It appeared suddenly, wearing a robe that was huge and flapping so that neither gender, age nor even body type could be known.
As soon as he saw it, Han Soo-young felt a strange eerie feeling.
his appearance.
No, I don’t know if I can express it as ‘he’.
Anyway, it was because there was nothing on its face that was revealed through the robes.
Literally nothing existed.
If this world was expressed in a single picture, Suyeong Han thought that the face of that face would have been painted dark black or had a hole in it with an awl.
It looked so unrealistic.
“Ariman!”
What awakened her mind was not the pain in her palms, but Milited’s sharp cry.
“Why the hell are you here!”
At some point, he was getting violently overweight.
“Yeah, it was the door. There must be only one reason for you to be here.”
Soon after, he inflated his body as if it had exploded and shot out towards Ahriman.
Ariman just stared at him without saying a word, and then slowly extended his hand.
Because that was enough.
“I’m afraid I’ll play around with your tricks again… ?!”
That was the last word.
With those last words, Milited disappeared on the spot as if it had evaporated, leaving no fragments behind.
It was a perfect death that even Han Soo-young could understand.
“… … .”
Even though it was just an alter ego, the other Chilak Bell, who killed the Chilak Bell with a single gesture, slowly turned his head to look at Han Soo-young. Taking a breath, she ignited blue and white flames from each of her hands.
“why.”
Han Soo-young clenched her throat and held out her hands, barely enduring the choking.
Seeing her arms trembling unsightly, she smirked and gave a deliberately warlike smile.
“Are you going to kill me too?”
In fact, the moment she faced it, Han Soo-young was giving up everything.
It was because he could see without having to go through a gap that was so great that neither fighting nor escaping was meaningless.
So, immediately after giving up, she could be truly relieved.
‘… thank god.’
I’d rather have met this guy than Jihyuk.
Not because of other friends, but because I am here.
In that brief moment, I was prepared for everything.
Although he had given up, Han Soo-young, who had no intention of dying meekly, clenched his teeth and circulated the magic.
However, despite her resolve, Ariman did not take any action.
“… … .”
It just looked at Han Soo-young for a while.
Then, suddenly, it reached out where its face should be.
After a while, a familiar voice came from beyond the robe.
– To ask a favour. I borrow your face and voice for a moment.
As she walked through the robe, a face that looked exactly like her appeared.
Han Soo-young took a step back without realizing it.
Ariman, who borrowed her face and voice, did not move.
It opened its mouth once more.
– Say hello I wanted to meet you.
No, it wasn’t that he opened his mouth and spoke with his voice.
Its voice was echoing directly in his head.
– Make an offer. I’d like to talk for a while.
Its appearance, standing idly, was repulsive to say the least.
Han Soo-young, holding back her stomach ache, slowly examined the situation.
As soon as he saw Ariman, Milited, who rushed at him in rage, died in an instant.
Judging from there, I thought that the fact that he and Yoo Ji-hyeok separated himself was a joke by that guy.
It was said that the suggestion that we should talk could become intimidation or coercion.
‘However… .’
Judging from the circumstances so far, Ariman did not seem to have any intention of attacking him right now.
There might even be an opportunity to dig up a little bit about him.
Han Soo-young, who reached the conclusion, nodded slightly and lowered her hands.
The blazing white and blue flames had long since faded.
– Thank you. About following the offer.
Ariman still had Han Soo-young’s face and spoke in Han Soo-young’s voice.
There was still no change in its appearance.
“… What the hell do you want to talk to me about?”
– Speak again. I came here because I wanted to talk with you.
“So you ask, what the hell is that story?”
– Answer. A story about you.
Ariman, who had the face of Han Soo-young, said so, and blinked his eyes once big and slowly. As if he had forgotten, Han Soo-young felt even more repulsed by the belated, deliberate action.
―A book about the world, the meaning you have in it, and above all the books you have.
– About the reason I can never harm you.
―Therefore, there is something I want to ask of you, so I have been waiting for you.
“… Wait, you waited? Do you think you knew I was coming here?”
At Han Soo-young’s question, Ariman still didn’t move.
– Answer. Yes.
“Since when… ?”
– Answer again. since you met the wedge.
“wedge? What else is that?”
– He is the man you call Yoo Ji-hyuk.
―The man changes the flow of this world.
– Like a wedge that widens the gap. That is why I called such beings wedges.
– There have been many such beings, and there will be many more in the future. But at the same time there is always only one. Now he is just a wedge.
At Ariman’s meaningful words, Han Soo-young muttered in a low voice.
“What do you mean… .”
It paused for a moment as she muttered, as if frustrated by her attitude of continuing to say only incomprehensible words. Han Soo-young looked at something, and then it nodded slightly.
— … I apologize. I was a little excited and made a mistake.
― Because I got to meet you, whom I had been waiting for for a long time.
Ariman said so and took one step closer to Han Soo-young.
– Of course, I am not saying this without paying anything.
It looked at Han Soo-young with its eyes twinkling.
– I will tell you all the truth of this world.
“The truth of this world… ?”
Ariman nodded.
– okay.
– I will also make you free from prophecy.
It whispered in a very low voice.
like seducing.
―From the very prophecy that you will kill Yoo Ji-hyuk.
* * *
“The Master has foretold everything. That’s… .”
Leto took the lead as he walked, smiling at me as innocent as possible.
Contrary to his intentions, the protruding fangs looked particularly menacing.
“Can I call you old man?”
“follow your heart.”
“No, speak low! This lowly thing is not in a position to receive the respect of the elderly.”
As the half ogre said, his eyes gleamed with a gloomy light.
“Unfortunately, I have continued this life to this day because of my failure to protect my master… If it hadn’t been for the master’s strict orders, I would have followed him and heard him happily in the underworld… .”
“… You really like Gina. No, I like it.”
Leto nodded violently at my words.
“It is because of the master that I have been able to live until now.”
His voice was full of admiration, respect, longing, and blind loyalty.
“If it wasn’t for him, I would have died earlier, or if I did, I would have been living like an animal.”
“… … .”
“Uh, um. Sorry, old man. This guy is drenched in emotion… It’s not just one or two things the owner has asked to deliver to the elderly… .”
He skillfully manipulated hidden doors and devices to guide me and continue speaking.
“To go back again, he knew it all. He also knew that the old man was coming here. That the old man will go back in time and that the two of you will never meet.”
“Does it pass?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
Shadow Walker was mentioned in the original work at least 150 to 100 years ago. That is why it was first mentioned in the record 150 years ago, but it seems to have been misplaced from the beginning.
… And Gina knew all this from a long time ago.
“What else did Gina say?”
“Before that, may I ask you some rude questions first?”
I nodded at Leto’s question.
“How many of the seven did you knock down? And apart from defeating them, how many numbers have you encountered at least once?”
“four. And five.”
The Seven Evil Bells I couldn’t defeat were Venus, Juno, and Ariman.
And the only ones they had never met were Juno and Ariman except for Venus.
Leto nodded at my answer.
“You have more than you expected. Then the Shadow Walker… So, which of your inheritance do you own?”
“I only have the shadow of Henir.”
Then Leto tilted his head as if in surprise.
“Well? This is unexpected. The owner swore that the old man would definitely have them all… .”
“Did something go wrong?”
Leto, who was immersed in thoughts even though he was naturally anti-rebel, didn’t seem to notice. He frowned and then nodded as if he didn’t care.
“No, it will be fine. Because the master said that Henir’s shadow was enough. Even if it isn’t… You have to go back and get it.”
“Then I’m happy.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. It’s just a little cumbersome. Then, uh… Last question, but this is… .”
He hesitated and then asked me in a voice that seemed to be ignorant.
“Do you have any friends?”
“Yes?”
“Hey, the master… Well, if you are an old man, there must be at least two of them. Maybe even three… .”
Minerva sighed as he looked at him asking the question as if he was embarrassed.
[…] I expected it, but I think I know how you lived.]
[It must have been famous since long ago.]
Sbengali also giggled and muttered.
I shook my head, licking my dry lips with my tongue.
“No, no.”
“Uh, um. okay.”
Leto nodded his head as if he understood.
Then he murmured and added.
“Who was that… Jin, who was Jin? .”
“… Are you Yesul? Jin Ye-seul?”
“Oh, yes! That’s right, it was definitely the name!”
He clapped loudly and shouted.
Then he looked into my eyes and mumbled.
“If the old man says there is no one, the owner said to recommend that person. He said that it’s okay to call her step-sister if it’s that person.”
“ah.”
I nodded my head briefly.
Looking back, Yesul was Gina’s favorite character.
So, out of the eight playable characters, I always chose to play only Jin Ye-seul. Obviously, I even remembered that I said the reason why I was sulking while cursing that the sequel was trash was because Jin Ye-seul’s illustrations and voice were so pretty.
“Now we have arrived.”
Meanwhile, Leto stood in front of a wall with nothing particularly conspicuous and said so.
He said, bowing his head politely towards me.
“Put your hand on the wall with Henir’s shadow in your hand.”
As he spoke, he placed his hand against the wall and heard a rustling sound from somewhere.
When I turned my head to look, a part of the wall had turned into sand and was flowing down, but as time passed, there was enough space for one person to enter.
“Then, please, give me a long hiatus… .”
Leto bowed his head as if this was the only place he could be together.
I thanked him and walked straight through the space in the wall and over the wall.
how far did you walk
Light was leaking from the end of the dark hallway.
I was hastening my steps, but when I saw the source of the light, I stopped without knowing it.
A huge crystal that emits a faint light.
The child was in it.
* * *
Contrary to the expectations of Minerva and Sbangali, Yoo Ji-hyeok was not visibly frustrated, sad, or sorry.
He just walked slowly right in front of him and reached out towards the woman who was asleep in the crystal as if dead. He placed his hand on the smooth surface of the crystal and muttered quietly.
“That’s it, Minerva.”
[My dear.]
“You did. That I, the one you remember, once showed Gina to you. Gina sleeping in the crystal. That was it.”
He nodded as if he knew now.
Then he slowly looked at the figure of the woman in the crystal.
It was around the time he was thinking about how many years he had been in this world for his younger brother, who had grown much more than he remembered.
[It sure looks like you. It wasn’t a lie that I was a Shadow Walker.]
Minerva muttered in a trembling voice.
[The shadow is shaking so much that even the real woman is affected. There… .]
She handed over control to the shadow she had assimilated at her will.
Then, Henir’s shadow stretched out toward a certain place.
[My dear.]
“yes.”
Yoo Ji-hyeok started digging the ground where Henir’s shadow pointed as if he knew.
Before long, he found a small but sturdy chest.
He let out a small sigh as he opened the chest without even a lock on it.
“This… .”
There were several letters in it.
Clean, yet squishy writing.
It was my sister’s handwriting.