00633 An Embarrassing Omen(?)
“Here’s a little luck for when you need it most!”
That was the message that came to Ansol’s mind the moment she decided to use a miracle.
In truth, Ansol might have sensed it faintly all along—that Kushan Thor was targeting someone ever since he summoned Mjolnir’s lightning.
Yet she didn’t dodge. Not simply because the feeling was so faint it barely registered.
Not because she thought it wouldn’t be her.
Not because Mjolnir twisted its trajectory so quickly that there was no time to react.
No—the biggest reason was this:
“Defensive Matrix!”
“Angelus! Protect us!”
As the blue lightning surged past Kim Suhyun in an instant, a user stepped forward without hesitation.
The Thunder Emperor, Kim Yuhyun.
Perhaps, while Baek Hangyeol and Ansol had stepped up to block the attack, Kim Yuhyun could have avoided it.
But he didn’t even try.
Maybe Kim Yuhyun also sensed that Kushan Thor was aiming at him.
And that’s precisely why, for the third time today, he activated the power of the Thunder God and took the lead at the front line of defense.
The lightning from Mjolnir, charged with the power of a demigod, far exceeded Kim Suhyun’s expectations. The two shields Baek Hangyeol and Ansol had erected were shredded like paper under its overwhelming force. In the end, they only managed to weaken the attack slightly—they couldn’t stop it from crashing through.
That’s when Kim Yuhyun stepped in.
Though the shields had reduced the power somewhat, it was only marginal. Mjolnir’s lightning still swept through everything around with devastating force, while Kim Yuhyun’s Thunder God power barely reached half its usual strength.
Still, Kim Yuhyun didn’t back down. Retreating now would put Baek Hangyeol and Ansol in danger. Both were users Kim Suhyun cherished deeply. He couldn’t bear to see his brother’s face marred by sorrow.
And so began the battle of thunder against thunder.
Kwak kwak kwak kwak!
Even at less than full strength, the power of the Thunder God was formidable. The yellow electric currents streaming from Kim Yuhyun’s hands met Mjolnir’s blackening lightning head-on, holding it back for a brief moment. Golden and blue currents clashed and spread in all directions, a fierce and breathtaking duel.
…At least, that’s how it looked on the surface. At least, that’s what Ansol saw.
But what you see and what you experience firsthand can be worlds apart. Kim Yuhyun, facing it directly, felt the difference acutely.
And that difference soon showed itself in the outcome. Kim Yuhyun held back Mjolnir’s lightning for only three seconds.
Then, suddenly, a massive discharge erupted. The blue lightning sparked terrifying flames, incinerating the Thunder God’s power. As if intent on devouring everything, it began advancing slowly.
Instinctively, Kim Yuhyun stepped sideways.
Not to dodge, but because he had failed to block the attack and wanted to twist its trajectory to the ground. It wouldn’t spare him from serious injury, but at least it might save his life. Better than taking a direct hit.
At that moment—
Whoosh.
A massive shadow loomed over the spot where he had stepped aside. Kushan Thor appeared, crossing the void. Even drenched in blood, his blazing eyes fixed firmly below. With a fierce swing of his right arm, he descended with deadly intent.
Kim Yuhyun was unaware of this. His entire focus was on twisting Mjolnir’s lightning.
But two others saw it clearly.
Baek Hangyeol and Ansol, who had been knocked back earlier—especially Ansol—watched it all unfold.
That desperate moment.
The pot-lid-sized fist falling diagonally.
The death that would come in a few seconds.
It was then.
“No!”
A scream tore from Ansol’s lips. Her body moved on its own. Despite still reeling from the recoil, she ran forward. At that moment, the word “death” didn’t cross her mind. Only one thought: she had to save him.
There was no grand reason behind it. If pressed, it was the same as Kim Yuhyun’s. Ansol knew how much Kim Suhyun cared for his brother. She didn’t want to see her big brother’s face marred by grief.
Yes.
All of this was for Kim Suhyun.
Moments later.
Just as Mjolnir’s trajectory twisted, Ansol threw herself with all her might against Kim Yuhyun, pushing him back. His body was forced away, and Ansol took his place.
Mjolnir struck the ground, triggering a supernova explosion, and Kushan Thor’s fist slammed into Ansol’s ribs almost simultaneously.
After that, Ansol felt nothing. When she briefly came to, all she saw was the night sky flowing like a panorama.
“Ughhh!”
Finally, Kim Suhyun’s shout echoed, and Ansol blacked out.
No thoughts came. She just screamed and charged, wildly swinging her sword.
But after a brief turn to the right, Kushan Thor snatched Mjolnir and, without hesitation, put distance between them. His face, still turned right, showed a strong trace of regret, but the giant’s choice was brutally pragmatic.
Her sword sliced through empty air.
But she couldn’t let him go. She had to kill him somehow—only then could she calm the raging storm in her mind.
Just as she was about to give chase—
“Calm down!”
Hwajeong’s desperate shout stopped her.
“What?”
“Calm down! What are you doing? Don’t lose your head just because you’re angry!”
“You… you’re saying…”
“Are you really only this much?”
“……”
“Yes. Your comrade got hit. But losing your mind and going berserk? Is that the end? Didn’t you see what that guy just did? Do you think a demigod is that easy to handle?”
The other words faded, but she caught the last clearly.
“If you let your instincts take over now, that’s exactly what he wants!”
At that moment, a cold thread of reason cut through her boiling mind. Then a message flashed before her eyes: “Activation of Clairvoyance failed.”
“…Huff.”
She took a deep breath reflexively. Only then did she confirm that her clairvoyance had activated properly. She fixed her gaze on the distant Kushan Thor. The giant glared back with fierce eyes.
Yeah, now I feel a little better.
She spoke quietly.
“Seon Yuun.”
“Yes!”
“How are the three?”
“……”
Seon Yuun was silent for a moment. Then the sounds of hurried footsteps behind her and soft gasps came one after another.
“All three are still breathing.”
At least, they were alive.
“But Ansol’s condition is very serious, and… uh, uh?”
Then, Seon Yuun suddenly stammered in confusion. A faint sound of footsteps came from behind, and someone approached her with steady steps. The footsteps were so normal she almost thought the person was fine.
Then, someone tapped her shoulder.
“Suhyun.”
Her brother suddenly appeared beside her. She glanced over and couldn’t help but be shocked.
From head to toe, he was bleeding profusely—his entire body looked like a bloodied corpse.
“Hyung…”
“I’m fine.”
But before she could say anything, he cut her off.
He didn’t look fine at all.
Yet, despite that, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. For a moment, her brother’s current appearance overlapped with how he looked during the first round.
His eyes weren’t on her. Even as blood streamed down his face, his eyes shone brightly, fixed ahead. As if he had made a resolute decision.
She bit her lip hard and shouted,
“Seon Yuun, Go Yeonju! Take Ansol and Baek Hangyeol out of the battlefield immediately!”
An order to retreat. No answer came, but the two presences she had sensed nearby slowly began to move away, joining the others.
She didn’t know how serious their conditions were. But if they were still breathing, they could be saved.
That left three of them: herself, her brother, and Gong Chanho.
Could they really win with just these three?
“You can.”
Hwajeong spoke as if reading her thoughts.
“Win? Now?”
“Yes. Right now is the chance to win. Watch his condition carefully.”
Kushan Thor still stood in place. Following Hwajeong’s advice, she raised her psychic energy and studied the giant closely.
And soon she understood why he was just standing there.
Her brother’s condition was bad enough, and her own was also very poor. To say nothing of other things, their magical energy to continue fighting was extremely low.
What little remained was barely enough to use a single ability.
But Kushan’s condition wasn’t good either. Whether it was the effect of the descent or not, he looked suddenly exhausted. Considering he hadn’t shown any sign of fatigue until now, it was definitely strange.
Come to think of it, that’s true. The blazing sword struck my entire body, and the damage kept piling up afterward. My chest, hit squarely by the full force of the magical wave, was shattered horribly and still bleeding.
But the fatal blow delivered out of thin air was the biggest hit of all. I managed to leave a deep wound near his left shoulder blade, and Gong Chan-ho punched a fist-sized hole in his right thigh.
It was almost a miracle he was still standing. Any other monster would have died a hundred times over by now. It was only because he was Kushan Thor that he was still holding on.
“Yeah, that’s right. That bastard’s target was your brother from the start.”
Hwa-jeong’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“I don’t know why, but he’s dead set on killing your brother. That’s why he risked taking a fatal hit earlier to get in close. Do you remember how he suddenly backed off when you charged at him?”
I nodded.
“Think about it. Thanks to that kid’s sacrifice, he failed once, but your brother was right there. Considering he was willing to take another fatal hit from you, it means he had another chance to kill him. So why did he retreat this time, unlike before?”
“…He must have reached his limit.”
Hwa-jeong didn’t answer, but I took that silence as confirmation.
“Listen carefully. Don’t try any fancy tricks. What you have to do is simple: get your sword into his weak spot, no matter what.”
The moment I heard that, my resolve hardened.
Hwa-jeong was right. Now that we’d both reached our limits, flashy moves or special abilities didn’t matter. It was just a matter of who could land their weapon first.
Easier said than done, though. I was supposed to overcome someone who was superior to me in every way with nothing but raw combat skill.
There was no hope in physical ability. My only chance was to create an opening through strategy.
With that in mind, I immediately took my stance. I slid the blade-less sword into my left armpit, raised Victoria’s Glory in my left hand above my head, and bent my knees slightly.
At the same time, my brother and Gong Chan-ho mirrored my stance. Without a word, we all knew this was the final attack. Our faces were grim with concentration.
“…This all happened because of me.”
Then, my brother’s quiet voice broke the tension.
“So I guess it’s time for me to finish this.”
“…Don’t die.”
I muttered softly in response.
He smiled faintly, took a deep breath, and soon bright currents of energy began to flow from both his hands.
“Let’s go.”
He spoke quietly, and though I didn’t fully grasp his words at first, I found myself moving forward without thinking. My brother surged ahead, and Gong Chan-ho charged toward us from the opposite side.
The final round had begun.
I quickly caught up to my brother and ran alongside him on his right. I didn’t know what he was planning, but his physical stats were enough to rival most melee fighters—over 70 in strength and 97 in agility. He wouldn’t have chosen close combat lightly.
Though I was tense, I steeled myself and focused on the Kushan Thor before me.
Twenty meters.
I was banking on strategy to create an opening, but that was only the first step.
Timing was everything. In the thin moment between life and death, I had to seize the slightest gap.
Ten meters.
At last, Kushan Thor shifted his stance. With attackers coming from both front and back, he twisted his body diagonally.
His right hand gripped Mjolnir, aimed at us, while his left targeted Gong Chan-ho.
Five meters.
My brother and I simultaneously slammed our feet into the ground, as if on cue.
Our bodies lifted slightly, closing the distance in an instant.
Just as our feet were about to touch down, Kushan Thor moved his right arm.
Mjolnir swung back fully.
Three meters.
Whoosh!
The hammer sliced through the air with a fierce roar, sweeping left in a horizontal arc, as if to blast both my brother and me away.
It was a straightforward attack, but precise and deadly.
Then—
“Suhyun!”
The moment my feet hit the ground—
Just as Mjolnir barreled close to my brother—
“Go!”
My brother suddenly twisted left and thrust both hands toward the incoming hammer.
Before I could even process the strange move, time seemed to freeze for a split second.
I saw it clearly.
His hands, glowing golden, collided with Mjolnir.
Sparks flew in midair.
Only then did I understand his intention. Realizing Kushan Thor was targeting him, my brother had made himself bait.
To create a clearer opening for Gong Chan-ho and me.
The moment I grasped that, I emptied my mind.
I leapt forward at my maximum speed, pushing beyond my limits.
I passed my brother.
Next, I saw Kushan Thor clench his left fist.
That meant the giant had given up on Gong Chan-ho and was now focused on me.
Two meters.
His fist moved.
Kushan Thor still had the advantage.
Though Mjolnir was occupied with my brother, his left arm was free.
Though I’d increased my speed, the giant’s reach was far longer.
Unless I reached striking distance first, he would always have the first move…
That’s what he must have thought.
And indeed, Kushan Thor swung his fist with deadly precision, matching my approach.
His massive hand closed in fast, ready to crush my skull.
One meter.
I crouched lower, tightening my grip on the sword hilts until my knuckles whitened.
I drew on every last ounce of magic I had left.
And just as his fist was about to land—
I sprang up, unleashing all my remaining power in a burst.
Kyushin Tanyoung (弓身彈影).
A strange sensation pulled at my core as my body shot forward like a spring.
At the same time, a chilling brush grazed the back of my head.
In that instant, I knew I would win.
Kushan Thor’s attack was precise. He had calculated my top speed perfectly.
But that was his mistake—he thought that was my limit.
I added my ability’s bonus to my physical speed, throwing off the timing of his strike.
As I closed in on the giant’s chest, I moved my hands.
The blade-less sword slashed horizontally, while Victoria’s Glory stabbed straight forward.
The blades were already glowing with pure flames.
Ssshk!
The blade-less sword cut deep into Kushan Thor’s abdomen.
I felt the familiar, viscous resistance of flesh and bone.
Thud!
Victoria’s Glory pierced beneath his left chest.
I sensed something shatter at the tip of the blade.
Kushan Thor showed no change in expression.
Like a broken toy, he staggered briefly.
Then, slowly—
His blazing white eyes dimmed.
Not long after, his massive body began to topple.
Thud!
The ground shook.
The king of giants, Kushan Thor, was no more.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Haha… I said I’d update at 2:00 AM, but I’m 1 hour and 22 minutes late. I’m truly speechless.
If I may offer a small excuse, writing the final scene took way longer than I expected. I can’t tell you how many times I thought, “Damn it! I should’ve just ended it with Hwa-jeong!” (Just kidding~.) Anyway, it’s definitely challenging to put the scenes I imagine in my head into words.
That concludes the war with the giant.
Next chapter, I’ll reveal a secret related to the old tarot cards. :)