Black Badger

The cheers of the people watching the live broadcast could not be heard by those outside the Core.

The two of them moved quickly, unaware that the people inside the Core had gasped.

The gold-eyed Badger tilted his head back and looked up at the mountain.

[I’m sorry for leaving you alone.]

He sheathed his sword and leapt up onto the roof.

[Are you hurt anywhere?]

[I’m not. What about you, Hilde?]

[I’m not hurt either. Let’s go.]

The white-haired Badger lifted the bob-cut high school girl into his arms.

Then, without hesitation, he jumped down below the roof. The ground was carpeted with burst fragments of corpses. When the one holding the student jumped into that mess, several people watching the screen sucked in a sharp breath.

People were in the ruined event zone.

A screen installed for the event was broadcasting the live feed. People who had scrambled away and just returned, people who had come because of rumors, people who approached because they saw a crowd—they all stood behind the fence set up in front of the screen.

They took in the unfolding tragedy, minute by minute, while sighing, swearing, or crying.

The Badger carrying the child dashed across the street and climbed the pillar supporting the rail.

[Use both hands to climb!]

After the student shouted, she clung to the Badger’s body.

The Badger nodded, but «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the moment he began climbing the pillar, his arms and legs gave out.

People inhaled sharply.

“Argh!”

“Did he fall?”

People standing in the back stretched their necks forward.

“No way, he didn’t fall, right?”

“No!”

“That Badger caught them.”

[Looks like your strength gave out.]

The rookie Badger’s calm voice echoed across the plaza.

[Of course it would. You’ve been tense this whole time—your muscles must be exhausted.]

[I, I should have practiced climbing more....]

The student’s voice trembled.

[My climbing instructor told me to come more often....]

The child began to sniffle and cry.

[Should’ve listened to them....]

Huu-eong. The kid burst into the sobs she had been holding back this whole time.

It was a kind of crying that made anyone who heard it feel heartsick. A trembling, soft, childish voice.

Some of the people watching the broadcast had their eyes turn red at the desperate sobbing.

Inside the fence, in the area guarded by security, the staff were weeping.

Her friends and parents, who had come because of the rumors.

Reporters filmed their tragedy, and people watching cried or sank into relief.

“It’s okay, San!”

Then someone turned his head toward the man gripping the fence.

A man standing outside the fence. The man in a pitch-black jersey gripped the fence and raised his voice.

“Come back and show up more often!!”

“Are you the climbing instructor?”

Reporters shoved through the crowd toward the man.

Multiple microphones were thrust toward him.

“How do you feel right now?”

“Was San good at climbing?”

“What made San start climbing in the first place?”

“What kind of child was she normally?”

“Commander!”

The man suddenly shouted.

Because microphones were still held toward him, the sound he pulled up from his gut boomed and echoed loudly.

Even Yehyeon, who had been receiving reports inside the fence, turned his head.

Yehyeon straightened and looked at the man.

“Please send her back to us.”

The man in the jersey stared directly into Yehyeon’s eyes.

Yehyeon slowly nodded.

“I promise I will.”

In the noisy burst of camera flashes, a husky voice was mixed in.

The father’s desperate plea.

The young trainer’s sniffle as he failed to hold back tears.

***

“There.”

While soothing the weeping San, I succeeded in climbing the monorail.

“See? We got up safely. Now let’s get on.”

If I removed the brake blocking the train’s wheels, it would naturally start rolling.

The rail was tilted in the direction I wanted to go anyway.

Thanks to the earlier cleanup, there was still distance between us and the Creatures. I kicked open the door of the old train and placed the sobbing child inside.

It reeked of rusted metal, but at least no Creatures were inside.

Sniffling, San didn’t sit—she craned her neck.

“What about Hilde?”

“I’m getting on too, don’t worry.”

I would remove the brake, push it to gain speed, and then—

“We’ll start moving soon, so sit and hold the pole tight.”

San immediately obeyed my words.

The drone was still intact. I kicked away the brake blocking the train wheel. After confirming the Creatures were swarming under the rail, I shoved the car forward.

As I kept pushing slowly, momentum started building. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

I ran as I pushed the accelerating train. I raced along the rail, and when San made a strange “Hhu-eok!” noise, I leapt inside.

San flung out her arms and grabbed me desperately.

“Why is it so fast?!”

I looked at the pale child and smirked.

“Sorry. If we fall, I’ll make sure to hold you tight, so don’t panic too much.”

“Huh? We’re going to fall?”

“If we hit a sharp curve, we will.”

If we hit a curve at this speed, it would derail.

It was already beginning a gentle curve, but this much was fine. If a sharp bend appeared, I would pull her out and jump down before it derailed.

But for now, it was fine.

I placed the child in the safest spot. The train picked up speed and ran along the monorail.

Ruined amusement park scenery flashed past outside the window.

Various things crawled up onto the rail, but none were faster than us.

The drone had flown inside the train before we noticed.

A peace that would not last long arrived. Suddenly there was nothing to do.

If only the child could catch her breath even for a moment.

“Huh?”

But peace didn’t last five minutes.

“Fog....”

Ah.

Damn.

Ashen Mantle—what we would call Voice of Dreams in our own terms.

I silently cursed as I looked at the fog covering the rail. A place where a fall meant death, in a narrow space. We were in the perfect conditions for the Voice of Dreams to rampage.

The moment the moving train entered the thick fog, the surroundings warped.

The cracked windows, the exposed metal seats, the rusted bars vanished.

In their place appeared a space resembling a school.

‘San!’

A strict woman’s voice rang out.

‘Did you do this?’

“Huh?”

The grip tugging at my clothes loosened.

“No....”

With a wavering voice, San answered.

Her eyes looked half-vacant.

“It wasn’t me, teacher....”

The Voice of Dreams hunts the weak.

San had an injured ankle. Of course it would try to swallow her first.

After muttering a small curse, I drew my dagger.

In this state, shaking the child awake would be too difficult. Even healthy adults struggle to escape the Dream Room.

So I had to take the second option.

I gripped the drawn dagger in my left hand and stabbed my right forearm deeply.

“Huh?”

The Voice of Dreams instantly changed its target.

The school-like scenery began to scatter. The clouded look in San’s eyes cleared.

Blinking rapidly, the child snapped back and turned toward me.

“Hilde!”

She must have been shocked.

I was quickly binding the wound, but with blood pooling around me, anyone would be startled.

I would need to soothe her the moment I finished stopping the bleeding.

“Why is it like this?! How did you get hurt?!”

The child, deathly pale, panicked.

She even noticed the dagger I had thrown onto the floor.

“Don’t tell me... did I stab you, Hilde?”

Clenching the bandage with my teeth, I burst into laughter before I could stop myself.

“No. If you had stabbed me, your wrist definitely wouldn’t be intact.”

Laughing made me drop the bandage.

“I stabbed myself. Don’t worry.”

“What? Why?”

The whispered “That’s even scarier...” was unintentionally funny.

I tried my hardest not to drop the bandage again as I bit down and tied it.

The drone inside the train.

It was probably from a broadcasting company. Hopefully from an ethical one, though the chances were low.

The footage it captured might be getting streamed everywhere.

Under those circumstances, I had to injure myself quickly.

I couldn’t show the child’s trauma to countless strangers.

It was a relief the target had shifted to me as intended. The school vanished and a strangely familiar department store corridor appeared.

Now the issue was whether I could hold on mentally or not.

I wasn’t exactly lacking confidence. This situation was different from Jonathan’s case.

My determination to protect this child safely was far stronger than the force of the hallucinations.

That doesn’t mean the hallucinations didn’t hurt.

‘Hilde!’

A head of curly white hair caught my eye.

‘How’s this outfit?’

Rei.

I knew I didn’t deserve to miss him, but I always missed him.

In the hallucination, Rei was showing off an immaculate suit.

‘Blue stripes.’

‘Do you really like suits that much?’

The me from the past smiled somewhere and answered.

‘It does look good on you.’

‘Right? They do great work here. You should buy one too.’

‘Rei. Be honest. How many tailored suits do you actually have?’

‘Want to see?’

He curved his golden eyes in a smile and turned his body.

‘Come with me.’

“Hilde!”

San tugged at my unharmed arm.

“What’s wrong? Does the wound hurt?”

No.

The pain wasn’t the problem. When Rei’s illusion appeared, the amplified hatred of my kin struck so hard and fast that I must’ve grimaced without realizing.

I had fought in countless battles, but I had never felt hatred and vengeance this poisonous and instantaneous.

They must be watching me somehow too.

Yes, I know.

That I don’t deserve to long for Rei.

That they can’t forgive me for seeing these illusions.

But what can I do? The longing that makes me feel like everything would be okay if I could just meet him one last time never goes away.

San tugged me again.

I relaxed the grimace, looked down at the child, and gave a faint smile.

“I’m okay. Sorry for scaring you.”

“You’re sweating cold sweat. Are you sure it doesn’t hurt a lot?”

“No. The real wound is fine.”

I pulled the child close and looked outside at the train picking up speed.

Ignoring Rei’s illusion, I stuck my head out the open door and checked the silhouette of the rail in the fog.

Fortunately it was still straight....

Huh?

What?

The straight line ended up ahead?

“Shit.”

I quickly scooped San into my left arm and prepared to jump.

“The track is broken.”

“What?!”

San shrieked in my arms.

“What did you say?! What the hell!”

If she hadn’t drawn my attention, things could have gone very wrong.

Shoving longing and kin-hatred into a corner of my mind, I prepared to jump from the monorail. I curled the trembling child tightly in my left arm.

Then I looked at the approaching end of the rail.

Below the rail were Creatures, as expected.

I had to jump before the train toppled.

“Jumping!”

Bracing to land and run, I hurled my body out of the train.

San’s piercing scream became the background sound.

***

“Commander! Five attack drones will join the Loker Broadcasting Company drone shortly!”

The secretary ran toward Yehyeon, who stood frozen, staring at the screen.

Then he noticed that his superior’s face had grown even paler.

Eyes glued to the screen, unmoving.

A bad sign. The secretary swallowed rising anxiety and hurried his pace.

“Commander? Did something happen?”

Squinting against the camera flashes, he closed the distance.

Only when he was close enough did he hear the muttered words.

“So it’s him.”

A very low whisper.

“The one I fought....”

The secretary did not understand.

Yehyeon snapped back to himself quickly, leaving no chance to ask.

His superior demanded a more detailed report. The secretary instantly forgot the curiosity that had begun bubbling up and moved to deliver the update.

The attack drones would arrive, and communication would be possible.

It would take time before the Badgers moving to support him arrived, but—

Hildebert was no longer alone.

***

“Oh.”

I blinked at the drone hovering right in front of me.

“This looks like HQ’s.”

[Hildebert.]

Oh hell—!

“Argh! A human voice!”

“Commander?!”

[You can hear me. Run in the direction I tell you.]

The drone floating in front of my face spoke in a familiar voice.

[Toward the place your seniors will be running from.]