Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 463 (Part 2)



463 (Part 2)

“[Did you not wish for peace?]

[Hand it over to me.]

[All your lingering attachments anxieties and regrets. Hand them all over to me and seek peace.]

“…”

I really feel like I’m going to go insane.

The incessantly ringing voice was enough to make me lose my mind.

The bitter sticky emotions that began to fill my chest were overwhelming.

Let alone.

‘… Peace?’

For some reason his words sounded so sweet.

The command to hand over everything that binds me.

The temptation that I could easily reach the place I longed for if I did so.

An unknown intuition was telling me that those words were true.

How on earth did I end up like this?

Why must I cease to be human after living as one?

What does it mean to no longer be human?

I had no idea but it was a temptation that felt okay enough to consider.

[Hand it over to me.]

[Seek peace. Gu Yang-cheon.]

[Then you will be able to achieve everything you desire.]

What I desired.

To block all the bloodshed that would come before my death.

To ensure that those who died for me and lived for me could live in a peaceful era.

Thus.

To sort out my attachments and regrets.

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To grant myself peace.

As I thought about this.

[I will do that for you.]

He kept whispering in my ear.

[Did you not wish for someone to do it for you? Did you not wish for it so desperately?]

I wished for it.

I wished so much that someone would do it for me that I could die.

I wanted to let go of this dreadful karma.

[Now is the time.]

[Hand it over to me.]

Creak.

The blood flowing from my nose mixed with the water.

I could feel the sensation of the blood vessels around my eyes bursting.

“… What… what are you?”

It was a question I blurted out without thinking.

How strange it was to produce such a clear voice underwater but now was not the time to think about that.

Perhaps it was because he heard my question.

He chuckled.

The corners of his mouth lifted. It looked almost like a smile.

[I am a noble being.]

[Unlike you lowly creatures I am a great being granted transcendence from the beginning.]

[It is a miracle that an inferior being like you is allowed to reach me.]

Arrogant and so very arrogant.

Yet somehow those words felt so fitting.

How could such a ridiculous statement fit so well? Even in pain it seemed amusing.

[So.]

[Hand it over to me.]

Repeating the same words over and over.

Each time I heard those words I found myself wavering.

Just let go and find comfort.

Wasn’t it hard anyway?

What bloodshed could you possibly block with your status?

Such thoughts constantly boiled within me.

Whenever I tried to do something everything would go wrong and sometimes I was treated as a disaster.

Even if it was said to be better than my past life I wondered if I could really stop the Heavenly Demon like this.

Now with the Blood Demon also involved there were too many things to think about.

Why should I have to do that?

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Even the attachments that had kept me grounded were shaking.

Why must I walk that arduous path?

If I could leave it all to him as he said wouldn’t it be the best way to just hand it all over and find peace?

‘Ah…’

Thud.

The threads connecting my mind began to snap one by one.

With that his smile grew wider.

If I were to hand over something as he desired what would happen to me?

Would I disappear?

‘Is that the problem?’

If I could escape like this what would be so scary about disappearing?

I had never really cared much about death in the first place.

[Yes. That’s it.]

A voice filled with laughter echoed.

[You can simply hand everything over to me and rest.]

“…”

I was slowly fading away.

The mind I had barely held onto was drifting away.

What had I been struggling so hard for?

“…”

Yes.

Let’s let go.

It’s time to stop…

-I wanted to live a normal life.

“…”

As I was gradually entering a state of rest for some reason memories began to flash through my mind.

Recalling that my gradually fading vision became clear again.

It pierced through my heavy thoughts and made me grasp the consciousness that was about to slip away.

Memories surfaced. Unintended memories came to mind like flipping through the pages of a book.

At first it was a blonde woman with a pitiful expression.

-I’m glad…

The second was a white-haired woman with a sad smile.

-You will live.

The third was a cold-faced woman drenched in blood speaking firmly.

-I’m truly sorry for you.

The fourth was a woman who had lost her eyes offering an apology.

After that all sorts of memories began to rise and the emotions that had been welling up started to overflow.

“Ah….”

My darkening vision quickly returned.

Just before my blocked breath burst forth.

Before that my right arm moved first.

Thud-!

!!!–!

I clenched my fingers and thrust my hand toward his eye.

He let out a scream and twisted his body in all directions.

Kyaaaaaaa-!!

In that moment my trapped body was freed and I could escape.

[You bastard…!!]

[Why!!!]

He looked at me with a resentful expression.

I could see blue blood flowing from the eye I had stabbed.

[If only you had just submitted to me…! It would have been so much easier! How dare you injure me-!!]

To the one who screamed in grievance I smiled and said.

“You bit my arm too so let’s call it even.”

I showed him my dangling left arm and chuckled.

Of course it seemed he wouldn’t let it go that easily.

[How could you make such a choice!]

I frowned at his booming voice.

I shook my head to clear the lingering headache.

The reason.

“… No I just thought about it for a bit.”

It wasn’t a grand reason…

It would have been easier to leave everything to him.

Whether he would actually act according to my wishes was uncertain but I could intuitively sense it.

Whatever it was at least it was more likely than what I was doing.

[Knowing that-!!]

“… But how should I put it.”

But suddenly such a thought crossed my mind.

“If I let someone else take responsibility until this life I wouldn’t have the face to see the kids.”

If I decided to do something I had to see it through to the end.

I couldn’t hesitate or waver.

There were things I had to do myself things I couldn’t leave to anyone else.

I wished I had known this basic fact in my past life as well.

That was a bit regrettable.

Upon hearing my words he let out a low breath.

[… I will give you a chance even now.]

As he examined his tattered arm he spoke to me as if it were his last chance.

His voice resonated throughout my body creating a headache again but thankfully it felt much better than before.

What on earth was he?

What was he that suddenly appeared and tried to take over my body?

Could it be that annoying creature that kept growling?

But that didn’t seem right…

I didn’t know.

If I didn’t know I could learn from now on.

“Yeah when has my life ever been easy.”

It had always been like that.

If a situation couldn’t be resolved through conversation.

In this damned Central Plains there was only one way to resolve it.

I knew well that I was a person who suited that method better than words.

[Grarrr….]

He seemed to be trying to threaten me grinding his teeth.

I smiled as widely as I could at him.

And in that state I spoke.

“Get lost.”

With those words as a starting point.

Kyaaaaaaa-!

He lunged at me with his mouth wide open.