No matter how you looked at them, they were still just villains who, at best, planned something like a jewellery heist.
We were the ones people called “promising.” It wasn’t as if we couldn’t handle them.
Besides, they were nothing more than disposable antagonists meant to push the story forward in the early stages.
They were the sort of enemies destined to be looted by the main cast.
I had beaten them without much trouble in the game. There was no reason to be afraid.
Even if they had more experience, talent and skill were not something we lacked.
In some areas, we were ahead.
I had checked their status the moment we spotted them, and I made my judgment calmly.
Perhaps my composure spread, because the others eased up and steadied their breathing too.
That was the state we went into battle with.
A man suddenly lunged out of the group. I deflected his sword and shouted to the people holding formation.
“Stop thinking you have to take them down! We only need to hold them until reinforcements arrive! Don’t push yourselves for no reason!”
“You little—!”
“If things get dicey, hit the jewels they’re guarding! What happens to the jewellery isn’t our problem!”
“How can you call yourself a Hunter!”
“I’m not a Hunter yet. I’m a student. And lives matter more than valuables.”
It was something only reality allowed.
Unlike a game with limited options, I didn’t have to take the straightforward route.
If bending the situation in our favour were possible, there would be no reason to refuse.
So I changed the shape of the fight.
It stopped being a simple clash between Hunters and villains and became a struggle between those trying to steal or smash and those trying to protect.
If it were a siege, the attackers would normally be at a disadvantage.
Here, it was the opposite.
We were the ones who lost nothing if the “castle” burned.
That gave us the upper hand.
I traded blows with the man who was seething at my suggestion, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Kang Han-byeol, fighting another villain, suddenly called out to me.
“Geon-woo! Then does that mean the jewels they stole are fair game for us? Can we take them later?”
His voice was bright and innocent, like he was asking about pocket change.
The female villain he had been pressuring looked utterly dumbfounded.
Yeon-ha-neul and the others wore similar expressions.
I shook off a short, wiry man and answered the absurd question anyway.
“Han-byeol, that’s a crime. No.”
“Tch. Figures. Even the broken ones still belong to someone, huh?”
“That part is… a little unclear. If they’ve lost their value as merchandise and it’s just a few shattered pieces, nobody would even know if you pocketed—”
“Geon. Woo. Are you seriously thinking that through right now?”
Yeon-ha-neul was guarding the entrance to prevent an escape. Without turning her head, she scolded me sharply.
Not wanting to get on her bad side, I cleared my throat and changed direction.
“We can’t take jewels, but if the owner has a conscience, we might get a reward.”
“Oh, that makes sense! It’d be nice if we did. It makes fighting feel worth it! My master said never to ignore injustice, but also to accept fair compensation.”
“That’s a pretty admirable master.”
“Right? I respect him more than anyone.”
“I agree with Lord Tu-gwi’s words, too. If you pursue justice, there should be compensation that follows. If all people get is forced sacrifice with no fair return, how does justice survive?”
“I feel the same. Is that why we click so well?”
A female villain who looked like a gunner tried to break our rhythm with suppressing fire.
Before the trigger sound could fully register, Kang Han-byeol and I caught the muzzle in our vision, raised a barrier, and stepped back.
The hail of bullets that tore through the space between the villains was blocked by the wind Yeon-ha-neul whipped up. Not a single round reached us.
While they reset their stances, I took a breath as well.
“And since we can’t just take the jewels…”
“Since we can’t?”
“Doesn’t that mean we can take their weapons instead? Do villains even have the right to claim ownership over weapons they’re using for crime?”
Kang Han-byeol stared at me like I’d revealed a secret of the universe.
“…Geon-woo, are you a genius?”
“When I was little, my family did call me a prodigy.”
Yeon-ha-neul let out a long sigh.
“You two. This is a fight. Do you really have time to chat?”
“We do because we can,” I said lightly. “Right, Han-byeol?”
“Right! This feels doable! And taking their weapons…”
I stepped closer to Yeon-ha-neul as if to shield her, and Kang Han-byeol and I shared a small laugh.
But our eyes never relaxed.
We watched the villains without blinking.
Kang Han-byeol looked fully motivated now.
His eyes sparkled.
He really did have a weakness for weapons.
To be honest, the villains’ gear wasn’t particularly impressive.
They were one-off extras. It wasn’t like they’d be carrying anything legendary.
Sure, it would be better than the starter sword Kang Han-byeol began the game with, but compared to my navy-blue sword, it was crude.
Even so, the mere idea of stripping weapons from villains seemed to lift his mood.
I signalled to the others and immediately charged forward.
“Sa-gun, if it feels dangerous, pull back anytime.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t get in the way.”
“I’m fine too. I’ll help.”
The gunner was the biggest nuisance, always trying to cut in at critical moments.
So we flipped it.
Park Sa-gun would draw her attention and create the gap; Kang Han-byeol and I needed to finish the others cleanly.
Yeon-ha-neul joined the move.
“…Tch!”
She opened a path with the wind.
Park Sa-gun roared and rushed the gunner head-on.
Her shot went wide, ruined by the sudden pressure, and she rolled desperately to avoid the massive axe.
That was when—
Whooom!
Yeon-ha-neul brought down a metal hammer, having predicted the gunner’s escape route perfectly.
The gunner avoided the direct hit by a hair’s breadth, but the moment she entered the range of two blunt-weapon users, the outcome was practically decided.
Like a mole forced back into the hole, she never got a chance to turn the tables.
It was only a matter of time before she fell.
Meanwhile, Kang Han-byeol and I sprinted at the remaining villains without hesitation.
“How can academy students fight like this—!”
“You, you bastards! Are you rankers!?”
We didn’t need to answer.
We kept the initiative and pressed forward with relentless momentum.
Their faces twisted with frustration as they were forced to defend without any chance to counter.
I stepped in, ready to finish the next exchange.
Crack!
My evasion instinct screamed.
Behind the female villain I was fighting, a mass of water bulged and churned.
Magic.
A male villain who looked like a caster had secretly invoked it.
Whooosh!
The female villain’s mouth stretched into a delighted grin, ugly with certainty.
The water mass writhed like a snake and lunged for me.
I—
“…What?”
Crack!
I kicked off sideways, then slammed on the brake with my right foot, using it as a pivot to half-turn.
Mana surged through my internal circuits, and blue current spilled out across my skin.
“Lightning…?”
The female villain’s eyes widened in disbelief.
When she tried to respond, she was already too late.
<Su-wang Style Attack Form, Third Technique>
Lion Iron Lash
I drew the navy-blue sword from behind my shoulder and hauled it toward her with full force.
A blue arc began at the right outer edge and swept inward to the left.
The lightning-infused slash bent mid-flight, turning whip-like.
The impact cracked into her unguarded side.
“…!”
Her body folded sharply around the strike, bending into a jagged angle.
Something snapped with a dry, brutal sound.
Her mouth fell open, and blood poured out in a sudden gush.
Then she flew back and slammed into the wall.
One down.
Since I’d used the reverse edge, she might have suffered fractures, but she shouldn’t be dead.
Probably.
If she did die, that wasn’t on me. That was on the villain who had the misfortune to get unlucky.
Right then—
Bubble, bubble!
The male villain’s spell expanded.
Another water mass, similar to the one from before, started to take shape.
Thwip!
But the spell fizzled.
Go Eun-bi’s arrow struck at the right moment, disrupting his incantation.
He dodged, lost focus, and his face twisted in irritation.
That opening was all I needed.
<Su-wang Style Attack Form, Fifth Technique>
Lion’s Ferocious Onslaught
I sprinted.
To reach him by the shortest route, I stepped onto the glass display case filled with jewels.
The cabinet couldn’t withstand the lightning-charged leap. It shattered into glittering debris.
My footing dropped as the glass collapsed, and my balance wavered.
Instinct caught me.
Another step. Another cabinet broke.
Crack!
Blue current surged higher.
Glass shards and gemstones leapt into my vision.
Jewels flashed as they reflected the current, and the shards themselves sparkled blue.
The navy-blue blade, heavy with electricity, was about to reach him when—
Something snapped my awareness awake.
While I had focused on the caster, the villain who seemed to be their leader had already closed in.
At the edge of my left vision, I caught him lifting his lips in a grin, drunk on victory.
What now?
My mind ran through options at speed.
If I finished the caster first, I wouldn’t have room to face the leader immediately after.
If I halted and turned to meet him, I’d expose my back and lose momentum.
If I retreated, there was a chance I’d get caught in a pincer.
It was too late to wait for Kang Han-byeol or the others to save me.
Then—
Crash!
A window near the leader exploded inward.
Someone had smashed through from outside and barged into the jewellery store.
The person I’d been waiting for.
…Kwon Bo-ram.
In a moment that felt no longer than a blink, I saw her roll into a landing.
Hair with a violet sheen swayed as she rose, golden eyes sweeping the scene.
Our gazes brushed.
That was enough.
I could predict what she would do.
Tap!
As expected, Kwon Bo-ram launched herself at the leader, tonfa in hand.
Relieved, I turned back and swung my sword at the caster.
“…Puhhk!”
At the same time, the leader’s eyes bulged as a tonfa slammed into him.
A sickening sound echoed.
Caught off guard, he lost his balance, fell hard, and cracked his head against the floor.
Kwon Bo-ram looked down at him, voice flat as if she were reporting a routine patrol result.
“I hit you painfully. But you won’t die. Probably.”
Top of Form
____________________________________________________________________________________
“Independent Patrol Officer of the Shield Patrol Bureau, Kwon Bo-ram.”
“….”
A yellow armband marked her as a member of Shield, the organization that maintained public order in Academy City.
Lightweight protective gear wrapped her chest, arms, and legs.
Even though it was the weekend, she stubbornly remained in her school uniform. After showing us her identification, she introduced herself with crisp formality.
So I met her, just like I intended.
Kwon Bo-ram’s sudden arrival left everyone except me staring in shock, words failing them.
She didn’t seem to mind. Calmly scanning us, she continued.
“You appear to be academy students. Thank you for cooperating during the ongoing incident. Under normal circumstances, Academy City does not permit the use of force without authorization unless it is an emergency. However, given that the current situation is equivalent to an emergency, I will overlook it.”
“….”
“I have already contacted Shield and the relevant agencies. Personnel will arrive shortly. Students, please remain here and wait. If they are injured, they may receive treatment. As for apprehending the incapacitated villains, leave that to me.”
Her tone was blunt, but her honorifics were impeccable.
Kwon Bo-ram was, as her way of speaking made obvious, someone with a rigid, angular personality.
Her sentences ended in clipped, military-like finality, the kind that sounded like orders even when they weren’t.
She really was the type built for the barracks.
For the record, this world still had a military.
Its scale had shrunk after the Great Cataclysm, but national defence remained vital.
Anyone who wasn’t a Hunter had to enlist upon reaching adulthood, regardless of gender.
Of course, depending on one’s connections and circumstances, it wasn’t difficult to substitute military service with other forms of duty.
And the Iron Bastion Kwon family, in particular, traced its origins back to a lineage that had produced countless soldiers before the Great Cataclysm.
Seen in that light, it was easy to understand how Kwon Bo-ram had become who she was.
But—
I forced my focus back.
If I traced the game’s storyline, the battle wasn’t over yet.
This was only the bridge leading into the next fight.
The moment that thought formed—
Whoosh!
From the direction the villain leader had flown, dust that had been settling suddenly writhed, and the very material of the floor surged up from within it.
“First, I need to hear the full details from you all—!?”
“…!”
Kwon Bo-ram, in the middle of restraining the unconscious villain, didn’t react in time.
The incoming strike hit with brutal force.
She slammed into the wall.
The impact cracked it. Then the wall gave way entirely, burying her beneath falling debris.
We whipped our heads toward the source.
“I nearly lost consciousness there.”
“….”
“Damn. My head…”
The villain leader was walking out, transformed into a Demonic.
His skin had turned blue, his muscles swollen into something grotesque, and his red eyes shone with a savage glare.
“I didn’t plan on showing this form… but you forced my hand. You’d better understand I won’t let you walk away.”
He bared pointed fangs and growled, threatening and low.
My friends looked stunned, shaken by the revelation that he was Demonic.
I wasn’t.
I had known from the beginning.
“Even if he’s Demonic, he’s not that big a deal. Everyone, get ready.”
“….”
At my words, my friends steadied themselves, their eyes sharpening as they gathered their nerves.
Weapons came up. Stances settled.
They moved to my side.
At the same time, I sensed movement from the rubble and spoke without turning my head.
“Sheriff, are you all right?”
“…My body is naturally sturdy. This is nothing. I grew up a bit tough. But did I ever tell you my nickname?”
“…You’re famous. I knew it.”
“I see.”
Kwon Bo-ram emerged coated in dust.
A thin line of blood ran down from her hairline.
She wiped it away with the back of her hand and added, perfectly calm.
“I’m fine. This is practically the same as nothing happened.”
“….”
Blood dripped from the corner of her lips, dark against the dust.
Without a flicker of expression, she wiped her mouth as well, then spat out the blood in her mouth with a sharp sound.
It was, truly, very Kwon Bo-ram.
At least she didn’t have a nosebleed.
Top of Form
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