Ch.165The End (3)

“Oppa. Come behind me!”

Once again, Daju takes the lead in the fight.

The blood-covered believers hit by Daju’s shotgun are pushed back all at once.

Though she’s run out of loaded ammunition, Daju doesn’t stop.

Thwack!

Daju kicks a charging believer square in the chest.

“Oppa!”

“I’m right here, don’t worry!”

I swing my crowbar and take down one of them.

There’s no time to look around.

The Foundation’s strategy was as simple as it was powerful.

They create clones and corrupt them under the influence of the “Fifth Apostle” to mass-produce “blood-covered believers.”

There was no escape from the constant onslaught.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Gyaaaaargh!”

One of the defense walls has been breached.

Several believers grab a man and begin tearing his limbs apart.

The man screams in agony as his arms and legs are ripped off while he’s still alive.

Blood sprays everywhere.

Here. There.

The blood becomes material for the idol.

The believers begin drawing symbols with the blood from the battle.

The “Fifth Apostle” is descending here.

– We need to stop them from drawing the symbols.

A familiar voice echoes in my head.

It’s Serim.

– And Dabin.

“On your left!”

I turn my head toward the voice.

In the distance, through the crowd, Serim waves her hand.

With her other hand, she’s holding Sim Ji-hee’s hand.

Mother and daughter are holding hands, directing everyone.

– Those in the back, please help rebuild the defense wall!

– Move beds and furniture to create barricades!

Even with Ji-hee’s amplification ability beside her, it wasn’t easy to transmit thoughts to everyone gathered in this space.

On top of that, the influence of the “Fifth Apostle” was eroding people’s minds.

“Dabin! You need to come over here!”

…Serim needs me.

Only when I’m by her side can she feel even slightly at ease.

But the distance is too great now.

The believers are surrounding the area too thickly for me to break through alone.

Still, it must be done.

Preventing Serim from mentally collapsing is something only I can do.

“I’m coming right away!”

And one more thing.

I could tell without being told.

Serim is preparing something.

Probably planning to use her ability to interfere with others’ thoughts to its fullest extent, knocking out all the believers at once.

After using her ability to that extent, her mind becomes extremely vulnerable.

Then comes a moment when she must rely solely on willpower.

She could be instantly brainwashed by the Fifth Apostle.

That’s why Serim needs me.

I need to be there to help her.

“Die!”

A screaming voice rings in my ears.

I immediately duck, and a blood-covered believer’s body flies over my head.

Just as I try to stand back up, someone grabs my arm and I lose my balance.

“…!”

If I fall to the ground now, I’ll definitely lose my life.

As the floor gets closer, I realize.

I can finally hear the screams of people lying on the ground being trampled.

“Ah.”

A single exclamation escapes my lips.

Just before hitting the floor, the grip on me loosens.

“Hey, Lim Dabin! Get up quickly!”

Seok Hyunmin stands there holding a crowbar.

The crowbar swings through the air once more, and even more blood splatters.

Huff.

Taking a deep breath, Hyunmin looks at the person beside him.

It’s Heo Yoon.

“Noona! Clear a path for Dabin!”

“Got it!”

Heo Yoon, who was next to Hyunmin, quickly rushes over.

Coming in from the side, she roughly tackles a believer blocking the way and knocks them down.

Bang!

Daju has finished reloading and is taking down believers with her shotgun again.

But that’s at the frontline.

While Daju fights at the very front to maintain what little defense line there is, believers keep pouring in where I am.

– Dabin… we need the black-haired girl!

Serim’s voice.

– That’s how we can change the situation! Anyone nearby, please help!

Ji-hee’s voice echoes in my head next.

I pull out my pistol and take down another one.

All around me, I only see fighting.

The ability users are using their powers to the fullest.

To survive.

A female ability user with telekinesis.

Several believers float into the air before being violently slammed to the ground.

Another male ability user with telekinesis.

A heavy metal ball moves rapidly through the air, crushing the apostles’ heads.

Thanks to them, a path momentarily opens.

I quickly run through it.

Just a little more.

Just a little further to go.

As if unwilling to allow even a small gap, believers pour in.

What’s more problematic is my physical condition.

I thought I was used to this kind of situation.

Whether my condition is poor or not, my stamina is rapidly depleting, and I’m now gasping for breath as if I might die.

“Huff. Huff.”

I force air into my bursting lungs.

My oxygen-deprived heart and head.

My body feels like it could collapse at any moment.

“Dabin.”

Another familiar voice.

I looked up.

“I’ll cover this area.”

It was Robin.

Robin instantly throws an attacking believer over her shoulder, then grabs another’s arm and breaks the joint.

Blood-covered believers fall one after another before her.

Not for nothing is she part of the Foundation’s leadership—Robin is nearly invincible in one-on-one combat.

She doesn’t even show signs of fatigue or shortness of breath.

Once again, a path opens.

“Dabin! Go now!”

I run, gritting my teeth.

One of them gets in my way, but I can handle it with my gun.

Click-

I’m out of bullets.

Instead of taking him down, I dodge the attack with a fluid movement.

“Huff… huff…”

“Ugh…”

Now I understand.

The reason my body tired so quickly.

This space was already under the influence of the “Fifth Apostle.”

People fought their best but couldn’t survive.

Their blood and flesh were dismantled by the believers and reassembled into the idol of the “Fifth Apostle.”

I can see it from a distance.

A massive lump of flesh.

Red flesh chunks stuck to bones shaped like an inverted cross.

Waves spread out from around it.

The waves were gradually building negative emotions in people’s consciousness.

To slowly drive them to madness.

To make them give up resistance and collapse.

To prevent them from living any longer.

“Take this.”

Someone hands me a crowbar.

“It’s not over yet.”

The person who gave me the weapon.

This nameless person disappears back into the crowd.

Only the splatter of blood from the crazed believers and their howling remains as a trace.

“…”

Still gasping for breath, I look down at the crowbar in my hand.

Having willpower doesn’t grant immortality.

But as long as we have will, we simply don’t disappear.

The crowbar is appropriately heavy with a good center of balance.

I swing my new weapon and take down another believer.

“…I’m really going to die.”

“Noona. Not much further. We just need to get over there.”

Jung Haewon is suddenly beside me.

“Hey, Jung Haewon. Let me… rest a bit.”

“No way!”

“I’m not giving up.”

The serious expression on his face is quite amusing.

“Just keep fighting for a while. I’ll rest.”

“…No.”

When I speak with a smile, Haewon also smiles faintly.

“Are you a thug, noona?”

“Stop making me talk. I feel like my heart’s going to burst.”

After a fierce struggle, I finally reached Serim.

Serim and Ji-hee. And Yebin, who had joined them at some point.

Ji-hee quickly grabs my hand and explains the plan.

“Now Serim will use her ability to knock everyone out at once. She said it’s a strategy she’s used before. Right?”

“Yes.”

“And afterward, Dabin needs to take on some of the burden Serim will experience. You know this too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, and one more thing. Yebin. You’re an ability user, right?”

“…”

Yebin is shy even in this situation.

I answer instead.

“Yes. She seems to have the ability to connect thoughts. But since she’s only connected with me, it probably won’t help this time.”

“No. It can definitely help.”

Still firmly holding Serim’s hand, Ji-hee gently takes my hand with her other hand.

“Actually, it helps a lot.”

Then my hand is placed on top of Yebin’s.

“Dabin and Yebin. The two of you together will share Serim’s burden.”

“We tried this before, but it didn’t work well. I think it might be because of the connection speed…”

“No. It will work.”

Ji-hee smiles brightly.

She’s holding Serim’s hand in one hand and Yebin’s in the other.

“Because I’m here.”

This way, both Serim’s and Yebin’s abilities will be amplified simultaneously.

Now all that’s left is my role.

Serim reaches out her hand to me.

“Dabin. Hold my hand.”

“Yes, noona.”

In my left hand, I hold Serim’s hand.

In my right, I hold Yebin’s.

In the middle of the battlefield, we form a circle.

“Now, we’ll end this at once. Are you ready?”

Serim looks at me as she speaks.

The hand I’m holding is warm.

As I nod, Serim turns to look at the others.

“Mom?”

“Yes. Let’s begin.”

“Yebin?”

“I’m ready too.”

“Then. I’ll start.”

Soon Serim closes her eyes.

It didn’t take long at all for her ability to activate.

Thud.

It was like dominoes falling.

All the blood-covered believers collapse at once.

“Huh?”

“What’s happening?”

Some even break free from the influence of the “Fifth Apostle.”

They regain consciousness and look around with dazed expressions.

The ability users of the Global Occult Coalition don’t miss this opportunity.

They confirm the fallen “believers” are dead and push them away.

The idol that had already been erected is thoroughly destroyed, and the injured are transported to the rear.

Shortly after.

Another battle begins.

Negative thoughts rush toward us.

Along with the urge to run out and destroy something, all kinds of sadness and frustration flood into my mind.

Even in the midst of it all, I try my best to maintain composure.

Because Serim and Yebin are beside me.

Somehow, I could manage.

“It’s done, Dabin. It’s okay now.”

“Just a little longer.”

“Why? Do you want to keep holding my hand?”

“Yes.”

When I answer immediately, Serim, who was trying to tease me, gets flustered and her face turns red.

“Just a little longer. I’ll keep holding on. So you won’t struggle, noona.”

“What about Yebin? Isn’t it hard for you?”

Yebin seems to be handling it well too.

Maintaining her usual expressionless face, Yebin answers.

“I’m fine too. This much is okay.”

“That’s good…”

I can feel Serim’s hand tightening around mine.

“Thank you. All of you.”

Me, Serim, Yebin, and Ji-hee.

A shadow falls over us as we hold hands.

A massive paper wall.

It was a new delivery box sent by the Foundation.