Chapter 136 – The Chase (Part One)

“Is this the place…?”

Stopping on the street, Cha Yeon-hee tilted her head back.

Before her stood a large building under heavy guard, and as she observed it, security personnel watched her with suspicious eyes.

Of course, they would drop their suspicions if they knew she was an Awakened from Aegis, dispatched at the request of the collaborating CIA. But since the operation was planned in secret, they hadn’t received any official notice and weren’t supposed to encounter her.

“Over here! This way!”

A woman in a baseball cap called out from across the street.

She was Park Hyo-jin, a fellow member of Raven.

“Hyo-jin! It’s been a while. How’s work?”

Cha Yeon-hee quickly crossed the cordoned-off road to Park Hyo-jin and greeted her warmly.

But she just shook her head and replied in a weary voice.

“How’s work? The prisoners I spent years putting away are now out strolling the streets. I’m so thrilled I’m about to lose my mind.”

“Haha… Because of the prison break, right?”

“Yeah.”

The international prison break that Il-hyeon was directly involved in.

It was an unprecedented event where large-scale escape attempts occurred at both of the massive international prisons in the Atlantic.

Fortunately, in a stroke of luck amidst the chaos, the attempt at one prison failed thanks to a single Awakened, but the story was different where Il-hyeon was.

Most of the prisoners on the upper levels were subdued by Il-hyeon and his summons, but all the key inmates on the lowest level managed to escape.

And not long after that incident, they were discovered causing trouble all over the world.

It was a completely different move from what was expected—that they would hide in the chaos and lay low until things quieted down.

For the various governments and Raven, already stretched thin on manpower, it was just another massive headache.

Letting out a deep sigh, Park Hyo-jin quickly grabbed Cha Yeon-hee’s arms and looked her up and down.

“But are you really okay to be on a mission already? I heard you were injured.”

“Ah… I was.”

Cha Yeon-hee glanced down at her arm.

It was the part that had been cleanly severed in an explosion, but now it looked perfectly fine.

So much so that she couldn’t feel any difference from her other arm; it had returned without any decline in skill or lingering side effects.

“Thanks to my benefactor’s treatment, I’m all better now.”

“Benefactor…?”

Park Hyo-jin muttered at Cha Yeon-hee’s words.

Just as she was pondering which high-ranking Awakened was famous for healing abilities, a beeping signal sounded from the watch on her wrist.

A grin spread across Park Hyo-jin’s lips.

“Showed up right on time. The numbers are correct, too. Just like the intel said.”

“Then let’s get moving.”

* * *

Crunch!

The intruder mercilessly took down the guard who had spotted him.

But it took him a moment to notice Park Hyo-jin’s presence, standing on the railing behind him.

When the man finally turned around with a wary expression, Park Hyo-jin gave a casual wave.

“Nice to see you, Platter. Is this your third escape already? Most people don’t even manage it once in their lifetime.”

“You…!”

Platter’s face contorted when he saw the baseball cap she always wore and the face beneath it.

“What’s with that reaction? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“How did you know to come here?”

“It’d be more surprising if we *didn’t* know what you were plotting.”

Park Hyo-jin leaped lightly from the rather high metal railing.

Thud! Even though she landed a fair distance away, Platter remained on high alert, raising his fists.

Park Hyo-jin, however, didn’t seem to care what he did.

“You’ve barely been out and you’re already causing trouble. Robbing two banks wasn’t enough, so now you’re showing up at a government facility? It’s like you’re begging to be caught. Isn’t it standard procedure to lay low after a prison break?”

“Normally, I would have. But I don’t have a choice.”

“A choice… Are you being blackmailed or something?”

At her question, Platter scowled and waved his arm in annoyance.

“Don’t play dumb. You must have already known the basics before coming here, right?”

“Haha, well, you’re right. To think you’d be working for someone. I couldn’t believe it at first. It just made me even more curious about who these people are. How about a little hint…?”

“You talk too much!”

Bam!

Platter kicked off the ground and charged.

In response, Park Hyo-jin swiftly drew her sword.

Thwack! Smack! Wham!

After kicking away Platter, who was closing in with agile movements and punches, she swung her sword, aiming for his exposed arm.

Her intention wasn’t to aim for a vital spot right away, but to first break through the protective function of his Defensive Coat.

But Platter dodged with unbelievable agility, ducking under the path of her swinging sword and throwing a punch.

Thwump!

But Park Hyo-jin didn’t allow the attack so easily. She caught Platter’s fist, trapping it between her pulled-back arm and her chest.

His expression twisting, he hurriedly used his ability.

Kaboom!

An explosion erupted in the air, and both of them were pushed back at the same time.

“Whew.”

Platter let out a sigh of relief at the dangerous situation.

If he hadn’t managed to break free immediately after being caught, her joint lock would have snapped his arm.

This fighting style—targeting the weakest points of a Defensive Coat not with strikes but by breaking bones—was a method frequently used by some of the Ravens.

It was a good thing he barely managed to escape her attempt at a joint lock; he had almost fallen for the same trick he’d been caught with in the past.

“Hey, just give up. Your whole operation has been leaked.”

“I can’t do that. I have no other path.”

Platter slammed his fists together.

A powerful vibration spread out, shaking the surroundings.

“If I remember correctly, you were one of the more reasonable ones. So be straight with me, Platter. Who’s behind this whole thing? Who are these people that even you’re afraid of? You’re not the type to be mind-controlled like the others.”

Park Hyo-jin said, straightening her crooked cap as she tried to persuade him.

Platter had a strong resistance to mental abilities, making it impossible to manipulate his mind or read his memories during interrogation.

But his response was cold.

“Haha, if I did that, they’d kill me.”

“You know my skills. I can definitely protect you.”

“Yeah, I know them well. After all, you’re the one who caught me twice. But the real problem is that even someone at your level is nowhere near enough!”

“…What?”

Frowning at his words, Park Hyo-jin had to dodge before she could even question him properly.

Kra-koom!

The nearby walls and pillars exploded in succession, threatening to crush Park Hyo-jin.

Each time Platter threw a punch, powerful vibrations surged through the air, devastating the area.

“You’re a real piece of work!”

Amidst his signature attack using vibration abilities, she instantly threw a rope she had pulled out, wrapping it around a pillar.

Launching herself like a spring, Park Hyo-jin landed sideways on the pillar and aimed the muzzle of her raised pistol at Platter.

As she pulled the trigger, Platter, who had been throwing punches, retracted his arms and quickly moved to evade.

A normal firearm wouldn’t even tickle him, even without a Defensive Coat, but one wrong hit from a bullet imbued with her object enhancement ability would leave nothing of him to collect.

Bang! Crunch!

Sure enough, the bullets that hit the floor created deep craters.

Then, her rope flew through the air and wrapped around Platter’s arm.

He tried to break it, but the rope was also a weapon enhanced by her ability. Using its elasticity, Park Hyo-jin launched herself forward, her foot slamming into Platter’s chest.

Smack!

Platter was sent flying into a wall, which crumbled on impact.

Walking a few steps toward him as he groaned and shifted, Park Hyo-jin placed a hand on her hip and spoke.

“Okay, maybe I’m not enough. But we’re Aegis. Not to mention our Daepyo, we also have Director Oh Yoon-ha, who single-handedly wiped out the other prison—unlike the one you luckily escaped from. With two S-Rank Awakened, do you really think they could lay a finger on you?”

“Heh heh, I once thought so too. But I was wrong.”

Platter let out a laugh.

Then he slowly pushed himself up with his arms.

“You could never understand it now, but things are happening that are beyond imagination. A guy like me can’t survive unless he rides the tide!”

Platter shouted and slammed both fists down.

KRA-BOOM!

The entire floor of the building erupted violently upwards, sweeping through the area.

Hanging from her rope, having barely escaped to the ceiling amidst the massive explosion, Park Hyo-jin muttered in disbelief.

“Are you… really the same Platter from before?”

“The world has changed, and I have to change with it!”

BOOM!

As he thrust both arms out, vibrations struck the ceiling.

Amidst the crumbling debris, Park Hyo-jin closed the distance to Platter in an instant.

Her sword clashed with Platter’s vibrating arms, and their eyes met in midair.

“We can help you.”

“I’m washing my hands of this after I finish this job. If you really want to help me, let me finish it!”

Whoosh! Boom!

“Of course I can’t do that!”

Park Hyo-jin shouted, taking cover behind a half-crumbled pillar from the explosion devouring the surroundings.

Then her rope flew out again, wrapping around Platter’s arm.

Kicking off the pillar, Park Hyo-jin launched herself forward, swinging her sword with all her might.

Platter barely blocked the attack aimed at his head with his arm, but Park Hyo-jin’s real target was elsewhere.

In an instant, Park Hyo-jin twisted her body in midair and shot her leg out.

Crack!

The kick landed squarely on Platter’s jaw, and he momentarily blacked out, stumbling backward.

Following up with a powerful punch, she sent him flying back until he collapsed.

Park Hyo-jin walked up, stood over the fallen Platter, and pointed her sword at his throat.

“This is your last chance, Platter.”

“…If you’re this desperate to get something out of me, the chase must not be going well, huh?”

“No, it’s going much better than before. When it was just a string of brainwashed pawns showing up, there was nothing we could do. But now that regular members are being exposed, Raven alone is crushing the organizations involved one after another. But we’re missing something crucial. The key to reaching the real masterminds.”

“Your instincts are still sharp, I see… But I’m sorry, it’s all pointless. Nothing will change even if I tell you something here. Just throw me back into the deepest part of that underground prison. Now that I’ve failed the mission they gave me, that’s the best option.”

Struggling to speak, Platter went limp on the ground and closed his eyes.

“You…”

“You’ve worked hard all this time. Let me give you a piece of advice: retire before you catch their eye. And live out the rest of your life. You’ll be able to live peacefully without any problems.”

“…Are you kidding me?”

“This isn’t a joke. The things you so firmly believe in—none of them can protect you.”