The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

Chapter 342 : The Long War is Over

Gooooo....

The evil god's steps stopped.

The giant being, whose heart had been pierced by a sword containing the power of nine colors, collapsed like a sandcastle and began to slowly turn to ash and scatter.

At the same time.

Jjeojeok... Jjeok....

Cracks appeared in the pitch-black sky, and it began to split into several pieces and fall.

The black sky was collapsing.

Beyond it, a dazzlingly blue sky could be seen.

The fragments of the black sky turned to ash as they fell.

It was the end of the war.

"..."

I stood there blankly, looking up at the sky.

Amidst the falling fragments of the sky.

A brilliant rainbow was floating.

It was dazzlingly beautiful.

It felt as if a long nightmare had ended.

[You pathetic fool.]

I heard the Heavenly Demon's low laughter in my ear.

[You still have a long way to go.]

Only then did the tension release, and a laugh escaped my lips.

"Haha..."

My eyes closed, and I fell into a deep sleep.

***

Everyone on the battlefield witnessed it.

The descent of the evil god.

His steps that called for destruction.

The earth-shattering tremor that made their legs tremble.

Those who were fighting fiercely against the magical beasts lost their will to fight as they saw the giant god approaching with thudding steps.

They fell into despair.

They were consumed by fear.

How could they possibly stop something like that?

Then, there was a being who stood in his way as if to show them.

A man who blocked his path, covered in blood, a complete wreck, covered in scars.

A man who stood firm, holding a broken sword, with a red aura flowing from his entire body.

They saw his back.

...Stop.

How could he possibly stand against something like that?

It's impossible.

It's meaningless.

It's reckless.

But, he answered with his actions.

No, I don't think so.

He became a red meteor and shot towards the evil god.

The evil god swung his giant hand.

If he was hit by that, not even his bones would be left.

Some squeezed their eyes shut.

At that moment.

A brilliant light burst from his broken sword, and then,

Seogeok—

The evil god's giant hand was cut off as if it were a lie.

...Huh?

At the sight that made them doubt their eyes, people's eyes widened.

Soon, the man who had cut the evil god's hand and reached his chest, plunged his sword in without hesitation.

A brilliantly blooming rainbow-colored sword.

Nine brilliant colors.

It pierced the evil god's heart and split it in half.

————————————!!!

A sound as if the world were collapsing was heard.

The evil god slowly collapsed, and his body turned to ash and scattered.

At the same time, the magical beasts that had been attacking them also began to turn to ash and scatter.

Jjeojeok! Jjeok!

The black sky collapsed, and a ray of light descended through the gap.

Everyone on the battlefield witnessed that sight.

The collapsing black sky and the man standing at its center.

And, the brilliantly blooming rainbow.

Soon, he fell along with the pouring fragments of the sky.

"Uh, uh?"

The people were flustered.

The distance was too far to run and catch him.

At that moment, a light flashed, and someone snatched him up as he fell.

She had spread her wings of dazzling radiance.

"I believed you would do it."

The Hero of Light, Lasol, smiled as she looked at Ashuban in her arms.

"You have truly worked hard."

The pouring fragments of the black sky.

The first light of dawn shining through the gaps.

The hero who had defeated the evil god and collapsed, and the wings of light that held him.

It was as if they were watching a scene from a myth.

And it was a sight sufficient to adorn a page of the holy scriptures of any religion.

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

A thunderous roar erupted.

They waved their spears and swords, shields and fists above their heads and shouted until their throats were raw.

The long war, which had continued since the ancient era when dragons ruled the world,

was over.

***

I opened my eyes.

A woman in a gray robe was sitting in front of me.

Sagak, sagak—

She was holding a quill and writing something on a piece of paper.

The sound was quite pleasant to hear.

As I was blankly watching her write, a question came back to me.

"Are you awake?"

Her gaze was still fixed on the paper.

I nodded, but thinking she might not have seen it, I bothered to answer.

"I'm up."

Sagak, sagak—

And then, there were no other words.

Only the pleasant sound of writing floated in the room.

As I listened to the sound quietly, I looked around.

It was a place that looked like an ordinary reception room.

The interior was clean.

After looking around, and seeing nothing more to see, I looked at the woman who was diligently writing something in front of me.

Sagak, sagak— Sagak, sagak—

As I listened quietly, sleepiness slowly crept in...

Sagak, sagak—

"It's time. Let's go."

"..."

"...?"

"Zzz..."

"..."

Knock, knock—

"Junior?"

"Huk! I wasn't sleeping!"

"..."

When I came to my senses, the woman in the gray robe had gently put down the quill she was holding and was staring at me blankly.

With a very pathetic expression.

"I said I wasn't sleeping."

"..."

"I was just circulating my energy for a moment."

When I said it shamelessly, she knocked on the desk again, knock, knock—, and said to me.

"It's time. Let's get up."

"I'm telling you, I really wasn't sleeping."

"That's not it, I'm telling you to get up from your seat."

"Ah, yes."

I got up from my seat, following her.

The unknown woman opened the door and went out, and I followed her down a long corridor.

It was a predominantly white corridor.

Light came in through the windows, and shadows were cast behind the pillars that received the sunlight.

What should I say, it was a place that looked just like a temple.

It felt as if an unknown reverence was forcing silence.

I suddenly approached the window and looked outside, and was startled.

A flawlessly blue sky was spread out, and below it, white clouds were floating.

It was a temple built on the clouds.

"Wow..."

I couldn't help but be amazed.

I stuck my head out the window and looked around, and then, suddenly feeling a gaze, I pulled my head back in...

The woman who was guiding me had stopped walking and was staring at me blankly.

Although she was expressionless, I somehow felt like she was cursing me with her eyes, so I followed behind her nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.

"The view is quite nice."

"..."

She looked at me for a moment and then started walking again.

Togak— Togak—

The sound of footsteps continued again.

The clear sound of heels echoing in the corridor continued for a while, and then we arrived in front of a door.

The woman held the doorknob and said.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"To receive the gods."

Do I need to be particularly prepared to receive the gods?

I scratched my head, then ran my fingers through my hair and roughly tidied it up.

After fixing my hair, I looked at her.

"I think I'm ready?"

"..."

She looked at me as if she were looking at an eccentric person and then opened the door.

"Please enter. You are worthy of it."

I strode into the open door.

Inside, nine thrones were arranged in a circle, and a person was sitting on each one.

When I entered, everyone stood up.

Among them, a woman with long black hair said to me.

[Come here.]

It was a familiar voice.

I couldn't not know it.

A voice that was authoritative yet gentle, clear yet imbued with a cold charm.

A voice that resembled a night where the moonlight quietly poured down.

"...Lady Ketel?"

She smiled gently.

[That's right, my lovely son.]

For some reason, her face made it difficult to guess her age.

Following her guidance, I went to the circle in the center of the nine thrones and stood there.

In that state, I looked at the faces of those who occupied the thrones.

They were very unique and diverse.

There was one who was so dazzling that he was wrapped in radiance, one who was engulfed in blazing flames, and one who had greenish vines wrapped around his arms and legs.

There were those who smiled when our eyes met, those who just looked at me with a serious gaze, and one who was glaring at me with bulging eyes as if he would eat a ghost.

Since I was not well-versed in theology, I couldn't tell who was who.

But I could clearly tell that these were the nine gods who ruled this world.

I also looked at the thrones behind them as they stood.

The color of each throne was different.

Black, white, purple, indigo, blue, green, yellow, vermilion... and red.

The red throne was the only one that was empty, and it was broken.

As I was staring at it blankly, Ketel asked.

[What are you looking at?]

It was a gentle voice.

"One seat is empty."

[Yes.]

I looked at the broken throne and offered my own guess.

"Perhaps, a fat fellow used to sit there."

At my words, the gods desperately held back their laughter.

...Do gods also hold back their laughter?

It was a strange sight in many ways.

Ketel smiled brightly and said.

[That is the seat of the Demon God. The one who died at your hands once sat there.]

"...Ah."

The one who had lost his divinity and name and fallen when he descended to the ground as an evil god.

Come to think of it, they had said that the Demon God had died and become an evil god.

I remembered the ridiculously large size of the evil god and nodded my head.

"My guess was correct."

The gods cleared their throats or quickly turned their heads and covered their mouths.

[Do you believe in reincarnation?]

Ketel asked out of the blue.

[All living things go round and round along the band of fate. The one you met at the turning point of fate was also like that.]

...Was also like that?

Does that mean he's not now?

As if she had read my thoughts, Ketel quietly continued.

[Your master, the Heavenly Demon, is one who has attained enlightenment and finally broken the cycle of reincarnation. One who has stood up on his own.]

While Ketel was speaking, the others were silently looking at me.

It was an atmosphere as if she were speaking to me on their behalf.

[Do you remember the prophecy you heard from the senile king of Blake?]

Before I could answer, a booming voice suddenly interjected.

[That was the oracle I personally descended and gave to the king of humans.]

It was a man with broad shoulders and a lush beard on his chin that was burning like fire.

He seemed to be the master of the vermilion throne, as he was standing in front of it.

"Are you Lord Volund?"

He smiled proudly.

[That's right.]

Volund, the god of blacksmiths, furnaces, iron and fire, hammers and anvils, once again recited the oracle he had given.

「The red-eyed judge will descend from a high place.

In one hand, he will hold a broken longsword that will burn everything, and in the other, a dagger to be used as a key.

The moment the judge overcomes all trials. The master of the new throne will come.

O one who has stood up alone. O one who has enlightened alone...」

Volund was about to say more, but he flinched and averted his gaze, shutting his mouth when he received Ketel's cold glare.

Ketel looked at me again with gentle eyes and continued.

[Even though his role was not separately told, he saw through it with his outstanding insight and faithfully carried it out in his own way. He has sufficiently proven his qualification to sit on that seat.]

I didn't know exactly what the Heavenly Demon's role was.

But I could guess that it was greatly related to me.

[But he is he. This is a place prepared to talk about you now.]

Ketel slowly approached me.

When I didn't hear any sound, I looked and saw that she was barefoot.

The barefoot Ketel approached me softly, bent down slightly, and looked into my eyes.

[My lovely son, you have done well. I am very proud of you.]

Why was it?

When I heard those words, tears welled up in my eyes.

I almost called her mom without realizing it.

"Mom."

No, that's not it.

It had already come out of my mouth.

(End of Chapter)