Part 1 Chapter 3 (9)

“The government officially declared that they would retake Seoul. None other than President Seonui Cheol himself.”

As Gaeul spoke, the Villains listened intently. Perhaps it was due to her mysterious aura, or perhaps they were starved for beauty, but the Villains were captivated by Gaeul’s voice.

“So far, the number of Heroes who have expressed their intention to participate, officially or unofficially, exceeds 100. In fact, the Heroes who were in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon are now advancing towards Seoul. And they’re not mediocre C or B-ranks like you, but A-ranks with abundant combat experience against monsters, seasoned veterans.”

“Are you disrespecting us-“

“I’m speaking.”

One Villain stood up in anger, but as Gaeul raised a finger and pointed it at him, the Villain quietly sat back down.

“And they say two S-ranks are coming with them. Do any of you have an S-rank? Someone who does, answer me.”

All the Villains swallowed their words. Only Haneulseong opened his mouth confidently.

“If the entire organization throws itself at them, we might be able to do something. Can your organization defeat two S-ranks?”

“Of course. It’s possible. Both of them.”

At Gaeul’s confident words, Ttanggae, who had just healed his wounds with mana, stood up and shouted.

“Bullshit! There’s no superpower user in Korea who can defeat that Ice Tagger! Or that Fire Fist, or hotpot, or whatever that punk is!”

“We came here because we can win. If we fight under our Azure Syndicate, Heroes? The Association? We can defeat them all. Simple, isn’t it?”

Ttanggae pointed at his neck as if dumbfounded. A Pine Tree Unit emblem was branded like a mark on the peeled skin of his wound.

“Do you know what this is? It’s the slave brand of Villains ‘re-socialized’ after being caught by those damn government bastards. And the bitch who arrested me and threw me in prison was that Seolhwa Princess!”

“Isn’t that because you were weak and got caught? We’re different.”

“Ha, if your organization can win, then deal with it yourselves. Why are you here causing trouble, causing trouble?”

Gaeul crossed her legs. As her priestly robe shifted, revealing the line of her jeans, Ttanggae gulped.

“I’m giving you a chance. A chance to join our Azure Syndicate. Anyone who joins right now, I’ll recommend them for an executive position. How about it?”

The Villains burst into laughter. Gaeul’s smile still hadn’t faded from her face.

“A chance? Khahaha! Who do you think we are, some neighborhood beggars?!”

“You seem to be acting all high and mighty just because you can use a bit of psychokinesis, ma’am. If you’re older and weaker than Seolhwa Princess, then shut up. Don’t be jealous.”

Gaeul’s lips twisted slightly. A rough surge of mana rose from her trembling shoulders. Gaeul subtly placed a hand on her own shoulder.

“No need to drag this out. I’ll ask now. Is there anyone who wants to join our Azure Syndicate?”

Naturally, no one raised a hand. Gaeul raised an eyebrow as if she had expected it, then continued.

“Alright. It’s naturally difficult to decide if you’re suddenly asked to join our organization. You all have your own organizations and pride, after all. So, I’ll give a chance to just one person, just one.”

Gaeul’s eyes swept over the Villains. Gaeul’s hand, which had been moving across the table as if walking with her index and middle fingers, pointed to the man opposite her.

On the seat where the man sat, a paper read ‘Songpa, Black Goat’.

“You, you’re a B-rank, aren’t you?”

“No? I’m an A-rank?”

Gaeul smiled at Black Goat’s composed demeanor.

“Even if you’re on the cusp of B-rank, it’s different from being an A-rank. You don’t pass a test with an 80-point cutoff if you score 79, do you?”

“Right. I’m just a B-rank who hasn’t made it to A-rank yet. So, what do you want to say?”

Black Goat stood up. Dark red flames surged from his hands.

“If you want to be burned to death right now, just say so. I’ll incinerate you without leaving a single bone-“

“Your superpower, our Azure Syndicate will raise it. Right now, to A-rank.”

Black Goat’s flames extinguished. At the shocking declaration, Black Goat’s eyes wavered, and he looked around. The others were also dumbfounded, speechless.

“Th-this crazy bitch is really something. Haneulseong! How long are you going to let this go on? I told you to get rid of her and start the meeting properly!”

“…Wait.”

Haneulseong raised a hand to stop the other Villain and pointed at the standing Black Goat. His torn eyes beneath his white eyebrows glared at Gaeul, and behind Gaeul.

“Did you say the Azure Syndicate of Guro?”

“There’s Yeongdeungpo too, not just Guro, but yes. It’s the Azure Syndicate.”

“If you truly want your organization to gain speaking rights here, prove your power.”

“How?”

Haneulseong calmed his trembling mana and pointed at the standing Black Goat.

“As you said, make that man an A-rank right now.”

“Oh? Easy.”

Gaeul immediately stepped onto the table. As her high heels walked across the table, the men gulped at the sight of her legs revealed beneath her robe.

“Your head.”

Gaeul stood in front of Black Goat and extended her right hand. At the outstretched hand, as if giving a blessing, Black Goat asked Haneulseong, flabbergasted.

“Haneulseong, do I really have to do this?”

“Just do it. If she tries anything strange, I’ll move immediately.”

“If you, boss, say so.”

Black Goat overcame his unease and clasped his hands together with a sarcastic attitude.

“Alright, so which god should I believe in now? God? Buddha? Allah? Ah, or have you created a new religion?”

Gaeul’s expression instantly crumpled.

“…The Sun.”

“What?”

Gaeul lifted her veil higher with her left hand and continued speaking. Gaeul’s neck, visible through the veil, was slightly flushed.

“Say, ‘Hail the Sun,’ once.”

“Puhahahahaha!”

Black Goat clutched his stomach and doubled over in laughter. The other Villains were in much the same state.

“Kuh, the Pine Tree Unit is running wild in the country, and now a cult has appeared in Seoul! Kuh, alright. Is this how it’s done?”

Black Goat, as if determined, knelt on one knee like a knight receiving an investiture and stretched out both arms towards Gaeul. His face was full of mockery.

“Hail the Sun! K-khaha! ……Huh?”

The mana within Black Goat’s body surged. His entire skin cracked, and dead skin cells flaked off. Dark red flames began to blaze on Black Goat’s body.

“Still crazy-“

“Stooooooop!!”

The men who were about to grab their weapons and stand up froze instantly as Haneulseong roared and unleashed his mana.

“No, this is insane!”

Ttanggae looked back and forth between Gaeul and Black Goat with eyes full of disbelief. The momentary eye contact with Haneulseong clearly showed they were thinking the same thing.

“A real awakening?”

The growth of a superpower user moving to the next stage. Ttanggae, who had personally experienced how much time and effort it took to go from B-rank to A-rank, couldn’t believe the sight before his eyes.

“Oh, ooooh! Hyaaaah! Kuoooooohhhhhhh!”

Tears streamed from Black Goat’s eyes as he let out an indescribable shriek. The dark red flames blazing all over his body were now a clearer color than their previous murky hue.

Rustle.

Black Goat’s skin, which had burned away even the dead skin cells and waste products, became smooth like a newborn baby’s. And the Villains could feel it.

“He… evolved to A-rank…?”

Those who were B-rank felt that Black Goat had reached a higher realm than them, and those who were A-rank felt that someone below them had instantly risen to the same level as them.

“Ha-Hail the Sun!”

A Villain from Gangdong sprang to his feet. A desperate aura was evident in his eyes as well. Other Villains seemed to feel similarly.

“Hmph. The last train has left.”

Gaeul ignored their gazes, stepped down from the table, and sat back in her seat.

“Shall we resume the meeting now? I think this is enough.”

All the participants nodded, then glanced at Haneulseong. Haneulseong, too, showed no sign of stopping Gaeul; rather, he was as eager as the others.

Among them, Haneulseong was the most frustrated person for not being able to reach the next level. Haneulseong asked, urging her.

“How did you forcibly awaken his superpower?”

“I can’t tell you that. If you want to know.”

Gaeul pointed her index finger downwards.

“Join our Azure Syndicate. Then, according to your ability and contribution, we’ll give you appropriate rewards. And don’t forget that the awakening of superpowers is… also among those rewards.”

“Then why did you just awaken that guy for free?!”

Ttanggae flared up in indignation. Gaeul chuckled silently at him.

“The promotion is over, you idiot. You yourselves know best how difficult awakening is, don’t you? In that sense, you’re lucky. Because you had the courage to step up as a guinea pig.”

At Gaeul’s words, Black Goat knelt and expressed his gratitude.

“P-please take me! I will join your organization!”

Black Goat’s eyes had been captivated by Gaeul since earlier. The other Villains glared at Black Goat with displeased expressions.

“No guts at all….”

“Shut up! She’s the one who made me an A-rank! This person is a saint sent by God! No, she IS God!”

Even Gaeul was disgusted by his fanatical behavior. It reminded her of the materials she had referenced when filming a drama about cults in the past.

Gaeul cleared her throat to gather their attention.

“Ahem. If you wish to join us, come to Yeouido tomorrow at noon.”

“Yeouido? That hellhole?”

Ttanggae sneered.

“Hey. That’s an island where an S-rank monster is said to live. The only passage across the Han River. No matter how suicidal someone is, they don’t go to Yeouido anymore.”

“If you don’t want to come, don’t. We don’t need cowards.”

Gaeul stood up from her seat.

“There’s no need to fight by rebelling against the country. You can run away if you want to. But….”

Whoosh.

As Gaeul placed her hand on the table, blue flames erupted across the entire table. Seeing the startled Villains quickly stand up and back away, Gaeul chuckled and raised her hand.

Her delicate fingers pointed at the Villains one by one.

“Songpa, Gangnam, Seocho, Dongjak, Geumcheon, Yangcheon, Gangseo…. Is Gwanak missing because of the dimensional gate incident last time? Hmm.”

Gaeul made eye contact with each Villain representing a region, as if to remember their faces.

“When our Azure Syndicate occupies Seoul, those who ran away without fighting will not be allowed to set foot in Seoul again.”

At her firm warning, the Villains fell silent. Just as Gaeul turned to leave, Ttanggae blocked her path.

“Where do you think you’re going! Th-that’s right! You’re actually an Association spy, aren’t you?! You’re planning to call us to Yeouido and arrest us all! And then brand us with the Pine Tree Unit mark!”

“Aren’t your delusions a bit too much since earlier?”

“Shut up! A saint? God? Don’t give me that bullshit! This bitch is a witch! A witch who will lead us to our deaths!”

Ttanggae, spitting as he swung a sword made of concrete, seemed to have lost his mind. Gaeul shook her head as if pitying him.

“I don’t want to kill you. Rather, I want to save you.”

“Cut the bullshit!”

Ttanggae raised his concrete sword and charged at Gaeul. Haneulseong and Black Goat were startled and tried to rush forward, but Ttanggae was even faster.

“Diiiiieeeeee!”

Gaeul simply lifted her robe slightly.

[…….]

Flinch.

Ttanggae dropped the sword he had raised high. His eyes uncontrollably shook, following the numerous orbs dangling inside Gaeul’s robe.

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have released these and killed you long ago. Don’t you think?”

As Gaeul casually took off her robe, countless orbs tumbled and rolled across the restaurant floor. The Villains were horrified when they saw the true nature of the orbs.

They were all C~B-rank Cores.

“Why are you so surprised?”

Gaeul picked up one Core and tossed it to Ttanggae. Ttanggae threw himself forward and caught the Core soaring through the air with both hands. Then he gaped at the blue membrane encasing the Core.

“Is this… a Core?”

“Unless you intentionally tear it, it won’t be detected by detectors. I brought plenty, so take them yourselves when we’re done. It’s an invitation to come to Yeouido.”

Gaeul waved her hand and exited the restaurant. After the owner, who had scattered invitations on the floor, left, the Villains began to eye the dozens of Cores rolling on the floor.

“……I-I’m first!”

“You bastard! This is mine!!”

The Villains sprang to their feet and began picking up the Cores. Only Haneulseong sat in his chair with his eyes closed, groaning.

* * *

A moment later, above Gangnam.

“Gaeul-ssi, be honest with me. You have a lot of experience, but you’ve never won an award like Best Actress, have you?”

“Are you disrespecting my acting right now?”

As Gaeul pouted, Phoenix burst into hearty laughter. Phoenix, who had changed into her human form the moment they left S Hospital, held Gaeul in her arms and slowly flew towards Guro. Blue flame wings flapped in the night sky.

“I’m not disrespecting it, but I think I’d be better at threatening people.”

“…Not acting?”

“Yes. Seriously.”

Phoenix smiled, twisting her veil. Gaeul, startled by the greatly flapping wings, tightened her grip on Phoenix’s neck.

“B-but if we fly with our wings spread out like this in the middle of the night, won’t we get caught?”

Behind Phoenix, who had returned to her human form, smaller wings than usual were flapping.

“It’s fine. I’ve cast an awareness-hindering spell, and we won’t be picked up by satellites. We’ve gone high enough, so there’s no way we’ll be seen with the naked eye.”

“Magic…? How far can you use your superpower, Phoenix-ssi?”

“Whether it’s a superpower or magic, using mana is all the same. Hmm, I can use almost everything except healing magic. Healing magic is exclusive to water-attribute users, and that’s my opposite.”

“…Are you getting long-winded again?”

Phoenix blinked with a smile. She seemed to be looking for another topic.

“I’ve cast a warming spell on you, Gaeul-ssi, don’t you feel it? It must have been very cold since we’ve gone up so high already.”

“…How high have we gone?”

“Where airplanes fly?”

Eek! Gaeul pressed herself closer to Phoenix. Although she was being carried in a princess carry, Phoenix’s arms supporting her body felt incredibly light.

Unfortunately for Gaeul, Phoenix was much smaller than her.

“Can’t you just carry me in your monstrous human form instead?!”

“No, I can’t. Even though it’s called a ‘monstrous human’ form, it’s not human, so my way of thinking and will change drastically. As if I’m not myself.”

“Well, your way of speaking did change. Ah.”

Gaeul exclaimed as if she had realized something.

“The bet! What about the bet then?! I did everything Phoenix-ssi told me to, but it just ended with you telling them to come to Yeouido!”

Although a script had been prepared, all of Gaeul’s statements were basically actions and words directed by Phoenix from behind the scenes.

It was a system where Phoenix spoke, and Gaeul improvised her statements. Of course, it wasn’t Gaeul who awakened the Villain from Gangdong, but Phoenix, who was hidden behind Gaeul with invisibility.

“The bet is on hold because we failed to persuade the Villains. We succeeded in showcasing the Azure Syndicate’s power to the Villains, but we didn’t exactly take them as subordinates, did we? Gaeul-ssi, your villainous acting was so bad that I just decided to accept it later and postponed it-“

“Hey!”

Gaeul cut off Phoenix’s lengthy speech, shouting loudly. Phoenix instantly stopped flapping her wings in mid-air and froze in place.

“Are you messing with me right now?! I said and did exactly what you told me to, and this is how it turned out! If I did as you instructed, shouldn’t you take responsibility for the outcome… ah… you….”

Gaeul’s voice trailed off. Phoenix looked at Gaeul without a word, then lifted Gaeul’s upper body.

Thump. As their faces drew closer, Gaeul held her breath.

“Cheon Gaeul.”

Phoenix whispered into her ear.

“When it’s just the two of us, you can speak casually.”

“Huh?”

Phoenix spread her wings wide and increased her speed.

“Then shall we go back to the hideout and prepare for the next step?! Gaeul-ssi, do you like roller coasters?”

“Eek! Stop, stop! Why are you going so fast all of a sudden?!”

“I’ll tell you the result of the bet when we get to Guro! So we should go faster, right?”

“What?! Hey, hey! Kyaaaaaaah!!”

As Phoenix performed acrobatic maneuvers, turning left and right, up and down, and even doing a loop, Gaeul clung tighter to Phoenix and screamed.

Phoenix’s lips were full of mischief.