As the Executioner began clashing head-on with the man in the lion mask,
“Oracle, we have a problem here.”
Nagaraja, the Southeast Asia branch head of the Buncheon Society, spoke urgently while attempting to communicate with the outside.
Though the spatial barricade here was powerful enough to block all communications, it was possible because there were already ways around it established by the Buncheon Society, the entity behind the spell.
“Hmm, I checked too. The flow of causality is going wild. They must have stirred up quite a ruckus, but exactly what happened?”
“Of course! The Masquerade bastards crashed in here. There are precisely four of them.”
“Four? Well, that’s within the expected range, but…”
“Three of them are estimated to be at a similar level as the Executioner.”
“…Huh?”
Oracle couldn’t help but go silent at Nagaraja’s following words.
The Executioner was recognized as the strongest in terms of raw power, even inside their organization, excluding the Head of the Buncheon Society.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was the second-in-command of the Buncheon Society.
There were others with equally remarkable abilities, such as Oracle, who oversaw the organization while maintaining an undercover status, or the Doctor, who possessed technological prowess far beyond worldly knowledge with complex spells and dimensional creations.
However, even those individuals could only acknowledge his unmatched raw power, which was precisely why he went by the alias “Executioner.”
He was the blade that had been sent to eliminate those who opposed the Buncheon Society instead of the Head, who couldn’t move freely.
In fact, the disaster that the Burning Flame experienced was merely a repetition of events that had already occurred several times worldwide.
“Do you know what’s even more shocking? Two of them are the Hero from another world we knew about and the Vampire Phantom.”
“…Were they at that level? That can’t be…”
“No need to think too hard. Do you understand why I contacted you so urgently?”
Just as Oracle was lost in thought due to the disparity from the information collected so far, Nagaraja decisively cut through it.
This was just the introduction; now he was getting to the real purpose for contacting.
“If this continues, everyone here is going to die.”
So, if you don’t want to see a funeral parade, do something about it quickly.
In simpler terms, he was asking to be saved.
“…Got it. Just hang in there a bit longer. I’ll do something right away.”
Of course, this was a story Oracle could not just brush off.
The personnel dispatched were all high-level members that the Buncheon Society couldn’t afford to lose.
Especially the Executioner and the upper Transcendent Nagaraja were individuals they needed to recover at all costs.
“Ah.”
However, what came out as a response was not a sigh of relief.
It was an involuntary, soft groan that slipped from her lips.
“…What now?”
“Hmm…”
The moment Oracle sensed something was wrong, an overwhelming sight before her eyes rendered Nagaraja speechless.
“…Whatever you’re about to do, I hope you do it quickly.”
Light surged in like a tidal wave, as if declaring a sanctuary in this space.
The Holy Power enveloped the injured executives of the Burning Flame, aiding in their recovery, while it descended upon the members of the Buncheon Society, creating a burdening oppressive force.
Zhaaa—
Standing at the center of this miracle, a being emitting a tremendous presence sharply pierced her vision.
“…Otherwise, everyone will be done for before you can even act.”
This was a presence she had encountered several times while in the branch head position.
But the angel, unlike the familiar sunset glow, was clad in a dawn-like platinum light as it raised the sword of condemnation high.
It wasn’t just anyone; it was staring right at them.
*
A middle-aged man with a short beard, the leader of the Burning Flame, the Führer.
A Mimic from the Buncheon Society, sharing the same face, frowned deeply.
‘This is dangerous.’
The Executioner was clearly on the offensive.
If things continued like this, it might take some time, but victory was ultimately within reach.
However, what was concerning was that the intruder wasn’t just one enemy; there were more.
“Hmm, so it was the Mimic, right? …I see. Seems like he hasn’t completely fallen yet.”
After locking eyes with him, the words that sprang from the enemy’s mouth made the Mimic flinch.
The golden eyes, shining like they contained the sun, pierced through him while standing against multiple Transcendents without showing the slightest hint of disturbance.
‘Damn it, I thought things were going well! How did they know?!’
With the core directly hit, the Mimic gritted his teeth.
He was sure he had hidden it quite well so it wouldn’t show outwardly!
It had all been going smoothly, simply following the Oracle’s summons and carrying out the mission without much thought.
In fact, the role he had taken on was something he found quite satisfying.
Thanks to it, he could swallow the Führer, who was undeniably powerful, whole!
The ability to absorb the existence of others, taking everything they had built until now to imitate them.
That was the unique skill that had allowed him to cross over the wall of transcending.
‘Ugh, that wretched Holy Power has only increased my resistance!’
Of course, there were limitations to such an outrageous ability.
The time it took to fully digest was considerable, and if he didn’t have the prerequisites of overpowering the subject he was absorbing, the failure rate drastically increased.
‘Damn it, right now of all times… Stay still!’
This time, with the help of other Transcendents, he could successfully absorb, but since he had merely added his spoon to the Executioner’s catch, he was now experiencing considerable difficulty digesting a target of higher rank.
At this rate, it would probably take him several years to fully digest.
He thought that since the power mobilized for this operation was so powerful, especially with the notorious Executioner around, there would be no need for him to step in with force himself.
“Odd, I was feeling a bit off until now, but now it’s turned out well. If the leader returns, the Burning Flame might be a bit more useful.”
With the shining Light Sword in his hand, he was staring at him with daggers in his eyes, ready to cut him open alive—.
Facing an angel whose gaze smelled of blood rather than holiness, Heinrich realized that it wasn’t the time to entertain such naive thoughts.
Boom—!
Rather, as he watched the massive pillar of light hurtling toward him, survival instinct surged to the forefront.
If he didn’t do something right away, everything would come to an end.
“Establish isolation zone! Reinforced barrier! Block communication! Response field… Cough!”
Even after mobilizing all means he had stolen from numerous powerful beings, the defenses were crumbling helplessly, leaving the Mimic gasping.
While doing so, the more he used his power, the stronger the internal resistance became, making it impossible to concentrate on either side.
“Coordinate designation, energy amplification, surrogate barrier deployment!”
“No one shall breach me, Absolute Shield!”
“Trap card activated—Infinite Mirror Hall.”
The only reason he was holding on at all was that everyone fighting alongside him were top-tier experts even on Earth.
Furthermore, the mystic powers derived from various worlds interlinked and optimized for maximum efficiency had practically become the Buncheon Society’s specialty.
Crack!
Yet their breathing wasn’t limited to merely defense.
A giant’s hand bursting forth from the ground shook the tip of the light-filled sword, gravity fell from the sky, widening the gap, and a spearhead slithered like a snake, rushing toward vulnerable spots.
“Indeed….”
Even Heinrich couldn’t help but express sincere admiration for the combination.
Despite the clear disparity in levels, they weren’t collapsing easily.
No matter what anyone said, they had all overcome life-threatening hells and reached the realm of transcendence.
All of them were heroes of one world, and beings threatening disaster to the realm.
“Above all, the fact that my experience is minimal compared to theirs is noteworthy.”
Unlike Heinrich, who had rapidly reached his current level in a safe environment due to a mix of luck and tricks, all of them had repeated life-risking training and actual battles for at least a decade.
They were veterans of battle, used to squeezing their abilities to the very limit.
It wasn’t surprising that they were able to put up such a fight against him, who alone lacked experience despite overflowing potential.
‘…Well, good. This could serve as an opportunity.’
Heinrich’s gaze cooled.
His breath slowed, and his senses heightened; everything around him began to come within reach.
And now, rather than simply suppressing with power, he started to comprehend and analyze the meanings behind each of their actions, seeking “answers.”
‘Thinking about it, there couldn’t be a better teaching material than this. It would also be beneficial when facing the Head of the Buncheon Society.’
That was the same reason Harley insisted on one-on-one combat with the Executioner.
In the end, he had been so focused on efficiency that he hadn’t prioritized bringing out the potential of each individual to its fullest.
In such a state, merely concentrating on forcibly increasing capabilities would only lead to becoming a useless being with just size.
That change in mindset quickly began to manifest in reality.
Nagaraja, the head of the Buncheon Society’s East Asia branch, who was leading the battle against the angels, had a stiffened expression.
‘Crazy, this is nonsensical…!’
The numerous gaps that had previously existed compared to the opponent’s power were being patched up rapidly in real-time.
An attack that had worked once was ineffective the second time.
Even the counterattacks based on him were thoroughly blocked the next moment.
He was absorbing the very best strategies he had devised in order to withstand this powerful foe, adapting them to himself at an astounding speed.
Was this a life-and-death battle or debugging an error? It was getting hard to tell.
As others began to realize what was happening, shadows started to drift over their faces.
‘Cough, no matter how high the rank is, learning ability must still matter!’
The more time passed, the worse it became.
Previously, the main focus was fixing the gaps they pointed out, but now, conversely, he was in a position where he had to somehow provide answers to their questions.
The number of opponents was like a series of questions.
How should I respond to this attack? How about when they come at me like that?
If they bypass my response, how can I defend more efficiently?
“Cough! D-Damn it…!”
The relentless escalating exchange of attacks finally led to the Mimic, who had been desperately holding on while bearing the constraints, being the first to collapse.
Blood poured from his mouth as his body crumbled under the pressure, something bulging grotesquely within him started to tear itself apart, as though something was about to burst from inside.
It was a scene ripped straight from a horror movie.
‘First, I need to recover him.’
Once the separation process finishes, both sides would be left vulnerable.
It wouldn’t be bad to lend a bit of Holy Power for this preparation.
The Mimic didn’t concern him, but the Führer was a vital asset, a sturdy ally against the Buncheon Society.
Woosh—
Three pairs of wings unfurled wide, sweeping the area with dazzling light.
And in the next instant.
The Mimic, who had been sprawled out among the enemy, was now in Heinrich’s grasp.
Naturally, the Buncheon Society’s side wouldn’t remain idle, but it held little significance.
In a situation where one member had already broken away from the struggle, it was impossible to protect the opponent they had to defend against in addition to this.
Yet as Heinrich pumped Holy Power into the Mimic, he realized there was more to it than that.
‘Huh? This is….’
In the process of infusing Holy Power, Heinrich felt some unnatural flow, causing his eyes to narrow.
Some unidentified force helping him separate intact from the Mimic.
As his senses reached out, he tracked down its source.
And what he found at the end was—.
‘An? This sensation… I see. It feels similar to when the space was torn, and I came in here. Did I use this method back then too?’
It was An, standing among the injured executives, managing to regain her composure thanks to Heinrich’s intervention.
Using the power she had saved while supporting her party, she timed her ability’s manifestation perfectly.
The effect was immediate.
“Ugh— Gaaaah—!”
Failure to manifest an ability beyond limits always comes with commensurate backlash.
If there’s no backlash or it’s weak, it’s simply because the power has been used entirely within its set limits.
Naturally, this did not apply to the Mimic, who had tried to absorb a being of higher tier without the proper prerequisites, resulting in an intense reaction.
Rip—
The Mimic’s clothing tore apart as if the soul were escaping from the body… or like the human-shaped slime was splitting.
It wasn’t horror movie level of something bursting out alive, but this was far from a common sight.
“Cough, cough!”
Among them, a ghastly thin man, whose age was indeterminate, exhaled harshly.
That was likely the Mimic’s true form.
The mummified visage that had lost most of its nutrients to others seemed to testament that.
And the other one was…
“Freddy!”
A voice echoed from behind.
…That must surely be the true form of the Führer.
Heinrich couldn’t help but be thrown off by the bizarre situation.
‘Huh? For real?’
The burly middle-aged man with a full beard was nowhere to be seen, and in his place was a healthy-looking beauty lying on the ground.
Barely clothed, just like the Mimic.
‘She was a woman? No, the Führer Freddie was a man… Wait a minute. Freddy?’
Suddenly, An’s shout flitted through his mind.
It recalled what she had asked just after the arrival of the Buncheon Society.
“Isn’t the Führer—Freddy—what happened to him?”
‘Back then, I thought she was just panicking and misspoke.’
Could it be that actually was his real name?
As Heinrich glanced down at her with a strange expression, he casually draped a blanket he pulled from the spatial dimension over her and turned his gaze away.
The funny thing was that he wasn’t the only one surprised by this sudden turn of events.
“Eh? Who is that? Where’s the Führer?”
“Isn’t she a real woman? An! What’s going on here?”
“Ugh, the Mimic…! …But is that really the Führer?”
“…No, but did the Mimic not know at all?”
The colleagues of the Burning Flame, excluding An, were obviously perplexed, as were the Transcendents of the Buncheon Society, who had abducted the Führer for disguise.
They all displayed signs of being at a loss in this unexpected situation.
‘Was it a transformation-type unique skill?’
It seemed that due to not being wholly absorbed, even the Mimic did not notice until the end.
Perhaps wearing that false exterior had slowed down the absorption process.
‘Well, no matter what happens, I guess it’s fine.’
As a result, not only had he safely reclaimed the leader of the Burning Flame, an upper Transcendent, but he had also neutralized one of the dangerous elements from the Buncheon Society!
Now the only thing left was to thoroughly deal with the rest of them.
‘Still feels a bit lacking… but I can’t hold on to them forever. There will be chances later on.’
The executives, including An who had approached cautiously, collected the unconscious Führer.
Moreover, Ken, who had kept his distance from the surging Holy Power nearby, and Harris, who was examining the interior, gathered around.
“Now, shall we end this?”
The moment Heinrich raised his sword again as he said that.
Crack—
A fissure opened in the barrier that had thoroughly sealed off this space.
