Chapter 182

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District 9 was an area densely packed with industrial zones.

From the time of its development, a significant portion of the land had been allocated for industrial use, and over time, more industries had gathered there.

While corporate headquarters were concentrated in District 1, many factories were located in District 9. The main reason was that single-digit districts were relatively safe from the occurrence of space-time rifts. There were plenty of places cheaper than District 9, but none as safe.

Many, many factories.

Among them was a certain pharmaceutical company.

An ordinary mid-sized company that had never caused any major controversies.

A typical pharmaceutical company specializing in prescription drugs.

Of course, that was only on the surface.

In reality, it was a financial hub and temporary headquarters for the Family.

Once, it had been just one of many financial hubs.

But now, it has become a key stronghold, even serving as the headquarters.

“Damn it!”

Mackel, a member of the Supernatural Liberation Front, let out a scream-like curse.

He frantically fed documents into a shredder and issued orders to other branches.

There was no time. The Celestial Corps was already at their doorstep.

“Of all times, when the boss is absent… no, maybe that’s a good thing?”

How did they even find this place?

I can’t see any future at all!

True to his role in the Family, Mackel was also a supernatural.

Future sight.

An extremely rare precognitive ability.

Thanks to this ability, Mackel had survived the previous Family Subjugation War.

The now-deceased former boss had favored Mackel and made him an executive precisely because he could see the future.

“Oracle… again, and again! It’s their doing, isn’t it?!”

Oracle.

A subordinate organization of the Celestial Corps composed of precognitive supernaturals.

In the past, Mackel had failed to foresee the Celestial Corps’ attack because of them. Their precognition had overwritten the future Mackel had seen. 

Even if Mackel was an exceptional precognitive supernatural, he couldn’t surpass a group of 17 precognitive supernaturals. The same was true this time. They had obscured Mackel’s vision.

He was furious, but now wasn’t the time to be swayed by emotions. He immediately destroyed unnecessary documents and quickly smuggled out the essential ones. 

Above all, he had to preserve the research achievements. The tasks assigned by the new boss. 

Research for the Family’s future. He couldn’t let all of it go to waste.

His loyal comrades would buy him time.

All for the glorious future of supernaturals.

They were ready to dedicate their lives to the Family’s lofty ideals.

The corrupted ones who had fallen to become lackeys of non-supernaturals would never understand. 

Mackel gritted his teeth. Even if all supernaturals united, it wouldn’t be enough, yet they served the old humanity. 

He couldn’t understand it. Why live for such weaklings? Creatures who could die from a single bullet.

Supernaturals and non-supernaturals were different. Fundamentally different. The evolved new humanity and the old humanity that failed to evolve. They must realize this if they were supernaturals, so why do they turn a blind eye to the truth?

‘First, I’ll hide in the safe house in District 12. Then, once things calm down, I’ll move to District 17. District 9 is a lost cause. It’s a shame, but there’s no helping it.’

Although this was the Family’s headquarters, the important research and experiments were conducted in District 17. 

As long as that place was safe, they could always start over. Besides, the boss was currently in District 17 for some reason…

As he hurriedly packed his document bag and headed for the secret passage prepared for emergencies, Mackel’s steps suddenly stopped. His supernatural ability activated automatically.

This usually happened for only one reason: when danger was about to strike him in a few seconds.

Future sight was an extremely rare and high-level ability.

The ability to see the future itself, without specific conditions like “danger”, was exceedingly rare.

But it was also a finicky ability.

The future was abstract.

The future he saw was like a blurred painting.

The further into the future, the harder it was to discern.

That’s why, in the case of Oracle, multiple precognitives pooled their visions and interpreted them together.

But the near future.

Just a few seconds ahead.

It was relatively clear and certain.

Mackel saw a blinding white light engulfing him.

Not the present, but three seconds into the future.

The moment he saw that future.

Mackel clutched the document bag to his chest and rolled on the ground.

“Gah!?”

That choice saved him.

If he had hesitated even for a moment, he would have been swallowed by the light and roasted to a crisp.

The light flashed before the sound.

Then came the deafening roar.

The spot where Mackel had been just moments ago was now charred black.

The wall was breached, and a cloud of dust rose beyond it.

“You dodged it. Not bad.”

A deep, heavy voice rumbled.

A shadow loomed through the dust like fog.

Mackel swallowed hard. That voice. A voice etched into his memory. A voice he could never forget.

“Hoh, you…”

Sparks crackled around his messy, unkempt yellow hair. 

Thud. 

The footsteps stopped. Kallad narrowed his eyes.

A middle-aged man, looking like a dust-covered rat. His face was familiar.

“Mackel, was it?”

“Ka, Kallad!”

The captain of the 2nd Division! 

Mackel was horrified. His face turned pale, devoid of color. He never expected a captain to come personally. He glared at Kallad with trembling eyes. Mackel hesitantly reached into his pocket.

Though shocked, he had always prepared for the worst-case scenario. He hadn’t forgotten. The tragedy of that day. The moment the Family’s glory was trampled.

‘The detonator… good, no issues.’

The building, including the underground, was rigged with high-powered explosives in multiple locations. 

Detonating them wouldn’t do much to the man in front of him. The bombs weren’t meant for offense. 

Their primary purpose was to collapse the building. Demolition. A method used to tear down structures. Originally, he had planned to detonate them after escaping, but…

‘If the building explodes and collapses, even this man might show an opening. I’ll escape at that moment. If I foresee the future and act accordingly, it should be possible.’

Mackel swallowed dryly and looked up at Kallad.

Kallad was staring at him with an expressionless face.

“I can hear your brain working from here. Stop with the pointless thoughts. If you want to live, that is.”

“Hah, how dare a hunting dog of the old humanity like you order me around!”

“Still as loud-mouthed as ever. It’s so consistent it’s not even funny.”

Despite his words, Kallad let out a faint chuckle.

Veins bulged on Mackel’s forehead.

It was clearly a mocking laugh.

“I have a rough idea of what you’re planning. I told you, didn’t I? Stop. You won’t be able to escape here anyway.”

“You said that back then too. So, did you catch me that day?”

“I let you slip. That’s why I don’t plan to make the same mistake again.”

Kallad raised his hand. Mackel flinched and tried to press the detonator. But Kallad’s hand wasn’t aimed at Mackel—it was aimed at the wall. Mackel looked puzzled. 

The future he saw showed Kallad destroying the wall, not attacking him.

Crash! 

The wall collapsed in an instant.

The flash of light destroyed the wall, and the wall beyond it.

The lightning stretched out, creating a passage to the outside.

“See it?”

Kallad spoke indifferently.

Mackel reflexively looked at the breached wall.

And then he gasped.

“Wh, what…!?”

A massive vortex.

A storm that swallowed everything.

A whirlwind surrounded the building.

“You can’t escape from me. Even if you miraculously get away, you won’t be able to break through that wall of wind.”

“Y, you don’t mean… the captain of the 4th Division is here too…?!”

“If you flee underground where the wind can’t reach, you might have a sliver of hope. I’m sure the secret passage connects to the underground, right?”

“H-huh?!”

As if asking how he knew that, Mackel’s gaze met Kallad’s cold, diamond-like eyes.

“Do you know why I’m kindly explaining all this? Because it’s annoying. Having to deal with your futile resistance every time. 

Your thoughts are predictable. You’re planning to collapse the building and escape in the chaos, aren’t you? 

What you’re holding in your pocket is a detonator, right? You used the same method back then, but I don’t believe you seriously think it’ll work again this time.”

“Y-You…!”

“We secured the underground first. Surrender. I promise to spare your life.”

Kallad glared at Mackel, whose face was filled with despair, and inwardly frowned.

Are they not showing up?

Where is the boss, who was presumed to be a Devil?

Kallad stroked his chin and looked down at Mackel. He was trembling, as if he was about to press the detonator at any moment. 

The building collapsing right now would be quite troublesome. There were still many things here that needed to be investigated.

‘First, I’ll make this guy spill everything he knows.’

◈

District 25.

Two of the Family’s hideouts were hidden there.

One was in a remote, sparsely populated area on the outskirts.

The other was near a bustling commercial district close to a transportation hub.

The 5th and 6th Divisions moved to the outskirts.

The 7th Division and the Sacred Knights headed to the commercial district.

The subjugation was going smoothly.

No, “smoothly” was an understatement.

The pinnacles of humanity had personally stepped in.

The battles didn’t even properly begin.

“…There’s no Devil here.”

Azazel grumbled while hugging a rabbit plushie.

The teddy bear she had been using before had met its fate, spilling its stuffing.

Now, it was buried in the front yard, and she held a daily memorial for it.

“If I ever meet that Astaroth, I’m definitely going to crush them.”

She muttered with a growl. Her appearance was so childlike that it wasn’t particularly threatening. 

Especially since she was cradling a plushie so preciously. If anything, it just made her look like a kid awkwardly trying to act like an adult, which was rather cute.

“…”

Elijah silently watched Azazel.

Her crimson hair swayed in the wind, obstructing her vision.

Yet, she didn’t even blink as she stared at Azazel.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Elijah turned away, saying she would handle the remaining remnants.

Her large figure strode away.

Azazel frowned as she watched Elijah’s retreating back.

‘That woman keeps looking at me with weird eyes sometimes…’

Despite her massive size, she always appeared behind her without a sound and stared at her with those creepy eyes. 

Seriously, what’s with that beast-like look? Can’t she control her hunting instincts when she sees my back?

Clicking her tongue, Azazel followed Elijah. If there’s no Devil here, we need to wrap this up quickly and move to support another location. If they’re not here, the chances are high they’re at another stronghold.

Another area in District 25.

A bustling commercial district near a transportation hub.

It was a place where people’s footsteps never ceased, but not today. Not a single civilian was in sight. The people here were divided into two groups: the Celestial Corps and the Family. The only exception was the captain of the Sacred Knights.

“Nothing here.”

Johan flicked his sword as if shaking off blood.

The golden blade was spotless, without a single stain.

He frowned and glanced around the area.

“No Devils, no abducted people.”

“That’s right.”

True to being a major Family stronghold, the resistance was quite tenacious. It was a desperate struggle, but it was quickly suppressed once Kaen and Johan intervened. Kaen bit her lip as she watched the captured Family fanatics being taken away.

‘Something’s off…’

Kaen pulled off her gloves, lost in thought.

The sound of her gloves creaking echoed softly.

‘Why does this feel so unsettling?’

The plan was proceeding without any major issues.

Yet, Kaen felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

It didn’t feel right. And the instincts of a captain-level supernatural couldn’t be ignored. It was the intuition of a superhuman among superhumans. 

While it couldn’t compare to future sight, their instincts could sometimes glimpse into the future. Kaen trusted her instincts. She didn’t dismiss it as a mere mistake.

‘Something’s going to happen.’

She didn’t know what, but she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. She had to prepare.

Kaen moved quickly, as if being chased by something.

First, she needed to finish cleaning up this place.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Feeling uneasy? Why would you?

Is it because some devil is pinpointing you and trying to fight you?

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Yes officer, that tall woman is the suspect.