105 – Suddenly, the Ninjas Appeared! #2
Ninja.
In a world where elves, nymphs, and various demons existed, there truly were ninjas.
Awakened individuals from Japan had been operating in various parts of the world and came to be known as “ninjas.”
“Fire Release, Fire Hell!”
Fwaaaaat-.
Ninjas wearing black masks spewed flames from their mouths.
Though not as intense as Seo Ye-rim, the flames were incredibly hot, and they targeted Tsukki.
“These bastards! Do you know who I am—!”
Whirrrr-.
Tsukki was hit directly by the flames emitted by the ninjas.
It was a powerful blaze that could dry my skin, which had just come from a bath, in an instant.
The sturdy Tsukki, as is customary for Awakened individuals of the enhancement type, showed remarkable resistance to external mana manipulation, resulting in only slight singeing of her clothes and skin.
Twiriririririing-.
The problem was that with the radiance of these scorching flames, the fire alarm in the hotel started blaring loudly.
Chwaaaah-.
A spray of water erupted from the fire suppression system mounted on the ceiling.
As the mist quickly obscured our vision, the ninjas spoke.
“That’s enough of the greetings. We, the Primis, do not disappear—.”
Pababat-.
They vanished at a remarkable speed.
Claiming they would not disappear and then disappearing—how inconsistent their words and actions were, yet they were indeed well-trained special agents.
“Cheh-. Did I miss them?”
Tsukki, clenching her fist as she brushed away the mist with her arms, spoke while looking at the windows through which the ninjas had escaped.
“It seems they were targeting the executives of Telos Corporation. This is a warning. They plan to cause a ruckus during the final match tomorrow. Is their objective to kidnap the executives?”
Tsukki’s analysis was somewhat reasonable.
Telos was a global corporation.
It was indeed a megacorp that could be called an “empire” or “kingdom.”
If they kidnapped an executive from such a corporation, they could demand an outrageous ransom.
In fact, crimes and kidnappings targeting corporate executives often occurred, leading them to personally hire high-ranking Awakened individuals for protection.
Were they indeed after a kidnapping?
But my thoughts were different.
“If they were looking to kidnap executives, they would not have appeared and caused such a commotion. They would have tried to handle things quietly. Making noise like this might be—”
Was it possible that the purpose was merely to create a disturbance?
Perhaps they wanted to halt the match scheduled for tomorrow.
The sudden attack was, in many ways, a surprise.
However, it was fortunate that no one was seriously injured.
Nonetheless, Tsukki seemed puzzled.
“Those kinds of individuals snuck inside the hotel, and how did nobody notice? Was the alarm system or the cameras malfunctioning or something?”
Swoosh-.
Tsukki and I looked at the camera placed in the corridor.
And we found something attached to the camera.
Buuuuuuu-.
“Ah, they’re escaping!”
Tsukki shouted.
Just then, Kkungkkungi, who had been hiding against the wall of the corridor, pounced.
Grrrrr…!
Pop-.
Something that had been soaring through the sky was caught effortlessly by Kkungkkungi.
“Kkungkkungi! Well done!”
Hiiiioow…!
As we approached, we could see it was a device fashioned to resemble a ‘bee.’
It looked like a honeybee, but instead of a stinger, it contained a small USB chip.
“Was this hacking into the hotel’s digital network? Although this is a hotel, considering it’s Telos’s building, it’s astonishing. This device, though it looks crude, its specifications are—.”
“……”
“Haildo. What’s wrong?”
Tsukki asked me.
I tucked the bee I was holding into my pocket.
“Something feels off… Can I take this bee? Tsukki, please call the executives and inform them of what just happened.”
# # #
“That Illinois was eating a very big and delicious cloud cotton candy in my dream…! I was forced to wake up because of the fire alarm and can’t eat cotton candy now…! This loss is incredibly huge…! I will sue the ninjas under the Nymph’s Dream Violation Act…! Please call a lawyer immediately…!”
Illinois was very angry.
It was 2 AM.
She seemed to be irked that she had been awakened when nymphs should have been in deep sleep.
Inoi and Coris were also yawning repeatedly.
“This Inoi is very sleepy…!”
“I, Coris, don’t know what’s going on…!”
The ninjas had launched their attack.
The S-class Awakened from the Japanese theater troupe, “S. Ninja,” seemed best qualified to explain this situation.
“Ambush Ninja? Did he refer to himself that way?”
“S. Ninja” was a human covered from head to toe in cybernetic mechanical devices.
Just as I began to think it was somewhat romantic and cool, he added.
“It’s impossible. Ambush Ninja, also known as ‘A. Ninja’, died five years ago while on a mission in the rift. I witnessed his death with my own eyes; I remember it clearly.”
He was said to be a first-generation ninja.
Although not as chaotic as Korea, Japan’s first-generation Awakened individuals also faced grueling missions.
It was said that, inevitably, many had fallen.
“A. Ninja” was one of the first Awakened to die back then.
“……”
A multitude of thoughts flooded my mind.
Just then, Diiing— my phone rang.
“Kim Dan: Where did you get this?”
It was a text from my classmate, Kim Dan.
I immediately called her back.
“Did you see the picture I sent? What do you think?”
“Hey. The mechanical bee you sent. At a glance, it looks like a well-made jamming device. It’s quite impressive. Even though my major is in weapons, I can tell it’s well-made.”
Kim Dan was one of the most knowledgeable mechanics among those I knew.
She could make weapons, create armor, and even prosthetic limbs.
This “mechanical bee” evidently seemed like an extraordinary device even to Kim Dan.
“What about Seo Sang-yong?”
Just then, a man sitting at the table inquired.
He resembled Seo Sang-yong, wearing a shirt that exuded a Southern vibe, and his tanned skin displayed occasional tattoos of tigers.
Seo Ji-ho.
He was Seo Sang-yong’s brother, the father of Reiko, and the top man at the Japan branch.
“If the match proceeds as planned tomorrow, it’s certain they will launch another attack. Are we to just make this a non-issue? Wouldn’t it be safer for everyone to return home?”
In response to his younger brother’s question, Seo Sang-yong, who was Seo Ye-rim’s father and effectively operated Telos, remained silent, pondering.
“Primis. The term means ‘first’ or ‘foremost’ in Latin, right? I’ve never heard of such an organization.”
Swoosh-.
Seo Sang-yong seemed deep in thought for a while before turning to me.
“Il-do, what do you want to do? You hold the right to propose in tomorrow’s match.”
“Me? Really?”
No way.
Is this for real?
Did he just point at me?
I was taken aback more than I had anticipated.
I didn’t feel ready for such a stage yet.
Buuuw-.
At that moment, the “mechanical bee” in my hand trembled.
Suddenly, something pounced at the mechanical bee with a pop.
It was Kkungkkungi.
Hiiiioow…!
Kkungkkungi had once again succeeded at capturing the mechanical bee.
It was a magnificent sight, and people exclaimed, “Wow,” or “They sing well and hunt well too,” in admiration.
I thought so too.
At the same time, many thoughts rushed through my mind.
“I am not sure. However, if we succumb to this terrorist organization, I fear we may have to concede a lot to them in the future.”
I needed a moment to think.
This was a match involving enormous sums of money!
And there was a possibility of the executives getting hurt.
Thinking that everything rested on my shoulders at such an unexpected moment was overwhelming.
“Uh, Senior—.”
At that moment, Ari called out to me.
I took the opportunity of the meeting to slip out to the balcony with Ari.
“Ari, it was quite surprising, wasn’t it? But thankfully, no one is injured yet. No matter what happens, we will protect you.”
“It’s reassuring just to know that. But Senior, if I may suggest, I think it would be best to cancel the match this time. Primis—I’ve heard that name as a rumor…”
“Really?”
“I think you should avoid meeting them at all costs. If the rumors I heard are true, they are all—.”
“First-generation Awakened, right?”
“…How did you know that?”
Ari looked astonished.
I showed her the mechanical bee that Kkungkkungi had successfully caught.
“I remember this mechanical bee. As far as I know, the only person who could make such a small and elaborate device is that guy. I didn’t know what he’s been up to lately…”
I recalled the time Kim Dan and Geun-tae visited my house.
They had mentioned how some of the first-generation Awakened, who had taken a wrong turn, were engaging in criminal activities or doing bad things.
At that time, I hadn’t asked too many questions.
I couldn’t believe that the classmates who had protected each other had fallen into criminality.
“Wait here.”
“Senior, where are you going?”
# # #
Telos Land.
This island had an enormous transmission tower.
It overlooked everything on the island at a glance.
It was called “Telos Tower.”
I climbed to the roof at the top.
Huu, huuuuh-!
Thanks to Kalilnoi, it was easy to get up.
When I reached the roof, a man was perched on the railing.
He was wearing a long coat like winter attire in the heat of summer.
Seeing me, he opened his mouth first.
“Haildo. Long time no see. You look good. I’ve heard a lot about you recently. Your name even pops up on the internet again. I liked the article. You’re welcome.”
It was amusing.
He seemed unchanged.
“It really was you. ‘Mechanic.’ Being up high helps the signal spread everywhere, right? You always liked to occupy the high ground. You went through a lot for that.”
“Yeah. I remember. ‘Mechanic.’ That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. Indeed, I remember everything. We suffered terribly. Many really did die, and many were injured. I can still vividly remember as if it’s stored in my memory.”
Clack-. Zing-.
Kree-.
The man approached me from the shadows.
His face was covered with a tension-filled mechanical device resembling a gas mask, and from the neck down, he was entirely mechanical.
Most of the part hidden by the coat was probably cold metal too.
“Mechanic—Gi Seung-jae,” he said.
“I still vividly recall that day like it was yesterday. Why does no one talk about what happened that day? There isn’t even a single line about it on the internet. It’s as if everyone has forgotten. We died while alive.”
“……”
“Il-do, look at these shining lights. Back then, they said the world was at its end, but buildings have grown taller, and windows shimmer like stars now.”
“We protected this world. You know that.”
“Yeah. I know all too well. This peace was built on our blood, and I’m going to demand an appropriate receipt for that.”
Swoosh-.
Gi Seung-jae extended his hand toward me.
“Il-do, I wouldn’t want to fight you if possible. I think you’re someone who should be on this side rather than that side. We are absolutely meritocratic.”
“……”
I felt a rush of vertigo at that moment.
Just then, Kkungkkungi, perched on my shoulder, fluffed up its fur.
Grrrr…!
The hostility in its fur was similar to when it fought against its rival, Bang Bang.
It must have sensed some extreme ecological and territorial threat.
Why was that?
I would soon find out the reason.
Wiiing-. Clack-.
Something was perched on Gi Seung-jae’s shoulder.
It was a mechanical device glistening in chrome that looked like—.
“Squirrel?”
“Yes, a mechanical squirrel. Isn’t it cute?”
Kkungkkungi barked in response.
