Masquerade (5)
When the executioner started to clash with the man named Lion’s Head in earnest.
“Oracle, we have a problem here.”
Nagaraja, the head of the Southeast Asia branch of the Bancheonhoe, who had been trying to communicate with the outside world, continued speaking in an urgent tone.
The spatial blockade here was so strong that it blocked all communication, but of course, the main character of the spell, the Bancheonhoe, had already prepared a way to bypass it, so it was possible.
-“Hmm, I checked it too. The flow of causality is going crazy. It looks like they’ve been causing quite a stir. What exactly happened?”
“Of course. Masquerade guys have stormed into this place. There are four of them in total.”
-“Four? Well, that’s about what I expected to some extent···.”
“Three of them are estimated to be as strong as the executioner.”
-“···huh?”
Even the Oracle had no choice but to keep quiet at Lagaraja’s subsequent words.
Excluding the executioner, wasn’t the executioner the one who was recognized as the best in terms of force even within their own clan?
Of course, that doesn’t mean he was the second-in-command of the Bancheonhoe.
There were some talented people who were equally talented in terms of their comprehensiveness, such as the Oracle, who had managed to keep the organization’s existence hidden while overlooking the flow of the world at a glance, or the Doctor, who possessed technologies that surpassed the world’s supernatural powers by several levels, such as complex sorcery and two-dimensional creation.
But even these people could not help but regard him as the best when it came to force, which was why he was nicknamed ‘The Executioner’.
In fact, he was the one who took the lead in executing those who opposed the Bancheonhoe on behalf of the Hoeju who could not move freely.
In fact, the disaster that the blazing torch caused was merely a repetition of something that had already happened several times around the world.
“Do you know what’s even more surprising? Two of them are the otherworldly saint and vampire phantom we already knew.”
-“···They were that level? That can’t be true···. No matter how much they’ve grown over the years, reaching the level of a quasi-divine···.”
“Worry about it later. Now do you know why I contacted you in such a hurry?”
At the moment when Oracle was distressed by the discrepancy between the information he had previously collected and the information he had gathered, Nagaraja resolutely cut it off and opened his mouth again.
As if this was just an introduction and the real reason for contacting you now.
“If we continue like this, everyone here will die.”
So, if you don’t want to see me die like this, do something quickly.
To put it simply, it was a plea for help.
-“···Okay, just hold on a little longer. I’ll take action right away.”
Of course, this was a story that Oracle could not just ignore.
Aren’t the people dispatched now all high-level personnel that even the Bancheonhoe cannot easily discard?
In particular, among them, the executioner who sprouted divinity and the upper-level transcendent Nagaraja were talents that had to be safely retrieved by any means necessary.
“ah.”
But the reaction to her answer was not a sigh of relief.
A soft sigh escaped me without me knowing.
-“···What’s going on now?”
“Hmm···.”
The Oracle, who had a feeling that something was wrong with him, asked him heavily, but Nagaraja was unable to say anything.
It was because I was overwhelmed by the magnificent sight unfolding before my eyes.
“···Whatever you want to do, I want you to do it as quickly as possible.”
Waves of light surged forward, as if declaring a sanctuary in this space.
A divine power swept through the surroundings, warmly embracing and healing the injured members of the Burning Torch, and putting a crushing burden on the members of the Burning Torch Society who were at odds with them.
Paaaaat—
Standing at the center of the transfer, a being with an enormous presence sharply dug into his field of vision.
“···Otherwise, we’ll all be defeated before we can even do anything.”
A person I have already encountered several times while serving as branch manager.
But instead of the familiar sunset glow, an angel clad in platinum like dawn raised the sword of condemnation.
Looking at them, and no one else.
***
A middle-aged man with a short beard, the leader of the Blazing Torch, the Generalissimo.
A Transcendent Mimic belonging to the Cheonhwe with the same face as him frowned.
‘This is dangerous.’
The executioner who started the fight clearly had the upper hand.
If we continue on our own path, it may take some time, but we will eventually achieve victory.
But the problem now was that he wasn’t the only one who had intruded like that.
“Hmm, you said it was a mimic? … I see. It hasn’t completely taken effect yet.”
The moment their eyes met, Mimic’s body flinched at the words that came out of the other person’s mouth.
Even while facing numerous transcendent beings alone, a pair of golden eyes, shining as if they contained the sun, stared straight into his inner self without any disturbance.
‘Damn, I thought I was lucky. How did you know that?’
Mimic, who was hit hard by that, gritted his teeth.
I’m sure they were hiding it so well that it wouldn’t be obvious on the outside!
Everything was going smoothly until I came here without much thought at the Oracle’s summons and started my mission.
In fact, the role he was given this time was one he really liked.
Thanks to that, he was able to quickly take down the President, who was a powerful figure that he would never have been able to deal with on his own.
Absorbing the existence of others, stealing everything they have built up to this point, and copying them.
That was the unique skill that allowed him to overcome the wall of transcendence.
‘Ugh, that damn divine power made my resistance stronger!’
Of course, such a fraudulent ability could not be without its limitations.
Not only did it take a considerable amount of time to fully digest it, but his ability was so powerful that the probability of failure was extremely high if he did not have the ‘up’ of subduing the target of absorption on his own.
‘You rotten thing, why now… Just be quiet!’
This time, with the help of other Transcendent beings, he was able to successfully absorb them, but as someone who had only been able to add a spoon to the prey brought by the Executioner, he was bound to have considerable difficulty digesting a target of a higher rank than himself.
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If things continue like this, it will probably take several years to fully digest it.
Since the forces of the Bancheonhoe mobilized for this operation were so powerful, and since he trusted the notorious executioner in particular, he thought there would be no need to use force himself···.
“I was already feeling a little disappointed, but this is a good thing. If the leader returns, the burning torch will be a little more useful.”
Holding a shining lightsaber in his hand, he looked at himself with eyes that seemed as if he would rip his stomach open alive at any moment—.
As I faced the angel whose eyes were full of the scent of blood, let alone divinity, I realized that now was not the time to be thinking so easily.
Kwaaang—!
No, when I saw the huge pillar of light flying in front of me right now, my survival instinct couldn’t help but come out before I could even think about that.
Because if we didn’t do something right away, everything would be over.
“Establish a quarantine zone! Reinforced barriers! Blocking exchanges! Reaction fields… kekekeke!”
Mimic let out a sigh of relief at the defense being destroyed despite using all the means he had acquired from many strong opponents.
Meanwhile, the more I used my strength, the stronger my inner resistance became, so I couldn’t concentrate on either side.
“Coordinates, energy boost, deploy the Daesin barrier!”
“Nothing can touch me, Absolute Shield!”
“Trap Card Activation—Infinite Mirror Corridor.”
The fact that he is still holding on is possible because everyone with him is one of the strongest people on Earth.
Also, the mysteries of all the worlds and the connections that were made to bring them together for maximum efficiency were almost like the exclusive property of the Bancheonhoe.
Chae-ae-aeng!
Their breathing was not limited to defense.
The giant’s hand rose from the ground and shook the tip of the sword enveloped in light, the gravity that fell from the sky widened the gap, and the spear blade that dug in as nimbly as a snake rushed in, aiming for the opponent’s vital point.
“indeed···.”
Heinrich couldn’t help but express his heartfelt admiration for that connection.
Despite the clear difference in class, they did not fall easily.
No matter what anyone says, they are also those who have overcome all kinds of life-threatening battles and reached the realm of transcendence.
Each and every one of them was a hero to the world, and a disaster that threatened the world.
‘More than anything, my experience is quite limited compared to theirs.’
Unlike Heinrich, who quickly reached his current level in a safe environment through trickery and luck, they all had at least ten years of experience in repeated life-threatening training and combat.
Combat veterans who are accustomed to squeezing their abilities beyond their limits.
It was not strange that he was struggling like this against someone who had overflowing ability but was unable to fully exert his power due to lack of experience.
‘···Okay. This could be an opportunity.’
Heinrich’s gaze sank coldly.
My breathing slowed, my senses became dull, and everything around me began to feel tangible.
And instead of just forcing them down like before, I tried to understand and analyze the meaning behind each of their actions and find a ‘solution’ to it.
‘If you think about it, there is no other teaching material as excellent as this. It will also be helpful when dealing with the Bancheonhoeju.’
It was the same reason Harley insisted on a one-on-one fight with the Executioner.
Haven’t we been so focused on efficiency that we neglected to maximize the potential of the individual?
If you focus only on developing your capabilities in this state, you will only end up with a large but ineffective entity.
This change in mindset soon began to show in reality.
As the head of the East Asia branch of the Bancheonhoe, Nagaraja, who was leading the battle against the angels, had a stiff expression on his face.
‘Crazy, what the hell···!’
The weaknesses that were ridiculously numerous compared to the strength of the opponent were being corrected one by one and disappeared in real time.
An attack that worked once didn’t work the second time.
The next attack that used him was also thoroughly blocked.
He was absorbing and applying to himself all the best moves he had devised and squeezed out to fight against a powerful enemy at an incredible speed.
It’s confusing whether this is a fight for survival or debugging to fix an error.
The expressions of others who felt it also began to gradually become shadowed.
‘Huh, no matter how high the level is, it’s a separate issue from learning ability!’
As time went by, it got worse.
If before, the main process was to fix the loopholes they pointed out, now, on the contrary, we have been put in a position where we have to somehow come up with an answer to their questions.
The opponent’s number was like asking a question.
How should I respond to this attack? When it comes out like that?
How can we defend more effectively if we bypass that response?
“Cough! Damn it…!”
A chain of attacks and defenses that rise steeply and without interruption.
In the end, the first one to go bankrupt was Mimic, which had been hanging on for dear life while embracing its restrictions.
Something began to rise up from under his body, which was spitting out blood and collapsing on the spot, and his facial features began to collapse.
As if something was about to burst out from inside at any moment.
It was like a scene from a horror movie.
‘I guess I’ll have to start with the recovery first.’
After the separation process, both parties will be vulnerable.
In preparation for that time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use divine power to provide a little help.
Mimic didn’t care what happened, but the President was a reliable subordinate who would be fighting the Bancheonhoe together in the future.
Hwaaaaak—
Three pairs of wings spread wide and a dazzling light swept across the area.
And the next moment.
The Mimics that had been scattered across the enemy lines were now in his grasp.
Of course, the Buncheonhoe side did not stay still, but it did not mean much.
In a situation where I was somehow holding on, one person broke away, and I even had to protect that person…
Isn’t that impossible?
However, Heinrich, who was breathing divine power into Mimic’s body, realized that there was another reason besides that.
‘Huh? This is···.’
Heinrich’s eyes twitched as he felt some artificial flow during the process of infusing divine power.
An unidentified force that helps the President separate from the Mimic as intact as possible.
His senses stretched out, tracing its source.
And what I found at the end was—.
‘Huh? This feeling… I see. It’s similar to when I cut through space and entered here. Did you use this method back then too?’
It was Ahn who was at the center of the executives who barely managed to pull themselves together thanks to Heinrich’s intervention.
Thanks to that, she was able to conserve her strength to assist her companions and use her powers at the right time.
The effects were immediate.
“Keuuuu— Kuaaaaak—!”
Failure to demonstrate abilities beyond their limits is always accompanied by a corresponding backlash.
If there is no recoil or it is weak, it is because the ability is only used within a certain limit.
Of course, this was not the case for Mimic, who had tried to devour a being of a higher rank than him without any proper ‘up’.
Choaaaak—
As if the clothes were torn and the soul was being pulled out of the body… no, as if a human-shaped slime was splitting apart, the being that had been one person became two.
I guess I should be thankful for this, it wasn’t a horrifying scene like in a horror movie where someone was crawling out of a body alive, but this wasn’t a common sight either.
“Ugh, ugh! Crunch!”
Among them, a man so skinny that it was impossible to tell his age was breathing heavily.
That’s probably the mimic’s original form.
The appearance of that mummy, with its bones touching, seems to be due to most of its nutrients being taken away from the other side.
And the other one is···.
“Prey!”
A voice was heard from behind.
···That must be what the real president looks like.
Heinrich couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by the situation.
‘Huh? Really?’
Where was the middle-aged man with a full beard gone, and in his place was a beautiful woman with a healthy appearance, lying on the floor.
Like Mimic, half-naked.
‘She was a woman? No, clearly the president, Freddie, is a man… No, wait. Frey?’
Suddenly, a cry from within flashed through his mind.
And while observing the situation through Ken’s senses, the words that An had said right after the appearance of the Buncheonhoe came back to him vividly.
-“The President—is asking what happened to Frey—!”
‘At that time, I thought I was just flustered and my pronunciation was leaky.’
Could that really be his real name?
Heinrich looked down at her for a moment with a strange expression, then roughly covered her with the blanket he had taken out of the subspace and turned his gaze away.
The funny thing was that he wasn’t the only one who was taken aback by this sudden turn of events.
“Huh? Who is that? The President?”
“You’re a real woman, right? Oh no! What’s going on here?”
“Huh, a mimic…! …But is that really the President?”
“···No, but did Mimic really not know that?”
Not only the fellow executives of the ‘Burning Torch’ except for An, but also the Transcendents of the Bancheonhoe who even captured the President for cover.
Everyone looked bewildered by this unexpected situation.
‘Was it a unique skill of the transformation world?’
It seems that even Mimic, the person involved, didn’t notice it until the end because it wasn’t fully absorbed.
Perhaps it was because I was wearing such a false shell that the absorption was even slower.
‘Well, whatever happens, it doesn’t matter.’
As a result, not only did we safely retrieve the leader and superior transcendent being who was supposed to lead the blazing torch, but we also neutralized one of the elements of the Bancheonhoe who had dangerous abilities!
Now all that was left was to make sure the rest of them were taken care of.
‘I still feel like it’s a little lacking… but I can’t keep holding on to them. There will be another chance next time.’
The executives, including Ahn, who approached cautiously from behind, picked up the unconscious president.
In addition, Ken, who had been staying far away to avoid the boiling divine power nearby, and Harris, who had been investigating the interior, gathered around.
“Then let’s wrap this up quickly.”
The moment Heinrich said that, he raised his sword again.
Falling—
A crack appeared in the barrier that had been thoroughly sealing off this space.
