Chapter 429: Chapter 429

The sudden crack spread rapidly, spiderweb-like lines extending across the entire space.

Malpi, a Burning Torch executive and the creator of this hidden dimension, gasped, sensing something… unusual.

“Malpi? What’s wrong?”

“The spatial seal… it’s been lifted… No, it’s more than that…!”

Ahn, holding the unconscious President in her arms, looked at Malpi, who was frantically scanning the surroundings, her face filled with a mixture of confusion and alarm.

But it was already too late.

The cracks widened, revealing glimpses of the outside world.

It was a hidden location in Thailand, near the Malaysian border, the place where Malpi had been before joining the meeting.

The spatial seal, which had been so stable and unyielding, was now… reversing, the cracks widening, the walls crumbling, the very space itself… falling apart.

It was a consequence of their previous attempts to escape, their frantic efforts to… break through the barrier from the inside.

And the timing… it wasn’t a coincidence.

‘…The connections to the magic tools… they’re being severed. This is…’

…an external interference.

The ornate pieces of silk they had used to enter this space, the devices they had placed throughout Southeast Asia to connect their various hideouts… they were all malfunctioning, their signals disappearing.

The cracks spread, the walls crumbling, the scenery outside… shifting and distorting, the entire space… collapsing.

It was a chaotic and disorienting situation… but not everyone was… paralyzed by fear.

As if they had been waiting for this, Nagaraja’s telepathic message echoed in the minds of the Heaven’s Turn Society members.

He had warned them in advance, so their movements were swift and decisive, without a moment’s hesitation.

And that included the Executioner, who had been fighting Harley.

“Ugh— Hey, buddy! Where do you think you’re going? Let’s finish this like men!”

[“Kha! You’re incredibly persistent. I’ve torn you apart countless times, and yet you still refuse to die?”]

The Executioner, his demonic form monstrous and terrifying, kicked Harley, his body mangled and broken, into a pile of rubble.

He clicked his tongue as he watched Harley, like a… punching bag doll, bouncing back up, his body regenerating.

Harley’s regeneration speed had slowed down significantly, thanks to the accumulated damage… but he himself was also exhausted.

He could finish him off if he wanted to… but there were other enemies here.

‘…That vampire… He’s the one who killed the Duke in Europe?’

He instinctively knew…

…that he couldn’t afford to be distracted by Harley, not with that vampire also present. Even his unique skill wouldn’t guarantee his survival in a two-on-one fight against such powerful opponents.

So, he didn’t hesitate to retreat, his movements swift and decisive.

He could always… play with the barbarian later.

“Where do you think you’re going? The party’s just getting started. It’s rude for the host to leave so early.”

But his opponent wasn’t going to let him go so easily.

Heinz, the vampire in the opera mask, who had been waiting for this opportunity, his preparations complete, a fine mist of blood particles filling the air, a countermeasure against Time Stop, appeared before him, blocking his path.

His aura flared, his intent clear.

He wasn’t going to let him escape.

[“…Do you really think you can stop me?”]

But the Executioner, no longer interested in fighting them, simply smirked,

…a sinister, demonic grin that made Heinz frown.

“It’s useless. I’ve already taken precautions.”

[“Oh? I wasn’t planning to… do anything.”]

And as soon as he finished speaking,

Heinz, Harley, Heinrich, Harris…

…several transcendent beings, including the four avatars, suddenly looked up at the sky.

Their thoughts raced, their minds accelerating, analyzing the situation, formulating countermeasures.

And then, they acted.

Heinrich, who had been charging towards the Heaven’s Turn Society members, suddenly changed direction and soared into the sky, his three pairs of wings flapping powerfully, radiating a brilliant light.

His holy sword, gleaming brightly, extended a massive blade of holy energy.

…a deafening roar, a blinding flash of light in the dark night sky.

A powerful shockwave, rippling outwards, created a massive storm.

“Waaagh! It’s a bombing! A bombing!”

“Kyaa—! What’s happening?! Mommy!”

“Close the door! Close the door!”

Screams echoed through the city as the shockwave, despite his efforts to minimize its impact on the ground, shattered windows and shook buildings.

Heinrich frowned, feeling a tingling sensation in his arm, the one he had used to deflect the attack.

If he hadn’t intercepted it, the damage would have been… catastrophic, far worse than a missile strike.

Most of the Burning Torch executives, excluding the few who were close to transcendence, wouldn’t have survived.

‘…Who would launch such an attack…?’

He recalled the… shape he had glimpsed just before deflecting the attack, and his eyes narrowed.

If he wasn’t mistaken, it had been…

‘…A metal stake, about the size of my forearm.’

Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary stake.

It had been a magic tool, radiating a powerful aura.

Practically a… miniature missile.

But he didn’t have time to think about it.

‘…It’s coming again! Multiple projectiles…!’

As if the first attack had been just a… test shot, a barrage of unknown projectiles rained down from the sky, like a carpet bombing.

Heinrich’s senses expanded, his perception sharpening.

He had been too surprised to analyze the first attack properly… but now, he could see things he had missed before.

‘…Speed calculation, trajectory analysis, energy signature tracking… It’s not just a physical projectile, it’s also passing through the astral plane.’

The attack, a sudden and unexpected bombardment from the sky, was incredibly destructive.

Even he, a Saint with enhanced defensive abilities, felt the strain.

Kaboom—! Rumble! Boom—!

Heinrich, dodging and weaving through the air with his wings, his holy sword deflecting the incoming projectiles, his movements swift and graceful, like a dancer, created a dazzling display of light and sound in the night sky.

And as he deflected several attacks, he was able to… estimate the attacker’s location based on the projectiles’ trajectories and other data.

‘…This is… insane. If I’m right, then the distance is… at least 5,000 kilometers?’

Somewhere north of Thailand, over 5,000 kilometers away.

That was the estimated location of the… sniper.

No, it wasn't even a sniper.

What kind of sniper used tactical nukes as bullets, launching them from thousands of kilometers away?

‘…Huu, I can’t think about that now. I have to stop this bombardment. If I don’t, not just the Burning Torch, but also the entire city…’

Fortunately, the other avatars weren't weak. They could handle themselves even without him.

But he had to rejoin them as soon as possible, before the situation escalated.

‘…This might be a bit… flashy… but it’ll be effective.’

Heinrich, hovering above the city, spread his six wings, radiating a brilliant holy aura.

A massive barrier, like a shimmering aurora, enveloped the entire city, protecting its inhabitants from the falling… divine retribution.

“…Ah… What is that…?”

“An angel…? A real angel…?”

“Oh! An angel has descended from the heavens! To save us!”

Perhaps because his charm had been amplified by his transformation into an angel, some of the people below, looking up at him, suddenly began to pray,

…as if their faith had been… awakened by his presence.

Of course, Heinrich, too focused on the task at hand, didn't even notice.

“Hey! Are you filming this?! You’ll be fired if you miss this! Zoom in! The angle is terrible!”

“The angle isn’t the problem! How can we even… capture something on camera?!”

An angel, clad in white armor, its wings of light radiating a brilliant aura, protecting the city from a… divine bombardment.

The scene was being captured by a news crew that happened to be in the area, filming a documentary.

It wasn't a major concern.

Near Lake Baikal, Russia.

“Huu~ What a commotion in the middle of the night.”

A cloud of steam, thick and heavy, mixed with the scent of sweat, slowly dissipated.

A blonde woman, standing in the center, stretched her neck and swung her arms, as if checking for injuries after a sudden and strenuous workout.

“I’ll make Oracle pay for this. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t care if that annoying Executioner lived or died.”

She was dressed casually, in a tank top and shorts, her long, blond hair tied loosely behind her head, as if she had been dragged out of bed.

She scratched her head, her scalp itching from the heat generated by her sudden exertion, without any warm-up exercises.

Beads of sweat, trickling down her toned and muscular body, glistened in the moonlight.

“Haa, shall we continue?”

The task wasn’t over yet.

Even for her, a specialist in long-range sniping, this distance was… challenging, so she had taken a short break.

She picked up one of the metal stakes lined up next to her.

Her special… bullets, made from rare metals and imbued with Heaven’s Turn Society’s unique magic.

She took a deep breath, her body glowing with a reddish light, steam rising from her skin.

Her eyes, their blue depths, were focused on a distant point, thousands of kilometers away, a location beyond the range of ordinary vision, its direction barely discernible.

She took a step forward, her left foot hitting the ground.

The energy, amplified and channeled through her legs, her waist, her shoulders, her wrists…

…converged at her fingertips.

And as she swung her arm, a powerful shout escaping her lips,

…the metal stake in her hand vanished.

A shockwave, like a rocket launch, tearing through the air, the only evidence of her attack.

The surrounding trees swayed and rustled, their branches shaking violently.

And it wasn’t over yet.

She took another step forward, her right hand already holding another stake.

The ground shook and trembled as another shockwave, even stronger than the last, despite the protective barrier she had erected, rippled outwards.

If she hadn’t chosen such a remote and uninhabited location, the aftershocks alone would have caused mass casualties.

She continued her bombardment, launching over a dozen stakes, one after another.

“Huu, that was a good workout.”

Her blue eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, were fixed on the south.

It took about ten seconds for her projectiles to reach their target.

Her sniping skills, enhanced by 「Unerring Shot」 and other long-range abilities, were practically… guaranteed to hit.

Of course, it was… physically and magically impossible to launch such powerful attacks from over 5,000 kilometers away… but she wasn't bound by such… trivial limitations.

She had transcended the laws of this world, reaching a level where she could… impose her own rules upon reality.

“…Oh, not bad. Hmm, I’ve done enough. If they still die after all this, it’s their own fault.”

She didn't like the Executioner, a… volatile and unpredictable individual. She had only helped him because Oracle had asked her to.

No, she actually… disliked him intensely.

If the Master hadn’t forbidden infighting, she would have… eliminated him long ago.

‘…A thug who starts fights for no reason, a typical bully. I hope he learns his lesson this time.’

She glanced towards the south, then yawned and turned to leave.

She had worked up a sweat, so she wanted to go back to her quarters, take a shower, and get some sleep.

She didn't care about the aftermath.

They couldn't pinpoint the attacker’s exact location.

The projectiles were too small, their speed too fast, and their trajectories… distorted by some kind of… magic, making it impossible to track them, even with Hesperon’s satellite network and other advanced technology.

‘…But I know the general direction and distance.’

That was the most likely location.

Of course, it wasn’t very helpful, as Russia was… vast.

‘…It must be one of their high-ranking executives, someone slightly weaker than the Executioner. And a specialist in long-range attacks.’

Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.

To launch attacks equivalent to tactical nukes from thousands of kilometers away…

And considering their concentrated nature, their destructive power within a limited area would be even greater.

‘…Though I’ve never actually… experienced a tactical nuke firsthand.’

But thanks to the attacker’s… excessive firepower, he had been able to… assess Heinrich’s defensive capabilities more accurately.

…was a city, unharmed except for some… minor wind damage,

…and six Heaven’s Turn Society members, lying on the ground before him, barely alive.

There were only six, not seven.

‘…Tsk, he abandoned his subordinates and ran away.’

The Executioner, their main target, was still at large.