Immortals vs. Grim Reapers - chapter 47
Chapter 47. The Highway Man (2)
Crunch, crack.
The assassin screamed and tried to tear away the crow that had lodged itself in their eye.
But Ttaekachi, who had burrowed almost to the body, gripped the assassin’s face with her claws and writhed. Then suddenly, with a thud, Ttaekachi forcefully pulled out her head.
The assassin’s eyeball dangled from her large beak.
Ttaekachi flew up, making cackling sounds. The assassin gritted their teeth and tried to restore their form, but Ju Gangrim’s hand axe was already fully prepared.
Thud.
The first axe blow broke the assassin’s neck, and the remaining four strikes completely severed it.
Ju Gangrim firmly pressed the cross-section of the neck to the ground to prevent the assassin from restoring their form. As expected, unable to take human form, the other body parts also flailed helplessly and transformed into irregular shapes.
Ju Gangrim checked the assassin’s face. It was a stunningly beautiful woman, so much so that one might think she was an actress.
But instead of being captivated by her beauty, Ju Gangrim grinned and asked,
“You’re from the Vito Family, aren’t you?”
There was no wavering in the assassin’s eyes. Ju Gangrim had expected as much.
An assassin sent by the Vito Family would be an extremely well-trained professional.
Add to that an immortal with shapeshifting abilities. Even in the world of contract killers, this level would be among the best.
The question was how many more of this caliber there were.
“I thought it might be the Vito Family because the method is always the same, so blatant. A brutally mutilated corpse and a wrecked car on a deserted night road. Those are the traces you leave behind. And shapeshifting is an ability particularly common in the Vito Family.”
Ju Gangrim let out a long sigh.
While the Vito Family was the only group of assassins with shapeshifting abilities, he didn’t want to think they were a group with immortals like the Gangreung faction.
‘Damn it, of course they’d be immortals. The Vito siblings were among Gerald’s VIPs.’
The Vito siblings, bosses of the Vito Family, were among Gerald’s VIPs. Naturally, one had to assume they were immortals too.
Given that zombie hunters straddle the line between legal and illegal, hunters from the Vito Family were quite famous in this world.
Their skill in disguising themselves to be unrecognizable anywhere, anytime was enough to make their enemies paranoid. But that also meant they weren’t a blade to be used carelessly.
But Ju Gangrim thought it might be fortunate.
‘No, it might be fortunate that it’s the Vito Family.’
Although it was before the Vito siblings surrendered to Gerald, Ju Gangrim was quite familiar with fighting the Vito Family’s assassins.
Most people would die without being able to properly respond to the Vito assassins who transformed incessantly.
If he hadn’t wrecked them somewhat with the Bentley, Ju Gangrim would have had to sacrifice more of his lifespan to the Blood Sucker.
“Let’s see, I don’t have any grudges against the Vito siblings yet. Why would they come all the way here? Only one thing comes to mind.”
Ju Gangrim said, grabbing the assassin’s hair and slamming their head on the ground.
“Where have you stashed the Prince of Gangreung?”
Of course, Ju Gangrim knew the Prince of Gangreung’s location without interrogating the assassin.
He just needed to follow the guidance of the evil spirits dwelling in the blunderbuss.
But Ju Gangrim was deliberately pretending not to know. He wanted to gauge the assassin’s reaction.
Yu Wolryeong then asked from the side,
“Is this person related to the Prince of Gangreung?”
“That’s the only picture that makes sense.”
Ju Gangrim muttered with a sigh.
“It’s a common tactic. When a country is in chaos for various reasons, they sponsor a warlord inside to attempt a coup or gain a stake. I thought it would be China or Japan for sure, but the Vito Family is unexpected.”
The assassin mumbled, lips quivering. Ju Gangrim could tell it was cursing without needing to interpret.
Ju Gangrim continued speaking while repeatedly smashing the assassin’s head against the ground.
“They were trying to use the Prince of Gangreung as a front to colonize Seoul. It’s what they commonly did in the imperialist era. But now that things have gone awry, they’re trying to extract at least the Prince of Gangreung.”
“So these are assassins sent to protect the Prince of Gangreung?”
“That’s likely. I haven’t done anything to incur the wrath of the Vito siblings, and there’s no way the Prince of Gangreung would have such ‘genuine’ subordinates.”
Highly trained forces, immortality, and the powerful awakened ability of shapeshifting on top of that.
The official members of the Vito Family are talents the Prince of Gangreung couldn’t command.
But seeing how they’re openly protecting the Prince of Gangreung like this, it seems they still see value in him.
However, they still didn’t know who they were fighting against.
That’s when it happened.
A loud motorcycle sound began to be heard from the opposite side of the highway.
***
Ju Gangrim clicked his tongue and stuffed the assassin’s head upside down into the helmet. With the neck’s cross-section blocked by the helmet, the assassin couldn’t regenerate even with their shapeshifting ability.
Vroooom.
The assassin that Yu Wolryeong had cut in half earlier was approaching again. Whether due to having been defeated once or anger at seeing their companion’s fate, their aura was quite fierce.
As they got fairly close, they suddenly scattered darkness as if fluttering a cloak. Simultaneously, spears began to sprout from their body.
From ordinary lances to cavalry spears, halberds, pikes, Chinese polearms, and sarissas, they were charging forward looking like a porcupine.
Ju Gangrim was bewildered at the sight.
Transforming to this extent and charging in was no different from a suicide attack.
It would be impossible to gauge where and how to attack.
“Controlling like that must be diffi-”
Clang.
As if mocking Ju Gangrim’s words, the spears suddenly converged in one spot, creating a thunderous noise and sparks.
It was a spectacular sight, like dozens of cavalry units charging at once.
It meant they were not only a considerably strong ability user but also had excellent control.
However, Ju Gangrim couldn’t understand why this assassin was charging so desperately.
“I’ll handle this one.”
At that moment, Yu Wolryeong stepped forward, seemingly feeling no need to hold back since the opponent was an immortal. She was already holding her Death Sword in one hand.
“Cutting normally won’t be enough.”
Yu Wolryeong’s Death Sword began to change shape. Ju Gangrim’s eyes widened, seeing her Death Sword take on a combat form rather than its basic form for the first time.
As the motorcycle assassin’s Asura charge fiercely approached, Yu Wolryeong muttered while holding a massive chainsaw that had somehow appeared in her hand.
“Atata.”
Vroooom!!
The chainsaw, named by Yu Wolryeong, spun ferociously. It was loud enough to drown out the motorcycle’s roar.
Simultaneously, a fierce frost froze over the chainsaw’s surface, scattering ice shards everywhere.
Kachakachakachak.
Yu Wolryeong’s chainsaw and the motorcycle assassin collided in an instant.
Bang.
The motorcycle charge that seemed about to crush everything shattered into pieces upon impact, with both the motorcycle and the assassin flying apart.
Enormous ice shards erupted from the point of collision, tearing apart the assassin’s motorcycle and body. Frozen blood squeezed flesh, frozen flesh squeezed bones, and the cold burst them apart.
The assassin couldn’t even let out a final scream, freezing in mid-air as a black mass of blood before their head could hit the ground.
Vroom, vroom, vroom vroom, vroooom.
Yu Wolryeong’s chainsaw howled like an excited beast for a while before quieting down as it returned to its basic form.
Ju Gangrim silently pondered for a long time about the Death Sword form created by this reticent senior.
‘In terms of sheer power, it’s almost top-tier S-class or A-class…’
Not just by awakened one standards, but Yu Wolryeong also possessed abilities as a death messenger.
Combining all her other abilities, Yu Wolryeong could probably be treated as an S-class awakened one that countries would revere at a national strategic level.
“…Is that Senior Yu Wolryeong’s Death Sword?”
He had been calling her Death Messenger before, but “senior” slipped out without him realizing.
“Yes.”
Yu Wolryeong calmly nodded.
“Why such a…”
“I used to like this kind of thing. Now it’s too noisy, so I rarely use it.”
Yu Wolryeong didn’t explain further, as if that was enough. Instead of probing further, Ju Gangrim shook his head and scanned the assassins’ remains.
In truth, most assassins would probably be dealt with at Yu Wolryeong’s level, right? If she hadn’t been bound by unnecessary afterlife regulations, perhaps situations like world destruction would have all been resolved from the start.
There were even other death messengers, apparently.
Ju Gangrim set aside his complex feelings for now. Then, plucking the assassin’s head hanging like fruit from an ice tree, he said,
“We’ve subdued the troublesome ones for now, so let’s move. The Prince of Gangreung might escape.”
***
Rattle rattle rattle rattle.
More surprising than encountering undying motorcycle assassins on a midnight highway was the fact that Yu Wolryeong’s Bentley was still moving.
Ju Gangrim wondered if this Bentley might actually be some kind of immortal. If dogs could become immortals, why not cars?
The Bentley was crawling along the highway at 30 km/h.
Both doors had fallen off, the windshield was shattered and missing, and two helmets containing human heads were loaded in the trunk.
It was a rare experience, but one he didn’t want to go through again.
“…Death Messenger Yu Wolryeong.”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just call a tow truck?”
“Then we’d have to undergo a police investigation.”
“I think we’ll have to undergo one anyway.”
Vroom.
Whatever the assassins had done to the highway seemed to have ended, as cars were now occasionally passing by.
Passing cars looked at the Bentley’s state with shocked expressions, honking and asking if help was needed. Some of them had probably already reported to the police.
Sure enough, a police car with blaring sirens was approaching from behind.
Ju Gangrim let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t you have some hypnosis spell for times like this?”
“Using such things on ordinary people is illegal.”
So she does have something.
Ju Gangrim searched through the store window, looking for anything useful. Just then, the police car stopped behind the Bentley.
Ju Gangrim prepared to respond to the police with his most sociable smile. As expected, the police officer was at a loss for words upon seeing the car’s condition.
“My goodness, car owner. How did your car end up in this state…”
Yu Wolryeong calmly answered.
“It fell over while driving.”
“Excuse me? A car falls over?”
“I’m sorry. The driver is tired and talking nonsense.”
Ju Gangrim hurriedly answered instead. Fortunately, Ju Gangrim had a few ways to resolve the situation without needing hypnosis.
Just then, Yu Wolryeong took out her spirit phone and showed something to the police officer.
“We’re on official duty. I’m sorry, but we’ll need to requisition your vehicle.”
Ju Gangrim looked at Yu Wolryeong with a surprised expression.
Did she have a status that allowed her to requisition a police car? Or was it hypnosis after all? But the police officer also had a surprised expression.
“What? Uh? Wait, your affiliation…”
“We’re the Immortal Handling Unit, directly under Yeomna of the Afterlife.”
“Pardon?”
Just as Ju Gangrim was suspecting that Yu Wolryeong might be saying whatever came to mind and letting things flow, the police officer stared at the spirit phone for a while before nodding with an exclamation, as if realizing something.
“Ah, I see! I understand. I’ll provide vehicle support.”
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Should I have this car sent to a repair center?”
“Please do.”
It was such a smooth progression that Ju Gangrim wanted to ask if they were joking.
Yu Wolryeong got out of the car as if it were natural and moved to the police car.
Ju Gangrim hesitated before picking up the motorcycle helmets loaded in the trunk as naturally as possible and moving them to the back seat of the police car.
Fortunately, the police officer didn’t seem to imagine that there might be heads inside the motorcycle helmets.
The officer waved at the two departing figures beside the Bentley.
Ju Gangrim watched the receding figure of the police officer for a while before speaking with complex feelings.
“I thought you said hypnosis wasn’t allowed?”
“I didn’t use any.”
“Then how did you persuade him just by showing the spirit phone? Bank account number? Or the officer’s family photo?”
“…You have some sinister thoughts, Death Messenger Ju Gangrim.”
He had merely recalled ‘ways to persuade police without using hypnosis’.
But Yu Wolryeong calmly continued as if such things were unnecessary.
“We are public officials of this country. Guiding the dead is our public duty. Just as we respect the authority of this land’s king, the king respected our work. So we were promised certain conveniences.”
Yu Wolryeong turned on her spirit phone and showed Ju Gangrim an app.
It was something familiar to Ju Gangrim’s eyes as well.
“…A horse requisition tablet?”
“It’s a triple horse requisition tablet. Holders of the triple horse requisition tablet can receive support for national transportation means up to three times a day. If necessary, we can even receive police personnel support, but this has rarely been used due to regulations requiring a clear distinction between the afterlife and this world.”
“I can’t believe such a thing…”
“It’s a rule that became obsolete with the fall of the monarchy. As far as I know, the last recorded use was 70 years ago. But it didn’t completely disappear. And I’ve just updated that record.”
If that’s true, while no hypnosis was used, that police officer was essentially mentally dominated by some mystical rule descending upon this land.
Ju Gangrim wondered how that was any different from hypnosis, but Yu Wolryeong seemed satisfied with the fact that she hadn’t broken any rules.
“That’s why I don’t try to break regulations. If they keep to the rules, I should naturally reciprocate.”
“Hmm, alright. But we’re on our way to eliminate a vicious thief and the leader of rebels who tried to overthrow the state, so requisitioning a war horse with a horse tablet should be fine.”
Ju Gangrim held up the spirit phone, turned on the police siren, and shouted,
“The secret royal inspector is here!”
Yu Wolryeong smiled slightly, seeming to like Ju Gangrim’s words.
“The secret royal inspector is here.”