chapter_0077

Chapter 75: Human Fate

Jin Teze had already gained everything he wanted from this battle.

He had found a reason to live, and lost the reason to avoid death.

In his heart, he wished he could stand beside him and create a new story.

He longed to enjoy a happy moment, just as they did before.

Whooosh!!

However, there was no longer a place for Jin Teze in his story.

Even if the characters from the previous play didn’t die, they couldn’t participate in the next one.

Jin Teze’s role no longer existed.

‘Then, as a villain.’

The purple flame collided with the blue and black flames’ strikes.

‘Not as a companion, but as a villain and my nemesis, I will finish my role.’

Jin clenched his teeth after receiving the strike.

Even the black flames he had struggled with earlier were nothing compared to the power he was facing now.

The flame strike, now merged with the blue flames, far surpassed Jin Teze’s expectations.

The malice of the black flames was consumed by the malevolence of the blue flames.

In the past, malevolence had been a chaotic, purpose-less disaster-like power.

It was a natural instinct, a desire without a clear goal.

The blue flames, which had previously raged without direction, found their purpose by devouring the malice hidden in the black flames.

Now, like a downpour falling from the sky, it had a direction.

Whoosh!!

It flew toward Jin.

The malevolence that had changed, now flying to kill the demon.

But Jin was not taken by surprise.

Despite the unbelievable situation, where the malevolence had transformed.

‘It figures. That place suits you.’

He knew the owner of the flames.

He remembered the nine-tailed fox.

Unlike him, even in death, she had remained loyal to her master.

The woman whose hatred for the world had been strong enough to change her very nature, if it was her flames that had transformed.

For the man she had loved, it was not surprising that she could change even malevolence.

“Then, I too shall show my own loyalty.”

Whoooosh!!

The purple flame drew a crescent in the air.

In response, Siwoo’s sword also swung.

In mid-air, the blue and purple flames clashed.

But, as expected, Jin’s flames gradually started to retreat.

With the addition of the black flames and blue flames, it was only natural that the flame forged by the will of just one person would be overpowered by the flames imbued with the wills of two people.

Kaang-!

“!?”

“I told you, I would show my own loyalty.”

But Jin could not afford to lose like this.

If he had invoked the name of the last rebellion, he needed to act in a way befitting it.

If he were to be defeated this easily, there would be no reason for him to have rebelled.

At least, Jin Teze’s actions, wanting to be remembered as a villain, would have been reduced to nothing but a childish whim.

“Your anger is shaking your sword.”

“…!!!”

Thud.

Jin Teze caught the violently swirling black and blue flames with his bare hands.

Whoosh!

The black and blue flames burned fiercely.

The sacrificial lamb had walked right into hellfire.

Emerald-colored eyes gleamed, exuding a fierce aura.

Facing that overwhelming aura head-on, Jin Teze smiled.

As if he felt no pain at all.

“That ability is certainly impressive. The flame created solely with malice and murderous intent toward demons is not only our natural nemesis, but with the addition of the fox’s flame, it has truly become a monstrous force.”

However.

“But, ability alone is not enough.”

Crack-!!

The steel sword, which had been engulfed in flames, shattered under Jin’s bare hands without any strength behind it.

And at the same time, Jin Teze seized the opening that appeared.

“Kkrrrk!”

“Your stance can be corrected. But if you rely too much on your abilities and neglect the sword, no matter how much time passes, you’ll never improve.”

“Shut up!!”

“It’s good to feel anger. That emotion will be the driving force to move forward, even if it means death.”

With that, Jin threw the broken blade towards the Colosseum’s wall.

At the moment Siwoo’s gaze shifted towards the blade, Jin’s fist shot forward.

Siwoo had assumed that since Jin was using a two-handed sword, he wouldn’t resort to punches.

Taken by surprise, he responded a beat too late, but his miscalculation was fatal.

“-!!”

Jin’s fist landed directly in his abdomen.

He lost his breath, and the force from the punch sent his body into the air.

The following strike must be blocked.

Throwing the broken sword aside, Siwoo utilized the experience from the mansion and concentrated the flame into the shape of a sword.

“Creating a sword with flame. Inefficient, but not a bad idea.”

But perhaps he should’ve read the situation better.

He released the tension in his left hand, the one holding the sword, gaining freedom with both hands, just in time for Jin’s punch to strike swiftly again.

“What the!!”

“Don’t think that a swordsman only uses a sword. A swordsman who tries to resolve everything with a sword is nothing more than a third-rate warrior.”

The stances for blocking a sword and for blocking a punch were completely different.

Siwoo twisted his body urgently to dodge, but it was already too late.

Jin’s punch reached beyond Siwoo’s muscles, affecting his internal organs.

“Pff… huff.”

“This time, it wasn’t too bad.”

The flame he had used to condense the sword was now focused on his abdomen.

While it couldn’t fully block the impact, it served as a sufficient barrier.

“There is no such thing as a fool who throws away their sword on the battlefield. Use that principle, and even if you must discard your sword, kill your enemy.”

“Who said that to you? I like it a lot.”

“…It’s natural that you would like it.”

It was advice given to the younger, lacking Jin.

The first lord he ever met, and the first reaper to deliver death to him, had once said:

“Huff, damn it. My head’s too hot now.”

“If you realize it now, it’s enough.”

“…What I’m saying is funny, but are you really a demon?”

At first, he had thought of toying with him.

However, every time his overheated mind cooled down, he felt a sense of discomfort.

“That’s a laughable thing to say. If you had my flame, you’d easily realize that I’m a demon.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely a demon. But you’re so different from the demons I knew.”

He didn’t scream even when touched by the black flame.

Moreover, he showed none of the traits that would make him seem like the treacherous, underhanded, and petty demon he had expected.

Above all.

“Do you like tragedies?”

At Siwoo’s question, Jin hesitated for a moment before answering.

Eventually, he spoke the answer to that question.

“No, I hate tragedies.”

He didn’t want to see any more tragedies.

Jin’s sincere response brought a familiar shade of brown back into Siwoo’s emerald eyes, which had been tinted with the glow of the flame.

“I see. Then you’re not the one.”

A faint, yet happy smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Seeing that smile, Jin froze, knowing full well that he shouldn’t. It was the smile always shown to them—the one that couldn’t be forgotten, even if they wanted to, the smile at the very end.

“Well, anyway, it’s refreshing to let out my emotions. It’s been almost a year since I’ve let them all out like this.”

“That’s good to hear.”

It had meaning.

Just the fact that he had been able to show that expression.

And that he had captured that smile in his eyes once again.

“Meaningful actions, huh?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to stall this long, but it worked out better than I thought.”

Crack!

The ice that had risen from the ground wrapped around Jin’s ankles.

“It wasn’t a bad conversation.”

However, Jin had anticipated an attack like this.

Unlike black flames, he could feel the flow of mana, so he quickly grabbed the sword lying on the ground and sliced through the ice that was trying to restrain his legs.

Siwoo, who had been watching, gave him a bright smile.

“So, I was your true goal, huh?”

Zzap-!

Lightning surged.

Jin, who had been focused on the ice that had formed beneath him, quickly turned his head.

Drip, drip.

Blood dripped from his nose.

Using the railgun only once a day wasn’t just due to the heavy mana expenditure; it was also because the circuits were strained beyond what the caster’s body could handle.

One use caused his leg muscles to tear, and his heart rate would double from the strain.

Because of this, Cheongha-rin never planned on using the railgun twice in one day.

“90% charging complete.”

But now, in this very moment.

She had overturned that belief and was preparing her magic.

“Ha! You still can’t win on your own, huh?”

“Even though it might seem like that, I’ve had my fair share of bad luck with people.”

So, isn’t it okay for me to have some good luck now?

“Thanks for the advice. Now, relax and fall into hell.”

“Ha, you’re the only human I’ve ever met who says ‘fall into hell’ so kindly.”

Jin swung his sword several times at the ice.

However, Siwoo repeatedly recreated the ice several times.

Seeing that he had given up on attacking and focused on restraining his ankles, Jin decided to give up on escaping.

“Sorry, but it’s a little too early for goodbyes.”

If he couldn’t break through the ice…

“I’ll cut through again.”

If he could cut through the bullets once more, that would be enough.