Hellhounds' Blue Resurrection

"Are you really okay with this, boss?"

Cheongsong fidgeted restlessly, her eyes darting toward the battlefield in Guro. Iron Marker smacked the back of her head—he looked ready to bolt back to Guro any second—and pointed at his watch.

"We just focus on our job."

"Prez—"

"You little shit?!"

Thwack. Iron Marker struck the back of Cheongsong's head again. She was still new to the Pine Tree Unit, so she hadn't shaken off her old villain recklessness.

"Listen up. We just follow orders. Got it?"

"But..."

"No buts. With B Team unable to join, we split up and get the mission done. Understand?"

Iron Marker pointed at the squad members trailing behind. Veterans who'd run missions with him multiple times.

"You, you, you—move with Cheongsong. The rest, with me to Yeouido."

"Roger."

Veterans of the Pine Tree Unit meant those who'd completed countless missions. And those missions were mostly the dirty work carried out in the shadows at the president's whim: assassinations, eliminating dissidents, core thefts. Despite being hotbeds of every crime imaginable, they had to obey silently. Coming from hardcore villain backgrounds made crime familiar, and each completed mission shaved time off their sentences.

Cheongsong checked the mission again with her squad mates.

"......Ah, for real."

She scratched her red hair furiously. Iron Marker was already heading into the station, stepping onto the tracks.

"We really gotta do this?"

"Don't wanna? Then don't. But your sentence won't shorten—it'll get longer."

At the other squad member's words, Cheongsong sighed. She hadn't realized it as a wild villain rampaging freely, but now chained to the Pine Tree Unit, she finally understood the desperation for freedom those guys felt.

"But going this far...?"

It was like blinding oneself to catch a rabbit, but "spies" clearly meant one thing.

Massacre.

Tens of thousands of refugees hid in the underground burrows of Dongjak Underground.

* * *

"Currently, one B-rank and four C-ranks are missing! The Pine Tree Unit has departed Guro as a separate detachment."

"Understood."

Unsa confirmed their movements on the map. With the Pine Tree Unit moving as a separate unit under their commander's orders, Team A's forces were even weaker.

"Actually, it's for the best, Team Leader. Those Pine Tree guys just bring down morale."

"I thought they were top-notch in terms of combat power."

People had different views, but Pine Tree Unit heroes were shunned by others due to their origins. Unsa, judging without prejudice, was the exception.

"All Hellhounds eliminated. Flame Giant captured. Guro is done."

Unsa still stood atop Deok-bae. Tempest Lady poked and prodded the unconscious Deok-bae's body, checking reactions.

"Handcuffs made of clouds? What if he escapes?"

"They won't break as long as I stay conscious."

"Fine, whatever. But that Flame Giant's identity..."

The monster rampaging at Dok-san Station had been a human ability user and villain. The pale gray rock skin with glowing blue-white veins looked strangely fascinating.

"What do we do now?"

"I'll report to the commander. We need to find the kidnapped heroes."

Unsa called the commander. Shin Jin-gwang's expression on the screen looked off somehow.

"......?"

Unsa forgot to report and peered beyond the screen. One man who had been there moments ago was gone.

"Commander. Sorry, but where's Fire Fist?"

"Pardon?"

Unsa received Fire Fist's movement logs from HQ. Starting from Anyang and heading north, crisscrossing Seoul as if sweeping it with mana.

"Truly an exemplary hero. Even in this chaos, trying to save anyone who couldn't evacuate—"

Unsa rarely frowned.

"......I can't agree with that. They're only stuck in Seoul because they couldn't escape. If failing to flee the crisis zone makes you a criminal, does that mean we arrest everyone who lived here after reclaiming Seoul?"

Unsa cut off Shin Jin-gwang firmly and pressed on.

"I'll follow your orders, Commander. But know this: we're here to slay monsters and save people—not buddy up with villains or arrest the innocent."

Unsa caught her breath and continued.

"Team A will resume rescuing the kidnapped heroes. Signal might cut out en route, so bear with us. Over."

Click. Unsa killed the screen.

Tempest Lady eyed her uncertainly.

"...You cool? He's still the commander."

"Disobeying orders means discipline later. Right now, rescuing kidnapped heroes is priority. Any reactions?"

Tempest Lady shook her head. No responses from those bitten by Hellhounds in Guro.

"Not here. Probably moved somewhere else."

"...Maybe Gangseo or Yeouido."

Unsa shook Deok-bae's shoulder regretfully.

"Might squeeze info once he wakes, but no time. Team A! From Guro, we—"

Flinch.

Mana in the air trembled violently. Unsa whipped around, shouting.

"On guard!"

Heroes catching their breath post-battle formed up around Unsa, puzzled but alert. HQ data showed no mana reactions. But this foul on-site sensation screamed something was happening.

"Tempest Lady!"

At Unsa's call, Tempest Lady shot into the sky—air-walking, a trick veteran wind mages pulled. High above, she scanned all directions.

"......?!"

Horror. She couldn't believe it at first. A sight she'd never seen, unbelievable even with her own eyes.

"...This is insane!"

Tempest Lady looped her watch, sending footage to heroes and HQ. Unsa swallowed hard watching below.

".....Resurrection?!"

Zombies? Or half-flame monsters? Better fit.

Fires blazed. But not incinerating flames—these mended Hellhound wounds, reforming flesh to rise again.

Grrrrowl.

Among Hellhounds wreathed in blue flames, one stood out. The left half of the Hellhound Cheongsong had bisected vertically burned entirely blue, resurrecting.

No such freak phenomenon since humanity's war with monsters began.

"......Dimension Gate influence?!"

Unsa clicked her tongue, gathering mana. The world-first Fire Demon Dragon Gate. Closed now, but academia still debated its lingering effects.

Already tough Hellhounds. Zombie-reviving? Casualties would skyrocket.

"What now?!"

Tempest Lady dove, seeking input. No orders from Shin Jin-gwang yet. Petty revenge for Unsa dropping the screen? Or panic-stuck?

Unsa decided. Encirclement here meant death.

"North to Yeongdeungpo! Too late to flee south!"

"How?!"

With the hulking Deok-bae on her back, Unsa plotted a route: north to Yeouido, east around via Gwanak Mountain—evac path. Heroes got the ping.

"We run!"

Unsa's best call right now.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gangnam faced bigger peril.

"Damn! What the hell are those?!"

Hellhounds rising one by one. Legless ones stood on flame legs; headless sprouted flame heads. Blue flames filling defects like a voodoo rite awakening zombies. Heroes recoiled at resurrecting B-ranks.

"Don't they come back stronger after this crap?"

"Aigoo, we should've bolted when the spirits said run!!"

The shaman wailed face-down on the road. His hands were cuffed behind—ability-sealing hero cuffs clamped on all his villain underlings.

"Kuhaha! God's wrath! Divine punishment!"

Black Flame Dragon rejoiced at the blue flames. Poong Baek swung his stick at the zealot treating zombie Hellhounds like salvation.

Thwack.

Black Flame Dragon crumpled, neck struck. Drained destroying the joint technique, he'd been subdued and cuffed ages ago.

"Damn fool. Should've brought Unsa."

Poong Baek smacked his lips regretfully. Usa twisted his mouth in agreement.

Rain, wind, clouds. Government ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bundled a water mage, cane-running wind geezer, and oddball Greed Cloud into a "Three Sages" mythic moniker team.

Pre-team fame high, Unsa bloomed A-rank under Poong Baek and Usa.

"That kid could've gobbled 'em with Greed Cloud."

"No whining, old timer. They're swamped too."

The battlefield map showed Guro heating up. Red dots multiplying—slain Hellhounds reviving.

Gulp.

Hellhounds leaking flames encircled heroes. Poong Baek shoving wreckage to roadsides for footing bit them now.

"Usa. Mana left?"

"...Seventy percent? Still good. If those pests don't interfere."

Usa glared at distant flailing villains. Haneulseong-led baddies had distanced themselves.

"Knew it'd play out like this."

Heroes and villains? Back-to-back against humanity's foes? Not for villains. They fled for their skins.

"Thought Haneulseong was decent."

"Villain's a villain—no good or bad ones. Heh. Fine anyway. This ain't a real crisis!"

Poong Baek bellowed boldly; heroes cheered, morale up.

Over a hundred Hellhound zombies. Peanuts vs. Pyongyang Incident eight years back.

Usa raised his staff sky-high, roaring.

"Two or three each—let's take 'em!"

Kyaaang!

Hellhound zombies charged heroes.

* * *

"We gotta leave Seoul! Haneulseong, this is madness!!"

Subordinates panicked. Resurrected Hellhounds terrified them solid.

Power released, back to normal, Haneulseong adjusted his fedora. His shirt shredded from transformation.

"Wait."

He'd said hold for reinforcements; survivors retreat.

Flutter.

A tiny bird descended from sky, trailing blue flames. Mini-phoenix. Subordinates startled, weapons up.

"Knew it. Your doing. What sorcery?"

Voice from mini-phoenix on the lamppost. Haneulseong pegged it as the National Assembly voice.

"You bastards! You tricked us!"

"Haneulseong, what the...?"

Subordinates eyed him like Black Flame Dragon.

Haneulseong caught their suspicion instantly.

"Mana telepathy?"

"Where? Hiding near Gangnam?"

"......Boosted ability like Black Flame Dragon. That's why Beacon's with you."

Haneulseong ground his teeth. They'd watched Gangnam burn, feigning ignorance. Sure, he'd refused command. But battle adrenaline clouded calm reflection.

"You dog! Fun watching from hiding?!"

"What?!"

Ding.

Haneulseong's smartwatch buzzed. He pulled the strapped-inside-fedora watch—lest transformation wreck it—and checked the message.

"......!!"

Attached files: breaking news headlines.

Headlines updated minute-by-minute since heroes entered Seoul for "reclamation." Haneulseong grasped the situation instantly.

"Guro collapsed.... And S-ranks haven't moved?"

Mini-phoenix flew skyward. Haneulseong stared blankly at its wings, then the map on his watch.

"......Underground?"

Blond blue-eyed man, soot-smeared face, hardhat. "Gangnam Station" behind him.

Underground path opened. Villains hurried station-ward.