Chapter 317

〈 Chapter 317 〉 Part 1, Chapter 14, Section 7

Two Victories.

The heroes have now achieved two consecutive victories against SS-Rank Monsters. This is the perfect time for them to fall into a routine. I’ve revealed all their weaknesses and helped them memorize attack patterns until reacting has become second nature—so much so that the Heroes are dodging Yasha and Kinna-ra’s attacks reflexively.

But we can’t keep doing this forever.

There’s a world of difference between dodging because you know what’s coming and dodging purely out of instinct.

We might face an unknown monster like “Risputin” someday, or the Heroes may have to raid without me, taking down monsters they’ve never encountered before. I can’t babysit them forever.

The Blue Wind Sect has grown enough to judge situations and act on its own, but the Heroes? They’re still lacking when it comes to large-scale battles, especially Executioner Baek Hee-a.

So, it’s time for me to step in as the enemy—this time not as someone from the Blue Wind Sect, but as Phoenix, an officer of the Dark Legion.

I told them they don’t need to worry about Garura, so technically, if they fight the mech version of Garura that I’m controlling, I haven’t lied.

This will be a valuable combat experience for the Heroes, even if it feels like playing peek-a-boo. And since I’m not going to spend my time praying at Taj Mahal while waiting for Karna to arrive, I might as well make good use of the time.

“So, killing two birds with one stone, right? Teach these kids while Karna’s on his way, give that arrogant Mahatma a taste of his own medicine, and maybe relieve some stress myself.”

“B-boss! Is this…?!”

Click, click. Whirr. Clank.

Garura’s interior transforms into a tandem cockpit thanks to my magic power. Using an S-Rank Core as the engine and infusing it with my magic, Garura’s entire body reshapes itself according to my thoughts.

“This is your new form to deal with those guys.”

“I-is this really my body?!”

“Yes. Welcome to Earth’s technology. Puh-heh.”

Garura mutters under her breath as she watches her body being transformed by modern civilization. On the screens surrounding us, I bring up live feeds of everything happening outside.

“Aah.”

Through the transparent screens, we see chaos: some panicking, others preparing weapons for battle, and a few running away like headless chickens. The feathers on Garura’s body act as cameras, capturing every detail.

“You can see everything outside, right? They’re just adorable, aren’t they?”

“Adorable… I don’t think that’s the right word.”

Though resembling a fighter jet inside, Garura isn’t exactly one. It’s more like I’ve remodeled her with magic to make piloting easier for myself.

“Alright then, hold onto your seat. The transformation isn’t complete yet.”

I buckle myself into the safety harness. In front of me, Garura sits in her seat, looking back at me with a distressed expression.

“My body is changing strangely…”

“Not strange, darling. Just cute tuning. Don’t you see how shocked the humans are?”

On the main screen, the Heroes’ faces are filled with shock and despair.

“Boss?! What on earth happened to you?!”

“Just been through… stuff.”

Her identical twin-like confusion makes her look so darn cute. I can’t help but tease her further as she screams in horror over her constantly transforming body.

“KYAAAH?! Something weird is growing out of my body?!”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Garura’s feathers transform into steel-like metal plating. Though visually intimidating, they’re actually crystallized forms of her own magic power.

“Let’s go then…!”

As a senior member of the evil organization, it’s only fitting that I have my own personal mech. Since I sent Black Flame Dragon to Seoul, I needed something else to play around with during downtime.

“Omni-directional artillery fortress, activate!”

“KYAAAAA!!”

With Garura’s scream echoing, the smoke clears to reveal CARura in full glory. Confirming the transformation is complete, I contact the Executioner who looks utterly baffled.

[What… is THAT thing?!]

“It’s my new ride. Gotta break it in, you know?”

I pet Garura’s head affectionately. The Executioner gives up trying to understand but frowns at my next words.

“…That’s what you’ll tell them.”

[Wait, hold on! So what exactly…?!]

“Hmm… let’s say… half an hour? Stick it out, and I’ll give you all a nice present. Puh-heh.”

Gently pressing the button, I activate the main cannon.

CARura’s beak opens wide, revealing a massive, beautiful barrel aimed lazily at Mahatma, the bewildered president of the Indian Association.

“I won’t kill you. Probably.”

But recovering your magic power today? Not gonna happen. With a quick flick of my thumb, I press the button again.

“Now then… Fireworks time!”

Getting hit by fireworks won’t kill you…

But it WILL hurt… A LOT.

And if you get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? Tough luck. Infusing the forward-facing cannons with magic power, I prepare to fire.

BOOOOM!

The sky erupts in blue flames as the first shot explodes mid-air.

—

Bird becomes car. Only her head remains, sprouting wheels instead of legs. Her big round eyes dart nervously, but amidst her birdlike features, ominous gun barrels protrude from her metallic feathers. Heroes scream in terror.

“What IS that thing?!”

If it looked outright monstrous like Yasha or Kinna-ra, maybe they could handle it, but seeing a bird whose head is now horizontal atop four giant wheels creates cognitive dissonance—a total Gestalt collapse.

“That monster turned into a car?!”

The barrage of attacks leaves the heroes dumbfounded. If it were scary or grotesque, they’d understand—but this playful toy-like transformation confuses them completely.

[…Execution Order.]

Wearied, the Executioner addresses all heroes via smartwatches displaying a countdown timer: 30:00.

“The Blue Wind Sect member is taming the beast. Estimated taming time: 30 minutes. Our role is simple.”

Their mission updates instantly:

“Survive for 30 minutes!!”

Whirr, clink.

CARura’s beak splits open, revealing a menacing heavy-caliber cannon aimed directly at the heroes. Despite its cartoonish appearance, everyone knows better than to underestimate it—especially given humanity’s familiarity with machinery.

Length approximately 12m. Width 7m. Height 6m.

Resembling a pickup truck, but the enormous cannon emerging from its mouth reveals its true nature as an S-Rank Monster.

“Isn’t that basically a tank?!”

Before anyone can finish speaking, the cannon glows with blue magical energy, and the heroes realize immediately what’s about to happen.

BANG!!

A thunderous roar fills the air as a bolt of blue flame shoots out, striking the Taj Mahal gate with precision. The explosion occurs just above the wall.

BOOOM!!!

“What… WHAT is THIS?!”

“Is it a scare tactic?”

The blast produces no lethal force, only deafening noise. However, those with heightened senses—the special ability users—and the fleeing heroes quickly grasp CARura’s true intent.

“Ba… barrier?”

You can’t escape. No matter how hard you try, there’s an invisible wall preventing you from leaving.

“But what about the doors?!”

One impatient hero tries rushing toward the gates but fails. The Taj Mahal is now trapped within an invisible glass dome.

Had there been any clouds, the heroes might have noticed the faint shimmer of a blue barrier forming overhead. But starting with the sudden appearance of an S-Rank monster and culminating in this bizarre transformation into a war machine, they’re thoroughly confused.

“We’re stuck, dammit!”

[Don’t panic! Taj Mahal is spacious! Run inside!]

The Executioner issues orders. Although being inside the barrier puts him at great risk, Phantom teleports him safely out of CARura’s line of fire.

[You’re heroes! You must stay calm even in situations like this! First—]

Pointing dramatically upward,

[Everyone fend for yourselves!]

Thus begins the absurd battle between CARura, also known as Birdhead Tank-S-Rank Monster Karura.

* * *

Vroom, vroom.

Karura’s engine roars to life. The Executioner reads additional instructions relayed by Phoenix.

“If we get run over by Karura, we’ll be judged as ‘dead’ and ejected from the barrier…?”

KUH-OONG!!

Karura charges toward shattered stones from the broken wall. Without hesitation, the boulders are sucked into CARura’s maw and loaded into its cannon.

KWAH-AHNG!!

The cannon fires, launching a boulder skyward in a graceful arc, reminiscent of medieval siege warfare.

“Get out of the way, GET OUT OF THE WAY—”

“It’s not targeting us!”

The Executioner calculates the trajectory. Instead of hitting the heroes directly, the boulder aims high, soaring over their heads and targeting the outer walls—a classic “home run.”

“What is this—”

“Run!”

Phantom senses something and sprints forward, charging straight toward Karura despite the apparent danger. The rest of the team follows suit.

“Do you know something?!”

“That’s a cushion!”

Phantom knows the barrier is solid after causing quite the commotion himself during previous tests. Ever since then, Phoenix has ensured barriers are built sturdier than ever.

“It’s not passing through—it’s bouncing!”

SWISH!

The projectile collides with the invisible barrier, deflecting downward toward the ground. Expecting a direct hit, the heroes scramble to dodge.

KA-BOOOOM!!

The impact shakes the ground. Though no one gets injured, the heroes seethe in frustration at CARura’s unreasonable tactics—using the barrier as a cushion to redirect its shots.

“What IS that thing?! Seriously, WHAT IS IT?!”

“What kind of monster does THIS?!”

A monster turning into a tank and firing cannons? Unbelievable. Yet here it is—Karura collecting more rubble as she patrols the area.

CHUNK CHUNK.

Karura’s folded wing unfolds slightly, revealing three additional cannons beneath her armpit with a distinct ‘click.’

KAW-WA-KOONG!!

Three boulders launch skyward in rapid succession, each flying at different angles. One arcs gracefully toward the confused heroes, another falls vertically, while the third reaches a height of 100 meters before exploding mid-air.

KA-BOOOOM!!

The ceiling shatters into dust, but the red magical residue attached to the boulder rains down like fire.

“The ceiling is sealed?!”

The fiery rain descends slowly. Despite frantic attempts by wind specialists to block it, the flames refuse to be deterred, landing firmly on the ground.

WHOOSH.

Fire spreads across the battlefield. Recognizing the danger, the Executioner shouts.

“It’s a trap laid across the field! Evade!”

Evade, evade.

Nothing else matters right now. Even with over a hundred heroes trapped inside the barrier, they rely solely on their instincts to dodge the increasingly varied artillery barrages.

CLINK CLINK CHUNK CHUNK!

Mechanical sounds echo as Karura closes all but her main cannon, seemingly cooling down—or perhaps preparing something new.

“Doesn’t that sound like… tires spinning?”

VROOM VROOM VROOM!!

The heroes realize what’s coming next. Familiar sounds from modern society now emanate ominously from the tank-like monster before them.

“She’s gonna CHARGE?!”

Inside the confined space of the Taj Mahal gardens—300m wide, 300m long—a bird-shaped tank revs its engines, ready to chase down over a hundred heroes.

“HERE SHE COMES!!!”

VVVVVVROOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!

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