Golden Branch (1)

* * *

The myriad things flowing under the rising and setting sun change everything in the world, except for one thing. Only I am unable to move, bound by this goddamn power. Because I possess a mountain of power with a weak will that can’t even control it properly.

The truly contradictory emotion of desiring ordinariness and happiness while being unable to let go of this immense power chokes my throat.

The Red Witch. The grand wizard in a black dress. The lord of the magic city. They are all busy praising my power. It was empty arrogance. Submitting to the overwhelming power that I wasn’t even sure was mine, they worshiped me. I thought it was natural. No, I didn’t care. Those things were nothing to lose, so I was indifferent.

The source of the swirling emotions and the blooming and withering self-hatred was power. This immense power. Hateful and cursed, yet I couldn’t help but rely on it, a cursed power that brought new opportunities while leading to ruin.

Even so, the reason I could endure was that this moved solely according to my will.

But not now.

What am I if I can’t even use my power recklessly? Has there ever been a time when I hated this power so much? Has there ever been a time when I hated myself as much as I hated this power? Has there ever been a time when I wanted to pluck out the eyes that were blankly staring beyond the fog?

“Haa… hoo, eugh….”

My heart boils.

Breath as hot as fire.

Even a spark needs someone to burn it, but I was seething like lava without anything.

My head, unable to cool down, became as soft as a lump of iron thrown into a fire pit. I desperately wanted someone to sprinkle water on me, but all that came back was a merciless hammering.

-Go down.

Go down, it says. The devil’s voice mercilessly pounds my head.

I’m coming back. I’ll come back. A faint voice echoes. The only reason I can maintain my sanity is a vague promise. So shut up.

A self-questioning and self-answering due to the disharmony between reason and desire. The feeling of fighting myself wasn’t pleasant. The more I talked to myself reflected in the lake, the more my disgust rose.

• Pongdang.

At that moment, a small stone fragment fell onto the lake. The tiny stone fragment, no bigger than a little finger, created a large ripple on the water.

The image reflected in the water is distorted by the ripples. The image, sometimes sneering fiercely, sometimes sobbing, soon lost its form in the oncoming wind pressure.

The conversation where desire and negativity collided ended with me losing myself. The lake, where even my face was no longer visible, trembled like a beach hit by a storm.

I lift my head. The wind intensifies. The sharp wind raging on the mountaintop carried the sacred iron dust in the fog and blew it violently.

Pshweeuk. Stone dust grazes my cheek. A drop of blood falls, drip. I get up from my seat and turn my gaze towards the ‘source’.

• Hwaaaak!

A shock and wind pressure that shakes the sky. My disheveled hair flutters like a flag.

I blankly stared at the source of the shock. A pile of fog sparkling like grains of sand, and the immense power rising from below. I felt an immeasurable power that I couldn’t even gauge the outcome of if I faced it head-on.

And in an instant.

“Eugeuk…!”

• Kwaaaaaaaa!

It was blinding. The light that occurred in an instant overturned the heavens and the earth. And as that light weakened, I could see it.

It was being shot. From the land of devils, from the abyss filled with disgusting magic, the power of a star soared towards the sky like a dragon.

“Ah, eugh…!”

The light illuminating the sky is reflected in my rotten eyes. I felt a pain as if my eyes were burning.

‘Divine power…!’

Magic and divine power collide. But it wasn’t a normal collision. The existing collision was closer to a kind of resistance, where magic devoured divine power and endured it.

“Keuk, Ageueuk―――!!!!”

But it’s being eaten in reverse. This was a battle and a struggle. The Demon King’s magic was using all its power to avoid being eaten by the light shooting from the pillar. I twisted my body, feeling a pain as if my brain was burning.

The power of a star. The authority of light. The pillar of light shot towards the sky was a miracle of God. Descended into the world to destroy all evil in this world.

‘No way.’

I knew this power. To be exact, it was a power that I couldn’t help but realize as I accepted the Demon King’s thoughts. The power I tried to stop even by stabbing my hand into Shuriel’s heart.

That is not divine power. It was a miracle, and a curse mixed with the hatred and desire for revenge of a human who had no choice but to sacrifice himself to create a miracle.

“How, come?”

It was natural to have such a strong question that it would burn my brain. That power was dangerous. Just like I was stuck on the mountaintop because I couldn’t control my power, using it involves many dangers. A destructive power that destroys the user.

‘Why?’

I warned me so much, but why is there no hesitation in sacrificing yourself? The nobility that was so resentful amplified my anxiety rather than inspiring gratitude.

• Paaaak…

The pillar of light soon faded. The light is withdrawn and twilight shines on the heavens and the earth. I bit my lip until it tore and stared at the crimson-colored fog.

• Peolleok.

At that time, a familiar figure appeared beyond the horizon. A small body with large wings. And horns on its head.

“Hajin-nim―――!!!!”

It was a Demon, Diraize.

“Heoeok, heoeok.”

Flapping her wings with her small body, she flies in breathlessly.

‘How did she survive?’

I narrowed my eyes when I saw her. It was so absurd that it erased all the confusion from just now. The pillar of light that just rose is not ordinary divine power, but the power of the Hero. But that demon is alive and flying…

‘That makes sense.’

I soon realize the reason. She must have developed adaptability as much as I used my body. However, I was surprised that she had restored herself.

“Diraize.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Don’t interrupt me from now on. Not me, you. Say anything, anything is fine. Don’t allow even a brief moment of silence.”

“Ah, ah! That is, well! I almost died―”

Still.

Just the fact that someone is there helps me organize my thoughts.

My head still throbbed, though.

“Because the power disappeared when the light was shot, my horns also shrunk, and I thought I was really going to turn into ashes―”

“The Hero’s power.”

“―Yes! It was the power of a star!”

“What happened?”

Diraize, who had been rambling, shut her mouth. I glared at her with fierce eyes.

“That’s―… Ahaha……”

She fills the silence with meaningless laughter. The more she did, the more ferocious my face became. Diraize was shedding cold sweat and tears. She seemed to think her life was over.

But the paler her face became, the whiter my face became.

Why.

Why can’t you answer?

Could it be.

Could it be―

“I, I don’t know…”

“…….”

“It’s true! I saw him collapse, but I’m not sure if he died!!”

“You.”

I erased all emotions and whispered.

“If you’re lying to survive, I’ll tie your spirit up in a space with nothing for hundreds of millions of years.”

“H, hundreds of millions?”

“If you want to spend hundreds of millions of years in a place where you can’t see or hear anything, you better answer well.”

“Higig―.”

I take a deep breath.

Strangely, my head was extremely calm. It was denial of reality. I had already decided that he couldn’t have died, so a sense of stability came over me. I didn’t even want to imagine such a reality, so I erased it from my memory. I smiled brightly and said.

“Would you like to say it again?”

The answer was already decided.

“Ah, he didn’t die…”

“Good. Would you like to tell me in detail?”

Diraize desperately explained the situation. There was some embellishment to match my mood, but even after removing a significant portion of the lies, it was worth listening to.

After stopping the talkative demon, it was a series of thoughts.

Hallucinations were not heard. That fact brings even more thoughts. Beyond the questions and answers with myself, to the moment of choice.

“Diraize.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go down.”

“Yes! Yes, yes? Ah, no. Really?!”

I smiled brightly and took Diraize’s hand. Flowing magic. Diraize regained a significant amount of the magic she had lost due to exposure to the power of the star.

“―Keuheo, eueok, I, I’m really going to die!”

Diraize coughed up blood.

“You didn’t die, did you.”

“T, that’s not the problem! Haa… more than that, are you really going down?”

“Yeah.”

“But, weren’t you wary? That, well…”

“The Demon King’s thoughts.”

“Th, that’s enough! If you say any more, my head will explode! Please!”

I chuckled as I looked at the pale Diraize. It didn’t last long, though.

The laughter fades and silence comes. I didn’t think it was an impulsive choice.

Perhaps.

When I asked Diraize about his life or death. Something might have broken. Just like fixing a broken machine by hitting it doesn’t eliminate the fundamental problem, my mind became calm, but there was a major flaw somewhere.

I am aware of that fact, but I don’t know what the problem is. I didn’t want to think about it, and I didn’t want to fix it. Because if I fix this broken mind and realize reality, it will be too late to do anything and it will shatter.

I smiled and took a step. I step on the ground rotten with magic, roughly wipe away the black liquid flowing between my neck, and move forward.

‘That can’t be.’

If that’s not possible.

It’s right to wait quietly here. Unlike my thoughts, my feet moved non-stop. It was disbelief. My heart shouts that I can’t stand it unless I see it with my own eyes.

* * *

“…How is her body?”

“Fine.”

“…Yes?”

“She’s fine! I don’t know what the problem is! There are no injuries, and all the twisted internal organs have been healed. But she won’t open her eyes!”

Several hours have passed since the temporary sanctuary was established, but Shuriel has not woken up. All external injuries have been treated and the internal organs have regained their function, but her consciousness is off.

“Damn it. Barfeugos is right in front of us….”

“…First of all. It would be better to calm down.”

“Calm down?! Is telling me to calm down even possible…… Keuk… Haa. I’m sorry.”

There was no more time to delay. Prukaise bit his lip tightly and looked at the barren field. Shuriel’s rampage had blown away everything in the vicinity, so the view was damn clear.

The power of Barfeugos could be felt far away from the center of Pandemonium. The sound of the legion of the dead rampaging, the flying dust. Even while wasting time like this, Barfeugos was steadily moving his legion.

• Bbibik.

At that time.

A faint light arose from Shuriel’s head.

“…What’s that?”

“What is it? Horns?”

It was horns.

The deer horns that Shuriel said she received from the World Tree. They are usually hidden by magic, but now that she is unconscious, her wings and horns are revealed as they are.

• Bbibik, Bbik.

The horns continued to flash. The more they did, the stronger the light became, and an intensely bright light burst out. Pawin and Prukaise frowned. But only for a moment. The light reduced to a moderate level of brightness and emitted a soft light.

―Ah.

And a pitiful voice is heard.

―Can you hear me?

It was the voice of a girl.