Chapter 8 - First Wife vs. Second Wife
First Wife vs. Second Wife
Translator : Elizabeth
Lee Hyo-jong, the Director of the Interdimensional Transfer Countermeasures Headquarters, a department established to manage interdimensional transferees who had begun to appear in significant numbers in Korea, was suffering from a headache trying to come up with countermeasures at the news that dimensional transfers had occurred in four places at once.
Until now, Jung Hyun-soo, who had returned after being transported to a whopping four worlds, was doing his job well in the newly established Settlement Support Division, so things were rolling along well without him having to pay much attention. But with four dimensional transfers happening at once, there was inevitably a physical limit, so Lee Hyo-jong was suffering from a work-related headache for the first time in a while.
"How about Faction D? Has it been resolved a bit?"
Among the four factions, the one that appeared in Icheon had already entered the Settlement Support Division and socialization education was in progress.
Search Team Hunters were dispatched to talk to the faction that appeared in Cheonan, and since the remaining two hadn't shown any particular movement yet, it was just a matter of steadily sending people to monitor the trends.
The problem was...
"... As soon as the Hunters dispatched to that faction approached the vicinity, contact was suddenly lost. The Hunters dispatched last time are refusing to return, saying they 'must serve the Heavenly Demon.' The previous team members also lost contact and then said similar things a little later; it seems the same thing has happened..."
"No, are these damn bastards taking this opportunity to resign or what! What kind of nonsense are they talking about serving someone?!"
"Director, approaching Faction D doesn't seem like a good idea. If we keep sending Hunters to monitor the situation, the leakage in our combat power might become even greater."
Among the interdimensional transfer factions divided from A to D for convenience, two were big problems.
Faction A, led by Lily Amarua, was quickly handled by the Search Team and the Settlement Support Division and was staying in the Settlement Support Division building, so there was no problem.
Faction B, which appeared in Cheonan, still had unknown members and scale, but since the Search Team and Settlement Support Division Senior Jung Hyun-soo and Junior Charles had already been dispatched, that too wouldn't be a big problem.
The real problem was the unknown factions classified as C and D.
Even the scale of both factions wasn't properly identified, but whenever Hunters were sent to monitor the trends of Faction D, which appeared north of the DMZ, they all lost contact and soon refused to return while sprouting nonsense about 'serving the Heavenly Demon.'
Faction C, near Taebaek, was a problem in its own right; whenever the Search Team approached, they attacked insanely as if determined to kill people. Plus, the mountain was rugged, making approach difficult, and since they only picked fights deep in the mountains, identification itself was impossible.
The personnel dispatched to Faction C often suffered serious injuries to the point of near death, so reports were sent up requesting that Faction C be defined as an enemy and a subjugation squad be requested. However, the higher-ups wanted to show the image of a 'Countermeasures Headquarters that perfectly handles even the dimensional transfer of four factions,' so it was rejected at once.
Thanks to that, those who went to monitor the trends of Factions C and D and were seriously injured or went missing weren't even reported in the media.
'Still, half of it will be resolved for now... As soon as Jung Hyun-soo and Charles return, I should send them to resolve the Taebaek or DMZ side immediately.'
Lee Hyo-jong felt relieved anew that the only two employees in the Settlement Support Division were very competent.
Even if he didn't do much and just pretended to work roughly from above, the actual work was being resolved by the two subordinates running and rolling hard.
Lee Hyo-jong was scheduling a meeting to send the two to Taebaek or the DMZ as soon as the Cheonan matter was resolved.
However, his relief didn't last long.
The door to the conference room burst open, and Lee Hyo-jong's secretary came in and called him.
"Director! Director! It's a disaster!"
"Can't you see we're in a meeting? What's going on that you're making such a fuss?"
"In Ch-Cheonan... The faction that appeared at Dandae Lake Park..."
"The Search Teams and Charles already went ahead, and I saw the report earlier that Jung Hyun-soo went too."
The fact that both Jung Hyun-soo and Charles went meant that the matter there was already resolved.
Lee Hyo-jong believed so firmly, but the secretary conveyed a story completely different from his expectation.
"Yes, it's about exactly that! It is said that the person presumed to be the leader of the Faction B interdimensional transferees who appeared in Cheonan is pouring indiscriminate attacks on the Search Team Hunters and Ms. Charles right now! Mr. Jung Hyun-soo arrived, but he was also attacked..."
Up to that point, it was something a somewhat sensitive interdimensional transferee could sufficiently do, and in fact, Jung Hyun-soo had been attacked on site once or twice, so it could be passed over as nothing major.
Until he heard the next part.
"But suddenly, interdimensional transferee Ms. Lily Amarua appeared at the scene and reportedly attacked Mr. Jung Hyun-soo and knocked him out!"
"......?"
At the incredibly absurd statement, Lee Hyo-jong's brain refused to comprehend.
"... What kind of nonsense is that? Didn't you say the people transported from a place called Astraia were receiving history education until 10 minutes ago? It was confirmed that the person named Lily received education too, so how does she go from Seoul to Cheonan in 10 minutes? And she attacked Jung Hyun-soo? Why?"
"I, I don't know! And right now, at the Cheonan site, Ms. Lily and the person presumed to be the leader of Faction B are engaging in combat, and the site has become a complete mess due to the aftermath of the battle... The Search Team is requesting support!"
"Turn on the TV!"
Lee Hyo-jong urgently ordered the news to be turned on, and as soon as someone turned on the TV with the remote, breaking news was airing.
Contrary to the cherry blossom petals fluttering like snow adding beautiful elegance, the situation at the Lake Park (what used to be it) had become a veritable war zone.
The ground was all overturned, lightning, tsunamis, and gusts of wind raged everywhere, and talismans, chains, and strange lumps of visible energy were tangled and intertwined in the air.
The reporting camera filming the scene and the reporter were very far away, but even at that distance, gusts and shockwaves raged, causing the camera to shake continuously and the reporter to stagger unable to keep balance.
— I am currently at Cheonan Dandae Lake Park where a fight between interdimensional transferees is taking place! The lake, which was a local landmark, has disappeared, and a clash so large that the ongoing fight is clearly visible even from here, 2km away, is continuing.
Kwa-a-ang!
— Because of the overly intense fight, even the Search Team Hunters are evacuating from the scene. Citizens must absolutely never approach the vicinity and...
A fierce fight between interdimensional transferees, almost unprecedented; at the point where that fact was even reported in the media, what would happen to him?
Imagining the reprimand that would come his way, Director Lee Hyo-jong ended up losing consciousness.
More than 30 minutes had passed since they started fighting fiercely.
Lily and Yukino were flustered inwardly while continuing the battle at such a long distance that ordinary people wouldn't even recognize each other's faces.
'Wh-What is this bitch...? What is she to counter all my magic? She doesn't look smart enough to use magic? My magic is blocked by mere arrows? Magic that even cut off the breath of that damn Evil Dragon? That makes no sense!'
'What is this person...? My exorcism arrows, sorcery, and spirit arts don't work at all? Looking at her conduct, she is not Shrine Maiden material no matter where you look... Experiences piled up through desperate struggles with so many apparitions, yokai, and the Yokai God are blocked by just such a human? That makes no sense!'
The two people, who had no occasion to see anyone stronger than themselves in their respective worlds, were considerably flustered inwardly seeing an opponent who countered their attacks head-on, but outwardly, they didn't show it and continued the fierce battle.
"Haa... Haa... Stubborn to a disgusting degree! It's not like anyone gives you a prize for that! Haaat!"
"Haa... Haa... Isn't it you who is struggling? You look quite out of breath! Hiyaap!"
Kwa-a-ang!
As Lily's magic and Yukino's exorcism arrow collided, an explosion that made the atmosphere ring occurred again.
In a situation where no sign of a conclusion could be seen, Yukino started to boil inside increasingly.
'I couldn't even punish him properly, and some strange human interferes...! Since it's come to this...'
Yukino began to wrap talismans around her arrow in an instant to prepare a trump card.
However, she sensed hostility approaching her surroundings and turned her head that way.
Somehow, it was a cat-eared human with pink hair who was scattering her husband Jung Hyun-soo's spirit quite a lot.
But the momentum was considerably different from earlier.
Unlike earlier when she was just a human with cat ears, now her pupils had changed vertically like a real cat, and her fingernails had changed to be very long and sharp.
Seeing her hands covered in soil, it seemed she had climbed this high hill from the side with her hands.
Murderous intent rippling with every step she took was not much different from the numerous yokai she had fought until now.
"You, were you a yokai! It's the first time seeing a yokai whose demonic energy isn't felt! If it's a yokai, I will simply exterminate it!"
"... You..."
"...?"
"You... are Senior's wife...? Don't be funny... Where do you get off scamming... Who are you... to my Senior..."
As Charles, whose eyes had rolled back, approached while emitting murderous intent with every step, Yukino fired an arrow at her.
The arrow containing the power of exorcism had tremendous power, but Charles struck it away with her long-grown fingernails.
'Striking away an exorcism arrow physically...? Is she not a yokai?'
But perhaps receiving quite a shock, Charles staggered violently and was pushed back near the cliff.
"An opening!"
At that moment, Lily on the ground caught Yukino's opening and exploded the stone stairs where she was standing.
As the explosion occurred, Yukino and Charles fell below the hill, but Yukino landed safely using the power of spirits summoned by spirit arts, and Charles simply turned her body and landed safely on all fours.
Lily, detecting Charles's change, also tilted her head and muttered.
"What's with her, that rude cat. Why is her condition like that?"
"Huff... Huff... Both of you don't get between me and Senior!"
"It seems I'm the only sane person among us. Dragging time only makes me annoyed, so I'll end it with the next one."
The three prepared to fight tangled together, and accordingly, Yukino and Lily prepared the strongest techniques each possessed.
Starting with Charles leaping at Yukino, all three commenced attacks toward each other at once and...
"Stoooooop~!!!"
Between those three people, Jung Hyun-soo, who had regained consciousness at some point, intervened with both arms spread wide.
"Hy, Hyun-soo, you...! Keueuk...!"
"You... Tsk...!"
"Yes, Senior...♥"
As Jung Hyun-soo intervened in the middle, Lily and Yukino hurriedly turned the direction of the attacks that were just about to be fired to the side, and Charles stopped docilely like an obedient cat, her ferocious momentum from earlier vanishing without a trace.
Kwa-ang! Kwa-ang!
Lily and Yukino's attacks struck the bare ground, and Jung Hyun-soo shouted with both arms still spread.
"Let's stop now! Stop fighting here! Let's stop! Life is precious! Even without a purpose! Repeating meaningless fights...! Continuing a fight that can be stopped! The person who collapses like this is... completely!!! Isn't he a complete fool?!!"
"Hyun-soo..."
"Dear..."
"Senior..."
The three women were lost for words for a moment listening to Jung Hyun-soo's touching speech.
And...
Pue-eok!
Pu-shuk!
Lily's kick struck Jung Hyun-soo's crotch, and Yukino's arrow lodged in his buttock.
"Kkiyaaaang!!"
"What are you talking about, who do you think we're doing this because of right now."
"What are you talking about, who do you think we're doing this because of right now."