Chapter 17: Before viewing ④

The demoralized participants dropped their weapons.

Black tilted his head up.

The girl standing against the crimson sky resembled a goddess from myth. A divine being who had descended to deliver judgment upon a fallen world.

How—how could a single person possess such overwhelming power?

If he pushed his soul to its limits and brought his physical abilities to their peak, could he reach that realm too?

Honestly, he couldn’t even imagine it.

“She’s not human…”

Black scanned the battlefield, searching for Kizel first.

When he finally spotted Kizel , a flicker of relief crossed Black’s face. As expected, the man stood there, unshaken as always.

‘Of course… you…!’

But the moment he saw Kizel’s expression, Black’s world shattered.

‘Why are you making a face like that… one that doesn’t suit you at all?’

If this world had a protagonist, it would be either himself or Kizel .

Admittedly, Kizel had the better odds.

As much as it infuriated him, Black had come to terms with that.

As long as the only one above him was Kizel , he could accept it. That wasn’t such a bitter pill to swallow.

But then why—

‘Why does the protagonist look just as lost as I do?’

Black clenched his teeth.

A sky beyond the sky.

He had thought he’d escaped the well—only to find the world outside was yet another, deeper well.

“Aaaaargh!”

‘What the hell is that monster?!’

He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to believe that someone like that had been born around the same time as him, had lived a life parallel to his own.

While he and Kizel had clawed their way forward, that monster had been growing somewhere in the world, unnoticed.

“Aaaaagh!!”

That was true genius.
That was the real protagonist.

Throwing off his cumbersome cloak, Black broke into a sprint. He didn’t know where his feet were taking him.

He didn’t care—as long as it was in the opposite direction from that monster.

“Aaaah! Aaaaaagh!”

And like a triggered chain reaction, the other frozen participants began to flee as well. Yureon watched them scatter like ants, her expression unmoved.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Top 12, CROWN, Kizel —
All of it had just been child’s play.

“Huff… haah… huh?”

Black , still consumed by despair and sprinting blindly, came to a sudden halt.

“The hell is she doing…?”

At the end of his gaze stood a girl, calmly in place.

That familiar mask. That familiar presence. That familiar figure.

It was like watching a housewife heading to the grocery store with her shopping bag while the world ended around her.

Ridiculous. Infuriating.

“I knew she wasn’t normal, but…!”

Black clenched his teeth until they bled. For some reason, he couldn’t contain the fury bubbling inside him.

“Are you f*cking suicidal?!”

He veered off and ran toward her. The girl’s indifferent gaze met his, as calm as a death row inmate resigned to their fate.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOINGGG?!” “…?”

She tilted her head, utterly unfazed.

“You dumbass! Are you trying to die?!”

Black grabbed her hand roughly. His heart pounded like a war drum.

‘What if she notices me because I took too long?’

A wave of fear surged over him. He couldn’t even bring himself to look back. If his eyes met Yureon’s, he felt like his body would lock up completely.

And yet, somewhere deep inside the boy, a faint question began to rise.

Why… why the hell did I go out of my way for her in the middle of all this?’

He was confused. He’d only spent a few days with this girl. There was no reason to feel attached.

Confusion. Dread. Fear. Despair. Disappointment…

His head felt like it might explode from the whirlwind of emotions, but Black still didn’t let go of her hand.

Panting for breath, he kept running with her.

“You’re kind.”

At first, he thought he was hearing things.

It wasn’t unreasonable. Black was in no state of mind to be rational.

But soon, he realized he hadn’t misheard at all.

“It’s okay. You can let go.”

Only then did Black finally grasp that the girl wasn’t mute after all—and he fell into silence for a moment.

“…You were hiding it all along.”

“I had my reasons. Still, I’m sorry.”

Now it made sense why she was speaking only now. All those countless crows had flown off toward Yureon’s direction.

An inexplicable pang of betrayal stabbed his chest.

‘Why…?’

It’s not like they were close enough to share everything.
Even if she stabbed him in the back, he had no right to feel betrayed—resentful, maybe, but not betrayed.

Black shook off the unnecessary thoughts.

“We can talk later. Just shut up and follow me! If you have any sense of danger at all, then you should know exactly what’s going on right now!”

“I’d love to, but… the back of my head is burning.”

“What?”

At those words, Black turned around on instinct—and nearly had a heart attack.

Up in the sky, Yureon was staring straight at them.

“Y-You’ve gotta be kidding me! Why?!”

A chill raced down his spine like icy water, goosebumps erupting across his body.

The gaze of a ruler.
Normally, he would’ve puffed out his chest and tried to look cool—but now, all he felt was terror.

[Playing house, are we?]

As soon as the will of mana locked onto their position, Black sensed death approaching.

[Stop playing around and come here.]

The flames in the sky began to gather around Yureon. The blazing fire condensed into a single mass, so bright it turned white, casting light across the entire field.

Dozens of GANJEOGOs flying nearby were incinerated instantly, reduced to ash in midair.

The final form looked like a miniature sun.

‘What the hell do you mean playing around?!’

The sun was coming.
His vision was swallowed in blinding white.

There was no escape.
That thing would wipe this entire area off the map.

‘I’m just… so damn powerless.’

A mere extra whose life could be snuffed out at the whim of a stronger being.

‘Damn you, Father… why did you fill my head with false hopes?’

He’d wasted so much time decorating his looks and exaggerating his actions just to stand out. If he had trained instead—if he had put in the work—could he have resisted this monster, even just a little?

Gritting his teeth, he drew his black sword.

‘I have to stop it.’

That thing was a natural disaster. Like a volcanic eruption.

A death that couldn’t be helped—just nature’s course.

And yet.

Black’s eyes brushed past Layla.

‘No matter what it takes—I have to stop it!’

With renewed resolve, he stepped in front of the girl.

“Stay here and rest.”

But just then, a small hand gripped his shoulder. And before he could react, Layla stepped in front of him.

“You—what are you…?!”

But it was too late.

The sun was already upon them.

Just as the boy tried to shield the girl with his body, Layla calmly raised her hand toward the incoming sun.

“Black Hole.”

A small darkness bloomed at the center of the sun.
A vortex that began to spin, slowly at first… then faster and faster.

KWAGWAGWAG!

The more it spun, the more it grew—its size expanding exponentially.

“…Huh?”

It was exactly what it sounded like.
A black hole.

The darkness blooming at the center of the sun began to devour everything.

Flames, heat, the very earth itself.

It swallowed all in its reach, voraciously, like it was consuming the fabric of space itself.

KUGUGU…

The sun was gone.
In its place, a massive void now loomed—its gaping mouth lingering in the air as if savoring the meal it had just finished.

After several seconds, the black hole disappeared just as suddenly.

A massive crater remained, scorched and trembling with the echoes of impact.

And at the edge of it, the masked girl stood with her hair fluttering in the breeze.

One by one, the crows that had circled around Yureon began to flock toward her.

“…….”

Darkness swirled around Layla’s body.
And then, she slowly began to rise into the sky.

Black instinctively reached a hand toward her.
The masked girl glanced down, then lightly waved her hand.

Wisps of shadow gathered in midair, forming letters.

[Thank you. Rest for now.]

And then, she flew away.

Black stood there for a long time, staring up at her fading silhouette.

“She’s terrifying.”

Yureon watched the flame dance between her fingers as she finally spoke.

“A girl who couldn’t even throw a proper punch… now standing on equal ground with me.”

“…….”

“What kind of monster will you become in a few years… or a few decades?”

Her voice trailed off as she suddenly turned toward me, eyes cold as ice.

“I’m not curious to find out.”

Swords of fire rose around her, blazing with power.

“Stay a beautiful memory in my mind.”

I answered with swords of my own—dozens, wreathed in darkness.

Flames and shadows stood face to face.

「…….」
「…….」

Ever since Yureon revealed her true power, the casters had barely spoken a word.

「…She shouldn’t even be in this evaluation match.」
「How… how can someone that young…」

But remembering that the team leaders were watching, they forced themselves to speak.

「A display of overwhelming strength! Could it be that she held back all this time just to give others a chance? What magnanimity to match her power!」
「An unbelievable twist! The true winner of the 22nd Evaluation Match isn’t Kizel or CROWN—it’s…!」

But when another girl appeared to stand against Yureon—

「…….」
「…….」

They were struck completely speechless.

A long pause followed before the male caster, ODIN, finally opened his mouth.

「…One thing’s for certain.」

「And that is?」

Swallowing hard, he spoke with resolute conviction.

「The day those two reach their prime… the world must be ready for change.」