Chapter 471

〈 Chapter 471 〉 Part 1, Chapter 20, Section 3

The first move, as always, came from Kim Nori. From the shadows, a youthful woman around 170cm sprang forth, and I sent a flying kick her way. My leg, charged with magic power, blazed fiercely with Blue Flame. If she were to get hit, it wouldn’t just be a mere bruise.

“Hmph! Is that all?”

And Nori effortlessly countered my attack. She quickly deflected the magic power, dispersing it into a black mist, and my kick missed entirely. In that moment, Nori dove back into the shadows before reappearing.

“Die!”

KAAANG!!

Nori’s sword clashed against my gun. Swinging my right-hand TAT, I deflected her blade and aimed my left-hand TAT at her. Nori froze, realizing the precarious situation. Pulling the trigger now would practically retire her.

But this wasn’t going to end so easily. Lowering my left TAT beneath her armpit,

“You’re a terrible actor.”

“GYAH!”

Nori gritted her teeth and stepped back, just as an emerald spear darted from beneath her arm. As expected, Raon had been hiding behind her, launching the attack. Though fierce, knowing it beforehand made countering it far too easy. I pulled the trigger toward the incoming spear.

TUUUDDUU!

The gun roared, firing off rounds of magical bullets. The spear was quickly destroyed by the flames, and its originator, Raon, wrapped her arms around Nori’s waist to retreat.

“The next pattern involves two…”

Confirming the distance Raon and Nori had retreated, I pointed both guns downward and unleashed a barrage at the ground. A cloud of dust rose as dozens of weapons erupted from the earth, aiming to skewer me. Intercepting them with magical bullets, I unfurled my wings.

“HAAAAA!”

Xiao Lin, her hair dyed brown, suddenly descended from above, swinging her Crescent Blade down at me. Folding my wings, I spun my body narrowly avoiding the attack, then grabbed her collar and twisted it. Unlike the real Xiao Lin, this one in the mental world was tinted with Ji Ryun’s color. Perhaps if Xiao Lin hadn’t been killed by Mo Taegyeong, the real Xiao Lin might have turned out like this too.

But now, she’s nothing more than my weapon. I hurled the struggling Xiao Lin toward the ground.

“The counter for water attributes is durability.”

SWOOSH!!

A high-pressure water orb hurtled directly toward my position, hitting Xiao Lin instead. Seok Harang frowned, her perfect shot thwarted by my “Xiao Lin Shield.” Although Xiao Lin wasn’t injured, the wasted opportunity was surely frustrating.

“In that case, the next pattern… Double Ultimate.”

Unfolding my wings mid-air, I stretched my gun barrels left and right, concentrating magic power into the bullets. By my side, Yuna with golden eyes and another Yuna with silver eyes used their staffs to fire house-sized magical bullets straight at me. For a brief moment, I bowed my head to the Yuna with golden eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

GRIT.

The sound of the golden-eyed Yuna grinding her teeth reached me. Though I apologized, there was no way I could lose here. With the gun barrels nearly melting, I fired the accumulated magical bullets.

“But I won’t beg for forgiveness!”

BOOOOM!!!

The magical bullets swept away the ultimate attacks launched by the two Yunas. The massive energy sphere, akin to nuclear fission, was quickly consumed by the flames and vanished. The two Yunas swiftly retreated to Baek Cheonghwa’s side.

“Truly impressive. Of course, it’s me after all. Starting with the toughest attacks right from the beginning, huh.”

The combination of Nori and Raon. Xiao Lin’s distraction. Seok Harang’s sniping. Followed by Yuna’s high-damage assault. And on top of that, the overlapping presence of Gaeul disguised as Yuna.

From the opening strike to the final blow, each part of the attack sequence lasting only ten seconds, was lethal. But the person who created these patterns was none other than me. Naturally, I knew exactly how to handle them. Just dodge well, block well, and counterattack effectively. That was all.

“Are you not coming out?”

“……”

In response to my provocation, Baek Cheonghwa didn’t budge. Even as a last-resort commander of Earth, he was devising strategies and tactics against me, who wielded dual guns.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll go in.”

“Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to cut us off?”

Baek Cheonghwa spoke first. Looking exactly like me, using the same voice, he was likely the original vessel, the flesh, and the “me” that I should have possessed. Just as Chang-yeom had read my memories and realized its true self, Baek Cheonghwa had absorbed all the trajectories of his existence played by me and remained as the final obstacle.

“Because if you disappear, I can live peacefully with Chang-yeom. What are you doing under someone else’s roof?”

“I cannot vanish. Not when I must stand for Su Ri, Yuha, Hikari, Heea, who weren’t able to stay here with me.”

“Your tone sounds like a protagonist’s. Or maybe you *are* the protagonist? Whatever, doesn’t matter. Then I’ll return the favor.”

I aimed my gun, loaded with my memories, at Baek Cheonghwa.

“For Chang-yeom, perish.”

“…Do you know what will happen if you kill me? Your memories are bound to this world. You might end up as a mere NPC, as Chang-yeom said.”

Baek Cheonghwa slowly began speaking. Clearly, he still hadn’t figured out a way to defeat me, buying time while pretending to talk. Though attacking now would likely secure victory, in this battle of pride, winning through tricks wouldn’t bring complete triumph.

‘Go ahead and try all you want to outsmart me.’

The Gun Kata taught by Chang-yeom went far beyond the scope of the original material. Without analyzing patterns through direct confrontation, there was no way to counter it. Of course, I also needed some time, so I lowered my gun and maintained a defensive stance.

“Everywhere I go, you meddle.”

“Of course, I must. It’s not like you’re jumping back into the fiery pit, but rather burning yourself out of existence. How could I not stop you?”

“Just let me burn. Isn’t Phoenix reborn from ashes anyway?”

“…Would you forget being me, forget everything about this world’s hidden truths, and depend solely on Chang-yeom’s memories, living as a puppet?”

“That’s right. Now we’re talking. Pfft.”

I mocked him with Chang-yeom’s laugh. Harang and Nori, with lower resistance, were the first to rush forward.

“Calm down. We haven’t even figured out your strategy yet, so rushing in now would be foolish.”

“…Is this really losing making you go crazy? Even if sixteen-year-old girls offer themselves, who in their right mind would turn them down?!”

“Brother, giving up would be easier. You could choose one of us, or better yet, start a harem with all of us. Everyone would be happy except Chang-yeom.”

“Everyone except Chang-yeom, sure.”

My words caused the six heroines, along with the spirit heroines within them, to growl angrily at me.

Though they were merely game characters, they had been comrades since half a year—or even earlier—helping me break through the original story multiple times. They urged me toward the endings tied to them, but the ending I sought was the true one where both Chang-yeom and I lived happily ever after.

“Nori, sorry, but I can’t yield. I’ll support the real you until you reach SS Rank. To me, Harang, you’re practically a younger sister. Xiao Lin… though a monster, lives happily as she desires. The same goes for everyone else. Even if these memories fade, I’m sure I’ll take good care of you.”

I aimed my gun at the other six spirits.

“So, allow me to request this: please disappear.”

Though they were characters within my mental world, built from countless repetitions and data accumulated over many episodes, they were essentially the real versions of themselves.

“Let me make this clear to all of you. When this fight ends, I will declare to Chang-yeom.”

I raised one gun skyward.

“Chang-yeom, will you marry me??”

To the uninvited guests disrupting our wedding, I apologize, but it’s time for you to leave. Pulling the trigger on the ultimate attack.

“To happiness and marriage!!”

“Ack! Phoenix’s movements are irregular! Everyone, full attack!!”

Perfect timing…

* * *

Though the enemy may struggle to judge me, I too find it hard to decide. Predictable attacks I can defend against, but unexpected ones require my full concentration.

‘He hasn’t moved yet.’

Baek Cheonghwa, the protagonist and inheritor of Chang-yeom’s power, inevitably participates as a combatant in the later stages. Thus, the combat data I’ve amassed should still be intact. Whose data is it? The original gun user? Or perhaps the special martial art ‘Hwakwon’ unlocked after the second cycle? Or could it be the swordsmanship learned alongside Xiao Lin and Kim Nori?

“Hey, aren’t you going to move?”

“A king does not move.”

“You’re the king? Seriously? Staying behind the scenes and fidgeting doesn’t make you a leader.”

My words caused both Baek Cheonghwa and the heroines to bristle. Though I never imagined I’d use lines typically spoken by villains or monsters mocking the protagonist, provoking heroines by insulting the protagonist works every time. Heroines can endure insults to themselves, but they cannot tolerate seeing their beloved protagonist insulted—they become furious instantly.

“Are you saying that?!”

Seok Harang rushed toward me first, gripping twin ice blades in both hands targeting my shoulders. Instead of stepping back, I surged forward, grabbing her collar.

“Ugh?!”

“To think you’d approach me so lightly, even as an SSS Ranker. This ends in one strike.”

Sorry, Harang, but you’ll have to be the first batter. I infused my grip with magic power and released it.

WHOOSH!!

Blue Flame erupted from my hand, enveloping Seok Harang. Though she quickly formed an icy protective barrier to block my attack, the flames already danced across her entire body.

“Harang!”

Park Ra-on dashed out, slashing at my wrist with her short sword. The cutting force of the sword, imbued with Jeolpung’s power, was sharp enough to slice through even my demon-infused armor. Naturally, I had no intention of letting it hit. Instead, I planned to ‘block’ it.

“Not so easy.”

KA-KA-KA-GA!

The massive amount of magic power I sprayed along the trajectory of the sword halted it mid-air. The opposing forces of Jeolpung and Blue Flame locked in a stalemate, allowing me to pour the rest of my strength into Seok Harang. Meanwhile, I raised my remaining hand, aiming the core at Ra-on’s heart.

“Sorry, Ra-on.”

“…Will you tell me you loved me?”

Ra-on dropped her sword, spreading her arms wide. Memories of the days spent together during the Park Ra-on route, and the 18-pyeong honeymoon apartment we once shared, flashed before my eyes. They say life flashes before your eyes when you die, but why do these memories surface when I intend to kill?

“Yes, I loved you. So rest quietly in my memories.”

“……That’s enough.”

TING.

I embedded a magical bullet into Ra-on’s heart. The blue flame erupted, wrapping around Ra-on, who quickly turned to ash and disappeared. Though Ra-on’s nature was such, among the spirits, Penril showed the quickest acceptance in unavoidable situations.

1/7. I respectfully laid Ra-on and Jeolpung to rest in my memories. Turning to Nu-ri rushing at me with her sword, I delivered a sidekick.

“Koff!”

Nu-ri appeared as a physical entity instead of fading into the shadows, getting hit squarely in the leg. Blood spewed, indicating no physical protection was employed. Dropping her sword, Nu-ri clutched my collar as she fell.

“Brother, we’ll still be friends, right?”

“Of course. Girlfriends.”

“…Mr. Ha, I should’ve chosen Fire Attribute and become your girlfriend. You never change till the end.”

With a sigh, Nu-ri bowed her head. I shifted my gun barrel to her crown and fired without hesitation. 2/7. Nu-ri and Maamryong were laid to rest in the remnants of memory. Five remain.

“You chose this path, and I shall grant your wish. However!”

“Come on, I’ll win cleanly and knock you down.”

I hurled Seok Harang far away. Simultaneously, Xiao Lin slammed her hand onto the ground.

THOOM THOOM!!

Hundreds of spears erupted from the earth, rushing toward me. Employing a hundredfold somersault, I accelerated my retreat, completely evading Xiao Lin’s attack. Amidst the wave of yellow spears, the figure of a bronze-haired goddess wielding a crescent blade charged toward me. Raising both hands, I unleashed suppressive fire along her charge path.

TA-TA-TA-DING!

The rapid-fire magical bullets exploded mid-air. Some nearly struck Xiao Lin but were mostly deflected by her Crescent Blade. Using the blade’s surface, Xiao Lin redirected most of the Blue Flames.

“HAAA!”

“Yelling and attacking from the left is a habit, isn’t it?”

I crossed the two guns in an X-shape, precisely positioning them along the Crescent Blade’s swing path. Xiao Lin bit her lip, hesitating briefly. In that fleeting pause, I rapidly spun my feet, spreading Blue Flames across the ground.

“The earth provides infinite weapons as long as you stand upon it, but not while airborne.”

“Ah-”

WHOOSH!!

Flames erupted beneath my feet, forming a pillar of fire that engulfed Xiao Lin. The azure fire column lifted her high into the sky before detonating her mid-air.

“In one exchange, yet you are formidable. Striking weaknesses without hesitation…”

“Of course, I trained you; how could you not know that?”

“…I humbly accept the defeat you bestowed.”

Xiao Lin and Ji Ryun faded away in mid-air. That makes 3/7. Now begins the true war.

“YOU!”

Seok Harang, having shed the Blue Flames, pointed at me and shouted.

“Do you really think you won’t regret leaving me behind?”

“Who said I left you? It’s just that we won’t progress to a romantic relationship.”

“MA! Why not aim for more? You can have Chang-yeom, me, and all the others too!”

“My love is already more than sufficient with one person.”

Seok Harang unfurled her ice wings. Her butterfly-like wings were always beautiful, more intricate and sturdy than the real Harang’s, but that was all.

“Feel my love for Chang-yeom! The power of these magical bullets is as strong as my love for her!”

Through love, I will prevail.