Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 252

The flow of time is beyond human control.

Even if one tries to halt it or alter its course, countless necessities and coincidences intertwine, inevitably charting its path and surging onward.

Each event may appear as a mere cog, yet these small components trigger significant incidents, ultimately setting in motion changes that reshape the entire world.

The resurrection of the Great Demon of Jeju Island, the terror incident at the Theocracy [a government ruled by religious leaders], the emergence of the Six Nights, the rise of an apocalyptic monster in Northern Europe…

All these cogs have converged, leading to this very moment.

Kugugugung!

The aerial fortress descends with a deafening rumble.

Numerous influential figures who guide the world, watching that massive floating island poised to touch down, shared a common thought.

Peace had endured for too long.

The centuries of tranquility following the Great War were drawing to a close.

No one could prevent it.

And no one desired to prevent it.

* * *

London, England, the Eastgrow Estate.

Ron Russell, summoned by his father, wore a puzzled expression.

“What is it, Father?”

“We will make contact with them as soon as the aerial fortress lands.”

“A mission?”

Ron asked, his eyes gleaming.

Having recently subdued Lee Cheol and the Puppeteer, Ron had become acutely aware of his own limitations.

Since then, he had eagerly participated in various missions, driven by a burning desire to improve his skills.

“But what exactly is the aerial fortress?”

“Little is known. This marks their first official appearance on the ground since the Great War.”

The aerial fortress invariably appears at pivotal moments in history.

Their arrival signifies that a monumental shift, poised to engulf the entire world, is imminent.

“What we do know is that they possess a deeper understanding of the world’s secrets than anyone else.”

“Secrets…”

Ron murmured the word softly.

Henry regarded his son with a grave expression.

“Son, listen carefully.”

“Yes, Father.”

“We must forge a world by humans, for humans, originating from humans, and culminating with humans.”

This world is flawed.

Monstrous beasts threaten humanity.

The lands inhabited by these creatures restrict human expansion.

Humans are the rightful inheritors of the world, as ordained by the heavens.

Therefore, we shall rectify this imperfect world.

“Yes, I understand. My sword exists to protect people from monsters.”

“…Yes, that is all you need to know.”

Henry Russell gazed at his cherished sword hanging on the wall.

“I, too, will participate in this fight.”

“Really?”

“Yes, because this fight will usher in a great transformation.”

For humanity.

Henry repeated those words in his mind and picked up his sword for the first time in years.

* * *

Kowloon Walled City.

In this grim fortress city, a bloody conflict raged on.

“Y-you bastard…!”

An old man, his arm severed, trembled as he glared ahead.

The old man was none other than the second-in-command of Kowloon Walled City, the head of the Council of Elders.

“Just because you rose from the slums… Do you think your origins will change just because the Lord has acknowledged you! What treachery! Do you realize what you’ve done…!”

Around the head of the Council of Elders, blood flowed, forming a crimson stream.

A man wielding a long sword stood before him.

A somber figure with striking features.

The direct disciple of the Kowloon Lord, Cheonsaldo Jang Han.

“Didn’t you understand? From the start, eliminating you was the Master’s… no, the Lord’s order. With you around, I can’t become the Lord, so get out of my way.”

“W-without us, Kowloon Walled City will fall apart…”

“I think so too.”

Jang Han sighed deeply.

Jang Han never approved of this ‘cleanup’.

But that unreasonable, absolute being demanded it.

Therefore, Jang Han had no choice but to comply.

“Since an external enemy called the aerial fortress has appeared, uniting the internal forces won’t be difficult. So, you are no longer needed. That’s my judgment.”

As he said, this decision was Jang Han’s alone, not the Kowloon Lord’s intention.

His monstrous master had been absent for several years.

“S-stop. I, I will swear allegiance to you. I’ll do anything for you…”

The head of the Council of Elders couldn’t finish his sentence.

Swish!

After decapitating the Council of Elders, Jang Han slumped onto the blood-soaked conference table in the Elder’s Hall.

“Now, only the aerial fortress remains.”

Jang Han sheathed his sword, recalling a certain young man.

Until now, Jang Han had eagerly anticipated the day he could truly compete with that young man.

Perhaps that day would arrive in another fortress floating in the sky.

* * *

Theocracy, Vatican.

All the Holy Knights had assembled in the training grounds.

“Is everything ready, Serena?”

“Yes, Saintess. It is finished.”

The Sword of the Theocracy, Saintess Christina, nodded and addressed the knights.

“We will participate in the battle for that fortress to maintain the world’s balance.”

Saintess Christina declared.

After the Theocracy was attacked by a traitor, it began expanding its influence outward.

Therefore, the Theocracy could not afford to abstain from such a significant event.

“I, too, will join this fight. According to the Lord’s will, we shall emerge victorious.”

Saintess Christina’s holy sword gleamed.

Watching the light, Serena, standing beside her, also felt her eyes sparkle.

* * *

An unknown mountain.

A gaunt old man, resembling a mummy, strolled leisurely.

Numerous people followed in his wake.

“Finally, the era is shifting.”

The old man chuckled, amused.

His pupil-less eyes gazed in a specific direction.

The leader of Kabbalah [an esoteric Jewish mysticism], the old man consumed by the ambition to become God, was interpreting the flow of events.

“For the transmitted wisdom and the truth.”

* * *

Aboard the Aerial Fortress.

500 meters above the ground.

The seven beings residing on this mysterious floating island, which forbids entry to outsiders, observed the approaching ground.

“Arrival. Today.”

“It has begun.”

“They will come too.”

“Prophecy. Will come someday.”

….

As the seven individuals spoke in unison, a buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees, echoed.

“Can’t stop now.”

“Is it right?”

“No one knows.”

“Scary.”

Tudder.

The seven dwarves wearing robes trembled.

Contrary to the image typically associated with the owners of the aerial fortress, they possessed a more delicate and clumsy demeanor than expected.

“The mask came out.”

“The old man is walking too.”

“The one with the blood of the dragon too.”

“The one who lives with darkness as a friend too.”

“The ghost from the distant past too.”

Two clusters of light, emanating from their shaded faces, scanned the surroundings busily.

“The one who will give his life too.”

“The greedy man too….”

They said ‘and’ simultaneously.

“…The one who came back from death too.”

Who does that mean?

What do they know?

Kugugugung!

Even as they spoke, the fortress steadily descended.

The remaining distance was 200 meters.

“End. What we can write. Now.”

“Departure. Now.”

Kugugugugu-!

100 meters.

50 meters.

10 meters.

And, 0 meters.

The aerial fortress ceased its descent, hovering slightly above the ground.

The magnificent floating island cast a vast shadow around it.

The aerial fortress had finally landed.

* * *

Lee Gun-sung observed the scene.

Those observers, who held the world’s secrets, had finally arrived.

“They have arrived.”

Lee Gun-sung turned away without regret.

A great battle, unstoppable by anyone, was about to commence.

Soongmoo Igah, the Theocracy, Behemoth, Kabbalah, the Dawn Society, Kowloon Walled City… No corner of the world could escape this impending conflict.

Who could prevent it?

Even his deluded father, believing he could stop it, was merely another cog in the machinery of fate.

-Finally, the time has come.

At that moment, Lee Gun-sung heard a strange voice.

The voice seemed to be his own, yet also belonged to someone else.

Lee Gun-sung simply nodded with a knowing smile, as always.

The time had come.

Now, thousands of years of preparation would culminate, and all the world’s secrets would be revealed.

* * *

…And I watched the aerial fortress land, my eyes shining.

I could sense countless presences observing that fortress.

Every organization and country in the world had undoubtedly dispatched their forces.

Numerous interests, relationships, and political machinations were intertwined on this small patch of land.

‘Whatever.’

I thought.

There was no need for complicated thinking.

As always, I would overcome the situation in my own way.

Now I possessed power, comrades, and influence.

Just as I had vowed at the moment of facing death in my previous life, whether it was the flow of time or some irresistible force….

I simply needed to move forward, unburdened by constraints.

In this intricate web of cause and effect, I would not falter and would always fight.

I would ultimately prevail and claim everything.

* * *

The first day the aerial fortress landed.

No organization dared to make the first move.

Soongmoo Igah declared a state of emergency, deploying all forces, including branches worldwide, as well as those on leave or retired, to various regions.

“It’s utter chaos. Wasn’t the descent supposed to be slower, arriving the day after tomorrow?”

“I heard it suddenly accelerated yesterday.”

“Anyway….”

At Soongmoo Igah, a large-scale meeting convened, attended by all high-ranking officials above the rank of Chief of the Warrior Corps.

All the elders gathered, except for those on external assignments, and all the direct lines on missions also returned.

“…Medical Director and Research Director, how is the acquisition of elixirs and potions progressing?”

“We have finished distributing them to each Warrior Corps. We have also established additional production facilities, ensuring a stable supply.”

“Administrative Director, Chief Manager, the distribution of non-standard weapons….”

“Completed.”

Lee Myung-jung presided over the meeting, and each of the elders completed the final confirmations with tense expressions.

Soongmoo Igah was prepared for immediate warfare.

Lee Myung-jung reviewed the prepared materials and operation plans, impressed.

‘How far ahead was Father seeing?’

From decades ago until now.

The power of Soongmoo Igah, which had been steadily increasing its military strength unnoticed by other forces, had reached its peak without hindrance.

It was at that moment, during the meeting.

Thump!

A person opened the door to the conference room and entered.

All eyes turned to the newcomer.

The young giant of Soongmoo Igah, no longer referred to as the ‘illegitimate son’, Lee Cheol, known as the ‘Black Emperor’.

“You have arrived, Young Master Lee Cheol.”

Elder Won-ro Lee Dong-young looked at Lee Cheol with shining eyes.

“Yes, I have just returned.”

The noisy conference hall quieted down, and everyone focused their attention on Lee Cheol.

Lee Cheol was currently almost the only high-ranking official of Soongmoo Igah who had witnessed the scene firsthand.

Everyone present was aware of the situation through videos and reports, but Lee Cheol, having seen it directly, might offer a unique perspective.

And, regardless of what anyone said, he was Lee Cheol.

It was inevitable that he would be the center of attention.

“Lee Cheol, report on the situation at the scene.”

As soon as he sat down, his eldest brother gave the order.

I nodded and began my report.

“The calm before the storm… or not. Sporadic battles are occurring between small and medium-sized organizations in various locations. The power of the main family is so significant that no one dares to directly confront it, but the forces of major powers, including Kowloon Walled City, are also arriving rapidly, making a collision inevitable.”

Some of the elders voiced their displeasure.

“First, we must hold a condemnation meeting for external forces. They are outsiders trespassing on our homeland.”

“That’s right! We should engage the government and pursue diplomatic solutions….”

I shook my head.

That would be the standard approach.

But it was irrelevant now.

“It’s pointless. The forces gathered at the aerial fortress seem intent on waging war.”

During the long period of peace, had each force simply been idle?

They had also been building their strength, just like Soongmoo Igah.

And accumulated power inevitably seeks an outlet.

International law and national unions were no longer relevant.

They wouldn’t even listen to diplomatic overtures.

“Regardless, we should adhere to the basic policy. As soon as our forces are prepared, we will head to the aerial fortress.”

Soongmoo Igah’s policy was already established.

To reach the aerial fortress as quickly as possible once preparations were complete.

There was no plan to test the waters or gauge the intentions of other organizations.

Soongmoo Igah’s approach was to suppress any opposition with force.

The elders nodded in agreement with his eldest brother’s words.

But I shook my head.

“Acting Head of the Family, I believe we need to modify that policy slightly.”

At my words, his eldest brother looked at me, puzzled.

“Why is that?”

“There are twice as many forces gathered as our intelligence suggests. This is based on my direct observation and information gathered by the Black Crow Society.”

From Kabbalah, Behemoth, and smaller organizations seeking opportunities, to numerous national organizations.

No matter how overwhelming Soongmoo Igah’s power was, it wouldn’t be enough to suppress them all.

“Besides… Henry Russell and Saintess Christina were present. The Eiffel Magic Tower camp also had a mobile fortress, suggesting the Magic Tower Master is also involved.”

“…What?”

My words surprised his eldest brother, and the elders were visibly shocked.

The Iron-Blooded Knight and the Sword of the Theocracy.

And the Magic Tower Master of the Eiffel Magic Tower, First Class Wizard Michael Garrell.

The names I had just mentioned carried immense weight.

Those with First Class power were strategic assets capable of turning the tide of any battle.

“Did you see them directly?”

“I clearly identified their energy with my magic eye.”

I tapped my eyes.

I had sensed the energy of Henry Russell and Saintess Christina before, so I remembered it clearly.

I hadn’t seen the Magic Tower Master directly, but it was known that the Eiffel Magic Tower’s mobile fortress, a strategic weapon, couldn’t move without him.

So, it was safe to assume he was present.

“If the main family’s forces move recklessly, they may suffer significant losses.”

My words didn’t elicit much of a change in his eldest brother’s expression.

If I had to describe it, it was this:

-Saying that means you have a policy change in mind, right? Tell me quickly.

Yes, good.

I muttered inwardly and spoke.

“So, I propose a slight modification to our policy.”

I turned to the elders and said:

“Let’s start by sweeping away the riffraff.”

I hate moving cautiously in a predetermined situation.

My method is always the same.