Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Dim Star
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Yoon Na-rin steadied her ragged breathing and closed her eyes.
It had been a long time since her head had cooled like this.
What on earth was she doing right now?
What was the reason she had come here?
Even at this very moment, heroes were dying in real time below in the battle against the magic beasts.
She had come to prevent more deaths. To stop Betty, who was hiding on the rooftop and toying with the battlefield, and to prevent further casualties.
Further still, for the heroes dying lonely deaths below right now.
For the countless humanity who had suffered from magic beasts because of this woman.
For Anis.
For Yoon Kang-woo's death...
She had come to hold her accountable.
-Grab.
Yoon Na-rin seized Betty's arm. Not particularly forceful, nor loose.
She settled her coldly cooled thoughts. The more she did, the more fiercely her red eyes gleamed.
-Whoosh!
Scarlet flames erupted. As if representing Yoon Na-rin's emotions, they blazed violently from the gripped arms.
"Kyaaack?!"
Betty screamed and writhed in excruciating agony. So painful that she momentarily shook off Yoon Na-rin, who had been pinning her down.
Crash. The two women tumbled across the rooftop floor, entangled.
Yoon Na-rin's hair became disheveled. Betty panted, her hair also messy. Their ragged breaths tangled in the air.
"Kuhuh..."
Betty groaned, clutching her charred arm. A acrid smell quietly rose.
Her skin melted away, and the geometric tattoos on her arm twisted and stuck together messily.
Yoon Na-rin staggered to her feet and looked down at Betty, mercilessly stomping on her chest.
"Kuhk..."
"Answer me. Where's Anis?"
"...I don't know. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."
"...Want to see your arm ripped off? I can make that happen if you want."
"Kyaaack!?"
Flames surged once more, and Betty thrashed. The foul smell of cooking flesh grew thicker.
There was only one reason Yoon Na-rin hadn't killed her outright but subdued her.
Anis.
Once she extracted all information about her.
'I'll kill her.'
She sharpened her killing intent.
As painfully as possible.
She would burn her, watch her flail, and slowly turn to ash.
That was the karma this woman deserved for deceiving and driving countless people to death.
"...Tell me. Where's Anis?"
"...I don't know."
Roar. Flames rose from Betty's wrist. A tearing scream rose with it.
It was a process repeated many times. The same question, the same answer.
Even if burned alive, she wouldn't open her mouth. Betty rebelled with venomous eyes throughout.
The unpleasant smell of burning meat subtly enveloped the surroundings.
Betty, pinned under Yoon Na-rin's foot, was a wretched sight. No different from a half-living corpse.
Her whole body drenched in cold sweat, her eyes swollen with tears.
"...Why can't you contact the center?"
"...I don't know."
"........."
-Roar!
This time, the flames engulfed her left ankle. Another scream tore through the night sky.
"...Again. Where's Anis?"
"...No... way."
Roar. Again.
Betty's eyes rolled back halfway.
'...It hurts.'
Betty's eyes gazed into the void.
There was no part of her body that didn't ache.
She had screamed so much her throat was hoarse, her voice barely coming out.
Her head spun. Sounds grew faint, mixed with noise.
-...Keep... this... up... won't... say... anything?
Her vision blurred, her mind distant.
The extreme pain of melting skin made proper thought impossible.
Yet she hadn't let go of her mental thread.
-Slap!
"...Snap out of it. Answer me. Where's Anis?"
Her name, echoing in her ears repeatedly.
"Anis is..."
In her dark, bleak life, she had suddenly appeared like a beacon.
On the lonely path, the first companion to match her steps.
The only one who could understand her.
Her salvation, her light.
The only thing left for her when nothing remained.
"Anis... is my friend..."
Betty's lips moved. Her dimmed focus stared into the distance.
"Overcoming... all hardships... and trials... happily..."
Recalling that day's promise, she murmured like a spell.
"...Our... happy ending..."
"...What?"
Yoon Na-rin frowned, wiping sweat from her chin.
Had she finally lost her mind on the brink of death?
Hardships? Trials?
Yoon Na-rin turned to look down at the railing below.
Someone was dying. Due to Betty sniping heroes, formations collapsed, and heroes were being eaten alive by magic beasts.
And that wasn't all.
The magic beasts summoned in the park in the past.
The chimera summoned in the center, killing people.
The massive horde led by Cerberus, laying waste to countless B-sectors.
Rockbell's death.
Lena, the girl Anis saved, being killed.
Anis suffering shock, tormented, unable to handle her rampaging demonic energy.
Attacking the X-sector fortress, driving Yoon Kang-woo to death.
Raiding the association headquarters, plunging the city into chaos.
"...All your doing."
Countless people had died.
Most nameless innocents.
We don't know their weight because they're unmentioned, passed over.
Most knew nothing, did nothing wrong.
Mothers and fathers embracing children died.
Children dreaming of tomorrow, holding parents' hands, died.
Students dreaming purely of the future, powerless teachers protecting them, died.
Trusted friends, loved lovers, lifelong spouses.
Countless happiness trampled. By the disaster you brought, Betty.
Yet what? Hardships? Trials?
"Why do you act like the victim...?"
Using others' lives as fuel to seize happiness—is that overcoming hardships?
Turning the city to ruins, killing countless—is that it?
"Disgusting bitch."
Her nose-curling selfishness, claiming all her actions justified.
"Don't the dead mean nothing to you? You probably never even thought about it."
Yoon Na-rin spat out her boiling disgust.
"........."
Betty stared at the ashen sky with unfocused eyes.
She had thought about it.
At first, it was just exhilarating.
Especially when haughty elites or arrogant heroes suffered.
Seeing those who ignored her in her darkest days in misery was thrilling.
Thinking they tasted the same despair and pain eased the deep-seated grudge a bit.
Betty wanted revenge.
Against the world that made her this way—revenge and ruin.
Of course, after meeting Anis, her thoughts changed... but at least back then.
But that didn't mean no guilt.
For every elite killed, ten ordinary, a hundred slum dwellers died.
Ironically, to kill one elite she despised, mountains of slum folk like her past self piled up.
But.
She turned away.
It was unavoidable.
She covered guilt with lofty excuses, deceiving herself.
The sight of innocents bleeding to death was sad.
But if her misfortune-filled life could gain even a bit of happiness.
Yes.
So that was.
"Unavoidable..."
"...What?"
"You did it too..."
As population grew, the poor were pushed to the outskirts.
City couldn't function with everyone in center—unavoidable.
Ignored slum dwellers starving on outskirts.
Center short on budget, no spare to help—unavoidable.
Crying for help from father's violence.
Too busy surviving to care—unavoidable.
After sister's death, rummaging trash alone hungry.
Left slums unable to bear loneliness, heading to center with dreams.
Fled to other sectors unable to endure center's scorn and discrimination.
All with reasons: unavoidable.
They ignored her cries.
Everyone did.
Even trivial, if it made them slightly happier, others' misfortune was unavoidable.
So this was.
"Unavoidable."
Short, spat out. Forcing her fading mind to hold, she muttered.
Betty wasn't guiltless. She pitied them.
But.
For my happiness.
If she could have a happy ending just with Anis.
No matter the form.
She'd ignore them, rationalize endlessly.
Just call it 'unavoidable.'
"...Not worth hearing."
Yoon Na-rin grimaced in disgust.
There are lines to rationalizing unavoidable. Betty's acts far crossed them.
"You crossed the line long ago."
"Me too...!"
Grind. Teeth-clenching sound leaked.
"I didn't want to cross...! I...! I didn't want to cross...! I tried to stay within! I tried!"
Even after burying her only ally, her sister, Betty chased hope.
Even if they couldn't empathize pain or despair.
She sought someone to be on her side, to blend in.
"I wandered center, outskirts, all sectors trying! To fit like ordinary people! But..."
Betty's eyes bulged, forgetting pain. Bones and flesh creaked screams, but she bellowed.
"You bastards pushed me out!!!"
It was a scream. Of one who tried to blend but couldn't.
Her origins and grotesque tattoos brought only contempt and persecution.
Gazes like cold blades, talks leaving wounds. Slowly pushed out of the city.
"Still, I didn't want to cross... I would've rather died alone...!"
But she didn't want to die.
Better turn world enemy than die. Better than cowering in city. Happier.
Even this sewer life, choose breath of air.
Endure, and light would come someday. She believed.
And soon, light came.
The chance for happiness she longed for.
"Finally a bit happy... the happiness I always dreamed of right there... I don't want to die now..."
Betty's shaking retinas caught the night sky. Stars faintly twinkled through cloudy gloom.
The pretty twinkling star she yearned for. Beckoning right before her.
Star.
Twinkling pretty star.
Shining beautifully.
Her eyes lost focus, wandering far.
"...Hey, let me live. Yeah? I'll be good. Won't kill anyone, do good deeds. So..."
Give me a break. Her hoarse voice pathetically begged mercy. Only cold night wind swirled.
"........."
Yoon Na-rin silently watched her.
"No."
Just that.
"You've done too much."
Not worth hearing plea.
Last gasp of a murderer at the guillotine.
Tragic past regrettable.
Sad? Not at all.
Compared to villains like Camilla or Kahartel, her nature somewhat human.
Born normal family, loved, might've lived ordinarily.
But.
Good and evil decided by visible actions, not hidden nature.
Betty killed, caused death of thousands, tens of thousands.
No matter tragic past, human traits.
She's mass murderer unchanged.
Thus.
Betty was evil. Humanity's enemy, driving to near extinction, deserved death.
Only visible fact remains.
"Could say same to Anis?"
Betty asked.
Yoon Na-rin silent.
"See. Everyone same..."
Betty laughed bitterly.
"You think Anis unavoidable too... Criticize my rationalizing."
"...Shut up. Anis different from you."
Anis.
The Anis Harper Yoon Na-rin knew.
"Doesn't commit irredeemable acts like you, then blame others, evade."
Yoon Na-rin knew. What Anis was like from what she'd seen.
She hurt more for others' pain than her own.
Thought of others, tried to help.
Wanted to be hero, save someone.
"All angel's suggestion."
"Even so."
All that goodness not just brainwashing.
"I believe so."
Even hallucinating from demonic addiction, in last resort, hesitated to kill.
Even at doomed frontline, chose hurling heroes away over killing.
So Anis different from screaming murderer Betty before her.
Surely still sliver of hope.
She wanted to believe.
Yoon Na-rin raised her hand high. Blood-red flames blazed at fingertips.
No point prolonging filthy interrogation.
Betty wouldn't answer, just emotional waste.
Right to kill.
Burn her, go down, sort situation, slowly find Anis.
"...Without me, Anis will be sad."
"........."
Right, it hit.
Unlike expectation Betty brainwashed Anis, she cherished her—secondary.
For Anis too, eliminate this self-justifying murderer ASAP, prevent approach.
[If I wield sword, who watches Betty and Han?]
...Right.
Yet raised hand wouldn't fall easily.
"...Don't wanna be hated by Anis?"
Betty's voice slithered into Yoon Na-rin's hesitation.
"...Spare me. Won't do anything henceforth. Satisfied just by Anis. Just let me live."
Can't do much in this state anyway?
Betty raised ragged hand, looked up at Yoon Na-rin. Tear stains showed agony endured.
...If kill, will Anis grieve.
Hate me.
"........."
Yoon Na-rin silent again.
Knew answer set. Head concluded.
Yet Anis's name stirred heart to seek alternatives.
-See. Everyone same.
Rationalizing.
Maybe sparing okay.
Can't use powers properly now. Bind somewhere, interrogate leisurely after.
Better for Anis too...
"Damn."
But when would situation resolve?
Magic beasts swarming, center status unclear.
Doubt if resolves, when.
Busy with immediate crisis, no leisure for later.
Can't decide hastily.
Hard to use powers, but not irrecoverable.
Healing magic beasts uncommon but exist.
Wherever bound, risk of magic beast reach. Sparing carries risk.
If spared and backfires gravely?
Conflicts flashed through mind repeatedly.
That moment.
"If you've decided, don't hesitate."
-Slash!
Sword swung down.
Betty's view spun.
Thud. Roll...
Dull sound.
Head hit floor, rolled.
Cleanly severed neck from body. Yoon Na-rin's eyes shook.
The murderer who begged screaming moments ago, now eternally silent.
"...Captain."
Yoon Na-rin turned to woman who swung sword. Slightly puzzled gaze.
"Situation below roughly sorted. Glad arrived before more damage."
Aselrika indifferently eyed rolling head, then nodded toward beyond railing.
"Think no backstory-less corpse among piles below?"
"...No."
"Harsh, but world's logic usually so."
"........."
"No need deep thought. Whatever story, fact she killed countless. See murderer paid for innocents' massacre."
As if hearing, headless mouth grinned mockingly.
"Merhen below. Join her group."
"...Yes."
Yoon Na-rin seemed to want say something, lips pursed, but closed mouth, descended stairs.
Aselrika overlooked railing, gauged situation, shook blood from sword, followed Yoon Na-rin.
Only lifeless head left on cold rooftop.
Verbose murderer's empty sockets faced ashen sky.
Over rooftop, indifferent cloudy gloom drifted.