Human Emotions
I had gained a new inherent trait: Twilight Light.
"Has no one ever obtained your inherent trait before, Lord Theostras?"
"Ah, there was one. But they died a while back. Somewhere around stage twenty-odd."
"Even with a trait like this, one can still die?"
Fwoooosh—
Twilight Light.
It was an energy that carried the power to annihilate all things wicked and profane. It couldn't heal or mend anything, but against curses and poison, its effects were said to be devastating. In other words, I had now stepped into the realm that martial arts novels always spoke of — impervious to all poisons.
"By the way, is it really all right to defy Omnissiah? From what I've heard, others avoid it like the plague."
"Omnissiah is indeed a god of tremendous caliber. Transcendents have their ranks, and gods have theirs as well — and among them, Omnissiah deserves to be called the very pinnacle."
"Then why are you helping me?"
"BWAHAHAHA! I am a godslayer. It seems you don't understand what that word means. Think of it this way: an ant trained itself until it could defeat a human wielding a flyswatter. That should make it simple enough."
"Hmm… so it won't be easy."
So the planets were ant nests, and these beings raised the ants like livestock before swatting them. I was mulling that grim picture over when Sun Wukong spoke up.
"What does that matter? Go see Rune already. She'll fall over backwards. Khekhekhek…"
"Hmm… she and I aren't exactly on good terms, mind you."
So Theostras knew Rune as well.
I was about to head over to her when—
"That power… where did it come from?"
Rune came flying in from somewhere the instant she sensed my aura. She actually flew. She froze for a moment at her own sudden entrance, then gave a small nod to herself.
"If it is truly his power, it will be a considerable help. A sponsor, then. But Theostras — get over here. Now."
"Ugh… what now?"
"Fawning over my sister again, are you?"
"N-now hold on! I was merely moved by the man's noble heart to protect his—"
"Don't make me laugh. Did you think I wouldn't see through your little games? My sister has been married for ages!"
"…I know… I know…"
A morning drama had broken out out of nowhere. Listening to them bicker, I gathered that Theostras and Rune came from the same planet. The difference was that they lived in different eras. Their world seemed to have had beings known as Heroes, and Theostras had held the rank of the very first Hero, while Rune belonged to a later age.
"Well, you take after your sister with that sweet tongue of yours! Huh? What kind of woman acts like this! How do you expect to get along with this fine young man, huh? HUH?"
"Wh-what… what are you even saying!"
It was fascinating enough to see Rune, whose expression never changed, get angry — but then she actually went and showed a flustered, blushing face.
"Eh… eh?"
"Hm?"
"…"
Tadadadadadat!
"Whew…"
"Whoa, hold on, is this brat…?"
"Huh…?"
Thump-thump-thump.
"What is… why did I just run away?"
She had a long history with Theostras. To put it precisely, he had been something like a close older brother to her — until one day he began pining for her younger sister. He had tried to hide it, but the moment she spotted her sister's poster plastered across his entire domain, there was no hiding it anymore.
Back then, though, her sister already had a boyfriend — she was even preparing for marriage. Theostras ended up with that weakness hanging over his head, which was exactly why he'd been helping Rune all this time.
But perhaps because helping Rune meant running into her sister more and more often… his longing for her had only burned hotter, and even now, long after her marriage, he still carried that flame.
"Haah…"
"When are you getting married, unnie? And how do you plan to charm a man when you're that cold all the time?"
"Quiet!"
Her sister's nagging was ringing in her head out of nowhere. Rune had shed the vast majority of her emotions when she transcended — but lately, everything had changed. Changed so thoroughly that if her sister saw her now, she would read every last thing off her face.
Well, her sister wouldn't know. She hadn't seen her since the day Theostras had stopped merely helping Rune and started openly courting her sister instead.
In the meantime, Rune had fought the Pakuta faction battle after battle, and was steadily turning into a slaughter machine stripped of all feeling.
Yet there was one thing Rune had overlooked.
The simple fact that she was a Transcendent.
Transcendents and gods could only sustain their power through emotion — faith, reverence — and through people who remembered them. Pakuta had guarded that truth jealously and grown ever stronger for it, while she, having discarded her emotions to think of nothing but slaughter, had drifted to the very edge of ceasing to exist.
Cornered like that, she had felt the noose tighten — and had been left with no choice but to join this.
"Did coming down to the mortal plane bring my emotions back to life, or what…? Honestly, what is wrong with me."
To be perfectly frank, Kim Hyunwoo was absolutely not her type. Her taste ran toward men who supported her and helped her steel her own resolve.
…Though she had never once held feelings for a man in her entire existence.
"Phew… ever since I came to the mortal plane, it's like some strange side effect has kicked in. Yes. That must be it."
But there was something Rune herself had failed to notice.
It made no sense at all that a woman who found even speaking a chore was chattering on like this. She simply hadn't had a spare moment to think about it.
After an uncountable stretch of time spent moving for nothing but slaughter, he was the one who had given her a new stimulus. All she felt was gratitude — that the part of her which had been turning into a machine had come back to life, and that she could now think again.
Even when she had written those mechanical letters to her sister, saying she was doing fine, she had been deep in battle with the enemy. She had cut her sister out of her life deliberately.
"…I should go see her someday."
She couldn't now, not while she was bound to this. Once everything was over, she would go to her.
"But the Master would have to permit it… no, wait — what would even happen if I met my sister?"
Rune had vanished without warning, and the rest of us just stood there, blankly staring at the spot where she'd been. The shock was such that even the transcendents said nothing for a long moment.
"She really has changed. For the better, I mean. When I first knew her… ugh. I hate just thinking about it."
"You said you and Rune are from the same planet, Lord Theostras. Then you must know how she transcended?"
"I do. What, curious?"
"Of course. But I'll hear that one from her directly, later."
"BWAHAHAHA! Good. That's how a man should be. By the way, Wukong — what do you make of it?"
"I'd stake my fur it's certain. But there wasn't the slightest sign of it before, was there? That slaughter machine— whoops, ahem — anyway, could that one really act like this?"
"I was thinking the same. Taking an interest in a man, of all things."
"Couldn't it happen? Interference thins out once you descend to the mortal plane. And us, Backer Stars? We're not exactly breathing down their necks from up here."
"Ah… that much is true."
"…Interference?"
Come to think of it, something had always been off. Pitasha and Rune were both products of my ability — in other words, of Omnissiah's authority. Beings who owed him absolute, unquestioning loyalty. So how could they possibly defy him?
What if my power was his authority — merely diluted?
Except "diluted" didn't quite fit. Too many things didn't add up. What if Pitasha and Rune despised Omnissiah, and Omnissiah had sent them down to the mortal plane to be disposed of?
"If I'd accepted Omnissiah's sponsorship… what would have become of them?"
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
And it didn't stop there. Merely being connected to him might have been enough to turn me into one of his apostles — to have Earth remade into one great machine. The way they all talked, accepting his aid would have been like letting myself be contaminated.
'Sun Wukong called Rune a slaughter machine. Then her awkwardness with emotions — was that because she really had been turning into a machine?'
Heh.
I could feel it — the bastard was smiling. More precisely, I could feel his will.
"What are you scheming, Wukong?"
"Hehehehe… would you look at that, it's dinnertime. Theotras! Come pay my domain a visit sometime. I'll treat you to a proper feast."
"Eh? Ah… aye, gladly. Actually, speaking of which, I could use the privy… haha…"
And with that, both of them were gone.
Theostras wanted to help me and had known Rune a long time, so it made sense — dropping tidbits of information my way like that.
But still.
Sun Wukong was cunning. And he was clever.
He would never have just happened to say all that. Which meant he was telling me, deliberately: never stand on Omnissiah's side. Stand against him. Never accept his sponsorship, no matter what.
But why?
I couldn't begin to fathom why Sun Wukong was being this good to me. Still, he was clearly plotting something using me as his piece — and so far, not a single thing he'd done had harmed me.
And the truth was, I wanted out from under Omnissiah's influence.
I was using his authority even now, and I couldn't simply throw it away. The moment I did, the thought that every one of my commanders would vanish — or be disposed of — filled my head and refused to leave.
And as for why Rune had changed so suddenly… most likely, it was—
"Theostras. He must be burning through a great deal of power."
My sponsor was probably sacrificing something of himself to wall off Omnissiah's interference. Which meant what Wukong was blocking was only the interference that came after our contract — anything already done before it didn't need undoing.
…My head aches.
"One thing is certain. In my current position, there isn't a single reason to accept Omnissiah."
So what I needed to do now was grow using his authority — while cultivating powers of my own alongside it.
"Actually, an idea just came to me. Rune! Come here a moment."
"Yes. You called?"
"Uh… yes. There's something I've been thinking about. Mind if we try it for a minute?"
"Yes."
Her face had gone even stiffer than before. Looking at her like that, I found myself wanting to tease her.
"Rune. Would you follow any order I give you?"
"…Yes. Because you are my Master…"
"Hmm… is it forced? The order?"
"To some extent, yes."
"I see. Pitasha too?"
"…Yes."
Her words were slowing down, nerves creeping in — and yet her footsteps were getting faster. Fast enough that if I just stood still, she'd drag us both all the way to the command room.
I hurried after her.
"Rune. Stop."
She froze on the spot. I walked up behind her.
"Haah… haah…"
Rune was breathing slowly, heavily.
"Rune. Turn around."
Whish—
"Haah……. Haah……."
For a moment I just stood there, looking at her face as she turned.
Just as I opened my mouth—
"…What are you two doing?"