#506

Interim Summary (10)

From the start, he sensed an odd feeling.   

The sharp gaze had been piercing through since stepping out of the parking lot at Sabrina’s request.   

Initially, he suspected Sabrina was up to something, so he tested her attitude a few times. But it turned out, this word sorcerer simply wanted to extract information about Lennok.   

Despite lingering around the theater, the gaze didn't seem to directly target the two of them. Only after he clearly sensed the direction of the gaze did he realize that someone else, different from them, was aiming at Pandemonium.   

Soryu and Sabrina noticed this a bit late and responded accordingly, without any need for him to emphasize that he was the first to detect them.   

However, setting aside this series of circumstances, the massive meteor falling towards the theater roof was something even Lennok didn’t foresee.   

Boom!   

The meteor pierced through the dark night sky. As it descended, surrounded by swirling violet magic, Lennok squinted beneath his mask.   

“Gravity magic. And at a very powerful level.”   

Unlike Balak Oedon, the Level 8 gravity-type super human encountered in the Ganges Sand Labyrinth, this gravity manipulation was more focused on altering the gravity of a specific object using magic.   

Indirect manipulation of gravity was lifting a massive mass entirely and then dropping it.   

Among the superhumans gathered here, Lennok quickly identified the source of the magic and shifted his gaze.   

“That woman.”   

She stood quietly behind her group, seemingly protected, wearing a violet visor. The sharp lines of her visor, resembling a modified bike helmet, completely covered her face with clear glass.   

Yet, inside, there was no visible face—only a colorful display of magical light.   

Rumble...!!!   

The size of the meteor descending towards the theater was as large as a mansion.   

If such a massive rock were to fall from several hundred meters high, the gigantic, streamlined structure of the theater would likely explode entirely.   

Yet, Lennok, Sabrina, and Soryu merely watched, unmoving, despite intuitively grasping the danger.   

Even the superhumans surrounding them, who had been monitoring sharply, hesitated for a moment.   

[Pandemonium, are you not going to stop the bombardment targeting your main group?]   

“Stop it?”  

Lennok chuckled faintly.   

“Why would I do that?”   

[…]   

“My business here is done. I don’t care whether others live or die. If they want to survive, they’ll find a way to struggle. And most importantly…”   

A monster that even Lennok couldn't confidently defeat remained inside the theater.   

Just as the meteor was about to pierce through the roof and crash into the main hall inside, a pale flash burst out from within.   

Zap!   

A chilling, grinding sound resonated as the meteor’s core was precisely penetrated from inside.  

Small cracks began to form on the surface of the meteor, which had been falling from the sky.   

Crack...!!   

In an instant, the massive rock broke into dozens of rectangular pieces, scattering around the theater.  

A massive cloud of dust surged as it struck the ground violently.   

Boom!!!   

The impact was tremendous. However, it fell far short of the expected aftermath that the meteor should have brought.   

The flash that burst from inside the theater split the meteor into dozens of pieces in an instant, minimizing the shock and preventing the entire theater from exploding.   

Soryu and Sabrina, who were looking up at the sky, slowly began to gather their mana without appearing too surprised.   

“Well, I figured it might turn out this way.”   

“She’s inside. She’s reached a level that ordinary physical force cannot even approach.”   

[…They’re insane.]   

Among the visors quietly observing the three people without saying a word, someone spoke up.   

“Who are you?”   

Soryu, who was scanning the surroundings with a cold expression, asked.   

“There are quite a few organizations hostile to Pandemonium, but I’ve never heard of a group wearing strange helmets like yours.”   

[That’s enough. Stop there.]   

At the center of these superhumans, a visor emanating black magical light spoke.   

The black visor, who had been staring intently at Soryu, abruptly turned its back.   

[If you’re not intervening, you’re irrelevant. We’re entering the theater. Handle this yourselves.]   

Rumble!!!   

At that moment, most of the dozen visors surrounding the theater vanished, and countless people began to rise from below the theater's ground.   

“Ugh…!”   

“Grrr!!”   

Corpses, covered in dirt and decayed bodies, crawled toward the three of them.   

Sabrina, who immediately identified the nature of the spell, muttered.   

“Necromancy. And a pretty authentic version of it…!”   

Before she could finish her words, the corpses lifted their arms and slammed them into the parking lot ground, causing the asphalt to shatter like glass and explode vertically.   

Boom!!   

The impact was unbelievably powerful, especially coming from a corpse.   

Simultaneously, dozens of risen corpses from various parts of the theater charged at Lennok and Soryu as if to tear them apart.   

Necromancy involved reanimating dead bodies, infusing them with magic, and manipulating them.   

Realizing that the initial meteor strike had minimal effect, the strategy was promptly changed.   

The forces were split into two groups, and reinforcements were summoned through necromancy to pin down the three people.   

“Useless tactics.”   

Click!!   

Soryu, rubbing his wrists, took the lead and activated his magic.   

Unleashing his bloodline ability to the fullest, he placed one hand on the ground and drew power.   

Instantly, a massive wave of ice erupted from around Soryu, engulfing the limbs of the charging corpses and freezing them solid.   

The corpses, exceeding human strength, tried to break through the ice wave and escape.   

Sizzle!!   

Sabrina pressed her thumb against her lips, infusing it with magic, and shouted aloud.   

[Freeze!]   

Crack!!   

The word command carried power beyond mere intent, amplifying Soryu’s icy wave and trapping the corpses.   

“Well done.”   

The reason the two used their powers to hold the corpses in place at this moment was clear.   

Lennok immediately gathered his magic and activated the “Compassion of Archangel.”   

He created spatial rifts to scatter multiple explosive resonance grenades, originally detonated inside Logia’s maw, and then detonated them simultaneously.   

Boom!!!   

The solidly frozen corpses were caught in the explosion's shockwave, their limbs shattered and scattered across the ground.   

Beyond the fragments of broken corpses scattering around, four gleaming beams of magic suddenly flashed, as if waiting for this moment.   

Swoosh!!   

Beams of different colors shot from four directions, almost simultaneously targeting the three.   

The moment their presence was detected, the deadly offensive approached without time to coordinate a response.   

The three moved almost simultaneously.   

“Soryu!!”   

“I know.”   

Lennok used Blink twice in quick succession, intercepting two of the four attackers by himself.   

Meanwhile, Soryu pulled out a fist-sized crystal sphere from his sleeve and smashed it on the ground.   

A dark curtain resembling a deep night sky spread rapidly from the sphere, enveloping Sabrina and Soryu and absorbing the intersecting beams of magic.   

Boom!!   

One of the cursed relics of the Kabahim Dynasty.   

However, the two remaining visors, who continued their assault, reacted sharply to the protection.   

Rumble!!!   

Rather than dispelling or tearing the curtain, they intensified their attacks, relentlessly pouring a more violent assault onto the barrier.

A visor radiating brown magical light lifted a mound of earth, shaping it into a massive fist before slamming it down.  

Another visor, emitting a silver magical glow, thrust a blade in hand unhesitatingly into the barrier.  

Even as he faced the visors with green and crimson lights rushing at him, Lennok found himself slightly surprised by the completeness of the technique.  

'The power and stability are quite impressive. Are all four of them both physical fighters and sorcerers…?'  

Boom!!  

Meanwhile, Soryu managed to withstand the assault of the two visors from beyond the barrier, coughing as he dispelled it.  

Whoosh!!  

A massive pillar of ice erupted from behind the barrier, exuding a cold aura.  

Ancient characters, intricately carved on the ice pillar’s surface, glowed vividly, amplifying Sabrina’s magic exponentially.  

With a pale complexion, Sabrina formed a seal with her hands while biting her lip until it bled, standing behind Soryu.  

This intense struggle, which seemed to be pushing her limits, was meant to buy time for the word sorcerer to prepare her incantation.  

Realizing this, the visors swiftly shifted their focus towards Sabrina, their intent changed in an instant.  

With blood trickling from her lips, Sabrina unleashed another word spell.  

[Everyone, stop moving!!!]  

Bzzzzz!!!  

In that instant, the seven figures, who hadn’t paused for a single moment, halted almost simultaneously.  

It was not by their own will; rather, it seemed as if some unseen force had seized them by the collar and pinned them down.  

[This… is surprising. The strength is unbelievable, almost too much for mere word sorcery.]  

The crimson visor facing Lennok spoke for the first time.  

[An incantation alone wouldn’t create such a strong binding force. Amplification through blood as a trigger, a makeshift spell catalyst… and…]  

She glanced briefly at her stiff, unresponsive fingertips and smiled quietly.  

[You used a geas to bind not only yourself but your allies as well within the range of the word spell. That’s incredibly bold.]  

Her assessment wasn’t wrong.  

In fact, she seemed to know a bit too much about Sabrina’s word sorcery.  

Amplification through blood-based spell chanting, combined with the makeshift ice pillar set up using Soryu’s power.  

Sabrina had succeeded in stopping all movement in the area, including her own, Soryu's, and Lennok’s, using the geas as a condition.  

The ice pillar standing behind her must be the “Word Stone” Sabrina had casually mentioned before.  

Given that word sorcery, despite its power and versatility, typically has a low success rate, this situation was a testament to Sabrina’s fine balance on a precarious line.  

By asking Soryu to buy her a moment’s time, Sabrina managed to bind both herself and her opponents.  

Releasing the word spell was entirely up to her, meaning the initiative had effectively shifted to their side.  

Sabrina demonstrated exactly how a skilled word sorcerer could seize control of the battlefield.  

“...”  

While Lennok remained unaffected by Sabrina’s word sorcery, he chose to listen quietly without revealing this to Soryu or Sabrina.  

Lennok possessed a unique and powerful resistance to targeted effects, a peculiar magical talent.  

Simply having this talent might be enough to identify and track the sorcerer known as Victor.  

For now, Lennok was acting with Soryu and Sabrina, but they could easily turn into enemies at any moment.  

There was no reason to break the current stalemate by lending his strength.  

Wiping the blood flowing from her split lips, Sabrina coldly asked, “What do you want?”  

[…]  

“How much do you know? No, where did you come from in the first place?”  

Even as she interrogated them, Sabrina refrained from mentioning Doctor, the Interlude, or the members.  

Not knowing how much they were aware of Pandemonium’s interlude, she judged it wise not to reveal information prematurely.  

[Before that, I have a question.]  

The crimson visor, standing still, gazing down at herself, finally spoke.  

[Dain was a master of stealth, even among us. How did you notice him?]  

“Why would we answer that?” Sabrina retorted coldly.  

The visor lazily shifted her stance.  

[It wouldn’t hurt you to answer. I don’t necessarily want to kill you here.]  

“What?”  

[My task is merely to prevent you from rejoining Pandemonium’s main force. If you want to live, wouldn’t it be better to just chat with me and then part ways?]  

“…”  

The visor’s relaxed attitude made it hard to believe she knew they were part of Pandemonium or even that a gathering was planned today.  

The other visors around her also showed no signs of objection, quietly watching the three’s movements.  

Lennok listened to the visor's words with interest and then responded.  

“If you really wanted to keep things hidden, you shouldn’t have been so perfect.”  

[What do you mean?]  

“You cleaned up this satellite city area thoroughly before coming here, didn’t you?”  

Lennok smiled as he noticed the visor suddenly go silent.  

“The murderous aura that used to linger all over the city abruptly diminished, yet near the parking lot, there was an odd lack of change. Couldn’t it be because someone was deliberately manipulating the presence in this area?”  

[Well, that’s…]  

“There are probably two possibilities,” Lennok said leisurely.  

“Either your group hurriedly coordinated without fully agreeing on the operation, or that Dain, whom you just lost, was a genius who mastered stealth technique theoretically.”  

[…]  

“Most likely, it’s both. That’s why he didn’t realize that he needed to blend in with the surroundings and adapt to the situation appropriately.”  

Everyone present naturally listened to Lennok’s casual mutterings.  

Feeling the sudden rise in attention and tension, Lennok added, “Sometimes, to hide, you need to reveal yourself. Stealth is a complex, paradoxical art. The fact that someone who reached this level of stealth didn’t know that suggests they haven’t practiced much in real combat.”  

The visor said nothing further.  

“An armed organization with systematic training and internal cohesion strong enough to teach stealth techniques from scratch to superhumans with existing specialties. It’s obvious where such infrastructure and investment are possible.”  

Lennok flicked his finger slightly and said, “You’re from Vulcan, aren’t you?”  

Silence fell.  

After a while, the crimson visor lifted her gaze toward Lennok and spoke.  

[What’s your name?]  

  *  

Amidst the tense atmosphere and the sharp night air, the current 3-versus-4 standoff appeared evenly matched on the surface.  

Yet, not knowing the opponent’s intentions made any movement hesitant.  

[It’d be better not to do anything unnecessary. Once the main force finishes its task, I have no reason to keep you here.]  

“So, your target was always the one left behind in the theater…”  

It must be Doctor or the new member he brought along.  

It was clear that information about the Interlude had indeed leaked.  

The fact that they launched this attack after hearing about the Interlude, which was circulating as top-secret information within Pandemonium, was concerning.  

It also proved that this was a formidable armed group with excellent intelligence and skilled personnel.  

It wouldn't be surprising if they knew about the mission or the member lineup to some extent.  

‘What’s most troubling is that they cleared out the entire Byrutz area before making their move.’  

Lennok’s eyes glinted coldly from beneath his mask.  

The fact that they were willing to risk being detected by Pandemonium members to eliminate obstacles in the satellite city indicated something clear.  

‘This isn’t just about interfering with Pandemonium’s mission. There’s a high likelihood that they’re prepared for all-out war.’  

What could the visored superhumans’ ultimate goal be?  

Was it the relics of Imeonpalbi, Doctor’s presence, or perhaps artifacts from the Old World?  

Or could it be a direct attempt to weaken Pandemonium’s power itself?  

Without knowing how much information the other side possessed about Pandemonium, a reckless response was impossible.  

Judging from their words, it seemed that even the theater’s members were currently dealing with members of the opposing group.  

Unless Doctor gave a separate signal, waiting and observing was the best course of action for now.  

Soryu and Sabrina seemed to share the same thought, watching them with expressionless faces.  

In contrast, the visored superhumans appeared more tense after their exchange with Lennok.  

“Sabrina, I have a question,” Lennok began.  

“Hey, don’t use names,” Soryu interjected sharply, but Sabrina ignored his comment.  

“I don’t know much about unlicensed armed organizations in the Eastern Continent. Do you have any idea?”  

“I do,” Sabrina replied, crossing her arms.  

“Judging from their reaction, Victor’s assumptions were mostly accurate. That gives us a rough estimate.”  

“Where?”

The two stood before the enemy agents, making bold assumptions about their identities.  

“One of the special agencies established by the Vulcan City Government after the Golden Order was lifted. Among them, there’s a superhuman unit known for training new abilities in superhumans. I’ve heard of it.”  

Sabrina gazed steadily at the visors as she spoke.  

“The Special Agency Aegis. It’s known for all its agents meticulously concealing their identities. Those helmets must be for that purpose.”  

[…]  

“But I didn’t expect an agency that’s less than two years old to have already expanded its operations beyond the city. These satellite cities don’t even compare to a few districts in Vulcan.”  

Sabrina’s words were true.  

Lennok also remembered encountering similar visored superhumans just before departing for Ganges Sand Labyrinth.  

The Special Agency Aegis—he had already deduced that they were a type of special unit established following the lifting of the Golden Order.  

“A special agency of Vulcan…”  

Soryu turned abruptly toward Lennok, nodding with a cold gaze.  

“Dragging this out any longer won’t do us any good. Let’s move.”  

“Agreed,” Lennok replied without hesitation.  

[Wait, I clearly said if we just waited…]  

The visor’s words were cut short.  

As Lennok slightly flicked his previously motionless finger, all the magical threads attached to it were unleashed.  

Whoosh!!!  

Hundreds of magical threads spread across the parking lot, swirling and ripping up the asphalt, flinging it skyward.  

Boom!!!  

Asphalt debris soared into the air like a storm, obscuring vision and causing chaos.  

The agents of Aegis gritted their teeth as foreign particles swirled around, blocking their view.  

[These bastards…! Chase them! Don’t let them rejoin the main force!]  

“Ugh!”  

Soryu grabbed Sabrina by the nape and flung her forward, dashing toward the theater.  

Crack!!  

At the same time, a path of ice rose beneath Sabrina, sliding her forward while Soryu sprinted beside her at full speed.  

It was a clean, ruthless response, showing no concern for Lennok’s safety.  

Soryu understood Lennok’s unique attributes as a special-type sorcerer, so it was only natural.  

It wasn’t just about protecting the word sorcerer; everyone instinctively knew who could handle themselves no matter where they were placed.  

[……!!!]  

The four agents locked eyes briefly, then swiftly split into teams.  

The gray and green visors pursued Soryu and Sabrina, while the crimson and brown visors closed in on Lennok.  

The crimson visor, blocking Lennok’s path, gritted her teeth.  

[How did you manage to create so many magical threads…?]  

“I thought I was being rather obvious. Didn’t you notice?” Lennok teased, mimicking the motion of clenching and unclenching his fist.  

“Even if my body is immobilized by word sorcery, breaking the already deployed magic is not difficult.”  

Just before Sabrina activated her word sorcery, Lennok had secured the asphalt in the area with his magical threads, then bound himself with them to feign being affected by the spell.  

As Soryu signaled, Lennok severed the threads, upending the parking lot’s ground to create an escape route for the other two.  

The crimson visor clenched her fist upon realizing that Lennok had planned this from the moment he guessed their identities.  

Lennok’s eyes sharpened as he observed the visor’s reaction.  

The agents seemed to have a good grasp of Pandemonium's plans and the abilities of Sabrina and Soryu, yet they were oddly ignorant of Lennok's own power.  

“It seems you were unaware of my abilities. That actually simplifies things.”  

If Aegis had used a special ability like foresight to gather information on Pandemonium’s Interlude, they would have been more cautious of Lennok's abilities.  

However, the reaction from the other side showed only mild wariness toward the magical threads he wielded.  

The fact that they had no prior knowledge of Lennok, who decided to participate in the Interlude only at the last moment, could only mean one thing.  

Lennok’s smile behind the mask turned cold.  

“There’s a mole inside Pandemonium.”  

[……!!!!]  

Knowing the presence of a special-type sorcerer without taking necessary precautions indicated that this was a situation born of an information gap.  

It could only have occurred if someone had relayed participation details to Aegis beforehand.