“Ha, hahaha.”
My throat burns.
My stomach churns.
It was rare for me to find myself in a situation like this as All Mute. The last time must’ve been during the fight against Kang Geom-Ma. I rushed in without thinking, drunk on national pride, and ended up getting a real lesson.
‘It was like being slapped awake by reality.’
But I never held a grudge against Kang Geom-Ma. On the contrary, he was the one who woke up the neurons dulled by patriotic euphoria. Though his methods could seem harsh, his results were always right. And the reason was simple.
Kang Geom-Ma was no villain.
“Impressive.”
The man in the tracksuit stepped forward and spoke. Even though his zipper was pulled all the way up, the crooked corner of his mouth couldn’t be hidden. He seemed to be the leader of this group.
All Mute took in the surroundings broadly. People standing in lines, dressed with no uniformity at all, all kinds of faces. Literally men, women, elderly, young. No age or gender predominated. It was hard to find a single common thread.
The air was heavy. The columns leading to the end of the corridor were smashed down. Like the freshly pulled teeth of an old man. A fierce battle must have taken place here.
‘Humans fighting against mages.’
Villains.
It had been over ten years since I’d heard that word. A group that Kang Geom-Ma eradicated during his student years. Though there were signs they tried to rise again, their presence was suppressed by Kang Geom-Ma’s very existence. They never dared to show themselves.
And yet now, they’d raised their heads. That meant they had some kind of backing. Who was behind this?
It wasn’t demons. Among them, dragons were close to heroes. And they had good relations with Kang Geom-Ma. There was no reason for them to ally with such hostile humans.
Pain.
I held my hand to my temple. The muscles were muscles, but it felt like my brain was going to burst.
‘This is getting complicated.’
Think simply. Simply.
‘…Like Kang Geom-Ma…’
What would he do in this situation?
People misunderstand easily. They think Kang Geom-Ma just draws his sashimi sword without thinking.
But those around him think differently. Kang Geom-Ma doesn’t act rashly. Despite his overwhelming strength, he never lets his guard down.
He watches his opponent to the end before acting. It was during my duel with him that I learned that caution. And that was the reason I came to respect that guy deeply.
“Pff.”
All Mute spat on the ground. There was blood. She wiped her lips with her thumb and muttered.
“Never thought villain scum still crawled around. Honestly, you’re like cockroaches with superpowers…”
“Huff, huff… I agree, senior.”
Rachel’s chest rose and fell. She was visibly exhausted. If not for the situation, All Mute would’ve been surprised. Rachel, the adrenaline junkie, panting from fatigue?
“Hey!”
Catching her breath, Rachel lashed out coldly.
“Don’t you villains ever learn? Or do you think you’ve got more guts than us heroes? Didn’t you get the message when that guy one-shotted you?”
“……”
That guy.
The man’s smug smile twisted. He shrank his neck into his tracksuit like a turtle and muttered.
“There are a few things you need to correct.”
“Don’t start lecturing, villain. Just because you pulled off a few combos doesn’t mean you’re our buddy. Keep talking and you’ll get smacked.”
“Hahaha!”
“And what the hell are you laughing at?”
The man’s eyes glinted with a pale green, toxic light. He lowered the zipper that covered his mouth just a bit.
“Rachel Mura. Direct heiress of the Changseong family. Currently active as a hero in Lancelot Company.”
“You can find that out just by looking at her Stargram profile…”
“Before that.”
The tracksuit man interrupted.
“She’s a hero.”
“…What?”
Rachel looked puzzled by his strange way of speaking. He stated the obvious like it was a shocking revelation. Was it some magic effect?
“And who does a hero fight for?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
But the man didn’t care.
“For me.”
He pointed his thumb at himself and added.
“We fight for humans with bodies like this.”
His words stabbed sharply at the soul. “Bodies like this.” The discomfort in that phrase was disturbing. Rachel and All Mute began to pale.
“No matter how many rotten nobles there are, no hero has ever broken that unspoken rule.”
“No, that can’t be…”
“Thinking we were villains just because we used magic… that was narrow-minded, Mura. You too, All Mute.”
The enemies surrounding Rachel and All Mute raised their hands at the same time.
With thumbs holding back their middle fingers, as if aiming to flick them in the forehead.
The tracksuit man spoke on their behalf.
“You’re the ones who don’t understand the real end of this world. Mages? Heroes? Those black-and-white labels were made up by you.”
His pupils filled with madness.
“We are the carriers of a will beyond causality. As long as truth exists, as long as the end exists, we won’t vanish. Rip us apart as many times as you want—we’ll grow back.”
“That’s a fancy way to say you’re stubborn.”
Rachel frowned.
“Mura, you don’t get it. To break this cycle of evil, a choice has to be made. A choice your dear friend must take.”
“You all are…”
All Mute’s fists weakened. She exhaled painfully.
“Those bodies… they’re civilians, aren’t they?”
The tracksuit guy smirked mockingly.
“Correct. You’re definitely future Seven Stars material.”
“What are you talking about, senior?!”
Rachel’s eyes widened. All Mute sighed deeply.
“He’s right. Those guys have no bodies of their own. They’ve abandoned their flesh and incarnated as spirits in civilian bodies.”
Possession.
A technique where consciousness inhabits another’s body. In the past, it was how body-commanders descended into the human world.
‘How the hell did some petty villains pull off possession…?’
She didn’t know. But it didn’t matter now. What mattered was something else.
Those preparing to attack were civilians. That idea dominated All Mute’s mind. Rachel asked, trembling:
“S-So…”
“If we hurt those bodies, only the humans will suffer. Not even a physical attack will scratch those souls.”
“Correct again!”
The tracksuit guy looked ready to applaud. He sneered with his gums showing.
“You know, the current human world is the best possible environment for us. Which means it’s the worst possible for you heroes. There’s a mana flow now in the human world. Perfect to give the starting signal, right?”
“Ha…”
All Mute let out a powerless laugh.
“The advantage or disadvantage of the environment… sure…”
Then she lowered her gaze, savoring each word. But when she raised her eyes, her gaze, clear as water, pierced through the enemies.
“There’s someone unaffected by that advantage.”
“What…?”
“Heavenly Sword.”
“……”
“Don’t you think your defense is too flimsy? Of course you’re scared. Physical attacks may not work, you’re possessing bodies—but there’s one person—no, one existence that can reduce all of that to dust.”
As she spoke, All Mute lowered her arms. She had no intention of continuing the fight.
Even if they tried with all their power, civilian casualties were inevitable.
The enemies were hostages in themselves. If they showed the slightest resistance, the villains would slit their own throats. Or set themselves on fire with magic. Either way, civilians would die.
‘I can’t allow that just to save myself.’
She couldn’t hurt them. Not even a scratch. Because before she was a hero, she was human, with a moral responsibility.
“I won’t force you, Rachel.”
All Mute bit her lip, staring at the enemies.
“I won’t blame you or hold it against you. Do whatever you want, like you always have. That’s the beauty of my dear junior.”
“…”
Rachel fell silent for a moment.
Clang.
A metallic sound echoed in the emptiness. Then she let go of her halberd. All Mute glanced at her as she walked. Rachel shrugged.
“If I kill the homeless, Majira’s gonna be pissed.”
“You’ll die.”
“What’s the point of being a hero if I’m scared of dying? That’s what they pay me hundreds of millions for. Senior, you’re seriously underestimating me.”
All Mute smiled faintly.
The villains started to get restless. That nonchalant attitude wasn’t what they expected.
So the tracksuit guy tried to provoke them, but Rachel beat him to it.
“The one who’ll take care of our revenge… is him.”
Her voice was pure. In her eyes, there wasn’t a hint of darkness.
“Heavenly Sword will avenge us until that idiot begs to be killed. When we’re in hell, we’ll torture him together.”
“You’ve grown well, Rachel.”
Rachel puffed out her chest.
“Of course!”
“I didn’t mean it that way…”
“You’ve had enough time for your final words in life.”
The air pressure changed. Mana began to flow. A purple energy curled up their legs like wild thistle. It was an immense power.
“Goodbye, heroes.”
“You too, throw your final tantrum with all your strength.”
“To the very end…!”
One of the women couldn’t take it anymore and snapped her fingers.
Snap.
A flame burst at the point of contact. The fire spread immediately. All Mute took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
‘It’s going to hurt.’
Yes, it would hurt.
They say burn pain is the worst a human can feel. But All Mute thought differently.
After losing her humanity, the pain of conscience was far worse.
‘Humans die.’
And they do so leaving behind nothing but a small black-and-white photograph. That’s why people try so hard to live a life that leaves a mark.
All Mute reflected. How had her life been?
Fairly dignified.
She lived for her country.
Fought as a heroine.
And now, she would die as a human.
‘I regret nothing.’
The air in front of her was burning. A hot gust pushed her hair back. The enemy’s fire must have been very close.
‘I’m going to die…’
FWWWWWEEEHH!
A piercing sound tore through the atmosphere. Shlack! At that very instant, All Mute even felt cold as the surrounding fire was suddenly extinguished. Before she could even open her eyes, Rachel moved her lips.
“This is…”
A sword. With a 30% off tag hanging from it.
“How is this possible…?”
Maybe because of the fire’s light, the sword’s glow shimmered with dark flashes. And in that transparent blade… she saw something reflected.
Black eyes.
■■■■■■—!!
All Mute’s hair whipped forward violently. A wind generated by lightning. The flash of light traced a razor-sharp path through the ceiling, floor, and walls, leaving no safe space.
The enemies, panicked, began casting spells. But it wasn’t enough to stop the high speed. The elemental magic they conjured was sliced like strips of soft candy.
CRACKLE!
The man in the tracksuit slowly turned his gaze. A light behind him— the exit had been blocked by someone’s silhouette. He managed to read the two characters written on that person’s back.
“Sword… Heav…”
‘That’
figure walked forward, bringing darkness with him.
“Y-You? How the hell… are you here?”
He had manipulated everything to keep him away using Choi Ah-a, his infiltrated ally.
He had even prepared a believable enough trap to distract him.
“You said the timing was perfect!”
“S-S-Shut up—!!” he suddenly screamed, voice stained with panic.
“Do you know how many times light can circle the Earth in a second?”
“W-What are you talking about…?”
“Seven and a half times.”
Chills.
“A second ago, I finished dealing with the stragglers on the other front.”
Kang Geom-Ma slightly turned his wrist.
“Don’t worry.”
The Murasame’s cord slipped along the blade.
“With you, I won’t even need a full second.”
Kang Geom-Ma could see it clearly.
The red threads sprouting from the crowns of his enemies.
____
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