Part 1, Chapter 8, Section 19

At that moment, the already chaotic battle situation turned into a complete mess with Jilpungek’s intrusion.

Xiaolin, the one who had drawn in the problematic Jilpungek, skillfully turned the Black Dragon’s head and evaded the fighter jets.

[Should I just burn them all?]

“Hold yourself back!”

Though they might be annoying existences to the Black Dragon, from Xiaolin’s perspective, they were people from the same country.

“Even if their intentions differ now, they are, after all, people who receive orders from above-“

[Right. I also received orders from above.]

The Black Dragon brushed past the fighter jet and glared.

[That person gave me an order. To run wild indiscriminately.]

“……Wait a minute!”

Xiaolin urgently patted the Black Dragon’s back.

“Take me there first, then run wild!”

[I’m not a taxi, so there’s no reason for that. Isn’t this China too?]

The Black Dragon pointed to the land. Though it wasn’t far from the sea, at least it was China, which Xiaolin had wished for.

[Won’t you get off?]

“Don’t you think your master would want you to come too?!”

[It’s division of labor. The land is so vast that the place where I’m supposed to run wild is separately designated.]

Kyaaaak!

The Black Dragon roared. Its roar shook the bodies of the fighter jets, and for a moment, the fighter jets fell into confusion trying to control their airframes.

[Beijing.]

“Oh, no…!”

[I’ll only take you that far.]

Despite the S-class monstrous human’s declaration to run wild in the capital, Xiaolin couldn’t stop it.

Because its master, the Chaos Dragon, who was desperately searching for it from afar, was located much further west.

“Ugh, fine! That’s really petty! How can a person be so small-minded!”

[I’m a monstrous human, though.]

“You’re really annoying!”

Xiaolin kicked off the Black Dragon’s back and leaped into the air. The Black Dragon was flustered by Xiaolin’s action of leaping from thousands of meters in the air, but it had no choice but to change direction towards the fighter jets that had aimed their muzzles at it again.

Woong—

Mana began to surge from Xiaolin’s free-falling body. It was an immense amount of mana, incomparable to Xiaolin’s original.

[……Is that an S-class Core?]

The Black Dragon realized the foundation of the monstrous human Xiaolin. Mana incomparable to its own A-class Core burst forth from Xiaolin’s body, and Xiaolin stopped in mid-air as if spraying mana from their legs.

“I’ve been lacking mana until now, but…!”

Xiaolin was brimming with confidence along with the overflowing mana.

“Now I can even do things like this!”

Tak.

Xiaolin kicked off the air and ran. That speed was faster than the Black Dragon, the fighter jets, and even Red Hare running at full speed.

[……I’m envious.]

Someone barely reached S-class by giving up their humanity and becoming a monstrous human, yet someone else is S-class and even possesses an S-class Core. For a moment, it felt upset about why it hadn’t been granted an S-class Core.

[No, no. If it weren’t for that person, I wouldn’t have even become A-class, let alone S-class.]

The Black Dragon recalled the days when it was mocked as a goat, not even a dragon, and spread its wings. It was slowly approaching its destination, and the fighter jets clearly showed signs of panic at the Black Dragon flying towards civilian residences.

[I have no intention of fighting the military.]

The Black Dragon folded its wings and headed towards the ground. Beneath the blaring monstrous human alarm, Heroes, gathered like ants, held their weapons and aimed at the Black Dragon.

[It’s only natural for a Villain to fight Heroes.]

The Black Dragon glanced at the thousands of muzzles aimed at it and smiled faintly.

[Following that person’s command, I’ll just run wild…!]

While Phoenix runs wild in the west, the Black Dragon draws attention in the east. That was the command given to it and the role assigned.

[It’s a shame I can’t kill them.]

The Black Dragon opened its mouth and gathered mana.

[If they’re too weak and die, that person will understand.]

So, the beginning should be grand and spectacular.

Kyaaaaa—-!!

The Black Dragon fired its breath.

* * *

Battle, battle, and battle.

I felt fatigue from the continuous battles, but now, the tension was stronger than the fatigue.

Chae-aeng!

A sword blade grazed my cheek. A sharp sword path that I couldn’t deflect aimed for my face, and Jilpungek’s gray eyes gleamed as they flicked their tongue.

“You know what, I’ve always wanted to smash that face of yours.”

“Who chats during a battle?”

It wasn’t my place to say that, but I clenched my fist and aimed for Jilpungek’s stomach. They hastily tried to pull their body back, but I changed the direction of my fist, which had been thrusting upwards from below.

Peok!

“Kuk?!”

I jabbed my fist into Jilpungek’s wrist. For a moment, their sword wavered, but Jilpungek didn’t let go of the sword.

“Haap!”

Jilpungek extended their leg with a shout. Their booted foot aimed for my face, so I crossed my arms and put up a guard, and Jilpungek kicked off my arm and leaped back, creating distance.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Jilpungek’s body floated into the air. I spread my wings behind me and shot up towards them. Instead of my numb arms, I extended my leg and pointed my toes. Blue mana shimmered sharply like an awl.

Kaang!

My toes and Jilpungek’s sword tip met. The two mana clashed, and I imbued my other foot with mana and swung it horizontally.

Buwoong-!

Jilpungek dodged my kick by lowering their sword. Then, they inverted the sword and swung it upwards. The mana-infused blade shimmered with a sharp edge, as if to cut my leg horizontally.

“Hmph!”

I rotated my wings to turn my body. The sword narrowly sliced through my robe, and I pulled my knee up.

“Where are you looking?!”

I imbued my heel with mana and struck the side of the rising sword. Fortunately, this time I succeeded in hitting it squarely, and Jilpungek frowned and let go of the sword.

Chaenggang-!

The mana blade split in half. Jilpungek landed on the ground and shook their wrist, and I spread my wings left and right, stopping in mid-air.

“It hasn’t been long since you possessed them, yet you’re moving so freely. And an S-class at that.”

“That’s my power.”

The Chaos Dragon, possessing Jilpungek, twisted its lips and laughed. Its proud demeanor regarding its ability made my stomach churn.

“Didn’t you even try to undo the brainwashing using that possession ability?”

“I’m asking why I would do something like that….”

The Chaos Dragon began to show annoyance. Gray mana rose from the hand it extended towards me, and solidified into a sharp sword.

“Do you know how to completely undo brainwashing? You don’t know, which is why you’re also using a monstrous human body, aren’t you?”

“I do.”

“What is it?”

“It’s love.”

“Puh, puhahaha!”

The Chaos Dragon burst into laughter, clutching its stomach. I folded my wings and landed on the ground.

“Love, they say, love! Hahaha! Ah, I think I know why you undid the brainwashing.”

The Chaos Dragon even shed a tear as it mocked me.

“Because you’re such a self-absorbed bitch, you broke the brainwashing by loving yourself. Right?”

“……Let’s say it’s half-correct.”

Explaining it would only be a waste of breath, and they wouldn’t understand. It’s better to just let them misunderstand.

“Alright. Then how are you going to make me feel love? Huh? Since I’m in a man’s body for once… are you going to try to fuck me?”

“What vulgar talk. I’m not the one who will love you.”

The cause and effect were wrong again. I corrected the Chaos Dragon’s misunderstanding.

“When you come to love someone, you’ll break free from your shackles.”

“……That will never happen.”

The Chaos Dragon’s expression hardened as it rested the back of its sword on its shoulder.

“Why would I do something annoying like love? Why should I live caring about other people’s feelings? Huh? Is there any reason for me to live with my heart hurting because of someone else?”

“That’s what happens when you love someone.”

“…I really can’t understand it.”

The Chaos Dragon kicked the dirt floor and snorted.

“A crazy bitch who hates everything in the world, a crazy bitch who only knows herself, and even a bitch who broke brainwashing by only loving herself, is that what you’re saying to me right now?”

“……I think I’m better than you, who gave up on everything just because it was annoying.”

As expected, there’s no reasoning with them. As the future Dragon guaranteed, the current Chaos-infused Dragon is beyond redemption.

“It seems you’ll only come to your senses after a beating.”

Ttuduk. Ttuduk. I clenched my fists and loosened my hands.

“I really don’t understand that. Aren’t you the one who deserved a beating?”

The Chaos Dragon also took a stance. In a stance that fully embodied Jilpungek’s sword energy, the Chaos Dragon tried to cut me down.

“If you had just come to wake me up, I wouldn’t have gone this far. But don’t you think you were wrong from the start, waking me up with an alarm sound that gives me goosebumps just by hearing it?”

“Thanks to that, you got out of bed yourself and came to find me. I told you. I was asked to. By you, five years from now.”

“What kind of bullshit are you spouting now?”

“Puhuhu.”

They wouldn’t understand.

They would never imagine that five years later, they would be ashamed of their past self in the original story and would plan the ‘Chaos Dragon Rehabilitation Project’ themselves. Because it was just a playful conversation based on a topic that came up during a personal event.

‘You were the one who planned the Good Morning Terror in the first place.’

I merely scaled it up a bit. Anyway, it was important to fix the Chaos Dragon’s bad habits now.

“You called me a crazy bitch, didn’t you? Three times.”

“What’s wrong with calling a crazy bitch a crazy bitch?”

“Puhuhu. Right. I forgive you. But….”

I roused my mana and transformed back into my monstrous human form.

[Calling the Azure Flame Phoenix a crazy bitch is unforgivable!]

“This one’s really a crazy bitch!”

I’ll spank their butt as much as they called me a crazy bitch. I slammed my gauntlet into the sword path that curved like a crescent moon.

* * *

Bonghyo staggered and collected his subordinates’ Cores. He had long since heard the explanation that they could revive with just their Cores, and if the Chaos Dragon could just revive them, their sexual organs could also be restored.

“Keuheok.”

Bonghyo vomited blood and collapsed to the ground. One of his arms had been torn off, and his waist was twisted, making him waddle as he collected his subordinates’ Cores.

“Just one more…!”

Bonghyo, who had plunged his hand into the heart of the sword monstrous human Phoenix had killed last and dug out the Core, put the Core into his inner pocket. It was as if he had killed his cherished subordinates with his own hands, but revival was impossible if he didn’t do it this way.

Kaang! Kaang!

However, the Chaos Dragon, who was supposed to grant that revival, was currently at a disadvantage. Even though it had seized the body of Jilpungek, an S-class esper and a Hero of the Round Table, the Chaos Dragon was being overwhelmed by Phoenix, who had transformed into a monstrous human.

‘…Strong! So strong!’

There was no wasted movement in its punches. As if a master who had trained in the same martial art for a long time, the fists smoothly struck Jilpungek’s body.

“Kueuk!”

The fists struck the body faster and stronger than the speed of a swinging sword. Even though the Chaos Dragon’s illusion-attribute mana reduced damage by half due to its nature, its entire body began to bruise.

‘I felt it when I defeated Xiaolin too, but close combat is disadvantageous.’

The martial art that overwhelmingly defeated two people who would be second to none in close combat even within the Round Table made him swallow his saliva. Bonghyo wanted to help the profusely sweating Chaos Dragon, but no suitable plan came to mind.

‘If the body is the problem…?’

If it’s a problem of specs, could the Chaos Dragon win? It seemed a big misunderstanding had been resolved, but Phoenix was trying to beat the Chaos Dragon to death by any means necessary.

‘The opponent is an SS-class Villain. Then I must find a body befitting that.’

Who could it be? Gwanggeom, sleeping far away on the peninsula? Gawain, who would be in England?

‘I do know one, though.’

Bonghyo hesitated. He felt a pang of conscience at daring to reawaken his body. To reawaken the corpse of a hero who saved the world, what kind of villainy was that?

‘But.’

If his prediction wasn’t wrong, that body would someday be desecrated by Mao Zeping. It was already as good as being desecrated even now, and Bonghyo already knew his location.

‘I need to find an opening.’

Bonghyo roused mana. To be of even a little help to his master, he created a mana bullet and shot it at Phoenix.

Paang-!

“What?!”

The mana bullet couldn’t even reach Phoenix and exploded in mid-air. Phoenix didn’t even spare a glance for Bonghyo, and extended its swinging fist to the Chaos Dragon’s wrist.

[Got you.]

“Kuk?!”

If the blade was caught, it would escape by abandoning the sword, but its body itself was caught.

[Forced eviction.]

Phoenix spread its palm and extended it towards the Chaos Dragon. Phoenix’s palm strike hit Jilpungek’s solar plexus, and the Chaos Dragon’s mana, residing within its body, greatly wavered.

“Keoheuk!”

The Chaos Dragon was flung out of Jilpungek’s body and rolled on the ground.

The parasitic spirit, residing in a complete stranger’s body, was flung out as soon as its mana connection was severed, and Phoenix pushed Jilpungek aside, trying to chase the Chaos Dragon.

Seogeok!

Phoenix’s wrist was severed. The gauntlet fell, and the flames burning from its joints began to leak out.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Jilpungek, who had drawn their sword at some point, flicked their tongue, their original green eyes gleaming. Phoenix clenched its fist and extended it towards Jilpungek’s chest again.

Kagagang!

Jilpungek deflected Phoenix’s fist with their scabbard, blocking its path. At the scabbard that disturbed its vision, Phoenix spewed flames from all its joints, burning the surroundings.

Hwareureuk-!

The scabbard burned away in the flames, and Phoenix conjured a hand from its severed wrist by conjuring flames. The gauntlet that had fallen to the ground reattached to Phoenix’s hand.

[Didn’t you lose your will?]

“I did. But it doesn’t matter, does it?”

Jilpungek pointed at the Chaos Dragon, who was slumped on the ground, and smiled faintly.

“They want to fight you too, and I also want to fight you.”

“……Huu.”

The Chaos Dragon caught its breath and got up. It tried to possess Jilpungek again, but this time, Jilpungek snarled, unleashing sword energy at the Chaos Dragon.

“I want to fight properly! Don’t pull any dirty tricks!”

[I’ll fight you to your heart’s content later. Move aside for now.]

“No? If I don’t fight now, the chance-“

Kuuung-!

A person landed in front of the Chaos Dragon. The figure, appearing with a massive cloud of dust, blocked the way as if protecting the Chaos Dragon, their long black hair fluttering.

“I apologize for being late.”

Unjang, Xiaolin, rose, their gray eyes gleaming. The Chaos Dragon greeted Xiaolin with teary eyes, and Xiaolin smiled gently, extending a hand to the Chaos Dragon.

“Please use me to your heart’s content.”

“……Mm!”

Seueuk.

The Chaos Dragon possessed Xiaolin. Phoenix was dumbfounded and couldn’t say a word.

[2:1, no, you mean 3:1….]

“It’s 4:1.”

Bonghyo stood next to Xiaolin, bleeding. Phoenix looked at the three people aiming their weapons at it and pressed a hand to its forehead.

[……There’s no helping it. I can’t face two Round Table members at once right now.]

Beneath its helmet, Phoenix’s eyes glowed blue.

[I really didn’t want to use this.]

Cheok.

Phoenix crossed its arms in an X shape and took a stance. At this stance, different from before, the three swallowed their saliva and gathered their mana.

“Jilpungek. Let’s cooperate for now.”

“Shut up. I’ll fight my own way.”

“…It’s coming!”

Along with the Chaos Dragon’s cry, a massive amount of mana began to explode from Phoenix. Bonghyo’s eyes widened, instinctively knowing that an incredible technique was coming.

[Behold! My technique!]

Phoenix spread its crossed arms to the sides of its helmet, and spread its palms on both sides of its forehead.

[Solar Flare!]

A flash of light burst forth.