Siege Warfare (2)
"First chopper's down. Second one's pulling back."
"Got it. Lucky we didn't need a second shot. Those missiles run four hundred million a pop, so get ready to pay up. That's a discount."
"..."
No need for more missiles? That meant no reason to stay tied to the rooftop anymore—good news. Cheol-woo hurriedly shoved the Stinger launcher back into its case and headed down from the roof.
Han Si-rin, struggling to keep up with his stride, came panting after him—huff—huff—slow down a bit, ugh—gasping with every step.
"Th-thank you. Thanks to the gear you loaned us, the employees at the front gate are holding on somehow."
"Yeah. I'm the one who's grateful since you put in the work. The money?"
"Gold bars or cash...?"
"Half gold, half cash."
"Got it, hngh. I'll have it ready and loaded in the underground parking. Huff."
This shit was getting exhausting. He'd come to pick up Han Si-rin and her sister from the department store, but the vibe was off right away. Seeing familiar suits starting roadblocks screamed GeumMyeong Group was about to crash the party. Part of him wanted to bolt before they did, but Han Si-rin talked him out of it.
The department store's layout was built for sieges anyway—no point fighting outside if they had to fight. Better to thin out the enemy here while on the run than get chased forever. Rough plan like that.
"You escaping with us too, ma'am?"
"No. I'm staying. Just take my sister."
"When I go, I'll recover all the weapons and gear I loaned your staff. How you gonna hold out then?"
"If I can't, I can't."
Hoo—hoo— Han Si-rin wiped cold sweat from her brow, her expression distant. The look screamed: This store's my life's blood and sweat— if it falls, I fall with it.
Ah, got it. Cheol-woo turned away without a second thought, tuning her out. If she wanted a romantic death, no reason to join her.
Back in Yeouido, Team Leader Kim Mi-young was loading the rest of the gear onto the yacht, ready to go. They'd shown one chopper crashing—no way they'd risk another. Escape to the marina, launch the yacht, and they were golden.
"Haa. Aim for heads or legs."
Bomb disposal EOD suits? Full-body armor meant extra Kevlar on legs and forearms too. Yeah, impossible to drop with rifles from range.
Cheol-woo frantically rummaged through the gear truck. Shit— no .50 cal sniper. All the anti-materiel rifles were on the yacht. Who could've predicted needing them here?
No choice. He grabbed his pistol and stepped up.
"I'm going. Money's all loaded, right?"
"Yes. Cash here. Gold bars there."
"Won't bother checking the amount."
"Yeah. I wouldn't skim pocket change from a guy like you and make an enemy out of it."
Bang! Rat-tat-tat! Gunfire erupted like popping corn at the front gate.
Cheol-woo vaulted the stacked barricade and peeked out. Smoke grenades everywhere—visibility zero.
Why smoke if it blocks your own cover fire?
Oh, right—they'd just lit up the sky with an SAM. Smart to expect ATGM next and turn those EOD suits into Exploded-On-Duty outfits. Good for Cheol-woo—no rear fire to worry about, free to rampage in the haze.
That them?
Thud—thud—thud— The TontonMen emerged through the smoke. Fatter than imagined up close. No wonder rifles bounced off—heads, legs, all armored to hell. Gloves so thick they couldn't hold guns, just axes and big cleavers.
"Get close, and they won't even leave bones."
Cheol-woo tested with a bang! from his Five-seveN. Ping— off the helmet visor. High-velocity round, no scratch? Well, they'd shrugged off HK417 7.62 spam, so yeah.
Smirking?
A faint grin through the visor tint.
Smirking? You fuck?
Cheol-woo's left hand fumbled in his pocket.
***
"Min Cheol-woo sighted. Contact Yu Sil-jang ASAP."
"Armament status—"
Bang! Team Leader Choi's head snapped back from the pistol round.
Just a pistol? For real?
"Rocket launchers must be out of play if he's only packing a handgun."
Team 2's gear list to Min Cheol-woo included rocket launchers and grenade launchers galore. Plenty worried about missiles shredding their suits, but they'd pushed anyway—and lucked out. SAMs, sure, but no ATGMs? Bizarre prep.
Think you can shoot that fast and accurate? What if it doesn't penetrate?
Choi smirked, grabbing his gray sword. Everyone knew the guy's a monster now. Team Leader Kang's squads wiped, Jeong Gwa-jang too—proof. Mistake? Always trying to outmuscle the freak. Humans use tools, right?
What're you gonna do now?
The suited squad closed in around Cheol-woo, pistols barking at hands, feet, groin—supposed weak spots. Groin shots stung good, but no shatter. Push through.
How's that, punk? Freaked? Never seen gear this tough?
Cheol-woo's slide locked back—empty mag. Now! Rush and pile on—
Something came from his pocket. Little pineapple?
Oh shit!
"Grenade! Grenade!"
"Down!"
Suits scattered, hugging dirt. Cheol-woo, counting two seconds with pin pulled, lobbed it. Arced 100 meters, bounced twice, rolled to a helmet's nose.
"Wh—"
BOOM!
"Aaaagh! Agh! Haaaagh! Huuuuuugh!!!"
Grenade popped; faceplate bloodied. Dude rolled screaming.
Damn, suits are tough. Cheol-woo sighed, grabbing another grenade. Could he solo this?
Radio to Yuri: "Sis. Front gate. Lots to slice here."
"Oh."
Right. Forgot. Glancing around, bullets thwip-thud grazed nearby. Instinct kept him behind the suits, moving to blind spots—so he'd blanked on incoming fire entirely.
Side ached thinking about another hit, scary as fuck. But blind smoke shots? Less so. Hug angles right, no hits.
"I'll call when clear. Then burst out."
"Pin's out! Rush him! Rush!"
Suits charged, ignoring his grenade wind-up. Standard drill: hug dirt for grenades or arty. But against Min Cheol-woo? Exception. He'd just delivered one nose-to-fuse. Prone was coffin pose.
Better charge, take shrapnel—EOD suits blocked fragments fine. Not point-blank, anyway.
"Don't stop! Grab his gun first!"
Cheol-woo held breath, wound up, stepped forward—lobbed hard.
"Huh?"
Near-straight trajectory—boom! right at helmet. Head flew spinning; body sprayed arterial from neck, pitched forward mid-stride.
What the fuck?!
Third grenade incoming while distracted. Suit blocked with arms—boom! Arms gone.
"Gaaah! Uwaa! Uwaaaaaagh!"
"My eyes! My eyeeeees!!! Aaaagh!"
Choi's suit interior soaked in sweat. Fuck, no. Grenades with proximity fuze? How'd he time explosions dead at faces?
Rattle-rattle— Gripping shaky sword, Choi kicked off.
"No more grenades! Team 2, on our six!"
Grab him. Must grab him.
Suits barreled with murder-eyes. Cover fire stopped; suited agents entered smoke.
"Hug the suits! Push!"
One guy. Grenades gone. Seven invincible suits, eight meatshields behind. Unlosable.
Anything poked past suits—hands, faces, guns—got sniped. Fire back? Cheol-woo propped headless suits as shields, untouchable.
Comrades turned meatshields. Suits' eyes welled bloody tears.
"You fucking bastard!!!"
"Ah, fuck! Calm down!"
Suits snapped, charging with blades; meatshields' heads exploded. Team 2 wiped.
Choi gnashed teeth, leaped out.
Whoosh! Fresh smoke grenades rolled in, thickening the haze again.
"Where you running?!"
Back to gate? Perfect. Grab Min Cheol-woo if possible, but prioritize store breach. Secure gate, infiltrate survivors—game over.
"Fuck, get over here, Min Cheol-woo! Not coming?"
"Don't overextend! Chasing him ain't our mission!"
"Punk-ass bitch! Come on! Get over here! You're fucked if we—"
"...?"
Lead suit vanished into smoke, voice cut. What—
Squelch! Slash! Rending flesh.
Through smoke: Yuri wiping Damascus blade blood with a rag, Cheol-woo beside her.
***
"Sis."
"Ha. Ugh..."
"Sis."
"Uh, uh. Yeah."
"How many more swings?"
"One... maybe two..."
Yuri caught breath, raising wakizashi. One slice, already chipped bad. One or two more, snap city.
Decor sword, low durab? Nah—sliced thick suit, impressive hold-up.
Thud-thud-thud— Furious TontonMen charging. Yuri flinched hard.
Slicing people was wild, but tanking that murder-aura through armor? First time. Body froze, chill hit like temp drop, blade shook.
Couldn't move an inch—then Cheol-woo's hand gripped hers tight. Tremors eased, vision refocused.
Confirmed her eyes sharp, he bolted.
"I'll trip 'em. You finish."
"Roger."
Tap-tap— Cheol-woo closed; suits panicked. Crazy? Into bulletproof horde?
Axe swung at range—gone? Where? Knee stabbed, buckled. Pitched forward, muzzle in armpit—bang bang! Slugs embedded.
"Agh! Aaaagh! Uwaaaagh!!!"
"You fucker!"
Next suit charged—poof, gone. Launched airborne, splat to ground.
Spine-shattered thrashing—slice-slice—Yuri's blade sheared suit clean.
Tossed chipped wakizashi, drew longsword.
Fuck, suiting up was a mistake?
Min Cheol-woo fast, sure—but vanish in plain sight? Nah. Human-fast, trackable. But bulky suits dulled moves, tiny visors limited view. Blind spots looked like vanishes.
He exploited them hard. Wrestling basic, but unseen? Helpless takedowns. Drop weapon or body, her blade took head-in-helmet.
What the hell is she!?
Min Cheol-woo one thing, but her? Tourist-shop junk sword shredding suits? Like butter?
Bad matchup—suit-shredder experts.
"All rush!!!"
Suits nodded, yanked something. Wires? Pins?
Cheol-woo's ears caught faint click inside suits.
Oh, fuck.
Suplexed charging suit, hurled at others.
"Hk?!"
Grabbed sis's head, slammed protected—BOOM! Suit exploded, shreds and meat everywhere. Tripped suits chain-detonated, ears ringing.
"Die!!!"
Choi burst through flames, longsword downchop. Yuri parried, deflected back—scraaaape! Blade ruined sparking.
Body-checked her off, straight at Cheol-woo.
Tick-tick— Faint wind-up inside suit.
Ah, I was target from jump?
Cheol-woo grinned feral.
"Fuck, die already! Min Cheol-woo!"
Dodged to helmet blindspot—Choi ripped helmet off.
Bang-bang-bang! Five-seveN lit up, slugs cratered face. Choi twitched.
"...?"
Twitch. That all. Eyes reopened bloodshot red.
Ah. Drugs.
Tongue-cap? 5.7mm penetrates junkie skulls—wtf? Another beef with Han.
Wakizashi out—perfect angle. Quick upward slice like sis's.
Won't cut?
Crunch! Wakizashi bit wrist, split suit—but blade shattered on bone, teeth gone.
Not bad angle—he's extra tough?
Didn't sever bone, but tendons cut. Fingers limp, dropped gray sword.
"Even if I die, you're com—"
Bang! Cheol-woo's MaigeN pierced bloody eye clean.
Choi corpse flopped atop him.
Tick-tick— Wind-up maxed.
Oh shit—
Split vertical on Choi's face. Tick stopped.
Riiip— Unpleasant tear; bisected, halves split. Yuri behind, sword gripped, trembling.
"Ah..."
Yuri startled. First time cleaving man in half, reaction: This sword's damn good? Shocked at herself.