Heroes Triumphant, Second Phase Unleashed
"No, I can't allow it, Commander. Send me in."
Seok Ha-rang, who had been sitting silently, rose to her feet. A chill emanated from her body, as if she were ready to charge out the moment the order came.
"Absolutely not! You all need to conserve your strength until the Snake of Seoul City Hall is defeated!"
"And what if we hold back and another C-rank hero dies? What then? If things go wrong here, it won't end with just stripping down—can you handle that?"
At Ha-rang's firm words, Shin Jin-gwang turned away. Lee Gi-seong's life signal hadn't cut out yet. While Shin Jin-gwang hesitated, several heroes trapped in Guro's labyrinth were kidnapped by monsters.
Shin Jin-gwang knew full well what happened to humans dragged into monster nests—no need for words.
He slammed his fist into the whiteboard behind him and shouted.
"Argh! Agent Seok Ha-rang! Have faith in the heroes! I can't just send you out so easily—"
"I'll go."
Seung-hyung placed a hand on Ha-rang's shoulder, seating her again. Infused with mana, the touch made Ha-rang look up at him in disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing right now, old man...?"
"I'll go."
Ha-rang and Shin Jin-gwang both fell silent at Seung-hyung's resolute words. Something more than mere heroism emanated from him—too profound to dismiss lightly.
Gulp. Shin Jin-gwang's swallow echoed through the command room.
He was an S-rank hero, but his background—nephew to President Seon Ui-cheol—gnawed at him. What if this guy snitched to the president about his decisions being ignored?
...This isn't losing to connections. It's the broad-minded commander's wise acceptance of a sound strategy.
Shin Jin-gwang could only nod.
"......I won't take responsibility for the aftermath."
"That's enough."
Lee Seung-hyung vanished in a blur, heading for Guro.
* * *
Thwack! Deok-bae's fist grazed the spear shaft.
Unsa quickly released her grip. The spear flew off, embedding into a nearby building.
Deok-bae recoiled in shock at her discarding her weapon.
"Too slow!"
Unsa's fist already slammed into Deok-bae's gut. He tumbled backward across the ground.
Fsssh... Where her fist had struck, his rock skin dissolved, exposing bare flesh.
Not shattered—devoured.
Crunch, crrrunch. Tiny wisps of Greed Cloud rose from Unsa's fist, greedily consuming Deok-bae's rock skin.
Unlike purifying azure flames, the Greed Cloud stripped mana from the rock skin, quenching Unsa's thirst.
She clenched it in her fist.
"......Revoking your Flame Giant ability—that was your fatal mistake."
Victory was already assured. Patches of Deok-bae's rock skin had been devoured across his body, leaving him exposed.
"Keep talking smack. You one of those types who yaps while fighting, like somebody I know?"
Deok-bae spat on the asphalt. Steam rose from the blood.
Unsa checked her mana and tapped her watch. The screen showed a simple map: Tempest Lady weaving through Guro, mopping up Hellhounds.
Thankfully, no more heroes were kidnapped or injured.
"All Hellhounds eliminated. Guro will be secured shortly."
Unsa kicked off the ground, charging. Deok-bae raised his guard to block.
"Damn it!"
Her fist never reached his arms. She slid under him like a snake.
"□!!"
Deok-bae twisted away desperately. But Unsa had already gripped his thigh and waist.
Crunch! Greed Cloud bit into him.
Unsa vaulted over his back.
Thud! Nearly horizontal, she extended her leg, slamming his back.
Mana-infused, the blow made Deok-bae writhe in agony as he grabbed for her.
"Too slow."
She stomped his nape again. The Greed Cloud tore through rock skin, sending excruciating pain that snapped his head down.
"Grahhh!!"
Unsa pressed relentlessly. Greed Cloud from her foot devoured the rock on his lower back as she mounted and hammered down.
Boom!! Deok-bae sprawled starfished on the boulevard.
He'd charged boldly, trading blows for minutes, but Unsa subdued him handily.
"You're newly awakened. You lack control over your power."
Even with A-rank mana from the spirit stone, his combat prowess barely hit C-rank. Unsa, years as an A-rank with battle experience, outclassed him.
Experience decided it.
She inspected the fallen Deok-bae and clicked her tongue.
"......Handcuffs won't work."
Too many rocks impeded pulling his arms back. She extended Greed Cloud to his limbs like shackles on a criminal.
"Any funny business, and it'll devour your wrists and ankles."
"Tch, just kill me!"
Deok-bae demanded death without hesitation, despite the pain.
Unsa was curious.
"Aren't you a villain? Most beg for mercy when captured."
"Shut up and kill me!"
Even in screams, Unsa shook her head coldly.
"Suicidal? You'd have done it already. Indeed—you know something. Like who set this Guro trap?"
Deok-bae's irritation peaked.
"Quit yapping and kill me! That's what heroes do—catch and crush villains!"
"We arrest, not kill. Wait. By Hero Association global charter, you are under arrest as of now. You have the right to an attorney..."
Deok-bae sighed at her leisurely Miranda rights.
His master's voice rang in his ear.
'......Tch.'
"...goes. Do you understand why you lost?"
Playing stereo asshole. Deok-bae wanted to rupture his eardrums.
"You picked up some street fighting, but it's crude. Back-alley habits linger. Fix your mindset with the Association's rehab program, and you could be a fine hero..."
"Argh, □□!"
Deok-bae slammed his head into the ground. Unsa froze at the odd act.
Blood trickled from rock fragments.
"......Self-harm, uh... sorry. But ability users don't take damage like that..."
'I'd rather stay dead forever.'
Deok-bae closed his eyes, feigning unconsciousness. Phoenix wouldn't chat up a "passed-out" blabbermouth villain directly.
Unsa scratched her head, tapped her watch—still standing on his back.
"Unsa here. Villain captured."
Shin Jin-gwang cheered self-praise. His commands had been useless, but Unsa didn't rub it in.
"Commander, apologies, but can you assess the overall situation? I split from the team for a 1v1."
Unsa checked HQ data. Tempest Lady had wiped the Hellhound pack. Heroes rescued safely.
She sighed in relief—then questioned the heroes' signals on the map.
"......Why are they there?"
Tiny pine tree icons under A-Team signals. They operated separately from Tempest Lady.
"No, sir."
But the location nagged her. Pine Tree Unit was north of Digital Complex, toward the station.
* * *
Ji-hwa's rapid-fire reports poured in. Her voice trembled slightly at the end—worried.
"I told you—until the two S-ranks show."
Ga-eul chimed in worriedly beside Ji-hwa. Ji-hwa aside, even clueless Ga-eul fretting nagged at me.
"Cadre-level power's lacking, alright."
Deok-bae, who could briefly hit A-rank, was down. Black Flame Dragon burned out and captured. Seonmu-dang knelt to villains.
"About time for contact."
Ding.
Some guys just can't be gentlemen.
I checked the watch alarm.
"What a tease. Right?"
"No forces? Make some."
I pulled out the Cube while lounging on the railing, reflecting sunlight. Grotesque, but perfect for ousting heroes from Seoul now.
Using the otherworld god's thing feels iffy.
In this disadvantage, use every resource.
And if Castle Lord notices, I have an excuse.
If he woke early and glimpsed the surface, he'd sense something off with my premature rise.
"So frame current moves as Dark Legion cadre work."
'At least hide the brainwashing's gone.'
Phoenix acting as the evil org cadre the Castle Lord wants? He'd drop suspicions, resume recovery.
Had to. Or risk re-brainwashing—spirit life over. No Round Table aid here; facing him was suicide and powerlessness.
Hope he sleeps forever, but hedge bets.
Castle Lord—if watching from on high, please overlook. Pretty please.
Mana surged from the Cube—infinite yet viscous. Touching my azure flames purified it.
"Ugh, hate this..."
Like dipping hands in polluted sludge, filtering impurities manually. But better than unfiltered otherworld mana—easier for me.
"Beacon, listen up. All Cheonghwa-dan members: 'Second Phase' is go."
"You'll see. Witness your master's might—and be awed."
I stood on the railing. Purified mana from the Cube shot skyward toward Gangnam and Guro.
Vrrr—— Mana wove flames in the sky, reaching mini-phoenixes circling nearby.
They dissolved into countless feathers, raining down.
"Guro's mostly cleared..."
Unsa's Greed Cloud left no Hellhound remains—annoying gap, but fillable.
"Can't leave animal corpses rotting—draws flies, gets nasty. Someone's gotta clean up."
Pop. Phoenix feathers touched Hellhound bodies.
"Time to rise."
Flash. Blue flames ignited in the dead Hellhounds' eyes.