Black Robe
Black Robe
From that day forward, we were submerged in the icy sea.
Death.
The moment we were sucked into the endless deep, the faint moonlight reflecting off the water's surface our only roof, we experienced despair and hope all at once.
When the waves, spurred by the chill sea breeze, swallowed everything, we were reborn in the embrace of the Great Mother.
A new life.
A new body.
At first, we believed it to be a blessing.
How could a regained youth and an unyielding, undiminished fortitude be anything but a blessing?
Happiness.
We had reclaimed happiness at the end of the apocalypse.
And we thought we would enjoy more of it in the days to come.
But the world rarely flows as one wishes.
Our faith did not last long.
We had submerged ourselves deep to escape fear, but perhaps that lightless deep, where you cannot see an inch ahead, was never a paradise to begin with.
Thirst.
It was around the time a terrible thirst—like our throats were burning—grew worse each day that we realized what it meant to become her child.
Ah, crave the blood.
Rip the flesh before your eyes and quench your throat with the crimson fruit.
Thus, you shall regress back to the beginning.
A whisper.
The temptation that echoed incessantly in our ears gradually stained us deeper and darker.
We blindly craved blood; yesterday's friend became today's enemy. When none remained around us, we sacrificed even our own flesh and blood, slowly consumed by madness.
At the end of that path was regression.
A fall into something horrifying, no longer human.
Was this truly what we had desired?
This vile form?
Everyone believed it was evolution beyond doubt, but the moment we faced the price, we belatedly realized it was closer to a curse.
So we ran.
We abandoned what we believed was paradise, fled the sea, and climbed onto the land.
To protect our comrades from the terrible thirst, we sealed ourselves within cold armor.
[Oooh! They're strong, so strong! 'Nameless' is overwhelmingly crushing the 'Blood Clan'! Oh, how can this be! A final desperate resistance, but it has just ended! They are shattered, completely shattered!!]
Hoping to someday be liberated from this curse, our fate is simply to wander endlessly.
And so we have arrived here.
But in the end, it seems our wish will be shattered here.
[The last one standing! Will they choose an honorable death? Or will they shamelessly cry out for surrender and beg for their life? Please, give us your answer!!]
Ah, Great Mother of the sea.
Our beloved and detestable mother.
"...Why have you forsaken us?"
Why did you take us in?
Why did you give us hope?
Had there been no salvation from the start, we would not have dreamed of it.
[Ah, they chose honor after all! Splendid! This is how a duel should be! A round of applause for these outsiders who chose to burn brightly like the sun~!!]
May our voices, by any chance, reach you.
May our resentment make you weep bitterly.
—CRAAACK!
We pray earnestly.
*
"Wow..."
I let out a low murmur of admiration as I watched the spectacle unfolding on the monitor.
The match between the suspicious figures draped in black robes and the scrawny, emaciated suits of armor ended more abruptly than expected.
With an overwhelming victory for the Blackies, that is.
"Fucking strong."
Honestly, I'd expected a back-and-forth struggle, but it blew past my expectations—just a one-sided beatdown.
A massive rod.
When the man leading the Black Robes swept it across, the armored knights were blown away like autumn leaves.
It was a single strike.
A true spectacle where heads literally burst with one hit.
"Even Mirkella would struggle against that."
At that moment, Kim Ha-yoon, who was watching the same screen beside me, remarked.
I couldn't help but agree.
Because those bastards genuinely had that level of force.
No matter how you looked at it, even for Mirkella, holding off that man head-on seemed like a tall order.
"Could you stop him?"
"Well... I can't say for sure. Wouldn't we have to try to know?"
"So you're not confident either. Message received."
Even the belligerent Mirkella couldn't give a definite answer.
The probability of this becoming a tough fight was high.
Time had passed, and before we knew it the finals were upon us, but the situation had become difficult to guarantee victory in the final stretch.
That was unexpected.
Our strength lies in cooperation, but cooperation only works when forces are somewhat evenly matched.
In the face of overwhelming power, it would be nothing more than a cheap trick.
"Hey, pal. I wish you good luck."
The three brothers who had surrendered to us in a previous duel chuckled.
They were completely carefree since it wasn't their problem.
Well... I'd probably act the same if I were in their shoes.
"So what are you guys gonna do now? Just gonna hole up on the outskirts like before?"
"That's the plan. That's our daily life, after all."
"Huh, consistent bastards."
"Anyway, hang in there. If you do well, at least the females might survive."
Leaving behind that backhanded goodwill, they leisurely disappeared.
Since their debt was considered repaid, they had coolly left the stage.
'We practically preserved our strength up to the finals thanks to those guys... but it still leaves a slightly bitter taste.'
I stared after their retreating figures with a sulky expression, then subtly turned my gaze toward the old man.
"Hey, old-timer. You've seemed unable to focus since the last match. You have some kind of worry?"
"No. It's nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing to me."
"......"
The old man who had been competing alongside our group this whole time had been acting strangely since the previous match.
He fiddled with his greatsword with a complicated expression, and whenever Gladiator's voice came from the screen, he exuded a vaguely wistful air.
He clearly had some personal circumstances.
And it had something to do with Gladiator.
At this point, anyone who failed to notice it would be a half-wit.
"Old man. What's your relationship with that woman?"
"Must I answer?"
"You don't have to, but I'm asking out of personal curiosity."
"Then I shall not answer. This is a matter between her and me."
Judging by how he talked, there really was something going on.
Though, for now, it remained mere speculation.
'He definitely said he wanted to get his granddaughter back. Don't tell me... Gladiator is the Old Man's granddaughter?'
A possibility.
Yeah, it's just a slim possibility, but it wasn't complete nonsense.
'Especially since her personality is supposedly divided... wanting to recover that granddaughter's personality could be the gist of it.'
Even without evidence, the circumstances vaguely aligned.
As the saying goes, a series of coincidences can become an inevitability; my speculation might just be on the mark.
'Well, if that's actually true, it's probably impossible.'
The old man's wish is to get his granddaughter back.
But Gladiator has multiple personalities.
Assuming she'd lost her original personality for some reason, there was no reason for her to readily grant the old man's wish.
They say too many cooks spoil the broth.
Right. With multiple personalities inhabiting one body, would she willingly accept trying to add yet another?
I didn't think so.
He probably knew it himself.
Just how vain that hope truly was.
But still.
Still, the reason he reaches out is ultimately because of an attachment called the past.
"Angelica. What do you think? Can we win?"
"I cannot guarantee it. To bring down a powerhouse of that level requires a corresponding sacrifice."
"...So you're saying it's nearly impossible?"
"Indeed. Frankly, I consider it advisable to surrender the moment it begins. From our standpoint, winning yields little benefit, and losing incurs almost no loss."
A coldly rational opinion.
Angelica, knowing full well what abilities Hui-ryeong's mother's ex-husband possessed, argued it was wise to back down here.
Because we could just find Hui-ryeong's mom using the guy claiming to be her ex-husband.
Besides, since the man called the Cult Leader couldn't leave Seocho-gu, we wouldn't suffer any retaliation for failing the request as long as we didn't visit there again.
Well, if that happened, Mirkella's issue would remain, but... she was simpler than expected, so I had a hunch things would smooth over if we sweet-talked her just right.
"What? Then what about our promise?"
Whether she overheard us, Kim So-jin voiced her complaint with a sullen face.
Likewise, Park Soo-jin also looked deeply disappointed, as if thinking, 'You wouldn't...'
"The situation's changed. You saw it too—those guys aren't at a level where we can do anything."
"Then you won't stop us from leaving, right? Huh?"
"That can't happen. You can leave, but your mother can't escape."
"Why, this motherfucker...!"
I irritably ruffled my hair.
"Hey, don't you be unreasonable. You know that telling us to fight and win against guys like that is nothing short of suicide."
"Eek...!!"
Kim So-jin ground her teeth with an angry face, but couldn't argue back anymore.
Because what I said was the truth.
Her reaction itself was proof that even she knew deep down just how unreasonable that request was.
Her throwing a tantrum despite that was just her fishing for a lucky break.
'Geez, this one's pretty cunning too, huh.'
Probing others to slyly secure her own benefit.
Just like her mother, she was sharp as a tack in that regard.
She didn't survive as a virgin for so long in this world for nothing.
"So, Miss Soo-jin? I'm sorry about this. I'm not one to go back on my word, but circumstances just aren't in our favor."
"...That's a nasty way to be. Toying with someone's feelings."
"Jeez, I said it's not intentional. You two have a bit of a habit of subtly guilt-tripping people, don't you?"
The mother-daughter pair both guilt-trip people as a team.
They're going to need a thorough education once this is over.
"Forget it, forget it. You two go to the camper and wait there first. We'll talk after."
"Fuck, by then it'll all be over. Talk about what?"
"I can hear everything. How about you just quietly go before I wreck your pussy later?"
"...Tch."
Kim So-jin grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear, but when I snapped at her, she finally clicked her tongue and started to move.
For better or worse, she was a devoted daughter who'd make even Shimcheong weep, so she couldn't bring herself to abandon her mother and followed along.
'Hui-ryeong will be the one watching them, so I shouldn't need to worry.'
Even when she complained, Madam Ha was quite diligent in her duties.
Contrary to her appearance, she handled the tasks I asked of her without issue, so leaving them to her shouldn't be a problem.
[Now, this is the moment everyone has been eagerly awaiting and anticipating! The grand final! Amazingly, two outsider teams have reached the finals in this tournament! Oh fighters~? You'll have to try harder next time, won't you? Anyway, who will be the protagonist to seize the burning fire seed!]
Right on cue, Gladiator's cheerful voice rang out.
Seeing her smile, the old man's expression was impassive, but his pupils faintly trembled.
"Let's go. Whatever choice you all make, I have no intention of backing down."
"Even if you die, we're not making you a grave."
"I don't expect such a thing. I merely... want to see that child's smile once more. That alone is enough."
And so, the old man walked ahead with a resolute gaze.
Was he determined to die?
What's the point of clinging to something like that.
I shook my head as if frustrated, then led the rest of the group to follow behind him.