Chapter 4: The Fall of the Last Hero

Five years ago, on an ordinary day, an abnormally large gate appeared right in the middle of the Seoul sky.

Unlike other gates, a gate break occurred before anyone had a chance to subdue it.

From the gate that glowed an ominous red—so dreadful it chilled the heart—that man… no, that monster walked out calmly.

With his appearance, the delicate balance between humans and monsters was completely overturned in favor of the monsters.

Five years have passed since then.

Due to endless gate breaks, the land humans could still inhabit had dwindled to a mere fraction.

Most major cities, including Seoul, had been conquered by monsters, and because of the one called “X,” reclaiming them was nearly impossible.

Driven back and devoured by monsters, humanity had nowhere left to retreat.

Yet, if only “X” could be defeated, there remained a faint glimmer of hope for mankind.

Aside from him, the monsters were still manageable—barely.

That was why it was all the more crucial to eliminate “X.”

In fact, before “X” appeared five years ago, humans had the upper hand.

No matter how many gates erupted or how many monsters poured out, tens of thousands of Espers could still control the situation.

If not for “X’s” godlike skill—one that could erase everything above ground without a trace.

Because of that absurd ability, only about a thousand Espers remained in Korea, and the population hovered at a few million.

It wasn’t just Korea’s problem, either.

Five years after “X” appeared, the entire world had turned into this nightmare.

He was, quite literally, a catastrophe—one humanity could not hope to resist.

The ruin beneath my feet now was once the bustling center of Gangnam Avenue, filled with skyscrapers just a few years ago.

“It’s been a while.”

That man—or rather, that humanoid monster called “X.”

Could a being like him even have a gender?

Regardless, as if expecting me to arrive, he greeted me while sitting casually atop a pile of crumbling cement.

“Did you eat breakfast? You should at least eat properly if you don’t want to die today.”

That ease in his tone—it was the composure of an absolute being.

The confidence of one who knew he could not lose, no matter what his opponent tried.

A creature with enough power to destroy the world in an instant, yet who chose to slaughter humans slowly, playfully.

Perhaps he even enjoyed watching humanity tremble in fear.

Still, thanks to his twisted games, the end of the world was postponed one day at a time.

Even after facing “X” countless times, every encounter made my heart pound as if it would burst.

It felt like standing before an insurmountable wall—and yet, I had no choice but to fight.

I could never forget the moment I first saw him.

Unlike the monsters I’d known, he had the form of a human.

Before I could even react, the white radiance at his fingertips devoured the world.

In a single strike, tens of thousands of people vanished without leaving a trace.

After that, countless subjugation squads were sent, but none ever returned alive.

None, except me.

“X” slaughtered Espers effortlessly.

Even a scratch on him was considered impossible—except from my attacks.

That was why facing “X” had become my sole responsibility.

“Pointless chatter.”

Without another word, I unleashed black flames.

The dark blaze I fired engulfed him, marking the start of our battle once again.

Of course, I knew he wouldn’t die from a single hit.

As always, he took my first attack head-on—just to show off his superiority.

“You’re in a worse mood today. That hurts, you know. But doesn’t your technique look a bit different? I swear it’s gotten more wicked.”

As expected, “X” emerged from the black flames unscathed.

Not a single hair on his head was burned.

Clad entirely in black, with dark hair and eyes so deep they seemed to glow blue, he looked like the embodiment of shadow itself.

“If you really don’t want to die, cut the jokes, ‘X.’”

“I told you, I hate that name. Anyway, when are you going to tell me yours? We’ve met more often than lovers, don’t you think it’s time?”

Was that really how someone asked for a name?

A storm of attacks came so fast I could barely dodge even while staring straight at him.

Rays of white light shot toward me in succession, each capable of piercing my body the moment I lost focus.

Even if I wanted to, I had no intention of giving him my name.

I still didn’t understand how a monster from a gate could speak human language—but even if it could, what was the point in exchanging names?

I fought back with all I had, but my attacks were still too weak to wound “X.”

Every time I tried to focus, he fired blinding flashes that broke my concentration.

As our clash dragged on, my stamina drained rapidly.

How much longer could I hold out today?

Could I ever truly kill him at this rate?

When my strike landed by sheer luck, it still felt like a child hitting an adult.

Unfortunately, I was the child.

I already knew what would happen next.

Soon I’d have to retreat, exhausted, swearing falsely that next time would be different.

Then would come the cold stares of others—blaming the powerless Esper who couldn’t win.

Against such an overwhelming foe, even my will was starting to crumble.

“Still as tight-lipped as ever… boring. Guess I’ll have to do something about that.”

In the middle of our exchange, his hand shifted toward an odd direction.

At his fingertips, a massive sphere of light began to form—something different from before.

“Since you seem troubled, let me help ease your mind.”

I recognized that bomb of light instantly.

He used it to annihilate humans whenever our fights ended.

A single blast could erase thousands—tens of thousands—in an instant.

But this time… the direction was—

“…Wait, no!”

That was the direction of the last remaining Esper Center.

Where my old comrades were—no, where they were being treated.

The few bonds I could still call family or friends.

Before I could think, my body moved on its own.

I hurled myself toward the growing sphere, which looked as if it could swallow even the sun.

I didn’t know how much I could block with my body alone—but it was better than nothing.

But then, the light that had been swelling to fire suddenly began to shrink.

From the size of a torso to a head… and then—

“…Get out of the way… you crazy bastard!”

When it was no larger than a fist, I gathered the last of my strength and fired another burst of black flame.

My dark fire collided midair with his white light.

KWAANG!

The explosion tore through my ears.

Though my flame was much larger, the result was not what I hoped for.

It was shattered, effortlessly.

“Kh—!”

How should I even describe it?

A cool sensation spread through my abdomen.

I didn’t need to look to know what had happened—but I looked anyway.

Blood poured freely, hot and bright red, gushing from my stomach.

My mind froze, unable to process anything.

My knees buckled.

My back hit the ground.

“Ha… haa… khh…”

A moment later, pain came—burning and sharp.

And yet, I didn’t feel bad.

Only now did I realize how beautiful the day was.

The sky was blue, spotless.

The wind was cool, softening the warmth of the sunlight.

Even in a dying world, there could still be such a good day.

This view had always been beside me, and I never noticed.

“…Ji… Jin… Sehyun…”

Ah. My organs must be completely ruined.

The voice I forced out scraped like metal.

Blood welled up my throat and splattered across my face.

The blue sky turned red.

“What?”

“My… name… it’s… Jin… Sehyun.”

“Took you long enough. All that, just for a name.”

Yeah… looking back, I guess I really was stubborn.

All this time, I’d just charged forward blindly, like a horse with blinkers on.

Fighting. Killing. Fighting again.

And for what?

No one ever truly noticed.

How would those who once called my name judge this death of mine?

I could already imagine.

“Pathetic fool—failed in the end.”

Or, “Maybe now that he’s dead, X will stop killing humans.”

No one would mourn me, that much was certain.

“W… will you… stop… killing… them now?”

I asked quietly, voicing a question many had wondered.

Every time “X” and I fought, he would massacre humans afterward—like he was punishing me for challenging him.

That’s why people began to whisper… maybe, if I died, “X” would stop.

If that were true—then what had I been fighting for all this time?

“…Do you want me to?”

His strange voice reached my ears.

I tried to turn my head to see him, but I didn’t need to.

He knelt beside me, lowering one knee.

In all our countless battles, we had never been this close.

He filled my entire field of vision.

When I met his eyes, countless questions flooded my mind.

Why hadn’t he killed me sooner?

Why hadn’t he destroyed the world in one blow?

Why did he slaughter even more people after every fight with me?

But I couldn’t speak.

No words came out.

“…Do you want me… to stop?”

His hand pressed against the hole in my abdomen.

Was he… trying to stop the bleeding?

The unexpected act froze me in disbelief.

And when I looked into his eyes, my heart nearly stopped.

Through my fading vision, his deep eyes looked unbearably hollow.

Almost… sorrowful.

It was an emotion too human to belong to a monster.

That inexplicable gaze was the last thing I saw before death claimed me.