Chapter 26 – Provocation

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When I looked down at the earth from the sky, I felt as if I had truly become a god.

Perhaps this was why humans had long gazed up at the heavens and yearned for wings. Even now, despite gaining the ability to soar through the skies, did they still crave wings?

No matter how advanced airplanes had become, the freedom to navigate the sky at will remained a privilege reserved only for those who possessed wings.

In reality, I was far from a god—just a creature who would shriek in agony at the mere touch of sunlight. Still, compared to those who crawled on the ground, I was undeniably superior. A little arrogance was justified, wasn’t it?

After all, I was much stronger than the average creature.

…Enough musings. It was time to get moving.

I had already scattered enough starlight to trigger detection sensors. Now, I just needed to do something so provocative that Radiant White wouldn’t be able to resist coming after me.

The problem was figuring out what exactly would be enough to drive someone as kind-hearted as her over the edge.

Killing civilians? No, I hated that idea. Attacking a base of the Fiend Association? No, that would paint me in an entirely different light in the media.

A fiend who hunts fiends—that was a title I had to leave for Suhyeok.

Then should I stick to executing scum? But that would just be repeating what I’d already done, making it harder to attract attention.

As I racked my brain for ways to draw Radiant White’s focus, I finally recalled something her sister had once said.

Hmm. Last time, I only used words. This time, I should mimic Shining White’s actions instead. Yes, that would work.

Even if she tried to ignore me, I’d make sure she couldn’t. By replicating Shining White’s signature acts, I would force her to react.

Feeling rather pleased with my idea, I descended to the ground to gather the necessary materials.

Even though recent bloodshed had slightly reduced their numbers, there was still plenty of “worthless trash” around. It didn’t matter.

“Th-That thing—why is it here?! Everyone, run—”

“A spear for beasts, a sword for humans.”

I recited the phrase just before striking, wondering if it was some kind of battle mantra. But it didn’t bring back any memories or stir any sense of familiarity.

If Radiant White recognized these words, it meant she must have heard them from her sister. But where had they come from?

Shining White had never publicly uttered these words, at least according to official records. That meant it was likely something spoken only between the sisters.

Perhaps it had been part of Shining White’s own method of teaching.

Since their parents had passed away when they were young, Shining White had taken on the role of both sister and mother.

Given how fiercely protective she was of her younger sister, she must have wanted to prepare her for the harsh world ahead.

Maybe this phrase was a condensed lesson, packed with meaning like a proverb.

…That had to be it, right? Surely, she hadn’t seriously viewed fiends and criminals as nothing more than beasts.

She was a magical girl, after all. Magical girls weren’t some joke—they were meant to embody dreams, hope, and an unwavering pursuit of justice.

Shaking off the unsettling thought, I looked down at the incapacitated wretches.

Even when they had all their limbs intact, they were useless. Now, with their bodies broken beyond repair, they were even more pathetic.

“There is no place in this world for things like you.”

If left alone, they would die on their own. But that would be no different from what I usually did.

It was time to take things a step further—just as Shining White had once done.

I drove my lance deep into the ground and let my blood seep through it.

Then, using that blood, I shaped spears that erupted from the ground, impaling the writhing bodies of the wretches beneath me.

They looked just like prisoners subjected to impalement.

Amazingly, this was something Shining White had actually done in her lifetime.

She hadn’t skewered people, of course—only fiends. But the grotesque spectacle remained the same.

Radiant White had once defended her sister’s actions, calling it a “parade of victory”…

Well, I don’t really know.

I didn’t particularly need to know, nor did I want to. I just wanted Radiant White to be provoked by this.

It was both horrifying and strangely satisfying at the same time.

But it wasn’t that I found excessive brutality satisfying.

I was satisfied because I had become more skilled at manipulating blood.

As much as I hated to admit it, ever since the vampire took control of my body, I had become much more adept at handling blood.

The last time I fought, I hadn’t fully adjusted to this, so I fought rather clumsily. But now, I could manipulate blood in far more intricate ways.

I had become more flexible, so to speak.

Previously, I had to manually collect the blood that had spilled onto the ground using blood sorcery, but now, I could inject my blood into the earth, form spears with it, and then absorb the spilled blood through those spears. That alone said enough.

This was probably how the original vampire elder controlled blood.

Ilie, that bloodsucker, had already shown some strange technique involving blood infiltration. And the elder outright absorbed people entirely.

Of course, I had no intention of using this technique on Radiant White or Suhyeok.

Because that wouldn’t be any fun.

Isn’t it much better to struggle, to fight on equal footing?

After draining the last drop of blood, I left behind only the skewers and the impaled corpses before taking off.

I still had to create more of these skewers in other places.

Traveling all across Incheon, I replicated the Shining White-style skewers multiple times before grabbing one of my handmade “skewers” and heading toward a nearby military base.

I wasn’t planning on flipping the base upside down—just wanted to show off a little.

I had put in all this effort, so if Radiant White didn’t acknowledge it, I’d be extremely disappointed.

The loud blaring of sirens filled the air, lights flashing as if an emergency had been declared in the base, but nothing was actually fired in my direction.

They knew, didn’t they? That nothing they had could truly oppose me.

From that perspective, it was a wise decision.

I was a little dissatisfied that they lacked the courage to resist, but I didn’t expect such bravery from the weak, so I let it slide.

By the time one reaches the rank of a special-class monster, they are no longer mere creatures—they are living phenomena.

“To cower and tremble before the enemy, how utterly pathetic. But… it suits you.”

I landed atop a rather important-looking building, making sure all eyes were on me.

I didn’t have to, but this way felt far more enjoyable.

“Hear me. And spread the word exactly as you’ve heard it. I have done what you cowardly lot were supposed to do.”

As I descended right in front of them to reveal what I had brought, some of the weaker ones turned pale and lost their will to fight.

“Soldiers? More like monks in silent meditation. Not a peep out of you.”

Even as they held their weapons, they were determined not to provoke me—should I find that impressive?

“Then consider this a souvenir. Even if you are mute, you should at least be capable of taking a picture.”

I had grown bored of toying with these silent men, and there was no point in lingering any longer.

I took off into the sky once more, expecting that this would be enough to provoke Radiant White.

Upon hearing what had happened overnight, Radiant White immediately headed to the association.

-White? Please, calm down! I understand how you feel, but the association is already in chaos right now! You can’t put any more pressure on the president—

“Pegasus, it’s been ten years. A whole decade. What more do I have to wait for?! I’m sick and tired of waiting!”

Pegasus tried to restrain her, warning that acting recklessly wouldn’t help, but Radiant White had no intention of stopping.

“…You understand, don’t you? Pegasus, please don’t stop me.”

-At least think about how little hair the president has left…

“Sorry, can’t do that. Besides, it’s going to fall out anyway, isn’t it?”

Storming through the association, she threw open the door of the “Restricted Area” office without hesitation and boldly declared—

“Mister President! I want to go to Incheon!”

Inside, a sky-blue-haired girl and a middle-aged man, whose hair was nearly gone, both turned to look at her at the same time.

“Huh? Senpai? Uh, wasn’t this area off-limits…? I was in the middle of getting scolded…”

The sky-haired girl blinked in disbelief at Radiant White’s sudden entrance.

“Miss White… Did you not see the ‘Restricted Area’ sign?”

The deeply wrinkled yet smooth-scalped president ran his hand over what little hair remained as he questioned her.

“Oh, I saw it just fine! But this isn’t the time to be standing around idly, is it? You saw the news, right?! That monster has reappeared!”

Faced with her confident response, the president stared at her speechlessly for a moment.

“…Miss White, I understand your feelings, but could you please wait just a little longer? I need to finish reprimanding Miss Sky before I hear out your request.”

And so, the wrinkles on the president’s face deepened, and his forehead grew even wider.

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