#171
Kyushu Crisis (3)
The Hahoe Mask tracking team from Japan seemed like a formidable opponent right from the start, as if they had assembled with a specific purpose in mind.
All of the dozens of members appeared elite, showing no significant intimidation even in the face of Hans’ intimidation. Five of them, including the man who shouted a technique name, were skilled enough to hold their ground against the barbarian warrior Harley.
Moreover, the combat power of a man who appeared to be the government’s representative along with a female guardian leading them was comparable to that of Colonel Conwell of the Empire’s elite paladin corps.
‘It seems like that old man has become the standard for combat power every time.’
Of course, that didn’t mean the level of those awakened ones was the same as his.
They had the distinctive unique skills inherent to each of them, allowing them to inflate their combat power.
If we were to categorize their ranks, they would likely be at the very top along with Harley.
And that statement would soon imply…
“Cough!”
“What kind of monster…”
It meant they couldn’t block Hahoe Mask and Hans’ path themselves.
Kuhuhuhu— Indeed, this has been quite the amusing diversion. Although you’re still far from being able to stand against me!
The ninja-clad woman, racing across space and unleashing all sorts of bizarre attacks, was ensnared by the threads of the abyss densely woven in the air.
The muscular man, charging in as if ignoring all attacks, finally knelt due to the overwhelming firepower of the black magic that relentlessly battered him.
As the intense battle raged on, the two leaders finally joined the fray amid the scattered bodies.
Now, the only ones left were…
Kraaang—!
At that moment, a sudden ambush that had not been suspected until the attack was detected by Hans’ abyss and returned as a dud.
“Cough! Damn it!”
The young swordsman in his twenties, who had given him a deep impression at first.
Disappointingly, he had seemingly accepted his situation, having stopped shouting technique names after the initial few attempts.
It felt a bit uncomfortable, almost as if he were watching a younger generation concede their dreams, settling into the reality.
[Death’s Grip.]
Kwank!
“Gak!”
Of course, that didn’t mean he would go easy on them.
Also, it was hardly a crucial issue that he looked the youngest among those present.
‘What matters is that I’ve finally taken down all these annoying fellows.’
It took longer than expected to subdue them without killing.
They were merely fulfilling their duties according to orders, so he couldn’t just go around slaughtering them because they were bothersome, could he?
That would only tarnish the integrity of Hahoe Mask.
‘I had planned to finish everything and leave Kyushu today, but I’ve wasted time on unnecessary matters.’
Still, there was only one goal left, so it wasn’t too late.
Finally moving to the outskirts of the battlefield, he contacted the barrier surrounding the area.
It seemed they had activated the barrier at the moment of the ambush, and surprisingly, it had held up until now without breaking.
Before breaking through, Hans glanced back.
Groaning and sprawled out were the awakened ones.
For a moment, he watched their state before…
Huh— that was somewhat entertaining. Well then, I shall take my leave. This time I helped you with your duties, but from now on, do well on your own, alright? Hehe!
Leaving behind what could be seen as genuine encouragement, he broke through the barrier and soared into the sky.
Worried that his tone might have sounded mocking, he thought the sincere message would surely get through.
His feelings would have been conveyed adequately.
Thus, flipping the awakened ones’ costumes upside down, he quickly moved toward his target.
However, not everything would go as he wished…
As somewhat expected, there was no one left at their hideout.
‘Well, no matter how many barriers there were, with a fight raging so close by, it would be unreasonable for anyone to still be around.’
The conflict between an unidentified reaper, who had become a prime target in the criminal underworld while hunting down criminals, and the awakened ones, who were their natural enemies, happened right outside.
It was only natural for them to seize the chance to escape quickly.
These were individuals who fundamentally operated undercover.
‘This is troublesome. I wanted to finish processing things as quickly as possible. Tracking down these scattered fellows one by one would take too long. Should I just let them go?’
After all, he had come here with the intention of only lightly skimming over the bigger fish in Japan.
Being tied down because of a single organization seemed unnecessary, so it would be much more efficient to move on to the neighboring islands of Shikoku or Honshu.
‘Since there could be a similar situation again, I need to widen my operational area going forward, though it might be a bit more cumbersome. With the Eye of the Abyss, finding careless targets shouldn’t be too difficult.’
Due to the nature of underground organizations, it was challenging to wipe out the leadership all at once, but having the Eye of the Abyss to sense unclean forces and evil deeds was a significant aid in this situation.
Combining information gleaned from taking down other organizations with this skill allowed for nearly perfect identification.
Given the current lack of circumstances to set up extensive surveillance like in Korea, it was the best ability he could have.
Hmmm, just in case, let’s double-check.
Once again, Hans, whose eyes were filled with the abyss, slowly scanned the area around the hideout.
He began to search for leftover traces connected to abilities like Path of Sorcery and Magic Domination.
However, even while investigating, he wasn’t holding out much hope.
Although they were less formidable than Hans, they were still survival specialists who had managed to thrive in their respective worlds, and they had built a considerable force after returning to Earth.
They must have been prepared with special means to erase traces, especially with the diverse skills gathered from numerous worlds, making it difficult to overcome simply with a gap in power.
Yet.
As he thought so…
‘…Could this be?’
He paused, struck by a certain trace left in the now empty hideout, and scanned the surroundings again.
It seemed an attempt had been made to cover up traces, and faint remnants were left behind, barely noticeable unless one were him.
‘There are many scattered, but most are just lowly grunts. Those deeply steeped in evil have likely moved together. Could they be the executives?’
The Eye of the Abyss absorbed light from the surroundings, extracting usable information from the fragmented traces, and all of Hans’ various abilities quickly analyzed it.
Once again, the same conclusion emerged.
‘Shall we go take a look?’
Just as he was about to give up, a clue popped up, and Hans immediately moved in that direction.
If he had left there without checking, he would have felt uneasy regardless, but now that he had a chance to handle the executives neatly, there was no reason to hesitate.
‘Is this their base? How typical.’
Following the traces led him to a small building located in the mountains near the city where the hideout was.
It seemed to be private property, as the only presence he could sense inside the cabin was from the ones he had been following; no other human energy was felt in the vicinity.
‘No need to wait any longer. Let’s finish up quickly and move on to the next area. I’ll start from Hiroshima…’
However, at the moment Hans was about to enter the place where they were hiding, along with his plans for the future.
‘Hmm?’
His keen senses detected something amiss.
Something different began to stir at his instincts, provoking an alert response.
Crack—
Simultaneously, a slight rupture sound reached his ears, and he reacted at the sudden abnormality.
Gooooo—!
Black magic flared up like flames across Hans’ entire body, and the surrounding air plummeted to subzero temperatures in contrast.
The rushing abyss coiled around him, baring its fangs in every direction, instantly shrouding the scenery like it was covered by a filter in darkness.
It was a change carried out in the blink of an eye.
And finally…
Crack— clink!
With the sound of something shattering, all surrounding space, including heaven and earth, broke apart like glass.
Moreover, beyond that space…
A group of nearly thirty individuals in flawless combat stance glared at him with piercing intensity.
[…This is space, isn’t it? Was it a trap?]
Hans, unable to sense the abnormality beforehand, clicked his tongue when he let his magic flow through to check the space.
This distorted environment, still riddled with ruptures, was not simply a barrier.
It was a closed world with all connections to the outside cut off.
This place was little different from his demon king castle, the Eternal Labyrinth.
In other words, unless one had the power to deal with the conjurer or manipulate dimensions, it was a trap from which escape was impossible.
He heightened his senses again to track the ones in the cabin, where he had followed the traces.
Indeed, they remained unmoving in their spot amid the chaos.
‘The individuals who just appeared seem to have brought them here as bait. Did they pull the entire area in as a signal for my arrival? Such a level of spatial manipulation ability…’
Initially, when he first picked up the traces and started tracking, he had considered the possibility, but confident that any traps they set would be in vain, he dismissed the notion.
Although he hadn’t expected it to be quite this substantial.
“Truly… I thought saying the mere existence of a demon king was nonsense, but it seems there’s some merit to it.”
“Crazy, is that the time to ramble so calmly? Just revealing your presence this way forced the phenomenon!”
“…Um, is this really okay? He’s giving off the aura of a demon king, not just something transformed into an undead…!”
“@#$%#! %$#!”
“Quit the fuss. This was anticipated.”
This unlikely world, from what he could sense, seemed to feature one of their unique skills.
Having sorted things out to a certain extent, Hans arrogantly directed his words toward them.
Those who were on alert, exchanging thoughts among themselves, abruptly fell silent, and soon afterward, they each raised their spirits and muttered words.
“…You’ve been generous enough to wait while we converse. It seems you possess the true qualities of a demon king.”
“Stop babbling. They probably needed time to gauge the situation too.”
“Tch, we originally planned to ambush you the moment we could draw you in. But your response was too quick, and we missed our timing.”
A man in a suit, appearing to be their leader with a cold demeanor, clicked his tongue while observing the abyss that enveloped Hans.
Merely gazing at that which writhed like it possessed consciousness exuded a deadly aura that made them unable to recklessly move.
“It doesn’t matter what the identity of Hahoe Mask is now.”
However, after setting up such a stage, it was not possible for them to withdraw at this point.
Moreover, the sheer strength of the Buncheon Society gathered in this place was simply beyond imagination just because they were reluctant.
They were joined by those whom it wouldn’t be surprising to call emperors of the night from their respective regions, along with reinforcements from China, no less.
It was absurd to be intimidated despite having such power.
“…We can simply check his corpse after killing him.”
“Hmm, well. That was exactly our intention for coming here.”
“Ugh… I’m still feeling a bit anxious, though…”
“@#%$$%#!”
Thus, the suited man was boldly able to declare.
This very place would mark the end of Hahoe Mask, the one who had disturbed their organization’s plans.
Hmmm… It definitely feels like a bit too much for a combined gift set. I can’t get a grasp on what additional abilities they might possess, so I’m uncertain. I’ll have to fight to know for sure.
Of course, to Hans, this was just barking from a dog.
Even if they were a genuine threat putting him in a troublesome situation, spatial discontinuity and all that meant nothing to him at all, right?
Hehehe— Your bravado is noteworthy. Let us see just how long you can maintain that attitude against me!
Originally, Hans was a character who never spoke weakly.
