#172
Kyushu Crisis (4)
A hillside covered with a fantastical boundary like shattered glass.
Ku-gu-gu-kung—!
In the center, a thunderous sound echoed through the world.
At the same time, a terrifying wave of destruction shook everything around, but at this point, it was hardly surprising.
The ground was unrecognizable, riddled with cracks and craters as if it had been bombed.
The remnants of trees and rocks, uprooted and thrown about, laid scattered, revealing the scene of devastation.
Given the state of everything around, it was to be expected that the small lodge nearby had long vanished without a trace.
Along with the poor bait trapped inside.
“Kwoorrrk!”
Kwaaaang—!
At that moment, with a fierce sound of tearing, a monster over three meters tall with metal-like muscles crashed down from the hill behind.
True to its form, it seemed sturdy and came rushing out after a brief moment, but it stumbled as if the accumulated shock had taken its toll, soon spitting up a bowl of black blood.
[“Damn it! Is the support not working properly? I almost died!”]
[“Wh-what are you talking about? You’re still alive because I supported you!”]
[“Ugh, stop the chatter and recover! This isn’t the time for dramatics!”]
[“Dramatics? What nonsense!”]
A brief commotion erupted over the mental network set up for quick communication, but they soon reformed their lines and combined their strength to hunt the Demon King that had descended into the world.
Most of them were not ones to work cooperatively, but the extensive experience gained during their journeys was enough to make such trivial issues manageable.
“Hooop!”
With tremendous regeneration and assistance from those around, the metal Demon, ‘Tank,’ took a deep breath and then leaped again like a missile.
Moving at an absurdly supersonic speed.
Ku-gu-gu-kung!
In an instant, the air in its path burst apart, creating a massive backlash.
It was a destructive charge that could pulverize anything standing in its way based on overwhelming physical power.
Kwaaang!
However, this massive weapon failed to achieve its target once again and had to come to a halt mid-charge.
“Kugh! Damn it, this crap sucks!”
It was as if the abyss embodied in solid form ignored the laws of physics, roughly shaking as it absorbed the impact, and soon it began to creep inside Tank’s body.
Although he had transcendent durability and magical resistance, the strange energy slowly started to eat away at him, unlike regular magic.
[“Ugh! Hurry with the support! This nasty stuff is penetrating my magical resistance!”]
But the Buncheon Society, which had come prepared, was not just passively enduring.
“O mighty Muriel, shine your glory upon us!”
A twilight light burst forth from a shy-looking woman providing support from the back.
The foreboding energy of the abyss was momentarily reduced as it met the holy power of the so-called ‘Saintess’ and failed to penetrate Tank’s magical resistance.
Of course, it only weakened it slightly; it wasn’t fully stopped by her abilities, but those present were capable enough to make good use of even the small openings created.
Kwa-kwang!
Ku-woong—!
Violent explosions erupted from all directions, above and below.
The elites of the Buncheon Society launched unceasing attacks in rapid succession based on their numbers, while Ha-Hoe-Tal countered with overwhelming firepower that swiftly shifted through space.
As if they had an infinite amount of magic.
“… I never thought I’d see the Demon King here too. How is he wielding such power in a human form…”
Muttering quietly, the Saintess was channeling her holy power to assist in the combat when she suddenly stiffened from a chilling sensation.
The moment she looked at Ha-Hoe-Tal to pinpoint its position.
Her eyes met that abyss-like gaze, one she didn’t know had been watching her all along.
The instant her body froze in front of the stare filled with the magic of the abyss, it was but a fleeting moment.
Jjeojjeok—!
In this battlefield, a brief moment of vulnerability was enough time for a life to be lost.
Kwa-deuk!
Sharp teeth sprang up from the ground beneath the Saintess, instantly tearing through space and whisking her away into the earth below.
As if nothing had happened at all, the place was left utterly empty without a trace.
Few were able to react to that sudden ambush, and sadly, she was not among them.
But that meant—
It was not that there were no one able to react—
“Ugh… Thank you. I almost died for real…”
From the rear, next to a suited man, the Saintess, without a single wound, wiped the cold sweat off her pale face.
Hmm—.
This time, Ha-Hoe-Tal’s displeased gaze shifted toward him.
Even while moving through the battlefield and facing nearly thirty powerful foes, surrounded by dozens of magic circles.
‘Impressive.’
The suited man, responsible for the Tokyo branch of the Buncheon Society, kept his tension while expertly manipulating his energy, secretly admiring his opponent.
His unique skill, “Administrator of the Small World,” was not just about isolating the surroundings.
That was only the most basic application, as the interior was wholly under his management.
Of course, he was only an ‘administrator’ and not a god, so he couldn’t manipulate the world at will, but with just a fraction of his authority, he could accomplish many things.
He could even partially disregard the rule of law imposed by Earth.
‘And yet, that’s the extent of it.’
With a flick of his fingers, the suited man traversed space, and the Administrator clicked his tongue.
Hwa-ru-rrk—
The spot he had just occupied was already engulfed in black flames, melting down into magma.
‘Even with my powers intentionally restricted, that’s the level of capability. No joke, if not for this place, we might have been wiped out instead.’
There was a reason Yul Ryeong-ja had strongly urged caution.
At that time, he thought it was just some unnecessary fuss from a human who didn’t fight, but…
‘But this is my world now. Ha-Hoe-Tal, you will never escape from here.’
Restricting the strength of his opponent and enhancing his allies, moving those in danger to safety.
He sensitively sensed everything happening within his domain, slowly adjusting the battlefield.
To more effectively incapacitate his opponent.
*
From the magic circles in an instant poured forth all manner of mysteries.
Lightning and flames, hell and demons, shadows and flashes—regardless of type, they devastated the surroundings in the blink of an eye, showcasing their presence.
However, despite the exhilarating spectacle, the user’s heart was far from settled—
‘How frustrating.’
That thought dominated Hans’s mind as he battled against the Buncheon Society.
‘I assumed they would already be somewhat prepared, but I never expected such forceful restrictions.’
Moreover, restricting his powers was not merely a matter of spatial constraints.
The number of foes that had done their part was staggering; all sorts of skills stacked on top of each other, encumbered his body.
The control of his black magic, which had always flowed smoothly, was now creaking, and the once efficient magical blueprint began to show unnecessary leaks.
You’ve reached your limit here. —it felt like the laws of the world were trying to limit him.
‘And then there are the priests. The holy powers that are oppositional to the abyss, amplified by the spatial constraints, make their effects exponentially stronger.’
If only they had been simply high-level clerics, it would have been easier to deal with them.
But the awakened ones wielding bizarre abilities were not merely determined by that alone.
As the chaotic battles continued, Hans, searching for a solution, suddenly heard something behind him.
“#$%@#.”
Just as an opening appeared, the incomprehensible words echoed.
Oh no!
Thud! Ku-gu-gu-kung—!
With a single hit, dozens of shocks overlapped.
Reacting swiftly, Hans turned around to do something, but right as the already weakened barrier from defending against the enemy’s attacks finally broke apart—
Flowing black magic was going to restore it when—
A dazzling fist imbued with holy power slammed deeply into his solar plexus.
Kwa-deuk!
Kwaaang!
Hans’s body was sent flying far away by the strong shockwave.
But the expression of the middle-aged man in the martial uniform who delivered the hit was grim as well.
“#*%^&···.”
Hwa-ru-rrk—
The fist, wrapped in holy power, was instead contaminated by the abyss and ultimately sought him out, triggering a curse that wrapped around his entire body.
Hup!
Although he forcefully expelled the remnants of the abyss with a strong surge of energy afterward, he still couldn’t hide the look of despair on his face.
[Hoo, indeed, they’re troublesome foes.]
Meanwhile, Hans, who took the hit, had already restored his barrier and appeared almost flawless, leaving doubt as to whether he had even been harmed.
But that didn’t mean he was completely unharmed…
Thanks to the ‘undying’ effect attached to the “Heart of the Undying,” he recovered quickly, but being attacked in a space mixed with opposing holy power was steadily nibbling away at his strength.
Indeed, he needed to hastily devise a countermeasure before things worsened.
If damage kept accumulating like this, ultimately, there would be no option left but to flee.
‘That’s impossible. Unless I let those who fled off the hook. This is Hans; I refuse to run!’
It wasn’t merely a matter of Ha-Hoe-Tal.
The fear of Auterica… and the pride of the ‘Undead King’ were on the line, a deed that he simply could not tolerate.
‘Other things aside, it’s indeed the spatial constraints that annoy me the most. If not for this defining limitation of my strength, I could shake off the other debuffs somehow.’
Additionally, it was a major issue that the suited man was preventing him from properly finishing off the enemies.
So far, the only ones he had taken out were the two priests who had initially let their guard down and a trio that lacked skill.
After that, the suited man had focused on protecting his allies, thus preventing him from dealing with more foes.
‘No matter how I think about it, breaking this space is the best course. But they won’t let that happen easily.’
To destroy this space would require a force capable of interfering with dimensions, and naturally, he couldn’t use such magic without any preparation.
While engaged in relentless exchanges, it was simply impossible.
‘While pouring the higher energy of the abyss into the boundary might be possible… still, they seem particularly focused on restraining that sort of attack.’
The longer he stayed within this realm, the more the constraints imposed on him became delicately attuned to his actions.
It was no longer just degrading Hans as an individual’s strength; now, they were starting to impose restrictions on the very concept of “the unknown energy utilized by Ha-Hoe-Tal.”
If he had acted promptly when the opponent was unable to ascertain his identity, there might have been a chance.
With the abyss’s effectiveness dwindling now that it was subject to restrictions, he found it increasingly difficult to break the boundaries.
However.
There’s no such thing as perfect in the original world, and every situation has its flaws.
The foe is recognizing the abyss through me and thereby suppressing it. Hence, as long as I am not the entity handling the abyss, it should be possible.
A presence that was connected but not him.
A being strong enough to withstand concentrated abyss energy.
While continuing the battle, Hans poured black magic and abyss energy into his “Heart of the Undying,” without stopping, compressing it densely.
Although the numbers of enemies hitting him gradually increased through the process, he was an undying body that wouldn’t die as long as his heart didn’t shatter.
And to break his heart, they too had no choice but to unleash dimension-breaking attacks…
It was, in a sense, a battle he could never lose.
But.
Simply being unable to lose wasn’t enough.
What suited Hans was only victory!
And the only thing that could truly represent him was ‘overwhelming victory!’
[Kuhuhut— Indeed, impressive. Then I cannot simply sit idly by!]
“What trick are you trying to pull!”
“Don’t let your guard down! Hold your formation!”
The “Heart of the Undying” throbbed wildly, finally transcending its limit.
Hans summoned an undead who was closely intertwined with him.
[Come forth, Heratos.]
Gul-lung—
A Bone Dragon created from the body of the Madness-tainted dragon, Heratos.
Unlike Entrasio, because Hans himself took on the role of the Dragon Heart, this creature had the drawback of reduced independence.
But that meant—
On the contrary, its subordination was superior to that of any undead.
Flap— flap—
[Kiyaaaaa——!]
Emerging at Hans’s feet, Heratos flew upwards with him on its head, its entire body already filled with the extremely compressed power of the abyss.
While the impact was steadily causing its body to collapse, it was still of dragon’s flesh, enough to endure for a moment.
“What?!”
“What is that monster! How did it get to Earth!”
“Wait! Right there…!”
One of the Buncheon members pointed at the dragon’s mouth.
Having already been devouring abyss and black magic through its heart even before its summoning.
Even though it had just been summoned, the power in its mouth was swirling as if on the verge of bursting forth.
“Administrator! Hurry up and—!”
“Ugh, it’s already too late…!”
Finally, that power—
Unleashed in the form of a dragon’s breath, before the other awakened ones could do anything.
Gu-gu-gu-kung—!
Kwaaaang—!
“Kugh! Fall back! Don’t engage, retreat!”
“Mur… Muriel! Protect your servant!”
“Mission aborted! The space is collapsing! Right now…”
In a frantic rush, a flurry of urgent voices erupted both over the mental network and vocally.
[Kuhuhahat— Ah, now I feel a bit refreshed! Yes, this is it! Kuhahad!]
Finally, the ‘Small World’ that surrounded the hillside collapsed.
Hans, Heratos, and the Buncheon members revealed their forms in the southern hillside of Kyushu.
On a hill located not far from the city, where Hans had aimed the underground organization’s lodge.
“Oh, oh? What… what is that?! A monster?!”
“Oh, mom! Mom!”
“Kyaah—! What is the Guardian doing?!”
Against the backdrop of the citizens’ screams in chaos, the moment the otherworldly Bone Dragon—unexpected by anyone—descended upon Earth’s skyline.
