“Get down from the throne, Kurika.”
No one here didn’t know what that meant. In the Forest of the Demon Realm, a king has no heir.
Thus, the time to step down is solely when the eyes close. The brilliant light extinguishes, the strength like a mountain collapses, and one finds peace in the embrace of the earth.
Kurika huffed out some air and slowly revealed his claws. His lips were hard to read but were definitely curving.
“I’m not afraid of death. I bear many burdens, but if everything must be laid down for my failure, then that rest is also something prepared for me.”
Those at the highest place fear their fall. But these were different. Especially Kurika, who was eagerly awaiting the day he would close his eyes.
‘Putting a period on this long life will likely be you, Sherpa.’
At that time, I brushed off the words as nonsense, desperately ignoring the sincerity I could feel in his voice.
Bearing such heavy burdens, a suffering king standing at the boundary of duty and instinct.
A tyrant who fundamentally enjoys the fight against the strong while holding violent disdain towards the weak.
In a situation where their battle seemed about to begin at any moment, I drew my sword from my waist and stepped forward.
“Enough of this foolishness.”
While I said that, I subtly checked if my swords were properly secured. One at my waist, one on my back.
The last one I held in my hand.
I felt woefully unarmed to stand before the two monsters, but somehow it would work out.
“Huh? Daniel. I remember your name, you who came to me in a human body.”
Sharcarl looked at me, raising his voice with a gleeful tone. What excited him was so obvious it almost made me snort.
And Kurika said.
“Regressor who has experienced the apocalypse. I finally meet you.”
“What…?”
A sudden shock hit me as if a rough rock had flown into my head. In the midst of that painfully clear sensation, Kurika continued to speak monotonously.
“Foolish one, despite going through all of that, why do you cling to the apocalypse? Are you swayed by emotions to abandon everything?”
“…Who told you?”
Kurika couldn’t possibly know all of this on his own. I didn’t want to believe it, but he demanded a painfully obvious answer, and Kurika responded easily.
“A priestess serving the Goddess of Time came to me and told me everything. I have already failed to stop the apocalypse once, and you are repeating the same thing even after going through it all.”
Indeed, the Priestess of Time was alive.
She was the only being who knew that I had regressed.
“Didn’t that woman tell you that killing Rin would result in the earliest apocalypse?”
“I know. She revealed everything to me without hiding anything. That if she kills that little girl, the earliest apocalypse will awaken.”
And yet, he still wants to kill Rin?
“However, I have a dagger that can eliminate the apocalypse, guarding the treasury of the gods.”
“…What?”
Wait a moment.
What does that mean?
I already knew that Kurika was the guardian of the gods’ treasury.
Inside the cave he guarded were many items capable of miracles beyond human reach.
Kurika was keeping them from roving freely about the outside world.
For example, Arianne’s Flower, which devours all mana around it, was a prime example.
But a weapon that can eliminate the apocalypse exists?
“With that, we can eliminate the apocalypse. The Priestess of Time came to request that from me, so I am cooperating with her.”
“The Priestess of Time…”
It wasn’t hard to deduce how she knew of its existence.
‘She must have figured it out through my memories.’
Reading my memory of having entered Kurika’s treasury, she realized there was something among the treasures that could stop the gods’ apocalypse.
So she sought out Kurika and secured cooperation.
“If it is stabbed into the one who has awakened as the earliest apocalypse, everything will be resolved. The apocalypse will disappear through the sword.”
I had suggested escaping together, but I now recalled the image of Kurika, alone facing an army with just a sword.
That blue dagger he held back then must have been the weapon to stop the apocalypse, but it had likely failed. No matter how strong Kurika was, he couldn’t break through an army.
“I have already heard of my failure from the Priestess. Therefore, I must prevent the apocalypse in advance. I cannot hope again for the miracle of the gods to restart the world.”
Normally, I would have cooperated with Kurika without question.
The idea that I could seal the apocalypse within Rin was, after all, the precious news I had been waiting for.
If he knew so much about me and was intentionally deceiving me, I would have had no choice but to follow.
But then, I slipped up.
“You mean I have to awaken as the earliest apocalypse?”
Feeling my mood shift, Kurika frowned and nodded.
“Indeed.”
“Then you’re saying you’ll kill her.”
Didn’t he just explain that Rin had to die for the earliest apocalypse to awaken?
I pressed on sharply, but Kurika seemed to have no intention of hiding it.
“Sacrifice is unavoidable to save the continent.”
“…Fine, I understand.”
I gripped the sword in my hand tightly.
I stepped forward.
“I’ll take that dagger, Kurika. As a last resort. If I must use it, I’ll need at least ten years to prepare.”
Kurika stepped forward as well.
“Little boy guarding the apocalypse, while it is regrettable for the sacrifice, I hope you understand it’s an unavoidable choice.”
In the end, Sharcarl, who had been listening to all our conversations, leaned on his staff and stepped forward.
“It seems you two have some complicated tales with each other. But what does it matter? Since you two are a feast, I shall savor my victory!”
The three magical beasts living in the Forest of the Demon Realm began to charge at each other.
*
Boom! Bang!
The fierce sounds of destruction echoed from afar. The Forest of the Demon Realm, which had once felt so fearsome, shook as if trembling under the trembling earth.
“Foolish idiots.”
The Grand Witch, who had a rough idea of the situation, sighed. Had she known it would escalate to this, she wouldn’t have followed.
“For now, let’s fall back. Even if we create distance now that they’ve begun to fight, it won’t be safe.”
“But Daniel…”
As Hayun hesitated, the Grand Witch clicked her tongue.
“Don’t you know his strength from being with him? Mixing with them would only get you mixed up; he’s certainly not one to die easily. Worrying about him will only impede him.”
“…”
Hayun turned her gaze towards the area where the sounds were erupting and nodded quietly as she tried to follow behind the Grand Witch, but then…
“Hello.”
It was such a plain and light greeting.
A refreshingly cheerful voice filled with kindness made Hayun’s tension drop without her realizing it.
But the seasoned Grand Witch gripped her staff tightly, gathering her mana, and spat out a word.
“Draw your sword.”
Stepping through the trees was a woman dressed in black nun’s clothing. The most notable aspect was her right arm, which was entirely empty.
Ignoring the killing intent directed at her, the Priestess looked at Hayun.
“You are Hayun Len, right?”
“How do you know…?”
“Uncle Heaven Len was my patron.”
Hayun’s grip tightened. An anger surged as if she could pull out Baekunryong at any moment, startling the Priestess of Time instead.
“Oh my?”
“You’re the one who clouded my uncle’s mind with that strange religion!”
“What hurtful words you say. He acted only according to the will of the gods. For all of us.”
The smile that stretched her lips sunk into Hayun Len’s heart. Having lived a short life, she would likely never forget the chilling laughter accompanying those words.
“Ehehe, the ones who killed your parents too. It was all the will of the gods.”
Had Daniel McLean seen this scene, he would have felt a sense of dissonance. The Priestess of Time was a woman who believed in her god with frenzied devotion.
Typically, what gods spoke were mostly sweet words, so she was always careful with her words and actions. Therefore, many nobles followed her.
But now, something felt different.
An undeniable provocation.
The cruelty of digging into the opponent’s malice and trauma on purpose.
In the past, she had done evil in the name of the god and prayed for forgiveness to the victims, but now, it was clear she was relishing their sacrifices.
Hayun Len could no longer hold back her sword and drew it out.
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