Chapter 384: Destiny (3)

“I never imagined that guy would become the president.”

I turned my back on the building and looked up. Amid the forest of steel, that skyscraper stood tall, imposing, with the Lancelot Company logo engraved on it.

I had just finished a rather constructive conversation with Kane, the company’s president. The eastern sun had started to warm my face. Morning had arrived.

It had been an intense negotiation.

At first, it seemed like he would give me anything I asked for. But at some point, Kane began to hesitate. Maybe he thought my demands were a bit excessive and started dragging out his sentences.

‘All Mute sighing so loudly next to me helped a lot.’

Under her “that’s enough” glare, Kane accepted my terms like his soul was bleeding.

I asked him to cooperate with Joaquin Academy’s graduate program.

I know I didn’t come here for marketing—I came to hunt villains—but

the more urgent the situation became, the more I felt that the Academy’s growth was a priority. That conviction became certainty as I took down hidden cells.

‘It’s not just magic that needs to be monitored.’

Who would’ve thought villains were now using possession techniques?

That used to be a privilege reserved for body commanders. Now, their former subordinates were using them recklessly. Things are taking a dark turn.

That’s why it’s necessary to gather minds capable of analyzing these end-times anomalies in Joaquin’s graduate program.

***

Of course, that requires money.

A lot, a lot of money.

“The money I got from the emperor is almost gone…”

The emperor’s account, which I thought was an endless fountain, was closed a few days ago. So I called the imperial secretary to ask. Turns out, the expenses were so disproportionate that the Swiss bank ended up shutting down the account.

That happened yesterday.

— Lord Heavenly Sword… this might hurt the imperial family’s image, but… how much did you spend, exactly? They’re even saying His Majesty fell victim to a banking scam!

“I didn’t spend that much.”

— Just seeing the number of zeroes gives me vertigo.

“Better that than seeing the emperor’s head roll, don’t you think?”

— If you keep this up, it’ll be my head that rolls… His Majesty promised unconditional support, but please, don’t make it look like we were scammed by phishing.

As he started whining, I elegantly ignored him. A promise is a promise, so I ordered him to give me the new account info without too much fuss.

Even over the phone, I could clearly hear his deep sighs.

— …Opening the new account will take about two weeks. Until then, even if we want to cooperate, we can’t.

His last sentence was filled with despair.

I do have some conscience. I’m not so shameless as to demand money from an empty account.

Just when I was looking for a new sponsor to cover that two-week gap—heaven helped me.

Cells from the New Union of Villains appeared in the U.S., threatening All Mute’s life. I resolved what could’ve been a major disaster.

I don’t like bargaining with human lives. But the person who was saved offered something in return. Leaving without accepting would’ve been rude.

That’s how the deal came about. I only claimed what was fair. There was a little “negotiation” with Kane, but it was settled amicably.

He might be devastated, but I’m satisfied.

‘Got lucky.’

Well, actually, it wasn’t a one-sided deal. I also added clauses beneficial to Lancelot Company.

And now I’m on my way to fulfill those clauses. But since I was hungry, I decided to grab breakfast first.

“Let’s see… is there any place that sells doenjang jjigae?”

I walked leisurely down a side street in New York looking for a restaurant. The scenery wasn’t too different from Seoul’s.

‘Is Seoul better than this?’

I had my cap pulled down low, so no one recognized me. Or so I thought.

“My Geom-Ma!”

A familiar voice pierced my ears. Sharp, cheerful, and loud enough to attract everyone’s attention.

“…Rachel.”

“Where do you think you’re going without me?!”

I pulled my cap down further and avoided eye contact. A jolt ran down my back. My chin rose involuntarily.

“Hey, hey. Back off a bit.”

“Nope, nope. If Ryozo and Abel aren’t here, I’m not leaving your side.”

Right. The Changseong family has never been good at listening. But their bodies always react truthfully.

Shwing!

“I surrender.”

“Good decision.”

At the sound of my sword, Rachel instantly stepped back. As always, sashimi is highly effective.

I sheathed the weapon right in the middle of New York City, but no one cared. No one even noticed when I drew it.

I’m me, and Rachel just put on sunglasses. Seriously, this city is desensitized.

Once the sword was away, Rachel immediately moved closer. With a smile on her lips, she asked:

“Going for breakfast?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go together. I’m starving.”

“Hmm…”

No problem sharing a meal. Besides, after what happened yesterday, there were things to discuss. Even if she seemed to remember nothing, I had to jog her memory.

After all, Rachel was key in the Parsy incident.

And on top of that, Changseong people have great appetites. They’re almost food fighters.

Big eaters, but also picky.

I nodded.

“Alright.”

“Awesome!”

Rachel excitedly lit up her smartphone and started scratching the screen with her nail.

“Anything you don’t like?”

“Pizza, burgers, fries.”

“…Are you kidding?”

No, I wasn’t.

“Then what do you want to eat?”

“Doenjang jjigae, kimchi jjigae, cheonggukjang.”

“Ew, gross!”

Rachel stuck out her tongue in disgust.

Still wearing a sour expression, she led me to Koreatown. I’d missed that smell. And it had only been a day.

When I deeply inhaled the jang aroma, Rachel squinted.

“You know, Geom-Ma… sometimes it feels like you do this on purpose. Like you’re forcing that ‘I’m Korean’ image.”

“It’s not that. Like you said yourself, I have a country-boy palate.”

“That’s because you only eat vegetables. If you ate meat sometimes, your taste would become more refined.”

What’s she getting at now?

“Besides, the meat here in the U.S. is top-tier.”

“Oh.”

That’s what she meant? I ignored her and walked ahead. She saw right through me. Rachel smiled slyly and followed closely.

We had breakfast together at a Korean restaurant. Come to think of it, it was the first time I’d ever been alone with Rachel.

Contrary to what I expected, it was surprisingly calm. She ordered politely and ate with zero manners. That was it.

No provocative comments or attempts at forced contact.

‘So this is the real Rachel.’

She was like this during our cadet days too. Though she pretended to be all muscle-brained, she had a sharp mind. And a deep heart. If she pushed too far, she’d probably feel guilty toward Ryozo and Abel, her friends. That’s why she shut down all possibilities at the root.

Thanks to that, I ate quite comfortably. Although I did have to dodge flying rice grains like a whack-a-mole.

We talked about a lot during the meal. In short, Rachel thanked me for the Parsy disaster. While flinging rice everywhere, she waved her hand.

“Ah, don’t say that! I was soooo bored lugging around this heroine badge all the time! Always dragged to ceremonies, photo shoots, more ceremonies. Being a celebrity? Not bad, but it’s like wearing ill-fitting underwear. Uncomfortable. And if I take it off, I feel like everything will spill out. Even if I say this, deep down, I like it. It’s fun.”

“I’m glad it suits you.”

I had no more than a practical response. From what she said, being a “heroine” was very different from being a traditional “hero.” It seemed more like a celebrity than a savior.

A hero could be a horrible person and no one cared. But a “heroine” relied on popularity. More than strength, what mattered was embodying what people imagined a hero to be. That was the true nature of the role.

The mental strain Rachel had to carry wasn’t small.

‘She’s probably dealing with all that inside, but trying hard not to show it.’

Why did it taste so bitter in my mouth?

The metallic sound of the bowl began to hum. I stood up with the bill in hand and glanced at Rachel, who was rubbing her stomach.

“I know you enjoy being a heroine…”

I threw out the bait. Whether she took it or not was up to her.

“But don’t you think being a dark hero might be fun too?”

“…”

Rachel stared at me. Then her heart-shaped eyes curved.

“You’re a real expert.”

Crack.

Rachel broke her sunglasses and kicked the chair.

“Let’s go. I’ve been wanting to work up a sweat.”

She stretched out strongly, opened the door, and walked out. I smiled faintly and left the breakfast money on the table.

***

One day.

In just one day, we managed to pinpoint the location of a Villain Union cell.

The Joaquin Academy and its graduate program went into full mobilization for the search.

In addition, I deployed a detection net using my lightning-imbued sword.

Though we still had no trace of their main base, we had just received intel on one of their key outposts. It came from Knox Auditore.

I transported myself and Rachel using lightning magic. Rachel got a little dizzy a couple of times. For her first time, she handled it well. Compared to her, Ryozo and Abel had shown everything they’d eaten before the trip.

The key cell point was 20 kilometers from Joaquin Academy, in Hoengseong, Gangwon-do. An abandoned farming village. And they were occupying it illegally.

I guess the saying is true: “It’s darkest under the lamp.” I don’t know what gave them the confidence to set up so close to the Academy.

‘Although it is a good spot.’

Deeply hidden among hills and so isolated that detection was difficult. Auditore took 24 hours. Anyone else probably wouldn’t have found it in a week.

— According to reports, the villains at this point aren’t much different from those ten years ago. The closer you get to the core of the Union, the fewer demonic possessions you see—and more “native” villains.

“‘Native villains,’ nice wording.”

“Fewer things to worry about. Thanks.”

— If you want, I can come too.

“No need. The one who starts it should end it. Besides, Rachel’s with me. This’ll be quick.”

— Mura…? Geom-Ma, don’t tell me you’re once ag—

“Once again what?”

…I decided to pretend I didn’t hear that. This idiot?

I put my phone away. Rachel was stretching with fluid movements. Behind her, her spear glinted under the midday sun.

“You ready?”

“I’ve been ready since I ate that cheonggukjang. Just say when.”

Her spear spun through the air. The wind sliced by the blade let out a screech. With determined eyes, Rachel declared:

“I’ll show you what a heroine’s entrance means.”

“Then let’s go.”

Before I finished speaking, Rachel was already dashing forward. Her silhouette vanished like a dot. I didn’t stay behind and ran after her.

This time, we didn’t use lightning magic. Just our bodies.

Oh… Rachel was still far ahead. Fast. Maybe because of her jumping ability? I grinned and sped up even more. The wind became a barrier, like I was swimming through water, until suddenly, I felt like I hit a wall.

The scenery whizzing past turned into streaks. My body creaked, but I was fine. It was a different sensation than magical teleportation. Surpassing Rachel made it even more thrilling.

In a single stride, I crossed the winding valley. Behind a torn tarp, like a terminally ill lung, came a shrill voice.

Thanks for ratting us out.

I gripped both sashimi blades in reverse grip. With an X-slash, I ripped through the plastic and slipped inside. As I turned my eyes, the first target was already there.

“L-Lord Heavenly Sword…!”

Slash.

A metallic stench and sticky liquid drenched my hair. I didn’t respond. I sidestepped and thrust Murasame forward. The impact traveled from elbow to shoulder. I retrieved the blade that had split a skull and, in the same motion, slashed the neck of another charging from the side. The blood spurted a beat late.

“S-Stop him…!”

I spun. Using the momentum, I plunged the sashimi into another’s collarbone. The blade protruded from his shoulder like a thorn.

Crack!

I ripped downward. Limbs were torn apart. I moved again. Blood clung to the plastic. My fingers and the blade were indistinguishable.

The sashimi and I were one.

It had been a long time since I felt this kind of connection with my sword.

I grinned, bloodthirsty, and stabbed. Crunch! Ribs shattered. A diagonal slash sent organs gushing out.

“D-Do something…!”

I attacked from the flanks. When needed, I kicked to throw off their formation. Without magic, cutting felt even better.

Screams rang out. One chanted spells, the plastic flared in the wind. Another fell to his knees, sobbing.

A flash of my blade, and a pale face dropped to the floor. Everything turned red.

I calculated distances between enemies and traced paths. Once I finished, my sashimi rotated at an angle.

A villain barked an order. Maybe two.

Like an old slaughterhouse, the air was filled with a sick ecstasy. I became a whirlwind tearing through villains.

Every time my bloodied reflection appeared on the blade, I recalled their crimes. What they did to the civilians.

I moved my shoulders rhythmically and swung Murasame in a wide arc. The trajectory was clean. The blade passed through several necks at once.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

I took ten breaths and looked around. Red. Everything was red. Ceiling, walls, floor—all glistened with blood and grease.

It looked like I’d stepped into a monster’s guts.

“Haa…”

A white breath escaped my mouth. Rachel was staring in silence, standing shakily.

Under her gaze, my mind cleared.

And then I collapsed. It wasn’t from exhaustion. My chest hurt.

I blacked out for a few seconds.

“Geom-Ma, you…”

Rachel staggered over. She took my blood-soaked hand and, breaking all protocol, wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Your humanity… it’s still there.”

Rachel of the muscles, musclehead Rachel Mura, the heroine.

“…You’ve been fighting alone all this time, haven’t you, Geom-Ma?”

Even my wives didn’t know that secret.

But she did.