Flame Giant
The Flame Giant was a monster that appeared near Dok-san Station during the dimensional gate outbreak and was subdued by hunters. From its sudden emergence far from any gate to its bizarre disappearance on the western side of the Gwanak Line, it drew public attention with its eccentric behavior. Some supported the tragic hero theory: a newly awakened but inexperienced ability user attacked by hunters. After all, it took hits without retaliating and caused no casualties. Others backed the giant monster theory influenced by the gate: a hero wouldn't attack hunters unprovoked. And then there was the unsupported "villain theory"—a normal human who transforms into a building-sized giant only when using their ability. Buried among countless posts about Lee Seung-hyung, that theory sadly became a bittersweet meme.
ROOOAR!! The Flame Giant swung its arm horizontally. The debris from the crumbling building rained down on the heroes.
"Scatter! Take cover!"
The heroes maintaining their formation dispersed. The flaming concrete chunks they dodged gouged the empty road. Scraaaape!
"Urgh!"
Unsa spat out the mouthful of dust inside the bank counter she'd fled into. No heroes had followed her, but as always, they knew their roles in a crisis. Unsa lowered her breathing and pressed her watch.
Static. Crackle.
"I need to get outside..."
Even this short distance to Anyang and Guro was blocking signals. She'd have to reach the main road to contact the commander and team.
"......"
Fortunately, it was quiet outside. Unsa cautiously spread her mana to probe the surroundings. No Hellhounds. But... human presence?
Human?
"Kuh!"
Unsa whipped around toward the interior. Leaping over tables and smashing through a locked door, she burst into the bank's cash vault. There, a terrified boy huddled, shaking.
"H-Hiiik?!"
The boy, barely covered by his tattered clothes, pressed against the wall at the sight of her. A bag he'd dropped spilled ten-thousand-won bills—easily tens of millions by a quick glance.
"You're safe. I'm a hero. Are you hurt?"
"D-Don't come closer!"
The boy jabbed an iron rod at her from beside him. Unsa forced her stiff lips into a smile, trembling at the corners.
"A-rank hero Unsa, Park Ra-on, from the Association. This place is dangerous. Let me hel—"
Suddenly, a man's voice—not the boy's—echoed.
Unsa moved like lightning. In one step, she closed the gap, dodged the rod, grabbed the boy's throat, and hoisted him up.
"G-Guhk!"
The boy dangled in midair, gasping and kicking. Unsa hurled him into the vault's depths and snatched the radio from the corner.
Unsa's expression hardened. She gripped the radio silently, walked to the collapsed boy, and summoned a screen.
[Respond.]
The boy's eyes wavered. Gulp. Unsa's Greed Cloud made him swallow hard and speak.
"...This is G18. Hiding in Guro K-Bank."
"Couldn't escape, so I did."
Unsa recorded the voice and cross-checked the database. It matched a registered villain: Kim Ji-hwa. Codename: Beacon. Villain.
Thwack! Unsa's spear haft slammed into Bok-hyun's gut. He crumpled unconscious.
"Beacon. Your handiwork?"
Beacon's voice trembled over the radio.
"Did you set this trap?"
"The Association already knows Beacon never leaves Digital Complex. Don't play dumb after luring us here by blowing your own base."
Beacon admitted readily.
"Don't care. Because while I'm distracted,"
The building shook. Unsa summoned a cloud overhead.
Boom! A massive flaming fist smashed the cloud. Unsa planted her spear and channeled mana to deflect the shock.
"...you planned to ambush me like this."
The fist withdrew. Unsa slung the unconscious Bok-hyun over her waist and leaped through the hole.
Rumble rumble! The building teetered on collapse.
Out on the main road, Unsa locked eyes with the Flame Giant kneeling on one knee ahead.
"The eccentric monster in the flesh."
"Team leader!!"
Tempest Lady burst from between buildings. Most of A-Team was safe, minus a few.
"That kid?"
"Villain lackey. Restrain him."
Two heroes took Bok-hyun as Unsa set him down. Ability-user cuffs locked his hands behind his back.
Grrr rumble. The Flame Giant rose. Its shadow, backlit by the sun, engulfed all the heroes.
Unsa responded immediately.
"Unsa reporting from position. Classifying eccentric type 'Flame Giant' as villain. Threat level... A-rank."
"Seems it hid its power until now. Allied with Guro's Beacon."
Unsa raised the radio. Beacon hadn't cut off—arrogant.
"...!!"
Unsa spun, scanning the team. One B-rank, three C-ranks missing.
"Beacon!!"
With that, Beacon cut off. Unsa hurled the radio; it exploded.
"Team leader, you okay?!"
"My fault for dropping guard. ...More importantly, track the missing heroes."
Unsa stepped forward three paces, facing the giant. Hellhounds at the perimeter clawed futilely at buildings, unable to enter. A coliseum where escape meant killing all foes.
Unsa gathered mana.
"Opponent is A-rank villain. Even if we miss Yeouido on time, the merit will overflow. So."
Unsa aimed her spear tip at the giant.
"One hour until 1 PM Yeouido ETA. I'll take down this villain, secure Guro, and rescue the abducted. All of it."
Only then did Unsa's lips twitch upward faintly.
"A-Team! Prioritize rescuing missing heroes, break the encirclement! Clear outer Hellhounds! Arrest any villains en route! Flame Giant—"
The giant raised both arms high. Its clenched fists plummeted like hammers.
"I'll handle!"
Unsa swept her spear across the road. Mana flowed out as billowing clouds, clashing with the fists.
Crunch, cruuunch! Greed Cloud devoured the blue flames. The giant yanked back before contact.
Hiss...
Infused with Azure Flame, the cloud twisted like a crushed can and vanished, undigested flames spewing out—Greed Cloud with indigestion after gorging Hellhounds.
Fwoosh. Blue flames dripped onto asphalt.
Unsa hopped in place, loosening up. A-rank vs. A-rank. Good—the giant was wary of Greed Cloud.
"Hah."
Unsa inhaled deeply. Two clashes, bank and road—no signs of losing yet.
"Pity. If you'd used that ability for good, we wouldn't be hurting each other."
Once Tempest Lady and team dismantled the perimeter, they'd join. Until then, Unsa's job: stall.
The giant opened its palm, slamming down at Unsa. She sidestepped lightly, scaling rubble like stairs. Her steps mimicked Poong Baek treading air.
SWOOSH! The giant swatted like at a fly. Far faster than before—Unsa spread clouds.
Crunch! Greed Cloud munched flames midair. It vanished before conversion, but blocked the strike.
"!"
Or so she thought. Unsa thrust her spear haft forward.
CRASH!!
Blue flames gone from the palm revealed grayish bones like human skeleton.
Claaaang! Haft met bone. Unsa held firm but, midair without footing, flew into the giant's palm.
"Guhk!"
Shattering glass, Unsa tumbled through an office into a wall. Even hero suit couldn't dull the pain.
"......Hoo."
Unexpected. She'd pegged it as pure flame ability—no thought of supporting bones.
"No problem then."
Big body, still human. Just scaled up.
BOOM!! Fist incoming. Shattering windows, the hand reformed flames.
"Let's see if you outlast or I devour all."
Unsa stabbed at the fist. Greed Cloud surged fiercer, climbing and biting.
ROOOAR! This time, the giant didn't withdraw. Bone hand grabbed for Unsa from behind.
'Damn...!'
Unsa wrenched mana, recalling and redeploying Greed Cloud. But bones crunching, the giant snatched her.
"Guhp!"
Bone fingers tightened. Unsa thrashed to escape before flames reformed. Too late—blue fire spread on the bones.
ROAR?!
Suddenly, the grip loosened. Unsa seized the gap, mana-bursting free.
Crunch! Recalled Greed Cloud devoured the wrist up the forearm.
Thud. The severed hand bone flopped lifelessly in the office.
"Hah, hah."
Unsa patted out suit flames. Even the suit burned through, exposing pale skin.
"......?"
Lower chest, belly, thighs—hand paths burned suit away, skin bare. But Unsa puzzled more over the giant's actions.
'Why stop?'
It squeezed to kill, then released. The gap was self-made.
Handless, it glared silently, withdrawing.
ROAR...!
It bellowed irritably, kicking a building down in frustration.
ROOOAR!!
Ignoring Unsa, it charged the road toward heroes battling Hellhounds.
"Whatever the reason!"
Unsa wasn't one to back off after a pass. Spear or no, exhaustion or death—her resolve held.
Bang! Unsa rocketed from the office, sprinting air to overtake, landing on adjacent building.
Thud. Rounding corner, giant halted at Unsa's sight. Eyes avoided her, but aware.
Head turned—snapped away. Like hating the view.
"...No way?"
Nah. Unsa cloaked in Greed Cloud like armor.
Cumulus over suit drew the giant's gaze back.
ROAR.
It nodded, satisfied. Unsa glanced between herself and giant, nodding in realization.
"Seriously? Caring about this now?"
Unsa smirked, dispersing cloud armor. Bare skin reexposed.
Giant's head snapped away like slapped.
"How do you fight on a battlefield fixating on this!!"
Unsa raked Greed Cloud into a massive wall before the giant.
It dodged around the corner hastily. Unsa faster.
ROAR...!
"Averting eyes from foe is suicide. Even to a villain, can't withhold advice."
A colossal cloud wall blocked the road between buildings. Unsa stood atop, spear aimed.
"Eyes front! You're villain, I'm hero! One captures, one dies! If you fixate on this—"
Unsa stabbed down. Clouds cascaded like breached dam.
"—it's insulting to me, Unsa!"
The massive cloud swarm engulfed the Flame Giant.