The Best Cure for Those Returnees is a Beating

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Shin Mi-rae and Park Yoo-jin.

No, now it’s Rozelia and Rosemary.

The two girls, strikingly similar like twins, were immediately sent back to the battlefield.

Originally, Rosemary, the half-hearted angel, was destined for disposal. However, she was able to stand on the battlefield thanks to two conditions set by Rozelia for Dion.

One was that she would achieve even more military exploits than Rosemary could.

The other was to properly train Rosemary into a true angel within a year.

To meet the first condition, Rozelia dove into the battlefield much more actively than before.

Covered in the enemies’ blood as she flew across the battlefield, the allied forces called her “Bloodstained Angel” out of fear. At the same time, worried that her presence might demoralize their side, rumors of her other title, “Rusty Spear,” began to spread.

But regardless, Rozelia focused all her efforts on crushing the enemies in front of her.

Sure, there was the reason of defeating Dion’s enemies, but now there was another reason.

Meanwhile, Rosemary, who had become Rozelia’s aide, was still an angel, even if she was half-hearted.

Not only was she able to protect herself, but she also accumulated considerable military exploits alongside Rozelia. Moreover, Rosemary had potential as an otherworlder, so the practical combat experience swiftly enhanced her skills.

However, that wasn’t enough to satisfy Dion.

Being a half-hearted failure from the start, her limits were clear. Still, her talents were objectively impressive. The fact that Dion forcibly made her into an angel, capitalizing on their shared background as otherworlders, turned out to be the right choice.

Thus, the issue lay not with her aptitude but with her will.

Rosemary didn’t particularly want to become an angel. That reluctance led to her failure in ascension.

Similarly, Rosemary didn’t have a strong desire to get stronger. She knew that if she didn’t grow, she would be discarded. Rozelia had repeatedly brought that fact up, trying to inspire her will.

Yet, Rosemary’s heart remained unmoved.

In fact, ever since the day Kim Jae-hyuk died, she had been in a state of lethargy. She had nearly stopped engaging in her studies, spending the majority of her days holed up in her room, isolated.

Honestly, for Rosemary, everything had become trivial. Including her own life.

She surely had outstanding talent, but without accompanying will, that talent was bound to rot.

As a result, even as the one-year deadline nearly approached, Rosemary remained a subpar angel, objectively speaking.

With the deadline looming, Rozelia grew anxious. Since she hadn’t trained Rosemary, she decided to further bolster her own military achievements to persuade Dion, throwing herself onto the battlefield without a second thought.

However, such urgency naturally led to openings. Rozelia, who had once seemed invincible on the battlefield, began to sustain injuries and retreat more frequently around that time.

But this wasn’t solely a matter for her. Once the allied forces entered full wartime mobilization and began to replenish their troops, Dion’s forces, who had once applied tremendous pressure on the gods, could only yield in the face of overwhelming opposition.

Consequently, the tides of battle began to shift significantly, and Dion’s armies, which had dominated in the war’s early stages, found themselves pushed onto the defensive. Other gods seized this opportunity and intensified their pressure on Dion from all fronts.

Eventually, Dion’s forces had to completely withdraw from the domains of the other gods they had occupied, entering a desperate defensive stance on the borders that originally belonged to Dion.

“How dare you set foot in such a filthy place!”

-Kwaaaah!!!

As the angels hurled their light spears, the ground ignited with golden lightning and explosions erupted. Yet, the massive forces of the allied side did not falter, throwing themselves into the storm of light.

“Advance! Show the war god a lesson! Don’t be afraid, charge forward!!”

“Uwaaaaaa!!!”

“Judgment upon the god of greed, Dion!”

Amidst the surrounding divine forces applying pressure, Rozelia and Rosemary maneuvered through the unfavorable battlefields, executing guerrilla warfare.

“Over there! A broken spear! Everyone, aim for her!”

Rozelia was already famous among the enemy ranks, so whenever she showed herself, she would often be bombarded with concentrated attacks. Infuriated by the humiliating title of “Broken Spear,” Rozelia threw her light spear to the ground.

“Rozelia…! Don’t go too far ahead! What if you get surrounded by the enemies—”

“Shut up! I’ll handle it so be quiet! You just keep your own self safe back there!”

Had it been in the past, she would never have spoken to someone she cherished like family in such a manner. However, Rozelia, pushed to her limits, had no time to consider such things.

Watching Rozelia dive deep into battle without caring for her own safety, anxiety flickered across Rosemary’s face.

Though she was mired in severe lethargy, a small part of her concern for Rozelia still remained.

And rightly so, Rozelia was her last family member.

Even if she had led Kim Jae-hyuk to his death and had forced herself into becoming an angel.

Yet, the tie that bound them as sisters could not be severed easily.

“Rozelia!!”

Seeing the enemies rushing toward her, Rosemary spread her wings with all her might to follow her.

At that moment.

-Beeeep!!!

“Ugh?!”

Suddenly, a piercing sound flooded Rosemary’s ears. With a splitting headache, she collapsed on the spot.

-Crack! Crackle!!

At the same time, a massive rift formed before Rosemary. Upon seeing the rift, she instantly thought.

…That rift, I’m sure I’ve seen it before. Where have I seen it?

“Rosemary?!”

And just then, Rozelia, who had been fighting against the enemies, became flustered as she witnessed the situation.

A rift that seemed ready to swallow Rosemary whole.

Rozelia mistook it for an enemy attack and rushed toward Rosemary with a panicked look.

“Oh.”

At that moment, amidst the tearing sound in her ears, Rosemary finally remembered.

The rift that had opened before her, in a blue hue.

She remembered it being exactly like the rift that had swallowed her and Shin Mi-rae on the day they crossed into this world.

-Crack!

“Rosemary—! It’s dangerous!!”

As the rift threatened to swallow her, Rozelia rushed in and reached out her hand toward her.

And then—

-Thump!

“Uh, uh?!”

Instinctively grabbing that hand, Rosemary found herself pulling Rozelia towards her before she even knew what she was doing.

She couldn’t even understand why she acted that way. All she could express was that her hand moved on its own.

-Thump!

Rozelia collided into Rosemary as if she collapsed into her embrace. And at that moment, as if by some unspoken promise, the dimensional rift swallowed both of them whole.

Darkness.

For a brief moment, the world went out.

Nothing could be seen or heard.

The only thing the two could feel was the warmth radiating from each other. Instinctively embracing one another, they swiftly slipped out of the gap between dimensions and were thrown into a shabby alleyway.

-Thud!

The rift that spat out the two of them disappeared as if its business was done. The two, thrown onto the asphalt ground, groaned as they rose.

“Ouch, ah, what, what happened—”

Rozelia, regaining her senses first, looked around, her face soon freezing in shock. Moments later, Rosemary, who opened her eyes late, was also astonished by the surrounding scenery.

“We’re back…?”

Back to the world they had come from. To the alley where the two had once walked hand in hand as children.

Though many things had changed with the passage of time, Rosemary—no, Park Yoo-jin—instantly realized they had returned to their original world.

“……We’re back! We’re back! We’re back in our original world, Mi-rae!”

As Park Yoo-jin grasped the situation, her face lit up with joy and excitement. However, in the next instant, confusion crossed her face upon seeing Rozelia’s expression.

“Mi-rae…?”

Unlike Park Yoo-jin, who was unreservedly delighted about their return.

“Back…? We’re back…?”

Rozelia repeated those words in shock.

We’re back.

We’ve come back.

We’ve really come back.

“No, no…! Why…?!”

Having harbored no lingering attachment to that other world, Rosemary was able to immediately return to being Park Yoo-jin and genuinely rejoice in her return.

But Rozelia was different.

Since the day she had sacrificed Kim Jae-hyuk to survive and became an angel, Rozelia had entrusted everything to the gods. Her principles of action, except for those concerning Park Yoo-jin, had been based entirely on Dion’s will.

And yet, she had come back.

To a world where Dion didn’t exist.

In other words, she could no longer rely on Dion.

Submitting to Dion and bowing her head had allowed her to escape from all guilt and regret.

“Ah, aaah…!”

A sigh began to escape Rozelia’s lips.

Her mind had always been strongly connected to Dion. However, now that they returned to their original world, that connection was severed by the dimensional barrier.

With the presence of Dion, which had filled her heart so abundantly, gone, only emptiness remained. And soon, that empty space was flooded with countless emotions she had been trying to ignore.

They were the regrets coming from betraying her father and selling her only sister, sorrow, despair, and guilt.

“Aaaaaaaaaa…!!!”

As raw emotions surged in like a tidal wave, Rozelia could do nothing but wail uncontrollably.

So the two had returned to their original world.

The time spent in that other world had been about ten years.

And coincidentally, the time that had elapsed in the real world was exactly ten years as well.

Ten years is not a short period, as it can change mountains and rivers.

However, thankfully, both of their families remained intact. Those who had been guided by the management office could meet their original families after a ten-year separation.

“Mom…? Dad…?”

“Yoo-jin…? Is that really our daughter?”

“Yoo-jin! Our daughter…!!”

The appearance of Park Yoo-jin, now an angel, had changed completely. But for parents who had been separated from their daughter, a slight change in her appearance was nothing significant.

“Mommy—! Daddy—!”

“Yoo-jin! Thank goodness, I’m so glad you’re back…!”

Park Yoo-jin and her parents wept tears of joy, embracing one another after ten years apart.

“Mi-rae…? Is that really our daughter, Mi-rae…?”

In contrast, Shin Mi-rae’s parents looked at Rozelia with confusion and unease.

Although Shin Mi-rae’s parents repeatedly asked questions, Rozelia offered no answers. As they noticed the distant gaze she held, they grew anxious, but the staff member reassured them that she was merely struggling to adjust to her return and had no physical injuries.

“It must be quite confusing. So please take good care of her.”

Following the staff member’s words, Shin Mi-rae’s parents sincerely embraced their daughter, who had changed so much. Both Park Yoo-jin’s parents and Shin Mi-rae’s parents shared the same love for their daughters. No matter how much their appearance changed, they were ready to love their daughters wholeheartedly if the essence remained the same.

However.

Unlike Park Yoo-jin, who fully accepted that love, Rozelia was not prepared to do so.

In fact, she had no desire to accept it at all.

Ever since she submitted to Dion, Rozelia could no longer lead a life without relying on a powerful figure.

Forgetting all fear, regret, guilt, and concerns, she had lived a life devoted to serving an overwhelming strength.

For someone who had lived such a life, suddenly being told to survive alone in her original world was impossible. The weight of her sins was far too heavy for her to handle now.

Thus, Rozelia once again yearned for a god.

Parental love was nice, indeed. Meeting her parents after so long was delightful. She understood that their love was genuine, and she felt gratitude.

However, they could not be the support Rozelia needed, who had become like a lifeless shell.

What Rozelia required was an overwhelming force that could completely subjugate her, someone she could follow without a thought.

In other words, a god.

Yet, there was no god in this world.

Thus, after much contemplation, Rozelia arrived at an answer.

If there was no god in this world, wouldn’t it be sufficient to call one and bring him here?

Two years later. After all her preparations, Rozelia established a new religion named the Truth Church on this land.

The purpose of the religion had two goals.

One was to find any means necessary to bring forth her deity, her father Dion, from another world.

The other was to fill this land’s populace with faithful followers who would serve him, leading to a satisfactory reception when Dion eventually came.

Fortunately, Rozelia possessed the ability to realize this.

Before the war erupted, Rozelia had been tasked as the only remaining angel on the ground to spread the faith in Dion. As part of that task, she had even received special powers directly from Dion to aid her.

The name was “Blood of Subjugation.”

By captivating and controlling anyone who drank her blood or bodily fluids, she could turn them into faithful disciples serving Dion.

Using that power, spreading belief in Dion across this land was child’s play.

Having established the church, Rozelia swiftly turned her parents and those around her into followers of the Truth Church, expanding its influence.

In the process, she also managed to loop in Park Yoo-jin. Enjoying a return to ordinary university life, when Rozelia revealed her plans, Yoo-jin nodded with conviction and offered her support.

…Or so she thought. In reality, Park Yoo-jin joined the church not to assist Rozelia, but to stop her.

Feigning loyalty to Rozelia on the surface, she was secretly plotting a rebellion behind her back.

However, how could a half-hearted angel stand a chance against Dion’s first spear?

The rebellion was swiftly uncovered, and Park Yoo-jin found herself confined in a dungeon. To make matters worse, under Rozelia’s power, she was controlled during the daytime, used as a puppet to spread Rozelia’s faith.

Thinking of how she once saw Park Yoo-jin as her most cherished friend and only family, this treatment may seem harsh.

But Rozelia felt no guilt at all for imprisoning Park Yoo-jin and turning her into a puppet.

After all, hadn’t Park Yoo-jin herself said it?

That she would always be on Rozelia’s side.

So, how Rozelia chooses to use her should be her own concern.

“……I thought that was the case. Why did you betray me again?”

Staring at Park Yoo-jin, who was bound before her, Rozelia asked in a voice tinged with a sigh.

“You always said you were on my side. That you would be with me forever. That I was your only remaining precious family. So why, why do you keep obstructing what I want to do? Why???”

“……It’s time to face reality.”

Park Yoo-jin replied with a bitter expression.

“Truth is, Mi-rae, you know it too. You know what you did and how wrong it is. You know it all…”

“No! I haven’t done anything wrong!”

Cutting Park Yoo-jin off in haste, Rozelia approached her with an intense voice.

-Snap!

Rozelia grabbed Park Yoo-jin by the collar and drew close enough that their faces almost touched. Her eyes, burning with swirling emotions, met Park Yoo-jin’s gaze clearly.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m the daughter of Lord Dion. As his proxy, I will definitely bring him to this land. That will solve everything. Nothing is wrong, and everything will return to the right path…!”

“……Mi-rae.”

“So, huh? Won’t you just give up and side with me…? We’re family… tied together by something thicker than blood, by the grace and blessing of the gods! So please, don’t betray me any longer and do what I want!!”

Unconsciously, Rozelia knew. That Park Yoo-jin was right. And that she had gone astray.

But Rozelia could not acknowledge it. She instinctively felt that admitting it would mean she would completely collapse.

“Mi-rae, I—”

-Beeep!

At that moment, Rozelia’s phone, which she had tucked away, rang. After answering it a few times, she hung up and spoke to Park Yoo-jin.

“Kwon Tae-ho has arrived.”

To that, Park Yoo-jin earnestly advised Rozelia.

“……It’s not too late. Surrender to that man and face your punishment.”

“No, the one who should face punishment is that man who dares to oppose me. I am the proxy of the god. I will bring down divine punishment on the apostate who goes against the will of the gods.”

However, Rozelia disregarded her advice.

To her, her actions were the very will of the gods. They could never be wrong, nor could they deviate.

“Let’s continue our discussion when I return. Wait patiently here until I come back.”

Whispering to Park Yoo-jin, Rozelia turned to Lee Ha-yeon.

“Keep an eye on Rosemary. If anyone besides me comes down here before I return, take them out immediately.”

“Yes, Celestial Lady.”

With that last command, Rozelia exited the dungeon. Once she had distanced herself, Park Yoo-jin turned to Ha-yeon, who stood beside her in a stiff posture.

“……Ha-yeon. Do you still have even a little bit of your consciousness left?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m asking if you can let me out secretly without Rozelia knowing.”

Ha-yeon hesitated momentarily before responding with a strained expression.

“……I cannot disobey the will of the Celestial Lady.”

Though her original self as an executioner urged her to rescue her, the new self brainwashed by Rozelia shouted not to go against her orders. The result was a victory for the brainwashed self, and having witnessed this, Park Yoo-jin cleanly gave up on escaping through her.

‘In the end, it seems I have no choice but to gamble on that man Kwon Tae-ho…’

Park Yoo-jin was notoriously oblivious to rumors. Yet, even she had heard the whispers about the executioner Kwon Tae-ho.

It was said that he was one of the most powerful among the executioners, renowned for his skills.

However, Park Yoo-jin was skeptical about his chances of victory. That was because she had seen Rozelia’s overwhelming strength firsthand throughout the war.

…The title of “First Spear” given to Rozelia was not a mere boast. She was the strongest angel, meaning she was more powerful than any being except for a god.

No matter how great Kwon Tae-ho was, it would not be easy to take down a god’s apostle.

Or so it seemed.

‘…Still, there’s nothing left to do but have faith.’

Now, the only hope left for Park Yoo-jin was just that. For the first time in a long while, she closed her eyes and prayed.

Please, let that man Kwon Tae-ho stop Shin Mi-rae.