Chapter 72: Fox and dog(2).

Having regained her senses, they were back inside the tunnel. The jet-black artificial walls were gone, and the humid, damp underground air filled their surroundings.

Five people excluding Yeonkyung. Wolmyeong surveyed the surroundings.

“It seems to be a one-way road.”

As she said, the group’s back was blocked by a dirt wall, and only the road leading forward was open.

The further they went inside, the more the dirt walls became closer to gray-white. The tunnel was turning into a cave. Around the time when it was completely filled with gray, what was surrounding them was a limestone cave with stalactites and stalagmites sticking out here and there.

Just like before, torches were hanging from the walls. As if gesturing for them to follow, the flames flickered in the windless cave.

Without lowering their guard, they entered and what came out was a giant plaza. If it weren’t for this situation, it was a spectacular view that would have made them admire the wonder of nature.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.”

From the place where darkness was thickly cast inside the cave, a man popped out while making the sound of footsteps, teo-bak-teo-bak.

“…I suspected it, but it’s just as I thought.”

Wolmyeong nodded and agreed with Byeol’s groan. This time too, something like a black screen was trapping the five people.

They were planning to separate them one by one.

As the man came completely out of the shadows and the torches around him lit up all at once, brightening the inside of the cave, Chayeon could confirm his identity.

“…It’s resurrected again.”

“…It seems so.”

Jormungandr, the king-level demon that Chayeon had slaughtered just a few days ago, was looking at them with snow-white eyes.

“As long as our Father, who is all of ours, is here, the demons including me can enjoy eternal life. Ah, how glorious it is. To share a generation with him, I am deeply moved.”

Jormungandr spread his arms with exaggerated gestures.

“Therefore, please choose one person.”

As expected, it was just as she had expected. This time too, they had to choose one person in order to proceed below.

Mephistopheles. If that thing wearing a human mask could constantly resurrect dead demons like now, he was truly the worst opponent. As long as Mephistopheles was alive, Hexennacht would never end.

“Chayeon-ssi.”

Wolmyeong called Chayeon. She could immediately tell what she was going to say.

“I’ll stay.”

Wolmyeong handed Yeonkyung’s gloves. Old black leather gloves.

“Weren’t you supposed to lead the group?”

“…Yeonkyung said that, but there isn’t even a hint of doubt that I’m the most suitable person to fight Jormungandr out of everyone here.”

Chayeon received the gloves.

“Please, Seohee…”

“…You seem to be well acquainted with the teacher too.”

“Yes, I’m older, but we were friends who entered Jindal in the same year and graduated in the same year.”

Chayeon’s eyes widened at the unexpected relationship.

“Not only me, but Yeonkyung and Yuna too, the four of us graduated together.”

Graduate. That word felt very unfamiliar to Chayeon.

That’s right. Just like parents had parents, and they had a time when they were sons and daughters, the teachers who ran Jindal and who had only seemed like adults from the start also had a time when they were students.

Seohee Teacher wasn’t only an important person to her. All of them, they were only not showing it on the outside, but they were desperately hoping that Seohee was safe.

“Okay. I’ll definitely rescue her.”

Chayeon promised once again. Wolmyeong, perhaps because that appearance was very trustworthy, gave a smile in front of Chayeon for the first time just like Yeonkyung.

“Yeonkyung asked me not to destroy the heart, but I think differently. If a dangerous situation happens and you think it seems like you shouldn’t be separated, don’t hesitate and destroy the heart.”

“…But if I do that.”

“The demons will run wild even more, but it doesn’t matter. I’m the leader now, not Yeonkyung.”

Wolmyeong smiled playfully. It was a very mischievous eye smile. So she could make this expression too. Really, everyone was desperately wearing masks.

“Worry about and act for the safety of you and the remaining people first.”

“…Okay.”

“That’s good.”

Wolmyeong stood in front of Chayeon. Because there was a big difference in height, Chayeon had to look up. Her pink pupils sparkled even in the dark cave.

“Chayeon-ssi, you resemble my younger sister.”

“Younger sister?”

“Yes, I have a younger sister.”

Wolmyeong’s eyes, who was saying that, were so affectionate that, even though she might be completely off base, she had a feeling where that younger sister was now.

Wolmyeong’s eyes, who was looking at Chayeon, reminded her of Seohee’s eyes.

Geez.

She had too many Unnis.

“I’ll call you Unni when I see you later.”

“…That’s truly an honor. I have to return for sure, even if it’s to make Chayeon-ssi my younger sister.”

Wolmyeong turned towards Jormungandr.

“It seems that you have a truly deep relationship with the Lady. Leave the escort to me.”

Jormungandr snapped his fingers, and again the scenery changed.

After kicking off from the gray-white floor, this time it gradually changed to a navy-blue scenery. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all painted a deep navy-blue, and

Ppaang-!

Eventually, they were standing on a city overpass. Below the deep navy-blue sky was a night view full of orange, yellow, red, and colorful neons. On the road below, cars were passing by quickly, and on the sidewalk next to them, it was crowded with numerous people, such as people walking while talking on the phone, a drunk singing a song, and people stopping by a convenience store in comfortable clothes. In contrast to that, there wasn’t even a car or a person on the overpass where they were standing.

“What kind of place is this anyway?”

Byeol’s mumbling represented everyone’s feelings. She wasn’t moving to a ghost ship floating on the sea, she wasn’t moving inside a giant cave, but this time it was a city at night, and even on the road.

“Those people aren’t all living people, right?”

“It must be a hallucination!”

Arena stated definitively at Chayeon’s words as she looked down and muttered. That must be right. Was it old news now that the words that Arena said with conviction were mostly different from the truth?

Kang-Kang-

A metallic sound was heard from the front. An opaque black screen was surrounding the four of them, and two women revealed themselves beyond it.

One was a face that everyone knew well. Red hair and pupils, a horn on her right forehead, a full-body tights, and steel high-heeled shoes.

Rubrum-Luna. The other was a demon that Arena and Byeol were seeing for the first time. Hair that was shining cyan, red eyes, and pointed ears and snow-white tails.

It was Uroboros, the demon that Chayeon had sliced through in one stroke on the island a few days ago, and the demon that Seohee had caught in the old government building.

“Arena-ya, hello hello~! See, see, see you again!”

Rubrum-Luna greeted with a hand gesture. Her Sanpaku eyes shone, but unlike before, Arena was calmly looking at those eyes. There wasn’t even a point of agitation in her pure white eyes.

“I can roughly tell the intention.”

Arena muttered like that instead of answering Rubrum-Luna.

While the two demons who had appeared in front of them had been powerful king-level demons, this time, even though there were two of them, they were 2nd grade dangerous species. The balance didn’t match.

“I’ll go out.”

Just as Arena was about to take a step forward while summoning her broom, Uroboros reached out her hand and made a V sign.

“…?”

“Two people, you stupid mackerels. Two people have to stay behind.”

So that was it. Since there were two enemies, this time two people on their side also had to separate. The remaining number was four, half of them. The blow was great.

What should they do. It seemed that splitting up the group even more here would be dangerous. Should she destroy the heart after all.

Before Chayeon could do anything, Byeol grabbed Arena’s sleeve and came forward.

“Arena-ya, I’ll do it.”

“…Byeol?”

“I owe them something too.”

Byeol’s eyes were burning. What was residing there wasn’t fear or anxiety, but competitiveness. Clearly, she had suffered terribly from Rubrum-Luna and had even died once, but she didn’t even blink an eye. It was completely different from Chayeon, who had been swept away by her father’s ghost for a long time, and Arena, who had felt fear towards Rubrum-Luna.

She was really a preposterous kid.

“Byeol, two people have to go out anyway.
“I’ll go out.”

The man, who had been watching the girls from behind, opened his mouth. He was the only remaining teacher out of the four of them.

“It’s reassuring that Teacher is with us. Arena-ya, go first.”

“But…!”

“I’m not scared unlike someone, you know?”

Byeol looked straight at Arena and said in a mocking tone. Somewhat harsh taunts, as if she was pushing her away on purpose.

Even so, Arena quietly looked at Byeol and weighed her up.

“I have such an overwhelming feeling right now, you know?”

“…Eung?”

“That even Lena can make this expression~ I’m a little sad that I lost the Lena who was fun to tease before, though.”

Byeol stroked Arena’s head roughly as if she was stroking a child.

“Lena has to go with Chayeon-ssi. Leave it to me here.”

“…Okay.”

“See, she’s definitely changed when she folds so quickly like this.”

After saying that much, Byeol looked at Chayeon this time.

“Chayeon-ssi, please take care of Lena.”

“Yeah.”

She would do that naturally even without Byeol’s instructions. After finishing their greetings, Byeol and the man stepped forward.

“Heeung, Arena’s not staying~? Well, it’s fine. Actually, it would have been troubling for us too if Lena had stayed. Then goodbye~ See you next time?”

Kang- Rubrum-Luna’s hooves slammed the floor, and again her vision rotated.

Now, only the two of them were left. Chayeon and Arena looked at each other and exchanged glances, and then headed down again.

The deep navy-blue walls were gradually fading. It became the color of the blue waves, and eventually became the color of a clear sky.

The two had reached a beach.

It was still a sudden change that felt like it was. The sky was blue and high like a clear summer day. Under the cloudless sky, an emerald sea was spread out, and on the sandy beach where they were standing, shells with pearls were shining with rainbow colors as they received the light. Shwaaa- Shwaaa- The refreshing sound of the high and low tide and the sound of seagulls filled the sound.

A girl who looked exactly like the one on the ghost ship, the remaining one of the Doppelgangers, Melara, was weaving thread under the shade of a palm tree that was rising in the middle of the sandy beach. The thread seemed to be taking shape, but it was completely twisted. Melara, who screamed, threw the thread away as it was.

This time too, a black screen was blocking Chayeon and Arena.

“Hello, Unnis? The white Unni is an Unni I haven’t seen before.”

Melara, who had turned her head towards them, tilted her head.

“You only have to leave one person behind.”

“That’s right! Only one person out of the two of you can go on from here! Well, actually you can both go, but!”

Whenever she saw that beamingly smiling expression, she kept feeling disgust rising up. A kid with the same ability as her.

Arena was trustworthy now. She could trust her and leave it to her.

“Arena, please take care of Teacher. I’ll follow right after.”

If it was the same ability, she would have to crash into it eventually.

Arena immediately shattered those thoughts.

“What are you even saying! Jeon Chayeon, you go up!”

“Arena, that kid has the same ability as me…”

“I know that much too!”

Seureung and a sword was drawn from the broom.

“Chayeon, I told you, right?”

“Eung?”

“What, have you forgotten already?”

Arena glared.

“…Ah.”

Seeing the light that was residing in Arena’s eyes and that confident expression, Chayeon belatedly recalled.

・…When we meet again,
-That’s when I’ll surpass you!

“You’re saying that that brat has the same skills as you, right? Don’t underestimate me.”

Arena smiled and pointed her sword towards Melara. It was a confident smile.

“Show me your skills for once!”

Those eyes were only heading towards Melara. Without ever turning her eyes to the side, she was only looking forward.

What about Arena made her say she could trust her and leave it to her. She wasn’t trusting Arena at all.

Right.

If it was Arena, she could definitely surpass her even if it was Chayeon’s power, even if it was the Heukgumiho’s power.

“See you later.”

Chayeon only said that and turned around. The black screen and Chayeon disappeared at the same time.

“Uuung, I wanted to play with Daddy’s friend too, but. Well, that’s good! Daddy would be sad if I took away Daddy’s friend!”

A sword was implemented in Melara’s hand. It was the same curved sword as Chayeon’s.

The two girls took a stance and pointed their swords at each other. The black and white spar that had been continuing without stopping since that summer day.

“Today, I’ll definitely surpass you, Jeon Chayeon!”

The White Witch showed a flawless sword strike that didn’t have even a bit of wavering, to the extent that Chayeon would have admired without realizing it if she was here.

Now, there was no one around Chayeon. Chayeon was silently heading down the basement alone.

Even though she was alone, she didn’t care anymore.

She believed that Arena, Byeol, Wolmyeong, Yeonkyung, and that teacher whose name she didn’t know would return. She was sure. They would come.

She had to believe it and move forward.

The teacher was in front of her.

Chayeon kept heading down, but before she knew it, she was going up. On a snow-covered mountain, she was lifting her feet that were sinking in the snow and walking one step at a time, heading towards the summit.

After pushing aside the branches that were thickly covered with snow, the summit finally came into sight. When she went up, at the edge of the cliff, there were white stairs that continued to the sky, and at the end, she could faintly see a snow-white door.

What it was creating was even a sacred feeling, and it looked like a door heading to heaven.

On the rock placed on that road, a woman was sitting on her butt.

A snow-white sky, snow-white stairs, a snow-white snowfield, and likewise the hair that was shining snow-white was fixed with a hairpin.

“I’ve been waiting.”

The woman got up from her seat and dusted her butt. When she picked up the hairpin that had been fixing her head, the released silver hair fluttered in the wind along with the snow.

“Brother.”

The Baekgumiho, Jin Sira, was blocking the stairs and standing in front of Chayeon.