Chapter 191. Vango

A red line streaked across the Giant’s rocky chest. Moments later, blood gushed forth, cascading like a waterfall. Standing atop the blood-soaked rocks, Jecheon Seong peered inside, where the Giant’s heart pulsated vigorously.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

—You’re insane! Don’t spout nonsense! Even I only made it this far by the grace of our Father!

Vango’s scream tore through the air. Even as death loomed before him, he refused to accept Jecheon Seong’s words. In his eyes, everything—his ascension, his power, and his place as ruler—was all thanks to their father’s benevolence. They had even betrayed him for something greater, a sacrifice he deemed necessary.

And yet, an insignificant, lowly creature had defied Father’s will and stood up against him. It was simply inconceivable!

“Whether you believe it or not is none of my concern,” Jecheon Seong said coldly, raising his burning sword.

Words were useless at this point. He knew Vango had come to abduct Kim So-Eun, had duelled him, and would witness his own end. Words were useless at this point.

Without hesitation, Jecheon Seong drove his blade into the Giant’s heart. The resistance was immediate and fierce. The heart pulsed violently, emitting waves of mana, and the tightly woven muscle fibers strained to repel the blade. However, it was futile.

—

Aaaaargh!

Vango’s agonized roar echoed.

Hunters, including Son Chang-Il, watched from a safe distance, transfixed. Despite being far away, it was as if everything was unfolding before them. They could see the lifeblood draining rapidly from the Giant.

Soon, a radiant light began to gather around Vango. Son Chang-Il’s eyes widened in alarm.

Is it going to explode?

“Get down!” Son Chang-Il shouted.

If a mass of this size exploded, the entire area would be obliterated. Yet there was nothing he could do. Even if they ran, they’d still be well within the blast radius.

However, the light didn’t explode. Instead, it ascended.

A pillar of light pierced the heavens, climbing higher and higher, breaking through the clouds. Within the luminous column, stood two figures—Vango, his eyes unfocused and lips trembling, and Jecheon Seong, gripping his sword tightly.

***

“This way!”

A transport plane, carrying Hunters from America, landed at its destination. The Hunters disembarked, stepping into a landscape of bizarre architecture, crawling with grotesque undead. They gawked at the sight before them.

A lone woman, draped in eight pairs of radiant wings, resembled a celestial angel straight out of myth. Her light washed over the hideous Ghouls, purifying them and restoring them to their original forms.

Of course, they knew it was just her ability. Still, the sheer scale of her purification astonished even the seasoned Hunters.

“Walter, over there!”

“What? Oh, right!”

Several Ghouls staggered at them, untouched by the purifying light. He drew his sword, ready to strike. Well-equipped and prepared, a few Ghouls were mere child’s play.

—Stop!

A voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

Startled, Walter looked up. Though the woman was some distance away, her voice sounded as if it were right next to him.

—Don’t move. If you lay a finger on them, you'll regret it.

Her tone was uncompromising, promising dire consequences for defiance. Chills went down Walter’s spine. Gone was her angelic impression.

The American Hunters froze under her warning gaze as she turned to the Ghouls. Slowly but surely, her light purged the vile energy of Ushas.

The sight weighed heavily on her. Her eyes softened, filled with profound sorrow. Unlike the icy gaze from before, her expression now betrayed deep, unyielding emotion.

The corpses were varied—old and young, men and women, sick and healthy. Death had claimed them all equally. Stripped of Ushas’ corruption, they laid as they once had, no longer monstrous.

Among the dead were neighbors and loved ones, people who had once shared her life. She would never see them again except in memories, yet even those were stained by Ushas.

Siwelin gritted her teeth. She’d never felt such hatred in her whole life, not even when she’d been transformed into a Ghoul. Back then, grief had overshadowed anger, but things were different now. Was it because of meeting Kim Do-Joon and leading an ordinary life, or because of meeting the Death Spirit King, whom she could never forgive?

The purification continued. The Ghouls outside the fortress were cleansed, their bodies laid bare in death. Even those within the fortress fell to her light. Lesser monsters, including Liches, attempted to attack her, but they posed no threat. One by one, she purified them all, until none remained.

However, burying them had to wait. She had to find Kim Do-Joon first. For now, she clasped her hands together and prayed.

However, a voice broke her prayer.

“Well, well. Those wings of yours... what are they?”

She opened her eyes, her gaze icy as she turned to face the intruder.

In her hands, a brilliant spear of light materialized—a weapon long and massive, out of place in her delicate hands.

“Let me guess,” Ushas said, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t kill my sister and steal her power, did you?”

Naturally, a single thought flashed through his mind. The emotions reflected in his gaze were no less intense than hers. The saintess standing before him—the eight wings extending from her back—was undeniable proof of his younger sibling’s Divine Descent.

Siwelin did not answer. Her contempt was palpable, as though speaking to someone so vile was beneath her. Instead, the spear of light shot straight at the man.

***

The world was barren, its inhabitants wiped out, leaving a lone Giant wandering its desolate lands. He had neither regrets nor purpose. His life was focused solely on surviving the present moment.

—Do you desire the revival and prosperity of your kind?

— I doubt it. What’s done is done. There’s no turning back time.

At some point, a companion appeared—a mysterious old man. Vango did not know where the man had come from, or why he stood before him. However, it did not matter. The Giant had long stopped concerning himself with such trivialities, preoccupied as he was with scrounging for food to sustain his enormous frame.

—Do you not dream of a world where Giants reign supreme once more?

—Reign? Don’t make me laugh. What’s the point of playing king in a world devoid of subjects? It’s tedious.

Despite his dismissive tone, the conversations intrigued Vango. The old man’s size was as insignificant to him as a bug’s, and in any other circumstance, he would have paid him no attention.

—Do you not wish to see your family again?

At this, Vango hesitated.

—I may be ignorant, but I do know one thing.

—And what is that?

—The dead don’t come back.

After hearing Vango’s response, the man chuckled softly, agreeing.

Then, as if unable to hold back, the man began to gripe. He mentioned that one of his few children couldn’t grasp even this simple concept, causing him endless trouble.

Regardless, he continued living as he always had. He had no regrets about the past, nor any fervent wishes for the future. All that mattered was the present—living to the fullest within the reality he had been given.

—I see.

Vango lifted his heavy eyelids. Through the haze of light, he saw a single human figure staring down at him.

The human swiftly wiped away the blood and grease clinging to his sword, before sheathing it.

“You look about to die,” the human remarked.

—That’s because I am.

The Giant no longer saw the human as a mere insect. The memories of his father, back when Vango was not yet a ruler, rose unbidden in his mind. His father had been as small as Jecheon Seong, yet Vango had never thought of him as insignificant or insect-like.

He could no longer deny that this human had surpassed him—his stature, his very essence—by an unfathomable margin. Just like Father had.

“Do you regret it?”

—No, I do not. Even if I could return to the past, I would make the same choices.

Huh? Even if you go back in time, you’d still kidnap So-Eun?

“You fool.” Jecheon Seong snorted disdainfully.

This one truly had no remorse. In that case, the outcome would be the same—he would die by Jecheon Seong’s hands once more.

With great effort, Vango managed to lift the corners of his mouth. Though no laughter escaped him, a strange sense of contentment welled up within. He shifted his gaze upward, looking at the sky. The pillar of light surrounding him pierced through the clouds, stretching endlessly.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and an illusion flickered before his eyes. It was a stairway ascending to the heavens. On it, he saw himself, climbing step after step.

The stairs stretched infinitely, and he walked on tirelessly. Never once did he look back or let his focus waver. He simply kept moving forward, silently and resolutely.

Then, on one particular step, he saw his kin, the fallen race of Giants. They were his parents, siblings, and old friends, all of whom he remembered vividly.

His unrelenting steps came to a halt on that stair. For the first time, he turned to the side.

―Is this where my journey ends?

His friends chuckled, their laughter lighthearted.

“We knew you’d get yourself into trouble eventually,” they said, telling him to stop causing problems and hurry to join them.

His parents, however, seemed somber. Why were they sad? From now on, they could finally be together.

Looking at his kin, Vango smiled. Then, at last, the pillar of light narrowed, enveloping him as it dissolved into dust.

Jecheon Seong watched silently for a moment. Vango’s form disappeared, starting from the parts touched by the light. His life had ended long before.

Tap.

Jecheon Seong stepped down from Vango’s face. His foot touched the ground lightly as he emerged from the shrinking pillar of light. At last, the light vanished into the heavens, leaving nothing behind.

Then he trudged forward, his steps deliberate. The surroundings were eerily silent. It would take time for anyone to fully grasp what had transpired.

Then, a voice rang out, loud and jubilant.

“W-we did it! Hunter Jecheon Seong defeated him!”

“

Woooah!

”

The roar of cheers erupted like thunder, shattering the silence. It was the beginning of a celebration.

“You rock, Old Man!”

“Watch your mouth, punk!

Hahaha!

”

In the middle of the ruined city, the people rejoiced.