Chapter 357: New Vacation (5)
Kang Su-a dodged the flying chunk of metal from afar while anxiously gazing toward where Shin Ji-su had been sent flying moments ago.
'I need to go save Ji-su quick!'
But her opponent wasn't giving her any opening to escape.
"Where do you think you're looking during a fight?!"
"Kuh!"
In the brief moment Kang Su-a had looked away, the girl in purple attire swung her whip.
Crack!
"Kuht!"
"Can't get distracted, you know?"
"Damn it…."
Normally, she would have overwhelmed them without hesitation, but the situation was far too dire.
The warehouse they'd entered, thrilled at finding the location of the Primordial Ether, had turned out to be a trap—Drake, their bitter rivals, were lying in wait.
They'd come here with the exact same goal.
The Primordial Ether.
'Good thing I transformed ahead of time. But at this rate….'
With red emergency lights flashing over the safety of her two friends who always stuck by her side, she couldn't fight at her usual strength.
'No good! I have to save Ji-su first! If she gets caught, it'll be a real disaster!'
Risking it all, she turned her back to the enemy, trying to use the Ether's power for propulsion to fly toward her friend.
But Kang Su-a's reckless move only worsened her predicament.
"Where do you think you're running?!"
Whoosh! Crack! Whip!
"Krah!"
The purple girl's whip slashed across her thigh, carving a deep gash while simultaneously binding both her legs.
With her ankles tied, Kang Su-a tried to use the Ether bursting from her clothes to break free, but the purple girl wasn't about to let that happen.
Before she could loosen the whip from her ankles, it swung wide and slammed her down into the scrap metal.
Boom! Crash!
"Gahhh!"
"Hahaha! Come at me all cocky like usual! Go on!"
Boom, crash! Boom, crash! Boom, crash!
After several brutal strikes, confirming Kang Su-a had gone limp, the purple girl peered down at her buried in the scrap heap and laughed gleefully.
"What's wrong? Do it like you always do! Hahaha!"
Kang Su-a couldn't comprehend it.
'Ugh…. This, this is weird. She definitely wasn't this strong before. Why'd she suddenly get so powerful?'
No matter how many enemies there were, the small fry were no match for them.
The only real interference was this purple girl staring down at her.
Even she usually lost in 2-on-1 fights and fled.
But not today.
She was overwhelming the two of them, driving them back.
"You… ugh… what the hell did you… aaagh!"
But there was no answer—just the whip tightening.
It dug into her ankles, biting into her flesh.
Yet she had her Ether to protect her.
The Ether in her shoe burst out, lunging at the whip—
Flash! Sizzle….
Instead, purple Ether erupted from the whip, lashing like another whip and obliterating Kang Su-a's red Ether.
"Wh-what?!"
"How's that? Taste my newly upgraded Ether?"
"…What?"
She didn't know the exact details, but one thing was clear.
'No idea what she did, but that bitch's Ether is a whole level above mine right now! I need to break out fast….'
Even as she stayed calm and scanned her surroundings, the purple girl, drunk on her own power, started babbling.
"Heh heh heh… Master upgraded it for me this time. No matter how hard you struggle, you're still in Master's grasp."
"Ha? Hilarious. You mean that monster freak we sliced to pieces last time?"
"…You dare speak of Master like that?"
The purple girl wiped the glee from her face, replacing it with hatred, smirking venomously as she slowly approached Kang Su-a.
"Either way… once you taste Master's blessing, even you with your Ether will submit."
"Shut up… I'd rather die than submit to that monster freak. Ptoo!"
"Tch."
Kang Su-a's spit hit the purple girl's cheek, slowly sliding down her neck.
The girl wiped it with the back of her hand, glaring before flashing a cruel smile down at her.
"Good… that's how it should be. Makes corrupting you all the more fun."
With that, she summoned another whip from purple Ether, raising it high and slamming it down.
"I'll turn you into a bitch who only has eyes for Master!!"
"Ugh!"
Sensing the whip's shadow thickening, Kang Su-a crossed her arms, erecting an Ether shield.
'I don't want to end like this here! Dad….'
That desperate plea was when—
Bang! Shred!
"Ugh! Wh-what?!"
"…Huh?"
The descending purple whip suddenly pierced through by something, liquids bursting and scattering.
And then the shout…
"Su-a!"
Her partner was flying in from afar.
The purple girl glanced at the incoming Shin Ji-su in panic and started backing away.
"Kuh! Another one?! I'll finish you first!"
"Ugh!"
The purple girl gripped the battered Kang Su-a's bound ankle, spinning her to hurl her away.
"Aaaah!"
"Su-a!!"
Normally, she'd shield with Ether on landing, but with her body and Ether already wrecked, crashing like this could be fatal.
Just as the spin reached max velocity to launch her—
Bang! Shred!
Gunfire echoed again, shattering the whip the purple girl controlled.
But momentum sent the spinning Kang Su-a flying off in the wrong direction.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Su-a!"
Kang Su-a's trajectory cleverly missed Shin Ji-su's path, out of reach.
With body and mind in ruins, her mind only pictured crashing into the scrap pile.
'This is really dangerous! Please! Just a bit more!'
Even mid-flight, she desperately poured her emotions into her Ether.
But her battered Ether couldn't respond.
Gazing at the approaching scrap heap, Kang Su-a slowly closed her eyes.
'Dad… sorry I couldn't avenge you.'
The moment she shut her eyes and gave up—
'…?'
Expecting to smash into the metal and die painlessly, she felt no agony—just a soft embrace.
Pain lingered everywhere, but something was wrapping around her, healing it.
'…What? Am I dead? Does death just end without pain?'
Spinning wild fantasies, she tremblingly lifted her brows to look around.
Yellow light streamed from the warehouse ceiling, contrasting a dark silhouette gazing down.
Warm skin pressed against her, chilled by the cold stare.
Stark light and shadow hid his face, but one thing was certain: he'd saved her.
"Wh… who?"
"Let's heal your wounds first."
The man spoke quietly, only what needed saying, as she sensed white light emanating toward her.
That instant—
Shred….
A red accessory on her chest liquefied, clinging to the cloaked man's neck and squeezing desperately.
Her wrecked Ether was fighting to protect its master.
Even as it choked him, the man remained unflinching, coldly stating,
"Ether isn't all that smart, huh. Looks like it wants its master dead."
Slither….
The red Ether flinched, then went limp, reverting to a brooch dangling on Kang Su-a's chest.
'…Ether.'
Unable to move, she pitied it.
The thing that had strained to save her.
But that emotion was fleeting.
White light enveloped her again, vitality returning to her body.
Yet even amid the glow, she couldn't see the man's face.
'What? Am I hallucinating from dying?'
Her countless wounds regenerated into flawless skin.
Dirt and metal dust slithered out, settling on the floor; her skin healed cleaner than before.
Shocked, confirming her full recovery, Kang Su-a strained her eyes to peer into the cloak, desperate for his identity.
But that was it.
A large hand covered her face, gently closing her eyes as he whispered,
"Rest. When you wake, it'll all be over."
"Ah…."
His words crossed with a memory:
(Su-a, hide here. It'll all be over when you come out.)
Recalling it, she drifted to sleep, murmuring,
"D… dad…."
"D… dad…."
I tilted my head at the short-haired redhead girl.
'What? No way, some kid I knocked up by mistake?'
[….]
Armonia fell silent at my absurd joke, then asked,
[…What will you do?]
'What do you mean, what? ….'
I gently laid her on the floor and eyed the incoming purple girl.
"Hey, who's that?!"
"…."
I raised my arm toward the girl, taking aim.
'I've already gotten involved, so at least see it through to the end.'