'I Didn't Expect We'd Meet This Soon'

"We'd meet again this soon? I didn't expect that."

Oh Chae-rin, her wrist completely gone, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forced a smile through beads of cold sweat. She was obviously pissed but pretending to stay calm.

"You're the one, right? The bastard who wiped out my precious attack squad."

That's exactly what I wanted to say, Mom. But I didn't respond. As I said before, beating her ass took priority over chit-chat.

Whoosh!

The wing fluttering like a silk veil down on my right suddenly stiffened.

And then...

Tututututu!

Feathers charged with holy power rained down like machine-gun fire.

"What a man with zero manners!"

Oh Chae-rin swept her remaining left hand, and a wall of shadow erupted from the ground. Even after losing her entire wrist, she stuck to her polite speech pattern with that stubbornness—it was almost admirable.

'Let's see if you can keep up that annoying polite tone in the next moment.'

Kwagagak!

The feathers pouring down were effortlessly blocked by the shadow wall. Seeing that, Oh Chae-rin smirked from behind it.

"Hmm. Not as impressive as I thought? I was a bit tense hearing you were S-rank..."

"Boom."

"Boom?"

Puuuung!

The feathers embedded in the shadow wall like darts exploded all at once. Dazzling white light erupted, crumbling the sturdy wall.

I smirked just like she had.

"These feathers have a delayed explosion if blocked."

Through the slowly clearing smoke, Oh Chae-rin staggered back. Her black suit was in tatters, revealing burned and torn skin everywhere. But what really caught my eye was...

"That eyepatch—wasn't just for show?"

"Kuh...!"

The eyepatch burned away, exposing Oh Chae-rin's empty eye socket. I'd unintentionally hit a sore spot; even without an eyeball, malice seemed to flicker from that socket.

"You trash dare...!"

"No polite speech? Good. I get annoyed seeing people who stay polite even to enemies. Feels like they're mocking you."

Was it because of that bastard Curius? At that moment, black flames flickered from the wounds etched across Oh Chae-rin's body. I thought it might be some recovery ability, but no—nothing happened. That made it even more ominous.

"Wait, is that a clone?"

"Took ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you long enough?"

Damn, right. No wonder she stayed so calm after her wrist exploded. I'd been planning to beat the real deal silly, but a clone? Kinda deflates the motivation. Fighting it hard does zero damage to the real Oh Chae-rin.

"Figures. A wicked bitch like you wouldn't show up in person."

I smacked my lips in disappointment, which seemed to delight her. She flashed a classic villainess sneer, even reverting to polite speech in her cockiness.

"Huhu...! Whether I'm a clone or not, does it matter? You're dying by my hand either way."

Oh Chae-rin extended her arm sideways, and a longsword of shadow burst from the ground into her grip. She then offered it to Lee Ji-yoon, who stood anxiously nearby.

"Saying you'll kill me yourself, but calling for backup? Pathetic."

I echoed her words perfectly—they hit too hard. Oh Chae-rin blatantly pretended not to hear, staring straight into Lee Ji-yoon's eyes.

"Don't just stand there—fight with me?"

"......"

Lee Ji-yoon hesitated before reluctantly taking the longsword. Oh Chae-rin smiled with her eyes at her obedience. But then.

"Even so, this is wrong."

Clunk.

With a quiet sigh, Lee Ji-yoon dropped the sword to the ground. Oh Chae-rin's face twisted into ugliness in an instant.

"...Are you seriously siding with that trash just because you shared one meal? Ignoring your friend in danger?"

"That's not why. That man saved my only little brother from a monster."

"...What?"

"I can't fight my benefactor, no matter your orders."

As expected. Oh Chae-rin looked baffled, but I'd known Lee Ji-yoon would say that. Lately, I'd been thinking it more and more—she was too kind-hearted to be the demon from my first timeline. Plus, already upper B-rank at her young age.

'Talent and personality-wise, she'd be a huge asset on our side.'

No matter what, I'd prevent her tragedy of falling to darkness beside that natural-born psycho.

"Benefactor...? Benefactor? After all I've done for you, you ditch me for that over some bullshit reason!?"

Oh Chae-rin's words clearly struck a nerve—faint anger finally crossed Lee Ji-yoon's face for the first time.

"Without him, I'd have lost my last remaining brother too. ...Don't call it 'some bullshit reason.'"

"Ha! Little brother... Yeah, little brother. Well said."

Oh Chae-rin let out a hollow laugh, chewing the words bitterly.

"Don't you want to live with that precious little brother from now on?"

"...Pardon?"

A chilling premonition hit her—Lee Ji-yoon paled.

"W-what are you trying to say...?"

"His piano lesson ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should be ending soon, right?"

"...!"

"I already sent some guys to match the time. Poor kid—some random uncles instead of his big sis picking him up. He'll be shocked."

Lee Ji-yoon trembled, doubting her ears at the bombshell.

"You demon...!"

"If you don't want him suffering in a demon's hands, pick up the sword nicely?"

"You...! You're truly...!"

"Huhu. Finally motivated to help? Good."

Lee Ji-yoon glared with bloodshot eyes, biting her lip until blood seeped out, trickling down her chin. Oh Chae-rin, pleased, wiped the blood from her lips like dust from a gem.

And then.

"The guys you sent—are they the skinny blond-dyed one and the fat guy with the ear piercing?"

I cut into their drama—it was painful to watch.

Oh Chae-rin, who'd been tormenting the flushed Lee Ji-yoon, turned to me with narrowed brows.

"Finally looking this way."

Just eye contact, but her voice rang in my ears.

'How do you know that?'

"Nah. Bunch of grown-ass weirdos lurking like pervs near a kids' piano academy. Figured the neighbors might freak, so I beat 'em up."

"When the hell...?"

"Not telling."

I'd gotten the academy's location from Lee Ji-yoon during dinner earlier. Once we got friendly, she shared personal stuff freely. Right after dinner ended, I flew up with Ascension Flight, spreading my senses wide. Their tactics are always predictable. Knew they'd grab her brother hostage.

'Was a bit shocked when my hunch hit spot-on.'

Thanks to the 'upper-right wing' for tracking foes, finding the lurkers near the academy was easy. Who else but Mad Dog goons prowling with killing intent? Beat 'em senseless.

"Both knocked out in exactly three seconds."

"Kuh...!"

"Wonder how long you'd take.... Nah. Clone anyway—what's it matter? Knockout or not, the real you feels nothing."

The real one's probably chilling somewhere, watching. Felt like a clown—my teeth ground.

'Damn, better just end this quick.'

I readied more feathers. Until suddenly—

Spurt!

Blood fountained from Oh Chae-rin's shoulder.

...Huh?

"Guh, ugh...?!"

Oh Chae-rin groaned in agony, head whipping toward her ambusher.

"...This person's Scarecrow Shadow shares all sensations with the original. Not just sight and sound—pain too."

Grip.

Lee Ji-yoon shoved the longsword deeper into Oh Chae-rin's shoulder, voice laced with eerie resolve.

"Pain to the clone transmits fully to the original."

"You...! Crossing the line...!"

"Who crossed first?"

With that, Oh Chae-rin's shoulder severed completely. Slice—crimson blood sprayed from the stump.

"Kuh?! Kuaaaaaah-?!"

"You tried touching my brother? Our relationship ends today!"

Lee Ji-yoon had lost all reason at the brother mention. Total 180 from her innocent dinner chatter. No time to gawk at the gap, though.

"Real body hurts the same? Great news—thanks."

Her clone was sucking into the shadows, assuming it was hopeless. Now that I knew pain linked, no letting her escape easy.

I missile-dove, slamming my fist into her solar plexus—wrapped in explosive ether for max pain. Instead of a thud, BOOM!

"Kuhuk?!"

A soccer-ball hole punched through; scenery visible beyond. Such power, yet she only staggered—shadows propping her sinking legs kept balance.

"Then just chop the legs!"

"Move, Mom! Can't see with the alert!"

I yelled like a hardcore gamer son pissed at his mom, swinging my hand blade.

Oh Chae-rin's legs, sucking into shadows, snapped like twigs. Clean cut below waist—upper body sprang up like a spring, mid-scream.

Crack!

"Oof-?!"

"Can't escape on your own now, huh?"

I clamped her mouth with my brutish grip. Reminder: my hand's engulfed in ether flames.

Sizzle!

So, Oh Chae-rin's feeling her whole face melting in lava-like agony. The clone flailed, screams tearing out. I gripped the mouth—not head—on purpose, so she'd hear me crystal clear through her ear.

"No idea how many you've killed with dirty tricks, but it won't work on me or my guild."

I skipped the 'basement' mention—didn't want those poor kids targeted.

"We'll meet again soon. Not this pathetic clone, but real vs. real."

Cheeks and mouth melted off—no more screams vibrating my grip. Fine. Ear intact is enough.

"Next time, worse than this—so brace yourself. Oh, and stay the hell away from Lee Ji-yoon—."

Crack!

...Her head exploded, unable to withstand the heat, shattering everywhere. Splattering flesh, rolling lower body, blood on my cheek—all ignited in black flames and vanished.

"Should've led with the last warning... My bad."

A bit regrettable, but stress relieved.

...Until I realized no EXP or level-up messages.

"You're kidding?!"

"...Oh, right. She was human."

Forgot amid her otherworldly scumbag personality—even interdimensional monsters would weep. But vanishing without a trace? Humans are such useless trash...

Huh?

"Why's this still here?"

I spotted black flames clinging to the ground like embers. Brushed it off at first, but...

"...What the hell is it really?"

The massive mana pouring from it made my face harden. Just in case, I wrapped my hand in ether flames as a shield and cautiously poked it.

I swallowed dryly—

Kwaaaaa!

Mighty energy swirled around me like a storm.

***

"KyaAAAAAHH-!!"

The horrific scream from beyond the door sent two guards bursting into the office.

"Boss!"

"What happe—gasp!"

They froze upon entry. Their boss, Oh Chae-rin, writhed on the floor in convulsions. Grim sight. One rushed to her; the other radioed medical.

But,

"G-get... out! Get out of this room!"

Oh Chae-rin, sweating buckets and shuddering, still tried shooing them sharply.

The guards hesitated.

"B-but, Boss."

"Didn't you hear?! Out before I kill you!"

Her "kill" threats weren't bluffs—they knew, scrambling out.

Screams continued piercingly. Silence fell exactly ten minutes later.

"Hahk, hahk...!"

Oh Chae-rin, barely propped on the desk edge, was a mess. Her neat face smeared with tears, snot, drool; bitten lips torn raw. Nails she'd manicured, scraped ragged on the floor. Disheveled like a ghost, she vomited.

"That...! Trash...!"

No matter how she twisted or screamed, the clone's pain lingered. Wrist explosion and arm severance were bearable. But chest pierced, body bisected, face lava-melted...

She thought she'd go mad. Better if dead, nerves severed. But intact body with brain flooded by vivid agony—insane.

'Good thing sync rate's only 50%...!'

At 100%? Instant shock death for the original.

"Fuck!"

Finally shaking off mental damage, she slumped in her chair, cursing.

"I'll kill you, Hwang Jae-min...!"

With him around, using Lee Ji-yoon as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a pawn was doomed. Other issues aside—kill Hwang Jae-min first.

As she scratched her head, plotting—

Seeing the floating constellation message—

"Uh...?"

Her heart sank.