It would be nice if I could at least read a novel at a time like this, but Suo Weiqian’s lackey was monitoring me. To prevent me from using my phone or doing anything else. My slapped cheek and the thigh burned by the cigar hurt. If even this hurt this much, tears welled up when I thought about how much more cruelly he might torment me.
I’d acted brave, but in truth, I was scared out of my wits. Even Director Kim Jeongseon, who had seemed so strong, was collapsed, and there were no SS-class espers either.
Would the Chinese government take our side? Would they come looking for us? What if they just ignored someone like me? What if they did drug experiments on me or something? I felt goosebumps rising on my arms.
The plane crossed through the sky regardless of my feelings. The speed was so fast it made my stomach churn. The pilot was probably just accelerating wildly since his life was in danger too, but it felt like our lives might truly be in danger at this rate.
‘Whether I die this way or that way, it’s all the same, isn’t it. Haha.’
But more than anything, the strongest feeling was that I didn’t want to die. Why should I have to die! Hated here, hated there! Just for writing one wrong hate comment, getting caught up in all this! It was so unfair I wanted to grab anyone and complain to them.
Would it have been better if I’d come with Nam Ihyeon instead? He’d been by my side when I was injured. Of course, he couldn’t block the knife, but it was true that I survived thanks to him. When I was in the intensive care unit, it was Nam Ihyeon who noisily welcomed me. Next to him, the image of Kim Haewon with his stiff expression fulfilling his duty came to mind.
I hate him, I hate him—saying it made me really hate him. People naturally have feelings for each other, yet how could he so consistently dislike me? Still, whenever I thought things had gotten a little, just a little better, he’d act cold again.
I recalled the radio transmission that had been cut off. Of course, he could blame me for not being honest. But even if I had been honest, he wouldn’t have believed me.
“Phew.”
When I let out a small sigh, Suo Weiqian’s lackey looked at me. Was his name ‘Wuxin’? To enter Diplomatic Management Department 1, he would have had to be infiltrated in the Association for quite a long time. It wasn’t a place just anyone could enter, and the verification was strict too. He probably used a forged identity. Was that person an esper too?
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Wuxin. Even when his eyes met mine, there was no change in his expression. Seeing how he maintained proper posture even on the shaking plane, he clearly had stamina beyond that of an ordinary person.
“Wuxin, are you a person from Pamundong?”
“……”
Wuxin didn’t say anything. As if he wouldn’t have a conversation with me. I didn’t ask any more questions and looked at the monitor in front of the seat.
In the flight cabin, there was one large monitor in the center and separate small monitors that could be viewed from each seat. Nothing was visible on the palm-sized personal monitor.
Suo Weiqian seemed to be sitting in the seat of honor in the Diplomatic Management Department flight cabin where Director Kim Jeongseon had sat. He seemed to be observing with interest those who were presenting him with new negotiation conditions.
When I tried to look at him more closely, Wuxin moved his body to block the view of the flight cabin. Suo Weiqian seemed to think I was a person of interest. After all, he’d left the door between the flight cabins open and had me monitored.
It seemed there would be no progress in negotiations until we arrived at Pamundong like this. Suo Weiqian wanted nothing but Ryu Heegang. He seemed to believe there was information he could extract by tormenting me, but there wasn’t any. So he had no profit to gain other than what he’d revealed.
Unless another group among the four organizations appeared, or unless the person called the alliance leader stepped forward. Would they just watch how Pamundong handled things like this? Or would they try to expel Pamundong entirely? Once that direction was decided, Suo Weiqian’s end would be clear.
As I racked my brain in various directions in my fear, the plane suddenly jolted. Like a foot hitting a rock. The plane spun around once. People collided messily. Director Kim Jeongseon, who was on the floor, and Wuxin, who had been standing, really rolled around here and there.
{What’s going on! Wuxin!}
{I’ll find out right away!}
Wuxin ran toward where the pilot was, his forehead split open. Director Kim Jeongseon was still unconscious, and Suo Weiqian was watching the situation sharply.
{Something seems to be caught on the plane’s wing! If we continue flying like this, the engine will be overloaded!}
{Damn it, how dare they try something?}
Suo Weiqian pulled out a sharp knife from inside his clothes and approached me. I quickly spat out words.
“If you harm me, negotiations will be impossible, won’t they?”
{It doesn’t matter as long as I keep you alive! You just need to be breathing! You little thing! I’ve wanted to kill you for a while now!}
Suo Weiqian acted like someone who’d lost his reason. The knife was raised high. At that moment, the plane shook once more. Suo Weiqian’s knife swept through the air and tore the seat wide open.
I swallowed my saliva while pressed flat against the chair. I could have been cut in two by that thing. Suo Weiqian tried to pull the knife out with force, but whether it was stuck somewhere, the knife didn’t come out easily.
{Wuxin! Go outside and see what’s going on!}
{Yes, Chairman!}
Wuxin headed toward the back following Suo Weiqian’s order. Was he strong enough to go outside the plane? But Wuxin couldn’t get out.
“Urk!”
Because as soon as he opened the door, his neck was grabbed. Before Wuxin could make any resistance, his neck was bent 90 degrees just like that. Along with the sound of bones breaking, the neck was torn right off. Suo Weiqian looked at his opponent with disbelieving eyes.
{Heegang?}
It was Ryu Heegang, still with blue skin. He looked at Suo Weiqian with unfocused eyes. He threw the dead Wuxin behind him and walked forward step by step just like that.
{Heegang! It’s me! Weiqian! It’s Weiqian! You can hear my voice. Ryu Heegang! You would never…}
Ryu Heegang approached without stopping and grabbed Suo Weiqian’s neck. He didn’t break it right away like Wuxin’s. But he didn’t say anything particular either. Suo Weiqian flailed in the air and looked at Ryu Heegang.
{Ryu… Heegang, you, me, you can’t… hurt me.}
Suo Weiqian seemed to be casting a spell. But Ryu Heegang had no reaction. He showed no wavering.
He just watched until Suo Weiqian’s face turned purple, then stabbed all five fingers right into his neck. Suo Weiqian’s thin neck was pierced through.
“Keu, keuerk!”
Blood gushed out. Even watching the blood splatter everywhere, Ryu Heegang didn’t budge. His fingers went deeper and deeper into Suo Weiqian’s neck. Blood flowed down Ryu Heegang’s arm. Ryu Heegang’s arm holding Suo Weiqian convulsed severely. But he didn’t stop.
Ryu Heegang squeezed out Suo Weiqian’s blood until a pool of blood formed. Blood flowed slowly from the already torn neck, but Ryu Heegang showed no movement. His arm just kept trembling. At the sight that didn’t look normal to anyone, I swallowed my saliva.
It was because of the thought that if things went wrong, my neck might be broken too. Right now, his eyes didn’t seem to be in a state where they could distinguish between enemy and ally.
“Heegang, that’s enough now. Stop.”
I turned my head in surprise at the familiar voice. It was Kim Haewon. Kim Haewon swung his chains and bound Ryu Heegang. Ryu Heegang knelt in that spot like someone whose power had been turned off. I couldn’t say anything and exhaled loudly. The smell of blood vibrated through the flight cabin.
Kim Haewon came to me and grabbed my chin. Then, after confirming my swollen face, he looked at the marks on my hands and the wound on my thigh. He sighed and lifted me up as is, slinging me over his shoulder.
“Huh? Me, rather than me, Director Kim…!”
“In that state, who’s taking care of whom? Other people will take care of it themselves.”
It was a tone strangely like he was angry. Kim Haewon brought me out to the flight cabin just like that. Then Gabriel and Emily came into view.
{Haewon, so powerful? Is this the first time you’ve looked sexy?}
{Please take care of Heegang.}
{Okay, leave it to me. Akutagawa says if he doesn’t come down quickly, he’ll let go of his power and go home. Let’s handle this quickly.}
Looking outside through the window, I saw another plane attached right next to us. Apparently they’d used the power of wind-type Akutagawa Yu to hold and connect the planes.
I was transferred to the small plane side by Kim Haewon. As soon as I sat in a safe seat, I exhaled deeply. It felt like my heart would jump out. In fact, I thought it was quite an achievement that I hadn’t pissed myself right there on the spot.
Kim Haewon stared at me quietly, then took out a blanket and covered me with it. I received the large blanket and asked him.
“What happened to Esper Ryu Heegang? Did he come back?”
“He only reacts to people from Pamundong. It seems his thoughts stopped at some stage while holding anger toward them. So he seems to think he must unconditionally kill people from Pamundong.”
“Is there no other communication possible?”
“It’s impossible.”
A dark shadow appeared on Kim Haewon’s face. Kim Haewon continued speaking while watching the people being rescued afterward.
“Because we can’t confirm who the spies are, we had no choice but to release Heegang for a while, but it will take some time before he can work for the Association normally.”
“Could it be that he might not be able to return to normal?”
“……”
Haewon didn’t answer. People came into the plane. It was Director Kim Jeongseon and the Diplomatic Management Department staff. Most were unconscious.
Finally, when even the terrified pilot and co-pilot transferred over, the small plane separated from the original plane.
The one leading us was Kim Haewon. On the original plane, Ryu Heegang and two espers remained. Along with the corpses of Suo Weiqian and Wuxin.
I stared at the profile of Kim Haewon, who was looking outside with a hardened expression.
