Chapter 393

〈 Chapter 393 〉 Part 1, Chapter 17, Section 1

August 28th.

Azidahaka Gate Incident.

The twelve avatars of Azidahaka that appeared in twelve cities killed the twelve S-Rank Heroes guarding each city and caused trillions of dollars’ worth of Property Damage. Fortunately, thanks to the dedication and efforts of nearby Heroes, the Twelve Demon Dragon Crisis was quickly suppressed.

August 29th.

Through the Round Table Heroes’ investigation, it was revealed why the twelve heroes used as sacrifices by Azidahaka through the Dimensional Gate had turned into Monsters.

Their bodies…

They were seduced by the pleasure granted by Azidahaka’s avatars and became Villains. Videos showcasing all sorts of depraved acts performed by these once-upstanding Heroes against Azidahaka’s avatars were spread across the entire network.

People were shocked and horrified, even more so than when the sex scandal between Seong Hyung and Garura broke out. While the actions between the two could be seen as a display of love, trust, and belief between lovers, the Heroes’ behavior during the Azidahaka scandal vividly demonstrated humanity’s downfall driven purely by lust.

People reacted differently upon seeing the Azidahaka scandal videos.

Some argued that no matter what, Heroes should not have fallen prey to Azidahaka like prostitutes and become corrupted.

Others believed that anyone would succumb to Azidahaka’s allure, and thus, the Heroes’ corruption was understandable.

Those in the latter group thought:

If I became one of Azidahaka’s Villains, maybe I could unleash my sexual desires on her without restraint?

Azidahaka had sown seeds of corruption among humans, and gradually, impure thoughts began spreading through people’s hearts.

Then, on August 30th.

The Round Table meeting originally scheduled to take place in Seoul was indefinitely postponed.

With global chaos unfolding, it was difficult for the Round Table members to gather in one place. They had to deal with Villains corrupted by Azidahaka from their respective locations. Meanwhile, experts speculating about the agenda of the Round Table meeting reached a single consensus:

– Could Azidahaka have acted first?

Perhaps information about an impending full-scale war against the Dark Legion leaked somewhere, and Azidahaka preemptively created a global issue around herself.

Before the Round Table even declared their intention to fight the Dark Legion, Azidahaka successfully made a shocking debut worldwide within just two days. Speculation about the Dark Legion swirled globally, and people started investigating who might be their underlings.

Rumors circulated:

“Apparently, some Hero fell victim to Azidahaka’s charm and turned evil.”

“Some Ability Awakener supposedly awakened using Azidahaka’s power.”

Amidst the spread of rumors and gossip, speculation about the Dark Legion’s leadership—its executive members—began. The key insiders already knew about these executives, and somehow, this information leaked.

Penril of Gale.

Ji Ryun’s Hydra.

And Blazing Phoenix.

Naturally, suspicions arose that the SS-Rank Villain known as Phoenix was part of the Dark Legion and one of its executives. South Korea, which had benefited greatly from Phoenix, found itself in an awkward position amid international criticism.

Then, on August 31st.

Even though Seoul missed out on the unprecedented event of the Round Table’s full visit, the opening ceremony of Galaxy University commenced, along with the enrollment of its first batch of 101 students.

* * *

“Huff…”

A red-haired Maiden adjusted her breathing as she looked around cautiously. She fidgeted nervously, wary of anyone nearby recognizing her. To make herself less noticeable, she dyed her already crimson hair an even brighter shade of red and changed into a flashy outfit unlike her usual attire.

Su Ri Jung. Her name was written on her badge. Su Ri glanced at the map printed on the back of the badge, unsure of where to go.

“Excuse me?”

A voice came from behind Su Ri. A high school girl with brown-dyed hair approached her.

“Are you here for enrollment?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“I’m also lost and wanted to check if you know where we’re supposed to go.”

Su Ri checked the other girl’s badge.

Yuinah.

“Uh… We’re supposed to head to Galaxy Hall. Do you know where that is?”

“…Ahem, wait a sec.”

Su Ri cleared her throat and looked around. She had been searching for Galaxy Hall herself but couldn’t read the signs properly. Though she could see the buildings clearly, she didn’t know which one was Galaxy Hall.

“Um, they said it’s the building with golden Chinese characters…”

“There! Follow me.”

Su Ri confidently pointed toward Galaxy Hall. Yuinah smiled and followed her.

“Thank you. I wasn’t sure where to go.”

“It’s nothing. Hmph.”

Su Ri felt a chill run down her spine at Yuinah’s cheerful demeanor. Her street-smart instincts warned her something was off. There was nothing hesitant or uncertain about Yuinah’s steps; it was as if she’d known exactly where Galaxy Hall was all along.

‘Does she…’

Is she pretending to help me because she noticed I was lost? Yuinah pulled out a notebook-like item as they walked.

“What’s that?”

“A list of essential vocabulary for the college entrance exam.”

“…? Vocabulary? Why would you need that? It’s practically a dead language.”

“These words are guaranteed to appear on the college entrance exam.”

Su Ri mulled over the term “college entrance exam.” Was it related to the admissions test for Galaxy University? Even though English was Korea’s second foreign language, testing with such rarely-used words seemed excessive.

“Hey—”

Zap.

Both girls stopped in their tracks, sensing something unusual. They turned their heads toward the northwest sky.

“What’s that…?”

“That’s Phoenix.”

Monster, Phoenix. The suspected executive of the Dark Legion hovered above the Yeouido 63 Building with blue-flamed wings spread wide.

“We should go inside. We’ll be late for the opening ceremony.”

“Just a moment! That’s a Villain! A Monster!”

“Shouldn’t the Heroes handle it?”

Without hesitation, Yuinah entered the building. Su Ri hesitated briefly before following her. No matter what, she had to attend the opening ceremony—even if it meant dying.

After the ceremony ended…

Su Ri heard news of Phoenix’s defeat.

* * *

High above Seoul, a Monster with blue-flame wings soared gracefully through the sky. Clad in black armor, the Monster scanned Seoul once before sweeping its hand downward.

Whoosh.

Feathers from the blue-flame wings fluttered down, transforming into flames that rained like arrows toward the ground, threatening to incinerate everything in their path.

Blazing Phoenix.

The Monster, presumed to be an executive of the Dark Legion, revealed themselves mid-air over Seoul after their true identity was exposed, initiating an attack on the city. If left unchecked, Seoul would soon become a sea of fire.

Just as the flames were about to fall—

Shwoosh!!!

The Han River surged upward, swallowing all the fiery feathers. A thick mist of steam rose low over the water surface, and amidst the spray, a woman dressed in white fairy robes emerged.

<Snow Spirit>.

Snow Spirit extended her hand toward Phoenix, and a stream of water from the Han River shot out like a railgun toward Phoenix. Though Phoenix attempted to evade by flying higher, the water struck its wings with lightning speed.

Phoenix’s initial assault was blocked.

Snow Spirit’s counterattack hit its mark.

Since the Seoul Gate incident four months ago, the balance of power between them had shifted dramatically. Phoenix stared down at Snow Spirit for a long while before raising their hand in challenge.

Click, click.

Seok Harang taunted Phoenix with a confident wave. Phoenix stretched their neck side-to-side, readying for battle.

Then, Phoenix fled northward.

Seok Harang pursued, unfurling ice butterfly wings to chase after them.

Their destination was Pyongyang.

And shortly afterward…

<Phoenix> was defeated by the Round Table Hero <Snow Spirit> in the skies above Pyongyang.

* * *

<August 31st, 2 PM. White Phoenix Isle.>

“I technically didn’t lose, but being recorded as a defeat feels weird.”

“Sorry about that. Things turned out this way.”

Seok Harang scratched their head sheepishly. I was trapped inside an icy Barrier set up on White Phoenix Isle, like an exiled criminal. Though I could break free easily, I shouldn’t leave.

Because <Phoenix> needed to appear defeated by Snow Spirit to give humanity hope.

More specifically, this staged performance aimed to show that even if someone was an executive of the Dark Legion, the Round Table Heroes could still triumph over them.

There were suspicions that Phoenix colluded with the Korean Association and government, or that Dark Legion influence led to Sun Icheol’s downfall. This farce aimed to quell those doubts.

The main actors were me and Seok Harang, while the script was crafted by key financial and political figures centered around Yun Yuhwa and Baek Hee-a. The situation worldwide was chaotic, and a calming issue was necessary.

“Faking a loss is harder than it seems.”

“Liar. You almost lost, you know that?”

“That’s because Gaeul played around on Black Flame Dragon. It wasn’t my fault.”

“You sure? Word is she was dead serious trying to beat you. Am I wrong?”

<Phoenix>, and <Beast Tamer> Cheongnyeon.

To completely sever any connections between them, Gaeul transformed into Beast Tamer and staged a 1-on-2 battle involving Black Flame Dragon. While it didn’t provide much real assistance, it conveniently saved Seok Harang during a tough spot, and fortunately, people bought it.

“All our hard work maintaining world peace has paid off. ‘I knew Cheongnyeon would do this!’ Everyone’s falling for it.”

“Image management is terrifying.”

“People tend to trust someone who looks crazy but holds firm to justice more than someone suspiciously good-hearted.”

The former referred to the 12 Monsters sacrificed to Azidahaka, while the latter undoubtedly described Cheongnyeon. Despite indirectly causing scandals via Garura, Cheongnyeon retained a strong image as a righteous Hero dedicated to defeating Monsters.

“So, aren’t Misses Baek Hee-a and Yun Yuhwa trying to make Cheongnyeon a saint? Haven’t you ever seen something like this before? One of the enemy executives joins the good guys—it’s such a cliché.”

“Almost half of it is true?”

“Yeah. Now everything depends on Gaeul’s acting skills.”

“After Cheongnyeon’s earnest persuasion, Dark Legion executive Phoenix chose humanity’s side. Sounds good, right? We can even fabricate that Cheongnyeon has been teaching Phoenix about human society in an attempt to convince them.”

The Holy Maiden, Cheongnyeon, who transformed a Monster capable of killing even Light Blade into a coexisting entity with humanity. Suddenly, Cheongnyeon’s eccentricities were reinterpreted as dedication and effort to reform Phoenix and stop their evil deeds.

Take, for instance, the Six Mint Incident.

When Cheongnyeon offered Phoenix mint chocolate but failed, it became a bizarre yet convincing case proving even an intergalactic world-conquering organization’s executive couldn’t resist turning down mint chocolate.

“And now, since Phoenix has even lost to Snow Spirit, it’s perfect timing for a change of heart. ‘You’re the first person to defeat me one-on-one!’ Pfft, how does that sound? Like becoming the strongest on Earth, huh?”

“…Still not sure.”

Seok Harang shook their head.

“At least your Abilities seem more impressive now?”

“Nowadays, I could flood the entire planet if I wanted to.”

“But you don’t want to, so stop worrying. Focus on your job.”

“Which consists of only one thing.”

I gestured around. The water Barrier surrounding White Phoenix Isle became an impenetrable fortress, allowing only Seok Harang free access. Without Seok Harang’s permission, no one could enter or leave the island.

“Waiting here?”

On the surface…

“Don’t use the underground ice tunnels too often, or act like Cheongnyoen unless absolutely necessary. Don’t transform into a Monster and rampage unnecessarily. Convincing someone instantly isn’t realistic, you know.”

“That’s true, but I’ll step in if needed. After all, we separated Cheongnyeon and Phoenix precisely for situations like this.”

Any battles involving Phoenix will occur solely within the confines of this Barrier. The battlefield designed to confine an executive and facilitate Spirit Awakening.

“How about this? The dome opens sideways, Phoenix ascends into the sky. When Cheongnyeon shouts ‘Blazing Phoenix Revival!’, Phoenix breaks free from White Phoenix Isle and appears above Cheongnyeon.”

“Your suggestion isn’t bad.”

“It’s Hikari’s idea.”

I spread my arms and chuckled.

“The ultimate weapon, Phoenix! How does that sound?”

“If your synchronization fails, you’ll still get beaten by Seongju.”

“……”

On August 31st, 2020,

For synchronization with Blazing Phoenix, I sealed <Phoenix> on White Phoenix Isle.