Chapter 334

〈Chapter 334〉Part 1, Chapter 14, Section 25

Seoul.

Not only is it where my base of operations lies, but its importance isn’t just because I happened to settle here.

Final battle.

When Seongju arrived with the Boatman to Earth, Yeouido in Seoul was the shortest distance from where the Boatman could reach.

I had somewhat let my guard down.

Sure, Seok Harang could get from Busan to Seoul in five minutes, but in those five minutes, Hydra and Penril could wreak havoc with plenty of time to spare.

So I strengthened the defenses… Unfortunately, it seems there’s no stopping the enemy officers determined to invade.

[Azidahaka….]

Azidahaka seemed genuinely frightened when I transformed.

“Hmph! Threaten all you want—it’s useless! This isn’t even my main body, you know!”

They hadn’t expected me to transform right above Baegnaroh. The heroes who rushed onto the deck were also startled when they saw me.

“Phoe…?!”

“Just a moment!”

Whoosh.

Phantom emerged in Cheongnyeon form. Though I had already appeared on the deck before transforming, making them slightly late, all surveillance devices in this area are under Baek Hee-a’s control anyway.

“…In the end.”

As long as Baek Hee-a doesn’t change her mind, at least the public won’t find out that I’m Phoenix.

[Karna, I leave this place to you.]

“Understood. I’ll take care of that woman until she drops her main body.”

[Don’t kill her.]

“I’ll stop just before that.”

Karna raised Vijaya high into the air. I glanced over the startled heroes once, then spread my wings behind me.

“It’s a diversion. Seoul is in danger.”

“…We don’t need your permission. You’re here because ‘you’re worried about Cheongnyeon,’ aren’t you?”

Baek Hee-a took charge of the situation first, and I bowed my head in gratitude to her.

[I’m going.]

“Yes.”

No further words needed. I entrusted Azidahaka and the Dimensional Gate to the heroes, leapt off Baegnaroh, and flew toward Seoul.

Kiieeek!!

Monsters burst forth from the dimensional gate, plummeting toward the ground like rain.

Here and there, insect or bird-type monsters with wings appear, but most are falling straight down to the earth.

‘This is why dimensional gates tend to open on the ground.’

There’s one right in front of me. I surrounded myself with magic power ahead, and the monster birds, sensing my magic, recklessly charged toward me.

There’s no time to fight each one individually.

So I’ll just pass through.

In a straight line.

□□□□—-!!

Behind my blue wings, I unleashed massive amounts of magic power. With the thrust gained, I soared forward, pumping more propulsion into my wings with my core.

Kwaddduck!

The monster birds that collided with me were torn into pieces. Simultaneously, they turned to ash and disappeared within the protective flames encircling my body.

[Let’s close one while we’re at it.]

There’s one in my straight path.

I adjusted the angle of my wings and flew upward, grazing past the dimensional gate,

Snap.

and flicked a finger to throw a Flame Sphere into the dimensional gate before hastily flying back toward Seoul.

A few seconds later.

Behind the continuous emergence of monsters resembling fireworks, a massive blue flame erupted, engulfing everything, and the dimensional gate burned brightly.

‘Now they can handle it themselves.’

All that remains is for me to return to Seoul. Given the distance, I might be too late even if I fly now—

‘I’ll use the nest portal.’

The mini-Phoenix nest by the Yalu River.

If there were not just one or two but dozens of mini-Phoenixes in Seoul, they’d be enough to teleport me across the distance from India to Korea in an instant.

It’s too late to cross from India through China to Korea.

‘Please, let nothing have happened.’

With a fervent heart, I hurled myself toward the ring of blue flames that had appeared in midair.

* * *

Phoenix left.

Gaechonkwang still held Vijaya high in the sky, and the heroes gathered around the Executioner, monitoring the situation.

“…Is that a Dark Legion officer?”

“Yes. Azidahaka. She’s toying with us using her clones.”

While speaking, Karna drew Vijaya’s string. A golden laser shot out again, striking another of Azidahaka’s clones, which dispersed into darkness.

“Isn’t that a clone? Then why keep shooting it?”

“It’s a corporeal clone. To put it in Phoenix’s terms…”

Karna recalled the precautions about officers he discussed with Phoenix.

“Each of these clones is S-rank entry level. …90? That’s roughly what she said.”

“This is insane.”

Usa cursed.

It’s absurd enough that the officer keeps dying by showing only up to her waist and getting continuously sniped, but each one is at the beginning of S-rank.

“What happens if we leave her be?”

“She will attack.”

Fwoosh!

Karna fired Vijaya backward.

The arrow that grazed the Executioner’s beret struck the dagger-wielding Azidahaka standing right behind the Executioner, embedding itself between her eyebrows.

Swoosh.

“……”

The Executioner swallowed hard at the strands of hair fluttering from his shoulder. Those dark strands were definitely his own; if it weren’t for Karna, he would surely have been dead.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, none of you will be harmed by Azidahaka.”

Karna raised Vijaya with a confident smile.

“……Reliable!”

“At least far more trustworthy than him.”

“…Agreed.”

The heroes watched.

They saw Phoenix scold Garura for sulking, ordering her to stomp on someone wielding Hwakwon, then witnessed Karna stopping Karura with one hand.

“Good. Gaechonkwang, can I leave Azidahaka to you?”

“That’d be great. But there’s something important.”

One of Azidahka’s claws aimed at Unsah’s thigh shattered completely. A light arrow embedded itself in the deck, but Unsah remained unharmed.

“I will focus solely on Azidahaka, so I won’t have the capacity to deal with other monsters. If Phoenix were here, it might be different.”

“…”

Her absence is keenly felt.

“And whatever you do, don’t panic during the fight. Stopping will only cause injury. Trust me and fight. Can you do that…?”

Gaechonkwang’s gaze was serious. The Executioner, who had never fought alongside him and had only become an ally—a spirit—just a day ago, fell into deep thought about whether he should fully trust him.

“I’ll trust you. We should follow Sister Extraterrestrial’s advice, huh? Ho ho.”

“I tru-trust-… Fwoosh… you.”

Regardless of whether the heroes trusted him or not, the psychological battle between Karna and Azidahaka continued in real-time.

“Hey! Are you gonna keep doing that?”

“Then bring your main body. Stop annoying me with these clones, you bug-like woman.”

“You really won’t leave me alone!!”

“I’ve been standing still all along. All I’ve done is shoot arrows.”

…An immature yet deadly battle began. As soon as one of her clones disappeared, Azidahaka attacked Karna, who relentlessly harassed her by swinging Vijaya and firing arrows without giving her a moment’s rest.

“Gaechonkwang, can’t you use that technique now?!”

“It requires time. Azidahaka’s blocking me.”

Karna couldn’t load enough magic power onto Vijaya to destroy Azidahaka’s clones.

“To use Brahmasutra, I need to concentrate. But the current situation… no.”

A golden laser shot through Tempest Lady’s armpit. One of Azidahaka’s clones trying to stab her side with a poisonous stinger vanished with a hole in its eye.

“I’ll take care of Azidahaka. You guys handle the dimensional gates. Can you do that?”

“Even if you assign it to us, given this situation—”

“Gaechonkwang.”

Garura hesitated but approached Karna’s side. Despite fidgeting nervously and swallowing hard, her demeanor exuded determination.

“…Forgive me for becoming this way since being born from you.”

“It’s not forgiveness. It’s because I lacked strength that things turned out this way.”

After creating a hole in the back of Azidahaka’s head emerging between the arches of Gongsung, Karna patted Garura’s head.

Though their faces didn’t resemble each other at all, the atmosphere they radiated was undoubtedly that of mother and daughter.

“Now, go. Unfold your beautiful wings in this world too.”

“…Yes!”

Garura, enveloped in red flames, gradually grew larger. Her white body slowly transformed into the shape of a bird.

[…]

Her head and wings gleamed gold, and the crimson feathers covering her body scattered golden magic power. And her two pupils glowed with a burning blue light.

[Now, can I reach there?]

“…It’s sufficient.”

[But I can only carry one person.]

Garura shook her head awkwardly. Though her back looked wide enough to carry many people, there was only one saddle on Garura’s back.

[It’s originally for Gaechonkwang-sama or… cough cough, that person. If I carry more than one, my body will burn up again.]

Only one person could ride Garura.

While the Executioner considered who to select, Phantom pushed Hwakwon after slapping her back.

“There’s no one else. How about it, Executioner?”

“……Apparently, Hwakwon is the best choice.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You are suitable.”

The Executioner nodded and quickly assigned the heroes. They formed a circle surrounding Karna, leaving no space for Hwakwon.

“Close-range combat can be handled by Pungbaek and Phantom. Your firepower isn’t appropriate for fighting on Baegnaroh.”

If an S-rank martial artist went wild on the deck, Baegnaroh would sink not due to the dimensional gates but because of Hwakwon. The Executioner swiftly divided the tasks.

“Hwakwon and Garura will operate separately to close the dimensional gates! We will dock Baegnaroh right in front of the dimensional gates to close them!”

Four dimensional gates opened in the air.

Baegnaroh charged toward the dimensional gates, and Garura carried Hwakwon into the sky.

“Ohoho! Let’s play, foolish humans!”

The final expedition began.

Time remaining until arrival in Seoul: 3 hours and 33 minutes.

* * *

At that moment, Padre Juan, the only café in Yeouido.

“Decided it is, nyaa.”

Penril nodded vigorously with her mouth full of Mint Chocolate Pound Cake.

The delightful aroma of chocolate mingling with the sharpness of mint tickled her nose, and the sponge cake softened by the chocolate cream melted in her mouth, coating her tongue thickly.

“Arl… Damn, I’m not leaving Seoul until I conquer all the menus here, nyaa.”

Penril winked with her finger to her lips. Agassi Aruel, who had been accidentally called “Arl,” nodded and decided to play the role of lady and maid as previously discussed.

“Alright, then. Should we cancel the flight tickets?”

“That’s right, nya. Extending our earlier conversation, we didn’t specify the year, did we? So let’s set it for July 25th, 2025, nya ha ha~”

“Five years from now.”

“It’s Azidahaka’s fault for not mentioning the year, nya. Besides, I’m not alone.”

Penril placed the empty plate of cake in front of her. Similar to the one she just ate, it contained mint chocolate but this time loaded with cream cheese.

“Hum.”

Penril stuffed her mouth with an amount that wouldn’t even fit. Eventually, the white cream and black chocolate dripped down her chin, prompting Aruel to pull out a handkerchief and wipe Penril’s face.

“I was going to lick it off with my tongue.”

“Unseemly. Only when we’re alone.”

“Mm… Yeah, if I get rid of that person now, I’ll lose this taste for the next five years. Acknowledged, nya.”

Penril drew a heart in the air with her finger and winked at Huan. The green-haired cat-eared girl showing him a heart made absolutely no impression on Huan.

“Eh, aren’t you surprised?”

“Anything can happen here.”

Huan’s face bore an expression of enlightenment.

“It’s a B-rank walking-on-all-fours monster delivering coffee orders here. It’s impossible to survive in Seoul with normal sanity.”

“……”

Aruel and Penril fell silent. Suddenly, the door opened, and a boy wearing an oversized navy uniform appeared.

“Boss, one Americano…?”

The boy tilted his head in confusion at the sight of women he’d never seen in Seoul—one of whom had green hair (rest omitted).

“What? Just customers. They’re Phoenix’s guests as always.”

“……”

Penril nearly sprayed out the cake she was eating. Aruel also put down the fork she was about to lift.

“Oh, guests of the Director? My apologies.”

“I’ll bring it out soon. Please wait.”

Huan swiftly prepared an iced Americano. After receiving the coffee from Huan, the boy extended his wrist.

“…?”

Huan reciprocated by extending his wrist, and a holographic bundle of currency transferred to what appeared to be Huan’s smartwatch.

“Go carefully.”

“Goodbye… Oh, by the way, they say five dimensional gates opened on the road. The Director will probably come back causing chaos.”

“Hmm, is that so? Alright. Time to start developing new recipes again.”

Huan smiled kindly as he sent the boy off.

“Ho, last time when she went to England, she taught me the mint chocolate recipe. What recipe will she teach me this time…?”

Aruel and Penril, who had just enjoyed their meal, froze with their forks lowered.

“Um, I have one question, nya?”

Penril asked with more tension than ever, gulping audibly. Her level of nervousness surpassed even the time she hid between walls watching Queen Guinevere sneak Gawain into her bedroom.

“What does that phrase about teaching recipes mean…nya?”

“Ahh, you’re Phoenix’s guests, aren’t you?”

Huan tilted his head, seemingly puzzled.

“Isn’t this a recipe Phoenix taught me? Phew, lucky the landlord has such interests. Thanks to that, I’ve been inspired lately.”

“……”

Penril pulled her hair and slammed her head onto the table.

With 5 years and 18 hours still to go until Penril destroys Seoul, time was moving steadily forward.