32 – Clash
“The Sword Master. The Sword Master…”
Neutral chewed on his words and smiled.
“It’s really interesting. Not only is it not enough to use a sword, but it’s even given the name of a swordsman.”
“It was only called once. Someone might have called it as a joke.”
“Well. It could be, but somehow I’m interested.”
Neutral came down from the railing.
Perhaps she was preparing for a full-scale fight, she began to warm up slowly.
There was a gap in that behavior, but Lee Seo-jin noticed that he was deliberately inducing the action.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“…Because. That’s…”
At the question, Neutral thought for a moment before answering with a shrug.
“To say that it’s fun… Is a joke. Of course you act according to your beliefs.”
“So you’re doing this with conviction?”
“Do you think a villain has no convictions? The conviction in my heart is the absolute unchanging truth and fact. Villains are never evil and are like heroes. Do you think this is wrong?”
“…I see. I know you’re crazy.”
I was able to understand the meaning of the conversation I had with Sujeong Han earlier.
There is such a thing.
There is nothing more dangerous than a madman having faith.
To pretend to be sane meant to set rules in your mind and act, and rules bring restraint and control your actions.
It was that she was different from the villains we had seen so far.
Always acted according to his own desires, but his madness was hidden under the name of ‘belief’.
That didn’t mean the behavior of those guys had changed.
They still acted as they pleased and thought of other people’s lives like flies.
“I’m glad nothing has changed.”
“What?”
“No matter how much you try to wrap things up like beliefs, the villain is an absolute evil who acts as he pleases.”
“…”
Vines were engraved on the neutral’s forehead.
It’s clearer than when I was refuted earlier.
I could tell that it definitely hit a nerve.
“Kuh-kuh. Well, that’s good. Then, shall we continue the show?”
Just right.
As Neutral snapped his fingers, several drones suddenly launched simultaneously.
As if trying to broadcast the situation in detail, it was projected from multiple angles.
“The broadcast has been delayed for a while~! The show isn’t over yet! If an actor who meets the conditions appears, they should put on a proper performance!”
Neutral looked at Lee Seo-jin with a mad smile.
“There is a brave hero who has come to defeat the villain! His hero name is Swordsman. He is a hero who mainly uses a sword!”
“A clash with the villain is about to happen. But~ isn’t it a pity to turn this fun scene into a 1:1 battle?”
“So we introduce! A new actor!”
After Neutral finished speaking, someone jumped heavily from the railing behind Lee Seo-jin.
A huge man jumped up and flew away at high speed.
Boom!!
It was a downward attack, but Lee Seo-jin lightly dodged it.
“Introducing you! A man whose whole body is covered in steel and stronger than anyone else! Steelon!”
“Hoh. You’re agile.”
With his whole body covered in steel, Steelon, who looked bigger than usual, pulled his fist out.
‘I thought there was an ambush, but I thought it was a guy like that.’
With the distance widened, Lee Seo-jin looked at Steelon.
At that time, a small squishy thing flew in from somewhere.
“!”
Lee Seo-jin noticed right away and tried to avoid it.
Puffung!!
Before he could evade, an explosion occurred and sparks hit Seojin Lee.
“The second person I’d like to introduce is an explorer who creates powerful bombs!”
“Kihihi… Is he dead?”
The Explorer appeared from behind the wall shadyly and fiddled with the small, muddy clay.
Everyone’s attention was focused and the black smoke slowly cleared.
The scene that appeared afterwards… I thought I had been hurt, but only traces of scorch remained on the floor, and Lee Seo-jin was gone.
“What is it? Where did you go…”
The puzzled Explorer looked around.
That moment.
Creepy!!!
“Chit.”
Lee Seo-jin, who appeared in an instant, swung his sword, but Steelon blocked it with his body.
As soon as the attack was blocked, Lee Seo-jin immediately widened his distance.
I thought as I watched the sword tremble slightly due to the aftermath of the blockade.
‘It must be quite difficult.’
The steel surrounding its body is so hard, and the guy who throws that clay has a lot of attack power and is agile.
If the defense is that chunky and the attack is that gloomy… What are neutrals doing?
Recognizing the two people in front, Lee Seo-jin looked at Neutral with a sidelong glance.
Then, noticing his gaze, Neutral smiled and introduced himself one last time.
“Lastly~ that Neutral! It reduces the opponent’s abilities!”
Lee Seo-jin’s body was heavy as soon as he finished his words.
It wasn’t gravity or telekinesis.
Suddenly, the whole body was drained of strength, and Steelon charged at the gap.
Hooung—!
Steelone’s steel arm sliced through the air.
Fortunately, I was able to avoid it because my movements weren’t slowed down too much.
Perpung—! Bang-!
As soon as I evaded, the bomb flew right away.
“Kuh!”
I wonder if there were some blows this time.
Lee Seo-jin, who escaped from the black smoke, staggered his body a little.
‘I never thought it would be this kind of ability.’
I can see why the gorilla was flustered before.
I lost my strength as if my body had accumulated fatigue.
Suppressing mana. That’s how much of an impact it is.
‘A formidable opponent.’
Attack, defense, support.
Excellent balance.
Steel just came in believing in his solid body, threw bombs randomly from behind, and even assisted with reducing abilities.
It won’t be easy.
… But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel like losing.
Because I’ve had countless experiences like this in the war.
As Seojin Lee took a deep breath and straightened his posture, Neutral started talking with a big smile.
“Now that all the actors are gathered, the performance should begin, right? The rules are simple! The swordsman has to defeat us all within 10 minutes!”
“If I can’t do that or I lose~ I’m going to explode this department store with a bang!”
“Then you might be able to target me, right? But it won’t be easy. My allies will do everything they can to stop it!”
Lee Seo-jin gave a small sigh when the neutral laughed like he was having fun.
“Ten minutes… isn’t it too tight? It was strange from the beginning of the negotiations.”
“Is that so? I think it’s just the right time.”
“Does it make sense to give me three minutes to decide on a deal? You can’t do that even if you bring in a good negotiator.”
Annoyed, Seojin Lee looked at Neutral.
Then Neutral smiled and replied.
“Pufu. It doesn’t matter. Killing them all is one of the ways.”
“…Crazy.”
Lee Seo-jin let out a ridiculous laugh at the fact that he was crazy until the end.
“Then! Let’s begin!”
After Neutral finished talking, a full-scale battle unfolded.
An intense battle with explosions and destruction in all directions.
※
It wasn’t just Neutral that was broadcasting the department store situation.
There were people from the broadcasting station who came by helicopter to broadcast.
There is a risk of death or serious injury, but the reporter’s reporting spirit was spreading the scoop, so he was going through the broadcast.
“Can you see? The hero named Geomseong and the three villains are starting to battle!”
“Ah! There is a violent explosion and a dangerous attack is flying at a glance! Besides, that neutral villain is said to reduce his abilities, so he is struggling!”
“But we are fighting well! Let’s all gather our strength and cheer!!”
He was reporting passionately with an urgent tone as if he were broadcasting sports. This was being broadcast live on the Internet, TV, and mobile phones.
And Kim Ho-yeon, who was watching this from Building A, exclaimed in astonishment.
From noble mtl dot com.
“What is that idiot doing without armor!?!”
Heroes pack weapons and armor when fighting villains.
Because fights between superhumans are so intense that you can easily lose your life.
It could be seen as essential, but Lee Seo-jin now only had a single sword.
“It’s amazing to be there, but it’s not enough to fight?! Did you go crazy because you wanted to die!!!”
I screamed into the TV out of concern, but I couldn’t hear it.
One of the team members watching together asked Kim Ho-yeon, worried.
“Team leader, what should I do? Are there any instructions from above?”
“No! sh*t! In the first place, there were a lot of S-rank heroes out there, but what are we doing?
“But if you leave it like that…!”
“I’m going to die of frustration too! That crazy bastard really…!!”
Hoyeon Kim frowned at her a lot and became resentful.
I want to help somehow, but I can’t.
Han Soo-jung, who saw this, was also watching TV blankly with a pale face.
“Senior…!”
Please win.
Please don’t get hurt.
I prayed earnestly for this situation to end safely.
※
“Kuh…!”
Boom!!
As soon as I avoided the explosion, Steelon’s fist flew.
I evade it quickly, but another bomb comes flying.
There’s even a debuff that reduces abilities.
Lee Seo-jin got tired little by little from the relentless onslaught.
“Whoa…”
But it wasn’t just Lee Seo-jin who was tired.
Did I put too much on the offensive?
From the Villain side, the person who had a hard time came out first.
“hehehehhhhh.. What is that crazy guy? He fired so many bombs, why is he avoiding all of them?!”
A superman gets tired when he uses his abilities.
When the troubled explorer stopped attacking for a moment, a period occurred.
As a result, the intense battlefield entered a lull.
“Huh… Heh… Hey. Neutral! Are you using your powers properly?!”
It was Steelon, who was fighting a fierce battle while getting hit with a sword from the front.
Lee Seo-jin’s sword and swordsmanship were eating away at the steel, so unlike the first time, it was in a much broken and pitted state.
After taking a peek at the scars in several places, I was dumbfounded and asked, and Neutral answered in a sweat.
“Sure! I’m doing my best and making it many times worse!”
“But why are you so energetic?!”
“I don’t know! My ability has definitely been reduced… What kind of ability is it that makes me look so fine?!”
Embarrassed. Confusion. Fear.
Negative emotions creep up on the three villains when they see Lee Seo-jin, who opposes them without stepping back despite their fierce attacks.
Unlike the first time, he seemed to be pushed back.
It was Lee Seo-jin who smiled at that figure.
“What’s wrong? Tired? I can do more.”
“Everything. Shut up! What the hell are you? There is no superhuman beyond my powers, so how come you have no effect?”
“I don’t know. You must be weak.”
“Kuhh…”
Lee Seo-jin thought to himself as he looked at Neutral with an angry expression.
‘His ability is magic-type. Among them is the mana manipulation system.’
Good luck.
Because it has a complete correlation with my ability.
Mana Manipulation.
It is a simple ability to control the body’s mana, and in fact it can be said to be the basic ability of a superhuman.
However, I can deal with my abilities more deeply, and one of them is to transfer mana to objects.
The battle of the superhumans looks like it, but in fact it was a clash of mana and mana.
I was able to transfer mana to her sword and slash the mana itself.
Also, I don’t know what kind of principle Neutral’s ability is, but if it’s a mana manipulation system, my skills are one level higher.
“Why don’t you just admit defeat and step down? It seems that other heroes are starting to notice you guys.”
“Kuh…”
It actually did.
The heroes were rescuing people in the department store little by little while they were distracted by the battle.
Not paying attention to that, Neutral focused only on weakening Lee Seo-jin.
What’s more, it’s invisible, but it’s prepared to break into the battlefield whenever it shows an opening.
Neutral vaguely guessed that the situation had been reversed due to a moment of anger.
“Ha … You ruined the show because the gaze sold. Did you intend?”
“Think whatever you want.”
“…Fuhahahaha! Great. But!!”
Neutral gritted his teeth and shouted, putting his hand in his bosom.
“Looks like you forgot that 10 minutes is coming soon! I’m about to collapse this department store!!”
Neutral shouted as if threatening, but Lee Seo-jin was not taken aback.
No. Rather, she was smiling.
As if looking at a gambler with all his hands revealed, he smiled softly.
“Okay. So let’s finish it.”
“What…?”
“This was a lot of work and I needed to be prepared.”
What are you talking about?
It is true that no matter how the situation has been reversed, it has been delayed until now.
But is that artificial?
A fact that could not be easily believed, Neutral stared blankly at Lee Seo-jin.
“Whew…”
Lee Seo-jin took a deep breath.
As soon as I got into my posture to pull out my sword, Neutral sensed that the atmosphere had changed in an instant.
The air shuddered.
Assuming that something huge was coming, Neutral shouted.
“Steelone! Explosionner! Attack!!”
As soon as the words were over, the two launched an attack.
I rushed in, but bombs flew.
It was Lee Seo-jin who had already completed all preparations.
“Ahh!”
Shouting, Steelon leapt.
‘Extreme Sword’
The sword glowed as it was drawn out.
‘One sword strike’
Seureung—!
The sound of sharp metal brushing echoed.
The sword shone and a horizontal line was drawn across all the space in front of Lee Seo-jin.
Kooung!
Separated in half, Steelon fell from the air without any strength.
The head and body of the decapitated explorer were neatly separated.
Leaning on the railing, Neutral collapsed helplessly behind him, his chest cut.
There seemed to be nothing wrong, but all the structures on the roof above the department store in front of Lee Seo-jin were separated by drawing lines.
For a moment.
It really happened in an instant, and people who saw the situation were speechless for a while.
“Huh…!!”
Only Lee Seo-jin, who wielded the sword, struggled and knelt with his sword inserted.
“Kuh…!”
Thumping… !!!
Feeling the pain, Lee Seo-jin grabbed his chest.
It seemed like the bull was rampaging, but I forcibly calmed it down and checked his body condition.
‘Damn it. Even though I’ve trained so much, I’m still not good enough to use a sword.’
Sensing that his physical condition was weak, Lee Seo-jin looked around him.
Of course, that wasn’t all.
Two dead people cut in half.
A neutral lying on his back with his chest cut.
Once they knew the situation was over, people started to move.
“Wow!!!”
“Awesome!!!”
“What is it!? What is it!!”
People watching through the screen cheered.
Heroes waiting to save lives and clear up the situation.
I wondered if the time would come for those who finished everything to return to their normal lives, but…
“Brother!”
Yoo Seo-eun ran to Lee Seo-jin who was having a hard time.
However, Lee Seo-jin shouted and dissuaded him.
“Don’t come!!!”
“Uh…?! Why…?!”
Yoo Seo-eun was puzzled, but stopped running.
Lee Seo-jin kept looking at Neutral, and then he saw something.
Very minute but wriggling movements.
That soon turned into a big move, signaling that things weren’t over yet.
“Keuk. Kuk. Kkeuk! Great! That’s great…!”
“Oops…!”
Damn it. Was it thin… !
Because I’m still weak, I haven’t been able to exert half of my power.
The feeling in my hands was a bit light, but I hoped it wasn’t… !
Kneeling in indignation, Lee Seo-jin glared at Neutral.
“It’s great. To inflict such a huge wound. Ha. But cool! This isn’t the end!!”
Although she was thin, she was mortally wounded and could no longer use her powers.
Upon realizing that, Neutral jerked her hand away from her chest.
He bent his thumb dangerously as if he were going to press a bomb switch.
With a face showing a glimpse of madness, Neutral smiled.
“Kuhhh. Did you think there was a width.Bomb switch? No! There’s no such thing! Because I’m the bomb!!”
“What’s that… Cuuh…!”
“Oops. It seems that the swordsman put in a lot of effort too?”
“Shut up and tell me…!”
Neutral grinned as she struggled to squeeze her words out.
“Cool. The detonator somewhere in my body is supposed to explode when I die! Don’t think about what to do with the ability! The moment mana touches my body! It’s supposed to explode right away!”
At those words, the heroes who tried to subdue Neutral immediately stopped moving.
That may be true, but it is impossible to move unless there is clear information.
In the end, I had no choice but to watch the situation until the end.
“Ha. But it would be boring for the show to end like this, right? Geomseong? I’ll give you one last chance.”
“What is it…!”
“Your ability… I don’t know what it is, but it didn’t explode even when it touched mana. Cool! So, try cutting me again! Ah. Are you powerless?”
“This bastard…!”
“Kuh-kuh. It won’t be easy! Because the moment you get the wrong cut, the detonator will react right away! Maybe if you don’t cut it in one go, it’ll explode right away, right?”
“Stop it right now… uhhh!”
“Come on. It’s started! 30 Seconds! All bombs will explode within 30 seconds! You only get one chance. Lee Seo-jin~?”
Pressing his fingers down, Neutral spread his arms wide.
A provocation to try something.
Lee Seo-jin keenly felt the fact that he could only do it himself in the midst of an imminent situation.
So he forced himself to stand up.
I staggered as if I was going to collapse at any moment, but I got myself into a position to swing my sword.
“Heo-euk… Heo-euk…”
But there was no power.
The extreme sword he wielded earlier was a special move for his former self.
As long as the swordsmanship was reproduced with such a weak body, the risk was serious.
I didn’t even have the strength to stand up, so my legs were shaking.
Still, he was forced to stand up.
Because I can’t do it myself.
Because he has to do it himself.
From noble mtl dot com.
He thought, somehow catching up on his blurry vision.
‘How do I do it?’
You have to cut him down at once.
But you can’t cut it like before.
Simultaneously from all sides… You have to cut everything at once.
Unless you know what the detonator is and where it is, somehow.
However, there is no such skill during the sword.
No. Even if it is, the power is weak.
There is definitely a part to touch.
In that case, should we evacuate Sua and Seoeun?
Can she evacuate within 30 seconds?
No. More than that, did the hero rescue the people on the roof?
I don’t know.
I don’t know.
How should I…
‘Oh.’
My mind suddenly became clear.
A point in time when life is at stake.
Is this the state of selflessness?
Why am I worrying about this?
Everyone… To save my precious person.
Why did I worry about that?
To never regret again.
Then what should I do now?
‘I risk my life.’
Didn’t you say you wouldn’t regret it again?
I won’t go through hell
I won’t see you lose someone important to you right in front of your eyes.
I swore I would never do that again.
“Whew…”
Lee Seo-jin exhaled deeply.
Look at the neutral in front of you.
I looked behind me thinking of Yoo Soo-ah, who would be trapped in the building behind me.
And after seeing Yoo Seo-eun, he smiled.
“…Brother?”
Why does that expression look so sad?
Yoo Seo-eun was staring at her blankly and thinking about something.
‘Concentrate. Lee Seo-jin.’
15 Seconds remaining.
Lee Seo-jin took a stance.
She mustered all her strength and then she thought about what she should do.
‘Only cut.’
It doesn’t matter where the detonator is.
As I said, just cut them all down.
I decided to risk everything.
Because I promised myself that I would never regret it again.
I was a swordsman.
“Extreme Sword”
My sword reached the pinnacle that no one could reach.
‘Intangible’
Seureung—!
A short metallic sound echoed.
Lee Seo-jin pulled out her sword.
Sug-
Tak.
Then he put his sword in.
Two simple actions.
Everybody watching didn’t know what had happened.
Only those who had been cut and those who had been cut could know.
“…Huh.”
“…Goodbye.”
A short laugh.
Neutral looked at Lee Seo-jin as if he was dumbfounded.
Slowly.
It flowed very slowly, then gradually accelerated, and I felt something pierce through my body.
Dozens of thoughts ran through his head.
When? When did you cut me
How? How did you cut it on the spot?
Where? Where are these attacks coming from?
No. Was there an attack in the first place?
Those dozens of thoughts soon turned into questions.
He had only one thing to say.
“…Nonsense…No way.”
Dozens of sword attacks flew from nowhere.
In an instant, he hacks his body.
It really happened in an instant, just like he said earlier.
Without being able to speak any more, Neutral died as he felt his body being torn apart.