〈 Rehearsal (5) 〉
“Pfft! “What is this!”
“Get back now! “We are reassembling the phalanx!”
The warriors of the Murim Alliance hurriedly retreated and took up the camp again.
Lightning struck suddenly, but fortunately no one was harmed.
The lightning avoided humans and only fell on the mass-produced Jiangshi.
But no one thought that was good news.
Pudddeuk!
Phu Chemical –
Like a fable in the writhing bodies of Jiangshi who fell down after being struck by lightning.
Because the strange beings that appeared through that body began to rise one by one.
From entities that resemble humans in appearance to monsters that are based on the form of beasts or have even more grotesque appearances.
Their size varied from ordinary to so gigantic that it was difficult to understand that they came from a human-sized jiangshi.
Takak – Takak –
Kunlun’s survivor, Taicheong Sword Unhak, who had retreated due to the sudden situation, swallowed his saliva and looked at the being approaching with hooves in front of him.
A four-legged animal that stands well over 3 meters tall and has gray fur that has lost its color.
The sharp black horns that rose like spear blades on its head gave off a sharp light, and fire like hellish fire rose from the hooves that stomped on the ground.
‘…Could that be a giraffe?’
A legendary being considered one of the greatest divine beasts along with the dragon.
However, the auspiciousness in the story was not visible in that ominous appearance.
[Phew—]
The ground melted into the abyss-like mist that flowed from the giraffe’s mouth and spread across the floor.
Taecheonggeom, who met the gaze of the murderous blood-red light bursting from its eyes, flinched and took a step back without realizing it.
He could definitely understand.
I know that I wouldn’t be able to even properly hold onto that ankle, let alone fight against it.
‘To deal with a monster like that…’
Shouldn’t he be at least Hwa-kyung… no, Hyeon-kyung?
Of course, how could he have guessed about a fight that he could not even reach, but the presence radiating from the giraffe was that intimidating.
And his guess wasn’t particularly wrong.
No matter how much he fell into a Jiangshi and his status as a divine beast was damaged, that Kirin was once one of the leaders of Geumo Island.
‘What on earth have the demonic cults done?’
He gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly.
Perhaps not all monsters were at the level of Hyeon-gyeong, and their strength varied greatly, but that was not much comfort.
Looking at the gigantic figures rising up here and there, even if I were to guess roughly, the number seemed to be in the three digits.
‘…I thought we could overcome it if we all worked together. Could it be that everything is already too late?’
When the martial powers continue to antagonize and fight among themselves under the pretext of survival.
The Demonic Cult, which had been silent and hidden from view for a long time, had already steadily completed its preparations to promote the world.
Even if we gathered our strength late, there was no way to fight against it.
“Whoa whoa—.”
“This is crazy. What are those monsters? “How can you do something like that…”
“Wow… Is there no way…?”
As beings previously known only as legends appeared as enemies and unleashed their deadly spirit, the momentum of those who had held on to the end with little hope was rapidly lost.
Even though I gritted my teeth and tried to come to my senses, there seemed to be no chance of victory.
And the same thought was felt by the masters of the police department who were engaged in a fierce battle.
They all frown and look frustrated.
“Why are you doing that? “It seems like the mood has suddenly gone down.”
As if mocking them, the Heavenly Demon slowly looked around and grinned.
“Hehehe— I guess you finally understand the topic? I worked up quite a bit, but it was a waste. “There was absolutely no chance of you winning this fight from the beginning.”
Flapping—flapping—
a huge bird flew leisurely in a circle above him.
A black phoenix whose one wing is several meters long, and whose whole body radiates ominous energy.
The power that that being possessed was also something that could never be ignored.
The delicately maintained balance completely collapsed.
With this power difference, the fight itself is not possible at all.
‘It’s over.’
Shinseung, who was doing his best to fight with one arm, and General Jeongcheon, who was working together to deal with Cheonma.
Geomseongdo, who was engaged in a battle to end the evil relationship with the Ghost Sword Demon Emperor, and Paecheon Dohwangdo, who was gradually pushing the blood demon Gangshi and gaining the upper hand.
Sura Hyeoljondo was diligently cutting down Hwagyeong-level Jiangshi in order to join the fight against the Heavenly Demon as quickly as possible.
The same thought occurred in everyone’s mind.
Operation failed.
The final battle that will determine the fate of this world will end in the defeat of the Murim Alliance.
Everything will be done according to the will of the Heavenly Demon, and the martial arts group, which lost most of its power in this crushing defeat, will never be able to recover again.
Those who realized this fact could not bear to say anything.
“Kahaha! dog sound!”
Just one person.
Except for one madman who has been at the forefront of the battle all along.
Kwaaaang—!
He did not continue speaking.
He immediately rushed at the Heavenly Demon and plunged his fist into him.
“It is pointless resistance.”
The Heavenly Demon twisted his sword to block the attack and continued speaking leisurely.
Until now, he had only managed to reach par with the help of two other people, but now there was no way he could be a match for the Heavenly Demon alone.
“Oh, I don’t know about that! “It’s not over until it’s definitely over, so let’s stick together again!”
But Harley didn’t care about the odds at all.
I just did what I had to do and what I wanted to do!
“Come to your senses, you idiots! You will never have an opportunity like this again in the future, so are you just going to sit there like this just because the situation has gotten a little worse and seems hopeless? “You’re just going to blow up this great stage like that?”
His fierce words resounded in all directions.
However, the offensive against Cheonma did not slow down at all.
“Sometimes it’s a virtue to know how to give up and step away.”
“Kahaha! If I give up like that, will meat fall from the sky? “If that’s the case, I’ll just smash it in and throw it away!”
If the result was the same anyway, it was up to him to decide the process.
Either you just humbly accept the end, or you struggle as hard as you can and end up broken, shattered, and shattered.
And Harley was a man who always chose the latter when faced with such a choice.
“Is it because I have a bad attitude? “I can never see someone else doing well!”
Even if my end is decided, you will never be able to achieve it comfortably.
If you want to raise a toast, do so with a body covered in wounds.
Stepping barefoot on my sharply broken remains.
I will definitely make it happen—.
A truly selfish declaration.
As those words echoed throughout the battlefield, the people who were soaked in frustration unconsciously looked bewildered.
“Ha ahaha….”
“That’s amazing. “In many ways.”
“…But I think I know what it means.”
Of course, not everyone agreed with what he said.
But I could clearly see what he wanted to say and what his will was.
“Okay, I can’t just give up like this.”
“Even if I die, I kill at least one more person and die.”
“…The child is now three years old. “I have to go back.”
The air that had been steeped in defeat slowly began to change.
The driving forces were diverse.
The unfairness of not being able to end it like this, the resentment and anger toward the Demonic Cult, and the determination to somehow find a way out and return alive.
“Hahaha! I think I’m starting to get used to it now! Let’s have some more fun, buddy!”
“…The Thunderbolt is bothering me.”
The sight of Harley, who was struggling against the Heavenly Demon, suddenly awakened and showed great success also had a big impact.
Also, to begin with, a jiangshi is a doll-like being that moves according to the will of the caster.
If you just hit the head, there was no need to deal with all of them.
Maybe, maybe.
If those heroes can somehow hold on and survive until they defeat the Heavenly Demon…
wouldn’t there be even a slight chance?
The warriors and magicians on the battlefield looked at each other.
In the fierce fighting that continued immediately after the first battle, the formations that had been divided according to affiliation and inclination had already been mixed up for a long time.
Thanks to Zhuge Sega’s technique, he was able to quickly join a nearby formation and continue the fight even when his own ranks collapsed, but the efficiency when those in the opposing force joined together was bound to be significantly reduced.
‘But now…’
‘…Tsk, I can’t help it.’
Now everyone’s lives are at risk.
Right in front of him was a steadfast, life-or-death enemy who threatened his life, blocked the future of his remaining family, and tried to take away the future of the world.
I was reluctant to join hands and feet with someone who was in an opposing force, but I hated those demon cultists so much more that I could even consider that.
“Hey there, the black window. I stand in front. “Support from behind.”
“It’s a bow window. “If you give me an opening, I’ll pierce their heads in one fell swoop.”
Everyone’s will was united as one.
Even as they fought together, they subconsciously completely abandoned their wariness toward each other and turned to each other.
Anyway, if you make a mistake, the person you were with will be next.
A reconciliation that was only achieved in the most desperate circumstances.
As if a flame about to go out was burning splendidly for the last time, a fierce force emanated from the entire martial arts union.
Those who were influenced by it were also the experts of the current military, who knew the current war situation better than anyone else.
“Pahat! Do you like that friend? “It would be nice if we could spar at least once in the future.”
A man wearing metal gloves with sharp blades protruding from the tips of his ten fingers— Surahyeoljon continued speaking while licking his lips and lunged at the gigantic youkai that looked to be three times larger than his own height.
At the same time, others also began their own fights again.
Of course, changing one’s mindset did not mean that the already overwhelming power gap could be reversed.
It’s just that the end, which would have been imminent in the first place, has just been postponed a little longer.
If time goes by like this, the strong will to fight will inevitably be shaken again… It was.
Before the planned catastrophe approaches.
Another change came first.
———!
A silent ray of light flew in quickly from across the battlefield.
To the black phoenix that was flying above the Heavenly Demon’s head and interfering with the joint attack being inflicted on him.
Kwaaaaang—!
[Keeeeee!]
The sniper, which was like a beam of light, completely blew off one of the black wings of the guy who was unable to respond properly because he was concentrating downwards.
A black phoenix that stumbles in the air and then falls to the ground.
In that sudden situation, the heads of those who were closely watching the situation on the battlefield turned towards the direction from which the attack came.
There was also the head of the family, Zhuge Howon, who participated as a representative of the Zhuge family….
‘Wait a minute, what is this energy?’
It was an energy he had already experienced once.
Harry Su, a mysterious master from another world, who first brought Ha Seung-hoon, who was staying as a restaurant guest, to Jegal Sega.
He had not been heard of at all for a while, but he finally appeared in a crisis situation.
‘Whew, it’s a little late, but I’m grateful that you showed up now.’
I was so happy to see him that I quickly looked for him…
What caught his eye was not Harry Su, but a completely unexpected sight.
“…Huh, what is that?”
Something flying across the sky, visible to my eyesight enhanced by magic, is approaching.
It was a dragon about 6 meters long, created by combining enormous energies into one.
It also carries multiple people on top of its body.
“…Do you really think it was successful?”
Zhuge Howon’s eyes trembled slightly as he quietly examined his face.
There were two familiar faces there.
Ha Seung-hoon, a gourmet chef, lost contact after he announced that he would separately find a way to save those who were sacrificed.
And even his beloved daughter, Jegal Hye-mi, who was kidnapped by the Demonic Cult and had to be separated from him because she was a child of a dragon.
“Huh heh heh… Oh my god, I didn’t know you could actually do it. But I have no idea what that is. “Did you summon me with a spell?”
Even as he was amazed, an unidentified flying object in the shape of a dragon was rapidly flying toward where the Murim Alliance was located.
There were quite a few flying monsters and demon cultists trying to block the movement, but ultra-long-distance sniping coming from somewhere completely destroyed all of the obstacles.
“…how?”
The Heavenly Demon’s expression hardened after confirming that.
“What are they doing? Stop it!”
An urgent order that did not match his always relaxed attitude.
He then tried to throw himself in that direction, but Harley, who clung to him tenaciously, would never allow it.
“Khaha! “It’s getting hot. Where are you going?”
“You insolent bastard!”
Even Cheonma could not just ignore him due to his reckless spirit that did not care even if a part of his body fell off.
Moreover, Shinseung and General Jeongcheon, who had grasped the situation, were taking a more active role.
“That doesn’t change anything! “I will kill you all and take back your sacrifices!”
When the flying vehicle with the dragon image finally landed in the middle of the martial arts alliance’s formation, the Cheonma distorted its face and scolded.
[Kwaaaa—!]
[Kwaaaa—!]
As if in response, the monster jiangshi raise their black energy and howl fiercely.
The demonic energy that filled the battlefield shook violently and sharpened its blade.
The Heavenly Demon Church’s power was still overwhelmingly superior.
Even if they stole the dragon children, it was just a meaningless rebellion when they were already completely surrounded.
Unless there is a huge variable that can turn this whole game upside down.
And the sky…no.
The stage manager’s choice had already been decided.
Pajik—!
In the midst of the turbulent Magi, the momentum of the Demonic Cult was soaring.
The sound of something breaking echoed throughout the space.
At first, no one noticed the epicenter.
It was too difficult to pinpoint the direction from which the sound came from for it to have come from a certain object.
Kwazijic—!
However, as the sound was repeated several times, people’s eyes turned upward to the sky one by one, starting with those with good sense.
A sky full of dark clouds.
That was the epicenter of the successive explosions.
Crispy—!
Spider-web-like cracks slowly spread through the pitch-black clouds, and faint light began to seep out little by little.
A ray of light that cuts through the darkness cast upon the world and illuminates the humans of the earth.
And finally.
Quagwagwagwang——!
There was a roar that shook the entire space, the cracks in the sky shattered, and the dark clouds that had gathered in the aftermath were scattered in all directions.
[Koooooooo——!]
[Gwooooo——!]
With a roar filled with immense intimidation.
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
_
“Ah…”
“Is that…?”
Huge beings appeared through the dark clouds in the sky, swimming gently and looking down.
An auspicious energy, different from the polluted monsters and jiangshi that infested the earth, spread around them in all directions.
Blue dragon in the east, red dragon in the south, white dragon in the west, black dragon in the north.
And in the center.
[Kaaaa——!]
Even a yellow dragon that looks a little strange and different from other dragons.
As soon as they appeared, the unstable demonic energy was forcibly stabilized and firmly fixed.
Although it was temporary, it was an amazing feat that no one had ever accomplished before.
And in that gap, the monsters that quickly crossed over into space began to appear one by one, centered around the five dragons.
‘It sure looks spectacular when you see it like this.’
Hugo, who went through many twists and turns and finally arrived at the center of the martial arts union, looked up at the countless monsters floating in the sky and expressed admiration.
The purpose of this stage is to unite all forces in the Kang Hwan world.
Of course, it also included Geumo-do and monsters.