Chapter 68: When Lightning Came

The fight only grew more intense.

My breathing became ragged, each inhale burning my lungs as if fire were scraping against my chest. Sweat mixed with blood beneath my mask, dripping down my chin.

I couldn’t think clearly anymore.

Every punch, every slash, every incoming attack—I dodged them on instinct alone. My body moved before my mind could process anything.

Left. Duck. Block. Counter.

The villains kept coming.

No matter how many I knocked down, more replaced them, pouring in like an endless tide. Their movements were wild, reckless, yet strangely coordinated—like puppets dancing to the same unseen strings.

The pistol in my hand clicked.

Empty.

No bullets left.

Yet strangely, I didn’t feel fear.

Without hesitation, I threw the pistol straight at a villain’s face.

It struck him squarely across the nose with a sickening crack.

Before he could react, I rushed forward, spun, and kicked his face with everything I had left.

He collapsed instantly.

I pressed the empty pistol against his cheek, using its weight to slam his head into the ground.

He went limp.

But—

At that exact moment, an overwhelming force struck me from the side.

“—Gah!”

My body was sent flying.

I crashed into the staircase leading down into the subway, my back slamming against the concrete steps. I rolled down violently, my vision spinning as pain exploded across every inch of my body.

I finally came to a stop at the bottom.

My face burned.

Cuts covered my skin beneath the mask.

I forced myself to look up.

A massive figure descended the stairs.

His body was enormous, swollen with heat, his skin glowing red like molten metal beneath flesh.

…Heat.

An A-rank villain.

My eyes focused on his face.

His eyes were the same as the others.

Pitch black sclera, with a small red dot burning at the center.

He wasn’t acting on his own.

He was being controlled.

Behind him, more villains began pouring down the stairs, surrounding me from above.

I tried to push myself up.

My hands trembled as they touched the floor.

A drop of blood fell from my nose, sliding down my mask before dripping onto the concrete.

“Hah… Hah… Is this… my limit…?”

My vision blurred even further.

I couldn’t use my powers.

Not even a fragment.

Nothing responded.

If it weren’t for this strange illness… I would’ve already wiped them out and gone to find Ji-hye by now.

I staggered upright, barely able to stand.

I grabbed onto a pillar to keep myself from collapsing.

My mask was cracked.

One or two more solid hits, and it would shatter completely.

I looked at the villains.

My sight was hazy, but I knew they were approaching.

Slowly.

Confidently.

With my body alone, there was no way I could defeat Heat—let alone all of them together.

From the side, I felt a sudden rush of air.

A subway train sped past, its wind slamming into me.

Then—

One of the villains threw something.

A grenade.

My vision was too blurred to see it clearly.

But I knew.

It was coming straight for me.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t afraid of the explosion.

What terrified me was something else entirely.

The thought that I might never see them again.

The people I had come to see as my family.

The grenade drew closer.

Closer.

And—

A flash of blue lightning struck it.

The grenade disintegrated mid-air, reduced to nothing but dust.

My eyes widened.

I knew that power.

I knew exactly who had arrived.

Blue lightning surged forward, striking several approaching villains.

One by one, their bodies burned black before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

I smiled beneath my cracked mask.

At that moment, my grip on the pillar loosened.

My legs gave out.

I began to fall.

But—

Lightning shot to my side, twisting and reshaping itself.

In an instant, it became a woman with short blonde hair.

Min-seo.

She caught me immediately, pressing a hand against my chest and supporting my weight.

“Oppa—!”

Several villains tried to approach us.

But before they could—

A violent gust of wind erupted.

A small tornado formed, dragging the villains into its spinning core.

Then blue flames ignited within it.

Their screams echoed through the subway tunnel as the fire consumed them.

Footsteps approached from behind me.

I turned my head slightly.

So-ah walked toward us, wearing her villain outfit—this time with a long coat flowing behind her.

Beside her was Kim Gae-in, arms crossed, her expression sharp and worried as she approached.

“…Honestly,” Kim Gae-in said with a pout, “you always try to fight everything on your own. Did you forget that you have us?”

Before I could respond—

Heat suddenly charged forward, roaring as he prepared to punch.

But another familiar voice rang out behind me.

“Elvera.”

“Butterfly Venom!”

Thousands of glowing butterflies burst into existence, slicing through Heat’s massive body as they burrowed inside him.

He froze.

Confusion spread across his face.

His body began to swell unnaturally, expanding like an overinflated balloon.

Then—

BOOM.

His body exploded, bursting apart in a shower of blood and flesh.

Silence followed.

Elvera walked toward me gracefully.

“Oh my~ I must look terrible, Master Indigo.”

Relief washed over me.

I smiled behind my mask.

“Hah… Hah… Why… did you all come here…?”

“So you wouldn’t die, idiot oppa!” So-ah snapped angrily.

“Yes,” Min-seo added softly. “We were really worried about you. Sit down. Now.”

I didn’t argue.

I didn’t have the strength to.

I sank down onto the floor, leaning my shoulder against the pillar.

“Hah… Hah…”

While I rested, the sound of fighting echoed from above.

“What’s… happening up there…?” I muttered.

“No need to worry,” Kim Gae-in replied. “The heroes just arrived. They’ll be busy fighting the remaining villains up there. They won’t come down here.”

She paused.

“The one leading them is your personal doctor… Park Hyun-Woo.”

Hearing that name made me feel a little safer.

*Outside the subway*

Heroes flooded the area, weapons drawn, powers flaring.

They clashed violently with the remaining villains.

“Attack them! Capture them! If they resist during arrest, eliminate them!” a commanding voice shouted.

That voice belonged to Park Hyun-Woo.

Wearing his hero uniform, he barked orders without hesitation.

“This is a direct order from the Director!”

*Back inside the subway*

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to ease the dizziness clouding my vision.

“Hah… Why did the heroes take so long to arrive? I had to jump in before they even showed up…”

So-ah scoffed.

“Aren’t they usually faster? There’s that hero you always fight—Lightnova, right? But… where is she now?”

“I don’t know,” I answered quietly. “I was actually looking for her too.”

They all fell silent.

Kim Gae-in spoke again.

“Stop talking and rest. You can’t fight in that condition.”

I let out a weak chuckle.

She really was cute when she lectured me like that.

“Alright, alright… I’ll rest for a bit.”

She smiled, clearly relieved that I listened for once.

Suddenly, I felt something warm leaning against my left shoulder.

I opened my eyes.

So-ah.

Then I felt another weight against my right shoulder.

Elvera.

And—

Something rested on my thigh.

I looked down.

Kim Gae-in was lying there, her head resting comfortably on my lap.

I smiled beneath my mask.

Slowly, carefully, I wrapped my arms around both sides—holding So-ah and Elvera close.

For just a moment—

The chaos outside felt distant.

And I allowed myself to breathe.

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