Ch.114114. A Night with Sulphur and Georgius

“Dragon King Sentai Draodger. Five members at debut. Dragon Arrow, Ocean Saber, Cloaker, Good Nature, and…”

“Shining Shield.”

I recited the name from the article.

Shining Shield, Park Hayoung. A B-rank hero at that time.

She was one of the people I had scouted. She had talent but couldn’t endure the training and quit right before her debut.

She had a quiet personality and later worked as a hero affiliated with the Association until she died during the Dark Kingdom war.

This meant only one thing.

“The Red Dragon of this world never met Rainbow Shooter.”

“…That’s right. As soon as you were promoted to S-rank, you worked with me as a duo. There’s no mention of that anywhere here.”

“Rainbow Shooter did join Dragon King Sentai later. Much later. After Absolute and Exile. Purple Wings, huh? Probably forced into the lineup because she was S-rank.”

“…She died quickly. After two months, during a mission where she deployed with Green Nature.”

“I don’t need to see the details to know what happened.”

Choi Minseo must have killed her out of jealousy for Somi’s connection with me, disguising it as an accident.

By then, Choi Minseo’s power would have been much stronger.

To conclude, this world and my world had exactly the same starting point.

As evidence, my activities before my S-rank promotion and the articles from that time match my memories exactly.

Past history and legendary heroes were all identical without exception.

Red Dragon was also me.

It’s already been 6 years. Or 7 years counting by calendar. Enough time for a first-year middle schooler to become an adult. It feels so distant that it’s like a different personality.

At that starting point, I met Somi.

Red Dragon didn’t.

My first meeting with Somi happened by chance.

A villain subjugation mission was accidentally assigned to both of us, and we ran into each other while handling the scene.

In this world, perhaps the Association employee didn’t make a mistake.

Maybe they had an extra cup of coffee and were fully alert.

Just that small difference.

Just because an important meeting was delayed slightly, everything changed like this.

“If you and I hadn’t met that day, could you have remained a hero…?”

I could tell what Somi was thinking. I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“Then I would have been weak, and doomed to fail.”

“But…”

Somi bit her lip.

I could feel her anguish.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been betrayed by Dragon King Sentai, wouldn’t have needed revenge…”

“That was a necessary process for me.”

I was certain.

“Look at Red Dragon surrounded by Dragon King Sentai. He doesn’t even properly recognize this world. He continues being a superficial hero, uses the Pad, and has abandoned ethics. He thinks all of this is a game.”

“But… wouldn’t he be happy? He has wealth, fame, and Dragon King Sentai all to himself.”

“I have all that now too. Instead of being a miserable hero, I have Vengeance. Most importantly, I have you, Han Somi.”

“…Ah.”

“I learned a lot from you. Not just how to shout about justice as a hero, but how to look at reality. And you’ve always supported me, keeping me from breaking down. Thanks to you, I’ve never been wrong.”

“I’m not that great. I’m just a selfish woman with a strange mind.”

“Who isn’t? Even historical sages are just a step away from being lunatics. Still, people respect each other and influence one another.”

“…Hehe. I respect you a lot too.”

Somi nodded as if she understood.

“Thank you. I’m glad I can be by your side.”

“Stay there from now on too.”

“Yes. I promise.”

There was no hesitation in Somi’s eyes.

We continued searching for information.

“Ui-seok, you have quite the colorful love life.”

“It’s just you and Lu-a, isn’t it?”

“Not you, but you. Still, you share the same genes, so I should be careful. Se-hwa, Minseo are just the basics, there are also actresses, idols, prosecutors, and corporate heiresses.”

“Choi Minseo, Shin Yukyong, and Ji Se-hwa must have done some serious gaslighting. Birds of a feather flock together, but I can’t believe he became such trash.”

“Last month, he threw a grand drug party. Doesn’t seem like he’s trying to hide it at all.”

“Next time I meet him, I’m definitely killing him.”

What kind of nonsense is he doing with my face? Damn bastard.

Did the worldwide hero worship during the Civil War go to his head?

“Dragon King Sentai has twenty-four members. How many did you take down today?”

“More than fifteen.”

“Their forces must be significantly weakened. Do you think we have an advantage in round 2?”

“If our side is prepared. We need ability users from as many different systems as possible. They also need to be strong. Twelve in total. The rules are to break through barriers that can only be penetrated by specific systems, advance, and occupy strongholds.”

“Truly a contest of skills.”

“We can also borrow the power of science and technology. Equipment needs to be prepared too. They have the advantage there. The Hero Association is scientifically superior.”

We haven’t even developed transformation items like Pads.

Deciding we couldn’t find any more meaningful information, we left the city.

Now it’s more important to confirm the infiltration route for when the battlefield opens.

Heroes including Dragon King Sentai will be densely positioned there. It won’t be easy to sneak in.

Since it’s an occupation battle, every second counts. We need to enter as soon as combat begins.

I need to deliver the rules to our headquarters so Lena can select the villains who will enter.

As we took off to leave Seoul, Sulphur was waiting.

“You’re late.”

“Did you secure a route?”

“No problem getting close. Heroes have already surrounded the area where the battlefield will open. Let’s find an infiltration route now. But before that, look down as we fly.”

“Down?”

We crossed the West Sea and entered the Southeast Asian continent.

It was definitely the ground. Pitch black. Even though it was night, it was extreme.

“Ui-seok, this is…”

“While you two were flirting, I went around once. Guess what I found?”

Sulphur said calmly.

“They’re all dead.”

“What are you saying?”

“There are no civilians anywhere. Except for Korea and parts of nearby Russia. Everything else is destroyed.”

“…That can’t be.”

“They must have fired nuclear bombs like machine guns because the American continent is completely gone. The rest are like this. All overrun by monsters.”

What a masterpiece.

“Well, there are small groups of survivors. No infrastructure at all. Africa is relatively intact. But anything you could call civilization only exists in Seoul, that city.”

“How could this happen?”

“Red Dragon failed. The Synthetic Monster Army must have been quite strong.”

“That wasn’t in the information we found earlier…”

“They must be controlling it. The citizens probably know, even if they’re not stupid.”

Somi wore a pained expression. I took her wrist.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s go down.”

The three of us landed in the ruins. We were near the barrier. In the distance, we could see the heroes’ forward base.

There wasn’t a single living being, let alone people.

“This used to be a city famous for its high population density, and now look at it. And they call this a hopeful world protected by heroes? Not even funny.”

It was refreshing to see Sulphur openly displaying emotion and disgust.

We found a relatively intact house among the ruins and went inside.

“Sleep is important. It will directly affect tomorrow’s battle. Sulphur, you get some rest too. You’ll be forced to participate in round 2, and I won’t forgive you if you hold us back.”

“Mind your own business, weak human. Monsters don’t need sleep.”

Sulphur grumbled and went outside. I turned to Somi and asked.

“Really? Don’t they sleep?”

“No, they need the same amount of sleep…”

He never listens to a damn thing I say.

Thinking that if he keeps this up until tomorrow, I might as well leave him in this world, I lay down on the bed, holding Somi.

***

“Huff.”

Sulphur—Kang Yerin—nervously rummaged through the collapsed debris outside the ruins.

The shock of seeing this completely destroyed world hadn’t subsided.

When she first heard about the Incursion and parallel worlds, she never imagined there would be another Jung Ui-seok.

But when she learned through the media that Vengeance would fight Dragon King Sentai, she screamed for a long time in the underground tunnel, going berserk.

A single photo provided by the moderator for poster purposes.

There was Jung Ui-seok who had grown splendidly as a hero, and herself proudly occupying the place beside him.

There had been an opportunity.

There had been a future.

She could only blame herself and suffer in a reality she hated, knowing she had kicked away all those choices with her own feet.

So after hearing this Kang Yerin’s true feelings and learning the truth about this world, she was filled with irritation.

This isn’t even a joke, why are these trash people impersonating my precious Gerogius and my world to torment me?

While Jung Ui-seok and Han Somi were searching for information, Kang Yerin also learned something.

There was only one reason this world was broken.

Because Jung Ui-seok didn’t have Han Somi.

Again.

I lost again.

“No. I decided not to think like that anymore. Right.”

I decided to stop comparing and thinking about winning and losing.

I am Sulphur.

The one who will kill Gerogius.

In this world where only villains remain, this is something only I can do.

No one can compare.

…Still, I couldn’t bear to see those two lying together comfortably on the same bed.

So I ran away.

I decided to do what needed to be done.

“I should go back.”

I didn’t want to breathe the air of this garbage world for even one more second.

Kang Yerin dug into the underground sewer. Using this route, they could enter from the heroes’ blind spot when the battlefield opens.

“—Kha, aaah.”

There was a problem.

The sewers were full of monsters.

They were of a form she had never seen before. They were undoubtedly combat units of the Synthetic Monster Army.

Judging by their elaborate decorations and large size, they might be high-ranking.

They might have risen in rank by devouring each other.

“…Still, I have to clear them out.”

Kang Yerin entered combat.

The monsters were strong.

Her suit was torn, and her skin was instantly scraped away, causing blood to burst out.

Even so.

Gerogius must return.

Without him, the villains will be defeated, and the world will be destroyed.

As a hero, she could never allow such an ending.

…Wait.

“Why am I acting as a hero?”

I don’t know.

Because I don’t know, I continue to swing my fists.

“Altair.”

The left hand points to the blue star of magnitude 2.21.

“Vega.”

The right hand points to the main sequence star of magnitude 0.58.

When she extends her palm, a pure white Milky Way unfolds between the two stars.

Kang Yerin pressed and rotated the upper part of the switch hidden deep in her left arm.

[MILKYWAY!]

[MAX PERFORMANCE!]

The Milky Way spreads out.

Pure white light fills the underground sewer, splitting space and vaporizing the monsters.

The meeting of those two stars, Altair and Vega, will never happen.

“Ha, that was nothing.”

Kang Yerin smirked and slumped against the sewer wall. The transformation was canceled due to the aftermath of her ultimate skill, and the Milky Way switch fell to the ground with a thud.

Covered in blood, Kang Yerin caught her breath.

She was a monster’s body anyway. After a little rest, she would soon return to normal.

Then.

“—Ka, kaha— aaa.”

A monster emerged from the darkness. It was so huge that its head scraped the ceiling. It was a powerful individual.

“One left, huh? Bad luck.”

I can’t transform right now.

What can I do?

Even if I can’t, I have to fight.

Because I promised.

With Ui-seok,

With Se-hwa,

“I promised.”

As Kang Yerin staggered to her feet.

“Revelation.”

[REVELATION]

“Red of War.”

[BELLUMRUBER]

BOOM!

The monster approaching Kang Yerin exploded and was splattered against the wall.

“…Ah.”

It was a back she had seen before.

When she first met him, surely.

It was this back.

Gerogius deactivated his transformation and turned around.

Kang Yerin met his eyes.

…Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since she’d seen his face.

After the Eridanus battle when he came to dismantle the Seoul Hero Association.

It was the first time since then.

But that expression he wore,

“Kang Yerin.”

Was something she had never seen before.