Part 1 Chapter 6 (26)

June 2nd, 7 AM. Xi’an City, China.

Something blurry was flying in the dawn sky. Its form was too distinct to be the smoke from women cooking rice in the early morning.

The mist, shaped like humans, was circling around the dimensional gate that had opened in the Xi’an sky. It would have been better if it were merely exhaust fumes or fine dust covering the sky, but unfortunately, the mist covering the sky was ‘spectral monsters’ (靈體) of worldly nature.

Kya-hahaha! Kya-a-hahaha!

“Take cover! Evacuate to the shelter immediately!”

The Heroes rushed out and guided the people to the shelter. While Heroes capable of intercepting the flying ghosts attacked the spectral monsters, Heroes wielding swords tried to somehow break through the monsters’ defense line to close the dimensional gate.

Kya-a-a-ak!

“A dangerous species already?! Disperse!”

The monster, emitting purple light from its eyes, swung the club in its hand and struck the ground. The road shook, creating sinkholes, and walls collapsed, blocking the path.

“How long has it been since the dimensional gate opened for monsters like these to appear…?”

“Think later! For now, break through!”

The Heroes somehow killed the monsters one by one, advancing step by step. However, for every monster they killed, two stronger monsters subtly crawled out of the dimensional gate.

“Are they trying to wage a war of attrition?! These damn monsters!”

“A-ranks! Where did the A-ranks go!”

“There are none! We have to stop them ourselves!”

The Hero swung their curved sword, imbued with surging rage. A sword strike, imbued with mana, diagonally cut down a spirit trying to claw at their neck.

Pususu. The spectral monster turned to ash and fell onto the sidewalk. Grey ash piled up on the road as if a volcano had erupted.

“Deal with it somehow before the Phantom Dragon comes out!”

“Ah, no! If you say that!”

Chijik, chijik. Static began to interfere with the signals coming and going from the smartwatches. The dimensional gate violently fluctuated, and a gigantic monster revealed itself from within.

ROOOOAAAR!!

A quadrupedal monster, appearing nearly 30m long, roared towards the sky. True to its appearance, resembling a fierce hunting dog, the Phantom Dragon flicked its tongue and sniffed around for its prey.

Grrr?

An unfamiliar scent was detected from far to the east. Mixed with the wind carrying sand, the scent was like the burning smell of firewood.

Soon, the Phantom Dragon realized the nature of that scent. Beyond the horizon, a blue crescent blade held in the hand of a woman riding a red horse galloping through the air. The mana of a spirit, deserving of death, resided there.

ROOOOAR?!

The Phantom Dragon couldn’t understand. Why would a mere human of this world possess a Divided Spirit of a spirit? Just for a moment, as it pondered, the Phantom Dragon bared its sharp teeth and growled.

There was no need to ponder. Just as the opponent sought to kill it, it would be over if it simply chewed and swallowed the opponent, bones and all.

ROOOOAR!!

The Phantom Dragon held the surrounding spectral monsters in its mouth and mumbled. It chewed and swallowed the surrounding spirits to replenish its mana, which had been depleted upon crossing the dimensional gate, and that contaminated mana became the core of the breath in the Phantom Dragon’s mouth.

“Evade, evade!”

The Phantom Dragon is about to unleash its breath. Unlike other demon dragons, the Phantom Dragon’s breath had almost no destructive power, but it was a mental-type attack that cast a curse of death upon those caught in its path.

The Phantom Dragon raised its head towards the sky. The Hero, who had just been evacuating people, urgently picked up a child who had frozen while pointing at the sky.

“It’s dangerous!”

“Mister, Red Hare over there!”

The Hero turned their eyes to where the child was pointing. As if piercing the path where the Phantom Dragon’s breath would be unleashed, a red unicorn, emitting a red airflow, was galloping towards the Phantom Dragon.

“Red Hare?!”

“No way! If that’s Red Hare, then the person riding on Red Hare is-“

The Heroes denied the reality before their eyes. The one riding on Red Hare, holding a crescent blade wreathed in blue flames, was unmistakably a ‘woman’. The Hero stopped in their tracks, still holding the child.

“Unjang-nim… a woman?”

“Pretty hair!”

The child giggled and pointed at the woman’s silken hair. Even while riding a horse galloping through the air, the woman’s hair was neatly tied at the end.

“Wh-who stole Red Hare and is riding it here!”

“There’s no way the God of War is a girl!”

Whatever the Heroes babbled, the Phantom Dragon paid no mind. What was important was that it intensely disliked the object held by that delicious-looking human. The Phantom Dragon’s head tilted slightly backward, and,

ROOOOAR!

It spewed greyish breath into the air. The mana ray, like a scream, shot straight and engulfed Red Hare and the woman. The breath, truly shot like light, quickly enveloped Red Hare and the woman.

Hee-hee-hing-!

A horse’s neigh was heard. Red Hare kicked off the air and leaped just before the breath reached it. Mana sprayed from its hooves, grazing the breath, and Red Hare literally ‘rode’ the Phantom Dragon’s breath as it ran.

ROOOOAR?!

The Phantom Dragon quickly closed its mouth and moved the surrounding spectral monsters. The ghosts lunged at Red Hare with bared claws, but Red Hare repelled them with just the wind pressure of its gallop.

The Phantom Dragon, though flustered, opened its mouth wide. Its speed was too great to devise any countermeasure, so it had no choice but to use its body’s offensive means as they were.

Red Hare scoffed at it, and the woman, holding the reins with one hand, slightly lifted herself from the saddle. The woman, revealed beneath her blue cloak, squatted barefoot on Red Hare’s saddle. The crescent blade in the woman’s hand gleamed with a blue light.

“One Strike (一擊).”

The woman, Xiaolin, repeated to herself. All that was needed to defeat the opponent was a single blow. If she could kill it in one strike, she would kill it in one strike.

ROOOOAR! The Phantom Dragon lowered its stance then leaped from its spot. Even with its momentum to bite and crush, Red Hare galloped forward.

“Hee-hing!”

With Red Hare’s signal, Xiaolin leaped from the saddle. Red Hare quickly turned to the right, and the Phantom Dragon bit at empty air.

Xiaolin’s body spun half a turn above the Phantom Dragon. Her legs, revealed from beneath her cloak, gleamed in the sunlight rising above the horizon. Xiaolin swung the crescent blade as she spun.

“Certain Kill (必殺)!”

The crescent blade’s slash descended, drawing a half-moon. As if by a guillotine, the Phantom Dragon was split in two from head to tail by Xiaolin’s slash, which fell to the ground.

G-g-g-gh…?

The Phantom Dragon’s body split open left and right. The Phantom Dragon’s core, which had been in the center of its body, was already split in half by the slash, and it vanished without even leaving ash due to the faint purifying flames contained within the strike.

Thud. Xiaolin gently landed on the building’s rooftop. Xiaolin, standing with the sun behind her, looked like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens.

“Prrr.”

Red Hare stood beside Xiaolin. The Phantom Dragon’s corpse turned to ash and crumbled away.

Xiaolin straightened up and tapped the railing with the tip of her blade. The front of her blue cloak lifted slightly in the wind, revealing her bare legs, and the tie that had loosely bound the end of her long hair came undone, letting it flutter.

The red mask and green battle robe were nowhere to be seen, and the woman with long, flowing hair instead of a beard was Unjang, China’s S-rank Hero and a Hero of the Round Table? The Heroes found it hard to believe.

But the martial prowess (武勇) she displayed was truly Unjang’s, no, even beyond that.

Xiaolin took a deep breath and let out a lion’s roar from the railing of the high-rise building.

“What are you dawdling for! Why aren’t you killing the monsters immediately!!”

At the stern scolding, the Heroes snapped to attention. The neutral voice giving commands was as usual, but the mana imbued in that voice was denser and deeper than before.

The Heroes realized. The reason Unjang had taken off her mask and revealed her true self.

Unjang had reached the ascending stage, moving towards the next realm that had been blocked until now.

The Heroes, as always, but with courtesy and respect, cupped their hands towards Xiaolin and responded to her command.

“Your command (尊命)!”

Thanks to the swift response of Unjang and the Heroes under her, the dimensional gate in Xi’an disappeared without a single casualty.

* * *

At that time. Beijing, Director’s Office, Monster Management Bureau, Central Party Headquarters.

“Bonghyo-ya.”

“Yes, Father-nim.”

“It seems your clever plan to put Xiaolin in the Round Table has failed. How dare she reveal her face.”

Mao Zeping sat in his chair, continuously rolling a small bead in his hand. Bonghyo, the Admiral of Dongchang and one of Mao Zeping’s illegitimate children, immediately rose from his seat and bowed his head.

“My apologies.”

“What is there to be sorry for? The advance on Pyongyang came to naught, and Xiaolin revealed her identity without a single word to you or me. And….”

Mao Zeping displayed a photo on the screen. The photo showed Xiaolin, held hostage across the Amnok River, and a monster in black armor.

“She even suffered the humiliation of Unjang’s defeat. Now, how will you handle this?”

“……I will announce that the Xiaolin who went to Pyongyang was a stand-in. I will publicize that the real one was on standby in Beijing, ready to protect any part of this land, and that Red Hare ran from Dandong to Xi’an following the dimensional gate’s appearance.”

“Will they truly believe that? Are people really that foolish?”

Bonghyo paused, then asserted.

“I will make them believe it. Those who do not believe will no longer be able to speak. I will ensure that no harm comes to Father-nim, and even if I have to be covered in filth, I will bear it.”

“Yes. That’s right. That’s my most excellent son. Go on now.”

Mao Zeping waved his hand, issuing an order to dismiss him. Bonghyo exited the director’s office, walking backward with a smile.

“…….”

Bonghyo, taking large strides, immediately opened his office door and threw himself onto the cot. The tension in his entire body subsided, and the cold sweat he had been holding back flowed freely.

“Hoo, hooo. I almost got discarded.”

One wrong move and he might have become dew on the execution ground. Fortunately, his father’s judgment was clouded more than usual, and thanks to that, Bonghyo survived without being abandoned.

“This Xiaolin, what sudden whim possessed her to….”

Bonghyo covered his face with both hands. He couldn’t understand why the child who had always listened well, like a puppet, had suddenly taken off her mask and stepped to the forefront.

“She should have either died there at Amnok or been taken hostage; what’s the point of coming back?”

If this is the case, then there was no meaning in having gone to such lengths to get her into the Round Table. Bonghyo ran his hand over his face and got up from the bed.

“……I’ll have to ask Xiaolin directly.”

Bonghyo’s fingers, having brought up the screen, became busy.

* * *

Xi’an City.

The Heroes moved swiftly and efficiently. They cleared away the corpses of the ghost monsters, collected their cores, and gathered the dangerous species’ corpses separately to be burned by fire mages.

All of these processes proceeded smoothly thanks to Xiaolin, who issued clear and decisive instructions from the center. Until people were dispatched from the Central Party and the Association, Xiaolin was the highest-ranking Hero and overall supervisor on site.

“Um, Unjang-nim….”

“What is it?”

Her clothes became lighter, and her tone of voice also became lighter. The Hero swallowed hard at her action of casually gathering her back hair with her hand and tying it like a horse’s tail.

“…For what reason did you take off your mask? Surely the Director-nim-“

“Because it was stifling.”

Xiaolin admired her own answer even after saying it. Because it was stifling. Yes, because it was stifling.

“It was stifling, so I took everything off.”

Xiaolin hugged her cloak with a meaningful expression.

* * *

8 AM, Phoenix Penthouse.

“Ptooey!”

Phoenix spat out the water she was about to drink. Without even thinking to wipe the water flowing down from below her lips, Phoenix grabbed her white butterfly badge and asked again.

[Himeji Hikari was on the ship?]

The white butterfly gleamed.

[Yeah. What was it, she said she found a clue for her research after seeing the strange phenomenon in Seoul? She apparently hacked her way onto the ship for the ticket.]

Seok Harang briefly explained the situation in Busan. Thanks to Eun Yuha’s goodwill, the Himeji siblings were able to stay at a hotel, but no one could easily understand why Himeji Hikari, a middle school student, had boarded a ship bound for Korea.

[Well, she’s had potential since she was young. Good job.]

[Why the sudden praise?]

[I’m saying ‘good job’ because you did well. And I’m also grateful you safely defeated Moby Dick.]

[Did you eat something wrong?]

Phoenix clutched her throbbing head.

[I’ll explain when we meet later. What happened on the China side. I need to rest today too. You worked hard, Seok Harang.]

[…Hmph, hmph. …You worked hard too. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel how exhausted you are even from here.]

Phoenix chuckled and ended the communication. Gaeul, who had been wiping away the water Phoenix spat out with her tentacles, subtly pressed her body close and asked.

“What’s so funny? Huh?”

“It’s nothing special. Just a lot to think about…. Oh? Gaeul-ssi, are you messaging Eun Yuha right now?”

Phoenix pointed at Gaeul’s screen. Gaeul was startled and tried to hide her wrist, but Phoenix had already grasped all the content on the screen with a sidelong glance.

“Strawberries exploded? What does that mean?”

“……It’s a secret conversation between young ladies. Don’t try to understand it.”

Gaeul turned her head primly. Phoenix, pretending not to notice Gaeul’s attempt to gloss over it, operated her smartwatch.

[My dear customer! What brings you to call me- …Cheon Gaeul is next to you, isn’t she?]

“I called because I needed to contact you. Are you available to talk?”

[Of course I am~, since my belo.ved. dear customer called me directly~. Hehehe.]

Phoenix had clearly made the call, but Eun Yuha and Cheon Gaeul were having a staring contest. Phoenix stared blankly, alternating glances between the two, then tapped the screen.

“Eun Yuha-agassi? I have two matters to discuss.”

[…Ahem. Yes. Please speak.]

“One is the Anisakiasis core issue. The Association and the government took all of them, right?”

[……Yes.]

Eun Yuha suppressed her emotions as much as possible, but there was a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. Phoenix operated the screen and sent a photo.

“I’ve established a nest in China. Now, it seems cores will be supplied periodically not only from the south but also from the north, so I think we need to renew our contract.”

[Really?! Wow, I love you! Can I go to Yeouido right now? I’ll write up a new contract on the way and bring it.]

“Yes. But there’s a second condition for the contract.”

Phoenix scratched her cheek with an embarrassed expression.

“I sold Gwanggeom to his original owner.”

[……Were you trying to scam me in a deal just now?]

[Don’t buy and sell people as you please, Yuha-ya. That trash is probably saying trashy things again.]

Phoenix, feeling a surge of emotion, simply closed her mouth.

* * *

Anastasia opened her eyes. Barely an hour had passed, but she felt a little embarrassed that she had cried her eyes out in her father’s arms until she collapsed. Anastasia raised her upper body from the bed and squeezed her eyes shut at the six pairs of eyes looking at her.

“……What are you doing here, neglecting state affairs?”

“Who made you cry? Tell me. I’ll rip their neck off right away.”

“Father. They say Gawain, Oracle, and Unjang were nearby during the operation.”

“Good. It’s America. Launch the plane immediately.”

He’s excessively doting. Anastasia tightly held her father’s two hands, which were flailing about.

“I didn’t cry because of those idiots from the Round Table. …I cried because I was happy.”

“……What?”

Anastasia, who had placed both hands on her chest and blushed, didn’t notice her family’s expressions subtly turning serious.

“Well, that is….”

At Anastasia’s shy action of fidgeting her fingers, the entire family froze. Those who had already started families knew all too well what Anastasia’s actions meant.

Anastasia covered her cheeks with her hands and shook her head from side to side.

“I was so happy to meet my beloved husband again… Dad?!”

Suvorov collapsed.

* * *

The dimensional gate disappeared.

The girl awoke from her sleep.

When the alarm rang, she slept better, but once the alarm actually turned off, her anxiety made sleep flee.

Normally, she would have wanted to sleep more.

However, due to the alien mana on the ground, the girl instinctively knew she had to leave this place.

“Ughhh. The other kids will take care of everything, so why do I have to bother stepping forward….”

The girl groggily got up and exited the stone chamber.