The next day, a letter arrived in front of the Cheong-Am Euthanasia Center. In stark contrast to the bubbly and cute stationery that a teenage girl might use, the word 'Letter of Challenge' was written on it. Everyone who had been on standby at the center due to yesterday's events crowded around to take a look.
"What the heck is this?"
The main text actually only read, 'Check out my live stream!'.
Yi Rang, who was surprisingly level-headed, was also dumbfounded upon seeing the challenge letter too.
"Man, how's anyone supposed to know what 'my live stream' means... She didn't even write down the damn time!"
"Still, I think I have a clear idea of who sent it."
Right on time, a direct call came straight into Alice's head. Any calls to the office were connected to Alice's communication module. Alice turned on the hologram screen, checking Yuna's live stream simultaneously with the call. She was leaning back arrogantly on a prop throne, smiling.
[Hello~? Everyone at Cheong-Am? You checked the gift I sent, right?]
"But, if you were going to contact us like this, why did you send this letter of challenge?"
[Hah!? Don't you understand analog charm? If I just contacted you directly, it'd lack any elegance or romance!! Are you a machine with a dry soul?]
At the remark about being a machine, Alice grumbled internally.
'What am I supposed to do about it? I literally am a machine…'
[More importantly, Kim Ga-Eun from your office!! I cannot forgive the insult you dared to give me, so I challenge you to a life-or-death duel!!]
Alice refuted that statement.
"Still, isn't trying to kill someone just over a single insult a bit too much?"
[Of course! That would make me look too narrow-minded, right? So I, being noble and broad-minded, will give you a chance! The people of your office will grovel and apologize in front of the citizens right now, and then pay a settlement for defamation! Fufu!]
"I get the apologizing part, but telling us to grovel... And defamation too?"
As Alice was about to argue, Kim Ga-Eun quietly stepped forward.
"Alice C. We haven't done anything wrong, so why are we even arguing about this? In short, there won't be any problem if I just kill that bitch, right?"
[...Do you really have zero morals? Your self-awareness is seriously lacking too.]
Alice felt that Kim Ga-Eun's eyes were completely rolled back with madness as she glared at Yuna. Yu-Han couldn't stand the sight of it either and stepped in to speak.
"That duel, I accept it."
[Who do you think you are to butt in! Outsiders, stay out of this!]
Certainly, on paper, Yu-Han had nothing to do with the Cheong-Am Center. After thinking deeply, Yu-Han made an unavoidable choice.
"I'm not an outsider though? I am... the true Deputy Director of the Cheong-Am Center. And, since I'm also the guardian of this little kid, I do have some responsibility."
Yuna seemed slightly surprised, but then remembered something.
[Now that I think about it, aren't you the boyfriend from before? Come to think of it, I feel like I was pretty insulted by you too! Fine! Killing the person you love right in front of your eyes should be very painful, don't you think?]
"To correct you, I'm not her boyfriend."
[Enough! Tomorrow evening at 6! I'll see you at the New Jamsil Baseball Stadium! You'd better think of a will! Well then, that concludes the announcement broadcast! Bye everyone~!]
Yuna's live stream turned off.
"Yu-Han C. Why did you stop me? Do you think I can't handle someone of her level!"
As Kim Ga-Eun sulked at Yu-Han and argued with bloodthirsty eyes, Alice made an excuse for some reason.
"Ga-Eun... Isn't it because this guy still cares for you? Don't you know what a black knight is?"
At Alice's words, Yi Rang nodded continuously in agreement, and hearing that, Kim Ga-Eun's expression seemed to soften. However, Yu-Han didn't leave it at that.
"Don't misunderstand. If this monster mutt wins, there's going to be a blood and guts party broadcast live nationwide. What would happen to our center's image?"
At Yu-Han's words, murderous intent dwelled in the eyes of all three women simultaneously... Seeing that, Yu-Han sighed.
'Why are there no normal people around me?'
***
And the next day, New Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
Because Korean baseball had declined due to being so terrible at it, it was easy to rent out the baseball stadium. Standing in the middle of the field, Yuna was overflowing with confidence.
"Alright! Today we're going with the 'Teaching a Trash Couple a Lesson' content! But where could my duel opponent have gone~?"
Tearing into a chicken drumstick in the spectator stands, Yi Rang asked Alice next to her.
"But what's that punk Yu-Han doin' that he still ain't here? Constipation?"
"He said he needed to prepare something and I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since last night."
As 6 o'clock approached, Yuna snorted and declared.
"Oh my! It seems my opponent was a coward and ran away! I expected it, but what a boring ending!"
Seeing that, Kim Ga-Eun snorted as well.
"Ha! Stupid bitch. You think Yu-Han C would run away from the likes of you?"
Kim Ga-Eun was fully armed with cheering gear printed with Yu-Han's name and photo. Dumbfounded, Alice asked.
"...You already forgave that bastard Yu-Han after hearing him say those things?"
"Love never goes the way you want it to~ Hehe."
Be that as it may, there was only one minute left until exactly 6 o'clock. Yuna clicked her tongue, disappointed that she couldn't farm views with the duel. However, Yu-Han had already arrived a long time ago. At her heart. Literally.
"Hey, I'm not late, right?"
Yu-Han offered a refreshing greeting, but something was off. From behind Yuna, he had pierced through the area near her heart with a carbon-coated sword!
"Kuahk! Wh-What... Pulling this kind of cowardly stunt!"
"There wasn't any rule in the duel guidelines about where and how I had to make my entrance!"
Yu-Han kicked Yuna's ass to slide her off the blade. However, far from dying, Yuna looked filled with anger and murderous intent.
"Kids these days don't even die when you stab them through the heart? The generation gap is truly terrifying."
"You motherfucker...!!"
Yuna wanted to pour out a bucket of curses, but since she was in front of the camera, she exercised her professionalism and calmed down. Instead... she cast her magic.
"You filthy piece of trash! I will judge you myself!"
In an instant, Yuna's entire body was engulfed in mana. Mana Armor, which is application of Mana Avatar, is a technique that can instantaneously create clothing and weapons projecting one's soul.
"Oh my! Are you planning to transform into a magical girl!!"
Shouting that, Yu-Han threw his carbon-coated sword from a distance, hitting the transforming Yuna near her vitals. Having finished her transformation, Yuna was in the form of a magical girl like a blue angel, wearing frilly clothing. The only flaw was that Yu-Han's carbon-coated blades were embedded in her shoulder blade and abdomen.
"You! Don't you even know the rule that you shouldn't attack during a transformation!?"
"The rule I know is: never use a technique that takes longer than a second to cast in close combat…"
Hearing that, Yuna pulled out the blades with her bare hands and summoned her weapon, a magic wand. That magic wand, embedded with a blue jewel, was made of tungsten alloy.
"I W I L L K I L L Y O U !!"
Yuna refreshingly swung that blunt weapon—or, magic wand—at Yu-Han. Yu-Han gave up even trying to parry it with his blade and dodged the attacks like a loach.
'Gah. Why is she so strong? Plus she has regenerative abilities... She's annoying to death.'
While thinking that, Yu-Han suddenly shouted.
"It can't be helped!! Take this, Electro-Magic!!"
"!?"
Yuna instantly deployed a mana barrier to block the electricity magic. But that was a mistake. As if he had been waiting, Yu-Han activated water magic, trapping Yuna inside a giant water droplet just like that.
"SSiBal!! You fucking coward!!"
"Tricking a girl and still calling yourself a man?! Cut your dick off, you fuck!"
Jeers directed at Yu-Han erupted from the spectator stands. Yu-Han smiled genially and calmed the audience down.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down, everyone. When did I ever deceive her? I am going to use Electro-Magic too, you know? Right now!"
Yu-Han mercilessly activated Electro-Magic toward Yuna, who was trapped in the water. Unable to endure the electric shocks, Yuna blew the water away with her mana-shockwave.
"I wasn't going to use this far... You're really annoying!!"
When pink mana gathered around Yuna to the point of being visible, the spectators who saw it scattered in a panic.
"Damn it, Yuna nim is going to use 'that'! Everyone, run away from in front of her!!"
Watching the fleeing audience, Yu-Han intuited that her ultimate move was coming.
'Well, normally I'd just dodge it or cancel it out... but I need to definitely counter it and crush her spirit.'
And finally, with her technique complete, Yuna fired a massive pink beam.
"Justice—Supernova!!!"
The pink beam tore through the ground and rushed towards Yu-Han.
"Honestly. Kids really love giving names to their techniques..."
Yu-Han coated his sword blade in white, pure mana energy, and swung it. The mana-infused slash took the form of a beam and collided with Yuna's beam.
"No way... How could a mere ordinary human!?"
Yuna was appalled that Yu-Han's beam could rival hers. No, she was even being pushed back little by little. The more she was pushed back, the more it snowballed, until it finally reached Yuna and burned her entire body...!
A moment later, a tattered Yuna lay collapsed on the ground. Yu-Han approached to demand a declaration of defeat.
"How could... someone like you defeat me...!"
"You were obsessed with receiving love from others. That is your cause of defeat."
Yu-Han was about to cleanly finish her off with his carbon-coated blade. At that moment, Alice dragged Kim Ga-Eun down and stopped Yu-Han.
"Stop it now!"
"Move. I have to finish this so there won't be any future trouble."
"You don't need to go that far..."
"It's a right I earned by fairly winning the duel?"
"Fair, you say... After using that many cowardly tricks!? And this too!"
Alice stretched the collar of Yu-Han's clothes and showed what was inside. On Yu-Han's skin, stickers printed with simple magic circles were stuck on like barnacles on the bottom of a ship.
Magic circles for mana storage... They were single-use and the stored mana would discharge in less than a few hours, but because it was a duel with a set time, he was able to use them.
"The rules had a lot of loopholes, so... Heh!"
"What the... You beat me with something like that and then lectured me about love or whatever!?"
Yu-Han made a comical expression, trying to smooth things over. Though Yuna had a seething expression.
"Everyone. This current trend of trying to kill each other over a mere verbal argument is weird! If we just reconcile healthily, there's no need for this! Now, Ga-Eun, apologize to her."
"Sorry. For calling you a cyber whore."
"Is she really apologizing!?"
At Ga-Eun's insincere apology, Yuna's eyes were on the verge of rolling back. In the end, the wise Yu-Han had no choice but to step in again.
"Ga-Eun, from now on, you shouldn't bully the weak, okay? And! You shouldn't feed the attention seekers. Got it?"
"Yes, Yu-Han C!"
The two launched into their cheerful morals lecture with bright smiles.
"You bastards, I'll kill you... I'm going to kill you!!"
"Puhaha! How are you going to kill me in that state. You look like you're in physical discomfort, so why don't you just keep lying there?"
And finally, Yuna's anger crossed the critical point. A shadow fell over the face of the mocking Yu-Han. A literal, physical shadow, that is.
A massive creature over 20 meters tall was blocking Yu-Han, Alice, and Kim Ga-Eun. Two horns, wings, blue scales... This creature was definitely...
"It's a dragon."
"Is it a dragon, huh?"
"It's a dragon. To anyone's eyes."
The three people only then realized how Yuna was able to match Kim Ga-Eun in a contest of strength, and why she possessed abnormal durability.
"Grrrr..."
"Run away, everyone!!"
With Alice's shout, the spectators began to flee in terror. And the dragon began to burn and destroy whatever was in front of it indiscriminately.
It saw Kim Ga-Eun and tried to stomp on her, but Kim Ga-Eun had already turned into a monster and was lifting the dragon's foot instead.
"Damn it... I have no choice but to summon her for this!"
The only thing capable of standing against the legendary creature, a dragon, would be a legendary divine beast...! Alice chanted a spell and summoned the Phoenix at the maximum possible output!
As the Phoenix appeared, the rampaging dragon stopped.
"As expected of a legendary divine beast! Just what kind of magic did she use?"
Alice marveled, but the Phoenix seemed to have absolutely no interest in fighting.
[Finally... I have found you, my child.]
At the Phoenix's telepathy, the massive dragon slowly opened its mouth.
"M-Mama...?"