Faced with news that staggering, no one could stay calm.
"You can see the future?!"
Several Hunters echoed the words almost reflexively, like their brains couldn't keep up. One after another, they turned to Scáthach for confirmation, voices trembling with disbelief.
Scáthach gave a small nod, then continued. "I can glimpse fragments of the future, yes. But these eyes aren't as all-powerful as you imagine. They can only catch the not-so-distant future, and what I see comes in broken, scattered pieces. Stitching those fragments into something usable is… taxing."
"And there's more." Her tone stayed unhurried. "The future my eyes observe isn't a fixed fact. If another being with future sight is also watching, our observations interfere—call it quantum entanglement, if you like. The result is instability. In the end, all that remains is turbulence. You can't capture even the blurriest image."
She explained at length, but none of the Hunters felt put off. If anything, they were thinking, That makes more sense. Of course it has limits. If you could see the future whenever you pleased, no strings attached… that'd be ridiculous.
Her explanation actually made them feel better.
"Are there… other people in this world who can see the future?" the A-Rank Hunter assigned as cameraman asked, puzzled.
"Mm… probably." Scáthach considered. "When I observe the future, I sometimes sense interference from someone else. If they didn't have future sight, they shouldn't be able to do that." Her gaze dipped slightly. "This world is larger than you think. Keep a student's humility."
As her crimson eyes swept over them, the Hunters in the cabin lowered their heads almost unconsciously. A chill lingered in their chests—the feeling that they'd been seen through.
Among the citizens watching the broadcast, some fell silent, others grew restless. All of them were shaken by the strength Scáthach had displayed.
And it wasn't only South Korea and Japan paying attention to the Jeju Island operation. Other countries were watching just as closely.
In the United States, the director of the Hunter Bureau stared at Scáthach on the screen. Others might doubt her claim of future sight, but he believed it—because he knew someone who could catch pieces of the future through prophetic dreams.
What's more, that person's prophetic dreams weren't something she gained after Awakening. Ten years earlier—before Hunters and Dungeons even existed—she'd already shown that ability, a genuine psychic. Back then, everyone had dismissed it as nonsense.
But from Scáthach's description, the director felt her eyes were even better than the ability he knew—at the very least, far more controllable.
...
Outside the helicopter, Sung Jinwoo was still carving a path through the horde.
Goto Ryuji watched the distant battle and felt his scalp go numb.
Is this what a National Level Hunter really looks like? Have I been living at the bottom of a well this whole time?
The thought cracked something inside him.
He'd always believed the only difference between himself and a National Level Hunter was the fact he'd never cleared an S-Rank Dungeon. But in the Jeju Island operation, not only had Esil outperformed him—Sung Jinwoo had killed, alone, the black ant that even he and Esil together couldn't handle.
Reality was telling him, plainly: "you're stronger than many S-Ranks… but you're still just S-Rank."
It wasn't only Goto Ryuji. The other Japanese Hunters took a heavy hit as well.
They'd come to support South Korea with pride in their hearts—only to realize South Korea might have reclaimed Jeju Island even without Japan's help. That truth shattered their arrogance.
Akari Shimizu still looked pale. She let out a slow breath. "National Level… can humans really become that strong?"
For years, Japan's Hunters had believed Goto Ryuji was unbeatable. After Jeju Island, they discovered there were many who stood above him.
"Human potential is far more terrifying than you think," Scáthach remarked, unexpectedly chiming in after hearing Akari's awe. "Though your example isn't quite right. Of the world's five National Level Hunters, four rely on external power. What the world calls their 'strength' isn't truly their own."
"External power?"
Scáthach's words didn't only spark Akari's curiosity—Goto Ryuji and the other Hunters perked up too, listening intently.
What kind of external power could elevate someone to National Level? From the way she said it, it sounded like four of the five reached that rank through such a force.
So… could they become National Level too, if they obtained this "external power"?
"I can see the hunger in your hearts," Scáthach said, eyes half-lidded. "But unfortunately, I won't explain the source of that 'external power.' It would cause unnecessary disasters in society, and that's not something I care to witness."
She spoke slowly, voice calm.
"All I'll say is… those who rely on external power share one common ability: 'causing physical influence without touching an object.'"
In other words—Rulers' Authority, one of the abilities of a fragment of light.
Those four National Level Hunters were chosen as vessels of the Rulers, which was why they could wield that power freely.
And the Shadow Monarch—once the greatest fragment of light, fallen into a Monarch—also possessed it. Sung Jinwoo used it with a mastery that bordered on the divine.
The Hunters in the cabin realized it at the same time. One by one, they turned to the window, staring at the silhouette dancing through lightning in the ant swarm.
"Hunter Sung Jinwoo… is he a National Level Hunter who relies on external power too?"
Someone voiced the question in a shaking whisper. No one rebuked it. Everyone's attention was seized by that black figure moving within the thunderlight.
Sung Jinwoo was already cutting them down like wheat, but there were always stragglers. When the Ant Queen had still been alive, the ants moved with organization and discipline. Now, without her control, their movements became erratic—some even fled out over the sea, angling toward China.
Those ants were later dealt with by China's National Level Hunter, Liu Zhigang. Scáthach even used [Clairvoyance] to watch Liu Zhigang's performance for herself—because it was China, and it would be a lie to say she didn't care.
The purge lasted a full forty-eight hours. When dawn finally rose over Jeju Island again, Hunters at last stepped onto the battered, war-scarred ground to begin the final cleanup. They gathered scattered mana crystals, hauled mountains of ant corpses, and stayed alert for any lingering threats.
But those tedious jobs were more than enough for the A-Rank teams. There was no need to trouble Esil, Sung Jinwoo, Cha Hae-In, and the others. They had already done more than enough in the battle for Jeju Island.
Even with Scáthach and Sung Jinwoo present, even though no S-Rank Hunters died in the Jeju Island campaign, many Hunters still fell during the two-day purge. No matter how decisively Sung Jinwoo annihilated most of the swarm, a few flying soldier ants still slipped through and reached coastal towns.
To honor those who gave their lives, South Korea held a solemn state funeral. Mournful music echoed over the national cemetery. White flowers blanketed each coffin. Citizens lined both sides of the streets, holding white blossoms, seeing the heroes off on their final journey.
Where there is war, sacrifice is unavoidable. There was no changing that.
"Then we'll be heading back, Scáthach-oneesan! Don't forget us just because I'm going home, okay? My number's already saved in your phone! When I call, you better answer!"
In the airport departure lounge, Akari Shimizu chattered around Scáthach like a cheerful lark. She truly didn't want to part—not because of Goto-san's assignment to get close to Scáthach, but out of genuine attachment.
Scáthach felt like a trusted older sister—always offering an understanding look at exactly the right moment, dissolving conflict with a few light words. That steady, reassuring presence made Akari drift closer without realizing it, like a lost traveler drawn to a lighthouse.
Of course, that was because Akari had only seen Scáthach in daily life—never Scáthach in battle. The misunderstanding ran deep.
Scáthach's fight with Querehsha, the Monarch of Plagues, had taken place in the Land of Shadows. The only person who knew of it was Sung Jinwoo. To everyone else, Scáthach had practically "done nothing" during the Jeju Island operation—just kept to the sidelines.
Yet none of the S-Rank Hunters who took part would object. In their eyes, the two abilities Scáthach had already shown—glimpsing the future, and helping others raise their strength—were priceless. And honestly, no one would want an asset like that on the front lines if it could be helped.
To Scáthach, Akari looked like a little sparrow that never stopped chirping, and she couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.
"Safe travels." Her voice held faint amusement. "Without you in my ear, the days ahead will be much quieter."
"Heehee! Scáthach-oneesan, are you worried you'll get lonely when I'm gone?" Akari boldly looped her arm through Scáthach's, beaming. "Then come visit Japan! South Korea's food is seriously not my taste—kimchi, instant noodles, all day long. I'm dying. When you come to Japan, I'll take you to try real Japanese food. You'll love it! You might love it so much you won't even want to go back!"
Cha Hae-In was among the group seeing them off. The instant she saw Akari hugging Scáthach's arm so intimately, she stiffened—and when Akari blurted out that shameless invitation, Cha Hae-In went pale with shock. She immediately rushed over and copied Akari, hooking her own arm around Scáthach's other side.
"Miss Scáthach isn't going to Japan with you! South Korea matters more to her! Besides, she took two disciples in South Korea!"
"So what? They're just disciples!" Akari shot Cha Hae-In a glare, utterly unyielding even as a healer—because Scáthach was right there. In sheer attitude, she didn't give an inch. "I can be Scáthach-oneesan's disciple too! Not just me—Kanae-neesan, Goto-san, and Mari-neesan could all ask Miss Scáthach to teach us!"
"Miss Scáthach won't take disciples that casually! She chooses carefully—one in ten thousand! Only true warriors with real talent and potential have the right to become her disciple!"
"We're all S-Rank! How is that 'casual'?!" Akari snapped back. "Aren't you S-Rank too? What are you acting so high-and-mighty for?!"
Their foreheads nearly touched, the tension sharp enough to cut. Nearby travelers kept glancing over.
"This is their turf. Don't embarrass us here."
Kanae Tawata shook her head and grabbed Akari by the back of the collar, yanking her away.
Recruiting Scáthach to Japan was a shared desire, sure—but blurting it out like that in public? They were still in South Korea, not even home yet.
"I'm sorry," Kanae said first to Cha Hae-In, trying to smooth things over. Then she turned to Scáthach. "If not for Miss Scáthach and Miss Esil, our ten S-Rank Hunters from Japan might truly have been wiped out…" Her voice was sincere. "Thank you. If Miss Scáthach and Miss Esil ever want to visit Japan, you'll be welcome anytime."
"Mm. I will." Scáthach smiled and nodded.
She had already seen the future. She would most likely be going to Japan soon—and Sung Jinwoo would have to go with her.
"It's a shame Esil-san couldn't come see us off…" Akari sighed, full of regret. Esil's heroic rescue on Jeju Island had left a deep impression on her.
Esil wasn't here because she was fast asleep.
Before the Jeju Island operation, she'd been put through Scáthach's hellish training. Now that it was over, the taut string inside her finally snapped—and she crashed instantly.
Esil was like countless students right after college entrance exams: desperate for a deep sleep to refresh, reboot, and format the brain. When she woke, she'd probably go right back to her usual adorably dim self… though whatever Scáthach had drilled into her muscle memory shouldn't disappear so easily.
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T/N: awww cute