Chapter 71: Threads of the Void

“Ji-hye…?”

My eyes widened.

I stared at Ji-hye’s figure standing beside Flinch, my gaze unable to move away from her even for a second.

Flinch suddenly burst into loud, triumphant laughter.

“Hahahaha! You see it now?” he sneered. “I’ve already taken control of Ji-hye! She belongs to me now!!”

I slowly scanned Ji-hye from head to toe.

She didn’t move.

Not even slightly.

Her posture was stiff—unnaturally stiff—like a machine being operated by a remote control.

My expression hardened.

He was going to use Ji-hye against me.

And in my current state—without my powers—it would be impossible to defeat her.

“WHAT IS IT!?” Flinch shouted mockingly. “Why are you so quiet all of a sudden!? Are you scared!?”

I didn’t answer.

My silence only made my irritation boil further.

I wanted to smash his face into the ground.

My fists clenched violently.

So tightly that my gloves finally tore apart with a sharp ripping sound.

Flinch snapped his fingers again.

Ji-hye responded immediately.

She stepped forward, positioning herself in front of him.

Flinch smiled cruelly.

“Alright, my dear Ji-hye~” he said sweetly.

“Kill him for me.”

In an instant, Ji-hye’s eyes changed.

Pitch black.

With a small, glowing red dot at the center.

A blade of light emerged from her hand.

A light sword I had seen countless times before.

Now, it was being aimed straight at my neck.

I inhaled slowly.

I had to get serious.

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to save her.

But without my powers…

Defeating Ji-hye was truly impossible.

She began walking toward me.

Slow.

Silent.

Every step carried an invisible pressure.

I watched her carefully.

Then—

In a blink—

Her body transformed into pure light.

The light shot forward at terrifying speed.

It began circling around me endlessly.

So fast that my eyes couldn’t track it.

Damn it.

Suddenly, the light flashed directly in front of me.

I barely managed to dodge—

But a shallow slash grazed my neck.

Warm blood trickled down.

If my reflexes were even a fraction slower, my head would’ve been severed.

The light kept darting toward me.

I avoided most of it—

But thin cuts formed all over my body from every direction.

I couldn’t dodge perfectly.

Slash after slash landed.

Pain accumulated.

This was bad.

If this continued, I would be the one who lost.

I had to stop her—no matter what.

At that moment, the light lunged toward me again.

I dodged—

But this time, I stretched my hand forward.

It was insanely risky.

But there was no other choice.

By sheer luck—

I caught it.

The light began to reshape itself in my grasp.

Ji-hye reappeared.

“U–ugh!”

She struggled violently.

“Let go of me!!” Ji-hye screamed, her voice echoing unnaturally.

She was completely under Flinch’s control.

I tightened my grip.

Even stronger.

I couldn’t let her escape.

“Ji-hye—no… Lightnova! Wake up!”

“Ugh!”

She growled, struggling even harder.

“Lightnova!!!” I shouted again.

She clenched her teeth.

“AAAHHH!!!”

She screamed.

At that moment—

Light erupted from her body.

My instincts screamed danger.

A terrifying kind of danger.

If I was caught in it, I wouldn’t survive.

I immediately released her and flipped backward.

The light expanded violently.

Then—

An explosion occurred.

Not fire.

Not shockwaves.

But thousands—no—tens of thousands of light projectiles burst outward.

All of them aimed at me.

“Damn it!!”

I sprinted sideways.

My eyes locked onto the massive brute I had defeated earlier.

Perfect.

I grabbed his body with all my strength and lifted it.

Using it as a shield.

The countless light bullets pierced straight into his body.

I hid behind it, barely safe.

“…This is insane.”

How was I supposed to defeat her like this?

Come on!!

Think, Yoo Jinhoo!!

While using the brute’s body as cover, I advanced carefully.

The body began to crumble.

Holes formed everywhere from the relentless light barrage.

It wouldn’t last much longer.

I rolled to the side and ran with everything I had.

I scanned my surroundings, desperately searching for anything I could use.

But then—

Flinch shouted furiously.

“What are you idiots doing!?”

“KILL HIM!!!”

At his command, the controlled people charged toward me again.

Damn it…

First Ji-hye, now them too.

I struck them one by one, knocking them aside just to clear a path.

Then—

I felt it.

Ji-hye was already floating behind me.

Her light sword was aimed directly at my back.

Around her, dozens of light swords materialized.

All pointed at me.

I dodged the blades while striking down anyone blocking my movement.

My breathing grew heavy.

My stamina was nearly gone.

Then—

A punch flew toward my face.

I couldn’t dodge it in time.

It smashed into me.

I hit the floor hard.

Flinch burst into manic laughter.

“Hahahahaha! YES!!! YES!!! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!!!”

Everyone froze, staring at me.

A dark aura began to rise from my body.

Slowly—

I stood up.

My mask cracked.

Then shattered.

Revealing my face.

“Hah…” I exhaled.

“You’ve all really pissed me off.”

The moment I spoke—

Silence fell.

The controlled people froze.

Even Ji-hye, still floating in midair.

Cold sweat ran down their faces.

Flinch collapsed backward, trembling.

His breathing became erratic.

“W–what…?” he muttered in fear.

“Why do I feel terrified just from those meaningless words…?”

He was shaking.

Sweat drenched his body.

Ji-hye formed another light sword and hurled it toward me.

It flew straight for my heart.

But—

The game was already over.

I caught the sword without even turning around.

Ji-hye’s eyes widened in shock.

The light sword rested firmly in my hand.

The heat was intense.

My hand felt like it was boiling.

But I didn’t care.

This was more than enough.

I looked around.

And then I saw it.

Thin red threads.

Floating above the heads of every controlled person.

Before, I couldn’t see them.

Now—

I could.

I moved instantly.

Running at full speed, I sliced through the red threads one by one.

Each cut—

Another body collapsed.

One by one.

I turned toward Ji-hye.

She was still floating.

Not coming down.

Fine then.

I sprinted straight toward Flinch.

His face twisted in panic.

At that moment, Ji-hye turned into light again and shot toward me.

But I knew.

It was just a diversion.

I spun around sharply.

My eyes locked onto the red thread above the light.

I swung the light sword.

And—

It severed.

Ji-hye returned to her physical form mid-air and crashed onto the ground, tumbling violently.

She passed out instantly.

The light sword in my hand faded away.

Flinch trembled violently.

Still, he forced a twisted smile.

“Hah! You don’t have a weapon anymore!”

“Even if you beat Ji-hye, there’s no guarantee you can defeat me without your powers!”

I stood silently.

The pain in my chest—

Was gone.

My heart felt normal.

I smiled coldly.

“Yeah…”

“That’s exactly what someone who’s about to die would say.”

Void erupted from my right hand.

A dark blue light appeared.

At its center—

A galaxy of darkness.

Stars shimmering within endless void.

Flinch’s face drained of color.

Fear overtook him completely.

“T–that power…!”

“This time,” I said calmly,

“I’ll carve you into ten thousand pieces.”

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