Chapter 1142.
Episode 259. The World’s Truth, Your Truth, My Truth (11)
A darkness fell from the sky. When it reached the earth, it took human form and became the witch Heluram.
As if everything Keliak had done to her had been a lie, she appeared to be unharmed. But it wasn’t just appearances; everyone could feel the dark, infinite abyss writhing in the sky.
[Ya, ya… Helluram! No?]
The first to speak upon seeing her was Orgall.
[What is not, Orgall?]
[You’re not going to start fighting us now, trying to extinguish the light, are you? Why are you still so strong, anyway? Weren’t you sure you weren’t all dead back there? No, I don’t think you were dead at all.]
[He must be very annoyed that I’m still alive].
Orgall looks at Heluram in disbelief, then back at Moora.
[Wait… you don’t seem to be the same Heluram I know… similar, but definitely different… who are you?]
[Nature has many faces. It can be a disaster, or a blessing].
[What…?]
[It’s just that, the me you knew is broken, just as the Solderet was… and it’s time for me to go back, just as he did].
Light and darkness are one.
And Solderet and Heluram were offshoots of that. The embodiment of nature’s desires, she now realized that she had no place in the world. Now that Solderet’s desire was gone, she realized that she should be too.
The infinite had to return to nature. The world was a stage set for the finite. Order was order, but one could not be a member of the stage.
[I] honestly don’t remember why I, or Solderet, or any part of Nature, came into the world through Kinsello. All I can recall is that Solderet chose man over me, and we were divided. However, I think I can understand him now].
Heluram, who sought revenge on Solderet by erasing the light from the world, was extinguished at the hands of Kelliak. Heluram, who now locks eyes with Jin, was the other side of the darkness.
[You have touched the darkness, after all. You have done what the light of Solderet could not, or perhaps you could say that you have atoned for his sins against me… Now I feel like being a blessing, not a scourge. Therefore, for your sake, I willingly surrender this body].
[Heh, Helluram. Are you serious…!?]
[Is it such a surprise? Orgal. Even I, who wanted to be a scourge to extinguish the light, made many of you soldiers of the Abyss. Perhaps I was already impressed by you even then].
[Really…!?]
[Yes.]
[Are you serious?? You’re not going to suddenly turn around and stab me in the back, are you?]
[I suddenly feel like quitting….]
At those words, Jin reflexively grabbed Orgal’s head, forcing him to bow his head.
“Go ahead and apologize, Orgal.”
[Uh, huh? Uh, yeah! I’m sorry, Heluram! I must have lost my mind for a moment, it was so dreamlike….]
It was a dream.
Everyone did. If the world could indeed be restored, and those who had been crushed to death by Kelliak could return, then Heluram’s sudden change of heart wasn’t so strange. As they say, nature comes in many guises.
The world is coming back.
It was unbelievable until I saw it with my own eyes. Even though everyone already knew the power of the magic stone and the sun god Kinselo.
However, Jin remembered what Elona had just said. She had clearly said that it would require the sacrifice of ‘several’ people, including herself.
[The Sun God… No, Elona Jiffle. Summon Bligit, Neddol, Beltian, and Fokal. From now on, there will be no dangerous gods in the world you will live in].
They and everyone else were descending to earth from Laparosa, who had flown near Jin.
The sun gods’ egos had already foreseen their demise during their flight. Elona’s will had been transmitted to them from the moment she first awakened.
“Jinn!”
[Sogaju…!]
It was Valeria and Rhett. The sun gods’ selves stood behind them, looking at Elona. Beltian, too, had emerged from the restraints of the power source.
[I suppose you have a moment to say hello to your friends?]
Elona nodded, and Blighgit, Neddol, and Fokal hugged each of the people standing beside her.
[I’m sorry I forgot how much I loved you, when I was whole].
[I think Elona is showing that love instead of us… Kew, I know we haven’t had much time to be close because we’ve been fighting, but I’ll miss you all.]
[The world will finally be beautiful again, no, I should say it will be beautiful for the first time].
[Beltian, say goodbye too, you’ll never see our creatures again].
Belthian shook his head, his face grim at Blizziet’s words.
[Do you really have to be such a doomed man, Malugia is now Kinzelo, no, Elona’s will?]
[Yes, Beltian, come on, let’s give her a hug, Kew].
[I’m sorry… Well, live and let live, everyone. I guess I can’t just… load you up in that air fortress and fly you away to wherever it is you’re going].
Gone are the egos of destruction, reconstruction, and maintenance. The will of Elona Zipple, the perfect Sun Goddess, united them.
Thus, the selves that sought destruction felt the greater pain. As Elona regretted the past.
[But] even without me, you are free to fly wherever you please… Live as if you can really fly anywhere. You may have been created by us, but you are better and brighter than us, so you can].
Little by little, the Sun Gods’ selves began to blur and flow into Elona, as did the great solar energy that remained behind.
As it did, she became less and less human. Her wet eyes glistened with the Milky Way, and her whole body glowed with gold.
And so Beradin held her tighter and tighter. He broke free from her embrace and embraced her with his whole body.
[Lord Jinn].
“Speak, Lord Elona.”
[One last time, there are beings who need….]
Gulping, Jinn closed his eyes once more.
“Light… You mean the beings forged from the Solderet….”
Elona nodded heavily.
Light and darkness, light and shadow.
The final element necessary for the restoration of the world was nature, which could only exist in the presence of the other.
[Misha, come out here.]
At Heluram’s voice, the dark sky opened up. Into it, Misha descended to the ground.
Misha had seen her chance to act, but as Kelliak’s power ravaged the world, she was unable to move as she tried to control the order of the shadows to keep Jinn from losing his spirit.
Then, when Jinn reached the Legacy, Misha and Solderet faced the truth together. What this world came from, what she was. For to represent Solderet was to become Solderet itself.
[Ah, that’s… I’m seeing that face at this good moment, again. Ugh, no, no, no.]
[Well done, Murakan, you got your shit together at the last second, and Jean did it].
[Why are you being so creepy? You’re giving me the creeps. Do what you’re doing. Do what you’re doing.]
[At least you talk like a human when you get hit….]
Jin was speechless as he looked at his guardian dragons, who seemed to have nothing to worry about.
Elona couldn’t look at him as if he were a sinner, but then she composed herself and looked into his blank eyes.
[I’m sorry, Lord Jinn].
[No, what are you sorry for, it’s you or the world as it is, don’t make the kid feel guilty for nothing, eh?]
“No… Wait. Lord Elona, Heluram. Murakan and Misha-sama, no. I’ll sacrifice myself. I have the most reiki anyway, don’t I? A little, but I’m the only one who’s ever worked with light.”
[No].
“Why, why do you say no?”
[Because you are not nature by nature, like me or Solderet. But these children are nature, and they are not the only ones to be sacrificed. All the immortals sealed in the magic stone. Fire, water, wind, all of nature, too].
“But this.”
Not this.
I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. For Murakan and Misha, Jin would give his life again and again, but he could not give up the restoration of the world to save them.
Because he hadn’t fought alone.
Victory was not won by fighting alone. There were countless others who fought together to protect the world.
[Kid].
Jin grabbed Murakan’s smiling face with both hands.
“Murakan, hey… I’ll take your place. Ah.”
[“Why do you insist on doing this, child? And how can we sacrifice you for us when we’re the guardian dragons? I and Misha are over three thousand years old. We’ve lived long enough. You, on the other hand, are not even thirty yet. You don’t even have blood like this. Of course you should live].
“What about you, Strawberry Pie, and Gilly?”
Murakan didn’t answer for a while.
[…Then you’re a man, and if you die, what about the people who love you, and you’re impossible!]
Jin couldn’t answer either.
[Ouch, my head hurts. Kid, for Strawberry Pie… Damn it, Strawberry Pie… Black… Black, damn it. Tell her I loved her more than anyone… No, this is too cruel. Lie and say you were just playing. Ai, this is too much. He won’t believe me. What can I do, ha. Yeah, tell him I loved him. I guess that’s the right thing to do. What exactly do I tell her. Mmm, strawberry pie… strawberry pie, gulp….]
Murakan buried his head in Jin’s shoulder, covered in tears and snot. She didn’t know how to tell Strawberry Pie that she was sorry.
Misha, seeing the scene, made a disgusted face and said.
[“You’re having so much fun, one would think we were parting ways with the world forever, you stupid bastard. It’s disgusting, really.”]
Murakan, panting, raised his head and looked at his devilish sister with eyes that sparkled for the first time in his life.
[What do you mean, isn’t this… an eternal parting, Misha? Will I ever see the little girl and Strawberry Pie again?]
