Chapter 272: Winter (2)

Hawai‘i Island.

The Gate of Gehenna, darker than darkness itself, was cloaked in the night.

Shhh.

A group of black-clad figures, masked and dressed in dark suits, slowly emerged from the moon’s shadows.

They looked like shadows given form and mass—human in shape but terrifyingly different, their eyes glowing with a crimson light.

Step, step.

Someone stopped beneath the shadow of a tree.

He leaned a cane against the trunk and lowered his mask, revealing a wrinkled face.

It was Altair, the head of the Auditore family. He looked up at the crescent moon peeking through the dark clouds.

“The moon is especially bright tonight.”

The patriarch murmured, staring at the sky. Beside him, a slender figure in black lowered his mask to his chin. It was Knox.

“So it is, sir. On nights like this, people tend to drink heavily at the bars…”

Knox spoke with a hint of concern. The patriarch slowly lowered his gaze to his grandson.

The wrinkles deepened in his face as he smiled.

“Seems you’re enjoying your work at the shop.”

Knox had been working for half a year at a sushi restaurant in Korea.

Since New Year’s, he had even begun handling the sashimi knife.

“‘Enjoying’ might not be the word…”

Knox scratched his forehead, embarrassed by the patriarch’s satisfied smile.

“…It’s just that I’ve gotten used to it after six months.”

“You say that, but your body tells the truth. Look at that smile.”

“…!”

Knox quickly pulled his mask back up, but the skin around his eyes flushed red.

The patriarch’s calm smile widened.

“No need to be embarrassed. Learning the value of work while young is important—especially for us, who’ve grown up never lacking for anything.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Knox, if you wish, you may sit this mission out.”

“No, sir.”

Knox firmly shook his head. His crimson pupils flicked to the sides, then focused straight ahead.

“This mission was ordered directly by the Heavenly Sword. Nothing could be more important than that.”

The patriarch stared at him blankly for a moment, then gave a faint smile and replaced his mask.

With a voice distorted by it, he spoke.

“You all heard Knox. This ‘recon mission into the Gehenna Demon Realm’ comes by direct order from the Heavenly Sword. So you must be more alert than ever, understood? This mission will last five days. Even though you’ve trained to adapt to the Demon Realm’s environment, don’t lower your guard. This will be a test of endurance. Manage your energy wisely.”

The black-clad figures nodded silently. The patriarch swept his gaze over the family members before continuing.

“There’s one more thing the Heavenly Sword said—something even more important than the mission itself. Perhaps the hardest thing for us.”

Knox asked, his expression tense.

“What is it, sir?”

The patriarch smiled before answering. Though masked, the entire group could feel it.

“Come back alive—all of you.”

With that, he turned to face the Gate.

“It’s been a long time since I looked at the moon like this.”

As he stepped out from the tree’s shadow, the moonlight bathed his entire figure. His shadow stretched long across the ground.

“Maybe the first time since all this began.”

His moonlit eyes seemed to track the distant past. Then, speaking over his shoulder.

“By the Heavenly Sword’s command, return safe and sound. If you don’t, I’ll personally punish you severely.”

The patriarch took a step forward. The group of dark figures stirred like a faint wave, then melted into his shadow.

Overlapping shadows formed a great triangle behind him.

“Let’s go, my children.”

The soft moonlight stretched far ahead, lighting the path before them.

***

After Karon and Shail’s departure, on the fourth day, two familiar faces visited the quiet office.

“Our Geom-Ma! Have you been well without me?”

Director Media greeted me with a toothy grin. Beside her was a slightly fatigued Meian of the Thousand Forces.

I opened my eyes wide.

“What happened to you two?”

The Poison sisters looked ragged. Dust covered their entire bodies, and their clothes were torn, revealing patches of skin.

“Ugh.”

I instinctively covered my nose. Their body odor was unpleasant.

Meian explained the situation.

“We haven’t been able to bathe for a month. I told Media we should wash up and fix ourselves a bit first, but she insisted on seeing you immediately.”

Here was the story.

On the very day of the “Joaquin Assassination Attempt,” the Poison sisters requested cooperation from their father, the Association president. It was thanks to his cutting-edge technological expertise.

And the president actively supported his daughters.

He used satellites he had personally launched to track the enemies, demonstrating a level of fourth-generation technology that even Ryozo couldn’t match.

“These weren’t your typical Villain Alliance types. They were independent cells with no fixed base. But they were scattered all over the world. So what could we do? We had to catch them. We spent a month circling the globe and wiped them all out.”

Meian let out a deep sigh.

“We tried to leave some alive for interrogation, but as soon as they were about to talk, their heads exploded. Most likely, the demons they’d made pacts with had implanted magic in them.”

I served tea to the sisters, who had collapsed onto the sofa.

“You both did an excellent job. Please, have some tea and rest from your journey.”

Media’s eyes sparkled as she took a sip.

“Huh?! Why is this so good?”

Even Meian, who hadn’t shown much interest, brought the cup to her lips.

“…What? It really is that good? I feel the fatigue fading away.”

Before leaving, Shail had left me all her tea leaves and taught me how to brew them properly.

“Oh, right.”

Meian seemed to recall something as she drank the tea and looked at me.

“What happened with the army formation? I heard bits and pieces, but not the details. I’ve been traveling too much.”

“It’s going well.”

I sat across from the sisters and replied.

“We’re organizing troops based on Association heroes, and many mercenaries from agencies around the world have also offered their help. Even independent heroes are volunteering.”

“Wow, you must’ve gathered a ton.”

“Yes. It’s already twenty times more than I had imagined.”

“Oh, I’m so proud! Our Geom-Ma!”

Media tried to throw herself at me in a hug, but I quickly stepped away.

Sorry, but the smell was too much.

Besides, her torn clothes looked like they could fall apart at any moment.

“Shouldn’t you check your condition before lunging like that?”

Luckily, Meian stopped her. Media struggled against her grip, but soon slumped again. Her eyes were hazy, like a drunk.

Meian frowned at her, then turned to me and apologized.

“Sorry. Notice how her speech and behavior became childish? Honestly, she’s a bit out of her mind. And it’s understandable—this winter, she killed far too much.”

“Ah… I see.”

“No matter that they were villainous lackeys, they were still human. For someone not used to killing, to take out dozens, hundreds… It might sound like favoritism, but she’s mentally strong, which is why she didn’t completely lose it. Anyone else wouldn’t have come out as well.”

Meian gave a bitter smile. The tea was sweet, but it left a sour aftertaste.

“Geom-Ma, do you know the most important condition for ‘Awakening a Blessing’?”

Meian set down her cup carefully to avoid making a sound. Her sister was asleep on her shoulder.

“There are many conditions, but the clearest one is taking as many lives as possible. Kill, kill, and keep killing. Until you go blank. When you start to enjoy it, you become incapable of remaining human.”

As she spoke, Meian leaned her head back. Her light green hair cascaded down the back of the sofa like a veil.

She stared at the ceiling—or perhaps beyond it—and murmured.

“What a strange world. The more you seek the blessing of a god, the more lives you must take.”

Then she slowly lowered her head. Her face showed conflicting emotions.

“…What do those who call themselves gods really seek? Are they truly gods? Seeing what they do, they seem worse than demons.”

Meian recalled a moment from the past, listening to her sister’s steady breathing.

·
·
·

There was a time when she moved constantly across the battlefield.

But the more blood was spilled, the more clouded her judgment became.

She tried to ignore it. Thought she could handle it.

It was childish arrogance.

Eventually, Meian lost control under the guise of “Awakening the Blessing.”

Deploying the army was considered, but Media objected. She insisted on stopping her herself.

Many doubted. In that state, Meian was nearly on par with the Seven Stars.

Just a step below the Hero Founder.

How could she stop her?

Even the Swordmaster and Changseong tried to stop Media. But she did it. She suppressed her sister’s awakening.

Though at great cost. She lingered on the edge of death for years, and even now she cannot use half of her power.

Media smiled naively, saying it didn’t matter if her core was destroyed.

From then on, Meian began to curse the world and the gods.

Without hesitation, she ventured into the cursed land of Gehenna, searching for traces of the gods in case they ever reawakened.

It was also winter that day.

Unlike the world of the living, in Gehenna the snow was a deep, bloody red.

Meian found a narrow cave. Inside, to her surprise, was a ragged child trembling and curled up.

In a corner was a thick, ancient tome. A book of prophecies.

After reading it, Meian discovered the truth of the world. And she knew that child was the hero of prophecy.

Meian reached out her hand.

“Don’t stay here. Come with me.”

Perhaps with some compassion.

“You must fulfill your role.”

And also to fulfill her own ambition.

“Accept the Sword God. I’ll help you destroy the gods seeking resurrection.”

·
·
·

While Meian was lost in thought, I remained silent.

‘The more lives you take, the closer you get to awakening the blessing.’

I reflected on those words. If they were true, I must be one of the most dangerous. And so were the members of the shadow family, the Auditore. After all, assassination was their craft.

‘Now that I think of it.’

The Auditore were currently infiltrated in Gehenna under my orders. Today was the fourth day, so they should be returning tomorrow.

‘I hope they’re alright.’

I shook off the rising anxiety like smoke. If I didn’t trust their skills, who could I trust? No ordinary incident should pose a threat to them.

It was at that moment.

Crash!

The office door burst open violently. Meian snapped out of her thoughts, and Media, who was asleep, jumped in shock.

A man of imposing stature entered. Each step made his plate armor clink, and his cape billowed behind him.

“Forgive the discourtesy of arriving unannounced.”

The man was the captain of the knight squad of the Outer Church. His left knee hit the ground with a loud thud of metal.

“It’s an urgent message from the Auditore.”

The captain spoke with a tense face.

“In the demon realm, in Gehenna the hero Leon van Reinhardt has been seen.”