0: Endless Battle Between Gods
"Human mind sure is the scariest thing of all."
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Prologue: 0 | Endless Battle Between Gods
Year, 1590, Joseon Era
Drenched in violence, rivers, and paddles of hellacious-red splatter on the mudded earth. The ashy-grey clouds hover on the mountain peaks; a boundary between two kingdoms.
Arrows and bullets pummeled the brick-stone walls. The trembling and thrumming of everyone's spirit will be the god's entertainment.
A chain of moonstone-yellow light peered holes through men.
Amidst the upcoming storm, men blubber and choke as they clamor. Horses neighed as the frontline of Japanese troops pushed with rifles and arrows. Shields were up, yet men bowed down, as the field became glassy with innards.
Men below the towering walls lay on the mudded dirt. The flags attached to their back refused to be soiled, as more men pushed front.
—At the commander's orders, they loosen their arrows. They wore lizard eyes brimming with hatred and determination. The thought of dominating a fortress set their imagination permanently. With the unity of the Joseon Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, the walls didn't falter. The invasion of Japan led to the powerful defense of Joseon.
Amidst chaos—sixteen years old kid grips onto his weapon, vanishing from one place to another. His actions were beyond human comprehension. He would appear like a phantom who dares to notice him.
His eyes are hidden under a black veil with an ominous sign of an eye. He was a stoic kid behind the blindfold. The boy's strange appearance is sure to bring a sinister aura to thousands of men. An alarming occurrence intrigued the blinded boy. as the man's murder intent radiates dark yin energy. His steel sword was agile—tearing through windpipes and guts of men opening a path. The splitting and splintering of innards glossed the man, as he swiveled with speed.
It was a bone-rattling scene. The occurrence alarmed the men.
Men unsheathed their swords in the thought of defeating the slayer of hundred men. Amidst the mayhem, It appears they weren't aware of a god's arrival. The protest upon the fellow—a slayer of hundred notified the blindfolded boy. It's his responsibility after all.
"What a maniac," A geyser of blood slipped onto the boy's tongue, as the boy spoke. It tastes coppery.
Intrigued by the man's skills, the blindfolded boy was immersed. On the other side of the battlefield, The boy grimaced as he teleported to places. The sight of butchering among humans is gruesome. The boy scowled at the sight.
Outcries roared, while yin energies gathered at the center of the battle, it was the—slayer of hundred— the eye of the storm.
Upon each fall of the warriors, an odd chime rang on each ear of the warriors, like a bell at the back of their heads. Ringing once, twice, and thrice, it was disturbing, as it pounded in each head of the dead. Their breath rugged at the uncertainty of events. Faded heartbeats and the ringing of bells accompanied them to death. Bewildered by the dire sound, the chimes were frightening rather than comforting.
A smile plastered on the —slayer of hundred as if it was the last thing you want to see before you die. The sight of the ruby-red blood splattering in the air was a common sight for individuals who fought wars.
This is tough, the blinded boy thought it'll be flimsy. The blindfolded boy sighed as he chisels his arms with his jikdo sword, blood soaking the field. Then came emerging spider lilies; flowers invisible to human eyes. It's horrific!
It's a trick he uses if things get out of hand.
His azure blue hair complements the rubicund-red bloodstains on his face and trousers. With explicit temperament, Ilwolyeomna the blindfolded boy collects souls twice the count. In the sudden turn of events; a scarred man awoke the beast, piercing the boy on the shoulder. The attack looks like the man had missed. "Why are you on the battlefield little boy?" The man guffawed.
Hilarious! Ilwolyeomna scorned. "Attacking, then asking why?" Taking life away to please oneself, the boy clicked his tongue.
"Such a flapdoodle." Booting the man away, the wound healed quicker, a non-lethal wound caused by an apparition.
Identifying sin is an indistinct topic in the battle of life and death. Ilwolyeomna jeered, then the chime rang into the man's ears, and layers of red lilies succumbed. A destructive amount of power, no one can run away from it. The red lilied bore a hole onto the ground like a black hole, as the man howled, devoured by the red lilied infested earth.
"Unfortunately, that's not how you merry yourself." Ilwolyeomna jokes.
"An explicit performance!" A looming exclamation diverted Ilwolyeomna's attention. A friend has come to disrupt the fun.
From the edge of the terrain, a placid-looking fellow, greeted the god of death.
"Such fun you have here, Ilwol! Didn't even care to invite me. I am hurt!" The teenager bellowed.
The teen approached the scene. A lonely strike of the hammer tottered the dirt. Its sound extended beyond, the howling of the strike arose the chained souls. Upon their arrival, the rotten stench stretched across the battleground.
"It is my responsibility to take these souls to samsara, of course, I'll be here." Ilwolyeomna reasoned, but the god of war shrugged it off.
"It is still unfair of you my friend." The god of war missing all the fun and games was unpleasant.
The terror they've shown sent shivers to thousands of men. Each man that cleared a path for the slayer of a hundred, enticed both gods.
"A burned soul." The god of war grimaced.
Upon realization of Koenginno's arrival. Ilwolyeomna leaped in front of his companion. They scowled at each other's presence.
"Before you start waltzing your chains!" Ilwolyeomna protested.
"I first called it my burned soul." points at the—slayer of a hundred who's been slaughtering two times the count. Koenginno stared daggers at the blindfolded boy, Ilwolyeomna, who was being unreasonable.
"One burned soul over a triple of flimsy souls." Koenginno starts negotiating.
"He entertains me." Ilwolyeomna cooed.
The god of war scratches his nose, "Letting that burned soul cross the borders is a despicable crime!" Koenginno rebuked, eyeing the slayer of hundred continuous slaughter.
"It only applies to you. " With the boy's determination, an unexpected duel emerged at the scene.
A quarrel between two gods.
"Be logical Ilwol, that human is not justifying anything. I want his soul!" Koenginno whips his chains.
"I need a hundred more souls to complete my daily task!" Ilwolyeomna argued; Misinforming Koenginno. It's a cheap trick.
"I am not a fool Ilwol, I know your schemes, but I don't understand why you want that beast." Koenginno gestured at the —slayer of a hundred.
The devotion to the other god stimulated determination.
A god of war's reason fueled the battlefield.
As the two settled an agreement.
Year, 1627, Joseon Era
Thirty years have passed, and both gods have collected plenty of souls. Hanboks stained with innards, Ilwolyeomna stood in the middle of the chaos, unmoved.
With the number of souls collected, Ilwolyeomna feels anguish from the resentments. Whispers and bellows of the souls filled his head.
Unable to hold it together, Ilwolyeomna starts pondering the thoughts he had before. What was his purpose? what about his responsibility? his priority? These thoughts mulled over Ilwolyeomna's head ever since. Pondering on his unanswered thoughts, Koenginno smacked the back of his head.
"Are you an idiot?" Koenginno again smacked and shouted at Ilwolyeomna, whipping the undeserving souls. Ilwolyeomna winced at the pain on his torso, as a spear impaled the boy. It alarmed Koenginno, cussing his favorite word.
"Have you thought about agreeing to my request?" Koenginno grimaces at the sight of Ilwolyeomna's frailty.
"Are we talking about that now?" Koenginno grimaced, at the hanging intestine of one of the soldiers.
"Right, how about now?" Ilwolyeomna smirked.
"I'll send you flying to the west." Koenginno agonized at his friend.
Swiveling the chains, each soul howled and returned among the undead.
Both continued their work, each time Ilwolyeomna rang his chime. Every time Ilwolyeomna summons his red lilies, Koenginno could not take it. Witnessing his friend's agony, Koenginno could not help but agree to the request.
The battle goes on, with both gods protecting each other. "When this is over, I want your answer as per request," Ilwolyeomna said between breaths. Generating shards of the pane, mobilizing it to collect souls. With every bit of strength poured, his vessel's body was beyond repair. Wounds dripping, like sewage 'neath the dirt.
His sword was missing as well as his chime.
Koenginno the god of war, binds souls while Ilwolyeomna waited for his turn.
Joseon victors the battle.
The field was drenched with innards, and the smell of rust stretched beyond terrains.
It was carnage.
The battle ended, and so did the end of the god's agreement. Souls went to the west. Ilwolyeomna stood facing up as his sight dimmed like the sky, his hanbok soaked with innards. His expression was in deep agony and other suppressed feelings.
Koenginno approaches Ilwolyeomna with a solemn look.
"Last tag." Ilwolyeomna chuckled, tapping Koenginno's shoulder, with a grim smile. It was so weak, that it hardly made Koenginno move.
Koenginno wanted to delay his friend's request. Delaying it yet won't do any good.
Ilwolyeomna hops to his place, and he smiled, as Koenginno's chains embraced Ilwolyeomna.
—Binding the god of death and reflection.
—end of the prologue—
