A Feast of Flares Painting C District Red
The sky over C District was dyed crimson by a barrage of signal flares. Spotting the commotion from outside, I asked Latte just before leaving the shopping mall.
“Didn’t Alesia say where she was headed?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. She just said she’d look around the area and come back──”
Right then.
──KABOOM!
──BOOM! BOOM!
A series of explosions rocked the air alongside the deafening roars.
“……Guess I don’t need to hear it anymore.”
Sounds like that could only mean one thing: a battle between Awakeners.
“Parnello. Round up everyone who’s not fighting right now and have them secure this place…… You’re with me. Latte, any way to contact her?”
“Ah, no. My phone’s with Alesia sis……”
I handed her my spare radio immediately.
“Stay here and guard it. Radio if anything happens.”
“Got it!”
She might look fragile with that youthful face, but she was one of Niflheim’s elite survivors. She could handle most problems.
“Let’s move.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
We kicked off the ground and raced down the road. Our two figures shot out of the big mart in an instant, heading straight for the nearest flare burst.
Rattle-rattle-rattle──
The gunfire grew louder as we closed in. Bursting into the building where the shots echoed, we found our organization members facing off against villains who reeked of Awakener power.
“Damn Calione scum!”
The bellowing villain was pinned down by one of our hitmen, dodging crossfire from three others blasting away from all sides.
“Pour it on!”
“You…… fucking dogs! Gah!!”
Two villains sprawled on the floor, from the looks of it. The survivor’s movement radius shrank with every dodge—clear as day.
This was Calione’s anti-Awakener combat doctrine in action. Proof that our training for fighting Awakeners worked like a charm.
“The Young Master and Sir Parnello are here!”
“Finish him!”
Pinned by the bullet storm, he got cornered. Finally, a front-line soldier’s dagger plunged into his gut, ending it.
“What happened?”
“Yes, Young Master. While searching the building, we ran into villains guarding some weird-looking mushrooms. As you see, two down. No injuries.”
Villains standing guard? That meant they could be lurking elsewhere too.
──KABOOM!
──BOOM!
More blasts from another spot.
“……Yeah, I get the picture.”
Why contact with Alesia cut out. Why the explosions kept coming from outside.
“Parnello. I need a favor.”
“Name it.”
“Looks like Alesia’s at one of the blast sites, so I gotta check it out. Can you lead the others and clean up the area while I’m gone?”
Parnello’s mobility and skill outclassed mine; better for him to sweep the neighborhood.
He nodded, agreeing it made sense.
“Consider it done. Signal if anything comes up.”
I nodded back, borrowed a spare radio from one of the soldiers, and headed out.
The warzone vibe lingered: flares rising here and there, gunfire cracking amid it all. And one spot still erupting in massive blasts and fireworks, flaunting itself.
“Going all out, huh.”
The commercial district where Alesia and I had shared egg bread not long ago.
She was there. No hesitation now that I had a target.
I channeled aura into my legs for a boost and launched forward, leaping over wrecked cars and debris. Scaling the tallest nearby building, I landed on its rooftop for a wider view.
Confirmed the direction, vaulted a few more rooftops, and reached the commercial district.
“……This is bad.”
The scene from above was pure devastation.
“No wonder it’s him, not some random villain.”
Central square of the district. Festival food courts and colorful balloons scattered everywhere— all charred to ash, of course.
And right in the middle, a fight raging.
“Hmm. You look infected, but how’re you still moving like that, lady?”
“Don’t talk to me, you gross pervert.”
Alesia, covered in wounds at a glance, facing a grinning clown.
Bloody Clown. Had to be him.
“That hurts my feelings. I only gave you a gift.”
“……That’s why you got tossed in Niflheim—calling bombs ‘gifts.’”
“Fiery gifts! Aren’t they great! Why doesn’t anyone get me? Waaaaah! So sad, so saaaad! But clowns are always happy!”
“……Psycho.”
“Ahahahaha!”
Bloody Clown yanked puppy-shaped balloons from his pocket and hurled them at Alesia.
“Sharing the happiness!”
“Damn…… *cough cough!*”
Alesia grimaced, dodging the incoming puppies. But they closed in. She bit her lip, raising her dagger──
BOOM!
BOOM-BOOM!
BOOM!
All the balloons rushing her exploded in a flash.
“Told you, if you’re sick, say something. No need to go night walking.”
“……Young Master?”
I approached Alesia, blowing smoke off Tommy’s barrel.
“How’s the body holding up?”
“……I’m fine.”
“Liar. Blood on your lips.”
“Really!?”
She wiped her mouth in panic at my words.
“Nah, just messing.”
“……Joking in a situation like this. Too much. *Cough cough!*”
Up close, she looked worse than I thought. Pale skin, blue bruises on arms and legs, heavy dark circles.
Fighting him while sick. Good thing I had a spare gas mask; handed it over.
“Rest up.”
“……You sure?”
She took it with a weak smile.
“Yeah. Handle that guy, and I’ll throw in some vacation time. Get some real rest.”
Reassured, I eyed the giggling Bloody Clown through the clearing smoke.
“What’s so funny?”
“Isn’t it obvious! Who hates a good looove story? I love love stories! Hahaha!!”
“……Still creepy as ever.”
“Pardon?”
“Just die already.”
No more chit-chat. I swung [Al Capone’s Tommy] at him.
──!
/ ──!
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/ ──!
/ ──!
/ ──!
/ ──!
/ ──!
The thunderous barrage tore toward him. Bloody Clown was a villain and a clear Calione enemy, triggering both 【Hitman】’s ‘Villain Hunter’ and 【Executor】 at once—my stats nearly doubled.
Meaning every bullet packed extra punch.
“What the──?!”
Maybe dismissing it as ‘just a gun,’ he smirked and tried blocking. But when I pulled the trigger, he yelped and flung out his palms in a mime panic.
The square boomed like artillery fire. I unloaded for ages before easing off the trigger. He panted, still standing, lips trembling into a grin at me.
“……Mime.”
His post-Niflheim escape defense skill: miming an invisible wall to block attacks.
“That was close. Reeeeally close! A gun that shoots cannon shells—what a dangerous toy!”
Mime cut ranged damage by 70%—a cheat ability. Sure, it only blocked one direction, but a pain for single-direction shooters like me.
Guess named bosses are still too tough for guns. Time for an upgrade.
Forced into close quarters now.
“What a hassle.”
I holstered the gun and slipped on my gloves. He tilted his head, puzzled.
“What’s this? Giving up alreadyyy?”
“Nah. Time to play for real.”
“Huh?”
Aura-boosted kick launched me like a bullet.
“Mime!”
He threw up another mime wall. But──
Crack──!
A split echoed from empty air.
I shoved my face in his, flashing the grin he loved so much.
“Huh?”
“Wall’s crumbling, yeah?”
Crash! My fist shattered the mime wall, slamming straight into his solar plexus.
Thud!
His body folded like a C, tumbling backward to eat dirt unceremoniously.
Flopped on the ground, he drew a blank stare from me. I chuckled dryly.
“See? Not dead. Get up.”
“……Busted, huh?”
“Like you’d drop from that.”
He sprang up with a dramatic “Hyup!”
No way to one-shot after the mime absorbed the initial hit. Had to set up the next one.
“By the waaay, you’ve been talking like you know me…… We met before?”
Cracking his joints, he asked—clearly bugged by my tone.
Truth? We’d clashed countless times. But first in this world.
So……
“Nah. Instructor Ji Suhyun told me. Said you’re a total nobody.”
“……Huh?”
Her name dropped; his face crumbled.
“J-Ji Suhyun, you said?”
“Yeah. The Ji Suhyun who dragged your ass to America and locked you up. My teacher now.”
“……What’d that bitch say about me.”
“Why? Curious?”
Bloody Clown’s quirk: acts playful and cool, but hot-tempered underneath. Just mentioning old grudges lit him up like now.
“Wanna do question-for-question?”
His rage-twisted face screamed opportunity. I pressed.
“Go ahead.”
“Fine, my turn first. Any other villains here as threatening as you—or close?”
He nodded. From Plague’s personality and his vibe, no lie.
“My question. Ji Suhyun—that bitch—what’s she saying about me?”
“What, that’s it?”
“……It’s important to me.”
No drawn-out speech tic; he was boiling.
Easy enough. Ji Suhyun spilled villain stories now and then.
Truth for truth.
I flipped him the bird with a straight face.
“Said you’re fucking weak? Retard.”
Unfiltered truth. No, she really said it just like that.