Chapter 51. The End of Those Who Crossed Us.
Chapter 51. The End of Those Who Crossed Us.
I left a request with Terion and went outside to where Mr. Chu was. They had converted a regular house into a temporary treatment room. The people standing outside recognized me and greeted me. I exchanged a few words with them before stepping inside.
"Mr. Chu, how's your body holding up?"
"You came. Loosen up that face. Anyone looking at you would've thought I'd been beaten to death."
For my sake, the old man cracked a joke. Thankfully, nothing was broken. No fractured bones or anything.
"I'm more worried about the families of the dead. Even if death is all around us now that the end has come, losing your family is something else entirely, isn't it?"
"It is. I'll hold a small funeral for the deceased, at the very least. Get some rest. I'm going to go see Jia."
As I said goodbye to the old man and headed out, I saw families and friends nursing the wounded, keeping them company. It was a pitiful sight: people lying there all alone, without a single person they knew.
Maybe because she was the representative's woman, Jia was receiving treatment at my house. The doctor had even stopped by personally to treat her before leaving. And there, my mother-in-law was caring for Jia. It was mostly bruising rather than any serious illness, so aside from some muscle soreness, there wasn't anything major.
"Son-in-law, you're here?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"You came. So, what did you come to talk about today?"
Every time I saw her, a smile tugged at my lips without me even realizing it. No matter the situation, she was always positive and bright. I chatted with my mother-in-law and Jia for a while, then stepped outside.
I concealed my presence and approached the containers where I'd locked up those bastards. It seemed there was an Awakened among them, but at my request, Terion had placed a spell on them, so escape was impossible.
"Kh... what the hell is this container made of to be this tough?"
"He could show up any minute. We need to get out, now."
"The captain looks like shit... We have to run, even if it's just us!!!"
— Creeeak...
Without a word, I opened the door and walked in. The bastards stopped whatever they were doing to pry the door open and stared at me. They wore expressions of confusion, unsure how to react to my silent entrance. The one they called the captain in particular was still trembling, averting his eyes in fear. But the others, probably because they'd been knocked out right away, seemed to have forgotten their terror and looked ready to fight.
"W-what are you going to do with us?!"
I stopped mulling it over and fixed my gaze on the one who'd spoken.
"I was just pondering what to do with you. Whether to play with you until I got bored and kill you... or toss you out as dog food..."
Of course, that last part was just to rattle them. I didn't have that kind of hobby in the first place.
"Follow me."
I dragged them to an empty lot with nobody around and called Terion on the radio. I'd expected only Terion, but the other officials came too.
'I thought only Terion would come... this is going to be a pretty gruesome sight for the others to see...'
I couldn't tell them to go back now, so I phrased it as roundabout as I could.
"In any case, only Terion is capable of high-level magic. The rest of you may go inside and rest."
It seemed they'd already heard from Terion what I'd asked him to do, because none of them looked willing to leave. Then the President spoke.
"Ho ho, aren't we all in the same boat now anyway? Mister Sihu would not do this without reason, so I wish to witness everything that happens here."
"... Then steel yourselves. So you can see what happens to those who harm the people who've come under my protection. And why I was called 'the Disaster'."
I called people over again and asked them to bring a single rifle and a military combat knife, among other things. Seeing this, the bastards trembled, thinking they were about to be executed, but the one they called the captain, surprisingly, wore a peaceful expression.
— Thud.
I tossed the rifle and the knife in front of them, and they looked at me with no idea what it meant.
"Pick them up."
They all watched each other until the one closest to where I'd thrown them snatched them up.
"If you fight me and win, I'll let you live."
As I spoke, I stabbed my sword into the ground. A gesture meant to show I wouldn't use the blade and would fight with only my fists. Probably thinking he had a chance, the bastard fired at me indiscriminately. He must have missed the part where bullets were useless because he'd been knocked unconscious.
— Ting-ting-ting-ting!!!
His pupils shook violently as he watched every round bounce away.
— Crash!
I seized him by the jaw, hoisted him up, and slammed him into the ground in that same position. The moment those bastards saw his head turn to pulp, they realized I had no intention of letting them live from the start.
"Terion."
"Turning them into undead, is that all?"
They were startled by the sight of a small skeleton suddenly flying through the air, and then startled again when the skeleton grew larger than a human.
"From now on, only turn the ones who die into undead."
At Terion's gesture, a horrifying scream erupted from the dead bastard's body as his soul was torn out, simultaneously crumpling into a small orb. The corpse reverted to how it had looked when alive and rose to its feet, perfectly fine.
"Even in death, you cannot escape me. If you don't want to end up like that, come at me."
How could they hope to beat someone who could deflect bullets...? The bastards hung their heads in despair.
"Hm... how about this, then?"
Believing I had given them a way out, they looked back at me with brighter expressions than before.
"Except for that ringleader over there, if you fight among yourselves, I promise I will not turn the surviving half into undead."
The bastards eyed each other for a few seconds, then began to brawl in a tangled mess. One grabbed handfuls of dirt to throw, another snatched up a rock and brought it down on someone, others gouged eyes or struck at vitals — they fought in all sorts of dirty ways.
After ten-odd minutes of fighting, the winners and losers were decided. Those lying on the ground were breathing intermittently.
"Huff, huff..."
"Haaah... hup..."
"A-are you going to spare us now...?"
I gestured to the people behind me, signaling them to bring the victims' families, friends, and lovers. When they arrived, they looked at me with bewildered faces.
"These are the ones who killed your people. Do with them as you please."
I watched what they did for a moment. Some screamed and wailed as they beat the bastards mercilessly. Others simply collapsed in front of them and wept.
Those who had been pummeling them seemed to have vented their anger to some degree, and as one, they left the disposal to me, heading back with expressions of relief. I approached those sitting and crying and asked what they wanted done with them.
"Sob... sniff... I want their lives to be hell..."
"I want those bastards who killed my son to fall into hell..."
"Hic... sniff..."
"If that is what you wish..."
— Chaos Swordsmanship: Dimension Severance
I focused for a moment, then thrust my sword into the air. As I slowly drew it downward, space itself began to split open. Between dimensions of the same order, one could easily cut through and cross over. It was impossible between Titan and Earth, whose orders differed.
— Kyaaaaaaaaak!!!
A deafening, high-pitched shriek poured out of the rift. Then I began shoving every single one of the bastards who had won the fight inside.
"Y-you said you'd spare us!!!"
"Th-that son of a bitch tricked me!!!"
"Go to hell, you demonic bastard!!!"
"I kept my promise. I didn't turn you into undead. And hell is where you're going."
After shoving them all inside, I waited a moment. Soon the gap squirmed, gradually sealing itself until it was pristine, as if nothing had happened. The middle-aged woman I presumed had lost her son asked me a question.
"Representative... what happened to them...?"
"Hell. They've gone to a place also known as Myeonggye. Those bastards will never reincarnate. They will writhe in agony for all eternity."
Hearing my words, everyone there began to wail aloud, crying uncontrollably. Then they, too, turned to leave with expressions of relief, expressing their gratitude to me.
"Terion, now turn the rest of these wretches into undead."
"By the way... even though I am a type of undead myself, that evil energy that just leaked out, just what..."
Terion voiced his curiosity as he turned all of them into undead. Perhaps thinking the situation was over, the others approached me.
"Huh... so hell really existed..."
"I have to live a virtuous life from now on..."
"Brother, does that mean heaven exists too?"
A small laugh escaped me at their idle chatter as I looked toward the President.
"Mister Sihu, what do you plan to do with them?"
"Undead, by nature, do not eat or sleep. They feel no fatigue, either. Just think of them as labor and work them twenty-four hours a day."
"Should I be pleased that we have tireless, free labor...?"
"The container work should wrap up in about a week, so even when the people from the Yongsan side come over, we'll have enough capacity."
"Truly, Mister Sihu... no matter how many times I see them, you keep unveiling these mysterious abilities... I feel awe, not just as a president but as a fellow human being..."
"Ha-ha, I feel like you could probably split the Earth in half, brother."
"..."
"I-is that actually possible?"
The others stared at me with expressions that said 'No way...' as they watched me seriously consider whether it was possible. Chaeyeon, beside me, spoke up to change the awkward atmosphere.
"A-anyway! It's all over now, so everyone go get some rest!"
Just like that, we all busied ourselves with our respective livelihoods(?), and a week flew by. And finally, today was the day the Yongsan people moved over to our side. The helicopter made multiple round trips, transporting their scant luggage, people, and supplies — everything.
We roughly surveyed people's occupations, sorted them into family units, and provided them with container houses that suited their needs. And at last, I summoned the President to discuss what I'd been planning.
"I believe it is time to gather everyone and speak."