“Y-yo, u, why are the Six Demons here….”
“Kuk! Where did these bastards…!”
“It’s an ambush! Hurry, protect the audience!”
“There could be more hiding! Be careful!”
“Someone contact Sword!”
Lady Ghoul Sim Jieun.
Iron Dragon Tak Wonho.
The arena was thrown into chaos by the intrusion of the two Six Demons, along with the villains following them.
Amidst it all.
“I’ll gratefully take this egg.”
Sim Jieun approached the Bond Egg left alone on the podium without anyone guarding it.
Soon after, an expression of rapture crossed her face as she held the egg.
“An egg from which a familiar matching the owner’s soul is born… I’d love to take it for myself.”
But she couldn’t do that.
Because the owner of the Bond Egg had already been decided.
To Tacheon, the leader of the Demon Society.
As his subordinate, Sim Jieun had to suppress her greed.
She didn’t want to incur his wrath by offending him.
She smacked her lips in regret.
Meanwhile.
“Heukdana, could you take that out?”
Sim Jieun commanded the giant serpent.
Immediately, the black-scaled serpent opened its mouth wide and spat out an iron door.
It was an artifact that aided spatial movement to the hideout.
“Can we move right away?”
“No. It will take some time for the mana to charge.”
“How long will it take?”
“Well, around…”
“That’s plenty of time to play. I was itching from just watching the match, so this is perfect.”
Hunters confident in their abilities surrounded the stage to confront the two demons.
Tak Wonho raked his gaze across their ranks, his fighting spirit igniting.
The corners of his mouth stretched into a long grin.
Just then.
“Who said you could…”
“….”
“Take my egg? You bastards….”
Kang Hanbyeol, who had urgently vacated his seat when the ceiling collapsed moments ago, stepped forward.
He clenched his molars.
His eyes glaring fearlessly at the Six Demons were blazing fiercely.
At that gaze.
“Oho, so you’re the disciple of the Fighting Ghost? I watched the final stage well. I quite liked your skill. Enough to make my blood boil for the first time in a while.”
Tak Wonho showed interest.
His eyes gleamed with strange colors.
“Perfect timing. I’ll play with you until the time is up. Disciple of the Fighting Ghost, let me teach you a thing or two. Ah, don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I can’t kill someone with such a promising future here. I’ll just trample you a bit.”
“Shut up. Just give me my egg.”
Immediately, almost simultaneously.
The two who stomped on the ground clashed.
Kang Hanbyeol swung his demonic sword Lucid, and Tak Wonho threw out an iron fist.
* * *
Kang Hanbyeol was someone with a strong sense of possession.
There was no way he would stay still after having the Bond Egg snatched right before his eyes.
And indeed.
‘I had a feeling this would happen.’
Not caring that his opponent was a Six Demon.
Unable to overcome his anger, Kang Hanbyeol charged straight at Iron Dragon Tak Wonho.
It unfolded just like in the game.
“Let’s go help Hanbyeol too.”
We couldn’t just watch Kang Hanbyeol fight alone like this.
Having Hunters around didn’t put me at ease.
Moreover, the opponent was Tak Wonho, and Lady Ghoul Sim Jieun was there too.
If things went wrong and they got to him, it would undoubtedly be a disaster.
So I decided to lead my friends onto the battlefield.
“Don’t overdo it, everyone. I’m saying don’t recklessly put yourselves in danger. Got it?”
Our goal was to resolve the situation, not to subjugate the two Six Demons.
More importantly, the true goal known only to me and Yeon Haneul was to buy time so the enemies could escape.
After warning my friends, I jumped down from the spectator seats.
I landed on the battlefield where Hunters and villains were tangled in combat.
My friends followed after me.
“I’ll take Lady Ghoul. Haneul, you cover Hanbyeol. And Haerang and Eunbi…”
“Okay, I’ll do as you say. Be careful. Don’t get hurt.”
After giving orders to Yeon Haneul and my friends.
I moved with some friends to confront Sim Jieun.
“Who are you? You seem to be students. If you don’t want to get hurt, get lost while I’m being nice.”
With the iron door enchanted with magic to move to the hideout on her back.
Holding the Bond Egg in one hand and a whip in the other, Sim Jieun.
Having noticed us, she warned in a prickly tone.
I shrugged my shoulders brazenly.
“Sorry, but I can’t do that. That egg belongs to my friend.”
“Friend? Who do you mean… Ahh, the young Fighting Ghost is your friend. Then that means… you’re them? The kids from Geumgang Academy that He’s been keeping an eye on. To think we’d meet here. Hello? Nice to meet you.”
“Seems you know us. I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case.”
“Your rumors are too loud not to know. And… there are things you’ve been doing. You must be the Lightning Cat of the Divine Sword Do family, right? Your name is… Do Gyeonu. He took a liking to you; any thoughts of joining our side?”
“…And if I refuse?”
Damn it.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
I had vaguely expected it, but it seemed I had drawn Tacheon’s attention.
The cause was probably…
Most likely the graduation duel with Do Sieun not long ago.
My face scrunched up involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Sim Jieun narrowed her eyes.
“If that’s your answer… too bad, but it can’t be helped. I don’t know about the other Six Demons, but at least I don’t feel like dragging you by force. So stop bothering me and get lost while I’m showing mercy.”
“What if I refuse that too?”
“…You. You have a talent for getting on people’s nerves. Do you want to die? If you want to die… fine.”
Snap.
She stamped her foot, baring a pale leg, and struck the ground with her whip.
Her eyes changed bizarrely.
“I’ll use that life of yours to my heart’s content. Kneel at my feet. It’s too late to beg for forgiveness now. I won’t go easy on you because you’re a student. No, it’s better because you’re a student. It’s fun to teach and break in a kid who knows nothing. You’ll experience a new world as my plaything, so be grateful.”
With those words.
Sim Jieun licked her lips and attacked me and my friends.
The whip she wielded flew fiercely toward us.
That was when the battle began.
Swish-ack!
The sound of the whip was extremely threatening.
Getting hit would mean big trouble.
In fact, Hunters struck by the whip generally couldn’t recover and were immediately knocked away.
But I wasn’t worried.
Snap!
It’s fine, I have Evasion Instinct.
Sharpening my senses at the Gift’s call, I avoided the baptism of whips.
And I didn’t stop there.
“…!”
As if saying she wouldn’t allow approach.
I advanced toward Sim Jieun, who was wildly whirling her whip around her surroundings.
She seemed slightly surprised.
Though it lasted only a brief moment.
She quickly composed her expression and twitched one corner of her mouth.
Right then.
Kiaack!
Snap!
The black serpent charged in.
Just before taking my next step, reacting to the activation of Evasion Instinct, I was able to avoid the danger.
I nearly got swallowed by the serpent now passing before my eyes.
Meanwhile.
“Heukdana.”
In the meantime, Sim Jieun, who had climbed onto the serpent’s head, looked down at me.
She opened her mouth brazenly.
“Show them what you’ve got.”
As those words fell.
Hwaruk! Hwaahak!
The black serpent responded to the command.
In an instant, the inside of its mouth brightened, and just as embers seemed to scatter into the air.
The thing spewed flames.
The flames engulfed us just like that.
That was when Cha Eunsol, who had quickly stepped to the front, spread a barrier.
Swhaaa!
A barrier made of flowing water protected us from the flames.
Thanks to that, we were able to get through unscathed without a single wound.
“Well done.”
“Yeah, I’ll earn my keep.”
She might usually slack off, but Cha Eunsol definitely stepped up when it counted.
I praised her for that.
‘Anyway…’
I had experienced it in the game too.
The combination of Sim Jieun and the black serpent was truly nothing short of annoying.
I bit my lip.
But it was a relief.
Because unlike in the game, I didn’t have to struggle to subjugate them.
I just had to buy enough time.
That’s why.
‘It seems no one has noticed. Actually, if I just destroy the iron door so they can’t escape, it’s over…’
Even though I could gain the upper hand over the enemies if I wanted to.
I didn’t intervene aggressively, deliberately maintaining the status quo.
Eventually, time passed….
“I was trying to make you cry… It’s a shame, but I can’t. Time’s up. Iron Dragon-nim.”
“Tch, has the time already passed? I wanted to play more. What a shame.”
The magic imbued in the iron door activated.
The enemies, including Sim Jieun and Tak Wonho, gathered before the iron door under the cover of the black serpent.
“I won’t forget today’s meeting. Let’s meet again if the chance arises. Next time… I’ll definitely break you in, little rabbit. I look forward to seeing you gasping and begging beneath me.”
“Young Fighting Ghost, it was a fun match. I look forward to seeing how deep a wound you can inflict on my body next time we meet. Train harder and grow up quickly. Only then can I fight and kill you in earnest.”
Sim Jieun and Tak Wonho bid farewell.
Soon, they disappeared beyond the iron door with the other enemies.
“….”
Unfortunately.
We couldn’t stop them.
Because the black serpent, entering the iron door last, swept through the arena and caused havoc.
Because of that, we had to watch the iron door transforming into particles, losing its form and fading away.
“M-my egg… give me back my egg….”
Kang Hanbyeol, who ultimately failed to retrieve the Bond Egg, couldn’t help but despair.
He fell to his knees with a tearful face and slammed the ground with all his might.
‘Hanbyeol must be in great shock. Well, this must be his first experience like this…’
He might end up falling into darkness at this rate.
I let out a bitter smile.
Honestly, I was dying to tease Kang Hanbyeol, but doing so would only incur his wrath.
Now was the time to console him.
Having judged so, I spoke.
“It’s okay, the real egg is somewhere else.”
Sorry for deceiving you all this time, Hanbyeol.
I apologized inwardly.
* * *
“We must contact Him. That we’ve obtained what He desired.”
They had achieved their goal.
The villains who had returned to the hideout, having stolen the Bond Egg according to plan and shaken off the Hunters, were jubilant.
The area was filled with their cackling laughter.
“How is the egg’s condition?”
“It’s perfectly fine without a scratch.”
In response to Tak Wonho, who approached closely.
Sim Jieun answered, taking the Bond Egg from her pocket.
She fell into admiration just like that.
“The more I look at it, the more beautiful it is. How can such an egg exist….”
“It wouldn’t do to covet it.”
“Don’t worry. I know my place. I don’t want to die for touching His belongings.”
As if containing the universe itself.
A Bond Egg with a deep blue-green base color, densely embedded with hues reflecting white light.
Sim Jieun blushed at its appearance.
It was quite a contrast to the face that usually wore a contemptuous expression even toward allies, especially men.
Tak Wonho and the surrounding villains couldn’t help but marvel.
Then.
Beep beep beep….
“Hmm?”
A sound rang from the Bond Egg.
Sim Jieun, who had been absentmindedly stroking the egg, flinched.
Her eyes widened.
“Wait, this is….”
It wasn’t a Bond Egg.
A fake made so exquisitely that it could even deceive her own eyes.
Sim Jieun, belatedly realizing this fact, couldn’t hide her confusion.
‘When on earth was it switched!? No, it couldn’t have been switched midway. Then could it be…’
It had been a trap from the beginning.
And this sound starting to come from the egg was….
Just as Sim Jieun thought that far.
“Ah….”
So unconsciously that she couldn’t respond in time.
From above her head.
A massive aura descended.
Kwakwakwakwakwa-KWANG!
* * *
Things flowed as Do Gyeonu had expected.
The enemies who had raided the Grand Ranking Tournament had stolen the Bond Egg and fled to their hideout.
The truth was….
Unaware that the egg was nothing more than a fake with a location tracker attached.
If so, now it was his turn.
“I’ll show some strength for the first time in a while. Sometimes you need to show off so they don’t underestimate me.”
The Chairwoman of Geumgang Academy.
The Star Witch, So Hyeyul.
She took a metal plaque from within subspace and murmured the activation words.
The metal plaque returned to its true form, transforming into a staff the length of her forearm.
The staff, ordinary at a glance, was the control device for the artificial satellite Star Light Road.
When she lightly swung it.
[Connecting to Star Light Road.]
[Verifying access authority.]
[….]
[Welcome, Master.]
A translucent screen appeared in midair.
It was Star Light Road’s management screen, with all permissions granted to her as its master.
So Hye-yul manipulated the screen and brought up the satellite map.
On the map, surrounded on all sides by mountains, a red dot was blinking.
It was the location of the Villain Alliance, who had stolen the egg fitted with a tracking device.
“Hmm… So you were hiding in a place like this. How fortunate. If it had been a civilian area, it would have been troublesome to deal with you. Neither the Contribution Society nor the Hunter Association will make too much of a fuss.”
In other words, even if she used Star Light to fire a bombardment, there would be no civilian casualties.
So Hye-yul pulled up the corners of her mouth.
“To think you dared steal what belongs to that child… You must be desperate to die. In that case….”
I’ll kill you myself.
So Hye-yul did not hesitate.
The targets were villains anyway.
There was no need to show mercy to evildoers.
With the staff in her hand, she tapped the air three times.
Swish, swish, swish.
That was the end of it.
Star Light Road, drifting through space, received the signal and activated.
The dense energy discharged from the particle cannon aimed precisely at the targeted point.
Three times in total.
“Student Gyeonu said it, didn’t he?”
The first bombardment utterly devastated the entire area.
All the villains at the location met annihilation.
The same went for the great serpent that had instinctively protected Sim Ji-eun.
In the first place, it had not managed to protect her.
Because she had experienced one death and transformed into a demon.
Even so, thanks to its sacrifice, she had avoided complete annihilation.
However.
“When you kill, kill thoroughly. Leave no future trouble behind.”
The second bombardment fell.
Sim Ji-eun, the Demonic Young Lady who had been screaming over the black serpent’s death, was annihilated.
Iron Dragon Tak Won-ho barely survived.
As if mocking his survival.
“He’s right. You have to be certain.”
The third bombardment fell.
Tak Won-ho, who had yearned for a battle that would make his blood boil and had hoped to meet his death at the hands of a strong opponent, closed his eyes in vain.
And so, on this day, two of the Six Demons were extinguished by a single person.
“If it hadn’t ended in three shots, I was planning to fire more…. As for mana, I could simply draw on what I’d been saving for my long-cherished wish all this time.”
So Hye-yul let out a faint laugh.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss