Ch.86Did they really run off?

# 1.

Time goes back to a moment ago.

“For now… for now, don’t cry. On the day we complete our revenge, you can finish your tears.”

At the moment when Gwangmyeong reunited due to Balkan’s sincerity and the team members’ confessions.

【Bad Ending 10 – <The Dissolution of Gwangmyeong> has been prevented.】

The system window, as before, announced that the fate of the world had significantly changed.

However, this was like a goddess’s revelation, visible only to those qualified.

In this world, only the possessed ‘Nahan’ could detect the ‘system’.

“…!”

Selena, a hero specialized in detection who had been saved by Nahan through an Easter egg, faintly sensed that energy.

“…The Blue-Green Forest.”

“Hm? What’s that about all of a sudden?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but the <Black Wolf> is definitely there.”

Selena, the Hero of Detection.

Since she could survey the entire empire if she exerted herself, Asha quickly composed her remaining emotions and asked:

“What’s the probability of a mistake?”

“None. It’s definitely the Black Wolf.”

“Wasn’t it impossible to detect until now?”

Asha’s question was valid.

Selena had exceptional abilities as the Hero of Detection, but she had never been able to locate the Black Wolf’s hideout.

“Honestly, I don’t know either.”

Unknowingly following the system, she sensed a dark energy right in front of it.

“But… it’s definitely the Black Wolf.”

There’s no one else.

No other beings could emit such energy without any warning signs.

Selena hastily terminated her detection as the eerie energy continued to increase.

What Selena detected was the Black Wolf’s energy.

With the prevention of the 10th bad ending, even the last ultimate skill had been released, and she had caught the moment right after the release when the energy was being gathered.

However, unaware of this fact, Selena hugged herself tightly and muttered:

“Why on earth…?”

Until now, they couldn’t be found no matter how hard she tried, so why did they suddenly emit energy and expose their location?

“They must have noticed.”

Marine, who answered briefly, pointed to the mercenary list she was flipping through and glared at Balkan.

“How did you gather these?”

“I walked in through the front door, boldly.”

“Sigh… I knew it. No wonder you brought them back in bundles within hours.”

Security is vital for this kind of request.

Normally, it should be delivered directly to a branch manager and handled quietly.

“Thanks for the compliment, Marine.”

“That wasn’t one!”

Balkan was still Balkan.

Marine ignored Balkan, who was scratching his cheek, and said with a serious face:

“It’s definitely a declaration of war.”

“A declaration of war?”

“Yes!! They heard they’ve become our target and they’re up to something!!”

At Marine’s urgent cry, Asha, who had been listening, furrowed her brow and muttered:

“A declaration of war against us…?”

Gwangmyeong (Light).

A hero party composed of unprecedented powerhouses, each member equivalent to a nation.

For someone to openly declare war against them, whom even the Emperor was wary of.

If it were any other organization, they wouldn’t need to go all together; one person would be enough. But the opponent was also the Black Wolf, which had terrorized the empire.

‘All of us… no, we should take the Top 10 we’ve already recruited.’

After finishing her deliberation, Asha gathered her holy sword and artifacts and stood up.

“Exactly 30 minutes from now, I’ll use a medium-sized teleportation scroll.”

“A scroll? It’ll take a while to activate, and don’t you know a coordinate-fixing magic circle appears on their side the moment you tear it? I’d rather—”

“No. Grand Sage, please conserve your mana and focus solely on breaking the <Command>.”

It was a subjugation that had already been exposed, and the other side had even declared war.

“So they won’t run away.”

The other three nodded at Asha’s calm and systematic orders.

“True, they wouldn’t run after inviting us.”

“I’ll expand my detection range just in case.”

“I’ll!!! …go repair my shield.”

Though the Black Wolf subjugation started suddenly, it was something they were planning to do anyway.

“Let’s finish this as quickly as possible and then appease the soul of the priest who sacrificed himself for us.”

All members of Gwangmyeong strengthened their resolve.

“Black Wolf. I don’t know what you’re thinking by inviting us…”

We’ll cut off your heads,

And avenge the priest.

# 2.

And so, back to the present.

Yuria, who had crawled to Nahan in a prayer posture, opened her mouth with a sacred smile.

“We’ve been discovered by Gwangmyeong!”

“? What does that—”

【00:00:00.】

【Waiting time ended – <Medium-sized Teleportation Scroll (A+)> activates!】

BOOM!!!

Half of the hideout was blown away in an instant by the bluish teleportation magic.

The first voice heard through the hazy dust was, as always, Balkan’s:

“Come out, Black Wolf!!! We’ve come to avenge our friend, Ian Red!!!”

Behind that irritating voice, Gwangmyeong and three of the Top 10 revealed themselves.

“Pfft, what a shabby headquarters for such a reputation.”

Top 10 Rank 8 – Fallen Priest (S+).

“Hmm? They’re wearing masks now?”

Top 10 Rank 6 – Daytime Lynx (S+).

“…There’s a vampire too.”

Top 10 Rank 3 – Hunter (A+).

Unlike <Gwangmyeong>, whose power surged like waves just by standing there, the power that Shadow possessed was quiet and small like a pond, but,

“Protect the leader.”

“Yes, Vice Leader.”

It was sharp and threatening enough to make Lactea draw her sword immediately.

Moreover, among them, Rank 8 – Fallen Priest could discern the identity of his opponent:

“Oh? Are you perhaps Pedro?”

“Well, well, the one I was planning to judge someday has come to me on his own.”

Pedro, who had past connections, responded with a chilling smile.

“The vampire?”

“There, the one with the white mask and yellow head.”

“Confirmed.”

Rank 3 – Hunter, who discovered the vampire through the Fallen Priest, took out a stake and aimed it at Castler.

“Name?”

“Cold Heart.”

“…? Was there such a person? Well, it doesn’t matter since I’ll kill him anyway.”

In a situation where they were at a disadvantage from the start due to these two seemingly compatible opponents.

As the members’ vigilance heightened, the three women who were behind stepped forward.

The three gazes were directed at Lactea.

“Get ready, Marine.”

“It’s done.”

“Asha, begin.”

Just as their anger towards Ian Red’s enemy was about to burst forth without any filter.

Nahan, who was surrounded by the members, stepped forward and innocently asked:

“What brings such busy people here?”

The Black Curtain activated simultaneously with the question.

【Activating <Black Curtain黑幕 – 15%>.】

The flow of the battlefield suddenly changed.

A damp darkness seeped into the air, and at that moment, several of Gwangmyeong and the Top 10 unconsciously took a step back.

Under such vast energy, Asha calmly endured and asked in return:

“What trick is this?”

“Trick?”

“As soon as you heard about the subjugation, you revealed your location to us.”

What? Me?

“I did no such thing.”

Despite answering sincerely, Asha furrowed her brow and bluntly said:

“You’re still just playing with words.”

“It’s not wordplay—”

“Silence.”

Why ask if you’re going to tell me to be quiet?

As feelings of injustice welled up, but with no idea how to clear up the misunderstanding, Nahan could only watch.

Asha, drawing her holy sword and infusing it with holy power, calmly declared:

“Special Class Wanted Criminal, Black Wolf. For the massacre of innocent people, and furthermore, for the murder of the hero Ian Red… I hereby commence the immediate execution of all Black Wolf members.”

Asha’s eyes opened quietly.

【Holy Sword – <Light of the Beginning (SSS+)> awakens at the call of <Asha Mirabel (SSS+)>.】

【The opponent’s rank increases.】

【Hero勇士 – <Asha Mirabel (SSS+)> → <Asha Mirabel (Ex)>.】

Integration with the holy sword that awakened due to Ian Red’s death.

【Divine Artifact神器 Exclusive Skill – Unique Sword <Judgment of Light審判> activates.】

CRACK!

The sky split in an instant, and brilliant pure white energy gathered above the sword, forming another massive sword of light.

“…Damn, why were we even brought here?”

“So this is the difference of a hero…”

“The Cold Heart is warming up.”

While everyone was gaping in shock, Asha, before delivering the final blow, asked the Black Wolf:

“Any last words?”

Under the enormous pressure.

The leader of the Black Wolf – Black Wolf, still steadfast, smiled slightly and answered:

“Let’s bolt.”

“Excuse me, Leader?”

“I said let’s bolt.”

While the other members except Lactea froze in cognitive dissonance.

SLASH!

Lactea, who had deeply cut her own forearm, swung her arm to splatter blood on the members.

“Leader, set the coordinates.”

“Ah, what?”

“Confirmed. 【Transfer.】”

“Huh?”

All members of <Black Wolf>, who were designated as transfer targets using blood as a medium:

【Using Artifact – <Converter (A+)> to activate <Large-scale Teleportation (SS+)>.】

Successfully escaped.

As a result, it was Gwangmyeong, not the Black Wolf, who was left dumbfounded.

“…Run away?”

They called them here, and then didn’t even try to fight but ran away?

“Selena?”

“Uh, just a moment… I’m also confused…”

“…What, is this……”

With the brilliantly shining sword of judgment, Asha’s pupils trembled.

“…They really ran away?”

It was an event of a certain late afternoon.

# 3.

Meanwhile, at the Black Wolf’s location.

CRASH BANG!!

“Gack!!”

“I’ve caught, oof, you.”

“Are you alright, Ruby?”

“…Yes.”

“Phew… If it weren’t for the Lord’s command, we might have been in danger.”

“But we survived, right?”

“I almost warmed up.”

“Stop talking nonsense and take care of the leader first, Castler.”

“Yes, Vice Leader.”

The place where they arrived, thanks to Lactea’s escape and the coordinates set by Nahan, was—

“I’m fine… Oh? I hope you’ve been well, Your Majesty.”

The current Emperor of the Babylonian Empire,

“Yes, I’ve been well… No, is this really the time for greetings?!”

“Ah.”

It was Reina Babylonia’s bedchamber.