Side Story Chapter 119 - Endless Eighth (5)

Fwoosh—!!!

Flames so powerful it could devour the entire world blazed as teeth sprouted from inside them. A massive wave of fire that had once devoured the world that used to be Huan— no, that surpassed even that was falling toward the ground like a tsunami.

The two saviors appeared in front of the wave of fire.

[We will not let things go your way!]

[We will protect this world!]

One was a man shining gold as if he were the sun and the other was a woman shining blue. They held hands as they stood in the way of the Flames of Voracity. They extended their arms forward, creating an invisible distortion in time in front of them. The distortion, which not even Oh Kang-Woo could sense, extinguished the Flames of Voracity without a trace.

Rumble—!

[Kurgh...!]

[Kyah!]

However, the distortion in time couldn’t block the Flames of Voracity completely; the flames disappeared after being swept into the distortion, sent to a distant past or future, but the continuous wave of fire distorted the distortion itself. A level of destruction the two saviors couldn’t handle was slowly breaking through the wall of time.

Fwoosh—!

[Kurghhh!! Watch...!]

[Out!!!]

Their skin was burned by the Flames of Voracity and turned into rags as if they were attacked by a school of piranhas. Unfathomable pain traveled throughout their bodies despite the flames only burning them slightly.

[Kurgh...!] Solar, the man shining gold like the sun, bit his lip fiercely. [I cannot allow this world... to be destroyed by evil...!]

The golden light enveloping him grew brighter.

[Solar. We should use that,] said Lunar, the woman shining blue like the moon, in determination.

Solar shook his head. [We don’t have enough time.]

[Then...]

[Believe, Lunar.] Solar’s eyes shone. [The Great Akart will save us from the clutches of evil.]

Whoooom!!

Possibly because his devotion to Akart was answered, a blinding wave of golden light pulsed from Solar. The distortion in time that was about to be broken by the Flames of Voracity regained its original form.

[Kurgh, gah!!]

[S-Solar!!]

Luna’s pale blue face paled even more. Nothing was more glorious for a retainer than being given the honor of accepting the power of a Titan inside them. However, it also came with the cost of drastically shortening one’s lifespan. They did not age, so their lifespan shortening meant their soul would shrivel up and disintegrate.

[Don’t make... that face.]

Solar looked back at Lunar and smiled. He then turned to look up at the demon looking down at them arrogantly.

[I...]

Unfathomable pain followed after accepting the Light of Akart— it was the price for a mere retainer accepting the power of a Titan. However, even if Solar’s soul would be annihilated as the price...

[I will... SAVE THE WOOOOOOOOOOOORLD!!!]

Rumble—!!!

Solar’s powerful will turned to strength and transformed into a golden wave.

[HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!]

Fwoosh, fwoosh.

The Flames of Voracity were devoured by the distortion in time and were completely extinguished.

[

Huff, huff, huff!

]

Solar fell to his knees as he panted heavily.

[Solar...]

“Dayum, you blocked that?”

Kang-Woo’s eyes widened in genuine shock. His attack was made by compressing the Flames of Voracity, ignited with all the power he could muster, with Usurpation of Flame. He never expected it to be perfectly blocked.

‘I was planning on withdrawing the flames after it did some damage.’

As he had expected, Akart’s retainers possessed immense power.

“H-Hyung-nim...”

Kim Si-Hun was staring at him in pallor. Kang-Woo sighed and shook his head.

“Haaa, Si-Hun. Did you think I’d actually destroy the Earth?”

“I... I’m sorry. Your screams just sounded so genuine.”

“No, they were genuine.”

“...”

Kang-Woo had technically overacted his insanity so that Akart’s retainers wouldn’t call his bluff.

‘And it worked.’

He felt like he was screaming like a madman more often as of late but it was super effective every time. There was no better way to instill fear and wariness in someone than acting crazy.

Kang-Woo softly landed on the ground using the Authority of the Sky and stared at Solar who was panting heavily while clenching his chest.

“Lemme ask you something.”

[Kurgh, what... is it?]

“Why is making people repeat the same day considered salvation?”

However much Kang-Woo thought, he couldn’t figure out the answer.

Solar panted heavily as he painstakingly replied, [This world will... meet its end soon.]

Kang-Woo feigned laughter. “Don’t tell me, you’re repeating the same day so that day doesn’t come? In such a half-assed way, no less?”

He could have let it slide if the deaths, destroyed landscape, and all other changes that occurred between November 8th and 9th were reset, but that was not the case. It was just an endless regression where the dead never came back to life.

They were calling it salvation but it was no different from a death sentence for Earth. Deaths would continue to occur for whatever reason and the number of missing people would continue to pile up every time the day was reset.

‘And in the end, no one would be left.’

Calling such a thing salvation was but a bad joke.

[We know that. Resetting time is but a way to delay the inevitable end.] Solar continued in a low voice, [But this way, the humans can live each day with no fear or pain that will come with the end! They don’t have to fear otherworldly invasions and the rampant darkness! I... I...!]

Solar gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

[I only... want to guide Earth... and all life on it... toward the Great Akart’s embrace.]

“What a fucking joke.”

Kang-Woo chuckled in exasperation.

‘What the hell has that son of a bitch Akart done to his goddamn followers?’

He couldn’t understand how each of his followers could become such blind followers of the light.

‘I guess it was just for a stupid reason.’

Kang-Woo clicked his tongue. He was so curious about why they were doing something so insane but the reason was simply pathetic.

“In any case.”

The important thing was that Akart’s retainers who had been hiding all this time had shown themselves.

‘ And I can get married once I get rid of them!!!’

He would get to set out on a brand new day with his three lovers.

“Balrog, Si-Hun.” Kang-Woo pointed at the woman named Lunar and said, “I’ll leave that blue bitch to you guys.”

“Yes, my king.”

“Understood, hyung-nim.”

Balrog and Si-Hun narrowed their eyes and glared at Lunar.

“They’re damn strong, so watch out.”

Although Solar borrowed power from Akart, he managed to block the Flames of Voracity Kang-Woo fired with all his might. Si-Hun and Balrog were both absurdly powerful but even they would have trouble facing an opponent capable of such a thing.

“Hehehe. No need to worry, my king. That aside...” Balrog smiled and turned to Si-Hun. “Do not get in my way, brat.”

“That’s my line.”

Si-Hun frowned as he raised his sword. They dissed each other like shonen manga rivals and charged at Lunar simultaneously as if they had planned it.

[L-Lunar...!]

[Do not worry about me, Solar. More importantly.] Lunar glared at Kang-Woo coldly and continued, [Punish that insolent man who dared to mock the Great Akart’s benevolence.]

“But Miss Lunar, where did your character concept go? You weren’t like this in the beginning.”

‘I personally liked that concept better.’

[Silence! Solar! Bring down the judgment of light on that demon at once!]

[Okay.]

Solar softly nodded and walked toward Kang-Woo. His breathing had become stable; he seemed to have recovered from using an immense amount of power to block Kang-Woo’s Flames of Voracity.

[You who is dyed in darkness.]

Solar glared at Kang-Woo fiercely and raised his right arm. Golden light making up his body was extracted as if it were being detached and turned into a three-meter halberd.

[Let the blessing of the Great Akart be with you!]

Boom!

He smashed down the butt of the halberd on the ground and spread his arms upward, his body making a Y-shape.

[Glory to the Great Akart!!!]

Kang-Woo imitated Solar’s stance and also shouted, “Glory to the Great Akart’s mother!!!”

[What...?]

“Let the blessing of the Great Akart’s mother be with you!!”

[YOU BASTAAAAAAAARD!!!] The golden light making up Solar radiated. [The Great One does not have the likes of a mother!!!]

“

G-Gasp!!!

Y-You son of a bitch—!!!” Kang-Woo’s eyes widened in shock. He trembled in disbelief and shouted, “Y-You fucking trash!!! How dare you mock my Akart for not having a mother?!!”

He could barely contain his rage. He couldn’t believe his opponent turned a blameless Titan into an orphan.

[It is not mockery!!! He is a sacred being born from the Primordial!! Hence, he does not have a mother!!!]

“MISS LUNAAAAAAAAAR!!! GET A WORD OF THIS, MISS LUNAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!” Kang-Woo called Lunar, who was blocking Si-Hun and Balrog’s attacks with a flexible urumi.

[Kurgh... Wh-What is it?]

Lunar turned to Kang-Woo with a frown, seemingly having difficulty facing both Si-Hun and Balrog at the same time.

“THIS MOTHERFUCKER SOLAR DARED TO MOCK THE GREAT AKART BY CALLING HIM A LOWLY ORPHAN WITH NO MOTHEEEEEEEEEEER!!!”

[I have never once mocked the Great Akart!!] shouted Solar.

Lunar grimaced as she glared at Kang-Woo and shouted, [He is a sacred being born from the Primordial! He has no such thing as a mother!!]

“

Gasp...!

”

‘First, Solar, and now Lunar...?! Akart, you son of a bitch!’

Kang-Woo finally understood why Akart’s personality was so twisted. No one could stay sane after being mocked so harshly by their own followers.

“I can’t afford to lose this battle... for the sake of Akart’s mother.”

Schwing.

Kang-Woo raised his sword for the sake of the poor woman whom everyone denied existed.

“Victory...” Kang-Woo stomped his foot and flew up toward Solar. “To Akart’s mother.”