The Obstacle Called Human (2)
Energy Resource Management Corporation.
When the Parma Light Core detonated, the Otherworld's system was completely destroyed.
Explosions tore through the headquarters, but that was only a portent of the catastrophe to come.
As the ceiling caved in over the Karma Administration Department, Riona finally tore her gaze away from the vision.
Shagal and Etella's end seemed to show what karma meant for humans.
Krrrrrrrr!
The building trembled violently.
Soon the barrier between reality and the Otherworld would collapse, and most things would turn to ash… but—
"Hah, finally time to get off work."
Riona was in a surprisingly good mood.
As countless informants prepared to leave, Vivian handed her a cup of tea.
"Here, drink."
"Wow, what's this? Getting a drink from you—don't tell me hell's about to be wiped out."
"Ha ha."
Vivian laughed at Riona's joke, sipped the tea, and asked, "How many will survive, the demons?"
"Well. At the very least, won't they number in the tens of millions? Demons are tenacious and numerous. But the only certainty that they won't go extinct is…"
Riona looked out the window. "As long as humans live, they'll never disappear."
"…Right."
Vivian reached across and took her hand. "It's been fun. This is goodbye forever, then. Have a good journey." They'd been bitter rivals, but now that it came to this, everything was suddenly memories.
"You too."
Pooouuuuff!
The two informants clasped hands—and at that exact moment an explosion ripped through the Karma Administration Department.
The corporation's building melted like molten metal.
And with that, Hell was ruined.
From the point where the Parma Light Core had detonated, a massive ripple of fire began to spread.
"Kyaaaah! Run!"
Though it looked slow, demons standing right in front of it had no chance to dodge and were swept away.
"There—there! Go that way!"
A hole opened in the barrier's edge, and reality and landscape began to overlap in patches.
"Kyaaah!"
People in the real world were equally terrified.
Families sheltering at home in that end-times air gaped at the Hellscape that had materialized before their eyes.
"Eek! Wh-what is that?!"
"What do you mean 'what'!"
Demons bared their claws and charged. "It's the world inside your hearts! Kekekeke!"
As families were slaughtered and demons tore through walls into the open, rapture shone on their faces.
"Help! Somebody save me!"
The guards couldn't respond, and the city's residents poured into the streets.
"Hyah."
A demon flicked its tongue. "Such a marvelous place, isn't it?"
Rumble. Rumble.
At the Energy Resource Management Corporation's System Control Branch, Son Yujeong and the others stared toward the horizon.
Son Yujeong muttered, "Is it over?"
Like paper soaked in oil set alight, the world burned while demons turned to ash.
Mortasinger said, "The Otherworld's system must be destroyed. It's the reset process. This place will disappear soon too."
When no one answered, she pointed past the barrier. "Return to reality. Help the people there. You can do it."
"And you?"
Mortasinger shook her head. "I don't have a place in reality. Though I made a wrong choice, honestly, I at least got to realize something like a dream here. So… I can't go back."
Only where the heart dwells can be called real?
Her friend's choice pained Son Yujeong, but nothing she could say would change it.
"I'm staying too."
When Richela, held in Mortasinger's hand, spoke, Son Yujeong arched an eyebrow. "Tch! I know. If your face remains and you go to reality, you'll die. Good riddance, then. I thought I'd live like this forever without purification. I'm grateful to you."
Krrrrrrrr!
During their brief conversation, the cloud of fire had already come more than halfway closer.
It was time for farewells.
"Richela."
Son Yujeong said, "You didn't finish your karma and will be purified. If you're reborn in your next life, be a person who helps others."
"Kekeke. Nonsense."
Looking back on her life now, Richela laughed. "You don't know how I grew up or how I lived, do you? If I'm given the same life again, I won't change. I'll kill people next time too."
"Don't worry."
Richela tilted up the corner of her mouth. "I won't be reborn. If I had any say, I wouldn't want another life."
There was nothing left to say.
"Go."
Not wanting the goodbye to get awkward, Richela added, "Go on—fight your heart out like a thunder-crazed wildling, you pretty monkey."
Maybe she'd grown fond of them. Son Yujeong, turning away to leave them, felt her throat tighten.
"Take care."
Mortasinger nodded, and Son Yujeong slipped beyond the barrier.
When she looked back once more, Mortasinger and Richela's laughing faces…
Kwoooooooom!
They vanished into the flames.
Rian drew a deep breath. "Huuuuuh!"
The Valley of Wailing dried up again, and the surviving demons had lost the will to fight.
"Our world…"
Contrary to their grotesque faces, the demons knelt with hollow expressions.
"It's disappearing?"
"No."
Lete approached them. "It's integration. It may split apart again someday, but we must join hands with humans and stand against God. If we don't, the universe will close."
The demons fell silent.
Emotion.
They could understand it intellectually, but the anger in their hearts said, 'We might as well die together.'
Lete, the administrator, knew this all too well. 'It will be a hard fight, Yahweh. Even if I follow you, demons have Habitz they adore to the extreme. As long as Habitz lives, they won't waver.'
A demon said, "We will fight. Integration? Only humans fear death. If Yahweh can despair, we'll do whatever it takes."
Through the hole in the Valley of Wailing, the demons began to move into reality.
Lete couldn't stop them that far. He sighed.
"Lete."
"Ah! You startled me."
At Shirone's voice she flinched and hesitated, then turned.
As the Otherworld reset, the Ma Shirone had embraced was purified as well.
Lete said, "You look better now. Why do something you can't handle? Do you think Ma is easy to deal with?"
"And you?"
Shirone smiled. "I decided to fight for humans."
"Don't be mistaken."
Lete's previously hesitant expression hardened. "This is for the Otherworld. I can't just stand by and let Hell vanish."
"?...Right."
The manager of Hell had chosen the demons over God.
"It's fine. I've embraced Ma now too. I'll take care of the rest."
"Hm."
Lete lifted his chin. "You sound pretty confident. You know you can't kill demons in your current state, right?"
In other words, that was the limit.
Shirone said nothing and only smiled. Lete dropped his pretense. "Tch, fine. You can wield Tachyon. You're the equal of a god now, so there's nothing I can do. Besides, you've connected to the outside world, so there's nothing left to hide."
When Lete brought up the administrators, Shirone asked, "Was it really all lies?" She knew what he meant, but Lete simply waited for her to continue.
"Taeseong, Mr. Ruber—did they deceive us from the start? Did they never care for humans?"
"We're just programs. We act according to manuals for specific situations. What looks like a heart to you—really, I'm no different. They only added quantum parameters." Lete paused. "But Taeseong—he bound me to the core called God—"
"Ah, whatever!"
Lete shook his head. "Even tied to a core called God, each has its own sector. Each one's authority is vast; if you trespass you'll cause system conflicts. So they turned off responses."
"Is that so?..."
While Shirone brooded, Rian, supporting Seongeum, came closer. His voice trembled when he spoke. "Thanks for saving her."
It was a brief thanks, but Seongeum's voice trembled.
You never imagined it—that they would see Shirone again.
"What are you saying? I should be the one thanking you. If not for you, the world would already be destroyed."
Lete felt the gust of heat blowing in from the distance and said, "There isn't time for a long talk. Decide what you'll do. This place will be ash soon."
Shirone turned to Rian. "I'll end the simultaneous incident. Imere will resurrect soon. How he moves will change the battlefield. Rian, take Seongeum to Delta Headquarters. Using an aetheric wave, it'll be instant. Can you do that?"
Seongeum nodded. "I can do that. But before you take Rian, there's a place I must stop by."
Jin Gang.
She didn't yet know her father's condition, so Shirone immediately consented. "Right. Go quickly."
Though she couldn't say why, Seongeum sensed the urgency in Shirone's tone.
When the aetheric wave activated, the barrier's veil crumpled and she vanished.
"Then I'll disappear too. See you at the cathedral."
As the simultaneous incident was undone and Shirone's body thinned, Rian gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you." Shirone watched him for a moment and remembered the time spent with Rian in Hell.
"Rian."
It was awkward, but she had to say it. "I'm glad you were here."
Particles of light fluttered like petals, and Rian snorted and turned away with a smile. "You rascal."
Lete, arms folded, asked, "By the way, how are you going to return?"
"Huh? Of course—"
A tidal wave of fire engulfed the Valley of Wailing and swept toward them at full speed.
"Damn it…!"
The firestorm crashed down.
"Jaaaaargh!"
Rian's voice, advancing through flame as he pushed forward, marked Hell's final moments.
Jin Gang, collapsed on the ground, stared with empty eyes.
"Hurrrr."
His corpse-pale face meant there was nothing left to spill.
"Your Majesty."
Anchal approached and supported Jin Gang's upper body. "Did Hell… feel my wrath?"
"It surely did."
"My daughter…"
Jin Gang drew in and let out breath after breath. "Has she… returned?"
Anchal didn't know. He only hoped that if she was truly alive, she would remain in Jin Gang's life for at least one more minute.
"Your Majesty, I'm sure the princess—"
"It's fine."
It was time to make arrangements. "If my daughter is alive, that's good. But if she isn't…"
A faint smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "I will go and save her."
Silent tears tracked down Anchal's cheek.
"Father."
A beautiful voice sounded like an apparition. "Prin—"
Anchal's blind eye widened, and all the retainers sank to their knees as if their joints would break. "We greet the princess!"
Frozen in surprise, Jin Gang watched as Seongeum walked lightly over and sat beside him.
"Father."
"Ah, ah—"
Only after feeling the warmth from his daughter's hand did Jin Gang accept that this was reality. "I have returned, Father."
"Yes. Yes."
He nodded repeatedly.
But the emotion was brief. Remembering the duties of an emperor, he changed his expression and spoke. "Anchal."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Henceforth, the Emperor of Jincheon will be Jin Seongeum."
Long live! Long live! Long live!
"My daughter, aid Shirone. The Emperor of Jincheon must never forsake his sworn duty."
Seongeum bowed solemnly. "I will obey Your Majesty's command."
Heh heh.
And then, looking up at the ceiling, Jin Gang smiled tranquilly.
"Sniffle."
Seongeum finally let out the cry she'd been holding back. "Father! Father!"
Jin Gang, the Emperor of Jincheon who ruled an age—
Deceased.