The Main Characters That Only I Know

Chapter 97

Hoot.

“…Yeah. Baekhyo. You did a great job.”

I gently welcomed Baekhyo, who had returned to his small body after the effect of [Engraving] had ended. 

Even though I had made him grow conditionally, this flight was quite a strain for him, so he rested on my shoulder.

I stroked Baekhyo’s head once and looked up at the stage where the fight was taking place. 

There were intense collisions happening one after another in the dazzling light above.

The sword name that echoed clearly in my ears even in this situation where the ground was collapsing.

Kwon Jia’s fight was that fierce and desperate.

“What is happening right now?”

While I was silently watching her fight, some of the collectors who had barely regained their senses came up to me and asked.

“They are fighting.”

“Fighting? Who exactly, are they…”

“Don’t tell me, that white flash earlier…”

“Yes.”

I answered, nodding my head without looking at them.

“One person is fighting to stop the collapse of this world.”

“…”

“…”

The collectors seemed to realize that their lives were in the hands of Kwon Jia, who was fighting above, and the atmosphere became serious.

They sent their eyes to where I was looking and prayed earnestly.

Please, win.

***

Kaaang!

[Hahahahahat!]

The skeleton general, who had regained his sword and regained his posture, let out a fierce laugh.

He had never shown any emotion before, but from the moment her sword pierced his armor and body, he remembered one emotion that he had long forgotten.

That was, fighting spirit.

[How long has it been! This sensation! This feeling!]

He had been guarding this place for a long time, so long that he had given up counting.

He didn’t even remember why he was guarding it. 

He just had the thought that he had to guard it engraved deep in his mind.

He guarded it. 

He had to guard it no matter what.

-What exactly do I have to guard?

He didn’t know. 

But he had to do it. 

That was his reason for living.

His will wore out and his emotions dried up, he just looked at one purposeless goal and kept his place.

But now, at this moment, the skeleton general was regaining his old emotions that he had forgotten.

[At first, there was only anger towards you.]

His red eyes turned blue. 

His atmosphere, which existed to kill intruders mineralogically, calmed down.

[You should have eliminated the enemy who knocked down all my subordinates and inflicted wounds that I had forgotten.]

But ironically, that wound awakened his emotions that had been sleeping deep inside.

[I appreciate that. I finally realized what I wanted to do. My duty as a warrior!]

He wanted to fight.

He was a warrior and a general. 

He was a swordsman.

Those who wielded swords had to fight. 

They existed to fight. 

They weren’t just sitting there, waiting for enemies who might never come for eternity.

[Thank you! Nameless enemy! Today, I will fulfill that wish in this place!]

“Shut up. If you’re so grateful, why don’t you step aside?”

[But, that’s another matter. If you really want to do that, then win against me with dignity and step over my corpse!]

“You’re already a corpse and you’re noisy!”

Kwon Jia breathed heavily and poured out her attacks toward the skeleton general. 

As if to argue that she had been pushed back in the previous fight because of her weapon, her momentum became much more fierce.

The skeleton general blocked her attacks with his sword and admired Kwon Jia’s changed momentum.

[It’s incomparable to before. It’s so ferocious! It’s not something that can change by simply changing weapons. Did you have a change of heart?]

“Thanks to you, I realized something.”

[Is that so? That’s also the case for me. Anyway, let’s fight with all our might!]

The skeleton general shouted with a voice full of enthusiasm unlike before. 

But unlike his voice, his attitude was extremely cautious. 

It was a very different attitude from before when he rushed in recklessly.

Kwon Jia knew from her long years of battle that this was much more annoying.

‘I have a time limit on this side. If I drag it out, I’ll definitely be at a disadvantage!’

Kwon Jia glanced at the stake of the name list beyond the skeleton general with an anxious look.

The skeleton general, who couldn’t miss her gaze, laughed out loud.

[Hahaha. You look at somewhere else while facing me? That’s unbearable for my pride! Fine! I’ll do as you wish!]

The skeleton general didn’t come out defensively. 

What he wanted was a fierce fight where they clashed everything they had.

The command given long ago was fine now, whatever happened. 

The important thing was, he finally found an enemy who could wash away his boredom of this long time.

Maybe this would be the last fight.

No, because it was the last.

He wanted to burn it brightly.

[Take the fight you want! Come on! Clash with me with everything you have!]

“I don’t need you to tell me that!”

Kwon Jia clenched her teeth and ran toward the skeleton general.

The aura that seemed to spew out all her power engulfed the skeleton general. 

The skeleton general held his sword obliquely and faced the threatening attack head-on without avoiding it.

Kwagwagwang!

The swords collided. 

The clear sword sound turned into a roar and scattered shock waves around.

The fierce battle continued. 

Swinging and defending, stabbing and deflecting. 

As he continued that, the skeleton warrior felt his empty heart fill up.

Yes. 

This was it. 

This was what he had longed for!

[This was what I wanted!]

“Shut up, you’re noisy!”

[Why are you angry? Don’t you enjoy this fight at all?]

“Of course not!”

People’s lives were at stake. 

Kwon Jia was full of the desire to blow away the skull of that babbling skeleton right now.

The skeleton general couldn’t understand it.

[Strange. Weren’t you the same kind as me?]

“Me… the same as you?”

[Yes. I know. You and I are of the same kind. Only someone who has lost their purpose for a very long time can have that atmosphere. Am I wrong?]

“…”

Kwon Jia closed her mouth at the words that hit the mark. 

It was more surprising than shameful that a fantasy composed of mythological stories had seen through her inner self that she didn’t even know.

[A strange reaction.]

The skeleton general seemed to realize something then, and let out a faint exclamation.

[Ah. I see. You haven’t… found it yet?]

Found it.

That was what Kwon Jia had forgotten while living for a long time, her purpose in life.

The skeleton general apologized sincerely, as if he had committed a rudeness.

[I’m sorry. You gave me back my purpose in life, but I guess it’s impossible for me.]

“…Who said I don’t know that?”

[Hm?]

“I know. I’m sure I’m longing for something desperately.”

Kwon Jia didn’t know either. 

She had already talked about this once when she met Yuhyeon.

“I’m sure it’s not something I can find out right now.”

It was too long a journey to regain what she had forgotten. 

She couldn’t even remember it because she had forgotten it.

It felt like having a good dream, but waking up and forgetting what it was.

It was a happy and joyful thing, but she couldn’t even remember it.

That couldn’t be resolved by just clashing swords a few times.

“So, I’m not asking for that right now.”

Right. 

Didn’t she have something else to do right now?

“I’ll knock you down right now, and pull out that stake again. That’s what I have to do right now.”

With unwavering eyes, Kwon Jia glared at the skeleton general with determination.

The skeleton general shrugged his shoulders and laughed at her determination.

[Is that so?]

He seemed to have underestimated his opponent too much.

She was not a simple intruder. 

She had given him back his purpose in life, and she was his once-in-a-lifetime enemy who he had to clash with everything he had.

To face such a person and just talk without showing action.

How arrogant that was.

The skeleton general reflected on himself.

[I understand.]

So he accepted the fight.

The skeleton general gripped his sword with both hands and took a stance to face the final battle.

[There’s no need for words anymore. The only thing that matters is one thing. Who wins this fight.]

His blue eyes swirled like a typhoon in a teacup inside his black pupils.

Kwon Jia also gripped Baekryeon tightly. 

She had spent a lot of energy to get here, but she had to squeeze out everything she had left here.

Otherwise, she would lose.

[How thrilling this fight is. How lamentable it is that this is the last time I will exchange swords with you.]

“…”

Kwon Jia didn’t answer. 

Her concentration reached its limit in the collapsing world.

The intense power of the story that she pushed into Baekryeon turned into an aura form. 

But it wasn’t the shape of a beast’s claw like before.

‘My ultimate blow that will burn everything.’

The aura that bloomed from the tip of the sword showed the head of a ferocious beast.

It was a technique that was not allowed to her now, but her intense mind toward the future made her surpass her limit for a moment.

[Yes. That’s it.]

The skeleton general shuddered at the sight. 

He also poured all his power into his sword.

The tense atmosphere between them reached its peak.

And then.

Paaat!

They moved at the same time.

The giant beast opened its mouth to tear apart the skeleton general. 

The skeleton general unleashed a pure white flash of light that was compressed to the extreme.

He aimed to pierce through the beast’s head and the heart of his rival beyond.

He stretched out without wavering.

Clash!

There was no collision in this clash.

 Kwon Ji-Ah and the skeleton general switched places after that.

With their backs turned, they did not look back. 

They remained in the posture of swinging their swords, as if time had stopped.

[…Excellent.]

The skeleton general stood up. 

He looked down at his body.

Except for the sword in his right hand, more than half of his upper body was gone, as if it had been torn off by the beast’s teeth. 

His armor, and the bones that supported his flesh, were the same.

On the other hand, Kwon Ji-Ah’s wound was only a scratch on her cheek from the final clash.

His sword, which he had swung with all his might, was torn apart by the beast’s teeth.

That was the only trace of his last stand that barely grazed Kwon Ji-Ah.

It was a clear defeat for him.

[I gave it my all, but I lost. There is no room for doubt in my defeat.]

“…”

Kwon Ji-Ah looked back at the skeleton general. 

Her eyes were unwavering, as if she had always thought she would win.

The skeleton general found that unbearably delightful and satisfying.

[Take this.]

The skeleton general handed her the Hades Sword as if throwing it to her.

[This is the best courtesy I can offer to my rival.]

“…”

Kwon Ji-Ah silently accepted the Hades sword. 

The skeleton general laughed in a low voice as he saw her not refusing his gift, and gave her some advice.

[You. My greatest and last rival. Surely, I could not even ignite a spark in your empty heart. But, you will someday find a purpose like me.]

“You…”

[So don’t stop! Keep going! As long as your life does not fade away, you will surely find an opportunity!]

The skeleton general crumbled away with a laugh. His splendid armor melted away in an instant, and his bones were corroded by the sword and scattered like dust.

He tilted his head up and faced the sky.

[I have released all my grudges in this place! I will depart happily as a warrior!]

With those words, the skeleton general’s body disintegrated and disappeared.

Kwon Ji-Ah watched his end while holding the Hades Sword in her hand.

[You have acquired the Hidden Piece ‘Myeongdo’.]

Only one line of message told her that she was the winner of this fight.

No, that was not it.

[The spirits praise your fight.]

Kwon Ji-Ah looked up at the sky.

Thousands of countless stars, they were all watching Kwon Ji-Ah.

[The spirits celebrate your victory.]

This was not a simple personal fight.

It was a will to live as a regressor that she had won on a stage where everyone was watching.

“It’s over.”

Kwon Ji-Ah hung the Hades Sword on her waist and pulled out the stake of Myeongbu that was stuck on the ground. It came out easily without any resistance, even though it was deeply embedded.

And then, the collapse of the world stopped.

[You have cleared the World of Thought ‘Ghost Land (Hungry Ghost Realm)’.]

One dry sentence that summed up all this arduous process.

There was not a single bit of her hardship, conflict, or effort in it.

‘But that’s good enough for now.’

She smiled contentedly.