S-Class Monster (4)

A few minutes ago.

Right after Shibasaki Ryuko stormed out of the tent.

As soon as she left, the Saintesses began to sob.

As if a slight touch would make them burst into tears…

“Waaaah!!”
“Huwaaah!!”

No, they were already crying.

Divine Light Garam, who was watching them, also cried like a child and ran to embrace them.

The Saintesses clung to Divine Light Garam’s arms, sobbing loudly.

“Sniff, I’m sorry. We… we were so foolish… we couldn’t say anything and just trembled…”
“Sniffle. It was terrifying. We couldn’t defy her… just her gaze made my knees buckle.”
“…It’s okay. It’s all right. It’s all over now.”

Like a compassionate mother, Divine Light Garam hugged them and patted their backs.

I watched this scene and smiled faintly.

With this, we somehow managed to overcome the first hurdle.

‘…Is this the real beginning now?’

I looked at Su Ok-bin.

With her arms crossed, she wore a smile as beautiful as her fine appearance and met my gaze.

I sent her the signal we had agreed on earlier.

Understanding immediately, Su Ok-bin winked charmingly.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let Shibasaki Ryuko escape. Trust me, Yu Seha.”

“Of course. I trust you.”

Su Ok-bin and I exchanged small smiles.

And for some reason, Peng Jin-ah watched this scene with a pout.

“…Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm!”
“Professor?”
“Master!”
“Oh, yes, Master.”

Then there was a comical moment where she rushed over and winked for no reason, but I decided to overlook it.

Boom!!!

A loud noise echoed through the sky.

Simultaneously, a blue light spread out.

The cries of the crusaders writhing in agony echoed vividly in my ears.

There was no more time.
I had to move quickly.

“Senior.”
“…Yes, I understand, Junior.”

Divine Light Garam wiped her tears and looked at the two Saintesses.

“I’m sorry, Saintesses. It’s an urgent matter. Could you please wait quietly for a moment?”
“Yes!”
“Of course!”

They looked at me.

Not just them.

Even Su Ok-bin and Peng Jin-ah looked at me with eyes full of trust.

“…Junior Yu Seha, please.”
“……”
“I know it’s a burden on you. But in this situation with little time left, the only one who can defeat the Kirin is you—”

-Thud.

I placed my hand on Divine Light Garam’s head, stopping her words.

Then, feeling a soft texture different from those I had touched before, I stroked her several times.

Divine Light Garam’s face flushed red.

“N-Nyeh. Nyeh?!”
“You don’t need to bow your head. Don’t worry. With the stage set like this, I have no intention of showing a disgraceful retreat.”
“…Junior.”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

The request to lead.

Honestly, I hesitated.

Until now, I was the one who crafted the most efficient strategies, assuming sacrifices as a given.

Could I change now? Fear crept in.

‘Still, I must.’

If I can step up and save them…
If that’s what it takes…
I’ll move forward without hesitation.

‘But, before that!’

I know this isn’t the time, but I need to recharge with some cuteness.

I’ve made so many solemn resolutions that my mind isn’t working well.

In times like this, one must feel something sweet.

While I’m at it, let’s bury ‘that’ too.

I approached the sniffling Saintesses and placed a hand on their heads.

“…Huwang?”
“…Uwong?”

Then, with a mischievous grin, I ruffled the two kids’ hair.
Though they had no flesh, I pulled their soft, squishy cheeks that went ‘ding dong, ding dong.’

“Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong!”
“Docking, docking, docking, docking!”

Hmm, it was a bit disappointing that it wasn’t ‘Meoww, Yong-ahh, Hungeengeeng,’ but it was still an onomatopoeia that gave me strength.

“Our Saintesses. This oppa will handle it splendidly, so stop crying and eat snacks in the corner.”
“U-u…! Don’t act cool!”
“Co-cool…”
“…Yu-Yuri?”

“Here it is, Yu Seha.”

I took the item that Su Ok-bin handed me.
It was familiar.
A small stick-shaped artifact.
It was a magical tool for strategic simulation that Professor Strict had taught me how to use.

As I activated the magical tool, I quickly explained about the Kirin.
The patterns and characteristics it possessed.
And even the three ‘barrier’ patterns that naturally made one curse.

True to those who trusted and believed in me, there were no questions like how I knew all this.

“This is the strategy pattern for the Divine Beast King ‘Kirin.’”

“…Indeed, once you know the method, it’s easier than expected.”

“However, without any prior knowledge, it would inevitably take a long time. Kirin is an S-grade monster with particularly high growth potential. Considering that characteristic, you’d have to be prepared for annihilation.”

“As expected, Junior… Thanks to you, I see hope!”

Divine Light Garam lifted the conch shell placed on the table.

It was a <Cult> exclusive holy relic that allowed commands to be issued to all participants.

Divine Light Garam held it and looked at me again.

“Junior. So, how should we proceed with the operation now…?”
“……”

This was the critical moment.
Deep within my heart.
A mindset focused solely on efficiency, taking ‘sacrifice’ as a given premise for the operation, kept rearing its head.

It whispered in my ear. To adopt the most efficient method, considering minimal casualties to increase the success rate.

“…Senior. From now on, please relay orders to those I prioritize first.”
“Yes!”

About 5 seconds.

After finishing all my thoughts, I began to issue the operation orders in earnest.

“…Damn it.”

A man muttered a small curse along with the flowing drops of blood.
With a face showing the marks of time, the man was 35 years old this year.
He was Bae Han-su, the main tank of <The Order> and a B-grade paladin.

Currently, he was dying.

Boom, boom, boom!!!!!

The thunderstorm raged on and spread.
In the past, ancestors believed that lightning was the wrath of the gods.
Indeed, Bae Han-su thought it was quite justified.

Boom, boom, boom!!!

The shield shook violently and turned red-hot.
The lightning that struck directly moved like a sharp saw blade, as if trying to break the shield.

Currently, Bae Han-su was at the forefront, taking the attack of the Kirin at the front line.

Beside him, 150 comrades who had shared joys and sorrows, were raising their shields.

“…Damn it.”
“Still no word on the operation?”
“…They just said to hold out.”
“Ah, is this the end?”
“Don’t jinx it! You bastard.”

Everyone was pushed to their limits.

This was the same for Bae Han-su as well.

Blocking the Kirin’s lightning striking down again, Bae Han-su thought.

‘Ah, this is… my grave.’

He wasn’t particularly attached to his life.

Having already vowed to sacrifice his life for the god upon joining.

It was an honorable martyrdom, returning to God’s embrace.

However… he was slightly uneasy.

Bae Han-su’s anxiety stemmed from the fear that his death would be in vain. That terrified him.

Probably everyone here had similar thoughts.

Bae Han-su glanced back.

Despite being pushed to the limit, there were no additional orders for the operation.

Endure. Just endure.

‘…Damn it. They’re literally telling us to be meat shields.’

Bang!!!

Perhaps it was because he let his guard down at the end of the tension.
He thought the lightning he blocked was particularly painful.

Bae Han-su looked up at the sky through the gap in his shield.

Dark clouds swirled, and a blue light source spewed crimson rage.

The skyscrapers had long been charred black, reduced to ashes.

Above the sky.

A Kirin cloaked in thunderclouds began gathering vast electricity in its horn.

Bae Han-su raised his shield again against the incoming attack.

Once more, he would block it with all his might!

At that moment, he thought.

“Uh…?”

He felt his strength waning.
The exhilaration and warmth enveloping his body vanished in an instant.

With a sense of disbelief, Bae Han-su surveyed his surroundings.

It was cut off.
All the supporting buffs and heals had completely disappeared.

“…Ha, damn it.”

Bae Han-su understood the situation.

In the end, the official priests, who had been struggling so hard that blood flowed from their eyes and ears, couldn’t endure and collapsed.

The gathering thunderbolts.

Bae Han-su felt the reality of death as he looked at the enormous blue thunder tree etched in the sky.

It was the same for his childhood friend standing next to him.

“Damn it! If I had known, I would have confessed to Byul Ryun-mi!”
“Oh, I heard you scored well after this time?”
“I was planning to confess in style after this subjugation…!”

Bae Han-su chuckled softly.

Watching his friend, who expressed regret without leaving any last words, he thought at least the journey to the afterlife wouldn’t be lonely.

Rumble!!!!!

Bae Han-su closed his eyes.

He thought for the last time.

I hope, my death holds some meaning.

That everything will be helpful for the <Order>…

However, even as time passed, nothing significant happened.

“Hmm?”

Bae Han-su opened his eyes.
And he met eyes with a familiar-faced woman.

“Senior! Are you alright?”
“…Uh, huh? Hana? Why are you here?!”

She was a junior knight who had joined directly under Bae Han-su.

Being a junior knight, she lacked proper tanking abilities and had retreated to the rear.

Bae Han-su soon realized that his junior was now blocking the Kirin’s thunderbolt.

No, she wasn’t alone.

“Block it! Proceed according to plan!”
“We can do it! Everyone, gather together!”

All the junior knights, deemed unhelpful, aligned their formation to stop the lightning.
They perfectly complemented each other’s gaps like a beehive, creating a wall of shields.
And that shield.
Something shiny was applied to it.

“Wh-what’s that?”
“I’m not sure! Just a potion that supposedly blocks lightning…”
“That existed?”
“It was provided by the Association!”
“The Association?”

Bae Han-su was bewildered.

Then he was surprised again by the priests squeezing in from the side.

They were trainee priests who had also been deemed unhelpful and were at the rear.

The apprentice priests clung to the knights with a snap and cast [Healing].

Bae Han-su was impressed by the sight.

The problem with apprentice priests was that casting long-distance divine spells was wasteful.

However, being so close reduced the waste of divine power, allowing even apprentice priests to provide sufficient healing.

Boom!!!

The knight blocked the lightning again and received recovery.

“Senior, please step back! We will hold this place now!”
“Oh, oh…”

Bae Han-su was led back by his comrades with a bewildered expression.

A few remaining priests ran over and handed him a potion.

Bae Han-su downed it in one shot.

Soon, a woman’s voice reached his ears.

It wasn’t that someone approached and spoke; it was a kind of telepathy.

To be precise, it was the power of an artifact for tactical command.

The woman, who identified herself as <Mother Superior> Divine Light Garam, was directing the operation in an orderly manner.

‘Is this woman the one who devised this brilliant plan?’

No. As he listened quietly…
He realized that the detailed orders and tactical placements were being given by another man.

From his distinct youthful voice, he guessed that he had just become an adult.

*Tap, tap. *

His surviving childhood friend pointed forward.

“Hey, hey, Bae Han-su! The person giving the orders now… seems to be that kid?”
“What? A kid?”

Bae Han-su turned his gaze and was astonished.

A group rushing to the dangerous forefront.

Among them, a handsome boy urgently shouting and swiftly giving orders at the very front.

A boy who seemed out of place in such a rough and threatening battlefield was running to the most dangerous spot.

Bae Han-su couldn’t believe it.
The darkness of defeat that loomed.
The one who dispelled it and found the light was.
He couldn’t believe that such a young child could be like that.