Ch.2424. The Revival of the Red Dragon, the Truth Known to the World

Destruction is faster than creation, killing is quicker than giving birth, and succumbing to despair is easier than nurturing hope.

The air was already thick with frustration, permeating the breath of everyone present.

“What’s happening! Fifty days! You said fifty days!”

The Association Chairman paced anxiously, stomping his feet. The operation room monitors displayed the scene unfolding in Suwon.

Two massive castle-shaped airships floated in the sky. Combat monster soldiers descended to the ground one after another.

On the ground, a monster who appeared to be an officer was swinging a massive trident. He resembled a centaur with a horse’s lower body.

“I am Pegasus, First Knight Captain of the great Galaxy Empire! Those who show no gratitude for the Emperor’s grace and not even minimal respect deserve no mercy! Pay for your sins!”

“What’s Pegasus’s threat level?” Kang Yerin asked.

“Immeasurable… SSS+,” the operator replied. Like the Emperor, the combat power of the Galaxy Empire’s monsters was beyond comprehension.

“How many combat units?”

“Currently one hundred and ten. Still increasing. Each individual is estimated to be at S-class villain level.”

“Over a hundred S-class villains…” Ji Se-hwa bit her lip.

“Yerin, how are we responding? We still can’t use that equipment,” Shin Yukyong asked.

Kang Yerin fell into thought, though not for long.

“We haven’t been sitting idle all this time. We might not stand a chance against the Emperor, but we can handle an officer. Let’s go.”

“Are you serious? SSS+ class? He might be on Dark Arthur’s level…”

Yukyong’s legs trembled. Fear from their continuous defeats was consuming her body. Yerin looked straight into her eyes.

“We can win.”

Yukyong slowly nodded.

“All Association heroes, deploy. A-class and below will form squads to handle the combat monsters.”

Kang Yerin issued the order. The Dragon King Sentai began moving toward the mecha launch bay.

“Um, I… I don’t have to go, right? Haha.”

Akshi, standing in the hallway, asked while sweating profusely. Yerin shot him a contemptuous glare.

“At least take down some combat units. Don’t get in our way.”

“B-but I’m only B-class.”

“You’re garbage that tarnishes Red’s name.”

Yerin released a cold killing intent and moved on, as if time was too precious to waste.

The Dragon King Sentai boarded their mechas and quickly headed to the scene. On the ground, they could see the combat units maintaining formation around Pegasus as they advanced. Everything in their path was destroyed, leaving only corpses behind.

“Set mechas to auto-pilot to attack the enemy ships! We’ll drop down!”

Following Yerin’s command, the four members of Dragon King Sentai jumped from their mechas.

“Transform!”

The four simultaneously attached their switches to their transformation devices. Light enveloped each of them, and four warriors—Blue, Silver, Yellow, and Green—landed on the ground.

“Foolish ones who dared disrespect His Majesty! The proper course would be to thank him for his mercy and commit suicide, yet you show no gratitude!”

Pegasus roared with rage, his eyes blazing. The horse-like monster spun his trident above his head, creating powerful air pressure with just that motion.

“Dragon King Sentai has arrived! They’re facing off against the Galaxy Empire officer! The Dragon King Sentai is our only hope now!”

Media helicopters hovering in the sky were broadcasting their battle worldwide.

“I am not as merciful as His Majesty. I’ll bury all of you right here!”

Pegasus entered combat stance. Yerin took her position.

“Everyone, follow the formation.”

Shin Yukyong, Ji Se-hwa, and Choi Minseo nodded. Each channeled the power of the dragon. Weapons materialized in their hands—knuckles for Yerin, a sword for Se-hwa, a staff for Yukyong, and another staff for Minseo.

“Ooooohhh!!”

Pegasus charged. The battle began.

High-speed combat that ordinary eyes couldn’t follow. The Dragon King Sentai used their dragon powers, delivering strikes in the patterns they had practiced during training.

But Pegasus’s body was made of material from a distant universe, unknown to Earth. “Hardness” was an inadequate word to describe it.

What initially seemed like an even match gradually tilted in Pegasus’s favor. Their suits tore, helmets cracked. Blood flowed.

Weapons broke, and fists lost their sharpness. Their breathing grew ragged.

“Haa, haa.”

Yerin sensed it.

They couldn’t win.

The Dragon King Sentai would all die here.

Watching this, people around the world began to despair.

These were the four heroes known as the strongest in the world.

The reality that they couldn’t defeat even a single officer of the Galaxy Empire, let alone the Emperor himself.

The harbinger of doom, the end of days, was unfolding before their eyes.

“Ugh, kugh.”

Yerin looked around.

Buildings burning and collapsing. Monsters running wild. Citizens’ corpses littering the streets.

Se-hwa, Yukyong, Minseo.

All severely injured. Standing was all they could manage.

Death was approaching.

This would be the last sight she’d ever see.

She thought that if by chance they met after death, she would apologize.

Then realized that would never happen.

Because she wouldn’t be going to heaven.

She looked up at the sky.

One eye was so soaked with blood it wouldn’t open.

More monsters were still descending from the two airships.

Was this already hell?

Just as hope had almost completely left her body.

In her ear.

A voice she had heard before.

No, a voice she had heard hundreds of times.

“Apocalypse.”

[■EVE■ATI■■]

“White Plague.”

[L■■SAL■■DO]

A beam of light cut through the sky.

It instantly penetrated one of the Galaxy Empire’s airships.

Ping—

KWAAAANG!!

The airship exploded in an instant. But it didn’t fall. A pure white hole appeared in the space where the airship had been.

A void of absolute nothingness. True emptiness.

The void sucked in the airship, flickered, and disappeared in an instant.

Yerin’s eyes widened.

She knew what that was.

She couldn’t mistake that arrow of light.

Se-hwa, Yukyong, and Minseo who witnessed the scene were the same.

All had their mouths stupidly agape in disbelief.

Ping—

Before they could process what was happening, another shot fired.

The smooth, beautiful streak of white light, straight as if drawn with a ruler, annihilated the other airship as well.

“What! What’s happening!”

Pegasus was bewildered.

Yerin frantically looked around, searching for him.

That hero’s power.

The pure white bow and arrow that didn’t match the name Red.

“My goodness! What is that? Could it be! Everyone! Am I seeing things? Camera! Get a clear shot!”

“A hero is approaching Officer Pegasus! Red! He’s wearing a red helmet!”

“Oh my God. God hasn’t abandoned us yet.”

“R-Red Dragon!! It’s Red Dragon!! Red Dragon is alive! Right here! Standing on two feet!!”

Red Dragon.

He was standing there.

“Ah, aah.”

Yerin could only make choking sounds, as if struck with aphasia.

She felt like she was already dead and seeing hallucinations.

Se-hwa, Yukyong, and Minseo couldn’t believe what was happening before their eyes.

Twenty meters.

He was just that distance away.

Red helmet and hero suit.

He put away the bow of light he was holding and reached for his helmet.

Psshk—

Red Dragon removed his helmet.

There was a face they couldn’t possibly mistake, one they knew all too well.

Jung Ui-seok.

It was his face.

“…”

Ui-seok didn’t look at them. He showed not the slightest interest, as if no living beings existed there.

His pitch-black eyes were fixed solely on the monster.

“Another warrior? It doesn’t matter who comes! I’ll bury you all the same!”

Pegasus scraped the ground with his hooves, ready to charge and swing his trident at any moment.

“Ui-seok…”

Just as Yerin was about to call his name.

“No, no! Red Dragon!!”

Someone rushed out and ran toward them. It was a middle-aged man wearing a white coat and glasses. He grabbed Ui-seok’s waist and clung to him.

“You haven’t even recovered yet! Where do you think you’re going? You can’t fight! This time you’ll really die!!”

“…Dr. Hyun.”

Helicopter spotlights illuminated the two. Their conversation was being broadcast live worldwide.

“You were already half-dead after defeating Dark Arthur! And then you were caught in the spaceship explosion! Do you know how hard I worked to recover you from space and save your life?”

“I know. I’m grateful.”

“If you know that, then value your life! Why are you facing such a dangerous monster again…!”

“Because that’s my justice.”

With those words, Ui-seok gently removed the doctor. About ten people who appeared to be the doctor’s assistants came running.

“Doctor!”

“Doctor, it’s dangerous here!”

“You have to trust Red Dragon!”

The four members of Dragon King Sentai couldn’t understand the situation.

No, one thing was certain.

Ui-seok was alive.

Thanks to this doctor.

“H-hey.”

As Yukyong took a step forward, the doctor stepped between her and Ui-seok with a fierce expression.

“Get lost!!”

The doctor growled.

“You… Dragon King Sentai!! I’ve seen the battle records from the spaceship! I still have the video evidence! I’ve kept quiet because Red Dragon asked me to…!”

At those words, Yerin, Yukyong, Se-hwa, and Minseo all sensed it.

The moment their secret would be revealed to the world was now.

“To slander, betray, and kill Red Dragon who defeated Dark Arthur—you’re the worst, most despicable trash!!!”

The doctor shouted at the Dragon King Sentai, veins bulging in his neck.

That cry, filled with intense anger and sorrow,

pierced the hearts of all humanity around the world.