WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME COMICS

Translator: ZERO_SUGAR

Editor: ChaoticRain

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint ◈

Chapter 190: Episode 35: 73rd Demon King (7)

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As I endured the pouring flames, pain slowly spread through my entire body.

...It hurt. It really hurt.

My skin cracked from the heat, and it felt as if my eyeballs were boiling. Jeong Huiwon kept slashing at me as she swallowed her tears. The flames that destroyed evil tore through my wounds and burned all the flesh inside me.

Without [The Fourth Wall], the pain would have made me pass out long ago.

Even so, my body didn't break. Huiwon stared at me in shock and asked, “What kind of body is this...?!”

The rate at which my Constitution fell had increased, but it was still impossible to kill me within the time remaining. I hadn't expected even Huiwon's attacks to be this ineffective.

I began to feel a little anxious. Perhaps it had something to do with my fabled-grade rating.

[The constellations of the nebula Veda delight in your pain.]

[Remaining time to clear: 10 minutes.]

[The constellations of the nebula Papyrus raise a toast.]

That was only the beginning. Shockwaves spread through the hall, and my body began to grow once more.

[73rd Demon King has entered the third phase.]

[Your body becomes tougher.]

I had expected to reach the third phase to some extent. Without panicking, I shouted, “Everyone, stay focused! You remember the order, right?”

My allies nodded and smoothly shifted their formation.

Yet perhaps because the demonic energy I released had increased explosively, Jo Yeongran's [Gimun Formation] began to collapse.

Crack!

In the end, Yeongran coughed up blood and fell to her knees. This had come sooner than expected. Once demonic energy filled the entire hall, my allies, already afflicted by debuffs, would grow even weaker. I had no choice but to call on help I'd never wanted to rely on.

[A constellation that has not yet received a name looks at its Incarnation.]

Shin Yuseong received my message and raised her trembling head. As my Incarnation, she had sensed my resolve long ago.

‘Mister, don't. Please.’

I silently looked at Yuseong.

That was the relationship between a Constellation and an Incarnation. Rather than convey a hundred words, a single look could deliver emotions too deep to describe. Overwhelmed by the violence of emotions forced upon her, Yuseong finally burst into tears.

‘Okay.’

At that moment, I, her Constellation, heard the painful pounding of the child's small heart louder than anyone. Yuseong rose while holding the hand of the other child beside her.

“Gilyeong, let's go. We have to do this.”

Yuseong's eyes shone yellow. The attribute [Beast Master] began to manifest. A powerful tremor echoed through the entire hall, followed by the sound of the air tearing apart. A massive beast's snout appeared through the opening.

Chimera Dragon.

The beast that would one day become an Apocalypse Species was being summoned into the hall, its immense wings flapping. However, the Chimera Dragon saw me and bared its teeth as it hesitated instead of attacking.

[Grade 2 beast species Chimera Dragon refuses its master's command.]

[Grade 2 beast species Chimera Dragon feels fear toward 73rd Demon King.]

Blood poured from Yuseong's nose. It was still too much for her to control a Grade 2 beast species alone. I looked at Lee Gilyeong and said, “Gilyeong, you can think of it as a game this time.”

Gilyeong looked up at me. Seeing the child's small eyes, I remembered the words we had exchanged while walking through the darkness.

The conversations we had while walking through the [Dark Fold] together at Geumho Station. Those moments that had passed as if they were nothing returned as precious fragments.

“I'll come back to life even if I die. I promise.”

Those stories became the strength that would kill me.

“...Aaaaaah!”

Gilyeong cried out and activated the skill [taming].

[Remaining time to clear: 9 minutes.]

The Chimera Dragon, controlled by the two children's [taming], roared in pain. Then its enormous inhale sucked in everything around it. The Chimera Dragon even drew in my demonic energy before opening its huge jaws toward me.

Pitch-black Mana converged. A massive sphere of light formed between its vicious fangs. A weapon only dragon species, said to stand at the pinnacle of beast species, could use.

Breath.

As I endured the torrent of Mana breath, my body was torn apart once again. The impact felt like it would shatter my mind. Even after taking a blow like that, my body was still alive.

My allies groaned at the miserable sight of my body, torn apart in places.

But stopping wasn't an option. I straightened my crushed lips and said, “...Keep... going.”

If not now, there would never be another chance.

[Some constellations notice your sacrifice.]

Tzzzt, tzzzt!

[Many constellations are astonished by your resolve.]

The Chimera Dragon panted heavily, then lay its huge body on the floor, exhausted from using Breath. Thankfully, it had absorbed all the demonic energy I released, preventing the worst outcome. Still, my allies' attack power was gradually declining.

“Damn it, we're short on Mana!”

[Remaining time to clear: 5 minutes.]

This was as far as my preparations for facing 73rd Demon King went. From here on... I had to leave it to someone other than myself.

Yu Junghyeok, who had pulled himself up against the stone wall, was watching me.

Lee Seolhwa lay exhausted beside him. It looked like she had poured all her Mana into healing him. Countless emotions crossed his eyes as he looked at me, now a Demon King.

“Don't make that face. What's happened can't be changed. You know that, don't you?”

Junghyeok wiped his bloodied lips and muttered, “I should have died here.”

Thankfully, Yu Junghyeok was still Yu Junghyeok. He had already accepted that he had to kill me. Drawing Splitting the Sky Sword, Junghyeok rushed at me.

Slash! Crack!

Each of his strikes landed, and I felt my Constitution fall. Though he didn't say a word, his despair was conveyed to me whole with every swing of his sword.

[Remaining time to clear: 4 minutes.]

We weren't given time to dwell on that despair.

“Let's finish this soon, Yu Junghyeok. Take out ‘that.’”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Don't play dumb. I know you deliberately haven't used it.”

“...If I use this, you won't be able to revive.”

“That's why I'm telling you to use it. It'd be a problem if I came back to life as a Demon King.”

“...”

“What if the Scenario fails? We have to end it now.”

Junghyeok glared at me without saying anything.

「Do you have something planned?」

I only smiled at the question in his eyes. Junghyeok hesitated, then finally drew a sword from inside his clothes.

Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds, Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi. It was the sword he had obtained after defeating Yamata no Orochi's shadow in peace land.

Junghyeok spoke in a heavy voice. “I hoped the moment to use this would never come.”

“So did I. Just not now.”

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire despairs.]

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband sighs deeply.]

[The constellation Queen of the Darkest Spring holds her breath.]

The power gained through fables was bound to be undone by fables in the end. My resurrection attribute, [Eight Lives], originated from the authority of the constellation Yamata no Orochi.

Only the Godslaying Sword that had killed Yamata no Orochi could pierce this power. If he cut me with that sword, I would lose all my remaining lives at once. Junghyeok ground out the words.

“...Honestly, I'm not certain even this will work. [Gigantification] is about to end, so I don't have the confidence to cut you down with my current attack power.”

“Don't worry about that.”

Yuseong shook her head furiously as she looked at me.

[A constellation that has not yet received a modifier has bestowed a Stigma upon its Incarnation.]

Along with a dazzling beam of light, the Stigma I had given Yuseong settled into her.

[Stigma, Will to Sacrifice Lv.1, has activated!]

The forcibly activated Stigma emitted a brilliant light from Yuseong's body.

[The owner of the Stigma has risked their life for another.]

[This party's attack power greatly increases in proportion to the desperation of that life.]

Life returned to the eyes of my allies, who had been exhausted only moments ago.

Will to Sacrifice, of all things. It was a Stigma that truly didn't suit me. One thing was certain, though. My death was now inevitable.

“Thank you, everyone.”

[Remaining time to clear: 3 minutes.]

My allies were rushing toward me.

Lee Hyeongseong, Jeong Huiwon, Shin Yuseong. Lee Gilyeong. Yu Sangah, Pildu Gong, Lee Jihye...

Crying, screaming, or burying deep fury within themselves, they approached me. My vision slowly warped, and they soon became a single scene. A sight I had read about only in text for so many years.

「The Incarnation Kim Dokja will die at the hands of the being he loves most.」

I had forgotten. All prophecies were metaphors.

In this Star Stream, every “being” was made of “stories.”

[The constellation Secretive Plotter looks at you.]

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire looks at you.]

Therefore, the one killing me wasn't a specific person.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband looks at you.]

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon looks at you.]

[The constellation Naval Warfare God looks at you.]

Amid the gazes of countless stars pouring down from the sky, the story that would kill me approached, one sentence at a time.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Each sentence that passed added another wound to my body. With every wound, I felt the characters' sorrow in full. Just as I had when I first read TWSA long ago, I smiled.

「Where does a story go after it leaves the author's hands?」

The story that had once been my parents, my friend, and my lover.

[Remaining time to clear: 2 minutes.]

It was no longer TWSA as I knew it. Even so, it was a more wonderful story than any TWSA I had known.

[The small constellation of a small planet looks at you.]

[All constellations of the Korean Peninsula watch your end.]

It was my story.

At last, a sword pierced my heart.

[Your Fate has been fulfilled.]

My swollen muscles shrank, and my body rapidly grew smaller.

“Kim Dokja.”

Junghyeok caught my body as I slowly collapsed. Looking at the fading scenery beyond him, I asked, “It's a really wonderful story, isn't it?”

Junghyeok silently looked at me. Unable to find anything to say, he simply watched me. Just as I had no choice but to do long ago.

[The effect of Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds has destroyed all your remaining extra lives.]

[You can no longer revive.]

I looked up at the sky one last time. At the center of the black night sky were clusters of nebulae. Veda. Olympus. Papyrus...

I would never forget what you bastards had done.

Then the sky flickered.

[The constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband does not wish for your death.]

As if responding to my resolve, the stars shone brightly.

[The constellation Abyssal Black Flame Dragon does not wish for your death.]

[The constellation Secretive Plotter does not wish for your death.]

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire does not wish for your death.]

I gave a small laugh as I looked at the sky. Because there were people like them, I couldn't bring myself to hate stories, even though I hated the constellations.

“Survive, Yu Junghyeok.”

As the Demon King's power vanished, strength began to leave me.

[The Main Scenario has ended.]

[Seoul Dome has been liberated.]

Something like a small black hole appeared in the air behind me. My body began to be drawn into it little by little. My legs, torso, arms... slowly scattered like dust as they were pulled inside.

“Kim Dokja!”

At the last moment, Junghyeok tightly seized my collar.

But it was already too late. My entire vision rapidly turned black, and I was drawn into an empty void. The gazes of the constellations watching me began to disappear one by one. I had begun to leave the channel's domain.

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire does not wish for your death!]

One star blinked desperately at me from the distant night sky.

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire does not wish for your death!]

It's all over now, so you can stop. Uriel.

[The constellation Demonic Judge of Fire...]

Thank you.

One by one, the stars in the sky went out, and at last, the story of the Incarnation Kim Dokja faded away.

[The constellations of absolute good alignment have withdrawn the evildoer mark from you.]

[Your Incarnation body has completely vanished.]

[You have failed the Scenario.]

[You have been expelled from the Scenario.]

[The Star Stream announces your modifier.]

From the distant darkness, I heard the Star Stream whisper quietly to me.

[Your modifier is Demon King of Salvation.]

Footnotes:

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