Ch.97Chapter 4. The Dignity of S-Rank (5)

A clear sky.

Tae Jo lay sprawled in the middle of the road, looking up at the sky.

“Damn it.”

He had lost cleanly.

If someone had witnessed this battle, they might ask how an S-rank fight could end in a single blow, but in battles between true masters, the outcome is often decided instantly.

Especially when there’s a significant skill gap—

“Damn it!”

Tae Jo pounded his fist against the ground.

Others might say he was being a sore loser, but Tae Jo couldn’t swallow his frustration.

“I couldn’t see it…!”

Even if the Goblin’s movements were unpredictable, as the Goblin said, other S-ranks would at least be able to read those movements.

But he couldn’t react.

He managed to protect his body just before the punch connected, but his suit’s connection points all burned and exploded, scattering pieces everywhere.

“Hah….”

Tae Jo used his ability again to gather the remnants of his suit.

The suit, scorched by the magical explosion, was severely damaged, with too much destruction to the front section to wear it again.

“Complete defeat.”

He had originally come to chase Juliana, but after being defeated by the Goblin, that didn’t matter anymore.

“S-rank detector…. Hah.”

The Goblin’s words kept echoing in his mind.

No one would dare say such things to his face, but on the dark web and behind his back, everyone talked.

-Korea should make fighting Tae Jo part of the S-rank evaluation.

-If you can beat Armored Taejo, you’re S-rank.

-Yeah, your hero Tae Jo is below~

-Stronger than A-rank but weaker than S-rank, so he’s A.5-rank, right? lol

S-rank detector.

He had tried to escape that evaluation, but couldn’t shake it off.

“Argh!!”

There couldn’t be any clue.

If there was one, it would be what the Goblin had said before leaving….

-If you only rely on your suit, that’s as far as you’ll go.

“Hah…!”

Tae Jo covered his face with his hands.

This heavy steel armor was his protection, his weapon, and simultaneously his “symbol.”

To abandon it meant being reborn as a completely different being.

“He’s wearing a fancy suit himself…!”

Tae Jo got to his feet.

“Fine, if you’re so great, let’s see you answer for this!”

A moment of lying down and whining was enough.

“Damn it, I know it’s pathetic to chase after someone who just wiped the floor with me…!”

Rumble rumble.

“First, I need to get my genes back before I start complaining…!”

Something began racing down the road from the south.

“Come to me—!”

The suit surrounding Tae Jo flew backward and attached to a massive heap, and Tae Jo leaped high to land on what appeared to be the head of this mass.

Boom!

Standing on the pile of scrap metal, Tae Jo grabbed the handles extending from both sides and concentrated with all his might.

“Armored Taejo! Made contact with Juliana! After battle with Goblin… lost track of Goblin! Currently in pursuit!”

A defeat is a defeat.

“Will prioritize suppressing the mob to prevent further casualties caused by Juliana! Over!”

Screech!

The massive heap of scrap metal began racing down the road.

* * *

After leaving Gangneung, I entered Yangyang.

The road to Yangyang Airport was well-paved, and I could check the situation around Gangwon Province with one hand on the handlebar and the other using Juliana’s smartphone.

-Today on Highway No… in Gangwon Province, a landslide has occurred and the road is being controlled….

While information for the general public was strictly controlled.

-Looks like those Hwalbindang bastards caused trouble? Tons of gunshots in Gangneung.

-Must be The Marksman? If it’s live ammo, are we going to be mobilized to pick up casings again—

-Villains cause accidents and citizens clean up after them Thinking about our taxes going to these guys when they’re detained makes my blood boil.

-Wish all those villain bastards would just die.

Because of the noise, information was leaking through anonymous communities.

Though the information quickly disappeared and was censored, those monitoring the situation in real-time knew something had happened.

-But how do you know it’s Hwalbindang?

-I won’t give you the answer you want.

-Come on, stop joking.

-Just a guess. Who else would do something like this besides Hwalbindang?

Or perhaps the government was deliberately leaking information that it was Hwalbindang’s doing.

Amid this unclear situation, confidential information inaccessible to individuals would surely contain real-time updates about me.

-Goblin is moving by motorcycle with Juliana!

-Armored Taejo has been defeated!

-Final destination is presumed to be Yangyang Airport! Send support immediately!!

With the villain alert sounded and my image caught on surveillance, heroes would be moving quickly.

And I had already figured out that information through Qiongqi.

[Once you enter the airport, no one will look after you. You’ll have to get to the private jet on your own.]

“What do you mean?!”

[If I try to fight S-ranks while protecting you, I might be in danger too.]

Especially against the Princess.

If I had to protect Juliana and get her on the plane, my recently recovered magical power would hit bottom again.

“But, but you operate on contracts…!”

[I’m not exactly inclined to be kind to an escort I don’t particularly like.]

“Ugh…! You were so friendly in the car!”

[Friendly? Just because I was polite doesn’t mean I was friendly. And hasn’t the situation changed? If you hadn’t recorded that video, or at least if you’d stopped and not saved it when you were surprised, none of this would have happened.]

The truth is slightly different.

From the moment Juliana caused the incident, the government would have tried to seal off the airport, and if using Hwalbindang to block her failed, they would have tried to arrest her at the airport.

The appearance of the Goblin actually made escaping through the airport more difficult, but if we’re assigning blame, it all falls on Juliana.

[Let me ask you. What do you plan to do with Tae Jo’s genes?]

“……”

[Answer me.]

I applied the brakes.

“What are you doing?!”

Juliana was startled and urged me on, but I remained still with the brake engaged.

[I won’t start until you answer.]

“Ugh…! I was planning to have a child! Happy now?!”

[And Tae Jo’s wishes?]

“I can ask about that later after the child is born! Because a child can always—”

[Not worth hearing more.]

I released the brake and drove the bike again.

[Even when I’m bound by contract, sometimes I wonder. I follow because of the large sum contracted, but I question whether providing protection is really the right thing.]

“What, what are you saying?! Do you also think I’m wrong? Ha…! Ridiculous! What’s wrong with increasing the number of ability users?!”

[It is wrong. Ability users born without love, those born without love, have a greater chance of becoming demons.]

How many ability user children have become demons so far?

How many people have been killed by ability users who became demons?

[Do you have confidence to give enough love by yourself to children born without fathers?]

“……”

[Are you trying to give birth to a child, or an ability user?]

Though direct statistics might not exist, even now, somewhere, unloved children might be becoming demons and hurting people.

[You seem to have no idea how important loving parents are in a child’s development.]

“I, I can hire people with money for that…!”

[As I thought. You know nothing. Anyway… we’ve arrived.]

Screech.

I cut through the forest and drove the bike directly onto the runway.

[Get off.]

The bike’s fuel was depleted anyway, and as I jumped off, I threw Juliana to the ground.

“Kyaa!”

Though it was a rough action, Juliana, being an ability user, hugged her carrier and landed precisely on both feet.

“Isn’t this too much?! Suddenly…!”

[My job was to guide you to the airport. We’re at the airport. If you have feet, run to the private jet yourself. Or should I throw you into the plane?]

“You…! You’ll regret this! I won’t let this go!”

I could see a plane already waiting on the runway.

I pointed my chin toward the plane, and Juliana glared at me before running with her carrier.

Rumble rumble.

The private jet began moving toward Juliana as soon as it spotted her.

Clunk!

The door of the private jet opened, and a blonde foreigner emerged from inside. Juliana, holding her carrier, jumped high with strength.

[She jumps well. She could have jumped all the way from Samcheok without any problems.]

“Hey!!”

Juliana, now inside the plane’s entrance, raised her middle finger at me.

“Eat shit! I was a fool for trying to be nice to you!”

[My, my. No one was planning to give you anything. But more importantly….]

It’s quite unfortunate.

[It’s too early to feel relieved just because you got on the plane.]

A characteristic of mediocre ability users, one.

[Well, I got you onto the plane. If the plane can’t take off, that’s not my problem.]

She thinks she can jump from the ground to the plane’s entrance, but doesn’t consider whether the plane will actually be able to take off normally.

[The state isn’t stupid. They won’t just sit by and watch someone steal an S-rank’s genes.]

Splash!

A white net spread over the plane.

[…That’s.]

As soon as it touched the plane, frost formed on the exterior, and the plane was bound in place, unable to move.

I clenched my fist at the familiar magical energy.

[It’s been a while, Princess. Have you been eating well?]

“……”

On top of the plane.

A white-haired woman in a suit, who had been on top of the plane from the beginning, waved at me with an expressionless face.

“Date.”

[Huh?]

“Let’s have one last date, shall we?”

Click.

As Snow White snapped her fingers, a white ice net began to sparkle around me.

“Today, I’m going to end this tiresome relationship with you completely.”

[……]

Oh?

The look in Baek Seol-hee’s eyes is quite unfamiliar.

Right now.

She seems extremely pissed off…?

“Prepare yourself, Goblin. Today… I won’t let you escape.”

Whoosh—!!

The white ice net descended upon me.