One Day, a Villain Fell into My Wardrobe – Chapter 123

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Just before Hadad’s arm was cut off, Baal suddenly struck the back of Yeon Ji-ho’s neck, pressing him against his chest. Thanks to this, Ji-ho’s vision was blocked, and he couldn’t see the blood spurting like a fountain from Hadad’s shoulder.

Unexpectedly, Ji-ho found his head buried in Baal’s chest, blinking his eyes. However, he could easily grasp the situation just by hearing Hadad’s screams in the distance.

Ji-ho recalled the standoff between Hadad and Set from moments ago.

It was the moment when Hadad and Set’s strikes were about to collide. Suddenly, the red sword energy disappeared from Hadad’s hand, and he struck his own temple hard. As if someone was grabbing his head.

Because of this, Hadad couldn’t avoid Set’s sword and lost his arm. It was a pathetic end, unbecoming of the “protagonist” Hadad had always claimed to be.

It was then that Hadad, looking at his arm lying on the ground, began to fumble at his empty shoulder with his remaining hand.

“Ha… hahaha!”

Hadad’s hand covered his eyes. After laughing hysterically for a while with his face covered, he finally lowered his hand and spoke to Set.

“Set.”

“…”

“Please kill me.”

Hadad’s face, stained with blood, no longer sparkled with vitality. With a face full of emptiness and despair, Hadad painfully took steps towards Set. At some point, he reached Set’s feet, knelt down, and began to beg.

“Now, whether it’s being the protagonist or Ji-ho… I’ll give it all to you, so please kill me. Okay?”

Hadad grabbed Set’s trouser leg with his remaining hand. His hand, pleading with an utterly miserable face, was trembling slightly.

“Please, just, kill…”

“No. I can’t do that.”

At Set’s refusal, Hadad’s head, which had been lowered to the ground, jerked up. Hadad’s eyes glistened as he looked at Set. However, Set continued to speak calmly with an indifferent face.

“We can’t kill people here.”

“Fuck, stop talking nonsense and kill me!”

Hadad burst out in anger at Set’s answer. He looked like someone who couldn’t control the emotions and thoughts flowing through his mind. After raging like that, he suddenly changed his expression and begged again, pressing his head to the ground.

“K-kill me. Please, please… I, I can’t die by my own hands.”

“…Why not?”

“Unless God allows it… the protagonist can’t die.”

Hadad’s face turned pale as he imagined his end, and then he began to tremble, clenching his teeth. In fact, even though Hadad had lost an arm and was spurting blood like a fountain, he showed no signs of collapsing from excessive blood loss. Rather, the blood flow from Hadad’s arm was gradually slowing down, and now the cut surface was slowly healing.

“That’s enough now, let me, let me live…”

“Hadad.”

“…Huh?”

Hadad looked up at the quiet voice calling his name. His eyes met with the mismatched eyes full of misfortune. Set looked down at Hadad and said,

“You are the emperor.”

“…”

“Don’t you have many people to take responsibility for?”

For a moment, Hadad’s eyes filled with fear. But Set didn’t stop, turning his head to call Apophis, and soon a Closet appeared before Hadad. Hadad clung to Set’s trouser leg, shaking his head with a terrified face.

“No, no, no! Please! Please, Set!”

“Now return to your world.”

Set grabbed Hadad’s nape, firmly holding him so he couldn’t escape anymore. Meanwhile, Yeon Ji-ho, who had escaped from Baal’s arms, stood in front of the Closet door.

Ji-ho slowly closed and opened his eyes, muttered something quietly, then grabbed both handles of the Closet. Finally, with a creak, the door opened.

The inside of the Closet was brightly lit due to a shimmering gate. Seeing that gate, Hadad panicked and tried to flee backwards. But Set was holding him, so he couldn’t escape.

Set, still gripping Hadad’s neck, walked steadily towards the gate. Hadad’s resistance, trying to hold onto the Closet door to avoid entering the gate, was short-lived. With only one arm left, Hadad was soon forcibly thrown in, as if being sucked into it.

Just before Hadad entered, Ji-ho thought their eyes met. Hadad was looking at Ji-ho with eyes seeking salvation.

However, Ji-ho turned his head, cruelly ignoring Hadad’s wish. This was not where he belonged.

“Goodbye.”

The farewell that didn’t reach Hadad scattered into the air. As Hadad entered the gate, Ji-ho naturally stepped forward and grabbed the Closet handle to close the door.

Click.

The Closet, which had been shaking for a long time even after Hadad entered, became quiet with just one touch from Ji-ho. Soon, only the sound of wind swirled around the beasts gathered here.

Everything was over.

***

Yeon Ji-ho, facing the Closet that Hadad had entered, still looked down at his palms in disbelief. He was still dazed by what he had just accomplished. It was unbelievable that he, of all people, could open and close the gate.

“Is this… my ability?”

As Ji-ho asked in a soft voice, Set immediately approached and covered his palms.

“Yes.”

“Did I… really do it?”

“Of course, Ji-ho. You saved me… no, you saved us.”

Looking up, Ji-ho saw Set looking down at him with kind eyes. Ji-ho, who had taken a deep breath, suddenly stretched out his arms and pulled Set’s neck into a hug. Burying his face in Set’s shoulder, Ji-ho mumbled,

“Thank goodness, thank goodness…”

“Ji-ho, are you injured… no, are you in any pain?”

Only after Set asked like this did Ji-ho feel the tension release. As his legs weakened and he staggered, Set immediately picked him up.

Meanwhile, the beasts surrounded Set and Ji-ho. The first to approach was Apophis, who was nearby.

“Did Ji-ho really open the gate?! No, can you open the gate at will? This is an amazing ability. Would you like to start a business with me?”

Ji-ho chuckled at this typical Apophis-like reaction, and then Isquis came running. Isquis tried to cling to Ji-ho but was stopped by Set.

“Ji-ho, Ji-ho-nim! By the way, how was my arrow?! Made from feathers plucked from fallen wings… Ah, I understand, Your Excellency. Don’t glare at me…”

Behind the dejected Isquis, Chronos and Shango also approached. Chronos patted Set’s back with a warm smile, while Shango simply greeted Ji-ho with his eyes, remaining silent.

Baal, who had been standing far away, was also approaching steadily. However, Ganesha was clinging tightly to Baal’s back, dangling.

Ji-ho looked around at all of them and finally smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling. He was glad that everyone had finally gathered here. Set was also happy to see Ji-ho smiling so brightly and hugged him tightly.

Standing in the middle of the noisy beasts, Ji-ho smiled warmly and said,

“Well then… shall we go home?”

“Is it within walking distance?”

“I’ll fly… Ah, damn. I can’t fly anymore.”

Ji-ho chuckled at Isquis’s grumbling. He pointed his finger at another broken Closet and said,

“Why do we need to walk?”

Whether by choice or not, this was already the third time Ji-ho had opened a gate, and he felt somewhat confident. He seemed to vaguely know how to open the gate.

Whispering in Set’s ear, Ji-ho stood in front of the Closet door while being held by him. He reached out his hand. He grabbed the handle, closed his eyes, and whispered softly.

“May all the beasts of Gorgon return home.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji-ho flung open the Closet door. There, a gate shimmering in a pale blue color was drawn. Instead of stepping into the gate first, Ji-ho pointed at the gate with his palm and said to the beasts,

“Then shall we go home now?”

While reading “The Star of Hadad,” Ji-ho had felt sorry for Set and all the beasts of Gorgon. But after meeting them in person, it was a bit different. What Ji-ho wanted was to create a home for them to return to.

Leaving behind the still noisy group, Ji-ho entered the gate first. Even before Set.

Stepping into the Closet, Ji-ho extended his foot beyond it without showing any signs of nervousness. Then, familiar air touched Ji-ho’s cheek.

“…!”

The place they arrived at was Ji-ho’s bedroom. Ji-ho, who had arrived in the old Closet, opened the door and stepped out. Following him, the beasts of Gorgon began to pour out.

“Home?! Appo! Is this our new home now?!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Ho… by any chance, can we eat ‘samgyeopsal’ again?”

“…’Samgyeopsal’? …Is it delicious?”

“Huh. Am I the only one who’s here for the first time? Seems like everyone else has been here before?”

“Ugh! Baal, stop grabbing and shaking my tail!”

“Let go before I tear off your tail.”

As Ji-ho’s room, which had certainly been spacious, filled up with the pouring beasts, Ji-ho turned his head to look at them. Set, who had arrived last, was there.

Ji-ho smiled brightly and said to them,

“Welcome to the Closet in our home.”