“…What is going on here..”
Shin Hyun mumbled as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. Beside him, Noah stood with a worried expression.
“Uncle, Yoo Yul and her older sister are at the big hospital they always go to.”
Shin Hyun’s face darkened with worry.
Seeing Shin Hyun’s reaction, Noah quickly hailed a taxi.
As the taxi drove on, neither of them spoke, their minds too preoccupied.
At least they had braced themselves for something major to happen.
Though now that it had, their minds had gone completely blank.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Shin Hyun and Noah were guided inside by someone named Yudari.
The VIP room was located on the top floor.
Among these, Seo Jin-a’s ward had the strictest security.
“…Huh?”
While passing by the lounge on the way there, Noah suddenly spoke up.
“Uncle, look over there…”
Instead of answering, Shin Hyun narrowed his eyes.
There stood Yoo Yul.
“Yul…”
Noah watched Yoo Yul quietly.
She paced around like a disturbed person, staring blankly at the ceiling, then pacing again.
Finally, with a sigh, she returned to her room. Clearly, she wasn’t in good shape.
‘I heard Yoo Yul got off easier.’
Even if her physical injuries were less severe, the psychological shock must have been significant.
Of course, compared to Seo Jin-a, she still got off easier—but she didn’t look well either.
‘Hopefully there aren’t any serious injuries.’
Why was her face wrapped in bandages?
Anxiety grew.
“…Let’s go see.”
“Yes.”
With heavy expressions, the two moved forward.
Knock knock.
But no response came from inside.
Taking the silence as permission, Shin Hyun turned the doorknob and entered.
“Yul, we’re here. Are you feeling any better?”
He tried to keep his voice light, but given the situation, it was difficult.
In response, Yoo Yul, sitting on the bed with a pained expression, answered.
Her signature twin tails had become tangled and messy hair, and she had lost her usual confident demeanor. She simply nodded absent-mindedly.
They refrained from asking where Jin-a was.
“…Uncle, over there…”
That…
Shin Hyun managed to stop his expression from twisting.
‘Hearing that Jin-a was the most severely injured…’
Seo Jin-a lay helplessly on the bed, hooked up to numerous IVs.
While Yoo Yul only had bandages, Seo Jin-a had even undergone surgery. Though she narrowly survived her critical condition…
“…Who did this?”
This price must definitely be paid.
Shin Hyun couldn’t prevent his face from contorting.
“Yul, I know it’s painful to recall, but can you tell us what happened?”
“…”
“We need to fully understand what occurred to figure out our next steps.”
After hesitating, Yoo Yul nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“…It’s not your fault.”
For such a young girl, recalling these memories must be painful. Her close older sister ended up like this, her younger sibling disappeared, and she herself was badly injured.
However, they needed to hear her account.
“…Alright. I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you.”
Only then could they prepare for what was ahead.
Yoo Yul adjusted her posture, resting her chin on her hand.
“…Let me briefly explain.”
+++++
Breathing became difficult.
His brows furrowed deeply.
Realizing that all his efforts amounted to just this much—was this all he could achieve after all this time? Fighting and struggling against an old man, yet showing only weakness.
“Cough…”
His rough hand gripped his own neck, Yoo Yul’s face turning blue.
Her eyes rolled toward the figure on the ground.
Despite the signs of agony and the red blood, the fortunate fact was that she hadn’t died.
The one lying on the ground was the magical girl Natalia.
“Decent, but still weak.”
“Shut…up…”
“Young lady here is similar. Good skills, but lacks real combat experience.”
“Shut…up!”
Swoosh!
Swinging her sword, Blackheart barely escaped.
How long had it been since he felt this powerless?
‘This monster…what is it?’
The first time Iris beat him senseless.
This fear was several times worse than that.
“Then, let’s continue.”
The devastating attack came again.
As heavy as a mountain and as fast as a gale.
Blackheart’s sword wavered like a candle in the wind before it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Harsh metallic sounds rang in his ears.
The old man smiled while blocking the girl’s sword.
“A little more pressure might bring something out…”
“What the hell are you saying…!”
“Something great might emerge…hmm…”
The continuous muttering annoyed Blackheart openly.
“That smug attitude pisses me off!”
What kind of attitude was that?
Though Blackheart felt frustration building inside, he also felt a kind of fear.
…He doubted he could defeat this playful old man. His heart felt weak, and it seemed like he kept hearing voices.
“Here, I’ll lend you my strength. Cut down that old man.”
Shut up.
Muttering silently, Blackheart gripped his sword again.
“…Well, nothing can be helped.”
The old man said so and once more his sword flashed.
Drawing his sword slightly from its scabbard, he leaned forward as if ready to dash.
Footwork.
‘Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.’
Seeing this, Blackheart decided to respond in kind.
A dark snake crept up along the blade, flicking its tongue.
“Black Mamba!”
“Snake, huh…”
“Yeah! Extremely poisonous!”
“If you want to cut me down, bring a dragon instead of a snake.”
“That remains to be seen…!”
For a moment, silence reigned…
“Showdown!”
“Showdown!”
Blackheart surged forward in spirals. A giant snake as massive as a black mountain opened its mouth and charged.
Compared to Blackheart’s flashy movements, the old man remained calm.
Each step he took was quiet and swift, without any unnecessary motion.
Perhaps their raw power was similar.
However…
Ssskkrrt-
“…!”
There existed a decisive difference between them.
That was…
“The years lived differ, my boy.”
The difference in experience.
A chilling sound rang out as the snake’s skin was slashed.
Cutting through the snake instantly, the old man advanced toward Blackheart.
“…”
Soon, the old man began dancing with his sword.
“…Aaaaaaah!!!”
+++++
“…So, Jin-a, who was already in bad shape, took all those attacks?”
“…Yes, just before it hit me, my sister took the blow instead.”
Yoo Yul said this while touching the bandage on her eyes.
“A few direct hits slipped through…”
“The eyes…”
“There will be scars, but luckily, her vision is intact…”
Shin Hyun gritted his teeth.
She was a girl in her prime.
And now her face would bear scars.
“…I’m sorry. We should have been there with you.”
“No, it’s because I wasn’t strong enough that this happened.”
“No, don’t think that way.”
“…And the Demon King too.”
“…Hmm.”
Now that he thought about it, the Demon King was also involved.
“Kidnapped…”
The worst-case scenario. Shin Hyun sighed, trying to ease his troubled mind.
“Ah…right.”
Yoo Yul pulled out a piece of paper from her bosom.
“This needs to be delivered.”
To whom? The question didn’t need to be asked.
The author of this letter was obvious.
“…Hmph.”
Shin Hyun unfolded the letter to read its contents.
And at that moment,
[Long time no see.]
A small rabbit doll popped out.
Quickly binding it with tentacles, Shin Hyun stopped its movement.
“No magic detected. It’s just a doll.”
Still, he couldn’t let his guard down, so he continued to restrain it.
[Stop it. If the doll explodes, we won’t be able to talk, will we?]
“You little…”
[I wish to converse. Won’t you accept?]
Won’t you accept?
“…Tch, fine.”
[Excellent judgment.]
The doll slowly stood up.
[Simply put, I’d like to propose a challenge to you.]
“A challenge?”
[Hmm, it’s quite simple. Come to the Demon King’s castle. Three rooms, three bosses. Defeat them all and obtain the keys, and I’ll allow you to come to my chamber.]
What nonsense was this?
Though incomprehensible, Shin Hyun quickly shook his head.
“How can we trust you?”
[Bringing back the Destroyer and reviving the Sword Saint should be proof.]
“Destroyer? Sword Saint?”
[The Demon King and that old man.]
Shin Hyun’s eyes narrowed.
“…Why does that prove anything?”
[You people have been digging up a lot of information about me, haven’t you…Do you know that I dislike that child?]
“I do.”
[Would I bother using precious magic to resurrect and retrieve someone I hate? I’m preparing for the final battle…Consider it evidence.]
Final battle. That guy was also preparing for it.
Rather conveniently, he was outright challenging them.
“The price for kidnapping the Demon King and tormenting Noah will surely be paid.”
[Noah…True, regarding that kid’s matter, but the Destroyer’s case is different.]
“What?”
[From the beginning, that kid was my toy. I was surprised when he broke the contract himself…but hey, I’m not stupid. You can’t just put one leash on a dangerous dog, right? Multiple safety measures are necessary for peace of mind.]
Grrr.
The sound of grinding teeth was heard.
Its owner was Noah.
“The Demon King isn’t your property or toy.”
[I still regret it. Oh Noah, I should have just put a leash on her too. Things got complicated because I tried raising her gently.]
That infuriating statement.
Noah, upon hearing it, gave a defeated laugh.
People say you laugh when you’re extremely angry—it was true.
“…Alright. You mentioned the Demon King’s castle? I’ll come find you. And…”
Noah’s eyes twitched and shimmered.
“…I’ll kill you.”
[!– Slider main container –]
