Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Spy
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Late at night.
A cool breeze blew in.
Yubyeol-ha stood atop the rooftop of a high-rise building.
This structure, located in District 5 of Academy City, was so tall that it offered a clear view of the surrounding districts at a glance.
"A1, three blue targets neutralized."
"C3, two blue targets neutralized."
"B2, Last Time confirmed on blue target. Requesting support."
"C3, heading to support B2."
Busy voices crackled from the walkie-talkie issued by the Federal Guidance Bureau.
Yubyeol-ha looked down at the Guidance Officers and agents swarming about in organized chaos.
Her assignment was to catch the fleeing Experimental Awake users by the ankles and secure the identity of the distributor, Antonio del Piero.
With her vision at 3.0—far superior to average—she could spot the dosing runners even from the top of this skyscraper the moment they sensed something amiss.
"C4 blue target spotted. Binding their feet."
Finishing her radio call, Yubyeol-ha activated her ability.
Around the fleeing dosers, light began to shimmer like a scene from a fairy tale.
Their ordinary alleyscape transformed into a labyrinth in an instant.
"!?"
The dosers flailed in panic before the massive walls blocking their path. The illusion held until nearby Guidance Officers arrived, perfectly pinning the targets in place.
"C6, D5, blue targets confirmed. Same here."
Yubyeol-ha flawlessly supported the other sites as well, proving why she was the academy's top prospect.
"So this is Arcana's finest..."
The Guidance Officers and agents gawked at her illusions in awe.
The phantasm born of light was as mystical as a fairy tale. The illusions blanketing the area bloomed gorgeously, like flowers in spring.
It was on another level from the abilities of ordinary Psykers, who could only target individuals.
"Wow, so this is the true power of an S-Rank Psyker? Must feel like meeting the devil himself from their side."
Cheryl's admiring voice came over the radio.
Yubyeol-ha replied indifferently.
"You're too kind, Senior."
"If I had a reliable junior like you always helping out the Guidance Bureau, my mind would be so much more at ease."
"Sorry, Senior."
Cheryl still coveted Yubyeol-ha. She sent out a love call laced with personal interest, but it was predictably refused.
"When will I win over little Star's heart? Heh heh. Tears are clouding my vision."
"I've just been busy..."
Currently, the Federal Guidance Bureau was running Operation Clean under the command of Guidance Division Chief Cheryl Bloomingrose.
Clean had been formulated based on the 'Experimental Awake' intel provided by Yubyeol-ha.
The plan was simple.
On the day Last Time hit, sweep up all the Psykers who'd dosed with Experimental Awake and the distributor Antonio del Piero in one fell swoop.
To prevent the distributors and other dosers from sniffing the wind and scattering, they stuck to the all-at-once takedown approach.
The key to Clean was pinpointing Antonio del Piero's location and the number of Psykers who'd taken Experimental Awake.
Fortunately, Yubyeol-ha and Cheryl led the Guidance Officers and agents in gathering all the needed intel. The night before the op, the Bureau finally completed preparations for execution.
"So when do I get to move?"
Having stuck with the Federal Guidance Bureau for a while, Yubyeol-ha itched all over—she hadn't hunted a single Dimensional Beast.
To her eager junior champing at the bit for action, Cheryl smiled and said,
"Right on cue—there he is."
The elevated highway below the building.
A young boy sprinting frantically across the road teeming with traffic entered Yubyeol-ha's view.
Horns blared and drivers yelled, but the boy ignored them all, barreling down the road.
Chaos erupted in seconds.
The already congested evening commute ground to a halt from the chain-reaction crashes his mad dash triggered.
Undeterred, the boy shot straight down the paralyzed road.
"A-2, red target confirmed."
It was the one she'd spotted from the rooftop when Baek Do-hyun called it in.
Yubyeol-ha bared her sharp fangs in a grin.
Alright then. Time to start the monster hunt.
Darkness crept up from the depths of her heart.
Her golden eyes, burning with thirst for vengeance, blazed as if to devour everything.
"Lethal force... no, capture alive."
This hunt was different from the ones she'd done solo so far.
Capture over kill. Team effort over lone wolf.
It chafed not to run wild, but Yubyeol-ha was more excited than ever.
This could be a turning point. Everything might change.
With proof of monsters' existence and Academy City's awareness of the 21st Century Secret Society's threat, what stance would the city take?
If this led Academy City to officially deem monsters enemies, it'd be one step closer to the annihilation of the 21st Century Secret Society she craved.
Yubyeol-ha drew Death's Scythe.
The reaper's scythe, with its massive obsidian blade.
The partner that would claim countless Dimensional Beasts and monsters gleamed ethereally under the moonlight.
With that, Yubyeol-ha melted silently into the shadows of the rooftop.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Antonio del Piero.
Baek Do-hyun described him as a blond shota type that women went nuts for.
Age: 200. Race: Monster. Excluding org activities, he lurked on Secret Society 24/7.
He was a severe community addict.
All his close pals were fellow monsters hooked on Secret Society, and outside work, he was a hardcore shut-in who rarely ventured out.
Friends called him Goat; others, Antonio. Baek Do-hyun had special permission to call him Goat—as in, actual goat.
Baek Do-hyun and Antonio were pretty tight.
Both far from home for work, sharing a hatred and disgust for humans—they clicked on a lot.
Baek Do-hyun was a bratty, savage vampire but knew some respect for elders. Antonio had lived three times a human lifespan but lived by the creed, 'Intelligent beings never mature till they die.'
Thus, their odd friendship spanning over a century bloomed.
They'd lent each other cash, helped with jobs, building a solid bond.
But.
At some point, Antonio started feeling off about Baek Do-hyun.
Not always, but his steady logins as Dracula suddenly dropped, and his posting frequency plummeted.
At first, he chalked it up to personal stuff, no biggie.
But when they met face-to-face, the unease hit hard.
It felt like meeting someone else wearing Baek Do-hyun's skin.
The Baek Do-hyun after the gap was nothing like his usual punk, swaggering self.
More like a reformed delinquent overnight—or a buttoned-up salaryman.
And.
'Goat.'
Above all, he'd called him Goat instead of the usual goat nickname.
Antonio instantly peered at Baek Do-hyun through Soul-Piercing Eyes, but...
Unlike the unease, his soul looked the same as always.
If not impersonation, maybe mind control? But no signs of powers or magic anywhere.
Weird.
The guy before him felt off for Baek Do-hyun, yet all his senses and abilities confirmed it was him.
Antonio put judgment on hold.
In his long life, he'd learned: rushing calls in times like these poisons you.
Intelligent beings change.
Give 'em the right trigger, and humans morph endlessly.
Baek Do-hyun might be one such case.
Who knows what happened in those three days of radio silence.
Long-lost family tracks him down. His true progenitor vampire shows up. Something like that.
Their built-up camaraderie softened Antonio. He decided to ask Baek Do-hyun leisurely later.
"Hmph..."
And now.
Antonio regretted that choice as he fled down the road, evading the Federal Guidance Bureau.
Some monster in Academy City leaked to the Bureau.
And that traitor was probably Baek Do-hyun.
Nothing else explained this mess.
"That little shit..."
Antonio shook off the Bureau's pursuit and ditched the road.
Darting through dim alleys toward District 1.
Head to the harbor, bail from Academy City.
Report this to Zero One.
As he plotted mentally and picked up speed, he slammed to a halt.
An Arcana cadet named Yubyeol-ha blocked his path.
"Hey, worm."
Her fiery red hair danced in the night breeze.
"No rush. You're getting wrecked and dragged off here anyway."
She swung her massive scythe—big as her body—with a wicked grin.
In that instant, Antonio knew.
Looks like a clean getaway's off the table.