Published at 26th of January 2026 9:52 pm

Chapter 361

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Dragging my exhausted body, I moved forward.

The scorched ashes fluttered up to the sky. As I watched them slowly fade away, I took a step further.

"Ah, I'm tired..."

The words slipped out by themselves. It had been a long time since I felt this worn out.

More mentally than physically.

And it felt like my very spirit was fatigued.

It wouldn't be wrong to say I was at my limit.

『...』

Yu Chun-gil was following me at his own leisurely pace, watching me silently.

He looked like he had plenty he wanted to ask, but he didn't bring himself to speak up.

The reason was an unspoken rule between us.

We both knew we each had our secrets, so there was no need to bring them up.

If either started asking questions first—

'The one who asked first would have to answer too.'

So, not pursuing pointless questions had become a rule between us, established through our shared past.

"Hoo."

I steadied my breathing. Even in this mind realm, for my body to feel so tired meant my spirit was exhausted.

Just barely enduring it, I pressed on, moving ever forward.

'There it is.'

Off in the distance, I saw Divine Spear.

He was wrapped in the glow I had seen earlier.

"..."

I stopped in my tracks at the sight. There was no need to get any closer.

'Just as I thought.'

The identity of the light became clear. It was the woman whose form had been shaped by the evil ki earlier.

She was Divine Spear's former fiancée, the one Yu Chun-gil was said to have taken away.

And furthermore—

'She was the light.'

She was also the very light that dwelled within Divine Spear.

When I first saw him,

I had glimpsed something beyond that faint aura.

'It didn't seem like a Guardian Spirit.'

Too weak to be a Guardian Spirit, but too ambiguous to be called a mere spirit.

I pondered a moment on what to call it.

In the end, what I settled on was,

'Remnant of regret.'

Not exactly the nicest term.

A regret left behind by someone.

Or perhaps—

'Something Divine Spear himself couldn't let go.'

It was possible it was a regret he alone could not release.

– Jeok.

The woman's voice rang out.

– That's enough, now.

A gentle voice and touch stroked his hair.

She appeared to be touching him, but there was no real contact.

"..."

Divine Spear stayed kneeling, unable to utter a word.

– It's been hard for you, hasn't it? It's all right to stop now.

The woman showed no concern, even as she watched his suffering.

– I'm really fine. So...

Just as she continued to speak—

"How could I?"

Divine Spear spoke.

"How could I ever let you go..."

There was a subtle tremor in his dying voice.

"It's too soon to let you go..."

– Jeok...

"So then... why..."

Divine Spear lifted his head and gazed at the woman.

"Why did you leave without even giving me a chance to atone...?"

– ...

The woman fell silent.

Atonement.

That word lingered quietly in my ears.

– I'm sorry.

At her brief apology, Divine Spear's shoulders trembled.

"... No... It's not that... You have nothing to be sorry for..."

His rough hands cradled Divine Spear's face.

"... It was my fault. My own weakness and pettiness caused all this."

– That's not true... Jeok...

"So then..."

His hands still cupped his face, and he carefully grasped her wrist. But, of course, he couldn't really catch it—his hand just passed through. Divine Spear's eyes wavered at the sight.

Did I see that right? There seemed to be the faintest hint of moisture on his palm.

"... Don't go yet... Not yet... just a little longer..."

– ...

It was a regret so deep and earnest.

Watching this, I scratched my cheek.

"I usually don't ask, but..."

Unable to help myself, I turned to Yu Chun-gil.

"What's going on here?"

『...』

Yu Chun-gil was looking at the two of them with deepened eyes.

"No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like Grandpa just snatched her away and took his eye. Am I wrong?"

『Everyone has their own circumstances.』

"So. You're telling me not to pry? But if I don't know, how do you expect me to help? If you leave him like this, he'll never break free."

He was completely swallowed in regret. That was Divine Spear's state.

Leave him like this, and nothing would ever be resolved.

"Right now, that woman is the only thing keeping Divine Spear alive. But in the end, she'll be the one to consume him, too."

His body had rotted away from evil ki.

The fact that he still survived in that state was not simply because he was strong.

'It was what held his spirit together.'

That woman.

The lingering regret remaining in Divine Spear's body.

That's what had kept his life barely hanging on.

But even that was at its limit.

'If things go on like this, the woman will fade away.'

Her regret as well would soon vanish.

If that happened, Divine Spear would awaken, sure—

"But if that regret isn't resolved, he'll lose his mind even if he wakes up."

Not an absolute, but highly probable.

At least in my view.

『Do you think you can help him with that?』

Yu Chun-gil asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know. But I thought maybe I could, so I'm offering."

『...』

It was an ambiguous answer, but nothing could be more honest. Saying I could definitely help? Nonsense.

I needed to see if I could, after I heard everything.

After I said my piece, Yu Chun-gil kept silent for a while before finally speaking.

『Do you know which family that Spear brat comes from?』

"Calling him 'Spear brat' sounds weird..."

『Just answer.』

It seemed important, so Yu Chun-gil pressed me to reply.

"Jeok family... I know the minor details."

I didn't know in detail. I knew roughly that Divine Spear was from the Jeok family.

『Correct. That's his family. And...』

Yu Chun-gil continued, eyes calm.

『They were a family that dreamed of rebellion.』

"... What?"

Flustered words slipped out.

Rebellion?

"What do you mean, rebellion?"

『At the time, the head of the Jeok family—Divine Spear's father—joined hands with the Evil Faction. He wanted to oust the Alliance Leader and become the leader himself.』

"What the..."

It was news to me. Something that big had happened, and it never got out?

『No, it never got out. They managed to cover it up.』

"How is that possible?"

『The Blue Moon Sect wanted to keep it hidden.』

"What?"

The Blue Moon Sect tried to cover that up?

『It was an age of chaos then. Much worse than now. If word spread that a prestigious family joined hands with the Evil Faction and plotted rebellion, it would have made things much worse.』

"..."

『There was a debate—make a public example by destroying them, or cover up their shame. In the end, they chose the latter.』

"... So they decided to cover it up?"

『Yes. The family head's dantian was destroyed as punishment. The young family head was to be dealt with the same way, and one of the Jeok family's illegitimate sons would be made family head.』

"..."

Instead of erasing the family, they'd put up a puppet and use the Jeok family to their own ends.

『In the middle of all that, that young family head was him.』

Supposed to have vanished along with the family head, with his dantian destroyed—

That was Divine Spear.

"But then..."

How had he survived?

『He was supposed to have his dantian destroyed. I should have done it.』

"...!"

Upon hearing that, my eyes widened. The person who should have punished Divine Spear was Yu Chun-gil himself.

『Yes, I should have...』

He let out a dry laugh. At that, I narrowed my eyes.

『But I accepted a request.』

"A request?"

『A desperate plea from a woman, begging me to save that foolish fellow.』

At those words, my gaze naturally shifted to Divine Spear.

"... So you did things differently on purpose?"

They said he stole his fiancée. So, was it not stealing after all?

『She begged me to save him, to give him a reason to live.』

"Still, why pretend to have stolen her?"

If he just wanted to save him, effort was enough. Why the act of stealing his fiancée then?

At that question, Yu Chun-gil replied,

『She told me she only had a few months left to live.』

"... What?"

『She'd die soon anyway, so she wanted to be the reason for him to keep living, if even for a little while longer.』

"... That's..."

『Taking his eye was the best I could do. I needed a justification, too.』

He couldn't destroy his dantian, but he had a duty—so he did what he could, which was taking one of Divine Spear's eyes.

Hearing that, I let out a wry chuckle.

『Why are you laughing?』

"If you weren't going to tell the whole story, you should have just left it all unsaid."

You could only let so many holes slip by in a tale before calling it out.

"Grandpa."

『Why?』

"What did you give up?"

『...』

Yu Chun-gil flinched at my question.

"If the Jeok family really plotted rebellion and you tried to stop it from the shadows as you said, just taking his eye wouldn't have been enough."

Supposedly stole his fiancée and took his eye out.

Would that be forgiveness enough?

"No."

Absolutely not. Yet the Divine Spear lived.

He survived and even became Alliance Leader.

He was a war hero, which certainly helped, but was that all?

'Never.'

For him to rise with such a background, someone must have covered it all up.

"Grandpa, you must have given up a lot. Right?"

『... Be quiet.』

Yu Chun-gil clicked his tongue and turned his head away.

He had sacrificed something. Yu Chun-gil must have done something significant for Divine Spear.

Otherwise, this situation couldn't exist.

And further—

'Same for that woman.'

That woman, whom Divine Spear couldn't let go of, was the same.

No wonder it turned out this way.

– Jeok...

"... I am the sinner..."

– No, you're not. You haven't committed any crime.

"No... Ignorance itself is a crime."

A crime of not knowing anything.

Looking at that—

'It seems the Divine Spear knows what really happened now.'

Don't know when he found out, but he seemed aware.

– Don't take on the sins you didn't commit.

The woman looked at Divine Spear and smiled gently.

– You've worked so hard.

"... Atonement never ends..."

– ...

Atonement. That word caused the woman's brows to knit a little.

– Jeok.

Her voice took on a firm tone.

– Who is that atonement really for?

"What do you mean...?"

– If you're only atoning for your own feelings... nothing will ever change. Do you really not see that?

"..."

– Don't live for those you've lost. That holds no meaning at all.

'Hmm.'

I clicked my teeth with my tongue, checking my own limits within.

'... I can manage one more time.'

One last time. I might barely manage it.

Bzzzz...

With effort, I conjured a talisman in my hand.

I immediately clenched it tight and crushed it.

Crackle.

The talisman crumpled and vanished.

*Fwoosh—!!*

A glow spilled from my toes and wrapped around the woman.

– ... Ah.

She seemed to sense something, eyes growing wide.

Then—

Slide.

"...!!"

My hand fully touched Divine Spear's cheek.

Feeling that warmth, Divine Spear hastily covered my hand with his own.

"Aah..."

He could feel it. He looked overwhelmed.

– Jeok.

The woman spoke.

– I won't ask you to forget me. I wouldn't want to ask you something I couldn't do myself. Just...

She smiled again.

– Could you be happy for me? Show me the smile I loved so much.

"... I..."

– This place is so cold and dark. For someone as warm as you, it's an awful place. So, please, rise up now.

– Don't live for atonement. Live for yourself. That's what I wanted.

"... Ah..."

– I'm sorry.

She apologized.

– I'm sorry I left you first. Sorry I never said anything. This was something I always wanted to say.

"... Don't apologize... I was the one who didn't understand..."

– Will you forgive me?

"I... I've never once blamed you."

– I know. That's the kind of person you are.

Her hands gently cradled his cheeks.

– I'm the same. I've never once blamed you, either.

"..."

– Please be happy. For me. That's all I want.

Divine Spear bowed his head.

– Do you think you can do that?

She asked once more.

"... Y-yes... I... will."

His choking voice was barely audible.

– Thank you.

Upon hearing his reply, the woman's form changed.

The light grew stronger and began to scatter.

– Jeok.

"Ah... Ah... Please don't go...!"

Divine Spear frantically tried to pull her back, but instead, she dove into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.

– I love you. From the beginning, and even now.

At her whispered words, Divine Spear froze.

He closed his eyes at those words.

"... I love you too."

Perhaps pleased at his answer after much hesitation, the woman nodded.

– Be truly happy.

She repeated it, again and again.

Shaaa...

The woman scattered.

As I watched, her eyes unexpectedly turned to me.

Soft lips on a delicate face mouthed words in my direction.

Thank you.

I was sure she said that.

Shaaaa...

She finally faded away completely.

"..."

I looked over at Divine Spear, left alone.

Slowly, his head drooped to the ground.

His face, completely covered by both hands, seemed determined to hide his expression.

And as if reflecting his feelings,

Shaaaa...

The world gradually turned pure white.

"... It's over."

A white world signaled the approaching end.

I let my senses drift and closed my eyes.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, a familiar ceiling greeted me.

I got up.

I squinted into the sunlight pouring through the window.

"... Mmm..."

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up.

"Awake now?"

I heard a voice from the side.

I turned my head.

An old man with a large frame was quietly watching over me.

"... Ah, yes."

I looked at him awkwardly and asked,

"Are you awake?"

The same question.

At my words, the old man—Divine Spear—smiled faintly.

"Yes."

His expression was that of someone who had finally woken from a very long dream.

"You've finally woken up."

TL's Corner:

Damn, it is an emotional chapter.

【(˶• ֊ •˶)】

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