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Kwaaaaaaang—

With a deafening explosion, the Starfield was blown apart.

A massive shockwave hit us, and I blacked out for a moment.

It seems Jeong Ha-yul managed to block it somehow…

My vision keeps shaking.

A high-pitched ringing sound is coming from my ears.

“…Huh?”

Jeong Ha-yul seems to be calling me with a serious expression.

But I can’t make out what she’s saying.

“I can’t hear you!”

“…What!”

Frustrated, I tapped my ears.

And shook my head vigorously.

Finally, I started to regain some consciousness.

“Are you okay, Gyeoul?”

“Ah, yes… I think I’m fine. But my ears aren’t working well.”

“It’s not your ears right now… You’re bleeding….”

Jeong Ha-yul looked at me with worried eyes.

“Bleeding…?”

Come to think of it, something seems to be dripping from my nose.

I wiped it and checked—it was definitely blood.

I quickly grabbed tissues from my bag to stop it, but the nosebleed wouldn’t stop.

The tissues I stuffed in were soaked, and the blood kept dripping to the floor.

“Gyeoul, don’t lift your head. If the blood goes into your throat or airway, it’ll be bad.”

“Okay… but why is this happening?”

“Let’s leave the cleanup to others and get you to the hospital first. Your brain might have been shaken badly.”

The bald team leader suggested calling an ambulance to get to the hospital quickly.

But there might be patients worse off than me who need the ambulance more.

Thanks to Jeong Ha-yul and Jo Se-hee causing chaos, most people inside Starfield had already evacuated.

But you never know.

If there’s anyone still inside, rescuing them should come first.

Even if I can’t help with the rescue, I shouldn’t get in the way.

“Sister, can you carry me to the hospital?”

“…Not calling an ambulance?”

“The ambulances are busy. It’s better if we go on our own.”

Sensing the determination in my eyes, Jeong Ha-yul reluctantly agreed.

“What about you, Team Leader?”

“I’ll stay and help with the cleanup here.”

“Understood. I’ll take Gyeoul to the hospital and come back as soon as Eun-chae or Kang-woo arrive.”

Jeong Ha-yul was about to carry me when she suddenly waved her hand.

In an instant, her suit covered her entire body, and a clear, cheerful sound rang out.

Kkaaang—

“…This isn’t an accident. It’s an incident.”

“For now, Hero, take the child to the hospital. I’ll handle this.”

“No… the magic power in the dagger feels familiar. It’s Fox Mask.”

“Fox Mask? The S-Class Villain from England?”

“Yes, Jack whatever-his-name-is.”

The villain who took me hostage during the London attack.

Fox Mask, Jack whatever-his-name-is, might be behind the Starfield explosion.

That guy, after getting beaten once, should’ve given up. Why did he fly all the way to Korea?

He’s still pissed about the Great Thief, and his timing is just terrible.

You’re in big trouble, buddy.

“I think I need to stay. Team Leader, can you take Gyeoul to the hospital?”

“Of course. I’ll be slower than the Hero, but I’ll go as fast as I can.”

“Please take care of her. Gyeoul, he’s bald but a nice guy. Listen to him, okay?”

“Yes, Sister.”

“…If you could leave out the ‘bald but,’ I’d have more energy to go faster.”

“Why can’t I call a bald person bald? That’s a weird request.”

From the direction the dagger came, I could feel a surge of magical power.

“They’re coming. Go quickly!”

“Yes, see you later.”

The bald team leader didn’t tell Jeong Ha-yul to stay safe or not to die.

He must have that much faith in her.

Honestly, even I wouldn’t worry about Jeong Ha-yul in any situation.

My safety comes first…

That Fox Mask already knows I have value as a hostage from the London incident.

He probably doesn’t think he can beat Jeong Ha-yul one-on-one, so he’ll definitely try to capture me.

If I’m caught, we lose.

If I’m not caught, we win.

Somehow, the outcome of this battle depends on me.

“Bald Team Leader.”

“…You’re calling me that too?”

“Never mind… Let’s just run!”

After replacing the tissue to stop my nosebleed,

I channeled magic power into my legs and charged forward.

“…Huh?”

The flustered bald guy followed me.

“Did you… awaken?”

“It’s a secret.”

“But I didn’t feel any magic power from you…”

“Sister hides it for me every morning.”

“Hero Jeong Ha-yul is really something… hiding someone else’s magic power too.”

“Can you keep it a secret?”

“Got it. An 8-year-old’s awakening would cause too much of a stir for the Association to handle.”

Since my magic is sealed, it’s weak.

It didn’t take long before I had to be carried on the bald team leader’s back.

Hmm. Smells like a lonely bachelor.

Is the team leader bald because he’s single, or single because he’s bald?

***

“What’s the current situation?”

“Thanks to Jeong Ha-yul and Jo Se-hee, the emergency alarm went off inside Starfield, and all the staff evacuated. No reports of casualties yet.”

We’ll know for sure once we check the collapsed building, but no news has come in yet.

“That’s a relief. Spin the narrative that Jeong Ha-yul had to take extreme measures to evacuate the civilians. What about Fox Mask?”

“It seems he’s currently facing Jeong Ha-yul. But… some villains, presumed to be Fox Mask’s subordinates, seem to be heading toward Jeong Gyeoul.”

“…The villains are targeting the child instead of Jeong Ha-yul?”

The incident where Fox Mask lost an arm to Jeong Ha-yul is well-known.

The motive for revenge is clear.

But… targeting Jeong Gyeoul?

“Fox Mask’s group… is likely trying to take the child hostage to control Jeong Ha-yul. They tried it once in England, and it almost worked.”

“Deploy all the heroes returning with Jo Se-hee to Jeong Gyeoul’s location. Just release Jo Se-hee.”

“Huh?”

“If we lose Jeong Gyeoul, we lose Jeong Ha-yul. Make it clear that no matter what, she must be protected.”

The ultimate target is Jeong Ha-yul, but they can’t handle her.

The villains are targeting Jeong Gyeoul right now.

If the child falls into the villains’ hands,

no one knows how Jeong Ha-yul will react.

“The media is already talking. They know Fox Mask attacked Starfield. What should we do?”

“Hero immigration is under the Ministry of Justice, so frame it that way. And emphasize that Hero Jeong Ha-yul and Team Leader Jeong Ho-min are doing their best to minimize civilian casualties and suppress the terror. Make that the main narrative.”

“Understood.”

The emergency response committee had already gathered, allowing for quick action.

The fact that civilians could evacuate Starfield in time,

and that most heroes were near Hanam,

was ironically all thanks to Jo Se-hee.

***

Everywhere we pass is destroyed.

It must be worse where Jeong Ha-yul is.

It seems the future of Hanam being destroyed is unavoidable.

We barely managed to calm Jeong Ha-yul, who was furious because of Jo Se-hee, and save Starfield, but Fox Mask intervened, and now this is the result.

By the way.

They’re really persistent.

Two villains have been following us since I was carried on the bald team leader’s back.

“I’m sorry, this must be exhausting for you.”

“…I’ve been out of the field for a while, so my stamina isn’t what it used to be. But I’m fine.”

“My magic power has somewhat returned. Should I get down and run?”

“I said I’m fine… Ugh!”

The bald team leader tripped over something and fell.

At the same time, I was thrown forward.

Ugh…

I must have rolled at least ten times.

Using telekinesis, I managed to push myself in the opposite direction and stop.

But now the pain is the problem.

Rolling on the asphalt, my whole body feels sore and hot.

It feels like my body is on fire.

…Is the team leader okay?

“Mister!”

“Ugh… Gyeoul! Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay… but you look worse.”

I must have rolled pretty hard because there’s no part of me that’s unhurt.

My clothes are torn, and blood is oozing from everywhere.

I wanted to whine about the pain,

but seeing him like that, I had to keep my mouth shut.

But what did he trip over?

Looking back, the villains were still running far behind.

“I definitely felt something grab my ankle…”

“There’s nothing here?”

This is just the middle of the road…

If it were a forest, I’d think it was a tree root, but did he trip over his own feet?

“Let’s move quickly.”

“Okay.”

We don’t have time to chat.

Unless a bone is broken, we have to keep running.

The Association’s heroes are also running toward us, so we should get help soon.

I got back on the bald team leader’s back.

Just as he was about to run, holding my legs firmly with his arms.

“Wow~ Tough guy. You rolled like a dozen times but still running?”

“…So it was your doing.”

The villains following us weren’t the only ones.

A woman I’ve never seen before appeared.

She was walking slowly toward us…

“Why aren’t you running? We need to escape!”

“…My legs won’t move.”

Looking down, the bald team leader’s feet were barely moving.

It seems the woman’s magic power is clashing with his.

A stalemate, huh…

No progress at all.

“…I’ll hold them off. You should run, but if you do, you’ll be caught immediately. Stay behind me. I’ll protect you somehow.”

“…Okay. Be careful, Mister.”

While the female villain was buying time, the villains following us finally caught up.

Team Leader Jeong Ho-min, having given up on running, set me down and took a stance.

But why does he look so unreliable?

“Mister, do you know how to fight?”

“…Don’t let this fool you. In my active days, I sparred with the Demon King.”

So… you’re saying you got beat up by Jeong Ha-yul?

My trust is fading fast.

 

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