Chapter 217 – 211 – A Masterpiece Cannot Overcome Love
Thank you for loving TENA Everlight so far.
This is how my journey ends. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far.
I will be skipping the review due to personal reasons. It’ll be okay. All of you are authors of a book called TENA.
Still, I still have regrets. I should have said goodbye in a more reassuring way. There are so many words that come to mind.
Tena thought that and smiled. She smiled and wanted to leave. However, after a while, Tena became embarrassed and her expression hardened.
It seemed as if the darkness had been watching Thena for a long time. The moment she stepped inside, she sucked Thena in mercilessly like a wild beast.
And what seemed like eons passed. When did the dizzying feeling of falling that torments my entire nerves disappear?
The moment she vaguely noticed the solid floor beneath her feet, Thena lifted her head.
The fear was there.
The great god who was once infinitely close to omnipotence has fallen. Now, it is nothing more than a piece of burnt meat lurking at the bottom of the world temple, trapped in the realm of unreality.
The monster among monsters was howling in silence. With anger at having received the betrayal of the boundless love I once gave, and with hatred toward all things that cannot be suppressed even with my remaining affection.
An infinitely unfolding form of absurdity looked down at Thena. She was writhing with ashes and death, and she spoke to Thena.
Is it you? Are you the new dam that will stand against me and save the era of life?
If so, do it. Stop me If you don’t stop it, I won’t stop until the last wriggling of life disappears…
Thena thought that Mithra’s irresponsibility had gone too far. Did you turn her relatives into such monsters and then irresponsibly leave it to the people on earth to deal with them instead?
How on earth can we confront such a surreal being? Thena’s vision became distant, but her hint was not far away.
Her demon body was slowly crawling out towards reality, but she was constantly getting caught by the pitch-black crystalline awl that pierced her neck and chest.
It was as large as a demon god, and it seemed as if it had risen from below and pierced the demon god. There was a groove of a familiar size at the base, resembling a cut-off unicorn horn.
Thena lifted her despairing hold before her eyes, and she measured its width.
Despair whispers.
She said that was right.
“Oh my god.”
Trapped in despair. A sword forged to fight against the God of Despair, the world’s despair. However, what Thena knew so far was only part of the sword.
The only thing Thena was allowed to use so far was the hilt of her sword. The true sword body of the enemy of destruction was stuck in the body of An-Anu.
That is the true face of despair and confinement that ‘bloomed’ and was revealed on the day Edin encountered the demon god.
The sword whispers. Indeed, it is so. So, insert the hilt of that small sword into the appropriate groove and subject the demon to unbearable pain.
And use that pain to push through. To prevent it from invading Yangji’s hope, push it deeper into oblivion.
But you will never win. No substance known to the gods can kill Mashin An. Moreover, those who originate from An-Anu cannot kill An-Anu, so An-Anu is immortal.
Therefore, ‘Rezandartam’, the supreme magician and the first blacksmith of the gods, created a magical tool called the World Shrine that forges despair and at the same time confines the evil spirit in the dimension of the bottomless pit.
It’s just best to keep it locked inside.
Thena took a deep breath. It was fortunate that Danar, who talked about the ‘Age of Aptitude’, failed. Since he couldn’t control the despair, it would have been useless to sacrifice many warriors’ souls.
Only those chosen by the sword can engage in this eternal and meaningless struggle of power. Tena carefully held out her black sword as a test and stepped forward.
The Demon God’s resistance broke and crushed the bottom of the abyss, sending Thena flying. Thena, whose vision became distant, recalled the fairy tale about the mouse that gave a bell to a cat. Moreover, it didn’t seem like the demon god would fall asleep peacefully like in a fairy tale.
Thena took a deep breath. She fought back with all the physical strength and skill she had. Raising her head every time she was thrown off by the feeling of her inability to fight, trying to shake off the part of her that wondered if it was in vain.
When she finally plunged the despair trap into the base of the massive sword body, Thena thought she had already reached her limit.
It was truly a miracle that she was not crushed to death. The reason I was able to barely bear the ridiculous weight of despair was thanks to the fact that I had been training the warrior’s blessed body without giving up even an inch.
At this moment she did everything on her own without any help or support.
And she will have to perform miracles alone every moment.
Thena took a deep breath. Is this really the best?
Mithra will return someday. She is trying to instill a monotheistic and dichotomous worldview in this world, so that she can replace this great man whom she brought down.
So preventing the destruction of the world may ultimately be nothing more than playing to his intentions. As long as he stays in the embrace of the distant sun, Mithra will not be defeated.
Perhaps the only wise choice would be to stop imprisoning the Demon God and choose mutual destruction. Destroying the planet and starving him to death along with all the gods might be the only proper punishment for his crime.
But a boy whispered in Thena’s heart. No, that’s not a hero. What is a warrior?
Tena listened intently to the passionate explanation of the boy who loved martial arts poetry with all his heart. And she did as he said, she aimed her sword at the fear that would make everything retreat, without retreating even an inch.
Because someone has to carry a burden that even a porter cannot carry.
Thena Everlight swallowed her screams and pushed herself into despair.
The Demon God, whose scars had healed while his nerves were entangled in despair, shuddered and retreated from the incomparable pain.
And then it moved forward again with terrifying force. Thena gritted her teeth and held on with the weight of her soul. Because I could feel that vibrant reality was getting closer by the touch of her heels.
While Edin was away, her demon spirit was already close enough to her dimension of reality to be dangerous.
Thena saw the illusion that her demon spirit was giving her.
When demons are released into reality, all things collapse. Everything is sucked in and crushed under the dark red burning body.
Tena’s friends who are like family. Tannhäuser and Millescent Bantayga. The porter boy in the light rain was crying and muttering to Thena that he should live.
What is the devil’s intention in conjuring up a crazy scene? Is he throwing a curse saying that he will definitely commit such a thing?
Or is he asking me to prevent such a disaster from happening?
One thing is certain. Tena couldn’t take a single step back.
There are those who stand against what humans cannot stand against, and their name, the greatest among humans, is warrior. Tena could feel herself being forged with a noble sense of purpose.
“When I saw your face, there was something I could never say again. If I had said it, I probably wouldn’t have had the same resolve as I do now.”
Fight against demons. Standing against eons. Since she is something that humans cannot do, Thena will have to transcend humans.
To do that, you must first confront your own mind. It’s probably the easiest thing you’ll ever do.
However, it was inevitable for Thena, who had let go of human desires, that the lingering attachment to the world that could not be completely erased would turn into a single teardrop.
“It will be words that I will never be able to tell you again in the future. I liked you, Tan. A lot. That one fact will not change even if I turn to dust…”
“Look and say it yourself.”
Someone grabbed Tena’s arm. Thena thought this was a dream.
And then she thought she was a nightmare. Thena looked behind her, screaming with joy and fear.
Tannhäuser Bantay was facing Tena with a cool smile.
“That’s something you say directly face to face. Like this. I love you, Tena.”
————–
There was a country boy who loved a country girl.
This is not a heroic tale, a myth, or a tragedy.
It’s just the story of a country boy who couldn’t leave a girl alone in that scary place, so he decided to become her companion in oblivion.
I remember it clearly. The lord’s soldiers gave an order to evacuate because a monster would appear. They didn’t swing their weapons for us.
She didn’t even see her mother’s body. The party alliance’s notification that he was burned to death barely reached Borvais.
I thought my father, mother, and sisters were still alive somewhere. For them to come back and find us, Borvet Mountain Village must remain.
His obsession, bordering on mania, began to manifest itself as soon as he sent his younger brother away. It was too much of an ordeal to bear at such a young age, but one warrior willingly offered his hand to Bantai.
‘I’ll join you in that stupid plan. You can’t even do stupid things properly without me.’
I read the book ‘Illustration of the Adventurer’s Role’ that fell from the refugee cart until sunset. I memorized every page.
Instead of the firewood we lacked, we threw books into the fire and survived that night. And finally, he left the village where he was terminally ill.
That’s how Tena became my hero. The only thing I could give him in return was to become his porter.
However, when humans throw themselves into an unbearably harsh environment, they can naturally find themselves cowardly.
At some point, I believed that it was Tena’s dream and that I reluctantly followed it. I even forgot that I told you to leave first.
I have to apologize for that.
“No.”
“Everyone tried to stop me, but I just came. When I thought about it, I felt like there was still something I could do.”
“This is not reality.”
“It’s a bit awkward to just apologize verbally. Let’s do it together. Just the two of us, just like when we were fresh and full of energy.”
“Gods. Lords of the pantheon. Please, please, get Tan out of here. Please tell me that what I see before my eyes is a hallucination. This is too cruel…”
“···You’re just being treated like a ‘piece of luggage.'”
When I say it with emphasis on the word, Thena flinches. I shrugged.
“That’s right. I remembered. There’s one more thing I said to you while I was on the brink of death. ‘Go away quickly, you troublesome burden.'”
“···I told you there was no need to apologize for something that happened when I was young. How much more, so would it make sense to follow me to the pit of hell just to do that? Party members, what on earth was the Dragon Lord doing?”
“Okay, stop. Let me talk.”
Even during the conversation, I helped Thena’s efforts to push the demon spirit away by cleverly raising my back and pushing her.
The demon god was pushed back further than before. Thena blinked her eyes as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Anyway, that’s a bit different from what you thought. There was some misunderstanding.”
“What on earth is this misunderstanding?”
Tena’s heated back muscles tense up. The ability to read emotions is working even at this moment.
The child in Thena’s heart… Despite her adult appearance, is still very sulky. Her developed ego is suppressing that childishness, but her resentment has not gone away.
‘You told me to go away when I needed you, but now you’re clinging to me when I shouldn’t be next to you? Why aren’t you listening, really!’
‘It was a misunderstanding that it was a piece of luggage? How should I accept those words so as not to be misunderstood?’
‘Because I’m angry, I want a glass of strawberry milk. You ruined everything. You want to go back.’
I have to answer all those resentments. Just as Tena answered my resentment.
“You understood burden differently than I did. ‘It’s something that’s heavy but painful because I can’t let it go.’ That’s why I wanted to grow into someone who would never be a hindrance to me. That’s right, I ruined everything. The life I should have told you to use. They made me feel like they owed me something in a mean way.”
“What are you talking about…”
“I didn’t mean it that way. To a porter, the weight of luggage is a medal. Who would want to put down something they are proud of? You were too much for me. You were someone who was as precious as that weight, so I couldn’t put it down. The person who sent you away The thing is, I was afraid that you would become trapped within the limits of my country.”
“···Why come now?”
Thena paused for a moment and smiled happily. And she smiled sadly.
And she smiled like someone on the verge of going crazy again. I felt like I could hear what Thena said next. ‘You are precious to me too.’
“Why on earth are you shaking me like this now? What are you thinking? You shouldn’t be doing this.”
As expected, my thoughts were correct. Me too, Tena.
“What do you think it would have been like if we had not been able to overcome the frustration of that day and had come to this day with each other putting down our swords and backpacks?”
“I don’t know.”
”That’s right. I don’t know. I could never have done that. Furthermore, I couldn’t put down my backpack because I knew you would be waiting here with a sword.”
I held Thena’s hand firmly. The despair that Thena had barely been able to contain was shaking.
The warrior’s sword is not an item allowed for porters. I cannot touch the despair and confinement.
But I can lend my forearms to TENA Everlight. Like the days when you didn’t know when the rainy season would end.
The lifting force is ten times the standard. May my insignificant strength be of great help to you.
“Then imagine what it would have been like if you hadn’t come back and caught me when I fell into the abyss.”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s right. You would definitely come back to my side. So what should I do? It’s hard for me to imagine anything other than this moment. Because it has to be like this.”
Dark demonic energy penetrates my lungs and my consciousness fades. It reminds me of the hand that was hovering in the air, unable to catch you when you turned around.
The hand grabbed Thena’s hand. Tena’s warm fingers, which were shaking, gained strength.
“I won’t let go. Never again.”
Tena gritted her teeth and lifted her despair upward.
The Demon God let out a groan of astonishment and lifted her body upward. Like a big fish caught on a fishing hook. Like a wolf impaled on a spear.
“I don’t leave you alone anymore.”
The charred flesh of the demon god split apart like a statue hit by a hammer. And through that gap, an ecstatic light leaks out.
We lifted the sword together, which Edin could not lift on his own. Finally, the despair that broke through the demon’s body like bread soared into the sky.
Tena’s tears touch my cheeks. Thena changes her position and her legs spread apart push away my legs.
Tena’s spirit hits my ear canals. The hero swung the warrior sword towards the demon.
“···Let’s go back, Thena.”
This is just the story of a country boy who cannot leave a girl alone in that scary place and decides to become her companion in oblivion.
It may be a heroic story, or it may be a myth. But it is not a tragedy. We will make it not a tragedy.
There was a country boy who loved a country girl.
“Let’s crush all the people who are bothering you and go back laughing together!”
—————
In this way, the trick was completed.
The smallest and most common chess piece trapped the king. Someone’s gamble, which involved throwing away all the remaining stake, ultimately succeeded.
The screams of the loser and the joy of the victor intersected and resounded loudly in the heavens.
– I won, Mithra!
