Chapter 149

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

“I-It's a terrorist attack!”

The chaos in the streets reached its peak as explosions erupted throughout Pure Land.

Naturally.

No matter how mentally prepared people were to live under the constant threat of a terrorist organization like the Dawn Church, the visual shock of seeing the capital consumed by flames was more than enough to shatter their composure.

The chaos could not be allowed to continue.

“Please stabilize the Governor-General's Office first.”

“Right, that's what we should do. But what about you, Major?”

Lecom Ging nodded at Jin Crow's words, yet questioned him in return.

After all, it was obvious from his tone that he had no intention of returning to the Governor-General's Office together with them.

In response, Jin Crow answered succinctly.

“The scattered terrorist attacks have temporarily subsided, but think about this rationally.”

He casually drew his sword and pointed it diagonally toward the ground as he swept his gaze across Pure Land.

More than forty explosions had occurred in those few brief moments alone.

Originally, Pure Land had been built as an Eastern-style metropolis nestled within a vast forest.

Although modern buildings and skyscrapers had been constructed after the Human Composite State arrived, the city remained highly vulnerable to fire.

Watching fire engines and drones from the Fire Department rushing toward the burning districts, Jin Crow turned his gaze toward the alley where the Dawn Church terrorists who had attacked them moments ago now lay dead.

“Terrorist attacks, followed by an assassination attempt on the Vice Governor. This is no ordinary incident. We need to determine what's happening.”

“That isn't your responsibility, Instructor. I'd rather go myself.”

Myo Seol-ah spoke as if refuting him.

But at that moment, Lecom Ging looked at Jin Crow before letting out a sigh.

“Captain Lang Wei.”

“Yes, Vice Governor.”

“Return to the Governor-General's Office first and send Alpha Squad. You will remain here for now and assist him.”

“Huh? Ahem. Understood.”

“Vice Governor...!”

Lang Wei scratched his cheek with the clawed fingers of one hand, looking mildly annoyed after hearing the order.

Meanwhile, Myo Seol-ah cried out in protest.

“Captain Myo Seol-ah.”

However, upon hearing Lecom Ging's firm voice—one that clearly indicated the decision had already been made—she seemed to realize that nothing she said would change the outcome.

She bit her lip tightly and stepped back.

It wasn't that Jin Crow couldn't understand how she felt.

From the Security Division's perspective, his involvement might very well seem like unnecessary interference.

But...

The Dawn Church's large-scale terrorist attack on Pure Land. This is... Hell Screen.

He wasn't certain.

That was precisely why he needed certainty.

While desperately hoping this wasn't the worst possibility he could imagine...

He needed confirmation if it truly was.

There wasn't a moment to waste.

Thus, as though making it clear there would be no changing his mind, Lecom Ging immediately headed toward the Governor-General's Office.

Myo Seol-ah followed closely behind him.

“Haha, Seol-ah just worries too much.”

After they parted ways, Captain Lang Wei spoke casually on the surface.

Yet even he stopped unconsciously wagging his tail—a clear sign of the tension he was feeling.

“Oh.”

Naturally, upon seeing that, Obia completely forgot about being dragged around by the back of her neck by Jin Crow just moments earlier.

She walked over to Lang Wei and whispered something to him.

Lang Wei grinned, his playful side already returning as he replied.

...I should've asked for Myo Seol-ah to stay instead.

Just as Jin Crow was thinking that to himself...

As the explosions gradually died down, a small sound reached his ears through the endless blare of sirens responding to the fires breaking out across the city.

Ding.

A soft notification from his watch.

Followed by a faint vibration against his wrist.

Jin Crow immediately twisted the wrist wearing the watch to check the sender.

「Ner」

The moment he saw the name, he silently gestured toward Obia and Lang Wei with his eyes for the Military Police to keep watch over them.

Then he naturally walked toward the entrance of a nearby alley.

Standing there, where a strangely musty smell lingered—whether from the scent of the Ju people's fur or perhaps stray cats and dogs—Jin Crow manipulated his watch with his gloved hand and read Ner's message.

It was the confidential reply he had requested earlier.

Opening it, the contents were concise.

「I've sent the files, Instructor.」

To anyone else, it might have seemed disappointingly brief and impersonal.

But to Jin Crow...

It was an exceptionally concise and efficient response.

Without minding it in the slightest, he opened the attached files.

「Dawn Church (黎明敎). Area-39. A Grade-1 designated terrorist organization operating with Ju Planet as its base of operations. A Grade-2 pseudo-religious cult that formerly governed similarly to the ancient Aztecs...」

Truthfully, the information regarding the Dawn Church wasn't particularly useful.

It merely helped reorganize the scattered understanding they already possessed.

Which wasn't surprising.

No matter how capable Ner was as Mother AI, how much meaningful intelligence could she possibly gather in such a short time about the Dawn Church—a group with virtually no influence beyond Ju Planet?

If anything...

The only reason she managed to gather even this much was probably because Ju Planet's Black Iron served as a key resource in producing Carbine Alloy.

Hound would've been the same.

Thinking that to himself, Jin Crow opened the next file Ner had sent.

It wasn't that Ner was incompetent.

Rather...

Perhaps asking her to uncover information that even he didn't realize was buried beneath so many layers of secrecy had been an unreasonable request to begin with.

“......This.”

However...

The moment he opened the copied confidential report she had attached...

Those thoughts disappeared completely.

**「Special Anti-Knight Operations Unit, commonly known as Hound.

UC.■■■. ■. ■■. ■:00.

Report regarding the incident known as 'Black Thursday.'

Deaths: ■■■

Desertions: ■■

Returned: 1

Major Jin Crow. Secured by ■■.

......(Omitted)......

Disposal procedures for all except ■■■ deemed successful.

However, it is judged that the deserter ■■■ requires continued pursuit and termination.」**

Jin Crow slowly read through the contents with confused eyes.

When he reached the section listing the dead, deserters, and returnees...

He realized that the single individual who had returned was himself.

His brows furrowed.

Black Thursday.

Did Hound suffer some sort of internal conflict?

Thinking that unconsciously, Jin Crow read the note Ner had left beneath the copied report.

「I wanted to investigate further, but I couldn't break through the remaining security locks. I'm sorry, Instructor.」

Jin Crow turned off the watch's display.

Feeling suffocated, he reached into his coat, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

Hound underwent a massive purge. Why? And why wasn't Jin Crow discarded despite returning? Was it because Rosen protected him?

Sometimes...

New information shattered everything one had previously believed.

He could only feel bewilderment and frustration toward the strange chain of events surrounding Jin Crow's past.

However...

Those thoughts didn't last long.

—KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

A shriek that seemed capable of tearing apart his eardrums pierced the air.

It sounded like the desperate scream of a human unnaturally stretched into something monstrous...

Yet it was unmistakably beast-like.

A horrifying, grotesque scream overflowing with murderous intent.

Jin Crow immediately threw away the half-smoked cigarette and sprinted toward the direction the scream had come from.

“Obia Timist!”

He leaped dozens of meters in an instant.

The imperfect Quad Gear within him groaned as it spun.

But to Jin Crow, who had grown so accustomed to enduring its strain that it now felt like nothing more than mild muscle soreness...

Such pain was no obstacle.

“Yeees, Instructor.”

Likewise, hearing his shout, Obia instantly abandoned whatever childish antics she'd been sharing with Lang Wei.

With her signature affectionate yet unsettling smile, she kicked off the ground.

KWAAADDDDDK!

The flames dancing around her feet followed her leap like the lingering embers of a phoenix.

As the two Quad Gear users launched themselves through the air, the asphalt beneath their feet shattered apart.

Lang Wei could only stare blankly as the two Majors disappeared into the distance.

Thud.

At that moment, one of the Military Police watching him casually grabbed his shoulder.

“What are you doing? Let's move.”

“Ah... Shit!”

...Unfortunately for them...

They were slower than those two.

Pure Land—once jokingly called simply Pure Land when the Dawn Church ruled, and Ultimate Pure Land after the Human Composite State took over—had become utterly consumed by chaos.

Rumble—

Several buildings had collapsed due to the terrorist attacks.

The resulting fires spread even more violently, threatening to engulf everything nearby.

“What's happening?”

“The Governor-General's Office was attacked? What the hell...”

“E-Excuse me! Let me through!”

“Fire! Fire!”

Everyone trembled in fear for their own reasons.

Even the Public Security officers of the Governor-General's Office, who were supposed to restore order, couldn't hide their bewilderment at the unprecedented terrorist attack unfolding before them.

Yet they weren't the only ones caught off guard.

Trying to infiltrate the Governor-General's Office right now carries far too much risk. I could easily be mistaken for a Dawn Church mercenary.

Baek Hwi-young silently observed the Governor-General's Office, now under even tighter security than before, with his dull gray eyes.

Some might wonder...

Wasn't this chaos the perfect opportunity to recover Gae Assail?

They wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Martial law would likely be declared before long.

And if the Dawn Church had truly begun the Holy War known as Hell Screen...

The chaos certainly wouldn't die down in a day or two.

But the risks have increased just as much.

An outsider infiltrating the Governor-General's Office during such a time.

No matter how careful he was...

After receiving the Dawn Church's explosive "gift," the Governor-General's Office would be far too alert.

Ultimately, Baek Hwi-young pulled the black cap covering his gray hair lower before raising the mask he'd previously lowered to conceal his face.

Observe the situation first.

The plan to obtain a military uniform and infiltrate was also scrapped.

The very idea that any broker would prioritize business over staying alive in a situation like this was absurd.

“......”

Baek Hwi-young quickly blended into the crowd.

Soon, a woman standing to one side of the chaotic street caught his attention, cold sweat dripping down her face.

He hadn't intentionally been looking at her.

Rather...

Something about the mismatch between the physique hidden beneath her long padded coat and her face naturally drew his gaze.

Following her line of sight...

He saw Major General Lecom Ging charging toward the Governor-General's Office with his still-bulging muscles, accompanied by Captain Myo Seol-ah, commander of Bravo Squad.

“......For.”

She muttered softly.

Then, as though making up her mind, she bit down on her lip.

The instant she stepped forward—

Baek Hwi-young moved almost instinctively.

Before she could even react, he rushed toward her, grabbed the back of her neck, and hurled her toward the end of the alley.

“Gah! Cough!”

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—

She tumbled onto a pile of garbage stacked in one corner.

Grabbing the back of her neck, now marked with vivid red finger marks from that single grip, she angrily shouted,

“W-What was that!?”

Yet the irritation and anger in her voice vanished the moment her vision recovered...

And she saw Baek Hwi-young.

Step.

Black cap.

Black mask.

Step.

Dressed in black techwear and combat boots...

The man approached her with a long spear hanging loosely from one hand.

“S-Save...”

Only then did she realize that her intentions had been discovered.

She dropped to her knees, trembling violently.

But by then, Baek Hwi-young had already stopped directly before her.

Looking down at her with emotionless gray eyes, he asked,

“A Dawn Church believer?”

“Y-Yes...”

Slice.

Thud.

Her head was severed with astonishing precision and rolled into one corner of the filthy alley.

Thump.

Moments later, the heavy sound of the bomb vest hidden beneath her collapsing body echoed through the alley.

“Then that's enough.”

Muttering those words, Baek Hwi-young walked out of the alley without the slightest regret.

What remained behind...

Was nothing more than the pitiful lump of flesh of a clumsy straggler who could neither choose conviction...

Nor surrender to fear.