𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎𝟕
“Long time no see.”
“. . . . . . .”
Polar Night tilted her head and stared at me with an emotionless look. It was an unusual greeting.
Probably, she did not fail to understand the meaning. Already, she must have been gradually connecting with the spirits of the entire world and taking away their strength and knowledge.
My guess seemed to be correct. Soon, Polar Night spoke to me with a little interest.
“Do you know me?”
“I may or may not.”
At that ambiguous answer, I could feel the exorcists inside the barrier gulping and getting nervous.
After the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons incident, we could find several high-level yokai speaking human language, but Polar Night had a different vibe from them.
Polar Night continued talking briefly, without minding the reaction of the exorcists.
“The world has become like this. It’s interesting.”
“Much time has passed. The era of the Pyeong Clan is a distant past now.”
“. . . . . . .”
Polar Night knew about Pyeong-eun-ha, the body that Polar Night made her vessel for resurrection, but Polar Night did not seem to care about it.
Well, for her, it might not be a matter of concern in the end.
“I can’t just watch your wish come true.”
“. . .You know that far?”
“Now, it’s time to end it.”
Although she did not explain the details, Polar Night nodded slightly as if that was enough.
It’s time to end it.
She would not think much differently about that.
“Okay. Let’s see how much power the piled-up human history has.”
With that, Polar Night disappeared from the spot as if she had become a mirage.
At the same time, the inspiration unique to exorcists began to sense unusual hostility from all directions.
“Junior, this is. . . . . . .”
“They are the yokai controlled by Polar Night. They will gather from all over the country and come to Seoul.”
Maybe, not only them, but all the high-ranking yokai around the world might be heading here.
And there was only one thing we could do.
We had to defeat all of them and at the same time, find and destroy Polar Night who would be beyond them.
“. . .We have no choice but to try.”
“Hmm, let as many of them come as they want!”
The party was full of confidence. It was because they had reconfirmed that Polar Night was a very fearsome being, but they were all prepared and ready for the fact.
And it was no different for me.
“I will pave the way, and face Polar Night again to settle the score.”
Ever since I said my last farewell to Ho-chung in the illusory world, or since I surpassed Ciel and acknowledged myself in the last trial of the Blue-White Soul Mirror.
I had already made up my mind.
As I reconfirmed my determination, the exorcists of Seoul inside the barrier also came out one by one and stretched their bodies as if preparing for the upcoming battle.
Although there might be a gap in power now, their will to end everything would not lose to us.
Nodding at them, everyone headed to their respective places skillfully.
Before long, the surroundings were filled with yokai of various colors emitting eerie vibes, facing us.
Kwaaaaang─!
“. . .Do you have any idea where Polar Night is hiding?”
Seo Ji-an, who casually cut through the body of a yokai that had risen from the ground and came next to me, asked.
And that was something I had also been constantly curious about.
“Not too far away. She has been staying in one place since earlier.”
I did not know if she was trying to invite us or if there was any special reason.
Besides, whatever it was, the task we had to do would not change.
“Then, let’s take care of these guys first!”
Cheong Juhwa quickly scattered talismans, and the Azure Dragon that had risen into the sky summoned dark clouds and thunder, taking down numerous flying yokai.
However, even then, the number of yokai filling the sky and the ground was gradually increasing, making it difficult to estimate their number.
“Ugh, this many are still left?”
“The government agencies of each country are not functioning properly. Of course, the yokai that were hiding in areas where people had left, or in the sea or rugged terrain, are all gathering.”
And the yokai that were close to Korea came to Seoul first, followed by the yokai that were located farther away.
We could not find any great yokai-ranking enemies, but even so, the number of yokai corresponding to S-rank and their overall number were something we had never encountered before.
Strictly speaking, the last decisive battle in the shamanic world was similar, but the dominance that Polar Night had in the present world clearly surpassed that power.
“Nine Revolving Heavens Wave!”
“Faithful Broken Shadow!”
Kwang!
Jjeojeojeok─!
Sophia and Yoo Ha-on fired their grand spells toward the areas where the yokai were densely gathered, and the elders of the Three Great Houses also showed off their might by unfolding the grand spells of their families.
However, even if dozens of yokai collapsed because of that, hundreds and thousands of yokai that followed made the exorcists feel an unknown fear.
“This is really an absurd number!”
“. . .It’s the end of the world. It’s time for this old man to die.”
Is this what it would look like if the end of the world came?
Even Cheong Gil-yeong, who had strong pride, let out a weak voice. It was a ridiculous and overwhelming sight.
Seeing the exorcists who had begun to be pushed back from their respective areas, Arietta frowned and thrust her hand into the ground.
“Blood World Array.”
The crimson energy that spread out like an explosion soon filled all directions.
It was the grand spell of Xue Laifu that was being unfolded by Arietta’s hand, transcending time.
“. . .I can do it a little better.”
Whether she had made some changes within it, Arietta’s Blood World Array definitely had a different vibe from that of Xue Laifu.
And the yokai that entered the area were instantly weakened or collapsed, scattering their spiritual energy and life force into the air.
“Leave the 9 o’clock direction to me!”
Cheong Juhwa’s Blue-White Sword shone, and soon, dozens of yokai were destroyed by the grand spell Cheong-iljin that unfolded.
With the two of them supporting the two sides, the exorcists of each affiliation who had been constantly pushed back were also able to regain a little breather.
“Ugh, but at this rate, it will never end. . . . . . !”
Sophia, who had been using her unique enormous spiritual power to fire spells and defeat numerous yokai , had her limits too.
And I was also thinking the same thing, seeing the scale of the yokai rushing in.
「𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝘼𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄’𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙.」
In addition, there was no way to know what Polar Night, who had left the battlefield alone, was up to now.
To be honest, it was a situation that could only make me anxious.
“We need to split up! While some of us stay and protect the barrier, the rest of the party has to defeat Polar Night!”
However, at the same time as she said that, numerous spell bombardments pierced through the yokai , and quite a few presences were felt.
“There’s no need for that.”
Those who appeared were Cheong So-ha and Hae Ga-ram who had parted ways with us earlier and headed to other areas, and numerous exorcists including Ban So-ye were following them.
「𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙡, 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙢 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚?」
Including the Three Great Houses, high-level exorcists belonging to the headquarters also showed up.
Surely, with this much force, they would be able to form a proper formation even against the rushing yokai .
“I don’t know much, but they said they needed you, so I guess we have no choice but to back you up!”
After finishing her words, Hae Ga-ram jumped on top of a relatively intact building and blocked the group of yokai .
The white-haired old man who had approached Arietta stroked his unique beard and smiled.
“You don’t know much about the world. I never thought that the body and mind that I trained again after meeting you would be used like this.”
He was Myung-yul, the hero of the 1st Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and Arietta’s guardian.
After the incident with Shin Do-hoon, he had been rehabilitating, and now, it seemed that he had regained some of his former strength.
“Master. . . . . . .”
“You don’t have to fight alone anymore. Leave this place to us.”
As other familiar faces appeared one after another and helped the exorcists of Seoul form a formation, we were able to leave with peace of mind to chase after Polar Night.
Polar Night’s location had been pointing to one spot the entire time.
We would soon find out what was there.
“. . .Is that the place?”
“Yes. I don’t sense anyone’s energy except for Polar Night.”
The sense of oppression I had felt when I first faced her was no longer there.
However, even so, her unique strange energy could not be ignored at all.
“. . .I guess I have no choice but to accept the invitation.”
A small forest a little away from the downtown area, which was a bit much to call a mountain.
As we dug into it and moved, we were soon able to face Polar Night, who was silently staring at a part of the ground.
“. . .You’re here. You’re faster than I thought.”
“What is this place? Is it a place related to you?”
At first, I thought that she had just chosen a suitable battlefield, but the moment I saw the look in her eyes, I could sense that it was not.
Surely, this place must have a special meaning to her.
“How much do you know about my being?”
“You’re a shamanic being who is neither human nor spirit, and aren’t you a kind of phenomenon itself born from a certain wish?”
At those words, Polar Night stared at me with a very long, piercing gaze and opened her mouth.
“I didn’t know you would be aware of that far. You guys are truly mysterious beings. Of course. . . . . . .Even so, the result won’t change.”
Soon, Polar Night turned her head slightly and carefully touched a part of the ground that she had been staring at since earlier, and began to murmur.
“Nothing is left now. Not even a trace of the past.”
“. . . . . . .”
“As you guessed, I am the wish itself of someone who existed in the past. Do you have any idea how I can control all the spirits?”
To be honest, I had not been sure until now. I had just thrown out some reasoning and estimated its truth.
However, in the process of facing and talking to Polar Night of the outside world like this, I was finally able to predict the real answer.
“In the end, are all of you beings of the same origin?”
“Yes. That’s right. Because from the beginning, they were included in me and the one who gave birth to me.”
In other words, what we were discussing here was the very background of the birth of yokai, which was the foundation of the exorcism series.
Gulping at that grand fact, I spit out the conclusion I had derived in my head to her.
“You, and the first yokai, all originated from one being.”
At those words, Polar Night smiled faintly.
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