[Western United States, Washington. A Dark Warehouse.]
The common perception of military training is that information is strictly controlled and kept secure from civilians.
However, there are times when certain military exercises are deliberately made public.
One such reason is to prevent accidental collisions with civilian aircraft by displaying the movements of specific fighter jets or planes on air traffic control maps for all to see.
When pilots are informed, “Military training is currently in progress here, please steer clear,” some of that information becomes publicly available, and people may take notice.
But even in such cases, civilians have limited access, and only those who know about it can understand the restricted nature of the information.
Just like now.
[Do you see it? The pride of the Air Force…!]
Unless the U.S. is blatantly transporting vessels through the air.
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
A blonde woman in military pants and a tank top clicked her tongue as she watched three transport aircraft displayed across a tripartite screen.
Lounging on a worn-out sofa placed in the middle of the abandoned factory, she swirled a red-and-white can of beer in one hand while watching the aircraft soar on the TV screen.
“If we shoot that down, will the Master die?”
“What kind of crazy talk is that?”
A woman in a suit approached the military-clad woman and lightly smacked her on the head.
“What about Illinois?”
“It disappeared. More importantly, stop saying weird stuff.”
The military woman could have easily avoided the attack, but she simply took the hit and pouted.
“Am I wrong? No matter how strong the Master is, if a missile blows up a plane mid-air, how could they survive?”
“They’d survive. That’s why no country is firing missiles at them.”
“No, I mean, even if they did fire a missile—”
“A human missile.”
The suited woman pulled out a picture on her smartphone.
“There’s a proposal from a certain country to launch an S-rank Hunter inside a missile. What do you think?”
“…Are you saying an S-rank Hunter would turn into a rocket and crash themselves into a plane?”
“Exactly. They’d make contact with the Master and eliminate them.”
“…”
With a snap of her fingers, the suited woman changed the TV screen to another scene.
An animation played, depicting a Hunter riding a rocket mid-flight. As the rocket slammed into the aircraft, the Hunter pierced forward, throwing a punch. In the next moment, a black-haired young man was shown with a gaping hole in his chest—dead.
“This is ridiculous. Did AI generate this?”
“Something like that. There are a lot of people around the world who don’t want the Master entering their territory.”
The suited woman shrugged and pulled up a world map.
“There are so many S-rank Towers worldwide. Honestly, I’m tired of talking about it. Because the Master is clearing Towers at an insane pace, all the Hunters who used to thrive off their popularity have lost everything.”
“Like us?”
“Exactly. That’s why the other S-ranks are holding an emergency meeting.”
She held up three fingers.
“One. Those who want to clear the Tower before the Master gets there.
Two. Those who want things to stay as they are but hope the Master never comes to their country.
Three.”
“People like us who want the Master gone?”
“Correct.”
She wiggled her third finger before rolling up her left sleeve.
“People like us don’t get along with that honorable gentleman from the so-called Land of Courtesy.”
Her arm was covered in needle marks—just like the military woman’s.
“So, what do we do? Just sit back and watch the Master clear Towers? Or do we—like those guys—plan to stab them in the back inside the Tower?”
“To do that, we first need to figure out which S-rank Tower the Master is targeting next. And since others also know that, they’re deploying multiple planes.”
The suited woman scrolled through her phone with a deep frown.
“…I’m certain one of those three planes has the Master on board.”
“And if not?”
“Even then, one of those three locations will be their destination.”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“If we’re going to take action inside the Tower, we just need to find out which one they’re heading to.”
“Yeah. Let’s show them—America has plenty of its own villains.”
* * *
Four planes soared through U.S. airspace.
Each belonged to the Army, Navy, and Air Force, all deploying their latest transport aircraft to different locations.
Why?
‘Just for show.’
Under the president’s orders, each military branch was displaying its most advanced transport aircraft in flight.
The official pretext? Something akin to an Armed Forces Day event.
A demonstration of the latest weaponry and equipment to boost military pride.
Newly introduced fighter jets roared through the skies, special forces moved in perfect formations, and—
A battleship emerged through a gate in the middle of a public road.
‘Ugh, my head…’
A brief headache struck, but the official reason remained unchanged.
And the real reason?
–Correct! It’s a smokescreen to prevent others from figuring out which S-rank Tower the Master will target next!
‘Wrong.’
If anyone had answered that, I would’ve flatly told them they were mistaken.
Why?
‘Because the official reason is the real reason.’
In other words, this was nothing more than a military flex by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force.
A demonstration, sanctioned by the president, showing how each branch operates when tasked with transporting an S-rank Hunter.
“Right, Kiharu?”
“You dismiss your own thoughts as ‘wrong’ and then ask for my opinion?”
“…A goddess like you should be able to read my mind, right?”
“I have no interest in reading minds. But if you’re asking whether they will see through the deception—”
“What was my question?”
“Whether they will realize this is a decoy operation.”
“…That’s true.”
Guuuuung…
Three airships appeared on Illinois’ screen.
Each military transport was heading toward their designated S-rank Towers: Delicate Arch, Devil’s Tower, and the Statue of Liberty.
And near those locations…
“Kiharu. No matter how many soldiers are stationed near an S-rank Tower, do you think they can actually stop a Hunter from entering?”
“They can’t.”
The army and police had already taken positions at each site, controlling the civilian population.
But the only ones they could stop were ordinary people—those who might hesitate to enter the Tower out of fear for their own lives.
They couldn’t physically stop those who had to enter, no matter the cost.
Even if some of the security personnel were Hunters themselves.
“It’s impossible. If it were, then—well, not just because it’s Korea, but Elaine should’ve been stopped when she raided the S-rank Tower in Mungyeong.”
If an unspecified number of A-rank or even S-rank Hunters suddenly barged into an ongoing raid on an S-rank Tower, would there be a way to stop them—either inside or outside?
Technically, yes.
An S-rank Hunter could stand guard at the entrance.
But Tower entrances were often much wider than expected, and while that one S-rank was busy holding someone off, others could just slip in.
A question.
Who would?
“Kiharu. If someone barges into our S-rank Tower raid without permission, are they an ally or an enemy?”
“Better to call them an enemy.”
“Why?”
“Because if they were an ally, that just means they’re a reckless idiot.”
“That’s… fair.”
There were many different kinds of people.
Some didn’t want the S-rank Tower to be cleared at all.
Some wanted it cleared, but only by an American S-rank, not by the Master.
Some simply found the Master’s growing influence in America… inconvenient.
“If it’s some ‘pure-blooded American’ nationalist crap—‘America’s problems should be solved by Americans!’—I could at least understand that much.
But this is different.”
On the smartphone screen, red dots flickered near the location Kiharu and I were heading to.
“According to the data Drei sent over, non-registered Hunters—so-called villains—are gathering near the Tower.”
“Why would they?”
“Who knows? Maybe some idiot thinks I stole their Summoner.”
“If that’s the reason, then it’s the dumbest one possible, but also the most believable.
Even if the Master is someone protecting the world.”
“…That’s unexpected.”
I scratched Kiharu’s head as she stood on my shoulder.
“I thought you hated people like that?”
“I do. But that doesn’t mean I want the world to be destroyed.”
“Then, who do you hate most?”
“Hmm…”
Kiharu grinned as she stared at the smartphone screen.
“Maybe the type who thinks killing the Master will throw the world into chaos and bring it closer to destruction— The kind of people who want to plunge humanity into despair?”
There were always people like that.
Not ones who used their powers for personal gain, like wealth or fame—
But those who actively used their strength to create chaos, to bring about destruction.
And I figured…
This was a good chance to clean some of them up.
“Alright. Time to dive.”
In one hand, the smartphone.
With the other—
Clank!
I opened the airplane hatch.
A violent gust of wind rushed in.
Below, from the airship hovering over the Tower, I could see the swarm of people gathered below.
WOOOOAAAHHH!!
I could hear them.
Thanks to my Hunter hearing.
The cheers of the gathered crowd, forming a ring around the Devil’s Tower.
“What are you waiting for? Not jumping?”
“…Tch.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“Kiharu. Let me ask you something.”
I tightened my grip on the smartphone.
“When you eat bunggeoppang—do you start from the head or the tail?”
“……”
“…No, never mind. Doesn’t matter.”
The calculations were already done.
“I’ve dropped from 75,000 meters before. This is nothing.”
“…Anyone listening would think you actually jumped yourself.”
* * *
[Ground Level – Near Devil’s Tower]
“Aah! Over there!!”
The sky.
The hatch of the U.S. Navy transport plane C-2 opened, and a lone figure appeared.
“Th-That’s…?”
“What kind of outfit is that…?”
“A suit…?”
Of all things, a young man in a white suit, gripping nothing but a smartphone.
“What is he—?”
Ta-at.
The young man leaped from the aircraft.
No parachute.
No safety gear.
Just clutching his smartphone in both hands—
“What is he doing while falling…?”
As if he were playing a game.
