The long, dark sewer stretching beneath the city was filled with a damp, strangely unpleasant smell, and the sound of someone nervously running echoed through the gloom.
“Damn it, damn it…”
The owner of those footsteps was Freede, the Witch of Arrogance, who had breached the barrier and unleashed demonic beasts upon the city, throwing it into chaos. Yet, despite the turmoil she had caused, she was, for some reason, extremely irritated.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I have to move through this awful place…”
The reason for her frustration was that ever since she invaded the city, she had been forced to move only through these sewers. Normally, Freede would never deign to travel through such a filthy route.
‘Heh, how convenient! There’s a long sewer down below. You can move through it to the city center. It’s perfect for a weakling like you to hide and sneak around!’
Unfortunately for her, there was no room for choice.
“Damn that bitch… I will take my revenge someday…”
Recalling the mocking face of the woman who sent her to this city, Freede could not contain her anger. This situation was utterly unacceptable. Not only did it infuriate her to obey someone else’s orders, but the thought of sneaking around like a rat was unbearable.
Moving stealthily was something that the Witch of Arrogance, once feared as the strongest, should never have to endure. If only she could reclaim her former glory like that man who made all of humanity kneel before him, she wouldn’t be in such an irritating situation.
But what had she become now?
She had barged into a place where she could showcase her power, yet here she was, hiding and fleeing, and Freede couldn’t stand it. She hadn’t awakened from her long slumber just to suffer such humiliation.
However,
‘You better follow orders properly. I don’t expect much from a weakling like you, but don’t let it get to your head. I don’t want another incident like last time.’
“…Damn it.”
Recalling the warning given to her before entering the city, Freede had no choice but to swallow her anger. Shivering at the memories of the torture she had undergone to force her obedience, she thought that if the torture had been pain instead of pleasure, she could have withstood it.
But the torture she faced was not of pain, but pleasure—an incredible pleasure that she had never imagined could exist.
That sensation nearly erased her very self, and for the first time in her life, she experienced the emotion of fear.
Freede, with her pride and ego, found it terrifying that such pleasure could threaten to erase her existence from this world.
Now, if asked whether she felt like doing what she was told, she would have cast aside all pride and would have begged for it to stop, tears streaming down her face.
That was why Freede was following the woman’s orders despite her annoyance—because after this mission, she swore to herself that she would gain power and take revenge on those damn bitches who humiliated her.
“…So I should breach the barrier and sneak into the city before approaching the central magic circle through the sewer, right?”
Wanting to escape this unpleasant sewer and the orders binding her, Freede increased her running speed. And just as she thought she was almost at her destination,
“…Looks like this was the right place after all.”
She smiled as she saw the red-haired girl standing there, as if waiting for her. It was a laugh born from the fact that the confident words of the girl, who said no one would think to come through the sewers with the beasts rampaging above, were proven wrong.
With her mood slightly lifted, she thought she’d send the girl off quickly and painlessly. As she murmured to herself, she swung her attack at the girl’s neck.
However, that attack sliced through the air with a sharp sound as the girl quickly bent backward, evading it with surprising agility.
The sight made Freede’s eyes narrow in displeasure.
How dare a human evade her attack! Feeling a bit annoyed, she prepared to attack again but quickly lost interest, her expression showing boredom.
The human looked so weak that she thought it wouldn’t be much of a hindrance anyway. Ignoring her, Freede decided to finish her business and exit the sewer but,
“…That’s strange. I heard a witch had invaded…”
The girl, who got back on her feet, brushed her forehead where a cut had formed from the attack and mumbled, causing Freede to stop in her tracks.
The tone of the girl’s words irked her for some reason.
That’s why Freede turned back and asked,
“…What do you mean, strange?”
The girl opened her mouth again.
“I’ve seen other witches before, so I know how terrifying they are.”
Smiling slyly as if to provoke Freede.
“You seem too weak to be a witch.”
And that taunt hit its mark perfectly.
With those words, the option of not killing the girl vanished completely from Freede’s mind.
*
In the Situation Room of the Astrafe 4th Division at the northern boundary frontline, renowned heroes gathered, their expressions grave.
The shocking news that a witch had breached the barrier and unleashed demonic beasts in the city was enough to throw them all into fear.
Amidst the tense silence, it was Yoon Si-woo who first broke the quiet.
“…We have to go, Captain Martina. The city is in danger, right? We need to provide support immediately!”
“…Yoon Si-woo, I understand your anxiety, but calm down. You know it’s not easy.”
However, at Martina’s response, Yoon Si-woo had no choice but to silence himself.
“It’s tough to dispatch support right now because the teleportation portals are all non-operational due to the side effects of the teleportation block magic. Captain Leon has departed immediately upon hearing the news, but even he will take considerable time to reach the frontline…”
As she said, the teleportation portals, the current means of support, were completely out of commission.
Yoon Si-woo understood that realistically, providing support was impossible.
Yet still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of anxiety.
What if something happened to Scarlet because of the witch or the demonic beasts…?
Trying his best to reassure Yoon Si-woo, Martina spoke in a calm voice.
“Don’t worry too much; I’ve already deployed emergency forces around the city just in case. Lucas, the deputy commander of the 3rd Squad, is there, so no matter how strong the enemy is, we’ll be fine.”
“…Captain Martina. I have urgent news. Deputy Commander Lucas Eloise has been severely injured in combat with the witch and is unconscious. He is currently in surgery at the hospital, and there’s uncertainty about whether he can be saved…”
“…Damn it, is that true…?”
At the fresh piece of news, Martina’s face crumpled as she tried to calm Yoon Si-woo.
No one recognized Lucas’s abilities more than she did.
Lucas Eloise was a man of exceptional skill, someone who had been briefly admired by Martina, who looked up to those stronger than herself.
That he had fallen meant that the current situation was more serious than they’d imagined, causing Martina to bang her fist on the table unknowingly.
The sound echoed through the room, making Yoon Si-woo flinch and tremble.
Not because of the noise.
But because of the strand of Scarlet’s hair tied to the Holy Sword of Truth.
The knowledge that she was injured reached him.
“Even now, we have to provide support…!”
“Shut up! Do you really think you’re the only one feeling that way?! I want to go help too! But there’s no way, no way! The portals are cut off! Do you really think running there is going to be any faster?!”
The moment Yoon Si-woo couldn’t hold back and shouted, the words Martina had been suppressing burst forth.
Seeing this, Yoon Si-woo frowned.
He knew.
That he was currently acting without composure.
But he had promised Scarlet.
That he would rush to her side whenever and wherever she was in danger.
Yet, the distance to rush like that was too far.
In such a pressing situation where anything could happen to Scarlet, he couldn’t maintain his calm.
He had to find a way to help Scarlet as quickly as possible.
Desperately, Yoon Si-woo asked,
“Is there… Is there no way? Like reactivating the teleportation portals…?”
“…It would take at least a few days to properly resynchronize them.”
“Then, what about an unconventional method…?”
“…I can’t say I haven’t thought about it, but the installed magic circle isn’t that flimsy. If you try to open it forcefully instead of the normal way, it could end up distorting the dimensions, and we can’t guarantee the safety of anyone attempting to cross. Furthermore, to even attempt that method, you’d need a magician of my caliber on the other side…”
As she shook her head in frustration, saying there was no way, Yoon Si-woo was about to lose hope when suddenly, he recalled the face of a new friend he had made recently and shouted towards Martina.
“Then, if there’s another magician on the other side, we can use this ‘unconventional method’?!”
“…I told you, it has to be someone of my caliber or greater…”
“There is! At least someone who can be compared to you in this regard!”
Shouting this, Yoon Si-woo took out his phone and dialed the most recently registered number.
Please, please pick up.
In that earnest prayer, the call tone rang, and shortly after, a blunt voice came through.
“…Yoon Si-woo? What’s going on? We’re busy evacuating citizens over here.”
“Dwight! Go to the closest portal near the boundary area right now!”
“…What for?”
“I’m going to jump over! From here to there!”
“…Are you seriously thinking about crossing through a portal that you forced open? That’s insane. There’s no way you’re coming through unscathed.”
At that question, Martina’s gaze turned toward Yoon Si-woo.
He could tell she was asking the same thing Dwight was.
Did he really think of doing something that dangerous when he couldn’t guarantee safety?
And to that question, Yoon Si-woo threw his sword into the air, letting it fall toward his own arm without hesitation.
His severed arm horrified Martina.
But Yoon Si-woo showcased the ability of the indomitable Holy Sword, instantly regenerating a new arm from his empty shoulder.
“It’s okay even if my limbs get lopped off, as long as I’m still breathing.”
So just shut up and send me to Scarlet’s side.
That was Yoon Si-woo’s answer to their questions.
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