Episode 1050
Chapter 250: Zipple and Kinzello (4)

This is the final world.

Every time Helluram uttered those words, Orgal felt like his head was about to explode. In fact, he had developed an unconscious habit of tearing at his hair. Bishkel, noticing the handfuls of hair Orgal lost each time he spread his palm, cautiously touched his own hair.

“Captain! Your hair’s falling out!”

“Captain, maybe some sweet potato croquettes… with milk?”

Ainas and Bubar couldn’t help but blurt out such foolish remarks. When Orgal snapped his head around and glared at them, the two reflexively raised their hands and squeezed their eyes shut.

Orgal was baffled once again by their reaction, even though he had never actually hit them before.

Just as he was about to give in to the impulse to punch them hard, memories of other worlds seen through the eyes of the black soldiers flashed through his mind.

—Captain! Ainas… Ainas is—

—Captain, don’t look so sad. Thanks to my sacrifice, we broke through! We’ll finally see Bianca… Don’t give up!

Amazingly, this terrible duo of fools had been comrades who fought together until the very end in some worlds. They even survived longer and resisted longer than someone like Siron.

As far as Orgal knew, the world had been destroyed or fallen into Zipple’s grasp at least hundreds of times. That was the bare minimum—it could have been thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of times. With so many battles fought, even Bubar and Bianca had their moments of glory.

Recalling that made it impossible for Orgal to strike them. He unclenched his fists and sighed deeply. Then he remembered the conversation he had with Helluram.

—Besides… just as I created the Abyss Legion at your request, Zipple has also built a massive army spanning all dimensions.

—What!?

—They call it the Demon Corps. They travel between dimensions, supporting Zipple in each world.

—What kind of crazy, damn nonsense is that?

—Stop being so shocked. You already know all this. You’ve lived through it.

It was true. In every final moment Orgal had experienced, Keliak always mocked him, saying, “The fight in this world is over.” By the time any world reached that stage, the fact that there were multiple worlds was no secret.

—Zipple in this world is close to completing the Demon Stone. They’ve made a sudden leap forward in just the past few days, thanks to help from the Demon Corps.

The Demon Corps.

Zipple across all dimensions had already gained power surpassing Helluram’s. There was no reason they couldn’t create forces like Helluram’s Abyss Legion.

In fact, Zipple was the only group to have conquered or destroyed most dimensions. The Zipple in this world just hadn’t reached that level yet.

—Ha! Hahaha! So what were you doing while those bastards were wreaking havoc, Helluram? What were you doing while countless worlds were closing and falling? You’re not the only problem. Solderet and all those gods too! Were you just twiddling your thumbs until it got this bad?

—Solderet had already lost his power by then. I used to think it was because of our conflict, but this situation is probably connected to the true Runcandel. The other gods are exactly as you saw—most have become Zipple’s slaves. And I… I’ve always chosen you.

Helluram didn’t stay silent.

From the moment she realized there were multiple worlds, she had been trying to stop Zipple.

But Zipple in other worlds always kept Helluram in check, and that was the vicious cycle. Helluram always realized the truth of the worlds too late.

You had to reach a certain point before you could perceive it. Even then, only Helluram could do so; most immortals never discovered this truth on their own in any history—not even the Sun God’s own selves.

Orgal had already realized this through his soldiers, yet he had only been harsh to Helluram. There was nothing else to say, nothing else he could say.

—Soon, the Demon Corps will become aware of our meeting, Orgal.

—…Yeah, probably. It won’t be long before this is recorded in the completed Demon Stones they possess. The only relief is that Zipple’s interference between dimensions has limits.

Neither Helluram nor Orgal knew exactly what those limits were. Without them, all dimensions would have already fallen into Zipple’s hands. In that case, there would be no hope even for a future of destruction.

Shuddering at the chilling truth, Orgal tried to regain his composure.

It was clear now that he and Kinzello had to fight Zipple.

Or they could choose to submit to Zipple and live a “comfortable” life. In that case, they could live on, forgetting this heavy truth in a fabricated history.

But Orgal hadn’t forgotten who he was or how he had fought. Just like every soldier in the Abyss Legion.

—My long-held dream of resurrecting the Sun God and restoring a perfect world… was it all for nothing? Hahaha… This is maddening. So many worlds… and I never saved a single one.

The protagonist.

Clearly, Orgal had been the hero in those countless worlds that were lost or destroyed. Blessed by the strongest god, recognized by all after many trials, yet never able to avoid a tragic end.

Suddenly, Orgal looked at the soldiers of the Abyss Legion. He recalled the memories of other Orgal versions from other worlds.

Strangely enough.

There was one name that never appeared in any world. The trace of a person who wielded more influence in this world than anyone else was completely absent from every memory.

—True Runcandel. He never appeared once in the history of all these worlds… These Orgals allied with almost every force in their worlds—Runcandel, Hiran, Bigung, the traitors of Zipple, the Sun God’s selves, the true demon realm—but never with him.

Even Bubar and Ainas had moments when they became great heroes, the hope of their worlds. But the great True Runcandel never played a role in any world.

The feeling was so unsettling it made Orgal’s stomach churn. In some ways, it was even stranger than the truth of the worlds.

—Interesting.

—Is that all? How could True Runcandel never appear in any of these stories? There’s not even a history where Solderet chose him. Of course, there was never a Balmel Alliance, and the coalition was always led by our Kinzello…

—As I said earlier, he’s closely connected to why Solderet lost his power. I don’t know exactly what happened either.

—Then maybe Solderet foresaw all this from the start and invested everything in True Runcandel to seize a single special opportunity. And that opportunity is this world. Isn’t that a possibility?

Helluram shook her head immediately.

—Solderet always chose Temar. Just as I have chosen you now. Besides, his power isn’t greater than mine. I doubt he knew something I didn’t first.

That was true. Solderet always chose Temar. The “Sword Demon War” a thousand years ago was an event that appeared in every world.

Except this one time, in this world, he also gave power to Jin. At least according to the memories of the Abyss Legion.

—But if someone else helped, maybe they recognized the diverged worlds before me.

—Someone else’s help…?

At that moment, Orgal realized another name besides True Runcandel never appeared in any world.

—Valeria Hister… Could it be her?

Valeria Hister.

Like Jin, she had never played a role in any world, even in worlds where the Hister family wasn’t completely erased.

Only those two had never fought alongside Orgal. Through the end of so many worlds.

Realizing this, Orgal’s heart began pounding as if it would burst.

Then Jin and Valeria were secret weapons unlike any Zipple had ever faced in any world. Literally the greatest unknown variables.

“My strength is draining… But Jin Runcandel and Valeria Hister. Can I really… trust those two?”

Summarizing his conversation with Helluram, Orgal tore at his hair again and slammed his fist into his chest.

This wasn’t a decision he could make right away.

Because he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that Solderet was already under Zipple’s control.

“At least from what we know so far… it doesn’t seem so. But if it were true, why would Zipple use those two like this?”

“Captain? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

The sudden muttering confused the members. But Marzielle understood exactly what he meant.

She was the only one in Kinzello who truly grasped the truth as deeply as Orgal.

“Maybe the two are needed to resurrect the Sun God, Captain. The reason they need the Sun God could be to further strengthen the Demon Stone, or to unify the diverged worlds—something along those lines.”

“What kind of nonsense is Marzielle spouting now?”

“Ahaha, it’s not that interesting, Bubar.”

Orgal nodded as if he had made a decision.

“…I’ll meet with True Runcandel directly and talk. I’m going to see him and Valeria Hister right now.”