The Divine Twilight's Return

Chapter 347: Star, the Reunion (4)

At the same time, news of the restoration of <Muspelheim> was announced in <Heaven>.

[Announcement! About 1 minute 41 seconds ago in Earth time, the reconstruction of <Muspelheim>, the old <Society> that once met <Extinction>, has been proclaimed.]

[Announcement! The reconstruction of <Muspelheim> has been proclaimed! From now on, the Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’ will inherit the seat of the old Celestial ‘Destruction-Calling Fire Giant’ and lead the Society <Muspelheim> as the new Giant King.]

[The forgotten, old Myths of the Society <Muspelheim> are awakening one by one!]

[With the restoration of its old Myths, the old connections of the Society <Muspelheim> have begun to resume.]

Two <Societies> reacted to the news first.

[The Society <Nammu> blesses the journey of the Society <Muspelheim>!]

『It took longer than I expected. I’ve been waiting for him to make the announcement ever since he made Sangwon plummet… My dear is faster than others in so many ways, but he is oddly slow in others.』

In her gigantic form, Tiamat looked up at the sky with a smile. Due to the prolonged war against <Horoscope>, she had been growing tired for some time, but she could finally heave a sigh of relief after seeing good news.

Of course, her immature daughter was too busy sulking in displeasure to even look at the message in the sky. Thinking Pabilsag was just too childish, Tiamat shook her head.

[The Society <Olympus> declares its intent to continue accompanying the journey of the Society <Muspelheim>!]

Minerva smiled faintly, thinking there was not much to worry about anymore. Many <Heaven> Celestials would stay on their toes henceforth. ‘Divine Twilight’ had triumphantly returned with a large force under his command, not just by himself, so it was hard to fathom what kinds of incidents would take place from now on.

“Our Giant King has finally risen! Here’s to bigger explosions―!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Then, she suddenly heard a commotion behind her, making her frown. ‘…I forgot about those idiots, so I guess not everything is okay. Shouldn’t they have gotten tired of that by now?’

Mars, Bacchus, and Vulcanus were partying hard once again; even Mercury had joined them this time, too.

“Why are you bozos partying in my divine ground?!’ Minerva finally exclaimed, flying into a rage.

[The Celestial ‘Antlered Animal King’ sends emissaries to express his congratulations!]

[The Celestial ‘Plague Monarch’ cautiously makes a prediction about the Giant King’s future victories!]

…

The Celestials of the <Anti-Star> Alliance offered their congratulations one after another, but of course, some people did not take the news well.

[The restoration of its old Myths has also reignited prior enmity against the Society <Muspelheim>.]

[The Seven Demon Kings of the Society <L’Infernal> scoff at the news, saying that not much can be done by reviving an already fallen household!]

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ observes the journey of the Society <Muspelheim> with interest!]

[The Four Seraphim of the Society <Maleakhe> are assessing the threat level of the Society <Muspelheim>!]

[The Celestial ‘Garden Gatekeeper’ requests the subjugation of the Society <Muspelheim> in the Great Council of Angels.]

Since the incident at the <Star Grave>, there had been bad blood between Chang-Sun and the <Societies> that served as the linchpins of the Absolute Good and Evil Factions. Thus, Uriel, Satan, and those other <Societies> reacted badly upon hearing the news.

[The Society <Purple Star Astrology> is considering sending more support to the Celestial ‘New Tian Shi Yuan’!]

[The Society <Horoscope> has decided to observe how the reconstruction of the Society <Muspelheim> will turn out due to the law of causality!]

The two organizations of <Stars> blatantly revealed their hostility, but <Horoscope> had decided to continue standing by the sidelines.

[Many <Societies> question the news about the Society <Muspelheim>!]

[Most Celestials are waiting vigilantly for the next move of the Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’!]

[Some Celestials wish not to get involved with the Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’!]

…

However, most <Societies> were simply curious about ‘Divine Twilight’ and showed no other reaction in particular. Because <Heaven> was very vast, most Celestials were not directly involved with the events taking place, and thus paid little heed to them.

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ quietly observes the situation.]

And…

[<Deus Ex Machina> turns his head, snorting.]

[An unidentifiable being giggles and asks <Deus Ex Machina> why he is suddenly acting all prim when he has been content to watch until now.]

[<Deus Ex Machina> practically jumps out of his skin, and says that statement is nonsense with a reddened face.]

[An unidentifiable being nods with a smile, half-heartedly agreeing with <Deus Ex Machina>.]

[<Deus Ex Machina> fervently protests, saying that it is not what the unidentifiable being is talking about!]

[An unidentifiable being mockingly repeats what <Deus Ex Machina> said, making fun of him.]

[<Deus Ex Machina>...!]

…

[The ‘Changgong Library’ personnel are showing deep interest in one who visited them.]

* * *

It was also around that time that Sinmara and the Undead Army of the Changgwi Cave began to undergo a transformation.

[The reconstruction of the Society <Muspelheim> has been completed, bestowing ‘Heatwave Blessing’ onto the Giant King’s subordinates!]

[‘Drought Curse’ has been initiated!]

[‘Summer Disposition’ has been initiated!]

…

[The dormant refugees' karma is awakening.]

「This is…?」

Sinmara quickly raised her head. Something was moving fervently in the corner of her heart.

Badump! Badump, badump…!

Of course, she knew what it was. Heatwaves, drought, summer… The ember of the elemental fire borne by all <Muspelheim> Giants was awakening! She quickly took a look around, and as expected, all her soldiers were going through the same change.

Whooosh!

Embers blazed forth from their left chests, engulfing the Undead Army soldiers.

Craack.

Their bodies became one and a half times bigger, and each soldier went through distinct changes.

「Ah, ahhh…!」

Sinmara exclaimed, uncontrollably shedding tears.

「I can see in times like this that our captain is certainly sentimental .」

「Gustaf!」

Sinmara shouted. The Changgwi—no, the Giant warrior who had just finished going through the transformation was someone she knew well.

「Hey, captain! How have you been?」

「Hahahaha! You’re right, Gustaf! Nevertheless, she has no trouble crushing the enemy’s heads into pulp during battle. It’s amazing.」

「Her nickname is Head Crusher for a good reason.」

「Hey, hey, don’t bring up that nickname. Our enemies weren’t the only ones whose heads got crushed. Ours were almost crushed too.」

Many more Giant warriors showed up one after another.

「Hoterus, Alexi, Henca, Yasca… You guys…!」

Sinmara choked up as the thirty-six gatekeepers who had protected ‘Rhaegaren’ slowly opened their eyes.

「Captain.」

「Long time no see, captain.」

「Hahahaha! I knew it! I knew you would be able to wake us up again someday!」

All the guards who had kept Surtr safe under Sinmara’s lead let out cheerful yells. Clouds of white smoke rose up from one hundred Giant warriors, creating a thick fog.

Krrrrr….!

The draconic troops began to stumble backward, surprised by the heat and pressure that the Giant warriors exuded. Despite the fact that they had been receiving the help of Chang-Sun’s subordinates, Yeong-Geun and the others in the Korean force could only blankly watch the Giant warriors as well.

「How long are you going to weep? Your one remaining face might get crushed, you know.」

「Huh? Isn’t that a good thing, since it would mean we’d get a chance to become captain?」

「Come to think of it, you’re right…! Should we do this kind of thing again in the future?」

「Hahahaha! Maybe, maybe.」

Sinmara belatedly came to her senses after she heard her subordinates joking. Wiping the tears from her face, she smiled ferociously as usual.

「You nutcases have gotten pretty cocky for people who were sleeping until now. Go wild all you want, but you’ll never be as good as I am.」

「Yeah, that’s our captain!」

「True, true.」

Sinmara adjusted her grip on her cleaver, glaring at the draconic troops once again. At that moment, a huge fire also emerged from her chest, initiating her transformation.

Craaaack―!

She became two times bigger than before: Her muscles became sturdier, and her skin was tinged with red. However, the biggest change happened to the side of her head. Something abruptly emerged from her left shoulder and took the form of a face; it was the awakening of the second of her three faces, which had helped her become the leading warrior and chief priest of <Muspelheim>. With her second face, she could see her targets’ past. Soon, the eyes of her second face opened.

Paaah!

As her eyes shone, she began to read all the laws of Causality surrounding everything in her view.

[The Subordinate ‘Sinmara’ has activated the Skill ‘Past-Reading Eyes’!]

[The Subordinate ‘Sinmara’ has started to read fortunes.]

Despite the many things she could see, she was trying to find out about only one person, the Dragon Monarch that was glaring back at her from afar.

「…Hmm?」

Sinmara saw the Dragon Monarch’s secret; it was something she had not expected at all.

* * *

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!

As a storm started to rage around Chang-Sun, Kali and Baek Gyeo-Ul had to stop fighting for a moment and turned around.

「What in the world…?」

“I think Chang-Sun hyung-nim had another awakening or something,” Gyeo-Ul said with a grin, watching his [Shadow Armor] getting more robust.

「I can tell that much since I’m his subordinate. …I thought I was finally at a level where I could be of use to him, but he was quicker than me and went even higher.」

Despite Kali’s grumbling, she looked proud, not sad.

「Let’s do a better job so we won’t slow him down. Otherwise, all those hellish times we went through under my mother’s guidance will only go to waste.」

Briefly recalling the times when they had gone through hardships together, Gyeo-Ul smiled bitterly and said, “Teacher… was quite harsh.”

Gyeo-Ul considered Durga to be his teacher and looked up to her, but she had distanced herself from Gyeo-Ul, saying she did not take in students.

However, Kali did not seem to share Gyeo-Ul’s opinion. Gaping in surprise, she asked a question.

「Is that all you can say about it? Harsh?」

“I won’t say anything else,” Gyeo-Ul replied.

「You’ve gotten pretty shrewd.」

“I’ve learned that it’s the only way to survive in this rough world,” Gyeo-Ul said dramatically.

「And you’ve also become quite the talker. Where in the world did that innocent boy go?」

Kali shook her head for a moment, then looked at Richardus’ guards and the Dragon Monarch, trying to figure out how to discover their weaknesses.

「In any case, we should also get something done soon, shouldn’t we?」

“You’re right,” Gyeo-Ul said with a nod.

Paaah―!

The two began to run again.

[The Giant King of <Muspelheim> has revealed his wrath!]

Chang-Sun drew the [Twilight Spear] back toward him before repeatedly thrusting it forth again.

Booom! Boom! Boom! Booom!

Four spear attacks filled with explosive power soon followed.

Booom…!

Then, a strike that was stronger than the four prior attacks combined followed, heading directly for Richardus.

[The Authority ‘Dream-Eating Beast’ has been activated, increasing the damage of your spear attacks!]

…

[Distributed 100 additional points to Strength. 1,332 → 1,432]

[Distributed 100 additional points to Agility. 1,450 → 1,550]

…

[Increasing the damage of your weapon attacks!]

[The Effects of the Authority ‘Mountain-Crushing Supremacy’ have been applied.]

[You are able to move much more quickly than before!]

[The Effect of the Authority ‘Sea Change’ has been applied.]

…

[Your understanding of weapons is matchless.]

[The Trait ‘Thousand-Weapon Commander’ has been upgraded to the Trait ‘King of Weapons’!]

[You have acquired the right to utilize all existing weapons in the world.]

Once Chang-Sun regained the trademark Trait of ‘Divine Twilight’, the damage of [Dream-Eating Beast] reached a higher level than ever before.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

Pzzzz―!

Richardus’ [Blood Sword] shattered, its fragments scattering in the air. Before he could recover his sword, Chang-Sun struck him using Flashstrike several times, leaving seven holes in Richardus’ left shoulder and his right leg.

“What in the world happened to you…?” Richardus muttered, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

His [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy] was his specialty, but he could not become physically stronger than Chang-Sun. Despite how [Sea Change] could normally be used to crush everything, it was now starting to crumble. Up until a moment before, Richardus had been fighting neck to neck with Chang-Sun; however, Chang-Sun had changed in the blink of an eye. After that, the tide of the battle had turned completely in Chang-Sun’s favor.

‘That eye… It’s that eye,’ Richardus thought, realizing the reason behind the change after noticing Chang-Sun’s eye gleaming quietly.

“Why are you asking me to follow him? Other than how he’s pretending to be a loner prince, I don’t see anything special about him.”

Some time in the past, Richardus had asked that question to the Emperor’s Seat as they watched Chang-Sun leaving <Purple Star Astrology>; Richardus had been unable to understand why his father, whom he respected, would order him to watch out for Chang-Sun.

“He’s a poor child,” the Emperor’s Seat said simply.

“Poor…? From what I know, he’s started an awful lot of problems for a poor child,” Richardus replied.

“Follow him and you’ll find out soon enough. I think this will be a learning experience for you,” the Emperor’s Seat said, smiling gently.

Richardus was not exactly the sentimental sort. After leaving the family that had always put restrictions on him, he had joined <Purple Star Astrology> and begun working as an assassin with his identity hidden. Since Richardus used all kinds of methods to complete his goal, even to the point of disregarding ethics, the Emperor’s Seat had scolded him a lot.

Even after hearing the answer from the Emperor’s Seat, Richardus had been unable to understand, but he had been given an order and felt obligated to follow it. Thus, he had approached Chang-Sun as if it were a coincidence, and then became Chang-Sun’s comrade.

It did not take long for him to understand what the Emperor’s Seat had been talking about.

“Twilight.”

“Twilight!”

“Damn you, Twilight…”

Xerxes, Kali, Crom Cruach… They had united with Chang-Sun as their leader. Before he knew it, Richardus had completely become part of the group.

“Guys, Richardus is crying.”

“What? Really?”

“Cough, cough, cough! You shouldn’t make fun of people for crying, but I do look funny,” Richardus said, chuckling quietly.

There were days when he cried.

“It’s funny.”

“Isn’t it?”

“…Yeah, I’ve never had fun like this,” Richardus said, smiling faintly.

There were days when he laughed.

“Richardus.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Many accidents and incidents took place, but they went through it all together. And then…

“Richardus…? Why are you here?”

After Chang-Sun was brought to the Divine Trial, Richardus pretended he would save Chang-Sun, but then ran away. When Richardus showed up in front of Crom again, she gave him a look that he would never be able to forget.

“I don’t know what happened to you.”

She was crying.

“But I hope you don’t become wounded, my brother.”

Crom had trusted Richardus, but she was betrayed. However, instead of blaming him, Crom felt sorry for Richardus, as she believed he had to have been suffering alone for his unspeakable secret.

That was the moment Richardus realized something was wrong. Up until then, he had been carrying out his orders like a machine, but they had sent him down a path there was no turning back from.

Thus, Richardus had tried to revive Crom. Although he used the magical knowledge she possessed as a pretext, in truth, he actually wanted to see her again. Of course, the result was a failure.

“Hohohoho, you know what, Grain Star?”

The Eunuch Star asked Richardus a question as he stood blankly in front of the Dragon Monarchs, the Undead who did not even have Crom’s ego.

“You should really see the look on your face,” the Eunuch Star said, giggling.

“…What is it you want to say?” Richardus asked.

“Don’t you think Father messed everything up? You didn’t even consider learning what emotions are, but he made you learn them, which is what’s making you feel empty right now,” the Eunuch Star replied.

“So what? Should I hate Father for that? Should I start a rebellion or something?” Richardus asked with a frown.

“Why not?" the Eunuch Star replied.

“What?” Richardus asked.

“Do you not want to ascend to the throne? I’ll make you into a king,” the Eunuch Star said, grinning from ear to ear.

After many incidents, Richardus became the ‘Tian Shi Yuan’. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun returned from the <Underworld>.

“Eunuch Star,” Richardus said.

“Yes? Speak, my king,” the Eunuch Star replied.

“You said that once I sat on the throne and eliminated everything that torments me, I’d be at peace,” Richardus continued.

“I did say that,” Eunuch Star said with a nod.

“But why do I feel the same?” Richardus asked.

“Hmph! I see. I made a mistake, since I didn’t consider the possibility of Twilight returning at all. Then why don’t you try this?” the Eunuch Star replied.

“Try what?” Richardus asked.

“Try meeting Twilight again. Then, won’t you be able to find out what the cause of your troubles is, my king?” the Eunuch Star replied, smiling as he offered his suggestion.

After that, Richardus accepted his subject’s recommendation.

‘Eunuch Star,’ Richardus thought, smiling bitterly. ‘You were right. I now know what’s been ailing me.’

Swoosh!

Spatial gaps opened wide all around him, Divine Steel chains pouring out from them.

“Richardus—no, Grain Star the defendant,” Chang-Sun said coldly.

Feeling the chains binding his limbs tightly, Richardus’ bitter smile deepened. He thought, ‘I’ve been… truly idolizing him.’

Chang-Sun continued, “I’ll be initiating your trial from now on.”

[A Divine Trial has started!]