Free Web NovelPeering down, Roy spotted the black-uniformed figures moving frantically—and his face lit up. They were Bureau agents, subduing the researchers who were stumbling out in terror.
‘Nice!’
Galbi must’ve done it. Cultist 1 had only just run off, so it was definitely Galbi’s work.
Rumble—
The Sixth Chaos must be rampaging now; the building shook even more violently. Roy judged there was no time to waste and launched himself out.
Whoosh!
As he vaulted through the window frame, his eyes met Saeon’s—just stepping inside the building.
“You...!”
Saeon’s eyes widened at seeing Roy, as if struck by lightning from a clear sky.
“Watch out, watch out!”
Below Roy, the new recruit Wonil was wrestling a researcher to the ground. Despite being on the Special Team, he seemed oblivious to the rubble raining down overhead.
Torn between looking at Roy and Wonil, Saeon yanked Wonil by the nape.
“Oof!”
Off balance, Wonil tumbled across the floor. Roy, diving to avoid him, rolled and slammed into Saeon’s leg before finally stopping.
“Ouch, I’m dying. Ouch.”
Roy groaned, then lifted his head to look up at Saeon. His eyes, glinting a transparent red, were filled with reproach.
“Could you... catch me?”
Half-amused, half-exasperated, Saeon looked down at Roy.
“Is this I Roy’s doing?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Saeron’s expression darkened at the vague answer. She could tolerate the rescue request, but the bit the man from the church said earlier was grating.
“They said there are Blood Fiends in the basement.”
“Not just Blood Fiends—Blood Fiend Mom. Or was it Dad?”
Roy tilted his head. He thought he’d answered sincerely, but Saeon clearly thought he was joking. Her face was more severe than before.
“I’m serious. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t shown up.”
Roy smiled innocently, saying he’d tried to handle it himself but failed. Saeon, annoyed by his unserious attitude, scowled.
“Is this a time for jokes?”
At her low growl, rumbling shook the church grounds.
Crack—
Fissures ran along the outer wall and the big cross atop the spire trembled.
“Saeon ! Wonil !”
At Saeon’s command, Wonil, who’d been staggering, immediately activated his skill.
“Yes!”
A moment later, a large shield enveloped the church in a 50 m radius.
Hum—
A blue-white hemispherical barrier rose, blocking falling debris.
Crash!
The spire finally collapsed, crashing to the ground. As it fell, the rest of the building began to crumble.
“Everyone, evacuate outside the shield!”
The order went out to all agents. Roy was no exception—though he didn’t agree.
“No... not my PowerPing!”
The Awakening drug was still inside. Sure it wasn’t Galbi who’d taken it, Roy turned and ran the opposite way from the agents. He thought he could grab it quickly—it was in the first-floor storage.
But before he could move, a merciless hand yanked him by the collar.
“Out.”
It was Saeon.
“Oof! Wait, just a second. I only need one thing, okay?”
With a look of pure contempt, Saeon stared at him. How dare Roy turn away the instant she told him to leave. Without a word, she trapped Roy under her arm and charged out from under the shield.
“No, not my PowerPing...!”
Crash!
No sooner had they exited the shield than the building collapsed with a deafening roar. Roy went down with it.
Thud—
Kneeling on hands and knees, he murmured blankly.
“PowerPing....”
Ha.
Saеon let out an incredulous laugh—but there was no time for levity. From below, the ground began to bulge. Black smoke billowed up through the rubble, coalescing into a monstrous form.
Roy, who’d been lamenting his missing PowerPing, lifted his head.
‘Is that its true form?’
He never thought he’d see the music-video scene in real life. Thanks to his work, the Sixth «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Chaos’s half-formed soul had lost all reason. Its ferocity was such that non-Awakeners began collapsing one by one under its overwhelming aura.
Not even all Awakeners were safe; the horror and malice radiated from the imperfect soul were unbearable.
“Ugh.”
Roy saw several already retching and falling. He turned to Saeon.
“Team Leader. Can we kill that?”
Saеon cocked her revolver and regarded him as if his question were annoying. The question itself was wrong: it wasn’t whether they could kill it, but that they had to kill it. Spinning the cylinder, she replied curtly.
“We have to.”
Hum—
Every time the black smoke thrashed against the shield, it trembled precariously. Sensing Wonil’s shield wouldn’t hold much longer, Saeon told the agents waiting by the doors,
“When the shield breaks, we attack. I Roy, fall back.”
“Oh?”
Roy was relieved to hear it. He’d been running on empty. Knowing he had backup felt good—it actually improved his image of the Bureau a bit. Then—
Clang!
Wonil’s shield shattered. The Sixth Chaos’s roar rent the air.
“Neiiiiiiiiiiom!”
Bang!
Saеon’s bullet struck the top of the black form—but passed right through. The soul was too insubstantial for physical attacks. Worse, aside from Saeon, the other agents began collapsing under the Chaos’s malice.
“Fall back!”
Saеon ordered, but the agents were too weakened to move. The oppressive, sticky air made it hard for Roy to breathe.
‘It’s just uncomfortable for me—why are they collapsing?’
He looked at the agents disdainfully. They’d said they were elite, but they were that weak? No—this wasn’t the time to criticize.
‘Then what do we do?’
His plan hadn’t included Bureau agents keeling over. Only two stood: Saeon and himself. Saеon noticed too and silently nodded toward the Sixth Chaos.
‘But you just told me to fall back?’
When Roy shook his head in refusal, she snapped,
“Do you want us all to die?”
“No—”
“Since you started this, cooperate.”
Damn it, he’d called them in because he thought he couldn’t handle it alone. Should’ve brought in the Royal Guild instead of the Bureau. But it was too late to regret. Underestimating a half-formed soul had been his mistake. In the music video they’d been easy, so he’d been cocky. Reality was different.
Roy clenched his lips, grumbling, and summoned flame. His head spun—he felt his lifespan draining in real time. He found himself holding a long rod of fire.
‘This isn’t what I wanted...’
He’d wanted to form a spear like in the video, but that was too much for now. He was grateful to have even this crude rod.
Whoosh—
As he hesitated, a massive vortex began swirling through the church grounds. The enraged Chaos tried to engulf Roy and Saeon.
“Neeeeaaaarrrggh! I will tear your flesh and make you blood and bone!”
Like any Cultist cult leader, its speech was pure madness. As black smoke and crushing force descended, Saeon snatched Roy and leapt back.
Where they’d been standing, the vortex had gouged a deep crater.
“Wow!”
If a half-formed soul was that powerful, a fully formed one had to be unimaginable. Roy’s spine chilled at the thought.
Saеon glared at him as if to say, Are you stunned right now? But Roy wasn’t going to be passive forever. Safely on solid ground, he hurled his fire rod with all his might.
Whoosh—
Sparks flew as it pierced the Chaos’s torso—yet caused no damage. It passed right through. And it couldn’t be just lack of skill; Saeon’s attack hadn’t worked either.
“...”
“What do we do now?”
Damn. They’d started this trouble. Roy and Saeon exchanged ashen looks in midair—when suddenly, freewebnøvel.coɱ
“Kieeeek!”
The Sixth Chaos was suddenly engulfed in flame, thrashing violently. Black smoke scattered, and debris swirled in the fierce winds. Roy and Saeon were caught helplessly in the maelstrom.
“Aagh!”
Roy hunched to lessen the impact, but a flying shard of concrete smashed his shoulder. Tears sprang to his eyes—he wanted to go home.
‘But if I don’t defeat it, I can’t go home!’
If a villain, it should rampage then die in its own melee! What is it doing—
“Huh?”
Roy, squeezing out every last ounce of strength to form a new flame, stopped in astonishment. The energy that had ravaged the area moments ago vanished in an instant. Stunned, he spun in place searching for any trace of the Sixth Chaos—but there was none.
“Did we finish it off?”
