Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
Reunion (3)
Tampering with the evidence!
Julian frowned.
This bastard...
His ability operated in three stages:
- Detection
- Judgment
- Execution
Every step had to be based on the truth.
If even one stage contained false information, the entire ability would stop.
For example, if it identified Seo Ju-Heon as the culprit, but the target turned out not to be Seo Ju-Heon at all, then the attack simply could not be executed.
He had assumed an unawakened Majesty would be no threat.
The Majesties coveted him, sure—but that was all.
None of them had any means of dealing with him.
Yet now, of all things...
Ju-Heon had charged straight at Julian, the infamous Majesty Hunter.
And at the same time, Julian realized what Ju-Heon was trying to do.
Then if I capture the real one—
Julian instinctively spun around and swung his arm.
But before he could—
Thud!
Ju-Heon's fist struck first, moving far faster than Julian expected.
But instead of aiming for Julian...
...it hit Yu Jae-ha.
The two immediately began exchanging blows.
Punches flew.
Arms were twisted aside.
Knees slammed forward.
Even low kicks to the shins.
"...What?!"
"Both of you, stop!!"
For a brief instant...
Julian's brain froze.
Why is Seo Ju-Heon attacking Yu Jae-ha instead of me?
But Yu Jae-ha reacted even faster.
He caught Ju-Heon's wrist, twisted it, bent his shoulder backward, and shoved him away.
Ju-Heon immediately shouted,
"You crazy bastard! What the hell are you doing?!"
"It's self-defense, you idiot!"
Julian shouted as well—
But Lex Dictum had already begun processing.
Detection: Assault
Mutual attack confirmed
Invoking self-defense clause
Aggressor: Ju-Heon
Aggressor: Yu Jae-ha
Self-defense conditions detected
Calculating...
"Then..."
Click.
Click. Click.
The Book of Law frantically processed countless calculations.
Then—
Thump!
Victim detected
However, both parties are simultaneously victims and aggressors
Self-defense applies only against the opponent's attack
However, both parties initiated attacks
Therefore...
The Rope Relic suddenly came flying from the sky and slammed directly into Julian.
It felt as though he'd been struck by a steel hammer.
Julian glared at the rope.
"You dare attack me?! This is an assault upon the adjudicator—"
The Book of Law stopped.
For an instant, the contradictory circumstances prevented it from reaching a verdict.
But only for a moment.
Julian quickly regained control.
Then—
The Rope Relic wiggled its rear end and shouted,
[Sorry! Somebody hit me too, so I got knocked into you!]
After crashing onto the ground, Julian shouted,
"...What?!"
Immediately afterward, Ju-Heon's aggrieved voice rang out.
"Hey! What the hell was that, you bastard?!"
"What the hell was that?!"
"Self-defense! You shoved me first!"
"I only shoved you because the rope pushed me!"
"Oh, so you admit it."
"Self-defense!"
As soon as he said that, Ju-Heon grabbed Julian's arm.
"...?"
Self-defense reevaluation
Aggressor: Julian Miller
Victim: Seo Ju-Heon
Victim testimony obtained
Then—
Ju-Heon grabbed Julian and executed a perfect shoulder throw.
BOOM!
Julian was completely dumbfounded.
"No... This is fraud..."
"Fraud?"
"Huh?"
"Fraud, you say?"
Julian pressed a hand against his forehead as if he were developing a headache.
For the first time, agitation flickered within his golden eyes.
Ju-Heon glanced toward Yu Jae-ha.
Understanding immediately, Majesty Yu Jae-ha clutched his arm as though injured.
"What is this...?!"
Ju-Heon flashed a sharp grin.
"Ugh..."
"My shoulder..."
"You dislocated it..."
"This is assault on a civilian."
"See?"
"Another victim."
"He says you assaulted him."
"You can't judge everything by the law."
"Sometimes..."
"It just turns into a street brawl."
Multiple victim testimonies obtained
Aggressor: Julian Miller
Book of Law system conflict increasing
Adjudicator identified as aggressor
...Error detected
The instant Ju-Heon finished speaking—
Julian's eyes flashed.
"You insects dare lecture me about the law?"
"You think pathetic tricks like these can defeat me?!"
CRACK!!
KRAAAACK!!
The corners of Julian's mouth rose as he lifted his right hand.
Something gleamed within it.
Once again—
Golden spears began raining from the sky.
That was when—
"Hey, Seo Ju-Heon."
"Use it."
"Just this once."
"!"
"Listen."
"!"
Yu Jae-ha's voice came from behind him.
Unlike Ju-Heon, he had already slipped quietly into Julian's blind spot.
Ju-Heon's eyes widened.
What Majesty Yu Jae-ha held out...
...was none other than Satyr's Wheel of Fate.
Wasn't it destroyed by Julian's attack?
"I fixed the one you broke earlier."
"You really put too much faith in your own power..."
Before Ju-Heon could respond—
Yu Jae-ha vanished in an instant and reappeared directly behind him.
He'd been threatening that he had no hobby of fixing things.
Yet Yu Jae-ha shoved the restored roulette wheel and Satyr's relic into Ju-Heon's hands.
Ju-Heon smirked at the sight before looking back at Julian.
And he was the one telling me not to use the roulette...
"Julian."
"Let me ask you something."
Well, I guess it doesn't matter now.
Holding up the roulette, Ju-Heon pressed the button.
Julian didn't answer.
Instead, his golden eyes flashed, and another magic circle formed in the air.
Ju-Heon, however, continued speaking leisurely.
Click.
The roulette spun rapidly.
Like the Goddess of Fortune playing a prank, the needle whirled around before finally stopping on a single space.
"Which do you think is stronger in this world..."
"...law?"
"...or chaos?"
Julian's pupils widened.
[Blessing]
For a brief moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent.
"...What?"
"You believe in law and judgment."
"But what happens when something occurs that none of your rules can account for?"
Ju-Heon sneered.
His bruised, scraped fist slowly rose.
This might have been another world...
...but he was still a Majesty.
No one knew better than he did how to restore a relic to its original state.
Sure enough—
His fist buried itself deep into Julian's solar plexus.
CRACK!!
"Ghk!"
"Remember this."
"The moment every law allows exceptions..."
"...it loses its power."
Rolling his shoulders, Ju-Heon slowly stood up.
Majesty Yu Jae-ha applauded as he walked over.
"Oh?"
"That's a surprisingly cool line for once."
"So what now?"
CRACK!!
"Guh!"
"What are you hesitating for, idiot?"
"Just write a new law."
At that moment, Julian was climbing back to his feet.
Watching him, Majesty Yu Jae-ha chuckled.
At the same time—
Ju-Heon knocked Julian flat again.
"Instead of dealing with him, I think you've just made him stronger."
"Look."
"He's completely furious now."
"I think he's trying to kill you for real."
"...Actually, doesn't he seem even stronger than before?"
"Yeah."
"That's why dividing the work is important."
Although it sounded like he was teasing Ju-Heon...
Ju-Heon merely sighed.
Fine.
I'll admit it.
A Julian from another dimension...
No wonder he's as absurdly strong as my own teammate.
Ju-Heon pointed his chin toward Yu Jae-ha.
"So you handle him."
"...What?"
"I'm leaving."
"What?"
"I hate fights that drag on."
"What?"
"Besides..."
"Gongmyeong was never someone I enjoyed fighting in the first place."
He truly meant it.
There wasn't the slightest hint of guilt in his voice.
Sensing something ominous, Yu Jae-ha shouted,
Before he could finish—
The Rope Relic grabbed Ju-Heon and launched him into the sky.
As he disappeared into the heavens, Ju-Heon casually waved his hand as though saying goodbye.
"Later~"
"Let me know if you catch him~"
Whoosh.
His figure vanished completely.
Yu Jae-ha stared blankly.
He searched again.
Nothing.
It had to be Cup Noodles Yu Jae-ha's Stealth ability.
There wasn't even the faintest trace of Ju-Heon's presence anymore.
Yu Jae-ha let out an empty laugh.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
All that remained...
...was Julian, glaring at him with terrifying hostility.
And—
"You really used me as bait and ran away?!"
Majesty Yu Jae-ha's face stiffened.
"...Has he seriously lost his mind?"
"He really..."
"He seriously ran?!"
"That bastard?!"
A tremendous explosion echoed in the distance.
The shockwave seemed to vibrate through his very bones.
Ju-Heon casually scratched his ear.
Then slowly shook his head.
"Sigh..."
"Julian..."
"That guy is a pain in the neck no matter what world he's in."
He popped a piece of gum into his mouth and grinned.
Am I crazy?
Why would I stay there and fight him?
Just as Yu Jae-ha had guessed, Ju-Heon had activated Cup Noodles Yu Jae-ha's Stealth ability and was leisurely making his way out of the city.
"He'll be fine."
"Someone like him can handle it."
Cup Noodles Yu Jae-ha spoke up.
[E-Eh?! You're seriously leaving him like that? Isn't that dangerous?]
"I've already gotten Satyr's relic."
"So now I'm heading to where the Majesty is."
"If I go there..."
[Finally... my heart?!]
Ju-Heon shrugged.
"There should be another relic worth using."
"I mean..."
"He's a Majesty too."
[Damn it!!]
[Danger]
Even while smiling, Ju-Heon let out another sigh.
Danger?
"Awakening..."
His eyebrow twitched.
Without a Majesty's unique ability...
I'll just keep being treated like a rookie.
"...Huh?"
And how exactly am I supposed to find the version of myself from another world?
The next instant—
Bzzt.
In the end...
Was Yu Jae-ha right?
Was time and training the only answer?
Then—
A holographic window appeared before Ju-Heon's eyes.
KWAAAAAANG!!
Ju-Heon, who had been casually escaping while chewing gum, stopped mid-chew.
"...What the hell is that now?"
Someone was attacking him.
At first he assumed it was simply another pursuer.
But it wasn't.
He'd run away because dealing with Julian was already annoying enough...
...and somehow, something even stranger had appeared.