Chapter 201 - Three Gorges Sect

# When Egostic's Dragon Terror Struck the Republic of Korea

"No!... Ka, Katana... I!"

"Silence!"

Japan, Samhyeop Faction Yakuza Headquarters.

Basement.

In that dark place, the process of punishing a traitor was underway.

"Lady Katana. All circumstances have been confirmed. Hishimoto Natsuha has betrayed us and passed all our information to the Association."

"It's a conspiracy, this is a conspiracy!"

At the far end of the basement sat a woman in Japanese traditional attire with a Japanese sword at her waist and black tied-up hair—Katana, the leader of the Samhyeop Faction.

Sitting quietly in the center, beneath her were two grown men restraining a woman on her knees. The traitor, Hishimoto Natsuha.

And beside them, a subordinate recounting Natsuha's actions.

"...From what we've gathered so far, it seems our recent battle defeats were because of this woman. From tactics to our forces' weaknesses, attack locations... she handed over everything."

"This is! Slander...mmph."

The woman's mouth was quickly covered by the subordinates.

Quietly observing this scene, Katana thought to herself.

...Why?

Why would her most trusted friend do this?

She never could have imagined it.

Natsuha, who had always been by her side, who had been with her from the beginning.

In reality, she was the Association's dog. A traitor.

If that man she met at Kathedal, the S-class villain conference, hadn't told her, she would have been betrayed forever, never suspecting that her longtime friend was a traitor.

With bitter feelings of betrayal, Katana quietly looked at her former friend who was desperately trying to protest. She then sighed and ordered her subordinate.

"Dispose of her."

"Yes!"

"Mmph! Mmmmph!!!"

The traitor convulsed at her words but was soon dragged away and disappeared.

A few minutes later, a subordinate quietly returned.

"Ma'am, it's been taken care of."

"Good work. Get some rest."

"Yes."

After waving her hand to dismiss all her subordinates.

Left alone in the basement again, Katana sighed and fell into thought.

...While the shock of her longtime friend being a traitor was great, as the leader of the organization, she couldn't remain shocked forever. And if you think about it, this was actually a good thing. They finally found the traitor.

"Yes... think positively."

Katana closed her eyes and opened them again, coming to a conclusion.

Rather than being depressed, she should be celebrating. After all, the Samhyeop Faction, which had only been losing to the Association forces until now, had been winning continuously since they started feeding false information to Natsuha.

At this rate, it wouldn't be impossible to defeat the wicked Association and government and restore Japan to normalcy.

As she fingered the Japanese sword at her waist, Katana muttered.

"And..."

Yes, that man.

Egostic.

Hishimoto Natsuha. She is the traitor.

The villain from Korea who had given her this information.

Suddenly saying they should get along since they're neighboring countries, he had shared this information with her.

...At first, she didn't believe it. She was even suspicious. She thought perhaps the Japanese Association had hired him to drive a wedge between her and Natsuha. With the current corrupt government, it would be easy for them to collude with villains from other countries.

But there was something unsettling.

And that feeling at the conference... something about Egostic. The way he seemed to hide secrets. That relaxed demeanor as if he had everything in the palm of his hand made her think "what if"—

So she had her subordinates investigate Natsuha, and that's how she discovered the betrayal.

And from the day they intentionally fed false information to Natsuha and excluded her, the Samhyeop Faction, which had always been losing, began winning consecutive battles against the Association.

And all of this was thanks to Egostic. That man.

...She didn't know how he knew, but if he hadn't told her, she probably would never have imagined it. She might have lost all her subordinates and fallen herself.

"....I owe him a debt."

Katana muttered.

...So he was a good person after all. Come to think of it, he was the one who approached her first, saying they should be friendly since they're neighboring countries. She was the one who responded coldly because she was sensitive from repeated defeats.

...If you receive a favor, it's only right to return it.

Especially since the Samhyeop Faction values debts of gratitude above all else.

So Katana decided to approach Egostic at the next meeting. To thank him, and also...

'Egostic... was like me.'

Just as the Samhyeop Faction rose against the corrupt government and is loved by the people despite being labeled as villains, Egostic is also said to have the support of the Korean people. They say his terrorist attacks hardly cause any casualties.

As she continued these thoughts, Katana suddenly recalled the previous meeting and fell into thought.

'...Wait. Come to think of it, he mentioned there was a hero in America who could turn back time.'

Since his information about Natsuha was correct, this information is likely true as well.

...Who exactly is he? How does he know such things?

Katana wondered.

***

[News reports that the Japanese villain organization Samhyeop Faction has been winning against the government and Association recently.]

"Hmm?"

A few days after the Dragon Terror, in Ego-stream's large house.

Sitting on the sofa in the living room as usual, I looked up at the sound from the TV.

Then Katana's face appeared on the screen.

The anchor's voice continued.

[The Samhyeop Faction, which had been continuously pushed back by government forces, has been winning consistently since a certain point. The Japanese Association is reportedly facing quite a crisis. However, there are quite a few supporters among citizens who say the Samhyeop Faction is better than the corrupt Association...]

Ah.

Did Katana listen to what I said?

"Why are you suddenly focusing on the TV? Is that type of woman your taste?"

"No, don't suddenly slander me..."

As I was focusing on the TV, I shut down Seo Ja-young's baseless accusation that came flying from the floor, and continued watching the news.

...News that the Samhyeop Faction is winning.

That's good. Katana probably dealt with the traitor after hearing what I said.

With this, Japan's fate has changed somewhat from the original work.

Originally, the Samhyeop Faction would have been completely annihilated and Katana would have died, but now that won't happen.

At least they'll hold out until the Moonlight Gate. That's enough. Now Japan won't be completely consumed by that corrupt Association only to fail to respond when the gate opens, leading to Japan's downfall. Several events where Korea was affected because Japan became a monster den will also disappear.

Of course, the Samhyeop Faction won't be able to completely drive out the Japanese Association. Haha, as if that could happen?

As I was thinking this, the news had already moved on from the Japan story.

[Yes, and the next news is about the terror attack where Egostic appeared with a dragon. The video of the attack has become a big topic overseas as well! Let's watch...]

"Seriously, why do they talk about this all day?"

Seeing myself riding a dragon on screen again, I unconsciously changed the channel.

...Speaking of dragons, I wonder where the Spirit Lady is.

With that thought, I went to look for the Spirit.

...She's probably sitting on the railing in front of the main gate as usual.

And.

I naturally found her there.

"Spirit Lady, what are you doing?"

The green forest spread out in front of the large house.

In the fresh scent of phytoncide outside, the Spirit Lady was sitting quietly as usual, looking at the forest with her legs stretched out on the grass.

With her long black hair tied with a hairpin at the back and wearing her usual white plain clothes, she sat holding a long pipe.

She exuded a calm and mysterious atmosphere that made it hard to believe she was the same being who had roared "KROARARA" in the sky the other day.

"...You, are you not having some disrespectful thoughts again?"

"What? Haha, of course not."

"Haah..."

Feeling a bit guilty inside, I naturally sat down beside her. She shifted slightly to make room for me.

Sitting next to the Spirit, I looked at the forest she had been gazing at.

"...Somehow, I've come down to the mortal world again."

"How do you like it?"

"Well, it's not bad. The people living in this house all seem like good people... for villains, that is."

"By that logic, aren't you a villain now too? You flew with me to commit terrorism."

"...How did I, who lived my whole life as a guardian dragon, end up like this? Haah. Still... I'm doing this because I heard your words that this is also a form of protection."

She grumbled, then suddenly touched her forehead as if feeling dizzy, perhaps remembering flying around as a dragon going "KROARARA."

...Hmm, I shouldn't bother her more. Considering how Seo Ja-young was sent flying by dragon breath when she teased her last time...

So I left the Spirit Lady to heal her mental state while looking at the forest, and returned to the house.

Walking down the corridor, I suddenly noticed a calendar hanging on the wall.

"Ah... come to think of it, it's really soon now."

I muttered looking at the calendar.

The main event, the event that will soon become 'something that never happened.'

The day when the world ends and Ex Machina, the ability user who can turn back time, dies.

...Well, at least I'll be able to keep my promise to meet Stardust soon.

I decided to think positively.