―――――――!
This time, there was not even a shockwave. All sound in the world vanished. All color was erased. Only two lights blazed fiercely, seeking to devour each other.
Ka-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak—!
And finally, like a giant eraser forcibly wiping a drawing, 'Ragnarok' slowly began to gnaw away at Itarim and the world he had created.
Fsssssh—
[Krr… eugh….]
Finally, a groan escaped Itarim's lips. For a moment, Suho's eyes and Itarim's colossal eye, shedding tears of blood, crossed. But even at this moment, Itarim's expression was a mix of extreme agony and bizarre ecstasy.
Hot. Painful. An extremely scorching pain.
But.
Ah, a creator god dying at the hands of his creation… What a contradictory, interesting, and novel experience! This too must be a new pleasure that would end his long-standing boredom. However, there was one thing that grated on this perfect stage.
[An 'abyss'…]
Suddenly, his gaze passed over Suho, staring beyond him. Since when? For some time now, there had been a shadow that had not participated in the battle, merely observing it all.
'Beru.'
No, beyond Beru's shadow. Somewhere in the far, distant universe… A deep and profound gaze of someone who had been watching all the battles taking place here, through Beru, was there.
[You, until the very end… merely watch. Just like 'us'.]
Itarim squeezed out his last strength, sending his will towards 'that gaze.'
[Behold. Now your son… in your name… has judged me.]
Showing a faint smile.
[So, was my stage worth watching?]
....
No answer came back. Instead, the gaze was withdrawn from Beru's shadow.
[....]
At that, Itarim's expression crumbled. Ah, so this is what it felt like. The feeling of being someone's spectacle…
Kuwraaaaaaaaa—!
Just then, Suho, with his last ounce of strength, slammed 'Ragnarok' down. At the overwhelming power, Itarim's colossal body crumbled. His divinity scattered into particles of light.
Ruuuumble—
Thus, Itarim, along with the world he had created, began to collapse. Even until the very end, he savored this horrific sensation, and with his last strength, he whispered directly into Suho's mind.
[It was an enjoyable play, little god… But remember. I am not the only Itarim….]
The Outer God War has only just begun.
[From now on, everyone will be busy… since the number of godless worlds has increased to two….]
To his final curse, Suho retorted audaciously.
"Yes. And Earth will be that much safer for it. Since your attention will be divided between two."
[Heh….]
With that single, hollow laugh, the existence of the Outer God Itarim was completely annihilated.
Ting!
[The Outer God, 'Itarim,' has been defeated.]
Fwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!
[Absorbing a vast amount of divine power.]
All the divine power and the essence of authority he had left behind began to be absorbed entirely by Suho through 'Ragnarok.' A truly immense energy poured into his shadow, the Shadow of the Dead World Tree, like a waterfall.
[Authority: 'Shadow of the World Tree' transmits the absorbed nourishment to the 'Dead World Tree'.]
Suho closed his eyes, accepting that vast energy.
"…"
Everything was over. The roar that had torn at his ears, the pressure of the god that had crushed his soul, had vanished. In that perfect silence, Suho finally felt an extreme fatigue wash over his entire body. The weight of Ragnarok in his hands disappeared, and only an empty void remained.
"…Did we succeed?"
Suho caught his breath. He had done it. He had truly… killed a god. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he confirmed the system message floating before his eyes.
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
[The Dead World Tree begins to regain its life force.]
[World Tree Recovery Rate: 0.01%]
[World Tree Recovery Rate: 0.07%]
[World Tree Recovery Rate: 0.13%]
[World Tree Recovery Rate: 0.26%]
[....]
Ah, the dead World Tree was beginning to revive. At the end of a long battle. Finally, the first fruit had been borne. Suho slowly raised his head.
"…"
And he looked beyond the sky where Itarim had vanished, into the far, distant universe. He looked at Beru, who had been silently watching his battle.
[Young Master.]
Beru's solemn gaze met Suho's. Beru no longer offered praise or encouragement to Suho as he used to. There was no need for that anymore. The current Suho had grown into a respectable adult, no, a warrior.
[If you wish, I shall open the path for thee immediately.]
Hwaaak—
Beru spoke, his own shadow blazing. Suho's eyes saw that shimmering shadow. No, somewhere beyond it.
'A Gate.'
There, a path leading to his father, who was currently fighting a war against such absurdly powerful enemies, stretched long, following Beru's shadow. Across the horribly destroyed, masterless dimension and the void, a lonely path of shadow connected to the far outer universe. The true abyss was waiting for him.
"Father."
Before that gate, Suho's eyes shimmered more intensely than ever before.
"Now, I am coming."
Suho, without a moment's hesitation, stepped towards Beru's blazing shadow.
Fwoosh!
Instantly, his vision went black.
Fwaak—
And then, the pure white ember Suho had kindled was surrounded by a vast, endless darkness. This place was… the path to his father, the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo.
'The Distant Abyss.'
'The Depths of Darkness.'
An absolute space of Nothingness, where all light was extinguished, and only jet-black darkness existed.
'This is… Father's power.'
Suho, feeling the overwhelming pressure of mana crushing his entire body, unconsciously swallowed. This was a power of a completely different quality from what Itarim had shown. If Itarim's power had crushed and conquered opponents with 'creation' and 'law,' Sung Jinwoo's power was a pure 'abyss' itself, which swallowed everything. Here, sound, light, and even the flow of time were meaningless. Only a seemingly eternal solitude and silence flowed. Thus, Suho took a step along the shadow path, which seemed as endless as the Sea of the Afterlife.
Krrk.
[He has grown even stronger than back then…]
From within Suho, Antares let out a low growl. It was truly absurd. 'He' was still growing. Endlessly. The pride of the Dragon King, who was once the strongest Monarch was hurt, he gritted his teeth, feeling this overwhelming difference in rank. But his fighting spirit was not broken. He merely looked forward to the next time.
[Even though I have lost the 'Primordial Darkness,' I will find a way to regain my original strength. No, I will become much stronger than before. I will definitely. Then, with you again…]
Unlike the Dragon King, who was gritting his teeth, making such a vow,
[Good heavens…]
Kandiaru was muttering in a voice filled with a terror that surpassed astonishment. Incalculable. Unmeasurable. Incomprehensible. The architect Kandiaru, who had been there at his beginning, could not dare to fathom his absurd power and could only lament.
[…He has already become a 'world' himself.]
Listening to their admiration, Suho silently moved forward. One step, one step. Each time he moved forward along that path, countless whispers were heard from the abyss spreading in all directions. It was not a resonance that could be heard with the ears.
The Shadow Legion. His father's faithful soldiers. The billions of forces that had passed through this path. It was the residual echo of the memories and emotions of all those soldiers who had roamed countless battlefields following his father.
Absolute loyalty to their master. Endless fighting spirit towards the enemy. And, the solitude of the king who had to bear all those wars alone. This shadow was the very path his father had walked.
Fwaaak—!
Finally, Suho's vision grew accustomed to the abyss. Then, what he saw were the endless corpses melted into this vast darkness. A battlefield of stars, far more wretched and horrific than the Sea of the Afterlife, the final destination of souls. And the scars of the universe, where an overwhelming power had swept through it all.
Srrk—
As Suho passed along that path, those who had melted into the darkness began to open their eyes one by one. Countless gazes watched Suho. In the starless night sky, lifeless blue lights watched Suho from all directions. No hostility was felt from them. They were merely asking with a quiet gaze.
'Son of the King, are you qualified to cross this path?'
It was a warning and a concern. But Suho did not stop walking, continuing forward.
How long had he walked? From the other side of the distant darkness, a single streak of light finally began to appear. But it was by no means a warm light symbolizing hope.
Kugwagwagwagwa—!
Along with a deafening roar, the light of apocalypse, as if dozens of suns were exploding at once.
'…!'
The scene unfolding before his eyes was beyond what the word hell could describe. No, hell would have been a peaceful place in comparison. Dying stars shed tears of blood as they faded away. Giant, living demonic fiends screamed as they were torn apart. Gods with nebulae for skin were engaged in a colossal bloody battle in the void. Each time they swung their fists, space crumpled like paper, and with their breath, dimensional walls melted.
At that absurd sight, Suho finally realized. All the battles he had fought until now were mere child's play. The fight with Itarim was a duel with a 'god.' But this place was a battlefield with 'gods.' A universal pandemonium where dozens, hundreds of legions of Itarim were tearing at and destroying each other.
This was the true nature of the 'Outer God War' that his father had been fighting alone!
The shock was brief. Suho saw him. At the center of all that chaos, a single man, becoming a storm himself, swallowing everything. Black shadows. Hundreds of millions of shadows danced according to 'His' will, and two daggers cut through dimensions at the speed of light, piercing the hearts of gods. Each of his movements was a law, a declaration of the end.
'Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo.'
His father was there. He was fighting three Outer Gods simultaneously. Yet, there was not an inch of retreat. One tried to bind his entire body with thousands of tentacles forged from dark matter. Another threw a condensed galaxy like a cannonball. The last one continuously emitted a cursed wave that eroded the mind. But all those attacks, before reaching his father, were blocked by the shadow barrier revolving around him and vanished futilely.
It was overwhelming. Suho didn't just see simple strength in that form. In that steadfast back, which did not retreat a single step even while taking on the endlessly raging attacks, Suho saw his father's terrible loneliness and the weight of his struggle.
His father… on this massive battlefield, had not been able to rest for a single moment. Even in all the times when he was enjoying his daily life, growing, and finally killing Itarim. His father was still in this place, protecting the world alone.
As always. Unchanging. Naturally considering this his mission.
It was right then…
Ssk—
While parrying the attacks of numerous gods. In the midst of such a fierce battlefield, his father's head moved ever so slightly. To be precise, his senses recognized his son's arrival. The chaos of the battlefield was split apart as if it was a lie. A single path connecting Suho and his father opened in the eye of that great storm.
There was no time for a long, emotional reunion. This was not a place where such luxuries could be afforded. But on Sung Jinwoo's lips, a very faint smile appeared. A calm smile, as if to say, 'So you've finally come.'
He spoke softly, without turning to look at his son.
"…You're late."
That single phrase held a multitude of emotions. Feeling all of it, Suho smirked and replied.
"There was some traffic on the way."
"I see some familiar faces, too."
At that, Sung Jinwoo's smile deepened. Looking at the shadows following Suho.
[Master!]
[Krrk! We have returned!]
Greed, Iron. Those who, after a long journey, had finally returned to the Shadow Legion. And then.
[Haha! Same as ever, Mr. Sung! Don't you age?]
Thomas Andre waved at Sung Jinwoo. The numerous connections from Sung Jinwoo's past… were with Suho's shadow.
It was good to see them. Very much so. Heartbreakingly so.
[Kieeeeeeeek! O King! Thy humble servant Beru has safely returned to the front lines! Leading all these reinforcements!]
And they, without hesitation, threw themselves into the middle of the fierce battlefield. To fight alongside Sung Jinwoo.
Fwoooosh!
Flames ignited in Suho's eyes. There was no fear. Instead, his heart burned hot. Because he now clearly realized what kind of stage he had to fight on.
Thud.
Thus, father and son stood, back to back.
Fwoooosh!
The White Night, the pure white darkness. The Abyss, the endless darkness. The moment those two shadows finally became one. The eyes of all the Outer Gods who saw them filled with bewilderment and caution. The disaster that was overwhelming enough with just one, had now become two. At the sight of their enemies, the same smile appeared on the lips of Sung Jinwoo and Sung Suho simultaneously.
The Greatest Fragment of Brilliant Light, and the King of the Dead, the Shadow Monarch. Sung Jinwoo.
The Guardian of the World Tree, the Monarch of Transcendence, the Shadow of the Dead World Tree.
And… Sung Jinwoo's proud son. Sung Suho.
Thus, father and son stood side by side. And with cool eyes, they opened their mouths towards all their enemies. Simultaneously.
"Arise."
"Arise."
The true war of the gods, Ragnarok, has begun.