The main battery fired in auto-combat mode.
Ironblood plummeted into the sea after just one salvo.
“…”
I immediately ended auto-combat mode.
I had no choice but to stop the battle. If I didn’t, this ship—Illinois—would likely unleash all of its missiles and naval guns.
“Ironblood—is she dead?”
On the water’s surface, Ironblood’s back floated up. Her body rose like a drowned victim’s. I didn’t turn the ship around but instead kept a close watch on her through the monitor.
“Who knows? She might be faking it, waiting for us to let our guard down. Maybe she’s planning to swim over and climb aboard the ship.”
“No, she’s not dead… just unconscious.”
Elaine tilted her head as she observed Ironblood bobbing on the water like a jellyfish.
“One thing is certain—there’s no sign of mana.”
“Mana?”
“Yes. After getting hit by the main battery, it’s as if her mana was erased… as if it completely vanished.”
“…No way, that can’t be.”
A chilling thought crossed my mind for a moment.
“Maybe she just lost her mana temporarily?”
“Commander, are you worried that she might have lost it forever?”
“It’s not so much concern for Ironblood becoming mana-crippled. It’s more about worrying that even an S-rank like her could lose all her mana because of my power.”
“Why would that scare you?”
“It’s not me that’s scared. It’s that the entire planet might end up fearing me.”
It might sound like a joke, but on a global scale, this is actually a terrifying notion.
A 20-something Korean guy who, just two months ago, was mumbling about quitting his job now holds the equivalent of a nuclear launch button in his hands?
It wouldn’t be surprising if the entire world felt terrified.
Take Japan, for instance. They’re probably turning a blind eye for now, though they might be wary deep down. Other countries must be even more on edge.
Especially China and the U.S.
China would be frightened by the fact that I sent three of their S-ranks back to the depths of the sea near Jeju Island.
And the U.S….
“Drei, while we’re crossing the Pacific, look into something.”
“What would you like me to investigate?”
“Ironblood’s family, friends, or anyone connected to her. If someone in the U.S. contacted them, it’s likely one of President Luigi’s political opponents or someone who doesn’t want a Korean superpowered individual setting foot in America.”
Using Ironblood to eliminate me. If Ironblood had gone on a rampage, South Korea’s S-rank hunters might have accused me of treason and tried to kill me. But once I leave Korea, those within the U.S. will start to make their moves.
‘Not that I’ll stop going.’
Too much has already happened for me to stay.
Especially after firing the main battery at Ironblood, whether it was triggered by auto-combat mode or not, there’s no turning back.
Most importantly….
“Drei, is that still under review?”
“Under review… oh my, it seems they’re actually going through with it.”
The classified information that had been circulating, which the U.S. tried to suppress repeatedly, was finally leaking out.
“Even so, it’s remarkable. Trying to push it through, even defying the president.”
In Gwanghwamun Square, a man was standing atop a ladder, shouting into the crowd. His livestream was now being broadcast on various streaming platforms.
[Everyone!! I’m here to reveal the identity of the one heading to the United States…!!]
* * *
Splash.
Two A-rank hunters swam to Ironblood and pulled her ashore after she’d fallen into the sea.
“Damn, for real….”
“Ugh, ugh. Shouldn’t we give her CPR?”
“Are you crazy? Wait until the others get here. If you or I do it, we’re just asking for trouble.”
While the two male hunters shook off the seawater from their clothes, a female hunter ran over, then hesitated.
“What are you doing?”
“Ugh, seriously….”
“You’re not telling us to perform CPR, are you?”
“No, it’s just…! It’s fine if it were someone else, but seriously…!”
The female hunter looked down at the unconscious Ironblood, berating herself for running over so hastily.
“Ugh. If she complains about me touching her later, you guys better have my back. Promise!”
Even though she looked miserable, the female hunter interlocked her fingers and prepared to push down on Ironblood’s chest, focusing her mana.
Even though she had taken a direct hit and been sent crashing into the sea, Ironblood was still S-rank. She’d need to channel a considerable amount of mana into her hands to perform CPR on someone like her—
“Eeek?!”
As soon as her palm pressed against Ironblood’s chest, the female hunter screamed and stumbled backward.
“What? What happened?”
“T-There’s no mana!”
“…What?”
“I can’t sense any mana! My hand almost went right through! It was like pressing on an egg!”
She had nearly crushed her chest.
The female hunter swallowed those words and stared in shock as her hands trembled. Meanwhile, other hunters began arriving, albeit a bit late.
“What’s going on?”
“No mana?”
“Are you telling me it was an attack that completely erased her mana?”
The evaporation of mana.
They had all seen that blinding beam of light from the attack, and now they were witnessing Ironblood’s seemingly mana-drained state right in front of them. It was impossible not to be dumbfounded.
“Summoning a battleship out of nowhere is one thing, but an attack that wipes out mana completely? Who is this guy… Master?”
“Man, what the h*ll.”
One of the hunters pulled out a smartphone and saw a video already playing.
“No way. Some assemblyman leaked it.”
“…What?”
“Some assemblyman is livestreaming the Master’s information right now!”
“!!”
The hunters flinched and pulled out their smartphones. Some hesitated and put them away, while others tried to access the video only to see a [Video unavailable] message.
Even if platforms and countries tried to take down the videos, they couldn’t erase what people had already seen.
“Seriously, 27 years old? A guy who transforms into a maid?”
“No, no. It’s not that. There’s a separate entity. If he can change into multiple forms, does that mean he can now turn into a battleship?”
“It’s not just a battleship. It’s the fifth ship in the Iowa class, Illinois…. Wait, that’s not the point! It’s important, but it’s not the main issue!”
“Man, we’re screwed. We’re absolutely screwed.”
One hunter threw his hands up in defeat, sounding completely drained.
“The person trying to quietly leave for the U.S. The man who went so far as to crash a helicopter to stop him. The assemblyman who leaked his personal information. Are they all insane?
This was madness.
People throw around that word casually all the time, but I never expected things to escalate like this.
“At least he’s leaving properly.”
An A-rank Hunter scoffed as he looked down at Ironblood.
“If he stayed, this woman would have grabbed him by the collar and punched him, or that assemblyman who leaked his info would have tried to blackmail him.”
“But with power like that…?”
“People like that don’t think until there’s a bullet hole in their heads.”
“You—are you saying…?”
“I’m not going to do it, but someone else might.”
“H-Hey….”
One of the Hunters hesitantly raised a hand.
“So… what do we do now…?”
“…”
“I—I just… nothing that’s happening right now makes any sense. I don’t know what to do anymore. No matter how much I think about it….”
“Just do what you’ve always done. Follow your heart, senior.”
“!!”
Blue Lightning stepped forward through the group of bewildered Hunters.
“Hey, you….”
“The choice is yours. The responsibility is yours too. But with someone stepping up like this and leaving, no one will be able to say anything about it.”
“Da-ram… you….”
“I’m not saying this for anyone to hear—I’m saying it because I mean it. I’m staying. Here.”
“…!”
“So, senior, do as you see fit. The internet and the news will say whatever they want, but at the very least, among us here, let’s not judge where anyone chooses to go.”
Blue Lightning reached out his hand toward Ironblood.
“The real cause of all this… is the people who treat Awakened like disposable tools. And the fools who blindly let themselves be used.”
Crackle.
A faint spark of electricity leapt from Blue Lightning’s fingertips and touched Ironblood. Her body convulsed, and she coughed up seawater.
“I’m grateful to the Master. If I had that kind of power, I wouldn’t have made the same decision. I would’ve just played along, blindly worshipped as a hero.”
“…”
“He’s not abandoning this country. He’s simply changing where he needs to be—to protect something greater.”
“And what would that be?”
“The Earth.”
Blue Lightning clenched his fist.
“For us Hunters who’ve only ever fought to protect one country, he’s made it clearer than ever what we should really be defending. And to protect the world… he simply chose the strongest possible ally.”
“That’s just you trying to see things in a positive light.”
“Then what—should I see it negatively instead?”
Blue Lightning’s irritation was palpable, making the other Hunter flinch.
“Hah… whatever. If anyone else here plans to stay, come with me now. Let’s record a video.”
“A video?”
“Yeah. ‘We strongly condemn the politician who leaked a Hunter’s personal information.’ A basic political statement, but it’s a step forward.”
Crackle.
“Up until now, we moved for the people. But now, I’m pissed off enough to build something.”
“W-What do you mean, build something…?”
“A political party. A union. A new organization.”
Blue Lightning’s eyes flashed an electric blue.
“So that when the Master—when people like him—return to fight alongside us, they’ll know that at least the embers of hope were still burning here. Someone has to be their hope.”
“…”
“First things first—that assemblyman who leaked his identity.”
Blue Lightning shaped the electricity in his hand into a razor-sharp blade.
“Let’s make sure that bastard’s life isn’t worth living.”
* * *
[Three Hours Later – Blue House]
“Should I resign…?”
The president sat alone in his office, his hands covering his face.
Chaos.
Absolute chaos.
He had thought that, even if all the S-rank Towers vanished, people would celebrate and rejoice in peace.
Instead, the entire country had descended into fury, disorder, and madness.
Kill Ironblood. Ironblood’s rampage got an EX-rank Hunter killed. Repeal the Hunter Draft Act! The government treats Hunters like hunting dogs—wake up! Make the politicians who drafted the Tower legislation raid the Towers themselves! The assemblyman who leaked personal information has doomed us all! That traitorous politician should apologize in Gwanghwun Square! He’s probably a foreign agent—he should commit seppuku!
Beep, Beep, Beep.
A phone rang.
Not the office line—one of the many personal phones the president kept.
“…Are you insane?”
[What, insane? He was never someone we could control anyway.]
The president didn’t even wait for a greeting. He immediately snapped, but the person on the other end spoke casually.
[Ironblood’s dead, right?]
“She’s not dead. Just….”
[If she can’t recover her mana, she might as well be. So—]
“Oh, you senile old bastard…! You’ve been living off Chinese and Japanese bribes, so why don’t you just retire and rot quietly…?!”
[Hoho, what a temper. It must be tough up there, huh? That’s why you should follow our lead. We just need to hold hands with our neighbors. Losing one man will unite the country—what a wonderful thing, don’t you think?]
“Bullsh*t.”
The president’s voice was filled with frustration.
“What happens when we need that man’s help later, huh?!”
[Hah. Ridiculous. Do you think the vanished S-rank Towers are coming back? They’re all gone—]
Flash.
A brilliant light suddenly flickered across the dark night sky.
“…!!”
The president felt it.
Something had changed. The moment that light shone, something new had begun.
[…What was that?]
Even the person on the phone, recognizing something had happened, hesitated.
[Is that… a Tower?]
* * *
That day—
Across the entire world—
Towers began to emerge.
Larger, more immense than any S-rank Tower before them, towering so high they seemed to envelop entire nations.
(TLN: Hah, serves you right.)
