Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Chapter 90
The Witch's Chapter (2)
December 1st. Japan disappeared from history. Instead, a new name was attached to that place. Cheonmado. Like Jeju Island, this was a term that collectively referred to former Japan.
The Japanese people's resistance was fierce. They showed an especially extreme rejection to the fact that they had become Korean territory. An independent army had already formed around the surviving soldiers, and protests condemning Korea continued.
A long procession was passing in front of a hospital on the outskirts of Tokyo. Their pickets were filled with writings criticizing Korea and the Heavenly Demon Cult, and inscribed with the will to never surrender.
A man entered the hospital. The Japanese man Nabe. The Hundred Tiger Ghost of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The hospital was a 10-story building. It was a medical family that had been passed down through generations, and it was an achievement that the Hundred Tiger Ghost's father had accomplished through painstaking effort. His father, the director of the general hospital, and his mother, the deputy director. The Hundred Tiger Ghost entered that hospital.
The Hundred Tiger Ghost familiarly took the elevator and moved to the 10th floor. There were still many patients in the hospital, and despite the great chaos, treatment was proceeding normally. The doctors and nurses recognized the Hundred Tiger Ghost and showed surprised expressions.
'The foolish son.'
That's what he was called. It was the nickname used to refer to him, who despite being the son of the director and deputy director, sat in a mere small office position at the hospital.
The Hundred Tiger Ghost opened the door to the director's office. His father came into view. When he looked at him, his father's gaze was the same as always. Disappointment, anger. Wrinkles were always creased on his forehead, and when he turned away, he was irritable. His mother was beside him. She was the mother who at least showed him a little affection.
His father saw the Hundred Tiger Ghost and strode toward him.
Smack!
The Hundred Tiger Ghost didn't avoid it. He quietly watched as his father's palm struck his cheek and passed by.
Smack! Smack!
The violence continued.
"How dare you! How could you, as a Japanese! Help the damned Koreans and oppress Japan!"
The Hundred Tiger Ghost looked at his mother's expression rather than listening to his father's words. A hollow laugh escaped. His mother's expression was no different from his father's. After confirming that, he turned around.
"Nabe! You are no longer my son!"
Those words stopped the Hundred Tiger Ghost in his tracks. The Hundred Tiger Ghost looked at his father and said,
"Was there ever a time when I was your son?"
At the Hundred Tiger Ghost's retort, his father was at a loss for words.
"There are those who were part of the Heavenly Demon Cult in their past lives but didn't join the Heavenly Demon Cult. They chose their family who raised and nurtured them, not the Heavenly Demon Cult."
The Hundred Tiger Ghost said with a bitter smile,
"I didn't even agonize over it. Because I hated returning to my family."
"You bastard!"
"Japan no longer exists. Whether Korea or Japan, nations have no meaning to me. I only need the Heavenly Demon Cult. My family is there."
After saying that, the Hundred Tiger Ghost politely bowed at the waist.
"Thank you for giving birth to me and raising me. If there is a way for me to repay that kindness, I will do so. But we are no longer family."
Why? A droplet fell from the Hundred Tiger Ghost's eyes.
'Tch, foolishly.'
He quickly turned around to hide that appearance. And he left that place.
As he came out of the hospital and dried his tears in the cold wind, a telepathic message was heard.
—Embarrassingly, are you crying?
"Cult Leader."
Na Uram was looking down at the Hundred Tiger Ghost from a building rooftop where the hospital was visible. The Hundred Tiger Ghost quickly leaped up to Na Uram.
"Does it hurt?"
"Yes!"
"Your voice is spirited."
Na Uram turned his body first and said,
"Regardless of your will, your family will be protected. So there's no need to deliberately draw a line."
"I don't think that will be necessary."
"I said regardless of your will. This is the rule of the Heavenly Demon Cult."
"Thank you."
"Thank you for what. It's only natural."
A brief silence continued, and Na Uram said,
"Don't be hurt. Whether in body or heart."
Na Uram left those words and disappeared. To the Hundred Tiger Ghost's eyes, Na Uram's retreating figure looked lonely. That scene created tears in his eyes again.
***
The provincial office of Cheonmado moved into Tokyo, which had been Japan's capital. It was currently the only Korean facility in Japan. The area in front of it was noisy with protests day after day. However, there was no one responding. Because there was no one inside the provincial office.
Therefore, the protesters even entered inside the provincial office. The interior of the provincial office was completely destroyed, and this led to violent protests.
Na Uram watched that scene from afar. The protests of ordinary people didn't pose a great threat to him. However, they could provide sufficient psychological pressure. There was a method of suppression.
'Forceful suppression.'
It was a conventional method. Every nation goes through this process after war.
'Just leave them alone.'
An anarchic state. Na Uram had seen this process with his own eyes in his past life. When an anarchic state first occurs, people create rules. And they maintain fairly decent order in their own way. But when crime occurs, those rules break.
The limits of temporary public authority are revealed. When cracks form like that, society eventually breaks down and transforms into a lawless land. It becomes a society where those with power wield it as they please, and those without power have no choice but to live like slaves.
'A huge collective will emerge.'
The formation of a new society begins from that point. Na Uram intended to wait until then.
'What will happen when that collective collapses?'
When survival becomes the top priority, they too will no longer discuss the value of history. When your own child is starving right now, your own parent is dying, your own wife is sick, you're destined to abandon everything. The existence of public authority guarantees that minimum safety.
People don't realize it, but when they lose it, they come to feel it keenly.
"Jimun Seo-saeng, execute what you prepared."
That night. Korea's navy and air force began bombing once again. The power plant was first, and the oil facilities were second. The last was the road connecting rivers and the sea.
—All ship and aircraft operations heading to Cheonmado are restricted.
Japan's access to all information and movement was thus cut off. The protests became even more intense.
When three days had passed like that, the Heavenly Demon Cult members directly carried out another raid. Broadcasting stations and communication facilities. All of Japan's communication facilities collapsed. This included the satellite center as well. The only remaining radio station delivered the Korean government's message before blocking the signal.
—If you want the Korean government, light candles every day at midnight. When candles are lit throughout all of Japan, the Korean government will enter Cheonmado.
That was the end of it. Cheonmado became abandoned land.
***
After that, Na Uram cut off his interest in Cheonmado. In any case, when the time came, they would need public authority, and he judged that he could enter then. He left it to the Japanese people what kind of life they would live in the meantime.
'The freedom they wanted.'
As they desired, the Korean government didn't enter.
When the situation regarding Cheonmado was settled, Na Uram tried to enter training, but Na Yuri did not.
"So you're saying you released my mind control?"
Na Uram flinched.
"And you even used my name to negotiate?"
Na Yuri, who had been talking with Jimun Seo-saeng, glanced at Na Uram.
"The Cult Leader said he would take responsibility."
Jimun Seo-saeng tattled without hiding anything. At those words, Na Yuri stood in front of Na Uram.
"Did you sell your older sister's name?"
"You should speak properly. Selling? I used it."
"Fine, okay. A younger brother can use his older sister's name a bit. But we still need to settle accounts properly, right?"
"What accounts?"
"Follow me."
"Where are we going?"
Na Yuri answered as if it were obvious.
"Ehwa Palace. Since you impudently released my magic, you should at least greet them, right?"
Na Uram knew that the greeting wouldn't simply end with a handshake.
"I also think that's the best method, but there's one problem."
"What problem?"
"The woman Jimun Seo-saeng likes is there."
Jimun Seo-saeng looked at Na Uram with an expression asking what he was talking about. In those eyes was also resentment.
"I heard the women of Ehwa Palace are that beautiful?"
"It's the best group I've seen."
"So that's why you spared them?"
Na Yuri said with her characteristic sneer.
"Because there's a woman Jimun Seo-saeng likes."
Upon hearing the same words twice, Na Yuri also looked at Jimun Seo-saeng.
"Is it true?"
"It is."
Surprisingly, Jimun Seo-saeng readily admitted it.
"What's her name?"
"A woman named Nakhwa. She's very attractive."
Na Yuri was slightly flustered when Jimun Seo-saeng answered definitively. Then she said as if displeased,
"So in the end, you used my name to date?"
This time it was Jimun Seo-saeng who was flustered. The definite answer to calm the situation had flowed in a strange direction. Fortunately, before Jimun Seo-saeng could answer, Na Uram spoke.
"Actually, that's not the only problem."
"There's another problem?"
"Ehwa Palace is quite strong. Although it was a short battle, the Ehwa Palace Master was evenly matched with me."
"What?"
Na Yuri frowned and asked Na Uram,
"Did you get hit again?"
"It's not that..."
"Did you get hit?"
"I hit her too!"
"So you got hit."
Na Uram's irritation surged at Na Yuri's action of making a disappointed expression.
"Fine! Let's go! Ehwa Palace or whatever! Let's destroy it today!"
When Na Uram lost his reason, Jimun Seo-saeng hastily stopped him.
"Cult Leader, didn't you say there are beautiful women there? Are you really going to give up this easily? You said you'd marry off all of Hundred White Blood Corps..."
Jimun Seo-saeng, who had been speaking, suddenly closed his mouth. That action made Na Uram uneasy. Na Uram first looked at Na Yuri's expression. Na Yuri turned around with a deep sneer. Watching that action, he realized there was a bigger hell.
"Who's at Ehwa Palace?"
It was Jang So-yeon.
"We're in an important meeting right now."
Na Uram said in a low voice.
"Don't worry. I'll go right away."
Jang So-yeon came right up in front of Na Uram and said,
"Meet me in the evening. I have something to say."
She set an appointment and left the conference room.
"Jimun Seo-saeng."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
"I'm getting dumped right now, aren't I?"
"It seems that way."
Na Yuri interjected into their conversation.
"You really don't know women."
"What! How many women did I embrace in my past life!"
"But those women probably didn't cling to you, did they?"
Na Uram was about to refute, but stopped. Because it was true.
"It was because they knew the Cult Leader was a man they couldn't have. It wasn't because you lacked charm."
"Just say the first part."
"I apologize."
In his past life, there were many women who admired Na Uram. There were also many women who said they would wait a lifetime if they could be by his side. But in the end, they too became exhausted. Waiting changes a person's heart. Because even love gets tired.
'The Witch is right.'
Na Uram also knew that fact.
'But I can't just let them die from a sword.'
His women were always exposed to danger. But he couldn't always be protecting his women either. This time was the same.
"Cult Leader, why don't you go meet her right away? Who knows, a miracle might happen?"
"It's a situation where we're hoping for a miracle?"
"The probability is about that much."
Na Uram's shoulders drooped. And so Na Uram left the meeting place.
After Na Uram left and Na Yuri was left alone with Jimun Seo-saeng, she changed the atmosphere.
"I'll let it slide this time."
"What do you mean?"
"Your acting is clumsy. I'm letting it go because it's admirable how hard you're trying to stop me."
"I apologize."
"The Heavenly Demon stops a meeting looking like that because of romance? The setup is forced, isn't it?"
Na Yuri gave up on her thoughts about Ehwa Palace and tried to leave the conference room. Then at the entrance, she looked at Jimun Seo-saeng with a just-in-case expression.
"Did you calculate that I'd let it go too?"
Jimun Seo-saeng didn't answer.
"Why aren't you answering?"
"I don't want to lie."
"You're really interesting."
Na Yuri also left the conference room.