Ch.201Chapter 201. You Make Your Own Choices.

“…What is this?”

That was what came out of my mouth after reading the note.

“Why on earth…”

After mulling over the contents of the final note she had given me several times, all I could utter was a lament about a situation I couldn’t comprehend.

“What does this mean, Merilyn? Why would Irie…”

“It was all her plan.”

Merilyn answers my question.

Though her expression was tinged with anguish, there was no hesitation in her continued explanation.

“Having you become her partner, nurturing you into someone worthy of being a hero, and making you the ruler of this fortress where we are, placing you in a leadership position to guide many people… It was all part of her plan to raise you as a savior in preparation for when she would no longer be here.”

“Don’t say such nonsense! Certainly, it was Irie’s prophecies that got us this far, but to exclude Irie herself… She should be sharing in the results too!”

That’s what I had worked so hard for to get to this point.

Building my strength, elevating my position—it was all to dream of a peaceful future with the people I love.

“And you’re telling me to make an exception just for Irie? When the Demon Lord might soon be storming this place?”

“She chose to remain in the Empire to defeat that Demon Lord.”

“What do you mean…”

“You know whose blood she inherited, don’t you?”

The Destruction God.

That was the identity I had learned during my last meeting with Irie.

Because she was born with that bloodline, she bore the mission to save the world, and she had chosen me as her companion to fulfill that mission.

“Earlier, you clearly said that a god would descend upon this land…”

Yes, she is a being called a demigod.

If a being called a god were to descend upon this land, there’s a possibility it would be connected to her, who inherited the blood of a god.

“Then, is the god descending upon this land Irie’s ancestor?”

“…”

“Is the Demon Lord planning to invade the Empire after being provoked by the god that will descend through her?”

As the scattered pieces gradually came together.

In front of me as I despaired, Merilyn clenched her fist and continued her explanation.

“…Hyoseong, in this world, there have always been beings who opened paths to other worlds.”

Something I had heard about before.

The story of how this world came to be as it is.

“Through those paths, they brought knowledge, life, and remnants from other worlds across the dimensional wall. The calamities occurring in this world can be said to have originated from such attempts.”

Witches. Beings who received knowledge from other worlds through some catalyst.

Flan had said that they were the starting point of the calamities in this world.

Due to the problems they created, monsters, dungeons, and the Undead appeared, all countries except the Empire were destroyed, and paths were opened for the Demon Tribe to cross into this world.

“To resist this, the inhabitants of this world devised various countermeasures. They conducted experiments on humans at tremendous sacrifice, and if necessary, summoned residents from other dimensions…”

Beings like me crossed over to this world only to clean up problems that had already occurred.

But the world had already begun to break down, and without stopping that collapse, extinction was inevitable.

“…What do you think was the conclusion reached by the human leaders who couldn’t solve the problem with such countermeasures?”

The Orion Empire. The only land in this world that maintains a social structure.

Virgil had said that the imperial family, the ruling class of that land, had been dominated by vampires until now, but peace did not come to humanity even after they disappeared.

If their disappearance truly brought salvation to humanity, there wouldn’t be large-scale riots like the ones happening now.

“This world is already sick and has rotted beyond repair. No matter how many people are crucified and killed, the chaos in this world will not disappear…”

The one who faced this reality was the current leader of the Empire…

More precisely, the crown prince “Orion Seis” who will soon inherit the Empire.

“…Eliminating everything.”

His decision was conveyed to me through Merilyn’s mouth.

“Using the remnants from other worlds that have been gathered to resist calamities, they plan to lure all calamities to one place and summon a powerful being to annihilate them… After the things called calamities disappear from the world, the ‘Age of Nihil’ pursued by the current imperial leader will begin.”

The Age of Nihil…

The reason this name seemed familiar was because I had heard it before.

‘So don’t think about anything and just focus on rising high. Make your name widely known, make everyone unable to forget you.’

Park Byeongbin.

His avatar, who had been exempted from the crown prince’s control due to my ability.

At first, I thought it was just because he had awakened a sense of justice, but perhaps the reason he was active as a rebel had little to do with a vague sense of justice.

If he truly was an avatar originating from the crown prince, he would have held the same values as the prince—that there is no hope for this world.

‘That will be the way to save more people in the Age of Nihil (nihll) that will come later…!’

The Age of Nihil that will come after the Empire perishes along with the calamities.

The avatar, like the prince who sought mutual destruction with the calamities, was one of those preparing for that age.

In a desolate world where both the social focal point that has reached its limit and the great calamities have mutually perished.

Because he believed that I, rather than himself who was merely an avatar, was more suitable as a focal point to gather and lead people…

“And Irie participated in bringing about this Age of Nihil.”

And ironically, this purpose aligned with Irie’s.

She too wanted me to become a savior and wanted to save as many people as possible in a world facing destruction.

As many as could be managed, even if not everyone.

The reason she emphasized those words, being able to predict the future, was because she too realized that pursuing the same ideal as the prince was the best option.

“That’s why she wished to remain in the Empire. At the place where calamities, including the Demon Lord, will soon gather…”

Yes, it had all been planned.

Helping me grow, guiding me to become a hero, making me stand before more people, and now leading me to the fortress where I can help those seeking salvation…

“Using the blood flowing in her body as a catalyst, to perform a ritual that will summon the Destruction God to this land.”

All of that was for the moment of destruction when she and the calamities would perish together.

Because she believed it was the way to save as many people as possible.

“That’s…”

My mouth gradually opened as I heard all the truth.

“That’s…”

It happened unconsciously.

It was natural that no proper words would come from a mouth that opened without proper thought.

Even if I had screamed, it might have felt better, but even that was blocked by reason that soon caught up with the situation.

[Please, forget about me.]

Yes, it was impossible to be unreasonable.

She was sacrificing herself, and her purpose was to save as many people as possible by perishing along with the calamities.

I, who am not even permitted to compare myself to beings like the Demon Lord or gods, have no right to deny the plan she has made.

“…Why.”

So I must accept it, even if I don’t want to.

She will eliminate the calamities, and I will focus on leading as many people as possible… Yes, that’s how I should accept it, but…

“Why did you tell me this?”

I couldn’t suppress the resentment rising toward Merilyn who had conveyed this fact.

A fact I would rather not have known, something I might have just passed by without knowing if it had been left unsaid… Why did she insist on telling me the truth?

“…Because I’m a demon.”

My other companion, who soon returned an answer to that question, reached out her hand to me with a sad smile.

“Because we are a selfish and narrow-minded race. I only want to do what I want to do at any time. Compared to that desire, the fate of the world, concepts like greater good or justice are just too distant…”

“…Merilyn.”

“And being with you is my wish. My world revolves solely around you, so if you despair, I too despair… And if you disappear, the world I perceive will become worthless.”

Her touch reached my eyes.

As moisture was wiped away, my focus gradually returned, and her face looking at me was reflected in my vision.

“…So I want to leave the choice to you, Hyoseong. Even if Irie made the plan, you are the one leading it.”

She faced me squarely and whispered.

Holding my hand, transmitting warmth.

“Living with desires and will suppressed is unbearable for a demon… And I hope you don’t live a life suppressing such things either.”

She, who expressed her will to join me in the choice that lay ahead, began to put more strength into the hand holding mine.

“So, Hyoseong, make the judgment.”

She whispers.

If it’s a choice originating from my will, not pushed by anyone else, at least she would not deny that choice.

Such whispers justifying selfishness seemed like the whispers of a devil.

Despite knowing that I should respect her choice to pursue the greater good, even if it meant preparing for a future where I must abandon the person I love.

“I…”

As a mere human.

Because this heart is saying that I shouldn’t deny the pounding rising within it…

“I…”

Just as the answer born from such conflict was about to be uttered, a loud boom and intense vibration occurred.

As I felt my body trembling and my breath freezing, I felt a vibration from the crystal in my pocket.

It’s Samson’s call.

-Hero, you need to come out now. Something huge from beyond the hill… is approaching the fortress…

“…I’ll be right there.”

Something has happened again.

It’s not surprising anymore, but Samson’s voice seemed more rigid than ever before, which concerned me.

Usually, he would speak as if warning when something serious happened, but now he seemed terrified, unlike his usual self.

“…Hyoseong.”

“I’ll sort out the situation first and come back.”

I too needed time to think. While I felt some relief at being granted a reprieve for that purpose, that thought was quickly dismissed as soon as I stepped outside the ark.

“What, what…”

I couldn’t even finish my question.

That’s because such a massive being was gradually revealing itself over the hill opposite the ark at this moment.

-Grrrr, grrrr.

A giant skull slowly revealing itself under the dark sky… No, what first appeared over the hill was just a skull, but below it were chunks of flesh clinging to the bone structure.

An Undead of such appearance is climbing up the hill…

If that was all there was to the situation, the breath of everyone looking up at it wouldn’t have frozen all at once.

-Grrrr, grrrr!

As that being moved its arm once, the earth trembled more violently, and the body rising over the hill began to draw closer.

As its size expanded, the number of people being swallowed by the light shining down from the sky increased. That was the kind of being situated there.

A monstrous being that devours the sky just by existing, and freezes everything it faces just by existing.

“What is that…?”

Yes, what I was feeling at this moment was clearly an emotion defined as fear.

Moreover, it was beyond the dimension of what I had faced until now… I realized that a monster that makes it impossible to judge rationally, let alone understand, was approaching us at this moment.

“Hun… gry…”

That being gradually begins to turn toward us.

“Hun… gryyyyy…”

For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu at the voice leaking from the opening mouth of that being.

It didn’t take long to realize why.

Because I had encountered the owner of this voice before, this absurdly huge being didn’t feel completely unfamiliar.

“Gorgon… Zola…?”

The Dark Knight of Famine, Gorgon Zola.

Why has one of the four close associates serving the Lord of Corpses appeared before us in such a form?