Chapter 399 — A certain heart (5)

The Demon King and its stunned expression could be seen in the distance.

The hull of the ship was unscathed even after getting struck by the [Star Destruction Bullet] fired by Barbatos.

The bullet capable of erasing even a star couldn’t penetrate past that turtle-like back shell.

[Incarnation, ‘Yi Ji-Hye’, has begun her command.]

[Incarnation, ‘Yi Ji-Hye’, has activated Stigma, ‘Ghost Fleet Lv.10’!]

A ghostly armada of twelve ships used the approaching ‘Dark Warriors’ as the waves and floated up. Soon after, their cannons began firing in unison.

Barbatos gnashed its teeth at the sudden barrage of cannon fire. [You dare, with such measly little....!]

The Demon King’s own battleship, [Nighthawk], was truly sturdy. Although it wasn’t assembled with futuristic cutting-edge technology, still, it was a weapon created by painstakingly gathering Fables of the Demon World. [Ghost Fleet] alone was insufficient to deal with this enemy.

However, Yi Ji-Hye didn’t panic. No, she simply observed her enemy with a calm, composed expression.

Ku-gugugu!!!

As the [Ghost Fleet] continued its barrage, the reddish light was gathered in the dragon-like figurehead of the ship covering the sky.

[Great Fable, ‘Next City’, has begun its storytelling!]

Jeong Hui-Won looked up at Yi Ji-Hye’s current appearance.

She had no way of knowing how the latter managed to come here or what sort of a worldview she had experienced. The one thing she was certain of, though, was the knowledge that the trio of kids managed to survive something just as harsh as the tragedy she had to live through in the ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’.

[A ship built upon crude Fables dares to....!]

Barbatos’s side finished charging up its attack first and fired it.

Kuwaaaaah-!!

The force behind the shot was at least double that of the previous attack. No matter how strong Yi Ji-Hye’s battleship was, it wouldn’t be easy to defend against this particular [Star Destruction Bullet].

Four, five ships at the front of the [Ghost Fleet] couldn’t endure against the magical energy behind the attack and were extinguished immediately.

Even then, Yi Ji-Hye calmly waited. Until that cannon shell moving at a slow-but-assured speed reached right in front of her nose.

Just a little bit more. A bit more.

[Constellation, ‘Maritime War God’, is looking at his Incarnation.]

Fragments of Fables, scattering in the air, brushed past her cheeks.

And just before the Fable of [Ghost Fleet], being destroyed one after the other, could reach her and her two companions like a wall of white bubbles.....

Yi Ji-Hye lowered her sword.

“Fire!!”

Everywhere was seemingly dyed in bright light. Violent, vicious rebound rocked the hull. Strong winds wildly whipped her already-undone hair about.

The Fable’s energy shooting out from the dragon head swept absolutely everything away in the vicinity. The [Star Destruction Bullet] dyeing its surroundings in darkness had been extinguished already.

[Many Constellations are suspicious of the applicable Fable Weapon’s Probability!]

The Fable Weapon, [Turtle Dragon].

That was the name of the weapon that the ‘Maritime War God’ had commissioned when he came to visit the Next City a long time ago, but didn’t have the chance to collect it yet.

[Many Constellations can’t close their jaws due to their great shock!]

Accompanied by a loud explosion, the sounds of something being destroyed could be heard, along with a Demon King’s horrible scream.

Yi Ji-Hye issued another order. “Fire!!”

Her voice didn’t waver in the slightest, as if to spit out all of her accumulated grievances.

The [Ghost Fleet] re-emerged and began their simultaneous bombardment once more, while the [Turtle Dragon’s] main cannon also spat out another round, as well.

“Fire!!”

Everything on the opposing side of the battlefield was gradually disappearing – Barbatos’s battleship, the Dark Warriors, everything.

All those hoping to convert Jeong Hui-Won’s and Yi Hyeon-Seong’s story to a tragedy were now the subjects of Yi Ji-Hye’s wrath.

‘Our Fables aren’t for your entertainment’, she said.

She wobbled slightly as the shelling continued on. However, she never faltered once. She was no longer that girl who feared the ocean, but a commander of this vessel.

“Fire!!”

Kuwaaaah-!!

Under the explosions of the energy created by the cannon barrage, Barbatos’s Status was steadily being erased.

And until every single one of the Demon King’s Fables were completely gone, Yi Ji-Hye didn’t let up with the bombardment, and ordered their firing again and again.

Jeong Hui-Won looked up at that spectacle.

That girl was clearly straining herself.

Tsu-chuchuchut!!

Sparks now filled up the battlefield. Two kids broke past the continuous chain of explosions and landed on the ground. They were Shin Yu-Seung and Yi Gil-Yeong.

“Hui-Won unni.... Are you alright?”

“Noona!”

Aided by the kids, Jeong Hui-Won carried Yi Hyeon-Seong to the battleship, and approached Yi Ji-Hye at the deck still commanding the bombardment.

“Ji-Hye-ya....”

[Constellation, ‘Maritime War God’, is exhausting his remaining energy right down to his limit.]

Their opponent was a top-ranking Demon King. Even if they acquired a [Fable Weapon], even if they borrowed the Probability of , and even after the Fable-grade Constellation ‘Maritime War God’ had come to help.....

A price had to be paid in order to create a miracle like this.

“Ji-Hye-ya, it’s okay now.”

Jeong Hui-Won knew why Yi Ji-Hye was so furious right now. The moment she stepped into the battlefield, she had figured out what happened here. And that was why she didn’t hold back at all.

[‘Ghost Fleet’ is returning.]

The scenario messages could be heard coming from the distance.

[Demon King, ‘Merciless Hunter Against the Will of Heavens’, has died.]

[Demon King, ‘Merciless Hunter Against the Will of Heavens’, has been defeated in the regional conflict.]

It was a truly splendid feat achieved by only three Incarnations.

A Demon King ranked 8th in the rankings, as well as three others, had lost their lives in this battlefield.

Indirect messages continued to stream in among the outpouring of cheers from the Reincarnators.

[Constellations leaning towards Absolute Evil can’t take their eyes away from this unbelievable feat.]

[Constellations leaning towards Absolute Good are forming complicated expressions.]

[Neutral-leaning Constellations are cheering on at this impossible battle.]

[Many Constellations are paying the cost of the impossible scenario.]

[A big player in the sponsorship community has sponsored a large amount of coins.]

[1,100,000 Coins have been sponsored.]

Yi Ji-Hye wiped away the blood trickling down from her nose and smiled brightly. Even though she was smiling, she was crying, too.

“Unni.”

[117th regional conflict has concluded.]

[Reward calculation for the 117th regional conflict has commenced.]

[Victors and losers exist in the 117th regional conflict.]

Jeong Hui-Won stared up at those messages with dazed eyes.

[‘Good’ has won in the applicable regional conflict.]

+

[Current state of Great War’s progress]

Absolute Good Points: 68

Absolute Evil Points: 67

Chaos Points: 70

+

The 117th regional conflict didn’t end in the way had planned.

Well, Yi Ji-Hye belatedly joining the battle didn’t know of the plans their Nebula had for the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’, that was why.

However, it wasn’t as if their plan had completely failed, either.

[Power of ‘Chaos’ intervened in the applicable battlefield.]

[Chaos Points have increased by 5.]

[Chaos Points have reached 75.]

[Chaos Points’ rate of increase is speeding up!]

[Shadowy Outer Gods are calling out to Incarnation ‘Jeong Hui-Won’.]

[Foreign Gods beyond the galaxy are paying attention to Incarnation Jeong Hui-Won’s Status.]

Jeong Hui-Won looked at the Infinity symbol that had appeared on the backs of her hands. She acquired them after awakening the new Attribute, ‘Judge of Apocalypse’.

Kim Dok-Ja hadn’t told her about this marking before.

“....Hyeon-Seong hyung?”

The eyes of Yi Gil-Yeong checking for the sagging Yi Hyeon-Seong’s pulse grew wider. Shin Yu-Seung was taken by surprise too, and hurriedly pressed her ear to the unmoving man’s chest.

Jeong Hui-Won watched them and spoke in a suffering tone of voice. “Hyeon-Seong-ssi is....”

....Dead.

She couldn’t finish her sentence, however.

Because she thought that it’d become reality if she ended up saying it.

[All regional conflicts have come to an end.]

[Scenario’s Chaos Points have increased too much and the main scenario has been updated.]

[Scenario jump has occurred.]

[Linked scenario has been generated!]

They weren’t even given enough time to grieve. In the world of the , the scenario would never look back to the past, that was why.

[New main scenario has arrived!]

+

Type: Main

Difficulty: Indeterminable

Clear condition: Someone who’s neither Absolute Good nor Absolute Evil has made the ‘Good/Evil’ of the battlefield unclear. The ‘Most Ancient Good’ and the ‘Most Ancient Evil’ wish for a definite conclusion. They have agreed to decide the outcome on one ‘great battlefield’. If you wish to see the end of a Great Fable, you must immediately join the ‘great battlefield’.

Time limit: –

Reward: Great Fable related ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’, ???

Failure: Death

+

[The ‘great battlefield’ of the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ is opening up!]

[Victor of this ‘great battlefield’ will acquire 30 Good/Evil Points.]

“....What’s this?”

Just as Yi Ji-Hye muttered out in confusion, the regional conflict zone was rocked by a dull, heavy tremor.

The voice of a Dokkaebi could be heard within the wild explosion of sparks going ‘Tsu-chuchut!’

[You must’ve been bored stiff by being confined to small battlefields, haven’t you? The real ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ will start from now on!]

The time and space torn asunder by the heavens and earth violently convulsing began coalescing back into one.

By the time they opened their eyes, Jeong Hui-Won and the kids found themselves standing on a seemingly-endless vast plain.

The skies were dark and gloomy, while the reddish ground was filled by the Fable fragments and broken skulls of angels and demons that had rotted away a long time ago.

This very location was where the final battle of the first ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’ took place.

Constellations and Incarnations participating in other regional conflicts began gathering here.

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

“....Hey, Shin Yu-Seung, over there.....”

“It’ll be fine. We levelled up plenty, didn’t we?”

[Great Fable, ‘Next City’, is protecting the children.]

The gathered Status was so great that just by standing in this field made their spirits falter. Jeong Hui-Won couldn’t even begin to fathom just how many Constellations were participating in this great battle.

[A great number of Constellations are showing animosity towards .]

Gazes that had actual form behind them could become dangerous.

Jeong Hui-Won stood at the front of the group even though it was hard to steady herself. She was from . And that was why she couldn’t display any weakness in front of those Nebulas.

Just as another wave of enormous Status was rushing towards her...

“Jeong Hui-Won.”

....Someone supported her from her back.

[Incarnation ‘Han Su-Yeong’ has joined the battlefield!]

[Constellation, ‘Abyssal Black Flame Dragon’, is threatening the Constellations of this great battlefield.]

“You really look terrible. And what’s the matter with your hair?”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to talk about someone else.”

Jeong Hui-Won smiled dryly, causing Han Su-Yeong and her soot-covered face to shoot back a glare. The former then saw the Constellation following behind the latter.

“Uriel....”

[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is looking at her Incarnation.]

Uriel, full of wounds, was looking back at Jeong Hui-Won. There were faint traces of turbid aura around her wings. The latter saw that, and almost immediately felt relieved for some reason.

Uriel hadn’t betrayed her. Only a brief exchange of glances was enough to know that.

[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is....]

“It’s alright, Uriel.”

The Archangel closed her mouth shut. Jeong Hui-Won quietly observed her Sponsor for a little while longer, before casting her gaze lower to the ground.

They were a Constellation and an Incarnation; they didn’t need to say something to understand what was on each other’s minds.

[Constellation, ‘Demon-like Judge of Fire’, is closing her eyes in pain.]

A humongous Gate opened up on the other side of the battlefield. Its size was on another scale compared to the ones before.

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

Archangels and Valkyries entered the battlefield as the golden-coloured horns blew noisily.

[Constellation, ‘Guardian of Youth and Travel’, is looking at Incarnation ‘Jeong Hui-Won’.]

[Constellation, ‘Friend of Justice and Harmony’, is sympathising with Incarnation ‘Jeong Hui-Won’.]

[Constellation, ‘Lily Blooming on Aquarius’, finds it unfortunate what happened with Incarnation ‘Jeong Hui-Won’.] (ED: Lily Pin of Aquarius → Lily Blooming on Aquarius. TL says ” ‘Pin’ is a generalised Korean term to denote a flower blooming on something/somewhere, but it was previously TL’ed as if it was an actual pin.”)

........

At that moment, Jeong Hui-Won’s irises, cast down to the ground, began blazing once more.

Sympathy?

Utterly disgusting.

If only you people consented to the ‘Hour of Judgement’ earlier. If only...

[Constellation, ‘Scribe of Heaven’, has entered the great battlefield!]

The leader of made his entrance under the brilliant, blinding light show. Jeong Hui-Won squeezed the [Sword of judgement] tight and glared at Metatron.

As if they were waiting for this moment, the others began making their entrance from the opposing Gate.

[Demon King, ‘Ruler of East Hell’, has joined the great battlefield!]

It was the Great Demon King Agares, 2nd in the rankings, as well as other Demon Kings.

[Demon King, ‘Black Mane Lion’, has joined the great battlefield!]

[Demon King, ‘Immeasurable Austerity’, has joined the great battlefield!]

[Demon King, ‘Devil of Lust and Wrath’, has joined the great battlefield!]

The top-ranked Demon Kings didn’t cower one bit from the auras of the Archangels. As their numbers increased, the complexions of Jeong Hui-Won and the kids got poorer.

Only then did they realise what kind of a battlefield this was. They also realised what kind of Nebulas they were about to face off against.

And finally, how small actually was.

[Constellations and Demon Kings of the great battlefield are glaring at .]

There were countless strong enemies present.

As the threatening, intimidating auras of the Constellations aimed at bore down on them, the members heard their own breathing become heavier and quicker.

[Nebula, , has joined the great battlefield!]

[Incarnation, ‘Anna Croft’, has joined the great battlefield.]

Jeong Hui-Won flinched and took a look behind to find Anna Croft looking at her with both of her hands in the air.

“No need to be that wary. I’m not your enemy right now.”

Just before she could ask what those words meant....

[Incarnation, ‘Yu Jung-Hyeok’, has joined the great battlefield.]

A corner of the sky seemed to collapse and a man wearing a black coat made his entrance.

He proudly stood tall; the viciously-screeching edges of the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] bared its fangs at the Constellations.

The ends of Han Su-Yeong’s lips twitched as she made her comment. “Again. You’re acting like the MC again.”

“Master!”

It was only one person, yet the atmosphere of the battlefield seemed to change simply from his appearance.

Yu Jung-Hyeok scanned the companions and spoke. “With the exception of one fool, everyone’s here.”

“No, everyone is here now.”

That last voice belonged to the one they were all waiting for. Jeong Hui-Won didn’t know what to do with the emotions suddenly welling up inside her, but still, shifted her gaze over in his direction.

She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him what those bastards of Constellations did in this place, but....

“I know, Hui-Won-ssi.”

Kim Dok-Ja kitted out in his white coat was silently looking at Yi Hyeon-Seong on the ground.

[Demon King, ‘Demon King of Salvation’, has joined the great battlefield.]

Fin.