"...Did You Know?"
"...Did you know?"
Ga-eul's voice trembled as if she might burst into tears any second. Deok-bae let out a groan and shook his head.
"No clue."
It was the moment everything clicked about the massacre Phoenix had pulled off in Incheon. Every word spilling from Phoenix's lips clawed at Deok-bae's heart, hard as rock though it was.
"Phoenix..."
Ga-eul wiped away her streaming tears with her sleeve.
"How can she just... stay like that after going through something like that?"
It wasn't something you could mouth off about without having lived it yourself. But Ga-eul knew right away who that "'that woman'" was that Cheonghwa had so coolly mentioned.
"Who knows."
Deok-bae could only mutter vaguely. Just a few days ago, he'd been tangled up in the exact same kind of crap as the perpetrators in that story.
"I don't know the full deal, but one thing I do know."
Deok-bae placed a hand on the windowsill where Phoenix had exited.
"She might look like she's got a few screws loose, but that ability of hers? Top of the food chain."
"How top?"
"...Round Table level, easy."
The blazing demonic beast that had used her as a weapon, smashed her in one hit, and snapped her wings. No doubt about it—that was one of the demonic beasts.
—Hold it off for just five minutes and we've got the win?
Phoenix had boasted it against a monster like that, and she'd toyed with the demonic beast for real. Thinking back on everything Phoenix had shown so far, Deok-bae was convinced her line about fighting being a hassle wasn't a joke—it was dead serious.
"Round Table..."
The world's top heroes. How brutally must she have trained, over and over, to climb higher than them?
Ga-eul wiped away her last tears and stormed out of the classroom.
"Where to?!"
"I've made up my mind!"
Ga-eul's eyes burned with resolve as she bounded up the stairs two at a time.
"The pressure's no joke."
A-rank hero Usa steadied his mana, rattled by the vibrations climbing up the wooden staff plunged into the ground.
"You think we can actually take this thing down?"
The holographic display on his smartwatch showed allied heroes sliding down Gwanak Mountain's slopes, pursued by the demonic beast's signal steadily heading south. Their path cut straight through the valleys, skirting civilian areas, ending at the ruins of the old Anyang Comprehensive Stadium where Usa and the other heroes waited.
"Gotta. No choice, right? Tsk tsk."
The white-haired elder Pungbaek swung his iron stick like a golf club to loosen up. The other heroes prepped their gear and mana, ready to greet their guest.
"Demon beast hunt without Gwanggeom or Snow Flower Princess? You really think we can pull it off, old man?"
"That bear cub kid hit S-rank, didn't he? Executioner's word is law—gotta trust it."
"A greenhorn who awakened less than an hour ago?"
Usa clicked his tongue. The promising A-rank talent who'd suddenly quit to play house was infamous gossip in hero circles.
"A guy who ditches his heroic duty for skirts calls himself Fire Fist? You think that punk Seung-hyung deserves the name, old man?"
Even if commanders had first dibs on rank nicknames, Fire Fist carried massive weight in Korea.
Fire Fist. Flaming fists. Korea's S-rank hero slain in the Pyongyang Incident.
"Kellkell. Names ain't what matters in the end. What counts is if the kid's got the chops to live up to it."
"Old man. Who got that Fire Fist killed? That damn president—"
"Enough. Not another word."
Pungbaek whipped up a gust to silence him. Twirling his stick, he glanced at clusters of heroes in matching uniforms. Pine tree badges gleamed on their shirt collars.
Usa spat and looked away.
"...Government's hunting dogs."
"They call it the Pine Tree Unit, don't they? Takes me back to the '70s—good times."
"Quit your bullshit. Wasn't that when your legs got wrecked?"
"So what! Those bastards all bit the dust anyway. Spent half my life hobbling, but that jerk's ability let this old coot keep scampering around. Hell, I'd toss a bottle of soju on his grave. Tsk tsk."
"Yeah, yeah. Do whatever."
Usa grumbled, raising his staff to summon mana. It flowed from his body, amplified by the staff, spreading into the air.
"O spirits. Look upon us sinners and grant your unworthy children your grace."
The air grew humid. Tiny droplets beaded on the weeds cracking the stadium track.
"The skies are clear and bright, yet your people tremble in fear."
Usa's shaking staff slammed into the ground on its own. He spoke into his smartwatch.
"This is Usa. 'Rain Ritual' prepped and ready."
"Got it."
Usa grinned broadly at the operator's relayed order, chewing over the op name.
"'Chicken Party'? Couldn't make it sound cooler?"
"Ain't it a fine day? Kellkell. Another S-rank joins the ranks—what better luck for the country? On a happy day like this, we all raise a glass together."
Pungbaek undid his top shirt button, coiling wind around his legs and stepping into the air. Usa frowned at the pet bottle on his belt.
"Old man, no makgeolli. You'll collapse from alcohol poisoning again."
"Kehahaha! This here's my mana fuel!"
Pungbaek stroked his beard and chugged the white liquid inside. Usa turned back to the map.
"Damn, they're descending fast."
The red enemy dot had passed the arboretum and entered the residential zone.
"Alright, time to—huh?"
Usa turned at a yellow dot entering the stadium. There stood A-rank hero Tempest Lady, still dazed, supported by hunter Kim Seong-o.
"Mapo, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Long time, Usa hyung."
Kim Seong-o pointed at Yang Seon-u's smartwatch screen.
"Recall signal went out, but she's still out of it."
"...Nngh."
Usa radioed HQ.
"Usa here. Requesting frontline exemption for A-rank Tempest Lady."
"Trauma hit her hard. Mapo's here instead—I'll notify the Executioner."
Seong-o jumped at Usa trying to drag him into the demonic beast hunt.
"No, hyung! I'm just a hunter!"
"Ex-hero. That's your old active-duty mortar on your back, ain't it?"
A mortar from his hero days hung on Seong-o's back. His hands gripped Yang Seon-u's trembling ones tight.
"Kehahaha! Bringing the wife so she don't miss promotion!"
"Argh, Elder Pungbaek! We're not—nothing like that!"
Beep beep beep!
The smartwatches blared enemy approach alerts. Seong-o slung his mortar over his shoulder.
"Settle up later. My firepower's solid—count on it."
"Deal. If the government boots you, I'll pay out of pocket."
Seong-o handed Yang Seon-u to Pungbaek and dashed to the perimeter. Other hunters like him were already in position. Separate from the heroes, these risk-takers eyed the association's raid participation bonus.
■■■■■!!
The demonic bird's roar finally reached them. Every ability user on the field raised their weapons, mana surging.
"Bastard."
Usa steadied his breath at his old friend's voice, ice-cold under the facade. Forty hero lives weighed on his back here.
"Old man. You hear that? Don't get dropped."
"Tsk tsk tsk. Won't meet King Yama till I send that octopus pup to his coffin first, kid."
Pungbaek yanked off his tie, coiling to charge. Usa planted both hands on his staff and bellowed.
"Raid prep! Follow the demonic beast manual!"
Woooaaargh!!!
Heroes and hunters roared, morale soaring. At the same moment, a man sprinted in from the north gate.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Seung-hyung barreled in screaming, his feet trailing embers like a red carpet for the massive guest about to arrive.
Kwaaang!
■■■■■■!
The demonic bird smashed through the north gate entirely, beak still locked on Seung-hyung as it entered the stadium.
At Yoo Yeong-ho's call, Usa thrust his staff sky-high. A massive water mass gathered above it, compressing.
"Let rain fall!"
Usa gripped the staff two-handed and slammed it down. The house-sized blob burst like a balloon, blanketing the field.
■■■■!!
The beast flinched as mana-infused water splashed its body. No damage, not even a scratch—but the field now swam in water-affinity mana. Huge significance.
Hero assaults rained down: bullets, arrows, mana orbs—everything swarmed the beast.
■■■■...!
It swept its remaining wing horizontally, incinerating them all. Usa clicked his tongue, spinning his staff.
"A-Team, recharge mana! Archers, fire on ready!"
Archers fell back, charging. As the beast coiled to leap, a massive explosion rocked its head.
"Fire! We'll cover the gap!"
Under Kim Seong-o's lead, hunters unleashed coordinated barrage. Modern weapons barely scratched it, but bought precious time.
Yeong-ho seized it.
"Old coot's turn, tsk tsk!"
Pungbaek gripped his iron stick and charged. Six other heroes followed, lunging at the beast.
Squawk!
Riding wind through smoke, Pungbaek vaulted past its head, packing mana into the stick tip.
"Hup!"
Razor winds lashed its eye. They scored the lid and burst; the beast whirled its maw at him.
■■■■!
"Whoa!"
Pungbaek slid along its flank, dodging the flame breath. Purple embers singed his suit tail.
"Damn!"
He shed the jacket, bounding air-steps. Yeong-ho yelled as he grazed its tail feathers in a razor-thin dodge.
"Still spry as ever, kid!"
Pungbaek recharged off a spectator wall as the beast rolled massively.
Kiiiieeeee———!
A scream laced with hate shook the world. Mana sonic wave hammered hero eardrums.
"Guh?!"
Usa's brewing spell shattered, mana disrupted. Swirling waters splashed flat.
The beast writhed. Purple flame mana swelled on its flank—a new wing unfurled.
Kwajik!
Asymmetrical wings propelled it airborne—not flying, more like a chicken's hop.
"Scatter!"
Heroes in its path bolted sideways. It inhaled deep midair, radiating mana.
Kyaaaaaaaak!!
Breath attack. Demonic beast signature. The destructive beam gouged the track to stands, steam hissing from embers in its wake.
"Executioner! Called it!"
Different form, mana from standard demonic beasts. Suspicions confirmed by the flame breath. Heroes now faced a new species sans playbook: the Fire Demon Dragon.
"You!"
Pungbaek, mana first to recover, raced skyward. Wind-clad legs carried him higher than the hovering dragon.
"No time! I won't let these why-jerks set foot here dead or alive!"
Pungbaek slammed leg-wind into the dragon's wing. Gale scored its back.
■■■■?!
The Fire Demon Dragon screeched in pain, flapping. Pungbaek's breeze was weak, but it shook a tiny Azure Flame ember at the wing base.
Invisible speck. It flared to torch-size in his wind.
"...!"
Pungbaek yanked up his smartwatch urgently.
"Weak point spotted! Upper back wing base! Different-colored flame burning there!"
"What?!"
Shocked, the dragon lost balance, plummeting. Thrashing wings swept at Pungbaek.
"Elder!"
Usa smacked the ground with his staff, firing thick water jets. Spear-like streams pierced the wing but feathers still menaced Pungbaek.
"Tch!"
Pungbaek wind-jumped to dodge. Too late—the feathers stabbed inches away.
Six o'clock.
Pungbaek glared at the heart-stabbing feather. Violet-burning tip, spear-sharp.
Whoosh!
Grabbed by unseen hands. The feather grazed his foot, embedding in the wall.
"You okay?!"
Dazed, Pungbaek saw Seung-hyung who'd snatched him—trailing embers in flight. Pungbaek chuckled heartily.
"Overflowing mana... how strong you gotten?"
"Don't know myself!"
Seung-hyung plummeted with gravity. Pungbaek wind-landed them safely.
Usa yelled furiously.
"Elder!"
"Ah, yeah. Sorry."
Weak point found, but death made it moot. Yeong-ho sighed inwardly in relief, broadcasting Pungbaek's watch capture fleet-wide.
Zoomed holo: blue flame smoldering near wing base.
Kim Seong-o grinned wryly.
"...No way?"
The flame giant he'd last-hit. It'd charged the gate then vanished. Its Azure Flame lingered on the dragon's wing.
"......."
Seong-o's eyes flicked to Seung-hyung, then the dragon.
"Barrier ain't down yet, right?"
Usa muttered puzzled. Mana flames cloaked the dragon's flesh. Shatter the shield to reveal truth.
Pungbaek chucked his makgeolli bottle, regripping his stick.
"Not the usual weak spot. But one thing's clear."
The dragon crashed center-field. Quake shook all Anyang.
"That flame's our lifeline. Right, kiddo?"
"Yes!"
Flames bloomed on Seung-hyung's fists.
"Fire Fist reporting! Blue flames on Fire Demon Dragon's back! We use them! Don't destroy or extinguish—fan that ember bigger!"
He sensed it instinctively. In Seoul's dark lost paths, Cheonghwa's colossus had left that blue spark—a 'hope's ember' for the heroes.
Grounded, the dragon glared, wings spread. Purple flames from its back spread to smother the blue.
Yeong-ho's gut screamed it. Seung-hyung felt it too.
"Fire Demon Dragon can't snuff that flame itself!"
Yeong-ho lost composure, mumbling into the mic. 7:20 PM. Ten minutes till the 6:30 'countdown' ended.
We can do this.
No barrier grind needed. Yeong-ho stretched the screen wide, fingers flying.
"Woooaaargh!!!"
Heroes surged with fervor, charging on command. The dragon hunkered against the onslaught.
High above the battlefield, a tiny blue flame canary fluttered, overlooking all.
"Ah. DoT."
Phoenix sighed.
Her Azure Flame slash on Deok-bae still gnawed the Shadow Phoenix's barrier.
"At this rate, they're done."
Phoenix cracked open a canned coffee from the wrecked rooftop vending machine and chugged.
"Now then."
Heroes swarmed the central shadow. Leading: the fire hero with her implanted Azure Flame.
"Second phase... wonder how that'll go?"
Black flames erupted across the Shadow Phoenix's body.