The mana imprint Han Yoojin had received had been carved with special care in Medesang, which possessed the finest imprinting techniques. Mu, a half-elemental and the very best in that world at handling mana, had personally opened the path for the imprint, and even the tools and materials had been the highest grade, used without restraint.
On top of that, its scale had been unprecedented. A path of mana that ran all the way down to his waist, something that could only be carved because one life could be given in exchange.
Its effect ought to have easily surpassed anything Han Yoojin had imagined, but the problem was his weak F-rank body.
Han Yoojin's own magic power and mana had been absurdly insufficient for the mana imprint to demonstrate its true effect. It was like trying to run the latest software on a computer more than ten years out of date. Installation itself should have been impossible, but through a workaround it had been forced in by brute means, only to fail to function properly.
But right now, Han Yoojin's body was S-rank. He was not borrowing the stats of some other S-rank Hunter through Chainling's power, but had been newly constituted as a true S-rank Awakened being as the crescent moon's avatar body.
"This is… pretty…"
Han Yoojin's eyes widened slightly at the sensitivity of his own senses winding acutely through the entirety of the department store's third floor. Like a beast waking slowly from deep hibernation, the mana imprint was activating in response to its master's body. And even this still was not one hundred percent.
He even thought for a moment that it might be difficult to control completely even as an S-rank.
"..."
Song Taewon, too, could feel the change in Han Yoojin. Because he fought mostly using his body directly, as a close-combat type, he gave the impression of being far removed from mana handling, but Song Taewon's mana sensitivity was actually excellent. To begin with, the very ability to nullify other people's skills required delicate mana control.
During battle, it disrupted the opponent's skill and mana structure, and if given enough time, it infiltrated the opponent's mana capacity itself and lowered the skill rank. The former was difficult enough, but the latter was extremely intricate.
And Han Yoojin's mana hammered against even Song Taewon's sharp senses like a torrential downpour. For an instant, the word monster flashed through his mind.
"Oh? Chief Secretary Song."
Seeing Song Taewon's expression harden, Han Yoojin smiled thinly.
"What did you just think?"
As the potions all spilled out, the power within them seeped into Han Yoojin. His body recovered, and the potions became ordinary water, swaying in the air.
"So now I've made it onto your list of monsters to hunt down and kill too?"
"…No."
"Why not? Even I think I seem like a monster."
"But Han Yoojin-ssi…"
Kwa-gwa-gwang! An explosion sounded from the floor below. Part of the floor on the far side of the third floor could be seen collapsing. The clatter of chains and the chiming of chains rang faintly through the air.
Even from this distance, Han Yoojin was controlling the moonlight, his own mana, perfectly.
"You stepped forward in order to protect me."
If Han Yoojin had abandoned Song Taewon, he would never have ended up like this.
Water spread shallowly beneath Song Taewon's feet. It was too much to be just potions. Aside from potions, all the liquids on the third floor had been cleared away, but now water was being drawn in from somewhere.
The steadily rising water reached over the heels of his shoes.
"And you also called yourself a victim—"
"How innocent."
Chwaaak!
The water pooled on the floor shot up. More than ten streams of water became sharp ice spears and flew toward Song Taewon.
"That part was partly sincere, but there were plenty of lies mixed in too. To begin with, people are like that."
Song Taewon's leg swung out wide. The ice shattered with a crack, and glittering fragments embroidered the darkness. Splash, splash, water flew every time he moved.
Now it had risen past the tops of his shoes.
"Same goes for the things people say all the time. Especially when they say, 'I'm fine.' What else are they supposed to say?"
Sliding over the fishing lines, Han Yoojin pursued Song Taewon. Beads of water hanging from the silver threads scattered beneath his feet.
"If I'm the only one who's fine, then no one else gets hurt~ Chief Secretary Song too, if you said you weren't fine, there are lots of people around you who'd worry, right?"
Thud! As he blocked Han Yoojin's attack, Song Taewon thought of the people he had killed. The ones who would have been safe outside the dungeon.
What they had been saying after his death. How they had worried in ordinary times. A paper cup crumpling completely inside his hand came to mind. The warmth passed to him, and the familiar scent of instant coffee mix.
Water seized Song Taewon's ankles. Ice wrapped around his wrists. Sharp silver threads raked across his skin.
"If becoming S-rank in order to protect others doesn't make you a monster, then what are you, Chief Secretary Song?"
Chwaak! Together with the water, Han Yoojin's leg swept high up. The water coiling upward in the shape of a half-moon froze in an instant and sliced across Song Taewon's chest as sharply as a blade. His clothes were cut as if by scissors, and a red line appeared on his skin.
"My younger brother died saving me."
Han Yoojin's voice dropped heavily for an instant. An ice spear grazed Song Taewon's ear, and the sword of flames scraped just under his jaw.
"Han Yoohyun was, well, honestly different from ordinary humans. Elder was too."
Kuung! Song Taewon's back struck a pillar. The moment he bent his body, the pillar—right where his head had been—was cut clean through. Fragments pattered down, rolling over the floor drowned in water, and Song Taewon moved from his spot.
Now the water had nearly risen to his ankles.
"But what would that have changed? He was my younger brother."
"But I—!"
The silver threads wound around Song Taewon tightly with each step. Each individual strand could have been broken easily, but once so many gathered together, it became difficult to move properly.
Han Yoojin did not miss that opening. Spinning his whole body, he drove in a powerful kick that pressed straight into Song Taewon's chest. At last, splash, sending water flying high, Song Taewon fell. The water he was half-submerged in froze instantly. Buried halfway beneath ice that must have weighed several tons, on top of dozens of special fishing lines, even an S-rank Hunter could not easily escape.
Han Yoojin's foot pressed quietly against Song Taewon's throat.
"Would you like to leave any last words?"
"…I would remain wary of myself."
Until the very end.
And so Song Taewon tried to force strength into his fingertips. He knew he could not get free. He was an S-rank Awakened, a being capable of stopping Sung Hyunjae. Even if that fact would never change. Even if his skin was scraped open, even if the muscles of his fingers and wrist twisted, he did not stop.
Silver eyes looked down into Song Taewon's.
"Would you have been like this even before the regression? You definitely would have, right?"
Dark crimson flames gathered at Han Yoojin's fingertips. They became a long sword, gripped in his hand. He could feel Sung Hyunjae's gaze from the third floor now. For some reason, Sung Hyunjae was no longer approaching.
"So there's no doubt."
Han Yoojin gritted his teeth and went on.
"Song Taewon would have saved Sung Hyunjae."
The sword swung.
Blood shot up.
Han Yoojin swallowed back a groan and staggered backward. Song Taewon stared at him with wide eyes. Sung Hyunjae's hand picked up Han Yoojin's hand, which had flown off some distance away.
"…Haah, I wasn't trying to kill him! Damn it!"
Han Yoojin shouted loudly.
"I'm not killing him! Him, I mean! And damn it, why do I have to go through all this!"
Frowning deeply, he began ranting as if complaining to himself, even cursing outright.
"You fucking crescent moon bastard! You only made me S-rank, so how far do you think you can make me go with that! Do you know how many items I've used! And damn it, it's not like all I've got are bad stats. If you look at abilities alone, I'm not jealous of S-ranks, got it? Hey, with just what you gave me, I'd have been suppressed ages ago!"
The efficiency was poor, and there was no reward. So why should he kill Song Taewon?
Han Yoojin let his temper fly with everything he had.
"So what if it's just S-rank stats! …Well, they were nice, I guess. But I'm better! And you're going to throw me around like this? I won't put up with this any longer out of sheer resentment if nothing else! This is completely pointless!"
Song Taewon would not kill Sung Hyunjae. Even if he was the head of the monsters he ought to oppose, in the end, Song Taewon would try to protect even monsters from himself. He was that kind of person.
"It's pointless. It's pointless, I'm telling you! It is!"
There was no need to kill him.
He had to kill him.
He was someone who threatened the little moon.
No.
Han Yoojin ran one remaining hand down over his face. His eyes, still silver, turned toward Sung Hyunjae.
"And I swallowed that too."
Couldn't he do it even now?
Han Yoojin turned his body and started walking toward Sung Hyunjae. Behind him came the sound of ice breaking. But only one arm had gotten free.
"Sung Hyunjae-ssi."
Lifting the corner of his mouth, Han Yoojin said,
"Please kill me."
It's about time to wrap this up.
As if that were the flare that started the battle, Sung Hyunjae, who had stood still until then, began to move. Han Yoojin did not stay docile either. Sliding across the frozen floor, their bodies overlapped. Han Yoojin's claws pierced through Sung Hyunjae's shoulder. Unbothered, Sung Hyunjae grabbed Han Yoojin's one remaining wrist.
Crack. The sound of bone twisting rang out, and poison seeped into Sung Hyunjae's wound. Han Yoojin's tail crunched into the ice like a spearhead. Bracing himself with the tail on the slippery floor where it was hard to put strength into his body, he tore his captured arm free in a single motion.
In the process, Sung Hyunjae's shoulder was torn open badly. Blood ran down the hem of his coat all the way to his feet, yet without the slightest hesitation he drove a knee into Han Yoojin's waist. The membrane of the wings spread around his waist ripped apart under the sharp knee strike, and as Han Yoojin staggered, Sung Hyunjae caught his arm again.
Jallang. Only one silver chain could be formed now, and it shot toward Sung Hyunjae. Sung Hyunjae offered up his arm instead of using the Searcher's Chains. Silver pierced through his arm, and gold wrapped around Han Yoojin's leg and crushed it.
Sung Hyunjae studied Han Yoojin hanging limp in his grasp.
"What are you… looking at like that?"
"Han Yoojin."
"Honestly, if I didn't have the crescent moon's power in me, you wouldn't be reacting like this, would you."
"That may be so."
How long had it been since he had felt excitement at the act of fighting, catching, and killing someone?
The violent instinct he had forgotten for a very long time blossomed over his beautiful face.
He had no sordid hobby of trampling the weak for no reason. Which was why he could only feel the pure joy of violence against someone on a comparable level. It should have been right to think that it was because of the crescent moon, not Han Yoojin.
And yet—
"Even F-rank Han Yoojin is enough for me to enjoy."
Sung Hyunjae's hand touched the back of Han Yoojin's neck. His mana pressed down over the mana imprint. The resisting force tingled in a way that felt almost pleasing.
"This belongs to Han Yoojin."
And everything else did too.
Song Taewon, wounded in several places from tearing free of the ice and fishing lines, approached. Sung Hyunjae turned a deep smile toward his stiff face.
"Would you help make it so he can't use Lightning Resistance?"
Song Taewon's mouth hardened. Then he placed a hand on Han Yoojin's back. Black shadows flickered, and after a moment, Song Taewon stepped back. A small breath escaped from between Han Yoojin's lips. Immediately after—
Pajijik!
"...!!"
A blinding light spread out. His clothes, already half torn away, burned through, and a powerful current leapt across Han Yoojin's entire back. The mana imprint glowed faintly as though resisting the hostile mana pouring into it, then died away.
As the mana imprint dimmed, the filaments of electricity left darker traces over his back, almost as if taking its place. Han Yoojin's head dropped heavily.
Sung Hyunjae caught the limp body in his arms and stared at the sight as though entranced. The way the mana imprint reappeared and intertwined with the lightning was strangely beautiful. His golden eyes curved in satisfaction. Noticing the look on his face, Song Taewon frowned.
"…Is he all right?"
"I minimized the physical damage as much as possible, just in case."
Sung Hyunjae's hand smoothed over Han Yoojin's back. There was not even the faintest movement. The heart had stopped completely. Then the scars on his back slowly began to disappear. The severed wrist likewise vanished, recovering to its original state. Seeing that, Song Taewon let out a breath of relief.
"So it really does seem Han Yoojin-ssi's body itself has no problem."
No voice came to agree with Song Taewon's words. Instead, Sung Hyunjae's brows tightened. He felt over the back, the clothes still burned away.
"…Han Yoojin-ssi."
There was still no movement at all. No pulse met his fingertips, only silence.
"What—"
"Damn it."
As Sung Hyunjae hurriedly lowered Han Yoojin to the floor, he first took off his own coat and spread it over the melting ice.
"He's not breathing."
"What?"
Song Taewon's expression hardened as well. Sung Hyunjae placed his hand over Han Yoojin's chest. Beneath that hand, electricity spread with careful control. Song Taewon quickly knelt beside them and began emergency measures.
Fortunately, not long after—
"Cough, hk!"
A choked breath burst out from Han Yoojin's mouth.
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