Chapter 501: Episode 96 – Demon-like Judge of Fire (1)
[You have forcefully entered the ‘Final Ark’!]
Jeong Hui-Won was greeted by the swarm of Constellations as soon as finding herself inside the ark.
[You have entered the ‘Hot Naraka’!]
She couldn’t make heads nor tails of what on earth was going on here.
“....Why did it have to be hell, of all places? Did I commit a lot of sin in my past life?”
There was no mistaking the fact that the enemies before her eyes were aiming for her life, though. Jeong Hui-Won discovered the pot-bellied but emaciated ‘starving ghosts’ tripping over each other and rushing towards her like falling mountains, and urgently shouted out.
“Uriel!!”
There was no reply. But Uriel’s blessing was still permeating within her. As white wings grew out from Jeong Hui-Won’s back, crimson corona permeated within her entire frame.
[‘Hour of Judgement’ is activating!]
The moment she swung her sword, the swarm of starving ghosts before were completely swept away.
[Evil-leaning Constellations have picked up your scent.]
Enemies rushed in without an end. The ones found in this ⸢Hot Naraka⸥ seemed to be parasitic creatures of other worldviews.
Fortunately, she wasn’t alone in this place.
“Hui-Won-ssi!”
Yi Hyeon-Seong hurriedly ran up to her location from somewhere and stood back-to-back with her.
“I guess you’ve committed a lot of wrong yourself, Hyeon-Seong-ssi.”
[Demon King, ‘Ruler of Crimson Fog’, is glaring at you!]
[Demon King, ‘Monstrous Armed Duke’, is revealing its animosity towards you!]
[Constellation, ‘Hell’s Parasite’, is observing you!]
[Constellation, ‘Flame of Muspelheim’, is patiently waiting.]
Their magical energy would eventually run out trying to fend off all these starving ghosts. Not only that, hell’s Constellations and Demon Kings were waiting for an opening to strike, as well.
“Behind you!”
Before they realised it, a swarm of starving ghosts sneaked closer from her rear and pounced with their large maws wide open. However, a cannon shell aiming at these creatures flew in from somewhere and blew them away.
“Hui-Won eonni!”
It was from Yi Ji-Hye’s battleship. Jeong Hui-Won’s complexion brightened as she shouted out.
“Are the kids with you?”
“I think they were dropped somewhere near Sang-Ah and Seol-Hwa eonni’s vicinity! As for Pil-Du ahjussi-!”
“We don’t have the time to worry about him, too!”
Gyaaaaaaahk!
More and more of hell’s denizens appeared. The demon counts they fought back in the [Dark Castle], and duke-level demons they encountered back in the [Demon World] also began making their appearances, as well.
Every one of them had become a part of this hell, to be used as subjects for the next scenario.
“An Archangel!!”
“Kill them, and we can also acquire the positions of Demon Kings!”
Yi Ji-Hye’s bombardment towards them commenced. All the cannons in the [Turtle Dragon] spat out flames, causing the hell’s terrain to transform and lava to spew out uncontrollably. Demons struck by the bits and lumps of lava all melted down, but their numbers didn’t seem to decrease at all.
[Applicable worldview is a domain ruled by ‘Evil’.]
Individuals thought to be dead were rising back up again a few minutes later. The spooked Yi Ji-Hye hurriedly shouted out.
“General-nim!! Where are you?! Why aren’t any Constellations showing up here??”
Unfortunately, no Constellation replied to her calling. Not even Uriel, Maritime War God, nor the 999th turn’s Yi Hyeon-Seong...
They now had to rely only on their own strength to fight.
Tsu-chuchuchuchut!
It was then, sparks began dancing in the air.
[Ba-aaaht!]
A roundish portal opened up and Biyu popped out from there.
“Biyu!!”
She used to be no bigger than a soccer ball, but now she had grown so big that it was difficult to wrap one’s arms around her.
⸢All Dokkaebis grow up by eating Fables.⸥
Biyu yelled out ‘Baaaaht!’ and curled up as powerful sparks exploded out from her figure. Those dancing sparks then tore open a wall of the cabin.
Dududududu!
Shells burst out of the automated turrets emerging from the torn-open wall.
“Are you alright!?”
Gong Pil-Du’s ‘moving castle’ was there. His [Armed Fortress] now boasted a scale of a complete battle-ready castle after his Stigma had evolved once more. And on top of this fortress were Yu Sang-Ah, Yi Seol-Hwa, as well as the two kids.
“Eonni! Ahjussi! Come up this way!”
Jeong Hui-Won and Yi Hyeon-Seong grabbed Yi Seol-Hwa’s offered hands and jumped up towards the top of the fortress.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hye’s longsword gleamed dangerously towards the starving ghosts madly chasing after them by climbing up on the fortress’s walls.
⸢In a world where no light from the stars could illuminate them, the members of <Kim Dok-Ja Company> rescued their own by themselves.⸥
“Let’s get started.”
Through the authority of the [Lotus Pedestal], Yu Sang-Ah began restricting the enemies’ movements; in the meantime, Yi Ji-Hye and Gong Pil-Du continued to fire away.
The [Chimera Dragon] sat on the far edge of the fortress and fired its Breath at the Constellations approaching from the air. As for the enemies that managed to break through this pandemonium and climb up successfully, they were greeted by Jeong Hui-Won’s falling sword strikes.
Yi Hyeon-Seong’s [Steel Transformation] protected the skins of his companions, while Yi Seol-Hwa treated him as he got injured instead of them.
⸢This combination had been dreamed up by a certain person a long time ago.⸥
However, there was one boy who didn’t appear in the original story.
“Aaaaaaah!”
[‘Wall that Divides Good and Evil’ is exercising its authority!]
[Constellation, ‘Ruler of the Deepest Pit’ is bringing its own subordinates!]
Tsu-chuchuchu....!
A pitch-black swarm of locusts rushed in and blanketed the skies of hell. These creatures latched onto the Incarnation Bodies of the demons reviving from their deaths and began tearing into them.
[Aaaaahk!!!]
Demons cried out in despair as they fell into the eternal cycle of their regenerating flesh painfully getting ripped apart and devoured repeatedly.
Jeong Hui-Won’s eyes shone in the light of hope as she observed the strengths of the starving ghosts declining gradually. The one-sidedly disadvantageous battle situation was slowly but surely turning on its head. Although destroying this ‘Hot Naraka’ would still be asking for too much, at the least, buying enough time seemed quite possible.
The only problem right now had to do with the Constellations that hadn’t joined the battle yet.
Tsu-chuchuchu....!
It was then, the stars filling up the skies of this hellish landscape suddenly began moving towards a certain direction. Constellations pounded on the interior wall of the ‘Hot Naraka’ and destroyed it before streaming outside through there.
Once the lights from the Constellations disappeared, the balance of the worldview also collapsed as well. The starving ghosts could no longer recover and sunk back inside the abyss of hell itself.
The companions finally got to take a breather and stared at each other.
“....What just happened?”
Yi Seol-Hwa asked that question, but no one answered back.
One thing was for sure, though – an event humongous enough to make those stars lose interest in this place was happening somewhere right now.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Gong Pil-Du next. He groaned loudly and began driving his [Armed Fortress].
“Fine, fine. I got it, so stop egging me on.”
<Kim Dok-Ja Company> too followed after those stars and began moving. Constellations flooding out from all corners of the ‘Final Ark’ were flying towards a certain cabin as if they were being sucked in by a black hole.
⸢This was their first time seeing so many stars move like that.⸥
Even Jeong Hui-Won, Yi Hyeon-Seong, and Yu Sang-Ah, too.... None could tear their eyes away from this overwhelming spectacle of every star in the sky raining down. It was at once beautiful, and rather chill-inducing, too.
⸢And also, sorrowful.⸥
By the time they abruptly woke up, they realised that all these stars were swirling around a single star in the centre. The sight of the room could be seen through the large crack in the wall.
The [Shindansu] had broken past the heavens. And with that tree as their centre, Kim Dok-Ja’s stars were engaged in a bitter struggle.
[Stop them!! This is our Hwangsanbeol!!!!]
They were the Korean Peninsula’s Constellations.
Kim Yu-Shin, having lost his arm, was shouting out, and Gyebaek was swinging his greatsword towards the Constellations.
The Bald General of Justice exterminated the enemies with his club, while Seo Ae One Stroke of Brush strengthened the allied Constellations’ Statuses by writing in mid-air with his brush.
Joseon’s number one sorcerer morphed into a gigantic tiger to fight against Mithra and its turtle, while the Slumbering Lady of Fine Brocade summoned all of her Hwarangs to defend against the <Emperor>’s forces.
There was an unfamiliar Constellation among them, too – a star with its eyes closed in the centre of this tree. The [Shindansu]’s Fable was bubbling up with him as its core.
[Constellation, ‘Virtuous Wanggeom’, is gathering the Probability of the founding gods!]
It seemed that he was one of the Korean Peninsula’s ‘founding gods’.
His blessing enveloped Kim Dok-Ja and the Korean Peninsula’s Constellations, and protected them.
“....General-nim....?”
They could also see Constellations atop the Turtle Ship, as well.
The sight of the rolling ocean, brought to reality through ⸢Stage Transformation⸥; that’s where Yi Ji-Hye’s Constellation sponsor was.
[Today reminds me of that day on Noryang. It’s my honour to fight alongside you, Jun-Gyeong.]
[It is mine, as well.]
The blade of menacingly-growling Cheok Jun-Gyeong collided with Thor’s hammer. Unfortunately, the <Asgard>’s forces were simply too many for this small group to fight against.
[Constellation, ‘Flame of Muspelheim’, is summoning its greatsword!]
Eventually, even the Constellations coming from the same hell as Jeong Hui-Won began joining in, as well.
No matter how excellent both Cheok Jun-Gyeong and Yi Sun-Shin were as Constellations, it was still impossible for them to stop all of them.
But then, a light flashed from the [Shindansu], and some things began growing on the ends of its branches. The lights then descended like ripened fruits, containing people the companions were intimately familiar with.
“It’s our great masters!”
Powerful auras of white lightning, as well as sword-light of Breaking the Sky, dyed the battlefield; then, Jang Ha-Yeong and the Transcenders from ⸢Murim⸥ began roaming the battleground as well.
They were followed by Japanese Youkai Constellations rushing in; ‘Tengus’ grasping feathered fans, and ‘Kappas’ rose up from beneath the water – even the subordinates of ‘Yamata no Orochi’ could be seen, as well.
[You bunch of weak Incarnations dare to.....!]
Fruits endlessly fell from the [Shindansu].
Among the spreading white lightning dyeing the battlefield bright, the beings from the 6th scenario began appearing next.
“For Kim Dogeza!”
They were ‘small people’ from [Peaceland]. Those that fought together with them against the calamity were descending to this battlefield to help them out.
[Small Constellation from the small planet is pulling out its sure-kill weapon ‘Dragon Needle’.]
Every time Constellations’ swords moved, the small people died in their droves.
“Ah, ah... Ahhhh....!”
None of the companions could speak at the horrifying spectacle of the cabin. And at the centre of this battlefield, the brightest star on the middle of the mountain made out of dead stars also didn’t speak a word, either.
⸢Kim Dok-Ja on top of the destroyed ‘Absolute Throne’ maintained his silence.⸥
Yu Jung-Hyeok, Han Su-Yeong, and Anna Croft were all fighting there. They were giving their all to fight against Constellations while vomiting out blood, scraping every Fable they could, and squeezing out every ounce of willpower they possessed.
⸢The sky was rapidly changing from the collision of worldviews.⸥
<Asgard>’s Odin, <Papyrus>’s Osiris, <Vedas>’s Shiva, <Emperor>’s Nuwa.... Not just them, but Constellations from Nebulas with unfamiliar names all joined in, causing the sky to brighten up in the deluge of blinding light show.
⸢What blocked light wasn’t darkness, but another light.⸥
The companions subjected to this chokingly bright world felt as if their very existences were being denied. The starlights from the Constellations were telling them this – that the history they had compiled so far was nothing.
[Great Fable, ‘Demon World’s Spring’, has begun its storytelling!]
Jeong Hui-Won also knew. She knew that those beings couldn’t be defeated even if all of her companions jumped in right now.
[Great Fable, ‘Torch that Swallowed the Myth’, has begun its storytelling!]
She needed an even stronger Fable, one that could strike down all those blinding stars. The kind of power that could destroy all those constellations.
However, Jeong Hui-Won didn’t possess such powers. Even with [God Slaying] or [Hellfire], it was still impossible.
[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is looking at her own Incarnation.]
Jeong Hui-Won looked up at the sky. Her sponsor that had been keeping silent until then was there. She really liked her sponsor. And because of that, there were certain things she felt scared of asking for the Archangel’s help.
“Kim Dok-Ja....”
Even then, Jeong Hui-Won had to say it.
“....Please, rescue him, Uriel.”
Right away, her sponsor replied back to her.
[Alright.]
Hotly-burning flames blanketed the surroundings. She sensed Uriel standing right behind her. Without a doubt, the Archangel must’ve been using her uniquely noble eyes to look at the same world Jeong Hui-Won was looking at.
Suddenly, Jeong Hui-Won was overcome with fear.
⸢What if Uriel dies in this place?⸥
Uriel was just a ‘Fable-grade Constellation’; even if she was very powerful, she still couldn’t fight and win against a Myth-grade Constellation. But then, a soft hand touched her shoulder.
[Don’t worry, Hui-Won-ah. I’ll make it happen, no matter what.]
The back of Uriel walking past was smaller than Jeong Hui-Won’s. The latter just couldn’t tear her eyes away from that small back.
[‘Most Ancient Good’ has begun its storytelling!]
The white wings spread out from that small back and enveloped the whole world as Uriel’s true voice resounded out.
[Oh, hear me, Eden.]
Jeong Hui-Won felt something shake noticeably inside her.
Something similar to a fragment was wriggling inside; it was a weighty fragment that began sleeping within her ever since the conclusion of the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’.
[‘Wall that Divides Good and Evil’ has regained its original power!]
Tsu-chuchuchut!
Right away, angels began appearing one by one. Lower- and mid-tier angels, their number swelling from ten, then to a hundred, then shooting past a thousand in an instant.
Among them were familiar faces, such as Archangel Gabriel. Not only that, the spirits of the Archangels who died during the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ could be seen among them, as well.
[Uriel.]
The ‘Guardian of Youth and Travel’, Raphael called out to her. The angel who always looked at the world with sleepy eyes was slowly kneeling down before her along with all the other Archangels.
[Will you be inheriting <Eden>?]
Uriel didn’t reply, but looked back at her Incarnation, instead. A certain faint smile seeped into the noble expression of this Archangel. Jeong Hui-Won called out, but her voice couldn’t reach its intended target.
The moment Uriel nodded her head, Raphael loudly proclaimed.
[Uriel, from henceforth you are our ‘Great Good’.]
Tsu-chuchuchuchu....!
The vast corona completely enveloped Uriel’s figure.
Then, the stunningly-brilliant platinum-hued armour settled on her. All of Uriel’s Status was now manifesting itself, just like back on that day she reigned as the terror of all demons after cutting off countless demon kings’ heads.
The strongest star in <Eden>.
The moment the ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’ grasped her sword, every kneeling angel stood right back up.
[Oh, my fellow angels, let us commence with the final ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’.]
<Episode 96. Demon-like Judge of Fire (1)> Fin.