The Fugitive's End
“Let… let go of me!”
The woman wrenched her arm free from my grip the moment I asked if that was all she had. Right after, her extended arm transformed, unfolding into four launch ports. And what shot out from those ports? None other than rocket launchers.
“What the—no way, is she seriously a cyborg or something?”
“I know that without you telling me!”
Did I really need someone spelling out that I had to dodge that thing? The moment Kwon Ji-yul's voice hit my earpiece, I was already pulling my body out of the room.
Boom boom boom—!!!
No sooner had I stepped into the hall than a ferocious explosion lit up my vision. Luckily, I'd bailed the second I spotted the rockets, so I avoided the blast without a scratch.
“Whew, that was close.”
I let out a sigh of relief after dodging the bombardment, and the thick smoke billowing up began to dissipate. What emerged was the room, obliterated by the explosion. Through the gaping hole, I saw Shim Hyuk-jin—looking a bit less relaxed now—walking toward me. I drew my dagger.
“Got it. Means we wrap this up in five.”
She'd probably used that noisy bomb not just out of anger, but to call for backup. I nodded at Kwon Ji-yul's report. Sudden time limit on the mission—but five minutes? More than enough. I hurled the dagger I'd drawn straight ahead.
Clang—!
Predictably, she blocked it effortlessly with one arm.
“Blades like that can't hurt me.”
“We'll see about that. Poke around a bit, and who knows? Sure, you've got all those machines hanging off you, but you're still just human, right?”
“...How unpleasant.”
“Yep, meant to piss you off. Mission accomplished?”
I flashed a grin at her scowling face. Looking annoyed by my smile, she raised her arm again. And protruding from it this time? A machine gun barrel.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!!!!!
My eyes widened at the sight, and bullets sprayed toward me. Before I could even shout Bullet Time, the rounds closing in triggered my perception acceleration automatically, slowing the world around me to a crawl.
Deflecting these... gonna be tough.
Rockets from her body? Machine gun wasn't much of a stretch. But bouncing bullets? Too risky. No choice—dodge. I ducked the incoming barrage with ease and charged her.
Thud—!
She clearly hadn't expected anyone to dodge machine-gun fire. Horror twisted her face as I closed in—hilariously distorted in slow motion. I evaded every bullet trailing me. Her reflexes were sharp, tracking me to the end, but I was faster.
Final step—I was right in her face. She tried stowing the gun barrel for a close-quarters weapon, but my stiletto was quicker.
Squelch—!!
Some anti-blade suit material gave slight resistance, but with full Bullet Time power behind it, the blade pierced her heart. I felt it unmistakably through my fingertips.
That does it.
Heart skewered—no need to stick around. I kicked her off my blade. Bullet Time ended as the duration expired.
Crash crash crash—!!!
The second time slowed to normal, she tumbled across the floor and slammed into the wall. My full-force kick cracked the wall, nearly collapsing it. A bit rough for corpse-handling, maybe.
But after three years in this world, I wasn't about to feel sorry. How many lives had I taken already? Feeling bad now would just be hollow hypocrisy or mockery. I turned back to the rocket-shattered room.
“...”
Shim Hyuk-jin was there, face pale, sweating bullets like a madman.
“Finally realizing I'm dangerous? Man, you're slow on the uptake.”
“W-wait... let's talk this out. How much are they paying you for this? M-money's no object—name your price...!”
“What, you think I'm some Back World bottom-feeder who can be bought off? You know that's not how this works.”
“...Shut up—I'm not anymore. And even back then, no one ever bought me off with cash.”
Kwon Ji-yul snickered at my response, teasing me through the earpiece, but I had plenty of comebacks. I'd never ditched a Back World contract for money like those lowlifes—I was top-tier. No time for banter, though. I brushed it off and approached Shim Hyuk-jin.
Or tried to.
Crack crack—
“Halt.”
“Huh?”
If not for the woman blocking my path, I'd have made it. She'd been heart-stabbed and wall-smashed, yet here she was, debris clinging to her, standing in my way. Beyond astonishing—impossible. I tilted my head.
“What the hell? Didn't I pierce her heart?”
“A mere heart puncture won't kill me.”
“No way—is she really a cyborg?”
Anything surviving a pierced heart wasn't human anymore. I rubbed my neck, chuckling incredulously at her words. She was staggering, though—the wall impact had done real damage. No clue how she survived the stab, but if heart shots didn't work, I had other ways. Plenty.
Bullet Time.
The world slowed instantly. Part of me wanted to grill her on survival secrets, but time was tight. Sneaky? Maybe. Necessary. She reacted to my movement, raising her arm, but injured, she was slower than before—and I'd been faster even then.
I jabbed through her eye into her brain, slashed both lungs with my spare dagger, dodged her swinging arm, and wired her neck.
Slice—
Brain, heart, lungs, neck severed. Odds of survival now? Near zero. If not, I'd dismember and torch her.
Thud—
“...”
Bullet Time ended. I checked—just in case. She lay motionless, no breathing. I turned away.
“Finally dead, huh.”
Bodyguard down for good. One target left: complete the mission. I stepped forward slowly toward my sole remaining goal.
“W-wait! If not money, how about power?! I-I can put you in a top spot in China if you just...!”
Tears streaming, Shim Hyuk-jin desperately tried bargaining with me.
Squelch—
The dagger plunged into a heart. Not Shim Hyuk-jin's own.
It pierced the hearts of the two women flanking him. Their eyes, frozen in tear-streaked screams, stared coldly vacant. Shim Hyuk-jin sensed his turn was next.
“They were innocent, sure. But can't leave witnesses.”
“P-please, spare me. I'll do anything... please...”
“Should've just avoided Central from the start—no need to beg like this. You could've kept blowing cash and living it up.”
“I-I had no choice!! It was the company that scouted me—they ordered it!!!”
At my words, Shim Hyuk-jin bellowed. Damn Central Republic of Korea. They'd let him slide before—why send an assassin now? Feeling a child's petulant injustice, he shouted that it wasn't his idea—the company that recruited him had commanded it.
I touched my in-ear device briefly at his outburst, then spoke slowly.
“Hmm... changed my mind. You said you'd do anything to live, right?”
“...! Yes! Anything—please!!”
“Then spill everything on that company that scouted you. If it's good enough, I'll let you go.”
“R-really? That's all?!”
Hope lit his face. He rummaged in his suit pocket. Selling this intel might burn bridges, but like before, flee to another country. He had money—plenty to rebuild.
He pulled a terminal from his inner pocket and handed it over.
“Th-this is what I use to comm with the company every week! It has pretty much all their info—should satisfy you plenty!”
“Oh...?”
The device he used weekly for company contact. Seeing my eyes gleam, Shim Hyuk-jin's hope swelled. If I was this pleased, he'd live.
But that ballooning hope burst on the dagger tip stabbing faster than he could notice.
Squelch—!
Blade through his heart, hot blood filling his chest. He looked up weakly at me as I pocketed the terminal casually.
“Why... I gave you... what you... wanted...”
“Duh, I never said I'd let the target live. You bought that?”
“You... fucking... bitch...”
His curse died unfinished. Cool blade withdrawing from his heart, body pitching forward. Oil and flames rained down as he closed his eyes.
Whoosh—
Devoured by fire, Shim Hyuk-jin's body burned. The fugitive who'd touched Central and never doubted his escape met his end.