Chapter 38: 23:59:47 (2)
Chapter 38: 23:59:47 (2)
I sat quietly atop the barrier, waiting for The Enemy to arrive. Even the usually boisterous Un-ho remained silent this time, perched on my head and staring out past the horizon.
As the sun dipped below the line and darkness approached, the murmurs of the people moving along the top of the barrier began to grow.
"What is that?"
"Why is only that part gray?"
It seemed the strange sight had finally entered their field of vision.
A thick gray line stretched between the dark sea and the sky. Once it began to expand, it grew at a terrifying speed.
—Battle stations! To your designated posts!
—Repeat! Battle stations!
Loud sirens wailed, and people began to run.
Those who had been lost in thought while enjoying The Sea breeze, and those who had been jogging along the barrier for post-dinner exercise—all moved quickly toward the lower levels.
It was starting.
"You there! What are you doing? Didn't you hear the broadcast?"
Someone must have been idling.
"Can you not hear me?"
How noisy.
They should just follow orders if possible.
I slowly turned my head toward the source of the voice. A soldier was approaching me. He wore A-Rank insignia I hadn't seen before, suggesting he wasn't with the Management Bureau. An older man.
Was he a commander?
"No matter how much of a Hero you are, until the order for independent action is given, you must follow our instructions..."
He was talking to me.
"Do you not hear me? If you continue to act like this, I will call the Management Bureau—"
Angered by my lack of response, the soldier raised his radio, intending to contact someone.
"I am Lee Ha-ram, registration number 01-005-M. I have already received permission for independent action, so feel free to verify."
The moment I spoke, the soldier’s expression froze.
The middle-aged soldier slowly looked up at me, shrouded in the darkness, and opened his mouth.
"Are you... Crimson★Hammer?"
"You know me?"
"There aren't many Heroes whose registration numbers start with 01."
Suddenly becoming polite, he bowed his head and spoke.
"It is an honor to fight on the same battlefield as you again."
"Were you part of the Allied Forces?"
"Yes. I am Colonel He Xun of the Southern China People's Liberation Army."
I didn't recognize the name.
I had seen countless soldiers in the Allied Forces; there was no way I could remember them all.
However, I knew one thing. The man before me must have belonged to a faction friendly toward the Awakened. If he hadn't, he would have already been erased during the purges.
He leaned against the railing, peering out. He seemed to be trying to burn the sight of the ever-expanding gray line into his memory.
"This moment is nerve-wracking every time."
"If you were with the Allied Forces, shouldn't this be a familiar sight?"
"Yes. I've seen it many times. And every time, I prayed that I would make it back alive."
"Your wish came true, then."
He gave a bitter smile at my words and put a cigarette in his mouth.
Click.
A small flame from his lighter briefly illuminated his face. It was a face marked by wrinkles and slightly sagging skin—the typical look of a Middle-aged Man.
"Would you like one?"
"I'm quitting."
I tapped the White Rod in my mouth to signal my refusal.
"That's unexpected. There was a saying among the soldiers that if you wanted to ask a favor of Crimson★Hammer, you had to bring cigarettes."
So that kind of bizarre rumor had spread among the soldiers.
No wonder I used to receive so many cigarettes as gifts.
I watched He Xun exhale smoke beside me and took a drag from my metal rod.
No smoke came out, but with things like this, the feeling was what mattered.
By the time the cigarette had burned down and the ash fell toward The Sea, I spoke.
"Don't you have to go?"
"Five minutes should be fine. I have a habit of doing a lap around the battlefield right before a fight."
A diligent commander, then.
"A strange hobby. Your subordinates must suffer for it."
"Well, thanks to it, I was able to meet Crimson★Hammer, so I'd say it's a good hobby."
He let out a laugh like an Old Man and tossed the cigarette butt into The Sea.
"Then, I shall be off—"
I grabbed his shoulder and shoved him back with force.
Thud.
The claim that he had survived the Allied Forces wasn't a lie; he immediately performed a breakfall on the stone floor.
"What is happening!"
Even after being shoved, he asked 'what is happening' instead of 'what are you doing.' I suppose I had more prestige than I thought.
"Enemy attack. Get to the command center, quickly."
I threw the object I had caught with my right hand in front of his eyes.
A gray spike.
The moment he saw it, his gaze sharpened, and he ran down the barrier. He moved fast, as if even a goodbye was a waste of time.
"That gray line was a distraction."
"Well, there was no guarantee they'd all come at once."
I stood up from my seated position.
As my vantage point rose, the dark sea came into view.
Click. Click. Click.
Countless crustaceans emerged from the dark waters.
【The existence of The Sea shall be a single life】
【Power shall transcend distance】
As the first army revealed itself, their Otherworld Erosion echoed out.
"What is that?"
"What's that sound?"
"It's Otherworld Erosion! Quiet everyone! It's not a law of physics type, so don't panic! Just do as you've practiced! What have you been training for all this time!"
Right, there must be many now who have never even experienced Otherworld Erosion.
Voices of panic at the unfamiliar phenomenon echoed from inside the barrier.
Voices of confusion.
Fear of the unknown.
Those who had experienced Otherworld Erosion were desperately trying to explain it to those around them, but the number of panicked individuals was far greater.
Therefore, I spoke loudly.
So that everyone could recall the old field manuals.
"Attention!"
"The existence of The Sea shall be a single life!"
"Power shall transcend distance!"
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
An overwhelming volume that drowned out all other sounds spread across the barrier.
"Burn it into your minds! Think! How you interpret and understand the sentence depends on your will!"
From far away, I heard other voices taking similar actions.
Some spoke with amplified volume like me.
Some whispered to everyone through magic.
Some communicated through ESP.
Some used the broadcast system to alert their entire sector.
—You damn brats! Have you forgotten Otherworld Erosion already! Get a grip!
—Otherworld Erosion. It is a power that changes the foundation of the world. Think of a way to interpret and utilize the sentence.
—What are the commanders doing! Follow the countermeasures for predicted manifestations distributed by the Bureau! Just follow them exactly!
—Martial artists, listen up! The enemies are beings who have reached the Limitless! They are those who express their will upon the world!
—Those who have reached the truth...
—The first...
I couldn't quite make out what was being said in the distant sectors, but the content was likely similar.
From here and there, the shouts of Heroes who had run through the old era raced across the battlefield.
A quiet tension settled over the once-noisy battlefield.
The older commanders, Bureau staff, and Heroes would have recalled those figures—the Awakened who once stood at the very front of the battlefield. And that thought would have spread through the entire force.
That is what collective morale is. The thoughts and emotions of one person being transmitted and spreading to others.
Even those who didn't know us could receive the hope and heat of the possibility of returning alive from someone else.
Feeling that, it finally felt like I had returned to the battlefield.
But it was still not enough.
The morale that had just surged was merely the casting off of the fear of the unknown.
What was needed from now on was an overwhelming hope that could paralyze the fear to come.
Crunch.
I bit down on the rod and reached up to tap Un-ho on the head.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Un-ho stood tall on his hind legs atop my head and spread his paws.
Flash.
White Magic Circles with complex patterns appeared on both sides of Un-ho.
"How many seconds?"
"13 seconds."
"That's quite long."
"I need to drain a lot of their strength with the first strike so these kids can make it back alive."
"13 seconds. I will release the limiters."
I chose the razor-thin margin of time that I could endure while still being able to use it once more.
"O Seeker of the world beyond, far away. I beseech The Queen of Magic."
Un-ho’s voice flowed into my ears.
A beast's language made of chirping sounds.
It was clearly an Otherworldly tongue, yet it was a mysterious song that etched itself into my brain.
A chant unique to beasts, unused by mages.
Unlike human magic, which had developed to be extremely efficient over thirty years, these were sentences dismissed as useless, meaningless, and a waste of time.
And yet, every time I heard it, it was beautiful. It felt as if it were defining the world itself.
"One who seeks to protect their world desires it with blood-stained hands."
Even when fighting in the Pacific, my limiters had never been fully released.
Because a Magical Girl is not a being made complete on her own.
A Magical Girl is a being made complete only because she has a mascot.
"Show the direction in which that power shall go. So that power does not reach my family."
Pshhh. Click-clack.
The final seal on The Hammer was released.
The iron plates attached to the handle fell away, venting steam, and numerous hidden holes revealed themselves.
The circular holes, bored in a crisscross pattern, began to suck in air, preparing for what was to come.
"The power to drive out the invaders of the world. To hold the shining star from beyond in my hand."
The final restriction, which could only be used against my enemies, was being undone.
The limit of physical force meant to oppose those who transcended physics.
Was the last time I used this ten years ago?
The Golden Hammer began to glow red-hot.
Screeeeeee—.
Steam erupted simultaneously from the numerous holes in The Hammer’s handle.
It was hot.
A heat that even my body could barely withstand.
As if trying to control The Hammer’s heat at any cost, steam continued to vent, and air was sucked in.
The deep Red Hammer, the origin of my name, was now in my hands.
"Agent of The Queen. By the authority of the Selector. I approve this."
【Power shall have will】
Otherworld Erosion.
However, this sound was not heard by others. It was a sound heard only by me and Un-ho.
A control device that directed an overwhelming physical mass, which the surrounding environment could not endure, solely toward The Enemy.
A small Pseudo-Otherworld belonging only to me and Un-ho.
"Un-ho. Communication magic. To Headquarters."
A white Magic Circle settled over my ear.
"Limiter Release complete. I will launch a preemptive strike as planned."
—Confirmed. As soon as the attack is verified, a general volley from everyone will begin, so clear the area.
"Confirmed."
I vaulted over the barrier's railing and leaped toward the swarming Gray Host.
Boom.
The heat radiating from The Hammer evaporated the surrounding seawater, revealing the foundation of The Wall hidden beneath the waves.
I landed on that foundation and stared at The Enemy.
It was heavy.
The Hammer grew endlessly heavier as it absorbed my mana and the surrounding matter.
Feeling that weight, I took a stance with all my might.
"Hup."
I swung The Hammer lightly.
However, that lightness was purely superficial.
This attack was a full-power swing of a hammer that had become tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times heavier.
My monstrous strength, which could decimate a village with a light swing, met that overwhelming weight and created a shockwave.
The shockwave merged with the heat radiating from The Hammer, becoming a single thermal wind.
A mass of pure energy that incinerated everything.
And I poured my will into that power.
All power toward my enemies. For justice and humanity. Now, not a single drop of power would be wasted.
Whoosh.
The hot wind raced across The Sea. The ocean split as it evaporated.
An invisible barrier of heat collided with the Gray Host. Even as they were scorched by the overwhelming heat, the gray shells absorbed the warmth and continued forward.
No matter. This first attack was merely a means to pin them down.
"O thermal wind. Become the spears that bind them."
Screeee—! Flare!
The steam venting from The Hammer condensed to form transparent spears.
Un-ho’s paws swept through the air, and the transparent spears rained down upon The Sea.
Thud. Boom. Boom.
The Sea where the spears struck exploded, soaring high into the air.
The spears continued to fire, and the rising pillars of water became a wall blocking The Enemy’s advance.
A little more.
Condense a little more.
"Time remaining?"
"4 seconds."
I took my stance.
Had it only been 9 seconds? Had I used it for too long?
Sweat poured down like rain from the unbearable heat, and my vision grew hazy.
The weight of The Hammer had already reached a level that defied common sense.
The final technique, where I applied pressure with my own strength while endlessly devouring mana and matter. Through that act, this hammer transformed into the ultimate weapon.
This was the world-destroying power I possessed as an S-Rank.
I couldn't use all of it now, but even as an intermediate step to reach that point, it could release an immense amount of power.
"Un-ho. Trajectory control."
"Yes."
Whirrrr.
The tip of the Red Hammer opened, releasing the particles it had stored.
An emission of neutrons born from overwhelming heat and endless pressure.
The destination of the nuclear physics that Baek Si-hyun had studied.
The strongest physical force in the universe.
It was unleashed.