Near the summit of a mountain in Bangladesh,
A man in a ghillie suit lay prone, taking deep breaths. He brought his eye to the scope of his large sniper rifle and activated his ability.
'There he is.'
His mind moved through the scope, extending beyond its maximum magnification, clearly showing a location over ten kilometers away.
Rumble— Boom!
It wasn't just a visual; the sounds from that location were also transmitted to him, as if he were there.
'Already over?'
A building collapsed with a roar, smoke billowing. The surroundings were devastated, as if bombed. And the sniper saw his target, the reason he was here, walking out from the midst of the destruction.
'What a monster.'
He had received the news of the target approaching the base not long ago. He had been waiting, so the preparations didn't take long, but for it to be over already…?
"Phew."
He took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Excitement was a sniper's poison.
"Target acquired. Commencing operation."
[Are you sure? He's dangerous. No one who went after him returned unharmed.]
"Ha! He's just a living being. He'll die if his life functions cease."
He communicated telepathically with his contact and pulled something palm-sized from his pocket. A large bullet, with a strange black sheen and golden patterns. He loaded it into his large sniper rifle, also a special weapon.
'Giant Slayer, which crushed countless giant skulls. And a high-purity instant death bullet that even killed the Giant Champion. Can you withstand this?'
Due to the rarity of the materials and the complexity of the crafting process, bullets of this purity were only used in crucial situations in his home dimension. Legendary artifacts that allowed humans to establish their territory amidst the waves of giants that covered the world. And the sniper was the hero who saved his country by sniping the dreaded Giant Champion. He looked through the scope again and confirmed his target.
'…An overwhelming presence, even from this distance.'
The target location, over ten kilometers away. A large, hulking figure, Lion Mask, emerged from the destroyed building. His bare chest was covered in suffocating muscles, decorated with menacing tattoos. And the unidentified beast mask on his head…
He looked like the avatar of destruction, against the backdrop of the ruined building.
'…I might actually fail.'
Even he, a veteran of countless battles, couldn't help but think that. But he didn't intend to back down. He was over ten kilometers away. He was confident he could escape before the target reached him.
Thump Thump
His heartbeat slowed,
And the information about the target location became clearer. Temperature, humidity, air currents, the target's movements. And the moment his heart stopped completely,
He fired. The magically enhanced bullet reached its target in less than a second.
Thwack
Lion Mask stumbled from the impact, his upper body thrown back. He couldn't see clearly, but the sniper was certain.
'I hit him!'
A direct hit to the head. It was over. The instant death effect would spread from the brain, one of the most vital organs, throughout the body, and even with near-immortal regeneration…
"Huh?"
But that thought was short-lived.
He saw his target slowly straightening up,
Crunch Crunch
Chewing on the familiar bullet between his teeth, visible beneath the beast mask. A pair of glowing heterochromatic eyes stared straight at him. A chill ran down his spine as he felt their gaze, despite the impossible distance.
"…Mission failed. Location compromised."
[Damn it! Escape! He's a monster. At that distance, he'll reach you…]
He ignored the frantic telepathic message.
'He blocked it? With his teeth?'
A bullet fired from over ten kilometers away, traveling at over thirty times the speed of sound? It should have pierced even titanium alloy like paper. Where did all that energy go?
But his body was already moving. He stored his equipment in subspace, stood up, activated his special jetpack, and glanced at the target.
'He's more monstrous than I thought. I have to retreat… Huh?'
A green light filled his vision.
Thwack!
And his mind went blank.
[…#%
@@
?!]
A frantic telepathic message tried to reach him, but it quickly dissipated. A headless corpse couldn't receive telepathic messages.
"Sniff! Did I hit him?"
Harley, who had been aiming with half-closed eyes, scratched the back of his head. He had thrown the metal chunk he had been chewing on with all his might, but he wasn't sure if it hit, considering the distance.
"Well, it probably did. I made it return to where it came from."
「Mystic Eyes of Compulsion」, manipulating the surrounding energy to manifest mysteries. It was difficult to use on Earth, which lacked mystical energy, but the bullet's energy made it easier to reverse its trajectory, especially after he chewed it and neutralized its properties.
'This is the last one, but the gains are smaller than expected. They're quick to react.'
Harley rubbed his chin as he walked towards where the shot came from. He was currently touring Southeast Asia, destroying the remaining Cheonbuhoe branches one by one. Unlike his other avatars engaged in productive activities, all he could do was destroy things. So he was visiting the exposed locations one by one…
'They're good at running and hiding.'
Most branches were already abandoned. Those remaining were mostly decoys and expendable pawns. He needed to target the head to eradicate them. The one who dictated Cheonbuhoe's overall strategy, above the branch managers.
'Oracle…'
Harley's gaze turned west. Towards India, a large, densely populated country bordering Bangladesh.
"Well, I've finished my tasks… What now?"
He didn't need to rush back. Unlike his other avatars, his titles were symbolic; he had no obligations. His acquaintances were used to his sudden disappearances and reappearances.
"…Hmm, should I get a part-time job?"
He grinned, lost in thought. There was something he was concerned about.
'It's better to observe closely to be sure.'
It seemed excessive to use Harley for this, but he had nothing else to do. He could consider it patrolling his territory and preventing terrorist attacks.
"Kuahaha! Then let's… Oh, I should check where the shot came from first."
And a while later,
Harley, having collected the unexpected gifts left behind, disappeared without a trace.
"T-this is…"
Jin Sohan stammered, her eyes twitching. Having been a serious aspiring singer once, she immediately recognized the song's brilliance.
"How is it? Much better than the previous one, right?"
"Better? This isn't just better…"
She almost shouted, then quickly shut her mouth, her fleeting excitement replaced by the realization of who she was talking to.
'Where did he get this? In such a short time? Was it already finished? But this is…'
Jin Sohan stared at Heinz with a bewildered expression, looking down at the magic tool in her hand and then back at him repeatedly. Her bewilderment was understandable.
'How? This is… perfectly tailored to their voices!'
This was the magic tool Heinz gave her a few hours after listening to the recording, his previously stern expression replaced by a neutral one. A magic tool with recording and playback functions. It wasn't a popular item from Howard Industries, as there were recorders. But it was useful in environments with radio interference or EMPs. But the problem was the music within.
'This is…'
A beautiful melody, otherworldly, flowing with a cheerful, K-pop-like rhythm. But there was an undeniable darkness within. A shadow beneath the bright melody that seemed to sing of hope. A sweet scent of blood subtly wafted from the music, a fatal temptation she couldn't resist despite the danger. Like the allure of a beautiful vampire.
'Can music alone express this?'
She gulped. It wasn't just emphasizing decadence. It was meticulously crafted to be appealing to everyone, regardless of nationality, age, or gender.
'This is it. This is the only song fit for Lycoris's debut.'
The previously prepared song was completely erased from her mind. It was a song she bought from a famous composer for a lot of money, a song that wouldn't lose even to the current number one hit…
But it was incomparable to this.
"Who?! Who composed this?! Ah! If I had known about this composer earlier, I wouldn't have wasted so much time. As expected of you, Lord! I still have much to learn. Could you introduce me to this person? I'd like to commission more songs…"
Her face flushed with excitement. Heinz took a step back and stroked his chin, waiting for her to calm down.
'It's more effective than I expected. Well, Jin Sohan is a vampire, so it's easier for her to connect with the song.'
This new song wasn't just influenced by the Elven Kingdom's music. He had a good understanding of Earth's music due to his previous cultural infiltration, so it wasn't difficult to blend the two. And Harris, who could access Heinz II's senses, oversaw the entire process…
"Well, it's natural that you wouldn't know, since he hasn't been active publicly. He composes as a hobby, so commissioning him would be difficult."
It wasn't strange for such a song to be composed in a day.
"…Phew, I got a bit carried away. It seems like he's your acquaintance… Ah, then what should we use as the composer's name?"
Jin Sohan asked cautiously, sensing something from his reluctance to explain. He had no intention of hiding his identity, just not actively promoting it. He replied casually.
"Harris."
"Harris…?"
"Yes, Harris."
The faceless genius composer, Harris, made his debut on Earth.
Everyone had to work hard since the debut song was changed. The members of Lycoris trained even harder, but none of them complained. They were all captivated by the new song.
"Hmm, should I swing my arm wider here?"
"Unnie! Let's try it again."
"Yes, that's better."
Unlike the previous song, which they had to force themselves to fit into, this new song was like a tailored suit. It was perfect. They just had to sing joyfully, and everything fell into place. There was no need to stress over learning the song.
"Cut! Move quickly! We're editing right away, so we need to finish everything today!"
"What? Your schedule is full? Then I'll double… no, I'll pay you whatever you want! If that doesn't work, let me know. I'll talk to the other clients."
Everything proceeded smoothly with Heinz, the leader of the Blood Alliance, personally involved. There were no obstacles with his connections, unlimited resources, and willingness to spend. The quality, inevitably limited by time, was compensated for by overwhelming financial power.
"Okay! Good work!"
"Phew, good. Make sure you didn't miss anything!"
Time passed,
And the debut day was fast approaching.
A new manager was assigned to the Lycoris team. A new recruit with the title of Director. It was clearly a parachute appointment, but no one complained.
"Kuahaha! Nice to meet you! Call me Director Ha!"
"Ha… sir?"
"Ahem! My pronunciation slipped. It's Director Ha. Please take care of me!"
No one dared to question the newcomer, who looked more like a gangster than a manager, with his bulky muscles straining against his suit and dark sunglasses.