Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 343
Chapter Title: Black Sky (7)
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"...It was all an act from the start."
Grit.
I bit my lip, glaring at the approaching tidal wave of black clouds.
"Hah, hah. Wh-what was an act?"
Cassia, cradled in Oh-jin's arms, asked while gasping for breath.
Her bitten red lips trembled, likely from the Heavenly Demon's voice still echoing in her head.
"Everything."
The magic circle was nothing more than a deception.
Its purpose wasn't to break the Heavenly Demon's seal, but to control the demons.
'That's why when I first killed a demon, something like a soul slipped out and returned to the magic circle.'
In other words.
The magic circle had nothing to do with breaking the Heavenly Demon's seal from the very beginning.
"W-wait! What do you mean?"
Cassia exclaimed, flustered.
"They said the Heavenly Demon was definitely sealed!"
"Who told you that?"
"The demons of Niflheim..."
"Those marionettes?"
Oh-jin gestured with his chin toward the demons being swallowed by the black clouds.
"..."
Cassia's expression hardened.
Of course, it wasn't as if she had blindly believed the demons' words.
"B-but then... why hasn't the Heavenly Demon made a move himself until now?"
For the past several decades, the Heavenly Demon had never shown himself directly.
He had only ever intervened indirectly using vessels, or by creating puppets through the 'Domination' of the Black Heaven, just as he had with Cassia.
If the Heavenly Demon wasn't sealed, would he have needed to use such a troublesome method?
Based on the circumstances, she had no choice but to believe he was sealed.
After all, he had never once revealed himself until now.
"I don't know."
Even Oh-jin couldn't fathom the Heavenly Demon's objective.
One thing was certain.
'I have to escape those clouds.'
Oh-jin resumed his pace, breaking into a sprint.
The blue lightning coiling around his legs blazed fiercely.
Ruuuumble!
Like a scene from a disaster movie, the tidal wave of black clouds advanced, swallowing everything in its path.
The wave was fast, but fortunately not so fast that Oh-jin's group couldn't outrun it.
'At this rate, we can escape.'
Just as he glanced back at the pursuing tidal wave of black clouds and let out a short sigh of relief, it happened.
"Ah!"
Isabella, who was running beside him, suddenly staggered and fell.
"Wh-what? What's wrong?!"
Ha-eun rushed to the fallen Isabella and helped her up.
Isabella, her face pale, covered her ears.
"A-a voice... I hear a strange voice."
"A voice? Whose voice do you hear?"
"This voice is..."
Isabella's gaze turned to Oh-jin.
Her eyes trembled as if she couldn't understand.
The voice echoing in her head was one she knew all too well.
"Oh-jin's voice...?"
"What? Why would you suddenly hear Oh-jin's voice?"
Ha-eun frowned in frustration and hoisted Isabella onto her back.
"We don't have time for this! Let's just run!"
With Isabella on her back, Ha-eun pushed off the ground again.
"...Dammit."
Oh-jin's face, following behind, contorted.
Cassia's warning from before they came here flashed through his mind.
'The influence of Domination is growing.'
It meant the power of the Black Heaven had grown stronger.
'At this rate.'
Cassia and Isabella might have their minds controlled by the Heavenly Demon and become his puppets.
If that happened, it was over.
Escaping was already a struggle; if Cassia and Isabella started attacking the group, it would be impossible to get away from the tidal wave of black clouds.
"..."
Oh-jin bit his lip and turned his head toward Riak, who was running beside him.
"Riak."
"If you have time to talk, just run, kid."
"Take Cassia and run."
"What?"
Riak looked at Oh-jin as if he were spouting nonsense.
Oh-jin passed Cassia, who was in his arms, to Riak.
Even while sprinting at full speed, Riak deftly caught Cassia.
"W-wait! Then what about you?"
"I have to stop that."
Oh-jin stopped and turned to face the tidal wave of black clouds.
"Don't be ridiculous, kid! Are you planning to commit suicide?!"
"If this continues, we'll all die."
"What do you mean, we'll all die?"
Riak's expression twisted fiercely.
The tidal wave of black clouds was fast, but not impossible to outrun.
"..."
There was no time to explain the Black Heaven's 'Domination' to Riak.
Oh-jin turned away with a faint smile.
"I'm counting on you."
"Y-you damn kid!"
He urgently tried to call out to Oh-jin, who was approaching the tidal wave, but even as he did, the clouds of the Black Heaven were drawing closer.
"Dammit!"
In the end, Riak pushed off the ground, holding Cassia.
"Don't you die, kid..."
The sight of Oh-jin's retreating back lingered in his vision.
* * *
"Hoo."
Oh-jin looked up at the roaring tidal wave of black clouds.
His legs trembled before the immense power that inspired a sense of awe.
"..."
It was terrifying.
Frightening.
He wanted to turn and run away this very instant.
No, shouldn't he run away, even now?
"...Ha."
Oh-jin swallowed a dry laugh and steadied his trembling legs.
If I run away here.
Everyone else will be swallowed by the Heavenly Demon's Black Heaven.
Isabella, Cassia, Riak, and Vega.
And.
Ha-eun, too.
"Fuck."
He spat out a harsh curse and straightened his slumped body.
With his current power, there was only one way to stop that tidal wave.
'Gaecheon.'
Of course, even if he used Gaecheon, he wouldn't be able to completely stop the tidal wave of black clouds.
At best, he could probably slow it down a little.
'That's enough.'
As long as I can buy them enough time to escape.
Nothing else mattered.
Oh-jin placed a hand over his left chest and bit his lip.
"He who passes through me..."
Just as he was about to softly chant the incantation.
[My child!]
"......!"
He saw Vega flying toward him.
Oh-jin flinched and lowered the hand on his left chest.
"Vega?"
Why was she here when he thought she had escaped with the others?
[...As I thought, you were here.]
Vega looked at Oh-jin with sad eyes.
Knowing the Oh-jin she did, she had expected he would stand alone against the Heavenly Demon for the sake of others.
"Vega! Don't just stand there, hurry and run—"
[My child.]
Vega's body shone with a brilliant silver light as she returned to her original form.
A goddess with silver hair as beautiful as the Milky Way and golden eyes that sparkled like stars.
Vega gently embraced Oh-jin, softly stroking his back.
[You always try to bear too much on your own.]
What.
Why is she suddenly doing this.
This isn't the time for this.
[Do you know?]
I don't know.
I don't want to know.
Just hurry up and run.
It's just a vessel, so you can just go back to the Sanctuary.
Why are you still here?
[How happy I have been since meeting you?]
Like I care.
Can't you see the clouds coming?
Why...
Why are you saying that at a time like this.
[There is one last thing I must tell you.]
Last thing? Don't say that.
Anyone would think you were leaving your last words.
[I... am in love with you.]
Vega smiled gently, stroking his cheek.
Oh-jin looked at Vega with trembling eyes.
"Vega, are you...?"
[Fufu. At this rate, I won't be able to nag Spica anymore.]
Blushing shyly, Vega walked past Oh-jin and toward the black clouds.
Whaaaaaaam!
A brilliant silver light flowed from her body, spreading out to cover the surrounding land.
An immense, suffocating energy radiated from Vega.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Oh-jin urgently ran toward Vega.
Thud!
As if hitting a giant barrier, Oh-jin's body was thrown back.
"N-no."
He didn't even need to think to know what Vega was about to do.
Seong'yeok.
To stop the Black Heaven, she was planning to use her Seong'yeok right here.
"Are you crazy?! You of all people know what happens when you use your Seong'yeok!"
The moment she used her Seong'yeok to stop the Heavenly Demon's Black Heaven, it would be over.
The restrictions of the Law have weakened?
The restrictions of the Law have weakened, not disappeared.
If she drew out enough power to stop the Heavenly Demon's Black Heaven.
Vega would.
Be annihilated.
She would be ground to dust by the restrictions of the Law, disappearing forever.
"Vega! Vega!! Fuck! Stop!"
Oh-jin pounded on the transparent wall blocking his way, trying desperately to get inside the Seong'yeok.
But with his strength, it was impossible to enter Vega's Seong'yeok.
'Gae-Gaecheon. I have to use Gaecheon.'
To break through Vega's Seong'yeok and stop her, he had no choice but to use the power of Gaecheon.
But.
'If I use Gaecheon...'
All the lies he'd told until now would be exposed.
He couldn't very well unleash the power of the Black Heaven right in front of her and then spew that bullshit about being the 'Star of the Rebellion'.
"Ah, ugh."
The hand on his left chest was trembling.
His vision seemed to twist.
His breathing grew ragged, and cold sweat trickled down his back.
'What... what should I do.'
As he crouched, trembling.
The world faded to black.
Everything stopped, as if someone had pressed pause.
The black tidal wave that was swallowing everything, the brilliant silver Seong'yeok unfolding, even the wind tickling his cheek and the hazy dust swirling in the air.
Everything.
Stopped, as if a power switch had been flipped.
"...What the."
In the frozen world, Oh-jin blankly pushed himself up.
He couldn't tell if the world had suddenly stopped, or if he was just imagining it.
Krrrrrrk.
In the black, faded world, he saw someone walking toward him, step by step.
A man with the same face as his own.
The Heavenly Demon looked at the stunned Oh-jin and grinned.
"I told you, didn't I?"
His voice was dry and cracked.
"That we'd be seeing each other again soon."