City of Arcane Engineering (5)
Three thousand troops assigned to guard Raviette scoured the city.
"Damn it! Where the hell is she?" Even the hidden-code security system couldn't pick up Son Yujeong's location.
"Third squad, sweep the buildings! Shoot on sight!"
As the constabulary passed, a human-shaped bulge pushed out of a wall made of viscous slime.
"Creepy."
One of Son Yujeong's arts let him temporarily merge with objects.
The "String" mechanism—changing the Law by vibrating hair—was a subroutine of Hexa.
"We can't hide forever. Either we storm the Duke's keep or we think of something else," said Richela, who hung from his waist.
"We only stay invisible for three minutes. Can't we just keep plucking hair until the mask runs out?" Richela asked.
Son Yujeong lowered his eyes, grabbed Richela's head and slammed it straight into the slime wall.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
After about a minute of crushing pressure he tore her free; only her neck remained and Richela's face was a miserable, distorted thing.
"W-why did you do that?"
"Talking so casually about other people's hair, huh? I'll never accept being a bald monkey."
Richela's tactic had its uses.
Still, the reason they couldn't march straight to the Duke's keep was the long Ginkgoa hanging at his throat.
If he could dismantle the Ginkgoa, he might be able to operate it. The thought alone was chilling.
I'll never allow it. I'd rather bite out my tongue and die than be kept like a slave forever. Maybe I should just go back—no one in this hell can use this thing, anyway.
Richela stared at Son Yujeong blankly as his expression shifted in real time.
"Hurry up and decide. Are we going or not? I don't want to be caught and turned into a wall."
Seeing humans embedded alive in Raviette's buildings only strengthened the urge to purify them.
"Shut up while I think. Before I shove you into a wall." As Richela fell silent, a black shadow was rapidly swallowing the city.
Raviette barracks.
"What? Still can't find her?" A red demon lounging back in his chair yawned.
Special Operations Commander Croceid.
Ramlike horns jutted from his head and spiral markings—signs of demonkin—ran across his skin.
"Hurry up. Once you find her, I'll go myself and cut her down."
Execution Captain Itaka said nothing.
We've almost sealed them in.
Black hair fanned around the woman sitting with her hands clasped on the desk.
Black Legacy.
Itaka's hair stretched until it filled the city, each strand a delicate nerve.
"Northwest."
Focusing there, his eyelids fluttered and Son Yujeong's position locked in.
"Alley in Block 13 on Magol Street. Not moving fast—around twenty-three kilometers per hour."
"Piece of cake."
Croceid slid out of his chair and bent his knees.
"Go get his head right now."
"Don't be careless."
Croceid's thigh swelled like a balloon, building explosive kinetic force.
"Hong! Time it!"
A thunderous boom sounded and Croceid shot into the sky.
Around Itaka—eyes closed—black hair rippled like living things.
With the Black Legacy blanketing the city, nowhere remained to hide.
"This black stuff gives me the creeps."
"It might be a demon tracking ability. Should we try using concealment now?"
"With that, when would we ever—"
Son Yujeong cut him off, twisted his torso at incredible speed.
The ground exploded with a boom.
"Oh? You dodged?" Croceid surfaced from the smoke as Son Yujeong drew two yeoui.
At that moment the constabulary arrived.
"There! Wait—Commander Croceid?"
Seeing one of the Seven Generals among them, they fanned out to block every escape route.
Croceid spread his index and middle fingers.
"Pick one. Die here, or die and then still get beat up."
In Hell, both were possible.
A strange gleam lit Son Yujeong's eyes; the blades in his hands scraped with a metallic rasp.
"You pathetic yokai."
"Kukuku."
As Croceid shrugged and braced to launch, Son Yujeong vanished in a puff.
A deafening roar shook the city.
At the Duke's keep, Rete turned her head.
"What's that?"
The armored knight Kimara also felt the extraordinary shock in the sound.
"It seems an intruder's been found. Croceid must have mobilized—no need to worry."
"Is that so?"
Croceid was the strongest of the Seven Generals in raw force, so Rete didn't hesitate and opened the gate.
All the demons who worked at the keep came out to meet her, but the Duke himself was nowhere to be seen.
Of course, Magrite—the elder who could drink with anyone in Hell—was there…
Something's off.
It was unprecedented to ignore even the head of Hwagongsa.
"Where is the Duke?" Rete asked.
Butler Bielman answered.
"He's in the laboratory. You know how it is—once he goes in, you never know when he'll come out."
"So he's in there. This is important—show me to the lab."
"I had no such notice." The unexpected reply made the workers exchange shocked looks.
"Bielman."
Rete's eyes sharpened.
"Yes, madam."
"Aren't you mistaken? Just because we treat him well doesn't mean he's our equal, right?"
"Who would dare disrespect the Mother of Hell? I merely spoke the truth."
He meant he was prepared to be consumed, passing responsibility—it was the Duke's way.
"Ha."
Rete's brow creased in exasperation.
"What's this? Are we actually enemies now? Bielman, it's me—Rete. Why so serious?"
"I'm sorry." Bielman lowered his gaze and didn't move. Rete's instincts flared.
"Yahweh. He's here, isn't he? And Rian. Has anyone seen them? The gatekeeper would know, at least."
As she looked around, the demons froze and swallowed.
Few could look Magrite's head in the eye and lie without consequence.
Yet Bielman remained composed; Rete saw no falsehood in the workers' faces.
No Yahweh? No way—he's already made his move.
Bielman's eyes cooled.
I apologize, Lady Rete.
Not a single demon at Magrite's old keep knew Shirone's movements.
Bielman had killed them all.
This was too serious. When the fate of Hell is at stake, mistakes are not allowed.
Rete felt stifled and angry—not at insubordination, but at the betrayal of years of mutual respect.
"Step aside."
"At this rate I don't need to be polite anymore. I'll see the Duke myself."
Bielman still didn't move.
"Step aside. That's an order."
"You know where the laboratory is. Do you need to take the long way?" Bielman replied calmly.
"No. Move." Rete snapped.
With a metallic clack, Kimara bowed his head.
"Yes, Lady Rete."
"If a mere butler disobeys the head of Hwagongsa, what does Hell's law say?"
"…His head must be cut off." Even Kimara, loyal to the Duke, sounded strained.
What's happening? Why is Bielman locking horns with Lady Rete for no reason?
When something unknown to even the Duke's Seven Generals is at play, Rete's judgment was… she gave one last chance.
"Last chance. Step aside."
Bielman remained silent. The only thing left was Kimara's sword descending toward his neck.
Ten seconds.
The only time Rete could spend recalling endless memories and waiting.
Kimara chose.
I am the Duke's knight.
Ten seconds passed and Rete ground her teeth, turning away coldly.
"You fools!"
Bielman kept his eyes on her as she strode toward the laboratory.
Kimara asked no questions.
If it's the Duke's wish… Kimara will not ask.
A small succubus watching the mid-levels, Merkede, rushed in.
"The head of Hwagongsa is coming."
It was bad news, but Magrite's response—prepared for this—was calm and swift.
"So it's come to this. A mountain we must cross. Yahweh, come this way."
When they ripped up the laboratory floor, a deep, intestine-like hole writhed beneath.
"Move aside for now. I don't know how long Lady Rete will stay, but I'll send word."
The hole was narrow and damp, but Shirone had shrunk into a demon form and would fit.
"Wait. That's fine for me, but what about Rian? Rete's looking for Rian, not me."
"All the more reason to stay. Those under the Karma Chain are watched by Hwagongsa. This lab is the only place in the city that can tamper with the hidden codes. It's illegal, of course, but the moment you step out you'll be trapped." Rian said.
"Got it, Shirone. I don't need to worry. He's the enemy we have to face anyway."
"Alright. Then… be careful."
"Quickly, hurry! Come down now!"
Shirone dropped into the hole; its walls contracted and expanded and carried him down rapidly.
Magrite covered the hole and opened the storeroom door to find piles of corpses.
"You go in here. The smell of the living dead will mask you. Don't make a sound."
The sight was hideous, but Rian calmly wormed through the corpses.
The storeroom door shut and the laboratory door opened.
"My Duke."
Rete turned the corner and saw Magrite with her head buried in schematics.
"Oh? Lady Rete. What brings you to such a shabby place without notice?"
Magrite didn't bother to answer. In the silence, her eyes swept the lab with cold precision.
The constabulary stood stunned.
"This… this can't be…"
Croceid—the strongest in physique among the demonkin, one of the Seven Generals—had been utterly broken.
Krooo—
Croceid, his forehead horns snapped off, lifted his head toward Son Yujeong.
"You bastard, how dare you—"
Son Yujeong, burning like the sun, exhaled white smoke and approached.
"You done yet? Getting cocky over nothing."
Magol Street lay razed, block after block; the encirclement radius stretched five hundred meters.
"Don't think it's over. Every demon in Hell will hunt you. I'll tear you apart. I'll gut you alive and shove your entrails down your throat!"
Son Yujeong raised his yeoui.
"Sure, sure—if I lose, I'll do whatever."
"Kuahahaha! Foolish human! The hellscape about to unfold for you is crystal clear! Kua—!"
A boom.
With one strike, Croceid's face crumpled; the constabulary tensed.
"This??????!"
Faced with the defeat of a veteran, their already feral natures erupted.
"Kraaaaaa!"
Richela's face went pale.
"We're finished! They won't stop until Hell disappears!"
Son Yujeong laughed as he plucked hair.
"Haha! That'll be fun. My great-great-grandfather nearly smashed the Heavens, I hear."
The hairs glowed and writhed.
"Trick of Boundless Transformations."
Thousands of Son Yujeong's bodies sprang into the sky at once and scattered in all directions.
"Kyaahaha! Come and try to catch me!"
The city resounded with monkeyish, reckless laughter.