Ch.184Chapter 7. He Thinks He’s the Protagonist of a Shonen Manga (2)

Friendship, effort, love.

The media that helps children’s emotional development differs by country.

Korea established an academy on Sejong Island, focusing on education, teaching and caring for students from elementary to high school at Sejong Academy.

They used various cultural content as supplementary materials—collections of biographies, folk tales, stories about penguins who love to play, tales of red and yellow bugs—to teach children diverse lessons.

What about Japan?

Japan focused on manga content.

Children’s manga magazines often featured stories about kings, heroes, and protagonists’ victories.

The protagonist was always right, just, and never wrong.

Though “villainous” protagonists might have appeared, they didn’t—perhaps due to Ministry of Education censorship—and thus human wind instruments never came into existence.

Instead, those who displayed heroic behavior and righteousness became more well-known.

Though it might be somewhat ambiguous to call it a counterbalance.

While Korean heroes tend to prioritize the nation or care about patriotism, Japanese heroes often see themselves as protagonists from boys’ manga.

Just like now.

[Uwaaaaaa—!]

A purple giant runs across the waves, shouting.

One might think such an enormous body, tens of meters tall, would sink if running directly on the sea, but Susanoo crossed the Korea Strait effortlessly with his semi-transparent giant form.

Beep.

The Taegeuk Watch flashed, and soon a somewhat familiar face appeared on the monitors inside the passenger ship.

‘It’s the heroine.’

Japan’s S-class hero and original heroine, [Nadeshiko].

[I’m so sorry…! We tried to persuade and warn him multiple times, but he broke through the barrier and escaped! Please try to convince him!!]

The elegant black-haired beauty in a kimono bowed her head in apology.

Thanks to her tightly cinched belt, two droplet-like mochi wobbled at the upper part of her kimono, causing the agents to sigh at the sight.

“Ah, damn it. Can’t be helped.”

“Kids doing this stuff, it’s nothing new.”

Everyone sympathizes with Susanoo’s behavior.

That’s because they’re all ability users, and they’ve all gone through their own stormy adolescence just like Susanoo.

[Everyone, you understand the situation?]

Another person appeared on the monitor.

[It’s troublesome from the start, but this likely won’t end with just Susanoo. Please do your best. For now, Susanoo is…]

[Association President! Thunder Empress has rushed out!]

[Ah, damn it! Why now of all times!!]

The man who appeared quite aged, the Hero Association President, continued speaking with a face that looked ready to collapse.

[Internal agents, make sure Zenros doesn’t become agitated or escape! External agents, begin intercepting shock waves so the ship doesn’t rock! Remember! Our mission is to safely deliver every single Zenros member to Sejong Island!]

“Yes!!”

I joined in the resounding response and headed to my position.

The place I needed to manage was, of course, the room where Qiongqi was.

“…What a mess.”

Qiongqi looked up at the monitor, smacking her lips as if watching an entertaining movie.

“Got any popcorn? I might turn into a demon without it.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“Even if I’m going down, popcorn would be nice, right?”

“I’ll give you that. But there’s no popcorn in this room. Have some yakgwa instead.”

I took out some yakgwa from the emergency snack basket in the room and tossed it to her.

“Is this how I should be treated?”

“Yes. More importantly, of all people, Thunder Empress going to subdue Susanoo.”

I took out a piece of yakgwa for myself and put it in my mouth.

“Thunder Empress hates kids like Susanoo.”

“…She was quite temperamental, wasn’t she?”

“More than just temperamental.”

Thunder Empress isn’t a case who grew up on Sejong Island.

She’s an immigrant who lived abroad with her parents until age 15 before moving to Korea—a mixed-race person born to a Norwegian father and Korean mother.

And the cultural content she mainly consumed while growing up was…

-Hey! Stop! Take one more step and I’ll shoot lightning at you!

Korean morning dramas.

-I don’t know who your friend is, but your friend is a criminal! How dare you try to take a criminal away!

-It’s a misunderstanding!

“Oh, she can speak Korean? That’s unexpected.”

“The Korean Wave didn’t become popular for nothing.”

“She was shouting in Japanese at first.”

“Can’t resist those signature lines.”

Flash!

As the screen flickered, lightning struck from the sky.

The lightning instantly pierced Susanoo’s shoulder, causing him to falter and stop in place.

“Sh-she really attacked? Wow, that’s amazing. She’s so tough.”

“She warned him she’d attack if he crossed the line.”

Currently, aside from being a hero, Susanoo is an intruder who illegally crossed the border.

Because he’s a hero, and an emotionally sensitive “15-year-old,” he’s not treated as a criminal or international villain—if an adult over 20 had done the same, they would have been told to take responsibility for their actions.

-Y-you attacked me?!

-Of course! Do you know how tense our soldier brothers are because of you?! Get out now! Disappear from our waters!

-I can’t do that! I need to save my friend! I can’t believe he’s become a demon!! Until I see him with my own eyes, I can’t believe it!!

“This is bad. Looks like getting struck by lightning made him snap. Oh, maybe…”

“At least it’s a different person, so there’s no problem.”

The person in charge of the Japanese exchange student that Susanoo is looking for is probably having a terrible time, while I’m just leisurely watching this farce.

Ymir and Taowu are probably handling things appropriately without getting caught too.

‘But this is strange.’

Since this situation didn’t exist in the original work, judging by the Goblin’s information, there’s one strange point.

‘Battle God should be the one confronting kids like this, not Thunder Empress.’

Compared to the realistic and cynical Thunder Empress, Battle God Lee Jun-young is closer to a passionate, justice-filled character like Susanoo.

I thought Battle God would step in to handle this, like when he saved that person who was self-immolating in protest, but surprisingly, Thunder Empress took action instead.

“…Hmm.”

Perhaps responses are happening elsewhere.

Or maybe Thunder Empress had no choice but to step in.

There’s no good way to find out right now, but if there’s no choice—

“Hey, Agent Han.”

“Reporting for duty. No abnormalities during surveillance.”

“…You’re in better shape than usual.”

The man who entered the room without knocking—my superior while I’m disguised as an agent—pointed at Qiongqi with an expressionless face.

“Moving to the container. Follow me.”

“Should we move right now, sir?”

“…What’s with you? Usually you’re so clumsy.”

Is it a problem if I do my job too well?

Since I suddenly replaced someone, it’s difficult to perfectly imitate that person.

“…Seeing all this, I feel like I shouldn’t make any mistakes right now.”

“Hmph. Fine. Be ready in five minutes. Then we’ll move to the container. Ms. Jung Ji-won. Please cooperate.”

“Hmph…”

Qiongqi got up from the bed and straightened her clothes, and as I approached her, I whispered with just my lips.

-Why are we going to the container?

Snicker.

Qiongqi made a light gesture, signaling to me.

The slight upward flick of her hand was like pulling on a fishing rod when there’s a bite.

Right.

I knew they would make a move during this chaos.

Pandemonium.

* * *

At that time, on deck.

“Why can’t I go, sir?”

[Wait.]

Battle God Lee Jun-young pounded his chest in frustration at the Association President’s instructions.

“What if this provokes him and unnecessarily escalates into an international conflict?”

[If it escalates, it escalates. We’re not at fault. It’s Susanoo’s fault for charging across the sea in that giant form.]

“Mr. President! What if Susanoo becomes a demon?!”

[If he does?]

Jun-young’s heart sank at the president’s cold voice.

“Sir, are you possibly…?”

[Susanoo becoming a demon? If that happens, either Goblin or Platinum Sun will step in.]

“But an S-class hero becoming a demon is…!”

[Ahem.]

Jun-young bit his lower lip at the president’s warning.

“…I understand. But this is dangerous. That guy believes he’s right. He thinks saving his friend is justice. Are we going to keep blocking him like this?”

Crash!

Lightning struck again from the sky.

Susanoo grabbed the lightning spear and threw it behind him, where it fell into the sea.

“Ugh…!”

Boom!

Each time a lightning spear hit the sea, an explosion occurred.

As the electricity contacted the seawater, magical power exploded, continuously bursting the water’s surface.

[Look. He’s throwing them backward. That means he still has his reason intact.]

“But…!”

[Soon we’ll show him a video summarizing his so-called ‘friend’s’ villainous acts. Then he’ll understand. That the friend he wants to save is no longer a friend but a demon. Will he still call someone a friend after seeing how they killed people like toys?]

“……”

[Dealing with a close friend who has fallen into an irredeemable path of evil—it’s not common, but you’ll find it in classics. Yes, like in your case.]

“…Are you saying…”

Jun-young’s eyes darkened.

“That he might come too?”

[Yes. That’s why I’m telling you not to step in. According to intelligence—]

Whoosh.

The sound of a fighter jet echoed in the sky.

A Korean military jet narrowed the path as a warning, but a jumbo passenger plane with its entire body dyed red brazenly crossed over the Korea Strait.

And then.

Flutter!

Something jumped out of the passenger plane.

Jun-young immediately leaped high into the air, clenching his fist.

“It’s been a while, Jun-young!”

“You traitor!!”

The black-haired woman who jumped from the sky extended her leg downward, her qipao fluttering.

“It’s not betrayal! I just went where they paid more!”

“Lee Ye-ryeong!!”

Boom!

The air shook as the two S-class fighters collided in mid-air.

“Hmph.”

The black-haired woman with bun-styled hair, Lee Ye-ryeong, landed gracefully on the ship’s deck with both feet and gave a slight bow.

“Heavenly Demon has arrived.”

Former Korean S-class.

Current Chinese S-class.

Heavenly Demon Lee Ye-ryeong.

“…Wow.”

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

The original heroine has appeared.

‘Should I kill that one too.’

A heroine with the crazy setting of being a national traitor.

“Hmm.”

If she appears.

‘Heroine appears, then dies.’

The reader knows the answer.