Part 1 Chapter 3 (8)

April 11th, 23:55, Gangnam S Hospital Parking Lot.

“Yaaawn.”

The man yawned widely and stretched. Even at a gathering of Villains spread across Seoul, the man felt no tension.

“Hey. Are you really sleepy right now?”

“What else would I be doing at this hour if not sleeping? I’m a morning person.”

The man checked his watch, fighting off the overwhelming drowsiness. Five minutes before midnight. The meeting would start soon, and it wouldn’t end until at least three or four in the morning.

“Everyone who was supposed to come is here, right?”

“Yeah. If even Gangseo’s Ttanggae is here, then we’re done. Guro’s Beacon is such a coward, they won’t leave their own fortress anyway.”

“What about Yeongdeungpo? No one from there came.”

“Dunno. They suddenly stopped responding a few days ago. Probably got eaten by a monster.”

The man leaned against the wall, mocking the dead. It was no different from standing night watch, but there was no madman who would dare attack this place.

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

The sound of a woman’s heels, which shouldn’t be heard in the vicinity. The sound was clearly getting closer in the darkness.

“…Hey. I didn’t mishear that, did I?”

Click. In response to his colleague’s question, the man answered by drawing his knife from its sheath.

Thud, thud.

Along with the sound of high heels, there was the dull sound of footsteps. The man quickly raised his flashlight and shone it into the darkness.

“A woman?”

The flashlight beam, sweeping from bottom to top, clearly revealed a woman’s silhouette.

Black high heels, bright jeans. A black t-shirt tucked into jeans that reached her hips. And over it, a luxurious blue and white robe.

The woman had a veil, similar in color to the robe, draped over the bridge of her nose, covering the lower part of her face.

“Who are you! Why are you here?”

“…Why am I here? I came for the meeting.”

The woman spoke from behind her veil. The man felt like he had heard that voice somewhere before. The woman pointed at the sword aimed at her.

“How long do you plan to keep that aimed at me?”

“Excuse me, but where are you from? I haven’t heard anything about someone coming in place of another.”

“Guro.”

The man and his colleague chuckled. Guro was known throughout Seoul as the place where the biggest cowards gathered. Haneulseong himself had given up when he heard Guro wouldn’t be coming.

Knowing the opponent’s background, the man’s attitude immediately became flippant.

“Hey. Did Beacon send you? Sorry, but there’s no spot for Beacon here.”

“I’m not Beacon.”

As the woman finished speaking, blue flames flared up. In the darkness, the flames brightly illuminated the surroundings, and the man raised his gun.

Bang!

Fire spewed from the silenced pistol. The magic bullet, emitting smoke and cutting through the night air, flew precisely towards the woman’s forehead.

Clang!

With the sound of metal striking metal, the magic bullet vanished. Only then did the man notice the giant doll, burning with blue flames.

Krrrrr…..

A giant, about 2 meters tall, easily surpassing the man’s height.

Its entire body was encased in jet-black armor, with blue flames burning between its joints. Blue and white feathers encircled its shoulder line. An eagle-shaped helmet rested on its neck, and the burning eyes within seemed to flash as if they were about to devour the man.

“Stop.”

At the woman’s command, the monstrous human withdrew its hand. From the monstrous human’s outstretched hand, a crumpled magic bullet fell to the floor.

Gulp.

The man’s gulp filled the parking lot. The woman, scoffing at him, took a step forward.

“Move. I have business with your boss.”

As the man and his colleague hesitated at the woman’s forcefulness, she continued into the building, her high heels clacking. The monstrous human following behind glanced at the man with a glare before turning its head.

“…What was that?”

Inside the helmet, there were only blue flames, no human head. The man fainted on the spot.

* * *

[Is this face really that surprising?]

The monstrous human sneered. Gaeul chuckled inwardly and interjected.

“Everyone who sees it for the first time is surprised. Even Deokbae-ssi, Jihwa-ssi, and I were incredibly surprised. Is that your ability?”

[No. It’s monsterification. Normally, I just take on a human form.]

“So, is that your true form?”

At Gaeul’s words, the eagle-shaped helmet moved from side to side.

[My true form is separate. I don’t particularly want to reveal that form.]

“Even your way of speaking completely changes.”

[When in human form, I merely act according to that appearance. Now that I’ve changed into a monstrous human, there’s no need to maintain that way of speaking. And speaking like that wouldn’t suit this form.]

“…This is communication through mana? Is that it? It’s hard to tell clearly since there’s no sound.”

Gaeul turned her head and met the eyes of the monstrous human, Phoenix.

The blue flames burning beneath the eagle’s beak were clearly ‘staring directly at Gaeul,’ Gaeul felt.

“Your speech sounds exactly like a man’s. Why don’t you talk like this normally?”

[…This isn’t something I can control. It changes depending on the form.]

“…Hmph. Alright.”

Gaeul stopped before the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a dining hall where the leaders of criminal organizations had gathered.

“……I’m subtly nervous.”

[You can give up even now. I can just change into human form and go in.]

“I’m just nervous, it’s not that I don’t want to do it, okay? It’s just…”

Gaeul’s hands trembled. The moment the man shot at her just now, Gaeul clearly felt the fear of death.

Phoenix’s black gauntlet firmly grasped Gaeul’s hand.

[Don’t be afraid.]

Blue flames, flowing from between the metal-textured gloves, warmly enveloped Gaeul’s hand.

[At this very moment, you are the safest person in the world.]

The flames inside Phoenix’s helmet flickered. It looked almost like a smile, and Gaeul, as if enchanted, unconsciously opened her mouth.

[I will protect you by your side. Remember. That I am by your side.]

With those words, Phoenix’s form vanished. Invisibility magic, unseen by human eyes. Gaeul bowed her head, feeling the warm sensation of her hand being firmly held.

[What’s wrong? You seem to have a slight fever.]

“…….”

Gaeul’s footsteps quickened.

* * *

April 12th, 00:00, Gangnam S Hospital Dining Hall.

“Is everyone gathered?”

The middle-aged man in a fedora scanned the assembled crowd sitting in the dining hall and spoke.

Those seated at the tables responded by raising their hands or nodding. The man asked the Villain sitting next to an empty seat.

“What about those Guro and Yeongdeungpo bastards?”

“Guro didn’t contact us, and Yeongdeungpo is out of contact.”

The middle-aged man, Haneulseong, crushed his cigarette in the ashtray.

“Cowards. They ran away.”

Haneulseong’s eyes gleamed beneath his fedora. The leaders of the organizations gathered from various regions held their breath at the aura emanating from the quasi-S-rank.

Although there were a few A-ranks present, no man was as close to S-rank as Haneulseong. That was also why Haneulseong effectively served as the representative of this alliance.

“This is why I said we shouldn’t accept cowards….”

“It’s wise, isn’t it? When two S-ranks are causing a ruckus, isn’t it strange not to run away and just endure it?”

The man sitting at the end of the table scoffed at Haneulseong. The only man in this alliance who kept rebelling against Haneulseong was the leader of the organization that had unified Gangseo-gu, .

“Shut up, you shit-dog.”

Ttanggae raised his index finger and wagged it from side to side. With the massive powers of Gangnam and Gangseo to their east and west, they always clashed, their opinions divided.

In fact, the alliance was split into two factions.

“Let’s face reality. The Seoul Reclamation Operation? Sounds good. But in reality, aren’t they just coming to arrest Villains?”

At Ttanggae’s point, the other leaders grumbled. As he said, the Heroes of New Seoul wouldn’t end the operation simply by eliminating monsters.

“What will happen if we get arrested by those Heroes and fall under their thumb? Half of us will rot in New Seoul’s underground prison for life, and the other half will become the government’s hunting dogs, wearing pine tree collars around our necks. Hehehe.”

Ttanggae pointed to his own neck. On his neck, where the skin seemed to have been peeled off, a pine tree-shaped scar remained. Haneulseong raised his mana, pressuring Ttanggae.

“So, are you going to tuck your tail and run? Without even trying to fight?”

“If we fight, we’ll lose, so of course we should run. I think we shouldn’t be gathering like this, but packing our bags and running right now.”

Ttanggae also began to generate mana. Just as their monikers contained the difference between ‘sky’ and ‘earth,’ their thoughts were polar opposites.

“Seoul is land abandoned by the country. We became the owners of that land, so why should it be taken back from us? What have those New Seoul bastards, who blew up the bridges and ran away, ever done for Seoul?!”

“They haven’t done anything, true. But if you don’t have the power to protect your land or money, you should at least save your life. Fringe criminal organizations challenging the country? That’s absolutely impossible. Haneulseong, you’re old enough to know about the war on crime, aren’t you?”

Ttanggae scanned the room. The leaders of the other organizations were already starting to waver.

“Enough. We didn’t gather today to run away. This is a meeting to discuss how we can fight.”

“Heh. Teacher Haneulseong, the Gangnam land baron, probably can’t give up. Villain Alliance? It sounds fancy, but isn’t it just a bunch of local thugs? Do you really think we can beat the Heroes if we unite and fight?”

Ttanggae tapped the table.

“Snap out of it. Selling everything you have and fleeing overseas is the answer. Seongnam and Incheon have already put bounties on our heads and issued warrants. We need to somehow gather money and escape to China or Russia. That’s the only way to survive now.”

“Then why are you still here?”

Ttanggae shrugged.

“I’ve already disposed of everything and come. I just wanted to see your ridiculous faces one last time before I bolt. Gangseo is now ownerless land. Hehe.”

Ttanggae pointed inside his vest and gave a wry smile. The fact that Ttanggae, who valued protecting his assets more than honoring his parents, had completely prepared to wash his hands and flee, truly began to shake the organization leaders.

This couldn’t go on. Just as Haneulseong was about to change the atmosphere, a voice came from beyond the door.

“Oh my. That’s good news.”

Clack. Clack.

The sound of high heels echoed from the dining hall entrance. The eyes of the Villains gathered in the dining hall involuntarily turned.

“I was already planning to take over Gangseo anyway.”

At the sudden appearance of the woman entering the dining hall, the Villains began to panic.

“How did you get in?!”

“Well, of course, I walked in through the front door. So, you were the owner of Gangseo?”

Even with half her face covered by the veil, the woman glared at Ttanggae with her eyes. Her gaze was mixed with mockery and derision.

“May I greet you in advance? That land of yours is ours now.”

“You crazy…!”

Ttanggae kicked off the table and leaped up.

Crrrack!

Simultaneously, stone spikes erupted from the floor and surged towards the woman.

“Damn it…!”

Just as Haneulseong, surprised, was about to move his mana, a massive surge of mana moved in front of the stone spikes.

Boom!

With the immense flow of mana, the stone spikes exploded and scattered. Ttanggae, who had been following behind the spikes, was directly hit by the aftermath of the explosion and rolled on the floor.

“Kuaaaak!”

The woman, who had pushed Ttanggae – now covered in needle-like rocks – away with her heel, subtly checked the seats.

“Nameplates and seats? How serious, truly.”

Yeongdeungpo, Guro, Gangseo. Among the areas laid out on the table, the woman confidently pushed aside the chairs for Yeongdeungpo and Gangseo, and sat down in Guro’s seat.

Haneulseong, raising a hand to stop the agitated Villains, asked.

“Where is Beacon?”

“They’re diligently cleaning windows in Guro. Now Guro is ‘ours’.”

“Perhaps Yeongdeungpo was your doing too?”

“Oh my. How clever. Are you perhaps a professor from Y University?”

Haneulseong grumbled. The opponent already knew his identity. No one else gathered here knew Haneulseong’s true identity.

“…Who are you, and where are you from?”

“The kids outside asked the same thing, so I guess they’re your subordinates. Since we’ve met, I’ll introduce myself.”

The woman stood up, gently placed a hand on her chest, and bowed her head.

“Masquerade, of the Villain organization that has occupied the Guro area. I’ve come to discuss something with all you Villains before the Seoul Reclamation Operation.”

Haneulseong looked at the woman before him and doubted the flow of mana he felt.

An ability-user. But the chilling demonic energy felt behind her proved that there was something beyond his level of comprehension.

Of course, only a very few A-rank individuals within this alliance could sense it. The B-rank leaders were displeased with the woman who had suddenly appeared and was acting like the owner.

“Hmph! I don’t know what kind of bitch rolled in from where, but if you’re new, you need to go through an initiation!”

The man in the sleeveless shirt clashed his fists together and lunged at Masquerade.

The woman stared at the man’s fist with an expressionless face, without a single movement.

“…!”

Haneulseong saw it. The colossal monstrous human pressed close behind the woman. That monstrous human, revealing its presence for a fleeting moment to protect the woman, grabbed the man’s fist and threw him through the window.

Crash!

Seeing the man thrown several meters out of the building, the leaders began to panic.

“A, a telekinetic?!”

No. Haneulseong was certain. The monstrous human behind that woman, now hidden again, was specifically glaring at him among all the organization members.

“A monstrous… human?”

His scholarly instinct surged forth, trying to define that being. A human with ferocity like a monster. A human with monstrous mana.

What else could it be called if not a ‘monstrous human’?

Bang!

The woman slammed her palm on the table, drawing the attention of everyone present.

“Then, let’s begin our discussion. About how to protect Seoul.”

Beneath the veil, Cheon Gaeul’s smile was brimming with confidence.