Chapter 333

〈Chapter 333〉 Part 1, Chapter 14, Section 24

As always, the opening of a Dimensional Gate is a worldwide disaster that sets off alarms across the globe.

Should humanity fail to handle it properly, millions could perish. Thus, sealing these gates is an absolute necessity for humanity’s survival.

And yet, one such gate opened above Lake Baegnaroh.

If the sudden appearance of a Dimensional Gate wasn’t alarming enough, its location and timing were equally perplexing.

The site: Darjeeling, India.

Famous for its high-altitude tea plantations at 2,000 meters above sea level, this city lies at the intersection of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and Bangladesh within just a 100km radius.

Worst of all, the gate opened precisely as Lake Baegnaroh passed overhead – clearly not a coincidence but rather an intentional act.

From a nearby Kolkata airbase, five fighter jets inexplicably launched into the sky.

Onboard were none other than Mahatma – who had been in seclusion – and four other heroes.

The Indian Hero Association was thrown into chaos.

How did these heroes hijack military aircraft?


How did Mahatma travel instantly from New Delhi to Kolkata?


Why attack Lake Baegnaroh, which had been assisting India?

All answers came in a single transmission from the airbase:

– “For the Dark Legion!!”

It was reminiscent of Rasputin’s incident in Russia.

* * *

[Arrival in Seoul: 3:57 remaining; Above Darjeeling, India]

“Shall we close it now?”

“Not yet. Let’s grow it bigger before devouring.”

I was discussing timing with Karna regarding the Dimensional Gate. Though Karna had already fired a laser beam at Mahatma’s head like some divine sniper, we needed to consider how best to utilize this open gate.

“This place couldn’t be more inconvenient.”

Geographically complex, with unclear borders, any monsters emerging wouldn’t respect national boundaries.

“With no time for dialogue…”

“It’s fine. Maamryong’s beasts are manageable.”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“I hesitated. I originally planned to detonate their jet first.”

Karna shrugged while wielding Bijaya, his signature weapon. As someone who’d fallen from grace after being defeated by Azidahaka during his time in Tera, Karna harbored deep animosity toward Maamryong.

“Oh, another explosion.”

KA-BOOM!!

A second jet exploded. While Lake Baegnaroh swerved to evade, the true purpose of these attacks became clear.

“Only Mahatma knows their motives. Regardless, we don’t need to understand. Phoenix, let me fire one shot. One Brahmastra will suffice against anything.”

“If you fire, you’ll destroy both the beasts and the gate itself.”

Indeed, a Brahmastra fired by Karna as a monster differs greatly from one fired by Karna as a spirit. It would likely obliterate even the dragon attempting to escape through the gate.

“The key question is whether Rama will cooperate.”

We have the capability to seal the gate immediately. Given one hour – the typical response time for international intervention – we could easily harness significant resources. With Karna continuously firing arrows, we might seal not just two but five gates effortlessly.

But before we could decide…

[For the Dark Legion!!]

Another gate burst open as Azidahaka’s voice boomed through external speakers. Simultaneously, another jet exploded, creating yet another gate mid-air.

“Isn’t this ridiculous?”

“What else? To show traitors their place. And hey, how did you escape your barrier?”

“By force.”

“Brute strength, how uncouth.”

That infuriating attitude… watching her hover smugly above us made my blood boil. I transferred magical energy directly to Karna, igniting his arrow with blue flames.

“Karna!”

PA-ANG!!

The arrow streaked straight through the night sky, cleanly piercing Azidahaka’s skull.

POOF!

She dissolved into darkness, leaving only Karna’s tongue clicking in frustration.

“Ho ho, where exactly should I aim next?”

Azidahaka reappeared mid-air, mockingly addressing both Karna and me.

“You insolent wretch!”

“Calm down, Karna. Azidahaka, stop provoking us. Dialogue isn’t possible.”

Attempting mediation before things escalated further.

Their mutual hatred stemmed from past conflicts in Tera, though Azidahaka had disliked Karna both as a leader and on principle.

“So, is this your declaration of war?”

“Something like that. We can’t keep hiding in the shadows forever, can we? Though I didn’t expect you to recruit Karna as a traitor.”

“Traitor? You ignorant woman, you don’t even know your own origin…”

“But neither did you until I awakened you, so shut up.”

As our conversation deteriorated, I found myself snapping too.

“Why are you siding with them?”

“To me, all of you are equally precious. Makes no difference.”

Karna stared blankly, as did Azidahaka.

“W-W-WHAT?! Who said they’re precious?! Hmph! You, thief of others’ bodies, stop spouting nonsense!”

“Thief?”

Karna looked puzzled. I realized I’d inadvertently created a misunderstanding.

“Seoyea and Huanyong knew, but explaining it to you led to this mess.”

“Hmm, understood. So it’s my fault.”

Karna swung Bijaya like a sword, splitting Azidahaka into two halves that dissipated into shadow.

“YOU WRETCHES! Your heads are filled with nothing but magical power! Can we please talk instead of fighting?!”

“We are talking. Through magical power.”

WHOOSH!

Karna fired again. This marked Azidahaka’s third death today – not fatal to her core, but still impressive given she’d already sent three projections our way.

“YOU!”

SLAP!

Azidahaka clapped her hands, causing another jet to explode.

[Long live the universe’s strongest cutest girl, Azidahaka-sama!]

Both Karna and I froze. The fifth Dimensional Gate appeared. Laughing brightly from the shadows, Azidahaka spread her arms wide.

“Yes! In human form, I am indeed the most beautiful being in the world! Ho ho ho!!”

“Insane much? Phoenix, can you record this for future reference?”

“Don’t worry, it’s already being captured in real-time.”

Our magical gear includes a black box feature recording everything around me. These embarrassing moments will serve as excellent material against Maamryong later and give Karna plenty of ammunition.

“To boast about being the most beautiful… aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Tsk! When one speaks the truth, how could there be embarrassment? Ho ho, ugly people get jealous so easily.”

ZIIIIIIP!

Karna fired multiple beams in rapid succession. Five glowing holes appeared from Azidahaka’s head to her stomach.

“Wah, too cruel! Must be jealousy from those ugly faces.”

“There might be some truth to that, but you’re making a fundamental mistake.”

Pointing at myself over my shoulder, I declared:

“The most beautiful being in the world is right here.”

“…You’re honestly saying that’s Phoenix?”

“Is Phoenix not Phoenix then? How dull of you.”

“Hey! Stop copying Phoenix, traitor! You sound just like her!”

Of course I do. Deliberately mimicking Changyeom’s mannerisms. Her claim of being the world’s most beautiful remains uncontested. Extending my right hand, I incinerated Azidahaka hovering above my shoulder.

“Let’s get to the point. Stop sending projections.”

“…You really complicate things. Fine, I don’t want to stay here either, so I’ll get straight to it.”

Her figure faded away.

“Listen, I’ve been keeping tabs on you. But…”

Then Azidahaka reappeared behind me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace.

“You left Seoul unguarded, didn’t you?”

My vision turned blue with magical energy.

* * *

[Meanwhile, in Seoul]

“Delicious?”

“Just like what I used to eat in England, nya.”

Dressed in sunglasses, a blonde woman sat with a green-eyed cat, conducting a taste test between two containers of Mint Chocolate.

“Even in the supposed ‘holy land’ of mint flavors, it’s ultimately just US Robins…”

“All mass-produced goods are similar, nya. Besides, franchises aim to provide consistent taste worldwide, don’t they?”

“At times, you seem more human than me, Lady Cat. You’ve got ice cream on your whiskers.”

“No worries, nya. It’ll melt into my mouth eventually, nya.”

The woman and cat continued chatting while indulging in Mint Chocolate. Despite standing out in the heart of Yeouido, their presence oddly blended into the surroundings.

“Still, it’s unfortunate we have to destroy such a beautifully restored area.”

“Already destroyed once, nya. Destroying it twice won’t matter much. Ultimately, everything will fall to Lord Seongju anyway.”

“…True. Hmm.”

Taking a large bite of Mint Chocolate, the woman stirred her spoon thoughtfully. The cat licked the remaining chocolate from its cup.

“Shall we begin? Though earlier than requested by Azidahaka, a 30-minute difference should be acceptable.”

“Aruel.”

The serious tone caught Penril’s attention.

“When exactly did Azidahaka specify the operation in Seoul would commence?”

“Uh… July 25th at 10:00 PM?”

“Correct. Now, according to Korean Standard Time, it’s currently July 25th at 8:00 PM. Therefore…”

Penril grinned, revealing sharp teeth.

“Did Azidahaka’s specified time refer to Seoul Standard Time or Abu Dhabi Standard Time?”

“…What kind of logic is that?”

“Princess, this is crucial. Though currently deregistered due to Sir Gawein’s scheming, I lived in the British Royal Family for twenty years. Shouldn’t my standard time be based on Greenwich Mean Time?”

“…That’s quite the stretch.”

“Hehehe. Princess, did Azidahaka specify both location AND exact timing? No, she did not. Heeheehee.”

Opening her mouth wide, Penril yawned dramatically.

“In conclusion, we simply need to destroy Seoul before July 25th at 10:00 PM. Let’s see… you mentioned wanting to visit LA yesterday, correct? Calculating by LA time…”

After furrowing her brow and yawning again,

“We have approximately 18 hours remaining, nya.”

“And intend to start working with only an hour left?”

“Naturally. After all, it shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to complete, nya. Until then, we should enjoy ourselves, shouldn’t we?”

“Agreed.”

Aranel and Penril giggled together. Having finished an entire half-gallon container of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream, Penril stood up and sniffed the air.

“…Smells delicious, nya.”

“Smell?”

Following the scent, Penril suddenly dispelled her disguise, transforming back into a green-haired maid girl.

“Shall we lift the barrier, Princess?”

“Yes… hmm.”

Though slightly worried about being seen, Aranel watched as Penril confidently lifted the concealment spell and entered the cafe.

“Bring out your Mint Chocolate, nya!”

“…”

Juan, the sole owner of Padre Juan Cafe in Yeouido, rose from his seat upon seeing the green-haired maid girl with cat ears entering his establishment.

“Please, this way.”

“…Huh?!”

Destiny. At the sight of various Mint Chocolate cakes spread across the table, Penril’s eyes widened and she instinctively swallowed.

The Penril-led Seoul terror operation.

With still 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus an additional 16 hours remaining.