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[Chapter 172]

[The Other Side of a Hero (4)]

All clan members tried to stop him.

They knew Eun-ha's abilities had greatly decreased now.

In contrast, On Tae-yang was somehow getting stronger as time passed.

It's dangerous.

All clan members had the same thought.

"Eun-ha, what are you trying to do? Don't. If you do that and something goes wrong..."

"I'll be fine. So release On Tae-yang now." """"...."""

Cha Eun-woo grabbed his arm.

Eun-ha shook his head.

Eun-ha's attitude was firm, and no one could break his resolve.

"...Let's release him."

Mok Min-ho sighed.

With a face saying he didn't know anymore either.

He glanced at Eun-ha once and then turned his head sharply.

Eventually, those subduing On Tae-yang retreated from their positions.

"Noh Eun-ha..."

"...His reason has already been consumed by the gift."

Staggering.

On Tae-yang stood up.

With his arms and legs free, he only had eyes for Eun-ha.

"You guys stay far away so you're not in his sight. He might attack you too if he goes crazy any further."

"Aaaagh!!" """"...."""

Gift <Berserk >.

Eun-ha looked at On Tae-yang whose self had been completely consumed by the gift.

On Tae-yang's eyes turned blood-red.

He screamed with blood dripping from his eyes and veins popping on his neck.

"Alright, come."

A life-or-death stance.

No, a stance of fighting to the death.

Eun-ha held out his sword watching him who was pushing his body to extremes under <Berserk >'s influence.

☆

Why is On Tae-yang pointing his sword at him and spewing such hatred?

Why is he trying to kill him?

That's not important anymore. It just means my relationship with On Tae-yang has become irreversible.

The question passed in an instant.

Eun-ha shook his head inwardly as he avoided attacks leading his heavy body.

The essence of the problem lay elsewhere.

Eun-ha's thoughts turned there.

"Noh Eun-haaaaa!!"

Where did it go wrong?

What made it like this?

Eun-ha thought as he used On Tae-yang's strength against him, deflecting his sword.

Maybe it was wrong from our first meeting.

Eun-ha smiled bitterly.

His meeting with On Tae-yang wasn't very good from the start.

Strangely, only things that twisted their relationship kept happening.

No, fundamentally, he and On Tae-yang had different worldviews.

─It's my fault too.

Not just that.

Eun-ha acknowledged his own mistakes.

Entering the high academy.

Eun-ha who had been looking forward to meeting On Tae-yang and his party members until then made a mistake because his heart was ahead of him.

I thought of them too much... as just tools.

First, Eun-ha sometimes used their hearts to recruit them.

Clinging to the goal of changing the future, he didn't think about the people who would get hurt because of him.

Yun I-byeol was like that too.

In a way, On Tae-yang was like that too.

The difference between Yun I-byeol and On Tae-yang was that she tried to rely on him, while On Tae-yang rather tried to rebel against him.

Secondly─

─I had too many expectations for On Tae-yang.

As a result of focusing on the alias <Braver >, Eun-ha couldn't objectively grasp On Tae-yang's strength.

Eun-ha who met On Tae-yang with high expectations couldn't help but be disappointed seeing his skills.

His attitude revealed there further hurt On Tae-yang's feelings.

Nevertheless, he kept expecting.

On Tae-yang who inevitably received his evaluation harbored even more rebelliousness.

Lastly─

─I didn't know anything about On Tae-yang from the start.

Eun-ha had misjudged.

Eun-ha who only looked up at On Tae-yang from afar in his previous life had completely misjudged.

What's visible isn't everything.

He knew it in his head, but experiencing it made him finally accept it.

The hero called <Braver > wasn't just a saint.

On Tae-yang was human too, and as such had imperfect or self-centered thoughts.

Obscured by the essence of the alias <Braver >, he failed to properly grasp the other side of the hero called On Tae-yang.

"Kuk...!!"

In the end, his relationship with On Tae-yang came to such an extreme situation.

A gap that can't be narrowed no matter what.

After diverging, conflicting, and clashing, it became a situation that would only end with one side's destruction.

"If you're going to attack, attack properly. Even if I can't use my strength now, I can still beat someone like you." "Kuaaaah!!"

One of them has to die.

No, they must.

Though clan members watching their duel might think differently, at least the two of them thought that way.

Above all, Eun-ha─

─On Tae-yang is dangerous. I can't leave someone alive who's trying to kill me harboring hatred.

Decided to kill On Tae-yang.

The seed of anxiety should be removed.

Eun-ha didn't want to create any variables besides himself in the future he would change.

If he left On Tae-yang alive like this, he would surely watch for an opportunity and try to kill him again.

With mountains of things to worry about, he didn't want to take on needless worries.

So Eun-ha let On Tae-yang swing his sword at him.

He wanted to let him swing his sword to his heart's content and at least vent his resentment towards him.

It felt like both his and On Tae-yang's hearts would be unsettled if he just killed On Tae-yang like this.

Therefore─

"─...!"

Eun-ha blocked his sword.

Eun-ha whose physical abilities had greatly decreased gritted his teeth as he was pushed back by the increasingly stronger On Tae-yang.

If he tried to forcibly endure, he would be sent flying backwards.

Eun-ha chose to turn to the side to avoid the sword.

<Berserk >'s advantage is clear. It quickly learns the opponent's tactics and comes up with countermeasures.

Everything gets exploited.

As if he knew Eun-ha would do that, On Tae-yang blocked the path Eun-ha was trying to advance.

Having grasped that Eun-ha's body condition wasn't good after crossing swords a few times, he swung his sword down hard.

It was a strategy to overwhelm with strength.

Eun-ha who blocked with two swords crossed clicked his tongue briefly.

Eun-ha immediately dodged backwards.

On the other hand, the disadvantage is also clear.

Having lost reason, he fights emotionally without thinking. He charges in without thinking ahead. And he doesn't defend.

Sure enough.

On Tae-yang rushed in like mad.

Eun-ha used that point to draw On Tae-yang in as much as possible.

Then he moved his body timed with On Tae-yang's approach.

He jumped using a nearby tree trunk as a foothold, avoiding On Tae-yang's sword and falling behind him.

Meanwhile, On Tae-yang who swung his sword with all his might struggled to pull out his sword stuck in the tree trunk.

Thwack!

Eun-ha used that opening to kick On Tae-yang's shin.

Perhaps due to the gift's power.

On Tae-yang acted like nothing happened even after getting his shin kicked.

In that interval, On Tae-yang who pulled out his sword swung at Eun-ha again.

Eun-ha blocked with Winter Trailing Snowflakes, and kicked his shin again.

Thwack!

Only then did On Tae-yang show a reaction.

He limped on his leg.

Besides that, he momentarily let go of his sword-holding hand before gripping it again.

His wrist was numb.

Eun-ha who distanced himself quickly assessed On Tae-yang's body.

And <Berserk >'s biggest disadvantage is... not realizing the body is taking damage due to losing reason.

Groaning.

On Tae-yang who had his shin kicked several times fell to one knee.

Eun-ha noticed On Tae-yang's body had finally reached its limit.

It seemed he hadn't felt the damage taken so far due to abundant adrenaline secretion.

But his body was in a state about to collapse from accumulated damage.

"Kuuuaaaaaaah!!"

Nevertheless, On Tae-yang screamed.

As if screaming could make him forget the pain.

He who staggered to his feet charged in simple-mindedly.

It was a visible attack.

The sword raised high above his head tried to bisect Eun-ha.

"Noh Eun-haaaaa!!"

Eun-ha waited for him to approach.

When the time came, Eun-ha tilted his head to avoid the sword, and blocked with Winter Trailing Snowflakes.

Enduring the numbing sensation in his hand, he jumped into On Tae-yang's embrace.

And with Winter Blooming Coldly─

─Thud!

Eun-ha stabbed On Tae-yang.

The blade that pierced his chest immediately pierced through to his lower back and protruded out.

Only then did On Tae-yang's body lose strength and fall forward.

He let go of the sword in his hand.

Soon he lowered his head.

"Ah... Aah..."

A desolate sound for a death cry.

Were his lungs pierced?

On Tae-yang exhaled like the sound of air escaping a balloon.

"─I'm sorry. That this is all I could do."

On Tae-yang had now lost his strength.

Eun-ha grasped that his blood-red eyes were returning to normal and pulled out the sword piercing his chest.

Thud.

On Tae-yang collapsed to the ground unable to support his own weight.

"..."

On Tae-yang breathes raggedly.

He blankly looks up at the night sky with narrowed eyes.

Eun-ha quietly looked down at him.

Soon the light disappeared from On Tae-yang's eyes as he coughed up blood from his chest.

"Farewell, rest in peace."

Eun-ha who was out of On Tae-yang's sight knelt down.

After directly confirming his death.

Eun-ha closed his eyes.

""""...."""

All clan members look at him.

Eun-ha who committed murder in front of them couldn't approach them.

He just knelt beside On Tae-yang, smiling awkwardly.

Even a very brief moment felt so long to him.

Right then─

"─...!"

"It's okay, you did well. It must have been hard?" "...What?"

"I understand your feelings. It must be very hard. It's okay, it's okay, you did well." "..." "Tae-yang will... forgive you too."

Jo A-ra who burst out from among the clan members.

She suddenly hugged Eun-ha who was kneeling.

Jo A-ra who pulled Eun-ha's face to her chest comforted him sobbing.

She stroked his head and patted his back.

Eun-ha stayed still in her embrace, not understanding what was happening.

"You worked hard."

"You worked hard."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Eventually starting with Jo A-ra.

Clan members approached and worried about Eun-ha's condition.

No one spared a glance at On Tae-yang lying on the ground.

☆

On Tae-yang went berserk.

Jo A-ra couldn't understand why On Tae-yang was suddenly trying to kill Eun-ha.

Eun-ha's in danger like that! His body's not good right now as it is...!

However, she worried more about Eun-ha's safety than On Tae-yang going crazy.

So she stepped forward to stop On Tae-yang along with other clan members.

But then Eun-ha suddenly released him and decided to have a duel as he wanted.

What is he thinking!?

Your body's not good right now!? Please care about your body!

Not long after the duel started.

Jo A-ra understood Eun-ha's intention.

He was trying to let On Tae-yang, who seemed to have a lot of resentment in his heart, vent his anger.

Indeed, Eun-ha was avoiding his sword while letting him swing it to his heart's content.

On the other hand, her heart kept pounding.

Eun-ha's condition wasn't very good.

Moreover, he had been on the brink of death after being defeated by Ye-gyeong earlier.

Jo A-ra who heard the news then couldn't help but greatly worry about Eun-ha's condition.

Other clan members were the same.

""""...."""

As if wanting to jump in right away.

Clan members were watching Eun-ha and On Tae-yang's battle from a distance.

In the case of Ryu Yeon-hwa or Jin Pa-rang, they were preparing in case Eun-ha was in danger.

Jo A-ra too was planning to use magic to stop the battle if it became very dangerous.

But contrary to their worries─

─Thud

Eun-ha didn't fall into danger and rather stabbed On Tae-yang.

Jo A-ra opened her eyes wide.

"Ah..."

""""...."""

On Tae-yang collapses.

That was fine.

She cared most about whether Eun-ha's condition hidden behind On Tae-yang's back was safe.

She wanted to run over right away and check his condition.

But when On Tae-yang collapsed, he quietly watched him die while kneeling.

"He's saying farewell." """"...."""

Eun-ha closes On Tae-yang's eyes.

A very strange sight.

Eun-ha's figure under the moonlight somehow felt sacred.

She and the clan members tried to grasp what meaning was contained in Eun-ha's actions.

It was then that Han Chang-jin spoke.

The clan members only then recognized the situation and stood rooted to the spot.

Eun-ha and Tae-yang weren't on very good terms...

Jo A-ra understood Eun-ha and On Tae-yang's relationship better than anyone here.

So Eun-ha mourning On Tae-yang's death was unexpected.

It was impressive that Eun-ha who had been unilaterally criticized by On Tae-yang was still saddened for On Tae-yang.

At the same time, she─

─He's trembling...

It's understandable. He killed a classmate with his own hands.

Under the moonlight.

Jo A-ra discovered Eun-ha's shoulders trembling slightly.

At that moment, her heart sank.

How... sad must he be.

He killed a classmate with his own hands.

Though it couldn't be helped, still, how painful must it be to kill someone you know.

Jo A-ra felt Eun-ha looking at the clan members seemed very lonely, desolate, and solitary.

He looked like a wounded beast trembling in fear of being caught after doing something he shouldn't have done.

"It's okay, you did well. It must have been hard?" "...What?"

"I understand your feelings. It must be very hard. It's okay, it's okay, you did well." "..."

So she recklessly ran to Eun-ha as her emotions dictated.

She hugged Eun-ha covered in On Tae-yang's blood without any hesitation.

She comforted Noh Eun-ha who wasn't crying outwardly, but must surely be crying inside.

"Tae-yang will... forgive you too."

Eun-ha will live with guilt for killing On Tae-yang from now on.

That seemed so pitiful.

So she, who had spent the most time with On Tae-yang among those present, offered words of comfort.

Tae-yang will surely forgive you.

Tae-yang is... that kind of person.

On Tae-yang is a good person.

And he's a fair person.

He who fought fairly in a life-or-death battle will surely forgive Eun-ha.

She believed without doubt.

So Tae-yang─

─You rest in peace too now.

While mourning On Tae-yang's death.

She tightly embraced Eun-ha to calm him down.

☆

All the clan members comforted him.

While receiving their comfort, Eun-ha didn't know what face to make.

"It's okay."

"...Thank you."

Ryu Yeon-hwa tightly held his hand.

Mok Min-ho watched Eun-ha's expression.

Jin Pa-rang tried hard to act cheerful.

Cha Eun-woo was busy checking Eun-ha's condition.

And so on.

The clan members' reactions were unanimous.

"You guys go down the mountain first. I'll take care of the remains properly and contact the Mana Management Organization."

"...I'm counting on you."

"You'll probably feel a bit off. When you get back, Eun-ha, soak in warm water. It'll help you relax."

Soon Han Chang-jin said that.

He even offered advice.

Eun-ha thanked him for his help and went down the mountain.

Not long after going down the mountain─

[─Broadcast from the Mana Management Organization. At the current time of 4:49 AM, the army has completely withdrawn. We thank everyone for your hard work.]

Telepathy from the Mana Management Organization.

The message was just the introduction.

The main point came afterwards.

[─We inform you that the Fairy has returned to Gangbuk and is heading towards Gwanghwamun. All those hearing this message should...]

Fairy Lim Ga-eul's return.

Eun-ha flinched hearing the message.

After a calamity swept through Gangbuk once, the evaluation the Fairy entering Gwanghwamun would receive from people was predictable.

Having finished this thought, Eun-ha looked at his clan members and opened his mouth.

"─Let's go to Gwanghwamun."