Chapter 428: Chapter 428

Around the time the Executioner began his battle against the man called Lion Mask,

“…Oracle, we have a problem.”

…Nagaraja, the Southeast Asia Branch Manager of Heaven’s Turn Society, contacted Oracle, his voice urgent.

The spatial seal blocking this area should have prevented all communication… but of course, Heaven’s Turn Society had its own methods of bypassing such restrictions.

-“Hmm, I’ve also noticed it. The flow of causality is… fluctuating wildly. They’re causing quite a commotion. What happened?”

“The Masquerade has arrived. Four of them.”

-“Four? Well, that’s within our… expected parameters…”

“Three of them are presumed to be on par with the Executioner.”

The Executioner was considered their strongest warrior, excluding the Master himself.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was their… second-in-command.

There were others who were just as valuable, like Oracle, who oversaw the organization’s global operations from the shadows, and Doctor, whose mastery of magic and technology far surpassed the current understanding of the supernatural.

But even they acknowledged his combat prowess, his skill as an executioner, a… tool for eliminating their enemies.

After all, he was the one who carried out the Master’s will, eliminating those who opposed Heaven’s Turn Society.

The Burning Torch’s current predicament was just… another example of his… efficiency.

“And you know what’s even more surprising? Two of them are the… otherworldly Saint and the vampire, Phantom.”

-“…They’re that strong? That’s impossible… Even if they’ve grown stronger, to reach the level of a… demigod…”

“We can worry about that later. Do you understand why I contacted you?”

Nagaraja, interrupting her, spoke again, his tone firm and decisive.

This was the reason for his call.

“We’re all going to die here.”

So, do something, unless you want to see us all… eliminated.

He was essentially… begging for help.

-“…Just hold on. I’ll take care of it.”

Naturally, Oracle couldn’t ignore his plea.

After all, the members currently deployed were valuable assets, high-ranking executives of Heaven’s Turn Society.

Especially the Executioner, who had awakened his divinity, and Nagaraja, a high-level transcendent. They couldn’t afford to lose them.

But his response wasn't a sigh of relief.

It was a soft gasp, a sound of… surprise.

Oracle, sensing that something was wrong, asked again, her voice heavy with concern… but Nagaraja couldn’t speak.

He was… speechless, his mind reeling from the… spectacle unfolding before him.

A wave of light, like a holy sanctuary, was spreading outwards, engulfing the battlefield.

It healed the injured Burning Torch members, their wounds closing, their bodies revitalized… and at the same time, it pressed down on the Heaven’s Turn Society members, their movements slowing, their auras flickering.

And at the center of the light, a figure, radiating an overwhelming presence, came into view.

“…Or we’ll all be dead before you can do anything.”

A familiar figure, someone he had encountered several times as the Branch Manager.

But unlike before, when he had radiated a warm, orange light… he was now… different, his aura a brilliant, platinum white, like the dawn.

An angel, its sword raised, its gaze fixed on them,

…a judgment, a condemnation.

A middle-aged man with a short beard, the leader of the Burning Torch, the President.

Mimic, a Heaven’s Turn Society transcendent, disguised as the President, frowned.

The Executioner, who had initiated the battle, was clearly winning.

He would eventually emerge victorious, even if it took some time.

But he wasn't the only threat.

“Hmm, Mimic, was it? …I see. It hasn’t been fully absorbed yet.”

Mimic flinched as the newcomer spoke, his gaze meeting his.

A pair of golden eyes, shining brightly, like miniature suns, seemed to… see through him, piercing his disguise.

‘…Damn it, how did he know?’

He gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles clenching.

He had been so careful, so meticulous in concealing his true nature!

Everything had been going according to plan until now. He had even managed to… consume the President, a powerful transcendent he wouldn't have been able to defeat on his own.

His unique skill allowed him to absorb another being’s essence, their power, their memories, their very identity… becoming them.

It was how he had transcended his limits.

‘…Ugh, that damn holy power is interfering!’

Of course, such a powerful ability came with limitations.

It took time to fully absorb the target’s essence, and the success rate was incredibly low unless he had personally… subdued them.

‘…Damn it, not now… Stay still!’

He had managed to absorb the President’s essence thanks to the other transcendents’ assistance, but he hadn't… earned it himself.

He was struggling to… digest it, the President’s power and level far surpassing his own.

It would take years for him to fully absorb it.

He had been confident that he wouldn't have to fight, not with the Executioner and the other powerful members of Heaven’s Turn Society on their side…

“I was starting to get… bored… This is… convenient. The Burning Torch will be more… useful with their leader back.”

…but as he looked at the angel, its holy sword gleaming, its gaze fixed on him, its eyes burning with a… chilling intensity, a… bloodlust that belied its holy aura,

…he realized he couldn’t afford to be complacent.

A massive pillar of light, descending from the heavens, its power and speed overwhelming, left him no time to react.

He had to do something, or he would be… annihilated.

“Containment field! Reinforced barrier! Energy disruption! Reactive force field… Gah!”

His defenses, even with all the abilities and techniques he had stolen from countless transcendents, were effortlessly shattered, one after another.

And the more he struggled, the stronger the resistance within him became, the President’s essence fighting back, refusing to be… consumed.

“Target lock, energy amplification, anti-holy barrier deployment!”

“Nothing can touch me! Absolute Shield!”

“Trap card activation— Infinite Mirror Corridor!”

He was barely holding on, thanks to his companions, each one a powerful transcendent in their own right.

And their coordinated attacks, a fusion of magic and technology from various worlds, were Heaven’s Turn Society’s specialty.

Their attacks weren’t just defensive.

A giant hand, erupting from the ground, its fingers like massive pillars, swung a sword wreathed in light, gravity itself intensifying, creating openings in their defenses, and a spear, moving like a snake, its tip sharp and deadly, lunged towards its target.

Even Heinrich couldn't help but be impressed.

They were fighting valiantly, despite the overwhelming difference in their power levels.

After all, they were also transcendents, survivors of countless battles, each one a hero, a… calamity in their own right.

‘…And I’m still… relatively inexperienced.’

Unlike him, who had reached his current level through… shortcuts and… luck, they had all spent at least a decade honing their skills and abilities, fighting for their lives.

They were veterans, accustomed to pushing their limits, maximizing their potential.

It wasn’t strange for them to be able to hold their own against him, a newcomer who had yet to fully master his newfound power.

‘…Well, this is also a… learning opportunity.’

Heinrich’s gaze hardened, his eyes narrowing.

His breathing slowed, his senses sharpened, and the world around him seemed to… slow down, its details coming into focus.

He began to analyze their movements, their techniques, their strategies, searching for… answers.

‘…They’re excellent… training partners. This will be helpful when I face the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society.’

It was the same reason why Harley was insisting on a one-on-one fight against the Executioner.

He had been too focused on efficiency, on maximizing his power level, neglecting the… fundamentals.

He would just be a… large and… inefficient… being if he continued on this path.

And his change in mindset began to manifest itself.

Nagaraja, the East Asia Branch Manager of Heaven’s Turn Society, who had been overseeing the… anti-angel operations, frowned, his expression hardening.

His opponent’s weaknesses, which had been so numerous and… obvious just moments ago, were disappearing, one by one, in real time, as if being… patched and… updated.

Attacks that had worked before were now being blocked or dodged.

His carefully crafted strategies, his meticulously planned tactics… they were being… countered and… adapted to.

It was as if he was… learning and… evolving at an incredible speed, absorbing his knowledge and experience.

He wasn't sure if this was a life-or-death battle or a… debugging session.

The others, sensing the shift in momentum, also began to frown, their expressions troubled.

‘…How is he learning so fast? It shouldn’t be possible…’

And it only got worse with time.

He had initially been correcting his opponent’s mistakes… but now, he was the one being… tested, his every move scrutinized, his every action analyzed.

His opponent’s movements were like… questions.

How should I respond to this attack? What about this one?

How can I bypass his defenses? What’s the most efficient counter-strategy?

An endless chain of attack and counterattack, a rapid escalation of power and skill.

And finally, the first one to break… was Mimic, who had been struggling to maintain his disguise.

He coughed up blood and collapsed, his body twitching and writhing on the floor, his features… distorting, as if something was about to… burst out from within.

Like a scene from a horror movie.

‘…I have to retrieve him first.’

They would both be vulnerable during the separation process.

And it wouldn’t be bad to… assist him with some holy power.

He didn’t care about Mimic, but the President was a valuable… subordinate, someone he needed to fight against Heaven’s Turn Society.

His six wings unfurled, and a blinding light, a wave of pure holy power, engulfed the area.

…Mimic, who had been lying on the ground,

…was suddenly in his arms.

Of course, the others tried to stop him, but it was useless.

They were already struggling to hold their own, and now, they had to protect him as well?

And as Heinrich channeled his holy power into Mimic’s body, he suddenly realized something.

He sensed something… artificial, a… foreign energy interfering with his holy power.

An unknown force, helping the President separate from Mimic.

He traced its origin, his senses expanding.

‘…Ahn? This feeling… It’s similar to… when I entered this space. Did she use this method back then as well?’

It was Ahn, standing in the center of the Burning Torch executives, her body radiating a faint aura.

Having conserved her energy thanks to his intervention, she had activated her ability at the perfect moment.

And the effect was immediate.

A failed attempt to transcend one’s limits always came with a price.

If there was no backlash, it meant that they hadn't truly pushed themselves.

And Mimic, who had tried to absorb a being far stronger than himself, without having earned the right…

…his disguise, his borrowed form, began to… unravel, his body splitting apart, like a slime dividing, a single entity becoming two.

It wasn't a… gruesome scene, like something out of a horror movie… but it was still… unusual.

One of the figures, a man so emaciated that it was difficult to determine his age, coughed and gasped for breath.

That was probably Mimic’s true form.

His withered and shriveled body, like a mummy’s, was probably a result of having most of his… nutrients… stolen.

Ahn’s voice, filled with relief and… something else.

…That was probably the real President.

Heinrich couldn’t help but feel a surge of… confusion.

The burly, bearded middle-aged man was gone, replaced by a… beautiful woman, lying unconscious on the floor.

‘…A woman? But Freddy… the President… he was a man… Wait, Freddy?’

And then, he remembered Ahn’s words.

And the words she had spoken earlier, when Heaven’s Turn Society first appeared.

-“Where’s the President?! What happened to Freddy?!”

‘…I thought she just… mispronounced his name because she was so flustered…’

But it seemed like… that was her real name.

He looked down at her for a moment, his expression… strange, then covered her with a blanket he had retrieved from his subspace storage and turned away.

And he wasn't the only one who was confused.

“Who’s that? Where’s the President?”

“She’s a woman?! Ahn! What’s going on?!”

“Ugh, Mimic…! …Is that really the President?”

“…Wait, did Mimic really not know?”

Not just the other Burning Torch executives, but also the Heaven’s Turn Society transcendents, who had captured the President to… use his appearance as a disguise…

…they were all bewildered.

‘…A transformation-type unique skill?’

It seemed like even Mimic himself hadn't realized it, as he hadn't fully absorbed the President’s essence.

Perhaps that was why the absorption process had been so slow.

‘…Well, it doesn’t matter.’

They had successfully retrieved the President, the leader of the Burning Torch, a high-level transcendent, and neutralized one of Heaven’s Turn Society’s members.

All that remained was to… eliminate the others.

‘…I’m still not… fully recovered… but I can’t stay here forever. There will be other opportunities.’

Ahn and the other executives, who had recovered thanks to his holy power, approached the unconscious President and began tending to her wounds.

And Ken, who had been keeping his distance, wary of the holy power, and Harris, who had been investigating the room, also joined them.

“Then let’s finish this.”

As Heinrich raised his sword, preparing to strike,

…the barrier that had been sealing the space suddenly cracked.