Etranger

Slash- Slash-

With ragged breaths, Biyeon started exhaling white condensed puffs. Her body was thoroughly tired and drenched with sweat. Steam started coming off from her body. San squinted his eyes as if the sunset’s rays were shining too brightly into his eyes. However, the two never stopped moving.

“Dimensional… Dimensional Sword Strike!” Hanyoung shouted out. Donghwee and Gihoon had already raised their hands up to their mouths. 

Hanyoung was 185 years old and didn’t have many days left before he’d lay down his responsibilities for both clan and empire. He had heard once from the founder of the Han-Sung Clan, Hanmu, that the Dimensional Sword Strike could be achieved once one reached the pinnacle of martial arts. This was what Hanyoung was observing from the two people in front of him. 

The world suddenly fell into silence.

Biyeon sharpened her eyes as she looked around her surroundings. She saw San’s backside. He looked like a porcupine. More than her own pain, she felt bad for San. San, who saw Biyeon at the same time, probably felt the same. They both shared everything with each other, so it was hard for them to state whose body was whose. There were still bits and pieces of weaponry sticking out from their backs, broken bones and wide-open gashes all over their bodies, flowing blood that was still dripping blood, and bones that had been momentarily put together using Nectar…

They had reached the end of their limits. Their mind and body were at the point of failing them. They had long ago reached their highest pain threshold levels. They could not feel any greater sense of pain.

Sadly…

“Ugh…” Biyeon started dry heaving. Soon, she coughed out blood. However, this did not stop her from smiling.

A fate that had one day sought them out without their approval or knowledge. A level of love that no couple had ever developed or experienced…

Was this the price they needed to pay to reach the level that the Creator wanted them to reach?

Biyeon wiped the tears that were falling from her eyes as she thought about what she’d been through and what all her struggles meant. She thought about Sirid cemetery. Would she be able to see the Jordan River if she passed the next step? She wiped the unknown liquid, which could have been tears, her blood, the blood of her enemies, or all of the above, as she stared at the final rays of the day’s sunset. She squinted her eyes. The rays didn’t bother her eyes. She had already gone beyond the point of feeling and additional pain. She was deadest on realizing her objective and was living to unilaterally pursue that goal. 

“Have we established the conditions that the Outsiders wanted?” San murmured.

“We probably bought about fifty years’ time for them, right?” Biyeon replied.

“We’ve done everything we could. I have no regrets.”

“But who’ll listen to our needs and wants?”

“I don’t know… anyway… we’re really good at fighting, don’t you think?”

“I regret that our bodies aren’t able to sustain very much more. Even my skin is crumbling. So sad. I’ve worked so hard on maintaining my skin and complexion…” Biyeon said with a laugh.

“Shall we start on our last event? We need to put on a good show, right?”

“Is it already time for the finale? Hahaha…”

San extended his hand toward Biyeon. As she grabbed his hand, San brought Biyeon’s hand up to his lips and kissed the bloodied back of her hand. The remaining sages looked dumbfoundedly at the two’s calm and unhurried movement. San and Biyeon then walked briskly. It was as if a lion was walking through a large litter of kittens. Though they were thoroughly exhausted, the two walked freely as if they were alone.

For some odd reason, the clashing had come to a standstill and stopped entirely. Moreover, the gathered forces started parting to give way to the two. It was as if they were welcoming guests as those guests were walking towards their final location. In front of the two’s path, sages started taking steps to the side to clear a path. San and Biyeon could feel the blazing glares from those next to them, the ragged breath of the enemy forces, and the disgustingly sweet smell of Nectar that lingered in the air. The two were walking through this crazed, sensory chaotic environment. However, they did not rush. They also didn’t express any curiosity at the oddity of the situation. Perhaps there was another fate that would be awaiting them.

Someone was waiting to greet the two. He was a man with dark brown hair. The man stood with a relaxed demeanor. He didn’t carry a weapon, but his empty hands shone white.

He was the Original Being, Loki.

Once Loki made an entrance, Senun, from afar, got up. As soon as Senun got up, all the other sages on the dragon’s side who were under Senun also got up. Suddenly, a tight tension started swirling through the area. Loki glanced towards Senun. Senun was in the middle of communicating with Nakun. Soon, Senun started screaming.

“Loki?” San murmured.

“Since the boss has made his entrance, I guess we’re close to the ending,” Biyeon replied.

“So, I guess we’ve gone far enough?”

“Sure. I really want to take a rest.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I regret that we couldn’t ultimately take a pot-shot at Siluone.”

“Don’t forget the promise we made at the very beginning.”

“How could I forget?” Biyeon replied.

“Good and thank you,” San responded.

“I wish for your safety and well-being as well.”

“Once we’re done, let’s have a nice time over a few bottles of soju.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Loki looked amusingly at the two who were still holding hands as they approached him.

“I don’t like humans normally, but I think I like you two a little bit.”

Loki smiled brightly.

“I like you, too,” San replied while smiling.

“Hmm?” Loki quixotically responded.

“I’m a bit tired. I’d like to rest soon,” San commented.

“Are you prepared to die now?”

“Let’s see what you’ve got to show first,” San stated.

“…”

“However, I think this entire thing has been a little underhanded and markedly unfair. How about you allow us to take a shot at Siluone? I’d really like to slash that bitch at least once. Is this too much to ask?” Biyeon asked with a chuckle.

Loki tilted his head to one side. Loki was a true expert in mental and psychological attacks and skills. Even in his expert eyes, these two were special. They were humans who had shown an entirely novel world to him. The two had created beautiful lives from the most decrepit environment. In other words, they possessed an otherworldly skill. The two had always made unimaginable yet transformative decisions between fact and fiction, logic and illogic, and seeable versus hidden. Even in the most terrible of battle situations, where an answer did not seem available, the two had always found a way to pull through. This had stimulated Loki’s interest. However, these two were now craving death. What did this mean? What had made them throw away their singular focus on maintaining their life?

Loki was an Original Being that was created for a specific purpose. He was a single purpose Original Being that was imbued with powers by the Creator to carry out that singular task. Loki didn’t mind his predicament in life. He never really put much thought into life and its meaning. If the Creator wanted, Loki would always be revived.

However, Loki’s latest revival was without his consent. Furthermore, his revival also brought with it a creation of an ego. Additionally, Loki was infuriated that he had to face the termination deadline. With this new restriction overhanging his existence, Loki had spent, relatively unsuccessfully, a long period of time adapting to his new life. Moreover, he had yet to stabilize his original powers with the help of Nectar. What he needed were time and the dragon’s medicine.

During the period when he was at a loss, Loki was contacted by Satan, who made a request. Satan stated that Loki could live a fun and interesting life. She wanted him to help her understand a couple of humans’ mental worlds and analyze them for her. Satan also requested that the two subjects be captured for further study. Loki found it hard to deny Satan’s request.

However, Loki countered with his own conditions. If he truly felt amused by the two subject matters at hand, to leave all decisions regarding how to collect the two to him. Moreover, after a period of one hundred years, when the Creator descended, Loki had to be the first among them to face off against the Creator. Satan agreed.

Loki smiled brightly once more. As Satan explained, this task was immensely interesting and stimulating. Loki looked at Biyeon and stated, “No, you guys are mine. You don’t even have the choice to die unless I consent to it. However, I’ll give you another option. Wouldn’t you like to follow me? Though you’re under the termination deadline and may have to follow Siluone’s rule, the male human is still relatively free, right?”

San looked at Biyeon. Biyeon firmly shook her head.

“This fucking world… all the beings in this world live in their own daytime dramas. They don’t even try to be creative,” San said with a flabbergasted laugh.

“What else could we have expected?” Biyeon added on. 

San raised his sword. Though his legs and arms shook, his eyes were sharp and clear. San’s eyes shone fiercely. Biyeon took out a handgun with her right hand and lifted a short sword with her left hand. The two exchanged a quick glance at each other. A bunch of small things started wriggling on the back of each of the two’s hands. Hundreds of spirits were flowing out into their surroundings.

[We’ll be able to sustain for about…] 

[About 20 seconds…?]

[The probability of Siluone taking action would be about…]

[Around 50%...?]

[His fastest skill set?]

[His specialty utilizes fire and ice.]

[Ready?]

[Ready!]

[Frontal assault!]

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The sound of gunfire rang across the field. Lifting his sword up, San jumped into the air. Loki's smile grew larger. With one hand, he flicked off the oncoming bullets, and with his other hand, he yanked the air above him. San lost his balance mid-air and was sucked towards Loki. Loki had used the same dimensional space skill that San had used earlier. Rather than try to fight against the pulling force, San leaned into it and started revolving his sword as he quickly approached Loki. San’s speed was twice as fast as before.

“Pretty good.”

Loki gently waved his hand in the air twice. The space he was focusing on started folding onto itself like crumpling paper. San suddenly stopped and was left suspended in the air. It was as if he was caught up on an invisible spider web. San swung his sword around him, but the strike he threw out returned to strike his own back. It was as if the space in front of him directly continued to the space behind him. 

“I was impressed that you were able to use a skill that dealt with space and dimensions, but your novice level is incomparable to mine. I’ve already realized both of your levels.”

Loki continued to gesture with his other hand. It was as if he was conducting a symphony with the air in front of him. Biyeon, who had set off to attack Loki in the back, suddenly stopped and was also suspended in the air. She was also slowly being pulled toward Loki. Both San and Biyeon had bitter expressions across their faces. The skill level difference was too large. Loki continued to smile brightly. He was feeling satisfied with himself.

“You both will be accompanying me.”

“What if we don’t want that?” San quipped.

“He says he doesn’t like it. What are you going to do about it?” Biyeon added on.

Loki’s eyes widened for the first time. The two were smiling at him. The space started unfolding and countering his previous actions. The space on both sides of Loki started to fold and capture Loki in the middle. The two, who were freed from their restrictions, grabbed each other’s hands and flew up into the air.

“Wait, you both know how to read the flows of dimensional space as well?!” Loki screamed out as he tried to release his arms from his restrictions. The net of dimensional space, however, kept him firmly rooted in place.

“I don’t think that’s important now,” Biyeon said aloud. Loki’s face scrunched together into a frown.

“Do you guys even know what it means to love?” San said in a resoundingly loud voice. The entire Sirid Square started vibrating from the aftereffects of his words.

“Love…?” Loki said in an exasperated whimper.

“Even if you’re about to die…” San stated.

Biyeon raised both her hands high up into the air. With the backdrop of the dark sky, her hands glowed with a golden aura. San stood behind her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. Loki’s frown became more severe. He was also becoming nervous.

“It means you do the best you can for the other!”

From Biyeon’s hands, a light beam shot out towards Loki. It was a concentrated energy beam. It was the greatest attack that encompassed the Awakened powers that the two possessed. It was the bullet that was created from an unimaginable burst of energy that transcended any previous levels observed in the world before.

That light was shining through Loki’s body. The resulting shockwave and light orb surrounded a radius of fifty meters around Loki. Whatever was within the radius of the circular orb instantly turned into dust. Loki started fidgeting his body. However, he couldn’t escape from the light beam. The aiming ability of someone who could control space and dimensions as they pleased was too good. For the first time, Loki let out a groan. From where the beam struck his body, the light started spreading to the outer parts of his body. Nothing in the world was ever able to even touch any part of his body! He was contending against the forces of pure change and destruction.

“Is this lesser divine energy? Wait… you both are at the 9th Stage of Acceleration? You’ve reached magic?”

Loki closed his eyes. The light beam had already burned away one of his eyes. Furthermore, the dimensional space attack conducted by the two was too complicated for him to quickly solve. The longer it took to dissolve Loki, the more dangerous the situation would become. Loki ground his teeth as his anger and nervousness started rising.

“?”

The light disappeared. It meant that the two had used up all their energy.