My alter ego is becoming a big shot - Episode 170
#170
Kyushu Crisis (2)
While Hans was active on Earth, time was passing quickly in Outerica..
The kingdom of Thalia is now officially ruled by hybrids..
They decided to continue without changing the country's name for various political reasons and to minimize confusion..
In any case, it was no different from before when it was ruled from the shadows, so it took the form of a regime change while leaving the shell intact..
They also didn't bother to hide the fact that the new ruling class were vampires, but they just passed it off by not making it widely known..
Changes that are too drastic can cause severe resistance, so I was careful about how I looked externally..
Of course, it was impossible to eliminate all the shock with such a shallow maneuver..
“Did you hear the news? Well, the king of our country has changed..”
“ok? What does that mean all of a sudden?”
The rumor that slowly began to spread around the capital was nothing more than a rumor..
“That new building is so shiny because it's a place for something.?”
“They say it's a blood donation center... They say that if you sell your blood, you will receive money and other benefits..”
“Blood?! Well, that’s really uncomfortable. Aren’t we being cursed for no reason??”
“Hey, I heard it’s officially run by the country? And the price is quite reasonable, so it's not bad if you need money in a hurry. I get a little tired, but I don't feel particularly sick, and after I finish, I get some good things for my body..”
“Anyway... Wait, why do you know so much? ···no way?”
“Wow, the economy is difficult these days.···.”
'Blood donation centers', which are the main bases of vampires spread throughout each region, are opening one by one, and even ordinary citizens who were not interested in politics due to the tight daily living standards are slowly beginning to feel the change..
Of course, there were some who expressed concern when they realized that vampires had come to rule the country, but since all the people who could become a focal point were already under the control of hybrids, there was not much that ordinary people could do alone..
There is no immediate damage, so we are just watching the situation closely with a concerned eye..
But of course.
There were some who could not view the situation so optimistically.···.
“Huh, what is this all of a sudden... At a time like this.”
“···I've been getting some sense of it for a while, but I never thought it would come to the forefront so suddenly..”
It was the main church that was the representative of the continent of Aeon and the surrounding countries that bordered Thalia..
The first understanding of the situation was not achieved through their intelligence..
Surprisingly, an envoy from the 'Kingdom of Thalia', who visited after receiving proper procedures, reported all of this..
And now, in the main temple of Roselia, located in the sacred place of the main church,.
Duke Bright, who had participated in the summit, visited in person as an envoy and met face to face with the high-ranking officials of the church..
“You must have been very embarrassed, and I am sorry for coming to you so suddenly..”
“it's okay. I was a little embarrassed, but... I'm just grateful that you came to visit me like this..”
As the issue was a serious issue, the faces of those present were also spectacular..
The cardinals who oversee the major and minor affairs of the denomination, Saint Riesta, who is the public face, and···.
“These are confusing times in many ways. In the current situation, it is natural to prioritize conversation. Wouldn’t that be the fastest way to peace and coexistence??”
“You are right, saint..”
···Saint Heinrich, who was busy wandering around, happened to visit the great temple..
Based on a 'prophecy' with an enormous hit rate, the continent's hero is quickly making his name known by successfully eradicating countless hordes of evil that suddenly attack him..
He looked at Duke Bright with a serious expression..
And the result of the discussions that followed was.
Needless to say, it proceeded in a way that satisfied both parties..
***
The Hahoe Mask, which ruled Korea's nights with terror, was brought to Japan, but its impact was not immediately apparent..
-It's a bit awkward to give detailed names in case you don't know. I live in Fukuoka Prefecture, and this time I······.
-······So when you think you're dead, suddenly everything gets dark and someone appears..
-I was so scared that I trembled and immediately passed out, so I couldn't see him clearly, but I think it was a man wearing black clothes and a strange mask. When I came to my senses later, I found myself in a hospital..
-Now that I have returned home after being questioned by the police, I suddenly lost my sense of reality and am talking about this. Sometimes I wonder if I was dreaming.
Of course, as his activities began in earnest, he came into contact with many people, and some of the people he encountered posted their experiences on the Internet.···.
-Oh, that's fun. So when is the next episode coming out??
-When you say a masked hero, you ask me when I have the same sensibilities haha. But it’s my preference (laughs))
-The patient here escaped! Prepare medication quickly!
As in Korea, he avoided having his image left as evidence, so the topic did not become a big issue and was only quietly buried..
On the Internet, where all kinds of nonsense are rampant, even serious articles are often treated as mere lies, so it is natural..
However, as Fukuoka City is one of the largest cities in Japan, many people were feeling the change without knowing it..
I don't know why, but it seems strangely quieter than usual..
And as time passed and its influence spread beyond Fukuoka to surrounding areas such as Kumamoto and Nagasaki, related content began to gradually accumulate in the Internet community..
It is still only a part of Kyushu, Japan's third largest island, so it has not yet become mainstream, but there are quite a few people living in the same area who agree with it..
However, unlike the general public, there were those who felt the impact most keenly.—.
“What happened? I don't know anyone?!”
“I found out through the police that I contacted, and there's a sea of blood everywhere! I think they're all dead···.”
These were underground organizations that could be said to be none other than the parties involved in this situation..
Regardless of whether those who were hit first were friendly alliance organizations or hostile rival organizations, they were keenly aware of this sudden situation..
One by one, forces lose contact and begin to disappear..
No matter how you look at it, this was an attack targeting this industry, so they couldn't let down their guard as they didn't know when they would be the next target of the evil beast..
and···.
“Okay, report it..”
The next place to react sensitively and begin an investigation was the Kyushu Regional Ability Bureau, under the National Ability Commission, which manages awakened people in Japan..
“As a result of comparing the on-site investigation details and the testimony of numerous eyewitnesses, we believe that the reliability is very high. In fact, it can be said to be certain..”
“Huh, so that was real? What did you say... Hahoe mask??”
The director in charge of the awakened people in the Kyushu region muttered as if he were dumbfounded..
As he was also in charge of one region, he had already heard of the awakened person who was famous in the neighboring country..
Of course, he was convinced that Hahoetal's activities so far were a media play by the Korean government..
“This is ridiculous. So, this guy who was on a rampage in Korea came all the way to Japan and caused a stir? He's hunting down those criminals?”
The director's mouth twitched..
Before considering whether the intention is good or bad, how many officials would be happy to see foreigners wandering around their country as they please?.
Also, if you are causing problems in the area you are in charge of,?
‘It wasn't a fictional character at all. Unofficially the strongest in Korea, right? That's not even funny.’
How ridiculous must they have looked so they would arbitrarily cross the border and create a mess like this?.
It seems like he just believed in the title of being like a frog in a well and carried it around without fear..
“Just one awakened person..”
Now that things have turned out like this, it doesn't matter whether Hahoetal was a fake hero created or whether Korea was really swayed by a single awakened person..
Now it has become a matter of our reputation..
“Tamura.”
“yes! Director!”
“If we don't catch him here, things will look funny. You know?”
“of course! We will make sure to show that we are different from those incompetent Koreans.!”
“Still, please contact the Returnees Association separately first. This is the guy who swept over half of Kyushu in just a few days. First of all, let’s say the skills are real..”
That was a great fact, of course, but not enough to intimidate them..
The reason they left the underground organizations alone for so long was because of their secretiveness and some kind of political factor tied to the higher-ups, and not because of a lack of force..
‘Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem like a bad idea for us to catch the awakened people who couldn't do anything in Korea. If we move the media well, we might be able to get to the center right now..’
I thought there was a chance if I emphasized well that he was the unofficial strongest criminal in Korea..
So, with a sweet dream, the director brought in the guardians of the Japan Returnees Association and formed a Hahoe Mask tracking team.···.
A few days have passed since they started moving in earnest..
The miracle that made his vain dream come true did not happen..
Until just before Hahoetal devastated the entire underworld of Kyushu..
***
‘Tsk, you're bothering me..’
Hans, who complained inwardly, lightly waved his staff, and in an instant, numerous demonic hands stretched out from the magic circle built around him and swept the surrounding area..
Gooooo—
“Block it!”
“grace of the holy spirit!”
Dozens of people defend it and even counterattack..
However, this group that Hans is currently fighting against was not the criminal organization he was targeting..
As if the Japanese tracking team, which had been persistently following him for several days, had planned to hide near the target he was aiming for, they made a surprise attack..
‘Since it is an island, the remaining destinations are bound to become limited as time goes by. Moreover, the guys they were targeting this time were their last target in Kyushu..’
Unlike in Korea, where the initial response was difficult due to a lack of information about him, the Japanese side now has some understanding of Hahoe Tal and has started tracking him with a clear idea of where he is aiming..
And the result was the current situation..
‘In Korea, there were no people rushing to their deaths like this..’
As Hans has been active in Korea for quite a long time, it is not that he has never encountered agents or guardians of the Supernatural Abilities Management Bureau..
However, in those cases, he avoided the fight as much as possible, and the other side did not attack aggressively, so there were many cases where he just got over it..
There are many reasons for this..
It could be that he was simply afraid and couldn't attack, or that he deep down sympathized with Hahoetal's actions..
In a way, it would have been natural since the basic policy of trying to appease Hahoe Tal would have been added to that..
However, Japan's situation was different from Korea's, so it had no choice but to rush to the death..
For Hans, whose hunting was interrupted, their meddling was just a nuisance..
‘If it weren't for them, we would have cleaned up Kyushu a long time ago and moved on to the next region right away..’
Just as I was wondering how I could get rid of these annoying leeches and aim for my goal..
In a sudden feeling of anticipation, he adjusted the bone staff he was holding in one hand and grabbed it..
Wide strides, firmly touching the ground.
The lowered center of gravity supports the body stably..
The waist rotates as if bouncing with the assistance of magical power..
And the staff engulfed in dark magic moves gracefully.···.
“Jeolpungkenryu Ohui! Of the whirlwind...!”
Kwaaang—!
They did a great job of concealing their presence and attempted a surprise attack, but in the end, they hit and sent away the idiot who was shouting out a needlessly long technique name..
With perfect posture, with indirect help from Heinrich’s “Way of Martial Arts”.
“That idiot even got into this situation!”
“Rather, wasn't the author a wizard? What about the move I just made?···!”
Sighs and astonishment erupted at the same time..
However, unlike the awakened people who criticized the man who attempted a surprise attack, Hans was rather impressed by him..
‘He's a guy who has conviction and knows a lot about romance, even in this situation..’
That extremely inefficient act was the ultimate ‘coolness’ that could only be used by the strong when dealing with the weak..
Although it was shameful that he dared to try something like that on himself, he also fully understood the pleasure it felt when he successfully succeeded on a strong person.···.
‘No, no matter what, that’s not it! I almost fell for the temptation of ‘Hans’..’
Hans's instinct for interest and bravado was at its peak, and he wanted that very much, but it still went too far..
Even useless things have a degree..
[Hehehe— I have a long way to go, so let’s finish it quickly. Dark Shadow Corridor!]
···Still, I don't think it's a bad thing to do it occasionally..
I was able to understand, just a little, how Malcolm, now a Death Wizard, felt in the past when he recited the name of the spell every time he used magic..
***
And at that time, on a hill a little away from where the fight took place.
-[Hahoe mask confirmed. The operation begins. all to location.]
-[Confirmed.]
-[okay.]
A group of people who hid their identity began to move secretly..
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