Hero’s Child C26

Chapter 26

“You damned villains! Of all places, you had to wreck the Cheongsa Building?!”

“Oh, spare me your whining! You heroes care about that kind of crap—we sure don’t! I’ll break whatever I want! What, you got a problem with that? Then do it yourself! Screw all you heroes, tch!”

The battlefield was pure chaos—villains and heroes clashing head-on, others already subdued, and more still storming through the shattered structure.

Uichan, tracking Podo’s location, suddenly froze. On his left, a massive gust of wind formed from a swirl of storm clouds; on his right, figures dressed in black executed villains and advanced toward the building. And between it all, a huge beast bounded through the flames.

It was Noatis and Blacktan.

Chirp—!

Following Chaltteok’s lead, Uichan darted forward. He spotted a section of collapsed framework and slipped inside through the breach blasted open by cannon fire. He moved fast, following footprints deeper into the debris-strewn corridor.

Judging by the trail of bodies—villains lying limp in the hallway—Podo had already clashed with heroes once. Uichan’s steps slowed as voices echoed faintly from the corridor’s end. He pressed to the corner, holding his breath to listen.

“Find it yet? Damn it, what kind of luck is this? Of all times to snatch it away—!”

“You sure it’s that brat from Mother Ship? The In the Hell kids must’ve been hiding it all this time. Never gave a damn about it before!”

“Why are all the villains converging here? There’ve been attacks on every public office, but only this one’s crawling with them! You think an insider leaked it?”

“Shit, move to the roof! Signal says it’s up top!”

The group of villains stopped in the middle of the corridor, then made for the emergency stairs. As they turned the corner, Uichan extended a foot and tripped the one leading the pack.

With a thud, the first man fell—then the rest toppled like dominos. A chain of curses erupted as they scrambled to stand, only to go silent, mouths hanging open at the figure now standing before them.

The man’s face was distorted, blurred—like static on a broken screen. They knew only one person who could appear like that.

“Shit—Under Doom!”

“He’s here alone?!”

Before they could react, Uichan’s foot struck the first man square on the jaw. He crumpled instantly. Uichan moved efficiently, knocking each one unconscious and dragging their bodies to the corner of the hall.

“Ah, sorry about this. I’ve got to make a living too. Let’s all forget about Mother Ship for now, okay? Sit tight.”

With a snap of his fingers, Uichan used Reversal to erase their memories, then brushed his hands clean. Voices approached from the far end of the hall—reinforcements. He wasted no time, pushing open the emergency exit and sprinting up the stairs two at a time until he burst through the rooftop door.

Clang!

The metal door slammed off its hinges and crashed aside. Stepping into the open air, Uichan scanned the burning skyline. Something sleek sliced through the flames, fleeing from the building.

“Podo!”

The child—currently in the form of a fox—was running on all fours, a wooden crate tied to his back by a rope clamped between his teeth. Uichan gave chase, but a chill crept down his spine—someone was behind him.

Step… step…

“……”

Someone was approaching, and from the sound of those deliberate, unhurried footsteps, they had no reason to hide. Only three heroes were ever that confident.

Uichan gritted his teeth. If Noatis and Blacktan were already here, then that meant—

La Épée couldn’t be far.

“Podo, no—Podo, stop!”

If La Épée caught Podo, there’d be no way to conceal this incident from Hyde. Uichan sprinted until his lungs burned, but Podo, sensing him, turned back mid-stride.

Yip!

The fox’s paws skidded to a stop, eyes wide. Luckily, he still looked like an ordinary animal—no one would suspect him. When he spotted Uichan, Podo bounded forward eagerly.

“Good boy, Podo… come here.”

Yip!

Uichan spread his arms and caught him, holding the trembling creature tight. Behind him, another explosion ripped through the night, and when he looked back, he saw scarlet flames licking upward—La Épée’s doing.

[Little one, over here!]

On a nearby rooftop stood a man in black, arms outstretched—it was one of Mother Ship’s wooden dolls. Uichan turned to Podo.

“Go to him, Podo! Go!”

Yip… yip!

“I’ll follow soon. Go to your mother first. It’s okay.”

Podo hesitated, ears drooping, then dropped what he’d been carrying. Perfect. It was safer this way—if he still held the item, La Épée would keep chasing him. Better for Uichan to take it instead.

He picked up the box and released Podo, who leapt away, landing neatly in the doll’s arms. Together, they vanished like phantoms. Uichan took a steadying breath and scanned for an escape route.

It’s getting worse…

A sharp pain pulsed through his abdomen. He recognized the pattern by now—the ache would grow heavy first, then unbearable, until he couldn’t move at all. He had to get out before that point.

He turned to run—but someone stepped into his path.

Black hair shifted softly in the air, and even in the dim light, his gray eyes gleamed unmistakably.

Uichan’s heart plummeted. He quickly checked his disguise—yes, the facial-distortion charm was still active. To La Épée, his face should look blurred, almost pixelated.

And yet—

“There you are. I can see you clearly this time.”

He smiled like a man who had finally found what he’d long been searching for.

La Épée.

He twirled his fingers lazily, and something spun between them, crackling as it gathered power—an orb of spiraling wind.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“……”

“Third time, maybe? Didn’t realize In the Hell was so good at hiding. I thought my abilities were getting sloppy, but no—you just didn’t want to be found. And now here you are, standing right in front of me, eyes wide.”

“……”

“Thanks for making it easy.”

His mocking grin deepened. There was no doubt—La Épée already knew he was Under Doom. Uichan’s mind raced. Should he throw the box and flee? Try to negotiate?

“If you’re here for the artifact, I’ll give it to you. Just pretend you never saw In the Hell.”

“Oh? Pretend I didn’t see you, hmm… why should I?”

The swirling wind around his finger expanded, sparking as flames ignited within it. The Binding Spiral—La Épée’s signature capture spell. Once unleashed, it coiled around its target’s body like burning ropes, searing them into submission.

“I came here to catch villains. Whatever’s in that box, it’s none of my concern. So tell you what…”

“……”

“Will you come quietly, or do I have to drag you myself?”

He wasn’t asking for surrender. He was deciding which way to take him down.

“I’d rather not do either,” Uichan said flatly. “How about a third option? You forget everything you saw tonight—and forget Under Doom ever existed. Simple, right?”

Rumors said Under Doom’s power was memory manipulation, that he erased the minds of anyone who saw his true face.

“Sorry, but that’s not on the table. Hmm, though I could offer this: I take you quietly—no one will know—and we continue our talk at my place. How’s that? We’ve got… unfinished business, after all.”

La Épée’s eyes glinted with a flicker of nostalgia—or maybe mockery.

“Remember that night? How many times we matched blows? I’m a responsible man, you know. When you sleep with someone, you take responsibility. So come home with me, Uichan. Let’s… talk it out. Or did I hit too hard back then?”

His tone was infuriatingly casual, filthy with arrogance.

Uichan didn’t even blink. He just secured the box under his arm. If that was how it had to be—so be it.

“Then there’s no point in talking. Come at me already, so I can knock you down and wipe that memory clean.”

La Épée chuckled softly, as though he’d expected that answer.

“Ah, well. Then I’ll just have to bring you in the hard way. The other two would be so disappointed if I let you slip again.”

His tone was gentle—but his aura turned sharp and predatory. The moment his spinning fingers stilled, Uichan sensed killing intent fill the air.

“Think of this as discipline,” La Épée said calmly. “You show up in a place like this, stirring up trouble—you need a little reminder.”

The warmth in his words twisted into menace. Uichan dodged to the side as a blazing coil of energy shot toward him, narrowly avoiding capture. The fiery ropes whipped through the air, hissing as they pursued him like living serpents.

Just before they coiled around his leg, Uichan summoned Jekyll Jack’s power—Superhuman Strength—and smashed them aside with a resounding crack.