Villain Encounter # 2
Villain Encounter # 2
Holy shit...!
Villains!
The moment they appeared, my breath caught. Those are all special-grade superhuman criminals. Lunatics who commit heinous professional crimes as casually as a kid unwrapping candy.
And those bastards showed up on the beach.
"This is not ordinary! Villains who normally operate as small guerrilla units or commit crimes in the shadows are showing themselves so brazenly! There's definitely some vile, absurd scheme behind this!"
Leona also looked tense and shocked.
—Slick.
First, we crouched behind the railing to hide our bodies and threw the Camouflage Cloak over the top, maximizing our concealment.
"We retreat. The proper call here is to retreat."
A grave voice.
I agreed with Leona. We haven't trained enough to fight those unknown bastards.
Dealing with villains is the job of professional heroes.
Not something for a bunch of students like us.
"Whatever their purpose, the fact that they came with those monsterkin means they're thoroughly prepared. Even if we take some losses, pushing through the monsters to retreat would be—"
"Wait."
Yu-ri cut in.
"Those fuckers. They showed up out of nowhere, so it looks like they're here to do something important. How about we just check a little? Let's see why they showed up."
"That's dangerous, Woo Yu-ri...!"
"Still, running away without a look feels a bit crap, you know."
Somehow, I thought I heard anger in Yu-ri's voice. Maybe because the villains suddenly appeared?
Just as I was about to say something, Si-hoo spoke.
"Moving rashly is dangerous. For now, they haven't spotted us... but if we move and get caught, we're screwed. Let's observe the situation a bit and then act."
Rational.
"Yeah, all right. Sounds good."
I agreed with Si-hoo.
"If that's the consensus... yeah. Then let's do that. We'll watch the situation, and retreat at the optimal moment. But why on earth did those bastards come here so openly? In a state like this, it's obvious they'd get caught and wiped out."
Exactly.
Korean heroes aren't pushovers. If something like this happens on a beach, they'll respond quickly. And the villains have exposed their appearances—you think they're going to let that go?
It's true they came through a gate.
But unless they're just here to enjoy a little picnic and then head straight back... why?
"That's why we're watching. Leona. Yu-ri. And Si-hoo. Those fuckers came through a gate, so they'll probably leave through a gate too, right? And if they're going to do that, they must've come to do something right now and then leave. If they're doing something, I'd guess it's soon... Let's get a good look."
"Yes. Got it."
"Yeah."
Extreme tension.
Honestly, it reminded me of the place Void Princess sent me back then. I was just as tense as when I saw that otherworldly monster there.
Then.
—Shlk-shlk.
—Shlk.
"Hm?"
The monsterkin and villains started doing something.
It looked like they were trying to coordinate with each other.
Like friends who aren't that close trying to set up a big tent together. No, it's more awkward than that. Like working with random guys from another company you've never met.
Anyway, they were currently looking toward the monsters that were landing.
—Kieeeek!
—Kwaaaaaaaaah!
And no fucking way—the monsters that had just landed started rampaging and attacking them!
"Hey, shit. What's that?"
They weren't on the same side?
And so the combined forces of villains and monsterkin started fighting against the landing monsters.
—Fwoosh!
—Boom!
They swung swords, threw fists, used their superhuman abilities to blow monsters apart and cut them down. Plenty of them were shooting guns, too.
What the hell?
Since they appeared together, I naturally assumed those monsters were under their control.
"What is this? Weren't they on the same team? They're suddenly fighting the monsters?"
"This is shady as fuck... Hey, Kim Geun-cheol. Take a real good look at those villain bastards."
"Yeah. I'm watching."
The fighting went on for a bit, and we focused, taking in the sight. Everyone found it strange. A truly puzzling thing.
But our focus shattered soon after.
—Fwoosh!
Because another gate generated.
"Oh no...!"
At the same time, the shitheads on the beach all looked at that gate.
From inside the gate.
—Bzzzzzzz!
A bizarre monster descended.
"Whoa!"
That single monster...
About the size of a small bus, and it had a 'similar feeling' to the one I'd faced last time.
"Geun-cheol...?"
Si-hoo sent me a look. Si-hoo had also realized it. That this strange monster that had just appeared was connected to those things from before.
Kitty.
If it were Kitty, she could probably tell me something. Void Princess knew their identities. I bit my finger. How the hell had that thing shown up with the villains?
—Rrrrrrrrrmble!
Anyway, the Special Monster that had descended started firing beams, attacking the monsters on the ground and the villain alliance.
In an instant, a three-way battle broke out.
The bastards who had gathered on the beach started fighting among themselves. I'd thought they were all on the same side since they showed up together, but it turned out to be Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan.
"What on earth is this... Are we dreaming right now? Kim Geun-cheol? Quick, pinch my cheek."
"Soft."
I pinched Leona's cheek, which she had pressed right up next to me.
"Ah! Guess it's not a dream!"
Not a dream.
Just as I was watching the three-way fight in a daze.
—Ding!
A notification sound I hadn't heard in a very long time.
It struck my eardrums.
[Main Quest has been triggered.]
[$#%#$%#$$%#$]
I saw a bizarre notification.
"Huh?"
The quest content window was broken, like a malfunctioning screen. The characters were so distorted I couldn't make them out, and it was crackling with static noise.
"Kim Geun-cheol?"
"No. It's nothing."
—Ba-dump.
I felt my heart beat faster. A vague unease crept over me. What the hell was going on? The fact that my s-tatus window was going haywire... it was definitely not unrelated to that thing.
"Hey. Looks like it's decided."
Yu-ri was right.
—Hooooosh.
Most of the monsters that had landed were slaughtered, and the rest were scattering in all directions, fleeing. And the villains and monsterkin had left the Special Monster that appeared last in a near-death state.
—Slap.
They started getting to work.
As if they were planning to collect the Special Monster's corpse... They began attaching strange equipment, ropes, and cables to the carcass.
"Fuck. I get it now."
Yu-ri said.
"Those bastards. That thing. Have you guys ever seen a monster like that? No, right? I'm seeing it for the first time too. Just looking at it, it seems like those fuckers came to capture that new monster species for research. Grab it and go back through the gate—"
—Bzzzzz.
"Shit."
No sooner had she spoken than the monsterkin opened a gate.
Exactly.
Those bastards didn't come here recklessly. I don't know the details, but they risked coming here to retrieve that Special Monster. Somehow, they must have known in advance that it would appear and prepared for it.
"I'm not sure."
Si-hoo spoke.
"But I have a feeling that if we let that thing get away now, it's going to be a huge problem."
Si-hoo said.
"Ah, I feel the same. I don't know what it is, but I'm getting the sense we absolutely can't let those villains take that new monster species."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
Leona and Yu-ri agreed. And my answer was the same. My instincts. My broken s-tatus window. They were telling me one thing loud and clear.
Blow that thing to pieces.
And as it happened, in our hands.
"Bazooka."
We're holding that magic wand, aren't we?
"Leona. Want to try shooting that?"
"That thing?"
I looked at Leona's face as I said it.
"A very excellent idea! Now that I think about it, we do have this!"
She answered with a super bright face and practically flopped over in excitement. Hell yeah! That's our Leona! At the news that we were going to fire the bazooka, Yu-ri and Si-hoo let out little exclamations of glee.
"A high-value target...! That's a high-value target! If we blast it, that alone will be a massive achievement!"
"Hold on. Leona. Sorry to interrupt your joy, but if you fire that, those bastards will target us."
Si-hoo put a stop to it.
"If we fire, we'll be risking our lives. All right with that?"
"Hey. Lee Si-hoo. Of course we're going to risk them, what are you talking about?"
"Yu-ri."
"We're heroes, and you're saying we just let villains walk? Huh? While we've got a bazooka in our hands? And a Camouflage Cloak?"
"Exactly! An opportunity like this doesn't come often! I'll shoot, so please keep watch!"
"No! Leona, you should let me have this one!"
"Don't wanna! It's mine! Woo Yu-ri, you just use the submachine gun!"
"Agh!"
The bazooka had changed the atmosphere. Our earlier wariness transformed into fierce fighting spirit. Hell yeah! With a bazooka, there's nothing to be afraid of!
"Well, fine. Shooting at villain bastards sounds fun, too."
"Whoa, Yu-ri? When you say it like that, it's kind of terrifying."
"Terrifying my ass. It's something heroes are supposed to do."
True enough.
Villains aren't really any different from monsters, are they?
"Honestly, I'd been sorta hoping I'd run into villains someday."
Yu-ri grinned and said it.
"Is our Yu-ri that much of a battle maniac?"
"Well... not exactly. The thing is... I had an older brother."
"An older brother? I never heard about that—ah."
Had. Past tense.
"He was taken out by villain bastards. So I've been thinking... I want to get revenge. So, Leona? Could you let me shoot the bazooka instead of just the gun?"
"Hk, hkk...! That kind of backstory!"
—Shoop!
Leona immediately handed the bazooka to Yu-ri!
"The second you fire, put up a barrier! Strong enough to block rifle rounds!"
So it can block rifle rounds, too.
"Kgh! You're a regular Archangel!"
"I'm not Kim Geun-cheol, so what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Hey, wait, blocking rifle rounds? I'm not sure I can even properly block a single bullet."
"With enough training, Kim Geun-cheol, you'll be able to do it too! Now let's start! Woo Yu-ri! Fire when you have a good moment!"
"Okay!"
"Bullet of vengeance...! Hkk!"
—Flutter.
We stood up.
—Slip.
And Yu-ri skillfully aimed the bazooka. Si-hoo and I kept watch in all directions, and Leona covered Yu-ri. We moved like trained soldiers.
This.
I'm honestly looking forward to it.
To the extent that I want to shoot it myself.
As for Yu-ri's brother... we'll talk about that after this is over.
"Then firing!"
It was the moment Yu-ri shouted.
—Click.
The sound.
—Peeeeeew!
A ferocious sound rang out. My superhuman vision caught the shell flying. The massive distance was closed literally in an instant.
Yeah. Back in the military, I once went to defense live-fire training. Panzerfaust. That was my first time seeing one. The speed of an anti-tank rocket is never slow. Everyone thinks it kind of lazily sails through the air because of the movies, but from what I actually saw.
—Pah!
It covers that long distance in genuinely less than a second.
The moment the launched shell collided with the villains.
—KABOOOOOOOOOOM!
A wonderfully refreshing explosion erupted!
"Yeeaaaaah! Leona! This thing fires in bursts, right!"
"Yes! It's burst-fire! Wait a moment! I'll reload it for you."
Yu-ri and Leona reload the bazooka. Supposedly that big magazine holds three rounds. Different from Earth weapons, I guess.
—Swoosh.
The smoke cleared. The gate? It was gone, and the villains and monsterkin were sprawled everywhere. The new Special Monster had also been blown to smithereens, utterly obliterated.
But!
—Fwoosh!
Several of them had noticed us and were dashing toward us at high speed!
"Leona! Give me the gun!"
"Ah!"
I snatched Leona's submachine gun immediately!
"Die, you villain fuckers!"
"I'll help!"
—Bratatatatatatat!
—Bratatatatatatat!
Si-hoo and I opened fire like crazy!
"Next shot, firing!"
And the follow-up bazooka round.
—Boooom!
"Aaaaaaaghh!"
"Uwaaaah!"
"Kiyaaaah...!"
The villains and monsterkin screamed.
This is like a scene from a youth movie.
