Chapter Text
The Heavenly Demon Spirit held him in his arms. His majestic Heavenly Demon Spirit.
He had grown enormous. Look at him! So handsome! His armor gleamed with strength, his presence itself is overwhelming. Terrifying—yet he was Geom Mugeuk's beloved demon.
The Heavenly Demon Spirit remained silent as usual, and Geom Mugeuk was practically sitting in the palm of that towering darkness.
Geom Mugeuk was completely drained of energy. The dimension he had created was beginning to disappear.
The Heavenly Demon Spirit would disappear eventually.
Alright, it's time we go out and greet the others.
Geom Mugeuk truly hoped they were all safe; they had to be safe. He had worked so hard!
Looking up at the slowly collapsing ceiling of the dimension, he asked the Heavenly Demon Spirit. "Where's Soma-nim? Why did he suddenly disappear?"
But the Heavenly Demon Spirit gave no answer.
Geom Mugeuk turned his head to look at him. "Why do you look so sad?" he said cheerfully, patting the giant's hand. "We won." Geom Mugeuk could almost see the other shaking his head.
That reaction puzzled him.
The Heavenly Demon Spirit raised his hand until Geom Mugeuk was facing his face.
I stood up, reaching forward to embrace that scowling face, hoping to soften his expression even a little, though it seemed impossible.
When Geom Mugeuk hugged him, he felt the Heavenly Demon Spirit close his eyes, his brow furrowed in regret.
For some reason, the Heavenly Demon Spirit looked so sad.
What was there to regret?
"I will recover my energy, and we will meet again," he promised. "I didn't summon you solely to kill Hwa Moogi. I am your master—and your friend. We will meet again."
He thought the giant was in a bad mood because he thought he was a disposable weapon. That's why Geom Mugeuk decided to clear up the misunderstanding. But even that soothing words didn't affect the Heavenly Demon Spirit's mood.
So Geom Mugeuk simply walked back and smiled brightly. “When we meet again, then—you have to talk to me!”
The Heavenly Demon Spirit didn't move.
Instead, Geom Mugeuk's vision suddenly faded.
Geom Mugeuk could feel someone's heart pounding. Why was his heart pounding so fast?
What he had initially been looking at was the Heavenly Demon Spirit's face, but now what lay before him were the crumbled ruins of buildings, and piles of corpses—his people, the ones he had failed to protect. Ah yes, the ground they were currently standing on was half-destroyed Maga Village.
Where's his Heavenly Demon Spirit? Had they just stepped out of his dimension?
Fragments of memory struck him, pulling him back into reality.
They had already been outside all along.
That was when Mugeuk realized—his meeting with the Heavenly Demon Spirit had only taken place in his subconsciousness. No wonder Soma had suddenly disappeared, and the Heavenly Demon Spirit looked at him with sad expression.
Because at the time, Geom Mugeuk hadn't even realized which was reality and which was his subconscious.
In his subconscious, he felt fine. But the giant must have been worried about his true state, considering now, the exhaustion was washing over him like a tsunami.
Was he being hugged?
Geom Mugeuk felt someone holding him steady.
His legs felt weak. If that person hadn't held him, Geom Mugeuk would have fallen to the ground.
Who?
"Young Sect Leader..." Someone whispered.
It was Soma-nim.
He realized dimly—he was in Soma’s arms.
That frantic heartbeat wasn’t his own. It was Soma’s.
He felt Soma’s hands pressing against his back, moving desperately, trying to stem the bleeding.
A panicked breath escaped. Was that his?
It's not.
Geom Mugeuk soon realized that Soma was the one who's struggling to control his breathing.
He had to calm him down.
Just as Geom Mugeuk was about to say something, he realized his voice wouldn't come out freely as it used to be.
"Young Sect Leader, say something!"
And then... His vision blurred, everything hazy. Geom Mugeuk struggled to keep his eyes open.
Geom Mugeuk saw blurry spots in the distance, running closer and closer.
Who had won? Who was approaching them right now? He prayed it was their allies. He feared for Soma—if Soma had to carry him while fleeing from enemies in this state.
Because Soma’s white robes were drenched in blood.
Geom Mugeuk hadn't paid much attention to it before. But now it worried him.
"Kuhg..."
"Young Sect Leader!"
Geom Mugeuk felt Soma's familiar cold qi flowing through his body.
"Stay awake!"
But it was like water poured into a cracked jar. The qi slipped away, wasted.
"Please!" Soma poured his own qi into him, again and again, desperate to heal him.
All the while, Soma clutched him tightly, both of them barely standing—one exhausted, the other fighting death itself.
Soma trembled at the thought of Mugeuk collapsing.
Normally, Geom Mugeuk would crack jokes at times like this, exaggerating his pain. But now, he was too silent.
Far too silent.
Soma was afraid to look at Geom Mugeuk's face, afraid to see his eyes close.
"Please accept it!" Soma shouted as he felt Geom Mugeuk wasting the qi he was giving.
"YOUNG SECT LEADER!"
Soma scolded him. But truly, Geom Mugeuk's body refused to accept the qi.
Soma continued to pour in what little he had left.
Since they were fighting together, Soma was undoubtedly exhausted.
This was also the last drop of qi Soma had.
Mugeuk tried not to waste it, truly. But it felt like all his blood vessels had burst into pieces. He couldn't catch any qi flow. His body was now far more useless than a newborn baby.
Then, at that moment, Soma’s qi flow suddenly stopped.
"NO!"
Geom Mugeuk could hear Soma screaming in panic as his qi was completely depleted.
Soma's breathing ragged, he looks like he's going to have a panic attack any moment now.
Soma clung to him as Geom Mugeuk grew weaker in his arms. Hands shaking, he was trembled. Soma refused to lay him on the ground. Geom Mugeuk had to stay conscious.
"Young Sect Leader!"
An angry Soma was the one who could see nothing but a bloody mist.
So amidst the fog of unconsciousness, Geom Mugeuk tried to calm Soma. "Soma... nim..." He whispered.
"Don't do this to me." Soma's reply was as sharp as a dagger.
Geom Mugeuk couldn't say more.
"YOUNG SECT LEADER!"
Ah, our sentimental Demon Supreme.
Geom Mugeuk tried to reach out, but his entire body felt numb, unable to lift even a finger.
"Ugh..." Instead, he coughed.
A metallic taste lingering on his tongue. He barely noticed the faint red stain on the ground.
"No..."
Soma stared at the scene in horror.
"PLEASE!"
"Soma!"
"SOMEBODY SAVE HIM!"
The one who shouted helplessly was Soma.
Who would have ever thought, the Evil Smiling Demon would beg like this.
"Mugeuk!"
"Young Sect Leader!"
Whose voices were those? It all mixed together, and he could barely recognize them.
His gaze was still dazed, staring at the red-stained ground.
Geom Mugeuk felt Soma reluctantly step back, only to be caught in another strong, warm embrace.
"Mugeuk..."
Oh?
Oh...
Was that his father? Geom Mugeuk could barely recognize him because his voice was trembling. Had father's voice ever shaken like that?
It took him by surprise.
So he was being held by his father? It felt warm.
He turned his gaze from the ground and saw the faces of the people staring at him.
They all looked terrified.
Why?
Geom Mugeuk coughed again.
Has his world shaken? What has happened?
His vision distorted, from the ground to a blue sky with sunlight shining through his eyes.
He was laid down very gently.
Ah. The sky was beautiful. He had always loved seeing it.
Whose breathe was that?
"Breathe!" An old man's voice snapped at him.
Elder?
Geom Mugeuk tried to control his breathing. He gasped for air and coughed again in the process.
He saw his father's shadow blocking the sunlight.
"Mugeuk!"
His Master?
And...
"Young master!"
A broken voice by the sound called him.
And...
Who else was there?
Lee Ahn?
His master would scold him for worrying his daughter and father.
If he could, he would have cracked a joke. To calm them all down so they're not panicking as if he were about to die.
But his throat was filled with blood. He struggled, unable to speak.
He couldn't breathe either.
It felt suffocating.
Geom Mugeuk felt someone pull him into a hug, hair brushing against his cheek.
Another metallic taste passed through his mouth. Geom Mugeuk vomited blood.
He gasped, clawing for air, trying to catch his breath.
"F...ther?"
He couldn't tell if it was his body or his father's hands that was shaking.
The sunlight no longer dazzled his eyes.
He felt his father bury his head between his neck. He could feel various waves of energy rushing into his body. Whose qi was this?
But among them, he couldn't sense Soma-nim's qi.
Good.
Soma should rest.
But Geom Mugeuk could feel—it was pointless.
Why was their qi being wasted? Was the wound that severe?
Geom Mugeuk didn't understand.
He tried to vomit all the blood that was clogging his throat.
He heard someone scream in pain. Was that his voice? Was he crying?
His screams were long, loud, and painful.
Geom Mugeuk tried to close his mouth to stop people from worrying. But he was too dazed to know if he was doing it correctly.
He was panting.
A hand pressed on his crown, forcing his head still. And he could feel his father's hand pressing against his back, just below his heart, frantically trying to apply pressure to the wound to prevent further blood loss.
The embrace was crushing. As if trying to stop any blood pouring from his body. Geom Mugeuk was almost certain he would feel the pain from it if his body weren't numb.
It was all so confusing. Really.
"ther..."
"Shhh..."
"Father..."
Why did he feel so tired? He didn't want to sleep.
"Father..."
The hug was indeed tight, yet the hands that grasped him trembled violently.
He wanted to see his father's face. But all he could feel was the scent and softness of his father's robe.
His body continued to be flooded with qi that was immediately released.
"Huuu... Ukh!"
He felt himself coughing uncontrollably. This time, he knew for sure—it was his body that shook violently. He could hear his own sobs. Grimacing in pain.
"..ther.. father..."
"Shhh... Calm down..." His father’s voice sounded like he was trying to calm himself rather than Geom Mugeuk.
"Calm down..."
"You're gonna be alright..."
Geom Mugeuk sobbed. He blinked, trying to wipe away the tears that were blocking his vision.
"S'rry..." He said softly as he saw in the darkness of his father's hug, Geom Woojin's clothes stained with the blood he had vomited.
"Fa... ther..." He tried to catch his breath. "Don't... b... angry..."
"..."
Don't start a war. I'll live.
"Father..." He tried to push his father away, at least he wanted to see his father's face again.
He still felt his father's qi flooding his body, but it was no use.
Geom Mugeuk knew his body wouldn't heal.
Geom Mugeuk knew, his father knew it better than anyone.
That his body was completely destroyed. Inside and out.
That truth struck his father harder than anything Soma had felt moments before.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk could feel his father's qi exploding violently around him.
Red like his blood, wild and uncontrolled.
Although Geom Mugeuk couldn't see it, he could hear the sounds of people screaming in pain, enduring the overwhelming qi.
He cried even louder, hoping his father would hear him.
Don't hurt those people, father.
"F'..ther... hurts."
But the wave of qi exploded even harder and stronger.
"Huuu... it hurts... Fa..ther..."
The qi swirled around him like a hurricane. Like a calamity. The energy it exerted was so immense, it was terrifying.
"Huk... Uhh..." He vomited another mouthful of blood.
His head was spinning.
Two people were trapped inside the qi vortex.
And Geom Mugeuk felt his father's heart pounding.
"Fa...ther..."
If this continued, his father would suffer qi deviation.
Geom Mugeuk's heart himself was barely beating.
Geom Woojin felt it.
Geom Mugeuk also sensed his father's frustration.
"..lease... Stop...,"
This qi explosion was simply a manifestation of his father's despair.
"It hurts, f'ther..."
It hurt to see his father like that.
The qi didn't hurt him. In fact, the qi protected them like a shield.
But Geom Mugeuk wanted his father to think he had hurt him so he would stop his qi explosion.
If he continued like this, it wouldn't just be him who would die. It would be everyone.
Geom Mugeuk struggled, trying to push his father away. He had to see those eyes.
"Fa... father..."
Say something, father.
Even at a time like this, your son is more talkative than you?
Geom Mugeuk could hear shouts from outside the qi storm.
"Someone, get that kid out of there!"
Was that elder's voice?
Geom Mugeuk had never heard Gu Cheonpa so panicked.
But it was impossible; no one in this world could break through the qi of enraged Heavenly Demon.
Geom Mugeuk's heart ached that he had become the vessel of his father's wrath. He had failed his master.
"Muyang! Don't go there!"
"My father and brother are there!"
All of this was making him dizzy.
Without realizing it, his breathing was getting weaker. And it seemed like his father noticed faster than himself.
Geom Mugeuk could barely feel another wave of energy being blasted.
"Father! Stop! You'll hurt him!" Geom Muyang shouted from afar.
"FATHER!"
He couldn't even let out a sob, let alone fight back as his father's embrace tightened, as if trying to trap not his body but his soul.
He choked on his own breath, blood flowing freely like a waterfall.
Geom Mugeuk felt like he's no longer could say a word. He had never felt this tired.
Secretly, Geom Mugeuk wished his brother were here too. He would listen to whatever rant he had to say.
But Geom Mugeuk didn't want his brother to try to break through the qi wall. He would get hurt. Because their father was barely in his conscious state.
"STOP IT, FATHER...!!!!"
Geom Muyang's scream was loud. Even Geom Mugeuk, who could barely hear anything, could hear his brother's voice like a sharp sword light streaking through the blinding darkness his father was in.
At that moment, Geom Mugeuk felt his father shift, releasing his embrace. Geom Mugeuk lay down as his father looked at him.
Unfortunately, his eyes were too blurry with tears to see his father's expression clearly. Geom Mugeuk refused to blink away the tears. He feared he would never be able to open them again.
"You will survive—or they all die," Geom Woojin whispered. Staring him right in the face. Clutching his son's body, and one hand stroking his son's hair.
A threat of war should Geom Mugeuk dared to die.
His father did not intend to grant him a peaceful death.
But Geom Mugeuk couldn't hear what his father was saying. It was better that way.
"Open your eyes!" It was his brother's voice.
Since when had he closed his eyes?
Geom Muyang touched his other hand. "Mugeuk!"
Geom Mugeuk was relieved. His brother was here too. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see his brother's face.
Because Geom Mugeuk cannot open his eyes.
His body was still flooded with qi.
Geom Mugeuk's body was now like a leaking dam. It was useless.
When Geom Mugeuk closed his eyes, Geom Woojin felt as if the sky was falling down.
Seeing his son losing his vitality, Geom Woojin cradled Geom Mugeuk in his arms. His father rose and ran into a desperate frantic run. Only then was Geom Mugeuk forced his eyes open, once more.
He weakly glanced down at his own body.
Ah. The wound was enormous. No wonder he couldn’t heal.
"S'rry..." he murmured.
His wounds were wrapped, but blood still seeped and flowed freely. The cloth on his body left no color other than red. His garments were completely soaked with blood from head to toe. The trail of his vomitted blood was horrifying. And the wound over his heart was enormous. His stomach too... It had been pierced by a sword.
Then he remembered—he remember swords stabbing him from every direction. What grieved him wasn’t the pain, but that Soma had seen it happen in front of his very eyes.
Truly, it was a miracle he was still alive.
Geom Mugeuk finally understood the despair he had seen in the expressions of those people.
"..'m sorry..." He wispered.
There was so much blood. But why didn't he feel any pain?
It seemed like Heaven had shown him mercy, allowing Geom Mugeuk to feel no pain. Or maybe it was just a product of his dazed, confused mind. He didn't know anymore.
"...Father..."
His father had told him that he could never lose to anyone.
But now Geom Mugeuk feared that he'd already lose... fighting against death.
Geom Mugeuk wished he could at least move his head. He wanted to see his father.
But even breathing properly was difficult, until his spinning head and weary body chose at last, settled into a deep sleep.
He couldn't even feel his father shaking him, calling his name only to get no answer.
He couldn't feel his father whispering constant pleas right above his head. He couldn't feel the intense tremors of his father's arms as he held him. And he couldn't hear his father's pounding heartbeat.
For the first time, Geom Mugeuk lay silent in front of his father.
Geom Woojin, who usually ran calmly, was now running fast and disarray. Rushed in chaos.
Like there was something waiting for him at the end of the road. A desperate hope.
One who could save his son. One who should.
He ran—like a madman running out of time.
Perhaps that was exactly it.
Right now, it probably felt like his world was about to collapse.
Like something was about to be taken from him forever.
But Geom Mugeuk would never know.
For he had already closed his eyes.