Ch.75Chapter 3. Where There Is National Pride, There Is Dueoksini (2)

I am a professional translator who is well-versed in various subcultural genres such as comics, animation, and games.

I am a person overflowing with consideration.

That’s why I try not to speak Korean to foreigners and instead use as much English as I can, and the same goes for Japanese people.

So I used Japanese.

My opponent is an oni, someone who came from Japan and calls himself Dueoksini.

“Y-you bastard…! You villain…! Damn…!”

What?

I’m wrong?

It doesn’t matter.

“You son of a bitch!! You goddamn bastard! I’ll tear you to pieces!!”

Dueoksini was furious.

“To treat me as an oni twice! And not just any oni, but using Japanese with me?! You’re treating me like a foreigner, not a Korean?!”

He was enraged that I denied the identity he claimed for himself.

“I cannot forgive you! Not only do you interfere with my drawing, but you dare insult me! Die, you son of a bitch!!”

Dueoksini took some kind of stance toward me.

[You!!]

Ymir tried to shout something at me from behind, but it was already too late.

“Die!”

Dueoksini charged at me with murderous intent.

His speed was almost close to light, and I had no choice but to take it—

KABANG!

I thrust my fist forward.

I pushed my fist forward along the visible trajectory, and I reinforced my body with magical power to protect my hand in case something collided with it.

KWABANG!

Something hit my fist and went flying.

Whatever it was rolled sideways like a pill bug, tumbling across the ground before disappearing.

[Huh…?]

[It seems we’ve each found our opponents.]

I approached Ymir and lightly tapped her shoulder.

[Can you handle the demon? I’ll leave the method up to you.]

[You’re leaving it all to me? Whatever I do with the demon, it’s my choice?]

[That’s right.]

This was something the usual Goblin would never say.

Whether demon or villain, I would execute any being that had gone berserk and lost its mind.

But.

If Ymir was truly the “protagonist,” if she was the only one in this world who could “purify demons.”

‘This is my final confirmation.’

If she was someone who pursued justice to guide the world on the right path, despite being a playboy with a harem of foreigners.

[Whether you kill the demon or take some other approach, I leave it to you. Well… you could also tie it up and let me kill it if you prefer.]

[That’s…!]

[We don’t seem to have time for a long conversation. Platinum Sun.]

“Graaah…!”

Dueoksini staggered to his feet.

Covered in wet sand from the seawater, he clutched his shoulder and squirmed. I stepped aside next to Ymir, standing back-to-back with her.

[I’ll be watching, lady.]

[……!]

Before Ymir could respond, I quickly struck my belt with my hand and raised my magical power.

“I don’t know how you noticed me, but next time will be different!!”

Dueoksini spread his arms to the sides, radiating malice.

Sharp blade-like protrusions emerged from his hands, each as sharp as a sickle.

[You talk too much.]

He’s probably going to use speed to attack again.

I spread my mana around me, held the end of my goblin club downward, and gathered my magical power.

[Hey, oni.]

There are two abilities I can draw out through my goblin club.

[Can you handle a Korean’s “ppalli-ppalli” (hurry up)?]

“I am Korean, you son of a bitch!!”

Dueoksini moved.

Simultaneously, the world seemed to flip and pause, and in my eyes, Dueoksini’s movements began to slow down gradually.

As if a video playing at 256x speed was being slowed to 128x, 64x, 32x, Dueoksini’s speed gradually decreased.

Correction.

I’m keeping up with Dueoksini’s speed.

I’ve precisely “recognized” the relatively fast speed at which Dueoksini was moving.

Is recognition alone enough?

No.

After recognition, I need to match my response to Dueoksini’s movements.

[Acceleration.]

The mana I spread around unfolds before me like a gate.

The mana swept over my body and passed behind me, and I leaped forward toward Dueoksini.

KABANG!

“What?!”

He protected his head with his claws in surprise.

I swung my club at his crown, intending to crush his head, but unfortunately, he reacted to my attack.

“H-how are you keeping up with my speed…?!”

[Simply moving quickly isn’t enough. Hey, oni. Is your premature movement just physical enhancement?]

“W-what…?!”

[If you’re just moving quickly through physical enhancement, you can’t defeat me.]

If he’s just moving at sonic speed through his own physical abilities, I can respond to Dueoksini as much as needed.

[I told you. I’ll show you Korean speed.]

“I’m Korean too, I said!!”

[I’ll show you ‘real’ speed.]

I moved the mechanism on my belt.

[Release.]

[Armor Purge!! READY!!]

Click.

The outer armor of the Doji Rider, like a suit of armor attached to my body, slightly detached outward.

[Let me show you. My second form.]

[B-B-B-BREAK!!]

With an explosion of magical power, I “shed” the form of the Doji Rider.

No, I transformed into a new form.

“W-what…?!”

[From now on.]

The form of a “tiger” wearing a black coat in the style of a helmet armor.

[I’ll tear villains to death.]

Goblin.

Type.

‘Taotie.’

* * *

Behind them, an incredibly fast battle was unfolding.

Ymir was slightly shocked that she could somewhat perceive but not precisely track the speed.

The ultra-high-speed battle between the Goblin and Dueoksini.

The shockwaves were certainly felt, but following the speed with her eyes was beyond her capability.

Simply because of the speed?

She wasn’t sure.

If they were moving at the speed of light, she wouldn’t be able to perceive it at all, but she could at least sense that they were exchanging attacks.

‘I’ll have to figure it out later.’

Whether it was Dueoksini or the Goblin, such abilities would certainly be incredibly helpful.

In situations where one needs to escape from others.

Or when someone needs to be rescued quickly.

Just like now.

“KYAAAAAAAH!!”

Ermina, now a being that should be called Naberius, was gradually shedding her human form and transforming into something new.

While maintaining a human form, her two arms each had heads resembling a dog and a crow, clicking as if trying to chew and devour something.

“You…!”

Red chains appeared over Naberius’s body.

Following the trajectory of the restraints Ymir had left, the chains became the only restraints covering Naberius’s body, with pale skin clearly visible beside the red chains.

“I will… kill you…!”

[How unfortunate, truly.]

Ymir quickly scanned her surroundings.

When she briefly extended her spiritual perception several kilometers, she began to sense the reactions of people rushing toward them after hearing the call of the demon’s appearance.

If there was even a slight delay, Naberius would surely become a demon, and then it would be beyond recovery.

[You should be grateful. That I’m here.]

Ymir put down the red rope, lightly dusted off her hands, and leaped forward.

KABANG!

Something darted out from the side trying to block Ymir, but soon a black tiger-like figure flashed by and struck away whatever was blocking her path.

A momentary flash of golden trajectory.

Beyond that familiar and warm magical power, Ymir charged straight toward Naberius.

“DIEEEEE!!”

Naberius began to create sonic booms simultaneously from her human mouth, dog mouth, and crow mouth.

The blade-like ultrasonic waves struck Ymir head-on, but Ymir didn’t avoid the attack and continued forward, colliding with it.

“Y-you…!”

[I’ll erase the demon inside you.]

Ymir’s right hand was dyed in brilliant golden light.

Her hand resembled that of a golden dragon, and it precisely penetrated Naberius’s abdomen.

PUHWAK!

No blood splattered.

What shot out behind Naberius was her magical power, and its color was a murky dark purple.

[Demons to hell, humans to this earth.]

As if making the sign of the cross, Ymir swept her left hand, then pulled back her right hand and retreated greatly.

[Heat, end!]

PUHWAAAAK!!

Something dark red was writhing in Ymir’s golden right hand.

The writhing tentacle-like mass struggled as if in agony, but trapped inside the golden sphere of magical power Ymir had created, it could no longer move.

[…And thus, the demon shall be purified.]

Saaah.

Dark purple mist flowed out from Naberius’s body.

Her hands returned to their original form, and she collapsed forward, naked with her hair turned white.

Thud.

A human, not a demon—human Ermina—fell naked on the beach.

She showed no movement, and Ymir tightly gripped the golden sphere in her hand.

[The seed of the demon, on this earth—]

[Enough.]

Someone grabbed Ymir’s wrist from the side.

[From here on is my part. You step back.]

[What? What about Dueoksini…? No, that form?]

[I drove him away. This is another transformation.]

The Goblin, with a fierce tiger-like appearance, grabbed the golden sphere containing the trapped demon.

[I saw potential in you. So…]

The Goblin briefly glanced at Ymir’s left wrist, then lightly patted her shoulder and took the sphere from her.

[Leave the rest to an adult, and you go live your life as a student.]

[You are…?!]

[Killing demons and villains isn’t the job of heroes.]

Crunch.

The Goblin, clutching the sphere, turned toward the people approaching from the distance.

[It’s the job of the villain executioner.]