Chapter 55

〈 Chapter 55, Part 12 〉

“Shit!”

The Tempest Lady gathered the wind and unleashed it forward. A powerful gust with razor-sharp edges shot toward the pack of hellhounds.

KYAAH!

The hellhounds scattered left and right to evade the cutting wind. One hellhound that couldn’t escape in time fell to the ground, its leg cleanly severed.

WHOOSH.

Flames erupted from the hellhound’s body, regenerating the lost limb. The fallen beast spat fire from its mouth as it lunged at the hero.

“AAAHH!”

A towering hero wielding a massive shield shoved the hellhound back with all his might. The brute force sent the creature tumbling across the ground.

“I’m going in…!”

Between the heroes, a cloud of Devouring Mist swept along the ground, enveloping the hellhounds. The mist avoided the blue flames and tore into their flesh.

KIIIIEEEK….

Having lost its physical form, the hellhound collapsed. The blue flame that made up its left foreleg ascended to the heavens like an ember when the last of its body was devoured.

The complete death of a resurrected hellhound – only possible by completely annihilating any remaining physical matter.

SWOOSH.

The Devouring Mist that had consumed the hellhound returned to Unsah’s hand. There was no time to retrieve her spear.

“Huff?!”

Unsah dropped to one knee, nearly collapsing. Her body felt like it was on fire after absorbing the core extract.

“Leader?!”

Tempest Lady rushed over to support Unsah. Steam rose from Tempest Lady’s coat, which was draped over her torn battlesuit.

“Ahhh…”

Unsah exhaled ragged breaths, her face flushed red. Her forehead burned like a hot pot lid.

A cold? Impossible. Heroes blessed with magic power don’t suffer minor illnesses.

The only explanation: Magic Overload. A condition where excessive absorption of core extract causes more magical energy to accumulate in the body than it can handle.

“Unsah! Use your magic quickly! Draw out all the Devouring Mist!”

Unsah grabbed Tempest Lady’s hand. Magical energy poured uncontrollably from her palm, forming massive clouds of Devouring Mist that surrounded the heroes, carrying traces of Tempest Lady’s own magic power.

An igloo made of icy bricks formed from the Devouring Mist. Outside, the hellhounds kept their distance, wary of the protective barrier.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

Unsah’s labored breathing gradually calmed thanks to instinctively releasing the excess magic power.

“…How many are left?”

Unsah’s unfocused eyes sharpened. All the heroes under the protection of the Devouring Mist hung their heads.

Approximately fifty creatures visible to the naked eye. Unsah had already consumed countless hellhounds before succumbing to magic overload.

“There’s no way! Some of these hellhounds have A-Rank power…”

One hero sobbed aloud. Their only hope was Unsah, but the burden placed on her alone was too great.

For every five or so hellhounds she consumed, Unsah struggled with magic overload. If things went wrong, she could experience a magical power surge – what martial artists call “self-destruction” – yet she continued devouring the hellhounds without hesitation.

“I can do it.”

As Unsah tried to rise, she collapsed onto Deokbae’s back. Clutching her head, she groaned.

“Ugh…”

Dizziness set in. Her body, overheated multiple times, finally reached its limit. Even after taking down a Flame Giant in single combat, she would need at least ten minutes of rest.

But the monsters wouldn’t wait.

KYAAAH!!

The Devouring Mist violently rippled. It seemed one of the hellhounds outside had rammed into it.

“Leader! Absolutely don’t retract the Devouring Mist! If you leave it, they’ll die on their own!”

“No… These monsters are…”

Unsah’s gaze passed over the unconscious Deokbae. The pure blue flames reminded her of something. If they shared similar properties, then the hellhounds’ ramming wasn’t suicidal at all.

KIIIIEEEK!

KYAAAH!

Hellhounds threw themselves into the Devouring Mist, getting consumed. But Unsah couldn’t withdraw the mist prematurely.

Where the hellhounds impacted, the Devouring Mist had become sunken, like cotton candy catching fire in one spot.

“Could they possibly…?!”

Tempest Lady exclaimed in shock. The hellhounds were extinguishing the Devouring Mist using their own blue flames.

“We have another reason to bring this guy back alive to the association.”

Unsah barely managed to stand.

“…These monsters’ ability to revive. They likely also have the power to control the beasts. The commander isn’t a monster. It’s human, a villain.”

“I’ve never heard or seen talk of such a villain in Seoul!”

“All we’re experiencing now is unprecedented. Real combat doesn’t go according to the manual.”

Unsah clenched and unclenched her fists. Her spirit wavered, but thanks to deploying the Devouring Mist earlier, her magic power was nearly depleted.

As Unsah subtly extended her hand forward, Tempest Lady stepped in front of her.

“No way!”

“…I must. If not me, then no one else can.”

Even as she hesitated, the Devouring Mist continued to diminish. Faint glimpses of the encroaching blue flames appeared through the thinning mist.

“Agent Yang Seonyu. Should I fall, you will be this team’s leader. Understood?”

“Leader!”

Even though they hadn’t crossed north of the Han River, let alone Yeouido, Unsah was reaching her limits. Her body was utterly exhausted, on the verge of collapse.

Still, Unsah stood firmly on her two legs. Resting her hands on Deokbae’s shoulders, her expression was both radiant and resolute.

“At the moment I absorb the Devouring Mist, release the formation and intercept. Our target is a monster straddling the line between B-Rank and A-Rank. Please focus on attacking any remaining physical forms.”

KYAAAH!

The thickness of the Devouring Mist had grown extremely thin. Unsah took a deep breath and stretched her hands high into the sky.

“I’m retrieving it!!”

The thinly spread Devouring Mist was sucked into Unsah’s hands. Despite much of it being worn away by the blue flames, the absorbed magic power surged through Unsah’s entire body, threatening to burst.

PICK.

Unsah’s eyes slowly closed as she collapsed onto Deokbae. Her mental fortitude, which had surpassed physical limits, gave way as her brain overheated trying to withstand the magic power from dozens of hellhounds.

“GRR! Protect Unsah! Maintain the formation!”

Under Tempest Lady’s orders, the heroes gathered in a circle. Though Unsah had instructed them to scatter for interception, they stayed close to protect her.

KYAAAH!

Naturally, they became easy prey for the hellhounds. The heroes braced themselves as hellhounds leapt from all directions.

Suddenly, a giant white flame engulfed the hellhounds.

GOOOOOO—-

In an instant, the leaping hellhounds’ bodies burned to ashes. The blue flames, having lost their physical forms, mixed with the White Flames and dissipated into the air.

Tempest Lady turned her gaze toward the direction the flames had been fired. There, a man was descending from the sky, with the sun at his back.

BOOM!

The man’s fist glowed with white flames. The heroes recognized the silhouette they’d only seen on TV or in archival footage – the legendary figure of Korea’s hero community.

“!”

Responding to the familiar cheer, Hwakwon Lee Seung-hyeong plunged his fist into the road.

GUGUGUGU!

A massive shockwave that shook the earth enveloped the hellhounds.

A pillar of white flame erupted from the ground like a volcanic eruption. Dozens of hellhounds surrounding the heroes were swallowed by the white flames and incinerated.

What words could describe such extraordinary feats?

“Are you alright?!”

Seung-hyeong approached the heroes with the ease of someone out for a casual stroll. Seeing Unsa still unconscious, radiating magic power and heat, Tempest Lady couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly.

“Damn Shin Jin-gwang…”

What was all our hard work until now for? Tears welled up in Tempest Lady’s eyes from the injustice. Seung-hyeong calmly surveyed the heroes.

“What about the other heroes?”

“…Ah!”

“One C-Rank hero was reported kidnapped. But now…?”

“The Pine Tree Unit split off separately. We fell into a trap, and some members are missing.”

Seung-hyeong contained his magic power. The flames burning in his heart granted him boundless vitality. He still had plenty of energy left.

“This is Hwakwon! Headquarters, respond please!”

– Again?! …Ahem! What is it, Agent Lee Seung-hyeong?

Shin Jin-gwang, despite struggling with the dual pressures of overwhelming responsibility and his own inadequacies, was still careful around Seung-hyeong.

“I require access to the magic patterns of the missing heroes!”

– Wait!

“Not possible!”

Tempest Lady interjected.

“The magic patterns of heroes cannot be disclosed without minimum approval from Association Team Leaders! No matter how legendary Hwakwon is, you can’t just-”

“I will.”

Seung-hyeong delivered the magical phrase with a cheerful smile.

“If any problems arise, I will take full responsibility.”

“Is it really necessary to rescue people to this extent?”

Seung-hyeong nodded solemnly.

“I don’t want to fail to protect people anymore. Commander!”

– …I know nothing! You said you’d take responsibility!!

No one knew exactly how he would take responsibility, but Shin Jin-gwang had already been ensnared by Seung-hyeong’s words. With the good excuse of rescuing the kidnapped heroes, even if he faced a hearing later, public sympathy would be on his side.

“Thank you, Commander!”

Overjoyed, Seung-hyeong repeatedly bowed his head. Tempest Lady understood the obsessive compulsion to save people at all costs.

Cheon Gaeul. The only person he failed to protect.

“…Master Hwakwon. I apologize, but could you lead Team A? I’ll evacuate these individuals to Anyang and join you immediately.”

Tempest Lady pointed to Unsa lying on the ground, Deokbae, and the boy Unsa had captured.

“Agent Unsa has fainted…? Was the enemy that strong?”

“It was the Flame Giant.”

“Giant… Ugh?!”

Seung-hyeong clutched his chest. The endless flames in his heart suddenly reversed his magic power, as if trying to burn him alive.

“Guuh!”

Seung-hyeong collapsed, spitting out crimson blood. The sudden S-Rank hemoptysis shocked the heroes.

“What?!”

“I don’t know either!”

Regaining her composure while the heroes panicked, Tempest Lady watched as headquarters began precise scanning of the heroes’ magic patterns.

– Master Hwakwon! Fortunately, everyone is alive! We should be able to pinpoint the location in three minutes!

“That’s not the issue! Master Hwakwon just collapsed!”

Headquarters fell silent upon receiving Tempest Lady’s report. On the screen, Seung-hyeong lay unconscious, coughing up blood.

– …Tempest Lady, retreat to Anyang with your team.

“Excuse me?”

Shin Jin-gwang’s calm order surprised Tempest Lady. He banged his command stick again in frustration.

– Heroes in Guro, return safely! Immediately!

“But the operation-”

– What operation? If you all die, what’s the point?! Operation change! Survivors of Team A, evacuate Guro and return to the Anyang headquarters! That’s all!

“Ah, understood!”

Tempest Lady hoisted Unsa onto her back. An armored hero carried Seung-hyeong, whose mouth dripped with red blood trails.

The unexpected hemoptysis. Various thoughts arose – could he have some undisclosed chronic illness or be on borrowed time?

“…At least stay alive!”

Under Tempest Lady’s command, the heroes moved in perfect unison.

BOOM!

The ground shook violently. Deokbae, pretending to be unconscious, suddenly sprang up and snatched the boy.

“Ugh! The Flame Giant?!”

After Unsa fainted, they had forgotten to re-cuff him. Between life and death struggles against the hellhounds, there was no time to think about it.

The Flame Giant disappeared by leaping between buildings. Tempest Lady gritted her teeth, memorizing his retreating figure.

“Retreat, we’re retreating!”

With tears in their eyes, the heroes of Team A turned back toward Guro.

♪♬♪

On the rooftop railing of the building where the Flame Giant had escaped, a blue canary watched them.