Black Badger

The axe swung by the Demon Warrior was deflected by the bullet.

Yun seized the moment as the enemy’s stance faltered and leapt down from the balcony of the building across from him.

He closed the distance in an instant.

The Demon Warrior was no amateur. Even though the impact from the gunshot must have been significant, he had already regained his posture and was prepared to receive Yun.

A man over two meters tall would not be pushed back by a mere strike.

So instead of trying to overpower him, Yun twisted his body and smashed his knee.

BAM!

The Demon Warrior’s regained balance broke again.

Yun didn’t miss the opening. He grabbed the man by the throat with his other hand—but before he could crush the windpipe or strangle him, the flesh softened and melted.

This is annoying.

There should be resistance—something to actually grip.

The enemy liquefied vital parts of his body every time to protect himself. Worse, the liquid could both defend and attack at once.

Sticky fluid surged forward, trying to swallow him whole. Yun yanked his hand free, resisting the surface tension, twisted his body to dodge the incoming axe, and rolled across the ground.

Then—

he grabbed his younger sister by the back of the neck.

“Ugh—”

CLANG!

The enemy’s axe slammed down where Ami had been.

Before the Demon Warrior could wrench the axe back out of the ground, Yun threw Ami toward the portal device.

She landed with a loud crash—but he didn’t bother checking.

She was out of the way. That was enough.

Yun rolled to create distance, then faced the enemy again.

“You’re not like the other monster hunters.”

The Demon Warrior muttered.

“More like a mercenary.”

Yun didn’t answer.

He was experienced.

He used a blunt weapon—an axe—but compensated for its weaknesses with magic. The strength of an axe lay in its overwhelming destructive power. Its weaknesses were its limited attack patterns, difficulty in parrying, and heavy stamina consumption.

The enemy used magic to supplement his attacks, conserving stamina drained by swinging such a massive weapon.

A magic circle appeared in the air.

Average casting time: ten seconds.

The fastest so far: five.

The sample size was small—maybe it could be faster—but Yun was fairly confident in his estimate.

He had been timing every magic circle he’d seen.

Even Archmages needed at least five seconds before a magic circle took effect.

So he counted.

Five seconds.

Then he rushed the enemy.

CLANG!

His dagger struck—and was cut cleanly in half by the axe.

RATATATAT!

From the magic circle behind, blue blade-like projectiles rained down, embedding into the ground. Sharp points pierced into the path Yun had just crossed. The wind from the sequence swept past the blades and the dagger hilt Yun had discarded.

Just as Yun closed in on the enemy’s solar plexus, the magic ended.

The Demon Warrior raised his axe.

Yun raised his loaded gun.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Two shots aimed for the blade—one for the leg.

CLANG!

A fragment of the axe shattered and flew off. It still wasn’t destroyed.

Reinforced, just as I thought.

The shot at the leg grazed—but it did damage.

Blood sprayed backward.

Yun didn’t let the wounded target go.

He lowered his body and charged at the bleeding leg. Planting a hand on the ground, he spun his leg in a sweeping kick—

A heavy impact.

A satisfying hit.

THUD!

The Demon Warrior dropped to one knee.

But even as he fell, he raised the axe with both hands and swung down at Yun below him.

CRRRRACK!

Part of Yun’s shoulder was cut away.

There were no blood injections left. Another injury would be dangerous.

Yun rolled backward, widening the distance. Then he dropped to one knee and reloaded his gun.

The Demon Warrior staggered as he rose.

Now—

The enemy bled from his leg and forehead.

Yun had recovered—but had lost a significant amount of blood.

The Demon Warrior spat out dirt and blood.

“You fight in a way that’s irritatingly persistent.”

Yun didn’t answer.

Without taking his eyes off the enemy, he was thinking about Ami.

She knew he was fighting this thing at the top of the slope—so why had she come up here like an idiot, completely spaced out?

Sometimes, he genuinely couldn’t understand his own sister.

At least she’d reached the portal device now.

Still walking around absentmindedly... that habit would never change, would it?

BANG!

Half-distracted by the thought, Yun pulled the trigger.

Since he knew the torso was protected by magic, he aimed for the arms and legs again.

But the Demon Warrior twisted and sprinted off in a strange direction. The shots missed.

“Ro!”

The prey was heading straight for the portal device.

“Enemy incoming!”

Ami’s voice rang across the battlefield.

Yun kicked off the ground and ran.

He chased the Demon Warrior closely.

He didn’t fire while chasing. He already knew he was faster.

A two-meter body and a massive axe weren’t built for speed.

He overtook him easily.

Without stopping, he sprinted forward—the portal device drawing rapidly closer. On the main road between buildings, Ami and Ro stood before it.

The two small-statured Badgers, out of ammunition, gripped cold weapons and prepared for battle.

Yun measured the distance between them without emotion.

SHHHK!

Then he twisted his body and stepped in front of them.

He faced the charging Demon Warrior head-on.

He already knew a magic circle had formed behind the enemy like a halo.

If time was a magic circle’s first weakness—

light was the second.

The surroundings were dark, so the glow stood out even more.

The circle grew brighter.

Recognizing the pattern, Yun raised an eyebrow slightly.

I know this one.

He drew two pistols.

He counted.

Three seconds.

Two.

One.

“Hey!”

Giacomo Ro shouted.

“Something’s coming!”

RATATATAT!

Yun fired both pistols, intercepting the incoming barrage of spear-like projectiles.

RATATATATATAT!

The dense storm of spikes covering their vision was pushed back by the pistols’ firepower, crashing to the ground.

Yun kept pulling the trigger without pause.

Until—

both pistols ran dry almost simultaneously.

The magic circle stopped spitting projectiles the instant his ammunition ran out.

He dropped both magazines.

Then holstered the pistols and charged at the Demon Warrior.

The enemy did not stop.

His upper body had entirely turned into slime.

Despite the barrage Yun had unleashed, he remained alive—though bleeding from multiple wounds in his legs.

He charged like a rhinoceros.

More precisely—

toward the portal device.

“Move!”

The Demon Warrior shouted through clenched teeth.

“You are not my target!”

“I know. I just don’t let things go.”

Yun replied calmly.

He knew that if they collided head-on, he’d be blown away like a ragdoll.

Behind him, Ami and Ro were shouting—calling him insane.

But Yun had never intended to meet the attack head-on.

He ran straight at the beast.

The distance closed in an instant.

Just before impact—

Yun dropped his body low and drew a dagger.

SHHK!

It had been a long time, but—

there was a reason Yun had once been allowed to observe Hildebert’s swordsmanship.

Since the war ended, Choi Yun had been one of Yehyeon’s only sparring partners.

Of course, compared to the current Hildebert, it was probably just enough to earn a faint smile of approval.

Still—

Yun was better with a blade than most Badgers.

Enough to sever the tendon of prey slower than himself.

CLANG!

The axe blade struck the ground.

Not because the enemy had dropped it.

Because his left Achilles tendon had been severed, collapsing his body—even as he twisted to strike Yun’s arm.

A portion of Yun’s right arm was cut, blood spraying out.

Even as he rolled and regained his stance—

Yun grinned.

CLANG!

“You just keep taking chunks out of me.”

“Get lost.”

Without hesitation, he swung his dagger—

and it was cut apart by the axe.

Yun tossed the hilt aside.

The Demon Warrior glared at him, teeth grinding.

“You leech.”

Yun could always tell—

the exact moment prey slipped from certainty of victory.

The moment confidence faded from their eyes—

replaced by doubt, or the faint realization of failure.

He wasn’t an amateur who would miss that instant.

BANG!

He fired his reloaded pistol.

Missed.

Even with a severed tendon, the Demon Warrior moved toward the portal device—rolling forward with that massive body, evading the attack.

Then—

with his back to Yun—

he began spinning the massive axe.

Trying to destroy the portal device even if he had to throw it.

RATATATAT!

Yun fired at his back.

No effective hits.

Some bullets were deflected by the spinning blade. Others were swallowed by the slime body.

Yun raised an eyebrow as he saw even the lower body turning into slime.

Ah.

Instead of spending mana on magic circles—

he’s focusing everything on defense.

At this rate—

within five seconds...

“Good! Let’s go then!”

“Ro!”

Giacomo Ro stepped forward, swinging his spiked chain.

Ami grabbed his shoulder urgently.

“You saw it! Bullets don’t work! We need to block the axe, not attack!”

That’s right.

“The portal device must not be destroyed!”

Exactly.

And the attack—

is mine.

Yun charged.

The moment he closed the distance—

the Demon Warrior sensed him and released the spinning axe.

The massive weapon flew toward the portal device.

Yun didn’t even look at it.

That was his sister’s responsibility.

Instead, he drove inward and swung the sharp fragment he had picked up earlier.

The Demon Warrior reacted instantly.

The moment the axe left his hand, he twisted and drew a smaller hand axe from his waist—

and brought it down on Yun’s shoulder.

Leaving his own neck exposed.

After all—

his neck would liquefy to block the attack.

PSSSHHK!

The artery in his neck was severed.

“...What?”

The Demon Warrior stared blankly at Yun, drenched in his own blood.

“This...?”

“A fragment of your axe.”

Yun explained calmly, feeling the warm blood soaking his hand.

“I thought this might work.”

He slowly pulled out the shard.

Blood poured from the wound.

Yun smiled quietly, breathing in the metallic scent.

THUD!

The Demon Warrior’s knees hit the ground.

Even then, he tried to draw another weapon and swing.

Yun stepped back, dodging the heavy blade.

The man’s thick hand groped at his own neck.

“...So close...”

A dying voice rasped from his throat.

“...I was almost there...”

Maybe.

“You are my end...”

A wet, choking sound followed.

Yun knew—

the light would fade from those eyes in seconds.

He stood still, looking down at the dying prey.

The Titan who had stopped swinging uselessly now looked only at the device.

The portal device.

Still standing—because Ami and Ro had stopped the axe.

The warrior reached toward it.

As if he still might destroy it—

if he could just gather the last of his strength.

“...Eternal blessings upon you.”

Even knowing it was futile—

Yun began reciting the Imperial language he had once heard Hildebert speak.

“...Eternal rest.”

It had been recorded on an action cam.

He had memorized it.

“...May all blood return to its place of rest.”

He still didn’t understand it.

“...Sleep in peace.”

THUD!

The Demon Warrior collapsed.

Dead.

Yun didn’t linger on the lifeless eyes.

He shook the blood from his hand and pocketed the axe fragment.

He hadn’t spoken the Imperial words out of respect.

He had simply remembered what Hildebert once said.

‘Thank you. For leaving the end to me. Please keep doing so.’

Back then—

Yun hadn’t answered.

He didn’t intend to now either.

Letting someone else take the finishing blow—

once was enough.

And if he remembered correctly—

it hadn’t ended well.

“Still, I wished you peace.”

Yun muttered.

Hildebert wouldn’t hear it.

“No one shoots like me.”

Click—

He lit the cigarette between his lips with a Zippo.

And thought of what Hildebert had said earlier.

Back then—asking to be allowed to end someone’s life.

Now—running off after throwing out some strange farewell and charging # Nоvеlight # toward Kyle.

Hildebert was just as arrogant as ever.

As if he didn’t know how irritating it was when people climbed over others based on seniority.

“When you get back, I’ll have to whip you into shape.”

Exhaling smoke, Yun murmured to himself—

and prepared to face the next wave of Creatures.

Because before he could discipline anyone—

he had to survive this battlefield first.