Ch.139Hayato Subjugation Battle

After returning to headquarters, Seo-rin wrote a report on her mission before being summoned to meet with Sephiroth privately.

Inside the small office.

Seo-rin sat across from Sephiroth, staring blankly at the cookies placed on the table.

‘Those look delicious… Would he mind if I just took one?’

“Good work, Seo-rin. I’m glad you returned safely. Who would have thought that the strange magic in the Forest of Life would be connected to a pocket dimension…”

While gauging his reaction, Seo-rin nodded as she put a cookie in her mouth.

“Who could have known? Even the magic tower’s wizards seemed unaware…”

A moment of silence followed. It lasted just long enough for Seo-rin to finish eating her cookie and wonder if she should keep quiet. As she stopped eating, Sephiroth spoke.

“Regarding the Void Lord matter, an extermination team will be organized later. You don’t need to worry about it right now, so…”

Letting his words trail off, Sephiroth pulled a thin document from under his drawer and began reading.

“Hayato.”

Flinch-

When the familiar name was spoken, Seo-rin’s body trembled violently. How could she forget the name of her hated enemy? She didn’t even notice the cookie in her hand crumbling.

Crack-

“Have you found his whereabouts?”

“Information came in that someone resembling Hayato was spotted in the port city of Luped. It’s likely Hayato himself. There’s a pattern to the places where he’s been appearing.”

“A pattern such as…?”

“Something related to dragons. Or it seems he’s traveling around trying to obtain something with immense power. Considering that the Void Lord was also gathering mana from various places to artificially create dragons… I suspect the goal of this ‘Alliance’ group is to create a perfect dragon.”

Seo-rin calmly nodded. As long as she could catch and kill Hayato, she didn’t care what the Alliance’s purpose was.

“I’m planning to form an extermination team immediately. You’ll join, of course?”

A needless question. Seo-rin nodded.

And so, Seo-rin’s name was the first to be added to Hayato’s extermination team.

Seo-rin spoke up.

“Ah, and I’d like to receive some supplies… is that possible?”

“Supplies? Well, there’s no issue with our current inventory, so just take what you need.”

“I see.”

After leaving the office, Seo-rin headed straight to the warehouse for supplies. What she took were three hundred ordinary iron swords.

***

“Seo-rin, what are you planning to do with all those swords you took?”

Thud-thud-thud-!

On horseback, kicking up clouds of dust.

Theo, maintaining a comfortable posture, casually threw out the question. At that, everyone riding alongside turned their attention to Seo-rin.

On their way to hunt down Hayato, the three hundred iron swords Seo-rin had requested were enough to pique everyone’s curiosity. Seo-rin slowly shifted her gaze, examining the faces of those accompanying her on this mission.

The team numbered eleven in total: one deputy commander, three senior members including herself, six intermediate members, and Clara, a special unit member.

Tapping the sword on her back, Seo-rin answered.

“They’re for my Formless Flying Sword technique. My mana capacity has increased recently, so I can control more swords at once.”

“Wow…”

“You’ve gotten stronger again?”

Flora, riding alongside Seo-rin, also showed surprise. Her friend grew stronger almost daily. Without fail, every time she returned from a mission, her skill level had improved.

They had joined at the same time, but already there was a gap between intermediate and senior ranks. By now, even small feelings of jealousy had disappeared.

“Aren’t you getting strong too quickly? Wait for us a bit. You’re leaving us too far behind.”

Seo-rin merely smiled slightly at Theo’s words.

The group arrived in Luped about nine days after their departure.

Luped was a city with a sky as clear and vast as the open sea. Looking around, one could see various races. Short dwarves, pointy-eared elves, humans, and even a small number of intelligent humanoid monsters used this city.

The reason was Luped’s special transportation system: the sea train.

Before entering the city.

Sephiroth said:

“Hayato will most likely board the sea train. To catch him for certain, we need to target when the train departs. Everyone should behave quietly until then.”

The sea train operated on a bi-weekly schedule. The extermination team had to disguise themselves to hide their identities. To prevent information leaks, they didn’t even know how the others were disguised.

Entering the city, Seo-rin looked around absentmindedly. Like a country girl visiting for tourism, she kept exclaiming in wonder. It was an easy act for Seo-rin, who had been with the Blue Wing for two years.

‘How is it, Seiran? Your brother’s acting skills.’

She now knew for certain that her sister was watching all her actions from within. Seo-rin continued speaking to her sister who was watching from inside her body.

‘I’m the perfect young girl. No one would ever suspect.’

Seo-rin took pride in her acting skills. Until now, she’d had no one to show off to, which had been frustrating, but today that changed. Seo-rin could demonstrate her acting with a more comfortable heart than ever before.

Time passed quickly. Hayato appeared when there was just one day left before the sea train’s departure. Though she wanted to draw her sword immediately, she needed to be patient for a definitive resolution.

Seo-rin boarded the sea train in the guise of a girl carrying large luggage.

The other Blue Wing members likely did the same. They all boarded the train without recognizing each other.

When the train departed and began crossing the middle of the sea, it was time to begin their real activity.

Seo-rin checked her ticket and sat in an empty seat.

Sitting across from her was an elegant-looking boy. He appeared to be the well-maintained son of a wealthy merchant family. The boy reacted as soon as Seo-rin sat down.

His attitude was extremely friendly.

“Wow… where are you going, miss?”

“Far away.”

“Really? I’m going far too. Is it okay if I talk to you during the journey?”

Why ask for permission when he’s already speaking so comfortably? Seo-rin looked around for the boy’s parents, then turned back. She couldn’t see anyone who looked like his parents.

“Miss?”

“Do as you please.”

Anyway, once they left the port city, she would soon change into her Blue Wing uniform and evacuate everyone to one place. Unfortunately for the boy, his conversation time with Seo-rin wouldn’t last long.

Eventually, the train started moving. The slowly passing scenery gradually stretched into lines. When the city was no longer visible, Seo-rin stood up.

“Where are you going, miss?”

“Get up right now and go to the last car. Something dangerous might happen.”

“What?”

Passing by the confused boy, Seo-rin pulled a cloak from her bag. As the cloak unfurled with a flutter and gently wrapped around her shoulders, three swords flew in and naturally took their place behind her.

Similar actions were happening simultaneously throughout the train. Seo-rin openly revealed the presence she had been concealing. An overwhelming aura spread with the wind.

Naturally, this drew the attention of all passengers in the car.

Seo-rin said:

“Get up from your seats and move to the last car immediately.”

Despite her beautiful appearance, her tone was imperious. People pressed down by her aura began to rise from their seats one by one.

After confirming this, Seo-rin moved to the next car. The further forward she went, toward where Hayato was, the more passengers moved backward.

With her cloak fluttering as she walked, Seo-rin encountered Theo and Flora in the second car ahead.

“Theo. Flora.”

“You’re here. Let’s join up quickly.”

“He should be about ten cars ahead… can you feel it? My skin is tingling. Deputy Commander Sephiroth seems to have already encountered him.”

At Theo’s words, Seo-rin frowned and expanded her Ashen. The detection field instantly spread, covering the entire moving train. Immediately after, Seo-rin looked back.

Among the crowd, one exceptionally powerful presence was slowly approaching. It wasn’t Hayato. Nor was it a Blue Wing member. Someone unidentified.

Silently, Seo-rin drew her sword.

The Void-Cutting Sword.

A sword with the power to open a personal pocket dimension.

Seo-rin infused mana into the sword to activate its magic.

Simultaneously, more than three hundred swords poured out around Seo-rin, filling the train car.