meeting a tragic end alongside Earth.
Unfortunately, the "Outer G.o.d Kings" didn"t do that.
At least, not for now, anyway.
- Kim Dok-Ja, what"s next?
Han Su-Yeong sidled up to my right and asked in a tense voice.
- To be honest, even I don"t know.
- Wha??
- This is as far as my plan goes.
As if to imply her thoughts of "What c.r.a.p are you talking about", her face was dyed in the colours of pure astonishment.
- Hey, you. You can"t be.....
- Right now, we can only believe.
That must"ve come across as irresponsible. However, there was no other choice. This was the best plan I could come up with, and it also happened to be the only way to lead this event towards the correct conclusion.
I abruptly recalled what the 1863rd turn"s Han Su-Yeong had told me.
⸢"I believe in the characters I"ve created. That"s all."⸥
I could just about understand where she was coming from now. And that"s why I replied like this.
- I thought that I can only believe in these people who were like teachers to me – these individuals that I had read about.
I trusted the "Ways of Survival". Not the author responsible, no, but the characters that appeared within its pages.
[The "Living Flame" is looking at you.]
Uriel, more righteous than anyone else out there.
[The "King of Silverlight Heart" is looking at you.]
The kind and honest Yi Hyeon-Seong.
[The "Master of the Sunken Island" is looking at you.]Yi Ji-Hye possessing a lot of affection.
[Constellation, "Secretive Plotter", is looking at you.]
Yu Jung-Hyeok, who never knelt down in defeat no matter how unfair things became.
I believed in them. I believed in their histories that helped the young me grow.
I believed that their worth would never be tarnished no matter how much time had pa.s.sed by.
The 999th turn"s Uriel opened her mouth. Although, she wasn"t talking to me. [[Yi Hyeon-Seong, you said that we might get to see the end in this world-line, the one we failed to see before.]]
[[That"s correct, Uriel.]]
[[And your opinion hasn"t changed even now?]]
Yi Hyeon-Seong nodded. Uriel then slowly turned her head towards me. Her irises were burning brightly just like the corona of the sun.
[[….Did you say you"re the "Demon King of Salvation"?]]
Against that gaze seemingly testing my righteousness, I subconsciously swallowed back my saliva and nodded my head.
[[Through this world-line"s version of myself, I have seen the Fables related to you.]]
It was then Jeong Hui-Won standing nearby flinched a little. Technically, though, it wasn"t her but probably Uriel, instead.
I was getting a somewhat-ominous vibe here.
What the "Living Flame" said next was completely out of my expectations, though.
[[Your Fables were quite similar to those of "Yu Jung-Hyeok"s" that I"m familiar with. From the way you cleared the scenarios to how you looked after your companions.]]
"..."
[[This world-line resembles ours quite closely.]]
The expression on the 999th turn"s Yi Ji-Hye was rather complicated. I realised why they stood around looking at each other for such a long time the moment I saw her face.
They weren"t agitated simply because this world just so happened to be their home planet.
[[Are you aware of the events that took place in our world-line?]]
I hesitated on what to say. This wasn"t something that I could explain away easily. Instead of my lacking communication skills, though, my Fables began speaking up in my stead.
[Fable, "Demon King of Salvation", has begun its storytelling.]
A portion of the Fables I possessed travelled towards the beings from the 999th turn via the tip of my hand.
[Fable, "One Who Opposes the Miracle", has begun its storytelling.]
[Fable, "One Who Hunted the King of Disasters", has begun its storytelling.]
I observed them reading my Fables. Diverse, colourful expressions filled their faces. It was quite clear what overlapped with my Fable while they were reading it.
….Did I also make such an expression while reading the "Ways of Survival" for the first time?
That was something I"d never find out.
[[….But, how could such a thing....]]
It was around then that an unexpected event occurred; the Status of the 999th turn"s Uriel, reading my Fable silently until then, travelled over the Fable itself and invaded into the sea of my consciousness.
As if, she wanted to find out the origin of my existence.
[Exclusive skill, "The 4th Wall", is activating!]
Tsu-chuchuchut!
Just as I expected, the "Wall" made a move as the blinding sparks danced in the air.
["The 4th Wall" is glaring at the "Living Flame"!]
The Living Flame"s left hand was deflected away as if being rejected, a faint trace of burn marks visible on her skin. She looked at me in pure shock, then the faint hints of understanding began permeating in the lights of her eyes.
[[I see. So, that"s how it was. You are....]] Her voice sounded even more surprised compared to when she was reading my memories. [[The last fragment of the "Final Wall", is it... Is that why the "Secretive Plotter" was so obsessed over you?]]
"Please make your decision. There isn"t much time left until the scenario"s end."
[The "Great Apocalypse Scenario" has entered a temporary state of lull!]
[If the current situation persists, the distortion of the world will accelerate.]
Since they had descended as "calamities", this scenario now had to have a conclusion without exception. The best method for everyone involved was for them to give up on being the "calamities".
The "Living Flame" opened her lips again. [[I acknowledge the potential you possess. Although vexing, I can even agree to forestall my vengeance. However....]]
Countless emotions brushed past her expression just then.
[[….However, I don"t believe that you"ll successfully reach the end of this world-line. I don"t believe that an existence that merely imitated another world-line"s Fable can witness a proper conclusion.]]
"H-hang on a...."
[[You"ll probably reach your "Conclusion" when this scenario comes to an end.]]
The last part of "One Single Fable", the Conclusion (結).
A gob-smacking heat storm began condensing with the 999th turn"s Uriel as its centre. Salty air circulated around my nose as the seawater evaporated into the rus.h.i.+ng winds.
I reflexively cried out at this outrageous transformation of Status.
"Yu Jung-Hyeok!!"
At the same time, he stepped up before me and cut down the rus.h.i.+ng hot air with his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword]. However, the heat still managed to cook the backs of his hands.
His breathing became irregular. The [Disconnected Film Theory]"s effect had almost run its course.
Ku-gugugugu!
The 999th turn"s Great Fables were activating simultaneously. For some reason, even the 999th turn"s Yi Hyeon-Seong didn"t try to stop Uriel.
I urgently shouted out. "But why....! There"s no need to do this! We-!!"
The 999th turn"s Uriel wordlessly strode over to us. Companions grew tense and began unleas.h.i.+ng their own Statuses.
[Great Fable, "Demon World"s Spring", is continuing on with its storytelling!]
[Great Fable, "Torch that Swallowed the Myth", is continuing on with its storytelling!]
The "Living Flame" simply took a glance at our Fables and continued to approach us. After every "Outer G.o.d" handed over their Status to her, she raised her [Flames of Retribution] up high.
I bit down hard on my lip.
[The absolute majority of the Constellations are scared of the "Outer G.o.d"s" power.]
[Many Dokkaebis are repulsed by the Fable of the "Outer G.o.d".]
Everything within would soon become stories.
However, why was a story both the Constellations and Dokkaebis didn"t want to see deemed necessary?
Just what was the reason for a story to exist in this world when it was only good for plunging everyone into endless sorrow?
[[Do you always seek to create a Fable to tell someone else?]]
The 999th turn"s Uriel was talking to us.
The [Flames of Retribution] refined to the stunning degree was now talking about the time outside of the scenarios.
[[Who does it exist for, this Fable you have compiled so far?]]
While listening to her true voice, I realised what her intentions were.
A story n.o.body supported. Even then, she wished to see the end of this particular scenario.
⸢And that is the answer the "Living Flame" had chosen.⸥
The reason why she wanted to continue on with this scenario wasn"t because she agreed with the Constellations, nor did she want to side with .
[[Show me your "Conclusion". Prove it to me that your group can reach an end different from any other world-lines.]]
Stars in the skies were looking at us. Stars that had been watching this story for a very long time. I imagined those countless starlights, and then, end of all the worlds waiting beyond that.
I imagined the end of this story, the one I"d been building up to for a long time.
"Kim Dok-Ja!"
The waves of heat completely filled up my view. The [h.e.l.lfire] of the 999th turn"s Uriel, intermingling with the odour of burning sulphur, created the tsunami wave of lava. It was the moving wall of enormous Status capable of immediately melting everything that it touched.
The victory would be decided with one attack.
Block that, and we"d emerge as the victors.
"Focus your Great Fables, everyone!"
Petty tricks were rendered useless in the face of a calamity. My companions helped me with the mobilisation of the Great Fables, rather than focusing on their own specialities.
s.h.i.+n Yu-Seung, Yi Gil-Yeong, and even Yu Sang-Ah, too – everyone raised their hands up in the air and added their share of the Great Fables.
[Great Fable, "Season of Light and Darkness", has begun its storytelling!]
Accompanying the noises of the heavens splitting apart, the roars of the Apocalypse Dragon could be heard. Right next second, yet another loud howl exploded out from Han Su-Yeong"s direction.
Ku-ooooooh!
The former candidate for the Apocalypse Dragon, the "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" was firing its Breath.
Jeong Hui-Won dashed forward while riding on the vicious storm of the [Black Flame].
[Constellation, "Lily Blooming on Aquarius", is unleas.h.i.+ng her Status!]
[Constellation, "Demon-like Judge of Fire", is unleas.h.i.+ng her Status!]
Two Archangels were working together with Jeong Hui-Won. Her [Judge"s Sword] raised up high was now cutting down the tsunami wave.
Kwaaaaaah!
Was it because of the two Archangels" combined attack? For a moment there, the tsunami wave"s movement grew sluggish.
Yu Jung-Hyeok didn"t miss that opening.
[Fable, "h.e.l.lscape of Eternity", is continuing with its storytelling!]
Traces of numerous regression turns branched out from his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword]. His Status spread out and began destroying the rus.h.i.+ng wave.
- It"s not enough.
Unfortunately, his desperate resistance couldn"t last for long; the sparks dancing all over his body were getting fiercer and fiercer. The [Disconnected Film Theory]"s effect had finally run out, in other words.
The moment his Status began declining sharply, he let rip one powerful attack at the centre of the wave.
Breaking the Sky Swordsmans.h.i.+p(破天劍道).
Inner Mysteries(奧義).
Split the Dark Ocean(暗海斬).
A minute opening was created by the attack from his Inner Mysteries. I didn"t miss that.
[Maknae-ya, preparations are complete.]
Also, the voice I had been waiting for entered my ears just then, too.
Surrounding clouds gathered around me as if to envelop me – somersault clouds, filled to the brim with cracking thunderbolts, completely encircled me. My body was buzzing as if every lightning found in the heavens had been hoovered up here.
[We can use this only once.]
I kicked off the clouds and dashed into the gap within the lava.
My wings generated through the "Demon King Transformation" were lit on fire and it felt like my eyeb.a.l.l.s were being cooked by this horrifying heat. However, I didn"t stop.
I had a duty to protect this path my comrades opened up for me.
⸢The one single story that can stand as the testament to our lives.⸥
My feet moved faster and faster until they became streaks of light. I used the powers of [Lightning Transformation] to hold together my Incarnation Body threatening to explode at any second.
Faster and stronger, as if I had become a single streak of lightning.
Ku-rururururu!
The lightning charged fully in both of my hands boiled vigorously. This lightning, capable of smas.h.i.+ng apart countless stars found in , the one that half-destroyed "s Heavenly Palace....
I used up every ounce of my strength to throw the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
⸢Stars in the skies boiled over, and Nebulas shrunk back. The thick dark clouds rolling in the heavens alluded to their despair.⸥
This single attack carried all the condensed power of the Great Sage Heaven"s Equal.
⸢Just like what he did during the final battle.⸥
The lightning bolt broke past the incoming lava and advanced forward.
Kwkwakwakwak!
The tsunami wave of lava exploded grandly and evaporated right there and then. The streaks of electricity branching out created a path above the splitting wave.
It was the path of the Fable we had been walking on. And I ran on it.
[Great Fable, "Demon World"s Spring", is arranging your "Conclusion".]
The Demon World"s "Beginning/Gi(起)".
[Great Fable, "Torch that Swallowed the Myth", is proudly guiding you.]
Olympus"s "Development/Seung(承)".
[Great Fable, "Season of Light and Darkness", is right by your side.]
The Great War of Saints and Demons" "Climax/Jeon(轉)". And then...
[Great Fable, "Liberator of the Forgotten Ones", is dreaming of the Final Fable.]
….The last dot that hadn"t been filled yet.
Kwaaaaaah!!
All the Fables we experienced together merged into one and emitted blinding rays of light. The explosion of light so bright that it seared my eyes, blanketed everything.
When I raised my head again, the volcanic ashes from the lava were scattering away in the air. The sky looked desolate after everything had come to an end. The dust blocking the gazes of the stars fell like snow and covered the ocean"s surface.
Someone was plopped down on her b.u.t.t in front of the [Unbreakable Faith].
I could see the broken wings of an Archangel. From the beginning, she wasn"t planning to win against us. I quietly stared into her eyes.
I didn"t know whether this was enough proof or not. Just that, this was the best I could show as the current me.
The 999th turn"s Uriel stared at my blade for a long time. It was as if she was repeatedly mulling over the last line of text – as if this pointy tip of the blade was the full stop putting an end to all of her Fables.
Then, her gaze slowly s.h.i.+fted along towards where that tip of the blade was now pointing at.
It was beyond the horizon where the distant sky and the ocean met.
⸢That"s where the end of this world-line was.⸥
A faint trembling flickered past her expressions.
The 999th turn"s Yi Ji-Hye, Yi Hyeon-Seong, and even the still-dazed Kim Nam-Woon were all staring in the same direction as her.
Beyond the falling grey ashes, something blurry could be seen.
Fear began clouding the expressions of the "Outer G.o.ds".
I instantly realised what they were staring at. At the place where they arrived once before during the 999th turn. At the "Final Wall" that could never be overcome if one insisted on living within this world of "Fables".
[Calamities of the "Great Apocalypse Scenario" are giving up on the positions of calamity.]
[The "Great Apocalypse" is entering the termination sequence!]
[Your last "Great Fable" is blossoming!]
[Absolute majority of the Constellations are witnessing the moment of your last Fable"s awakening!]
I could now hear that "Wall" calling out to me.
[Hidden Scenario – "One Single Fable", has reached the "Conclusion"!]
[ is carefully considering the name of your last Fable.]
[You accomplished a feat that every star in will revere you for.]
[You have arrived at an epic that only an extremely few stars have ever reached!]
And finally, the message I had been waiting for the longest time could be heard next.
[You and your Nebula have earned the qualification to witness the "■■ of everything".]
[The "King of Stories" is summoning you.]
Fin.