60 Duke

The spear flies in like a wedge.

"Crack!" The instant the demon's brain splits, I grab the spear again.

And throw it again.

I trail the spear stuck in the ever-multiplying demon like a tag.

The whole sequence is so swift and clean that, to anyone watching, it would look as if I weren't throwing the spear at all, but moving with it.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

One fortunate thing was that Arhelak's splitting had limits.

The split continues through the leg that emerges, but because the exposed area is so small, only two can split off.

It takes only thirty seconds for two to become four.

In those thirty seconds, I kept killing the two demons and stopping them from multiplying.

Boss!

Ms. Kim's frantic shout came from behind me. But I don't even have the energy to turn my head. The bastard's splitting again.

What are you doing? I told you to take Dukgu and go!

B-but—.

Hurry!

Even after the seal was broken, why wasn't the demon coming out?

Only one answer came to mind.

'He's reluctant to come out too.'

I had thought there would only be Ducarion, but then the variable that was me showed up.

The splitting demon was threatening, sure, but compared to other demons with destructive powers, each individual body was weak.

I will yank your limbs apart, put a collar on you like a mangy dog, and drag you around!

If you're too scared to come out, shut up!

In other words, he's trying to turn this into a war of attrition.

The moment I get tired, and once he's become more than four bodies.

That's when the true face of the endlessly multiplying demon will come out.

I should've worked out more.

I've been keeping up with exercise steadily ever since I met Geum Taemin at the club.

I was definitely better than before, but the more breathless I got, the more regret crept up on me.

Hoo—!

I steady my breathing.

The white smoke rising from my body spread like a curtain—

The moment I put strength back into my body and tried to move.

……?

A power that wasn't mine wrapped around the hand gripping the spear.

A brilliant golden light, beautiful enough to make me admire it.

It was like the sphere that had sealed the demon.

It wasn't my power.

Because of the tower's rules.

Could it be Dukgu?

No, no.

Even Dukgu, still on his knees, looked shocked as he watched the light pouring from the spear.

Then this is—.

* * *

What was the moment Kim Dukgu regretted most?

He had never seriously thought about it, so he couldn't answer.

No, because he regretted every moment, he couldn't pick just one.

But the instinct to survive in a harsh life always stirs up the regrets of the past.

People always writhe in meaningless pain, saying, 'I shouldn't have done that.'

Meaningless pain.

It truly was.

Because the past can't be changed.

Dukgu! Get up! Come on!

No matter how many times Ms. Kim called from beside him, Kim Dukgu showed no signs of getting up.

He stared stiffly at Kim Juseon, who was handling the demon alone.

Lord Ducarion! Hurry and run!

Maria, who had come running in tears, hurriedly tugged at Dukgu's arm.

Even if he'd become a disappointed hero, she didn't want to see him die here.

…….

Kim Dukgu looked at Maria, who was straining beside him. A girl who couldn't even properly support one of his sturdy arms.

She was the child he had saved.

Had the holy knight Ducarion regretted his life?

So it seemed.

Because he had lost his friends because of it.

But the girl he had saved in the past was crying beside him.

To regret something means that, if you go back, you won't do it again.

Then this child would be abandoned and die.

Ah...

If he went back, he would live the same life.

Then this was no longer regret.

Why?

Kim Dukgu asked himself again.

Then why was he frozen here?

Why was his heart pounding so hard, and why couldn't he find the courage to move forward?

For a moment, a familiar golden light burst from Kim Juseon.

Divine power.

The divine power pouring out of Valkar's spear was helping Kim Juseon.

Insight struck like lightning, and the realization sent a shiver through his body.

A human body that overuses divine power becomes divine power and disappears.

Then where does that divine power go?

Ah...

The answer was simple.

It was there.

There... there?

His pupils shook violently.

The divine power from the spear pierced the demon once more.

Just like in the distant past.

Just like the time they fought together.

It was there?

Slowly, Kim Dukgu rose to his feet and swallowed hard. Tears streamed down, but he had no time to wipe them away.

He repeated it to himself.

The instinct to survive in a harsh life always stirs up the regrets of the past.

People always writhe in meaningless pain, saying, 'I shouldn't have done that.'

In this extreme situation,

Kim Dukgu could finally see exactly what his regret was.

Sshing—!

He pulled out the sword that had been stabbed into the ground.

Even after decades, it fit snugly in his hand and welcomed its owner back.

D-Ducarion-nim?

Dukgu?

The two women called out to him.

Both names were his.

Commence.

Golden divine power rose up.

Though time had passed and it had faded, grown old, and gathered dust, it still hadn't lost its light.

Sing the Hymn of Battle.

Holy knights always sang right before battle.

The choir always brought out people's greatness and brilliance.

Songs made people forget fear, lift them up, and give them the strength to move forward.

Huh?

What?

Ms. Kim and Maria were flustered, but there was one person who understood.

Bzzzzzz!

The backing track from the Bluetooth speaker.

When he turned his head, there was Seo Hajin, gripping the microphone tightly with both hands, looking tense.

The pose looked almost like prayer.

Even the days when he wielded divine power as the holy knight Ducarion.

Even the days when he awakened divine power while watching an idol performance.

It felt as if everything had become one.

- We've been together so long I don't even know what to call us.

- I'll tell myself the tremble at the ends of my words is the wind's fault.

- For this moment, I want to be remembered beautifully.

The Hymn of Battle played.

Boom!

At the same time, the golden sphere shattered, and the demon Arhelak's true form burst out.

"Ducarionnnn—!"

And he knew it for certain.

He had never once been afraid of the demon standing before him.

- Someday.

- If we meet again like a miracle.

- I'll say, 'It's been a while,' with this smile.

KWA-AAANG!

The demon's hand reaching toward Dukgu was blocked.

The divine power surging from Lumiel's shield, planted in the ground, formed a gigantic barrier.

"Long time no see, Lumiel."

Divine power blazed in response.

"Lumieeeel—!"

As Arhelak shouted, splitting continued throughout its body. The moment several more bodies were about to split off from the huge frame,

Boom!

A spear hurled with tremendous brute strength pierced Arhelak's neck.

Its body tilted, and the splitting stopped for a moment.

"Krrk?! Valkarrr—!"

He strained with all his might to pull out the spear lodged in its neck, but the divine power held firm.

The sacred spear, protected by his comrades, was once again raised toward the sky after decades.

Life is steeped in regret.

Regret because it can't be undone.

The past because there's no going back.

But if.

If a chance to change it were given.

What would you call that?

A miracle.

There was no other way to describe it.

Today, Kim Dukgu came face to face with a miracle.

Ironically, the matchmaking agency president's greeting kept echoing in his mind.

We'll find your miracle for you.

What was Kim Dukgu's regret?

Becoming a holy knight?

Getting his friends caught up in his dream?

Fighting to the very end without giving up?

Longing for that dream?

Not being able to die together?

None of them.

One by one, he crossed them off until only one remained.

A broken farewell.

It was not being able to smile and tell the two of them not to worry as they left.

It was making the two of them worry about him until the very moment they closed their eyes.

- I'm smiling.

- So you smile too.

He swung the hand holding the sword wide.

This was clearly the farewell he had failed to have with his friends that day.

- At the end of the smile.

- So that we can remember today fondly.

At the end of the hymn.

With tears in his eyes.

As he recalled the memories.

Let's smile.

Goodbye, my friends.

"What? You want to go hang out on the 3rd floor?"

Lumiel let out a sigh at Valkar's sly grin.

Valkar had always been like that.

Though he was a holy knight, he had a somewhat worldly side.

He hated wearing armor, saying it was stuffy, and always slung his spear over his shoulder because it was heavy.

How did he even have divine power?

"Why? They said the 3rd floor has busty beauties in skimpy clothes, dancing too! What was it again? Idols?"

"Hey! Do you really think Duke would be interested in that?"

"He's a man! Duke, you're coming too, right?"

"I don't think I can really... watch that."

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Valkar threw an arm around his shoulders and shook him.

"I even became a holy knight because of you, didn't I? And you can't even watch busty idols for me?"

"Okay. I get it, so stop shaking me."

"Duke! You're really going to go see them?"

Well, what else could he do?

Valkar was making such a fuss.

"Then I'm going too."

"Lumiel, why are you going too?"

"I heard there are lots of sweet snacks on the 3rd floor. I'm going to eat as many as I can."

At Lumiel's words, Valkar burst out laughing.

Before long, the three holy knights were deciding what to do when they went to the 3rd floor.

"Apparently there's even something called a game? Something about swinging swords."

"We already swing swords here, so why swing them there?"

"Apparently it's more peaceful there than here. That's what they said."

"Wow... that does sound pretty exciting."

Then Lumiel clapped and laughed.

"Let's give ourselves aliases too! Especially since Ducarion is famous, you might accidentally build up a bad reputation just by hanging out there."

"Well, we're holy knights. Better not to look worldly."

Ducarion nodded awkwardly.

The two friends, now fired up, laughed as they thought it over.

"Shouldn't we make it fit the vibe of the 3rd floor?"

"The place we're going to is called Seoul. If we go by the naming style over there, Ducarion is a bit hard..."

After thinking it over, Valkar smirked.

"Since your nickname is Duke, how about Dukgu?"

"...That sounds kind of weird."

"It kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Dukgu. Mm, Dukgu. I like it!"

"It's my name, so why are you two the ones approving it? I hate it."

Seeing the bewildered Ducarion, the two friends laughed uproariously and slapped his shoulders.

At the sight of his friends laughing, a smile naturally spread across Ducarion's lips.

"From now on, your name is Dukgu!"

"Great! Once we retire as holy knights, we'll make a ton of money, right?"

Then we...

go down to the 3rd floor.

Let's have a blast.