Chapter 54 : I, Descend (4)
Chapter 54: I, Descend (4)
Outside the building, things had quieted down.
The number of Magno-Strom members patrolling the outer walls had dropped dramatically.
The gangsters who discovered the corpses reacted in one of two ways.
Either they turned and ran...
Or they cursed.
Slash-!
The ending awaiting them was the same.
Regardless of how they reacted, every single one of them lost their head.
“Hm.”
Humito mercilessly kicked a severed head rolling across the ground.
His lower lip jutted out in disappointment.
“Haa... Boring.”
A sigh escaped him.
Wasn't Magno-Strom supposed to be the head of the Ten Gang Alliance?
A gathering of the toughest bastards from the Lower District and the Bottommost District?
Everything had felt boring lately.
If he had to recall the last time his blood had truly boiled, he'd have to go back an entire month.
‘Back then, every single day was another life-or-death battle with my life on the line.’
That was a thing of the past now.
Ever since the Resistance had found its footing, battles like that had become scarce.
That was why he had been looking forward to today more than anything.
It had been a whole month.
He had been so excited that he couldn't even sleep.
“What a disappointment.”
The enemy fell far short of his expectations.
This was nothing but an empty shell.
The gap in ability was overwhelmingly obvious.
There were only three of them against dozens of enemies, yet the difference in strength was far too great for the numbers to matter.
It also helped that Levi had dispatched Magno-Strom's elite forces to where the Supreme Commander was.
Most of the gangsters remaining at headquarters were new recruits.
Complete small fry.
They had no chance of matching the 9th Battalion.
Unaware of that fact, Human Butcher Shohei merely stood there, overcome by emptiness.
It lacked romance.
He wanted that exhilarating sensation of his blood vessels swelling.
He had been looking forward to that.
Instead—
“Haa...”
Nothing but sighs came from Humito's mouth.
That was when he felt a presence tap him on the back.
Tap.
At the same moment...
That presence collapsed behind him.
Humito merely shifted his eyes slightly.
The gangster who had been writhing suddenly stopped moving the instant their eyes met.
Like a bug sprayed with insecticide.
“Hey.”
“......”
“You dead?”
“......”
“I said, are you dead?”
“......”
He was already in a rotten mood.
Yet the gangster who had so kindly tried to attack him from behind had died without permission.
Humito was furious.
This must have been exactly how a beast felt when its prey was stolen.
“Why'd you die without asking first, konoyaro—!”
He angrily raised his head.
A slender-waisted woman stood there with the moon at her back.
Yoo Dahee slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder and shrugged.
Having teammates who were too competent was a problem in itself.
Because of that, he was always left unsatisfied.
Humito sheathed both swords at his waist.
Then he glanced toward the entrance.
His eyes wavered with indecision.
‘Maybe I should just...’
It had already been ten minutes since Lee Taebaek and Kang Hyunseong entered the headquarters.
‘Not that those two would fail.’
Still...
You never knew.
Maybe the leader of the Ten Gang Alliance was much stronger than expected.
Maybe they were desperately waiting for his help.
“Yare yare (Good grief).”
Without realizing it, he muttered in his native language.
Since it had come to this...
He ought to go lend them a hand.
Humito's expression turned smug.
Grinning to himself, he started toward the entrance.
Rock's furious yelling blasted through the radio.
But no one could stop an alpha male once he'd made up his mind.
Better take the radio off.
“That's right, Humito. I'm just going to help my teammates. It's not like I'm causing trouble. I already finished my job, didn't I? No one's going to complain if I sneak in and have a little fun. That's right...”
Humito was in the middle of rationalizing to himself while walking.
Rumble...!
A tremendous roar crushed the darkness.
Small fragments rose from beneath his feet.
“Damn it, what was that?”
The delay between confusion and reality lasted only an instant.
Humito groaned.
A blinding light assaulted his eyes.
The source of the light...
Was the entrance.
Naturally, everyone's attention turned toward it.
At the powerful snort, the gangsters' faces lit up.
Meanwhile, Lee Taebaek's comrades all turned pale as though by prior agreement.
‘D-Don't tell me...!’
It was the sound of Red Hare.
Not even for a moment had they imagined Lee Taebaek and Kang Hyunseong could lose.
Despair flashed across the eyes of the 9th Battalion members.
“You son of a...!”
Grinding his teeth, Humito drew his sword.
Just then, the headlight rushed toward him.
As the light threatened to burn itself into his retinas, Red Hare suddenly turned at a perfect right angle.
Humito desperately focused to regain his vision.
The smell of burning rubber.
Vision washed in milky white.
Exhaust fumes stinging his tongue.
Piecing together everything his five senses perceived, he reconstructed the scene.
Only then did he open his eyes and confirm what was really there.
Immediately afterward, the expressions of Humito's group and the gangsters completely reversed.
“Y-you... you...!”
The motorcycle came to a stop sideways, as though showing off its majestic form.
Between the crimson body panels was a thick transparent chamber.
Inside it, pale green particles collided with one another, generating energy.
“How many times are you going to call me? Get a grip.”
The one riding Red Hare...
Was Lee Taebaek.
He planted one foot on the ground to support the motorcycle.
Pssshhh—!
The cylindrical engine vented steam.
Red Hare was blazing hot.
Its rear wheel spat electricity, melting the concrete beneath it.
Lee Taebaek's voice split through the darkness.
Like the beam cast by Red Hare's headlight.
“We're short on time, so I'll keep this brief.”
The mask split open sideways, revealing only his lips.
White breath drifted through the gap.
“We're changing the plan. Humito, get inside the headquarters and help Kang Hyunseong. He should be facing off against a woman. Capture her alive. I don't care if all four limbs are still attached. But she has to be captured alive.”
“......”
When Humito froze, Lee Taebaek barked at him.
“Quit spacing out!”
“O-Okay!!”
Then he radioed Rock, who was still watching from the rooftop.
Her breathing fell out of rhythm.
“I've got a favor to ask.”
Lee Taebaek continued.
There wasn't time to wait for a reply.
Just as he said...
Every second counted.
“Can you do it?”
-Hiss
I took that inhalation as a “Yes.”
It had to be.
Or rather...
It needed to be.
Hiss.
The mask closed once more over his lower face.
Immediately afterward, he turned Red Hare toward the long elevated highway.
Only then did the remaining gangsters realize something was wrong.
The rider of Red Hare...
Wasn't their boss.
“Y-you bastard! Why the fuck are you riding the boss's bike?!”
“D-Did something happen to the boss? To that pretty-boy bastard? Don't tell me she didn't even get to fuck h...!”
“Fuck! Red Hare's supposed to be a bike only the boss can ride! How the hell is that bastard—!!”
Lee Taebaek looked at the terrified gangsters through the windshield.
The original plan had been to infiltrate quietly.
But unexpected information had come to light.
There was a traitor lurking inside the 0th Battalion.
To make matters worse...
The Supreme Commander was about to face Dojon while accompanied by that traitor.
‘Stealth infiltration is no longer an option.’
If he didn't join them immediately...
The Supreme Commander would die at Dojon's hands.
Which meant...
The collapse of the Resistance.
“I'll have to explain things to Kang Hyunseong later.”
By now, even the sharp-eyed Yoo Dahee had probably realized the meaning behind him shining Red Hare's headlights at the gangsters.
‘Don't leave a single one alive.’
Roger.
Even without looking back, he could almost picture Yoo Dahee nodding.
Lee Taebaek simply assumed it was trust between comrades.
The truth, however, was different.
It was Presence Detection.
Yes—
The very Presence Detection that stood above Presence Concealment.
He had acquired it because, unconsciously, he had wished for it.
The wishes of an Operator were bound to become reality.
Lee Taebaek started the engine once more.
The vibrations surged from beneath him all the way to the top of his head.
His chest swelled with excitement.
Even though the task before him was dangerous enough to wager his life.
He was happy to have obtained Red Hare.
After all, it was the ultimate all-purpose means of transportation.
The highest-performance motorcycle in the City.
Still...
Even more satisfying than that...
Was the fact that he had stolen someone else's property.
Concept: Bandit (True) had reared its head.
Lee Taebaek smiled dryly.
Then he lowered his posture.
The wheels spun furiously in place, carving deep grooves into the ground.
Vroooooom—!
His field of vision curved toward the center.
With another twist of his wrist, the horizon shrank into a single point.
It felt as though he had become an arrow set upon a bowstring.
His body stretched taut—
Bang!
Red Hare shot forward.
◈ Miscellaneous Patch
• Influenced by an Evil Personality, the proportional value of ⌜Mana⌟ has increased by (+12.5%).
• Due to Tenacious Survival Instinct activating, the proportional value of ⌜Life⌟ has increased by (+13.7%).
〉〉 Auto Saving....
〉〉 Applying Patch.
The soil of Lake City was generally barren.
Layer upon layer of garbage and filth had accumulated, giving it a sticky, petroleum-black color.
Yet within the City's Lower District, there was one place that had preserved the natural color of the earth.
District 32.
The only area of fertile soil amidst a landscape of chalky white ground.
It belonged entirely to the Sentinel Gang.
On that rich land, the Sentinel Gang cultivated crops.
A gang that farmed in the middle of a city.
It sounded ridiculous.
At least...
Until one learned what they were growing.
The plant cultivated and harvested by the Sentinel Gang was called the poppy.
The very plant used as the foundation for Berserk, the drug consumed by the high-end gangs.
Rows upon rows of greenhouses filled the city center.
The Supreme Commander and the members of the battalion under his command moved through the narrow spaces between them.
Each time their white robes brushed against the plastic sheeting, it rustled softly.
Swish.
The Supreme Commander suddenly stopped and gave a hand signal.
The members of the 0th Battalion behind him halted as one.
Including the Supreme Commander, there were nine of them in total.
They've grown quite a lot.
The Supreme Commander looked around before letting out a dry laugh.
The reason he and the 0th Battalion had personally come here...
Was exactly because of what had been mentioned earlier.
They had come to witness the drug production site that threatened to poison the City.
And after confirming it...
Destroy it.
I left them alone so they could at least play neighborhood watch in their own territory. Never thought they'd be plotting something like this~.
“......”
Thank goodness Taebaek told me. Otherwise, we might've stayed rotting in the sewers until those gangster bastards completely took over the Lower District.
Cold fury simmered beneath the mechanical voice.
No matter where one looked, there was nothing but fields.
The more those plants grew...
The sicker the City became.
“The way you keep mentioning that rookie, Supreme Commander.”
One of the men walking on his left spoke.
There was a faint edge to his voice.
You want to say I'm playing favorites?
“I heard that during the emergency Battalion Commanders' Meeting, you invited him to join our battalion.”
As he spoke, the man turned to look behind him.
His gaze slowly swept across the others.
The subordinates looked back at him.
Within those sunken eyes lay the unwavering camaraderie shared between soldiers.
The man was the leader of the 0th Battalion.
The Supreme Commander's right-hand man.
His authority was on par with that of the Battalion Commanders.
He was one of the few people who could openly criticize the Supreme Commander.
“It may be presumptuous of me to say this... but joining the 0th Battalion has always been reserved for those who have demonstrated exceptional achievements within the organization. Of course, you have the authority to assign anyone you wish, Supreme Commander. But if that happens, dissatisfaction within the ranks will only grow.”
I more or less know what's being said inside the organization. I do have ears.
“To us, however, those words carry a different meaning. The purpose of the 0th Battalion is to serve as your eyes and ears.”
I appreciate the sentiment, but you're not cybernetic prosthetics. Shouldn't I have my own eyes and ears too?
The squad leader refused to back down.
“Then... should we take that to mean you've established another information network apart from us?”
If you've got a complaint, say it with your own mouth. Don't borrow someone else's words. You think I'm showing Lee Taebaek too much favoritism. And because of that, morale in the 0th Battalion is suffering.
“......”
There's a flaw in your argument too. Lee Taebaek has achieved incredible results. If someone performs that well on their very first mission and receives no reward? Then he'd have absolutely no reason to stay with our organization.
The Supreme Commander met the eyes of every battalion member before continuing.
I know some of you feel disappointed inside. It's only natural that complaints would arise.
“Yes...”
Times are difficult right now, so I can't indulge your grievances. But you all know me. I always take responsibility for my own people. Once this operation is over, I'll make sure every one of you is properly rewarded. Just wait a little long—
The Supreme Commander failed to finish his sentence.
The hem of his robe fluttered slightly.
At the very moment the greenhouse plastic billowed like the lungs of a terminal lung cancer patient...
He turned around.
Floating blue eyes stared back at him.
Before they could melt back into the darkness, the owner of those ghostly eyes stepped fully into view.
He wore a business suit.
His appearance was refined and intellectual.
That only made the sight more unsettling.
Because he was dragging an enormous blade across the ground as he approached.
The weapon...
Was a Zanbatō.
It was so thick and massive that it hardly looked usable.
Approximately three meters long.
One meter wide.
“...Mu...”
One of the battalion members parted his pale lips.
His expression looked ready to collapse.
One of The 10 Wings.
Dojon.
“...Muyachi!”
That...
Was the identity of the man who had suddenly appeared.