Chapter 248: Bloody Battle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248: Bloody Battle (2)
I dropped by Choi Seol-ah’s place for the first time in a while. I was visiting to have dinner and catch up with Hontail.
“How’s life at the Academy? Manageable?”
“Yes!”
Hon nodded vigorously, her mouth crammed full of Hanwoo beef. Beef grease glistened around her lips.
When I handed her a tissue, she wiped her mouth clean and spoke up.
“Everyone is way nicer than I thought! At first, things were a bit distant, but before long, they really started taking care of me. Especially Speed Wagon?”
I corrected my friend’s name for her.
“Weapon.”
“Ah, right. Anyway, Mr. Weapon helped me adjust a lot.”
“He is a good guy. Real genuine, so get along well with him.”
“Aside from being super chatty and explaining things I didn't even ask about, he’s a wonderful person!”
Whoa, her Korean improved again in no time. She's practically beating people up with her words. At this rate of growth, she’d master the ultimate realm of the Korean language—K-satire—before long.
Just then, Choi Seol-ah, who had been diligently grilling meat and serving it to us, interjected.
“Didn't I tell you to use a fork and knife instead of your bare hands? When a person speaks to you, you should at least pretend to listen. Do you act like that at the Academy too, huh?”
Choi Seol-ah nagged away, wearing her apron. Hon dug at her ear with her pinky finger, looking utterly bored.
“I use utensils properly in the Academy cafeteria, you know.”
“Then why the hell are you shoving it into your face with your bare hands at home, Miss Dragon Lady?”
“This is home. And I'm in front of you. I see no reason why I must maintain my dignity here. Besides, according to the contract, I am Party A and you are Party B. Please keep that in mind.”
Their war of words was hardly a contest. Hon was beating her to a pulp, and Choi Seol-ah was taking all the hits. It was a battle with a clear winner and loser.
“You...!”
Choi Seol-ah ended up clutching her hair in frustration. Was she furious because she lost a verbal spat to Hon, who had only been learning Korean for half a year, or was she realizing all over again that she was Party B in the contract? It wasn't any of my business.
Quietly, I popped a piece of Hanwoo beef into my mouth. The meat tasted sweet, and its texture was tender. I dipped a piece into the small dish of Himalayan pink salt. A faint saltiness settled gently on my tongue like soft rice cake, and an elegant savory meat aroma burst through my mouth.
Looking at Choi Seol-ah, I thought to myself: Maybe because she's done nothing but grill beef lately, her grilling skills are actually pretty impressive.
Meanwhile, Choi Seol-ah dropped to her knees and slammed her fist against the floor. The vibration reached all the way to the soles of my feet.
“They say you should never take in a black-haired beast!”
Black-haired beast? Isn't she taking a direct shot at me?
As I frowned, Hon scolded her on my behalf.
“What if the downstairs neighbors come up?! Do you have any idea what a nuisance noise between floors is?!”
“Dragon Lady, do you ever think about what a nuisance you are to me, huh?! My Lord! I seriously can't live with this point-ear anymore. Can't we kick her out to the Demon Realm now? Please? I'm begging you.”
Amid Choi Seol-ah's furious outburst, my phone resting on the table vibrated. It was Vixbig.
[Master Sword Demon.]
Vixbig spoke from inside the lit screen. Her tone was deeply subdued.
[A message has arrived from Lord Sword Emperor on Hawaii Island. If you wish, I can read the contents aloud to you.]
A sudden silence fell over the room. Choi Seol-ah instantly shut her mouth. Hon also put the meat she was holding back down onto her plate.
Both of them knew what was about to happen on Hawaii Island. I had given them a rough rundown earlier, thinking it best for them to know since Choi Seol-ah was a villain and Hon was a demon.
So thanks to those two keywords—“Hawaii Island” and “Lord Sword Emperor”—they must have realized instantly. It was starting.
I was the one to break the silence.
“No. Read it to me outside. And contact the Academy Principal and Lady All-Power. Tell them I'm heading straight to Hawaii Island.”
I grabbed my coat hanging on the back of the chair and stood up. At that moment, Hon grabbed my wrist.
“I will go with you, Master Sword Demon.”
Hon said. Choi Seol-ah chimed in as well.
“I'll go as well, My Lord.”
I couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment. They were expressing their willingness to join me on the battlefield. Even Choi Seol-ah, who possessed such a fierce survival instinct. A lump formed in my throat.
“I appreciate the thought from both of you.”
I shook my head, gently easing off Hon's hand from my wrist.
“But this time, I have to go alone.”
I looked at Hon as I spoke.
“Hon, if you show up, things could get complicated. Dragons are neutral demons, right? But if a dragon appears in a conflict between humanity and a Corps Commander, how do you think they'll take it?”
Hon muttered softly, “That dragons have aligned with humanity...”
“Before, we managed to capture that entire group of Dark Elves so word didn't leak, but that was just pure luck.”
This time, I turned my gaze to Choi Seol-ah.
“And as for the Academy personnel, we’ve already discussed it with the Association—they’re staying behind at the Academy. That’s why the Principal and Lady All-Power aren’t joining this fight either.”
“Why is that?”
“If everyone pours into Hawaii Island, the Academy’s security becomes that much weaker. What if those demon bastards hit the Academy while we’re gone?”
We had already learned our lesson, though we paid a bitter tuition fee for it.
“A repetition of the Joaquin Disaster...”
“Exactly. So it makes sense to keep a standing force stationed at the Academy at all times. If anything happens to the Academy, move on your own initiative. I won't stop you from doing that.”
“Understood.”
Choi Seol-ah and Hon replied almost simultaneously. They had been bickering moments ago, but in times like this, they were perfectly synchronized. Well, I suppose that’s why they manage to live together despite all their squabbling.
“My Lord.”
Just as I was about to head out, Choi Seol-ah, with the apron still tied around her waist, stopped me.
“I’ll have the most expensive Hanwoo beef ready for you when you return.”
I chuckled softly and waved my hand dismissively.
“I’m sick of beef now. Let’s go with fish next time.”
Stepping outside, I immediately headed for the Subspace Warp. My first destination was Incheon Airport. After arriving at the airport, I would take a private jet, make one layover, and then travel to Hawaii Island.
The procedure was quite cumbersome, but there was no helping it, because Hawaii Island was within the Demon Realm’s sphere of influence, rendering Subspace Warp unusable there.
“How long will it take if we hurry?”
[It will take approximately 10 hours.]
Vixbig picked up my muttered question.
[If I fully utilize my processing power, I can shorten it to roughly 7 hours.]
“What if you try harder?”
[6 hours and 30 minutes.]
“Okay. Five hours.”
[......]
Hearing Vixbig’s faint sigh, I picked up my pace. I had a long way to go.
* * *
The area surrounding the Gate was bustling. Workers installing barricades and barbed wire, Association staff scurrying back and forth between them, heroes checking the condition of their armaments and weaponry—everyone went about their duties in silence, looking solemn or exhausted.
In the center of the site stood a massive temporary tent. Only a select few entered and exited it: the field command and leadership—Sword Emperor, senior Association executives, and high-ranking generals of the Japanese forces.
“@#*%^$&!”
They had been holding strategy meetings for hours, with shouting and heated arguments occasionally leaking out from inside the tent.
Passersby among the workers glanced at the tent flaps before going on their way as if it weren't their concern. In contrast, the Association staff member Jin and the gathered Japanese heroes looked toward the tent anxiously, holding their breath.
“......”
Both sides hoped their respective commanders would speak up loudly and forcefully. That was the only way to increase their own chances of survival.
People had united under the noble cause of subjugating the 4th Corps Commander. Yet, when faced with death, humans naturally became infinitely selfish. And as if reflecting the sentiment of their subordinates, the commanders were shouting loudly enough to tear the tent apart.
“Are you kidding me right now?! You're telling us the Japanese forces want to cover the rear now? Your intent to preserve your own strength is blatantly shameless!”
Director Seong bared his teeth and fumed at the woman sitting across from him. Her name was Remi. Her rank was General—a three-star—and she was the commander of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force.
“Japan came to this site strictly in a 'supportive' capacity,” Remi said, crossing her arms.
Director Seong’s prosthetic arm slammed against the desk with loud thuds. Pencils and pens popped into the air like popcorn.
“Look here! Are we doing this for our own amusement? A Corps Commander could invade as early as tomorrow! And yet you come all the way here just to bring up such pathetic excuses? You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“Director Seong.”
Remi arched her eyebrows neatly. She uncrossed her arms and spoke.
“Though we belong to different organizations, my rank is higher than yours, Director Seong. Mind that you do not slip up in your speech out of excitement.”
“If you're higher-ranking, act like it! What kind of dog-shit attitude is it to quietly pull out your feet like this?”
“...Dog-shit attitude?”
Remi tilted her head. It was only after an aide stepped over to translate the meaning of the idiom that she belatedly reacted.
“Did you just hurl profanity at me?! I consider this a grave insult toward Japan!”
“Yeah, yeah, consider it whatever you want. If you pull out now, Japan is going to be pointed at by the whole world anyway. I'll just take credit for opening fire first. Oh, what an honor.”
As the conversation went on, their gestures and words grew increasingly heated. Just as the tension and intensity were about to escalate further, Sword Emperor, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to mediate.
“I kept my silence because I am retired from the Seven Stars, but I can no longer sit back and watch this disgrace.”
Remi shrank back slightly. The sheer pressure radiating from the veteran hero weighed down heavily on her shoulders.
“If you want to fight, clash your swords fair and square. Anyone can run their mouth.”
Sword Emperor spoke in a warning tone. He then rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Perhaps slicing away the diseased tissue right here would resolve matters faster.”
Embarrassment welled up on Remi's face, which quickly turned to humiliation. She spoke bitterly.
“It is shameful to admit... but full field command authority does not rest with me...”
She, too, was a warrior-rank hero and a soldier. Who would want to act so shameless? Skulking around in the rear was a soldier's humiliation. Yet, at the same time, absolute obedience to orders was a soldier's duty. She had received orders not to step onto the front line, and she obeyed. It was the absurdity of the military.
“Remi, I understand your situation,” Sword Emperor said, his tone softening. “Even so, you know well that now is the time to follow your conscience, not protocol.”
“......”
Remi could offer no reply. She felt wretched in her inability to confidently answer, “Yes, you are right.”
To overturn this stifling situation, it would take the influence of someone at least at the Seven Stars level. Coincidentally, there was no active Seven Stars present. As he himself had said, Lord Sword Emperor was a retired Seven Star. His political leverage was weak.
Only then understanding her plight, Director Seong stopped barking at her. Instead, he felt a sting of sympathy for her.
So she was being unusually prickly because of her own internal conflict.
Swoosh.
Suddenly, a massive presence was felt near the entrance. Just as everyone turned their heads in shock—
“Air this place out a bit, will you? It's suffocating in here.”
Spear Saint stepped inside, throwing open the tent flap. Everyone froze with stunned expressions. Even Director Seong had no idea Spear Saint would appear.
“I overheard a bit before coming in. Seems there's trouble among the commanders. In times like this, shouldn't there be someone who commands the commanders?”
Spear Saint smirked and stepped aside, clearing the path he had been blocking. Following him, the tent entrance shook once more.
“I got in touch while flying in from France and picked him up along the way. Quite timely, I must say. I didn't expect the timing to be this perfect.”
A dark, imposing presence entered the tent. The anxiety and conflict that had been overflowing instantly died down.
“There are plenty of chairs. Why is everyone standing?”
Kang Geomma spoke while scratching the back of his neck. As if the strength had been drained from their legs, everyone collapsed into their seats.