Chapter 100

Chapter 100

It had been twenty-four hours since Tsuyoshi left to scout. Even now, he had not returned.

It wasn't hard to guess what that meant.

“……”

Before I could even open my mouth, the mood in the room had already turned grim. The fact that twenty-four hours had passed without a single word was enough to tell me something had happened to Tsuyoshi.

What a shame.

He'd been the one transcendent in Japan I could actually hold a conversation with. Quick to assess a situation and well-mannered—I'd pegged him as a decent enough guy.

For him to die like this. It was a pity.

Not because I regretted losing Immovable Heart.

The silence that had settled over the room soon spread into an uproar, and Gunji rose from his seat.

“I'll go myself—I'll go!”

“Please calm down!”

“We have no idea how strong the enemy is! Now is the time for caution.”

“I have to go save Tsuyoshi! Prepare immediately!”

Park Younghoo translated for me, but even just from the nuances, it wasn't hard to tell what kind of conversation they were having.

When a close friend goes missing, of course it turns into a commotion.

Especially when he'd gone off on his own to chase some glory.

That was the Japanese Awakened's perspective, of course.

Whether they got punished by the Cabinet or not wasn't my concern. I just needed to accomplish what I came here for.

“I'll go.”

The moment Park Younghoo translated my words, the atmosphere shifted entirely. The Japanese Awakened who had been trying to hold Gunji back faltered, unsure of what to do.

If Gunji went to the enemy camp and died, that would be a problem—but I wouldn't.

“You're going yourself?”

“Tsuyoshi is a transcendent I knew as well. I find it hard to believe he was taken down so easily. We can't rule out the possibility that he's alive.”

At my words, a faint glimmer of hope rose on the faces of the Japanese side.

There was a very small chance he'd been taken prisoner.

If so, I intended to bring him back. He was the kind who knew gratitude, so wouldn't he understand if I tried to take his gift, like with Berserker?

Even if I called it simple heart massage, he probably wouldn't believe me. Either way, I'd have to try.

And if he was dead, that was that—I'd bring back solid intel instead.

“If he's alive, I'll bring him back. If he's dead, I'll bring back solid intel.”

“……”

“I'm not asking for permission. I'm informing you.”

“Understood.”

Gunji rose from his seat and bowed his head to me.

“I'm counting on you. Bring us word of Tsuyoshi. Even if he's dead—even just his body, please.”

“Got it.”

He should have shown this kind of courtesy from the start. Honestly, transcendents these days seem to only come to their senses after getting hit.

With any possibility of interference completely eliminated, I headed outside. Park Younghoo followed, but since he'd have to report anyway, I chose to send him off to make his report first.

“Let's go.”

I entered the location of the enemy hideout into my head, then departed immediately.

* * *

The place known as the League's hideout was a coastal factory site—the kind you'd see anywhere.

A prefab building stood on the wide lot. I slipped through the cover of darkness and entered the factory grounds.

“Perfect place for villains to hide.”

It was a textbook hideout. If they came pouring out from all sides, I could see it being hard to kill every last one without letting a single one escape. Better to use blade storm than Arc Mine.

I passed through the lot and was about to enter the area where the building stood when I sensed the flow of Force and paused.

“A barrier?”

No—this was a different kind. An alien energy enveloped the factory. This was closer to a detection trap than a barrier.

Rather than preventing entry, it allowed entry but stayed faithful to its alarm function.

Arrogant. Did they think they could catch anyone who entered, no matter what? Was the one who set this up the Witch Doctor of the Twelve Zodiac? I wanted to see the face behind that kind of confidence.

I loaded Arc Mine into my hand and ripped the detection trap apart.

Bzzt!

Had they noticed? I wasn't sure, but I didn't care and went inside. Even if they knew, it didn't matter.

According to the intel provided by the Japanese side, the warehouses on the outer perimeter were stocked with various supplies, and the League's villains were gathered in the large building at the very back.

Their intent was to defend the necessary space rather than a wide area.

“Empty.”

After confirming there was nothing inside the warehouse building, I pushed deeper.

The intel was accurate—there was nothing on the outer perimeter. Not even a shadow of a person.

Then, at some point, I felt eyes on me.

I'd thought I'd torn down the barrier pretty quickly, but I suppose I couldn't fool them.

“Come out.”

“Hello. Nice to meet you.”

A dark figure revealed itself, backlit by the moonlight.

A woman with a voluptuous, sultry allure who looked to be in her late thirties. Was she the type who seduced with charm, like Anna Christine or Belus? Either way, she matched the description I'd been given of the Witch Doctor.

Even in a black suit, Constantine couldn't hide her sensual figure. She looked at me, her eyes sparkling, then curved into crescent moons as she greeted me.

“You're the Head Breaker?”

It was English. I could understand it, but speaking was still beyond me.

No reason I should go out of my way to speak English for her.

“Are you the Witch Doctor?”

“Korean! I can only listen.”

So an odd conversation unfolded—me in Korean, the Witch Doctor in English.

“Let me introduce myself again. I'm Konstantina Stanila, called the Witch Doctor.”

Meeting an enemy and putting on airs of elegance. I really couldn't understand the mad thought processes of these so-called villains.

When you meet an enemy, you use your hands first. That's the rule.

There's a reason they say that if you seize the initiative, you're already halfway to winning.

If it came with the element of surprise, all the better.

“What happened to Tsuyoshi?”

“That gentleman—what do you suppose happened? He was quite strong……”

Constantine couldn't finish her sentence. The blade storm I cast through Nuri swept over her.

Because I'd executed a perfect surprise attack, her response was one step too late.

She hurriedly thrust out her hand and cast a Force barrier, but her pristine suit was torn to rags in an instant.

I'd intended to blow off at least one of her limbs, but it wasn't as effective as I'd hoped.

The smile that had been on Constantine's face just moments ago vanished.

“…Just as Argos said. You're incredibly rude.”

“So what about Tsuyoshi?”

“He paid the price for opposing a strong one.”

“How unfortunate.”

“You don't think he might be alive?”

“I've never spared anyone.”

It was a shame. Truly. If only he'd had Immovable Heart, it would have completed the insurance set alongside Immunity to All Poisons—guaranteeing I'd never lose myself no matter what happened.

What a bitter loss.

Once more than ten minutes have passed since death, Blood Devour can't copy the gift.

“I answered your question, so I'd like to hear what I want.”

“What is it.”

“Head Breaker, won't you join our League?”

I knew that's what this was.

Still hadn't given up. The League really is persistent. Or rather, is it Argos who's persistent?

Why would I join a villain organization? I'm not a villain, and I have no intention of becoming one.

“Did Argos run his mouth again?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Rather, he said you're a villain even the League would struggle to handle. But I disagree. I think we could work together just fine. There might be something good in it for you if you come.”

She gave me a sly, smiling look and licked her lips.

Whether it was a magnesium deficiency or just hunger, I couldn't tell, but my thoughts had arrived somewhere else entirely.

“…That lunatic said that?”

He'd lavished praise on me, saying I was born to be a villain, and told me to come to the League.

Now he's saying I'm too much for them to handle because I'm a villain?

It really pissed me off.

I had no intention of joining the League in the first place. Naturally—I'm not a villain.

But hearing that the League won't take me in also pisses me off.

How ridiculous.

“That's harsh.”

“What is.”

“What you just said.”

Constantine, who had been smiling even when I cast blade storm, went cold.

“Argos is not someone who should hear that kind of thing from you.”

“So what.”

He's at the pinnacle of villains, so he's definitely the craziest of the bunch.

What's funny is that when you call a lunatic a lunatic, his subordinate lunatic gets offended.

That's what you call not crazy enough. It's denial of reality.

A real lunatic like Berserker just laughs it off when you call him crazy.

“Seems your confidence in your own abilities is excessive. I'll have to teach you your level.”

That's the line I've heard most from the ones who died at my hands.

“Realize your own level, and die.”

I reached out my hand with a smile.

* * *

‘I talked like I was going to test him, but… he's strong.'

Constantine felt a chill run down her spine as she narrowly dodged Choi Junho's hand. The composure she'd had moments ago was gone without a trace. She was barely managing to dodge.

Even though Choi Junho still had plenty of room to spare, his attacks were relentlessly vicious.

He wielded the crackling lightning from his hands as freely as if it were his own body, and this too differed from the reports. It wasn't limited to close range—it could cover a radius of over five meters.

Arc Mine, the attack that relentlessly destroyed the body from within, was identical to Franz's Blitz, and it was utterly savage.

Constantine had encountered Franz while operating in Europe. He who wielded lightning from his hands like his own body had shown her why he was a member of the Ten Great Transcendents.

The memory of that terrifyingly strong old man surfaced, souring her mood.

And on top of that, a gift that sent dozens of Force blades swirling through a confined area.

He was armed with gifts optimized for killing.

Kzzt!

She'd barely dodged the last attack too, but it grazed her head and poured down in a shower.

It was a strike that had nearly taken her head clean off.

“I heard your direct combat ability was low, but I suppose intel isn't reliable after all.”

“……”

Constantine didn't answer and sharpened her focus.

Combat was combat, but the most important thing was her curses. Whittling down an opponent's fighting strength with them was her combat style. The biggest problem was that she had to be at close range, and the more powerful the curse, the more demanding its activation conditions.

Drawing Choi Junho into the domain needed to cast a curse, buying time for a curse already in effect to lock onto its proper target—the conditions varied from curse to curse.

The more powerful the curse, the more conditions for activation; the simpler the curse, the fewer.

In a showdown with a transcendent, what Constantine preferred were minor curses that disrupted the senses.

A transcendent is a being composed of tens of thousands of precise parts. If even one goes out of alignment, the crack spreads rapidly through the whole.

She activated a curse she'd prepared in advance to throw Choi Junho's nerves out of alignment.

A curse that distorted the surrounding airflow and slightly degraded hearing. This affected Force manipulation and the body's sense of balance.

Zzzing!

“Petty tricks.”

The curse didn't take.

This wasn't the transcendent's own resistance. It was a gift. A gift existed that prevented even the smallest ripple from forming atop his immense Force.

‘Now I understand why Argos said what he did.'

She had no choice but to admit it.

If left alone, Choi Junho would block not only the world's strongest but even the League's path forward.

Perhaps, as Argos said, he would bring the League to ruin.

No matter what transcendent you are, once Blackhound and Hell Master target you, it's over.

But Head Breaker was different. He had already risen to the same rank.

A transcendent who mercilessly smashes heads.

There was no epithet more fitting for a villain.

Just as she thought to recruit him to the League, the thought was washed clean away as she narrowly dodged his attack.

She understood Argos's intent in sending her—the one with the gift of curses.

He was a transcendent who couldn't be killed otherwise. So she resolved to unleash her curses in earnest.

Though he was blocking her curses for now, just as she'd broken through Tsuyoshi's Immovable Heart, there existed a way to break through a defensive gift as well.

Boom!

She stomped her foot, and a cloud of Force bloomed as the curse activated. When the curse shattered his sense of balance, Choi Junho's offensive slackened for a brief moment. In exchange, Constantine's shoulder slumped.

“Kh!”

“Not bad?”

She'd given up her shoulder and bought only a brief block. But Constantine's eyes gleamed—she'd succeeded in creating an opening.

The way to break through a defensive gift is simple. Slow down its activation speed and speed up the curse's encroachment.

She quickly reset her slumped shoulder and retreated. But Choi Junho's pressing advance was faster.

Crack! Crunch! Snap!

Her arm broke and her wrist twisted. As she staggered and stacked three curses in layers, Constantine's eyes blazed.

“It's over.”

Disgust—a curse that forced every loathsome deed one had committed in life to surface all at once and collapsed the mental barrier.

It was a curse that even Tsuyoshi, possessor of Immovable Heart, could not endure—one that had left him with no choice but to cut his own throat.

Choi Junho's footsteps stopped.

In that interval, Constantine quickly reset her broken, twisted arm and closed in.

To break through the defensive gift Choi Junho possessed. But the moment she reached right in front of him, she was startled by the hand reaching toward her.

Crack!

“Aagh!”

Her arm bent in the opposite direction, blood spraying and bone jutting out.

Fortunately, perhaps because the aftereffects of the curse lingered, Choi Junho didn't give chase.

If her reaction had been even slightly slower, it wouldn't have been her arm—it would have been her neck that snapped.

“You didn't fall for it. I thought if I pretended to be affected, I'd have you completely hooked.”

“Ho—how?”

“It was nothing, really. I just blamed everything on someone else.”

“……”

It was unbelievable. It wasn't a curse light enough to be brushed off with a few words.

It was a curse that simultaneously detonated every negative memory built up from birth to the present.

Even if Choi Junho was young, considering everything he'd done, his years lived would be short and his mind weak, and his karmic debt would have struck him hard.

And yet he'd endured it.

“Just pin it all on the lunatic. Though I'll admit, curses really are something new.”

Choi Junho's eyes blazed.

If things continued like this, she would be the one to die.

“…It's not over yet!”

The moment he lunged, Constantine bit her lip until blood burst forth and cast a curse using herself as the sacrifice.

The instant she extended her hand, a metaphysical formation drawn in red blood revealed itself, centered on where Choi Junho stood.

It was a curse she had prepared to deal with an opponent against whom resistance was impossible.

To activate this curse, two things were required.

One was the caster's blood and life force.

The other was a transcendent's heart and blood.

Or a Harmful-class Level 8 monster's heart.

An ultimate curse that amplified every negative emotion at once and destroyed the personality.

“Negative.”

It detonated every negative emotion and stripped away everything.

No being with a self and desires could ever withstand this curse.

“Cheap tricks……”

Choi Junho, who had been sneering, stopped moving. But his eyes were still the same. He was resisting the curse.

Harmful-class Level 9—even the League's Three Evils could have their egos shattered by this curse in one blow.

And yet he was enduring it?

Constantine trembled. Her life force had drained away, leaving her over twenty years older than before.

“You monster!”

She threw herself at Choi Junho, bearing the pain in her barely reset arm.

But what came back was an Arc Mine.

Thwack!

He'd slowed compared to before, busy resisting the curse, but his martial skill was unchanged.

Struck in the stomach by the Arc Mine, Constantine coughed blood and was sent flying.

If there was any luck in it, it was that Choi Junho—still fighting the curse—didn't pursue.

It was unbelievable.

…Was he even human?

Constantine's eyes, fixed on Choi Junho, shook uncontrollably.

He was beyond human. An incarnation of evil wearing a human mask.

That was when it happened.

“The Ten Thousand Poisons brat isn't doing his job properly……”

Choi Junho's eyes, which had been blazing with intense light, suddenly went unfocused.

The curse had swallowed him!

Joy spread across Constantine's face.

“…It's over!”

Just as she was thinking she'd brought down an impossible monster—

Less than 0.1 seconds after his pupils had unfocused, explosive red light burst from his eyes, and a blade storm roared toward Constantine.

“Aagh!”

Caught defenseless by the blade storm, Constantine's left shoulder was torn away. She stared at Choi Junho in bewilderment. She'd thought the curse had collapsed his ego—and he'd recovered?

“Th—that's impossible!”

Just what kind of monster was he made of?

And the League had to face someone like this?

That was when even the last hope she had left in life vanished.

“It's because the impossible happens that the world is fun. Thanks to your curse, I can borrow this body for a little while.”

Choi Junho's facial muscles twisted grotesquely.

He was smirking.

Like he was mocking the entire world.

A smell of blood, different from before, wafted thickly from him.

Similar, yet different. This wasn't Choi Junho.

Constantine realized that an entirely different being had taken over Choi Junho's body.

“He's a hilarious bastard. He came back to the past without giving off the slightest hint, and he's in an uproar because I might show up. Do you have any idea how miserable it is for me, cooped up in a tiny cramped room, watching for a chance twenty-four hours a day?”

Choi Junho muttered, as if in self-derision.

“And anyone would think I'm some personality that dropped out of the sky. I was born based on someone else, and here he is, putting on airs about how he's different. Same meat, different broth. You should be proud, Choi Junho. You're a lunatic acknowledged by the Blood Lord. Anyway—whoops.”

Having said that, Choi Junho clicked his tongue and turned his head toward Constantine.

The moment she met eyes that had gone from seething with madness to unnervingly calm, Constantine felt goosebumps spread across her skin.

“I'm only borrowing this body for a bit, so I don't have much time, you see?”

This other Choi Junho curled up the corners of his mouth.

His voice sounded like it was dripping with blood.

“So come play with me.”