The Ugly Woman (2)
Anchal could not hide his emotions.
"I know it's unreasonable. But what other option is there? Maybe... maybe we can turn this around."
It was the first glimmer of hope.
There is definitely a chance. If we close the Spirit Zone... even an army from hell is only powerful in numbers.
Shirone fell into thought.
An unforgivable act. This will only make Ma stronger. But this time... she would be trapped in Seongeum's mind forever.
"Shirone, this is different from what you chose in Kashan's capital. This will seal Ma forever. Send the princess. You have your own battle." If they couldn't strike the Gustav Empire, they couldn't force the demons on the central continent to retreat.
Amy.
His family in Tormia would die.
"I will go to Seongeum."
Could he accept that?
"You've lost your mind. It's not just dying—you'd be trapped in hell forever. Could you do that?"
"Yes! I've lost my mind!"
Anchal shouted.
"Being cold-blooded in this situation is the real madness. Not everyone can be as tough as you. You're the insane one! We're the sane ones!"
Was that really so?
Faced with the crisis of a loved one, is ignoring the deaths of family and saving Seongeum the madness?
Anchal grabbed Shirone by the collar.
"Stay still. Just... don't think. It'll be over soon. After it's over, you can think again."
"Let go."
Shirone's eyes chilled.
"If you don't want to see what being truly mad looks like."
The murderous intent in his voice made Anchal flinch as if his throat had been cut; he released his grip.
"...Are you really going?" Even Anchal's voice carried a glint of killing intent.
"I'm going."
"You're causing our destruction. Because of you all humanity will suffer. It's all because of you—everything's your fault!"
There was no answer he could give.
Seongeum's choice is the strongest option. I certainly cannot produce a better result than her.
To practice the ultimate love.
The words are beautiful.
Everyone dreams of that world, but in the end Shirone's choice returned universal condemnation.
Nane.
Standing at the crossroads with not a single ally, the person who rose in Shirone's mind, ironically, was Nane.
What would you have done?
It felt like Nane's answer whispered.
Yes, what's right is me. But...
Tears ran down Shirone's cheek as he lifted his head.
You can never be wrong.
He wasn't wrong.
Not because he was right, but because he was not wrong—the duty was to protect this world to the very end.
"Pull yourself together, Anchal."
Shirone ground his teeth.
"What more explanation do you want? What philosophy, what belief, what feeling do you want me to put forward..."
The killing intent vanished.
"Saving Seongeum is the right thing to do."
"I'll kill you."
Anchal removed his blindfold and opened his magic eye.
"For the Jincheon Empire, you..."—his voice choked off.
Beneath the eerie radiance of his magic eye, red blood trickled down.
"Save—" The voice came out as if wrung from him. "Save her, please... our poor lady..."
At the moment the choice had to be made, everyone truly knew what must be done.
Anchal fell to his knees and wept.
"Save the lady. Please..." No sooner had the words fallen than Shirone's body flashed and he shot toward the Gwangcheonseong.
"No. 12 amplifier activated! The space-time interceptor Gwangcheonseong has finished preparing to operate!"
A dark pillar like a coffin stood in the Great Hall.
Wires ran in every direction, and blue electricity flashed along the walls.
When the door of the pillar—named the Gwangcheonseong—opened, there was barely space for a single person to enter.
All of Jincheon's officials held their places, but no one could meet Seongeum's eyes.
"Father."
Only Emperor Jingang of Jincheon gazed down at his daughter who had chosen eternal damnation.
"Make sure you win."
He sat slouched, head propped, and said nothing.
Do not fear.
Knowing the horrible outcome, Seongeum left no remaining attachment and walked forward coldly.
As she entered the Gwangcheonseong, the heavy door clanged shut.
If Seongeum fully opened the Immortal Function, Gwangcheonseong would precisely seize control of the planet's entire space.
In that state, by closing the Spirit Zone and making the distance between Gustav and the Jincheon Empire zero across the sea, Jincheon's forces could launch a ground assault on Gustav's capital.
"The princess has opened the Immortal Function."
Officials of the Jincheon Space Bureau received the signal from the Gwangcheonseong and reported it.
Not a second's hesitation.
He felt proud of his daughter; at last a real emotion showed on Jingang's face.
"Your... Your Majesty..."
But that emotion—his face contorted like a monster's—belonged to the most enraged person alive.
Leave none of them unpicked of bone.
He would kill, and kill again, and keep killing.
To a daughter who would wander hell forever, he would keep sending the gruesome corpses of demons.
"Mental index rising! 60%! 70%!"
As the reports continued, the Great Hall's doors smashed open and Shirone rushed in.
"Seongeum?!"
Shirone scanned the room in an instant. Seongeum was nowhere to be seen; only the black pillar stood.
"Damn it!"
It wasn't too late—he thought.
Shirone dashed to the pillar and reached out to force it when—
"What are you doing?!"
Jingang thundered.
At the same time, Jincheon's commanding officers who had accompanied Seongeum—the Oryongjang—each took up their weapons and surrounded Shirone.
"Stand back. Even you, we have no choice but to kill."
Shirone glared at Jingang.
"Stop. Please. Don't make a decision you'll regret for the rest of your life."
There was no time for many words, but the emotion behind them was enormous.
"You'll regret it."
Jingang rose from his seat.
"We—Seongeum—will regret it until the moment we die. No, Seongeum cannot die."
"So then..."
"Well what of it?"
Jingang's eyes radiated abnormal madness.
"Why should regret matter? Accept it. My daughter and I will bear it!"
"You're mad."
"That doesn't matter."
Jingang reached out.
"Pull him down."
Yeodal, captain of the Oryongjang, swung his great staff and charged at Shirone.
There's no time.
He had to use time vibration to take the shortest path and knock Yeodal down.
Boom!
At that moment the ceiling collapsed and Rian landed beside Shirone, twisting at the waist.
"Hngh!"
The Daejikdo sliced horizontally, and four of Jincheon's greatest warriors simultaneously fell back.
Ku-rur-rung!
At a height of three meters, a straight groove scored the walls in every direction and dust billowed up.
It had sliced the Great Hall clean through, but because the cut was perfectly horizontal, the ceiling did not collapse.
It simply rested there, and the force and precision of it quickly crushed the Oryongjang's fighting spirit.
Mach Knight.
Shirone shouted.
"Rian!"
"I don't know the details, but just do it. I'll handle this."
Rian had no doubts; if Shirone had chosen it, there was no question.
"The Immortal Function opening is complete!" an employee of the Jincheon Space Bureau shouted just as Shirone approached the Gwangcheonseong and called out.
"Seongeum! Wait! No!"
The thunderous roar of the Gwangcheonseong's engines diminished.
Officials turned their heads in surprise, and for a moment reason returned to Jingang's face.
"Se-Seongeum..."
At the moment Shirone spoke, blue light burst from the completely sealed Gwangcheonseong.
"No!"
A Jincheon Space Bureau official shouted.
"Gwangcheonseong operation start! We will seal the Spirit Zone and link the domains of Gustav and Jincheon!"
"Lady..."
Anchal, who had arrived too late, fell to his knees; the Oryongjang bowed their heads in solemn faces.
"We will not forget the princess's sacrifice."
Rian shouted.
"Shirone! Is it over?"
Of course it was not.
"I'll be right back!"
If one fully opened the Immortal Function, she could never return to reality again...
I can't just send her!
Shirone was an Infinite Mage.
As Yahweh's light flared brilliantly, Shirone's mind expanded into the realm of Infinity.
The sensation of information intertwining was enormous, but Shirone did not lose Seongeum.
There—!
In the mental plane there was no clear standard for distinguishing friend from foe.
But to Shirone's feeling, it was certain: he had grasped Seongeum's hand as she headed into the otherworld.
"Don't go."
Standing at the mouth of hellfire, Seongeum slowly turned.
"You came, Shirone. Typical of you."
"There's no need for this. No matter how hellish the world is, it's wrong for someone to become like this."
Seongeum shook her head.
"It's already too late. I am not an Infinite Mage. And... I have no intention of going back."
"I won't let go."
Shirone gripped Seongeum's hand tighter.
"I will bring you back, no matter what."
Although it was merely a sensation at the mental level, Seongeum seemed to smile.
"You, Nane, and I."
The three rivals who held the highest Karr.
"Each of us had beliefs worthy of respect. But Shirone, I believe that insisting on one thing isn't everything."
Shirone's spirit trembled.
"What are you saying? Don't do that. Let's go back first. We can talk when we're back."
He felt her hand in his, but there was actually nothing to hold.
"Don't hate Nane so much. You and he, you both understand the world better than anyone."
"All right. If you come back, I'll do that. If you leave like this, those who remain cannot survive."
"That's not true."
As long as hell could not be eradicated, Buddha and Yahweh would remain at eternal odds.
"If the three of us sat and had tea and chatted..."
Seongeum's spirit began to thin.
"...I once thought it would be nice." Shirone clutched desperately.
"Wait. Please."
She fragmented into pieces so small she could no longer be held together and slipped away from Shirone's mind.
"Nooo!"
He heard Seongeum's final words.
—I respect you, Shirone.
Her purity, which could not convey her true feelings to the end, made Shirone angrier.
Feeling Seongeum fall into hell, Shirone focused every ounce of reason into a single point.
"Uaaaaaah!"
Coming to in the realm of Infinity, Shirone, face contorted, bent his waist.
"Uaaaaaah! Uaaaaaah!"
Anger.
Uncontrollable rage exploded, and the light of Yahweh that had surrounded Shirone began to blacken and burn away.
"Th-That is..."
Anchal's face went pale.
The incarnation of Yahweh is disappearing.
What remained of Shirone was clearly only human emotion—immense and utter rage.
"...The Spirit Zone?" the Jincheon Space Bureau official asked in a low voice, but his dizziness betrayed his terror.
"It's... closing."
"Let's go, Rian."
Rian slung the Daejikdo over his shoulder and set his jaw.
"To where?"
"Gustav."
Shirone's eyes stared forward with terrifying intent.
"I will kill them all."
The hall fell silent at the cold words of a mage who had lost universal love.
At the moment they felt that coldness, the single image that came to everyone's mind was the same.
A monster.
Contrary to expectations, he was not violent.
He's waiting.
As if pleased that the prison door had opened, he only wore a chill smile toward the world.