Blazing Torch (3)
“···it’s over. Fortunately, they say they were able to escape without major damage.”
A single word came out of An’s mouth while his eyes were quietly closed.
At those words, sighs of relief came out from the mouths of those who were looking nervous around them.
“Whew, that’s a relief.”
“The sky hasn’t abandoned us yet. If Malfi is safe, we will be able to join forces again somehow.”
“Still, we have 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 we come up with a solution, it’s better to spread out and hide like we do 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 ability does this have that makes this possible?’
This was the case with everything they had ever experienced, including this one.
Aren’t there more than one comrade who has escaped safely from the magical clutches of the Beoncheonhoe thanks to following his advice?
This was something that could not have been done without a complete understanding of what was happening on this huge land mass.
As if he was really watching everything from heaven.
‘If you think about the scope, it’s 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 either.’
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.
I wonder how big the organization is for something like that to be 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, we confirmed the fate of all key executives through this. …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 involved, the unidentified helper somehow takes a step back and just nods his head calmly.
“So, Ken. “Our CEO said he would like to meet him sometime. What do you think?”
Then he brought up the story he had just heard.
As the situation began to improve, the restored communication network included a representative of the Burning Torch, whose traces had been unknown for some time.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
Of course Ken did not refuse the offer.
The reason he couldn’t rest properly for the past few days and was busy moving around and calling himself an errand boy was all for that reason.
‘I’m 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 would only be about three years.’
It was a reunion he had only dreamed of after having lived a very turbulent life in the demon world.
Even though he cannot be said to be the original Miyamoto Ken.
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 force of the Beoncheonhoe 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.
From Noble mtl dot com
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.’
‘It’s definitely a character. It must not have been that 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 to some extent because he had encountered a lot 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, it seems like most of the low-level agents participated out of patriotism or anti-Chinese sentiment rather than the Buncheonhoe itself.’
This 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 in Southeast Asia, as a secret invasion of 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, because there were political and diplomatic issues, it was inevitable that they would not be able to step forward even within their own country and would have to hide.
“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 can use this again.”
Let’s take a moment to move forward like that.
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 hallway with a mysterious atmosphere that was different from before stretched.
From the oriental parquet floors, lanterns hanging everywhere, and colorful strings stretching from the ceiling to the walls.
“This is the driving force behind us being able 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. “It can also be used to travel long distances.”
An, who took the lead into the hallway, 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 busy chasing after the Beoncheonhoe.
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 distorted. And it’s very broad… Is it really different at the executive level?’
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 could not 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 quietly following, 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.
However, as he did not have the power to make a decision, he could only shrug his shoulders.
“I also talked to him, and he said that if he leaves now, it will be difficult because there will 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 full-scale discussions 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 didn’t know how much more help I would 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 I encountered at the end of the long hallway was a sliding door with an oriental scent.
And the first person Ahn saw when he opened it without hesitation was.
“It’s been a while, An. 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 quite a dangerous situation, right?”
“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 is this…?”
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.
‘Is there an automatic interpretation function in this space itself? ‘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 had come here through several different passages.
The people who were talking to each other seemed to have noticed his identity and began to approach him one by one and say hello.
“But what about the Fuhrer? “Are you here yet?”
“They said it 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. “He was always the first one to come.”
Except for the executives who were sacrificed in the recent incident, everyone who could 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 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 starting to open.
“I’m sorry this is late. “Suddenly a small problem arose…”
And that was the moment when 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.
Uddangtang—!
No, it didn’t end there.
She stood up, bouncing off the chair, and glared at him with a fierce look on her face.
“f*ck…what a bullsh*t case.”
“not···?”
“what? “What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
The air became cold at her sudden strange reaction.
However, the confusion among the left and right did not last long.
Those quick-witted people carefully got up from their seats with serious faces and began to step back.
Because we have 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, you? What is it?!”
“Huh? What does that mean, suddenly? “I’m not Freddie…”
“f*ck that bullsh*t! This fake! What happened to the real Fuhrer!”
As the conversation between the two continued, the situation began to escalate.
Ahn, who is fiercely expressing his anger, and Führer Freddie, who still has a perplexed expression.
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 toward the exit.
“Ha—oh my.”
Did you feel that kind of atmosphere around you?
The President, who was trying to somehow persuade his opponent, sighed and roughly rubbed his chin.
“…I never thought it would feel this good. “Should we have somehow dealt with that woman first?”
In a voice that was completely cold and devoid of any emotion, it was different from before.
Right after that.
“This···!”
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.
Viscount Chajwa—!
Sharp thorns erupted from where the sliding doors were, completely blocking the entrance.
A change that 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 Fuhrer 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? “Didn’t you just decide to 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.
Everyone has the same gang attitude.
The problem was that the man was very familiar to the executives gathered here, and was the head of the Southeast Asia branch of the Buncheon Association, 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.”
“Ah-oh! If everything had gone according to plan, it would have ended comfortably. “No matter what, nothing goes right!”
“But that doesn’t mean there is no harvest. “I’m just talking nonsense, there’s no way someone as strong as that guy is at the bottom.”
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 you, 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. “It’s fun to beat each thing one by one and move up like this.”
The head of the East Asia branch seemed to be convinced by those words and slowly nodded.
He then raised the corner of his mouth slyly towards Ken and continued speaking.
“It happened that way, so there’s nothing I can do about it. It starts with you. “If you want to die gracefully, you will have to tell everything you know.”
The executives of the Burning Torch who were already here were not even paying attention.
That has to be the case.
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 prepared 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.
