Chapter 422
blazing torch (3)
“···It's over. Fortunately, they say they were able to escape without major damage..”
A word came out of Anna's mouth while her eyes were quietly closed..
At those words, a sigh of relief escaped the lips of those around them who were looking nervous..
“Phew, that's a relief..”
“The heavens haven't abandoned us yet. If Malfi is safe, we will be able to join forces again somehow..”
“Still, we need to monitor the situation a little longer for the time being. If too many people gather in one place right now, they will quickly get noticed. Until measures are taken to deal with it, it is better to spread out and hide like now..”
The survivors of the Burning Torch begin to chatter one by one upon hearing that their comrades who had taken refuge elsewhere are safe..
Their number had already grown to nearly ten..
As I followed Ken's lead and escaped to a safe place, I was able to join my colleagues who were nearby..
When the group began to exchange opinions,.
Ahn, who had to use his strength to avoid being pursued and communicate over long distances, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead..
Then, with new eyes, I looked at Ken, who was leaning against the wall in a corner with his arms crossed..
An unidentified devil who suddenly came and declared that he would help them..
The fact that the situation has now improved is all thanks to following his advice..
‘You were right this time too. What on earth is the identity of the person behind the author? What kind of abilities do you have that makes this possible?···.’
Everything they've been through so far, including this one, has been like that..
Aren't there more than one comrade who has escaped safely from the magical clutches of the Beoncheonhoe thanks to following his advice??
That could not have been done without a complete understanding of what was happening on this huge land mass..
As if they were really watching everything from heaven..
‘Considering the scope, it is not something that can be done with individual abilities alone. Perhaps personnel from the organizational unit were involved. ···It doesn't change that it's amazing, but.’
Even though it is not based in Southeast Asia, it has this level of information gathering ability..
Its capabilities were already far beyond those of most countries..
What is the size of the organization that makes such a thing possible?···.
Of course, there was Hesperon's ability to run at the cutting edge and the tearful struggle of Andrew Weaver, who was struggling without sleep for several days..
She couldn't know that fact now..
“Anyway, with this, we confirmed the fate of all major executives. ···Not everyone is safe, but it can still be said to be much better than expected..”
She quietly looked at Ken and spoke softly..
Those who were talking around her all fell silent and looked at her..
No matter what anyone says, she is the leader leading them now..
“At this level, we will be able to somehow reorganize the organization and resume activities. Of course, I think we need to be as careful as possible for the time being.···.”
She continued speaking calmly and looked at Ken with strange eyes..
Even though he is one of the parties, the unidentified helper calmly nods his head while taking a step back..
“So, Ken. Our CEO said he would like to meet him sometime, what do you think??”
And then I brought up the story I had just heard..
As the situation began to improve, there was also a representative of the Burning Torch, whose traces had been unknown, in the restored communication network..
“That's what you've been waiting for.”
Of course Ken didn't turn down the offer..
The reason he couldn't rest properly for the past few days and was busy moving around and pretending to be an errand boy was all for that reason..
‘I am finally starting to see an end to this. Once we get to the negotiating table, the employer will take care of the rest..’
If that happens, he will no longer have to wander around in this scorching sun, and he will be able to return to Japan soon..
What awaited after that was a family reunion for the first time in 30 years..
‘In Earth time, it's only about 3 years..’
It was a reunion that he had only dreamed of after having lived a very turbulent life in the demon world..
Even though the person he is now cannot be said to be the original Ken Miyamoto..
It was something I had to do from the moment I decided to take over that soul and live as Ken..
The date for the meeting that many people were looking forward to was set..
Time passed quickly, and the promised day finally dawned..
***
The Burning Torch was a resistance group of the Buncheonhoe based in Southeast Asia..
As it was an organization made up of awakened people from various countries in Southeast Asia, its basic structure was to have branches in each country and dispatch support whenever necessary..
However, in any organization, it was essential to have a leader to unite them..
The person elected in that way was the current Indonesian representative, Freddie, commonly known as ‘President.’.
‘A character is definitely a character. It must not have been easy to form an organization that included not only people from one's own country but also people from other countries..’
Ken, who was following Ann and Jose, exclaimed inwardly in admiration..
Although he was not officially provided with detailed information, he knew it to some extent as he had encountered quite a bit of information while working with them..
The high-ranking members of the Burning Torch were certainly a small number of elites, but given the area of activity, the number of members under their control was not that small..
‘Well, most of the low-level agents seem to have participated out of patriotism or anti-Chinese sentiment rather than the Buncheonhoe itself..’
That happened because the Buncheonhoe had completely engulfed China..
Those who noticed the connection in some way accepted the influence of Beoncheonhoe, which had begun to spread throughout Southeast Asia, as a secret invasion by China, and it was perhaps natural that the forerunner of the Burning Torch was secretly organized to counter it..
Of course, the current executives were fully aware of the dangers of the Buncheon Society lurking behind the scenes in the world, but they could not deny the usefulness of using the Chinese frame to recruit members..
Of course, there were political and diplomatic issues, so it was inevitable that he would not be able to step forward even within his own country and would have to go into hiding..
“This way. Actually, it shouldn't be disclosed to outsiders... Well, it doesn't matter since it's the President's order. It's thanks to you that I was able to use this again..”
I hope you move like that for a moment.
Standing in front of an ordinary door, An took something out of his arms..
Antique silk embroidered with all kinds of complex shapes and symbols.
She opened it wide, fixed it to the door, and turned the doorknob without hesitation.···.
“Huh.”
Beyond that, a long corridor with a mysterious atmosphere that was different from before stretched on..
From the oriental parquet floor, the lanterns hanging here and there, and the colorful strings that extend from the ceiling to the wall..
“This is what allowed us to join forces and avoid their eyes. No matter how far away we are, if we can connect here, we can always come together as one. Can be used to travel long distances.”
Ahn took the lead and entered the hallway and spoke slowly..
In the meantime, the executives who were supposed to be the center of this space were unable to use it because they were too busy chasing after the Buncheonhoe..
Then, she smiled bitterly as she said that if the executive had been defeated in the end, the burning torch would have been doomed to collapse..
‘Space is warped. It's also very broad... Is it true that the executive level is different?.’
Ken's eyes lit up as he looked around as he passed through the hallway..
And I had no choice but to stick my tongue out again..
Even a superhuman with this much spatial ability was unable to escape properly and had no choice but to be chased..
It was surprising just how capable the Buncheonhoe was..
“But is your representative really absent? If you use this route, you won’t have to worry about being caught by Beoncheonhoe..”
At that time, Jose, who had been following quietly, opened his mouth as if he was dissatisfied..
Apparently, the CEO is showing his face in person on the other side, but he doesn't like the fact that Ken, the agent, is showing his face on this side..
But since he didn't have the power to decide, he could only shrug his shoulders..
“I also talked to him, and he said that if he left now, it would be difficult because there would be a hole in the surveillance network in this area. Don't worry too much though. Communication can still be done in real time..”
“···Okay, well, it doesn’t matter because it’s not the time to have a full-fledged discussion yet..”
He frowned slightly at Ken's answer, but couldn't bear to say anything when he said it was to help them..
Even if that weren't the case, wasn't the help we've received from the other side so far more than enough??
I don't know how much more help I will receive in the future, so it was a shame to blush for no reason..
As I said, this was just an opportunity to express my gratitude and get to know each other..
“arrived.”
What we faced at the end of such a long hallway was a sliding door with an oriental scent..
And when An opened it without hesitation, the first person he saw was.
“It’s been a while, Ann. And Jose too. I'm glad everyone is safe.”
It was a middle-aged woman who welcomed them with a gentle smile..
“Malfido. It was a pretty dangerous situation.?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I was able to escape the crisis. Although it was also thanks to the fact that the Fuhrer returned the devil's gaze during the first attack. But this is it···?”
The warm greeting ended only with the introduction of Ken..
Ken nodded roughly and passed the thank-you note from the middle-aged woman named Malfi, the executive who built this space, and slowly looked around..
‘Does this space itself have an automatic interpretation function? That's amazing.’
In addition to them, there were about 20 other people from various countries in the hall, which had a mysterious atmosphere like the hallway..
Seeing that there were dozens of sliding doors on all sides of the round hall, it seemed like they also came here through several different passages..
The people who were talking to each other seemed to have noticed his identity, so they came one by one and started saying hello..
“But what about the Fuhrer? It hasn't arrived yet?”
“He said he would be a little late. There was a topic to discuss, but there was a problem with the preparation..”
“okay? It's no big deal. The person who always came first.”
Except for the executives who were sacrificed in the recent incident, everyone who can participate has already arrived..
It was about thirty minutes later that the representative in the conversation appeared..
“Ah, the Fuhrer came into the hallway..”
As Malfi's words flowed out softly, the eyes of those sitting at the circular conference table in the center of the hall, chatting about each other's current situation, turned to the sliding door that was slowly opening..
“Sorry this is late. Suddenly a small problem arose···.”
And the moment a middle-aged man with a short beard appeared from beyond the door and mouthed words of apology with an embarrassed expression..
An's expression, which had been resting its chin on the table with a bored expression, hardened..
Udangtang—!
No, it didn't end there..
She stood up, bouncing off the chair, and glared at him with a fierce look on her face..
“Fuck...what a case like this.”
“not···?”
“what? Why are you doing this all of a sudden??”
The air became cold at her sudden strange reaction..
But the confusion among the left and right did not last long..
The quick-witted people carefully got up from their seats with serious faces and began to step back..
Because we've known each other for a long time.
What she can do with her powers and what she can discover with them..
Of course, since nothing has been clearly revealed yet, their eyes had no choice but to turn to the culprits of the problem..
Ahn, who had an abnormal reaction, and the President, who looked embarrassed as he was met with a hostile reaction as soon as he entered the hall..
“What are you? What is it??!”
“Huh? What does that mean, suddenly? That's not Freddie···.”
“Fuck that bullshit! This fake! What happened to the real Fuhrer?!”
As the conversation between the two continued, the situation began to escalate quickly..
Ahn, who is fiercely angry, and Führer Freddie, who still has a perplexed expression on his face..
Regardless of which side was right, there was no atmosphere to continue the meeting..
Some people immediately gained momentum, while others slowly retreated and headed towards the exit..
“Sigh— oh my.”
Did you feel the air around you?.
The Fuhrer, who was trying to somehow persuade his opponent, sighed and roughly rubbed his chin..
“···I never thought it would feel this good. Should I have somehow dealt with that woman first?.”
In a voice that is completely cold and contains no emotion, which is different from before..
Right after that.
“This is···!”
Malfi, who was stepping back with a serious expression like the other executives, let out a scream like a scream..
But before she could say anything, the situation was already spiraling out of control..
Do-it-yourselfer—!
Sharp thorns erupted from where the sliding doors were, completely blocking the entrance..
The change occurred even before Malfi, the owner of this space, did anything..
But the strange events did not end there..
Grumbling—
The only unblocked passage.
The sliding door through which the President had just entered opened again, and a group of about five or six people slowly walked in..
They all looked uncomfortable, as if they were dissatisfied with the current situation..
“what's this? You're so confident, but you've already been caught.?”
“···Tsk.”
“Hey Mimic. How are you going to do this? That guy is just a spy? I didn't decide to just skip it until the body came out.?”
A man with dark skin and a strangely bald appearance pointed at Ken and argued with the Fuhrer..
With the same gang attitude no matter who sees it.
The problem is that the man was very familiar to the executives gathered here, and was the head of the Southeast Asia branch of the Buncheonhoe, whom they called the Venomous Snake..
“···I couldn't help it. Their goal is to thwart our plans using blazing torches. We can't just let them go since they've already been discovered..”
“Oh! If everything had gone according to plan, it would have ended comfortably. Anyway, nothing is going right.!”
“Still, that doesn’t mean there is no harvest. I'm just talking nonsense, there's no way someone as strong as that guy is the lowest level..”
The Fuhrer... no, their eyes turned to Ken at the protest of the being wearing the shell of the Fuhrer..
A demon returner who has reached a fairly high level among transcendents..
It was definitely not at the level of being used as a throwaway word..
Although your status may be lower than that of someone behind the scenes, if you squeeze your soul, you will have something to salvage..
“···Well, okay. It's a shame I couldn't grab his head right away, but I can't help it. Because beating each thing one by one like this has its own charm..”
The head of the East Asia branch seemed to be convinced by those words and nodded slowly..
Then he raised the corner of his mouth slyly towards Ken and continued speaking..
“Now that it has happened, there is nothing I can do about it. It starts with you. If you want to die gracefully, you'll have to tell everything you know..”
The executives of the Burning Torch who were already here were not even paying attention..
That's bound to happen.
It was natural that the power of the Buncheonhoe that appeared here in the first place was not intended to deal with them..
“About the Masquerade behind you!”
All of this is a trap for the Masquerade.
Because it was a fighting force to deal with the enemy who had been hindering them at every turn..
“···uh? Mas... what??”
Of course, it was just a name Ken had never heard before..
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