Chapter 346: Closed Chapter
[Critical: 2 -> 1]
I hurriedly raised my gun and aimed it at Aestheticism, and at the same time, the world turned black and white as a red glow rose from her body.
This time was different.
A red glow rose from Aestheticism's body—something that had never happened before. Conversely, this meant that Aestheticism was also utterly exhausted.
-Bang!
As I pulled the trigger, a bullet lodged itself in Aestheticism's body.
"...!"
Aestheticism, hit by the bullet, laughed.
She laughed?
Instantly, suspicion and worry surged within me, and I pulled my body back. However, Aestheticism, who had also been hit by the Critical, staggered back a few steps and took a deep breath.
"...So this is why they told me never to get hit."
She muttered as if she had heard it from someone.
"..."
"..."
Aestheticism raised her head and looked at me.
That's right.
It was an undeniable fact that Aestheticism and I, at the very least, were in a relationship where we could not tolerate each other's existence.
If so, what I had to do was also predetermined.
"Alright then, Branch Chief, throw a punch!"
"No, if you're going to say something that cool, why don't you go hit her yourself!"
The Branch Chief grumbled as she threw a punch, and Aestheticism hastily dodged it.
With the sound of air tearing, Jang Chae-yeon swung her hand, and Song A-rin, as if playing an instrument, stretched out her hands with her eyes closed, releasing threads. Yu Daon stood guard next to me holding an awl, and Eileen was also shooting her gun beside me.
It was a decent combination—no, a combat team that would be considered respectable even within the Management Bureau.
The problem was that even such a combination was not a match for Aestheticism.
"Something feels a bit out of sync?" Aestheticism dodged the attacks from various directions and tilted her head. "To be precise, those three are in sync, but these two feel a bit off?"
"Well, they weren't on the same team."
"But you came all the way here? Good heavens, Okbun-ah. Did you find your soulmate at that age?"
The force behind the Branch Chief's punches seemed to grow stronger; the wind sounds resonating through the air now began to sound almost like explosions.
Aestheticism, who had said those words, merely laughed happily and diligently avoided the punches.
Even though she knew she could die if she made one wrong move, she laughed as if she were enjoying herself—a sight I couldn't quite understand.
Did she have some kind of trump card?
Two hypotheses instantly popped into my head, but first, there was something I needed to try.
"Daon. You and Eileen, go search another area for a moment."
"Hmm... What should we look for?"
"...Can Daon find it by scent?"
"I'm not a dog, but..."
Yu Daon made a perplexed expression but then nodded.
"But if it's Jae-heon's request, I'll look for it even if it's not there!"
"Please."
"Okay! Let's go, Eileen!"
"...I'll go too, then."
The two quickly left their spots.
Now it was my turn.
"Branch Chief! Branch Chief, keep sticking to her and tie up Aestheticism's legs! Chae-yeon, go to the back and keep throwing objects! Song A-rin, stay next to me!"
As if waiting for my words, everyone moved in perfect unison.
The Branch Chief stuck to Aestheticism like gum, and Jang Chae-yeon ran to the back as I said and started lifting objects.
And Song A-rin approached me and looked up at me with a puzzled expression.
"I came, but what next?"
"A-rin, you will interfere with Aestheticism. Keep hindering her movements with your threads."
"You mean trip her up, like with her legs. Got it."
As she stretched out her hand, threads sprayed out and wrapped around Aestheticism's legs.
It was perfect teamwork.
Everyone seemed to understand exactly what I wanted and moved accordingly, and the effect was clear.
The Branch Chief's punches shattered Aestheticism's body, and Jang Chae-yeon also grabbed statues, tables, and sofas to throw at Aestheticism.
Finally, Song A-rin began to torment Aestheticism's legs and torso by manipulating her threads.
Not long after, Yu Daon and Eileen also approached me.
"We found this."
Yu Daon handed me something.
"...This is..."
It was a canvas.
An unfinished canvas with something drawn on it.
"..."
I looked at the painting.
A familiar face was looking back at me.
No, I couldn't even call it familiar.
It was the face I saw every morning when I woke up and went to the bathroom—it was waiting for me.
"...Is that me?"
Yes.
It was a portrait of my face.
Not drawn particularly handsomely, nor drawn ugly either.
If I had to say, it felt a bit lacking in detail.
But why was this drawn, and why did Yu Daon bring this painting?
"...It smells really strange here."
Yu Daon, meeting my gaze, nodded, and Eileen also nodded.
"...It felt peculiar."
A peculiar feeling.
I slowly looked at the painting.
Then, a semi-transparent window began to appear.
[Name: Nameless Portrait]
[Age: Created 3 months ago]
[Specialty: X]
[Talent: Potential]
[Background: Once, this could have been a masterpiece. Now, it is merely a painting that pricks its creator's pride.]
[Weakness: Show it. Prove to it that it was wrong by showing it the failure.]
What did that mean?
Show it?
Just like that?
With a bewildered expression, I stared at the portrait depicting me, then slowly lifted it.
Yeah. Let's try doing as it says for now.
"..."
"...What are you doing?"
As I lifted the portrait high above my head, Song A-rin looked at me as if it was absurd, muttering under her breath. The others also turned their eyes toward me.
Aestheticism was no exception.
"...Ha."
And, looking at that painting, she let out a deflating laugh.
"So that's what it meant."
Aestheticism muttered something I couldn't understand and let her body go slack.
Something felt different.
I looked back at Aestheticism; the laughter blooming on her lips was a resigned laugh, different from before.
I turned my gaze to look at Aestheticism.
She dodged the Branch Chief's punches with a joyful smile and took Jang Chae-yeon's attacks head-on.
At the same time, a semi-transparent window appeared above Aestheticism's head.
[Name: Aestheticism]
[Age: Created 500 years ago]
[Specialty: Mental attacks, art creation, and anything related to art]
[Talent: Accepting the time]
[Background: For a long, very long time, this being has practiced art. It has practiced so much art that now, everything has become boring.]
[Weakness: It no longer feels interest or amusement. Ultimately, the final amusement it must feel is predetermined.]
The final amusement it must feel is predetermined?
I didn't understand what that meant.
Just as I thought that,
"Now!"
The Branch Chief raised her fist and slammed it down toward Aestheticism, and Aestheticism dodged it.
At the same time,
-Crash!
The chair launched by Jang Chae-yeon shot toward Aestheticism's head, and as Song A-rin swung her hand, the threads tightly bound Aestheticism's legs, which were about to move, stopping her.
As the chair hit Aestheticism's head directly,
-Crunch!
The Branch Chief's fist slammed directly into Aestheticism's face, accompanied by the sound of something breaking, and with that, Aestheticism was sent flying through the air and smashed into the wall.
"..."
"..."
Silence flowed for a moment, and the Branch Chief looked at her own hand with a perplexed expression.
"Huh, why, why did she get hit...?"
The Branch Chief muttered with a look of disbelief, even though she had landed the hit.
"She should have dodged...?"
It wasn't just her.
Song A-rin and Jang Chae-yeon also seemed not to have expected this situation, staring blankly at the hole where Aestheticism was embedded.
I was the same.
I had expected a fight where blood would splatter and at least one of my arms would be torn off.
"...Whew..."
Then, a sigh came from behind the wall.
We all stared at that spot, tense, and soon the voice came again.
"I can't move."
"...I'll go first."
And Yu Daon gulped, swallowing hard, and slowly took a step forward.
She walked over to Aestheticism, then turned her head to look at us.
"...I think you can come over now."
"..."
Hearing Yu Daon's words, we all approached Aestheticism.
Aestheticism lay there, with a large hole in her body and her face completely covered in blood.
"...Phew."
She let out a big breath and looked at us.
"...What was your intention?"
It was probably a question we all shared.
I stared intently at Aestheticism, and the others also looked at her with the same question in their eyes.
"Intention?"
Hearing my question, Aestheticism chuckled.
"Didn't I tell you?"
"..."
"There only needs to be one artist in the world."
She had said that.
So, wasn't that why she fought me?
Seeing my expression, Aestheticism laughed happily.
"But you just reminded me."
"..."
"That the masterpiece I pursued was a failure."
"..."
Was she talking about me waving my portrait?
"You were supposed to be my masterpiece, but it turns out I chose the wrong material."
Aestheticism muttered while looking at me.
"But you still possess the perfect material."
"Perfect material?"
"Yeah."
She looked at me with an expression that asked if it was obvious.
"If I defeat you here, you will truly create a perfect work of art."
"...A perfect work of art?"
"You really don't know."
She stared intently into my chest.
She wasn't looking at me.
She was looking at what was inside my chest—
-Chwarararak!
Before I knew it, the Manual had unfolded and was placed on my hand.
"Fear, terror, sorrow, and despair."
Aestheticism muttered as if singing a song, with her eyes closed.
"And the resolve and will that transcend those emotions."
"..."
"The moment you reach this point, your defeat will create the most beautiful art directed at me."
Then Aestheticism opened her eyes, looked at me, and smiled.
"And since I aim to be the only artist, I absolutely cannot allow myself to see that sight."
"...Even if it means your death?"
"What's so special about death? It just means I can't think or move anymore."
As if it were no big deal, she muttered and blew a puff of air to tidy the hair falling over her face.
"Do you think something as trivial as death can stop me from becoming an artist?"
It was insane talk.
But conversely, it was a very 'her' thing to say.
"So, in the end. I won."
She grinned and looked at me.
"Because right now, I am still a better artist than you. By dying, I'm making you lose that chance forever."
"I see."
I raised my gun and looked at Aestheticism.
"I think I won. Because my art doesn't need sorrow or terror."
"Oh my, so you think you need resolve and will?"
"It'd be nice to have, I guess."
The gun muzzle aimed at Aestheticism's head.
"But I'm not an artist."
"Yeah, yeah."
Hearing my words, Aestheticism laughed and closed her eyes.
"Then let's say I won."
"..."
I applied pressure to my finger to pull the trigger, and at the same time, Aestheticism's eyes snapped open.
"That's right."
"...What."
"I'll give you one interesting piece of advice before I go."
She continued with a bright smile.
"The end is approaching. An end that neither I, nor you, nor anything else can avoid equally."
"..."
"The River will rise. Be prepared."
Then, as if she had truly finished speaking, she closed her eyes again and stopped breathing.
"..."
I pulled the trigger.
-Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
*
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...It's over."
We all stood there with strange expressions, and ultimately, the Branch Chief was the first to break the silence, unable to bear it.
"She was a fascinating person until the end."
"Considering all the trouble we went through."
"...The end."
And then, Jang Chae-yeon, who had been still until then, muttered and opened her mouth.
"The word 'end' is really bothering me."
"..."
I felt the same.
The end.
Aestheticism had died after calmly speaking as if prophesying an apocalypse.
And the unavoidable future and my happiness that the Manual had told me about.
"...Do you know what it is?"
I asked, holding up the Manual, but the Manual said nothing.
"...Anyway."
Then, the Branch Chief, who had been watching us, clapped her hands clap! and raised her voice as if to lighten the mood.
"First of all, we survived, right? And we killed Aestheticism, who was necessary. With this, we've achieved a tremendous result. Be proud—no. You all are people who will be remembered in the Hall of Fame."
The Branch Chief spoke brightly.
"You could go to a better place... ...but it doesn't seem like anyone will go!"
She hastily stopped speaking.
"Anyway! ...Yes!"
She also seemed to be thinking of something, rolling her eyes around before letting out a sigh.
"Sigh... I'll look into it too. The River... ...I have a hunch about something."
"What is it?"
"Since it's not certain, I won't say it now."
The Branch Chief shook her head.
"Anyway, you've worked hard. Let's go back now."
She was right.
It was time to go back now.
"...Show me the exit."
At my words, the Manual unfolded and an explanation of the exit flowed out.
"Over there."
Then Jang Chae-yeon, who was next to me, poked my arm.
"Yes, Chae-yeon."
"...Thank you."
"..."
"You came for me, didn't you? In the end."
"I also thought it was necessary."
"And I was included in that necessity."
"..."
Jang Chae-yeon looked at me and smiled.
"Thank you."
"...Don't mention it."
Yeah. I should accept the gratitude. No need to be stubborn about it here—
"And, I love you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
My mouth, which was about to reply 'You're welcome,' hung open.
The others also began to stare intently at Jang Chae-yeon.