Once upon a time, in a skyscraper on the outskirts of New Seoul, there lived a girl named Yuna.
Her beauty was so legendary it could knock birds from the sky, make flowers wilt in shame, and topple entire nations with nothing but her existence.
Yet this delicate-looking girl was, in truth, a pure-blooded, top-tier mythical majestic creature—a dragon.
"…Thinking about how shocked everyone must be… it keeps me up at night, worrying about them…!"
Yuna sniffled, blatantly fishing for sympathy, but the chat remained ice-cold.
[It's okay! We weren't surprised at all!]
"What…!? A peerless beauty like me turns out to be a dragon, and you're not even surprised?"
[Who wouldn't know? You sprout horns every time you get mad and flames literally leak out of your mouth. We honestly thought it was just a gimmick because you were so obvious about it.]
"How dare you write a whole novel for a measly 1,000 won donation!?"
[True, that tyrannical attitude is very dragon-like too, lol.]
"You! You're banned for a week."
As she continued her "friendly" interaction with the fans, urgent news suddenly popped up.
In this era, everyone had a personalized AI that scoured the net to deliver information tailored to their tastes.
"What… the hell is this…!?"
Even the dragon was stunned by what she saw.
Her fans had been decapitated and put on gruesome public display.
Any normal girl would have screamed or fainted, but Yuna was not normal.
"Which damn bloody motherfuckers did this!? When I catch them, I'll tear them limb from limb!!"
***
Meanwhile, at the Cheong-Am Euthanasia Center, Yu-Han and Alice were spending a rare quiet day together.
With both Kim Ga-Eun and Yi Rang on their day off, Alice had no desire to go out and was simply lounging on the sofa.
"Yu-Han, why don't you just date Ga-Eun already?"
Yu-Han, who had been sipping green tea in the break room, nearly choked to death.
"Where the hell did that dog-barking noise come from?"
"She looks like she'll die without you. Don't you think?"
"She should learn to stand on her own two feet instead of depending on others. Besides…"
Yu-Han paused for a moment, searching for a plausible excuse.
"She's still underage."
"You kill people like it's nothing, yet you suddenly turn into a saint when it comes to this?"
"And I'm not into kids younger than me! Especially girls in the middle of puberty.
They're rebellious, annoying, short-tempered… Every time I get involved, it's just a massive headache…"
Just then, a video call came through to the center. Of course, it was another teenage girl—Yuna.
[Alice? It's been a while. You know who I am, right?]
"Oh… hey. But this is the business line, so calling here is a bit…"
[Ha! You think I'd call for personal reasons? We're not that close. I just need a favor from our heroic euthanasia agents.]
Yuna immediately showed them the horrific images of her five fans displayed in public.
[You're a collaborator, so you'll help me, right?]
"Don't help her, Alice. It's a waste of time."
[What the hell was that fucking noise!? Is that piece of trash with you?]
"Trash? You don't have to call me 'Master,' but at least call me your contractor, please."
[To think a noble being like me would get dragged into the petty schemes of a guy like you…
Because of that duel last time, you gave those pathetic humans even more fuel for their shipping fantasies!]
Alice asked, looking puzzled.
"You two are being shipped? I thought you just fought."
[Stupid humans always assume any man and woman seen together are dating...]
Yu-Han, wanting to end the conversation and enjoy his rare day off, decided to exercise his authority as her contractor.
"It's an order. Go find someone else to help you. Stop bothering us."
[You trash…! Who do you think you're ordering around!?]
Yuna's massive dragon mana easily rejected Yu-Han's command.
Come to think of it, the contract did say she could 'refuse orders she deemed unfair.' Yu-Han was starting to seriously wonder who the real master was.
[I'll pay you, so stop complaining and just go handle it! No veto allowed! You trashy slave!]
"Any info?" Alice asked.
[If you want answers, go ask my personal Elite Guard. I expect good results.]
Elite Guard? Alice wondered if top influencers really walked around with their own private armies…
***
"Uh… um. So there were two of you. Good to see you again."
When they visited the 'Yuna Elite Guard' headquarters they found online, they were greeted by a familiar face—the lion beastkin, Ma Sa-Yun.
He was clad head-to-toe in Yuna merchandise and looked incredibly embarrassed.
"So you were a Yuna fan…"
"It's… a hobby. And a form of talent donation… yes…"
Yu-Han wore an expression of pure despair, too done to even mock him.
"To think the leader of a center with a new beginning is acting as an idol's servant."
"Grr…!!"
Ma Sa-Yun clearly didn't like Yu-Han, but he had no ground to stand on.
"Still, the job will be done quickly! Our 'Yuna Elite Guard' is strictly merit-based… We have euthanasia agents, private soldiers, and masters of all kinds of magic among us! I am the Captain of the 8th Squad!"
Alice felt grateful to be a robot. If she weren't, she probably would have made the same face as Yu-Han.
"So will the other captains be joining us today too?"
"Of course! The Captain of the 9th Squad is coming. She's the only woman among the Elite Guard captians and a master of summoning magic!"
"…What about the others?"
"They're strong, but they're also very busy…"
Just then, a cheerful voice rang out.
"Hey! Ma Sa-Yun C! How've you been? Wait, who are these peo—"
The young woman with dyed blonde hair froze the moment she saw Alice. Alice recognized her too.
It was Na Ye-Jin—the girl who had once summoned a phoenix to try and take their heads.
"Oh my god…! So the collaborator Alice-Unnie was coming to meet… I should've known. Uncle Yu-Han is here too…"
Na Ye-Jin couldn't even look them in the eye.
Unnie' is an affectionate term used by women to address older womon.
"To think you were acquainted with the Captain of the 9th Squad as well… What exactly is your relationship with her?"
"A fairly recent grudge."
Yu-Han sighed as he answered Ma Sa-Yun.
***
According to the information from the two captains, men wearing a suspicious emblem had been caught on nearby CCTV. After tracking the emblem through various footage, they confirmed the group was gathering at an abandoned factory. The four of them decided to head there in a van.
"But Ma Sa-Yun C, can you really access CCTV footage that easily?"
"Our 'Yuna Elite Guard' includes building owners and security personnel. They cooperate with us often."
"…Is that even legal?"
"Probably."
While Alice was talking with Ma Sa-Yun, Na Ye-Jin hesitantly approached her.
"Um, Alice-Unnie… I have a question."
"Oh? Don't be shy, ask away."
"Exactly when did you sign a contract with the Phoenix?"
"!!"
Alice realized the moment had finally come.
"Sorry… It suddenly offered me a contract out of nowhere. You know I was being attacked at the time, right?"
"Good grief… Why does that divine beast keep signing contracts with multiple people? I need to summon it and have a serious talk."
"Wait! You're going to summon it inside the van?"
"It's fine if I summon it in 'Spirit Mode.'"
Na Ye-Jin reached into the air and chanted a spell. A mass of spirit-like flames appeared. This phoenix had no physical body and consumed far less mana.
[Ah, Contractor. What is the matter?]
"Don't you have something to explain? Look at the two contractors sitting right in front of you."
[Please refer to Article 357, Section 3 of our agreement. Signing contracts with others is a right guaranteed to me as well.]
"Ugh…! Just how many clauses are there!"
[You must be quite disappointed. You were so happy saying, 'I'm going to be the protagonist of a prophecy!'… What a pity.]
"You damn bird! Why are you bringing that up!? Go back!"
Na Ye-Jin sent the phoenix spirit away in a fit of anger.
Alice was surprised to learn that Na Ye-Jin had harbored such grand dreams. If she had managed to contract with a dragon instead, would she have been treated like a hero too? It was ironic, considering her favorite influencer was that very dragon.
"Hey, don't believe everything that so-called 'divine beast' says. At the end of the day, it's a creature from another world. Who knows what it's really hiding behind that holy-bird act?"
"Yu-Han. I can't believe you're saying that."
Alice and Yu-Han were just starting another argument when the van suddenly began to slow down.
"What's going on!? The battery is draining rapidly!"
Ma Sa-Yun panicked, but Yu-Han simply let out a long, bored yawn.
"What are you so surprised about? It's obviously an enemy attack."
"What!"
At that moment, bamboo-spears flew toward the stalled van. The four of them immediately kicked open the doors and jumped out.
"My car! I still have installments to pay!"
"Look, Mr. Lion. Count yourself lucky you're still breathing."
Countless people had already surrounded the van. Every one of them wore the emblem they had seen on the CCTV footage.
The emblem of the 'Hammer and Sickle'…!