Chapter 22: The Internal Strife and brawls of the Dragon King Squadron

I had once watched a movie.

The plot was filled with ordinary clichés and the typical tropes. The characters were also as predictable as could be.

Although the film was a bit sloppy and lacking, and likely would have been forgotten by most, it still managed to stay

in people’s conversations for a while.

This was because the best actor of the time had played the villain.

The villain’s actions, which couldn’t be understood just through words, were all explained by the actor’s superb performance.

The expression of profound regret he showed when he died, one that words couldn’t fully describe.

That single moment of expression was the plot, the logic, and the perfection all in one.

Sometimes, it’s one scene that explains everything, far more than countless explanations, narratives, or persuasion could.

“Aah, ah…!”

When Cheolsango saw my face, it seemed that her legs gave out, and she collapsed on the spot.

“You’re alive…!”

Perhaps the tears she had shed so far weren’t enough, as her face filled with tears like a lake.

At this moment, all of her emotions swirled together.

Her anxiety turned to relief, her long-held patience was rewarded, her loneliness turned into conviction, and her

admiration turned into sympathy.

The person she had longed for was already by her side, deeply involved in her life.

How could she not be overwhelmed?

I declared,

“You cannot reveal yourself to the world right now.”

“Why, why…!”

“The ones who killed me were the Dragon King Brigade.”

“That can’t be…!”

Cheolsango grabbed her chest with her fists, as if in agony.

“How much, how much pain did you endure? How much did it hurt? I can’t even imagine it. Why would the Dragon King Brigade…”

“The heroes of this country are rotten.”

I stated firmly.

“Your sense of justice cannot be realized under the current system of the Association. Form a resistance, Lee Jeong-hye.”

Cheolsango bit her lower lip.

Kneeling, she lowered her head to me.

“Respected Red Dragon, I am infinitely grateful for saving my life twice, and I swear to dedicate the rest of my life solely to you.”

She lifted her head.

“From now on, I will cast aside the name Cheolsango and lead a resistance as Lee Jeong-hye, to bring down the Hero Association.”

Cheolsango—no, Lee Jeong-hye’s tears had stopped. In her eyes, only my reflection remained.

“Is this man the new Red?”

Kang Yerin, entering the hospital room with members of the Dragon King Brigade, was already having a headache.

The new Red was wrapped in bandages, confined in a special treatment capsule.

“He was attacked on the way here. Those damn Vengeance guys again. Damn it.”

The association chairman ground his teeth.

“Ah…? Ahh… The Dragon King Brigade… really. They’re even more beautiful in person. Haha.”

Aksy let out a weak chuckle. The Dragon King Brigade was left speechless at the horrible state.

“Was it Dark Matter again?”

Shin Yookyung asked.

“It was a monster, a monster. A demon, a red demon…”

Aksy muttered, as if his mind had left him.

“A red demon? And even a monster?”

Kang Yerin tilted her head. While there were villain organizations that controlled monsters, Aksy was a B-grade hero.

She found it hard to believe that a fledgling organization like Vengeance could possess the technology to send a

monster of such strength, especially one that could operate alone.

“Did you manage to communicate with the monster?”

“Y-yes…”

Then it meant it was at the executive level.

That was uncontrollable. It meant the monster wasn’t a monster, but a villain.

“A ‘red monster’ type ability user.”

Kang Yerin thought of a familiar person but quickly shook her head, knowing it couldn’t be.

“I don’t know… Ah, it’s fine. The seal is still intact… That Yellow girl, don’t you feel sorry for me? We’re colleagues

now, why don’t you give me a little kiss…”

At these words, Kang Yerin’s face contorted in disgust. She immediately walked up to Aksy.

“Oh, I like it, I like it. A proactive woman is always welcome…”

Kang Yerin punched Aksy square in the face. She wiped her hands with a disinfecting wipe as if touching something

filthy, and then walked out of the hospital room.

The other members followed her.

“Everyone, did you see the state of the new Red? The Dragon King Brigade thinks it’s just the four of us.”

As soon as Kang Yerin left the room, she declared to the others. Shin Yookyung crossed her arms and sighed.

“We don’t have time. We need to start training immediately.”

“Do you think that will help us win?”

Jisehwa spat pessimistically.

“We won’t know until we try.”

“Do you think there’s a brain left to think if we’re going to die anyway?”

“Watch your words.”

“Uh, hey!”

Choi Minseo interjected.

“U-unnie…”

Choi Minseo trembled as she looked up at them. Shin Yookyung, Jisehwa, and Kang Yerin focused their attention on her.

“I… I’m sorry…”

Choi Minseo barely managed to speak. As soon as the others heard this, they realized it was time to step back.

The tension was palpable, and it was clear how much frustration was boiling over.

“Don’t apologize, Minseo. You’ve been through a lot,” said the eldest, Shin Yookyung, gently patting Minseo’s shoulder.

“But…” Minseo looked up at Shin Yookyung, her eyes big and innocent like a little rabbit.

“If I had handled Quetzalcoatl better in the last battle, everyone wouldn’t have been so hurt… I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t realize how strong the Dark Kingdom was. It’s getting scarier… Even though Isaek oppa said it’s fine, but—AH?!”

BAM! Jisehwa shoved Minseo against the wall with a fierce expression.

“What the hell are you saying?! Are you messing with us? You want a fight, you damn b*tch?!”

“Hey, stop it!”

Shin Yookyung immediately intervened, pulling Jisehwa away. She turned to Minseo.

“Minseo, what are you saying?”

“Huh? Well… I talked to Somi unnie, and she said if I apologize, everyone will understand… Oh, wait! This isn’t right…”

Minseo collapsed onto the floor, her tears welling up in her eyes.

“No, it’s strange. This memory… when was it? Isaek oppa, where’s Isaek oppa? Oppa, I’m struggling… Yookyung unnie, where’s Isaek oppa? I feel weird. I want to talk to him. Oppa always helps me when it’s like this…”

“SHUT UP!!”

BAM! Jisehwa slammed her left fist next to Minseo’s face, the titanium fist crumpling the wall beside her.

“Say his name again and I’ll rip out your throat. Understand?”

Minseo stared blankly at Jisehwa.

“Do you understand?!”

Minseo nodded, her face pale.

“Enough!”

Kang Yerin’s arm stopped Jisehwa’s movement.

“Don’t lay a hand on her.”

“You better not touch Minseo. She’s clearly distressed.”

“When did you become so caring? Are you imitating that b*stard now?”

“…Stop talking about Isaek oppa like that.”

“What?! That bastard is making my mind a mess! I’m losing it, damn it! If it weren’t for him—”

SMACK!

Unable to hold back any longer, Kang Yerin swung her fist at Jisehwa’s face.

Jisehwa took a few steps back, clearly stunned, before glaring at Kang Yerin and charging at her.

Minseo, huddling on the floor, started crying uncontrollably, her hands over her head.

The brawl between Kang Yerin and Jisehwa erupted before her, and Shin Yookyung, desperate, tried to stop them, but it was no use.

“You think I need your permission to insult that bastard? Who do you think you are!”

“Isaek oppa didn’t deserve all that mindless cursing! You, Jisehwa, he saved you, helped you!”

“What do you know about it? Mind your own business!”

Jisehwa was seething with rage.

She, of course, remembered everything.

The instinctual release of anger, the consumption of emotions, and the looming presence of death. As the time she

had left slipped through her fingers, that stubborn man with a strange sense of awareness had.

He had shown her the basics of human connection, how not to be picky, and the importance of manners.

The memories of Jeong Iseok, who had taught her about society as though she were taking her first steps, were hers alone.

They were her memories.

And so, it angered her to see them tainted by others’ mouths.

It angered her to see them wither away.

She locked those memories away, keeping them as they were, and cut off the present-day Jeong Iseok.

Anger management disorder, drug addiction, s*ave to capitalism, combat fanatic, egotist.

She abandoned them, abandoned justice, and before she could be forced to become the villain, the enemy, and kill

him, she cut him off and ended it herself.

She had no regrets about that decision.

There would be no regrets.

She had thought there wouldn’t be any.

But the constant wavering of her decision because of Choi Minseo, Kang Yerin, angered her so much she could not bear it.

“So what do you know about it?”

Kang Yerin punched back, retorting.

“If you don’t know, if you know nothing, you shouldn’t have tried to kill him!!”

Jisehwa was taken aback. Kang Yerin’s fighting skills had become sharper, more precise.

There was no defense.

“Both you and I, we’re here because of Iseok oppa!”

Kang Yerin finally began to release all the words she had been holding back.

“How could you throw away all those moments and kill Iseok oppa? At least have one more conversation!”

“How much more do we have to do? Me and Shin Yookyung were always clashing with him! You and Minseo were

hiding, never even showing up! After Han Somi died, he became a different person!!”

“He had to become different! How could he remain the same after losing someone he loved?!”

After Han Somi’s death, Jeong Iseok had changed. From that point on, whenever he clashed with Jisehwa or Shin Yookyung, even Kang Yerin could see that Iseok had done wrong.

As the battle with the Dark Kingdom grew fiercer, his anger escalated to the point where it seemed like he was losing his sanity.

His consumption of monsters had increased. His appearance became more feral and grotesque.

The excuse that it was a side effect of his abilities sounded like nonsense.

He had even monopolized the switch. It was enough to make anyone suspect he might become a villain.

Now, Kang Yerin understood his feelings.

When you lose someone you love, this is how humans inevitably change.

That’s what was normal.

Someone who didn’t break, someone who didn’t change, should actually be the one questioned.

Her fist was proving that now.

The accumulated sorrow, the regret pouring out from her very cells, the despair that had consumed her like a swamp.

It was now bursting out as hatred and anger.

It was only hard at first. She had lived her entire life with manners, never once speaking disrespectfully to anyone.

But once she began using violence, the desire to hurt Jisehwa had transformed into a genuine wish to kill her.

Her murderous intent was beginning to bloom.

“If only you had just told me, told me that you planned to kill Iseok oppa!!”

With fury, Kang Yerin’s knee slammed deeply into Jisehwa’s abdomen. Jisehwa was sent flying, vomiting stomach acid as she crashed into the wall.

Just as Kang Yerin was about to finish her off.

“You’ve crossed the line. Kang Yerin, stop!”

Shin Yookyung leaped at Kang Yerin, firmly wrapping her arms around her.

“…Damn it. Damn it.”

Jisehwa, sprawled on the floor, couldn’t lift her head.

“Ugh… Oppa, help me…”

Minseo, still crying with her face buried in her hands.

Finally, as Kang Yerin began to calm her breathing, she lowered her fist.

From the monitor installed on the hallway wall, a small voice began playing along with an advertisement.
“Welcome the strongest heroes!”

“The world-conquering S-Troop is here!”

“Dragon King Troop, Draozer!”

“Transformation devices! Exclusive mechs! Now on sale!”

In the quiet hallway, only the sound of the advertisement and Minseo’s crying echoed, lingering for an unknown amount of time.

Kang Yerin, with a steady resolve, finally spoke.

“…Everyone, listen.”