Chapter 515

〈 Chapter 515 〉 IF Route, Bad Ending #093 (2)

IF Route is a hypothetical scenario unrelated to the main storyline, derived from the main story.

Some viewers may find it unpleasant, but those who watch the main story can skip to the next chapter without any issues in understanding the content.

* * *

<December 24th, 2025. Sokcho City, Gangwon-do.>

Christmas Eve.

The eve that heralds the birth of the adult. As it had been before, South Korea was now immersed in a nationwide festival atmosphere as Christmas approached.

A couple’s marriage.

In just half a year, this person brought South Korea back to the ranks of hero superpowers. A commander acknowledged even by the Regent as the world’s greatest. The national hero who saved South Korea.

And his counterpart was….

“Miss!”

The woman in the gray coat jumped in surprise. Her eyes looked vacant, like those of a dead fish.

“What would you like to drink? Can’t you see people waiting behind you?!”

“…Ah.”

The woman turned her head. Behind her were several couples and groups of middle-aged women waiting for their orders.

“I’m sorry. I’ll order now.”

The woman immediately handed over cash and pointed at the menu.

“Caramel Macchiato and strawberry yogurt smoothie. Will you be dining in?”

The part-timer’s expression wasn’t good. When the woman shook her head, the part-timer brightened up and handed her a vibration bell.

“Please wait a moment!”

The café was packed with people. Couples on dates for Christmas Eve, groups of middle-aged women chatting away.

The woman quietly slipped into a corner by the wall. She pulled her translucent green scarf all the way up to her nose, further concealing her face.

It took about ten minutes for the vibration bell to go off. During that time, the woman enjoyed the white noise of the café, killing time.

“Brother, if he were to get married, who do you think he’d marry?”

“Me? Hmm… You?”

“Good news, good news! After all, they say men need to be tackled physically, right? Look at America. Now that he’s married, they can’t touch him easily.”

“An SS-Rank Hero getting drunk and using a pregnancy attack…. And the world’s best commander being seduced…. It’s really the end times.”

“So what? <Cleric> is moving to Korea anyway. Ah, I want to marry Cleric too. Wouldn’t my magic power increase every night then?”

“But aren’t you a guy?”

“I know.”

Wooong.

The vibration bell rang. The woman quickly walked to the counter and collected her drinks.

“Thank you.”

The woman lowered her veil and gave a slight bow. For a moment, everyone in the shop turned their gaze towards her.

“…”

Embarrassed, the woman bowed her head and swiftly exited the café.

The nearest couple spoke up.

“Brother, why are you staring so hard? Is that woman so pretty?”

“Huh? Oh, well, she kind of is…”

The man frowned as he continued.

“She looks a lot like Cheon Gaeul.”

“What? As pretty as Cheon Gaeul? You’re saying another woman is pretty right in front of me? We’re breaking up!”

* * *

Gaeul placed the drink box in the car and checked her luggage. The trunk of the mid-sized sedan was filled with various food supplies and daily necessities.

“…Ah. I forgot.”

Gaeul scratched her head and scanned the surroundings. Fortunately, there was a shabby shopping arcade not far away. Gaeul immediately headed toward it, looking for a place where she could buy the missing item.

“Welcome, uh…?”

The deeply wrinkled old man frowned when he saw Gaeul. Gaeul lowered her veil and smiled sweetly.

“Hello.”

“Oh, what brings such a young lady here?”

Gaeul glanced around the store. Though it had everything, it was quite modest compared to the nearby large supermarket.

The owner seemed to notice this and waved his hand while lamenting.

“All because of those damn foreigners, I can barely make ends meet. If only Miss Yu-Sung weren’t here, this neighborhood would’ve been dead. Damn Yankees, go home already.”

Gaeul chuckled softly.

“The Cleric is American too, right?”

The owner was startled and slapped the floor.

“What an unfair statement! Since he married a Korean, he’s Korean now! Lady, be careful where you speak. You might get dragged off to New Seoul without anyone noticing.”

At the owner’s warning, Gaeul smiled bitterly. Her hand moved toward her wallet.

Rustle.

“I’ll take this.”

“Oh, that’s good stuff. But since it’s natural, no Alipay though…”

The owner trailed off. Gaeul silently pulled out some cash from her wallet and handed it over. The owner’s face lit up.

“That’s right, people should carry cash to accumulate blessings. By the way, miss, do you happen to be…?”

The owner glanced at Gaeul’s stomach.

“Are you pregnant? Why are you buying seaweed?”

Gaeul stared at the seaweed in her hand for a moment before smiling faintly. That smile resembled someone else perfectly.

“Yes, I am. But not me.”

* * *

Clang, Clang.

The car driving along the mountain road stopped in a clearing. A spacious garden surrounded a wooden cabin, a secluded spot that was once quite popular.

Gaeul unbuttoned her coat. Simultaneously, the coat began to fall off from within.

Squish.

Not automatic. A single tentacle emerged from behind Gaeul and held the coat. Other tentacles appeared, supporting the paper bags filled with groceries and daily necessities.

“♪♬♬♩”

Gaeul hummed a tune while collecting her drinks. The savory smell of simmering doenjang wafted through the parking lot.

Creak.

As Gaeul entered, the door opened automatically. With the tentacles neatly arranging the items, Gaeul briskly walked toward the kitchen.

“All set.”

Hiss.

A maiden with blue hair tasted the soup with a ladle. The girl wearing an apron adorned with Eun Ha-su observed the drinks Gaeul had bought and furrowed her delicate brows.

“You went to the café again?”

“It’s fine. No one recognized me.”

Gaeul took out the yogurt and handed it to the girl. The girl hesitated for a moment before accepting it with one hand and flicking her finger with the other.

Snap.

The blue flames burning under the pot faded. The girl closed the lid and took a sip of the yogurt.

“It’s okay, right? It’s your favorite brand.”

“…I’ll let you off this time.”

The girl turned away primly. Beyond her tied-up hair, her snow-white nape was visible.

Tighten.

The tentacles stiffened. Gaeul placed the caramel macchiato down and embraced the girl from behind.

“Cheongnyeon, can I try some of that?”

Gaeul kissed the girl’s cheek. While turning her head to kiss Gaeul, the girl shot her a disapproving glare.

“No way.”

“Not fair.”

Cheongnyeon reached behind her to untie the apron strings. The tentacles gently rested on the ends of the strings she held.

“…Excuse me, Gaeul-ssi, we still have dinner to eat soon.”

Cheongnyeon gestured toward the simmering stew with her eyes. The naturally sourced ingredients cooked with Chang-yeom always made for excellent meals, but Gaeul wanted something else.

Gaeul buried her face in Cheongnyeon’s neck.

“Ah, seriously. Stop it. Last time, all the food got cold.”

“Cheongnyeon.”

Gaeul suddenly had an idea and moved the tentacles. In the blink of an eye, a tentacle swiped the yogurt from Cheongnyeon.

“What are you doing…!”

The tentacle swallowed the yogurt. Inside the gray tentacle, the crimson smoothie squished around.

Cheongnyeon’s complexion turned pale. Gaeul tightly embraced Cheongnyeon from behind.

“Upper lips, lower lips—both will get yogurt.”

* * *

“Was it fun?”

Cheongnyeon pouted.

Gaeul massaged her thighs incessantly beside her, cooing affectionately. The tentacles also massaged Cheongnyeon’s entire body.

“Do you regret it? You really wanted that yogurt, didn’t you?”

“You sprayed it everywhere with your tentacles and then licked it all up!”

Gaeul was speechless. Ultimately, all the drinks she bought from the café ended up being consumed by herself.

“Still, some did go to you….”

“The part you shoved into my stomach and then sucked back out with your tentacles. Even if you’re excited, that’s going too far.”

Gaeul grabbed Cheongnyeon’s chest. Cheongnyeon raised her hand to slap but sighed instead and relaxed her body.

“Is a tentacle ghost possessing you? Why are you so lustful?”

“Saying that, you’ve become a full-fledged woman now. Just call me ‘older sister’ comfortably.”

“It’s because you want me to…”

Cheongnyeon avoided Gaeul’s gaze. Embarrassed by the sight, Gaeul lay down on the sofa and rested her head on Cheongnyeon’s thigh. Cheongnyeon, accustomed to this, stroked Gaeul’s hair.

“Ah, it’s starting.”

One hour remained until Holy Night. At exactly 11 PM, the fanfare announcing the start of the wedding ceremony echoed.

The groom appeared in a black tuxedo. Gaeul fondled Cheongnyeon’s chest with her tentacles and asked.

“Isn’t the Cleric’s suit quite handsome?”

“Why? Isn’t he good-looking?”

Cheongnyeon pouted unusually. Gaeul rubbed Cheongnyeon’s cheeks with her tentacles to comfort her.

“Don’t be jealous. You know I only have you.”

“…Hmph. Fine.”

The Cleric stepped onto the carpet with long strides. A man with silver-white hair approached and firmly embraced the Cleric.

“Seongju.”

The Azure Sparrow. One of only four SSS-Rank special ability users in the world and the sole female among the Cleric’s Four Devas. The blue-flamed Phoenix. Five years ago, after awakening to S-Rank, he formed a blood brotherhood with the Cleric and achieved the unprecedented rank of SSS.

Gaeul subtly observed Cheongnyeon’s reaction.

Phoenix. The alias that eventually returned to Seong Ju after Cheongnyeon fled with Gaeul.

“Do you still regret it?”

“…I don’t regret it. Rather, I’m grateful. Because of that.”

Gaeul met Cheongnyeon’s gaze. Cheongnyeon pressed Gaeul’s head against her belly.

“Because it led me to this happiness.”

“…Hehe.”

The small heartbeat inside the belly. Gaeul buried her face in Cheongnyeon’s abdomen.

Monsters incapable of resurrection couldn’t bear new life. Gaeul desired the fruit of her love with Cheongnyeon, and after years of effort, Cheongnyeon succeeded in engraving Gaeul’s essence into her flesh.

“Thinking back, you used to seem so much like a guy, and I felt more feminine.”

“Our lives have been far from ordinary compared to regular couples.”

Cheongnyeon looked down at Gaeul with tear-filled eyes. Gaeul firmly clasped Cheongnyeon’s hands with both of hers.

“Thank you. For staying by my side until now. For giving up everything for my selfishness and being here.”

“…”

Cheongnyeon said nothing, merely pulling Gaeul’s head closer.

“Can I say it again?”

“Go ahead.”

“I love you.”

“…”

Cheongnyeon still didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to stroke Gaeul’s hair, her eyes brimming with tears.

“…Cheongnyeon, I’m sleepy. Can I sleep?”

Gaeul clung to Cheongnyeon like a child. Cheongnyeon kept stroking Gaeul’s head.

“…When you wake up, we’ll do it again. This time…”

Gaeul closed her eyes without finishing her sentence. Cheongnyeon tilted her head back.

A transparent tear streamed between her closed eyelids, falling onto Gaeul’s cheek.

Gaeul didn’t wake up.

“Disgusting. Playing love games with a human?”

A woman sitting on the opposite sofa glared disdainfully. Cheongnyeon placed her hand on Gaeul’s heart.

Whoosh.

Gaeul’s lifeless body was enveloped in Chang-yeom and turned to ashes.

Cheongnyeon, Phoenix, quietly rose from the sofa and headed toward the window.

“Don’t even talk to me. Just being in the same space makes me want to vomit.”

The black-haired woman kicked the sofa Phoenix had been sitting on.

“I’ve given you enough time. Do you really think you can keep hiding in these mountains as a disgrace to the Dark Legion forever?”

“Azidahaka.”

Phoenix turned her head. Blue flames began to burn fiercely in her eyes.

“Thank you for deliberately paying attention to me.”

“Hmph! What nonsense!”

Phoenix lifted a finger.

Nearby, magical reactions began to appear one by one.

Three from the left, two from the right. Counting them, Phoenix clenched her fists.

And one in front.

[The day of our promise has come. Chang-yeom.]

Seeing Seongju cloaked in robes next to Azidahaka, Phoenix nodded.

“Very well. I’ll follow your wishes. I’ll destroy this Earth as ordered.”

“What? You? You blasphemous thing!”

“In return.”

Phoenix spread her wings. Twin fists blazed with blue flames.

“These six female commanders here. And you, Seongju—I’ll pluck your heads off and die alongside Earth.”

Phoenix charged forward, spreading her wings toward Seongju.

…

…

…

The god of another dimension opened its eyes.

The god who shattered Tera and fell asleep responded to the call of its disciple.

And thus, Earth perished.