Masquerade (5)
Around the time the Executioner began clashing in earnest with the man in the lion mask.
“Oracle, we have a problem here.”
Nagaraja, the Southeast Asia branch chief of the Beoncheon Society, who had attempted to communicate with the outside, continued in an urgent tone.
The spatial blockade here was powerful enough to cut off every form of communication, but naturally, as the ones behind the technique, the Beoncheon Society already had a way to bypass it.
—“Hmm, I’ve confirmed it too. The flow of causality is going absolutely berserk. It seems they’ve caused quite a commotion, but what exactly happened?”
“Of course it is. The Masquerade bastards have stormed this place. Four of them in total.”
—“Four? Well, that’s more or less within expectations, but…”
“Three of them are presumed to be powerhouses on a level similar to the Executioner.”
—“…Huh?”
At Nagaraja’s next words, even Oracle had no choice but to fall silent.
Was the Executioner not a force acknowledged even within their ranks as the strongest in terms of pure martial might, save for the Society Head?
Of course, that did not mean he was the Beoncheon Society’s second-in-command.
There were others who were no less exceptional in a comprehensive sense, such as Oracle, who looked down upon the flow of the world at a glance and had guided the organization to its current position while thoroughly concealing its existence, or Doctor, who possessed technology several stages beyond the world’s current supernatural sciences, including compound techniques and dimensional creation.
But even such people had no choice but to regard him as the greatest when it came to sheer force, and that was precisely why he was called by the alias “Executioner.”
He was the blade that had stood at the forefront, executing those who opposed the Beoncheon Society in place of the Society Head, who in practice could not move freely.
In truth, the calamity that the Burning Torch had suffered was merely a repetition of events that had already occurred several times across the world.
“Do you know what’s even more surprising? Two of them are that otherworldly saint and the vampire Phantom, both of whom we already knew about.”
—“…They were at that level? That can’t be… No matter how much they’ve grown in the meantime, reaching the realm of quasi-divinity is…”
“Save your pondering for later. Do you understand now why I contacted you in such a hurry?”
The moment Oracle sank into distress over the discrepancy with the information they had previously gathered, Nagaraja cut her off firmly and spoke again.
As if everything up to now had merely been the preface, and this was the true purpose of his contact.
“If this continues, everyone here is going to die.”
So if she did not want to see a mass funeral, she had better hurry up and do something.
Simply put, he was asking her to save them.
—“…I understand, so hold out just a little longer. I’ll take action immediately.”
Naturally, from Oracle’s position, this was not something she could simply ignore.
After all, every person currently dispatched was high-level personnel that the Beoncheon Society could not easily afford to throw away.
In particular, the Executioner, who had sprouted divinity, and Nagaraja, an upper-tier Transcendent, were talents who had to be safely retrieved no matter what.
“Ah.”
But the reaction to her answer was not a sigh of relief.
It was a low groan that slipped out without his realizing.
—“…What is it now?”
“Hmm…”
Oracle, sensing that something else had gone wrong, asked heavily, but Nagaraja could not say anything.
He had been overwhelmed by the majestic sight unfolding before his eyes.
“…If you’re going to do something, I would appreciate it if you did it as quickly as possible.”
Waves of light surged in like a flood, as though proclaiming this space a sanctuary.
The divine power that gently embraced and healed the wounded executives of the Burning Torch swept through the surroundings, while bestowing a crushing pressure upon the members of the Beoncheon Society who had been hostile to them.
Paaaat—
Standing at the center of that miracle, the being radiating a tremendous presence pierced sharply into his vision.
“…Otherwise, everyone will be taken down before you can even do anything.”
It was a being he had already encountered several times while holding the position of branch chief.
But the angel, clad not in the familiar glow of sunset but in a platinum radiance like the dawn, raised the sword of judgment.
Staring directly at them, and no one else.
***
A middle-aged man with a short beard—the leader of the Burning Torch, the President.
Mimic, a Transcendent belonging to the Beoncheon Society who wore that exact same face, furrowed his brow.
‘This is dangerous.’
The Executioner, who had begun fighting, was clearly holding a distinct advantage.
If things continued that way, he would ultimately seize victory, even if it took some time.
However, the problem now was that the enemy who had barged in was not limited to just that one opponent.
“Hmm, you were called Mimic, weren’t you? …I see. You haven’t been completely swallowed yet.”
The moment their eyes met, Mimic’s body flinched at the words that came from the other party’s mouth.
Even while facing multiple Transcendents alone, those golden eyes, shining as if they contained the sun, stared intently at him without the slightest disturbance, as though seeing through his very insides.
‘Damn it, and here I thought I was lucky. How did he figure that out?’
Mimic, struck right where it hurt, gritted his teeth.
He had certainly hidden it thoroughly so that nothing showed on the surface!
Everything had been going smoothly up until he came here without much thought in response to Oracle’s summons and carried out his mission.
In truth, the role assigned to him this time was one he rather liked.
Thanks to it, he had been able to gulp down the President, a powerhouse at a level he could never have handled on his own.
Absorbing another’s existence and plundering everything they had built up until now, then imitating them perfectly.
That was the unique skill that had allowed him to cross the wall of transcendence.
‘Ugh, that damned divine power is making the resistance stronger!’
Of course, such a fraudulent ability could not possibly come without restrictions.
Not only did it take a considerable amount of time to fully digest the target, but if the “karma” of having subdued the target entirely by himself did not precede the absorption, the probability of failure increased to an extreme degree.
‘Damn it, why now of all times… Stay still, will you!’
This time, with the help of other Transcendents, he had succeeded in the absorption itself, but as someone who had merely helped himself to prey caught by the Executioner, he could not help but experience significant difficulty digesting a target of a higher rank than himself.
At this rate, it would probably take several years at the very least to digest him completely.
Because the Beoncheon Society’s forces mobilized for this operation were so overwhelmingly powerful—and because he especially trusted the infamous Executioner—he had assumed there would be no need for him to step forward in matters requiring force…
“I was feeling a little regretful anyway, so this works out nicely. If their leader returns, the Burning Torch should become a bit more useful.”
But as he faced an angel who held a gleaming sword of light and looked at him as if he were about to split his belly open alive—
An angel whose gaze reeked not of holiness but of blood, Mimic keenly realized that now was not the time for such complacent thoughts.
Kwaaang—!
No, when he saw the massive pillar of light flying toward him from the front, his survival instinct leapt out before any such thoughts could form.
If he did not do something immediately, everything would be over.
“Set isolation zone! Reinforced barrier! Severance of exchange! Reactive force field… Kheuk!”
Even though he mobilized every method he had stolen from numerous powerhouses until now, Mimic gasped as his defenses were smashed apart helplessly.
And the more he used his power in the process, the more violently the resistance within him intensified, making it impossible to focus on either side.
“Coordinate designation, energy amplification, anti-divine barrier deployment!”
“Nothing shall approach me—Absolute Shield!”
“Trap card activation—Infinite Mirror Corridor.”
The only reason they were holding out at all was because everyone fighting alongside him was among the strongest even on Earth.
Moreover, the mysteries derived from all manner of worlds, and the coordination that linked them together so they could display maximum efficiency, were practically the Beoncheon Society’s specialty.
Chaaeng!
Their coordination was not limited to defense alone.
A giant’s hand surged up from the floor and knocked aside the sword tip wrapped in light, gravity falling from the sky widened an opening, and a spearhead that slipped in with the agility of a snake rushed toward the opponent’s vital point.
“Indeed…”
Even Heinrich could not help but let out a sincere exclamation of admiration at that coordination.
Though the difference in rank between them was clear, they did not collapse easily.
No matter what anyone said, they too were people who had overcome all manner of life-threatening battlefields and reached the realm of transcendence.
Each and every one of them was once a hero of a world, or a calamity that threatened one.
‘Above all, compared to them, my experience being shallow is also quite significant.’
Unlike Heinrich, who had reached his current realm quickly in a safe environment thanks to tricks and luck added on top, all of them had at least over ten years of experience repeating life-and-death training and real combat.
They were veterans of battle, accustomed to wringing out the abilities they possessed beyond their limits.
It was not strange for them to struggle this hard against him, someone whose capacity overflowed but who could not fully exert his strength due to a lack of experience.
‘…Well, fine. This can be an opportunity too.’
Heinrich’s gaze sank coldly.
His breathing slowed, his senses sharpened, and everything around him began to come within reach, as if he could grasp it in his hand.
And instead of crushing them with power as he had until now, he began to understand and analyze the meaning contained in each of their actions, pursuing the “answer” to them.
‘Now that I think about it, there could hardly be a better teaching material. It’ll help when I face the Beoncheon Society Head too.’
It was the same reason Harley insisted on a one-on-one battle with the Executioner.
Had he not, in his excessive pursuit of efficiency until now, neglected the task of drawing out an individual’s potential to the utmost?
If he simply focused on increasing his capacity while in such a state, he would become nothing more than a being with a large body and no substance.
That change in mindset soon began to manifest in reality as well.
Nagaraja, who had been commanding the anti-angel battle as the Beoncheon Society’s East Asia branch chief, stiffened.
‘Insane. What kind of nonsense is this…!’
The openings that had been laughably numerous compared to the opponent’s strength were being corrected one by one and disappearing in real time.
An attack that had worked once did not work a second time.
Even an attack that applied it in a different way was thoroughly blocked the next time.
He was absorbing and applying to himself, at a tremendous speed, every best move they had devised and squeezed out to stand against a powerful enemy.
It was to the point where it was hard to tell whether this was a life-or-death struggle for survival or debugging to correct errors.
As the others sensed it, shadows began to fall over their expressions as well.
‘Kuh, no matter how lofty his rank is, learning ability should be a separate matter!’
The more time passed, the worse it became.
If until now the main process had been correcting the openings they pointed out, now the situation had reversed, and they had become the ones forced to somehow produce answers to the other side’s questions.
The opponent’s moves were like questions.
How should I respond to this attack? What about when they come out like that?
If they bypass that response and come in, what is the more efficient way to defend?
“Kheuk! D-damn it…!”
An unbroken chain of offense and defense, rising steeply without end.
In the end, the first to break down was Mimic, who had been desperately holding out while bearing his restrictions.
As he vomited blood and collapsed on the spot, something bulged up beneath his body, and his facial features began to melt and crumble.
As if something were about to burst out from inside him at any moment.
It was no different from a scene in a horror movie.
‘I should retrieve him first.’
Once the separation process ended, both sides would be vulnerable.
It would not be bad to prepare for that moment, and perhaps lend a slight hand with divine power.
He did not care what happened to Mimic, but the President was a reliable sla… subordinate who would face the Beoncheon Society with him from now on.
Hwaaaak—
Three pairs of wings spread wide, and dazzling light swept in every direction.
And in the next instant.
Mimic, who had been sprawled amid the enemy ranks, was already in his grasp.
Naturally, the Beoncheon Society side did not just stand by, but it meant little.
They had already been barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth, and now one person had left the formation—on top of that, they even had to protect the very opponent he had taken…
There’s no way something like that could work, is there?
But Heinrich, who had been infusing divine power into the Mimic’s body, came to realize that there was one more reason beyond simply that.
‘Hm? What’s this…?’
Heinrich’s eyes twitched as he sensed something artificial in the flow during the process of injecting divine power.
An unidentified force was helping the Chief separate from the Mimic in as intact a state as possible.
His senses stretched out, tracing its origin.
And what he discovered at the end—
‘An? This sensation… I see. It feels similar to when I cut through space and entered here. Did she use this method back then too?’
It was An, positioned at the center of the executives who had barely managed to compose themselves thanks to Heinrich’s intervention.
Thanks to that, having conserved the strength she had been using to assist her companions, she timed it perfectly to manifest her ability once more.
The effect appeared immediately.
“Kuuugh— Kuaaaack—!”
The failure of a supernatural ability manifesting beyond its limits always carried a backlash befitting it.
If the backlash was absent or weak, it was merely because the ability had been used strictly within its predetermined limit.
Naturally, this did not apply to the Mimic, which had tried to devour a being of a higher tier than itself without even a proper ‘rank-up’.
Shwaaaack—
Clothes tore, as if a soul were escaping from flesh… no, as if a human-shaped slime were dividing. A being that had been one person became two.
Whether to call this fortunate, it wasn’t the horrific scene of bursting through a living body like in a horror movie, but neither was this a sight one could commonly see.
“Kuhuk, keohek! Kkeok!”
Among them, a man so emaciated that his age couldn’t be guessed was spewing rough breaths.
That was probably the Mimic’s original form.
Though that skin-and-bones, mummy-like appearance seemed to be because most of the nutrients had been stolen by the other side.
And the other one was…
“Frei!”
An’s voice was heard from behind.
…Surely, that had to be the Chief’s true appearance.
Heinrich couldn’t help but be flustered, unfitting as it was for the situation.
‘Huh? For real?’
Where had the burly middle-aged man with a full beard gone? In his place, a beauty with a healthy appearance lay collapsed on the floor.
Half-naked, just like the Mimic.
‘She was a woman? No, I’m sure the Chief, Freddy, was a man… Wait, hold on. Frei?’
Suddenly, An’s shout flashed through his mind.
And while observing the situation through Ken’s senses, the words An had spoken right after the Byeoncheon Society’s appearance came vividly to mind.
-“The Chief— I’m asking what happened to Frei—!”
‘I thought her pronunciation had just slipped because she was flustered back then.’
Could it really be that that was her real name?
Heinrich looked down at her for a moment with an odd expression, then roughly covered her with a blanket taken out from subspace and turned his gaze away.
The funny thing was that he wasn’t the only one flustered by this sudden turn of events.
“Huh? Who’s that? Where’s the Chief?”
“She’s really a woman? An! What the hell is going on?”
“Kuh, the Mimic…! …But is that really the Chief?”
“…No, but did the Mimic really not know about this?”
Not only the fellow executives of ‘The Burning Torch’ except An, but even the Transcendents of the Byeoncheon Society who had gone so far as to capture the Chief for their disguise.
Everyone was showing signs of bewilderment at this unexpected situation.
‘Was it a transformation-type unique skill?’
Perhaps because she hadn’t been completely absorbed, even the Mimic itself hadn’t noticed until the very end.
Perhaps the absorption had been slowed precisely because she had been wearing such a false shell.
‘Well, whatever happened, it doesn’t matter.’
After all, not only had he safely recovered the Chief—the leader who had to lead The Burning Torch and a high-ranking Transcendent—but he had also neutralized a key figure from the Byeoncheon Society who possessed dangerous abilities!
Now the only thing left was to cleanly finish off the rest of them.
‘It does feel like it’s still a bit lacking… but I can’t keep holding them here forever. There will be other opportunities.’
The executives, including An who had carefully approached from behind, took care of the unconscious Chief.
In addition, Ken—who had been keeping his distance to avoid the divine power boiling over nearby—and Harris, who had been investigating the interior, gathered around as well.
“Then shall we wrap this up?”
The moment Heinrich spoke thus and raised his sword once more.
Szzzzt—
A crack formed in the barrier that had been thoroughly sealing off this space.