That’s My Line, You Bastard!
Yu-shin’s eyes, floating high in the air, took in the entire stadium at a glance. It was packed with people—or rather, vampires now. They filled the field to the brim. Their blood-red eyes glinted in the moonlight, and sharp fangs were bared. One by one, they began to turn their gazes toward him, hovering in the sky. For an ordinary person, the sight alone would be enough to chill their bones, but Yu-shin merely laughed.
"How fun."
It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. Having so many things focus their hostility entirely on him. "Let’s have some fun! But first, I need to get my sister out of here."
Just then, the sky turned black. Countless swarms of bats rushed toward Yu-shin. The sound of their flapping wings filled his ears. "Get lost, you bastards!"
With Yu-shin’s shout, black Magi flashed from his body. The bats scattered like waves crashing against a rock, falling to the ground. The difference in power was overwhelming. "Where are you? My sister?"
Yu-shin focused his gaze. In the middle of the field, a pair of figures appeared. A woman and a man. As he strained his eyes, their faces became clearer. It was his sister.
"There you are."
A look of relief flashed in Yu-shin’s eyes. Fortunately, the ring he had given her seemed to be working; the shield was holding up well. But then, the man standing in front of the shield raised his fist. Yu-shin’s intuition sensed danger. He moved toward them as if surging forward, but it was already too late.
Kuaaaaang!
With a thunderous roar, the shield protecting his sister shattered into pieces, and she took the shockwave head-on. As a result, Cheon Jin-ah was blown back nearly five meters. Yu-shin, landing on the ground, furrowed his brows.
"You f*cking bastards?"
His sister lay there, looking as if she had fainted or was dead. "Cheon Yu-shin..."
Yu-shin turned his gaze toward the voice calling his name. "What is this guy?"
"We finally meet. I’ve missed you."
At those words, Yu-shin frowned. "The f*ck, what is this vampire bastard blabbering about? Are you a woman?"
A smile played on Bae Seong-woo’s lips. In the meantime, Yu-shin drew Magi from his body and caressed his sister’s body. The bruises on her face began to vanish. Treatment complete. Honestly, his sister was always getting hurt, what a pain... A flicker of worry crossed Yu-shin’s eyes as he clicked his tongue.
"Do you remember that time?" Bae Seong-woo, who had been watching silently, spoke up.
"What are you talking about?"
Bae Seong-woo’s red eyes glinted. "When the Sudden Gate appeared at the school playground, when countless Trolls poured out, and when they took the lives of so many people."
Only then did he remember. It was the moment his name became known to the public. "Are you trying to reminisce about the good old days with me right now?"
At the word 'reminisce,' Bae Seong-woo, who had been wearing a faint smile, turned serious. "Did you just call it reminiscing? I lost everything there. My beloved wife, and even my daughter, whom I cherished more than my own life! And you call it reminiscing?!"
Was he a victim? Yu-shin’s eyes deepened for a moment. He, too, knew that there were victims who had died at the hands of the Trolls. But.
"It might be a memory for some and sorrow for others, I don't know. But so what? What does that have to do with me? Why are you saying that here?"
"If you had moved just a little faster, you could have hunted more monsters. Then perhaps..." Bae Seong-woo paused for a moment before continuing. "My family might still be alive today."
At those words, Yu-shin smirked. "...You’re laughing?"
"This guy, turns out he’s a total lunatic."
Yu-shin’s cold voice cut through the air and slammed into Bae Seong-woo’s ears, laced with cynicism and contempt. "So, you’re saying it’s my fault your family died?"
"You don't know! The pain I’ve suffered..."
"I don't need to know. Let’s get this straight. You lost your family. And it’s because of me. So you caused all this mess?"
"......"
"That’s why I’m saying you’re a lunatic. Are you the only one who lost family back then?" Yu-shin shook his head firmly. "No! As far as I know, there were hundreds. They’re probably living with just as much pain as you. But are they out there committing acts of terror against society? No, they’re living their lives. They might be rotting inside, but they’re living normally. That’s how you’re supposed to live. So why are you the only one acting like a psycho? Why are you the only one making a scene? Have you even thought about the families of the people you turned into vampires? You’re the same kind of trash—no, f*ck, what did I even do wrong? I didn't do anything wrong. So you’re just a piece of sh*t. You get it?"
Bae Seong-woo’s expression shifted complexly. Anger, confusion—but as if to shake it off, he shouted, "You... what do you know! Fine, maybe I am crazy! But you, the guy who became a hero after that day, you don't know! I suffer from nightmares every night. Every time I close my eyes, my family comes to mind. They’re living well? Don't make me laugh! They’re just surviving. Surviving and living are two different things!"
His voice was filled with deep pain and resentment. Yu-shin chuckled. "Sure, keep living while rationalizing it like that. Now, shall we get to the main point?"
Yu-shin tossed the King Slime Core onto the ground. Thud. With a small sound, the core fell, and a black, jelly-like slime began to wiggle into existence. Bae Seong-woo looked at it with wary eyes, but Yu-shin didn't care and said, "I don't know if you understand, but if you do, protect this kid."
Kku-it!
In an instant, the King Slime swallowed Cheon Jin-ah. Bae Seong-woo’s eyes widened in surprise, and Yu-shin was momentarily taken aback as well. It’s safe, right? Yu-shin looked down at the slime with a doubtful gaze before shifting his eyes back. In the tense situation, noisy sounds could be heard from afar. Hunters from the Hunter Management Department were attempting to enter the stadium. I guess they’re finally here.
The vampires, who had been watching Yu-shin and Bae Seong-woo, turned their gazes toward them in unison. Then I should draw their attention. Yu-shin raised his right foot high.
Kuaaaaang!
The moment Yu-shin’s foot struck the earth, an unbelievable sight unfolded. The grass rippled as if an earthquake had occurred. Some vampires even lost their balance and stumbled. "Where are you looking? You have to dance with me."
Yu-shin grinned and spread his arms. Countless black energies began to manifest around him. At that sight, Bae Seong-woo’s red eyes glinted even more intensely. "A technique I’ve seen many times."
His voice was laced with mockery. Bae Seong-woo slowly opened one hand and raised it high, as if to pierce the sky. At that moment, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Swaaaaaa-
Something began to pour out from the sky. What initially looked like small dots revealed their true form in an instant. It was an enormous swarm of bats. Thousands, no, tens of thousands of bats covered the sky. The sound of their flapping wings and their cries mixed together, creating a noise that threatened to tear eardrums apart. It was as if a living black cloud had covered the sky.
Bae Seong-woo, looking up at them, smiled with satisfaction. "I shall punish you from now on. I hope you take it well."
As Bae Seong-woo’s open hand moved, the swarm of bats moved in unison, as if synchronized. But.
"Wait a minute?"
"...What is this?"
An annoyed expression crossed Yu-shin’s face. "That’s my line, you bastard!"
Simultaneously, the Dark Spears generated around Yu-shin were fired toward Bae Seong-woo. Bae Seong-woo, frowning, clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground.
Kuaaaaang!
Then, the swarm of bats hovering in the air gathered like a single giant living entity and plummeted vertically toward where Cheon Yu-shin and Bae Seong-woo were standing.
Kuaaaaang!
The sky and the earth shook.
Hunters poured into the stadium like a tide. At their appearance, greed glinted in the eyes of the vampires nearby. Hungry. Thirsty. Just in time, humans with fresh blood had arrived. And not just one or two, but nearly 30 of them. Everyone began to drool and rush forward. But the hunters’ expressions were surprisingly calm. Baek Woo-hyun shouted firmly.
"Form A-formation! Stay calm! These guys haven't been vampires for long. They’re still inexperienced, so as long as you don't panic, you’ll be fine."
"Understood! Captain!"
Yoon Hye-won’s eyes glinted. The throwing dagger in her hand. However, it wasn't the dagger she usually carried. It was a blunt, edgeless throwing dagger. Her dagger flew at high speed. The target was the vampire’s head.
Puck!
The vampire hit by the dagger in the head collapsed on the spot. Starting with that, the battle began.
"Absolutely no killing! Our goal is suppression. Don't kill them, neutralize them!"
Baek Woo-hyun’s command. Under normal circumstances, it would have been nonsense, but now it was different. They weren't monsters. There might be a way to turn them back into humans. So, until it was certain, they couldn't kill them. Above all, even though they had to fight with a handicap, they had room to spare. As the captain said, they were inexperienced. They possessed immense power, but they lacked the technique to handle it. It was appropriate to say they were reckless and clumsy. Like a child who had gained the strength of an adult man.
One vampire rushed forward fiercely, but Joo Jo-woon lightly stepped aside and tripped him. The vampire, having lost his balance, tumbled to the floor. "No hard feelings, mister."
Joo Jo-woon muttered and slammed his fist into the back of the vampire’s head. It was the same elsewhere. The vampires’ attacks were fast and strong, but easy to predict. The hunters dodged their attacks elegantly, like dancing, and countered. Their movements were imbued with the results of long experience and training.
"This is why experience is important."
Baek Woo-hyun spoke, grabbing the arms of two vampires and smashing them into each other. Their heads collided, and they collapsed to the floor. It was something they couldn't have imagined before. They had definitely become stronger. Their movements had become more precise. While dodging the vampires’ relentless attacks, they neutralized them with minimal impact.
Just then.
"W-what is that?"
Someone shouted in a surprised voice. Baek Woo-hyun’s gaze turned to the sky. His eyes widened. Tens of thousands of bats had begun to cover the sky.
"Where on earth did so many..."
Yoon Hye-won muttered as if it were absurd. The bats were now creating a giant vortex like a single living entity and descending at high speed. And.
Kuaaaaang!
A roar that shook the earth strongly echoed in their ears.
"C-crazy!"
With Joo Jo-woon’s shout, the vampires who had been rushing in like moths to a flame, and the hunters who had been easily suppressing them, all stopped moving. Cheon Yu-shin’s figure was hidden by the wall of vampires, but Baek Woo-hyun and the other hunters could feel it. That a collision of immense energy had occurred.
"What on earth is happening over there?"
With everyone’s gaze fixed on that spot, they couldn't bring themselves to move.