Side Story Chapter 6. And A Bit of a Strange Date (2)
“Are you crazy!? What the hell are you doing!?” The old man was furious.
“Calm down.”
“How can I calm down after you made me do those horrific things? Just kill me! Rather than mocking me like this, kill me instead!”
Chi-Woo fell into thought as he saw the old man throw up a fit. As he had just done, it was not even work to control the old man however he wanted. It was easier than flicking his finger. He had played around with him for a bit, but Chi-Woo didn’t really intend to carry out his words. It wasn’t because he had some grand and lofty idea of respecting the free will of others. It would definitely be easy if he did as he said just now, but then he would get used to doing this. He might fall into a state of permanent inertia. Just like how one became dull to even the most shocking events if they experienced it continuously, Chi-Woo didn’t want to live a life where he just stayed lying down bored. What fun would there be to live in a world where everything came true as he wanted?
Chi-Woo, who had been agonizing for a while, suddenly came up with a good idea and clapped. Soon after, a coffin-shaped nest formed in front of them, and the old man, who had just spat on the ground, paused. He looked clearly alerted, as if he was wondering what kind of ridiculous thing Chi-Woo was going to make him do next.
“Don’t be angry and listen to me…I understand your conviction,” Chi-Woo cleared his throat and said. “Yeah, it’s as you said. Even if I push you to a corner like this, all I will be doing is forcing my will on you. It would be hard to say that I really made you submit to me.”
When Chi-Woo took a step back, the old man also calmed down a little. In any case, his opponent was a being that used a high-dimensional force that he couldn’t understand. Although he wasn’t afraid of death, he could have a future if communication was possible.
“So let’s do this.”
“…What are those?” When Chi-Woo pointed at the coffin-shaped nest, the old man asked in a more subdued voice than before.
“Those are…hmmm, how should I describe it? They are called the Sernitas, and should I say that they’re your seniors?”
“What?”
“Of course they’re not quite the same as you. There’s definitely a difference, but even so, there’s a connection between you two.”
Although he wasn’t a match for Chi-Woo, the old man was powerful enough to make even Chi-Hyun at his prime to seriously fight back. He immediately understood what Chi-Woo meant as soon as he saw the nest.
“Not bad…” The old man sensed the countless consciousnesses flowing out from the nest and couldn’t hide his amazement. He had actually thought about it once—was there really not a single person in this vast universe who had had the same thought as him? However, he had never thought he’d meet an existence like that in this way.
“Well, they lost to me in the end and became like this, but…I suddenly thought of them when I saw you.”
“How interesting. So what are you suggesting?”
“It’s simple. You don’t want your conviction to collapse here, do you?”
“Of course.”
“Then prove it.”
“Prove what?”
“Whose conviction is stronger.” Chi-Woo glanced at the Sernitas and looked back at the old man. “Prove it in front of me.”
The old man wasn’t a fool, so he fully understood what Chi-Woo meant. “Proof. Well, if it’s in front of a being at your level…it won’t be so bad.” He briefly contemplated it and glanced at Chi-Woo after coming to a decision without much difficulty. “And if I prove myself?”
“I’ll give you a chance.”
“A chance?”
“Ah, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I’ll grant your wishes, but I literally mean that I’ll give you one more chance.”
“Should I take it to mean that you’ll spare my life?”
“That’s not all. Not only that…” Chi-Woo gave him a sly smile. “I’m willing to help you out a little.”
“What?”
“Well, I’m saying that I’ll support you moderately in the background.”
“I’ll do it. I’m sure a being at your level won’t lie to me.” The old man agreed at once. Unlike how he looked, he was not old-fashioned or stubborn. On the contrary, he would use any means to realize his belief. As such, he was pleased by Chi-Woo’s proposal. No one knew what danger lurked while traveling through the vast universe. The old man had already been prepared for such dangers, but it would be reassuring to have a strong backing. Moreover, besides everything, rather than dealing with that ridiculously overpowered existence in front of him, it was way better to face the coffin-shaped nest. With these thoughts, the old man gladly accepted Chi-Woo’s proposal.
“Okay, got it. Then…you guys must have also realized the situation by now.” Chi-Woo looked back at the Sernitas and asked, “How about it? Do you want to do this or not?”
It was the same for the Sernitas. Needless to say, there was no need for them to hesitate. How could they refuse when they were given one more chance? They stepped forward, eager to participate at all costs.
“Good. Then—” Chi-Woo smiled and spread his index and middle fingers to point at the old man and the Sernitas at the same time. Then he said, “Kill each other from now on.”
* * *
Apoline was confused. She had been in a life-threatening crisis just a moment ago, but thanks to Chi-Woo, she had suddenly become a spectator.
“Apoline, come here.”
“I-is this okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Don’t worry and just watch their fight with me. Let me see…” Chi-Woo stepped back a bit and looked around before bringing out his power. Apoline, who had been dragged along, was shocked when their surroundings suddenly changed entirely. A huge number of chairs suddenly popped out of nowhere, and a screen she had never seen before appeared in front of her.
“W-Where is this?”
“Ah, it’s a place called a movie theater in my world. Since it’s a bit boring to just watch this fight, I tried making a movie theater.”
“A movie theater…”
“Sit down first. This seat seems good.”
Apoline could not hide her bewilderment as she got dragged by Chi-Woo and sat down next to him.
“To put it simply, a movie theater is a place where you watch plays. Haven’t you watched a play when you were a kid?”
“Yes, I have.”
“It’s like that. You can think of this place as a specialized facility for watching a play.”
“Ah…”
“Well, it’s also a place where you go to enjoy a form of entertainment and—”
Then Apoline, who kept looking around while being unable to hide her bewilderment, completely froze at his following words.
“It’s also a place where lovers often go to enjoy a date.”
With a frozen face, she stiffly cranked her neck and looked back at Chi-Woo. What did he just say…?
“How about it? If you have time, do you want to go on a date with me?”
As soon as she saw Chi-Woo’s smile, all kinds of questions and worries instantly disappeared from her head as if they had been washed away. Oh my gosh. A date. He said a date, and that came directly from Chi-Woo’s mouth! ‘A place where lovers often go to enjoy a date…!’ Those were the only words swirling inside her head at this moment, and Apoline’s eyes spun giddily.
“And when it comes to movie theaters—” While Apoline already became a grandmother with children and grandchildren in her far-fetched imagination, Chi-Woo created popcorn and held it out to her.
“What’s this?”
“It’s called caramel popcorn. Why don’t you try it? It’s sweet, so I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Wow~”
“Of course, we can’t forget soda while watching a movie. This drink is called coke.”
“I like it!”
“What?”
“I like it very much!”
“But you haven't even tried it yet.”
“I like it! It’s good!”
“Geez.”
Where was this place? Was it okay to be like this when she was a hero? All these questions have already been dispelled in an instant. On second thought, Chi-Woo had been a god that Apoline worshiped since their time on Liber. Even though the situation was questionable, she no longer had any doubts. She just trusted and followed him because this was a date. While Chi-Woo and Apoline were enjoying their date, the old man, who had finished his preparations, carefully approached Chi-Woo.
He was briefly surprised by the sudden change in their environment, but then looked at Chi-Woo and asked for his permission, “Sir…shall I start fighting now…?” He gathered his hands politely and asked in an extremely subservient attitude. Chi-Woo was someone who was going to back him up if he won; since the old man couldn’t even reach Chi-Woo’s toe currently, he was putting on his best behavior right now.
Chi-Woo waved his hand without saying a word, meaning the old man should go and get quickly started. The old man bowed 90 degrees and hurriedly left the movie theater.
“Attacccckkkkk!” The war movie began with the old man shouting at the top of his lungs.
Two beings who had overcome all kinds of insurmountable hardships collided with their convictions on the line! One would live while the other would die. As a result, both sides fought to the death.
“Wow, this reminds me of the past.” Their fight was so fierce that even Chi-Woo was slightly amazed. Besides the enormous scale, it felt as if he really was directly experiencing an actual battle. Chi-Woo was completely immersed in the series of bloody clashes and felt his heart pumping. It was the same for Apoline. Of course, it wasn’t because of the battle, but because Chi-Woo was sitting next to her. Her heart didn’t stay still for even one second. She had to desperately calm her beating heart so she wouldn’t get caught.
After some time, the war that seemed like it would continue endlessly began to slowly tilt towards one side—not toward the old man and the fanatics who followed him, but toward the Sernitas. It was an expected result for Chi-Woo. As a single entity, the old man’s force was slightly better, but it was not enough to beat a collective force. The Sernitas took advantage of their strength of being ‘many but one, and one but many’ and eventually grasped victory.
“Ah…dear heavens…” On the screen was a close-up of the old man’s face as he sensed his coming defeat. “Was I…was I wrong…!” With these last words, the war finally came to an end with the death of the old man as his whole body was pierced.
“Ah, that was more fun than I expected. What about you, Apoline?” When the movie was over, Chi-Woo stretched his arms and asked.
Apoline didn’t answer. Judging by how she was breathing hard with a red face, it seemed as if she had also been completely absorbed in the movie. “I-it’s already over?”
“Hmm? Already? They fought for quite a while.”
“Is there a second season? A bit more…”
Chi-Woo felt pleased inside that Apoline seemed to have also enjoyed the movie. Anyway, the battle ended with the Sernitas’ victory. It was now time for him to keep his promise.
“Yeah, you guys proved yourselves in the end.” Chi-Woo made the movie theater disappear and approached the coffin-shaped nest standing alone in a pool of blood.
“You…wanted to be a perfect being without a single flaw, right?”
The Sernitas remained silent. Their wounded body constantly bulged and swelled. It must not have been an easy battle for them either considering the strength of their opponent.
“Well, I can fulfill your wish, but…” Chi-Woo paused for a moment before continuing, “The sins you have committed are far too great for that.”
The Sernitas’ torso trembled.
“So I’ll give you a chance as promised.” Chi-Woo raised the corners of his mouth. He had no intention of going back on his words now. He was going to keep his promise. “A chance for you to pay for your sins and move forward again.” He had said it clearly in the first place—that he wouldn’t simply grant their wish but give them one more chance.
“Of course, it’s your choice whether you want to do it or not…but how about it?” Chi-Woo said softly in a suggestive voice. “Do you want to listen to it first?’
The Sernitas gulped.
* * *
While the Celestial Realm was gasping for breath due to the crisis sprouting everywhere as always, a sudden bomb dropped. One man had led a huge army to the Celestial Realm out of nowhere. It was an immeasurable number of forces, so the Celestial World had thought that an enemy had invaded at first. It turned out that the person who came to visit was Chi-Woo, but the situation was still as shocking as ever.
Everything was great up to the point that Chi-Woo said, ‘I found a substitute myself because you guys whine so~ much about the big gap left by the Choi family’s absence.’ However, the problem was that the alternative Chi-Woo brought was the Sernitas, who had brought on the crisis on Liber.
“This makes no sense!” Uriel burst into anger, banging on the desk with both hands. Other angels were also flustered, but Gabriel alone reacted differently.
“No, wait. Wait a minute.” After calming everyone down, she went on in a measured tone, “It’s not a bad idea. Rather, this could be good for us.”
“What do you mean by that? You’re telling us to accept an enemy that almost drove a galaxy to extinction…!”
“No, think it over again.” According to Gabriel, the best possible scenario was for the Choi family to return, including Chi-Woo. However, that was an unlikely scenario given Chi-Woo’s firm refusal. She even heard a warning that it wouldn’t just end with a verbal warning if they came to him again with the same issue. Since the situation became like this, the Celestial Realm needed to find a solution somehow. There were the Seven Stars, whom Chi-Woo had given special privileges to, but it would still take a while before they fully developed their powers. Thus, they needed a force to fill the gap during this period.
“And the Sernitas isn’t a bad choice for that.” They were a powerful enemy that once even threatened the Celestial Realm. In other words, they would have gained a powerful force if they became allies. Furthermore, the Sernitas were a myriad of consciousnesses. Each individual consciousness had been specially selected only among the best beings in each world. In a way, they were similar to the heroes selected by the Celestial Realm. If each being could operate independently, they would more than extinguish the fire in front of them; they would be able to take a huge breather.
“Of course, I agree that they have proven themselves in terms of skills, but they’re…!”
“You fool. Did you forget who brought them?”
Uriel gaped at Gabriel’s words. The only thing that worried them was the possibility of a rebellion. Since the Sernitas was strong enough to threaten the galaxy, it would become troublesome if the Sernitas pointed their swords toward the Celestial Realm; an internal ambush would be infinitely more threatening than an external attack. Given the Sernitas’s noteworthy history, it was natural for the archangels to be concerned, but it was a groundless worry in the first place.
The fact that Chi-Woo had brought the Sernitas meant that he had successfully subjugated them. They had no idea what Chi-Woo had promised the Sernitas, but as long as Chi-Woo was alive, the Sernitas wouldn’t be so foolish to act recklessly. Thus, was there a need for them to hesitate when the cooperation of the Sernitas was guaranteed, not to mention their formidable abilities?
The Celestial Realm was already in a dilemma as they were receiving a lot of complaints that the heroes they had selected these days were not up to the standard. Thus, this was an extremely attractive proposal for the Celestial Realm, who were agonizing over whether they should lower the selection criteria even further. Even if the Sernitas caused trouble internally, that would be fine, since Chi-Woo, who had a strong sense of responsibility, would definitely solve their problem and take appropriate responsibility. If they looked carefully at each part, this was a proposal where the Celestial Realm had nothing to lose. Since the Celestial Realm would no longer bother him, it would be good for Chi-Woo as well.
“We’ve decided. The Celestial Realm will accept the Sernitas. Now that it’s come to this, we’ll thoroughly use them.” After finally making a decision that day thanks to Gabriel, the Celestial Realm accepted the Sernitas. Then, they immediately dispatched them to planets where crises had occurred throughout the universe. Gabriel was proven right in the end. The Sernitas worked harder as a hero than anyone else under Chi-Woo’s promise that ‘if you saved 100,000 times the number of worlds you’ve destroyed, I’ll liberate you’. Thanks to them, the Celestial Realm were able to quickly put out the urgent fire, and the four archangels, including Gabriel, were finally able to smile for the first time since forever …Though, of course, their smiles did not last long.
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