SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

4.

Shouts were heard.

“Family head!”

“Venomous Snake!”

Until now, the audience had been quietly watching our fight. The Sword Saint had indeed shouted earlier, but that was excusable as an elder deserving of respect. It was natural for outsiders to stay silent during a duel.

But now that the duel was over, they rushed in urgently.

“Stop!”

“You should be the ones unable to stand!”

And those people immediately split into two opposing sides.

On one side was the Death King Family, with Estelle at the forefront. She was the Devil King of Fall Rain, a demoness, a daughter, and now an advisor to our family, always ready to counsel me on my rights and wrongs.

On the other side were the Oni, led by an Oni clad in a white helmet and full-body suit. This was the leader of the 256-color Oni squadron that had joined at the last battle against the Energy Dragon.

“What are you trying to block! A bunch of clowns dressed in color-coordinated clothes at their ripe age!”

“And what about you? Going to play cards in all black? You’re nothing compared to our RGB code 000000 ~The Real Black-.”

“You lack even the sense to create a proper alias!”

“And what’s your alias?”

“I was once called the Saintess of the Wilderness, the Devil King of Fall Rain, and a demoness. Now, I’m known as the advisor of the Death King Family!”

“Oh… that’s actually pretty cool…”

The Oni squadron leader hesitated, scratching the back of his helmet, but Estelle paid no attention.

Therefore, I had to stop Estelle.

“Estelle. That’s enough.”

“No, family head! I cannot!”

Her immediate response was one of defiance.

Wondering if it was a sign of rebellion, I hung my head in mild shock, only to see Estelle gritting her teeth, glaring at the Chen Mu-mun leader.

“From the beginning, what the Chen Mu-mun leader said to you, family head, was arrogant and rude beyond acceptance.”

“…….”

“There’s always a possibility that you could go astray? Ha. Engulfed in Disharmony, slaughtering the common folk and nobles alike, creating a world where the widespread screams of humanity never existed, massacring all humans living under the sun, and gathering only those worthy to survive to create a small paradise. That’s the Chen Mu-mun leader. Is that your view of the family head’s danger?”

“Yes.”

The Venomous Snake barely managed to lift his upper body, supporting himself on the ground. His hand slipped on the grass, plunging into the mud.

“Damn it….”

He seemed embarrassed for a moment, but his breathing gradually calmed.

He said,

“Just as you said. I think your family head is someone who could fall into Disharmony at any moment, unleashing an unprecedented massacre on everything under the sun.”

“…You.”

Estelle clenched her teeth.

“How long have you watched over the family head to say that… Not knowing the people gathered around the family head, what kind of people they are, and with what determination they have taken up the family’s flag. Despite all of us swearing to serve the family head with all our life and soul…”

“It’s not about that.”

The Venomous Snake coughed. He tried to cover a wound on his neck with mud, but it didn’t stop bleeding.

“That’s exactly it.”

“…What?”

“If your family head falls into Disharmony and causes chaos, none of you will be able to stop him.”

Estelle clenched her fist.

“Ha. Although I may be fallen, I am the Devil King of Fall Rain. When my tears turn into raindrops and wield the three thousand, ogres, orcs, goblins, and many monsters turn into raindrops and form an army. I’m incomparable to mere swordsmen who have slightly elevated their skills.”

“Yes, you are strong… damn strong.”

The Venomous Snake coughed up blood.

And then he smirked.

“But with that, will you stop a family head fallen into Disharmony?”

“Yes. Of course. Even if it costs my life…….”

“No, that’s not it. You have to imagine the specific situation. Did you hear me properly? Huh? We are not talking about just anyone here; we’re discussing our own family head, Kim Gong-ja.”

The Venomous Snake looked around.

Standing in the middle of the Colosseum, he seemed exhausted, shoulders slumped like an old swordsman.

“Who is Kim Gong-ja? Huh? Who is the Heavenly Demon of our time? Take a good look. He didn’t fall into Disharmony even when his master died. He simply accepted it with sorrow. Wondering why, among so many deserving death, it had to be his master, right? He could’ve roared in anger, but he didn’t. He just… mourned and sent her off on her final journey. You see, he’s a tough bastard.”

Sitting in the middle of the jungle Colosseum, the Venomous Snake raised his voice.

“Whether it’s the end of the world or witnessing the heart of his most beloved being torn apart, ah, he stays intact! He never falls into Disharmony. Firmly grasping his sanity, knowing that losing it means becoming nothing, he survives. No matter how hellish the situation, he remains a man who never succumbs to Disharmony.”

Clap, clap, clap.

The Venomous Snake clapped his hands. Despite having small wounds on his backhand, he seemed to have used his rest time for emergency treatment, as bandages were already in place. Nevertheless, each time he clapped, fresh blood oozed from the not-yet-healed wounds.

“An impressive level of endurance. His ability to control his mind is almost superhuman.”

“…….”

“Miss, what kind of atrocious thing must Kim Gong-ja see to fall into Disharmony?”

Silence fell.

“Having seen the world end countless times, that alone wouldn’t do it. Even witnessing the world end in a particularly horrible way wouldn’t suffice, right? Then, really… the malice of humanity, malice compounded upon malice, crushed together, so vile that just getting close or smelling it makes you think [Ah, this is hell]… That’s what it would take. Only then might Kim Gong-ja, our family head and the Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, completely lose his mind.”

The Venomous Snake chuckled.

“At that time, you, all of you. Can you, his retainers, stop Kim Gong-ja?”

“…….”

“Would you even want to?”

“…….”

“I don’t know what kind of hell you’ll see then. I can’t even imagine. But if it’s a hell so terrible that it drives Kim Gong-ja insane… When he decides to kill all those who created this hell, those who stood by, and those who passed by without caring.”

The Venomous Snake looked around the audience.

Advisor Estelle, Chief Warrior Uburka, Family Youngster Kim Yul, Head Servant Sylvia Evanail. And even the Sword Saint, who hadn’t officially joined the family but had volunteered to become a bodyguard.

“You guys… could you really stop Kim Gong-ja?”

“We are….”

“Rather, it seems like you’d follow Kim Gong-ja and kill the bastards who created that hell. With eyes turned inside out.”

“…….”

“In other words, the entire family, the whole cult, would fall into Disharmony and slaughter the entire world. Ah, what a picture.”

The Venomous Snake grinned.

“Among them is one who was once a Constellation, another who is still an active Constellation, a hunter who earned an alias for skillfully defeating Constellations, and an Apostle who almost destroyed the world using the power of a Constellation. The rest of the troops are not ordinary either. They are the elite of the Demonic Cult who survived the end of the world. Elite! There are at least 1000 subordiantes capable of high-level demonic arts…”

Thud.

The Venomous Snake picked up a stone and threw it.

The stone landed at Estelle’s feet.

“A force that seems capable of easily destroying a world, right?”

“…….”

“If the Heavenly Demon falls into Disharmony, it’s only natural for your entire family to succumb as well. And if you all fall into Disharmony and roam the tower, then that’s the end. The world will be over. Finished.”

Thud.

The second stone rolled to a stop in front of Uburka’s front foot.

And then,

“Death King.”

Thud.

“Heavenly Demon.”

Thud.

“Hey, Kim Gong-ja.”

Thud.

“You need me.”

“…….”

“Without me, you’re doomed.”

“…….”

“When you feel like you’re about to snap, wondering how someone can create such a hellish reality. How, if they’re human, they could at least do the minimum required, and when you start to get angry. When your heart races and blood surges, turning your entire body red with rage.”

Thud.

A small stone flew and tapped the area around my heart, right where the Venomous Snake had pressed with his fist just moments ago.

Looking up, the Venomous Snake was smirking.

“I’ll be there to restrain you.”

“…….”

“And if you can’t be restrained, I’ll kill you.”

Is that so?

And the moment I fall into Disharmony and am executed by the Venomous Snake, the righteous faction wins.

No.

It means the defeat of the Infernal Heavens Demonic Cult.

“Ha.”

I laughed.

“What a long… a long-winded battle this is going to be… 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Maybe even hundreds of years. Liao Fan. Are you proposing a battle that could last hundreds of years?”

“Yes.”

The Venomous Snake laughed.

“From my perspective, it’s like landing a temporary job for a few hundred years, so I’m totally thankful.”

Hmm.

Yes.

“Alright, Liao Fan.”

Estelle looked up at me.

“Family head…?”

“Estelle. There’s no time limit in a martial duel. To determine whether the Infernal Heavens or the orthodox faction is correct, my master and the Martial Alliance Leader had to engage in as many as 990 duels. They continued to duel as the world was ending, yet there was no conclusive outcome. There’s no need to be hasty.”

Estelle took a deep breath and spoke as if exhaling fire.

“The family head will never stray onto the wrong path.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because that path is one I have already walked.”

I thought of the clouds mixed with ash and the red rain pouring down.

Yes.

That’s it.

“Thank you.”

“So, if it seems like you might fall, I… we all will unite to persuade the family head, even if it means dragging you back by the hair.”

“I trust you.”

“We don’t need someone like him…”

“But it’s because I can go astray.”

I stroked Estelle’s head.

Then, I looked at the Venomous Snake, roughly wiping his mud-covered face with his hand.

“Liao Fan.”

“…….”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head.

“For your efforts for me. For spending time to defeat me. I truly appreciate it.”

“…….”

“You said you were jealous of me, but that’s not an ugly jealousy. You didn’t slander me or plot against me. You simply faced me squarely, acknowledging your jealousy, striving to surpass me.”

“…….”

“I’m ashamed of my own naivety, thinking that by casting the Sword of the Drowned, I could charm you and dissolve your jealousy… You had already overcome your jealousy long ago. That’s impressive.”

I stood up. It was hard to breathe due to the dent in my heart, the size of a protruding bone in a fist, but I endured and walked towards the Venomous Snake.

“…….”

Seeing me approach, the Venomous Snake seemed somewhat tense.

‘Yes.’

I knew.

At this moment, at this time, what I needed to say.

‘It’s natural to be tense.’

When one finally confronts the person they have envied and admired, when they meet eye to eye as equals, what words would they wish to hear from the other? What fervent message would they hope the other would impart? What exactly is needed?

As someone who envied and admired Flame Emperor Yoo Su-ha more than anyone, I understand this.

“Liao Fan.”

I tapped Liao Fan’s shoulder lightly.

“You’re quite the madman yourself, aren’t you?”

“…….”

“I don’t dislike kind madmen. I like them. After all, you even drove your fist into my heart… Really, you’ve had it tough.”

“…….”

“You seemed like the protagonist.”

I smiled broadly.

“But to strike down my neck when I fall into Disharmony, that effort is far from enough, don’t you think? Strive harder. Don’t neglect your training, that’s the key.”

Liao Fan looked at me in disbelief.

“Listen to this guy. Man, anyone would think you just won the fight?”

“Hey. Think about the specifics, as you said. You know that combat strength increases when one falls into Disharmony.”

“What kind of logic is that…”

Liao Fan laughed helplessly. I too sat down in front of him and laughed.

“Let’s have a drink.”

Soon, someone brought over alcohol. Glasses were prepared, filled with liquor.

And petals scattered from a branch fluttered down, settling on the table and glasses.

[Voting completed.]

The Oni who had been observing the stage made their decision.

[Vote for option 2: 00.00 percent.]

[Vote for option 1: 100.00 percent.]

[Stage cleared.]

Perhaps what they had been watching wasn’t the stage, but rather the clear tears that had flowed down someone’s face.

“Yeah, let’s drink. Kim Gong-ja.”

He said.

“You crazy bastard.”

Like that.

[The 47th floor stage has been cleared.]

The final vote was completed.