C-Class Gate
The moment we stepped through the gate, the familiar scenery of Hangang Park transformed into a vast ocean.
A golden beach stretched before an emerald sea that shimmered with breathtaking beauty. If this weren't inside a gate, I might have been tempted to take a leisurely swim.
But of course, this was a gate. Something rose from the depths of the water.
Sky-blue hair. A human-like upper body. And where legs should have been, a fish's tail.
Choi Seo-ah took one look at the emerging monsters and declared,
"Sirens. Oppa, leave those to me!"
Sirens were monsters that launched mental attacks through song. That meant they had to be dealt with before they started singing.
Choi Seo-ah drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and loosed it at the lead Siren.
Whoosh. Crack-crack-crack!
The arrow streaked through the air, buried itself in the Siren's body, and lightning erupted outward, chaining through the Sirens behind it. A single shot killed four of them outright and left two more convulsing from the shock.
An area-of-effect attack from an arrow — useful enough, but…
The damage seems a bit weak, though.
For an A-class, it looked far too underwhelming. That Lee Seung-cheol fellow I'd seen before had seemed considerably stronger.
Choi Seo-ah loosed three more arrows, then surveyed the roughly cleared Sirens and turned to me with a triumphant look.
"Well? Impressive, right? That's A-class skill for you!"
"Uh… not bad, I guess."
I had plenty of critiques, but I didn't bother voicing them. We wouldn't be seeing each other again anyway. And I hadn't forgotten how she'd looked down on Silvia earlier.
Still, the window that had appeared before my eyes since entering the gate was bothering me.
An anomaly has occurred in the gate due to the Hero's entry!
The notification had been floating in front of me ever since we came through. It was almost certainly because of me — though what kind of anomaly it actually was, I had no idea.
While I was still turning it over in my mind, Choi Seo-ah called over to Silvia.
"You look like you use a bow too. Why don't you take a shot?"
The words dripped with sarcasm. Silvia just smirked and raised her bow, nocking three arrows at once.
"Three at once? There's no need to make it harder on yourself. Just shoot them one at a ti—"
Thwing. Thud-thud-thud. Thud-thud-thud.
Three arrows streaked toward the Sirens. Each one punched clean through two throats.
"Six kills. I win, then?"
"W-what the…"
Choi Seo-ah was still reeling when it happened.
♪♬♪
♩♩♬
♪~ ♪~
A beautiful melody drifted from somewhere, and the moment it reached her ears, Choi Seo-ah's pupils flooded red.
Among the remaining Sirens, one stood larger than the rest — a crown resting on her head.
Unlike the others, this one clearly wasn't going down to a single arrow.
Then, without warning, an arrow came flying straight at me.
Snap.
It was Choi Seo-ah's. One look at her eyes told me everything — she'd fallen under the Siren's charm.
"Tch. That woman is useless."
"Keep her busy. I'll go take care of that thing."
"Very well. How long do you expect it to take?"
"Hmm… about thirty seconds?"
Silvia snorted at my answer, then loosed an arrow of her own to intercept Choi Seo-ah's shot. The two shafts collided midair and clattered to the ground. Her accuracy never failed to impress, no matter how many times I saw it.
"Hurry back. Leave this to me."
"Be right back."
I drew my sword and launched myself toward the Siren Queen.
Light Sword — Teo Style
4th Form — Falling Star
In midair, I settled into a high guard. Then I began my descent — slow, deliberate.
Falling Star.
Like a meteor plummeting from the heavens.
The crimson sword energy I'd forged in the air came screaming down onto the Siren Queen's head with a thunderous roar.
"!!!"
Shock flashed across her face — and then,
BOOM!
A massive explosion tore her body apart.
The remaining Sirens took one look at their vanished queen and tried to flee. I turned my blade on them next.
Light Sword — Teo Style
2nd Form — Radiance
White sword energy burst from every swing, fanning out in all directions. The brilliant blades found Siren throats one after another, cutting them down where they swam. By the time the light faded, not a single enemy remained.
With everything cleared, an exit portal formed. Choi Seo-ah's eyes returned to normal — though she was currently bound by Silvia's hands.
"Ugh… huh? What is this all of a sudden…"
"Back to your senses? Getting charmed like an idiot — pathetic."
"What? You're saying I fell for a Siren's charm? That's impossible…"
"It was a Siren Queen. The moment her song started, you attacked us."
"A Queen? Why would a Siren Queen be in a C-class gate… Never mind that — let me go!"
Choi Seo-ah thrashed against the bindings, but they didn't budge. Panic crept into her voice.
"What kind of strength… What's your rank? I may not have been A-class for long, but there's no way I should lose to a B-class…"
"Ah. Silvia is my summon."
"Your… summon?"
"Yes."
The word drained the color from her face.
"Then… your rank is…?"
I said nothing. I simply held up my rank badge.
The moment she saw the platinum plate, Choi Seo-ah went white as a sheet.
"S-S-class… Then your summon is also…"
"Yes. Silvia is S-class too."
Choi Seo-ah began to tremble. She was clearly replaying everything she'd done to us. The gulf between S-class and A-class was in another dimension entirely. A-class Hunters made up roughly five percent of the total — but in our entire country, there were only four S-class Hunters, myself included. Cross an S-class the wrong way, and your entire career as a Hunter could become a living hell.
"I-I, uh, earlier, what I said…"
"Oh, I don't care about any of that."
Her face brightened for a split second — then froze solid at what came next.
"Just apologize to Silvia."
"She looked thoroughly irritated, you see."
Silvia stepped up beside me, her expression flat as ice.
"First, get on your knees."
Silvia had opened her heart only to our party. To every other human, she remained cold and distant — cold enough that people used to call her the Ice Princess. And this woman had picked a fight with her? If I hadn't stepped in, Choi Seo-ah wouldn't even be walking right now.
And an angry Silvia…
"On my… knees?"
"That's right. Kneel and beg as hard as you can. Make it to my satisfaction."
Even I couldn't stop her.
We stepped out through the exit. Choi Seo-ah trailed behind us looking like her soul had been wrung dry. Tear tracks streaked her face, and her knees were raw and red from all the kneeling.
"I don't think we'll be seeing each other again. Let's keep it that way."
Choi Seo-ah jolted at my words and scrambled to answer.
"Yes! You'll never see me again! I'm so sorr—!"
With that, she fled without so much as a backward glance. I think she bit her tongue on that last word.
"You must have scared her half to death."
"I do not spare those who strike at me first. And besides…"
"Besides?"
"…She was clinging all over you…"
Silvia's face flushed as she muttered it under her breath — but my sharp ears caught every word. A mischievous impulse took hold, and I leaned in close to whisper against her ear.
"Silvia… are you jealous right now?"
"Hyaah?!"
I slowly stroked the tip of her ear. Her shoulders jerked and trembled.
"Don't worry. I have no interest in anyone but you all."
"I-I know! I know, so just… stop…"
Only then did I pull my hand away. Silvia exhaled a long sigh of relief.
"Ugh, I told you not to touch my ears whenever you feel like it. Really…"
"Alright, alright."
I'd done this often enough back in the other world, too. Her reactions were always so adorable that I couldn't help myself. That mix of embarrassment and quiet disappointment whenever I let go — it never got old.
"Anyway, what did you make of the gate?"
"It was unusual that only one type of monster appeared. But honestly…"
"You felt it too, didn't you?"
"I did. The presence of Lilith — the Demon of Lust, one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"So she didn't disappear after all."
In the other world, every one of the Seven Deadly Sins had vanished somewhere the moment the tide of battle turned against them. At first we'd thought we'd simply lost track of them — but when all seven did the same thing, we'd assumed they were dead. Apparently they'd been biding their time, gathering strength.
The Seven Deadly Sins were the demons of Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth — each armed with abilities as troublesome as their names suggested. Lilith, the Demon of Lust, was a Succubus Queen who commanded every charm-aspected monster under her dominion. Every time we fought her, she kept charming our own party members into attacking each other. She had been a nightmare to deal with.
"If Lilith is alive, the other demons could be as well."
"But we saw the Demon King die with our own eyes. Doesn't that count for something?"
"Even so, the demons of the Seven Deadly Sins are no pushovers. Earth's Hunters would struggle badly against them."
"I suppose…"
Even I would have a hard time facing them without my party. If Earth's Hunters went up against those demons, defeat was all but guaranteed.
"Well, nothing's confirmed yet. Let's head home for now."
"Understood."
And so we made our way home — with that knowledge carved firmly into a corner of my mind.
Six figures sat around a round table. One chair stood empty.
"Well, well. To what do we owe the pleasure of our queen's summons?"
A sharp-featured young man with light purple hair was the first to speak.
"Indeed. Shouldn't we be focusing on our recovery right now?"
The heavily muscled man with copper skin beside him rumbled in agreement.
"…He appeared. He killed my Siren Queen!"
The pink-haired girl seated across from them spoke, and every face at the table went rigid at once.
"By 'he,' you mean…"
"Yes. The Hero has returned."
A white-haired old man who had been reclining deep in his chair sat up and spoke.
"Then we shall need a plan."
The black-haired middle-aged man beside him stroked his mustache thoughtfully.
"In that case, we should join forces for the time being."
A blonde woman snorted and crossed her arms.
"Join forces with the likes of you? And why would I do that?"
"We cannot afford to suffer the same fate again — complete annihilation, like Baal over there."
The middle-aged man gestured toward the empty seat.
"Tch!"
The woman clicked her tongue and folded her arms tighter.
"Well, I'm in favor. I have no intention of going through that again."
The light-purple-haired young man shrugged.
"Then I shall take that as unanimous agreement. First, let us prioritize our recovery. Not one of us is in proper condition. And above all — the fact that we have infiltrated the human world must never be discovered. Never."
"We already know that much."
"Haha. Then let us adjourn."
With those words from the middle-aged man, every figure seated at the table vanished.