In a certain mountainous area near Bangladesh.
A man in a ghillie suit, camouflaged by bushes, lay down and took deep breaths.
He then adjusted his gaze to the large sniper rifle in his hand, using his psychic ability.
There it is.
A consciousness moved as if being sucked in through his scope.
It extended to a place several kilometers away, illuminating it perfectly.
Rumble—KABOOM!
It was more than just a visual observation.
The sounds from the location reached him as if he were actually there.
Is it already over?
Buildings collapsed with a thunderous noise, smoke rising into the sky.
The area looked like it had been bombed, completely in ruins.
And the sniper slowly spotted his target emerging from the rubble.
A monster of a guy.
It hadn’t been long since he received news that the creature was approaching its hideout.
Thanks to being on standby, it hadn’t taken long for him to prepare, yet had it all ended already?
Hoo.
He controlled his increasingly rapid heartbeat with deep breaths, calming himself down.
Excitement was poison for a sniper.
Target acquired. I’ll begin the operation right away.
[Are you sure it’s okay? That thing is dangerous. No warrior who has tried to eliminate it has returned unharmed so far.]
Ha! It’s just a single living creature. When life ends, it dies, just like any other.
He communicated with his telepathic partner while pulling something the size of his palm from his pocket.
A large bullet, its body gleaming black with intricate golden patterns.
The sniper slowly loaded it into the massive sniper rifle in his hands.
Naturally, it was anything but a normal gun.
The Giant Slayer, which had shattered countless giant skulls the size of buildings. The highest purity instant-kill bullet that also brought down a Giant Champion. I wonder if you can withstand this?
Due to the rarity of the materials needed for its creation and the complexity of the process, such high-purity bullets had only been used in his dimension during critical moments.
They had allowed humans to establish their territories amidst the waves of giants sweeping across the world.
And the sniper had been the hero who had shot the fearsome existence known as the Giant Champion, saving his nation.
He peered through the scope once more, confirming the target.
…This is intense intimidation. Just observing from this distance…
At the target point, several kilometers away, a large giant was strolling out from the remnants of a completely smashed building.
It referred to itself as the “Lion Mask.”
Its muscular, bare torso was packed with suffocating strength, adorned with tattoos that amplified its ferocity.
Adding a mysterious beast’s head over its own made it seem like the avatar of destruction had descended to the earth.
…I may actually fail.
Even someone who had fought through countless hells couldn’t help but think such a thing.
But he had no intention of backing out now.
The sniper was positioned more than ten kilometers away from the target point.
He was confident he could make a clean getaway before it reached him.
Thump—Thump—
His heartbeat began to slow.
At the same time, the information about the target point became clearer.
From temperature and humidity to atmospheric flow and the target’s movements.
And finally, at the very moment his heart stopped completely.
The bullet was fired from the weapon enhanced by his psychic ability.
The bullet, also influenced by his power, reached the target point in less than a second.
THWUMP—
The Lion Mask staggered from the impact.
Its upper body leaned back as if about to fall.
Though it wasn’t visible, the sniper was confident.
I hit!
He knew his shot had precisely struck the target’s head.
Once it was hit, it was over.
The force of instant death spread from the brain, one of the human body’s most critical organs, permeating throughout the body, irrespective of the target’s almost immortal regeneration powers…
Huh?
But that thought didn’t last long.
As he began to relax, a sigh escaping his lips, his vision captured the scene.
The target slowly rose its upper body.
Crack—crick—
It was chewing on the very bullet he had fired.
A pair of radiant odd eyes turned toward him, as if locking onto his exact position.
Although it was impossible for their gazes to meet at such a distance, the sniper felt a chilling shiver run down his spine.
…Mission failed. My location has been compromised.
[Shit! Retreat immediately! It’s a monster! At that distance, it can reach you in…!]
Loud voices echoed through the telepathy, but the sniper had no time to worry about that.
Did it just intercept that? With its teeth?
The bullet fired from over ten kilometers away at supersonic speeds exceeded Mach 30?
The destructive power within it was more than sufficient to pierce through titanium alloy like paper, but where had all that immense energy gone?
Yet, regardless of the confusion, his body was already fully prepared.
He quickly stored all his gear into the spatial dimension and stood up.
Activating the special jetpack on his back, he glanced at the direction of the target.
It was a far more illogical monster than I expected. No helping it. I’ll just retreat… Huh?
In an instant, his vision was filled with a green glow.
WHOOSH!
His consciousness blanked out entirely.
[…#$%@?!]
Someone urgently tried to connect through the telepathy, but it couldn’t last long before fading into nothingness.
A headless corpse couldn’t receive telepathy.
*
Did I hit it?
With his helmet on, Harley scratched the back of his head while squinting his eyes.
He had thrown the metal he was chewing, but due to the great distance, he couldn’t confirm the hit.
Well, it should be a hit. It bounced back to where it came from.
Using his skill, “Gem Eye: Suppression,” to manipulate the surrounding energy to create a mystery.
It was a power difficult to apply on Earth without any special energy, but the sheer amount of energy contained in the bullet made it easier to manipulate.
After chewing it meticulously, he had crushed the original properties entirely.
That said, this is the last, and the yield isn’t as good as I expected. They’re quick on their feet after all.
As he moved toward the direction the sniper had shot from in order to confirm the results, Harley rubbed his chin.
He was currently on a circuit around Southeast Asia, systematically destroying the remaining branches of the Buncheon Society.
Unlike the other avatars who were engaged in productive activities, he could only destroy things.
Thus, he was visiting revealed locations one by one…
These guys are amazing at running and hiding.
Most branches had long since retreated.
The remaining ones were mostly duds, used as bait and then discarded.
If he wanted to root out these guys, it seemed he needed to strike at the heads first.
The branch managers overseeing each region decided on the overall operational policy of the Buncheon Society.
Oracle…
Harley’s gaze turned westward.
A large country neighboring Bangladesh that ranks at the top globally in population.
India.
Chh, well, I’ve finished everything urgently for now… What do I do next?
There was no need for him to rush back.
His position was only symbolic, and there wasn’t any obligation for him to do something specific.
Having suddenly vanished a few times before and returned, his acquaintances had gotten used to it.
…Hmm, maybe I’ll do a little part-time work?
As he fell deep into thought, a sly grin appeared on his face.
After all, there was one pressing issue he was mindful of.
If I want to be sure, it’s better to keep an eye on things right next to it.
It felt a bit excessive to deploy Harley for such a task, but there was nothing else going on, so it didn’t matter.
He could think of it as inspecting the territory he had maintained, preventing accidents caused by terrorism.
Hah! Then let’s check out… oh right, I need to see where the sniper was fired from first.
And a little later.
Harley’s figure, collecting the unexpectedly discarded treasures that had lost their owners, disappeared without a trace.
*
W-What the hell…
Jin So-Ran, with quivering eyes, could hardly articulate her thoughts.
Having once seriously pursued this path, she instantly recognized how extraordinary the song she just heard was.
What do you think? Isn’t this much better than the previous one?
Better? This is just an understatement!
She had inadvertently replied loudly, entranced by the melody still resonating in her ears, but instantly closed her mouth.
As her temporarily misplaced sanity returned, she recognized who was before her.
Where on earth did this come from? Did it already exist in this short amount of time? But this is…
With a confused expression, Jin So-Ran stared vacantly at Heinz.
Then she glanced down at the magical equipment in her hand and back at him several times.
Displaying such a bewildered expression was not her fault.
How? This is like… perfectly tailored to our kids’ voices!
The moment she played the recorded piece for Heinz, he had returned after several hours with this magical tool.
It was a piece of equipment with recording and playback functions.
Though it wasn’t particularly preferred among Howard Industries’ products, as there was a substitute called a recorder.
While it had its uses in environments resistant to interference or EMP where electronic devices would fail, it still had limited demand.
But the problem lay in the music it contained.
This is truly…
A bright, cheerful rhythm reminiscent of K-pop flowed through, beautiful yet undoubtedly dark at its core.
There existed a shadow behind the upbeat melody that seemed to sing of hope.
Even with a sweet, dangerous scent of blood that could not be hidden, she knew it was wicked yet could not refuse its deadly allure.
Like the seduction of a beautiful vampire.
Is it possible to express this just through playing?
Jin So-Ran swallowed hard.
It wasn’t merely emphasizing decadence.
It was designed meticulously so that it wouldn’t feel burdensome, allowing it to penetrate everyone universally, regardless of nationality, age, or gender.
This is it. There’s nothing better suited for Lycoris’s debut song than this.
The song she had been preparing had vanished completely from her mind.
She believed the expensive piece she had bought from a famous composer, compared to the currently ranked number one in domestic music charts, wouldn’t be lacking…
But it was not even on the same level as this.
Who is this?! Who created such a piece!? Ah! If I had known this composer existed, I wouldn’t have wasted my time! Truly, it’s the Lord! I still have so much to learn! Can you introduce me to this person? I want them to work on other pieces too…
Her face flushed with excitement as she eagerly expressed her feelings.
Heinz stepped back slightly, patiently waiting for her to calm down as he stroked his chin.
The effect is better than I expected. After all, Jin So-Ran is also a vampire, so it would have been easier for her to resonate with the piece.
This new song contained more than just the musical style of the Elven Kingdom.
Having gained an understanding of Earth’s music through prior cultural invasions, blending the essence during the composition process to eliminate any sense of alienation hadn’t been particularly hard.
Moreover, with Harris, who could feel the temperament of Heinz II anytime he wished, taking the lead in the process…
Well, since I haven’t publicly performed, I can’t expect anyone to know. I just compose as a hobby, so it would be hard to entrust any work.
It wasn’t unusual for such a piece to pop out in just a day.
…Hoo, I got too excited. You must be a friend of the Lord, I gather… Ah, so how should I refer to the name of the composer?
Noticing Heinz’s reluctance to dive deeply into the details, Jin So-Ran cautiously asked.
Though he had no intention of assigning work to anyone, he also didn’t aim to hide his identity, so he answered casually.
Harris.
Harris… is it?
Yes, it’s Harris.
The moment the face-less genius composer, known for his mysterious persona, debuted on Earth as Harris.
*
With the most important song for the debut changed, everyone had to move busily.
Of course, the members of Lycoris also underwent a more rigorous schedule than before, but none grumbled about it.
From the moment they first listened to the new song, they had been enchanted.
Hmm, should I swing my arms a bit larger here?
Sister! Let’s match it one more time!
Yeah, that sounds good.
Unlike the previous song, which felt forced, this new song fit them snugly, as if tailored like a custom outfit.
There was neither excess nor deficiency.
They simply had to joyfully sing as they pleased, and everything harmonized beautifully, leaving no stress in learning the song from the get-go.
Shoot’s done! Move quickly! We’re editing now, and everything must be wrapped up by today!
What? They’re behind on reservations? Then pay double… No, just give whatever they ask! If it still doesn’t work, tell me. I’ll speak to the previous reservers separately.
With Ha’s involvement, everything proceeded as smoothly as flowing water.
With endless resources drawn from connections and treated generously with personnel and money, there was no way for anything to go awry.
The quality that had to be sacrificed due to time constraints was swiftly covered by overwhelming wealth.
Okay! Thanks for your efforts!
Hoo, alright. Let’s ensure nothing’s been overlooked!
And so, time passed.
On a day very near D-day.
A new manager was assigned to the Lycoris team.
Even as a newbie, he held the title of “Director.”
It was clearly a parachute appointment, but no one dared to voice dissatisfaction against him.
Hahaha! Nice to meet you all! You can call me Director Ha!
Director…?
Ahem! My name is Director Ha! I look forward to working well with you!
A new recruit clad in a bursting suit that covered his muscular body, wearing dark sunglasses, looked more like a gang member than a manager.
There was no way anyone would have the guts to say anything to him.
