EP7. North Korean Gate
"D-Dragon Knight!"
The announcer shouted it, but everyone watching TV on the other end was yelling the same thing.
Those who knew this wasn't a game or a movie but the real deal had stomped their feet unconsciously when Park Dae-gi was chased by the monster.
And the person who saved him by a hair's breadth was the Dragon Knight.
It wasn't just adults glued to the news.
During school break, students were crowding around the internet to watch too.
"Hye-seon, it's your oppa!"
Hye-seon whipped her head around in surprise. It was one of the friends she'd gone to the amusement park with.
The second Jae-jun's face appeared on screen, the girl had blurted it out without thinking.
She clamped her hand over her mouth too late.
The other kids who'd heard alternated wide-eyed stares between Hye-seon and the screen.
Oppa!
Don't do anything too dangerous!
Hye-seon cheered him on silently in her heart.
Jae-jun calmly scanned his surroundings.
The Korean hunters were barely holding on in a desperate struggle against the monsters.
If they'd advanced more slowly, taking time with each foe, it might not have come to this.
But with the Japanese hunters gone, they were suddenly swarmed and had no choice but to break through.
Japan must have been counting on that.
Jang Gil-san was using his esper abilities to block the monsters surging from the center.
But it wasn't enough.
There were just too many monsters.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Jae-jun instinctively knew it was time for him to step in.
"Hm?"
Then a familiar face caught his eye.
How'd he end up here?
It was Park Dae-gi, the reporter Jae-jun had saved at the department store.
He'd even heard his voice on the radio recently.
Park Dae-gi was being chased by a massive bat-like monster.
He finally tripped and fell. The bat's claw sank into his shoulder.
It was a life-or-death moment.
Blink!
Blink
In an instant, Jae-jun sliced the bat monster's neck clean in two.
Park Dae-gi lay sprawled on the ground, blinking in shock.
When Jae-jun offered a hand, he finally snapped back to reality.
"You're Park Dae-gi the reporter, right?"
"Ah... Y-You remember me...?"
Park Dae-gi stammered, still reeling from the near-death shock.
His mind was flooded with the terror of being torn apart by a monster any second.
"Yeah. I heard what you said about me on the radio the other day. Nice stuff."
"R-Really... Ugh!"
A sharp pain stabbed from the wound the bat had inflicted.
He touched it—his clothes were already soaked with blood. It was bad.
Up until now, excitement and adrenaline had numbed the pain.
"Hold still."
Archangel's Salvation!
Archangel's Salvation
A faint glow burst from Michael's sword.
Park Dae-gi's wound healed visibly where the light touched.
"Get checked at a hospital later, just in case."
"Th-Thank you."
Jae-jun turned and walked toward the monsters.
Watching his back, Park Dae-gi yelled without thinking.
"B-Be careful!"
Jae-jun paused briefly and flashed a grin at him.
"It'll be quick."
Quick?
Park Dae-gi tilted his head, not getting it.
No way. All those monsters? Quick?
What now?
The fastest way would be Hell's Conflagration or Chain Lightning to wipe them out in one go.
But that'd sweep up the Korean hunters too.
No choice. Take it slow!
Jae-jun raised Michael's sword high toward the sky.
The blade sparkled in the sunlight.
Furious Blade!
Furious Blade
Furious Blade was one of Michael's sword's special abilities.
First time Jae-jun had tried it.
Furious Blade: Unleashes powerful sword energy at enemies all around, drawing their aggro to the user.
Dark red sword energy poured from Michael's sword like shadows spilling out.
Shwoooo!
The shadows scattered like autumn leaves in the wind, raining down on the monsters.
The effect was tremendous.
Kyaaaah!
Kieeeek!
Monsters grazed or slashed by the energy turned red-eyed, wildly scanning around.
The moment they spotted Jae-jun, they charged—even abandoning their previous targets.
A bit more!
Jae-jun activated Furious Blade again.
Shwoooo!
The number of charging monsters doubled.
Thud thud!
Hundreds of monsters roared and leaped as one, shaking the ground.
Time for magic first.
Blink!
Blink
His body reappeared in midair.
Now he could see all the monsters charging from afar.
They'd taken the bait perfectly—the hunters stood dazed, out of range.
Chain Lightning!
Chain Lightning
A sharp crackle rang out around Jae-jun, then electricity surged in all directions.
Crackle!
Like a downpour from the heavens, lightning rained on the monsters' heads.
Keeeek!
Kiiiik!
Was this what a thunder god looked like descending?
One hand gripping a long-bladed sword, the other hurling bolts of electricity.
The intense current was blinding, searing the monsters and vanishing into the earth.
Has the god of lightning come down?
It echoed in every hunter's mind as they looked skyward.
But it wasn't over.
Hell's Conflagration!
Hell's Conflagration
Whoosh!
The monsters, already roasting with the smell of cooked flesh and smoke billowing, now endured a rain of fire from above.
The flames gathered into a massive vortex, incinerating everything.
Even large monsters without magic resistance crumbled to ash under that firepower.
Kuhuhuhuhu!
"...I-Is this the Dragon Knight?"
Park Dae-gi muttered unconsciously.
The whole spectacle was broadcasting live on Goryeo TV, of course.
When the flame vortex faded, the ground was littered with dying monsters and scorch marks.
Kiiiik!
A few high magic-resistant ones lingered, but Jae-jun's casual sword swings severed their necks one by one.
Slash!
Amazing.
Kieeek!
Slash!
When Jae-jun beheaded the last monster, a light drizzle fell from the clear sky.
The extreme temperature drop from the flames had condensed the air into raindrops.
Gulp.
Park Dae-gi swallowed dryly.
This is why I risked my life to come here!
Jae-jun's gaze shifted to the far side, where plenty of monsters still remained.
Legion Summon!
Legion Summon
Fifty stone golems burst from the sub-space.
"Attack the monsters!"
At his command, the stone golems charged past the hunters toward the monsters.
Gasp!
The hunters groaned as the golems thundered by.
An unstoppable chill raced through their bodies.
And the grand finale was the dragon.
Hestia!
Kroooaaar!
Hestia made her entrance far more dramatically than the golems.
She tore through sub-space, wings flapping powerfully.
Jae-jun mounted her back and soared toward the monsters.
The hunters finally let out the shivers they'd bottled up deep inside.
Waaaaah!
At the same moment, Jang Gil-san pointed at the monsters and bellowed.
"Everyone!"
"Attack!"
The battle, which had favored the monsters moments ago, flipped to the hunters' advantage in a flash.
The endless wall of monsters crumbled bit by bit, revealing the gate ahead.
The Japanese hunters fighting up front were slipping away one by one, cloaked in stealth mantles.
If a monster blocked their path, they cut it down with a single stroke and headed to the rendezvous.
It was a bit removed from where the Korean hunters were.
Once there, they'd regroup, wait for the Koreans to be fully pinned, then take out Jang Gil-san and escape.
Slash!
Kurada Shingo wiped the blood from his Japanese sword on a monster corpse.
Dead monster bodies were already piling up around him.
All killed with single, precise strikes to vital points.
"Everyone assembled?"
"Yes."
The Japanese elite hunters had gathered without a single straggler.
As expected, not like those weak Korean hunters.
"Then, a short break..."
Kurada Shingo whipped his head around mid-sentence.
Thud.
A black-armored monster had appeared silently behind his men.
His subordinates noticed his gaze and turned, spotting it too.
Shing!
They drew their swords and surrounded the monster.
Kurada's expression grew complicated.
Even face-to-face, he couldn't gauge its power.
Is this the strong one Jang Gil-san mentioned?
In the tense standoff, flames and lightning suddenly shot sky-high from afar.
Taking it as the signal, the Japanese hunters charged, swinging their blades.
The monster didn't budge, taking dozens of strikes head-on.
Clang!
Clang!
But...
Not a single Japanese sword pierced the armor.
Not even a scratch.
The monster's hand whipped out, a massive greatsword suddenly in its grip.
Splat!
The heads of the Japanese hunters where the blade passed exploded.
As blood spurted in gushes, the monster spoke.
Astonishingly, it could talk.
"...Who among you is the strongest?"
And its eyes were already fixed on Kurada.
—Author's Note—
Thank you.