Chapter 70: Incense Burner(10).

“Chayeon-ah! Stay still! Mom will take care of everything.”

Mom was still getting hit. In that spot, while curling up her body.

While letting out a moan that was close to a scream, she took the pouring punches and kicks.

Father kept shouting who was she having an affair with, where was the money, the head of the family was suffering to the bone, but those dog-like lovers were feasting on chicken and living in luxury.

You’re a useless b*tch, even you’re ignoring me, he choked her neck.

“Chayeon-ah, don’t come out!”

Arena was still getting hit. Her fingers were breaking with a ttok ttok, and her arms and legs were bending backwards.

Rubrum-Luna, who had the appearance of a guard, laughed kik kik kik. Long fingernails were cutting the flesh above Arena’s collarbone, and viscous blood was flowing out.

Like it had viscosity, the blood flowed along her neckline while gurgling.

“Chayeon-ah, go inside. Quickly!”

Seohee was still getting hit. Joo Jiho was now aiming for Seohee Teacher too.

It seemed like her hands and feet and butt were stuck to the floor, so she couldn’t budge even if she struggled. Joo Jiho whispered. I’ve wanted to f*ck you since before.

Three different demons were aiming for Mom. Mom repeated like a parrot. Chayeon-ah, go inside. Don’t come out.

Mom will take care of it. Chayeon-ah, go inside the room, go inside the blanket. After one night, all of this will disappear.

We’ll regain our daily lives again. Everything will go back to normal.

<<Are you going to stay asleep forever like this?>>

Her head buzzed. The sound that had been echoing from inside since before was throbbing in her temples.

<<Now is the last chance.>>

An unknown sound conveyed those words.

<<The last chance that you can protect.>>

I will protect you! The muscularly large man stands in front of the heroine and shouts. A corny line that made her body curl up.

<<What did you grow your body for.>>

I was thin.

<<What were you struggling so hard for.>>

I was weak.

<<Was it just to not be swept away by the ghosts of the past? Did you only yearn for that?>>

She was really small and weak, and her head became blank whenever she stood in front of Father.

-Your dad is a demon.

<<Wasn’t it to truly struggle so hard to not make a mistake again?>>

Struggling.

<<That day, I discovered the overwhelming talent hidden inside you. It wasn’t physical or bodily senses.>>

She had been struggling. In the past years, in order to erase the shadow of the demon that was flickering in her memory, she gritted her teeth again and again.

<<It was a struggle and outcry to not be eaten by the greatest fear, the dark shadow inside you. It was a spirit that bent but didn’t break. But what are you now?>>

To never hide alone again, to not make excuses that she was weak.

She had frequent illnesses. Whenever the seasons changed, she would catch a cold, and the unceasing cough would eventually worsen into pneumonia.

She was indebted to IV drips every year. Her bones were soft, and her flesh was squishy.

She knew that she was born weak, but even so, she didn’t stop. While following a regular diet, she exercised every day.

Eat, exercise, eat, exercise. On one hand, she was thinking that that was a meaningless action, but she didn’t stop.

Even though she knew that it was already too late.

<<Do you really think it’s too late?>>

Heokgu stated definitively.

<<It’s not too late.>>

Not too late. Laughter came out.

Yeah, let’s throw it all away. This play is meaningless anymore. Heokgu had now completely shattered her half-day’s sweet dream.

But so what? Even if she went out of the blanket here, would her Mom come back to life? Would she go back to that day? It was already too late.

<<I won’t deny it.>>

See.

<<The one who would be your mother, you won’t be able to see her again.>>

It was all too late.

<<But you haven’t even missed the chance to throw that cheap line of yours.>>

…A cheap line?

<<There’s still something left to protect. Open your eyes and look straight.>>

Beyond the blanket, she could see the dark room.

A room that was gradually becoming empty as she sold her kitchenware and household goods one by one. Father was hitting Mom.

<<Look straight!>>

Father was, hitting, Mom.

No.

The one who was hitting Mom wasn’t Father.

It was,

Her, from when she was a man,

Her large self.

<<Are you going to stop like this?>>

Heokgu’s words echoed.

<<This is the last chance.>>

That voice felt like it had some kind of desperation too.

<<This time, you can protect them.>>

But, that was her large self. It was her with a height of 183cm and full of firm muscles, a frighteningly large body. There was no way the small her now could win.

<<You’re wrong.>>

Heokgu stated cruelly once again.

<<Really, the reason you couldn’t stand in front of your father that day was just because you were smaller than your father?>>

The question became poison and seeped inside her.

<<Really, the reason you couldn’t open the door and go out that day was just because your body was weak?>>

The question became a spear and pierced her.

<<Really.>>

“Do you think so?”

A clear voice that hadn’t fully passed puberty caused a quiet ripple inside her.

The sound that had been constantly mumbling in her head. It wasn’t Heokgu. It was her. It was ‘her’ who was looking at her from inside her who was talking. A timid-looking boy who resembled Mom, was skinny, and had a gentle look was talking to her.

“You know the answer, right?”

The boy was talking to her.

“Now stop making excuses. Whether you’re big, small, strong, or weak, those things don’t matter.”

She,

“Move.”

Lifted the blanket,

“Get up from your seat.”

And went outside.

-Now come out, Chayeon-ah.

She took a step. One step, another step, and another step.

The higher she stepped, the higher her eye level became.

She could feel her petite body gradually growing. Father’s head, which had only felt high, was gradually getting lower, and eventually aligned with the horizon, and went below it.

A short two-block cut, sharp eyes, a large body. It was her after she was eighteen.

“Whether you’re big or small.”

She took another step.

“Whether you’re strong or weak.”

Another step.

“Those things don’t matter.”

She kept moving forward. Accordingly, her eye level lowered again, one step at a time.

The chest muscles, shoulders, back, and thighs that had been so firm that even a needle wouldn’t pierce them became soft.

Her vision lowered, and the long straight hair that tickled her neck and then came down to her waist fluttered while tied with a hair tie.

One step, another step. Another step.

It was her at twenty, twenty-one years old. It was her as a woman, as a girl.

She was small and petite.

When she stood in front of the large Father, she looked like she would be blown away by the wind, and broken if she was touched.

It was scary. Because Father was a demon. So she was scared of demons.

She looked up at the demon who was looking down at her, on the contrary.

<<Look straight.>>

What was there was-

Not a demon, not anything,

A man who was addicted to alcohol, addicted to gambling, and addicted to life,

A pitiful man who was as small as her.

“Chayeon-ah….”

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

She was a good child. She felt bad for Mom. So she always tried to listen to Mom’s words.

She would always do whatever Mom told her without complaining. She went to bed early because she was told to go to bed early, and woke up early.

Even after Mom passed away, she listened to Mom’s words for 6 years.

-You have to go to bed early and wake up early.

She listened to whatever Mom said.

She was too good of a child.

Otherwise, she, who hadn’t gone out that day, would only be a coward.

“Chayeon-ah, go inside.”

“I don’t want to.”

She lifted her head. In front of her, there was a man who had become a villain in the face of life’s ups and downs, a scar to someone, and eventually a demon, and Chayeon was looking at that man.

“This time, I’m not going to listen.”

Chayeon quietly took her hand to the back of her head. She felt the texture of the hair tie that had tied her hair in one. The hair tie that Seohee Teacher had given her.

She knew. She was looking for the Mom she had lost from Seohee Teacher.

-Mom had been tying my hair for 6 years.

Chayeon untied her hair tie. As the hair that had been tied in one was released, her long straight hair scattered. The red light reflected in the moonlight spread.

“I’m sorry for coming out late, Mom.”

“Chayeon-ah.”

She softly grabbed and lowered the thin hand that was reaching out to stop her, telling her not to come out of the room.

Mom was looking at her.

She still didn’t trust her, it seemed.

Maybe she still looked like a kid.

Maybe it was because she had come out too late.

She didn’t have to worry.

-From now on, I’ll protect you.

She conveyed the words that were too late.

Mom smiled.

She smiled too.

She blocked in front of Father.

Her pupils shone red, and eventually the light chased away the darkness.

The world was dyed red.

You’re late.

That’s right.

It’s not too late.

Pick one. Is it late, or not late?

It’s not too late. You did well. I’ll praise you.

Yeah, that’s really nice.

Wasn’t there anything? I’ve been running around pretty hard, though. What’s the reward?

What are you expecting after waking you up in such a cruel way. You almost collapsed as it was.

However. She had been collapsed from the start. She was finally standing on her own feet. Good for her.

What are you talking about.

That’s true though.

Now you can see.

Yeah, I can see. I must have been quite weak. To be swayed by such a fake.

Since the foundation is strong, I’m comfortable too. That’s good.

Heokgu turned his head. Chayeon also turned her head, following him.

In the middle of the red glow, there was a black dog surrounded by bright yellow light.

Now she could see clearly who the enemy was.

Chayeon pointed her sword.

“Jo Namyeon.”

“Chayeon-ah.”

Jo Namyeon, Mephistopheles, smiled with a pleased look on his face.

“Welcome. I’ll be waiting.”

“Oh yeah, see you in a bit.”

The black dog scattered into hundreds of fireflies.

There were people waiting.

It was time to get up now.

“Kuek!”

For two days and nights, the demons had been surging.

In this narrow space, they had been fighting against the demons without eating or sleeping.

After the first day passed, a saving hand had descended from Arena and Byeol.

When she saw the White Witch, who had appeared while spouting white sword energy in all directions, Yeonkyung had finally thought that they were saved.

But, as if they had been waiting for this to happen, as soon as Arena and Byeol came, the barrier of the building disappeared, and the walls collapsed.

The game, which had only required them to block one passage, had now changed to blocking the demons that were coming from all directions.

A task with a level of difficulty that was completely different from just focusing their eyes on one place.

Arena’s snow-white pupils, which had been energetically eliminating the demons, had also become cloudy at some point, and the space that they occupied was gradually decreasing.

Four had died, and only six remained, including Chayeon.

The five were surrounding Chayeon, blocking the demons that were stubbornly surging in from all directions.

“Chayeon-ah, Chayeon-ah…….”

Arena was squatting down, hugging Chayeon, and sobbing.

Not only Arena, but everyone didn’t even have the strength to stand up anymore.

After raising her strength despite Yggdrasil’s objections and recovering the group repeatedly, Yeonkyung didn’t have any more power left either.

Yeonkyung, Wolmyeong, Byeol, everyone was feeling it.

It was up to here.

Everyone curled up. In order to at least hold onto even a sliver of hope, they surrounded Chayeon.

“Get up quickly, you idiot.”

From the pupils that had returned to their golden color, clear tears fell one drop, two drops, ttuk ttuk onto Chayeon’s face.

The teardrops reflected the light, as if they contained the sun.

And, the pupils above them too.

The jewel-like pupils were shining red.

“It’s stuffy, Arena.”

The sobbing subsided, and the trembling stopped.

Arena’s eyes widened greatly.

Chayeon-ah….”

“Sorry for being late.”

Hundreds of demons surged.

The wriggling black energies seemed to be gathering at one point towards the group surrounding Chayeon.

“…You’re too late, really.”

And,

A red energy exploded, swallowing the black fog.

It was the color of the sunset, of flames, dyeing the deep surface of the water.