Reincarnation Sword God

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Celestial Realm

The ruler of the Demon Palace is descending?

Jin So-cheong and I were perplexed, not fully grasping the weight of those words. After all, if the Black Mask was coming, it meant a divine being was about to set foot on this land? Yet, Cheon Woo-jin beside us grimaced and spoke in a stiff voice.

“Older Brother, isn’t Master suppressing him?”

“That’s true. What is appearing now isn’t even his true form. The Vermilion Bird can only manifest when the Ming Empire expands across the world and the power of the gods reaches its peak.”

“Then what you mean is…”

“The [Old Ruler] is the one directly overseeing Apostle Dalgi. He’s the entity controlling the Imperial Palace most directly.”

“Hmm.”

I was lost trying to decipher what those two sorcerers were discussing, so I turned to Mangnyang.

“What on earth are you guys talking about? Please explain it properly…”

With a grave expression, Mangnyang continued,

“You’ve done remarkably well, Baek Woong. To have achieved this much in my absence shows you possess the capability to be a ruler. However, everything happening now is unavoidable; it’s the despair we should have faced sooner.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Listen carefully. This is what the Vermilion Bird’s plan entails.”

He took a deep breath before speaking again.

“The Vermilion Bird anticipated you would somehow gather forces and invade. He considered drawing in the White Lotus Sect too. That’s why he didn’t rule out the possibility that the forces within the Imperial Palace, gathered with the help of the Sect Leader and the Seven Luminaries, could lose, and thus he prepared another plan.”

“Another plan?”

“Indeed. It’s the plan to directly summon a god. A plan referring to the overseer of the Demon Palace.”

“……!!”

“Of course, the Vermilion Bird was hesitant to act on this plan. However, now that Dalgi has been defeated and the Emperor is dead, that plan will likely be enacted.”

Hearing Mangnyang’s words, I started to put the pieces together. In essence, the Old Ruler would manifest within the Imperial Palace, right? If an extraordinarily powerful evil god appeared—one worshiped even in the Celestial Realm—the situation would undoubtedly turn disastrous. But I still couldn’t understand, so I asked Mangnyang.

“Wait! They’ve already summoned Apostle Dalgi, right? They must have exhausted considerable resources and offered sacrifices for that as well. Surely summoning a mighty entity like the [Old Ruler] requires an even greater cost?”

“They do have a cost.”

Mangnyang sighed.

“No… they already offered that in the Offering Ceremony. Consumed by the madness of power and authority, they committed atrocious acts that should never have happened.”

“What did they offer?”

“One-third of the land in the Middle Kingdom!”

“……?”

I felt bewildered by Mangnyang’s words, suddenly talking about something as specific as one-third.

But in that instant, the conversation between the Emperor and the Leader of the White Lotus Sect flashed through my mind.

[Leader of the White Lotus Sect, let me say it again. If you join hands with me now, I shall recognize Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province, and Guizhou Province as your territories, appointing you as a Prince and the National Teacher. You will also be granted perpetual autonomy over these lands. Moreover, I shall recognize your sect as the foremost religion of the Middle Kingdom and promise you the greatest support.]

Right. The Emperor had indeed proposed this to the Leader of the White Lotus Sect.

At the time, I hadn’t thought much about it, but Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Guizhou Provinces were all territories in the western part of the Middle Kingdom. And judging by the size of these lands, it was roughly one-third of the area of the Middle Kingdom!

The Emperor planned to cede such vast territories to a mere sect? I was horrified.

But connecting the Emperor’s words with Mangnyang’s, I quickly reached a chilling conclusion. I trembled in disbelief.

“W-wait… Are you saying the humans of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Guizhou Provinces…”

Even I couldn’t believe it. Could they be so insane as to truly carry out such a heinous act?

“Ha… It seems the Emperor and the Vermilion Bird have already laid a trap.”

“… They attempted to ensnare the Leader of the White Lotus Sect.”

“Then it’s as you suspect, Baek Woong.”

“Is it true?! Are you saying they’ve already offered them as sacrifices in the Offering Ceremony?!”

As I pondered aloud, Mangnyang solemnly nodded.

“Yes! The Emperor and the Vermilion Bird already offered not just livestock, but the souls and bodies of all humans in Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province, and Guizhou Province as sacrifices to the evil gods!”

“……!!”

“At least hundreds of thousands of souls will be offered to the [Old Ruler] without knowing a thing. They will suffer for eternity, consumed alive…”

The faces of everyone in the room froze in horror.

Human sacrifices on the scale of hundreds of thousands!

Who would think something so insane would happen in an age where human civilization had developed? I felt dizzy at the magnitude of this. The memories of the destruction of Taegyeong Village replayed vividly in my mind. A massacre of such proportions, with hundreds of thousands sacrificed, leaving everyone engulfed in madness and death! It would undoubtedly be a disaster incomparable to any war.

‘The Celestial Realm hurriedly bestowed the Moon Sovereign upon Miho to kill the Emperor, all for this reason!’

The Celestial Realm must have discovered the Emperor’s plan long before we did. And to prevent the impending mass human sacrifice, they likely urged Miho to take out the Emperor. This coincidentally aligned with the alliance I formed with the Leader of the White Lotus Sect.

It was truly unbelievable when I thought about it. The Emperor was absurdly generous, seemingly willing to cede territories to the White Lotus Sect, only to have those very lands destined for destruction. Had the Leader of the White Lotus Sect accepted the Emperor’s proposal, he would probably be waiting for the end in Gansu!

Cheon Woo-jin spoke to Mangnyang.

“Older Brother. Let’s ask Master for help. If the descent of the [Old Ruler] is certain, this matter is beyond our control.”

“Disciple… Master is pouring every ounce of strength into sealing the foreign god. He cannot spare us even a shred of power. You know this; simply holding him at bay is a miracle…”

“Ugh…”

Cheon Woo-jin lowered his head, looking despondent. The once arrogant and confident genius understood how dire the current situation was. I clenched my teeth and spoke up,

“Mangnyang. With the power of two Seven Luminaries and the Leader of the White Lotus Sect along with the Dharma Protectors, if we join forces, surely even the [Old Ruler] would…”

Mangnyang cried out in agony,

“Baek Woong! Don’t even think about it! That assumption is fundamentally flawed! Gods are entities of a different caliber. If we attempt to confront them, we’ll surely perish!”

I flinched at the expression on his face. It was twisted with pain, and tears of despair welled in his eyes. His reaction indicated he genuinely believed the situation was irrevocably dire.

Wiping his tears, Mangnyang said,

“Baek Woong. I originally intended to gradually gather the power of the Seven Luminaries while uncovering the truth of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors through the Offering Ceremony. I thought if I could gather at least three of them, including Wednesday, Sunday, and at a minimum Tuesday, then we could properly confront the Imperial Palace. But after I got captured, everything has unraveled.”

“Don’t blame yourself…”

“Baek Woong. Until we gather at least four of the Seven Luminaries, don’t even think of facing a god! Remember this!”

Mumbling almost as if he were in a trance, Mangnyang added,

“The best strategy now is to consolidate all forces and flee from the Imperial Palace. Especially you and Miho must not get captured!”

“Flee?”

“There’s no time to discuss further. We must move quickly!”

At that moment, Jin So-cheong chimed in, alarmed,

“W-wait. If we flee, what will happen to those hundreds of thousands of people in those four provinces?”

“……”

Neither Mangnyang nor Cheon Woo-jin answered. Their silence sent shivers down my spine.

There was no way to stop it.

There was absolutely no way to prevent the massacre of hundreds of thousands!

‘How did it come to this?’

I was stunned. I had thought I was executing my plans smoothly without major failures in this life. Just moments ago, after defeating Apostle Dalgi, I felt we were riding the tide of victory. Yet in reality, we had already been defeated before even breaching the Imperial Palace!

One could say the Vermilion Bird was exemplifying the adage, “fight after winning.”

In this life, I had been utterly defeated by the Vermilion Bird.

I bit down hard.

“It’s not… over yet.”

As long as I’m alive, I’ll have a chance to fight and win.

The moment the conversation ended, I gathered the three of them and headed for the Great Dragon Hall. I quickly informed the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong’s group gathered outside.

“There’s no time for explanations. You need to enter the National Seal now!”

“What?! What’s going on…”

“We need to evacuate, now.”

I briefly explained as I quickly ushered my allies into the National Seal. Then I looked to the nearby elite members of the White Lotus Sect. The masters of the Protection Lineage, Wind Lineage, and Fire Lineage were resting here and there.

‘We need to evacuate them too.’

If left here, they would fall prey to the [Old Ruler]. I didn’t take it lightly that the members of the White Lotus Sect might end up facing such a terrible fate, so I felt compelled to persuade them.

I approached a senior master of the Fire Lineage, urging him to enter the National Seal, but he flatly refused.

“Are you insane? Why would I trust you enough to enter such a magic artifact?”

“This is a dire situation. We could be massacred at any moment.”

“Don’t make me laugh. We only heed the command of the Sect Leader and the Dharma Protectors!”

“Ugh.”

I realized I needed the Sect Leader and Dharma Protectors’ intervention to persuade the White Lotus Sect masters.

“Then I have a request. First, gather the people in one place.”

“Why should I comply with such a request?”

“By order of the Dharma Protector of the Thunder Lineage, this command is non-negotiable.”

I brought out the Talisman of Order given to me by the Sect Leader. The senior of the Fire Lineage licked his lips.

“Fine.”

For now, it was impossible to evacuate all members of the White Lotus Sect, so I had to use the National Seal to transport my allies swiftly to the Henan Province, the stronghold of the Shadowless Gate.

Once I got everyone to the Shadowless Gate’s stronghold, I prepared to return to the Imperial Palace.

But the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong stopped me.

“Don’t go!”

“What?”

“You said a god is about to descend, right? Then stay here! Why would you go out there into the jaws of death?”

I sighed.

“I don’t want to lose my life, but if the Leader of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Protectors become prey, it will be a catastrophic situation. There will be no forces left to oppose the Imperial Palace.”

“Ugh…”

“Wish me luck.”

“Ugh… What do you think death is?”

The Sword Demon replied bitterly. He seemed to think I was taking an incredible risk. Unable to find words, I scratched my head and again used the National Seal to head towards the Imperial Palace.

Whoosh!

Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, my gaze shifted toward the five-story complex where the Sect Leader and Dharma Protectors had gone. My primary mission was to ensure their quick escape, regardless of whatever peril awaited them. As I steeled myself and began to walk forward, a strange voice echoed.

“Hey! Are you really planning to go there?”

An odd voice rang out from thin air. I sensed it was an invisibility technique I couldn’t pick up, making me flinch. It meant that with my current martial capabilities, I wouldn’t be able to detect or counter an ambush.

‘A tremendous master!’

Could there still be someone of such caliber I couldn’t handle?

After a moment of hesitation, I replied,

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because if a god descends, we’ll all die.”

The mysterious voice seemed to mutter in realization.

“Just as the Yulju predicted. You have work to do here, and I can’t let that go undocumented.”

“What…?”

The voice continued to echo through the air,

“Go on.”

“Huh…?”

“Get moving. Didn’t you say you were busy?”

I fell silent and quickly advanced.

Out of nowhere, this enigmatic master appeared! I couldn’t afford to fight him under these pressing circumstances, so I resolved to accept his help for now. After all, we were in a situation where the future was uncertain.

Thud!

As I entered the first floor of the complex, I found the Sect Leader, Dharma Protectors, and Miho gathered in one spot. They were staring at something in the center—a swirling orb of darkness, about the size of a three-man tent. The gray spiral around it looked ominous.

Sensing my presence, the Sect Leader spoke up.

“Baek Woong, do you know what this is?”

“What are you all doing?”

“I’ve searched the entire five floors of this complex, but this is the only unusual thing I found. A strange power is spinning around it.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. I quickly shouted at the Sect Leader.

“We need to escape! That’s likely the descent of the [Old Ruler]!”

It was without a doubt!

After the destruction of the Great Dragon Hall, this complex emerged for a clear purpose: it served as the altar for the impending manifestation of the [Old Ruler]. At any moment, the god could reveal his presence from this dark orb.

Understanding the intensity of the situation, I urged the Sect Leader once more.

“Sect Leader! We need to guide the White Lotus Sect members away from the Imperial Palace immediately! If a god descends, there’s no way to contend with it!”

“…….”

“Sect Leader!”

Though I pressed, the Sect Leader continued to gaze intently at the dark orb. After a moment, he finally spoke.

“Good timing.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“I came here intending to settle matters with the god. I wish to negotiate for the teachings of the Eternal Truth from the Unborn Mother. Once he descends, we can talk.”

“T-this is absurd.”

I realized the Sect Leader was serious. Earlier in the conversation with the Vermilion Bird, I thought it was bravado, but now he was genuinely seeking to negotiate with a god! What kind of insanity drives a human to think that way? Having witnessed the terrifying power of the Nightmaster descending on Wednesday, I found it impossible to comprehend.

I quickly turned to Miho, sending her an urgent telepathic message.

“Miho! We need to escape! Staying here leads to certain death. If we die here and lose the Seven Luminaries, it will cause a massive catastrophe!”

“What about the Leader of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Forget about him! If he wants to die, what can we do?!”

I was left frustrated. The arrogance of the Sect Leader felt offensive considering the gravity of our predicament. Instinctively, Miho recognized the need to leave and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

Before leaving, I sent a telepathic message to Han Baek-ryeong.

“Han Baek-ryeong! If you value your life, escape at once. You cannot face a god as a mere mortal.”

Then Han Baek-ryeong looked my way,

“I am a Dharma Protector, and thus I will share my fate with the Sect Leader.”

From his words, I sensed what he intended. Was Han Baek-ryeong aware that fighting a god would mean his death, yet he remained here? It wasn’t just him; Yong Bi-cheon and Dokgo Seong also bore calm expressions. They were obliged to follow the Sect Leader unquestioningly.

‘Damn it.’

I attempted to grasp Miho’s hand and lead her out of the situation.

But at that moment, a horrifying sound erupted.

Whoooooosh—

Crack!

And it was all over.

Blood Rain began to scatter.

The Dharma Protector of the Protection Lineage, Dokgo Seong, was crushed into pieces by the elongated appendage that sprang from nowhere. The speed was so quick, nobody could react in time. Dokgo Seong perished in an instant, barely having time to scream.

But—was it even fair to call it a finger? It appeared like something that resembled frog fingers, composed of repulsive matter, bending into the ether. To make it worse, such an entity easily dispatched even the Protection Lineage’s elite without a hint of resistance.

But I realized something was amiss. This is not merely about speed. Even the Sect Leader could never kill Dokgo Seong in an instant with just pace alone. It was apparent someone had utilized an extrusive power, slaying Dokgo Seong with a single deadly strike.

“Aagh!”

The first to react was the Sect Leader. He immediately created a Taiji formation while invoking the Sage Age, endeavoring to bind the bizarre entity. The Sect Leader’s strength seemed effective for a moment, as the fingers momentarily halted.

‘What a true Sect Leader… huh?’

But just when I thought the situation was under control, I recognized something was terribly off.

Drip, drip.

Crimson fluid poured down from beneath the Sect Leader’s armor. It wasn’t just that—the blood gushed out from every part of his body. I gasped at the realization, watching in horror as the Sect Leader yelled,

“God! Hear me!”

Boom!

In response, the Sect Leader poured even more Qi and thought into his Taiji, attempting to push back. At that moment, the frog-like hand was visibly repelled. The blood continuing to pour from him slowed down to a degree. I was utterly tense, feeling my throat dry at the sight.

‘We… need to run away…’

The Sect Leader wasn’t forcibly rejecting the god. No matter how I looked at it, he felt like a small creature struggling against a mighty beast, as if it were merely a pet annoying its owner. Even as a spectator of that gruesome reality, I sensed the overwhelming divide in power.

Was this really the force of a god?

Seeing the Sect Leader struggle made it seem for a moment that the darkness flourishing from the orb was faltering. In that silence, a whisper echoed in the chamber.

Insect.

Just that single word seemed to be the sole will of the ruler of the Demon Palace.

Prrt!

“Aack!”

The Sect Leader emitted an anguished cry. I couldn’t fathom the reasons behind it, but one of his arms was severed and sent flying. At this point, questioning why it occurred felt meaningless. An insurmountable disparity screamed at me.

Realizing something was going wrong, the Sect Leader mustered all of his remaining strength. He swelled his frame tenfold, emitting an impressive aura that filled the space.

“Flee!”

Zing!

Manifestations of countless mandalas began to float around the Sect Leader‘s body. His body glowed like a colossal flame, signaling he was deploying the utmost technique rooted in the Sect Leader’s fighting prowess. Whatever it was, it had to be a level of martial skills beyond any mundane reality.

Boom!

“Heart of Heaven’s Abundance!”

With the violent tremor roaring to life, once more the grotesque hand lunged forward. The Sect Leader, seated in the air while cross-legged, deflected it through his mandalas’ shield; however, this time, his ears were abruptly severed. This gruesome spectacle was the harrowing price paid for directly facing the power of the gods.

The sight daunted Yong Bi-cheon, a Dharma Protector of the Wind Lineage, who exclaimed in dismay.

“T-this isn’t what we agreed upon! I thought we’d survive…!”

Did that mean the Vermilion Bird was in league with the Imperial Palace? The Vermilion Bird, it seemed, had no intention of sparing anyone, leading me to allude that perhaps talk of the god’s descent had been omitted.

Bam!

The grotesque hand, annoyed by Yong Bi-cheon’s presence, flicked him away, sending his head flying. With that, two of the Dharma Protectors had already died.

Han Baek-ryeong gritted his teeth and charged at the demon’s palm wielding his double sword.

“Twelve Boundless Dragon Strike!”

Roar!

Twelve fiery dragons ignited into the world as he drew forth every ounce of power from his spirit and aura. A massive force shot forth, rivaling even the ultimate spells of a transcendent master.

Whoosh!

But at that moment…it felt as if time itself warped. Han Baek-ryeong’s technique shrank, being drawn into the palm of the grotesque entity. Such an incomprehensible event sent shockwaves through all present, rendering Han Baek-ryeong’s face pale as he fell helplessly to the ground.

“Ack…”

Miho trembled slightly, her lips quivering.

“No, it can’t be… we need to run…”

I began to feel a mounting dread.

Was this the power of the [Old Ruler]?

The overwhelming force far surpassed anything I had anticipated. I had thought maybe I could still escape, but it seemed that notion was wishful thinking. As I desperately scanned the room, I swiftly used the National Seal to grab Miho and Han Baek-ryeong and teleport us away.

Whoosh!

“Eh…”

Something felt wrong.

Something felt… empty.

In the next moment, I realized both my legs had vanished.

“…AAAHHHHHH!!!”

I screamed in agony. I couldn’t fathom how it happened, but after teleporting, both my legs—just like that—had been ripped off! I felt as though something snatched and tore them away playfully. The pain and sense of loss were too much; I couldn’t help but scream in madness.

Gasping for air, I felt consciousness slip away. At this rate, I would bleed out from the loss of my legs. Just then, Miho desperately summoned the power of the Moon Sovereign to cast a healing spell on me.

“Focus! Don’t give up!”

“Hah… hah…”

It hurt too much. The shock of losing my legs was unbearable. The larger issue was that I had no clue what had attacked me. It felt as though I was struck without even a hint of danger until right before it happened.

‘Where… where am I?’

I quickly realized I had transported to the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai, a place I had been before. I thought it strange, questioning why I hadn’t teleported to the place where my comrades were, but somehow I had intuitively understood.

The [Old Ruler] could catch up with the location of my teleportation.

It felt absurd, but that was the power of a god.

I couldn’t risk the possibility of my allies being slaughtered, so I made the quick choice to hop over to Mount Tai’s Heavenly Altar.

At that moment, a voice rang out.

“How foolish… your defeat was determined before it even began. Why do you think you can defeat a god?”

The voice belonged to the Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yu-ryong.

Miho narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. Somehow he had the power to traverse to Mount Tai at any moment.

Zhuge Yu-ryong looked at me and remarked,

“Hand over the Seven Luminaries, and I’ll allow you a peaceful death.”

“Don’t make me laugh…”

I gasped for breath. Though my legs had been severed, I wouldn’t surrender the Seven Luminaries. If beings who had managed to summon the [Old Ruler] obtained the powers of the Seven Luminaries, who knows what catastrophic event might follow? A death toll far exceeding hundreds of thousands could unfold!

Whoosh!

Without warning, Miho unleashed the power of the Moon Sovereign, projecting a powerful Moon Shadow toward the Vermilion Bird. Miho’s abilities had grown significantly; under normal circumstances, this should have overwhelmed Zhuge Yu-ryong’s original powers. However, a sudden barrier appeared around Zhuge Yu-ryong.

Bang!

“What?!”

Miho was shocked. The Vermilion Bird laughed casually.

“Who reveals their cards that quickly? Earlier, I had to worry about luring you fools to the heart of the Imperial Palace. But now I have no reason to hide my strength.”

“What is this barrier?!”

Miho growled, annoyed. The Vermilion Bird replied,

“As you see, it is the power of the eight trigrams. The innate power of this Earthly Trigram combined with its Eight Trigram Diagram.”

“……!!”

Both Miho and I were astonished.

Could it be that the Vermilion Bird was the master of the Seven Luminaries?!

“Don’t look at me like that. I wish to be the Seven Luminaries‘ master, but this is merely a borrowed power from the Demon Palace. Let’s say it’s the price I pay for serving the gods.”

Woosh!

The Vermilion Bird swung one hand, causing the surroundings to fill with trigrams swirling in black lines. The sight of heaven and earth bending to the trigrams struck fear in Miho, who fired Moon Shadows in every direction, aiming to break free from their grasp.

Yet the Moon Shadows simply fizzled to nothing in the air.

“Ugh!”

The Vermilion Bird calmly remarked,

“The Eight Trigrams are the foundation of heaven and earth, established by the ancient Emperor Fuxi. Using the Earth Trigram and Eight Trigram Diagram, I can seal every type of spell.”

“Ugh.”

“Well then, it’s time for the finale.”

A massive crisis was closing in. If I died here, the Seven Luminaries would be lost, and everything would be in shambles. Despite the agony of my severed legs, I pondered deeply and sent a message to Miho.

“Miho, teleport me to the Heavenly Altar!”

“What are you planning?”

“Quickly!”

Zing!

Miho swiftly activated the Moon Sovereign power and hoisted me up to the Heavenly Altar. Even with her powers diminished due to the Earthly Trigram, I sensed that she was barely capable of unleashing even a fraction of her original strength. The Vermilion Bird, seemingly amused, taunted us.

“Ha ha! What are you planning on doing up there? Do you believe it can serve as your grave?”

“Let’s see…”

My spirit waned to the edge of collapse, yet as I was lifted upon her back, I replied,

“Now that we’re facing certain death, it’s time to create a ruckus…”

“What?”

“The Heavenly Altar is the connection with the Celestial Realm… it’s our only link! If we can resonate the Seven Luminaries here and cause them to explode… what will happen?”

“……!!”

The Vermilion Bird’s expression hardened. I smirked.

“If the barriers set up by Zhou Yu vanish… the Celestial Realm may descend upon this world!”

“Are you insane? You don’t even realize what you are suggesting!”

He shouted in fury.

“If you do that, the true Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will reappear! They will ravage with impunity, without a care for any prior agreements! Their essence is no different from the [Old Ruler]! The aftermath will be a thousand times worse than what the Demon Palace will create! Don’t be foolish!”

I had recognized what he feared. No matter how much he sought to seal us with Earthly Trigrams, he could not prevent Miho and me from conducting a resonance triggering ceremony.

“Is that so…”

Such thoughts might occur.

Could the world really end?

‘What a pity.’

But I genuinely didn’t care. I was dying anyway, and once this creature killed me, what on earth could it matter? I refused to let it happen that I died alone, so I joked about dragging him down with me.

I gazed at the horrified expression on the Vermilion Bird‘s face, breaking into a wide grin.

“Hehe… Miho.”

“What is it?”

I felt incredibly annoyed.

I hated this situation.

But alas, I had to say it.

“Please… lets die together.”

Despite saying it, a sense of despair crept over me.

This wasn’t what I had originally intended. I had dreamed of storming the Imperial Palace, moving on to rekindle ties with Miho; yet here I was, suggesting we die together in mere desperation. I felt so pathetic, I could have cried.

“……”

Miho’s back trembled slightly.

A choked laugh escaped her lips, as if holding back her own emotions.

“…Alright, I’ll join you.”

Ahh.

Is it truly coming to this?

Ultimately…

Drip!

I couldn’t hold back my tears, letting them fall on Miho’s back. Miho spoke in a rather indifferent tone.

“Stop crying, you fool. You’re a man, after all.”

“And you’re a woman, aren’t you?”

“…Dummy.”

I noticed Miho’s voice also quivered slightly. She was holding back her own tears.

The Vermilion Bird suddenly boomed,

“You idiots! Hand over the Seven Luminaries…”

At that moment, both Miho and I raised our Seven Luminaries synchronously.

From Wednesday’s Darkness, a brilliant Azure Light shone, while from Sunday’s Moon, a dazzling Silvery Light erupted forth.

As the Vermilion Bird rushed toward us, the shocking look on its face changed.

“Wha—”

We poured the resonant energies from the Seven Luminaries into the air.

AAAAHHHH!

The Vermilion Bird‘s form was consumed by the light explosion.

Zazazang!

Outside the Heavenly Altar, it was as if dimensional barriers shattered from a violent storm.

Within that surge of blinding light, bodies disintegrated as I witnessed eight colossal shadows rise from their thrones, slowly eclipsing the realm. Each of them bore the regal air of an emperor, adorned with crowns.

As the boundaries between heaven and earth dissolved, ancient entities awoke.

‘Is that… the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?’

Was this truly the end?

That marked my seventeenth death.