* * *

Hyeonyul looked at them, then perched on the table. Waving his dagger, he operated the projector through his phone. Then he held the phone out for them to see.

「This place is mine now. If you've got a problem with that, go get the Poison King.」

「Not that he can come.」

At any other time, it might not have mattered, but now that he was with the Black Eagles, he thought it best to conceal his voice in front of so many villains. It wasn't particularly difficult. All he had to do was type on his phone.

「Oh, I forgot to show you this.」

Before bringing up the photos on his phone, Hyeonyul made one thing clear.

「What I'm about to show you isn't doctored.」

「How do you know?」

「Look.」

Hyeonyul pointed behind him. The projector lowered, and a photograph appeared.

The Poison King.

He wore a bewildered expression, one finger severed.

「How do you think I know what the Poison King looks like when no one else does?」

Hyeonyul posed the taunting question and changed the photograph. He had taken a picture of the severed finger.

「Guess who cut that finger off?」

Hyeonyul pointed at himself. Someone scowled at the flippant gesture.

His head seemed to tilt slightly before he got off the table and strode over. He stopped right in front of one of the men scowling at him.

"You bastard..."

Hyeonyul drove his dagger into the man's throat before he could finish. The instant blood spattered, he flicked his hand back and slit the throat of the man beside him as well.

Once silence fell, Hyeonyul gave the blood a careless shake and typed on his phone.

「Mad?」

Not one of them opened their mouth at the insolent question.

He was fast. At the very least, no one standing there had seen when he swung his hand.

「Don't chicken out.」

After showing everyone words he would not normally use, Hyeonyul approached a man who looked decent enough and put a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the trembling through it.

A welcome tremble.

Whatever else might be said about villains, the fact that strength determined their hierarchy was quite useful for saving time.

He wanted to hurry back to his new home. The home everyone had decorated for him looked nothing like the place where he used to live.

「From now on, you're the figurehead president.」

It didn't matter who became the figurehead. If he didn't obey, Hyeonyul could simply replace him. There were plenty of people here. What was so difficult about picking one of them?

「I'm the real president.」

Hyeonyul pointed at himself.

「Nod if you understand.」

Everyone there nodded, some sooner than others. Their ashen faces made it clear that they were frightened.

Take whatever he wanted. Kill whoever irritated him.

What a convenient way to do things.

"... Hey!"

Just then, a shout came from behind the crowd. Hyeonyul laughed lightly and ran toward it. He didn't even need to slip through the darkness. He drove through the mass of people and pierced the man's throat like a harpoon.

THUNK

The man collapsed, clutching his throat.

Hyeonyul looked ahead. Reinforcements seemed to have arrived, but it didn't matter. However many came, he intended to kill them all if they turned hostile toward him. With more people here, it was easier to make an example, too.

In the ensuing silence, he took out his phone and typed at his leisure.

「Want some more?」

No one said a word. They simply stared at him.

「You're welcome to try.」

Hyeonyul tilted his head at a cocky angle, provoking them. Surely that would get a rise out of someone.

But they were as quiet as well-trained dogs.

Hyeonyul walked back to where he had been and pointed at the man he'd singled out as the figurehead president.

「I killed all the executives, so he'll choose the next ones.」

He gladly handed over power. It held no interest for him, but people supposedly liked this sort of thing. They had only just met, yet the man's expression had already changed.

Apparently, he really did like it.

「From now on, kill any villains who try to encroach on your power.」

Hyeonyul held the phone out to the figurehead president.

"... A-all of them, sir?"

Hyeonyul nodded at the question.

「But you don't kill civilians. If the Black Eagles come, don't fight them. Run.」

"So... you're telling us to stop engaging the Black Eagles?"

Hyeonyul nodded at the figurehead's question.

"Why..."

Hyeonyul did not allow him to continue.

When the tip of his dagger met the protective barrier characteristic of psychics, he coated it in the power of darkness. The dagger plunged into the man's throat and emerged from the back of his neck. Hyeonyul pulled it free and shook off the blood.

He had lost count of how many times he'd gotten blood on it since coming here.

Cutting the electricity had made it easy to deal with the panicked executives. Fear would be the first thing a creature accustomed to light felt when plunged into darkness. The terror of not being able to see anything was considerable.

Hyeonyul let out a long breath.

Then what about creatures conditioned by violence?

Hyeonyul slowly typed on his phone. Even though their colleague had died, no one said a word. They all kept their mouths shut, afraid they might be next.

「Don't ask questions. Do as you're told.」

He raised his phone. It was an order, and they nodded without resisting.

「Who wants to be the figurehead president?」

Hyeonyul dangled a power that could be extinguished in an instant before their eyes. As everyone exchanged wary looks, someone raised a hand.

A greedy man. Perfect for a figurehead president—and someone who would stab Hyeonyul in the back.

The outcome was obvious, but that was fine.

「You're the figurehead president.」

This man's eventual fate would be no different anyway.

「You remember what I said earlier?」

"I remember! I'll follow your orders to the letter."

「Say it.」

"Kill other factions that try to encroach on our power. But don't touch civilians, and don't engage the Black Eagles when they come. That is all."

After finishing, the figurehead president promptly bowed his head to Hyeonyul.

He would be loyal.

It didn't matter if that loyalty was false. Now that all the executives loyal to the Poison King were gone, who would cry out for him even if he returned?

A dog that lost once was cast out of the pack.

「Choose your executives carefully and get things running.」

「Write proper reports, too. Try anything stupid, and you all die.」

Hyeonyul bound them all together: if one person stepped out of line, everyone would die.

After telling them that, he walked through their midst. Everyone watched him, unable to look away until he disappeared.

Who was he?

As that question occurred to them, the looks they exchanged changed.

The Poison King was gone. Shamefully, he had been caught by the Black Eagles. In a world held together entirely by the leader's strength, losing the head left nothing but collapse.

Their pride in being the Poison King's subordinates had vanished. They merely belonged to a declining faction whose leader had been foolish enough to get caught by the Black Eagles.

Then someone had suddenly appeared. He had killed every executive who had spent the entire day arguing over whether they should take the Poison King's place, as though silencing them all.

Overwhelming strength.

After he had shown them that, who should be their leader?

"... Clean this up."

The figurehead president spoke. He had just been given power.

"Anyone who objects dies. You all agree, don't you?"

They needed to put their house in order quickly. They could become strong again.

The weak were discarded. No one in this line of work could fail to know that.

They looked around the room, their gazes changing as though they all shared the same thought. They nodded quietly.

"... Let's go."

The figurehead president led the way, followed by those who had steeled their resolve.

* * *

"... You're sure you can come back?"

Jeongmin asked as he checked Hyeonyul's condition.

"Yes. I can come back. I just need to ride an eagle."

"Take care of yourself."

"I'm always careful."

"Don't you remember what happened a few days ago?"

"I don't remember."

At Hyeonyul's shameless reply, Jeongmin let out a helpless sound.

"You've really grown up, haven't you, Hyeonyul?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm an adult?"

Hyeonyul smiled, and Jeongmin slapped his own forehead.

"Where did you learn to joke like that?"

"I learned from a book."

Hyeonyul answered matter-of-factly and got off the bed.

"Be careful."

"Yes. Please don't worry. I can come see you tonight, too."

"No. I'm not so sure about that. The thought of you turning up covered in blood makes me dizzy."

"That won't happen."

Hyeonyul smiled faintly.

He rose and headed outside. As he opened the door, he paused and looked back. Jeongmin waved, and Hyeonyul waved back.

While walking down the corridor toward Team Three's room, he saw a red-haired man approaching him. He wondered if he was imagining it, but the man looked straight at him and suddenly smiled.

"It's you, right? Seo Hyeonyul?"

"Yes, that's right. What can I do for you, Mr. Kang Huijun?"

He was the Black Eagle who had shaken Hyeonyul's hand during the Poison King's recent poison attack.

"Just thought it looked like you."

Huijun chuckled, then glanced behind Hyeonyul. His expression changed completely.

"Are you hurt?"

He looked Hyeonyul over, concern written on his face.

"No."

"Take care of yourself. Seriously, our bodies are all we've got."

"I know."

"... Anyway, thanks."

Huijun smiled and held out his hand. When Hyeonyul took it, he shook it enthusiastically. He looked delighted to see him.

"... Oh. I'm a bit, uh, urgent, I guess you'd call it. I tend to rush right up to people I like. I know I need to fix that, and I keep getting told off for it, but I got ahead of myself. If my attitude, the way I talk, or how familiar I'm being bothers you, let me apologize now."

Huijun rubbed the back of his neck. He knew he was often misunderstood and that this had given him a bad reputation. Countless times, he'd wondered if he should just keep his mouth shut, but he could never quite manage it.

"It's all right."

"Really...?"

"Yes."

"You're a good guy. ... No, a good person."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"I'll prove it."

"This is only the second time we've met. How would you know?"

"I can tell just by looking. I'm a good judge of character."

"Are you?"

"I'm telling you, I am! Anyway, all of us in Team One are incredibly grateful. If anyone pulls any bullshit behind your back, I'll beat them up for you."

Hyeonyul didn't know how to respond. What did Huijun stand to gain from that?

"I'm off. Next time we're on a mission together, let's grab a meal afterward."

"...?"

Hyeonyul stared blankly at Huijun, faced with this sudden arrangement.

'I've got another engagement now?'

He felt at a loss. What was he supposed to do about this?

For the moment, he walked on with a peculiar expression.

"Team Three rookie! I mean it, so don't wriggle out of it!"

Hyeonyul turned at Huijun's voice. Huijun waved a few times, then nimbly ran off.

'Why did he come talk to me?'

Marveling at that most of all, Hyeonyul headed toward Team Three's room.

* * *

"You're here? How are you feeling?"

Haeryeon asked as soon as she saw Hyeonyul.

"I'm still fine."

"That's a relief. Then could you sit down?"

She smiled warmly. Everyone had been waiting for him. Since they needed to leave that morning, it was not yet ten. Jihwan sat in a daze, then let out a long yawn.

"There's something I want to go over briefly before we leave. Once we're inside, we might not be able to talk as freely as we can now."

Haeryeon waited until Hyeonyul had sat down before beginning.

"First, our mission is to apprehend the ringleaders. Here, 'ringleaders' includes everyone in the core leadership."

As soon as Haeryeon finished, Nayun raised a hand. When Haeryeon looked over, Nayun spoke.

"How far down does that core leadership go? Executive level again this time?"

"That's right. That's always as far as we want to go."

As Haeryeon nodded, Hyeonyul raised his hand.

"Then how should we deal with anyone below executive level?"

Haeryeon couldn't answer immediately. After hesitating, she asked,

"Can you capture them?"

"Do we need to? They won't know anything."

"There are ordinary people mixed in there, too. Seeing someone killed would traumatize them, even if that person is a villain."

"Understood."

Hyeonyul answered readily. Didn't that mean it was fine as long as he killed them out of sight or kept the bodies hidden?

Watching him think, Haeryeon looked vaguely uneasy. Black Eagles were permitted to kill villains. Still, many chose not to go that far on ethical grounds.

Hyeonyul reached that line much sooner than they did.

"Anyway, the people are our top priority. We need to make the arrests at the same time."

"We'll need to consider the possibility of hostages, too, won't we?" Sinu asked.

"Good point. That's right. If the villains take people hostage, eliminating those villains takes precedence over everything else."

Hyeonyul nodded at Haeryeon's answer. It was an extremely efficient order.

"There's something I'd like to know, though."

Hyeonyul had a more fundamental question. When Haeryeon looked at him, he spoke.

"How are we going to infiltrate the place? Are they simply going to let us in?"

"An excellent question!"

Haeryeon welcomed it happily. She hadn't brought it up because it felt rather like boasting about herself, but wasn't today the perfect time to show him the power of the Black Eagles?

She chuckled, the corners of her mouth lifting.