Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Kyushu Crisis (1)
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A bleak modern city entirely covered in concrete and cement.
Shwaaaah— Rumble!
Amid the downpour cascading from the dark night sky, thunder and lightning roared deafeningly.
In that foul weather, the outskirts street—which rarely saw many people even on normal days—now felt utterly desolate, almost eerily silent.
Inside one rundown building in that sparsely populated area, deprived of prosperity's benefits...
To the relentless drumming of rain against the windows... a shadowy figure blended into the pitch-black darkness of the unlit room, silently gazing out the window.
Flash! Rumble—!
At that moment, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, casting grotesque shadows across his face for an instant.
A strange mask that seemed to smirk, to scowl in anger, or to grimace—all at once.
It was a Hahoe mask.
'It's really pouring out there.'
Hans stared blankly beyond the window.
Unlike the inside where he sat, cool rain continued to pour down outside, where streetlights brightly illuminated the streets even through the wind and rain.
As if trying to cleanse the world.
'Of course, purifying the world that way is utterly futile.'
A random thought crossed his mind, and he let out a light internal scoff as he turned his head.
Water-like gentle measures offered no help in removing the world's corrupting stains.
They required pointless amounts of effort, didn't wash away cleanly anyway, and even if successful, left stains that inevitably dirtied the very water used.
'Purifying this world requires fire, not water.'
That was the answer he had arrived at.
A radical approach like flames that incinerated all impurities... in other words, overwhelming violence!
Flames that tolerated no corruption and reliably burned everything away were far more efficient means of purification than water.
Of course, he knew that method came with its own side effects, but he had no intention of bending his convictions.
Not even if he himself got scorched by those flames.
That was the path he had chosen.
[Keh-heh— Truly pointless thoughts.]
Hans, briefly lost in sentiment, shook his head and pulled out a burner phone from his extradimensional magic tool.
Bzzz— Bzzz—
At the same time, the device, having caught up on delayed signals, vibrated repeatedly as a messenger window popped up on the screen.
📱 Messenger — Hans Slave No. 1: I've made some progress, so here's the initial report. — Hans Slave No. 1: Regarding the Reverse Heaven Society, the Bureau has been tracking them continuously. It seems they've completely ceased domestic activities, making the investigation difficult. — Hans Slave No. 1: So they're focusing on digging into past related incidents. The targets are thorough, so it's not smooth sailing, but they're still yielding some results. — Hans Slave No. 1: Crime Investigation Division - Investigation into Reverse Heaven Society's Domestic Activities (Pending) — Hans Slave No. 1: These seem to be the useful materials for now. I'll contact you with any additional info. The informant he had planted in the Ability Management Bureau, 'Hans Slave No. 1'... no, Black Sorcerer Ahn Seongjin, was diligently gathering information as instructed.
Surprisingly competently.
'This much info already? More useful than expected.'
He hadn't felt it much, given how helplessly the man submitted without resistance, but Ahn Seongjin was among the top talents domestically for black magic matters.
Of course, purer skill-wise there were stronger ones, but few matched his rationality intact alongside such high proficiency.
He had a track record advising on various black magic crimes, aiding investigations—including the recent Hahoe Mask incidents.
In that light, taking interest in the Reverse Heaven Society, which clashed with the Hahoe Mask, was natural...
'I thought him better than nothing, but he's the perfect pick.'
He'd have to give the man a gift upon returning from Japan.
To keep him motivated.
Where else was there such a caring boss concerned with employee welfare?
[Hrm— Though now that I'm here, do I really need Korean intel? Still, more information is always better.]
Hans skimmed the transmitted data on his smartphone, murmured lowly, and stored it back in his extradimensional space.
Flash— Boom!
In that instant, lightning struck again.
The sudden intense light illuminated the dark room.
As if a fierce battle had raged, broken furniture littered the place.
Cracked and crumbling interior walls and ceiling looked precarious enough to warrant rebuilding.
Blood and flesh chunks, still fresh and un-dried, splattered everywhere.
And at the center—
[Uuuugh.]
[Grrrk— Guh!]
Crunch crunch—!
Like a scene from a horror flick, dozens of corpses writhed grotesquely, aligning themselves.
They were the building's residents, members of the gang that used it as a base to dominate the neighborhood.
...Not anymore.
[Definitely a goldmine compared to Korea. A few big shots down, and leads pop up this fast. Should've done this sooner.]
Of course, these weren't proper Reverse Heaven Society tentacles.
More like a branch of an organization allied with them, akin to Korea's Blood Alliance hardliners.
But probing the highest-ranking one's mind revealed many such 'like-minded' groups across Japan.
'Didn't expect to snag a tail this quick. Means their influence is even wider here than in Korea.'
Which implied steadily smashing those groups would inevitably flush out the Reverse Heaven Society.
They weren't peaceful enough to sit idle while allies got massacred.
[Fuhuhu— Simple and clean. Yes, death and destruction are my essence! I eagerly await who will stand at the end of this path. Kuhahaha!]
As lightning struck once more, Hans threw his head back in laughter, deep shadows etching his mask.
The Hahoe mask's wrinkles and contours exaggerated into a grotesquely manic grin.
But that bone-chilling laugh vanished ghost-like as darkness reclaimed the space—
When light returned to the silent room after a while, no one remained inside.
Only the shattered chaos and bloodstains testified to the catastrophe...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In an office brimming with ornate decorations, a man tilted his head at unexpected news.
'...What the hell is this?'
Reverse Heaven Society's East Asia Branch Chief Yulryeongja, seated in his wheelchair, scowled as he double-checked the new report.
Whirr— Zing—
His SF-like left prosthetic eye scanned the documents busily, organizing and projecting the info directly into his brain, yet he remained still, glaring at the report to sort his thoughts.
'The Hahoe Mask... headed to Japan?'
Only after a long pause did those quiet words slip from his lips.
It was the latest on the Hahoe Mask, the main cause of his recent headaches.
He stroked his chin, reconfirming the intel.
'I was just about to make moves in Korea at Doctor's request.'
Of course, even now, any action would be too rushed to execute immediately.
Still, to lay groundwork, he planned to mobilize Reverse Heaven remnants in hiding and compromised high officials...
'And now, out of nowhere, he goes to Japan?'
The situation there differed from Korea, where most foundations were lost.
Second only to China in Asia, they'd invested longer, and with strong underworld groups like the Yakuza, it was ideal for expanding by leeching off them.
Naturally, their influence there dwarfed Korea's.
'This eliminates the need to target him in Korea.'
Tap tap tap—
Yulryeongja drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought.
Not that it would happen, but what if their Japanese roots ended up like Korea's?
'Didn't expect him to leave Korea. Quite the busybody, Hahoe Mask...'
Though domestic ops halted, he continued gathering intel on the Hahoe Mask via subordinates.
His unique skill Mind Projection was top-tier among mental abilities, he believed.
Beyond mere restraints on members, it transmitted thoughts and let him vicariously experience all they saw and heard.
Practically omnipotent!
'...Though that's why I'm in this mess now.'
Throb—
Intense pain hit suddenly; Yulryeongja gritted his teeth, slowly stroking his left eye socket.
The prosthetic restored vision, but the shock of his ethereal body tearing apart lingered separately.
For a long while.
The pain from his eye spread through his body, reaching his severed thighs—now numb as stumps—before fading.
'Hoo... Hoo...'
He exhaled raggedly, wiping cold sweat.
This kept him from fully using his skill lately and bred paranoia about always having an escape from connections.
Awful habit for ability-dependent Awakeners, but facing another Hahoe Mask unprepared would shatter his soul for real.
'Can't miss this chance. Still, better prepare more thoroughly.'
He nodded slowly, decision made.
He hadn't fully gauged the Hahoe Mask's power yet, but it rivaled a world's Demon King.
But Earth's Awakeners... especially the Reverse Heaven Society... weren't weak enough to fall to one.
'Returners are superhumans who survived otherworlds long-term with special abilities and growth buffs—walking war machines each.'
Many were mediocre due to numbers, but top tiers boasted unbelievable feats.
From those who repelled and sealed descended Demon Kings, slew evil dragon lords to save nations, to villains who inflicted catastrophic damage before returning.
'I'll make them regret underestimating us.'
And Yulryeongja himself was a black mage who, with ability and schemes, plunged a world into war's inferno.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Bang—! Bang!
Kaboom—!
"Fire! Keep firing!"
"Damn it! What the hell is this monster?!"
Gunfire like thunder echoed nonstop, mixed with terrified curses.
Not just modern firearms—flames, lightning, gravity, and more abilities erupted ceaselessly, hindering the enemy.
Save for one spot.
Rooooar—
Toward the thick darkness approaching them swiftly, like abyssal depths coalesced.
But naturally, such half-hearted efforts couldn't stop it.
The black mist finally pierced all obstacles, reaching right before them.
"Damn! Drop the guns! Switch to interference now!"
"Nakagawa Squad Leader! But touching that carelessly will turn us into— like the others...!"
"Then support from behind, idiot!"
Shing! Clang!
Reluctantly drawing weapons, they mustered energy for resistance, swallowing hard.
"Damn, thought it was just rumors..."
Lately, rumors spread on Fukuoka's night streets.
A grim reaper slipping silently through darkness, massacring gangs and vanishing with corpses.
Many victims already, but sites left only desperate resistance traces; clues were vague testimonies.
Without survivors captured and released from victim gangs, it'd remain pure mystery.
Shaaa—
Then, the black mist at arm's reach peeled away, revealing a humanoid silhouette within.
Inky black robe blending with shadows, hood shrouding the head, and...
Amid the pitch-black form, a pair of goblin-fire eyes blazed glaringly beneath an alien mask.
"An Oni...?"
[It's the Hahoe Mask. Foolish human.]
To the trembling mutter, the fear incarnate replied obligingly.
[Then again, telling you lot changes nothing.]
Like chattering to corpses.
Thus, Hahoe Mask—Hans—turned Fukuoka City upside down in no time.
Of course, true purification was just beginning.
It was merely one city, after all.