Ho-eun’s vision blurred. It felt like his brain was slowly freezing over, like he’d turned into an idiot.
What was I just thinking about…?
Wonsin’s lips curled into a smirk as he watched Ho-eun’s body slowly lose strength.
“Ho-eun hyung!”
Do In-ho’s voice rang out from behind. Ho-eun barely managed to steady his legs and turned around.
— BOOM!
A massive burst of light shaped like an arrow was shooting straight at him. Ho-eun instinctively raised his staff.
Blue flames and light collided with a thunderous crash. As he felt himself being pushed backward, Ho-eun barely managed to deflect the arrow to the side.
“Tsk. So close.”
Wonsin’s voice echoed from a distance. When Ho-eun looked toward where he’d just been, the figure that had been talking to him had vanished.
“That was a fake. Just a reflection projected from Choi Seon-yul’s light.”
Do In-ho, sweat beading on his forehead, stepped up beside him.
The arrow of light struck by the staff had embedded itself into the floor. In-ho raised his hand, and with a sound like small fireworks going off, multiple bursts of blue flame exploded simultaneously. The cracked arrow couldn’t withstand the impact and shattered into pieces.
“I don’t think we can completely block Wonsin’s ability.”
Still reeling from the fog that had clouded his mind, Ho-eun clutched his head. A pounding ache echoed through his skull.
“When did I even get hit?”
“You weren’t fully dominated, but he was trying to eat away at your mind—something like brainwashing.”
“Tch. Why’d you have to explain it like that? That ruins the fun.”
Wonsin, sitting on a small box, dangled his legs and pouted.
“Brainwashing? I didn’t even realize…”
Ho-eun opened his tightly shut eyes. In his field of vision, Wonsin was smirking, and Choi Seon-yul, who had collapsed earlier, was now rising to his feet.
“Ha, haha, you broke it? Guess it needs to be bigger next time.”
Seon-yul’s clothes were in tatters, likely from multiple regenerations. In contrast, Do In-ho’s outfit, though dusty and full of holes, was still mostly intact. Ho-eun grabbed In-ho’s hand and channeled guiding into him.
“Sigh… I thought I could hold back since I’m a guide, but that’s not happening. My pride won’t let it slide as your hyung.”
Muttering to himself, Seon-yul raised his gun. A glowing sphere of light began to form at the muzzle.
It grew even larger than the thick arrow he’d launched at Ho-eun earlier.
“What the hell is that? A missile?”
Ho-eun stared in disbelief at the light morphing into a massive missile.
“Is he nuts? That thing’s gonna bring the whole ceiling down.”
“I’ll stop it before that happens.”
Hearing Do In-ho’s calm voice, Seon-yul burst into manic laughter.
“Oh yeah? How are you gonna do that?”
As Seon-yul clenched his fist, the missile-shaped light exploded into thousands of thin, needle-like shards. They surrounded Ho-eun and Do In-ho in a perfect circle, sealing them in without a single gap.
“Shin-ah, wanna see a skewer show?”
With a snap of his fingers, Seon-yul launched the attack.
The last thing Ho-eun saw was a storm of glowing needles charging toward him, ready to pierce him at any second.
Time felt like it had frozen. Everything moved in slow motion between each blink. Do In-ho’s hands wrapped around the back of his head and waist, shielding him completely—alongside the barrage of glowing attacks zeroing in on them.
His vision shifted upward toward the ceiling.
Ho-eun hit the ground. Though he’d fallen hard, cushioned by In-ho’s arms, there was no pain.
“In-ho…”
He couldn’t see anything. Held tightly in In-ho’s embrace, Ho-eun tried pushing him away, but In-ho didn’t budge.
Is that what a guide is? Someone who always has to be protected?
There was no pain anywhere on his body. Shielded completely by In-ho’s broad frame, not a single hair on his head had been harmed by Seon-yul’s attack.
“Khak.”
Coughing—likely blood. Just before his vision went black, Ho-eun caught a glimpse of In-ho using his ability. But it hadn’t been enough to block everything.
He was gripping his staff so hard it felt like it would snap in his hands.
“Hmm. You really care that much about your guide, huh? Well, I guess it makes sense. A normal person would’ve died instantly if they got hit just now. So yeah, you made the right call.”
Footsteps approached—then stopped.
“Espers don’t die as long as their core’s intact. But you’re probably paralyzed, right?”
THUD.
With a cruel kick, Seon-yul sent Do In-ho flying.
“Well, duh. My gun is an infused ability product that absorbs guiding. He took all those needles by himself—bet he doesn’t have a drop of healing energy left.”
Seon-yul grinned, holding a purple-colored gun. This time, he stepped on Ho-eun’s chest with his shoe.
“Ghhk!”
“Go on, run. That’s your specialty, isn’t it? Abandoning your Esper and fleeing?”
“You… ugh… really have a big mouth, don’t you?”
At Ho-eun’s remark, Seon-yul snorted and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground.
“Cocky little guide.”
But Ho-eun didn’t look away. Seeing the unflinching gaze in Ho-eun’s eyes, Seon-yul’s lips curled into a crooked smile.
“This is fun. Beg me for your life. I love that kind of talk.”
“Go to hell.”
“Defiant too? You’re making me want to break you in.”
As Seon-yul flashed him a twisted, seductive smile, Ho-eun turned his head and looked at Do In-ho, collapsed on the ground.
Anyone could see he was in bad shape. The needles embedded in his back seemed to be draining his internal guiding—he couldn’t stop the bleeding.
This is my fault. In-ho got hurt because of me…
He bit his lip so hard he tasted blood.
“Haaah. That expression—agony—it’s just delicious♡”
Seon-yul grabbed Ho-eun’s chin, turning his face toward him. His eyes curled into half-moons, beaming with sadistic glee.
“Shin-ah, we’re taking this one, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Pfft. Who said I’d go with you willingly?”
Ho-eun spat in Seon-yul’s face.
“Haha. Don’t be so fussy. Once we’re back at the hideout, I’ll teach you the proper manners a guide should have.”
“I said get lost!”
Tears welled up in Ho-eun’s eyes as he glared at Seon-yul.
It was unbearable. Always being the one who needed saving. Always being unable to protect the ones he cared about. It was humiliating.
What was all that training for? Did it really amount to nothing?
“……”
Ho-eun looked down at the hand holding his staff. Back when he was just a civilian, he’d had enough strength to protect others. But the moment he became a guide, he turned into the weak one.
He tightened his grip. A surge of guiding burst forth—more than before.
“!!”
The flames around the staff grew larger.
Seon-yul pressed the barrel of his gun against Ho-eun’s forehead. The mocking grin vanished from his face, replaced with cold fury. His eyes, burning with irritation, locked onto Ho-eun.
“Fuck. If only you weren’t a guide. Oh wait—do you really need both arms? No? Actually, the more surface area, the better… then how about… your eye?”
Tapping the barrel of the gun against Ho-eun’s face, Seon-yul finally pressed it against the corner of his eye—a spot that had been bothering him for a while now. He wanted to destroy it.
“Who needs both eyes, right?”
Ho-eun forced himself to keep his gaze locked on Seon-yul, resisting the urge to look away.
The guiding within him surged harder than ever—like it was demanding attention. I’m here. Use me.
No way…
Tightening his grip, Ho-eun swung the staff straight at Seon-yul’s arm that was holding him by the collar.
With a flash, the blue flames cut clean through. His arm and gun dropped to the ground.
“…Huh?”
Staring in disbelief at his severed arm, Seon-yul gawked.
“What… the hell?”
The flames around Ho-eun’s staff were now bigger than ever.
“Ho-eun hyung.”
Blood still dripped from Do In-ho’s lips. At the sound of his voice, Ho-eun rushed past the stunned Seon-yul and swung the staff at the needles embedded in In-ho’s back.
WHISH—
With a sharp whistle, the needles shattered. They crumbled into glowing dust, floating gently through the air.
“Rest for a bit.”
Ho-eun helped the now-stabilized In-ho sit against a wall, then turned to face Seon-yul, whose severed arm had already regenerated. He raised his staff once more.
Guides are weak. All they can do is give guiding to Espers. So when faced with danger, the right choice is to escape with the hostages.
But Ho-eun was done with that. He didn’t want to be the kind of guide who only gets protected. Even if he couldn’t be equal, he wanted to protect the people he cared about.
“You’re getting way too full of yourself. Is this some kind of test? Huh?!”
Light surged around Seon-yul, burning with deadly intent. But Ho-eun wasn’t afraid. He could feel the flame. He wasn’t alone. In-ho was with him.
Guides are weak. But what about a guide empowered by an Esper’s strength?
“I’ll just kill you.”
A giant spear of light shot toward Ho-eun. Feeling the fire blaze within him, he launched forward. He let go of unnecessary strength. All he needed now was speed—strength in his legs.
“!!”
Dodging the spear, Ho-eun leapt and brought his staff down on Seon-yul.
The staff pierced straight through Seon-yul’s shoulder and embedded into the wall from the force of Ho-eun’s own body.
With one hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an ability suppression orb.
“You’re right. That look of agony? It’s a sight.”
“YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”
CLICK. With the suppression orb activated, Seon-yul’s power was locked down. Though he could still move, every motion sent deep cracks across the wall—his Esper strength remained. But his ability was sealed.
Ho-eun yanked the staff out of Seon-yul’s body.
SPLAT.
Seon-yul’s blood splashed across his face, but Ho-eun didn’t flinch. With calm eyes, he turned and walked toward Wonsin.
“DIE! JUST DIE!!”
Panicked, Wonsin activated his ability and screamed. But Ho-eun steadily advanced.
“You think I look like the villain right now, don’t you?”
Maybe it was the adrenaline. Ho-eun felt his blood boiling. With every step, it felt like he was walking on air.
“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER! STAY AWAY!!”
Just as Wonsin tried to bolt out of the warehouse, Ho-eun appeared in front of him in an instant.
His blood-soaked reflection glared back from Wonsin’s terrified eyes. Had he ever made someone bleed before?
Of course not. A civilian doing this would be a criminal.
“That justice you speak of? I’ll tear it apart for you.”
“…!!”
“Because I am justice.”
Whether it was Tiger or the company, both were guilty of crimes. Neither saw Espers or Guides as people. Neither side could be called righteous. But this—this act right here—was undeniably just.
Right now… Tiger, who hurt someone precious to him, was the real villain.
