Wiggins called out to Lee Hyeon-Su next. “Mister Lee?”

“Yes, Director Wiggins!”

“Keep a close eye on the situation. And maintain our comm line, too.”

“Understood! Please take care!”

“Tsk… To think I’d have to do something like this at my age,” Wiggins grunted, but the corners of his lips still curled up. “Still, I haven’t felt this excited in years!”

...And then, Wiggins unhesitantly cast himself outside the open doorway of the helicopter.

‘It really is like looking at a movie scene.’

Lee Hyeon-Su stared in wonderment. The only thing separating this situation from a movie scene was that movie characters would be lugging parachutes while jumping out of a flying aircraft, but these hot-blooded men didn’t bother to strap anything on their bodies.

Being able to land safely after falling from such a height without the aid of a parachute was a testament to the strength these men possessed.

Compared to the number of enemies waiting on that cruise ship, Kang Jin-Ho's group fell laughably short in the headcount. But that didn't matter since numerical superiority meant nothing to these people.

Unless the Japanese also boasted transcendental martial artists among their ranks, they…

“Oii, Chief Lee?” Bang Jin-Hun grunted unhappily.

“Oh! Y-yes, sir!”

It seemed Lee Hyeon-Su had forgotten that there was one more person here.

“I’ll get out of your way, Director Bang!”

“Get out of whose way, you dumbass!”

“Uh? I’m sorry?”

“Gimme that parachute already.”

“…”

Bang Jin-Hun sounded genuinely annoyed by his current situation. “What is the matter with those fellas…? Maybe they watched too many movies or something? How can they jump from somewhere this high in the sky without a parachute? Uh-whew! Aren’t they scared?”

“...Oh.” Lee Hyeon-Su nearly tripped on his feet. Then again, this was the normal reaction, now wasn’t it? He hurriedly handed the parachute to Bang Jin-Hun.

“How am I supposed to use this?” Bang Jin-Hun cocked an eyebrow while studying the parachute.

“Let me show you… Oops! Excuse me, Mister Pilots! Please turn around and go over the ship one more time! We need to be above it again. Director Bang, please listen carefully!”

“...Okay, I’m listening.”

A weirdly-timed lesson began inside a noisy helicopter.

***

“Hurry up and get on already!”

“You f*cks! Why are you all so damn slow! Didn't we already tell you we're racing against time?!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan was in a rush.

‘Goddamn it! Why do we have to be dead last?!’

The support crew was divided into three groups. One group consisted of the demon cult’s elites, with the demon cult elders leading the pack. Although it was funny to call those weaklings “elites,” the least loser-like losers had been selected from that group of losers. And the ship containing them had already departed for their destination some time ago.

As for the second group, which consisted of the Martial Assembly’s elites, they had also departed on a ship not too long ago.

“Why! Do we! Have to be dead last?! Why? F*ck!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan's rage was so incendiary that figurative flames threatened to shoot out of his mouth. Then again, he shouldn't be faulted for his attitude. They weren't dealing with any old situation, after all!

The Japanese were currently invading South Korea!

“Those damn Japs lost their bloody minds!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan wouldn't have felt this way if China was invading Korea. But Japan? Now that genuinely infuriated him.

“Hah! You think we’re pushovers? Is that what you think, you sons of b*tches?”

Korea wasn't some neighborhood drum that anyone could beat when the fancy took them, so why did the Japanese invade whenever they had nothing better to do with their lives?

Yi Myeong-Hwan simply couldn't let this crappy history repeat itself again while he was still alive. Even if the invasion wasn't targeting Korea itself but the Korean martial society…

‘So what?! It’s the same difference, anyway!’

After all, the Korean martial artists were Koreans, were they not! In that sense, Yi Myeong-Hwan was deeply pleased with the Assembly Master’s decision. And that was to...

...To provide a watery grave to the Japanese invaders before they could set foot on the South Korean soil!

‘Kuh! How manly is that!’

To Yi Myeong-Hwan, Kang Jin-Ho was a very complicated and indecipherable existence. Yi Myeong-Hwan’s feelings toward his Assembly Master were a messy mixture of respect, awe, unshakable faith, and even a healthy dollop of dissatisfaction.

Despite all these complicated emotions, though, Yi Myeong-Hwan still had to acknowledge Kang Jin-Ho for his penchant for doing something refreshingly manly every now and then.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

That was why Yi Myeong-Hwan was dying to be a part of that something, to become a dependable pillar himself, but…!

“Goddamn it, man! Hurry up and get on the damn boat!”

“I got it already! Dude, stop egging us on, will ya!”

“Hey, man! Where are we supposed to sit?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan yelled at his fellow Demon Flames. “Who cares where you sit, you dumb sh*t?! Go stand in a damn corner somewhere!”

“Bloody hell… Imma throw that bastard overboard once we’re out in the sea. You just wait!”

Even as the Demon Flames grumbled unhappily, they still obediently filed inside the ship. Just like Yi Myeong-Hwan, they were also in a rush.

Kang Jin-Ho had already departed in a helicopter some time ago. Considering the speed difference between a helicopter and a ship, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the Demon Flames would arrive well behind everyone else!

“Blooming hell…” Just before Yi Myeong-Hwan could swear again, his satellite phone suddenly rang. He hurriedly answered it. “Hello! This is Yi Myeong-Hwan!”

-Are you guys ready to depart yet?

Lee Hyeon-Su's voice broke through the crackling static and entered Yi Myeong-Hwan's hearing.

While thinking that satellite phones could be surprisingly handy, Yi Myeong-Hwan hurriedly unloaded his dissatisfaction. “Sir?! Why are we the last to depart! We're the strongest combat force of the Assembly, aren't we? Doesn't that mean we should be the ones taking the lead?”

-What are you on about? Your ship is the fastest one, you know! Even if you are the last group to leave, you should arrive before everyone else!

“Even so!”

-Hah, this punk! You sure have gotten bold these days, haven't you?

“Urgh! Anyways… We'll depart immediately after everyone's on board, sir.”

-Sure, do what you want.

“Sir, I'm telling you now, we will be the first to enter that ship! That bastard, Cheon Tae-Hun! He was laughing at us as he left earlier, you know! He still has no idea how things have changed, doesn't he?! I'm gonna teach him today! You'll see!”

-...Stop fighting among yourselves, okay? Stop it!

Lee Hyeon-Su could be heard groaning loudly on the other side of the line.

-In any case… Get going as soon as you're done with your preparations.

“Understood!”

The line went dead without any fanfare.

“Tch!” Yi Myeong-Hwan roughly shoved the phone inside his pocket, then glared at the distant ocean. “I hope we get the chance to go wild before everyone else…”

Yi Myeong-Hwan was rueful about not being there right now and beating everyone up. But something else was

really

making him unhappy at the moment.

‘Dang it. I wish I could see their faces right now!’

Yi Myeong-Hwan wanted to see Kang Jin-Ho leaping off the helicopter and landing on the cruise ship's deck. And he also wanted to witness the real-time reactions of the Japanese to this unbelievable spectacle.

How unlucky was it that he couldn't bear witness to a once-in-a-lifetime event!

“Get on the ship, you asswipes! We need to leave, right now!”

“I hear you! Damn it!”

Even as they voiced their displeasure, the Demon Flames still continued to jump on the ship.

***

...And the spectacle Yi Myeong-Hwan wanted to witness was unfolding on the deck of the cruise ship.

“A… helicopter?” Nakata Yuji’s eyes opened wider in surprise.

‘The Koreans actually sent a helicopter?’

Had they lost their minds? Nakata Yuji couldn’t understand the motivation behind this move.

Of course, there was no issue with using a helicopter to approach this ship. However, doing so would only be good for reconnaissance purposes and not much else.

After all, a helicopter had a strict passenger limit, so it’d never be an appropriate mode of transport in this situation. Even then, the Koreans still dispatched a helicopter?

‘Maybe their brains are not functioning properly?’

If Nakata Yuji was with the Koreans, he’d never do something as stupid as dispatching a reconnaissance helicopter. If you were given valuable information, you should be utilizing it appropriately.

But that didn't include foolishly revealing that you knew about the enemy heading toward the Korean coastline. As far as Nakata Yuji could tell, this might be one of the stupidest displays of overconfidence.

“Hah. The report about the Koreans doing crazy things seems true, then,” said Nakata Yuji with a wry chuckle.

Although he had no idea whether Kang Jin-Ho or one of his underlings was responsible for this stupid move, Nakata Yuji now knew how hopelessly inept the Korean Martial Assembly was. This helicopter incident fully proved that to him.

He glanced at Lee Seong-Hwi and snarkily muttered, “So… You got kicked around by those idiots? And even got chased out of your own country? Now I know how pathetic you are.”

“Those idiots?” Lee Seong-Hwi cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, idiots. I’m talking about the ones stupidly sending a reconnaissance team and wasting the valuable intel.”

Indeed, that helicopter had to be here for reconnaissance. After all, it was never easy to fly a helicopter over the open sea. Just think back to how often you’d hear about the news of helicopter-related maritime mishaps despite the low frequency of reconnaissance flights.

So, a helicopter deliberately flying this far out could only mean the Korean Martial Assembly was seeking out the Japanese. And it also indicated the Martial Assembly's higher-ups believed Nobuo's warning.

Preparing countermeasures would only get harder if you had no idea how the enemy would act next. However, now that they knew about each other’s hands? Things could get even easier for Nakata Yuji from now on.

“Reconnaissance, you say?” Lee Seong-Hwi smirked derisively.

“What’s funny?” Nakata Yuji asked with a deep frown on his face.

“I told you already, didn't I? Those who overestimate their smarts always fall victim to their own schemes. They think everything unfolds according to their calculations and never consider the possibility of events surpassing their imaginations. How stupid is that? People like that are called narcissistic idiots.”

“...What are you trying to imply here?”

“Do you seriously think that helicopter is here for reconnaissance?”

Nakata Yuji clamped his mouth shut.

Lee Seong-Hwi tutted sarcastically. “If your eyes are not just for show, you will soon see for yourself. See whether they are as stupid as you say or extreme and insane to the point of sheer idiocy. If you ask me… I’d bet money on the latter.”

“…!” Nakata Yuji’s cheeks twitched slightly.

This insolent Korean bastard had crossed the line and started trampling on Nakata Yuji’s pride. However, now didn’t seem like a good time to lose his temper.

‘No, it surely can’t be…?’

Nakata Yuji urgently looked up at the sky.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!

The helicopter was fast approaching the cruise ship while making a racket. It was high up in the night sky. Despite the considerable distance, though, Nakata Yuji soon realized that the helicopter couldn't be here for something as meaningless as reconnaissance. Why? Because it was simply too large for that purpose.

‘No way. It can’t be.’

Only a lunatic suffering from a gunshot wound to his head would consider boarding this ship with the passengers riding in that helicopter. Even if another hundred of those helicopters transported martial artists, and they all raided this ship, the Koreans still wouldn’t be able to overcome the overwhelming numerical superiority the Japanese boasted.

However, there was only one helicopter approaching? What could a handful of people riding in that aircraft hope to achieve in this desperate situation?

“Lunatics…!”

Nakata Yuji was genuinely flabbergasted now.

“Even if that’s true…!”

If that helicopter really was transporting people, and its destination was this ship, Nakata Yuji would have no choice but to admit Lee Seong-Hwi was right.

The Koreans wouldn't be stupid or thoughtless in that case. No, they would literally be insane!

Just as Nakata Yuji’s thoughts reached that far, he saw the side door of the approaching helicopter suddenly slide open. Even though the night’s darkness cloaked the aircraft, he could still clearly see everything.

“…?!”

Nakata Yuji was rendered completely speechless. At this very moment, he was nothing more than an audience member. All he could do was dazedly watch this unbelievable event play out in real time.

Countermeasures? Responses? Who would be able to think of such things in this situation?

If someone climbed up on a bridge and tried to jump into the river below, you'd be able to react and do something about it. For instance, you might call the cops or try to talk to that person. Whatever you choose to do, it'd undoubtedly be a response of some kind.

However, what if someone climbed up on a bridge, poured gasoline all over their body, and set themselves on fire before jumping? You'd just stand there and stare in stupefaction, your jaw falling to the floor.

That was Nakata Yuji’s current state.

However, that wasn’t all. Through that open doorway of the helicopter, Nakata Yuji saw a figure of a person jump outside.

“What the…?”

Nakata Yuji watched in a daze as the falling figure spread his arms open.

The night sky was gloomy with overcast clouds. And below it was the pitch-black ocean stretching endlessly in every direction.

Within this dream-like landscape where the heavens and the great ocean met, a man fell to Earth with his arms wide open.

Meanwhile, the spotlight of the airborne helicopter shined down like a beam of hot laser, turning the deck into one massive concert venue.

The falling man approached the cruise ship as if he were actually flying in the air. Nakata Yuji's jaw fell to the floor at this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

Although all these descriptions seemed long, everything happened at a fairly quick knock. The time it took for that man to jump off the helicopter and land on the ship’s deck didn’t even take a few seconds at most.

“…?!” Nakata Yuji sucked in a deep breath and stared at the new arrival on his ship.

This man had fairly short hair. He also wore plain-looking clothes. At a casual glance, he seemed like any other ordinary young man. Of course, anyone who had witnessed that incredible spectacle would never mistake this young man as someone ordinary.

His appearance alone was probably not enough to identify who he was. However, Nakata Yuji instantly recognized him anyway. How could he not? There was simply no way he'd not recognize this young man before his eyes!

Nakata Yuji reflexively asked, “A-are you…”

His body instinctively swallowed his saliva to wet his dried throat.

“...Are you Kang Jin-Ho?”

The young man, Kang Jin-Ho, stood tall on the ship’s deck and faintly smirked.

On this endless stretch of the ocean dyed in inky-black darkness… The demon emperor smirked again like he used to in the ancient past.