Chapter 199 – Succession Ceremony (1)

Sacrifice.

The crowd doesn’t understand the weight of those two simple syllables. And yet, they demand it from heroes.

They expect a hero to devote their life to a noble cause, and they take it for granted that said hero will be willing to give their life for humanity.

The more famous a hero becomes, the heavier the word — “sacrifice” — presses down on their shoulders.

So then, how much must a Hero of the Seven Stars sacrifice? And is the price of that sacrifice worth it?

Saki Kojima pondered that question for a long time.

And strangely, when he was younger, his answer had been yes. Of course, it was largely thanks to the influence of another person.

‘Shouldn’t someone bear that burden? And since we’re at it, isn’t it best that it be us? What’s with that why me face? It’s obvious! Because we’re the strongest! We can endure it better than anyone!’

That’s what Alice Louise once said during their school days at Joaquin Academy, proudly flexing her robust muscles.

At the time, Kojima thought they were just empty words.

After all, anyone can say something noble. What matters is whether they follow through.

But Alice did follow through. If someone needed help, she went — no matter how dangerous the place. She always led by example as a hero. And that conviction didn’t waver, even after she married Kojima.

Kojima wanted her to stay home, but Alice shut that down with a fierce glare.

‘Say that again, and we’re getting divorced.’

…And so, their life together carried on without incident. At least, until that day came.

Forty years ago, the commander of the Sixth Legion, Basmon, suddenly appeared near the Gate of Gehenna. At the same time, the seven most powerful heroes of humanity were summoned. They would later be known as the Seven Stars.

The biggest problem was where Basmon had emerged. Demons grow stronger the closer they are to the demon world.

Thus, the plan was to lure him away from the Gate. Someone had to serve as bait to draw him out.

It was a suicide mission — to face the Sixth Legion commander at full power, divert him without being detected, and lead him to the battlefield. And it had to be done alone.

If two or three people went, the risk of Basmon noticing would rise.

‘I’ll go.’

Siegfried volunteered without hesitation. Someone had to, and he believed it should be him.

Others could take his place, sure, but the odds of success would drop significantly. At the time, he was considered the strongest human alive.

Richard of Mura protested fiercely, saying he would go instead, but most agreed it should be Siegfried. They feared Richard’s impulsive nature would ruin the plan.

So everything seemed decided.

Before dawn, while the sky was still pale, someone visited Siegfried’s post.

‘I’ll go, senior.’

Alice appeared, her eyes resolute.

‘I’m a tank. This duty is mine.’

Siegfried frowned and shook his head.

‘I can’t send a comrade to certain death.’

‘You’re saying that because I just gave birth to our third child, right? I get it. I appreciate the concern, but tell me this what happens if you die? Then the whole plan falls apart.’

‘Even so, I can’t let you go.’

Siegfried was firm, but Alice insisted.

‘I was called here for this very reason. If you go in my place, you’ll be interfering with what’s rightfully mine. Let me do it. We both know this is the best way to minimize losses.’

‘……’

Siegfried fell silent, his expression dark. Because he knew. He knew Alice was right.

‘…Does Kojima know?’

Alice gave a bitter smile.

‘Of course not. If he knew, he’d do everything in his power to stop me.’

‘Even if I don’t say a word, he’ll resent me for it.’

‘I know. And deep down, he knows too. He knows I’m the best suited for this. But he doesn’t have the courage to say it.’

Then, Alice looked up at the pale sky. The darkness was beginning to retreat, and the sun was rising.

The moon and stars that lit up the night faded from view.

Just like those lights vanishing with the dawn, Alice was ready to step aside. There was no bitterness in her.

Only duty.

‘This is the only way to avoid an even greater sacrifice.’

Her decision, though heroic, was selfish to those around her — especially her family.

But in her mind, there was no other choice. Because she was a hero.

As sunlight brushed the earth, Alice silently murmured.

‘Kojima is a hero too. I’m sure he’ll understand my decision.’

***

“What did you just say?”

The voice, brimming with rage, didn’t come from the Swordmaster—it came from Changseong. He stepped forward with a heavy stomp and planted himself in front of Kojima, frowning hard.

“I’ll ask again, archer. What did you just say about Nibelung?”

“Has Senior Changseong grown so old that he can’t hear properly unless things are repeated?”

Kojima replied with a scornful tone.

“Senior Siegfried looked like he’d lost his edge. I said it clearly.”

“…You insolent bastard… So you’re trying to step over your senior now, huh?”

“My, since when were you and Senior Siegfried so close? You two snarl at each other just walking down the hall. I don’t think you’re in a position to be angry on his behalf.”

Changseong didn’t respond to Kojima’s sarcasm. Instead, he threw a punch. Kojima, as if expecting it, pivoted clockwise to dodge.

Changseong’s brute strength was unmatched, but his style was direct and predictable. A powerful hit didn’t mean much if it could be dodged.

However…

Thud!

Changseong grabbed his left shoulder. A hand as large as a pot lid gripped him tightly.

“Enough childish games, archer.”

Changseong stared down at him coldly, then spoke in a low voice.

“For Alice’s sake, I’ll let this one slide. But grit your teeth—unless you want to replace your whole jaw with implants.”

Just then, a figure in green stepped between them.

Boom!

A thunderous impact rocked the room. The force kicked up dust and shook the chandelier loose.

Changseong’s fist stopped just short of Kojima’s face. A slender hand had caught his wrist mid-air.

“Gorilla, that’s enough. Kang Geom-Ma is here. Did you forget our promise? No one would cause trouble during the interview.”

Media let go of his wrist. Only then did Changseong lower his fist.

“I got carried away. Sorry, Media.”

“Then act like it. You always pull something and then apologize. I’m sick of it. And you…”

Media turned to glare at Kojima.

“You, brat. If you speak like that again, I won’t let it slide. Today I’ll chalk it up as a misunderstanding, so leave while I’m being nice.”

“……”

“And let me be clear from now on—don’t go near Kang Geom-Ma again.”

Kojima stared at her, then turned away. Before leaving the room, he cast a sharp glance at the three of them, then walked out without a word.

The tension eased—for now. In that slight calm, the Swordmaster approached me.

His face was stiff, tinged with discomfort. No doubt he felt ashamed for setting a poor example as an adult.

He broke the silence with a sigh.

“That was shameful. Sorry you had to see that.”

Just as I expected. The predictable response.

I replied casually.

“It must’ve been very frustrating for you, Swordmaster. Being told that to your face.”

“Ha, don’t worry. I’m not a child who flares up over words.”

His face finally relaxed a little. Then he looked toward the door Kojima had exited and asked me.

“From your perspective… did Kojima seem like he truly hated me?”

“To be honest… yes. He looked at you like you were his worst enemy.”

“I see. So that’s how you saw it.”

His voice grew heavier.

“Kojima may hold some grudge against me, but I doubt he still hates me that much. He doesn’t like me, that’s true… but the one he truly despises isn’t me.”

“……”

“The one who angers him most… is himself. It’s called self-loathing. He still can’t accept the decision of the person he valued most. Because he always tried to see the world through logic, not emotions.”

Self-loathing? The decision of someone important to him?

Without context, I couldn’t make sense of it.

Since I didn’t respond, the Swordmaster seemed to come back to himself after a pause. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Geez… I guess I’ve gotten sentimental with age. You must be tired. Go rest. The succession ceremony is in three days, right? You’ll be too busy to breathe. Get some sleep while you can.”

***

Night had deepened. Back in the dorm, I lay on my side facing the wall. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn’t fall asleep.

I felt unsettled. Everything that happened earlier weighed on me—and above all, the upcoming “succession ceremony” kept swirling in my mind.

I turned and stared at the ceiling, tracing the yellowed spots that had built up over time. It had already been over two years since I came to this world.

I retraced each memory. Just a couple years ago, I was slicing sashimi. Now, in three days, I’d become a Hero of the Seven Stars.

When I first entered the academy, I never imagined this. Back then, I was just trying to survive, with no particular goal. But from now on, I had to move forward carrying the fate of humanity. My “self” alone no longer fit within that vessel.

It wasn’t about whether I could or couldn’t. It was a duty.

“……”

Then it happened.

Bzzz—

The phone on my desk vibrated softly. I carefully got out of bed and went to check it.

[Hello, Kang Geom-Ma. My name is Vixbig. Given the urgency, I apologize for getting straight to the point.]

The screen lit up again.

[Ryozo has disappeared.]