Chapter 766: To The End (25)
When I opened my eyes again, I could still see the man in the mask pointing at the sky. I really seemed to be seeing some illusion. It was a scene that didn’t feel very real.
That was because Kim Hyunsung wasn’t aware of the masked man next to him. I thought that he might be like that because he was out of his mind, but there was no way that could be it.
No matter how weird his mind was, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t notice the guy with his hand on his shoulder.
It wasn’t only Kim Hyunsung. Even Seraphim wasn’t aware of him. And so, what the h.e.l.l was he talking about?
‘You already know the answer.’
Did that b.a.s.t.a.r.d want to play a quiz with me or something?
I couldn’t even understand what he was talking about because my head wasn’t working properly, and even when I blinked my eyes, It scattered like smoke.
I clicked my tongue, but…
‘Can… I see it as a hint?’
Maybe it was. No, wasn’t it supposed to be? I looked in front of me. There were still five minutes before it turned into a complete mess. Shouldn’t I make an attempt now?
What the masked hero said wasn’t necessarily wrong.
I wasn’t saying we should be incited by unknown bullsh*t, but it wasn’t unconvincing.
It was definitely not like us- the masked hero and me- to leave the choices to others at the end of the end. I could also agree that Lee Kiyoung wasn’t the type to be backstabbed but the one who backstabbed others.
I wasn’t stupid enough to leave the choices to Lucifer. I had already been burned once.
I didn’t know exactly what the terms of the contract were, but I could bet they had pitted each other. I thought I could see why Kim Hyunsung could be complete and why that guy pointed to the sky.
When I thought of the current situation a little more carefully, I felt like the puzzles fit. The only problem was…
‘Can I… trust him?’
It wasn’t like us to leave the choices to others until the end of the end, but it was about whether that guy really was us in the first place.
What if the man in that mask was my enemy? What if I didn’t erase my memories, but he erased my memories? What if he was making up something and I was dancing on his palm? What if he wasn’t the masked hero, but the d.a.m.n masked trash?
No.
‘I have nothing to lose anymore.’
It was the seed I myself sowed anyway. And no matter what happened afterward, the choice didn’t feel bad.
I didn’t know which end it would result in, but I had only one option. I had to bet on it.
I was driven.
As I slowly looked at the sky, the foreign light that filled it was still shining.
Seraphim, standing upright and shrewd, seemed to be judging how the situation would proceed, but I could bet it wouldn’t take long for him to make a choice. That was because I could see his hand that reached out to Kim Hyunsung going up again.
‘Right, it’s understandable.’
The external system wanted Kim Hyunsung, who had lost his personality. However, he finally regained the bond. Even shortly after getting it back, he was still crying.
Hence, it concluded that Kim Hyunsung wasn’t suitable as a manager who would manage the program.
It wasn’t a bad situation for me, but, in fact, it didn’t mean much. I had to make a choice soon anyway.
‘Kim Hyunsung can be complete.’
Yes, I knew that. I thought I knew what he was talking about. That’s exactly what it was, wasn’t it?
The cliché that the protagonist awakened due to the death of a precious colleague. That was the picture he wanted. Was it for that moment that I had to call the program up there?
Didn’t they say that candles burned the brightest right before they would go out? It didn’t take long before I realized that my current state was the most blazing. No, maybe the masked hero gave me strength. The thought was long, but the time was fleeting.
I had to slowly speak to Kim Hyunsung, who was trying to cut off his neck in a hurry.
“D… Don’t do…”
I thought he wouldn’t stop, but Kim Hyunsung stopped moving right away.
“Kiyoung?”
“It…”
“Kiyoung? Sniff… Kiyoung. Kiyoung… Kiyoung?”
“Please… stop it. Don’t… do it… like that…”
“Are you… Are you okay? Are you… okay?”
I could see him running hurriedly and grabbing me. I should say that I was fine. There weren’t any b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that were okay when they said they’re okay.
“Yes… I am… I am… fine…”
It wouldn’t be bad to smile brightly. I didn’t know how it would look, but it must’ve been very sublime.
I could tell just by looking at Kim Hyunsung’s face as he looked at me with his expression slightly distorted.
There was no way he wouldn’t notice. There was no way he didn’t know that Lee Kiyoung’s dying right at that moment and that he didn’t have much time left to talk like this.
“Sniff… Sniff…”
“So… don’t… cry…”
I held his hand a bit too. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d had to calm down. I could feel him trembling as I did so.
I didn’t have to read his emotions to know what kind of state he was in. I could see him repeating what he said before.
“I… I found another way. Yes. This time… It’s a way I will never fail this time. I… I don’t know if you heard it earlier, but… yes. I’m going to start the round once again. I won’t make a mistake this time.”
“You… don’t need to…”
“I’m sorry?”
“I will… like this…”
It wasn’t a bad stage for the Saint of Light to leave. If I spoke with a tiny bit of sincerity, I didn’t think the end would be bad either.
The finale would be the picture of the supporting actor, who sacrificed everything from start to finish, embracing everything and sacrificed once again. Wasn’t it a perfect end to anyone watching?
“So… I will… believe.”
As I uttered those lines, I knew he would become very agitated.
“It was fun… so far.”
It couldn’t be, but if that was really the end, I thought I’d say it like that.
It was really fun, our journey.
“I was… glad to be tog…”
I was glad to have been together with him.
“Sniff… Sniff…”
“Thanks to…”
Thanks to him, I enjoyed some benefits. No, I shouldn’t talk about that. Thanks to him, I was able to have a good ending.
“I’m… sorry…”
It would be nice to say I was sorry. I had done a lot of bad things so far. Honestly, I didn’t mean to, but I thought I’d been really harsh on him. In many ways… yes. Right. In many ways. But we could call it even now, right? Wouldn’t he agree?
“I’m sorry… for not keeping…”
I was sorry for not keeping what I promised, which was to have some fun. We had a stack of plans to do after everything was over, and I felt bad that I couldn’t keep them all.
“I… I know… Hyunsung is… stro…”
I had always known he wasn’t weak. He was strong. I wasn’t talking about his physique, no. He was really strong in every way. That’s why I chose him. I chose him because he wasn’t an idiot that could be easily swayed, but rather someone really strong. He proved that to me.
“Please… take care of the others…”
He knew that especially Hayan and Deokgu should be taken care of, right? If I really died like this, I would be doing something terrible to them.
I wished he would take good care of the guild members, and the same went for my son and daughter. I hoped he would send my regards to Jihye and Hee-ra and visit Kasugano from time to time.
“Don’t be… sorry. I… Sigh… Sigh… can… under… stand.”
He shouldn’t be so sorry for what he did. Honestly, he couldn’t help it.
It was all because of Lucifer and that wicked Seraphim. I knew it wasn’t his intention to stab me.
“Thank you… so much… for every…”
Just one more word to finish.
“…”
“Sniff… Sniff…”
“…”
“The sky… The sky… I want to see… it…”
What time was it now? I couldn’t wait to see the sky right now.
“It’s the sunset…”
Right. I wanted to see the sunset. I thought that would be a dignified death. I didn’t think I would regret it if I met my end like that.
This thought unknowingly made me smile. I didn’t know how Hyunsung would accept the current situation, but I could see him shedding thick tears.
His expression was finally one that familiar to me. I seemed to have seen him crying more than laughing.
“Finally… only once… more… I wanted to see…”
I wanted to see it one more time…
It was a real shame that I couldn’t see the scenery I was looking for because of that foreign light that covered the sky. I wanted to close my eyes while watching the sunset.
He knew I didn’t talk directly. He would know what I wanted. He knew what to do, right?
Kim Hyunsung didn’t cry like before. I could see the guy who kept looking at me with his lips bit tightly, looking up at the sky.
Was he thinking of the last request of the brother who shared everything with him? I thought he would if it were Kim Hyunsung.
Whatever choice he would make afterward, he would let me look at the scenery I wanted for my dignified end as part of his friend’s final favor.
“Hyunsung… I will… believe…”
Kim Hyunsung slowly raised his body. I didn’t know exactly why the masked hero said that Kim Hyunsung could be complete, but I finally felt like I understood.
He didn’t need Lucifer’s power or Benignore’s power. Kim Hyunsung could stand alone.
“Sniff… Sniff…”
He could stand alone.
‘Get up.’
Right. f.u.c.k. Kim Hyunsung could stand alone.
‘Get up. Kim Hyunsung.’
Alta.n.u.s’ regressor could stand alone.
‘Get up, b.a.s.t.a.r.d.’
“The promise…”
“Yes. The promise…”
“The sunset…”
“Yes.”
Before long, I could see him completely standing up, looking up at the sky with his gaze off me.
He slowly lifted his sword, and he once again corrected his posture while raising Durendal up.
I didn’t know if it was possible, but laughter came out as I knew what he was trying to do.
It was then that the change occurred in Kim Hyunsung’s body. I didn’t know if he was aware of it or not. No, he must’ve been unaware that his body had changed.
‘f.u.c.k… this is f.u.c.king cool.’
I was so d.a.m.n f.u.c.king cool.
Light seeped into his huge black wings. The red light that Kim Hyunsung himself had, not the light from Benignore, changed them.
Instead of the dull night-like wings, behind him were bright ones that made me feel like I was looking at the rising sun.
The same went for the horns over his head. I thought they would disappear, but an even bigger one settled above his head instead, which was also shining. The red sunset light shone brightly.
“Ha… haha… Hahahaha…”
That wasn’t anyone’s power but the power he had.
No.
‘This is our special move.’
It was the power of friendship stemming from a precious brotherhood.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
I could see him extending his sword of sunset into the sky.