Ilwooz, Hyeon, and Ryeo's army threw the chimeras aside and started running. Now was not the time to deal with such beasts and savages.
Ilwooz led them from the very front. He could sense the evil. It was still so faint that ordinary people could not perceive it, but it was growing stronger.
He hopes it's not too late, so that Elze can be saved.
Ilwooz shook his head several times, trying not to recall the scene he had seen in the vision. Even though he was running with all his might, Ilwooz kept urging his horse out of impatience.
And when they reached where Cirxus was.
“Ahh... Ines...”
Ilwooz and Hyeon were speechless at the sight unfolding before their eyes.
It was hell there.
The ground was littered with blood and flesh, and there were dead corpses with their bones exposed. It was not hard to guess at first glance how brutal their deaths had been.
Amidst the pile of corpses, the broken banner of Heglatan was visible. It was torn to pieces, covered in dirt and blood. The few surviving knights of Heglatan were screaming in despair.
Fortunately, the Targayel knights were nowhere to be seen, having probably fled while Heglatan was attacked.
And at the center of it all was Shan Cirxus.
“Ahhhhh!”
Cirxus grabbed the scruffy Heglatan knight by the back of his neck. The knight, caught by Cirxus, desperately swung the sword in his hand.
But it was no use. Even though he was clearly cutting down Cirxus, he recovered immediately after being wounded. In the end, the knight let out a terrible scream and was torn alive by Cirxus's hands.
Ilwooz, who had been frozen by Cirxus's murderous intent, came to his senses belatedly. And then he called his name loudly.
“Shan Cirxus!!”
Cirxus slowly turned his head to look at Ilwooz. It was unclear whether he recognized the name or simply responded to the shout.
“...”
When their eyes met, he slowly raised his lips. His pupils were visible through his disheveled hair.
The purple pupils in the eyes that drew the line shone ominously. The slit pupils were no longer human.
Cirxus looked at Ilwooz with a languid smile. Ilwooz slowly lowered his gaze. And then he found Elze.
“!!”
She lay helpless on the blood-soaked ground, her hands and feet bound with chains, and her chest was pierced by a large sword wound.
The moment he saw that sight, Ilwooz let out a silent scream. Hyeon, who had been speechless for a long time, finally opened her mouth with a faintly shaking voice.
“It seems Heglatan has been annihilated... Erzenes...”
Hyeon looked at Ilwooz with eyes filled with tension and fear and asked.
“She, Ilwooz, is something you can cure...?”
“...”
But Ilwooz couldn't answer. Hyeon let out a heartbreaking groan. In fact, both Hyeon and Ilwooz knew from the beginning. If Elze had been alive in the first place, Cirxus would not have been so wild.
Elze, the savior that Ilwooz had been waiting for for a thousand years... is dead.
The emptiness crushed his heart. His legs gave out, and Ilwooz sank to the floor. His body shook with anger and sadness.
He kept thinking to himself as he ran here. Any situation was fine. Even if her arms were cut off, or her legs were cut off, or half of her body was blown away, it was fine. As long as she was alive, it was fine. Then he could save her.
But there was no sign of life from Elze, who had her eyes tightly shut. She had already returned to Ines' side.
What should I do now...
The Ilwooz have been preparing for the millennium for thousands of years, but all preparations and waiting were in vain in the face of the death of the Savior.
In the end, Ilwooz was only there to support the Savior. Without the Savior, the demons could not be stopped. However, what broke Ilwooz's heart more than the destruction of the continent was Elze's death.
The death of Elze, not the savior.
To Ilwooz, she meant more than just a savior. The sadness that was piercing his heart was painful. It was at that moment that Ilwooz pressed his throbbing heart with his hand.
There was a sound of wet, sticky footsteps on the blood-soaked dirt. Cirxus was taking a step toward him. Ilwooz bit his lip. If they lose their minds like this, they will all die here together.
"Hyeon!!"
Hyeon, who had been blankly staring at Elze's body, barely came to his senses at Ilwooz's scream. Ilwooz shouted at her again.
“Now, surround him!!”
She took a deep breath, pulled in her stomach, and cried out loudly.
“Surround him! Don’t come close, keep your distance!!”
The knights who had been frozen by Hyeon's shout barely regained their senses. They suppressed their fear and moved their bodies. A wide circle surrounded Shan.
Ilwooz spread out both arms. The hem of his clothes fluttered along with the rising energy. The pure white divine power became a solid shield, surrounding the female knights of Ryeo.
That wasn't the end of it. Ilwooz raised his hand into the air. A thin, straight line of light stretched out into the sky.
The light spread out in a wide oval and summoned the priests of the sect. They were all priests of the highest rank, bishops, with the most outstanding divine powers in the sect.
They were momentarily taken aback by the sudden summons, but soon figured out the situation. The sight of Shan Cirxus spouting musical instruments in a stream needed no explanation.
The priests moved calmly. They formed a circle behind the knights of Ryeo. Two circles surrounded Shan Cirxus.
And the priests all raised their hands, calling out the name of Ines. Divine powers extended from the eight bishops. The slender strands of divine powers tangled together and soon became a tight net.
Now, Cirxus was trapped in two layers of divine power. He was clearly suffering from the burning pain of his skin, but he did not even groan.
He just smiled faintly. He just smiled, as if nothing could be painful to him anymore.
Ilwooz's fingertips trembled as he continued to use his immense divine power. However, Ilwooz clenched his trembling hands into a fist and stopped them.
It was not the time to joke about how difficult it was. He couldn't kill Cirxus, but he might be able to suppress him. He had decided that he needed to buy some time and slowly think of a solution.
“!!”
Ding, a huge wave rang out. Ilwooz looked at Shan Kiraxus. A huge concentric circle spread out from him.
As the black energy collided, the divine power that had been embroidering the air in white disappeared like a candle being blown out. The knights of Ryeo and the priests of Ines fell in all directions like sheets of paper. Ilwooz vomited blood.
“Ilwooz!”
Hyeon shouted in surprise. Ilwooz clutched his chest. His insides were shaking from the recoil of his divine power being forcibly suppressed. However, Ilwooz opened his eyes wide while sweating coldly.
“...You can’t stop.”
Ilwooz vomited blood again. His body staggered violently. However, Ilwooz forced himself to pull himself together and spoke again.
“If you get pushed here, it’s over. Don’t stop!”
“...!”
Hyeon clenched her fist. She screamed as if her throat was going to burst.
“Stay in line! Hold on! Hold on!!”
The knights of Ryeo stood up again, blood dripping from their mouths. They held their swords in their hands.
“Risk your lives! If you must die, die where you are!! Every step you take in retreat... the fate of the continent depends on it!!”
The priests also stood up, staggering. They forced their broken legs to strengthen themselves and began to create a net of divine power again. Hyeon shouted in a low, evil voice.
“That bald guy...!”
But this was only a temporary measure. It was not a fundamental solution. Ilwooz looked at Elze. She was sleeping peacefully.
“...”
Looking at her pale face, Ilwooz decided to try the last resort.
It was extremely unstable and dangerous. No one had ever tried it for a thousand years. But now it was the only thing. It was time to try, even if it failed, and everything would go to waste.
"Hyeon."
Hyeon turned around at the short call. Ilwooz spoke in a very neat and calm tone.
“I intend to offer my last prayer.”
Hyeon frowned, sensing something odd in Ilwooz's words.
“Ilwooz? What are you saying now...”
“Please, hold on for a moment. I’m not sure, but if I succeed, I’ll be able to put him to sleep.”
With a strong sense of anxiety rising, Hyeon unconsciously grabbed Ilwooz's arm. The slender arm fit into one hand. Hyeon muttered absentmindedly.
"Don't go..."
But instead of answering, Ilwooz smiled brightly. A distinct light began to bloom from his body. It was a white color that was deeper and clearer than any light Ilwooz had ever produced.
But it was a divine power that carved out flesh and soul.
As the strong light shone in all directions, the light from the eyes that had been swaying like a rainbow began to disappear. Soon, only pure white eyes remained. Without any flashy colors, they were just plain white.
Ilwooz looked at Hyeon with white eyes. She cried and cried.
“Ilwooz!!”
If he had hoped that his last appearance would be a smiling face, would that have been too much to ask? Ilwooz decided to smile for her, at least for himself.
“Thank you, Hyeon..."
Ilwooz smiled quietly and closed his eyes.
Shan had really pretty purple eyes.
People sometimes said that his eyes were scary. But Elze thought that Shan had very pretty eyes from the moment she first saw him.
Their first meeting was when Shan, who was dying on the battlefield, was saved. Their relationship, which seemed to have ended after overcoming the crisis of the Hundred Years' War, was reunited through a political marriage.
He expected a dry, loveless marriage, but he and Elze developed subtle feelings for each other as they pushed and pulled each other precariously. Then, at some point, they fell into a steep love that was like falling off a cliff.
Ilwooz led them from the very front. He could sense the evil. It was still so faint that ordinary people could not perceive it, but it was growing stronger.
He hopes it's not too late, so that Elze can be saved.
Ilwooz shook his head several times, trying not to recall the scene he had seen in the vision. Even though he was running with all his might, Ilwooz kept urging his horse out of impatience.
And when they reached where Cirxus was.
“Ahh... Ines...”
Ilwooz and Hyeon were speechless at the sight unfolding before their eyes.
It was hell there.
The ground was littered with blood and flesh, and there were dead corpses with their bones exposed. It was not hard to guess at first glance how brutal their deaths had been.
Amidst the pile of corpses, the broken banner of Heglatan was visible. It was torn to pieces, covered in dirt and blood. The few surviving knights of Heglatan were screaming in despair.
Fortunately, the Targayel knights were nowhere to be seen, having probably fled while Heglatan was attacked.
And at the center of it all was Shan Cirxus.
“Ahhhhh!”
Cirxus grabbed the scruffy Heglatan knight by the back of his neck. The knight, caught by Cirxus, desperately swung the sword in his hand.
But it was no use. Even though he was clearly cutting down Cirxus, he recovered immediately after being wounded. In the end, the knight let out a terrible scream and was torn alive by Cirxus's hands.
Ilwooz, who had been frozen by Cirxus's murderous intent, came to his senses belatedly. And then he called his name loudly.
“Shan Cirxus!!”
Cirxus slowly turned his head to look at Ilwooz. It was unclear whether he recognized the name or simply responded to the shout.
“...”
When their eyes met, he slowly raised his lips. His pupils were visible through his disheveled hair.
The purple pupils in the eyes that drew the line shone ominously. The slit pupils were no longer human.
Cirxus looked at Ilwooz with a languid smile. Ilwooz slowly lowered his gaze. And then he found Elze.
“!!”
She lay helpless on the blood-soaked ground, her hands and feet bound with chains, and her chest was pierced by a large sword wound.
The moment he saw that sight, Ilwooz let out a silent scream. Hyeon, who had been speechless for a long time, finally opened her mouth with a faintly shaking voice.
“It seems Heglatan has been annihilated... Erzenes...”
Hyeon looked at Ilwooz with eyes filled with tension and fear and asked.
“She, Ilwooz, is something you can cure...?”
“...”
But Ilwooz couldn't answer. Hyeon let out a heartbreaking groan. In fact, both Hyeon and Ilwooz knew from the beginning. If Elze had been alive in the first place, Cirxus would not have been so wild.
Elze, the savior that Ilwooz had been waiting for for a thousand years... is dead.
The emptiness crushed his heart. His legs gave out, and Ilwooz sank to the floor. His body shook with anger and sadness.
He kept thinking to himself as he ran here. Any situation was fine. Even if her arms were cut off, or her legs were cut off, or half of her body was blown away, it was fine. As long as she was alive, it was fine. Then he could save her.
But there was no sign of life from Elze, who had her eyes tightly shut. She had already returned to Ines' side.
What should I do now...
The Ilwooz have been preparing for the millennium for thousands of years, but all preparations and waiting were in vain in the face of the death of the Savior.
In the end, Ilwooz was only there to support the Savior. Without the Savior, the demons could not be stopped. However, what broke Ilwooz's heart more than the destruction of the continent was Elze's death.
The death of Elze, not the savior.
To Ilwooz, she meant more than just a savior. The sadness that was piercing his heart was painful. It was at that moment that Ilwooz pressed his throbbing heart with his hand.
There was a sound of wet, sticky footsteps on the blood-soaked dirt. Cirxus was taking a step toward him. Ilwooz bit his lip. If they lose their minds like this, they will all die here together.
"Hyeon!!"
Hyeon, who had been blankly staring at Elze's body, barely came to his senses at Ilwooz's scream. Ilwooz shouted at her again.
“Now, surround him!!”
She took a deep breath, pulled in her stomach, and cried out loudly.
“Surround him! Don’t come close, keep your distance!!”
The knights who had been frozen by Hyeon's shout barely regained their senses. They suppressed their fear and moved their bodies. A wide circle surrounded Shan.
Ilwooz spread out both arms. The hem of his clothes fluttered along with the rising energy. The pure white divine power became a solid shield, surrounding the female knights of Ryeo.
That wasn't the end of it. Ilwooz raised his hand into the air. A thin, straight line of light stretched out into the sky.
The light spread out in a wide oval and summoned the priests of the sect. They were all priests of the highest rank, bishops, with the most outstanding divine powers in the sect.
They were momentarily taken aback by the sudden summons, but soon figured out the situation. The sight of Shan Cirxus spouting musical instruments in a stream needed no explanation.
The priests moved calmly. They formed a circle behind the knights of Ryeo. Two circles surrounded Shan Cirxus.
And the priests all raised their hands, calling out the name of Ines. Divine powers extended from the eight bishops. The slender strands of divine powers tangled together and soon became a tight net.
Now, Cirxus was trapped in two layers of divine power. He was clearly suffering from the burning pain of his skin, but he did not even groan.
He just smiled faintly. He just smiled, as if nothing could be painful to him anymore.
Ilwooz's fingertips trembled as he continued to use his immense divine power. However, Ilwooz clenched his trembling hands into a fist and stopped them.
It was not the time to joke about how difficult it was. He couldn't kill Cirxus, but he might be able to suppress him. He had decided that he needed to buy some time and slowly think of a solution.
“!!”
Ding, a huge wave rang out. Ilwooz looked at Shan Kiraxus. A huge concentric circle spread out from him.
As the black energy collided, the divine power that had been embroidering the air in white disappeared like a candle being blown out. The knights of Ryeo and the priests of Ines fell in all directions like sheets of paper. Ilwooz vomited blood.
“Ilwooz!”
Hyeon shouted in surprise. Ilwooz clutched his chest. His insides were shaking from the recoil of his divine power being forcibly suppressed. However, Ilwooz opened his eyes wide while sweating coldly.
“...You can’t stop.”
Ilwooz vomited blood again. His body staggered violently. However, Ilwooz forced himself to pull himself together and spoke again.
“If you get pushed here, it’s over. Don’t stop!”
“...!”
Hyeon clenched her fist. She screamed as if her throat was going to burst.
“Stay in line! Hold on! Hold on!!”
The knights of Ryeo stood up again, blood dripping from their mouths. They held their swords in their hands.
“Risk your lives! If you must die, die where you are!! Every step you take in retreat... the fate of the continent depends on it!!”
The priests also stood up, staggering. They forced their broken legs to strengthen themselves and began to create a net of divine power again. Hyeon shouted in a low, evil voice.
“That bald guy...!”
But this was only a temporary measure. It was not a fundamental solution. Ilwooz looked at Elze. She was sleeping peacefully.
“...”
Looking at her pale face, Ilwooz decided to try the last resort.
It was extremely unstable and dangerous. No one had ever tried it for a thousand years. But now it was the only thing. It was time to try, even if it failed, and everything would go to waste.
"Hyeon."
Hyeon turned around at the short call. Ilwooz spoke in a very neat and calm tone.
“I intend to offer my last prayer.”
Hyeon frowned, sensing something odd in Ilwooz's words.
“Ilwooz? What are you saying now...”
“Please, hold on for a moment. I’m not sure, but if I succeed, I’ll be able to put him to sleep.”
With a strong sense of anxiety rising, Hyeon unconsciously grabbed Ilwooz's arm. The slender arm fit into one hand. Hyeon muttered absentmindedly.
"Don't go..."
But instead of answering, Ilwooz smiled brightly. A distinct light began to bloom from his body. It was a white color that was deeper and clearer than any light Ilwooz had ever produced.
But it was a divine power that carved out flesh and soul.
As the strong light shone in all directions, the light from the eyes that had been swaying like a rainbow began to disappear. Soon, only pure white eyes remained. Without any flashy colors, they were just plain white.
Ilwooz looked at Hyeon with white eyes. She cried and cried.
“Ilwooz!!”
If he had hoped that his last appearance would be a smiling face, would that have been too much to ask? Ilwooz decided to smile for her, at least for himself.
“Thank you, Hyeon..."
Ilwooz smiled quietly and closed his eyes.
***
Shan had really pretty purple eyes.
People sometimes said that his eyes were scary. But Elze thought that Shan had very pretty eyes from the moment she first saw him.
Their first meeting was when Shan, who was dying on the battlefield, was saved. Their relationship, which seemed to have ended after overcoming the crisis of the Hundred Years' War, was reunited through a political marriage.
He expected a dry, loveless marriage, but he and Elze developed subtle feelings for each other as they pushed and pulled each other precariously. Then, at some point, they fell into a steep love that was like falling off a cliff.
Many things came between Elze and Shan, but the two did not break apart. They held each other's hands tightly until the end.
But today, Elze died. It was a sudden separation, without any mental preparation. Although she had always had death sitting next to her shoulder, Elze had never imagined that she would be greeted in this way.
Elze had thought about this a long time ago. What would she say if she were to die before Shan and have to say goodbye to him?
But the last greeting she uttered was so uncool. Elze sighed deeply and muttered.
"Your eyes are pretty, really..."
She should have at least told him that she loved him.
She regretted not having told him that. In fact, there were many other things she wanted to say. Even when I'm not around, please eat regularly, don't act crazy, and don't be too sad...
Elze had a mountain of things to say to him, but she couldn't say anything. She was worried about Shan. She was worried about what he was thinking, whether he was crying, and it was driving her crazy. It was even worse because she knew Shan was obsessed with her.
"Surely you can't do anything without me, right..."
Her eyes stung. Once she thought of Shan, her heart ached uncontrollably. Elze bit her lip, wiped away the tears with her sleeve, and looked around.
"By the way, where is this place?"
The place where Elze was standing was a large meadow. The green grass was sprouting, and the colorful wild flowers were blooming. The bright afternoon sunlight was a little hot, so Elze headed to the shade of the beautiful zelkova tree.
As she sat in the shade, a cool breeze blew. The sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was enchanting. It was a peaceful sight.
But Elze instinctively felt that this was not reality. White clouds were painted across the blue sky like paint. Elze muttered as she traced the long trails of clouds with her eyes.
"I'm going to hell..."
Shan will probably go to hell too. Elze thought to herself and snickered. It didn't seem so bad to be punished in hell alongside him. As Elze was blankly looking up at the sky, a clear voice was heard from somewhere.
"Elze!'
Elze looked back in surprise and opened her eyes wide.
"Ilwooz!"
Ilwooz smiled faintly and greeted Elze. He spoke in a determined tone.
"Is it okay if I sit next to you?"
Ilwooz took off his clothes and sat down next to Elze. Elze swallowed hard and looked at him.
There were many things she wanted to ask. Starting with how she got here, all sorts of questions were swirling around in her head. But the first thing she said was one word.
"The pupils..."
His eyes, which were always a brilliant rainbow, had turned into a simple white. Ilwooz blushed a little embarrassedly and said.
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."
"..."
It couldn't have been anything but strange. The eyes that seemed to contain all the colors of the world were the symbol of Ilwooz. They were nothing less than proof that the human body contained the power of a god, but they had disappeared.
Elze wanted to ask Ilwooz more questions. But it didn’t seem like he would tell her. Elze moved her lips a few times, then just stopped and asked something else instead.
"Am I dead?"
Ilwooz opened his eyes slightly wide, then slowly nodded and answered.
"That's right. But before Elze went very far away, I held onto you."
"That..."
"And then I want to send you back again."
"Yes?"
To Elze, who asked in surprise, Ilwooz smiled as if it was nothing.
"Of course, it goes against providence. But if you pray earnestly, it is not something that cannot be achieved. Elze, go back to Cirxus..."
"Lie."
Elze cut off the softly continued words. Elze frowned and spoke to Ilwooz, who hesitated.
"Don't lie. Bringing a dead person back to life can't be that simple."
The moment she said that, something suddenly popped into her head.
"No way...?"
Ilwooz, having lost his divine powers, followed the dead Elze to this place that is not real. And he says he will revive Elze.
"Right now... It’s not like you’re going to sacrifice your life to save me, right?"
"..."
He didn't answer. Elze grabbed Ilwooz's shoulder and shouted.
-l"Please tell me no!!"
In front of the excited Elze, Ilwooz answered calmly.
"It's just the death of the body."
Ilwooz placed his hand on top of Elze's hand that was holding him.
"The spirit of Ilwooz continues... I will become a new Ilwooz and come to see Elze again."
He held Elze's hand still and spoke softly.
"I promise. I will definitely come back."
"But, Ilwooz!"
"Just because your body changes doesn't mean you become a different person. And..."
He smiled slightly bitterly and covered his eyes with his hands. Ilwooz spoke with his white eyes shining brightly.
"It is already an irreversible choice."
"..."
Elze was speechless. Ever since he came here, Ilwooz had given up everything. To save Elze. He spoke quietly, smiling alone in front of Elze.
"Still, that's fortunate. In fact, I was a little unsure when I tried it. I wondered if it would really work... It was a dangerous adventure."
What would have happened if it had failed? Ilwooz didn't say, but Elze seemed to know. If he had failed, he would have lost his life without any gain. Even though it was so dangerous, Ilwooz tried. It was all for Elze.
Her heart ached. Her breath was suffocated by his limitless sacrifice toward her. All sorts of words were trembling in her mouth, but in the end, the only thing Elze could barely utter was his name.
"Ilwooz..."
Ilwooz looked at Elze quietly and called her name.
"Elze."
The wind blew. Ilwooz's white hair blew long in the wind. Ilwooz gently brushed his disheveled hair to one side. Then he asked carefully.
"Would you please... wait for me?"
Elze opened her mouth slightly. Ilwooz's eyelashes fluttered.
"I'll definitely come back. So..."
She regretted not having told him that. In fact, there were many other things she wanted to say. Even when I'm not around, please eat regularly, don't act crazy, and don't be too sad...
Elze had a mountain of things to say to him, but she couldn't say anything. She was worried about Shan. She was worried about what he was thinking, whether he was crying, and it was driving her crazy. It was even worse because she knew Shan was obsessed with her.
"Surely you can't do anything without me, right..."
Her eyes stung. Once she thought of Shan, her heart ached uncontrollably. Elze bit her lip, wiped away the tears with her sleeve, and looked around.
"By the way, where is this place?"
The place where Elze was standing was a large meadow. The green grass was sprouting, and the colorful wild flowers were blooming. The bright afternoon sunlight was a little hot, so Elze headed to the shade of the beautiful zelkova tree.
As she sat in the shade, a cool breeze blew. The sound of the leaves rustling in the wind was enchanting. It was a peaceful sight.
But Elze instinctively felt that this was not reality. White clouds were painted across the blue sky like paint. Elze muttered as she traced the long trails of clouds with her eyes.
"I'm going to hell..."
Shan will probably go to hell too. Elze thought to herself and snickered. It didn't seem so bad to be punished in hell alongside him. As Elze was blankly looking up at the sky, a clear voice was heard from somewhere.
"Elze!'
Elze looked back in surprise and opened her eyes wide.
"Ilwooz!"
Ilwooz smiled faintly and greeted Elze. He spoke in a determined tone.
"Is it okay if I sit next to you?"
Ilwooz took off his clothes and sat down next to Elze. Elze swallowed hard and looked at him.
There were many things she wanted to ask. Starting with how she got here, all sorts of questions were swirling around in her head. But the first thing she said was one word.
"The pupils..."
His eyes, which were always a brilliant rainbow, had turned into a simple white. Ilwooz blushed a little embarrassedly and said.
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing."
"..."
It couldn't have been anything but strange. The eyes that seemed to contain all the colors of the world were the symbol of Ilwooz. They were nothing less than proof that the human body contained the power of a god, but they had disappeared.
Elze wanted to ask Ilwooz more questions. But it didn’t seem like he would tell her. Elze moved her lips a few times, then just stopped and asked something else instead.
"Am I dead?"
Ilwooz opened his eyes slightly wide, then slowly nodded and answered.
"That's right. But before Elze went very far away, I held onto you."
"That..."
"And then I want to send you back again."
"Yes?"
To Elze, who asked in surprise, Ilwooz smiled as if it was nothing.
"Of course, it goes against providence. But if you pray earnestly, it is not something that cannot be achieved. Elze, go back to Cirxus..."
"Lie."
Elze cut off the softly continued words. Elze frowned and spoke to Ilwooz, who hesitated.
"Don't lie. Bringing a dead person back to life can't be that simple."
The moment she said that, something suddenly popped into her head.
"No way...?"
Ilwooz, having lost his divine powers, followed the dead Elze to this place that is not real. And he says he will revive Elze.
"Right now... It’s not like you’re going to sacrifice your life to save me, right?"
"..."
He didn't answer. Elze grabbed Ilwooz's shoulder and shouted.
-l"Please tell me no!!"
In front of the excited Elze, Ilwooz answered calmly.
"It's just the death of the body."
Ilwooz placed his hand on top of Elze's hand that was holding him.
"The spirit of Ilwooz continues... I will become a new Ilwooz and come to see Elze again."
He held Elze's hand still and spoke softly.
"I promise. I will definitely come back."
"But, Ilwooz!"
"Just because your body changes doesn't mean you become a different person. And..."
He smiled slightly bitterly and covered his eyes with his hands. Ilwooz spoke with his white eyes shining brightly.
"It is already an irreversible choice."
"..."
Elze was speechless. Ever since he came here, Ilwooz had given up everything. To save Elze. He spoke quietly, smiling alone in front of Elze.
"Still, that's fortunate. In fact, I was a little unsure when I tried it. I wondered if it would really work... It was a dangerous adventure."
What would have happened if it had failed? Ilwooz didn't say, but Elze seemed to know. If he had failed, he would have lost his life without any gain. Even though it was so dangerous, Ilwooz tried. It was all for Elze.
Her heart ached. Her breath was suffocated by his limitless sacrifice toward her. All sorts of words were trembling in her mouth, but in the end, the only thing Elze could barely utter was his name.
"Ilwooz..."
Ilwooz looked at Elze quietly and called her name.
"Elze."
The wind blew. Ilwooz's white hair blew long in the wind. Ilwooz gently brushed his disheveled hair to one side. Then he asked carefully.
"Would you please... wait for me?"
Elze opened her mouth slightly. Ilwooz's eyelashes fluttered.
"I'll definitely come back. So..."
Ilwooz eventually lowered his head, unable to meet Elze's gaze. He mumbled slightly as he spoke.
"I hope you won't forget and will wait for me."
Elze took a deep breath. Then she hugged Ilwooz tightly. Ilwooz's eyes widened at the sudden hug. Elze hugged him tightly and said.
"Ilwooz has waited for me for a thousand years, so how can I not wait for a few more years?"
"Elze..."
"I'll wait. I'll keep, keep waiting..."
Elze buried her face in his shoulder and whispered in a faintly shaking voice.
"Please come back."
A soft laugh was heard. Ilwooz hugged Elze tightly and made a firm promise.
"I promise."
Elze finally burst into tears. Ilwooz smiled and wiped Elze's tears with his hand. After comforting Elze for a while, he gently pushed her away and said.
"It's time to go now."
Ilwooz looked at Elze quietly. With his white eyes filled with Elze's image, he spoke.
"Please go back and put Cirxus to sleep. That is something only Elze can do."
Elze nodded slowly. Ilwooz let out a shallow breath.
In fact, there was something he hadn't told Elze. All Ilwooz end their lives according to the providence set by Ines, and their souls are transferred to new bodies.
But now, Ilwooz was devoting all his divine power, body, and soul to resurrecting the dead. This was against providence.
Perhaps this was the end for Ilwooz's soul. In exchange for saving Elze, Ilwooz's soul might be completely destroyed.
But Ilwooz thought, That's okay...
Elze, who had been waiting for a thousand years, was the savior of the continent, but she was also the savior of Ilwooz. For her, he would give up even his soul without any hesitation.
It had lasted a thousand years, so it was time to stop. He was glad that his end was for Elze.
However, out of a small desire, he asked Elze to wait indefinitely. It was a desire to remain in a corner of her heart, even if only a little. If she remembered him and waited for him, that alone would be enough for Ilwooz.
Light slowly rose from Ilwooz's body. The small sparkling lights, like fireflies, spread out little by little in all directions. In this mysterious and beautiful sight, Elze looked at Ilwooz with tears in her eyes.
Ilwooz reached out his hand to Elze. Light flowed through his fingertips to Elze. Ilwooz wished her with the most sincere sincerity.
"May your path ahead be filled with light."
With those words, Ilwooz's body began to slowly fade. Unlike Ilwooz, who was fading away, the light gradually grew stronger and clearer.
In the light that filled the meadow, Ilwooz looked at Elze. The light that flowed from Ilwooz began to gently wrap around Elze's body. In the whirlpool of light, Elze desperately called out to Ilwooz.
"Ilwooz! Ilwooz!!"
Ilwooz stared at Elze with all his might, for what might be the last time he would see her.
It was then. Someone appeared over Elze, surrounded by white light. Ilwooz opened his eyes wide at the sight of her with black hair and black eyes.
An unforgettable sight. Even after hundreds of years, her appearance is still vivid. She was the first savior brought from Korea by Ilwooz and the first Queen of Ryeo.
"Ah..."
Ilwooz let out a soft sigh. A shiver ran through his body.
It was you. You were Elze...
The bad mistake that had been bothering him for a very long time was finally resolved by Elze after hundreds of years. Ilwooz smiled with relief. Now, he really had no regrets.
A blinding white light poured down. Elze waved her hands toward Ilwooz, who was disappearing into the light. But her regrettable fingertips never reached him. She called out in an urgent voice.
"Ilwooz!!"
Ilwooz smiled brightly. With a smile as bright as the rising sun, he whispered.
"My savior..."
Light enveloped all directions. The light that had swallowed Ilwooz completely engulfed Elze as well.
And soon, there was only white light there.
***
Black waves spread out in all directions. The priests and knights were blown away like leaves by the strong gust of wind.
They fell to the ground and all vomited black blood. Priests who were particularly sensitive to magical instruments suffered even more. The priests coughed up blood several times.
Hyeon was also in pain. She couldn't hold the magic and knelt on the floor. Black, dead blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. Hyeon gasped for breath.
“Huk... Huh...”
It was now impossible to even stop Cirxus, let alone attack him. The divine powers unleashed by the priests were simply not enough.
Frustration was gnawing at her. She felt like she couldn't hold on any longer. She desperately wanted to give up.
But Hyeon gritted his teeth and pulled herself together again. Even if everyone else gave up, Hyeon couldn't give up.
Ilwooz risked everything and took on an uncertain challenge. For the continent, and for Elze.
So Hyeon had to at least keep his promise to him. Her promise to hold off Shan Cirxus until he came.
Hyeon forced her head up and looked at Cirxus. Unlike Hyeon, who looked like a defeated soldier, Shan Cirxus walked leisurely, looking fine.
The knight of Ryeo was lying nearby. Cirxus, who had discovered the sacrifice, slowly approached her.
“!!”
The knight of Ryeo turned pale with fear as he saw Cirxus approaching her. She tried to escape even if it meant crawling.
However, the wave just before had crushed his internal organs. Because of that, she was unable to move much and just vomited blood before falling back to the floor.
Cirxus raised his hand. A black aura gathered above his hand. Hyeon picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor and jumped up. Then she ran with a roar like lightning.
“You! No way!!”
She blocked Shan's path with her sword. Hyeon, who had never properly learned swordsmanship, was clumsy with her sword. However, her momentum was no less than that of any other knight. Hyeon gave a loud rebuke.
“Wake up, Shan Cirxus!!”
Hyeon bit her molars. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. It was because of the blood rising from inside her. The pain of her damaged organs throbbed all over her body, but Hyeon’s eyes did not waver. Instead, they flashed with a fierce aura.
“What would Erzenes think if she saw you now! Don’t do anything that would be embarrassing to her!!”
At the word Erzenes, the energy of Cirxus that had been spreading out uncontrollably stopped. He stopped his hand in the air and slowly closed and opened his eyes.
Even if it was just for a moment, just not looking at those strange purple eyes felt like a relief.
Cirxus stared blankly at Hyeon. Hyeon stared back at him without avoiding his eyes.
She desperately hoped that he would regain his senses, but this was not going to happen. The momentary peace was quickly shattered. Cirxus met Hyeon’s gaze and smiled.
That was the moment. A sharp pain struck along with the sound of the wind cutting through.
“Ugh!!”
Her breath was suddenly caught in her throat. Cirxus's hand was around her throat.
The knights of Ryeo screamed at the sight of Cirxus strangling Hyeon's neck. They forgot their pain and jumped up to their feet and rushed forward.
But they were just moths flying towards the light. They were meaningless in front of the black Cirxus that they were slashing down. The iron sword that could cut through even a boulder was helplessly broken and snapped as soon as the black energy wavered once.
“...”
Slowly, the evil force tightened, and her eyes darkened. She desperately needed a single bit of air. She struggled desperately, but Cirxus's hand did not move. Hyeon could not even groan properly. As the black energy grew thicker, everything became hazy.
This is it for me.
Hyeon closed his eyes. In the end, she couldn't keep her promise with Ilwooz. Now, it was really over...
It was the moment when Hyeon was quietly waiting for death.
“...!”
Beyond the blurred vision, a white light was visible. A cloud of light was rising from the body of Erzenes, who had fallen to the ground.
The moment she saw the warm, soft light, tears flowed down Hyeon's eyes.
Ilwooz's sacrifice was not in vain.
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