Park Gil-seon pulled out her axe and hurled it in the same motion. The weapon carved a wide arc through the air, striking down targets one after another before returning neatly to her hand. The old man chuckled with amusement, then turned to look at us.
“When your attacks land exactly the way you imagined… it’s a damn good thrill.”
“That sounds like a fetish, honestly.”
Baek Tae-beom wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand, scoffing. Rather than drawing his sword, he clenched his fists tightly and hurled himself at the charging monster. With a splatter, the creature exploded in all directions, thick goo dripping to the ground.
Behind him, the swift Yoo Ji-won danced around the monsters, drawing their aggro like he was taunting them. Once grouped up, Aquila swung her weapon to herd them together. Lured in by what was right in front of them, the monsters flailed their arms. Yoo Ji-won’s bullets struck clean through their foreheads. And then, Oh Kwon-hyuk charged in and crushed the clustered monsters with his fists. The impact was strong enough to shatter walls—boom, boom—the deafening echoes rolled out.
The monsters that slipped past their control were struck down by Blue Star, who swung his bell, calling down lightning bolts. Aquila delivered the finishing blow, smashing in the skulls of the remaining creatures, then tilted her head up. She sprinted forward, planted a foot on Oh Kwon-hyuk’s shoulder, and leapt clean over him, plunging her weapon into the heart of a monster about to ambush Blue Star.
Not bad. They exchanged a quick nod and immediately dove back into the fight. Blue Star’s weapon shifted from its bell form into a spear, which he swung in wide arcs, narrowly avoiding friendly fire as he cleaved through the enemy. Beside him, Park Gil-seon brandished her axe one-handed, a whirlwind of destructive might. With every swing, the image of Sekhmet materialized above her head. Oh Kwon-hyuk gripped a monster and practically tore it limb from limb.
From Lee Myung-won’s fingertips, arrows glowing gold split into thousands and rained down on the enemy like a golden storm.
Kang Si-hoo and I exchanged a glance and gave a slight nod. Then, we charged at Loki.
“Whoa there! Two of you coming at once? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
Loki moved with alarming speed—it was impossible to get a firm grip on him. Even though I could feel him pushing past his limits, all we managed to graze was the edge of his fingers. It was maddening.
“Was this Angrboda’s plan from the beginning?”
“Hmm. What do you think?”
I leapt up his outstretched arm and slashed across his bare skin with my sword. Wounding his remaining arm, Loki let out a beastlike growl and staggered back, then sneered.
“Think of it as a parent’s revenge for the children they lost. I’m very angry, you know.”
“But that doesn’t justify bringing about the end of the world!”
“And why do you, little god, think you get to judge that?”
A staff appeared in Loki’s hand. He swung it.
KR-BOOM— thunder roared. Far greater than the lightning Blue Star had summoned, a bolt of raw destruction crashed down.
“I lost all three of my children. Every single day, I was drowning in grief, unable to do a thing! And yet, how could someone else presume to measure the depth of my sorrow?!”
Kang Si-hoo rushed to slice at Loki’s leg but was forced to retreat when lightning crashed down, barely grazing his toes. The floor trembled under our feet. Dark clouds gathered at the ceiling, and then the rain started. Soaking wet clothes clung to my skin.
“Odin’s prophecies and orders—that’s what doomed my children!”
Loki’s eyes, wild with rage, fixed on the void above. And I knew—he was glaring straight at Odin, one of the many Constellations watching this channel.
“How could I, as their parent, ever ignore that grief? There’s only one thing I want now! I will bring about the end of the world and kill Odin!”
Loki roared. The staff in his hand morphed into a sword, and he swung it down at us. I couldn’t dodge in time—I had to block it with my blade. The sheer force of it sent me reeling backward.
This isn’t working. Just the two of us weren’t enough. Even if Loki’s seal wasn’t fully broken, he had absorbed enough Mana Stones to exude the presence of a god.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Choi Ga-hyeon!]
“If you’re about to tell me to run, I’ll pass.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: If this keeps up, you’re going to—!]
“I understand Loki’s heart.”
Gritting my teeth, I pushed against Loki’s sword, then fell back, trying to catch my breath and look for an opening.
“If someone were to take something precious from me, I’d lose it too. Anyone would want revenge. But—”
I straightened my back and shook the viscous blood off my sword.
“That doesn’t make it right to destroy the world.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: You don’t have to die here.]
“Apollo. Behind me stands the entire world.”
My lips were dry. My throat burned.
“If I run away now, there will be nothing left. Not the ones I love, not the bonds I hold dear. Not even this world I’ve only just started to like.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: …….]
“Even if I’m nothing more than a shell born of destruction, this is my will. It’s a pathetic struggle, maybe…”
I exhaled calmly, then continued.
“But isn’t that proof I’m still human?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: You are….]
“Remember when I said I mattered more than the world? That wasn’t true.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Stop it.]
“It’s only now, when there’s no interference, that I can finally feel it. I was scared—terrified, even. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being stranded in an unfamiliar world, completely alone. I had to be my own shield.”
A bitter laugh slipped out. I ran a hand through my hair.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: It’s not too late.]
“I told you. The world is behind me.”
I lowered my stance and locked eyes with Loki, who was cackling, his grin stretched wide.
“I have to stop Loki.”
And so the battle continued. The longer the <Manifestation of the Otherworldly Self> skill remained active, the more it felt like my humanity was unraveling. The end of the world was drawing closer—I could feel it in my bones. Everyone was giving their all in their own positions, yet the rising fear was impossible to suppress.
Loki’s pitch-black hand reached out like the bars of a cage, trying to trap us inside. I sliced through it and shouted at Kang Si-hoo.
“Behind you!”
The severed fragments of Loki’s body attacked like splitting cells. It was endless. He felt like a being untouched by death. I wasn’t running out of breath or energy, but I was starting to feel like I was dissolving into nothing. It all seemed so futile. I wanted to give up.
No.
I bit down hard on my lower lip to snap myself out of it.
“If only there were one more—just one more person….”
If I had just a bit more strength, maybe then we could stop Loki somehow. But even in this desperate moment, the Constellations stood by, watching in silence. None of them wanted to be erased. None of them wanted to vanish into myth.
In that case, Baek Tae-beom…
Baek Tae-beom?
“…!”
Right, that’s it. That was still an option. But how?
“Apollo, Apollo.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Have you changed your mind?]
“No, Apollo. But what if we brought Tae-beom from the parallel world?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Your Contractor?]
“The Tae-beom in that world destroyed everything. In a way, he is Destruction, like I am. He holds divine power. But the last time I saw him… he regretted it. I’m sure he did.”
I gripped my sword tightly and spoke.
“If we can somehow bring that Tae-beom here… I think we can beat Loki. But how do we do it?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: You’re really going to make that move?]
“I think it’s the best I can do right now. So please—tell me how. Tell me how to summon Baek Tae-beom from a parallel world—”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: …Is that your answer?]
“What?”
Apollo said nothing. But then, I felt it—a heavy thud, as if something enormous had descended upon my chest. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
“Apollo?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Love has never gone the way I wanted it to.]
I could see Kang Si-hoo clashing with Loki just ahead. But there was no sound—no clangs, no screams. Only the pounding of my heart filled my ears. Fear rose within me. My instincts whispered something unspeakable.
Something primal.
“What… are you saying right now?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: So sometimes… something like this isn’t so bad.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: I decide.]
From my fingertips, golden threads unraveled slowly, like smoke, rising into the air and forming a halo of light. The scales tipped—completely.
This was loss.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: My little Constellation.]
Lee Myung-won, in the middle of launching an attack, suddenly froze in place. He looked around, confused, until his gaze met mine. His lips parted, as if to say My Constellation is— but the rest didn’t need to be said. I knew.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: I’m sorry.]
A sharp throb pulsed in my chest. Clutching at it, my vision swayed as I looked up at the golden shimmer spreading through the air.
“Apollo?”
[<Constellation Communication Net>: Your personal channel with ‘One More Dazzling Than the Sun’ has been terminated.]
What… is this?
I asked myself, but no answer came. My heart was pounding out of control. Dizziness overwhelmed me. Cold sweat slid down the back of my neck. I barely dodged Loki’s next attack and collapsed to the ground.
Choi Ga-hyeon! Someone was calling my name. But I couldn’t get up.
A tear slipped down from one eye. It felt like a burning heat was trapped inside my body with no release. My fingers trembled.
“Apollo!”
‘My prophecies are always true, little Constellation.’
The tilted scale creaked. I felt the presence of something inhuman, thinking of me.
I gasped and buried my face into the dirt. Something warm wrapped around my shoulders—then vanished.
It scattered.
‘You’ll regret not telling me everything.’
“Hyung!”
Baek Tae-beom rushed over and caught me, trying to lift my limp body. I couldn’t move. Slowly, I raised my head. A massive golden Gate had formed before us. From the shimmering rift, someone began to step through.
—Is the me over there… happy?
Jet-black hair. Golden eyes. Even Baek Tae-beom, the one holding me, was left speechless as he stared at the man emerging from the Gate.
—I regret it all.
His lips moved, and then I finally spoke.
“Baek Tae-beom…”
The Baek Tae-beom from another world looked back at me with a blank expression, his sword resting casually on his shoulder.
Then, he smiled with the corners of his lips tugging up.
“Did you miss me?”
