Ch 466: Ep. 88 - Myth-grade Constellation, IV

Tsu-chuchuchut!

The spectacle of the blinding sunlight crumbling down – I couldn't even breathe properly as I focused solely on the battle itself. Ra's torso, cut by [Black Heavenly Demon Sword], began emitting bright light.

Ku-gugugugu!

Accompanied by an intense storm of heat, our vision was clouded by thick steam. A ploy to buy time, no doubt.

"Yoo Joonghyuk! Don't stop!"

I shouted out and desperately continued to read the Story.

I recalled the 1701st regression turn of Yoo Joonghyuk that I read in the past. Yoo Joonghyuk had fought against Poseidon one on one in that turn.

⸢On the border where the ocean's boundaries meet, Iron Blood Supreme King unsheathed his sword.⸥

⸢"Poseidon. Today, you shall die."⸥

⸢A life that carried on for 1700 lifetimes. The swordsmanship borne out of this life now shone brilliantly.⸥

Yoo Joonghyuk's blade moved as if to recreate that very battle. His sword gradually became faster and faster to utterly destroy Ra's sun.

Kwa-gagagagaga!!

Yoo Joonghyuk's blade continued to dance on the stage I read into reality. An incredible storm of Probability's aftermath tried to crush me, but four Giant Stories responded to each other and allowed me to endure the after-effects.

I still tasted iron in my mouth, though. My Incarnation Body was failing to cope with the sudden, abrupt increase in my Status.

Look all you want.

This battle was meant for all of you to see, anyway.

Even now, many Constellations would still be dismissive of our strength. They were probably thinking that we reached this far because of our luck and perhaps due to other Constellations lending their aid to us.

However, this was now time to prove ourselves.

Time to prove that <Kim Dokja's Company> was not some poor sobs needing your sponsorships but your actual competitors, and that we were a Nebula capable of bringing down a large Nebula with our own powers.

Kwa-dududuk!!

Yoo Joonghyuk's sword slashes continued to corner Ra. The sunlight falling away made noises similar to actual flesh being ripped apart.

It was then, I sensed a sharp glare coming from the empty air.

Great Dokkaebi Noksu – not even a mid or low-grade, but a 'Great' Dokkaebi. For someone like that, making the scenario rather inconvenient for us wouldn't be that difficult. However, even they couldn't intervene carelessly in the 98th scenario.

Tsu-chuchuchut…

Because the scenarios from now on would be of utmost importance to the Great Dokkaebis, as well.

I recalled the moment when Great Dokkaebis Heoju and Heoche came to see us just before the climax of the 'Great War of Saints and Demons' got underway. Back then, those Dokkaebis said this:

⸢You must decide now. Die in this place, or head off to the Final Scenario with us.⸥

Those words were suggestions meant for this very moment.

Great Dokkaebis facing the end times must risk their reputation, their insight, and their own Stories to select the candidates for the 'One Final Story'. And that bastard named Noksu must've chosen <Papyrus> as its candidate.

I spoke in true voice as Yoo Joonghyuk's Incarnation body moved again.

With the speed faster than anyone in this universe, he swung his sword filled with the eternity's curse. Sharp strikes from the [Black Heavenly Demon Sword] dug deeply into Ra's skin. The deity's temperature, reputed to be capable of melting any metal, was being ably resisted by Lee Hyunsung's Story metal.

With a loud rupture, Ra's heart spewed out a Story. That noble and lofty Myth-grade Constellation was being destroyed by our hands.

The Myth-grade Constellation, Ra. A Constellation who had reached his own 'Conclusion', and had been hibernating within the Final Scenario's stage for a very long time.

Ra's shouting caused the stars of the sky to sparkle.

…What?!

At the end of those words, ominous auras began rushing in from the distance.

The skies thrashed about and the sounds of crashing waves could be heard. The middle of pitch-black sky split up and an enormous current of water flooded out.

We quickly moved out of the way and dodged the waves of that Status.

It was a possessor of a Status powerful enough to send shivers down my spine. Someone who could equal Ra before us was now descending into this world.

A voice reminding me of violent tidal waves resounded out. Quite surprisingly, the existence that descended to this place was the very enemy Yoo Joonghyuk of the 1701st turn fought off desperately.

Accompanying Poseidon's entrance were the stars of the heavens rushing in like storm clouds. They were Narrative-grade Constellations from <Vedas> and <Lokapala>. To make matters worse, among them were individuals known to be almost on the level of Myth-grade Constellations, as well.

Condemnation rained down. Completely not caring about that, Poseidon simply pointed his trident, 'Triaina', in our direction. [How dare measly beings such as yourselves try to witness the end of this <Star Stream>?]

The end of <Star Stream>, the epilogue that determined the conclusion of all the worlds. Right, I had been waiting for a long time to witness it.

That was true.

In all honesty, what I really wanted to see was…

"Ahjussi!"

My companions had gathered around me even before I had noticed it – Jung Heewon, Yoo Sangah, Lee Jihye, Lee Hyunsung, Lee Gilyoung, and Shin Yoosung.

The Stories we had created together were shining brightly in the empty night sky. I saw the trajectory of the Stories we've used beyond the galaxy in the far distance.

No matter how wide and expansive this universe was, I was confident of locating that very set of constellations regardless of where I was.

I hid all signs of emotions welling up in my heart and looked at my companions.

⸢That was where the Story he longed for could be found.⸥

Poseidon emitting powerful Status extended his hand towards us. [What a noisy little full stop you are. Now, disappear.]

<Vedas>'s army rushed in.

My companions tensed up and gathered around me. I addressed them. [I love the Story I managed to create with all of you. Although we encountered many painful, sad things, we…]

Even then, I loved this story so much so that I wished for it to continue on forever.

"…That's not your final wish, now is it?"

Jung Heewon asked after seeing my expression. She probably sensed something ominous from it.

I simply smiled back at her before staring at the empty skies beyond the Nebula's army rushing in at us.

My mother once told me this. A person who watched a certain story for a long time would eventually grow to resemble that story.

Perhaps that logic also applied to these stars, too.

Just before the tsunami wave of <Vedas>'s army pounced on us, though…

The night sky split up and the waterfall made out of hellish flames flooded out. A lone Constellation riding on the fiery waves started massacring other Constellations with her sword burning in flames.

The Archangel that I liked the best was right there.

The true voices of Constellations freaking out could be heard over that torrent of expletives.

Right after her, purple-coloured intense flames burned the heavens.

The wings of a massive flying dragon tore and crushed through the Constellations.

<Vedas>'s battleships took aim at the Black Flame Dragon and got ready to fire. And in the following moment, dozens of vessels began exploding one after another along with loud booms.

One could spy the golden-coloured Ruyi Jingu Bang flitting in between the explosions.

Once the smoke cleared, a platinum-haired man could be seen standing there, digging his ear as if he was quite bored right now.

Uriel, Black Flame Dragon, and the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal. These three's entrance caused unrest to spread out.

*

Even before the enraged true voices of the Constellations could finish, someone else announced their support to our cause. [Just like you, we also have a Story we wish to support, that's all.]

I knew whose voice that was.

Pitch-black yet gentle darkness wrapped around us, and a loving hand touched my shoulder.

And if she was here, then that meant…

The King of Underworld's cold eyes scanned the battlefield. Here he was, the grim reaper of death capable of making all the stars shiver in fear.

First, it was the Great Sage, and now, the King of Underworld, too – the constant appearances of Myth-grade Constellations caused the enemy Constellations to hesitate and retreat.

The two camps emitted powerful Statuses and confronted each other as if to goad the other side to attack first. I could see the crumpled expressions of Poseidon and Ra in the distance. And how long went by like this? Constellations from one camp began retreating without saying anything.

The enemy Constellations began disappearing one by one. Their rate of exit grew faster now that a Myth-grade Constellation they placed so much faith in had left the scene. The panicking <Papyrus>'s Constellations looked around in confusion all the while cautiously studying Ra's reaction. And eventually…

Not too long after, only the half-crushed sun remained. Ra gritted its teeth noisily and glared at us, but before long, the sounds of a star scattering away could be heard.

The glow of setting sun filled the sky and the bright ball of fire disappeared below the horizon. Finally, this scenario's victors had been decided.

⸢And this is the sight Kim Dokja longed to see for a very long time.⸥

Within the sunset's soft glow, I looked back to my companions.

⸢Some things didn't work out as he had been hoping.⸥

While staring at the disappearing sunlight, Yoo Joonghyuk was still gripping the [Black Heavenly Demon Sword] tightly.

⸢Meanwhile, some things went better than he expected.⸥

Han Sooyoung, her lips twitching slightly, hurriedly wrapped the bandages around her arm while going, "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

⸢There were moments where they got lucky irrelevant of their intentions.⸥

Yoo Sangah sighed gently and smiled back at me.

⸢However, all those events came together to create this very moment in time.⸥

Both the companions and I didn't say anything.

This wasn't our first victory, but in a certain sense, it was indeed our first victory. For a long time there, we didn't say a word and stared at each other's faces.

We won.

We really emerged victorious against another 'Nebula'.

Only the system messages floated up in the empty air now.

I watched the shadows of two Dokkaebis cast by the setting sun and began thinking to myself.

We were almost there.

I turned my head towards the companions once more. I wanted to say something to them while looking at them. But, they all carried expressions of already knowing what I wanted to say.

Jung Heewon spoke up instead of me. "Let's go and witness the conclusion of this world. Together."

I nodded my head.