Ch.204Episode 39. The End of a Fateful Connection (5)

* @ *

BOOM!

“Kyaaah!!”

“Uwaagh!!”

Countless explosions and screams engulf the world in despair.

As Yujin had warned, Association Chairman Sung In-hyuk mobilized as many heroes as possible, but controlling the simultaneous attacks by numerous villains across all regions was no easy task.

The biggest problem was that they were facing civilians who had consumed eX potion. Now that an eX countermeasure potion existed, they had no choice but to focus on subduing rather than killing them.

“Damn it! These Akcheon bastards…!”

Chairman Sung In-hyuk slams his fist on the table, cracking it.

“Chairman, may I come in?”

“Enter.”

At the Chairman’s word, his secretary immediately entered.

“What’s the situation?”

“The heroes are responding immediately, but it’s not easy. Fortunately, most civilians who drank the eX potion are non-ability users, so with enough time, subduing them shouldn’t be a problem.”

“We don’t have the luxury of time. Request support from the S-rank heroes in their assigned sectors.”

“Understood.”

“Have we located the Akcheon executives?”

“Yes. They’ve all gathered in Seoul, confirmed.”

“Gathered together?”

‘Do they have a specific purpose? If they wanted to throw the entire country into chaos, wouldn’t it be more efficient to spread out…?’

Though Sung In-hyuk knew he needed to make quick decisions, he couldn’t help but hesitate as questions kept arising in his mind.

‘Come to think of it, how did Yujin know Akcheon would make a move?’

“What’s Yujin’s current location?”

“Hero Yujin has gone to Taean alone, confirmed.”

“Taean…?”

‘What’s in Taean? Something that would make Yujin go there…’

The Chairman was reviewing possibilities from the secretary’s report when his eyes suddenly widened.

“Student Yeon Mu-hui’s family is there.”

“Pardon?”

Buzz—!

The mobile phone on his desk vibrated. The Chairman quickly answered.

“This is the Chairman.”

[Chairman! We’re receiving numerous support requests from heroes assigned to guard the families of Special Class students!]

“What did you say?”

Thanks to the coincidentally timed report, his suspicion turned into certainty.

‘So Akcheon is targeting either the Special Class students or Yujin. That means we can’t leave Yujin alone. Even for someone like Yujin, facing all of Akcheon’s executives at once won’t be easy.’

“Immediately send hero reinforcements to the Special Class students’ families, and call the Chungcheong branch to send any available personnel to the address I’ll provide.”

“Understood.”

‘First, we protect Yujin. If Yujin dies, we might lose this fight.’

The Chairman wiped away cold sweat as he contacted the Academy to order protection for the students.

* @ *

Tap!

Ha Yu-ri stepped on the rooftop railing and jumped. She could feel herself getting closer to her destination.

Peeeeeng—!

“!”

Seeing the beam of light rushing toward her, Yu-ri flinched but calmly activated her ability.

「Ice Wall」.

The cold air bursting from her hands instantly created an ice barrier.

Crack!

The light beam couldn’t penetrate the high-density ice wall.

“Who are you people?”

Yu-ri landed on the building rooftop and looked in the direction the light beam had come from. There were countless people standing there, looking down at her.

“S-rank hero Ha Yu-ri, correct?”

Starlight, holding the 「Zodiac Slaughter Sword」 that gleamed white in the starlight, asked as if confirming. Yu-ri recognized him as Akcheon’s Starlight from his white hair and the zodiac numbers embedded in his sword.

“Seriously… that bastard Yujin…”

‘I’ll make him pay double for this debt…!’

Yu-ri clicked her tongue and took out her mobile phone. Watching her operate the phone, Starlight spoke leisurely.

“Calling for backup?”

“Why would I need backup against trash like you? Worthless pieces of shit.”

After saying that, Yu-ri spoke to the person who answered her call.

“You’re student Yu A-ri, right?”

[Huh? Ah, yes.]

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can come right away. It seems these villain bastards came prepared. If you’re really worried, you should go yourself. You’ve got your license, so no one will say anything to you.”

[Ah… Okay. I understand for now.]

After hearing the response, Yu-ri immediately hung up and sighed. She counted the silhouettes and sighed again.

“Haa. Why are there so many of you?”

She irritably shook her hair while grumbling.

“Hey. With so many people here, how about we fight somewhere else?”

“Why should we care about other people?”

As Starlight raised his sword, the executives and organization members who took it as preparation for battle drew their weapons.

“Seriously, what fucking bastards.”

Yu-ri clicked her tongue as she emitted cold air.

“Fine. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll specially tear off just one of your limbs.”

「Blizzard」.

As Yu-ri revealed her killing intent and used her technique, the temperature around them dropped rapidly, and fierce snow clusters began to pour down.

“You’d better prepare yourselves. I’m very pissed off right now.”

Even the executives, not just the organization members, flinched at her aura.

‘So this is what it means to be Korea’s #1 hero.’

Starlight pointed at her with the tip of his sword.

“Kill her.”

At his command, both executives and organization members began rushing toward Yu-ri.

* @ *

“Urgh…”

Michelle, who had been urgently evacuating, allowed Tantang of the Big Dipper to land a blow, resulting in a large laceration on her side.

“Let’s end this quickly. I just need to kill you.”

The heroes who had been protecting Michelle and trying to take her to the Academy were already fallen, cut down by Tantang. They were still alive but too severely injured to continue fighting.

“Think I’ll die that easily?”

“Hmph!”

Tantang of the Big Dipper kicked off the ground and closed the distance.

「Fire Wall」.

Michelle hurriedly created a barrier of fire, but it couldn’t block Tantang’s strike.

「Beheading」.

The sword he swung spewed a fierce stream of water, cutting through the barrier Michelle had created. Despite quickly twisting her body, the sword strike reached her, leaving a large wound on her shoulder.

“Ugh!”

‘Damn it, bad elemental matchup…!’

Michelle staggered, clutching her shoulder. Gritting her teeth to endure the pain, she steadied her breathing. Watching Tantang approach, she straightened her posture, putting strength into her legs.

“Just die already.”

She gathered her energy, determined to take down Tantang before dying.

‘I’m sorry, Yeonhwa. Really…’

As she was about to use her technique while thinking of her daughter, a white-haired woman holding a long spear appeared above Michelle’s head.

“「Mountain Spear Strike」.”

“Kuk?!”

Shunk!

Tantang was startled. Despite reading the spear’s trajectory perfectly and defending, the spear tip had pierced his shoulder.

Tap!

The woman with the spear landed in front of Michelle.

“You are…?”

Kang Su-jin. Hero name: Sayo.

She was Jeong I-yeon’s mother and one of the strongest heroes in Korea after the S-ranks.

“Nice to meet you. Are you Michelle?”

Kang Su-jin spoke while keeping her eyes on Tantang. Michelle looked up cautiously at the woman standing confidently with a straight posture.

“You know my name?”

“Yes. My daughter contacted me. She said her friend’s family might be in danger.”

“Your daughter?”

“Ah, I’m the mother of Jeong I-yeon, a student at Aegis Academy. I heard you’re Gu Yeonhwa’s mother. Is that right?”

“Yes. In the Special Class… ugh…!”

She couldn’t finish her sentence as dizziness hit her from the pain of her recently cut shoulder.

“Special Class…”

Kang Su-jin muttered once and then readjusted her spear.

“It seems the villains are targeting the families of Special Class students. The reason probably…”

‘Must be because of Yujin.’

Kang Su-jin’s brow furrowed as she recalled the fierce battle in Jeju Island.

She had realized Akcheon was on the move after learning that the villain who attacked her home was Mungok of the Big Dipper.

“I think they were planning to kill us to draw out Instructor Yujin.”

“Yujin?”

“…Let’s talk later. First, we need to deal with these villains.”

Kang Su-jin concluded the conversation as she watched Tantang approaching.

“Please take a potion and rest. This will be over soon.”

As she said this, various cuts were visible all over Kang Su-jin’s body. These were wounds from her fight with Mungok.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m fine. This is nothing.”

Kang Su-jin walked leisurely toward Tantang, even showing the composure to smile.

“I’ll kill you, hero.”

“I’m not sure who’s killing whom, but I don’t have time. I’ll end this in one strike.”

Tantang charged at Kang Su-jin’s provocation. As soon as he entered her attack range, she swung her spear.

“「Wild Chaotic Strike」.”

“「Clear Mountain Stream」.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spear blade and sword blade clashed violently as the melee continued. She tried to change trajectory to target openings, but each time, the sword blocked her path.

‘Indeed. He’s not a fool, is he? At this rate, everything will be blocked. In that case… I’ll have to break the weapon itself.’

Clang! Clang! Clang!

While swinging relentlessly at high speed, Kang Su-jin saw her opportunity, changed her grip, and used a skill amid the chaotic strikes.

「Mountain Dragon Strike」.

Crack!

Tantang immediately reacted, trying to parry her spear with his sword, but the unexpectedly powerful force shattered his sword.

And the strike, not stopping at breaking the sword, carved off Tantang’s arm.

“Gaaah! My arm…!”

“Someone as obviously weaker than Yujin couldn’t possibly block my strike.”

Kang Su-jin said as she took a thrusting stance.

“Stay down. Until the heroes come to take you away.”