Episode 12: Final Episode / Chapter 201: That Day (4)  

TL: emptycube / ED: Obelisk

“... Huh?”

Flame-Thorn made a noise reminiscent of a sigh or a shout. Her flames hissed and swayed in ridicule.

Rather than being angry, her reaction showed that she was taken aback. It had been a long time since they had participated in real battle, and people would normally bow their heads and wait for orders. The Exalted Wings were so unfamiliar with and taken aback by this current situation that they didn’t know how to react.

They didn’t even notice the presence of the Light of Eternity, which the highest-ranked warriors on the streets recognized. Familiar with safety and authority, they momentarily paused when faced with an attack despite possessing amazing computing capacities. By the time they thought, ‘Ah, is this a fight?’, they were in no state to enter conflict.

The first one to react was not an Exalted Wings but the Tower of Warriors.

Crrrk.

While the first-floor hall looked like a normal building for symbolical purposes, the Tower of Warriors was in actuality an enormous accumulation and whirlwind of past karma weapons. As soon as the karma freezing devices activated, the smooth walls solidified with weapon fragments before crumbling down.

“Keuk!”

Leviathan, who windingly laid his body around, passing through walls, crashed into the Tower of Warriors when he lost his karma. Every time he wriggled his body in pain, the tower would crumble even faster.

Kiing!

All this time, the energy output of the repeater Lee Jinhee had stabbed into floor gradually became larger. No one could block this enormous flow of energy once it started. The Light of Eternity, which maintained the entire city, continuously flowed into the repeater. From there, it powered the karma freezing devices hidden throughout the Tower of Warriors, which made strange noises as it covered the entire city.

Whiiik!

Whiii!

Every time the glass crabs whistled, various towers built by the glass crabs shined in a blue light as they spread the karma freezing device’s power out. These glass towers had been set up under the guise of increasing the city’s defenses for the funeral.

The karma freezing devices dropped the levels of all warriors near the tower to the no-star level. While the devices’ effect lowered as you moved towards the edge of the city, even if you stood at the very edge of the city, it would be difficult to use power beyond that of the three-star level.

The fight between the Exalted Wings, Choi Hyuk, and Lee Jinhee became as cruel and primitive as the ‘Throne Game’, which took place in the gymnasium.

“Just why?!”

“Choi Hyuk? Are you crazy?!”

Some were curious while others were shocked, but they soon didn’t have the leisure to be. The Tower of Warriors had already begun to collapse, and they raised their blades to kill them.

Thud! Thud!

The Tower of Warriors gradually collapsed and crumbled as broken weapon fragments rained on the floor.

The weapon fragments sprinkling from the tower made people become dizzy when hit by them.

Choi Hyuk drew his sword at the Exalted Wing closest to him, Flame-Thorn.

Kaang!

Flame-Thorn took out a handgun as long as her forearm and blocked his sword. It normally was a ‘Gun of Conclusion’, which shot karma, but currently, it was no different from a hard rod.

Choi Hyuk chased after Flame-Thorn, who was pushed a few steps back from their exchange.

Not recalling his extended sword, Choi Hyuk pushed her gun down and twisted his blade to pierce her throat. Sparks flew out where his sword and her gun clashed.

“Euk!”

Flame-Thorn turned her head to dodge Choi Hyuk’s attack again. Choi Hyuk’s hand shot out after her head and eventually grabbed her hair and tugged it towards him.

Crunch!

“Kaak!”

His abruptly crashing knee shattered her face. Unable to maintain her flames due to the karma freezing devices, Flame-Thorn’s body had become hard and smooth like a vase and warm like a heated floor. Dark red watery liquid smeared on the floor. Choi Hyuk grabbed her collar and attempted to stab her throat.

Puk!

However, Armor-Desert charged forward with his shoulders in front and slammed into Choi Hyuk’s stomach. As if being flipped up by a charging bull, Choi Hyuk’s body floated in the air before rolling on the ground. Weapon fragments narrowly missed where he rolled.

Rushing at him while deflecting the weapon fragments, Armor-Song swung his hand, which had turned into a blade, at Choi Hyuk.

While the start was good, the situation was disadvantageous for Choi Hyuk and Lee Jinhee.

Choi Hyuk couldn’t plant anyone on his side in the hall as the Exalted Wings’ guards were personally in charge of the first-floor hall’s security.

This meant that Choi Hyuk and Lee Jinhee had to fight two-versus-twelve, maybe even more, until the Berserkers dispatched outside the tower could make their way in.

Clang! Claang!

“Whooah”

The Square of Warriors was in complete chaos. Three concentric circles were engaged in a free-for-all.

Choi Hyuk, Lee Jinhee, and the Exalted Wings were in the very middle. Around them, the highest-ranked and transcendent warriors, the personal guards of the Exalted Wings, made up the first concentric circle. Outside of that were the Berserkers and Kundle Tribe members dispatched as security. They were doing their best to prevent the Exalted Wings from escaping while making their way through the Exalted Wings’ guards to support Choi Hyuk. Finally, the last concentric circle was made up of warriors who had gathered for the funeral. Having noticed the change, they attempted to push past the Berserkers and Kundle Tribe members. These crowded warriors were stabbed and hit to death, and some even fell and were eventually crushed to death.

Whish!

Sensing a chill on his neck, Choi Hyuk ducked down as Armor-Desert’s blade-hand brushed past his hair.

Whoosh!

While he avoided his blade-hand, his body was suddenly lifted into the air and he saw the ceiling raining with weapon fragments. Armor-Desert had grabbed Choi Hyuk’s waist and tackled him down while he had momentarily looked away. While he was being flipped backwards, Choi Hyuk pressed down on Armor-Desert’s head while raising his sword.

Thud!

Kiririk!

“Keuk!”

The heavy impact from being crushed by a bulky, solid machine-human rang out from his spine. Armor-Desert wasn’t completely fine either. The moment Choi Hyuk fell on his back, he had extended his sword and slashed it between Armor-Desert’s neck and shoulder.

The tough Armor-Desert didn’t even groan, but his body was honest. Electricity sparked from Choi Hyuk’s slash, and he lost strength in his arm, which was holding Choi Hyuk. Choi Hyuk slammed his elbow onto his head and wriggled out from his grasp. When he looked up, he felt a chill on his forehead. Armor-Song was close. His hand had turned into a matte black sword and was stabbing towards his forehead.

Baang!

Just as Choi Hyuk twisted his body the best he could in order to stab back, Armor-Song was slammed by Leviathan’s tail and flung into the distance.

Of course, Leviathan didn’t do this to help Choi Hyuk.

Writhing in pain, he roared like a beast,

“Kuaaaah! Choi Hyuk! Why?!!”

Once karma froze, Leviathan’s gigantic body worked against him. From the start, it was impossible to sustain his body without karma. His bones and muscles were crushed, and his dark blue body rippled severely.

Thud! Bang! Thump!

Leviathan had no choice but to be hit by the falling fragments as his body was too large. His body was tough even without karma, but the falling karma weapon fragments were also tough and sharp. His strong dragon scales cracked and shattered like worn wooden boards.

Red blood splattered like rain, drenching the hall.

Leviathan couldn’t recover his senses due to the pain and simply struggled and flailed around. Of course, his struggles were like a tidal wave to the Exalted Wings, Choi Hyuk, and Lee Jinhee, who had all likewise lost their karma.

Lee Jinhee avoided the writhing Leviathan, stepping on a puddle of blood, and jumped up into the air. Behind her, Dark-Resentment’s sword slightly brushed against her calf while Flame-Fog’s burning hand burnt the tips of her hair from the front as she hastily ducked her head.

Lee Jinhee was surprised by the heat.

“Isn’t your karma sealed?”

“I control my own karma weapon.”

Even though he had no reason to reply, Flame-Fog frowned while replying to her question. His wrists were densely covered by white and blue string bracelets. The long threads from the bracelets fluttered above his wrists and hands, creating flames.

It looked like Flame-Fog felt proud of being able to create flames using his karma weapon in this situation. Taking a neutral stance between Flame-Rain and Flame-Hell, he was a proud warrior who took his training seriously. He was currently incredibly angry at Lee Jinhee, who left a scratch on the tip of his nose during a surprise attack.

“I don’t even care about your reason... I’ll give you a gruesome death.”

Flame-Fog charged at her while saying such chilling words. Dark-Resentment quietly followed behind him.

Thud!

Leviathan’s massive tail fell down behind her as she stepped back. At this moment, she had nowhere to dodge. She gritted her teeth and ran forward while swinging her short sword. She deflected the flames, however, a blade sliced her side and half a shield fell on her shoulder before she managed to roll on the floor. Ignoring the pain, she jumped up in order to observe the situation.

Blood, Leviathan, weapons falling from the tower, and warriors fighting like hell. It was complete chaos.

She suddenly heard a noise behind her.

“Charge!”

While it would have been great if they were Berserkers, it wasn’t a language from Earth. The Exalted Wings’ guards began pouring into the hall. They had been busy stopping the Berserkers from pushing in from the outside, yet it seemed they judged settling the inner situation was more important even if they overexerted themselves as ten transcendent warriors joined the fray.

“Daaamn it!”

She looked like she was about to cry as she shot forward again. When she used all her strength thanks to the chilling possibility that she might die, she was able to jump past Dark-Resentment and Flame-Fog without any injuries. She stepped on Flame-Fog’s head while she was at it before grabbing and climbing over Leviathan’s shaking tail.

“Tsk!”

Flame-Fog raged as he chased Lee Jinhee, crawling on Leviathan.

Just as he was about to climb over his tail, Lee Jinhee charged at him like a beast on all fours and stabbed his chest. She didn’t completely climb over and instead clung and hid in a blind spot while waiting for an opportunity. Her hands were dyed red after having clung onto Leviathan’s shattered scales.

Crack!

Lee Jinhee enjoyed the pain riding up her arm in recoil.

When she pulled her sword out at an angle, Flame-Fog rolled down like a piece of trash. Normally, his body would turn into flames as he died, but as his karma was sealed, he slammed onto the ground like a porcelain doll filled with liquid, shattering and spilling liquid everywhere.

She avoided Dark-Resentment and the ten personal guards, who were chasing after her, and began running again. An agonizing pain ached from the scratch left on her calf by Dark-Resentment. Her regenerative ability disappeared when her karma froze. Her bloody calf felt like she was wearing a tattered red knee-high sock.

‘I can’t die first...’

Biting down on her lip, Lee Jinhee jumped over Leviathan’s body. Right below her, she saw Armor-Song fighting Choi Hyuk.

She immediately flung forward and stabbed her sword into the back of Armor-Song’s neck.

Kiririk!

Even though the impact of her fall was added to her full-strength blow, her sword only penetrated halfway.

‘Damn it... So you’re a machine-human, is that it? Tough even without karma.’

Instead, she rolled backwards after being hit by Armor-Song’s aggressive arm swing.

“Peh.”

Lee Jinhee spat out a glob of bloody saliva before standing back up. It felt like her rips were broken as cold sweat ran down her spine and her legs gave out from the stinging pain. It might have been fortunate that she wasn’t slashed by a sword.

Using the opening Lee Jinhee made for him, Choi Hyuk flung himself at Armor-Song. Armor-Song’s body had already been dented and now an electric current flowed from the injury on the back of his neck. In the end, Choi Hyuk’s sword almost sliced his head off.

Flame-Thorn had been repeatedly stabbed by Choi Hyuk and was dead in a pool of watery liquid.

Armor-Desert squirmed on the floor as there were holes between his neck and shoulder and through his knee.

Armor-Song had just died after having his head almost sliced off.

Flame-Fog died from being stabbed in the chest by Lee Jinhee.

Light-Walk and Light-Path couldn’t maintain their figures once their karma froze, scattering as individual speckled lights, and ended up being crushed by the falling fragments and drowning in a pool of Leviathan’s blood.

Leviathan no longer seemed to have the strength to struggle as he growled and stopped moving.

In the short while since the fight started and the hall fell into a state of chaos due to Leviathan’s writhing, seven Exalted Wings were either killed or gravely injured.

Flame-Hell, who climbed over a now still Leviathan, had a dumbfounded expression as he observed the current situation. With an enraged face, he warned,

“If you surrender now, I’ll spare your lives.”

The five surviving Exalted Wings and the ten additional guards surrounded Choi Hyuk and Lee Jinhee and were slowly closing in on them. Even though they all didn’t have karma, as transcendent warriors, they were experts in combat.

“Ha!”

Yet, the one who snorted out of reflex was Lee Jinhee.

“Do you know what pisses me off the most?”

It seemed Flame-Hell wasn’t serious about letting them surrender as he didn’t answer her and simply pulled their encirclement closer.

Lee Jinhee smiled fiercely.

“It’s that you guys don’t even know what you taught us.”

They had fought fellow classmates and colleagues to the death on a peaceful day. People who had gone shopping had to fight monsters to survive. After being named Consumables, they were tossed into a battlefield with a 1% survival rate.

From the start, she didn’t consider something like this as a crisis.

As if infected by Lee Jinhee’s smile, a fierce smile hung on Choi Hyuk’s lips as well. His smile was more exaggerated and crazier than Lee Jinhee’s.

“There’s no karma here. The ones who should be trembling are you.”

Lee Jinhee declared.

“Kill. Only then can you kill. Isn’t that right?”

Choi Hyuk responded as he wielded his sword.

Lee Jinhee swung her sword as well.

“Director!”

Alexei led two other team leaders, who had also followed her from the Light of Eternity, as they burst into the hall. There were originally five, but two had died while trying to force their way past the guards.

Without a sliver of hesitation, blades tangled and bodies clashed once more.