Chapter 91

Chapter 92

The Birth of a King (1)

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never heard your real name.’

If she had the time.

She could have used that opportunity to recover the memories she had forgotten.

‘Mr. Bread, where are you now?’

If she had been just a bit stronger.

If she could have lived without being haunted by the past, she would have listened more carefully to his story.

‘It’s a harsh thing to say, but if we could talk just once more, I would sincerely apologize to you.’

But those complaints would eventually disappear into silence.

Facing that reality, she clutched her chest and quietly closed her eyes.

And then…

-Crackle.

A sound of glass breaking reached her ears.

Her eyes reflexively opened, and her hand, which was about to press the button, stopped and turned towards the sound.

Cracks began to appear unnaturally in midair.

The phenomenon, like a crack forming on transparent glass, felt almost familiar to Seolhwa.

Tesseract Vision. The dimensional control used by Shadow began to crack dimensions.

-Boom!

A sledgehammer burst through the crack, smashing the madman’s grip on her neck without mercy.

“Ah, aaaah! My, my arm!! My arm issss!!”

The hammer, weighing at least 10kg.

An old, feeble arm couldn’t withstand such a blow.

His shoulder dislocated, his bones twisted, and his flesh turned a deep shade of bruise from the impact.

“Stop whining. My original target was your head.”

Accompanying the voice that followed, Seolhwa’s gaze turned towards the man who walked through the crack.

Dressed neatly in a suit and tie, with a paper bag peeking out.

-Boom!

As the hammer in his hand fell to the ground with a thunderous roar, Seolhwa’s breath began to tighten.

“Why…”

Was this a vision before her death?

No, the one writhing on the ground was indeed the man who tried to kill her.

And the one wielding the hammer against him was the very person she remembered.

“Why are you here?”

“Promise.”

Clutching his head due to the aftereffects of dimensional leap, he spoke to her.

“I came to keep the promise I made.”

Just one word.

But a word that seemed to carry much meaning, one she believed she could understand.

“Promise… what promise…”

What was he talking about?

She had met him just a few months ago. The only real conversation they’d had was the old stories they shared on that ship.

Even if it wasn’t a complete farewell, they hadn’t made any promises.

‘No, it wasn’t that time.’

Promise.

A moment in her life she could never forget.

She thought that memory was erased by a transcendent being, but now that power had weakened, and with its source nearby, the memory was gradually returning.

‘Yes, we’ve all walked different paths but ended up here. Since we’ve met like this… let’s make a promise.’

A time when everyone still held hope.

A time when they believed the feelings they had for each other were genuine.

‘When the operation starts, someone here will probably die.’

But at least…

A time when they clearly expressed their will to not regret the path they would take, encouraging each other.

‘Conversely, some of us will survive. So… let’s make sure that those who survive fulfill the purposes we shared.’

Revenge, ideals, revolution.

If they were true to the organization’s principles, they would do everything possible to achieve those goals.

‘Isn’t that the least we can do to entrust our lives to each other?’

“You foolish person…”

But she abandoned that promise and those ideals for revenge.

Why did he step into this place to save a traitor?

“For something as trivial as that…”

Tears, which didn’t fall even from the pain tearing through her body, now flowed down her heated cheeks mixed with blood.

It couldn’t be helped.

He had something to protect, a mission to carry on.

His determination was so dazzling that it made her feel admiration, and the reality of having to betray such a person was her only guilt.

“Why did you come here? Protecting Boss is your mission…! You could easily abandon someone like me who abandoned the organization! Why did you come all the way here for someone who can’t even take care of herself!?”

Unable to let go of lingering regrets about the past.

Why did he sacrifice everything and step into this place?

“You, unlike me, had a choice. Why, for someone like me…”

-Boom!

The man answered her anger by slamming the hammer into the ground.

“I have a lot to say, but for now, keep quiet.”

He too had much to say, but unfortunately, time was not in their favor.

“Vanguard!! Kill him!! Kill him now!!”

Indeed, what needed to be dealt with now was not the wretched old man with a broken arm trying to flee.

But the one approaching from behind.

-Bang!

Immediately, a fist broke through the wall, striking his body.

Thrown out the exit and crashing into the hallway, the man in the white mask followed.

“…Ginger Bread.”

The name that escaped his lips was undoubtedly that of the man.

“Why… are you here…”

“…I rushed and covered it up, but you recognized me right away.”

“You should be by her side. Why are you here!!”

TL/N: Spiritas

Ignoring his complaints, Vanguard shouted bitterly.

Ginger Bread adjusted the paper bag over his face and spoke.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding made you leave without saying a word, but I have no obligation to answer.”

That was all the response he gave.

Then, as he stood up, he dragged the sledgehammer in both hands towards Vanguard.

“Come at me.”

With actions, not words.

As if to teach that he chose to oppose justice as a villain.

***

At the same time.

-…We’ve arrived.

In the middle of the ruins that were once a renowned academic city.

A shadow stood alone in the moonlit square, quietly observing the crack before them as it gradually diminished.

The crack in space caused by their own power.

The person who had just entered the dimensional rift was someone he had been conversing with not long ago.

‘Seolhwa is down there.’

Someone who trusted him and came to this place together.

One of the few people he could call a friend.

‘Down there… Is it true?’

‘A reliable informant told me. But, given the time it took to get here, I can’t guarantee her safety.’

Down there was someone who, in name alone, was an executive of the Association.

Even if his actions were dishonorable, he could still receive some external support.

Among them would be heroes willing to become his test subjects, who would prefer their misconduct not to be exposed.

Such feelings would lead to fervent loyalty towards the one who administered their procedures.

‘Even if their numbers are few, they will be strong. Consider those who, unofficially, rank as S-class. But unfortunately, the only thing I can do for you now is open the path to that place. I too have someone to face here.’

‘Someone to face? Is there another enemy?’

‘Yes, someone who pursued them before us.’

We aren’t the only ones targeting this place.

And naturally, someone who is our enemy.

Having lost the organization, and with Anatomy uncooperative, he would be the only one to stop her.

‘A hero?’

‘She was a hero.’

And Shadow knew her strength best.

Though he lived distanced from the world, he had some people he could call old enemies.

Facing such an enemy, he would have to be sincere. In truth, the only one who could stop what was happening below was the man before him.

A pitiful man, whose only talent was survival, who had never achieved anything properly.

‘But, I believe you can do well.’

But Shadow trusted this man.

He believed that whatever was down there, he would be fine.

If he didn’t have that belief, he wouldn’t have brought him here.

‘Why…’

But he couldn’t understand Shadow’s trust.

‘Why are you helping me?’

It was understandable.

Objectively, he was just a minion with high ideals.

For an executive to show him kindness would seem strange to anyone.

‘Mr. Bread. You’re a villain, right?’

But the opinions of others didn’t matter.

Even if others couldn’t understand, if he thought about the reason sincerely, that would be enough.

‘Yes. I am a villain.’

‘I’m a villain too. That reality doesn’t change even if the organization collapses.’

‘…’

‘I think that’s reason enough.’

The conversation ended there.

Recalling the sight of him entering the opened passage, Shadow quietly turned his gaze to his rear.

In the middle of the academic city, abandoned for over ten years.

In the moonlit spot, he felt someone approaching.

“…Shadow.”

A woman stepped into the square.

Her sophisticated business suit and sunglasses hinted at her high social standing.

-It’s been a long time, Ceras. Have you been well?

Shadow greeted the woman with kindness.

For someone called a phantom to have a few who knew his true form, the one before him was among them.

-You have a different aura now. You used to be so desperate and fierce.

Yes, Shadow knew her.

Ceras Esenberg.

A former S-class hero who had risen to a high position in the Hero Association using her reputation.

And one whom Shadow had failed to assassinate three years ago… a hero renowned for her strength and prestige, following in the footsteps of Justice and the Heavenly Demon.

“Shadow… Why are you here?”

Ceras felt neither joy nor hostility towards the villain as the Association’s chief.

Her reaction was as if she had never expected to see him here.

-…You know my true form, so I don’t need to hide it.

Shadow found her reaction unremarkable.

The upper body of a young boy began to sink into the shadow beneath him.

No, it wasn’t a shadow.

It was a black hole that distorted space to the point it absorbed even light due to the unconscious influence of his power.

To reveal his true form, he would need to consciously suppress that power.

-Drip.

As he gradually revealed his true self, a body with rough hair and pale skin emerged from the darkness.

The figure was a woman, her body so skinny it seemed her skin clung to her bones.

“…Sorry to show you such a pitiful sight.”

Alive, but not truly alive…

Before her full form appeared, the surrounding space distorted, covering her in a shroud like a dress.

Like draping a dress over a corpse.

“Still, I hope you understand. This shows just how seriously I’m taking this situation.”

The face of this deathly figure showed kindness.

An assassin who made killing their occupation.

Such emotions were easy for her to discard.

End of Chapter