Ch.2626. The Dragon King Squadron Reunites with the Red Dragon

The money-hungry thug who cut off my arm, Blue Saber Ji Se-hwa.

The power-obsessed ninja who betrayed me for my Switch, Silver Mirrored Shin Yukyong.

The weakling who joined them out of insecurity and desire for honor, Green Nature Choi Minseo.

The ill-tempered bystander with poor social skills, Yellow Cloaker Kang Yerin.

What a magnificent gathering.

The five of us haven’t been together since before Dark Arthur.

Of course, the situation is quite different now.

They’re the ones covered in wounds, while I’m the spectator holding their lives in my hands.

Those fools don’t seem to recognize this relationship.

Their dumbfounded faces are quite amusing.

It’s proof that my plan is proceeding well.

Still, I don’t want to waste unnecessary emotions.

“Red Dragon has defeated the Galaxy Empire’s executive! He proves he’s the strongest hero!!”

“Humanity still has hope! Reporting from Suwon! Now… What? Embargo? What does that—”

“W-we’re returning to the studio!”

The media helicopters are departing. The Association President must have hurriedly intervened, but it’s closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. The actual horse monster has already departed this world.

The surroundings grow quiet.

“…Ui-seok.”

Kang Yerin calls my name.

All four have deactivated their transformations. I’ve also deactivated mine and removed my helmet.

I’m not particularly curious about what these women are babbling about.

However, there is one person I have business with.

“I-I don’t know where to begin…”

Kang Yerin’s voice is trembling.

I maintained my expressionless face.

“…I’m glad you’re alive.”

Of course you are.

With your current skills, you couldn’t even catch one executive.

“H-hey. Is that really Jung Ui-seok?”

Ji Se-hwa steps forward.

This guy’s intelligence remains the same. What did he think after seeing my skills until now?

Is there really a need to ask again?

“Um, Ui-seok oppa.”

Choi Minseo steps forward. Her eyes look dead, but the corners of her mouth are turning up.

“I-I missed you so much. There’s so much I want to ask you, to hear from you. A-actually, you never really left, right? Right?”

Choi Minseo seems to be experiencing memory confusion.

That’s a good sign.

“To find you alive, heaven must be on our side. Jung Ui-seok. I have something to ask.”

Shin Yukyong meets my eyes.

“The Switches that the Dark Kingdom executives, including Excalibur, possessed. Is it true there are side effects when using them?”

This is ridiculous.

“Wait. That’s not what’s important right now.”

Kang Yerin glares at Shin Yukyong.

“It’s important to me. I might have been mistaken about this point.”

“And if you were?”

“I would apologize. I’m willing to reconsider other matters too. Depending on that, I might even rejoin Dragon King Sentai activities with Jung Ui-seok.”

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What? That laugh sounds familiar… No, that’s not important. So, what’s the story?”

“Does that make any sense? Yukyong! As the leader, I’m ordering you to be quiet!”

So Kang Yerin is the current leader of Dragon King Sentai.

“The fact is that we betrayed Ui-seok and tried to kill him—no, we actually did kill him! It’s a miracle he’s alive! Didn’t you just see? Ui-seok fought and defeated Pegasus with that body! The right thing to do is apologize first!”

Shin Yukyong responded expressionlessly.

“I was taught to kill feelings like regret, sympathy, and sadness, and never show them. My clan taught me to express only emotions necessary for battle.”

“Then shut up. The Switch doesn’t matter right now.”

Kang Yerin growls.

“Wait. Why are we talking about putting Jung Ui-seok back in Dragon King Sentai? He must hate me, hate me…”

Ji Se-hwa protests. He glances at me from the corner of his eye. I look back at him. Feeling my gaze, he grinds his teeth.

“Yeah. I lost my arm too. To those villains. You must have a prosthetic under that suit too. We’re in the same boat now. Does that make you feel better? Is it funny?!”

Ji Se-hwa deliberately raises and waves his left arm.

Nice prosthetic he’s got.

“Don’t provoke Ui-seok. Um, Ui-seok. As you’ve heard, I’m currently the leader of Dragon King Sentai.”

Kang Yerin continues.

“As the representative, I sincerely apologize for what we did to you. I’m truly… truly sorry. You probably can’t forgive us. No, you definitely can’t. I’m not trying to make excuses.”

Kang Yerin’s breathing becomes increasingly rapid, and her voice trembles.

“If you want, I’ll issue a statement officially acknowledging our guilt. I have evidence too. You seem to have some as well… I’ll work to restore your honor and put everything back in its rightful place. So, so…”

Kang Yerin can’t continue.

All four are focused on my face.

I relaxed my facial muscles and slightly raised the corners of my mouth.

Seeing this, the four seem half-convinced.

I raised my right fist forward.

It’s the fighting gesture Dragon King Sentai often used during training.

The pose where we would bump fists to encourage each other.

“Ah…!”

Seeing my attitude, the four’s faces brighten.

The four people gradually approach to bump fists with me.

I slowly turned my fist in the opposite direction.

Top to bottom.

Bottom to top.

And then.

“Fuck off.”

I raised my middle finger.

……

As if time had stopped, the four froze in place.

I was trying to spare my words.

But listening to them, I can’t help getting heated up.

Ironically, hearing their nonsense makes me realize how much humanity I once had.

My veins feel like they’re about to burst through my skin.

My heart is burning.

Shin Yukyong was the one who broke the silence.

“I understand you’re angry. You always had a lot of anger…”

“You understand? Did your clan kill your intelligence along with your emotions?”

“What?”

“Have you ever died?”

At my question, Shin Yukyong closed her mouth.

“I have a lot of anger? Haha. In all of human history, only one saint ever forgave those who killed him. That’s why he’s a saint. Do I look like that saint to you?”

“Ui-seok, we’re not asking for forgiveness…”

“What are you saying?”

I cut off Kang Yerin’s words.

“If you’re not asking for anything, why speak to me at all? Isn’t it pointless to string together words so pathetically?”

“Are you playing petty word games?”

Ji Se-hwa interrupted. I shook my head.

“What a shame.”

“What is?”

“Where did you lose your arm? I should have been the one to cut it off.”

Ji Se-hwa tensed up and gulped.

“Let me correct one big misunderstanding you all have.”

I declared.

“I was lucky to survive. Yet I still came out to fight. Do you think I came to throw away the precious life I barely held onto? No. I came to survive. If I don’t defeat the Galaxy Empire, I’ll die anyway, right?”

“That’s…”

“I don’t care about justice or peace anymore. Your childish hero games make me sick, and I’ll never look at them again. Get lost. Just hearing ‘Dragon King Sentai’ makes my stomach turn.”

Thud. Choi Minseo collapsed as if her legs had given out.

“Kang Yerin. I don’t need any hero’s honor. Do whatever you want with my corpse—roast it, cook it, eat it.”

Of course I don’t need such things anymore.

I’m going to become the lord of evil now.

This world will be ruled by villains, not heroes.

I’ll make it so.

“While we’re at it, I’ll answer your question too, Shin Yukyong. The Switches. The answer is yes. I saw you getting badly beaten by some pathetic villain organization on the broadcast. I told you, didn’t I? You can’t handle them. I still can’t sleep at night because of those side effects.”

“Then why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“I was afraid you’d feel guilty. I thought you’d think I was demanding sacrifice. She actually did. Now I see how stupidly I misunderstood you all. Haha. To think I called such creatures my comrades.”

“……”

“I’ll also answer that nonsense you spouted on the ship. Ji Se-hwa. Now that you’ve fought without me, do you understand how dangerous those monster executives are? You must have seen an executive die for the first time—did you see how Pegasus still used his finishing move even after his head was blown off? Go try to finish him off. Want to donate your head too? Did you think it was easy when I finished off the Dark Kingdom executives?”

“That’s…”

“And about my anger and monster consumption. How many times did I tell you it was a condition to maintain my abilities?”

“…Still telling that lie. No hero has such an ability.”

Shin Yukyong objected.

I can only sigh.

“Then was there ever a hero as strong as me?”

“…No.”

“When Somi was here, she understood me and covered for me. I thought of you as comrades. I believed you would support me, maybe not as much as her. But look at this. You saw my behavior and thought I was a villain? You just believed the Association President and killed me?”

“…Ui-seok, it was wrong of us not to understand you as well as Somi did. Somi was the heart of Dragon King Sentai.”

Kang Yerin babbles.

“Come to think of it, things started falling apart when Somi… from that time…”

“And you women knew that well.”

Hearing that name from Kang Yerin’s mouth makes me feel like my Adam’s apple is about to pop out.

“Let’s say I can overlook you mocking my behavior.”

I clenched my fist. I glared at the four in front of me.

“How dare you insult Somi?”

They must have felt the intense killing intent.

All four are trembling.

Unable to hold back, Choi Minseo starts crying.

I can also see Shin Yukyong’s lower body gradually getting wet, vulnerable to fear.

“Well, thanks to you all, I’ve had time to reflect. It’s certain that you four are the most talented individuals I carefully selected for their hero potential.”

I look down at them.

“But my judgment of character was garbage. So I’ve been more careful in choosing my current comrades. They’re more capable than you and have better character.”

“C-comrades…? New comrades…?”

“Yes. They might lack some knowledge or culture, but they’re much more honest and cheerful. They’re loyal, and they’re kinder than I expected. Above all, they know how to greet properly.”

“Greet…?”

“Yes, greet.”

I folded my arms.

“You four. When you met me, shouldn’t your first words, putting aside all other nonsense and flowery language, have been ‘I’m sorry’?”

No one answers.

“I asked you a question.”

“…I was going to say it.”

Kang Yerin mumbles.

“They said thank you.”

“That’s…”

“Consider our position too! I still don’t know if what you’re saying is true! Suddenly a dead person appears and defeats an executive, but that doesn’t change your character—how can you demand an immediate apology!”

Ji Se-hwa shouts.

Well, that was quite a good response for him.

There wasn’t a single curse word.

He even tried to include content to persuade me.

Knowing Ji Se-hwa as a person, I can see how much he’s compromising.

Well.

I don’t give a fuck.

“I have neither the need, the time, nor the desire to consider your position or be understood by you. Whether it’s apologies, honor, or whatever else, I have nothing to give you or receive from you anymore.”

I declared.

“So get lost. Don’t ever appear before me again.”

Choi Minseo began crying audibly.

“…I want to apologize.”

“I said I don’t need it.”

I pushed Kang Yerin away.

“Won’t you even give us a chance to talk?”

“Let me see. Have I been too harsh?”

At those words, all four focus on me.

I turned to Ji Se-hwa and said:

“Since Ji Se-hwa’s left arm is already gone, I’ll accept an apology from whoever brings me his right arm. First come, first served.”