Frozen in the Detonator Standoff
They walked slowly toward us, detonators clutched in their hands. If we fought back, they'd trigger them and blow themselves up. If we didn't, we'd be taken hostage without a fight. Even if we held back, they might detonate anyway.
"Takbīr!"
"─────!!!"
"ʾXXXXhu ʾakbar─!"
"Takbīr!"
They chanted words we couldn't understand, striding forward boldly. The tide had turned. At first, they'd recoiled at Han Dae-ho's arrival amid a blaze of light, but now we were the ones stepping back from their incomprehensible cries.
Thud.
I bumped into someone while retreating. It was Kim Jin-seo, backing up alongside me. Our backs pressed together. She wasn't the only one. Kang Dae-man, Han Dae-ho, Yeo Min-seo—they were all hesitantly retreating, clustering in one spot.
"……."
The encirclement tightened in an instant. If even one of them pressed the button on their detonator, we'd all explode. The entire museum might collapse. Even Han Dae-ho's sturdy body couldn't withstand a blast barehanded.
"────!!"
The enemies' net had closed densely. A man with a goat emblem on his neck—like their leader—shouted something and pointed at us. Naturally, we couldn't understand him. I hoped Legba would translate, but he stayed silent.
"──, ───!!"
The man shouted again. I saw who his finger was pointing at. Kim Jin-seo. He jabbed at her repeatedly, then extended his palm as if demanding we hand her over. He jerked his thumb toward the exit. Roughly: Give us Kim Jin-seo, and we'll leave.
"Hand over Kim Jin-seo or something like that."
"Pretend you don't understand. That's how we buy time."
I wasn't the only one who'd caught his meaning. Yeo Min-seo and Han Dae-ho seemed to grasp it too. Yeo Min-seo nodded at Han Dae-ho's words. In the meantime, I called on Ogoun. There had to be metal components in those explosives. His power could render them useless, just like turning their guns into scrap heaps.
[No, that won't work.]
But Ogoun refused flatly. I nearly cursed reflexively. He continued.
[I'd like to help, but offerings are short. Even forcing it, I couldn't disarm all their bombs.]
Only then did I remember I'd been using Ogoun's power without proper offerings lately. The Loa always whined about lacking offerings at crucial moments. I squeezed my eyes shut. That's when Kang Dae-man spoke up, puzzled.
"Why demand Kim Jin-seo? Doesn't make sense."
"Probably 'cause she stands out most. Just look at her spear—prime kidnapping material."
"No, even so……."
Kang Dae-man shook his head at Yeo Min-seo's loose tongue. I recalled the goat emblem on their leader.
"It's connected to the Satanists."
"Satanists?"
"Do Seon-woo's right. I saw them use black magic earlier. Targeting Kim Jin-seo……."
Han Dae-ho glanced at her and continued.
"Seems like they have a clear purpose."
I nodded. The demon species in the practical exam, and now these Satanists—they were openly after her. Yeo Min-seo scanned the enemies with steely eyes.
"Then just hand over Kim Jin-seo and……."
"What? Hey."
"No, pretend to go, and we strike in the gap."
Yeo Min-seo backpedaled quickly. Han Dae-ho shook his head.
"Too risky."
"I-I mean hypothetically."
"What if I charge first, then we hit the opening!"
"No……. Can't use you as bait. Better if I……."
Han Dae-ho muttered, frowning. There were ways. Ogoun's power or Bade's winds. But Ogoun might not fully succeed, and Bade was too dangerous. My plan was voodoo spells. I'd practiced a lot—reaching realms, boosting output and drawing speed daily. Putting the museum's foes to sleep? A flick of the finger. But using spells now would expose me. Definitely. I needed a way to cast without detection, but nothing came.
Situation sucked.
"Han Su-ryeon?"
Kim Jin-seo muttered, staring somewhere. I followed her gaze—no Han Su-ryeon. Just the faint glow of the trembling tree fragment twinkling like a star in the dark. She must be holding it. Yeo Min-seo frowned, spotting her too.
"What's she doing up there?"
"……No way."
Han Dae-ho murmured ominously. He might be thinking what I was. I had a hunch what Han Su-ryeon planned. She channeled divine power into the trembling tree fragment, then hurled it from the second-floor railing into the gaps between the black-clad men. It glowed brighter than usual. Holy relics scale with infused power. For the trembling tree, more divine power meant louder transmission.
"Gwaaaah─!"
Gwaaaah─!
Gwaaaah─!
Sudden roars erupted—not roars, screams. Ma Yu-hyeon's voice, echoing through Han Su-ryeon and Seong Ha-yeon's trembling trees everywhere. The same scream burst simultaneously from all directions.
The enemies advancing on us froze. Their hands over the detonators trembled.
Han Dae-ho seized the moment. He drew a Blessing Circle in a flash, wrapping his body in holy light. Arms crossed in an X, he shoved through, clearing a path.
"Everyone, down─!"
The kids scrambled instinctively. Racing along his path, they hit the floor at his shout. I readied voodoo magic, watching the foes. Their hands hovered over detonators. One twitch, and the museum becomes an inferno—we'd vanish without trace. One wrong move.
Han Dae-ho, realizing flight was futile, tried shielding us with his bulk. But even his massive frame couldn't cover all. Kim Jin-seo raised her spear, too late. Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon dropped. Kang Dae-man clenched his fists, muttering. Ma Yu-hyeon kept screaming into his tree. Seong Ha-yeon was gone.
Click.
Splash.
A button pressed. Water dropped. Time stopped.
Han Dae-ho shielding us. Kim Jin-seo spear aimed. Yeo Min-seo and Han Su-ryeon prone. Kang Dae-man fists tight. Ma Yu-hyeon mouth to tree. Enemies fingers down. All frozen. Me too—barely a finger twitch. Even that was eerie; others didn't blink.
Thud, thud.
Irregular footsteps echoed.
Damballa's voice whispered in my ear. Dry, twig-like wood touched my hand. I gripped it instinctively.
I sensed it was the Retrograde Staff, "Poteau Mitan." But it vanished from my hand. I fumbled, but nothing. Gone.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps continued. I turned. Legba limped across the frozen space alone, half-leaning on the staff—now in his hand.
Bam─!
Legba slammed the staff down. The scene flipped.
Violet mist swirled my vision, filling with darkness. Crossing shadows formed two paths, lit by crimson moonlight. Dozens of stars ignited in the gloom. Red, green, white, yellow pairs gleaming. Eyes of countless Loa. Granbwa, Sobo, Bosu, Marinette…… and others dwelling in the Crossroads. The Loa neither approached nor retreated, merely observing from afar.
Yes, us.
I wasn't the only one invited to the Crossroads.
(To be continued)