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Looking back, Hadad’s life was more often marked by despair than happiness.
Whenever happiness briefly touched him, an even greater despair would always follow, bringing Hadad to his knees.
His first despair was the death of his mother.
For Hadad, who was a child from the poorest family in an already poor village, his mother was his only family. His mother fell victim to the Hwangseong knights’ abuse and was eventually brutally murdered.
It was around this time that Hadad’s eyes were opened to revenge. He entered the academy with the sole intention of becoming a Hwangseong knight to avenge those who killed his mother. At first, Hadad, of commoner origin, didn’t attract much attention, but his outstanding appearance and overflowing talent always drew people to him.
Then one day, he met Gliese.
Gliese, from a count’s family, was a mysterious lady before meeting Hadad. Those who knew her often gossiped, calling her “the woman who makes ominous prophecies,” but Hadad didn’t mind.
The two, each with their own flaws, quickly fell in love. When Hadad was with Gliese, he could forget the burden of revenge that tormented him, and thanks to Hadad, Gliese could live as an ordinary woman rather than a child of god.
For Hadad, the academy was the place that left him with the happiest memories of his life. After all, it was where he met Set, a true friend, and Gliese, the woman he loved.
If only it had ended there, it would have been a happy ending.
“But it wouldn’t have been interesting.”
However, the happiness was short-lived. It began when Hadad discovered he was the emperor’s hidden son. The story flowed relentlessly like a stormy sea. His true friend suddenly disappeared only to reappear as his enemy, and the woman he loved often found herself in danger.
All these hardships slowly ate away at Hadad’s mind. The funny thing is that because it only ate away at him to the extent he could bear, Hadad’s mind became even more resilient.
Sometimes, Hadad would imagine that he was a sword, and an unnamed master was forging him into a legendary blade by striking him thousands or tens of thousands of times. Otherwise, his life couldn’t have been this tumultuous.
“But in the end, you got everything you wanted.”
Hadad finally broke down after all of this story had ended.
During the final war, Hadad was cornered. Set, who had borrowed the power of beasts including Baal, had pushed Hadad’s forces, who had taken over Hwangseong, to the brink.
Hadad hid Gliese, his weakness, in a corner of Hwangseong and went out to face Set one last time. Or at least, he would have, if Gliese hadn’t sacrificed her body, the seed of god, for Hadad’s sake.
While searching for the missing Gliese, Hadad realized that the heirloom his mother left pointed to the Hwangseong gate. But it was a necklace pointing to “his star.” At that moment, Hadad entered the Hwangseong gate as if possessed.
There, Hadad met the “star.”
It was Gliese.
As soon as Hadad entered the space as dark as the deep sea, he met someone. It was Gliese, whom he loved more than anyone. As Hadad rushed towards her, Gliese looked at him with her pupils turned completely white.
‘Finally, it’s over.’
‘…What?’
‘Congratulations on reaching the end.’
Hadad realized that the one he was talking to wasn’t Gliese. And there was only one being who could possess her body, the seed of god.
God.
God spoke to Hadad.
‘Child who has overcome hardships and adversities to reach the end. I will grant your wish.’
Hadad, who had been driven to a critical situation by Set, who had gained the power of the deceased Duke Gorgon, hastily said,
‘Power stronger than anyone else’s.’
‘…Is that really what you want?’
At that moment, Hadad felt that Gliese’s, no, God’s face seemed somewhat disappointed. But that feeling soon disappeared, and Hadad slowly nodded.
‘Child. I will give you what you desire.’
‘…!’
God held out a small orb to Hadad. The orb, containing power stronger than anyone else’s, was pulsating vigorously while flickering red. It was when Hadad hurriedly received it.
‘Tsk, I’ll have to delete this scene.’
Scene…? Delete?
Hadad, who was contemplating how to use the orb he had received, looked up at God again. He seemed somewhat annoyed.
‘How could you ask for strong power here? You should have asked for the woman you love to be returned, not something so trivial!’
‘….’
‘This is why they say eight or nine out of ten protagonists we raise end up failing. Even though this work received quite a good response.’
What a pity, what a pity.
God’s lamenting voice echoed in Hadad’s ears. Hadad, holding the orb in his hand, took a short deep breath and dared to ask God.
‘You say I’m the protagonist?’
‘Yes. You’re the child I created with great care.’
‘Created?’
‘Ah, perhaps that’s difficult for you to understand.’
From then on, God began to kindly reveal the secrets of this world to Hadad. That this place was a work he had created, that he had personally set all the settings to raise a protagonist named “Hadad.”
‘I really agonized over who to make the protagonist. Baal and Set were quite good candidates too.’
‘…Why did you choose me among them?’
‘Well…’
God hesitated to answer for a moment. But soon, grabbing his own chin, he responded simply and clearly.
‘Because your name is Hadad.’
‘What?’
‘Ishkur, I wanted to use my name for the protagonist of my first work.’
Hadad let out a sigh. Soon after, a bitter laugh erupted. All the hardships he had endured, his mother’s death due to the knights’ harassment one day, falling in love with Gliese…
It was all simply because his name, Hadad, was an alias of Ishkur.
Just for that one reason.
Hadad, who had been laughing wildly, soon drew his Arondight. Without hesitation, he brought his sword to God’s neck.
‘So you were the one who killed my mother.’
At Hadad’s words, God tilted his head with a nonchalant face.
‘What are you talking about? Your mother was killed by an unnamed extra.’
‘But you created that situation.’
‘I’m sorry, but I didn’t touch that causality. It was just the fate decided from the moment you were chosen as the protagonist.’
God firmly denied his fault. He didn’t even show a sign of tension even as the enraged Hadad held a sword to his neck.
‘And remember, even if you cut this neck right now, only the owner of this body will die. The woman you love, right?’
‘Isn’t even that love something you created?’
‘So what?’
God was brazen.
‘You were happy because of it, weren’t you?’
Hadad gritted his teeth at God’s shameless attitude. He trampled on Hadad’s entire life, saying that it was okay to endure a little hardship since he had given him happiness, and remained calm.
Hadad, who was trembling while pointing his sword at God’s neck, finally lowered his sword while gritting his teeth. Even if it was a manufactured love, he couldn’t cut the neck of the woman he loved, so Hadad turned around and left the place.
Hadad didn’t use the red orb God had given him even after that.
He wanted to escape his predetermined fate. That’s why he broke up with Gliese, executed Set, and imprisoned Baal in an underground prison.
But the more he did so, the more he was tormented by an unbearable boredom. Hadad, who had only lived a life that never stopped surging like waves, found it difficult to endure his peaceful life without crises.
That’s why he coveted Yeon Ji-ho. He wanted to escape his damn fate. Yeon Ji-ho was the most suitable person for that.
“No, actually, I didn’t want to escape fate. I just couldn’t stand the boredom and was looking for entertainment.”
“Fuck!”
Hadad raised his fist and struck his own head. Some of the voices babbling in his brain were things he hadn’t done. It was because he was born as a protagonist with Ishkur’s alias.
Hadad once again raised his sword energy in his hand and rolled his reddened eyes. Yeon Ji-ho. He had to find Ji-ho. Then he could escape this boredom… no, escape his fate.
As Hadad was looking for Yeon Ji-ho, rolling his eyes like a madman, he found him in Baal’s arms. It was when Hadad took a step towards him.
Slash.
Hadad turned his head at the sound of something being cleanly cut. Then he saw his arm was missing. Hadad tilted his head.
“Hadad.”
Set was looking at him with a purple sword energy. At his feet lay a familiar arm.
“It’s over now.”
“…What?”
“It seems God has abandoned you this time.”
At Set’s words, Hadad slowly raised his head to look at the sky. The sky that had turned red by his power was gradually turning black. Hadad’s eyes became dull.
“That’s right, why did you reject the fate of my protagonist?”
“Aaaaaargh!”
Hadad’s agonized scream burst into the air.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
