Chapter 148: 151 A Path Opened Towards Victory

[Some Time Ago…A Distant Memory]

"Mr. Dae-Seong…I mean, Dae-Seong…" Ma-Ri said meekly, holding her hands on her lap as she sat at the ivory table.

It was an abandoned kitchen, inhabiting a deserted restaurant in the middle of the city. The silver-haired man sat by the window sill, keeping watch while he could hear Korain rummaging through the storage of the restaurant for preserved food.

"What is it?" He looked at the girl with a smile.

She was already level eighteen, close to his own strength.

…It was a miracle, finding her in this lost neighborhood, all alone. I wonder–if I was but a moment too early or too late in my march, would I have been unable to rescue this girl from her aimless journey? He thought.

Ma-Ri looked at him, staying quiet as she fiddled with the bright-red apple she held in her hands, "Did…did you have any family, before all of this?" She asked.

The question took him aback for a moment as his mouth was left slightly agape, but he wore a small smile before adjusting his glasses.

"I did."

"Really…?" Ma-Ri looked at him, as if surprised by his answer.

He nodded, "I had a wife, but…she left me quite awhile before all of this began. I did have a daughter, though."

"A daughter…? Then what–?"

Before the young woman could ask the question, she stopped herself midway through as she averted her gaze.

He smiled through it, reassuring her, "It's fine, don't worry," he continued, "--When Armageddon began, I was away from home. In the middle of a commute from work, actually…just a few blocks away from my house. It all happened so quickly, but I adjusted–simply because I knew I had to reach home as quickly as possible because…"

Dae-Seong trailed his words as his eyes took to a painful shade, looking through the window as he pushed his glasses up.

"I wasn't fast enough. She was too young to understand any of this, and Armageddon holds little mercy for the unprepared…" He told her.

"I'm sorry…" Ma-Ri responded quietly.

To her surprise, a pat came to the top of the young woman's head as she looked down, bringing her gaze up to find the silver-haired leader in front of her with a small smile as she knelt down.

"We can't forget yesterday, but we also can't let it stop us from reaching a new tomorrow. That's my goal; I want humanity to reach the end of this cruel trial, so one day, Ma-Ri…"

–

"...Gangcheori is yours…"

The words that left his bloodied lips were ones that the blue-eyed woman had heard once before.

"What…? No, you can't…!" Ma-Ri said quietly, her words shaking feebly through her tears.

By now, Dae-Seong could no longer hear the words that left her lips, merely looking up as he watched her tears fall down onto his own face.

It's in good hands. All you must do is…take it from here, he thought.

"Korain…"

"Yeah, Boss…?" The burly man looked down with watery eyes at the man.

Dae-Seong couldn't match his gaze, having to use all of his remaining strength to coax the words from his mouth, "...You've been an invaluable ally, and even more so…a friend. Ma-Ri is not alone in this; she has you. Gangcheori needs you now–more than ever. I ask of you…continue being strong, Korain. Continue smiling."

Korain nodded with tears strolling down his cheeks rapidly, "--You can count on me! Always!"

Dae-Seong simply smiled a bit before turning his attention, "Ma-Ri…"

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"--"

"You may be green now, but you will be surpass me, in every way, soon enough…Make sure to listen well to Korain; there is no better right-hand man you could ask for," the words Dae-Seong gave were almost of a doting father, smiling small as he grazed his hand against the girl's silken hair, "Ma-Ri...You've got it from here."

Just as the words parted from him, the body of the silver-haired leader went limp; all life extinguished before the two's eyes.

It wasn't any place to die; they felt that seeing the man they most admired the most meet his end on the bone-made, depressing floor. One as illustrious as him, they thought, should have a more fitting end, at least.

"Surrounded by everybody–after reaching the end of this cruel game," Dae-Seong thought to himself with his fading consciousness, whisking away, "I suppose…I can't complain. Ma-Ri…Korain…In hands as reliable as yours, Gangcheori will move on. This is but a momentary setback."

"Boss…" Korain gritted his teeth, "--Shit!"

"--"

Ma-Ri was still in disbelief, looking down at the man as his words sunk in: "Gangcheori is yours."

But, there was little time for the final sayings to unravel themselves as the smoke cleared from behind them with a massive tremor–bringing both of the remaining executives' attention to the source of it.

The Artificial Devil was huffing heavily, seeping black blood from various wounds as he hacked up the abyssal fluid from his mouth.

"...That attack didn't finish him?!" Korain commented, returning to his feet as he wielded his claymore.

Ma-Ri was still on her knees, processing what had just happened before she was brought back to reality by her one-armed comrade–

"Ma-Ri!" Korain yelled out, looking back at her.

"...Right," she got up to her feet as her cape fluttered behind her, drawing her illustrious, thin rapier from its sheath.

Even if the Artificial Devil wasn't finished by the attack, the burgundy-haired entity was clearly wounded heavily, crippled by the last attack as the massive gash on his chest wasn't healed–continuing to leak heaping amounts of dark blood.

"Ma-Ri, you see that…?" Korain asked quietly, standing side-to-side with the young woman.

She nodded, "He's hurt. Dae-Seong gave us an opening."

"...What a damn guy," Korain said as tears flowed down his cheeks, raising his claymore high, "--Lead the way, Boss."

"Huh?" Ma-Ri was taken aback by the title she was referred to as, but looked forward, nodding, "Alright!"

The horned, gray-skinned man was less than pleased, continuing to huff, puff, and cough out as he held his chest, looking at the two with his black, malignant eyes.

"What a terrible day. I can feel it; my comrades have fallen. My dear, dear comrades…Still, this day is not lost," Jun-Seo said, picking up his bone-made sword, "...I will slaughter you, pups of Gangcheori, lesser of Dae-Seong, and bring the targets to Baek-Hyeon! I will not let all of this loss be for naught!"

"Rich coming from you…What nerve do you have giving us that crap?! You came here! You killed our people–! You killed our leader! Huh?! Where do you get off?!" Korain yelled back in response, seething with anger.

Jun-Seo laughed quietly, allowing smaller, abyssal arms to stretch out from his blade-wielding arm, bolstering his grip, "...You're right. I just don't see the worth in worms like you. Crawling helplessly through the mud, wriggling around without any strength of your own–clinging to the false belief you'll one day reach Paradise. I don't recognize the "loss" of such insignificant beings."

"You…!" Korain gritted his teeth.

"Korain," Ma-Ri stepped beside him, somehow maintaining her composure.

The senior member of Gangcheori looked at the young woman for a moment before releasing a sharp breath through his teeth and nodding, "Right. I'm not letting this bastard get into my head."

Jun-Seo himself stayed at a cautious distance, still huffing heavily as blood continued pouring from the unclosing wound spread across his chest.

That stubborn fool…He destroyed all but two of my hearts with that attack. My strength…is dwindling heavily, and my regeneration…I'll have to kill these two to restore my lost hearts. Damn it all! What more could go wrong…!? Jun-Seo thought.

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