# Chapter 72
Creak, creak… BOOM!
As soon as the words ended, the ground shook. The entire building trembled, and debris fell from above.
A protective barrier had already formed over Jiwon.
“Looks fun.”
At that moment, Kalik rushed at them with contempt.
“Kalik!”
Seemingly angered by Suhyun’s dismissive attitude, Kalik ignored Adam’s call and swung his massive greatsword recklessly.
“Arrogance will be your downfall.”
The enormous greatsword plunged toward Suhyun like lightning.
“We’ll see.”
Somehow, an translucent blade had appeared in Suhyun’s hand.
BOOM!
As he blocked Kalik’s attack, a tremendous shockwave erupted with a deafening sound.
A strong wind swept through. Even Adam and his interpreter staggered. Jiwon, standing under the protective barrier, gazed at Suhyun with anxious eyes.
“…The building looks like it’s going to collapse.”
Just one clash of blades, and the building seemed to be swaying.
At Jiwon’s words, Suhyun nodded.
“It would be safer to leave first.”
Though Kalik was still pointing his sword at him, Suhyun’s voice remained calm.
“This bastard…!”
Suhyun paid no attention to what Kalik said. The tip of his blade plunged into the floor instead of at Kalik.
Without saying anything further, it seemed he intended to bring the building down so they’d have no choice but to leave.
CRACK, BOOM! KABOOM!
“Gasp…”
The blade embedded in the floor began to dissolve its form. The building tilted momentarily as something translucent started to force its way through the widening cracks.
“Hold on to me.”
Jiwon grabbed Suhyun’s arm. Suhyun went further, pulling Jiwon into his arms. Then he turned toward the window they had entered through.
“Ha…”
Kalik laughed dryly as he backed away. Since he needed to protect Adam, he couldn’t blindly chase after Suhyun.
Taking advantage of the moment when Kalik returned to Adam, Suhyun and Jiwon exited the building first.
Could they escape?
Despite their hopes, the Americans soon appeared.
“……”
Jiwon frowned as he surveyed the surroundings. As expected, there was nothing but densely packed trees.
He wondered why such a building existed in a location so difficult for people to access.
The lavish exterior made it even more suspicious. It almost seemed like the Hwashin Group had specially built it for the Americans to hide and rest comfortably.
“What are we going to do?”
But more than these unanswerable questions, Jiwon was curious and anxious about what Suhyun was thinking.
Running away would be better than fighting. There was no chance of winning. Though the situation didn’t look favorable, they should at least try…
“We’re going home.”
Suhyun’s answer was clear. All intermediate steps to getting home were omitted.
“…Alright.”
Jiwon wanted to make sure if there was a specific plan, but there was no time for conversation.
There was a high possibility that there was no plan at all. Either surrender or fight. He had simply chosen to fight.
Jiwon could have tried to persuade him to go along with what they wanted and escape the situation temporarily, but…
“That sounds good.”
He didn’t want to.
Despite thinking they were at a disadvantage, was he arbitrarily believing Suhyun would win? His feelings kept making him ignore that this wasn’t a rational choice.
“Haha… Look at them play.”
Kalik, now standing with his arms crossed, mocked them. Suhyun’s composure must have looked pathetic to him.
“How long do I have to watch this child’s play?”
Kalik asked arrogantly.
“Both must be brought to America safely.”
Adam replied with a similarly condescending attitude.
“So don’t kill them.”
“That’s a difficult request.”
Kalik shook his head, and Chase sighed.
There wasn’t a trace of guilt on their faces even as they discussed killing people.
“What about me?”
Amid feeling like he’d become a monster, Suhyun suddenly asked.
“Pardon?”
Jiwon was startled by the calm voice and asked again.
“We don’t need to keep them unharmed, right?”
Jiwon couldn’t tell if Suhyun was trying to provoke the others or if he was serious.
Based on Suhyun’s character that he’d observed so far, it was probably the latter…
“…Murder is a bit…”
Jiwon answered reflexively, and Suhyun nodded.
“I understand.”
Suhyun’s attitude, as if he had been waiting for this response, left Jiwon perplexed.
Did he mean he wouldn’t kill them because Jiwon said murder wasn’t okay?
The corner of Jiwon’s mouth twitched. Suhyun’s nonchalance, as if there was no problem at all, made Jiwon feel better too.
Even though objectively, they still had no chance of winning.
“……”
After staring at Jiwon, who was smiling slightly, Suhyun soon turned his back to him.
As soon as he took a deep breath, the ground shook violently.
“…!”
Jiwon’s eyes widened.
An Esper shaking an entire building might not be a big deal, but the bare ground trembling was a different story.
“What kind of power is he using?”
Unlike in America, the abilities of Korean Espers weren’t well-known, so Chase muttered with furrowed brows.
In contrast, Kalik was calmly smiling.
“Well, looks like he wants to play.”
His attitude suggested he didn’t care what ability Suhyun used.
“As long as you don’t kill them, do whatever you want. Seems like talking won’t work anyway.”
Adam calmly incited the Espers who were already eager to engage.
“Good.”
As if they’d been waiting, both Espers immediately rushed toward Suhyun. Their excited faces, like children at a playground, were grotesque.
In that instant, Jiwon held his breath in tension. The two Espers rushing with determination triggered his fear.
KWAAANG!
A thunderous noise echoed as the two Espers charged with momentum.
“Ugh…!”
“What’s going on?”
However, neither Jiwon nor Suhyun took any damage.
Surprisingly, Kalik and Chase couldn’t even get close to them. Something was blocking their way.
“You set up a little trick?”
“Tch. Couldn’t see it at all.”
The two, having collided with a defensive barrier Suhyun had set up beforehand without detecting it, conversed with irritated tones.
Their faces showed displeasure at falling for such a pathetic trap.
“……”
Suhyun made no response to whatever they said.
He shifted his gaze away from them.
BOOM! KABOOM! BOOM!
Consecutive explosions occurred wherever his gaze moved. The attack was precisely targeting Adam.
Though it might be nothing to the Espers, it was a sufficient threat to Adam. Kalik and Chase reflexively returned to protect him.
“How amusing.”
Suhyun stopped his attack. It seemed it was intended to send them back to Adam’s side.
Kalik’s lips twisted in annoyance at Suhyun’s ability to make them move around without lifting a finger.
“This is no fun.”
He made eye contact with Chase, then immediately rushed at Suhyun. His gaze had become considerably fiercer.
Chase put a protective barrier around Adam and his interpreter, then quickly followed Kalik.
“How far did you extend your barrier?”
The two Espers attacked Suhyun simultaneously and violently. But no matter where they attacked, they were repeatedly blocked by the barrier. They readjusted their stance as if intending to completely destroy the barrier first. The rapidly condensing waves were threatening.
“AAAARGH!”
But Kalik and Chase couldn’t focus on their attack. Despite the protective barrier, desperate screams erupted from Adam.
“HUUURK! AGH!”
Adam was on the ground, writhing in agony. He looked as if something was crushing him. It wasn’t an illusion, as his body was gradually being driven into the ground.
Chase had no choice but to return to Adam. But there was nothing he could do. Adam’s screams continued unabated, yet the protective barrier he had put up remained intact.
Glimpsing the situation, Kalik put more force into his attack against Suhyun. He seemed to have judged that it would be faster to take down Suhyun, who was attacking Adam.
“You underhanded bastard…!”
KWANG!
The massive greatsword rushed toward Suhyun’s head. The attack was so powerful that it split the ground and caused rough winds. Finally, a crack appeared in Suhyun’s solid protective barrier.
Kalik persistently targeted that spot.
“GAAAAAH! Huk, ugh…”
However, Suhyun showed no sign of panic and focused on crushing Adam. Chase’s protective barrier remained useless. Eventually, Adam’s screams were cut off as he lost consciousness.
Suhyun twisted the corner of his mouth as he looked at Kalik. As soon as the attack against Adam stopped, the protective barrier became solid again.
“Shit…!”
Despite cursing, Kalik didn’t stop attacking. Chase, who had been checking on Adam, also seemed to prioritize taking down Suhyun and unleashed long-range attacks.
It was such a powerful attack that it seemed both Suhyun and Jiwon would vanish without a trace if the barrier disappeared.
‘His wavelength…’
Jiwon, who had been standing behind Suhyun the whole time, gritted his teeth. He had held up well so far, but it wouldn’t last long. His wavelength was becoming increasingly unstable.
