That very being was now the Joker, throwing the entire board into disarray. A murderous impulse surged. His body, reacting to the mana, writhed of its own accord.
As he clenched his fist, power gathered so intensely it felt unbearable unless it was released somewhere.
“Yapping like a damn brat.”
Yu Je-hyun ran a hand through his hair, confronting the threat before him. The metallic rings had already transformed into arrowheads the size of a fingertip, circling him like a storm.
Every single one was aimed squarely at Hong Seong-jun. A deadly aura shimmered in his steel-gray eyes.
It was fortunate that Lee Haru had entered the room before Hong Seong-jun could open his mouth. He had nearly let someone else voice a confession he had not yet had the courage to say himself.
Responding to his intent, the arrowheads began to spin in place. Already brimming with lethal energy, the added rotational force sent violent ripples through the air.
So much for a single quiet day.
Kang Min suppressed a sigh, the deadly tension flooding the living room pressing down on him.
Truthfully, he did not care if the two tore each other apart. They were not children—they were full-grown adults.
And they were not greenhorns who had just Awakened, either.
The real issue was that both were S-Ranks. If they fought seriously, the mansion could easily be reduced to rubble.
And for someone who had grown attached to this place, that was something he would rather avoid.
Especially with Guides present.
He had hastily told them to stay in their rooms, but even a slight misstep could pull them into the fray.
Ji Yeon-woo, in particular, was under special protection by direct order from the higher-ups. That was why he had been allowed into a residence full of S-Rank Espers.
The upper ranks had no intention of letting Black get their hands on the newly emerged S-Rank Guide.
Though the Black stronghold had been raided, most of the key executives and even the leader had escaped. Zero, especially, had proven so formidable that the Association had never managed to capture him.
Captured enemies had revealed that Ji Yeon-woo had practically served as Zero’s personal Guide. Which meant the leader would likely return to reclaim him.
Currently, dozens of teams from the Seoul Branch had locked down the area around the mansion, leaving no room for gaps.
This time, the Association was determined to capture Zero and put an end to their long-standing feud once and for all.
“You and I have never properly gone at it, have we? That must be why you keep running your mouth without knowing your place. A disobedient mutt needs to be broken in—with a good beating.”
While Kang Min rubbed at his aching temples, wearied by the situation, Yu Je-hyun made up his mind to use this chance to crush Hong Seong-jun’s arrogance once and for all.
Among S-Rank Espers, it was not uncommon to engage in so-called “training” matches—thinly veiled sparring bouts meant to sharpen their skills.
Within Alpha Team 1, Kang Min typically took turns sparring with both Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun. The two of them, however, treated each other like air.
Their personalities were so starkly different that whenever a one-on-one match began—even under the guise of training—it was obvious things would not end cleanly.
“And who the hell are you calling a mutt?”
Though he still used formal speech, Hong Seong-jun was fully prepared for battle. The muscles in his forearms and thighs were taut, swollen with tension.
His fists had swelled to twice their normal size, exuding a menacing pressure that suggested they could crush bone with a single graze.
Their eyes collided like sparks, and Hong Seong-jun kicked off the floor, launching forward.
At the exact same moment, the arrowheads whirling around Yu Je-hyun exploded outward.
“…Haa.”
Kang Min let out a heavy sigh and stepped calmly between them. From within his coat, he drew a dagger and, without hesitation, sliced across his palm.
Instead of falling, the blood floated, defying gravity. It gathered mid-air into a sphere, then split in two, forming barriers on either side.
BOOOOM—! FWASH—! FWASH—! FWASH—!
Explosions erupted one after another, rattling the entire mansion. A wall, already cracked by one of Hong Seong-jun’s punches, could no longer withstand the shockwaves.
It collapsed, leaving behind only a skeletal frame. Rubble piled onto the floor like a makeshift grave.
“Team Leader, why are you getting in the way? That bastard started it.”
Yu Je-hyun swept a hand through his hair irritably when his arrowheads were blocked by the blood barrier.
But Kang Min had restrained them both. Hong Seong-jun was whipping his arm, trying to shake off the blood clinging to his fist.
Each time it seemed to pull back, the blood would reattach itself to his hand, spreading again and binding him tight, restraining his movements.
“If you two want to fight, take it to the training ground—unless you really want to bring the whole house down. And I assume you have not forgotten that we are not the only ones living here.”
At Kang Min’s glance toward where Lee Haru and Ji Yeon-woo were, Yu Je-hyun was the first to lower his power.
Clicking his tongue in clear annoyance, he returned the metal to its original ring shape and strapped it to his forearm.
“This is rich. Since when did either of you care about Lee Haru so damn much?”
Unlike Yu Je-hyun, who had just barely cooled his temper, Hong Seong-jun still glared between the two with eyes steeped in killing intent.
“You both thought he was just a hassle when he tried to off himself. But now you’re worried he might get hurt in a fight?”
It was like tossing fuel onto barely smoldering coals. The metal circling Yu Je-hyun twitched in response.
Kang Min closed his eyes and pressed his fingers firmly to the center of his brow.
Ever since the Black raid, the higher-ups had been dragging him into meeting after meeting. He still had a pile of reports left to finish.
What glory was he supposed to be chasing again? Babysitting two hard-headed S-Rank Espers—what the hell kind of reward was worth this?
“Enough.”
Kang Min’s energy shifted the moment Yu Je-hyun looked ready to snap again under Hong Seong-jun’s provocation.
Just moments ago, his focus had been entirely on blocking the two attackers—but now, he began summoning his power in full.
The orb of blood instantly shifted form, elongating into a whip. It lashed around Hong Seong-jun’s right arm and circled Yu Je-hyun in a slow, deliberate spiral.
It looked ready to strike the instant Yu Je-hyun made even the slightest move. Contrary to Lee Haru’s expectations, the situation was rapidly escalating into a full-blown three-way fight, with Kang Min now fully involved.
BEEEEEEP—!
The tension snapped into a lull as a sharp alarm blared from the Espers’ watches.
Kang Min tapped his device, bringing up a holographic display. A digital map of Seoul materialized before him, with three red points flashing ominously across it. His expression turned grave.
“Three Spontaneous Dungeons, all appearing at once?”
Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun, watching the same projection, went rigid. The piercing sirens rattled through the mansion’s walls—loud and foreboding.
“Yu Je-hyun, you’re heading to Seongdong-gu. Hong Seong-jun, take Gangbuk-gu. I’ll handle Gangnam-gu.”
Every Spontaneous Dungeon that had surfaced so far had been rated S-Rank—dungeons that could only be cleared by S-Rank Espers.
And to make matters worse, all three had manifested in densely populated districts of Seoul.
BOOM!
“Esper Kang Min!”
Kim Hyun-seo, Team Leader of Alpha Team 2, burst through the front entrance, shattering the doors as he charged inside. His watch, too, was screaming with the same shrill alarm.
“Perfect timing. Alpha Team 1 will mobilize immediately to the dungeon sites and begin the clear mission. While we’re deployed, I’m entrusting Guide Lee Haru and Guide Ji Yeon-woo to you, Team Leader.”
Kang Min silenced an incoming call from the Association President and gave what was effectively an order, though it came wrapped in the tone of a request.
With Zero’s whereabouts still unknown, leaving Ji Yeon-woo unguarded was a risk. But at the moment, there was no alternative. Taking Ji Yeon-woo into an S-Rank dungeon zone would be even more dangerous.
“Understood. Leave them to me.”
Kim Hyun-seo offered a respectful nod, fully grasping the weight of the responsibility. It was said that Zero’s combat strength rivaled Kang Min’s.
And considering Kang Min was widely acknowledged as the strongest Esper in the country, that meant Zero had likely reached the same level of power.
If Zero chose this exact moment to attack—while the S-Rank Espers were away—there would be no one left to stop him.
Even so, Kim Hyun-seo’s eyes showed no hesitation, only unwavering resolve.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
Kang Min gripped his shoulder firmly before letting go. There was no time left to delay.
As he left the mansion, he signaled with a glance to Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun. Yu Je-hyun followed behind, though he glanced back over his shoulder, reluctant.
Despite all the chaos, there was still no sign of Lee Haru—not even a glimpse of his hair. At the far end of the hallway, he could just barely sense two faint presences, huddled quietly in the dark.
Leaving him behind like this feels wrong.
Part of him wanted to carry Lee Haru out on his back. But he could not. Not because he did not want to—but because it was safer to leave him here.
The odds of something happening to Lee Haru in the middle of an S-Rank dungeon zone were far greater than the chance of Zero showing up here.
