Confessions of a Shattered Justice
The Order's assault rapidly ate away at the Haninhae. They came like thieves in the night. Despite moving dozens of people, not a single trace of them was caught by the patrols sweeping the streets near City Hall. They descended from the heavens and vanished into the earth. After drawing attention by leaping from high-rise buildings, they disappeared into the underground sewer systems—even though no maps of those sewers could possibly have survived. They navigated the forest of skyscrapers and the valleys of the sewers as if they were in their own homes.
Moreover, they were utterly elusive. It was as if they could see the Haninhae's troop deployments at a glance, unerringly piercing through the weakest points in their defenses. Appearing from blind spots, they destroyed facilities with thunderous gunfire before vanishing with superhuman speed. For some reason, they avoided directly killing the Haninhae's personnel, but the sudden, unpredictable appearances of these fanatics were more than enough to inflict severe psychological exhaustion.
"Fuck, what the hell... How does this make any sense?!"
The one under the greatest stress was none other than the President. He had been eagerly anticipating the fulfillment of his lifelong wish, hoping he would finally be free from walking on eggshells around that lunatic. To have this happen right on the cusp of his triumph... A furious Lee Seokin roared at his secretary.
"Why can't we catch a single damn cult?! The registered forces of the Haninhae alone number six hundred and fifty-two! Why can't we kill a measly fifty of them?!"
"M-Mr. President. As you know, the majority of our forces are currently deployed to stabilize the surrounding districts—"
"I don't give a shit! What about the one hundred and twenty-nine men kept on active duty? Are they just playing around?! Do they not know how to pull a fucking trigger?!"
"Sir, those fanatics are far superior to our men—"
The secretary tried her best to explain the situation. The physical capabilities of the cultists were all well above average. They were on par with trained elite soldiers or Awakened who had obtained minor physical enhancement abilities. Furthermore, they didn't even wear gas masks. Somehow, they had bypassed the chemical and biological hazards of the wasteland, breathing and running with their beast-like faces fully exposed. This created a massive disparity in a gunfight. They were already adept at exploiting blind spots, and the restricted vision of the Haninhae soldiers' gas masks made proper engagement nearly impossible... She tried to calm the President with these rational points, but—
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?! Fuck, so because the enemy is stronger than our guards, we should just lay down and die?! What, is a defeated gatekeeper supposed to just open the door and welcome them in?!"
Her words only had the opposite effect. Since the Haninhae had grown to its current size, they had never faced such a direct assault. Any conflicts that did arise were handled entirely by the Special Suppression Team. Yeomyeong would march straight into the enemy's stronghold and subjugate everyone. Naturally, not a single groan of pain ever reached the headquarters. A peace that had lasted remarkably long for this twisted world—that was what had made Lee Seokin's mind soft. It made him easily shaken.
Unable to bear it any longer, the President hastily grabbed his gas mask and shouted,
"Enough! I—I have to go. To the annex... I must see Lady Miraj. To survive in this godforsaken world, that is the only way...!"
He stormed out of the presidential office. The secretary rushed to block his path, crying out,
"Sir, you can't! Captain Yeomyeong strictly ordered us to keep you safely protected inside the office!"
"...Keep me protected in the office? Ha! He's treating me like livestock he's raising! And you, you bitch. Yeomyeong ordered you? Whose orders are you actually supposed to follow?! Am I that bastard's subordinate now, huh?!"
He swung his arm and backhanded the secretary. Though his body was far from athletic, the sheer momentum of his heavy frame carried enough force to send the woman sprawling.
"Kyaah!"
Lee Seokin ran, leaving the fallen secretary behind. Dragging his bloated, flabby body, he headed toward the annex. The President could feel his heart hammering violently against his ribs. His obese frame screamed in pain, a sharp stitch stabbing his side from just the short sprint to the annex. To make matters worse, perhaps because he hadn't worn a gas mask in so long, he had put it on haphazardly. Contaminated air seeped through the gaps of the loose seal. Every breath felt as if his lungs were being set on fire.
By the time the President finally reached the City Hall annex where Miraj's private laboratory was located, he was utterly exhausted. Lee Seokin ripped off the useless gas mask and began crawling up the annex stairs on all fours. Mysterious golden characters were inscribed upon the stairwell walls. Beyond them, strange black particles drifted through the air. He crawled upward, bathed in an oppressive, sticky, and viscous energy that clung to his entire body. When he finally managed to reach the fifteenth floor—the very top of the annex—he gasped.
"Haaah... gasp... M-Lady Miraj... huff... the research... how is... gasp..."
"Oh my, look who's here. My, you look absolutely ridiculous."
The priestess from another world greeted the President. Wearing her usual playful smile, she reached out a hand to him.
"It's alright. Here, let me help you."
Miraj warmly supported him. She pulled the President—who was suffering from the sudden exertion and toxic gas—to his feet. Linking her arm with his to keep him from falling, she whispered into his ear.
"The research is almost complete, all thanks to your help. And the 'enhancement' you mentioned... it's ready as well."
The priestess's whisper seeped into Lee Seokin's ear like thick, sticky honey.
"I tried my best to accommodate almost all of your requests. It's a bit of a shame, but... I even managed to include the physical data of that Yeomyeong fellow you mentioned before."
The woman pulled a small vial from her pocket. It was a reagent that gleamed with a deep golden hue—an artificial 'awakening elixir' refined through holy magic imbued with the power of Order.
"With this, your long-cherished wish will finally come true, Mr. President. You'll finally be able to sleep without trembling..."
The moment he heard her words, the President reached out blindly. Like an infant begging for its mother's milk, he desperately stretched his fleshy arm toward the elixir. Miraj did not bother to avoid his touch. Instead, she tightly grasped Lee Seokin's hand, interlacing her fingers with his as she handed over the vial. She merely continued to whisper in her sweet, cloying voice.
"However, I still need one more ingredient for the true completion of my research."
"Huff... gasp... t-take it... as much as... gasp... y-you want—"
"Yes. Even if you hadn't said so... I would have done it anyway."
Smiling, Miraj moved her arm. With her fingers still interlaced with Lee Seokin's, she tipped the elixir directly into his mouth.
"Gasp... ugh... aaargh...!!"
The President greedily devoured the golden liquid. The reagent, heavy as mercury yet sweet as syrup, slid down his throat in an instant. *Thump!* At that exact moment, his already racing heart began to throb even more violently.
"Haa... haa... huff... gasp!"
Having swallowed the elixir, the President gasped for air. He desperately clutched his chest with both hands. It felt as if someone were using his heart as a drum. Shockwaves rippled through his entire body. He collapsed, curling into a tight ball. Miraj no longer supported him. A misty haze began to rise from the President's body. The priestess muttered as she watched.
"I honestly have no idea what principles govern the awakening of people from this world. So instead, I mixed my authority with an elixir used by the Heretic Inquisitors of Order. It might not be exactly what you had in mind... but teehee, you'll still get the power you wanted."
"Aaaagh! Aaaaahhh!"
Miraj looked down at the President writhing on the floor and gave his body a few light prods with her foot. Highly sensitive to even the slightest stimulus due to the awakening process, Lee Seokin shrieked and rolled away from her kicks. Eventually, his body was driven right up to the edge of the window. He writhed frantically, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Miraj called out to the President one last time.
"The effects will show up after a little while. Well then, do your best!"
Thud!
The woman's slender foot kicked his fleshy back. The reaction was instantaneous. Drenched in cold sweat, Lee Seokin rolled convulsively. It didn't matter to him that there was nothing but empty air beneath him. Desperate to escape the agony, the President flung himself out the window.
Splat.
A moment later, the sound of a heavy mass of flesh slamming into the ground echoed from below. With this, her homework was finished. The preparations were complete. Now, all that was left was to gather the fuel. Miraj wiped the sweat from her brow with a refreshed expression.
"We will meet soon... I do hope we can have a pleasant conversation!"
Gazing past the shattered ceiling and the hazy sky, toward a celestial body watching this place from the deep, dark abyss of space, the priestess murmured in ecstasy.
Meanwhile, the moment news broke that the Order had attacked the Haninhae, Yeomyeong bolted from his seat. It was a conditional reflex. The conversation they had shared yesterday had been playing on an endless loop in his mind.
"Just... if your worries ever get too heavy, try visiting the angel sister. She's a very good listener."
At the end of their conversation, the young girl had said those words. That brief sentence had pierced the man's heart like a divine revelation. In that moment, Yeomyeong had thought: The Saintess. If it is her, who came from another world... perhaps she can resolve the emotions I am feeling right now.
...What an absurd thought.
Of course, he knew it was ridiculous. A Saintess from another world. Moreover, she was the Saintess of the very Order he had suddenly raided, wounding her followers and kidnapping Nisyona. He understood perfectly well how utterly insane it was to suddenly ask such a person for life advice.
Yet, the events of the past few days had been more than enough to shatter Yeomyeong's worldview. The common sense he had lived by, believing it to be right his entire life—how contradictory had the conclusions he reached under rational judgment truly been? How powerless and empty they were. He could no longer even judge what was right on his own. Every time he tried to make a decision, the small body of the girl covered in blue flowers flickered before his eyes. The world looked dark once more, just as it had when he was a powerless child.
Therefore, Yeomyeong sought someone who could make the decisions in his stead. He thought of the people who had forced him to confront his own hypocrisy. Yes. At least yesterday, the young girl had been wiser than him. She was more grown-up, more mature. If so, wasn't her advice worth trusting?
Yeomyeong moved without a second thought. He stopped by his quarters and hoisted Nisyona, who was sleeping as if dead, onto his back. Then, he sprinted toward the battlefield where he sensed surges of energy. There stood an old man wearing a cloak and a pointed hat. The old man pulled a glass vial from the fanny pack at his waist. He hurled it, then sparked a flame from his fingertips to set a fence ablaze. The fire seemed intentionally aimed at an empty spot where no one would be hurt.
Yeomyeong watched this for a moment, then leaped forward just as the old man vanished down a manhole. He pushed his stealth abilities—gained by consuming magic stones—to their absolute limit. He recalled the tailing techniques he had mastered through his Acquisition skill. Fortunately, the old man did not notice him. Their stealthy journey lasted for about ten minutes before ending when the old man climbed out of the sewer.
He entered a building located near the old City Hall. It was one of the few structures that still maintained its shape among the heavily ruined buildings of the old world.
...Is this their temporary headquarters?
After a moment of hesitation, Yeomyeong released his concealed presence. He followed the exact path the old man had taken. Making no attempt to hide, he walked proudly through the building's main entrance.
Standing in the first-floor lobby was the old man from before. Yeomyeong spoke to him cautiously.
"...Excuse me. There is something I wish to ask."
The old man flinched in surprise for a brief moment, but soon turned his head gently to meet Yeomyeong's gaze.
"So you followed me after all," the old man replied calmly.
This reaction, too, defied common sense. The old man must have personally witnessed Yeomyeong raiding the Order's sanctuary. Yet, there was not a shred of wariness in his response. Only an absolute, serene composure. Yeomyeong felt a sense of strangeness. For a split second, he wondered if it was a trap. But he quickly shook his head. There were no presences around to suggest an ambush. Besides, had his confusion not already peaked over the past few days? Calming his mind, the young man spoke again.
"...I wish to see the Saintess. Could you guide me to her?"
"Hahaha. Regrettably, the Saintess resides in a high place, and these old bones of mine cannot accompany you. However, I can show you the way. Use those stairs over there."
The old man smiled and pointed. A faint blue light emanated from his fingertip, illuminating the path to the stairs.
Yeomyeong silently followed the blue guidance, but before stepping onto the stairs, he paused and turned back.
"Elder. Do you not hate me? You must know that I kidnapped this child."
Yeomyeong shifted slightly, showing Nisyona strapped to his back. Recognizing the girl's face, the old man replied with a sheepish expression.
"Ahem. I admit there was a brief moment when I did... but now I know. Unless He chooses to look away entirely, once God has stretched forth His hand, the end is already written."
"..."
"If so, what else can we do but pray? Your successful kidnapping of her must have been the will of God as well."
"...Is that so?"
"Hahaha, indeed it is. Look at you now. Are you not standing here of your own accord, carrying the very child you kidnapped back to us?"
The old man laughed heartily. Yeomyeong, too, found himself letting out a small, involuntary chuckle. Though he couldn't quite pinpoint why he was smiling, he spoke in a voice that felt somewhat lighter.
"...I will bring the others soon as well."
"Of course you will."
With their brief conversation concluded, Yeomyeong began to climb the stairs. The presence of the old man gradually faded into the distance. Before long, he reached the top floor. Yeomyeong knocked on the closed door.
"Come in."
The Saintess answered without even asking who it was. Opening the door and stepping inside, his eyes fell upon a woman brewing tea with a disposable teabag. She had hair like spun gold and eyes of ruby red. Though she looked like a young girl who had barely passed puberty, her aura was incredibly alien. She was the Saintess of the Order from another world... and according to Nisyona, a priestess who served the 'God' of this world.
Yeomyeong gently laid Nisyona down on a sofa in the corner of the room, then sat in the chair opposite the Saintess. A dust-covered table. Three slips of paper resting upon it. He watched as the light streaming through the window illuminated the Saintess's back like a halo.
"..."
"If you have something to say, please speak freely."
At her prompting, Yeomyeong hesitated before finally opening his mouth.
"I have come to make a confession. Is that possible?"
Seraphina gave a light nod. Yeomyeong asked his question, his voice thick with the emotions suddenly welling up inside him.
"Saintess. When I realize that my entire life might have been a mistake... what am I supposed to do?"