Chapter 374. The Story That Shouldn’t Have Existed (9) (1/2)

Kim Suho reacted calmly to the New Evils’ attack.

In fact, there was no need to overreact. No demon could withstand the Authority of the Sword Saint. All he had to do was swing his sword and cut them apart.

Every time the Misteltein flashed, dozens of enemies met their end.

“Oi, Kim Sukho, did you call these guys too?”

“No, it’s not me!”

Heynckes and Kim Sukho’s voice rang out from the middle of the battlefield. Kim Suho glanced at them as he swung his sword.

“If it isn’t you, then who called them?”

“You idiot! Both the time and place of the party were recorded in the invitation. I’m sure they figured out when and how to attack by themselves!”

Kim Sukho roared, but Heynckes looked doubtful.

“Mmm…. Well, it doesn’t matter. You’ll end up taking the blame anyways.”

“W-Wh, what did you say?!”

It was a scene of poetic justice.

Kim Suho took his gaze off them and looked out front again. There were still many enemies left. A demon with multiple arms and legs shot towards him.

The demon released several thin, sharp strings of magic power. Like a spider, it tried to bind its target, but Kim Suho unleashed his magic power and incinerated the strings. He then pierced the demon’s heart with his sword.

“Oi.”

As the demon’s black blood splashed on his forehead, Jin Sahyuk called his name. She looked completely at ease.

“What?”

Kim Suho shouted back as he sent sword strikes flying. Jin Sahyuk chased Kim Suho’s lightning-speed Misteltein with her eyes. He brandished his sword to the right and calmly reacted to a sudden attack from the left by a member of the New Evils.

But Jin Sahyuk’s attention wasn’t on his swordsmanship but on his ‘sword’ itself.

“That sword, who gave it to you?”

“What do you mean… huup!”

With a short spirited shout, a fierce gale shot out from his sword. The demons encircling him were blown away in an instant.

Kim Suho immediately shot towards the closest demon. After destroying their formation with the gale, he was taking care of them one by one.

Jin Sahyuk asked.

“You didn’t receive it from someone? Then did you obtain it alone?”

“…Why are you asking me that!?”

Kim Suho shouted as he swung his sword to the front.

“Because I just don’t think this is right.”

Rubbing her chin, Jin Sahyuk stared at the back of Kim Suho’s head. She seemed to be thinking, ‘Just what the hell is inside his brain?’

“What!?”

“…No, never mind. It looks like you won’t remember for the rest of your life.”

But I should try just in case…. Jin Sahyuk murmured and transformed into a cluster of energy. Then, she flowed into Kim Suho’s body. She had been making good use of this ‘inner body infiltration’ technique ever since she developed it.

“Wait, you….”

Kim Suho didn’t have the time to resist. Taken off guard by Jin Sahyuk’s sudden infiltration, Kim Suho stopped. He felt like something sharp was rummaging through his head.

“Jin Sahyuk, what are you doing—!”

He wanted to scream at her to get out, but the fight wasn’t over yet.

“Auuk!”

A demon appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Kim Suho’s head.

KWANG—!

The demon smashed Kim Suho’s head into the ground. A powerful shock struck his brain.

And this shock allowed Jin Sahyuk to explore Kim Suho’s brain more easily.

**

“Ee, eek—!”

Kim Sukho screamed as he was being taken into custody by Heynckes.

He released his magic power desperately. His aged, worn-out magic power pushed Heynckes away, and Kim Sukho took this opportunity to escape.

“Kua, kuaaa.”

He ran as if his life depended on it. He seemed to think his safety was guaranteed if he could just escape the party hall.

“Tsk.”

Heynckes simply watched Kim Sukho run. He didn’t even consider chasing after him. Rather, he sent the frantically-escaping Kim Sukho a look of pity.

“Hua, hua, hua….”

As a result, Kim Sukho left the party hall without any hindrance and ran through the hallway.

“Uek!”

But at one point, he tripped on something. Kim Sukho flew up in the air before disgracefully falling down.

As most people subconsciously did, he turned around to see what had tripped him up.

“…?”

His face became dazed.

“Uh… uh… you….”

Strange sounds escaped his mouth as if his tongue were paralyzed. His head hurt, and he couldn’t continue his thoughts.

It was because someone who shouldn’t be here, no, someone who couldn’t be here was standing in front of him.

“It’s been a while, President.”

A calm voice echoed out. The memories he had forgotten about surfaced from the deepest corner of his mind.

It was Jin Younghwan. He hadn’t aged a single bit and looked just like he did in the past.

“You, you….”

Kim Sukho pointed at Jin Younghwan with his finger. His body was shaking as if he were experiencing an earthquake.

Jin Younghwan spoke with a grin.

“It’s nice seeing you again. You thought I was dead, right? Ah, I might have been. Who knows… maybe I am an illusion created by your guilt. Well, then again, I doubt you have any feelings of guilt left in you. That must mean I am real.”

Kim Sukho’s face was dyed with shock and astonishment. Cold sweat dripped down, wetting his disheveled hair.

Kim Sukho stared at Jin Younghwan with a dazed face.

“Now then, why don’t the two of us have a little talk?”

Jin Younghwan still had things to say, but Kim Sukho was completely out of it.

“Eeeek….”

He eked out a strange screech before collapsing with his eyes rolled back. He even foamed from his mouth.

Looking at this scene with a dumbfounded expression, Jin Younghwan raised his eyebrows.

“What a coward.”

How could someone who killed so many people be such a coward? Did he kill people without fearing the act coming back to bite him?

Jain kicked the fainted Kim Sukho’s stomach before turning around. Then, she jumped slightly in a startle.

“Oh, you were watching?”

Jin Seyeon was standing there, staring at her father with bitter eyes. Even though she knew he was just Jain in disguise, sadness and reminiscence filled her heart.

Jin Seyeon spoke.

“…Please cancel that disguise now.”

“Hm? Oh, okay.”

When Jain undid her disguise, Jin Seyeon continued with a deep breath.

“Yun Seung-Ah is looking for you.”

“Oh, yeah~ I’m sure she is~”

“…Are you not going to see her?”

“Nope, of course not.”

Jain smiled brightly. Jin Seyeon glared at her dumbfoundedly.

Jain slicked her hair back and added.

“She probably knew I wasn’t going to come back when she let me go~ Mm, I guess you can call our relationship a MacGuffin. Besides~ I still have important things to do~”

Just as Jin Seyeon was about to criticize her with the words, ‘That’s an excuse’…

Dudududu—

The sound of helicopters resounded above.

Wiing— Wiing— The sound of sirens also became clear.

“Mm, hear that~? It’s time for us to run~”

Jain spoke with a bright smile.

Without any other choice, Jin Seyeon sighed.

About 10 minutes after the start of the New Evils’ attack, outside reinforcements had finally arrived.

**

—This is an unprecedented exposé of corruption. The fact that the chairman of the Hero Association and the former president of Korea colluded with Djinns is taking the world by storm. Yoo Jinwoong and Chae Joochul’s confession and whistle-blowing has led to the confirmation of the Association’s executives having secret trades with the Djinns. Naturally, the Hero Association has fallen into chaos. A retired Hero, Yoo Jangwon, also stood out in this incident as a whistle-blower….

Pantheon, a subsidiary group of the Temple of Justice, was normally a resting place for the Temple of Justice’s Heroes. But starting from today, it was given the role of an investigative agency and headquarters.

Due to the sheer scale of this scandal involving countless Heroes, governments around the world realized a thorough investigation was needed and designated the Temple of Justice to be the investigators.

Although the Temple of Justice was also a part of the Association, the public did not oppose the choice. It was because their leader, Aileen, was far from the image of corruption in their eyes.

“…Hm.”

On the other hand, Chae Nayun was sitting on a couch in the Temple of Justice’s lobby, fiddling with her necklace.

The New Evils had been suppressed, and the corrupt members of the Association, including Kim Sukho and Yi Yukho, had all been arrested. All this had only taken half a day.

Yoo Yeonha had told them, “Finish this without dragging it on. If we don’t end things within 24 hours, they will launch a counterattack.”

The plan had succeeded.

…But for some reason, Chae Nayun didn’t feel refreshed.

If anything, she felt stuffy.

It wasn’t because the Chae family was involved in the corruption. She was resolved to this fate the moment she found out about what really happened with Chae Jinyoon.

The thing was, she felt like she had forgotten about something important.

And every time she felt this way, she subconsciously fiddled with her necklace.

However, this sense of disharmony only grew stronger as she touched the necklace.

Someone had given this necklace to her. She had to give it back, but she just couldn’t remember who she had to return it to. Every time she felt like she was going to remember, an unpleasant forgetfulness swept through her mind.

—Kieeeeek!

“Ah, geez!”

At that moment, a shriek rang out. Startled, Chae Nayun raised her lowered head. Rachel, who was sitting in the same room as her as a testifier, made a shocked expression.

The shriek had come from Spartan who was sleeping on her lap.

—Kieeeek! Kieeeek!

“S, Spartan? W-What’s wrong all of a sudden…?”

—Kieeeek! Kieeeeek!

He was almost having a seizure.

“H-Hey! Do something about him!”

The other Heroes, who were also present as testifiers, furrowed their brows. Yoo Sihyuk, who was a close friend with Yoo Jinwoong, scowled especially hard.

“Spartan- Spartan-!”

—Kiee….

When Rachel grabbed his wings and whispered, Spartan stopped. But then, he began to peck Rachel’s smartwatch. What first started out as tk- tk- tk- quickly transformed into tududududududu-!

It was as if a woodpecker had evolved into a power drill.

“W-What now?”