Side Story Chapter 158 - Master of the Tower (5)

“It seems... we cannot continue our battle.”

Akart clicked his tongue as he looked down at the splitting tower floor.

“We can’t continue?” asked Oh Kang-Woo with a frown.

“Yes. The tower will fall apart at this rate.”

“So?”

The tower’s destruction would not affect Akart or Kang-Woo. Rather, it would allow them to battle more freely.

“If the Tower of Creation falls... all life in it will perish.”

“Like I said, so?”

Kang-Woo couldn’t care less about the lives of the tower’s residents. Akart glared at Kang-Woo in exasperation.

He gritted his teeth and remarked, “It seems I truly cannot stop you—”

“Wild Bee[1].”

“...?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Kang-Woo couldn’t hold back his Korean urges. Akart frowned, thinking Kang-Woo was mocking him.

“Do you... not understand how precious life is?”

“You’re the last person I want to hear that from.”

Kang-Woo could only laugh as Akart, who committed several mass murders on Earth, went off about the value of life.

“Haaa...” Akart sighed deeply. “In any case, let us stop here for today.”

“Screw that.”

This was Kang-Woo’s golden opportunity to kill Akart. He couldn’t afford to stop.

“You’re going to die here today.”

Fwoosh!

He gripped Midir tightly as the Flames of Voracity wrapped around the blade. He slowly brought his right hand to his chest again.

“Have you forgotten?” remarked Akart as he stared at Kang-Woo. “That I am the Master of the Tower.”

Riiing!

[The ‘Master of the Tower’ banishes you from the Tower of Creation!]

[You will automatically return to your previous location in five minutes!]

“Fuck!” Kang-Woo cursed as he stared at the message in front of him and lowered his right hand.

‘Five minutes isn’t enough.’

He couldn’t end the battle in only five minutes even if he unleashed the Abyss.

“I do not wish for any more unneeded bloodshed.”

“Then fuck off from Earth.”

“I cannot do that.” Akart shook his head. He stared at Kang-Woo with blazing eyes and remarked, “Your world must be eradicated— no, its eradication is inevitable even if I do not take action.”

He then declared as if bringing down a death sentence, “Only the end... awaits worlds without a Law.”

“Fuck you. That’s a load of bullshit. I’m sure that’s what you want to believe. You’re just seeing only what you want to see.”

Akart wasn’t considering any other option; for his ideals, beliefs, and duty. He was simply pretending to be a hero or a savior.

“Do you... truly believe so?”

“Yeah.”

Kang-Woo was sure Earth could be saved. If there was no other way, he would simply make one. If he couldn’t make one, he would just kill everyone else.

“You think I’ll let you destroy something I worked my ass off to protect?”

He would protect it no matter what.

“Haaa...” Akart sighed. “You and I... are like parallel lines.”

Just like how parallel lines could never intersect with one another, Kang-Woo and Akart could never come to an agreement.

“Didn’t you expect that?” Kang-Woo remarked.

“Yes, I suppose so.” Akart smiled bitterly. “I expected I would have no choice but to fight you— one who has accepted the Primordial Darkness. Although, I hoped for that expectation to be false.”

Akart stayed silent after that.

‘Primordial Darkness, huh?’

Thinking about it now, Kang-Woo had one more thing to ask Akart.

“What is the Black Sky?”

“Hmm. I wonder?” Akart remarked with a smile full of life as always. “Do I have a reason to tell you?”

‘I guess not.’

“Well, if you don’t want to tell me, forget it.”

Kang-Woo could always figure it out on his own.

“Hahaha! I’m just joking.” Akart laughed brightly as he shook his head. “Black Sky— the darkness that devoured the sun. A predator that feasted on countless stars,” he remarked as if singing. “It is one of the darknesses born from the Primordial— just like the Demonic Sea.”

“...”

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes.

‘So, there wasn’t just one.’

Kang-Woo did not know much about the origin of the darknesses born from the Primordial or what it exactly was but he was sure they possessed powers that even Titans coveted.

‘And the fact that he told me about it means...’

Kang-Woo clicked his tongue.

“It must be somewhere I can’t find.”

If not, Akart would never tell him this information.

“Hahaha. You are quick to understand.” Akart chuckled. He stared at Kang-Woo and continued, “The Black Sky is in an outer world unimaginably far away from your world.”

“Then why did you ask which one I have?”

“I knew you possessed one of the Primordial Darknesses, but I did not know which one.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Well, then. The time has come.”

Akart smiled faintly and spread out his arms as he stared at Kang-Woo. His white eyes no longer carried any warmth— they were only filled with thick bloodlust.

“Soon...”

The slaughterer, purer than anyone else, lightly swung his spear.

Clink.

The golden dishes hit each other.

He declared, “We will meet again.”

“...”

Now that Akart had declared war, Kang-Woo felt the showdown against the Titan was near. His shoulders felt like they were being crushed and his heart beat insanely quickly— just like when the final battle against Bael had been near.

“When we meet again...” Akart continued.

‘Ahh. I can kind of expect what he’s gonna say next.’

Kang-Woo felt the irresistible urge again.

“I will show you—”

“A completely changed me[2],” Kang-Woo interrupted.

“Pardon?”

“Oh, fuck. I’m so sorry.”

‘For real, though. A Korean can’t resist this urge.’

“Let us see for how long you can maintain that leisure...”

Akart gritted his teeth; he seemed to be genuinely mad. Kang-Woo could understand since he continued to be interrupted by mockery whenever he tried to say something important.

“Come on, don’t get mad. I’m seriously sorry.”

“I am not mad.”

“Nah, you’re pissed as fuck right now. I’m telling you, there’s nothing I can do about this. It’s instinct.”

“I said... I am not mad.”

“It’s just that I can’t handle super serious situations. I’m not trying to make fun of you or anything. It just comes out of nowhere!!”

“I understand, so please be quiet!!!” shouted Akart, his face reddened.

He couldn’t help but feel rage and humiliation since the other person was joking around while he was being serious.

“Okay!!! This won’t do!!! One more time!!! Say it one more time!!! I’ll listen to you without interruption this time!!!” shouted Kang-Woo as he stuck out his pinky finger as a sign of promise.

Although Kang-Woo did not care for other people’s feelings, he felt immensely guilty.

‘How embarrassed must he feel?!’

Kang-Woo put himself in Akart’s shoes and could understand the humiliation he put Akart through.

“I will not!!!”

“Come on!! Please!! I’m begging you!!! Just say what you were about to tell me one more time!!!”

A man needed to own up to his mistakes. Kang-Woo got on his knees and begged for Akart’s forgiveness.

“You say that, but...”

“PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE!!! ONE MORE TIME!! GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE!!!” Kang-Woo brought his hands together to beg. “AKART!!! I’LL BECOME YOUR DOG IF YOU WANT ME TO!!! I AM AKART’S DOG FROM TODAY ONWARD!!! WOOF!! WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!!!”

“...”

Akart frowned intensely. His lips quivered as if he were about to say something but he sighed deeply.

“Haaa. Engrave this into your mind.”

Akart narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Kang-Woo. The pressure weighed down on Kang-Woo’s shoulders and chills ran down his back.

“When we meet again...” he muttered. “I will show you— no, to all life on Earth—”

“A completely changed me.”

“GODDAMMIT!!!”

Akart stomped his foot.

Rumble—!!!

The floor split and the tower shook as if it would fall apart at any moment.

“The tower’s falling!! It’s gonna fall!!!” Kang-Woo sprang back up from his knees. He smirked and gripped Midir tightly. “Since it’s gonna fall, why don’t we continue where we left off?”

“SILENCE!!!”

Akart clenched his fists, vessels bulging from them, and glared at Kang-Woo with bloodshot eyes. He had turned from a white boy to a red boy.

“Haaa, haaa, haaa!” he panted heavily to quell his overflowing rage. “I will keep watch over you... to see if your arrogant self can keep spouting nonsense like this.”

Akart bit his lip fiercely. Kang-Woo could see his fists subtly trembling.

“Wait patiently. When we meet again...”

Golden light burst out radiantly as if the sun was right in front of Kang-Woo.

“You will see with your own eyes the end of Earth, and what it will bring as the price for leaving Earth to be. When that day comes... I will be watching to see if you can still make such provoking remarks.”

Akart’s words were filled with bloodlust. His white eyes shone as if they could see into Kang-Woo’s soul. The immense pressure weighing down on Kang-Woo dizzied him; he felt like he would puke at any moment.

‘Not yet.’

He needed to show leisure for a little longer.

“Hehehe, sure.” Kang-Woo waved as if saying goodbye to a close friend. “See ya next time.”

He was enveloped by a familiar floating sensation and his consciousness cut out.

1. This is a reference to an old Korean song

Wild Bee

by Kang Jin. Akart’s sentence is very similar to the lyrics so Kang-Woo jumped in to complete it. ☜

2. This line is a lyric from

I Will Show You

by Ailee. ☜