Chapter 267

〈 Chapter 267 〉 Part 1, Chapter 12, Section 13

Reception room, bridge, side palace.

At the moment chaos erupted in three locations, five members of the special envoy team waiting in Suborof’s office had no idea what to do and anxiously waited for time to pass.

“The alarm shows no sign of stopping.”

“This… Could be a dangerous situation?”

Usa and Pungbaek exchanged glances as they compiled incoming information. The data received through the Hero Association only mentioned an unidentified intruder at the Side Palace who had “melted away,” but the two already had a vague idea of the nature of such an entity.

“Excuse me.”

Usa, trembling and glancing nervously at the attendants, couldn’t hide his anxiety.

“Do you know anything about this?”

“You guys must have heard something…”

Pungbaek tapped his stick and glanced at the officers of the Blue Wind Sect, his voice laced with barely contained magical power interrogating them.

“I’m getting suspicious.”

“There’s a strong stench. A very hot stench.”

The two heroes suspected that the Blue Wind Sect might be behind whoever triggered the alarm. Naturally, the three officers had no choice but to deny any involvement.

“Well, I haven’t received any information.”

“Same here. I just came because the Sky Castle asked me to.”

“I’m here to film.”

All eyes turned to Ji Hwa Kim, who offered an absurd excuse. The self-proclaimed cameraman was clearly the most out-of-place member of the special envoy team.

“Aren’t you the former leader of the Blue Wind Sect…?”

“I’m merely accompanying the Sky Castle now, also serving as a cameraman. If you must know, my mission is to help soothe the Vladimir family alongside the Sky Castle…”

Dodging the situation with a seemingly plausible excuse, the two heroes remained skeptical but didn’t let go of their suspicions. Their gazes eventually fell on someone who could verify the truth of these words.

“What about Hwakwon? Did he secretly leave without telling us?”

“If he did, wouldn’t we have noticed some sort of commotion?”

Pungbaek rose from his seat. The attendants standing behind the envoy team immediately stepped forward to block him, on high alert.

“What are you trying to do?”

“You people! Am I not allowed to visit the restroom?”

“Given the current situation, please understand. Even if you’re a special ability user, surely you can endure a little longer…”

The butler knew his reasoning was forced. However, Pungbaek looked ready to cause trouble the moment he stood up, and the butler feared provoking further chaos.

“My friend, I’ve passed sixty years old. Time conquers even special ability users. Have you ever experienced urinary incontinence? Would you like to witness me relieving myself in Lord Root’s office?”

“……My apologies.”

Apparently, it wasn’t an act. The butler assigned a young attendant to stand guard behind Pungbaek, who nodded approvingly and strode off toward the restroom.

“To the reception room…”

“…! The restroom is over there-”

Bang! Pungbaek abruptly flung open the door to the reception room. At that moment, Usa pulled a thin cane from his inner pocket, and the Sky Castle tensed her entire body.

“Why so quiet, I wondered!”

Pungbaek swung his stick at the black rectangular object in the center of the reception room. It resembled sticky adhesive or latex, but his attack proved futile.

“What is this?!”

“Can’t you sense it? The malevolence emanating from this black thing.”

“Hwakwon is fighting inside.”

The temperature in the reception room was beyond imagination, like being inside a steamer. Everyone started sweating profusely, while Pungbaek attempted to ventilate by creating wind. He then shouted into his watch,

“This is Korea’s hero <Pungbaek>! I need the last known locations of <Hwakwon> and <Rasputin>!”

-Connecting from the Moscow branch of the Hero Association in Russia. A-class special ability user confirmed. <Rasputin> lacks authorization, request denied. <Hwakwon>-authorized, located at the Vladimir family mansion in Moscow.

“Damn it!”

Pungbaek began striking the black mass with his stick.

“Hwakwon is in there! I don’t know who he’s fighting, but he’s definitely engaged in battle!”

“L-Lord Rasputin, where did he go…?!”

“Is that important?! Hwakwon might be fighting an intruder inside a barrier!”

“Move aside!”

The Sky Castle threw a punch at the dark wall. Her magic-powered punch collided with the barrier, producing a heavy sound, but it didn’t budge.

“Could this be…”

The Lighthouse lowered his sunglasses slightly.

“The person fighting Hwakwon inside… Could it be Rasputin?”

The expressions of the envoy team and attendants grew grim.

* * *

Inside the thick dark barrier created by Monster DD, white flames raged fiercely.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

Hwakwon unleashed all his magical power, including the strength he drew from infancy. The white flames spewing from his body pushed back DD’s approaching hands, but DD continued reaching toward Hwakwon despite being scorched by the flames.

“Hahahaha! That’s right! Resistance makes it more interesting! Our Lord doesn’t like obedient subjects either!”

“Shut up!”

DD’s right hand grabbed a strand of Hwakwon’s hair. Before it could fully grasp his scalp, Hwakwon burned and severed the captured hair.

“Don’t think you can keep this tug-of-war going forever! You’re weaker than me!”

Indeed, DD consistently had the upper hand against Hwakwon. Still, Hwakwon refused to stop resisting for one reason:

“Who said I’d lose to you?!”

Under no circumstances could a hero succumb to a villain. The figure before him was both a pawn of the evil organization Dark Legion seeking world destruction and a prime example of a corrupted hero twisted by misguided ideals.

“I absolutely cannot lose!”

As a hero, as a man, and as a human being, defeat was impossible. Hwakwon was slowly pushing DD toward the wall.

“OOOOOOOOGH!!”

Hwakwon’s white flames filled nearly half the space within the barrier. As DD took a step back, his many hands followed suit.

‘Keep pouring magic power…!’

“Hmph. Well, playtime ends here.”

DD licked his lips. Hwakwon’s pupils dilated wider than ever.

Thud!

Dark hands emerged from behind and embraced Hwakwon. Dozens of hands gently wrapped around his shoulders, chest, stomach, thighs, and calves, driving sharp nails into him.

“Guh?!”

“Your resistance was quite fierce. Very good. As expected, you deserve our Lord’s affection.”

DD pulled Hwakwon close to his face and grinned widely.

“Now, come join us in becoming part of the New Humanity…”

DD spread his arms wide and gradually enveloped Hwakwon. Though Hwakwon twisted his body and resisted until the end…

Crunch.

They made contact.

“AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!”

At that moment, beams of light began streaming in from above.

“What?!”

The barrier suddenly shattered. Looking up, DD saw whatever he had touched moving further forward.

♪♪

With the clear cry of a bird, Hwakwon’s entire body began burning blue.

* * *

KABOOM!!

White-blue flames surged in all directions. The tightly sealed dark barrier was torn apart in every direction by the white-blue flames, and the backlash sent the special envoy team and attendants stumbling several steps back.

“What is this?!”

“Blue flames…?”

Though not as iconic as the Blue Wind Sect’s signature blue flames, the distinctly blue-tinted flames erupting before their eyes left the officers speechless.

“Isn’t Seung-Hyung’s color supposed to be white…?”

“Look! Up there!”

The Lighthouse pointed skyward. There, perched atop Seung-Hyung’s head – which had been buried in a heater after rolling across the floor – was a miniature phoenix resembling a blue canary, chewing on fragments of the barrier.

♪♬

The mini-phoenix landed on top of Seung-Hyung’s head, which was drenched in sweat from expending massive amounts of magical power, causing his face to pale.

“Hwakwon! What the…?!”

“It’s a villain! Rasputin has fallen! It’s a monster!”

Seung-Hyung pointed at the monstrous DD as he raised his head. All eyes turned to DD, formerly Rasputin.

“Ugh!”

“Shit!”

Standing at 2.5 meters tall, covered in latex-like material, DD elicited screams from everyone present, none of whom could hide their disgust upon seeing his grotesque form.

“You bastards! You’re all the same! Judging people based solely on appearance! You outdated fools!”

Sensitive to others’ gazes, DD screamed as he rolled on the ground. His massive body shook violently, leaving everyone shocked and terrified by the rampage of an S-rank special ability user.

“That’s… Lord Rasputin?”

The members of the Vladimir family, accustomed to seeing him in monk-like attire, were particularly stunned. Though they wanted to believe Hwakwon was lying, unfortunately, Rasputin’s magical energy signature was coming from DD’s position.

“Hahaha! Obsolete humans deceived by mere appearances! Behold the true form of the New Humanity!”

DD pumped more magical power, bulking up his muscles. In response to DD’s charge, the first to react were the officers of the Blue Wind Sect, most familiar with monsters.

“Stop!”

“Fall back!”

Architect slammed his fist into the ground, erecting marble walls. The Sky Castle tossed aside her derby hat and expanded her muscles.

“Our opponent is a villain! Snap out of it and intercept!”

Retreating to the rear, the Lighthouse shouted at the frozen special ability users. As they gradually regained their senses, the stone walls erected by Architect were instantly destroyed.

“Hahahaha! Pathetic!”

With nothing but a magical power-coated charge, DD shattered walls over ten centimeters thick. Shirts completely torn, the Sky Castle extended both arms to grab DD’s hands.

“Grrr, OOOOOOH!”

Despite shouting a battle cry and tightening his grip, even with near-S-rank strength, A-rank power couldn’t possibly match true S-rank strength.

“Haaat!”

“Hey!”

Usa and Pungbaek swung their respective weapons to stab DD from the side. Servants of the Vladimir family also raised their weapons to aim at DD.

Tatatatat!

Even core weapons-wielding guards joined in firing at DD. Freed from DD’s grasp, the Sky Castle retreated while dodging fireballs, and dozens of special ability users concentrated their firepower on DD.

“In the presence of divine grace, all your efforts are meaningless!”

DD took no damage whatsoever. Instead, he absorbed all the magical bullets and attacks aimed at his muscles.

“Damn lunatic!”

“Haahaaa!”

A streak of white-blue light cut through the special ability users. Hwakwon Seung-Hyung’s right fist, raised over his shoulder, shone an unusually bright blue.

“Burn—!!”

“……!!”

Sensing the ominous energy gathering in Seung-Hyung’s fist, DD guarded himself. Creating a wall of darkness in front of him and crossing his arms, he braced for impact.

“O Flame of Azure—!!”

In an instant, a blue canary descended onto Seung-Hyung’s fist.

Fwoosh.

Just before touching DD’s barrier, for a brief moment, Hwakwon’s white flames turned completely blue.

And then—

BOOOOOOMMMM—!!

An enormous explosion sounded, and DD, barrier and all, was blasted out the window.

CRASH!

The glass shattered, and DD, drawing a parabolic arc, splashed into the middle of a lake shrouded in deep darkness.

“Haa, haa.”

Seung-Hyung trembled from the power transmitted by the blue canary perched on his hand. Though he now understood the source of the power, using it felt unsettling.

“But right now… Thank you…”

Thud.

Having expended all his magical power, Seung-Hyung collapsed forward, unconscious.

* * *

Thud!

DD, whose entire body had nearly been incinerated, leapt out of the water and landed on the ground.

“What was that just now…?”

His arms, impervious to all previous attacks, now hung limply like rags. While he could recover quickly thanks to divine grace, DD was deeply shocked that outdated humanity had managed to harm him.

“To injure the body granted by God… Such blasphemy! But…”

Looking up at the main palace, which stood dozens of meters away after being thrown, DD licked his lips. Being defeated by another human would be shameful, but considering it as a fellow disciple of God taking him down changed everything.

“Hahaha. This is getting more exciting!”

“Do you know the punishment for public indecency?”

Suddenly, a refined voice spoke from behind. DD shivered at the presence of the man who had silently appeared behind him.

“If the offense is minor, it usually ends with a warning…”

Click.

The golden-haired youth aimed a finely honed sword at DD’s groin.

“Monsters aren’t subject to legal judgment. Let me judge instead. Your punishment is castration.”

“Ahaha.”

DD scanned the golden-haired youth – the Light Blade – from head to toe.

“You would make an excellent consort for God! So it’s you who holds Undine’s leash! With you as my companion, I’m sure I can satisfy the God I serve!”

“…Sorry, but the only deity I need to satisfy is up there.”

The Light Blade pointed his thumb at the spire of the side palace behind him.

“Tell the god you serve this: If he wants satisfaction, he should take care of it himself.”

“Blasphemy!!!”

On the sturdy bridge floating on the lake surface.

The two monsters, having stared each other down, charged at each other with their weapons raised to prove the righteousness of their respective faiths.