had clearly remembered that guy's name, so why was he possessed by a random being?

—Hey, relax! Relax and leave it to Hyung! I'll control and take care of it!

'I'll take care of my own fighting.'

—Hey, the 41st Round’s Joonghyuk is also Yoo Joonghyuk.

A voice that seemed somewhat detached but also joyful.

—But you, if you keep doing that, you’ll die.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a message came to mind.

This 'staging' was created based on the story of him fighting 'Cheon Inho' while he was extremely weakened.

So it was natural that the 'staging' would lower his abilities.

'Help me not die.'

—What a shameless bastard.

'That guy would have done that.'

Cheon Inho was looking up at the sky with his wings spread in the distance. Yoo Joonghyuk could tell what was about to happen. Right now, Cheon Inho was trying to express the story he was most confident in.

When that story begins its storytelling, darkness will fall upon the world. If that happens, there’s no way to defeat him.

—No, there is.

Along with Kim Dokja’s voice, a message appeared in Yoo Joonghyuk’s head.

As if he had been waiting for that message, Kim Dokja continued.

—If that guy really calls himself 'Kim Dokja'.

'The power of the stage is absolute. No matter how strong I become now—'

—I told you, you can win. Have you forgotten? You’ve killed 'Kim Dokja' before.

Yoo Joonghyuk looked up into the air with an expression that seemed to wonder what that meant.

'I’ve never killed that guy.'

—You probably won’t have around now.

—'You' in your 'prime' are different.

'Prime?'

Pages turning in his head.

In the overwhelming feast of stories unfolding in his head, Yoo Joonghyuk felt the power of the distant stories overlapping over his incarnation body.

The Demon King of Salvation said.

—Now, let's hunt the 'Demon King' once again.

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