Three-Way War.
Three-Way War.
The barricade opened.
It was exactly as Shin Yoo-hwa had said.
The bastards seemed to hesitate for a moment, but before long, they threw the main gate wide open.
"It's weird here, though. Barely any zombies. Maybe one or two lurking in some out-of-the-way corner, but other than that, you hardly see any."
It was Shin Yoo-hwa who answered my question.
"That's because we clear the area regularly. We've got the numbers, and some of us are pretty strong."
She jerked her chin toward the front—two muscle-bound hulks flanking a petite girl squeezed between them.
...Yeah, I'm not sure about the girl in the middle, but those two definitely had a menacing look about them.
"Alright, for now it'll just be me, Hui-ryeong, and Ha-yoon getting out. I'll signal the rest of you once I've assessed the situation."
"Okay. We'll wait here."
Jeong Ji-min and the other women with no combat ability agreed without protest.
They hadn't wanted to get out in the first place, so they looked almost relieved that things worked out this way.
And so, after the camper van pulled inside and I stepped out, the petite girl shot toward us like a bullet.
"Elder Sister! Elder Sisteerrr!!"
She was so fast I had no time to react.
She flung herself bodily at Ha Hui-ryeong and wrapped her in a fierce hug.
"Uh... yeah. Long time no see?"
Ha Hui-ryeong grimaced and patted her lightly on the back.
The petite girl's eyes blazed as she shouted,
"You really didn't forget me...! Your first younger sibling, Ju Min-hee! I'm so overcome with emotion I don't know what to do with myself...!"
"Mm. Could you back up a little first?"
"Ah, yes! I was so overjoyed I forgot my manners! Allow this younger sibling to bow her fucking brains out to you first, Elder Sister!"
What followed was a full prostration of astonishing perfection.
The girl peeled herself off Ha Hui-ryeong and immediately slammed her head to the ground, then demonstrated the exemplary manners of the Country of Eastern Etiquette by going into a full handstand.
"And now! Second Younger Sibling, Third Younger Sibling, we too shall bow our fucking brains out!"
Right behind her, the two hulking figures prostrated themselves just as fervently before Ha Hui-ryeong.
"No, no! That was ages ago, why the hell are you still doing that? Cut it out, you idiots!"
Ha Hui-ryeong, looking utterly mortified, waved them off.
Only then did the three of them straighten up and conclude their greeting with a formal fist-wrapping salute.
"...Unnie. What exactly did you get up to during your school days?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, back then I was just... ugh, I was going through a weird phase."
When Kim Ha-yoon stared at her with narrowed eyes, Ha Hui-ryeong flushed slightly, as if embarrassed.
Anyway... I'd never seen these people before either.
"Those three are your juniors? Why have I never laid eyes on them?"
"Ah, that's because they went to a different school. They're the girls Hui-ryeong kept as her underlings during the Incheon expeditions. She only took them along on those, so... you probably never ran into them."
Shin Yoo-hwa giggled as she answered my question.
Come to think of it, I vaguely recalled hearing something about her heading off on expeditions somewhere every school break.
...Back then I thought it was just some bullshit boasting, but she meant it literally?
"It has been five long years since Elder Sister Hui-ryeong washed the gold dust from her face and departed the secular world. I, Ju Min-hee, have waited for this moment alone. The moment we once again command all under heaven!"
The girl, Ju Min-hee, proclaimed this with a fiery glint in her eyes.
Her gaze was as pure and innocent as a child gazing up at the night sky, and it sparkled just as brightly.
Because of that, Ha Hui-ryeong laughed awkwardly, like it made her skin crawl.
"Command all under heaven, my ass. Hey, I appreciate the warm welcome, but... let's tone it down, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am! I shall shut my mouth. Second Younger Sibling, Third Younger Sibling! Total silence! Plug your nostrils and your mouth-holes! Do not dare to offend Elder Sister's mood!"
"Hmpf!"
"Hrrrmph!!"
"No, that's not what I—... ugh, hey! Enough, enough! That's enough! Everyone back to your original positions!"
"Back to original positions!!"
The sight of them actually holding their breath flustered Ha Hui-ryeong even more.
So did I.
Contrary to the mafia boss's daughter and bodyguard vibe they gave off, the three in front of us were unexpectedly... cheerful characters.
"Damn, Hui-ryeong. One word from you and they just keel over. They're treating you like you're their fucking feudal lord."
"...That's exactly why it's so awkward. Maybe if we were still kids it'd be fine, but they've kept this up into adulthood. It's just weird."
"Well, they're a little odd, but they don't seem like bad people. Who knew you were so popular, Lady Ha?"
That was the instant I grinned weakly and draped an arm around Ha Hui-ryeong's hip.
"You son of a bitch, how dare you lay your filthy hands on Elder Sister's sacred body!? Do you wanna die!? Huh!?!?!"
"Gahk! W-wait!"
Ju Min-hee suddenly lunged at me, grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, and shook me violently back and forth.
It was a speed I couldn't react to.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in my face, lifting me with her slender arms and shaking me senseless.
How could those scrawny arms manage that? No matter how you look at it, there's a massive size difference...?
That fleeting question was immediately rattled right out of my head by the violent shaking.
"Hey, you three wanna cut that out? He's allowed to do that, so leave him alone."
"Wh-what do you mean, 'he's allowed'? E-Elder Sister, don't tell me...!"
"...."
Instead of answering, Ha Hui-ryeong averted her gaze.
But in this case, silence was as good as confirmation.
"...I see."
The arm of Ju Min-hee, who had been shaking my collar mercilessly, went rigid.
She looked back and forth between Ha Hui-ryeong and me with trembling eyes, then let out a hollow laugh, as if in despair.
"So this man is your husband... is what you're saying. Ha, haha..."
"No, that's not what it is..."
"It's not? Then how can you be so unguarded around him...!"
"I mean... it's not exactly that, but it's similar?"
Thud.
"Keurgh...! That crazy bitch...!"
She dropped me as suddenly as she'd grabbed me. I scrambled backward in a hurry.
"Hmph. Very well, then. I have committed a rudeness. Allow me to apologize."
Ju Min-hee drew up the corners of her mouth as if she'd never been hostile at all.
But her eyes still weren't smiling.
She glared at me with a murderous glint, like I was the sworn enemy of her entire bloodline.
'This one's batshit crazy, too.'
I take it back—the part about them not seeming like bad people.
When she said 'followers,' I thought it was just talk, but she was way crazier than I'd expected.
Her loyalty to Ha Hui-ryeong could honestly be described as a form of madness.
"Take my hand."
"Oh, yeah. Thanks."
I took Kim Ha-yoon's offered hand and got to my feet.
Meanwhile, Ju Min-hee and the two hulks took up their fist-wrapping salute toward Ha Hui-ryeong once more.
"First, allow us to escort you inside, Elder Sister. You must be exhausted from your long journey; we shall entertain you and your party so lavishly that you want for nothing."
Right then, one of the men who had cleared the barricade earlier cut in with a flustered tone.
"Hey, hold on! Ju Min-hee! You think you can just bring outsiders inside whenever you feel like it? We should have them wait here first, and then—"
"Was that discussion not already settled just a moment ago?"
"Letting them inside the building is a different matter! This is gonna land me in trouble too! At least until the search party returns—!"
"That seems to be none of our concern. Now then, right this way, everyone."
"Why you...! Agh, fuck, we're so screwed now...!"
Hmm, seems to me the discussion wasn't quite as settled as she thought?
As I made a sour face, Shin Yoo-hwa poked me in the side.
"It's fine. I told you there's a bit of a faction split, right? Those bastards are from Kim Dong-hwan's side. We're not gonna have a problem."
"Well, if that's the case."
Anyway.
Thus was our entry into the newly built elementary school.
*
The inside of the school was larger than expected.
Maybe because it was a newly built, modern structure, but even the hallways were fairly spacious.
"Elder Sister Hui-ryeong! Your fifteenth younger sibling bows her fucking brains out!"
"Thirty-second! Bowing her brains oooout!!"
A bizarre spectacle unfolded: every single person we encountered on the way prostrated themselves before Hui-ryeong. But after it happened countless times, I just got used to it.
I did start to wonder, though, just how far this parade was going to go.
"Wait, you're telling me all of these are women? How does that make any sense?"
Every single one of them had a brutish, thuggish face and a body packed with muscle.
That alone I might have just shrugged off, but when I heard their genders, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
"That's why I called 'em mannish bitches, remember? Except for Min-hee, pretty much all of 'em look like that."
What the hell.
My party, myself included, all looked pretty dumbfounded.
Jeong Ji-min and Im Soo-ah's expressions in particular were something to behold.
"Whoa. Is that even possible? You mean they have the same hormones as me? No matter how I look at 'em, that can't be right..."
Nod, nod.
Im Soo-ah nodded vigorously in agreement.
She'd been faking being unconscious this whole time, but when she was about to be left alone in the camper van, she'd hurriedly dropped the act and followed us out.
What did she say again... she was too scared to stay alone?
I'd actually known she was faking it for a while, but I was curious about how long she'd keep it up, so I'd just let her be.
'Still, it was pretty damn funny when we all started getting out, and she suddenly shot up, crying and throwing a fit about taking her with us.'
As I chuckled to myself, Ju Min-hee, who'd been leading the way, finally came to a halt. We'd apparently reached our destination.
She stopped in front of a classroom labeled 3-C on the third floor.
"Elder Sister Hui-ryeong and her party may stay here for the time being. This is the best-maintained room, so please rest comfortably."
"What? Hey, just give us whatever spare room you've got. You didn't have to go this far."
"Absolutely not! Only when Elder Sister can stretch her legs and sleep soundly can we rest easy! We younger siblings swore a lifelong oath to serve you, so this is only proper!"
"Uh... yeah, okay."
Ju Min-hee stated her opinion firmly, her eyes wide and intense.
Overwhelmed by her sheer force, Ha Hui-ryeong nodded in a daze.
"By the way, Senior Yoo-hwa. Weren't you originally staying on a different floor?"
Just as I thought the conversation was over, Ju Min-hee suddenly turned and caught Shin Yoo-hwa, who'd been following behind.
Shin Yoo-hwa let out a long sigh.
"You think I wanna go back there now? I'm just gonna stick with Ha Hui-ryeong for a while. That okay?"
"Well... it's no problem. Though I do wonder if those bastards on the fourth floor will leave you be so quietly."
"Then you girls help me out a bit. Let's help each other out, woman to woman."
"Hmm, I'll consider it. Senior Yoo-hwa has always been resourceful, so I'll bring the matter up at the next general meeting."
She took up the fist-wrapping salute again.
When Ha Hui-ryeong laughed awkwardly and waved her off at the sight, Ju Min-hee and the two hulks finally disappeared from view.
What a whirlwind of an encounter.
I let out a short sigh and took a slow look around the inside of the classroom.
"Whoa, how many bunk beds are in here?"
It was hard to call this a normal classroom.
No, it didn't even retain the shape of a classroom at all.
Bunk beds were lined up neatly to the left and right, and in the center sat a large table and a sofa.
On top of the table, I could see a sizable spread of drinks in plastic bottles and snacks.
It seemed their feelings toward Ha Hui-ryeong were genuine.
"Why are there only women in this part of the building, though? Kim... Dong-hwan? I heard he has his own faction?"
Kim Ha-yoon asked casually as she tore open a snack.
It was Shin Yoo-hwa, well-versed in the local situation, who answered.
"That's because the sun's still up. They're probably all out scavenging for supplies in other areas right about now."
"Which reminds me, you said there were a few factions? Why did my juniors stay behind here?"
Ha Hui-ryeong flopped onto one of the beds and joined the conversation from a comfortable sprawl.
Shin Yoo-hwa shrugged.
"If everyone leaves, who's gonna guard the base? Someone's gotta stay here and keep watch. We rotate roles every day. Some on base defense, some on search party. Like that."
"So Kim Dong-hwan is out there right now?"
"Most likely. If he were here, he would've come tearing over in a barefoot panic the second he heard I was back."
True.
If an abandoned comrade came back alive and well, even I'd be shocked enough to go sprinting out with no shoes on.
The fact that he didn't probably means the situation wasn't in his favor.
"He's probably hauling ass to get back here as fast as he can right now, don't you think? Keuk, that weaselly little bastard, just you wait till he shows up."
I asked Shin Yoo-hwa, who was giggling to herself, about something that had been bugging me for a while.
"Hey, I've been wondering. Roughly how many of these fucks are there? Just the people we ran into earlier numbered in the dozens."
"Hmm... I don't know the exact count either. Probably around a hundred on Kim Dong-hwan's side... Another hundred or so for those batshit Lieutenant guys, and Ju Min-hee's girls here are a little over fifty."
...That's more than I thought.
"Lieutenant? What's this about a Lieutenant?"
"Actually, it's a 'she.' She's another alum of ours, you'd probably recognize her face. The name's unique, and so's her look."
The more I hear, the more curious I get.
But Shin Yoo-hwa didn't seem inclined to say anything more about the Lieutenant.
She just winked at me playfully and said, "You'll see later. Look forward to it."
'...Looking at how playful she is, it doesn't seem like she's hiding some massive secret.'
That thought was fleeting. Ha Hui-ryeong snatched one of Kim Ha-yoon's snacks and started summarizing the info.
"Wait, so basically there are three groups. Kim Dong-hwan's bastards, the Lieutenant... and my juniors. Our girls have the fewest numbers?"
"You see anyone here who's not a woman? Your juniors are closed off as hell. On the other hand... the other two are a bit different."
Shin Yoo-hwa picked up an A-shaped cookie.
"First, Kim Dong-hwan. As you know, this bunch is a dickhead club centered around our old alumni. Mostly the type that hunts women and takes 'em as slaves... the kind that's really gone off the rails. So they're not very approachable. Their numbers were bound to get big."
This time, she picked up a B-shaped cookie.
"Second is the batshit Lieutenant. These guys are soldiers. Maybe because they're military, their chain of command is solid... but they're not too uptight either. When they do cut loose, though, they can get even worse than Kim Dong-hwan's crew. This is just what I've heard, but... apparently there's a weirdly high number of homosexuals in their ranks."
Finally, the C-shaped cookie.
"And lastly, Ha Hui-ryeong's fervent worshippers. These bitches, on the contrary, take men as slaves. Spouting shit about how women are superior, how men are just living dildos, blah blah blah... anyway, they aren't normal."
My overall impression after hearing all of that:
'This is a real shitshow.'
Not a single side could be considered sane.
Rapists vs. Soldiers Who're Gay or Lesbians vs. Dark Sisterhood.
What kind of batshit insane lineup was this?
Kim Ha-yoon spoke up in a flabbergasted tone.
"How can people like that all stay in the same place?"
"Well, in the beginning, we went at each other's throats plenty of times, practically trying to kill each other. But after a common enemy showed up, we had no choice but to cooperate."
Well, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Looks like these guys are stuck cooperating whether they like it or not.
"Park Jung-woo of Gangdong-gu. The one you guys killed. Because of that bastard, we decided to set aside our grudges and work together."
"...Was he really that strong?"
"He was strong as hell. Once he wrapped himself in his wind, he was practically invincible. Honestly, even if the three faction leaders here teamed up, I wouldn't have been confident they could beat him. And on top of that, all his underlings were ability users."
Hmm, he was a trickier bastard than I thought.
We did have a pretty hard time of it ourselves, to be fair.
If it hadn't been for Im Soo-ah, it might have been us who ended up dead instead of him.
"But then you guys went and killed him. Not just killed him, but stomped out Gangdong-gu so thoroughly they can't ever recover, right?"
"Which means the reason to cooperate has vanished."
Shin Yoo-hwa snapped her fingers at Ha Hui-ryeong's words. Snap!
"Exactly. These guys are only cooperating because they have to. Their relationship is such that it wouldn't be strange if they went at each other's throats any second. And then, ta-da! I show up, alive and well? And what's more, I bring the crazy bastards who killed that guy along with me? Then what happens?"
It'll obviously cause huge ripples.
They would've been at each other's throats given even a flimsy excuse, and now the fundamental reason for their truce has been completely obliterated by us.
"I guarantee you, it's gonna go down. We're gonna have a full-blown fucking free-for-all on our hands."
"Hmph. I get the gist. And in the chaos, we slice up Kim Dong-hwan and snatch his girlfriend, is that it?"
Shin Yoo-hwa nodded instead of answering.
A fire seed.
That was the moment the seed of a new conflict was sown.