Warning Shot
It was a new development, but they couldn't accelerate right away. Moments later, the cars ahead had come to a halt, blocked by a traffic signal. "At this rate—!" Mina had expected them to be caught soon, but Seok-jun's response was simple.
"Don't worry, ma'am."
He checked that the right corner was clear and swung the wheel without hesitation. "Weren't we supposed to head for the main road?"
"There's more than one way to get there."
Seok-jun glanced at the rearview mirror, confirming the sedan was simply tailing them, then pressed onward. "Left side this time!"
A gray van had appeared from the left corner of the four-lane road ahead, cutting off their path. "Looks like the Hunter Office has memorized the choke points."
"What are we supposed to do now?"
The pursuers even slid open their van doors and lined up as if waiting for them to stop. Mina could only stamp her feet in frustration.
Vroooom! The engine roar that had been barely audible suddenly grew louder and echoed inside the cabin. At the same time, their car surged forward even faster.
"Seok-jun, you can't be serious—?!"
"I should be able to shake off about ten of them."
The men blocking the road clearly hadn't expected him to speed up instead. Panicked, they threw themselves left and right just as the car bore down on them. Once they were clear, Seok-jun wrenched the wheel and used the drift to slam the van sideways.
Crash! The van toppled over, its bulk clearing the way, and Seok-jun steered straight onto the side road that had opened up. They finally reached the four-lane highway, yet the car didn't slow—it veered right again.
"Scarlet, get Captain Jeong on the line."
"Understood."
Trrring— The fish-shaped model that had stayed silent until now lifted its head at Seok-jun's command, and a ringing tone followed.
[Seok-jun? What's the occasion?]
It was Captain Jeong's voice—the same man Mina had met once before.
"Can you open Gate 2 right now?"
[What kind of mess are you in this time?]
"Control's already started. We just need until the police arrive."
He was probably referring to the roadblocks mentioned during the earlier call with Detective Lee.
[Good grief. Fine, I'll make the call. Mind if I hitch a ride on this?]
"Then I'll head your way."
[Roger that.]
The moment the call ended, the fish model lowered and raised its head again.
"Call with Captain Jeong has ended. Is there anything else you require?"
"Nothing. Be quiet."
"You should really download a courtesy program, Master."
Mina watched the fish model settle back down after its final remark, then turned her attention to the bridge stretching ahead. Traffic police in fluorescent vests were already stopping or redirecting approaching cars. Roadblocks were usually reserved for gate incidents or construction, but they sometimes appeared during clashes between Awakeners as well. After several deadly incidents, authorities had started enforcing them more readily in cases involving hunters.
While those thoughts drifted through her mind, she hesitated over whether to voice what was bothering her.
"There are so many cars..."
She never got the chance to finish. From the entrance to the main road, a colorful stream of vehicles—clearly not part of any unified force—poured out and sped toward them.
"This looks like one of the larger illegal private firms. Have you ever made an enemy with that kind of financial backing?"
"Just a moment."
Mina racked her brain. Her social circle was small; she couldn't imagine having crossed paths with someone wealthy enough to command this many resources.
"No matter how hard I think, nothing comes to mind."
Even after agonizing over it, no likely suspect surfaced. Manager Kim was the only person who came close, but she was more interested in setting Mina up on blind dates than holding any real grudge. The only other possibility...
"Um, this might sound strange, but..."
Recalling the emotion Seok-jun had sensed from her earlier, Mina spoke with a hint of tension.
"I have a friend named Minji. Could this be because of her mana?"
She doubted it herself, yet she had to ask. Seok-jun's reply was unexpectedly firm.
"That's not it."
"Huh?"
"If someone hated you enough to go this far, they would have acted long ago. Most people don't lash out violently just because they're in a bad mood."
Screeech! He yanked the wheel in front of the controlled bridge and turned onto another road. Several of the pursuing cars had apparently anticipated the move; they now fanned out like the police themselves, spraying steel marbles across the pavement.
"Seok-jun, over there!"
One of the Awakeners must have possessed the ability to reshape metal. The marbles rolling across the road transformed into sharp spikes, turning the surface into a field of thorns clearly meant to shred their tires.
"As I thought, it seems you're the real target, Miss Mina."
"What? Why?"
It seemed excessive if she was the only target. Seok-jun answered calmly.
"If they were after me, they would have at least brought spike strips. Scarlet, deploy the blade."
"Understood."
Grind— At his command, a scraping sound began beneath the front of the car. Before Mina could ask what it was, the spikes reached them. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the tires to burst, but no such sound came.
Thud! Instead, she felt the heavy impact of their car ramming something. When she opened her eyes, Seok-jun's vehicle was already shoving one of the blocking cars aside and pushing forward. A complicated feeling washed over her—she had already grown used to the sensation of vehicles colliding—yet when she looked back, she saw the men who had been thrown from their cars climbing back in.
"What about the spikes?"
The road Seok-jun had driven over looked as though the thorns had parted to let them pass. Realizing their failure, the pursuers quickly flattened the marbles again, but the fact that their car had already crossed remained unchanged.
"You know how bulldozers and excavators have those pushing attachments? Same principle."
"...Your car really does have everything."
Between the AI named Scarlet and whatever else might be hidden inside, she was starting to wonder what else could possibly appear. Seok-jun turned right once more. Soon Mina felt a sense of déjà vu.
"The Southern Plains?"
The route was slightly different from the one she had taken before, but the plains were vast enough that she recognized them. Though smaller than last time, there was still a checkpoint, its barrier raised and no soldiers in sight. Seok-jun drove straight past without slowing.
"Why here?"
The wide-open view revealed endless farmland. In the rearview mirror, the pursuing cars followed along the road. Nothing obstructed them now, but if this continued, it would simply become a race to see whose fuel ran out first. They drove without further collisions for a while. Just as Mina began to wonder whether she should fight after all, Seok-jun spoke.
"Scarlet, autonomous driving mode."
"Autonomous driving mode engaged. Where would you like to go?"
"Southern Plains, 1st Guardian Unit garrison."
"Understood."
Mina was still startled by the sight of Seok-jun releasing the wheel when the car began steering itself across the plains. When he climbed into the back seat, she asked, "What exactly are you planning to do?"
"It's simple."
"Master has a secret hobby of blowing up cars."
"What?!"
Mina turned to Seok-jun after Scarlet's interjection. He shook his head.
"Stop saying nonsense and play some music so Miss Mina doesn't get bored."
"Today's recommended song is 'Journey to Myself.' I hope you have a pleasant trip."
A gentle guitar melody soon filled the cabin, but Mina couldn't focus on it. What Seok-jun pulled from the center of the back seat was far more shocking.
Clack! Clunk! Not only the back seat but the floor of the cargo bed opened as well, revealing a rifle so massive it looked more like a cannon.
"Why is that even in there?!"
"It's called an anti-tank rifle."
"That's not what I meant!"
♪ Beyond the blue sea ♪ If I spur my horse ♪
Before Mina could ask anything else, the music drowned out her voice. Seok-jun secured the floor panel with pins, peered through the scope, and gripped the handle. The tailgate opened automatically. The men following them finally spotted the enormous muzzle aimed in their direction. Their faces showed only confusion—until the trigger was pulled.
♪ Countless stars like salt float above ♪
Bang! The entire car shuddered with the recoil and thunderous report. The bumper of one car crumpled and exploded on impact, causing a chain reaction of collisions behind it. Once the pursuers showed no further signs of movement, Seok-jun released the trigger.
"They stopped after a warning shot. Guess they weren't paid that much after all."
"How on earth was that a warning shot?!"
The anti-tank rifle and the devastation it wrought were the kind of sight that would make anyone instinctively dodge if they encountered it on the road. ♪ Even amid the song, the music continued to play as the fish model danced energetically.