Now, back to the present.
It was better than the previous day, but still not on par with Jin Yuha's leadership.
After a round of battle,
Jin Yuha stepped forward.
-"Watch closely. See how much of a shackle you've become on Jin Yuha."
The unpleasant voice of the Se-hee whispered in my ear.
Yesterday, whatever Jin Yuha had done with his outing, it was certain that Shin Se-hee had changed after seeing something vastly different from them.
'What does she mean we're holding him back?'
Kang Do-hee and the other party members silently stared at Jin Yuha's back as she strode ahead alone.
.
.
.
Ahead, about 200 Rage Howlers and a group of women came into view.
Their sharp, protruding horns identified them as demons.
It seemed they were in some kind of symbiotic relationship with the Rage Howlers.
Or rather, parasitic.
They soon noticed us, their eyes glinting with hostility.
"Huh? What the hell are they? Are there still insane humans daring to come here? Pfft, hahaha!"
"Wow!!! Hey, look at that guy! Isn't he amazing?"
"Unbelievable─!"
"Wow, I want to have him."
Despite their loud chatter, the Rage Howlers beside them paid no attention to their noise.
'Hmm, there must be someone with the ability to erase their presence.'
If that were the case, it wouldn't be strange for them to coexist with the Rage Howlers.
However, there was something peculiar.
As demons, they shouldn't be ignorant of Utopia. Yet their reaction made it seem as if they were seeing both me and Utopia for the first time.
"Shin Sehee, do you know who they are?"
-"Yes, I just checked. Those demons are an SS-class danger group known as Carpe Diem. They caused a massive slaughter two years ago and then disappeared without a trace. It seems they've settled here."
I nodded at her words.
We started making a name for ourselves about a year and three months ago. If they had holed up here all this time, it made sense they wouldn't know Utopia.
'Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee did make some waves back then, but they were still rookies.'
"Carpe Diem."
When I spoke their name, one of the demons widened her eyes.
"Wow, you even know our name? That's right. We're Carpe Diem. It's been two years since we made a name for ourselves. I didn't think anyone still remembered us!"
"Well, I just learned about you now."
"By the way, you're really handsome. You seem to be with some other women, but why don't you ditch them and hang out with us sisters?" "Hmm, leave my party members behind?"
"Yeah, if you come with us quietly, we'll spare the others." "Fine. Sure. Let's play together."
When I nodded while suppressing myself into a state of Muah, the demons clapped and cheered.
"Then, I'll be the tagger. Try to run and hide as best as you can."
I felt the corners of my mouth curl upward as I drew my sword.
.
.
.
Slash───
Kang Do-hee and the other Utopia party members watched the battle unfolding before them with their mouths agape.
Hundreds of Rage Howlers and SS-class danger-level demons.
Even giving it the most optimistic assessment, these weren't enemies Jin Yuha could handle alone, especially with his powers restricted.
They were ready to jump in at any moment.
But the moment the sword was drawn, they were overwhelmed.
The Rage Howlers charged toward Jin Yuha, and the demons used them as shields to unleash their attacks.
With a swift motion, Jin Yuha bent backward and swung his sword.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
His sword pierced through the throats of the Rage Howlers one after another in a single upward motion.
Using the momentum of stepping lightly on a charging Rage Howler's fist, Jin Yuha launched himself toward the demons.
"This insane...! Why... Why isn't our concealment working on him?"
"Kill him! Kill that bastard immediately! You useless beasts!" "Take down that lunatic now!! Gyaaah!!!"
Slash─
One of the demons' arms was severed.
"Ahaha! You're dead!"
Jin Yuha spoke in a cheerful voice.
This wasn't the Jin Yuha they knew.
No, could this even be called "different"?
Jin Yuha was tormenting the demons like a child playing hide-and-seek among the Rage Howlers.
He could end it at any moment, but instead, he chose to maim them, cutting off a limb here or there before letting them go again.
That smile, now streaked with blood, felt all the more chilling.
"...Junior, what on earth is happening?"
Lim Ga-eul muttered in a shocked voice.
-"This is Jin Yuha's true power."
The jewel-like voice beside them answered.
"His true power…?"
-"Yes. When he uses this skill, his reason fades, leaving only his combat instincts. It's not a power he can use while considering the safety of others."
"Jin Yuha… Is he okay? Won't this lead to something like corruption─"
Lee Yoo-ri asked worriedly, but Shin Se-hee scoffed as if the question was ridiculous.
-"Ha. Are you really worried about that now, without even considering why Jin Yuha looks like this in the first place?"
"What do you mean, why he looks like that?"
-"It's all to protect us."
Shin Se-hee's calm voice struck a chord in the party members.
"..."
-"Jin Yuha never wanted to show us this side of himself. But he judged that to deal with increasingly powerful enemies, he had no choice but to reveal it. That's why he handed over command to me."
-"Jin Yuha said he would be fine. But as Lee Yoo-ri pointed out, using this power repeatedly could eventually take a toll on his mind. Even so, he made that sacrifice because I begged him for this chance."
"Wait! If it's that dangerous, why would you…"
-"Because unless you see this, you won't realize how much you're holding him back."
That wasn't entirely true.
The reason Jin Yuha handed over command to Shin Se-hee was justified.
In a state of Muah, Jin Yuha had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use this skill. The risk of accidentally attacking his comrades due to diminished reason made it unusable until now.
Furthermore, Jin Yuha's unusually high mental fortitude meant there was little actual harm to him from using Muah.
But Shin Se-hee chose to focus on the fact that Jin Yuha had now revealed this ability, interpreting it as a decision he made reluctantly to show his comrades.
While she might have found it appealing, it was not a sight the average person could easily accept.
From an outsider's perspective, it was natural to assume the risk of using this power was more than just temporary fatigue.
-"Jin Yuha was prepared for this level of sacrifice. Do you finally understand that the weight of responsibility he carries is different from yours?"
"The weight of responsibility…"
-"And yet, you're still going to cling to him, asking him to lead you, while you continue to hold him back?"
"..."
At Shin Se-hee's words, everyone fell silent.
Kang Do-hee, meanwhile, silently etched Jin Yuha's image into her mind without blinking.
"Little Fool…"
Her clenched jaw tightened further.
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