Chapter 132: The Gathering Storm

“We must devise a countermeasure.”

The leadership of Air-Rain, gathered around a circular table, wracked their brains. Jin Sa-yoon, who had secretly departed for Korea a short while ago, had returned with astonishing news.

He immediately convened the Air-Rain leadership and relayed the information he had received from Kim Chae-jun.

“So, Han Do-hoon suddenly issued an order to immediately execute any Air-Rain members or Irregulars discovered. And from now on, if a village is found, it will be instantly bombed instead of being raided or captured?”

“That’s correct.”

A collective sigh deepened the gloom. The Esper Alliance pressuring Air-Rain was nothing new, but there had always been a performative element to their actions.

Air-Rain was, in fact, an organization the Esper Alliance needed. To solidify their own status, they had to oppress Air-Rain while still keeping it intact.

“Why would they suddenly make such a choice? They still need us, don’t they?”

“It seems they’ve decided to eliminate us entirely.”

“Looks like we’re destined to be used our whole lives only to be ground into dust.”

Amidst the despairing reactions of the others, Sa-yoon, head bowed, quietly replayed his phone conversation with Kim Chae-jun.

‘Han Do-hoon is acting strangely. He must know, he absolutely must know that the team leader is there, so why would he make such a decision? His inability to communicate isn’t new, but his words are peculiar. It’s as if he’s possessed.’

After parting ways with Sa-yoon on the island, he had hoped that if Han Do-hoon harbored even a shred of guilt, he would investigate the truth about Air-Rain. Had that expectation been too much to bear?

Sa-yoon clenched his fists. He couldn’t endlessly be surprised and swept away by Han Do-hoon’s reactions. Regardless of Han Do-hoon’s decisions, Sa-yoon had to forge his own path.

Go Ok-kyung had told Sa-yoon as much. There was one last mountain left to climb. Though exceptionally high and steep, there had never been an easy moment in all the time Sa-yoon had endured.

“Nothing will change. This was always bound to happen, and the timing has simply accelerated beyond our plans.”

“But our opponent is the Alliance. Even just calculating their combat personnel, they outnumber us by eightyfold.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t fall so easily.”

“Do you have some kind of plan?”

Sa-yoon looked at Kang Tae-han. Meeting his gaze, Kang Tae-han nodded. There was a conversation they had shared before this meeting at the round table.

“From now on, we will also change our policy. We will no longer merely react for survival, but formulate plans to overpower our opponents.”

“Surely you don’t mean…”

“We will gather our dispersed forces, form units, and wage an all-out war against the Alliance.”

The gazes of those gathered around Sa-yoon trembled. Until now, Air-Rain had endured unjust attacks without ever initiating an offense.

Partially, this was because they didn’t want to turn soldiers, who were unknowingly deceived, into victims. But they had also acted cautiously, fearing unforeseen repercussions. This strategy had been chosen because, while some losses were inevitable, it prevented complete annihilation.

“W-what if they respond even more aggressively?”

“Then we will respond even more aggressively. Besides, they’ve already declared war. Things can’t get any worse.”

Up to this point, there had been a belief that the Alliance wouldn’t make the worst choices due to their need for Air-Rain. But now, things were different. Since the enemies were resolved to eliminate Air-Rain, Air-Rain, too, would have to employ every means to survive.

And there was one more thing that was different from before.

“What if they launch a full-scale attack after that…?”

“Then we fight.”

Jin Sa-yoon looked around. The faces of the people seated around the table all bore the same expression. Beneath the thin masks of forced composure, undeniable fear and despair shone through.

The majority of the Air-Rain leadership consisted of Espers or Irregulars. Possessing abilities that would garner respect anywhere, they were powerful individuals who held important positions and fulfilled their roles within Air-Rain. However, no matter how strong their powers, their true nature was not that of warriors.

The wish of everyone who had come here was the same: to live their lives peacefully, quietly, without drawing attention. They had simply stepped forward as bullet shields because they were slightly stronger than others, yet they felt the same anxiety.

“Eightyfold difference in combat personnel is no problem at all.”

“Why isn’t that a problem?”

The speaker looked up at Sa-yoon. As if realizing something, they stared intently at Jin Sa-yoon.

“Gather all the villagers in one place. It will be easier to protect them that way. To defend a closed space and fight…”

Sa-yoon puffed out his chest confidently as he spoke.

“There’s no one in this world who can do it better than me.”

Hopes ignited in the eyes of the people. A sliver of expectation began to blossom, planting seeds in their minds.

It was Sa-yoon’s mission to nurture those seeds and make them bloom into the largest, most spectacular flowers.

“Don’t worry.”

Though he repeated the same words, the reactions of the people were markedly different. Making eye contact with each person who slowly began to smile and nod, Sa-yoon dreamed of a new future.

The work proceeded quickly. Villagers gathered from various countries were secretly loaded onto transport ships and converged on the battlefield. This mobility was possible thanks to the sale of two warships, providing ample means of transport. Simultaneously, Kang Tae-han’s village on the battlefield strengthened its perimeter defenses.

Sa-yoon and Kang Ah-jun took the lead, shifting the terrain and transforming the village into a massive basin.

“More new people are arriving.”

“This time it was from Pakistan, right? It’s a relief they weren’t late.”

Sa-yoon nodded at Kang Ah-jun’s words. This latest merger had been precarious. If the arriving group had been two days later, they would have been caught in a massive bombardment along with the existing village; they had narrowly escaped death.

Perhaps because of that, their expressions were dark, even after arriving at a safe place.

“I really didn’t think they’d just blow it all up at once.”

The Esper Alliance, having declared war, immediately dispatched Esper units to exterminate all life upon discovering a village, just as they had stated. It was a ruthless suppression, leaving not even a single pet dog to be salvaged.

“Will it be safe here?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

The village where Sa-yoon resided was special, more so than others. It was the oldest sanctuary, home to the largest number of adult Rains. This was why it had managed to survive undetected for so long in a battlefield teeming with Alliance members.

“Oh, right. How are the reactions to the new video?”

“It doesn’t seem to have been deleted yet.”

Sa-yoon replied, scanning the distance. Shortly after the round table meeting, Park Han-woo had approached Sa-yoon. He had then cautiously spoken.

‘I know the situation Air-Rain is in is dire, but I think now is the perfect time to expose them.’

This meant filming Air-Rain’s true identity and spreading it to the world, as originally planned. Sa-yoon had wondered if it would make a difference, given the Alliance’s resolve to eliminate Air-Rain, but he had filmed a video at Producer Park Han-woo’s request.

The video, titled ‘Hello, this is Jin Sa-yoon,’ was a one-hour interview containing everything Sa-yoon and Air-Rain had wanted to convey. It revealed that the creatures seen in previous videos were not fabrications, but adult Rains and Irregulars coexisting. Finally, it calmly detailed Air-Rain’s current predicament.

All acts of terrorism and riots were not Air-Rain’s doing; they had all been falsely accused. The video garnered over five million views within hours of being uploaded and became a hot topic, dominating various online communities for days.

However, virality and influence were different matters. While everyone poured passionate attention into it, public reaction was extremely divided. Opinions were split down the middle between those demanding an explanation from the Alliance if this was true, and those who dismissed it as unbelievable, refusing to trust such claims, leading to fierce debate.

Sa-yoon hadn’t been overly concerned, as he had expected a negative initial reaction. However, the cynical public response seemed to have somewhat wounded the Air-Rain members.

Park Han-woo, who had actually uploaded the video, had a consistently bright expression. He was worried it would be buried but happy it had become a hot topic, celebrating alone amidst the somber faces. Reflecting on his own experience, he rejoiced, stating that such a standoff was proof that it would maintain attention for a long time.

“So, when are you going to film the follow-up video?”

Sa-yoon shook his head at Kang Ah-jun’s question.

“Not for a while. Complaining too much about being wronged would look bad. We need to resolve the situation we’re facing first.”

Even if all accusations were cleared, it would be meaningless if they died. Everything only held meaning if they survived. For now, entrusting the future to the uploaded video and focusing on the present was the best course of action.

“But Team Leader, there’s sand stirring up over there again. That’s strange. The next team isn’t expected for another three hours.”

“Hold on. That direction isn’t our entry route.”

Sa-yoon rose to his feet. As he gestured to Kang Ah-jun, he closed his eyes and scanned the distant area. The direction from which the sand dust rose was utterly black. It was a pitch-black space where no white lines were visible. This phenomenon occurred when countless Espers, gathering as green dots, overlapped so densely that they obscured all white lines, making the area dark.

“Kang Ah-jun. Return to the village immediately. Gather those with the ability to conceal their presence and hide.”

“What about you, Team Leader? Let’s evacuate together.”

“I have to stop them.”

If they had known for certain that this was Sa-yoon’s hidden village, they wouldn’t have sent this much force. Esperes on patrol had occasionally been spotted near the village before, so this was likely a similar situation. Normally, they would simply hide their presence and wait for them to pass by, but today the timing was terrible. It was the day people were joining the village, and more villagers were expected in a few hours. If they encountered each other, both sides could be in danger.

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