Chapter 76: Deeply (1)
“What is this?”
Hyeon-yul looked at the object Ji-hwan handed him.
‘Is it a ballpoint pen?’
It was somewhat similar, but definitely different.
“If you press the back part like a ballpoint pen, a mana reaction will occur. Then I can tell where you are, Brother.”
“If it’s a villain, I’ll press twice; if it’s a civilian, three times.”
“Brother.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to take on everything by yourself.”
“I know. Aren’t you using space magic based on this?”
“That’s right. If you let me know, Brother, I’ll clean up and freeze them. But let’s start together.”
“Why do we have to do that?”
Hyeon-yul asked with a questioning look.
“Because we’re teammates.”
Ji-hwan extended his clenched fist.
“You do it too, Brother.”
After Hyeon-yul hesitated for a moment and extended his clenched fist, Ji-hwan lightly bumped it.
As Hyeon-yul’s eyes widened, Ji-hwan laughed loudly.
Hyeon-yul looked at the building.
This time, the targets were not university students but regular students.
In other words, minors.
Their appearance was no different from adults, but legally, they were different.
There were also minors who acted as villains.
He didn't kill them.
He just took them and left them in front of the police station.
He didn't know if they contacted Black Eagle after that or what happened.
Black Eagle was no different either.
Those who became villains as minors were to be ‘arrested.’
Honestly, he felt some doubt about this part.
If they were old enough not to be children, they would know what was wrong, so did they need to be protected that much?
When those protected individuals became adults, would there be more who repented, or more who didn't?
He hadn't yet reached an answer on this part.
“Mr. Ye Ji-hwan.”
In that sense, since there was a senior next to him, he wanted to know.
Ji-hwan looked at Hyeon-yul while examining the magic that had turned the building into a 3D model on his palm.
“Yes?”
“It’s unrelated to the mission, but there’s something I want to know. Can you answer me?”
“Of course.”
Ji-hwan nodded his head.
“There were minors who became villains, weren’t there?”
“There are.”
The special authority of Black Eagle to kill villains was uniquely not applied to minors, who had to be ‘arrested.’
Of course, punishment was a separate matter.
“So what happened to those who were protected?”
At Hyeon-yul’s question, Ji-hwan thought for a moment and then looked at the building.
Inside that ordinary building, there were villains and students.
There would be students who had sympathized, and students who knew nothing.
“Statistically speaking, the probability of them becoming ordinary citizens is about, 63%? Isn’t that high?”
“It’s high. It’s quite high.”
Hyeon-yul smiled.
Even 30% would be high, but twice that.
He confirmed that this action was not wrong.
He put his hand in his pocket and checked the ballpoint pen-like object Ji-hwan had given him.
“Then I’ll move first from around here.”
Hyeon-yul informed Ji-hwan, seeing people gathered up ahead.
“Ah, should I break through the entrance for you?”
Hyeon-yul asked Ji-hwan before moving.
He could do that before they rushed in.
Ji-hwan grinned at the question.
“Brother. I was moved, but it’s okay. That’s not the only entrance.”
“It isn’t?”
“And I’m a magician.”
Ji-hwan’s smile slowly became heavy.
“Wherever I go can become a door.”
“Is that so?”
Hyeon-yul smiled back and then walked forward.
White Sparrows and police were confronting the villains.
Surrender. Release the hostages.
Such noisy words were exchanged.
‘Is this villain weak? Or do they have other ulterior motives? Or are the hostages already dead?’
Currently, the villain was on the verge of ruin as their plan was exposed through the cooperation of the police and White Sparrow.
The villains he knew didn't take hostages.
Hostages were merely a way to buy time.
Hadn't he already confirmed that in his first official mission as Black Eagle?
The residents of an apartment were taken hostage, but they had already been killed.
If the hostages died, all evidence would disappear, how simple was that.
However, in the magic Ji-hwan had shown, there were dozens of people on one floor.
Logically, the hostages had to be considered alive.
‘How should I interpret this?’
Hyeon-yul thought for a moment and moved right in front of the building.
Black smoke billowed around his body.
As he moved as if melting into the building, Ji-hwan appeared, coughing.
Everyone saw Ji-hwan, and as their gazes suddenly shifted, the confronting villain also saw him.
It was Black Eagle.
“You again, you Eagle bastard!”
The villain raised his voice and openly pointed a knife at a captured student.
Ji-hwan briefly borrowed a megaphone.
“Hello, villains. This is the Black Eagle you’ve been waiting for. Please greet me with pleasure.”
“Shut up!”
“You’re too much. Even if you’re a villain, you should have some manners.”
“We’ve told you countless times we’re not villains! We said we’re not, so why do you treat us as villains…!”
“Ah, is that so? Did you keep saying that?”
Ji-hwan spoke without putting down the megaphone.
This was the first he was hearing of this.
“Put down the megaphone for a bit……”
“Please tell me.”
Ji-hwan looked at the White Sparrow.
“That’s correct. They are claiming so, but according to our and the police’s investigation, they are definitely villains.”
“And the evidence?”
At Ji-hwan’s question, the White Sparrow fumbled for something.
“There’s data.”
“Data?”
“First, the villains……”
Ji-hwan turned the megaphone towards them.
The White Sparrow was momentarily flustered but continued speaking while holding the megaphone.
“Not only did they advocate for villains, but they also forced people to unconditionally post on communities that Black Eagle was actually creating villains. They said that was the only way to raise their rank. Besides that, most of the things they had to do to raise their rank were of that nature.”
“Hearing this, it’s definitely suspicious, isn’t it? In the Empire, even those who advocate for villains are broadly classified as potential villains.”
As Ji-hwan nodded his head, pretending to be Worrying, a sound close to a scream came from the villain’s side.
“No! We’re not villains!”
“If you’re not, why are you holding students hostage?”
Ji-hwan asked, but no answer came.
Only the word ‘no’ was heard.
It was fair to say that the difference between a criminal and a villain was a hair’s breadth.
The difference between the two could be divided by whether their actions attacked the Empire or not.
White Sparrow existed to do this kind of work accurately.
It was clearly the result of an investigation spanning days, or even weeks.
In other words, that data could not be false.
“It seems you have no reason. Then, I’ll execute my official duties without hesitation.”
Ji-hwan lowered the megaphone and smiled.
With Ji-hwan’s magic, the location of the hostages had been scouted in advance.
Many hostages were confined in a room.
As if preparing for various situations, the villains had gathered hostages in one room on each floor like this.
Hyeon-yul, hidden in the wall, waited to assess the overall atmosphere first.
A very typical atmosphere that occurs when hostages are taken was unfolding.
Some were crying, and some were trembling in fear.
This could not be seen as a lie.
There would be no reason to act this far, would there?
“…Teacher, you shouldn’t be doing this. Why are you suddenly doing this?”
A student asked, choking back tears.
It seemed they had mustered great courage.
“Shut up!”
“But… we were just having class a moment ago.”
The student looked at the blackboard in the room.
As if they had really been in class, math formulas were written all over it.
“I told you to shut your mouth, didn’t I?”
The person presumed to be the teacher approached the student and struck their face.
Slap.
They took the hit and shed tears blankly.
Quiet sobs followed.
“I told you to shut up, didn’t I? If I hear any crying, that’s when everyone dies!”
Even in a situation that still couldn't be seen as acting, Hyeon-yul watched silently.
He went to the ceiling and looked down.
Not only were everyone’s hands and feet tied, but their eyes were also covered.
Covering their eyes and hitting the student earlier were actions to maximize fear.
‘But, not everyone is a hostage.’
Hyeon-yul noticed about 3 students clutching something.
Whatever it was, it should have been confiscated, but it wasn't.
He had to confirm whether they were on the same side or if it was intentionally given to them.
Even if he didn't know what they were holding, the method to take it was very simple.
When something was clutched, a shadow existed.
Hyeon-yul used that shadow to swallow the object.
“……?”
As a reaction came immediately, Hyeon-yul used the object Ji-hwan had given him as well.
Click.
He took from the other 2 in the same way and used the pen.
The sound of the pen was buried in the sound of crying.
After also revealing the villain’s location, Hyeon-yul checked the object in the darkness.
‘Is it a small bomb…?’
Even if he didn't know what was inside, this thing smaller than a finger could only be seen as a bomb.
‘Were they planning to detonate it if the hostages were taken? Or now?’
Hyeon-yul, for now, put aside his thoughts and used his wireless earphone.
<Mr. Ye Ji-hwan.>
<Speak, Brother.>
The 3 who had their belongings taken moved simultaneously.
They were signaling as if something was wrong.
At their actions, the villains looked at each other.
They seemed to be Worrying about how to take them separately.
At least those 3 students were on the same side.
<First, looking only at the 1st floor, not everyone is a hostage.>
<……Ha.>
Ji-hwan let out a message filled with a long sigh.
<Why not? I hoped they wouldn’t be.>
<It didn’t end there. I found something presumed to be a bomb.>
<……Yes?>
<I will give you the object for identification. I’ll wait at the place where we talked earlier.>
Hyeon-yul briefly conveyed the message and then moved there through the shadows.
Since it was dawn with darkness cast, movement was extremely natural.
Hyeon-yul waited quietly.
‘I should release the hostages first and then check the next floor.’
“…Brother!”
Ji-hwan ran towards Hyeon-yul.
“Are you here?”
“A bomb? What do you mean by that?”
Hyeon-yul opened his clenched fist as if answering that question.
Three objects smaller than a finger lay on his palm.
“Please deliver this to the manager. Be careful handling it, as it’s a bomb.”
“This is…?”
“That’s correct.”
Hyeon-yul replied and handed it over to Ji-hwan.
Ji-hwan carefully took the bomb in his hand.
“I’ll go back and release the 1st-floor hostages.”
“Then I’ll take care of the villains you marked on the 1st floor, Brother. You can comfortably release the people who became hostages first.”
Ji-hwan spoke surprisingly calmly.
Quick understanding was very good.
“Understood.”
“Ah, even if I block the 1st floor, you can still go to the 2nd floor, right?”
“Yes. It’s possible.”
“You’re amazing, Brother, aren’t you?”
Ji-hwan smiled brightly.
“Then I’ll deliver this and……”
Ji-hwan turned his head for a very brief moment and then looked back at Hyeon-yul, but he was already gone.
‘He’s incredibly fast.’
He didn't know how he did it, but he already knew it wasn't ordinary power.
It was right not to ask and pretend not to know.
Because it wasn't a power Hyeon-yul had obtained willingly.
Ji-hwan walked briskly forward, then slowed down, conscious of the bomb in his fist.
‘It feels a bit… heavy? Is it just my imagination?’
Oops.
Ji-hwan briefly placed the bomb on the ground and sat down.
As he spread his hand, the shape of the building appeared in 3D.
The things Hyeon-yul had marked on the 1st floor were visible.
Ji-hwan touched the red dots one by one with his finger.
As a long, thread-like line appeared, a magic circle appeared on the floor where Ji-hwan was sitting.
Ji-hwan wove those threads together, pulled them, and slammed them down below the ground.
‘Appear.’
Kooong.
A small noise occurred.
By the time space distorted, Ji-hwan quickly grabbed the bomb and extended his hand.
Shapes of people appeared in a round space visible only to Ji-hwan’s eyes.
‘Now!’
As he instantly stole their heat, ice formed, and winter came only to that place.
White breath flowed from Ji-hwan’s mouth.
“This is……”
The villains summoned here by the rushing cold couldn't even resist, and their words were even silenced.
Everyone looked at Ji-hwan with surprised eyes, but he didn't stop his magic.
As everyone hardened like stiff dolls, Ji-hwan approached and checked if they were breathing.
‘Good, they’re breathing.’
After feeling relieved, Ji-hwan raised his voice.
“Manager! Manager!”
He had to thaw them quickly before they died.
Ji-hwan ran helter-skelter, then slowed down, conscious of the bomb.
Hyeon-yul, who had arrived first and hidden in the wall, waited for Ji-hwan’s magic.
With a heavy sensation, a magic formula was engraved in the air.
‘It’s coming.’
Just as power seemed to gather above the heads of those suspected to be villains or accomplices of villains, a shimmer occurred, and all of them disappeared.
It was a portal-like power, but a portal-like effect did not occur.
‘Could I resist that power?’
Hyeon-yul thought about various ways to overcome it.
It was just an old habit.
As a commotion arose due to the people who suddenly disappeared, Hyeon-yul broke out of his thoughts and popped out of the wall as if nothing had happened.
It was difficult to immediately recognize Hyeon-yul, who had no footsteps and no presence.
The students belatedly realized Hyeon-yul had approached, but they didn't scream.
They just kept their mouths shut.
“This is Black Eagle.”
Hyeon-yul revealed who he was and slightly turned his body so that the emblem was clearly visible.
“Black… Eagle?”
Their gazes changed.
“Yes. Please lower your voices as much as possible. I’ll release you now.”
Snap.
As Hyeon-yul snapped his fingers, darkness emerged from the shadows and simultaneously cut the ropes binding their hands and feet.
As the students were surprised, Hyeon-yul turned his head.
A new door was created.
Was this also Ji-hwan’s power?
Magic, whenever he saw it, seemed truly wondrous.
“You can follow me.”
Hyeon-yul led the way.
He reached for the doorknob.
Feeling something strange, he turned his head back, but the students were just looking at him.
An ominous feeling lingered.
It was too faint to be any kind of power.
Was it just because of their gazes?
‘…What is it.’
The moment Hyeon-yul, on high alert, opened the door, he quickly extended his hand.
A strange sensation arose in his palm.
Pook.
There was no killing intent whatsoever.
There was no smell of iron.
But there was the sound of wind.
And it was a sharp sound.
“I stabbed Black Eagle.”
The student who had stabbed Hyeon-yul’s palm laughed.
Kkalkkalkkal.
“I avenged my mother!”
At those subsequent words, the laughter spread to the other students and settled like music.
Applause was added to it as harmony.
Clap, clap, clap.
Surrounding Hyeon-yul, the applause gradually spread.