"Cleanup complete!"
"Since we've already lost a lot of time, let's start right away. The guests are all ready, right?"
"Yes, PD. They're waiting, all set."
Filming, which had been interrupted by the sudden incident, resumed. Judging by the atmosphere just moments ago, the situation had seemed irreparable. However, it appeared that some agreement had been reached between the higher-ups on both sides, as a direct order to continue filming had been issued.
Of course, this wasn't a welcome development for the uninvited guests who had personally come to this place, but unfortunately, there was nothing they could do.
That's because...
"Well, it seems like you're finally ready for a calm conversation!"
They weren't in a position to worry about anything else right now.
"Ugh…"
"…"
The returnee celebrities, who had confidently barged in and been forcibly dragged out of the filming set against their will. The celebrities, some groaning from where they'd been hit, looked at each other, then at Harley, and quietly lowered their heads. They were clearly demoralized.
"Conversation... Is there anything left to discuss between us?"
Only one person, the woman, looked directly at him even after coming this far. Except for Chun Seol-hyang, the leader of the group.
'...Why is such a monster taking the Blood Alliance's side?'
Of course, despite her outward appearance, her inner thoughts were far from calm. Having achieved a high realm, she had acutely realized the gap between herself and her opponent in the brief fight that had just taken place.
'If that man had been serious…'
They would all be corpses by now.
It was natural for the returnee celebrities, accustomed to the logic of power, to be wary of this Manager Ha. Even though he had refrained from using his full power to avoid causing collateral damage, the same could be said for them, couldn't it?
'Even if we've become weaker in actual combat since entering the entertainment industry…'
It had started when the action actor's punch, which had reached the initial stage of transcendence through martial arts, was blocked by a mere palm. The actor, grabbed by the hand and slammed to the ground, was instantly neutralized by a single stomp from his opponent. The protective aura he had activated at the right moment had been shattered by that single attack.
The same went for the others. The broadcaster, a former dragon hunter who had slain countless dragon species. The model, a former battle mage who had been active on the front lines of the battlefield. All of them were subdued by their opponent one by one before they could show their true abilities. Even with the buffs from the singer, a priest of the God of Festivities, it was no different.
In the end, only Chun Seol-hyang, the strongest among them, remained. However, even she, wielding the chained sword she wore like a belt, had to give up all resistance before long. After several clashes with her opponent, she was forced to accept a fact she had been trying to ignore: She could never defeat this man, no matter what she did.
'…Could it be that a transcendent being is working as a mere manager?'
The feeling of pressure she had only felt when facing the president of the Returnee Association during her time as a Guardian… she never expected to encounter it again here.
She knew Phantom was a transcendent, but she hadn't thought he would personally step in to take care of a newly debuted idol group.
"So let's get to the main point. Did you order the bombing of our car?"
Of course, that was only if they weren't involved in the bombing.
While he could understand and overlook the current commotion, the bombing was clearly crossing the line. Not only did they try to kill them, but innocent civilians could have been harmed in the process.
"…What?"
"A bomb? What are you talking about?"
Harley's sharpened senses dissected their reactions to his sudden statement. It wasn't simply analyzing their responses. The flow of energy within their bodies, the contraction of their pupils, changes in body temperature, hormone secretion, blood flow, muscle stiffness, and so on. No one in the world could escape his gaze, which had touched divinity through the sheer potential of being alive. Unless they were non-living beings like robots, undead, or spirits.
'They really didn't know.'
The results indicated they were all innocent. But was it a coincidence that their visit overlapped with the bombing?
'I wonder…'
Harley stroked his chin, looking at the group clamoring that it was nonsense. Various possibilities ran through his mind. From the scenario where someone had instigated and used them, to the possibility that the bombing was intended to be pinned on them if it had succeeded.
"Hmm, so you're saying you have absolutely nothing to do with that terrorist attack?"
"Of course! No, wait, is the bombing even true?"
Either way, it was a headache. The situation was already complicated with things going awry, so how long would it take to investigate and identify the culprits?
"Alright, let's do this!"
So, instead of bothering with complicated thoughts… He decided to handle things the "above-board" way, since it had happened in the open.
A man stepped out of the building's main entrance and stretched comfortably.
"Ah~! Let's see, I've bought some time with this."
A robust physique, sunglasses, and a suit - a striking appearance. It was Manager Ha—Harley—who had personally driven here, leaving Lycoris in the care of other managers.
'This is killing two birds with one stone. That woman can persuade those folks to behave.'
He nodded with satisfaction. Behind him, the building's sign glistened in the sunlight.
-Korea Returnee Association, Seoul Southern Branch.
One of the headquarters of the Guardians, a symbol of Korean law enforcement. Even the Supernatural Management Bureau, a government agency, sought their cooperation first in matters related to the supernatural. Therefore, they were practically the top organization in Korea when it came to responding to supernatural crimes.
'This bombing is clearly a supernatural crime. Naturally, the Guardians should take the lead in resolving this, shouldn't they?'
Regardless of what anyone said, 'Lunatic Entertainment' was a company legally established in South Korea, and Lycoris were the artists belonging to it. Leaving aside the fact that they were vampires, since magical bombs were used in the terrorist attack, the Guardians had a duty to actively participate in resolving the matter.
'I also asked Branch Manager Yoon Ji-yoon, who agreed to cooperate with us, separately.'
As a bonus, he had handed over the returnee celebrities under the pretext of investigating their connection to the suspects. Yoon Ji-yoon, who also had a senior-junior relationship with Chun Seol-hyang, would be able to persuade them while they were being investigated and unable to act freely. She, who knew his power better than anyone, would be even more active in preventing any unnecessary disputes.
'Just in case, I also reported it officially to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Supernatural Management Bureau. I'm paying my taxes diligently, so I have to take care of my own rights.'
These were the organizations that had somehow maintained order in the face of a deteriorating security situation, upholding inefficient humanitarian policies, before the appearance of Hahoetal and Phantom. No matter how meticulous the culprits were, it wouldn't be easy for them to hide while two such security organizations were working simultaneously.
Even if they couldn't catch them, they could corner them…
'And the moment their tails are revealed…'
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes behind the sunglasses. The tip of his tongue darted out between his upturned lips, licking his white teeth.
"Ahem, ahem. Good! Then I should make some preparations too!"
Harley nodded firmly and strode off. With a more pressing matter at hand, his manager duties were on hold for the time being. As for Lycoris, the Blood Alliance could take care of them for a while. It was strange that he had taken on the role of manager in the first place.
"Let's see."
He pulled out his smartphone from his pocket and checked an email. A report from Andrew Weber, which had arrived while he was dealing with things at the Returnee Association. As if he had been preparing it before receiving any instructions, it was much more detailed than he had expected.
"Hahaha! Shall I go pick up some friends who will become our employees?"
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. Now that he had the list of people needed to expand the intelligence organization, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.
'But why is the file name "Kill List"?'
Harley tilted his head for a moment, then shrugged. Well, Andrew was a foreigner, so he might have confused it with a personnel list.
The list, imbued with the resentment of one man who refused to die alone, shimmered faintly in the hands of the Grim Reaper.
Harley, active as a manager in Korea, wasn't his usual gigantic self. His height, which easily exceeded 2.3 meters, was reduced to less than 2 meters, and his broad, muscular build shrank accordingly. He had already caused quite a stir in Southeast Asia, and his previous appearance was too conspicuous, so he had taken measures to remove elements that could identify him.
'I also didn't have a suit that fit that size.'
Concealing the tattoos that covered his entire body, including his face, beneath his skin was also part of that effort. Having lost all his individuality and become just an ordinary large man in a suit, Harley…
Creeeak
"Well, well, no one comes out even when a customer calls."
He tore open the entrance, which was sealed with thick metal, with his bare hands and peered through the gap.
"Kyaaa! M-Monster!"
A sharp female scream echoed from inside, but he paid no mind and forced his face through the gap.
"Ugh, it stinks. It's not good for your health, you should ventilate the place. Blocking the door like this makes the air stagnate."
He rationalized that he was doing this for their sake and widened the torn gap. The sound of twisting metal rang loudly, but thanks to the soundproofing barrier, presumably installed for security, the noise remained confined to the immediate area.
"Hmm, are you Huginn?"
Harley stepped through the barrier, which had completely lost its original function of preventing outside intrusion, and slowly looked around. The basement, with no windows and lit only by artificial light, was filled with more than ten large monitors and constantly running computers.
'Indeed, they seem quite capable.'
He glanced over the content displayed on the monitors and nodded with satisfaction. Then, he turned his gaze to the woman huddled on the floor, trembling…
"Gah!"
…and grabbed the neck of a man who was trying to ambush him from behind.
"Then you must be Muninn."
The man repeatedly stabbed Harley's arm with the knife he was holding, but his skills were far too inadequate to pierce his skin.
"Let go of him!"
As if her fear had vanished, the woman glared sharply and swung an invisible thread, but…
"Ugh!"
She was pulled along by the thread, ending up subdued alongside the man.
'Huginn and Muninn, the duo making a name for themselves in the underworld recently.'
Harley smiled with satisfaction, looking alternately at the trophies in his hands. These two, who took requests and provided information under the name "Odin's Eyes," were among the top talents on Andrew's list. Despite that, they were so well-hidden that he had to mobilize Hesperon's network based on the list's information to find them. These were big players in this field, and he was pleased to have acquired them so easily.
'Oh, right. Just physically acquiring them isn't the end, is it?'
Realizing his mistake, he carefully placed the two on the floor.
"Hahaha! My apologies! I came to make you a good offer…"
"…?"
"O-Offer?"
"Yes, yes. You'll be satisfied when you hear it. You won't find better terms anywhere else."
Harley ignored the fear in the eyes of the two, who were holding each other's hands tightly, and diligently delivered his sales pitch. After all, he had come here to recruit them peacefully.
…Incidentally…
His recruitment success rate so far was one hundred percent.