Back to Home (4) [Illustration]

Reconstruction headquarters established in Seoul.

Headquarters, which is so busy rebuilding the collapsed city, is overflowing with work piled up like a mountain today.

“Ah… so much work…”

In front of an old monitor full of paper files, a woman slumped over a chair.

Contrary to her exotic appearance, the woman, who spoke fluent Korean, sighed that the ground would disappear as she saw what had not diminished no matter what she did.

“It was more of a problem after saving the world.”

“Kaya-sama. Don’t play, work.”

“Ah. I’m doing it…”

After being scolded by a subordinate, she corrected her posture with a grunt.

Kaya.

Real name: Kaya Andreyevna Rechenkov.

She was a member of the pentagram that led the war.

Commonly known as the sorceress Kaya, as her name suggests, she was from Russia.

Originally, he planned to return to his hometown after the war, but now he is sitting in Seoul and helping rebuild.

The reason doesn’t matter. This is because the land of his hometown evaporated during the war.

For her now, Korea, where she was with her captain, Eugene, was her second home.

“It was more convenient to kill the beast, it was more convenient…”

After the war swept through Seoul, there really was nothing.

Law and society have completely collapsed, and there is almost no functioning national apparatus.

In fact, a situation where you have to build everything from the ground up.

It was hard work indeed for Kaya, who had little knowledge in this area.

“Ah… I want to see Uncle Eugene…”

If it was him, he would have come up with a solution even in this situation.

In fact, he had the longest bag strap in Pentagram, and he was also smart.

But no matter how much I wanted to see him, he was no longer in this world.

I lifted the frame from the desk and looked at the group photo I had taken the other day.

Seeing him, whom I couldn’t see anymore, made me feel even more depressed.

“Mister…why did you leave us alone…”

He was always blunt, but always willing to help when he needed help.

And he’s smart, but he’s also very smart, so he’s the one who can easily solve anything.

However, the person who eventually died in their arms.

After all the wars, his own captain died along with the boss.

He told me to forget him and live, but as time passed, his vacancy only felt bigger.

“Stupid uncle…”

The title Kang Yoo-jin hates the most.

He mumbled ‘Mr.

Kaya put the frame down with a heavy sigh.

“Uh… Kaya-sama? Is there something I need to see?”

“What is it… I still have a lot of work.”

“It’s not work… I have something strange.”

What the subordinate showed was the observation record of the Magi observation equipment.

The place is Gangwon-do.

Kaya’s eyes widened as she looked at the concentration of demons on the map.

The number shown was much lower than before.

“What is it? Why is it so low? Isn’t it broken?”

“In case you didn’t know, I measured it with another one, and they all came out the same.”

Even if the Magi level was low, it was too low.

At this level, it is safe to say that the magic has almost disappeared.

She put on the coat she had hastily hung up.

“I have to go myself. You!”

“Ah, yep!”

“Call my friends! Come to Gangwon-do!”

“Yes…? Ha, but even if I contact the heroes…”

Direct contact with the hero of Pentagram?

Kaya resented the hesitant subordinate who said that it couldn’t be.

“Ah, what kind of masters are they!? Just do it!”

“Hey, wait…!”

And then it warps in an instant.

Originally, warp is impossible in Gangwon-do because of the enormous density of demons.

It’s because the space coordinates are distorted because of Magi.

However, if it is true that the concentration of demonic energy has been lowered, a warp would be possible.

Such prediction fit perfectly, and she jumped to the spatial coordinates derived in an instant.

Hwaaak-!

“What is it… It really moved.”

Stepping on the dirt floor, she repeated with a puzzled face.

“Did Maggie really disappear?”

Kaya’s eyes surveyed the forest in bewilderment.

The always gloomy clouds have cleared and the clear sunlight is shining through the forest.

The blackened ground returns to its original color, and the trees are full of life.

“It can’t be like this…?”

The reason Gangwon-do was covered with demons was because Maria died here in a runaway.

Her body was sealed with Equinox, but the mighty Magi leaked through the seal and turned Gangwon-do into a land of the dead.

Almost all of them have escaped now, but it normally takes thousands of years for the demonic energy that covered the area to naturally disappear.

It was never natural to disappear so quickly.

‘It’s not serious. Something is happening.’

I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

But Kaya’s legs were already moving fast.

If this has changed, there is a place you must check.

She ran at full speed toward the place where Maria’s body was.

“ah···.”

There, there was Maria, whose Equinox stuck in her chest had disappeared.

Her body, her eyes closed comfortably, had all the dark and dense demonic energy gone.

“Sister Maria…”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her mouth.

And just as the timing was right, it was around that time that the other members of Pentagram arrived as well.

“What!? What’s wrong with Gangwon-do?”

“Don’t act recklessly, take a look at the situation first…”

“Kaya-sama~!”

Patrick. Wolfgang. Angela.

The rest of the members all found this place.

All of them had a dumbfounded look on their faces, but when they saw Kaya standing there nailed to one place, they ran towards it.

“What the hell is this…?”

And, seeing Maria’s appearance, all of them shut their mouths.

With the sword gone, Maria calmly closed her eyes.

And, a single white chrysanthemum flower in front of it.

“Who the hell did it?

Wolfgang stroked his chin and groaned in a way he couldn’t understand.

Maria’s magi was overwhelming in both quality and quantity, so even the pentagram couldn’t help it.

In order to solve it, a truly enormous amount of holy power and an overwhelming understanding of demonic energy would be required.

Of course, the former is not possible, and the only person in history who can do the latter is Yujin Kang.

“Chibeol… it’s not like our captain came back to life…”

Kang Yoo-jin’s body is impossible because they have already recovered and even held a funeral.

Patrick muttered, but fell silent as Kaya shot him deadly.

Kang Yu-jin’s name was like a taboo here.

“Did someone from Helios do it?”

“If there’s a possibility, that’s the only option, but…”

Why all of a sudden in a place that hadn’t been involved on Earth throughout the war?

The question crossed my mind, but the matter was quickly forgotten.

For them now, trivial problems are fine.

“Maria sister…you waited a long time…?”

Kaya approached with tears in her eyes and took Maria’s hand.

“Let’s go back, we…”

Maria, who had been sleeping lonely for a long time, was finally able to take her away.

With solemn faces, they prepared to collect the body of their former colleague.

“Huh… black…”

If there was Kang Yoo-jin.

Had he been alive, it would have been better.

They paid a moment of silence as they honored the lost captain with an old comrade finally reclaimed.

In the center, Kaya picked up the flower placed in front of Maria.

The white chrysanthemum flowers scattered and disappeared with magic, as if it had done its job only then.

“···thanks.”

I thanked the unknown benefactor like that.

Hoping that this gratitude will be conveyed through the wind.

*

“Quiet. I’m back!”

As soon as they returned to the Altar of Stars, Ensia, who had been stretched out, wandered around.

If you stay still even for a moment, will thorns grow in your mouth?

Yujin Kang, who was watching her, shook her head.

“professor!”

“Why are you calling?”

“Do you have time in a few days?”

Kang Yoo-jin shook her head like a knife at Ensia who asked with her eyes shining.

“No. I’m busy.”

“Puuu!!”

Ensia puffed out her cheeks like a puffer fish in pain, but Kang Yujin was really busy.

The work of the thesis examiner will begin soon, and a new thesis must be prepared, as well as the new weapon of the demons brought from the battlefield the other day.

There is a lot of work to be done.

“It’s an important thing…”

“·······.”

He turned his head and looked at Ansia.

“If you need me, take your time.”

Facing the serious gaze, Ensia’s body stiffened.

“Uh…”

Black eyes with sincerity.

Ensia, who was looking at those deep, clear eyes, avoided her gaze with a flushed face.

“Well, can I call you later!?”

“Do it.”

“Yep!!”

Then I get embarrassed by myself and run away.

Why are you doing that?

Kids these days couldn’t figure it out, so Yujin Kang let out a deep sigh.

Ensia left, leaving only Kang Yoo-jin at the Altar of Stars.

He took out the Equinox he had retrieved and held it forward.

“I brought it back.”

In an instant, light descended and spread its wings.

Laniakea welcomed Eugene in the softly shining golden light.

“Welcome. My Apostle.”

A soft voice as usual.

the most holy sky.

Facing the constellation he served, Yujin Kang prostrated himself and held out the sword supported by both hands.

“You don’t need to be so formal…”

Laniakea accepted the sword with a slightly embarrassed voice.

Equinox.

While looking at the silver blade, she opened her mouth to Kang Yoo-jin first.

“I’m sorry. It must have been difficult…”

“Fine.”

He shook his head.

My feelings for Maria had already been sorted out there.

“And it was difficult for you too, wasn’t it?”

Laniakea also put a lot of effort into retrieving Maria’s sword.

The magi that erupted from Maria was lethal even in small amounts.

The reason why I was able to walk through it and put the witchbeast’s consciousness to rest was all because of the immense holy power that Laniakea breathed into it.

Yujin Kang gave her credit to Laniakea.

“really···.”

Looking at Yujin Kang, Laniakea sighed quietly.

“You are a kind person. Eugene-nim.”

“·······.”

He smiled and said so with a grateful heart.

She laughed at Yujin Kang, who was silent, and stared blankly at the Equinox that was handed to her.

“Do you know about the origin of this sword?”

“no.”

Maria had never spoken out loud about Equinox.

I just let them know that there is a powerful power that burns demons and demons.

I didn’t say more than that, and my colleagues didn’t ask anything other than that.

Because their only interest was killing demons.

“This is a sword I made myself for Maria when she was still on Helios.”

“For Maria, in person?”

“Yeah.”

she laughed.

It was a smile filled with faint nostalgia and longing.

“This is where the power of the ‘Soma (燒魔)’ that burns demonic energy dwells. This is because this sword originated from me.”

“What if it originated?”

“It means that I took my authority and made it.”

Power of the Constellation.

In other words, she used some of the basis of her power.

“… Maria. Was she that special to you?”

“Yes. It’s special.”

She nodded.

“Maria is my twin sister.”

“·······.”

Moment.

Yujin Kang did not understand what he had just heard.

With a rare face of bewilderment, he barely opened his mouth after a long time had passed.

“Twins… little sister.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Suddenly, the darkness inside the hood seemed to smile.

“Maria was my sister.”

Kang Yoo-jin’s expressionless expression broke for the first time at the affirmation and added words.

I thought it would be a special relationship.

Usually, Laniakea said something special about Maria.

That’s why I thought of it as a disciple or student that I cherish in my heart…

no way. You said it was your brother?

“But Maria-“

“Yes. Human. Hunter.”

You seem to understand the question.

Laniakea lowered her gaze and continued.

“Maria believed that in order to defeat the Witchbeast, you had to understand the Witchbeast more deeply.”

To win a war, you first need to know your enemy.

Maria, who believed so blindly, tried to understand their power and way of thinking by taking on demons herself.

Even while feeling that the holy power that shines like the morning star is mixed with demonic energy and becomes cloudy, and that one’s own rank is falling.

Maria didn’t stop.

“That’s how Maria fell. As a human.”

“·······.”

“And after a while, war broke out on Earth.”

Maria wanted to protect the far-off world from the Witchbeast.

Even though she lost the power of the constellation, she was strong, and Laniakea took her power and made a sword to pray for her twin brother’s safety.

Maria could have been the key to ending the war.

“I didn’t know then. That Maria would sympathize with the demons.”

If you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

Maria took too much demonic energy, and in return fell to heaven.

After falling down, she was neither a human nor a demon, but only half, and because of this, she deeply sympathized with the demons who were suffering in the same situation as herself.

“She. Maria, was a child who could see farther than anyone else.”

When Maria was the Constellation.

Her nickname was ‘Guiding Star’.

She knew how to see the fate and future of people, and gathered people together to end the war in which the demons were suffering as soon as possible.

That is, those who are strong enough to end the war and have a shining destiny.

It was only natural that she was drawn to Yujin Kang.

“You have a greater destiny than anyone else in this war. That’s why Maria came to visit you.”

“·······.”

Maria said this to Eugene, whom she met for the first time.

that you are the most suitable

He now understood the meaning of the words.

She saw in herself the brightest destiny to end the war.

“Then… did she see me as the person who would end the war?”

“Nope.”

Raniakea flatly denied that suspicious voice.

“Maria, nevertheless, loved you wholeheartedly.”

“·······.”

When everything went to catastrophe and the last remaining trust was lost, Maria was devastated.

However, even she believed in Kang Yoo-jin.

Because he was always the same, unchanging, Maria, who had collapsed, asked him at the end.

I didn’t want to destroy his world with my own hands, I just wanted to die in the arms of the one I love.

“·······.”

My head hurt.

It seemed that his feverish head had caused an overload.

Yujin Kang lowered her head deeply and couldn’t open her mouth.

He just looked at the sword Laniakea was holding.

“… And. Catastrophe and tragedy. Beyond that, this sword pierced the owner’s chest and returned to my hands again.”

She put down her sword and approached Kang Yoo-jin with her head down.

Then he lowered his stance and gently embraced him.

To understand and sympathize with his sorrow and sense of loss.

The Constellation just wanted to comfort its apostle.

“Thank you. For bringing back Maria’s legacy.”

“What to do.”

In a trembling voice, he replied.

“I just did what I had to do.”

In response to that blunt answer, Laniakea hugged him a little tighter and slowly let him go.

“I’ve always watched, but he’s a really blunt person. My apostle.”

“···Is that so.”

This is something I hear often from colleagues.

It’s a reaction that’s nothing new now.

“Eugene.”

“Yeah.”

“Your face. Would you like to show me?”

Suddenly, he raised his head and saw Laniakea.

“You will know my face.”

“Because I’ve never met him in person.”

Did you see that?

Raniakea and Kang Eugene.

The two had never shown their true faces to each other all the time.

Realizing that, he slowly took off his mask and hat.

Her hair fluttered in the wind that blew softly, and her melancholy eyes looked at her god.

“Whoops. You’re so handsome.”

“·······.”

Her reaction, a huhuhuhu laugh, was somehow embarrassing.

The moment I was about to lower my head to hide my shyness, Laniakea raised her hand.

Then, grabbing the hood and putting it back, the darkness lurked within it was removed.

Sarak-

“·······.”

It was like a light that took on a human form.

Silvery hair that looks like it was woven with starlight.

Light purple eyes that sparkle and shine in the night sky.

Laniakea’s appearance, shining like that, was exactly like Maria’s.

“It’s too late. To see each other face to face.”

“···Yes.”

Looking at her like Maria, but more mysterious.

Yujin Kang nodded.

“okay.”

Facing each other’s true selves belatedly, the constellation and the apostle looked into each other’s eyes for a long time.

The softly curved corners of his eyes smiled.

Eyes like the starry sky contain Eugene.

She smiled gracefully and reached out to grab Yoojin’s hand.

“Equinox. I want my authority to be used for you now.”

“·······.”

“If you ever need anything, tell me. I’ll make you look what you want.”

“···Yes.”

Equinox’s silver blade turns into light.

The swords that scattered and disappeared as if they melted into the air, hovered around Laniakea like drawing the Milky Way and permeated into her wings.

“I hope you find a good use for it. After all, it’s better than any material in the world.”

“Is it better than Hon River?”

In an instant, her expression turned grim.

“…you can’t even compare.”

The way he speaks in a volmen voice.

That innocent look really resembles Maria.

He could, on rare occasions, laugh heartily.

“Now go back to your seat.”

“Yes. See you later.”

Bowing his head, Yujin Kang turned his back.

Raise your mask and wear a hat.

He is ready to return to Kang Yoo-jin, a hunter and professor.

Watching him disappear, Laniakea quietly wished him luck.

“Cheer up. My precious apostle.”