#33. The Witch's Calamity (2)
#33. The Witch's Calamity (2)
"So-yul! Baek So-yul!"
"...You can't go."
"What are you talking about? Come on! We don't have time!"
The unease wouldn't leave me. Something was wrong. I was certain she must not go this way. It was dangerous—I had to stop her. I said it again and again, but no one believed me. Dream and reality had tangled together until I thought I was losing my mind.
"Baek So-yul!"
I bit my lip. The anxiety swelled into dread. Everything felt like a dream. The colossal mass of flesh, the academy collapsing, all of us running.
The nightmare was creeping closer. And I still couldn't force out a single word.
―No one was left to believe the girl who cried wolf in her dreams.
***
"Norii întunecați se adună."
Dark clouds consumed the sky—a deepening shroud of unnatural shadow churning in answer to the masked man's words. Mana surged, shaped itself into a spell, and the weather itself began to twist.
"Gwanghwi!"
Gu Jin-ha's shout rang out, and Gwanghwi's arrow tore through the window. The arrow of the greatest living archer, a streak of light, ripped apart the Silent Mouth's gathered mana.
"Tunet de Judecată—!"
The Silent Mouth didn't flinch. As if it meant nothing at all, he forced the spell to completion with mana already in fragments. Tendrils of lightning coiled together, and a colossal thunderbolt crashed down.
"...How?"
Gwanghwi's arrow had scattered his mana. Like water spilled out of a cup—you shouldn't be able to drink it anymore. The spell should have failed.
"—Stâlp de foc."
Hong Yuri's chant ignited a towering pillar of fire. The descending thunderbolt and the ascending flame collided midair, flaring into a blinding white hemisphere that swallowed both.
"What's there to be surprised about? He didn't cast it just now. He had it held in reserve, you moron!"
Hong Yuri yelled, exasperated. Spell Retention—the incantation he'd been weaving was disrupted, but the identical spell he'd already prepared was simply released.
"Sorry. I got excited."
"Whatever. Just pick me up and run."
Hong Yuri climbed onto Gu Jin-ha's back. Without breaking her chant, she steadied herself as he vaulted onto the rooftop in an instant.
"Gwanghwi!"
In the distance, Gwanghwi was already drawing his bowstring. Gu Jin-ha caught his eye and spoke.
"We'll leave the Silent Mouth to you. We'll clean up the flesh-masses first."
Gu Jin-ha glanced back at Hong Yuri. Her chant had already passed the second verse and was approaching the third. He needed to set the board before she was ready to unleash it.
'Four.'
Four of them in this cramped urban block. Even carrying Hong Yuri, Gu Jin-ha flashed past the four flesh-masses like a stroke of lightning. His slender sword had already been drawn, and the creatures shuddered and convulsed once.
'That should do it.'
Gu Jin-ha slipped into the gap and hurled his mana-laced scabbard. The scabbard spun through the air—then a flesh-mass lunged from somewhere and blocked it.
'The timing—'
Damn it. A perfect opening, and all he'd done was throw away his scabbard. Gu Jin-ha drew the creatures' attention and slowly lured them along.
'This should be good enough.'
Shame he couldn't wipe them all out in one stroke, but four would do. Hong Yuri's magic crystallized right on cue.
"Dispare în flacăra groasă!"
The flesh-masses were obliterated in a single sweep. The sheer force of it left no room for anything but awe. The immense flame surging from her hand rolled past the charred remains and reached for the Silent Mouth—only for yet another flesh-mass to interpose itself.
'Coincidence?'
That was the second time. Around then, as the blazing masses collapsed, the flesh scattered across the island began to converge. And even as they gathered, several of them never strayed from his side. As if they were guarding him.
"......."
No. It wasn't coincidence. The flesh-masses were still shielding him in layers. Wall after wall of living shields deflected Gwanghwi's arrows. His quiver was down to three—more than ten of the creatures had fallen, and it still wasn't over. Every flesh-mass on Deokjeok Island seemed to be swarming toward them. Gu Jin-ha's expression twisted.
***
"The Witch?"
"Being escorted to the park. They'll link up with Team 4 shortly."
The man nodded at the report and rolled his shoulders as if loosening a stiff body.
"The unfinished products?"
"Five. Intended for Seongdong-gu and Dobong-gu."
The man nodded again. Honestly, even he had his doubts about this operation. Was it really necessary to go this far? But if Broken Finger wanted it done, a mere Tail like him had no right to object. Decisions were for the people above him, not for him.
"Their reputation is well-earned, I'll give them that."
The vicious torrent of mana in the distance could only be the academy instructors. One by one, each of them was a hunter from a top-tier clan—and they were magnificently pushing the flesh-masses back. Several buildings had collapsed, but the situation would likely be contained within thirty minutes.
"Let's move. We're already committed. The more we kill, the better the returns."
His words were cold, but the corners of his lips kept climbing. The saplings—hunters who might one day grow into something formidable. Most would stall out around C-class, but every year produced a few prodigies.
Crushing those saplings... the thought alone was euphoric. He was practically giddy at the prospect of cutting off futures that would otherwise look down on him someday.
"First, the path in—...?"
The man frowned. Something was off. His heart had been hammering violently for a while now.
'Maybe it's just been that long.'
He had held himself in check for a while. Still—steadying himself with a self-deprecating breath, he forced his emotions back under control. Getting worked up now would ruin everything. He steadied his breathing and opened his eyes.
"......?"
There was no one around him. Or rather—no one alive. The stench of blood stung his nostrils. The sound of his own swallow was deafeningly loud.
'When—?'
The incomprehensible situation rooted him in place. His hands had been trembling for some time. As his breathing grew ragged, realization struck him late. That thundering heartbeat hadn't been excitement or elation.
"......!"
A rustling sound drew his eyes downward—and he saw his own shadow rippling.
***
'Got him.'
Shadow seized his ankle. Tentacles driven through the soles of his feet punched upward. Ghost Flame (C) roared to life and began crawling from his toes—then the man severed his own legs below the thigh.
"—Ngh!"
Blood fountained, and he bit down hard, immediately launching into a rapid-fire chant.
"Flacără!"
A compact invocation. Flame erupted and seared the gushing stumps shut by force. Even then, he didn't lose focus—rolled twice to gain distance, then let out a ragged breath.
"Fuck..."
I'd already confirmed it with Insight. The rest of them were disposable, but this one was definitely a Tail. The words they'd let slip earlier were proof enough. His eyes were thick with venom as he glared at me, hidden in the shadow.
"Who are you?! Who!"
He'd meant to flee—and now he realized he'd just amputated his own legs. He ground his teeth. He'd judged, correctly, that he couldn't escape on one leg.
"———."
He began reciting a spell. I had no intention of letting him finish. Spiritual Field was already threading through the gaps in the shadows. I rode that current and surged behind him. That was when he spun toward his own shadow, like he'd been waiting for it.
'......!'
I'd already shown him I could use shadows. But his judgment was this fast? I was reminded that the Tails weren't ordinary.
"Fereastra de flacără!"
A triumphant grin split his face as he hurled magic straight at his own shadow. A lance of flame bore down with enough heat to incinerate everything. Hidden in the shadow, just as he expected, I answered with Ghost Flame (C). The black fire swallowed the incoming lance whole and surged right back along its path.
"......!"
His face went blank with disbelief. Ghost Flame (C) consumed every trace of what had been standing there, leaving not even a handful of ash behind.
***
'He said park.'
That was unmistakable. The academy covered the entirety of Oryun-dong. And if he meant a park—
'Olympic Park.'
The Witch. There was no question—it was Baek So-yul.
They'd said they were escorting the Witch to link up with Team 4. I didn't know which team these dead men had belonged to, but it meant at least three more groups like them were out there. I identified the location and ran without hesitation. I crossed the distance to the park in under thirty seconds—two hunters were already fighting the Prodigal Sons. A young hunter and an old one. Their emblem symbolized the sun faintly rising beyond the horizon. Dawn, by the look of it.
"Are we seriously going to die here?"
"Shut up and swing your blade!"
A spear and a sword, fighting back-to-back. Their skills were decent, but they were badly outnumbered.
Behind them, fallen students lay tangled in a brutal heap. The Prodigal Sons must have been slaughtering them before these two arrived. They'd stepped in too late. Over half of them weren't breathing anymore.
Academy students, even the best of them, couldn't beat the Prodigal Sons. That was just reality. It was reality, but—
'.......'
I forced the seething fury back down. I couldn't afford to lose my head. If I did, I wouldn't find Baek So-yul. I exhaled long and slow, cooled my thoughts by sheer will, and prioritized.
'First, the garbage.'
—Spiritual Field merged with mana and slowly spread the shadows outward.
***
"That's far enough."
"......."
"Baek So-yul! What do you think you're doing? You can't just run off like that! Come on, let's head back. The others are..."
"Liar. It's you, isn't it."
"What are you talking about? Can't you see how urgent this is? Hurry!"
"If you really thought it was urgent, you wouldn't have chased me at all."
The teacher stared into Baek So-yul's eyes for a long moment, then cocked his head.
"I thought this might work out nicely..."
His feigned warmth had vanished—his tone was practically admitting she was right. Baek So-yul chewed her lip raw and scanned her surroundings with anxious eyes. The wall was over five meters high. She could scale it with magic, but this man wasn't about to stand still and watch.
"Haha. I never imagined our little So-yul could run that well."
"......."
"Why so quiet?"
She didn't answer. The teacher twisted a smile.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. You're still useful."
Baek So-yul's fists trembled with suppressed rage. Just like the dream—if this was how it was going to be, she'd rather die.
'Coming here was the right call.'
If she'd fled alongside everyone else, if this man hadn't chased her, no one would have survived. Just her, alone. At least this way—
"I won't say it again. So-yul. Come here."
"......."
"The longer you stall, the more people die. You know that, don't you? You said you saw it. In your dreams."
"I knew you'd follow me."
"And? What does knowing change?"
He sneered and closed the distance. The moment he was within arm's reach, Baek So-yul screamed.
"Suliță de gheață!"
She'd been waiting for this. In this narrow alley, he couldn't dodge. It played out exactly as she'd predicted—the manifested ice-spear struck true. And shattered against his fist.
"Spell Retention... you haven't even graduated yet, and you can already do that?"
"......."
B-class. That was all it took to make everything feel this hopeless. Ice fragments crumbled from his hand. Her trump card nullified, a deep shadow fell across Baek So-yul's face. That was everything she'd prepared. She'd run from the start intending to use herself as bait. The moment he followed her, she'd known it would come to this.
"...Even if you run, there are plenty of others who'll kill them. It's not just me."
"......."
"What, did you think you'd save the rest by running off alone?"
Naive. An opportunity like this—there was no reason not to prune every sprout. The teacher curled his lips. His fist drew back, and Baek So-yul squeezed her eyes shut—
"—Distort!"
Space warped. Mana coiled with purpose and locked him in place. Before the unstable magic could snap under brute force, a voice yelled.
"Go! Now!"
One hand was wrapped around her own wrist as if the spell might give way at any second. Trapped in the dead-end alley, Baek So-yul gathered mana into her feet and leaped clean over the tall wall. Five seconds. Eun-ha had gritted her teeth and held on for five seconds before the distortion shattered.
'After all that training.'
No—because of that training, she'd bought her the time to run. The drills with Hong Yuri hadn't been wasted. The moment her mana snapped, the teacher turned his head with a murderous look.
"...Dawn?"
"......."
"Why are you interfering? That girl caused this entire situation! If she gets away, those flesh-masses will multiply even further!"
"......."
"Damn it! We have to chase her now! It's that girl! We have to catch her!"
The voice brimmed with desperate emotion. Eun-ha let out a hollow laugh.
"Excuse me. I heard everything you just said."
The teacher's expression went blank.
"...Then I guess I have no choice. I'll just have to deal with you too."
A fist rushed in. Eun-ha ducked on pure instinct and rolled.
'......!'
Unbelievable speed. Her body couldn't keep up. The only reason she'd dodged at all was Mana Detection. She wouldn't survive a second one. —And then Eun-ha was enveloped in a burst of light, exactly as she'd prepared.
"...A short-range teleportation scroll?"
Looking closer, shreds of torn paper littered the ground. She'd ripped it from the very start. She'd never intended to fight—only to run.
"Tch. Had to be now."
He clicked his tongue and turned away. Having his identity exposed to a Dawn hunter stung. But Baek So-yul couldn't be allowed to escape over a single mistake. Cold judgment made, he vaulted the wall after her.
***
The young hunter's spear punched through a charging Prodigal Son's shoulder. He raised it desperately—a two-handed sword crashed down, jarring his wrists. He nearly lost his grip.
Individually, they weren't strong. The problem was they had three times the numbers. Every time he tried anything, another one appeared as if summoned to interfere. No way out came to mind, and he caught himself chewing his own lip raw.
'What if we just run?'
He could escape, probably. He glanced at the old hunter, but the man didn't look ready to retreat.
'I'm losing my mind. Seriously.'
He couldn't run alone. Looked like he'd be digging his own grave here. With a sigh, the young hunter dredged up the last dregs of his mana. Across from him, the Prodigal Sons pressed in with methodical, almost clinical precision, rotating like a wheel. If this kept up, the outcome was obvious.
'Fine! To hell with it!'
Frustration boiling over, he poured his remaining mana into his spear and hurled it. The target flinched back, and in that gap he stepped forward and slammed his shoulder into another Prodigal Son's swinging blade. A shoulder charge. The sword bit halfway into his shoulder blade—that was the plan. For this one instant, the man's weapon was neutralized. Two down. But the third one was coming, and he had nothing left.
'I'm taking at least one hit!'
He kept driving forward, bracing for the blade slashing in from the side. The pain never came.
'Why?'
Did the old guy help him? Didn't matter—this was his opening. He mounted the man he'd knocked down and drove a mana-laced fist straight down. Skull met asphalt and burst like a watermelon.
'That's one.'
The young hunter wiped his mouth on his sleeve and turned around. The old hunter was frozen solid.
"Hey, old man. Why are you just standing there...?"
He followed the old hunter's gaze—and saw it too.
"...How—?"
Not a shadow cast on the ground. A shadow rippling before his eyes.
"......."
The shadow shaped itself into a Wolf. Both hunters locked up, rigid as stone, as words flowed from the darkness.
"—The remaining Prodigal Sons?"
A Wolf's form. A Wolf cloaked in shadow. The words stopped his breath. Clear speech. How? His body refused to move. The old hunter's eyes rolled desperately, cold sweat beading as his trembling hand clutched his sword.
"......."
The moment his gaze met the red eyes inside the shadow, his breath died. Under a suffocating pressure that threatened to blank his mind entirely, the Wolf seemed to take silence as answer and slowly turned away. The instant its form vanished, both hunters collapsed as if their strings had been cut.
"Hah... haah. Haah."
They gasped and heaved, unable to steady their breathing. Every scrap of feigned composure had been a bluff. Their legs, barely holding on, gave out at last. Pathetically, neither of them was getting up anytime soon.
"What the hell was that?! What was that thing?!"
The young hunter's voice cracked with panic and terror. The old hunter shook his head.
"...I don't know."
His gaze fell on nothing but the mangled corpses of the Prodigal Sons. He'd seen it clearly. The shadows and countless tentacles that had erupted from the Wolf. He'd watched it impale the enemies that had given them so much trouble and tear them apart. The one thing the old hunter could say with absolute certainty was that if they'd fought it, they would be undeniably dead.
The two hunters could only stare blankly after the Wolf as it vanished beyond the darkness.