Chapter 148: Yeon's Yeon (3)

Click, click, click, click, click, click…

The mechanical devices move crazily, creating a landscape.

"Fate is like a magnet. That means, fate has the power to attract things. Back in the old days, when I was a plaything of Seo Hweol's schemes, I visited the Serving Command Palace with him and felt the attraction of fate, and that's when an idea struck me."

The surrounding landscape begins to change.

On the bodies of the puppets, illusions of certain shapes are cast, and eventually, they transform into complete humans.

At the highest floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, a 'night sky' appears, and the sounds of a boisterous festival begin to echo from all around.

"If fate can attract metaphysical phenomenons, maybe… can it also draw in my past, that space and time?"

The place where Kim Yeon is standing and where the Mad Lord is standing becomes separated.

A completely Alternate Spacetime begins to form.

"Since the day I created this imitation of the Serving Command Palace, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, I have been dreaming and dreaming of this moment. Finally…"

The Mad Lord smiles brightly, dancing with the one who has transformed from a puppet to a real person, holding a fan.

The happiest moment in the human named Jo Yeon's life

That Alternate Spacetime of the two holding fans and enjoying the festival, as it was back then, is being recreated in the center of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Patsutsutsu...!

Kim Yeon feels her energy being sucked into the Alternate Spacetime before her.

Even as her life force is being drained, Kim Yeon does not detach her consciousness from controlling the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress.

Tears are flowing down her face.

[You pushed me and Eun-hyun Oppa into hell, and now what are you doing? Why are you the only one trying to be happy? Don't be ridiculous...!]

Kim Yeon could not accept it.

The wicked perpetrator who had plunged her and billions of lives into a pit of agony.

She could not tolerate him inside his own world wearing a blissful smile as if he had reached heaven.

Gigigigik!

Her will, having seized control of the entire Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, finally gains access to the deepest parts of the fortress.

Click, click...

She stops the mechanical devices one by one, trying to collapse the Alternate Spacetime before her.

However, she shudders.

'Life...'

The Alternate Spacetime before her and her life.

Have become perfectly connected.

[Argh...!]

Kim Yeon clenches her teeth.

An enormous amount of energy is being sucked into the Alternate Spacetime before her.

If this continues, her life force will be entirely drained, leading to her death.

'No, no...!'

She refuses to watch the evil man, who ruined her life, achieve his goal right before her eyes.

'This can't be happening!'

She understands the movements of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress's mechanical devices.

She estimates that the Alternate Spacetime being manifested before her wouldn't last long.

Perhaps when the dance ends, everything will disperse like smoke.

Then her life force wouldn't be drained anymore.

Her life force would drop to a critical level for sure, but currently, that is the only path she has to survive.

But Kim Yeon doesn't want that.

'Why, why do I have to see that madman happy?'

The evil man who ruined her life and the life of her beloved.

She knows as well.

The Mad Lord's life force is also being drawn into that time.

Perhaps, when this created time ends, the Mad Lord too will be on the brink of death.

If she waits a little longer, the Mad Lord will simply die.

But.

'That insane madman, dying wrapped in happiness?'

Crunch...

[I can't accept it…!]

Her consciousness threads begin to bore into the Alternate Spacetime before her eyes. However, simultaneously, Kim Yeon realizes that she and the spacetime before her are gradually merging.

Pukwak!

Her upper dantian overheats, causing blood to burst from her nose and eyes. Yet, Kim Yeon, shedding bloody tears, still trembles with the determination to destroy the Mad Lord's creation.

Just then.

Clench!

Someone strongly grasps Kim Yeon's hand.

 It's Seo Eun-hyun.

I alternate my gaze between the spacetime created before me and Kim Yeon, who, in her effort to destroy it, is on the verge of killing herself.

After Yeon seized control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, the murmurs vanished, allowing me to finally reach this place.

"Yeon-ah, stop this."

[Oppa...]

She looks up at me.

[Why? Why does he get to die happily, while we have to live in the life he ruined? It's too unfair... We can't let this be... He should also experience the agony of his lifelong goal crumbling before his eyes...]

"Yeon-ah." 

I speak, looking at her face.

"Isn't life inherently unfair?"

[Yes...?]

"That's just what this world is. It's hell. Unfair, insane, a place full of pain. But..."

I embrace her.

"Even so, didn't we share our hearts with each other?"

Once, someone taught me that desert glass shines like a beautiful gem when illuminated by light, but becomes a sharp and dangerous monstrosity in the absence of light.

My inability to forget her is not only because of the heart she gave me, but also because of the value of life I gained by sharing hearts with her.

But at this moment, I think of only Kim Yeon and hold her even tighter.

"Life may be hell, but if we share our hearts, maybe... we can reach a heaven far better than what that madman over there is experiencing."

Drip, drip...

I feel her tears falling on my shoulder.

"All this time, I thought I couldn't receive your heart. Because..."

Although I'm an emotionless puppet,

Her heart, her pain, her excitement, and her feelings reached me.

"I've only ever received your heart in this puppet's body, unable to give you anything in return. But now that the end is approaching, I can finally give you my heart..."

Slowly...

Kim Yeon, previously enveloped in white threads, returns to her usual appearance, dressed in a light pink garment.

"I will accept your heart."

"Thank you."

She says, crying like a child in my arms.

"Thank you so much..."

Chshhhhsss

She no longer uses her consciousness to bore into the spacetime before her.

The merging has stopped.

But...

'The energy is still being sucked into that space...'

Her Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon had forcibly linked the power that activated the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress with the space inside.

If that Alternate Spacetime eventually collapses, Kim Yeon will be safe, but it's uncertain if it will remain intact and consume all her life force.

'I need to sever the connection between Yeon and that space.'

Woosh!

I gather energy in General Seo's left hand and swing it towards the flow of energy between Kim Yeon and the space.

But the connection doesn't cut, and instead, her life force is sucked in even more efficiently.

I think for a moment..

'Ordinary attacks won't sever the connection. Then...'

An attack specialized in cutting and severing is needed.

Woosh, woosh, woosh!

After being remodeled into General Seo's body,

I take out the Formless Sword for the first time in a very long while.

Woosh, woosh, woosh!

Although it feels a bit awkward, being naturally integrated into my body and soul, my Formless Sword reveals its aura again.

'Cut...'

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

I infuse the Formless Sword with the energy of a peak Four-Axis, drawing in the energy I seize from the puppets as well.

Swish!

The Formless Sword becomes even more clear and eventually, it's almost nonexistent in my hand.

'Cut.'

With the energy of a peak Four-Axis, the Formless Sword is enhanced to the point where it can cut through anything uncuttable.

'Cut!'

And finally, at the peak of its momentum,

I swing the Formless Sword.

Woosh!

Bang!

The Formless Sword cleanly slices through the connection before it.

True to its name, it cuts through the flow of life force, which seemed uncuttable.

But...

'Ugh...'

I fail to completely sever the massive flow created by the Mad Lord.

The countless artificial souls created numerous intents.

These numerous intents formed the Alternate Spacetime before my eyes.

A power even greater than the immense suction force of this Alternate Spacetime is needed.

'If only I could cut through the Alternate Spacetime itself...'

If such power or skill exists, it might be possible to cut through.

'One more time...'

I concentrate all my energy and swing the Formless Sword again.

Woosh!

But still, the results do not change.

I close my eyes and recall the feeling when I imitated the Surpassing Radiant Saber.

Entering into my heart essence, I visualize the Surpassing Radiant Saber.

Standing on the transparent Sword Hell, I draw the aura of the swords inward.

But...

'It's not enough...'

WIth just the entire Sword Hell, can it really cut through the Mad Lord's magnum opus?

'To cut through the entire spacetime, consuming Yeon's life...'

A power stronger than both the Surpassing Radiant Saber and Formless Sword is needed.

'I need more power...!'

Just then.

'...?'

I suddenly notice.

Within my heart essence.

Amid the transparent Sword Hell, there's something odd.

It's a green-colored podao.

Different from the surrounding swords pointing towards the sky, this podao is firmly embedded with the handle up.

As if someone had intentionally placed it there.

Alone.

And then.

I feel an inexplicable pull towards this podao.

Grab it.

Grab it.

Grab it...

In my heart essence.

I find myself reaching out towards the podao that constantly whispers to me.

And when I grasp its handle and pull it out from my Sword Hell,

Flash!

"...!"

The Formless Sword I'm holding turns green, becoming a podao.

Someone's voice echoes in my mind.

[To think you've reached the second stage of Manifestation. You seem like an unusual one, even surpassing your master, so I planted my strike in your consciousness.]

A small green figure, the Heaven-Entrapping Esteemed One, Jang Ik, speaks as if he's right beside me.

[You harbor a rebellious heart against the Mad Lord, don't you? The day you draw out my strike will probably be the day you reveal your rebellious intentions. It might strain your body a bit, but...]

That green figure.

Heaven-Entrapping Esteemed One, Jang Ik.

I assume the same posture that person had demonstrated in the Starting Form, staring blankly at the flow of energy in front of me.

And then.

The green podao falls.

[Using this strike, you'll certainly achieve your goal. I don't know how you reached the second stage of Manifestation of the Heart Path Method. Anyway, judging by your heart essence, you're a remarkable member of the Heart Tribe. So, I'll assist you.]

Destruction.

Only this word comes to my mind.

Ah, this is…

A combat method created solely to obliterate everything.

To obliterate the opponent before me, any annoying entities, anything suppressing me.

A state to absolutely crush everything to bits.

A different solution, from me and Kim Young-hoon.

Kwaguanguanguan!

The green podao advances relentlessly, tearing through the space itself.

The gigantic flow of energy?

It's mere child's play in front of this.

Everything, is utterly destroyed.

The green single-edged saber splits the remaining Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress in half, along with the spacetime.

Crack!

Heaven and earth are enveloped in green light, and the circuits in both arms of General Seo are unable to withstand the output, burning to crisps.

The spiritual energy I had been drawing from the other puppets of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress is also completely exhausted.

At the same time.

Kugugugugugu!

Kim Yeon's connection with the Mad Lord's time is cut.

Chuaaaaaa…

As her consciousness and life ceases to fuel it, the Alternate Spacetime created by the Mad Lord begins to collapse.

Kugugugugu!

With my completely ruined arms, I somehow manage to move the Formless Sword, catching Kim Yeon as she's thrown out.

Kuaguaguaguagua!

Half of the remaining part of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, along with the traces of destruction left by the podao, fall away into the torn space.

I step on the air, moving next to the Mad Lord's space.

Swoosh...

After a while, the Mad Lord's space slowly disperses.

"Finally..."

"It's over, Oppa..."

I put Kim Yeon down.

The Alternate Spacetime crumbles away.

What remains at the top of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress are only the puppets that had stopped in their tracks.

[She], too, has returned from her past human form to her current puppet form.

And the Mad Lord, looking even older than before, is holding hands and smiling with [Her].

Depleted of all energy, not even a trace of life can be felt from him.

We approach the Mad Lord.

Thud!

And as we approach,

He collapses right there alongside [Her].

"He's dead."

"...Seems so."

The Mad Lord's goal was not to revive the dead.

It was merely to recall the happiest moment of his life.

To summon that spacetime again and die within it.

I look at the surrounding puppets.

"...Now it's clear why this madman was creating fake souls..."

Kim Yeon says as she chuckles.

Was it because she had seized control of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and completed this spacetime with her own hands?

She seems to have realized something.

"The Mad Lord had been creating numerous fake souls until now with the belief that just as fate influences people, people can also influence fate in return."

From her mouth, who had completed the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress, flows the secret of the fortress.

"By manipulating numerous artificial souls, he influenced fate to create attraction. Through this attraction, he wanted to recall and reproduce his past, his happiest moment. That was the objective of this madman."

Kim Yeon collapses, exhausted, as she speaks.

I sit down beside her.

Not a trace of spiritual power is left in my circuits.

She, too, seems drained from the immense ordeal she had faced.

With a weak expression, she leans on my shoulder, saying while looking at the deceased Mad Lord and [Her].

"...It's all over now."

"...Yes."

It was long.

Truly long.

But now,

We finally escaped the grasp of the Mad Lord.

She smiles faintly and tightly clenches my hand, which could no longer move due to the burnt spiritual circuits.

"Eun-hyun Oppa."

"Hmm?"

"I have something to tell you..."

And then.

Kugugugugu!

Above in the sky, a massive barrier unfolds.

Flash!

In the center of the barrier, a majestic blue dragon is depicted.

From beyond the barrier formation, Seo Hweol's voice resounds.

[Thanks to the guidance of the Heaven-Entrapping Esteemed One, we were able to locate the coordinates of his attack. Haha, Old Man. Are you still alive? Or have you finally closed your eyes after being hit by the strike the Esteemed One left hidden? It's hard to see from this distance.]

Woosh!

Energy begins to gather in the center of the barrier.

"This...!"

I grit my teeth and try to get up.

But my strength leaves me.

Maybe because I had just adopted the Heaven-Entrapping Esteemed One's strike, my entire body became ruined.

Kim Yeon, too, after having activated the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress for so long, couldn't even lift a finger.

She tries to control the remaining puppets, but there are few left, and most of them are also broken.

[If Old Man passed away, that's one thing. But if by a slim chance, I mean a very, truly slim chance, Old Man is still alive, it would be very troublesome for us. So, please don't cling to your stubborn life and close your eyes now.]

Kugugugu!

The dragon symbol in the center of the barrier twitches and comes to life.

Simultaneously, various mystical immortal beasts appear around the dragon.

[Finally, our ill-fated connection (yeon) comes to an end. To my lifelong rival, this Seo Hweol, pays his respect. Now then.]

Kugugugugu!

[Madam, please activate it.]

Flash!

The immortal beasts turn into vivid illusions, appearing beneath the formation, each opening their mouths.

A blue light fills the heavens and the earth.

I slowly watch the falling beams of light and look at Kim Yeon beside me.

She has a resigned look in her eyes.

"...Eun-hyun Oppa."

"...Yeon-ah."

I hold her hand and ask,

"May I ask for one thing?"

"What is it?"

"For the future."

I close my eyes and speak.

Tears seem to well up in my dried-up body.

"If we have another life after this... In our next life, even if you are not the Yeon I have known until now..."

The surroundings turn white.

"May I continue to convey this heart to you?"

For a brief moment, she looks into my eyes and smiles amidst the luminance.

"Eun-hyun Oppa, you told me not to tell my secret, right? Shall I tell you a huge secret?"

"Wait..."

"I actually..."

Hesitating for a moment, Kim Yeon smiles more beautifully than any budding flower.

"Really like you, Eun-hyun Oppa. So... please do that."

"...That's..."

Engulfed in light, my entire body disappears.

I smile faintly.

"That's a really great secret."

At the end of Jo Yeon's Play (Yeon)

Having confirmed Kim Yeon's heart for me,

I slowly close my eyes, ending the Bond (Yeon) of Love (Yeon).

The two dolls, who had been together for over a thousand years,

At the end of their life riddled with pain,

Finally kiss, submerged in a burst of light.

That is Seo Eun-hyun's 14th return.