Chapter 130: Endless Night (6)
[Agh, uh.]
Shiver—
The owl was crushed by the irresistible power and slammed to the ground.
[H-How are you able to use this much power under the Commandment’s Restriction…?]
Noctua looked up at the silver-haired goddess with its face pale from fear.
It couldn’t even flap its wings, despite being in the same ‘celestial’ category. Like an ant that was crushed by a human finger, all it could do was writhe its body on the ground.
—Overwhelming.
Not even that word was enough to express the gap between them.
[So this is… the Star of the Weaver Girl.]
—The three stars that shone the most radiantly in the night sky.
Noctua was able to receive the enlightenment of the astonishing power possessed by a celestial that was called a North Star.
[Have you not learnt your lesson on keeping your mouth shut?]
Vega’s cold eyes headed to Noctua.
Her white, bare foot that was exposed under her dress lightly tapped the floor.
[Kuaaaaaaaak!!!]
Responding to her call, giant arms made of blue lightning that were dozens of meters long broke through the ground and roughly grasped Noctua’s body.
[Perish.]
No surging rage or cold killing intent could be felt in her emotionless voice.
Vega ordered it coldly like announcing the judgment of a criminal.
Crack! Crunch!—
[Aak! Kuh! Kuaaaak!]
The giant arms forcefully tore off the owl’s wings.
[Wh-What are you standing around for?! H-Hurry up and help me!!]
Noctua pathetically clattered its beak and shouted to its apostle, but soon, its body became one that couldn’t even ask for help once the giant hand twisted its beak off.
Crunch!—
Noctua’s presence completely disappeared along with its blessing once the giant arm pulled off its head.
[Fuu.]
Vega exhaled a low breath and soon swept the cold sweat off of her forehead.
She couldn’t completely annihilate Noctua’s existence, as it hadn’t materialized its main body, but a lot of damage would’ve been inflicted on its main body with its consciousness being torn apart that badly.
‘It should’ve also made it impossible to grant any more blessings to its apostles.’
But just because Noctua was sent back didn’t mean everything was over, since the strength of its apostles remained the same.
In order to protect Ohjin, there was also a need to eliminate the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon.
‘There isn’t much time.’
Vega nervously chewed her lips.
Even in that moment, the area of her Sacred Ground was gradually decreasing as the Commandment’s Restriction worsened.
Once the Sacred Ground completely disappeared and the Commandment’s Restriction took full effect, not even she knew what kind of price she would have to pay.
‘Perhaps…’
As Noctua said, her existence itself could ‘perish’ in the worst-case scenario.
[…]
Vega looked down at Ohjin with doleful eyes and soon shook her head.
‘Even if I do perish, this lady shall perish after finishing all that she must do.’
Her cold eyes looked towards Cheon Doyoon.
“A-Ah.”
Unable to believe the reality that spread out before his eyes, his mouth opened wide as he felt Noctua’s blessing leaving his body.
“J-Just what…”
That was the power of a celestial called a North Star.
Cheon Doyoon’s body shivered as it was crushed by an unfathomable aura that caused him to be unable to move a single finger.
[You diabolical being.]
Vega’s white bare feet swept past the floor.
After having approached Cheon Doyoon, she slowly raised her hand.
[Pay for your sins—]
The moment she tried to lower her hand—
Pzzt—
—blue sparks shot out from her body.
[Uut!]
Vega’s expression severely distorted.
The Commandment’s Restriction that was putting pressure on the Sacred Ground suddenly grew stronger.
[B-But there should be more time left…!]
Vega didn’t know the exact reason why, but the Commandment’s Restriction was getting stronger at a rapid pace.
[Ah, uh.]
Crack! Crackle!!—
Blue sparks kept flickering without any signs of stopping.
Vega had an expression of pain as her body twisted.
“Ve…ga.”
Ohjin, who was collapsed on the ground and soaked in blood, stretched his hand out to Vega, but before his hand was able to reach, her body gradually started to fade.
[Th-This can’t be…!]
Vega cried out as she looked at her body that was starting to fade.
[Th-There are still matters this lady must take care of…! Ugh! S-Stop! I said stop!!!]
Vega mustered her strength and tried to resist the Commandment’s Restriction, but it kept growing stronger like it was ridiculing her plea and trying to send her back to the sanctum.
[Ahh! My… child.]
Vega’s body twisted and turned.
Her voice got fainter while trying to reach Cheon Doyoon despite having half of her body dispersed.
[I am… sorry.]
With those words as her last, Vega’s body completely disappeared.
* * *
* * *
“Hyuk! Huff! Huff!”
Cheon Doyoon got off the ground and caught his breath after Vega’s suffocating pressure disappeared.
After confirming that the goddess’s presence was gone, he clutched his belly and exploded out in laughter.
“O-Of course! Even if she is a North Star, she cannot defy the divine providence of the universe!!”
His wrinkly mouth twisted up as he exploded out in laughter full of delight.
“Holholhol! Now, the celestial that protects you has disappeared!”
He advanced toward Ohjin and roughly swung his foot.
Bam!—
Ohjin’s body rolled uncontrollably and left a long trail of blood on the ground.
“Fuu. It has finally ended.”
It appeared that the scene that just took place was quite shocking to Cheon Doyoon, as he swept off the cold sweat on his forehead with a nervous look.
The blessing of Noctua had disappeared, but the mana contained within the Dragon’s Heart and the stigma of Noctua’s power remained intact. The one who would be victorious between Ohjin and Cheon Doyoon was basically already determined.
“A-Argh.”
With his shivering body drenched in blood, Ohjin clenched his teeth and placed his hands on the ground.
Thump!—
He tried to get up with all his might, but his arm lost strength, causing his face to fall straight into the ground.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Ohjin’s rough breaths were mixed with the scent of blood.
He wriggled his body like a bug and crawled on the floor.
“Holholhol! What a truly pathetic sight!”
Cheon Doyoon smiled slyly while he looked down at Ohjin.
“That’s why you should’ve known your place before you took action.”
While pouring out words of ridicule to Ohjin, Cheon Doyoon slowly drew closer to him. He made a sharp spear of black feathers and grasped it in his hand.
“Now… you shall pay the price for your arrogance.”
When he was going to strike down the spear with a bright smile—
Clatter, clatter, clatter!!!!—
—the loud noise of metal rang out in his ears.
“…Don’t.”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t… you dare lay your hands on Ohjin, you son of a bitch!!!”
Ha-eun struggled violently as she screamed out.
At that moment—
Fwooooooosh!!!!—
—a small sphere made of flames proceeded toward Cheon Doyoon.
“…!”
Despite being the size of a mere coin, Cheon Doyoon’s eyes widened after feeling the compressed power inside of it, and he urgently moved his feet.
Booooooom!!—
The ground he stood on disappeared without a trace.
Cheon Doyoon’s mouth dropped as he looked at the ground that had disintegrated without a single piece of dust left behind.
“H-How are you able to form a Dragon Bead without the heart and just your eye…”
The Dragon Eye was just the control unit for the enormous amount of mana contained within the Dragon’s Heart; it should’ve been impossible to form a Dragon Bead with the Dragon Eye alone.
“Huff, huff!”
Ha-eun breathed out rough breaths and tried to get up.
Clack!—
The chains that were tired around her body resisted as hard as they could.
“Hmpf!!”
Boom!!!—
Once she formed a Dragon Bead and put it close to the chains, the chains that felt like they would never break helplessly exploded.
“Wh-What…!”
Cheon Doyoon’s face was full of surprise.
Ha-eun ignored Cheon Doyoon and approached Ohjin.
‘Ohjin…’
—A blood-drenched young man lay on the ground.
Her unexchangeable precious treasure.
“…”
Ha-eun had received protection from him for as long as she could remember. Hidden behind his back, she had simply hoped that he would block the storms that came her way.
However…
‘This time… I’ll protect you.’
Ha-eun clenched her fist and obstructed the way to Ohjin.
“Hurry…. run… away.”
“Shut up. You also ignored me when I told you to run.”
Ha-eun lowered her body and messed up Ohjin’s hair.
“Holholhol! What a heart-touching scene!”
Cheon Doyoon neared her while letting out his strange laughter. He was momentarily surprised by the unexpected Dragon Bead, but the situation hadn’t changed. The Dragon Bead alone wasn’t enough to close the gap between Ha-eun and Cheon Doyoon.
“But your efforts are all meaningless.”
Cheon Doyoon raised his arms up as he announced it coldly, and soon, thousands of black feathers spread out from his back like a pavilion.
“They’re meaningless?”
Ha-eun smirked and looked at Cheon Doyoon.
She raised her right arm and formed a Dragon Bead on top of her palm, and then… she placed the Dragon Bead right in front of her left eye.
“Is it still meaningless?”
“Wh-What are you doing!!!” shouted Cheon Doyoon, going into a panic.
The Dragon Bead had the powerful ability to annihilate everything it touched.
The moment it touched her eye, the Dragon Eye would be annihilated without even a trace left behind.
“Look at you, getting all surprised. Are you a bit scared now?”
“You…!”
Ha-eun shrugged and placed the Dragon Bead closer to her eye.
“Back then… you said you’d withdraw if I gave you my eyes, right?”
“…What?”
“Ha-eun…?”
The eyes of both Cheon Doyoon and Ohjin turned to look at her.
Ha-eun smirked and nodded her head.
“Alright. If you want it that badly, I’ll give it to you.”
“Holholhol! Are you truly telling me that you will pull out the Dragon Eye?”
“That’s right.”
Ha-eun glanced back at Ohjin and continued.
“However, you need to promise that Ohjin will make it out of here safely.”
“Hmm.”
“Don’t… fuck with me!”
Cheon Doyoon narrowed his eyes and got lost in thought.
—The Dragon Eye and the Lightning Wolf.
It wasn’t hard to choose which one his greed desired the most.
“Very well. I shall take up that offer.”
“Fuck off…!”
Ohjin ground his teeth and tried to raise his body, but soon lost his balance and collapsed onto the ground once again.
“…Ohjin.”
Ha-eun smiled faintly and looked down at Ohjin struggling on the ground.
“Don’t go saying such bullshit…!”
“How could you say that to your older sister?”
Ha-eun bent down and stroked his hair.
Though she would lose her eyes and become trapped in the endless darkness again…
Though she might be unable to see his face ever again…
“Everything’s fine.”
Just like how the world didn’t disappear because you closed your eyes, even if she couldn’t see, if she could be together with him…
“What’s fine about this…?!”
“Ohjin.”
Ha-eun kissed Ohjin’s forehead.
The words she hid beneath her chest, the words she couldn’t possibly bring herself to say… she whispered them to him.
“I like you. Not as a little brother, but as a man.”
“…What?”
Ohjin looked up at her with a dumbfounded expression.
“So you need to take responsibility, even if I become blind again, alright?
Ha-eun raised the edges of her lips and turned her body around to Cheon Doyoon.
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