Chapter 868: The End of The Scenario (1)
“That’s the Sunset Swordsman… that is the Hyunsung that I know. He’s fragile, weak, easily shaken, and sometimes… sometimes it’s frustrating.”
Yes. That was what I looked like.
I was fragile, weak, easily shaken, and sometimes… no, always made him feel frustrated.
“But…”
But?
“But he’s someone who always gets up again.”
I wasn’t sure if I could get up this time. I never could stand up on my own; Kiyoung always lifted me up.
“He always raises his sword and overcomes his own struggles, becoming stronger and stronger. He never stops moving forward.”
He was just overestimating me. Overcoming my struggles didn’t mean I became stronger.
All I did was struggle, run away, and escape.
I hadn’t reached this point alone. I had never learned how to solve problems by myself. It was him who taught me.
“I… I believe.”
I couldn’t live up to his expectations.
“…”
He smiled as if he’d managed to understand everything.
He had never lost his faith in humanity until the very end, and he was smiling quietly even while the demon was stepping on his soul.
He was smiling… as if he… as if he believed in me.
“Aaah… aaaahh… sniff… sniff…”
I tried, but I couldn’t reach him. I continued to fight my way through, but strangely, I couldn’t get to where he was.
Now that I thought about it, I had never reached him on time. This time was no different.
I had been fighting for so long, but all of my battles resulted in failure.
I didn’t know why I couldn’t touch what I was supposed to reach. If someone looked into my life, it would look like I was standing still.
I would be no different from a hamster ceaselessly running in a wheel.
Indeed, I might constantly be running in a large cylinder.
Without Lee Kiyoung, that wheel would’ve been a dark barrel instead.
It was him who had made me move forward. Because of him, I had been able to take the first step down a road I never thought existed.
I had been able to take action because of the Son of Light.
I, Kim Hyunsung, had grown little by little, stood up straight, and taken one step after another.
That was all thanks to him.
I’d started over in the Blue Guild, met important people, laughed, talked, and enjoyed life on the continent.
Because of him, I had been able to forget my painful memories and accept myself completely.
What had made it possible for me to endure the struggles of my life was the light shining around Lee Kiyoung. It had enabled me to walk straight ahead, even if I was walking in the dark.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who had been blessed by his brilliance.
Everyone on the continent basked in his glow, but…
I was able to stand because he was with me.
“Sniff… Sniff…”
I watched him fuse with the huge, foreign tower. I had been fighting because I knew what that meant, but my efforts couldn’t change anything.
The huge infrastructure soon clung to the red-winged demon.
The Son of Light, who had turned gray, was embedded in the left side of that monster’s chest.
Seemingly having lost his soul, his corpse looked like nothing more than a piece of wood.
I could see his huge arm swinging around, but I couldn’t move my body.
I felt myself smash against the other side of the battlefield with a loud sound.
I stood up again and grabbed my sword, but my hand didn’t move.
I heard a voice, but I remained still.
‘I believe.’
What…?
‘What do you believe in? What the h.e.l.l do you believe in at this point?’
‘You should know the answer to that better than anyone.’
‘You know that I am a miserable person, that I am not worthy of your support, that I am selfish and have no interest in things like the continent.’
‘I believe.’
‘Don’t say that. I am useless. I’m not a man who can embrace everything as you did.’
I didn’t want this. I resented this place for hurting him so much and for taking everything away from me.
All the things I’d cherished and loved seemed to have rotted away.
‘I believe.’
“Those words now feel more like a curse than a blessing. Sniff… Why… why do you keep trusting me? Don’t you know what I’m thinking? You knew I was going to throw this round away together with everything you love and start over… I don’t want to be in this place anymore.”
‘I believe.’
“Stop. Don’t believe in me anymore. Sniff… sniff… Please… I don’t care what you have to do as long as you come back. It doesn’t matter what happens next. Just don’t go away!”
‘I… ‘
Boooooooooooooooooooooom!!!
“Can you see this, G.o.d of Sunset?”
“…”
“Now, I will become him. Oh, G.o.d. I will take his soul and replace him.”
“…”
“He failed. His life was already worthless and a failure from the beginning. He was a man who couldn’t handle his own power, but don’t worry. I’ll be different. He made you worthless. I will make you whole. His vain death shall be truly useless…”
“…”
Boooooooooooooooom!!
‘I believe.’
I rose. My body responded to Kiyoung’s voice as if brainwashed, making me lift my sword, albeit forcibly.
I unwittingly cleared my breath and took a stance.
I knew this battle was going to be difficult, but I quietly took a step forward anyway.
‘I believe.’
“Why do you believe in me? I have never once succeeded in protecting you. I’m not a hero. I’m not even the kind of person you think I am. There’s a limit to how many times I can stand back up.”
Boooooooooooooom!!!
With that sound, my body was blasted away once more. I stopped breathing. Pain coursed through my entire body.
Without realizing it, I coughed and spat out what was blocking my throat.
I wanted to fall. I wanted to go to sleep and let everything go. I wished all of this was just a dream.
I wanted to go back to a time when nothing had happened yet and forget everything.
It would be nice if I could just stop thinking about it…
But I pushed myself up once more, quietly staring at my opponent and readying my weapon.
I didn’t even know why. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to die.
I didn’t know why I kept trying to fight even though everything had already been ruined. I had already lost everything, so why did I keep resisting? What was holding me up?
‘I… I believe.’
“Sniff… Sniff… Ahhh… Aaaahhh… Sniff… Ugh… Ahhh… Sniff… Yeah… Yes…”
I wiped my tears with my free hand.
I gritted my teeth.
The sound of the air being cut as I swung my sword echoed in my ears.
I looked for s.p.a.ce where I could move freely. I didn’t know if I was mistaken.
I might have been hallucinating, but it felt as if I’d heard a voice.
It seemed that I was being told where to go and how to fight.
‘I believe.’
“Yes. Yes…”
‘I believe.’
“Yes… Yes… Yes…”
Huge pillars fell. After jumping, I went on the offensive once more.
I couldn’t even count all the magical powers at play here, but I instinctively knew where I needed to go.
Even if a wall blocked me, even if there was no room for me to move, my eyes kept looking for the next location to turn to.
As I spread my wings, light began to burn the demons over and over again, its warmth gradually illuminating the place.
“G.o.d of Sunset, why do you deny me?! I can make you—”
“You… You can’t make me complete.”
“I killed myself too.”
“…”
“He is ruining you, G.o.d of Sunset. He’s leading you down the wrong path. He’s just taking advantage of you. All… All the things he’s done are making you weak. Don’t you think his sacrifice wasn’t worth it either?”
Of course, it might be.
“He doesn’t really care about you.”
It might not be me he really cared about.
However, that was because he loved everything and everyone.
He loved and cherished the continent, its people, its life, everyone’s hopes and dreams, light, innocence, and all that was in between.
‘My sacrifice wasn’t worthless.’
“Kiyoung’s sacrifice was not worthless.”
“I believe in humans. I believe… in their potential to overcome any difficulties. I believe they’ll rise from the pain of the past and avoid repeating the mistakes they made before. It may seem useless to some, but my sacrifice won’t be worthless for as long as even just one person recognizes it.”
“I… I recognize it.”
“…”
“I recognize it, Kiyoung.”
At that moment, I realized everything.
Kim Hyunsung rose from the pain of the past.
I had made many mistakes over and over again, but I was definitely growing.
I still didn’t believe in my potential, but I had been able to get through many difficulties.
Even if everyone denied him, I couldn’t do the same even if I wanted to.
The seeds he’d sowed on the continent definitely weren’t worthless. Everyone would know that.
The monster in front of me raised its huge arm.
Boooooooooom!
With that sound, it lost its balance.
A faintly shimmering gray color met me.
“…”
Soon enough, magic circles opened in the air, and familiar faces started coming out of them.
“O-O… Oppa…”
I looked over at the hand that grabbed my shoulder and saw someone holding a long spear.
“Guild Master. I’m sorry… I’m late.”
And just like that…
Looking at the crowd that filled this red temple, I understood.
“For the Son of Light!”
“For the Son of Light!”
Why he loved this place.