The battlefield was desolate, with all the humans having fled.
In the very center of it all, the Golden Reaper radiated light from their entire body and grinned widely.
It was a smile slightly warped by pain.
A smile filled with the resolve to protect humans and the joy of having done so.
As the Giant Monster’s fist hurtled toward the Golden Reaper, their hair whipped about violently in the wind like fireflies dancing in a dark forest, flickering faintly.
Are the humans safe?
I hope they’ve all escaped and are out of harm’s way.
And I really hope that incoming punch won’t hurt too much.
For some reason, thinking about pain made the Golden Reaper long for their mom.
“Mom…”
Even though this place was far too distant for Mom to possibly notice, the Golden Reaper still missed her deeply.
But the faint ripple of longing was consumed by the white flames.
Just as the willpower fluttered like white flower petals in midair, a familiar shadow loomed over the Golden Reaper.
An overwhelming presence spread, filling the surroundings completely.
“Mom!”
The Golden Reaper recognized the familiar presence and beamed happily.
Mom is here!
Just before the Blue Reapers clashed with the Clone Army, a faint fragment of emotion drifted in.
Strangely, it came from the direction of the Clone Army.
The clones were connected to something distant, and the emotions flowing from there belonged to a Mini Reaper in agony.
Bright as the sun, brave, and seemingly on the brink of death—it was an intense feeling.
Startled, I unleashed the Penguin’s ability in all directions.
From Seoul, Korea, across the seas, and around the world…
Most Mini Reapers were happy, but far away in America, the firewood of the Golden Reaper flickered weakly, as if about to go out.
Targeting that fragile flame battered by the winds, I teleported instantly.
The tremendous distance traveled felt like an eternity, yet the firewood began burning fiercely as I arrived.
At that moment, a colossal fist slammed toward me.
Crunch.
A sound of something breaking reverberated through my body—a noise I thought I’d never hear again after gaining immunity to physical attacks.
Despite the excruciating pain, I strained to find the Golden Reaper, who was surely injured badly.
Though tattered like broken porcelain, the Golden Reaper smiled brightly upon seeing me.
Tumbling uncontrollably, I cradled the Golden Reaper in my arms, doing my best to shield them from further harm.
After rolling quite a distance, we finally came to a stop.
Checking my embrace for any injuries, I found the Golden Reaper unscathed.
Hee hee.
Covered in wounds yet inexplicably cheerful, the Golden Reaper stared up at me with a radiant smile while I lay sprawled on the ground.
Seeing their face eased my tension strangely.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
With a gentle smile, I stroked the Golden Reaper’s head and fueled their firewood generously.
The once-shattered Golden Reaper quickly restored themselves, raising both arms triumphantly in what looked like a “Resurrection!” gesture.
BOOM!
The Blue Reaper’s protective barrier trembled violently, as if it might shatter.
“For only through suffering can the flesh find salvation.”
The Clone Cult Leaders mumbled incessantly, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
They seemed human but carried an unnatural vibe.
Each time they flung droplets, they scattered wildly, bouncing along the underground passageway.
Meanwhile, the Blue Reapers maintained stoic expressions, weaving strings into the air.
<Protect us, please!>
<Protect everyone, please!>
Focused solely on fortifying their defenses rather than counterattacking, the Blue Reapers awaited something.
BOOM. BOOM.
After rolling through the winding tunnels for what felt like ages, the Blue Reapers finally reached a wide-open lot deep within.
The end of the tunnel—and a dead-end alley.
Yet also the perfect spot to surround the water droplets.
The Cult Leaders spread out, slowly encircling the water and advancing.
“The body is the prison of the soul; only through suffering can one escape.”
“The body is the prison of the soul; only through suffering can one escape.”
“The body is the prison of the soul; only through suffering can one escape.”
Their voices echoed ominously throughout the vast open space.
Though trapped in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, the Blue Reaper under the large hat smiled brightly.
Ten Blue Reapers joined forces to weave a massive string in the air.
<The strongest Mom Golem in the world!>
<Golem!>
A towering Gray Reaper emerged in the expansive open lot and roared.
“ROOOAAARRRR!”
The bellow of a 5-meter-tall mass of water shook the area.
The Cult Leader personally intervened for those ensnared by the flesh and rejecting suffering.
Having dwelled within the eyes since attaining enlightenment of God’s existence, this was an unusual move.
I saw countless people’s wishes to avoid pain.
“Aah, pitiful souls trapped in the illusion of the flesh.”
Unorganized wishes cannot reach God.
Only the yearning to escape suffering reaches Him.
While bestowing the blessing of pain upon humanity, the Cult Leader noticed an unpleasant entity.
It resembled God’s flames but twisted in a distasteful way.
Because it mirrored God, it was even more disagreeable.
Looking down at the golden-and-gray-skinned object, the Cult Leader lamented.
“Aah, O Lord.”
Beneath the feet of the lamenting Cult Leader stretched a giant eyeball.
Though the Golden Reaper had resurrected, the situation remained dire.
The Giant continued rampaging, intent on killing both me and the Golden Reaper, leaving us with no clear solution.
BOOM.
The ground shattered violently where the massive fist struck, debris scattering in all directions like a bomb explosion.
“Aah, O Lord. Show us the righteous path.”
The Giant’s voice thundered across the battlefield.
I darted around frantically, the Golden Reaper perched atop my head.
‘…’
No matter how hard I grasped at the void, trying to seize space, nothing happened.
Instead of gripping space, white flames fluttered like cherry blossoms from my clenched fists.
Like the physically immune Golden Reaper, my abilities weren’t functioning properly.
There must be an object disrupting my powers—likely the pesky white flames clinging stubbornly to my body.
This interference made my current predicament extremely troublesome.
Oddly, I instinctively knew how to use my abilities correctly.
A strange certainty gripped me.
‘If I consume these white flames and use them as firewood, everything will resolve itself.’
That was the conviction.
But swallowing these flames would undoubtedly cause major issues.
It’d be like putting cooking oil into a car engine instead of gasoline—disastrous.
Plop plop.
Dashing around in every direction, avoiding the Giant’s fists became increasingly difficult.
The worst-case scenario—getting pinned to the ground and pulverized—had to be avoided at all costs.
Ultimately, I made a decision.
‘I can’t attempt anything meaningful without regaining full control of my powers.’
During my evasive maneuvers, I noticed something: the farther I moved, the weaker the white flames became.
First things first—I needed to put some distance between myself and the Giant.
I warned the Golden Reaper to “hold on tight.”
Upon hearing this, the Golden Reaper clutched my feelers with both arms and legs and playfully bit down with their mouth.
Once securely attached, I charged straight toward the Giant.
Predictably, a massive fist swung toward me.
Dodging minimally, I pressed forward.
My arm grazed the fist and disintegrated mid-air.
Attacks aimed downward wouldn’t achieve my goal.
I zigzagged beneath the Giant’s feet.
Regenerating limbs were expendable as long as I avoided being crushed into immobility.
BOOM. BOOM.
The Giant stomped irritably.
“Aah, how unfortunate. Pain is the stairway to God.”
The fashionably dressed Giant muttered nonsensically.
Dodging his stomping feet, I began retreating, pretending to flee.
Habitually, the Giant kicked toward me like a soccer ball.
Whoosh.
The wind generated was strong enough to uproot nearby trees.
Getting hit by that kick would surely obliterate me.
But instead of dodging, I leapt directly toward the Giant’s foot.
Crunch.
A horrifying crunch accompanied the sensation of my leg snapping.
Simultaneously, I shot upward like a bullet.
Laughing joyfully, I soared through the forest at breakneck speed.
Though my body tore apart and shattered, I ascended high into the sky!
‘This is my escape route!’
The farther I traveled, the more the white flames diminished.
Finally, when all the flames disappeared from my body, I extended my hands toward the Giant.
Two hands stained black.
Victory.
‘…’
Seizing the void, I tore the Giant apart mid-air.
But ominous phenomena began unfolding where the Giant fell.
A magical eye-like pattern appeared beneath the Giant’s collapsed form.
Like a window to another world, the glowing eye fixated on me with sinister intent.
