I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 64

〔…Well, let’s discuss the details when we meet.〕

In the end, the deal with Geum Gang-hyeok was struck.

He directed her to a location of some factory warehouse to replenish Tita Zenolua’s forces, and upon receiving this information, she nodded in satisfaction, murmuring to herself.

“A collection point.”

“What do you mean by that?”

In response to Jin Crow’s question, she answered.

“It means a place where the Red Hand delivers superhumans all nicely packaged.”

“That means…”

“Sure.”

Tita Zenolua clicked the classic Zippo lighter in her hand, a sly smile creeping across her face.

“Isn’t it just perfect for a declaration of war?”

*

At present, the power struggles within the Free Planet Alliance were hardly anything extraordinary.

Even in its early days, when it was a thorn in the side of both the Empire and the Synth States, and now, having shed its image as a lawless paradise of rogue states through an abnormal structure that bolstered its economic might, the same held true.

The factions that had either emerged from within the Free Planet Alliance or infiltrated from the outside always yearned to seize control, and the result was invariably intrigue and warfare.

“Is there ever a day without rain, damn it?”

“Right?”

In the industrial zone on the outskirts of District 19.

Two men, clad in white shirts and black dress pants, yawned lazily before lighting up cigarettes.

Sizzle, drip—.

They sparked their smokes and continued their idle chatter beneath the factory’s ceiling.

Of course, being the early hours of the morning, their conversation gradually veered toward lewd banter.

“So, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him in, and he just melted into me like he’d been waiting for it.”

“Bullshit. I’d rather kill myself than end up in your arms.”

“Don’t worry. I’d rather play Russian roulette with a semi-automatic than end up in yours.”

What a charming display of friendship, indeed.

Hidden in the shadows, drenched by the rain, Jin Crow listened intently to their exchange, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes as he gripped his dagger and whispered.

“Thanks to you, I’ve had a rather dull time.”

“……What?”

Rustle, thud.

Clatter.

The gears, already primed, whirred to life as his dagger sliced through the air, severing the men’s necks and torsos in one swift motion. As the mingled blood and rain pooled below, Jin Crow raised his watch and flicked the light twice.

In an instant, a series of shadows leaped over the wall, swiftly encircling the factory.

‘A literal declaration of war.’

To smuggle superhumans destined for the Red Hand out of sight, one must inevitably traverse the underbelly.

No matter how much the Public Security Bureau or the Council resembled nothing more than a puppet or a vegetable, the moment this truth surfaced, it would provide the so-called ‘reformists’ with a reason to raise their heads.

Thus, security was bound to be lax, given its importance.

‘Geumgang Hyuk. He must have tipped them off, aiming for this very moment.’

It wasn’t exactly a fateful encounter, but still, it was hard to look upon him with favor.

In a world where the most untrustworthy beings were elves and businessmen, he was a chimera of both.

Somehow, from the very first meeting, his face had not inspired confidence.

As he entertained such thoughts, the mafia, who had swiftly disposed of the bodies he had left behind, began to disperse quietly throughout the factory.

Gulp—

He too took a sip of the drink laced with bitter, warming his inner gears once more.

‘The plan is simple.’

Eliminate all those on guard outside, and when they start to sense something amiss, provoke a brief gunfight at the back entrance and make his escape.

Afterward, he would clean up the interior before the pursuers returned and quickly extract the superhumans.

Of course, there was a Plan B in case things went awry, but it didn’t seem like it would be necessary.

So far, everything had been proceeding smoothly, and most of those on watch were ordinary folks, their body parts replaced with various combat-functioning implants rather than superhumans.

In truth, it was only natural.

If superhumans were so abundant, why would the Synth States or the Empire be in such a frenzy to secure them?

Of course, they weren’t entirely absent.

“Cough!”

Most were barely capable of operating a single gear.

After swiftly slicing the throat of the woman who had been a superhuman, Jin Crow leaned back against the factory wall.

At that moment, one of the approaching mafia members, moving quickly through the pouring rain, spoke in a low voice.

“The outside is clear; the boss sends word that we will soon begin at the back entrance.”

“Got it.”

Jin Crow nodded, his fingers brushing the hilt of the longsword he had brought, silently preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.

And finally.

Buuum—!

A sound erupted from the back entrance, something rushing in at high speed, followed by a voice echoing in panic from afar.

-What, what is that?!

-Hey! Stop it! Stop them!

Kwaaang!

-Who did that?!

-I—I don’t know!

Yet, it didn’t take long for them to realize that something was indeed amiss.

The gunfire that should have echoed from the back gate remained silent, replaced by the heavy, dull thud of something crashing into the factory warehouse.

In that moment, he was about to ask the mafia man standing beside him what was happening.

“What? What’s going on?”

The mafia, after several repetitions of the question, finally relayed the situation to him, his sharp gaze fixed on the unfolding chaos at the back gate.

“A, a truck of unknown origin suddenly smashed through the back gate and entered the factory.”

“……What?”

This time, he couldn’t help but doubt his own ears.

*

Satra’s network of information proved to be more useful than expected.

She didn’t bother to elaborate, but it was clear that without someone feeding her information from within the Red Hand, it would be inexplicable.

Because of this, the operation to rescue Dokgo Ran and Hino Kana, who had been kidnapped by those b*stards, could be quickly devised.

However, the ‘method’ they had come up with was rather reckless, which was a problem in itself.

“But, is this really okay?”

“There’s no other way.”

Beatus forced a smile as he spoke, but the response he received was a cold remark from Baek Hwi-young, who gripped the steering wheel tightly.

What drove him mad was that, instead of trying to rein in Baek Hwi-young’s seemingly reckless plan, both Pamiuna and Satra had thrown their support behind it.

“Mi-el, is this really alright?”

In the end, the last SOS he threw was directed at Mi-el Ambert.

Baek Hwi-young and Mi-el.

Though they might not realize it, everyone shared a common thought: their relationship was no longer just that of simple friends since the moment they had grown close.

Thus, the only one who could possibly rein in Baek Hwi-young’s reckless charge, which somehow reminded him of a certain instructor, was Mi-el Ambert.

“Y-yeah. Hwi-young.”

Perhaps encouraged by Beatus’s words.

After a moment of hesitation, Mi-el stepped forward from her position slightly behind them, her eyes filled with determination and resolve.

“I’ll go too. I’m not good at fighting, but… if you all get hurt, someone has to heal you.”

“Ah?”

Beatus realized that this last glimmer of hope was, in fact, no hope at all, and he smiled with a mix of resignation.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

What else could they do but face death?

…Or so he thought.

“It’s madness.”

Beatus sat in the passenger seat, a cigarette clenched between his lips.

Instead of the pistol he always carried, he gripped the submachine gun given to him by the Satra, leaning out the window.

Then, without realizing it, he aimed the barrel at the rapidly approaching factory and let out a quiet chuckle.

“I don’t know!”

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-.

The gun spat fire, and the noise sent a few of those on guard by the factory’s back door tumbling down.

“What, what’s happening?”

“Hey! Stop that!”

“W-what do we do?!”

“Block it with your bodies!”

They shouted back, but their cries couldn’t reach Beatus, who was leaning out the window.

Of course not.

Right behind him, Famiyu was tuning psionic energy with a seriousness he had never shown before.

“Refraction.”

He deflected the incoming bullets.

“Distortion.”

He warped the focus of the truck.

“Separation.”

At last, he urgently separated the various chains and barricades the b*stards had strewn about, matching them to the speed of the vehicle.

A feat that, quite literally, a mere cadet could not hope to see.

Sweat trickled down Famiyu’s brow as he accomplished this, biting his lip and shouting.

“Baek Hwi-young!”

“Yeah.”

And finally.

Baek Hwi-young, gripping the steering wheel tightly, savored the sensation of the spear he usually held like a lover, whispering softly.

“Penetration.”

KWA-aaaNG!

From his fingertips, the truck became a single blade, slicing cleanly through the factory’s back door. In that moment, Famiyu laid down layers of refraction before Baek Hwi-young and Beatus, who sat in the front seat.

“Cough!”

“Is everyone alright?”

The truck crashed through the back gate, embedding itself deep within the factory.

For an ordinary person, the recoil would have shattered bones into a beautiful chaos, scattering them like broken Lego, while organs would be torn and ruptured, waiting only for the inevitable end. But they were superhumans.

“I feel a bit stiff, but it’s nothing….”

“I’m fine.”

“We’re fine too. Then let’s begin.”

As the voice of Satra from the back of the truck overlapped, they immediately disembarked.

Naturally, having been ambushed, the situation was dire.

They steeled their minds, each preparing to rev their gears fiercely for the imminent assault.

“Kill them!”

“It’s an ambush! Quickly, to the branch chief…! Cough!”

As expected.

The outside scene unfolded just as they had anticipated, and they plunged straight into battle.

No, they were about to.

“Let’s wreck them!”

“Those disgusting humans!”

“Shut up!”

From the gaping back gate, figures in black suits surged forward with a feral intensity.

To counter them, burly figures in shirts wielded all manner of tools and firearms, shouting in a frenzy.

…All of them, that is, until they realized that none of it mattered to the others.

“This doesn’t look good.”

“It seems we’re caught in the middle this time.”

Perhaps it was due to their prior training at the resort.

They quickly gauged the unfolding situation and adjusted their plans on the fly.

“Beatus, we’re going in.”

“Right.”

If their attention was drawn elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a loss for them.

Thus, Baek Hwi-young and Beatus swiftly moved inside, leaving behind Pamiu, Miel, and the remnants of the Lemal Defense Force led by Satra.

“Captain, are you alright?”

“There’s no helping it.”

Satra wore a bitter smile at the worried words of her subordinate, slowly spinning the psionic energy within her.

“Cough.”

The sensation of her wounds tearing open pressed painfully against her mind.

Yet she did not falter; she began to turn the gears she had been suppressing, slowly but surely.

“…Even broken, it still moves.”

The gears within her were not quad, but triple.