Ch.153Chapter 6. Riding Doll, Acceleration (2)

In superhero stories, heroes always arrive late.

That was true in this world too—heroes rarely made it to the scene on time.

Why are these so-called heroes always late?

Are they just dawdling around? Or do they figure that since the incident has already happened, they might as well take their time and grab a coffee first?

Some might be like that, but watching truly righteous people like Baek Seol-hee arrive late made me think differently.

It’s not that heroes are slow.

It’s that villains create situations where heroes can only arrive late.

No hero wants to be late to the scene—villains deliberately cause incidents in locations that are difficult for heroes to reach quickly, whether by tracking heroes’ positions or through other means.

That’s what happened now.

I rushed to Ulleungdo at full speed, but I still arrived a bit late.

‘If I’d been just a little later, Yoon Yi-seon would have become a demon.’

If I had looked elsewhere.

If Baek Seol-hee had delayed me.

If I’d wasted time dealing with a demon that appeared on the way.

I might have had to face an S-class demon, the nine-tailed fox.

But I managed to save her just in time.

Although Dueoksini’s touch reached her body, I still rescued Yoon Yi-seon.

‘You did well.’

Both Yoon Yi-seon and Ymir.

It would be unfair to ask Ymir, “Why didn’t you transform?” when the situation was so disadvantageous for her.

It’s unreasonable to ask her that.

It’s only because our Syndicate sent Taowu; without Taowu, she would have transformed immediately to defeat the demon and save Yoon Yi-seon.

Perhaps I stole her chance to shine.

There could have been a future where Ymir heroically saved Yoon Yi-seon, revealed herself as a gold talisman master, and defeated the demon.

But that future doesn’t exist.

That’s the future Dueoksini wants—one where the gold talisman master Platinum Sun reveals herself.

There are places where the gold talisman master should appear, but Ulleungdo isn’t one of them.

Therefore.

[Since I’m late, I’ll end this quickly.]

[Tempest, On!]

I immediately unite with Taowu.

Taowu’s magical power fills my entire body, and I allow Taowu to enter me.

[Ah, this feeling… it’s the best…! The sensation of being alive…!]

[Stop the unnecessary talk. Follow me. Match my tempo.]

After gathering my magical power, I focused all my consciousness forward.

Just like when Ermina Sternfeld went berserk, he would surely—

[Here he comes.]

“Gobliiiiin!!”

He charged at me at ultra-high speed.

His speed surpassed that of lightning, as if he was running in an accelerated world.

For a moment, the world stopped.

My body froze, and I could see Dueoksini flying toward me in slow motion.

The attack was coming from the front.

WHAM!

I thrust forward a fist infused with magical power.

Dueoksini couldn’t dodge my punch and was sent flying backward.

“Ugh, grrr…!”

[You got beaten the same way last time, and you still haven’t improved.]

When Platinum Sun was facing Juliana, Dueoksini and I fought for nearly 30 minutes.

[You lost the same way then and ran away. What will you do this time?]

And of course, I won that time.

[I told you. You’re not the only one with such abilities.]

“You, dog…!”

[Someone who’s only fought battles relying on moving faster than opponents can’t possibly defeat me.]

I brought out the club imbued with Taowu’s power, then transformed it into a new weapon form that matched Taowu’s combat style.

[In the world of speed, you’re just an ordinary physically enhanced ability user.]

Whiiing.

A sharp blade rose from the top of the club that had extended like a spear shaft.

The blade carried Taowu’s green color, and its shape resembled a tiger’s claw.

If I were to describe it, it would be a halberd.

A weapon perfectly suited for Taowu’s cutting ability and also very easy for me to handle.

[Unlike you, I can move quickly even in this accelerated time.]

“Ugh, you…!”

[You’ve probably been living like a slippery eel using that ability until now.]

Whiing.

The blade of the Taowu-imbued halberd gleamed.

The sharply honed blade appeared to be formed like solid glass on the outside, but it was actually vibrating so rapidly that even I couldn’t perceive it.

“T-that is… a moon blade!”

[…Yes. That’s right.]

I gripped the shaft of the moon blade and leaped forward, swinging it toward Dueoksini.

Whoosh!

A blade of wind erupted from the horizontally swung blade.

Dueoksini tried to dodge by throwing his head back like a scene from a movie as the green-gleaming blade approached, but—

[How foolish.]

“!!”

Slash!

The slash flying toward Dueoksini exploded right in front of him and scattered.

“Argggh!!!”

The crescent-shaped slash exploded into sharp glass fragments that burst upward and downward.

Naturally, Dueoksini, who was directly below, had his entire body pierced by Taowu’s blades, and I slowly walked forward and swung the moon blade again.

“Ugh, hehehe! I’ve figured out… your weakness!”

With his front completely mutilated, Dueoksini pointed at me with his bleeding hand and laughed.

“You, in that state, can’t run!”

[…….]

“You’re pretending to be arrogant, but you actually can’t run! Hahaha! I didn’t realize it last time, but now I know for sure!”

Foam rose from Dueoksini’s body, and his wounds began to heal immediately.

[Half-turned into a demon, have you?]

“Hehehe! Half? Hahaha, you don’t know! You seem to be trying to figure something out, but it won’t work on me!”

Dueoksini clenched his fist at me from a distance, his eyes flashing red.

“You don’t match my speed! You just ‘perceive’ my speed!”

[…….]

“Just like Taowu! Hahaha!”

Yes.

One could think that.

Like how Taowu had countered him while standing still, one might think I’m just carefully observing his movements in a state of maximum concentration.

Since I’ve become one with Taowu now.

…I can’t deny it.

‘Taowu, can’t we do something?’

‘I don’t know! Ugh, how am I supposed to understand this…?’

Taowu couldn’t keep up with my thoughts.

‘Converting mana into special particles to accelerate one’s own time, how does one even do that!’

‘Just do it well.’

‘Don’t talk like those ability users!’

‘Well, I can’t say anything other than “do your best.”‘

On my own, I can keep up with Dueoksini’s speed.

I can even run ‘faster’ than Dueoksini.

However, now that I’ve become one with Taowu, I can use a lot of Taowu’s magical power, but I’m also constrained.

‘I used too much of my magical power getting here.’

I used too much magical power riding my bike from Jindo to Ulleungdo.

But I can’t break the unity.

If I release the unity, I won’t be able to kill Dueoksini.

[Well, I admit I can’t move quickly right now. But.]

I gripped the moon blade again and aimed it at Dueoksini.

[That doesn’t mean you’re faster than me now.]

“……!”

[I’ll cut you mercilessly. Faster than your regeneration can keep up.]

Whoosh.

Green magical power began to gleam on the moon blade again.

[If I keep cutting until you die, you’ll die eventually.]

I launched another slash toward Dueoksini.

* * *

It was impossible to follow with the eyes.

But it was better than last time.

Occasionally, like frames in a broken video, glimpses of the two could be seen.

“…….”

Ymir bit her lower lip.

Supporting the coughing Yoon Yi-seon, she watched from behind as the Goblin, united with Taowu, fought well against Dueoksini, grinding her teeth.

“Ymir….”

“Chairman? No, don’t move. If you do….”

“Can you really summon Platinum Sun…?”

Yoon Yi-seon’s hand grasped Ymir’s.

“Then, I’m sorry, but please summon her….”

Yoon Yi-seon was losing consciousness.

From the moment her tail was cut off by Dueoksini, she had lost an enormous amount of magical power, and after breathing roughly, she barely managed to regain consciousness.

“I heard that Platinum Sun, *gasp*, is partners with the Goblin. If that’s true, then right now….”

“They’re probably not partners. Ah, maybe….”

“Anyway, that doesn’t matter. Help the Goblin. And….”

Yoon Yi-seon’s finger pointed far away, behind where the two were fighting.

“Those demons…. the students, if you can turn them back into humans….”

Thud.

Yoon Yi-seon collapsed onto the bike.

The bike precariously supported Yoon Yi-seon who had fallen forward, and Ymir slowly helped her off the bike and laid her flat on the ground.

“…….”

Ymir removed her Taeguk watch and placed it on Yoon Yi-seon.

“…Thank you for your consideration.”

Had Yoon Yi-seon noticed?

She didn’t know.

But at least for Ymir, this moment was the “opening” she had been waiting for since this situation began.

“…Time is relative.”

Ymir briefly covered her face with her hands.

“I….”

Ymir told herself.

“I can do it.”

Correction.

“Following the Goblin’s speed…matching the Goblin’s tempo.”

It’s not that she can do it.

“I must do it.”

Ymir closed her eyes briefly, then raised magical power in her hand.

“…Swift Wind and Lightning.”

Golden lightning sparked from Ymir’s body.

Blitz Action—