Humans Die When Their Heads Come Off

Hongryeon caught the incoming blade with an almost leisurely one-handed parry, her other hand folded neatly behind her back.

Clang!

Chwi Wolryang shoved hard against the locked steel and sprang a step back. Without missing a beat, he sent a second cut screaming toward her head.

And then a flash tore across my vision.

What the hell is that now?!

The afterimage of the slash he had just swept sideways on his charge — it had become a blade of pure light, and it was already carving in toward Hongryeon's ribs. Two cuts, arriving at the same instant.

How do you even dodge that?!

Apparently I was the only one asking. Hongryeon's expression did not so much as flicker. She threw herself into a sideways spin, her maid's skirt blooming open like a dark flower.

Whoooosh—

The radiant edge skimmed so close to her chest it nearly kissed the fabric. Still airborne, she flicked her saber and knocked Chwi Wolryang's own blade clean out of its path.

Clang!

Wow.

That looked like a circus act. That was dodgeable?

Chwi Wolryang bore down on her saber with everything he had, a strained smile pulling at his mouth.

"Moonshadow Bloom Slash… well. I supposed a Sword Saint would turn it aside without trouble."

The tendons in his arms stood out; his whole frame trembled with the effort. Hongryeon's saber did not so much as shiver. He seemed to realize then that raw strength would not win this, and he backstepped fast, opening the distance. His blade rose high. The bunker lights bent and gathered along the steel, and the room dimmed in patchy, hungry shadows.

"Then try this one as well! Moonflash Myriad Waves!"

He brought the saber down with everything he had. At first it was a single thread of brilliance, the same as Lunar Apex Flash. Then, in a heartbeat, it shattered like glass — and a galaxy of glittering shards came pouring down on Hongryeon.

SHHHHHHHHHH—!

Hongryeon tipped her point upward and stared straight into the storm, almost vacant. Then her wrist twitched, and she began batting the flashes aside on the tip of her blade.

TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING-TING—

The afterimages multiplied until it looked as though the edge itself had split into dozens of strands. Sparks sprayed in every direction. In the end, that meteor shower of stars died against Hongryeon's saber. Every last one.

…

What a monster of a woman.

She stopped all of that with a single sword?

If that had been me in the flesh, I wouldn't have blocked it. I'd have been diced into a hundred and twenty-eight pieces.

That's my watchdog, all right…

Only then did the color drain from Chwi Wolryang's face. The smile had been gone for some time.

"Truly… a lamentable sight, Sword Saint."

He swept his saber up into a horizontal guard. The edge caught the light as he gave it a slight twist, and it glittered.

"That the whisper of the demonic should have corrupted two such talents of the blade…"

Chwi Wolryang's gaze flicked to Seopung, still writhing in agony on the floor, and the corner of his eye gave a faint, painful twitch.

"This… is the karma that a wretched teacher — and an unworthy disciple — must bear. So at the very least… allow me to see you to the end with my own hands."

Hongryeon said nothing. She simply lowered her blade along a diagonal. At a glance, she looked wide open. Chwi Wolryang steeled himself and charged.

"Hyaaaaah! Lunar Apex Flash!"

Light gathered along his saber until it was almost too fierce to look at. Without the gas mask, I doubted I could have stared into it at all.

Hmph…

It absorbed Seopung's plasma earlier, too, didn't it? Then defending with a hypersonic plasma cutter is going to be a tall order.

Heh heh heh.

So this is it for Hongryeon, then. It was a short run, but I had fun while it lasted.

Bye-bye.

That was when Alpha's emergency relay cut in.

Huh? What error…?

A heat-map bloomed across the gas mask's goggles.

Uh…?

What am I looking at?

Chwi Wolryang was charging straight at her from the front. But the thermal feed showed another him — the real him — already driving in from Hongryeon's flank.

He bent the light and made a phantom?

Then Lunar Apex Flash was just a feint.

Damn! That's Chwi Wolryang for you. He really does live up to the S-Class name. What a monster.

How. Ev. Er…

If I can see it, Hongryeon can see it too, right?

Sure enough, her eyes rolled toward the side. There was no chance a woman rebuilt into an artificial body would miss something like that.

"You disappoint me, child of a later age…"

Hongryeon swept her blade upward from below. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The phantom vanished, and the real Chwi Wolryang stood revealed. The radiance of Lunar Apex Flash met her edge head-on.

CRACKLE-ZZZZZT!

Huh? What?

Seopung's crescent blade snapped in half. So why is Hongryeon's edge completely untouched? It hasn't even chipped.

Alpha's relay came through again.

That ominous energy-wave graph…

That's not a technology I gave her. An unknown energy I still can't even begin to measure. Maybe it's something unique to the Mausoleum Temple.

Ugh…

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Hongryeon let his blade slide off hers as if it were water and stepped inside his guard. She carved a diagonal line across his chest.

SLAAAAASH!

Blood sprayed toward the ceiling. And she was not finished. She reset her grip and brought the saber down. His left shoulder parted; the arm fell away.

SLAAAAAASH!

Thud.

"Kh—!"

Chwi Wolryang backstepped, trying to put space between them. Hongryeon was not the sort to let him. She closed the gap in a heartbeat and drove a low kick into him.

"Gaaah!"

His stance collapsed. She planted a high heel on him and crushed him into the floor.

He hit the ground hard.

"…Wine is a fog that clouds the heart. Pride is the shortest road to one's own ruin."

"Spare me the—!"

Pinned on the floor, Chwi Wolryang slashed wildly, desperate to break free. Unfortunately for him, Hongryeon's blade arrived first.

SCHLKT!

His right arm flew, saber and all.

"GAAAAAAAAAH!!"

"Lean on mere technique, and true skill can only atrophy."

Hongryeon raised her sword.

"For three hundred years, his blade has rusted in the hands of the wrong master. You are not fit to wield his sword."

I watched the whole thing and shook my head. Chwi Wolryang was skilled — he had just picked the wrong opponent. Super-science had read every trick he had, and Hongryeon was the single most dangerous close-quarters predator in the entire Super-science Dungeon.

I guess nobody short of Sinnyeo was ever going to cut it.

"Hmm…"

That said, I can't afford to lose an S-Class hero here. If I can at least get the brain out intact, I can rebuild him the way I did Ultimate. And they say the soul can be restored if you do it within three days.

"Ding-ding-ding! It would appear we have a verdict!"

I snapped my fingers and pointed at Hongryeon.

"And the winner is! Drumroll, please! Hong. Ryeon!! A thunderous round of applause for the lady! Hiyohahahahahahot!!"

Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!

Once again, the only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠applause came from the maid corps. The hero side sat in dead silence. What a joyless bunch.

"A prize for the victor! She'll be wanting her spoils, of course!"

I wriggled my fingers, then drew a thumb across my throat.

"Kishishishishit! Hongryeon! Bring me Chwi Wolryang's head! You may feed the rest to the zombies if you like. But the brain… secure me a fresh, healthy brain!"

I'll take him back to the dungeon first, let him meet his disciple face to face. A little soju under the night sea, a proper talk to clear up the misunderstanding. Once he hears the whole story, he'll understand. Just like the heroes who sat through my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lectures with the maid corps and ended up liking me!

Yes!

Masat, dedicated to strengthening the sacred bond between master and student! Overflowing with human warmth!

Heh heh heh.

Chwi Wolryang gasped up at Hongryeon, his breath ragged.

"I may have been drunk on my own wine — but I will not walk the demonic path. Kill me and be done with it."

Hongryeon tilted her head.

"A human dies when their head comes off."

Chwi Wolryang's brow furrowed.

"So you'll grant me a clean death, then?"

Hongryeon shook her head.

"…You, a hero, shall die — and be reborn as a Main. It is only after death that humans come to regret, and to change. I shall look forward to the man you become."

He ground his teeth and stared up at her, blood-tears welling in his swollen eyes.

"So this is how you cut down my disciple as well… khh… how he must have suffered…"

His voice tore out of him.

"Sword Saint! Even in death I will not forget this! Though I become a blood fiend myself, I will cut you down — you and that madman both!!"

"…"

Hongryeon did not answer. She simply brought the blade down.

Fog unrolled across the floor —

Clang!

A pair of short swords crossed and caught the saber. An A-Class heroine bit down hard on her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lip.

"Ugh… why is she this strong…?"

Her knees hit the ground. She held on by sheer will.

"What are you all doing?! Protect Chwi Wolryang!!"

At her shout, the heroes surged forward as one.

"Hyaaaaah!"

"Purge the Mains!!"

"Escort Chwi Wolryang!!"

I folded my arms and let out a quiet sigh.

A mess. A complete mess.

The maid corps and the heroes slammed into each other, and the bunker dissolved into chaos.

KABOOOM!

BABABABABOOM!

So this is how it ends up. Time I moved, too.

"I'll leave the rest to you, ladies of the maid corps! I have a prior engagement with a certain little rat who stole my prey. Hiyohahahahahahot!"

I took one step —

"Masat!!"

— and Baekho came screaming in, breaking the sound barrier.

"Whoa!"

Jesus—

Yuram threw her massive robot into my path just in time.

WHAM!

A pair of enormous rectangular shields locked together into a defensive wall.

"A B-Class hero, acting all high and mighty! If you're a cat, then act like one and wag that tail!"

Baekho clenched her teeth and spun. A roundhouse kick slammed into the shields.

KRAAAAAANG!

"Don't! Call me! A kitty!!"

"…Eh?!"

The shields caved in. Yuram went airborne, tumbling off to the left. Baekho completed the turn and drove a heel-drop from her sky-kick into a follow-up strike.

"One more!!"

KRAAAAAANG!

"Kyaaaaaaah!!"

Yuram bounced and rolled across the floor, over and over.

WHAM! RRRUMMMMMBLE!!

Beside me, Cheongmae pressed her palms together, her face twisting.

"That's impossible… that's a B-Class…?"

A honeycomb barrier condensed in front of her, stacking five layers deep.

Ah. Right. They still think Baekho is B-Class. I never did tell anyone I'd rebuilt her. Figured she'd get angry if word got around the long way.

I was still woolgathering when Baekho's sky-kick came down on the barrier.

KRRAAACK!

Plasma flared in every direction.

CRACKLE-CRACKLE-ZZZAP!!

Three layers shattered on the first hit.

Whoa!

Seeing it this close really drives it home. You've grown a lot, Baekho.

Heh heh heh. Very good. Full marks.

Baekho roared and brought the other boot down.

"Hyaaaaaaaaah!!"

KRAAAAAANG!

Cheongmae dropped to her knees, both hands shaking.

"Ma…sat-nim… khh… I'm sorry… I can't…"

One layer left.

Nothing to be sorry for. This is a clone anyway — even if it dies, it costs me nothing. Well. It costs me nothing. For Cheongmae, this is the brink.

Hongryeon's saber swept in from the side, aimed at Baekho.

Whoooosh!

Clang!

Baekho snapped a long boot up and caught the edge on the shaft.

"Khh… Blood Fiend. Hongryeon…"

She backflipped out of range. With Hongryeon here, I could leave the rest to her.

"I'd love to play with you myself, but sadly I have other business today! Hiyohahahahahahahahot!"

I wriggled my fingers in a little farewell.

"Until next time. Adios!"

I strolled off with my hands folded behind my back, the picture of ease. And of course Baekho came after me.

"Where do you think you're going!!"

At the same instant, Hongryeon ignited her hypersonic plasma cutter and carved a line through empty air.

FWOOOOSH!

CRACKLE-CRACKLE-ZZZAP!!

A ribbon of white-hot plasma split the space between me and Baekho. There was something sharp in Hongryeon's voice — something almost bristling.

"…How convenient."

Unlike when she had faced Chwi Wolryang, she drew a second saber into her left hand. Dual blades hanging at her sides, she walked toward Baekho, heel by measured heel.

"I have business with you as well, Baekho."