85
The moment Shango and Yeon Ji-ho reached the gate, the ground shook. Yeon Ji-ho, who had been following only Shango’s back, momentarily stumbled before barely regaining his balance.
Unknowingly, Yeon Ji-ho turned his head to look at Set, who was confronting Hadad alone in the distance. It was just after Hadad’s dark red sword energy had flown towards Set, threatening to engulf him.
The force was so fierce that Yeon Ji-ho squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t bear to watch. Whether Set endured or not, either sight was too painful to just stand by and observe.
“…Trust in His Excellency.”
The voice belonged to Shango. At the quiet words, Yeon Ji-ho opened his eyes to see Shango looking at him, having momentarily set Baal and Isquis down in front of the gate.
Unlike Apophis, Shango wasn’t gifted in speech. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said:
“At least… I always have.”
Shango’s words conveyed absolute trust in Set.
Yeon Ji-ho took a deep breath. Unconsciously touching his stomach, he finally turned away from Set and strode towards where Shango was standing.
“Can we just go in like this?”
“…We’ll soon get a signal from Apophis. When it’s time to move…”
In the distance, Yeon Ji-ho could see Chronos and Apophis preventing any of the knights from getting closer. Apophis, with his back to them, was dealing with the knights using methods that conserved as much mana as possible.
“After we… go first, will the three of them follow?”
Those who couldn’t contribute to the fighting power would go first. Then, before the gate closed, the rest would all throw themselves towards the gate.
Shango nodded slowly at Yeon Ji-ho’s question. Though Shango was completely ignorant about magic, he knew at least one thing: Yeon Ji-ho was currently their coordinate, and if they didn’t follow before the gate closed, they would never be able to go there again.
After all, it would be impossible to obtain coordinates for crossing to another world.
The reason Apophis had been able to create a gate to briefly cross over to that world before was all because Yeon Ji-ho was there. No matter how great a magician, it was impossible to create coordinates that didn’t exist in this world.
“Um, Shango.”
“…Yes.”
“This gate… doesn’t it seem like it’s alive and breathing?”
It was then that Shango, lost in his own thoughts, snapped out of his reverie. Yeon Ji-ho was staring blankly at the gate slowly spinning and flickering above his head.
The pure white gate was reflected in Yeon Ji-ho’s pitch-black eyes. Shango unknowingly gazed at the sight, entranced.
It was as if stars were embroidered in his eyes.
“‘The Star of Hadad’…”
Shango’s shoulders flinched at Yeon Ji-ho’s whispered words. He felt as if his inner thoughts of associating Yeon Ji-ho with stars had been exposed.
Unlike Shango, Yeon Ji-ho was thinking of something else entirely, oblivious to Shango. Now that he was actually facing the gate, it seemed like he was remembering something he had forgotten. The star that Hadad had found inside the gate of Hwangseong was…
“Shango!”
Apophis’s sharp voice shook the space. Simultaneously, Shango’s head, which had been fixed on Yeon Ji-ho, swiftly turned, and his eyes met Apophis’s. Shango could clearly see Apophis giving a short nod.
After exchanging glances with him from afar, Shango began to move quickly. He stretched out his hand, placing his black hand over the gate.
The gate shuddered once more with vigor. It was then that Yeon Ji-ho’s eyes widened as he watched.
“Ji-ho, you go through first…”
The slowly rotating gate began to spin faster. Now, all preparations were complete.
Shango had decided to send Yeon Ji-ho through first. After confirming he had entered, he planned to throw Baal and Isquis into the gate.
But before Shango could finish speaking, a sharp ice spear flew with a whoosh and pierced Shango’s shoulder.
“Shango!”
As a startled Yeon Ji-ho approached Shango, someone else appeared in front of Shango first. It was the small magician boy called Merdin.
“Ah, I’m s-sorry for hurting you… B-but if I didn’t do this, His Majesty would get angry…”
“Get out of the way!”
As Shango fell backward and couldn’t get up again, Yeon Ji-ho tried to approach, bypassing Merdin. However, Merdin blocked the way, waving his arms.
“I’m really sorry. I can’t move…”
In truth, Merdin looked like a completely ordinary boy on the surface. He had a face that seemed a bit older than Isquis but not quite an adult yet.
Knowing that this boy had just pierced Shango’s shoulder with an ice spear, Yeon Ji-ho didn’t back down either. Just as Merdin sighed and was about to start chanting a spell:
Grab.
A thick black hand appeared from behind and instantly grabbed Merdin’s nape. Shango, with an expressionless face, began to squeeze Merdin’s neck.
“Gack, gaack…!”
“…Ji-ho. Please go through now.”
Shango still had the ice spear lodged in his shoulder. Holding Merdin’s neck tightly, he nodded to Yeon Ji-ho.
At that moment, Yeon Ji-ho remembered what Set had said:
‘Even if they face danger, you must not go to rescue them.’
He had to think only of his own safety. To avoid being a burden to the beasts of Gorgon, each with outstanding individual combat abilities, that was the only thing he could do.
Finally, Yeon Ji-ho took one step back. Then two steps, three steps.
Retreating faster and faster, Yeon Ji-ho eventually turned and faced the gate. Unlike when he crossed over to this world through the wardrobe, there was no hesitation in Yeon Ji-ho’s movements as he threw himself towards the gate.
At that moment, Yeon Ji-ho recalled what “The Star of Hadad,” which Hadad had searched for so desperately in the novel, actually was.
The reason why Hadad’s star was hidden specifically in the gate.
It was because the gate itself was the path to his own star.
“…!”
Yeon Ji-ho leaped into the gate with his arms wide open, as if diving into the sea. At the same time, the rapidly spinning gate accepted him, as if embracing him.
Shango, still holding Merdin’s neck, quietly watched this scene. As the strength drained from Merdin’s body, deprived of oxygen, Shango unhesitatingly threw Merdin into a corner.
Then, he lifted Baal and Isquis, who had been left on the ground, in one go. They had to leave now. Following Yeon Ji-ho, following their coordinate, to the place where they could finally exist wholly.
However, at that moment, a small laugh reached Shango’s ears.
“Hehe…”
Suddenly, Shango’s knees hit the ground. Confused about what had happened, he looked down at his knees.
“Th-this is why stupid beasts who don’t know magic sh-shouldn’t… Heh, hehehe, His Majesty will praise me.”
Merdin, whom Shango had thought was unconscious, was standing upright on his own two feet. Shango could only blink at the suddenly reversed situation between Merdin and himself.
He had been certain that Merdin had lost consciousness from being choked, but something was off. As Shango was pondering this, Merdin scratched his neck and muttered:
“Even m-magicians can’t detect my illusion magic…”
Hearing this, Shango tried to stand up again. But his body wouldn’t move.
Then Shango’s eyes caught sight of Apophis, Chronos, and Set in the distance, who had been trying to approach but stopped. Their expressions were all strange. Why were their faces looking this way…
Why did they look so shocked?
“Well done, Merdin.”
A low voice.
“Merdin, you’re truly amazing.”
As if whispering gently, as if coaxing the other.
The moment Shango recognized the owner of that voice, he realized why he was on his knees. Countless sword wounds had appeared all over his body, as if thousands of scales had suddenly grown.
“Th-thank, thank you!”
“Hm? Merdin, why are you crying? At such a joyous moment.”
“It’s because I re-received praise from Your Majesty…!”
“Ah, I see.”
You shouldn’t cry on such a happy day. Hadad’s gentle voice echoed in his ears. Then he lightly raised his hand.
Slash.
“Huh? Huhhh…?”
Thud, thump, roll.
Merdin’s head fell down. Merdin died with a puzzled expression.
Hadad, who had cut off Merdin’s head with his own hand, made the sword disappear. Then, he spoke to the group approaching:
“The story of this place ends here. Set, I’ll leave the side story to you. Please take good care of this place from now on.”
Shango looked at Hadad with wavering vision. With the gate right behind him, Hadad waved both hands cheerfully.
Swoosh…
Hadad’s body began to fall backward. The first part of him to touch the gate was his brightly shining golden hair.
“No.”
Set’s voice filled the space.
“No, please, no, Ji-ho…!”
Then Hadad, watching the despair filling Set’s eyes, said quietly:
“Well then, goodbye.”
