Churu for the Angry Guide

178

“Ugh!”

Siwoo wrapped his legs around Taebeom’s waist and held on. Taebeom also gripped Siwoo’s body.

The monster, freed from Taebeom’s mental ability, used telekinesis to push away everyone around Siwoo. Only Taebeom held onto Siwoo and absolutely refused to let go.

“Ah, ah…! Aack!”

The monster howled, glaring at Taebeom as if it wanted to tear him to death. Every time it tried to jump up to where Taebeom was, it lost balance and fell to the ground. It couldn’t use all of its numerous abilities either. At best, it could only use telekinesis to bind the others.

It was because of the sack the man had pushed into its body. Inside was guiding medicine along with poison lethal to espers.

“Now, we must kill it now!”

The man bound by the monster’s telekinesis shouted. He too knew how to make deadly poison. He had learned it all from his leader.

Now was the opportunity, with its power blocked by poison. The man immediately tried to create a clone to kill the monster. If it didn’t have a heart, he could burst its head. Esper rampages were triggered by brain stimulation.

“Ha…”

The man, who had summoned so much power that his nose bled, let out a sigh like a groan. His jewel-like eyes, set in bloodshot whites, trembled.

Jihan, who was bound with him by telekinesis, realized that the man’s ability was also blocked. The monster had taken away the man’s power as well.

Jihan and Seojun struggled to break the monster’s telekinesis. The moment they realized Siwoo was the being the monster was targeting, their blood boiled.

“You’re after beastkin espers, aren’t you!”

Seojun vented his frustration at the monster, telling it to come after him. He cursed his powerless body trapped by telekinesis and could only scream until his throat was torn.

But the monster showed no interest in Seojun, who was emitting waves. It only looked at Siwoo and cried like a dying beast.

“Ngh…”

Siwoo endured the monster’s pull to the very end. It felt like his neck might snap backward, but he absolutely would not let go of Taebeom.

His entire body was in pain and agony. Especially his heart, from which guiding was being drawn out, hurt as if crushed by a rock.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop guiding. Right now, Kang Taebeom needed guiding.

Even when it felt like his tongue was being pulled out from how hard he was biting and sucking on it, he only sent out more energy. Though the waist he was holding with excessive force felt like it might be crushed, he endured.

If he showed even the slightest pain, Kang Taebeom would stop. He was the type who would check on him even when lost in the passion of sex.

So he mustn’t show any signs of pain. Absolutely not.

Siwoo, who was having his lips sucked by Taebeom as if being devoured, suddenly shed tears. It wasn’t because of the pain. Nor was he crying because he was afraid of the monster.

He cried because he understood Kang Taebeom.

“Ha, huu…”

Siwoo barely breathed as he continued to press down Taebeom’s wavelength. But his expression couldn’t hide the pain.

If Taebeom’s vision had been normal, he would have made him stop guiding long ago. His white face, drained of blood, was becoming even paler. The change was visible to the eye.

“Aah…! Augh! Aack!”

The monster shed bloody tears watching Siwoo grow pale. It rolled on the ground, groaning painfully like a parent whose child had been taken hostage.

It couldn’t pull any harder for fear of breaking the delicate body. It could twist the head of the esper holding him, but if that caused a rampage, it would be disastrous.

Somehow, it had to separate them. Quickly, before the weak and delicate body was caught up in another rampage.

Boom!

The body of the wailing monster was suddenly slammed into the wall. The telekinesis binding the espers was released along with the violent vibration that shook the entire cave.

Jihan and Seojun immediately ran to Siwoo. The monster’s torn arm flashed in their vision.

The sound of the monster’s limbs being torn apart echoed among its screams.

“Huk, kohak!”

The monster’s eyeballs moved frantically as it coughed up blood. Its teary dark brown eyes continuously searched for only one person.

“Aack!”

Thick claws flew toward the monster’s eyes. Sharp beast claws gouged out the monster’s eyeballs.

A piercing scream echoed even louder. The sounds of the monster’s bones being crushed and flesh being torn also scattered in the air.

A large foot covered with black fur pressed down on the monster’s chest.

The red eyes of Geonho, transformed into his true form, gleamed fiercely. With unfocused eyes flashing, he opened his already blood-stained muzzle wide.

Geonho tore at everything in sight.

His seething anger inflated his wavelength and numbed his overheated brain. Indistinguishable screams lingered at his ears and disappeared repeatedly.

[You bastard! Stay still!]

With a harsh curse, the pain of an electric shock struck his neck and head. Whenever young Geonho opened his muzzle, terrible pain followed.

Nevertheless, Geonho didn’t stop and bared his teeth. Pieces of flesh, whose owner he couldn’t identify, stuck to his fangs with hot blood and wouldn’t fall off.

After swallowing these, Geonho felt like a monster himself. But this thought too soon evaporated with the whipping that struck his body.

[Geonho.]

Geonho, writhing in pain, raised his tail at the voice he had been desperately waiting for.

Brother has come to save me. Geonho, staggering to his feet, turned his head toward the sound. But his brother was nowhere to be seen.

It was pitch dark ahead.

The scary people in white clothes had put something in his eyes. Since then, he couldn’t see. Sounds were muffled too, and his mouth was parched.

No wonder his throat was dry. Young Geonho hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since being dragged to this strange place. He wasn’t allowed even a sip of water until his strength was depleted.

When he cried out for his brother, only tiresome whipping followed. On days when he had seizures from nightmares, electrified restraints bound his entire body.

Young Geonho was afraid. Everything around him appeared threatening. He wanted to return home to his brother quickly, but he knew he couldn’t. Because home was gone.

What tormented him most wasn’t the terrible hunger and thirst, but the smell. Occasionally, a terrible smell stung his nose. The smell of his home burning.

[Geonho.]

Once again, his brother’s voice was heard. Following this, all kinds of sounds rushed in, pressing down on Geonho’s broken mind.

[Geonho, calm down… please.]

There was the sound of a loud siren, someone cursing, and someone pushing his brother away.

At the same time, the scene from that day unfolded in Geonho’s mind.

In front of their house, which had burned completely black, large people were yelling at his young brother angrily.

His brother, fallen to the ground, knelt and said something to them. His brother, who usually spoke quietly, raised his voice until the veins in his neck stood out.

But no one listened to him. Not a single adult helped his fallen brother up.

When he tried to run to his brother, a thick needle was stuck in his neck. It hurt so much.

[He’s my brother!]

The moment he saw his crying brother’s face, strength entered his body. Geonho bared his teeth at the people holding him, threatening them. Then another injection came into his back.

In the end, he was helplessly loaded into a car and taken away. After that, needles kept piercing his body at the slightest provocation.

It hurts so much. Brother, I’m in pain. I’m so scared.

He searched for his brother all day. Without his brother to brush his fur and touch him, he couldn’t sleep.

His starved brain gathered anger. He hated the people who set fire to the house where mom and dad were, and who took his brother away.

Someone said his brother would come soon, and someone else said his brother was dead. They lied like that every day. Sometimes they snickered among themselves while recording his reactions, as if checking where his limits were.

Geonho disliked people. He wanted to tear apart and kill all people except his brother.

But he was too weak to do so. He only hid because he was afraid of the people who beat him and gave him injections.

He couldn’t even help his brother up when he fell to the ground. He could only watch as his brother, bleeding from his legs, chased after the car that carried him away.

Such a weak existence. Dangerous despite being weak. So he was always a heavy burden to his family.

That’s why his brother disliked him. It was natural for his brother to hate him. Because he had ruined his brother’s life.

“Kang Geonho.”

The deep voice cut off his wandering thoughts.

The moment Taebeom opened his mouth, the black dog’s body, which had been tearing at the monster, froze. The monster was now torn to shreds beyond recognition. The monster’s bones and burst organs were scattered everywhere.

“Stop it.”

The dog, standing on red sinews, turned toward the voice. A fierce sound rumbled from the neck of the dog with bristling black fur. But this soon subsided with Taebeom’s command.

“Sit.”

The dog’s lower body, tense with strength, sank to the ground. It wasn’t that he understood the command and sat. Taebeom was binding his mind with his ability.

“Return to human form.”

Geonho flinched at the familiar voice. He clearly knew who was giving him orders. But because his vision was blocked by darkness, he couldn’t see his brother’s face.

“You’ll see when you return to human form.”

As if hearing his thoughts, his brother answered. Can he hear everything?

“Yes.”

His brother’s voice came closer.

“Come back quickly.”

It was an angry voice. Geonho, frightened by his brother’s subdued voice, folded his ears back. He reflexively flattened himself to the ground.

Then his brother’s hand touched his head.

“Hurry, Geonho.”

The touch that stroked his blood-soaked fur was incredibly gentle. It was a touch Geonho knew well.

He leaned into the palm, bigger than he remembered. He also whined, signaling submission, meaning don’t hit me.

Getting hit by anyone hurts, but when his brother hit him, the pain lingered especially long. It never became familiar and was never forgotten.

The touch that was stroking his head suddenly became wider. Geonho relaxed his entire body, feeling his brother’s embrace holding him.

His body, with loosened muscles, naturally returned to human form.

The face that had been hidden by black fur was contorted in agony. His shoulder, which had used excessive force, throbbed from dislocation. His jawbone, spread wide from tearing at the monster, and his loose teeth were hot.

“Brother…”

Blinking at the gradually returning vision, he smelled the scent of his brother who was holding him. It really was his brother.

Warm breath touched Geonho’s nape.

Taebeom, after exhaling a long breath, embraced Geonho even more tightly with both arms. Just as Geonho stiffened at his brother’s unfamiliar hug and his mouth gaped, Taebeom lost his balance and tilted over.

“Kang Taebeom!”

At that moment, Siwoo’s voice was heard from afar. The moment Geonho raised his head toward Siwoo, a strong smell of blood entered his nose. It was his brother’s blood.

“Let go! I said let go!”

Siwoo struggled violently to break free from Jihan and Seojun’s arms holding him. But the two didn’t release Siwoo even after Geonho had returned to human form.

“No. It’s still dangerous.”

“He might have another seizure.”

Geonho, who had lost his reason and gone berserk, had kicked away Siwoo when he rushed to guide him. Blood was still flowing from Siwoo’s chest, which had been torn by his claws.

“I can calm him down! I need to go!”

“Guide, the leader went, didn’t he? It’s okay now.”

Jihan embraced the struggling body to prevent Siwoo’s wound from opening further. Siwoo’s heated body was soaked with sweat.

“No… it’s not okay! It’s not okay.”

Siwoo, finally bursting into tears, begged them to please let him go. Cold sweat was pouring like rain on the bodies of Jihan and Seojun, who had also been attacked by Geonho along with Siwoo.

Geonho had attacked everyone. He didn’t recognize anyone who approached him and swung his claws at everyone.

Only Taebeom could stop him. Only he could hold Geonho even with his arm torn off. Without his ability, they couldn’t stop Geonho.

“Yoo Jihan, Ha Seojun… please.”

Siwoo pushed away the arms holding him while sobbing. But Jihan and Seojun were firm. They couldn’t bear to let Siwoo go when he was already in tatters. Siwoo’s body, which had done excessive guiding, was already at its limit.

Any more guiding would be truly dangerous. Their sharp instincts told them so.

“Not breathing.”

Just then, the man who had been sent flying by Geonho’s tail approached, limping.

“Not… breathing.”

Jihan and Seojun both raised their heads at the man’s sudden words. Siwoo, hidden behind their backs, only shed more tears.

“Your leader… isn’t breathing.”

Siwoo, who had broken free from the powerless arms, ran toward Taebeom and Geonho. He rushed forward, almost crawling, using both hands to press against the ground.

“Han… Siwoo…”

Geonho was resting his ear on his brother’s chest. No matter how hard he listened, he couldn’t hear his brother’s heartbeat.

Everything about his brother had stopped. Both his breathing and his heartbeat.

“It’s okay.”

Siwoo embraced both Geonho and Taebeom and muttered as if praying.

“He won’t die. No one will die.”

He rubbed his face against Taebeom’s mouth, wet with blood, pushing in his own energy. He also parted his lips and licked his mucous membrane.

Geonho held Siwoo’s trembling hand and watched as he attempted guiding. His lips, bursting into tears, were soon stained with his brother’s blood.

Blood was flowing from all over Taebeom’s face. From his nose, mouth, ears, and even eyes. Not red blood, but black blood covered Taebeom. It was the same blood that Kwak Seokjin had shed.

“My brother…”

Geonho, who had been staring blankly at Taebeom, moved his lips. He firmly grasped Taebeom’s hand that had fallen to the ground. Just as his brother had embraced him.

“He’s not breathing.”