“You won’t be dealing with Guides anymore.”
Before Zero could even step toward the door, Kang Min blocked his path. Despite the heavy bleeding from his wounds, Zero made no effort to stop it.
His clothes were soaked in blood. Jet-black eyes stared straight at Kang Min.
Veins just as dark as his eyes bulged grotesquely beneath his skin, making him look monstrous.
“…Obstacle. Guide.”
Like a child just learning to speak, Zero uttered broken words and raised his right hand.
Kang Min gripped his sword tightly. The hardened hilt bit into his palm.
He could feel the seething power radiating from Zero. Like a volcano on the verge of eruption, the unstable energy signaled an imminent Rampage.
An Esper in this state was extremely dangerous. Worse, their abilities often spiked just before a Rampage, making them even harder to subdue.
Guiding could help lower his Rampage Risk Index, but Zero was now more like a ticking time bomb.
If Zero had been an A-rank Esper, it might’ve been manageable. But he was S-rank—and his abilities were stronger than Kang Min’s. Attempting Guiding now could easily kill a Guide.
And provoking his emotions could send him over the edge in an instant. Either way, Zero was difficult to handle.
“I don’t know what was done to you, but you need to stop now. If the Association President really is guilty of something, I’ll uncover the truth myself.”
Kang Min had carefully listened to Zero’s earlier conversation with Yu Je-hyun. Zero had reached out to S-rank Espers like him to expose the President’s corrupt past.
If Zero had solid proof, Kang Min was prepared to reveal the President’s sins to the world.
Not just with his own power—he could also use his family’s influence. The President’s grip on power was strong, but so were the number of people who resented him. Chief among them were Kang Min’s parents.
They didn’t have the best relationship, but he was still their only son.
If he handed them information capable of taking down the President, they would seize the opportunity to attack without hesitation.
“You’ve looked into me, haven’t you? You know who my parents are.”
It wasn’t something he had flaunted, but it also wasn’t a closely guarded secret. With Black’s intelligence network, it would’ve been easy to find out.
“Then you know I’m not bluffing.”
The murderous intent radiating from Zero eased. His reasoning hadn’t completely vanished.
Whether deep in thought or simply hesitating, Zero stopped moving.
Meanwhile, unlike Kang Min and Zero, the battle between Yu Je-hyun and Hong Seong-jun was becoming more intense. Yu Je-hyun gritted his teeth, blocking Hong Seong-jun’s fists with a metal shield.
“So you really want to end this here, huh?”
“Why so chatty? Weren’t you dying to kill me anyway?”
He wasn’t wrong. Yu Je-hyun knew about Hong Seong-jun’s twisted obsession with Lee Haru.
The bastard had even disguised himself as Kang Min to approach Haru and drove him to attempt suicide.
And it hadn’t stopped there. He’d kidnapped and imprisoned Haru, and inflicted serious wounds on Yu Je-hyun himself.
As the phantom pain of his once-shredded abdomen returned, Yu Je-hyun’s brows furrowed.
“Right. You and I are as good as mortal enemies now.”
The betrayal he’d felt upon learning that the mansion where Haru had been imprisoned belonged to Hong Seong-jun had been indescribable.
They hadn’t been close, but Yu Je-hyun had considered him a comrade.
If left alive, he could hurt Haru again. And if captured alive, the Association might try to protect him simply because he was an S-rank Esper.
Yu Je-hyun’s face emptied of all expression. The metallic shield transformed into hundreds of small arrows at a wave of his hand.
The arrows spun in place, creating vibrations in the surrounding air.
Hong Seong-jun exhaled deeply. There was nowhere to dodge. No matter which direction he moved, some arrows would strike.
He summoned all his strength. His muscles and bones screamed. Yu Je-hyun could see the growing horror on his own face.
“You insane bastard…!”
Just as he was about to riddle Hong Seong-jun with holes, Yu Je-hyun froze.
“Esper Yu Je-hyun.”
Suddenly, it wasn’t Hong Seong-jun standing before him—it was Lee Haru. The voice, the tone, the expression—it was all identical, sending chills down Yu Je-hyun’s spine.
He knew it wasn’t really Haru, but he still couldn’t bring himself to attack. Hong Seong-jun, now in Haru’s form, had wrapped his arms around himself.
His teary, flushed face made Yu Je-hyun’s skin crawl. Then, Hong Seong-jun began walking straight toward the arrows.
Arrowheads grazed his skin, drawing blood. Instinctively, Yu Je-hyun pulled the arrows back.
On Haru’s unnaturally pale skin, the blood stood out like ink on canvas.
“You’re seriously driving me insane.”
Yu Je-hyun debated whether to close his eyes and fight blind. He was stuck between instinct and reason.
His mind knew it was Hong Seong-jun. But his instincts kept stopping him from attacking.
Watching Yu Je-hyun waver, a faint, twisted smile tugged at Hong Seong-jun’s lips. Despite having this ability, he had always hated transforming into others.
Even turning into Kang Min had been a last resort. But every so often, he would take on the form of Lee Haru.
Whenever he was completely alone, hidden away where no one could see him, he would steal Haru’s face and look into the mirror.
Even though he knew it was just an illusion, his eyes would always go hazy the moment they met their reflection.
He wanted Haru to look at him with eyes like that. And every time he realized that desire, the mirror shattered—without fail.
Lately, Haru had started to meet his gaze more often, even smiled at him now and then, so it had been a while since he last took on Haru’s appearance.
Seeing Yu Je-hyun now—frozen, unsure what to do—filled him with contempt. And disgust, as if something foul had been dumped over him.
It was obvious. Yu Je-hyun liked Haru far more than he was willing to admit. Enough that he couldn’t bring himself to attack, even knowing it was a fake standing in front of him.
Rage welled up inside. Nothing ever went the way he wanted. He hadn’t asked for much. All he wanted was to have Haru, entirely and completely, in the palm of his hand.
Haru had even started to open up to him lately—maybe because of the confinement. He could feel it, little by little.
But then Yu Je-hyun ruined everything. He hadn’t cared about Haru in the slightest, and suddenly he started acting differently. The change was so absurd, it made him sick.
“I’m really scared right now… Could you please get rid of these arrows?”
Mimicking Haru was easy. He spent nearly every waking moment thinking about him. Even when they weren’t together, he hovered close, watching, learning.
It took far less power than imitating Kang Min. And when he took another step toward the arrowheads, they retreated again.
His fingers twitched. He wanted to drive them through Yu Je-hyun’s chest, tear out his heart, and watch it stop beating.
Haru’s words echoed in his ears—how he wanted to open his heart to someone who truly loved him.
He remembered the look in Haru’s eyes when he said he’d suffered for years with his one-sided feelings for Kang Min. The ache that bloomed in his chest then was all too familiar. He understood the pain of unrequited love better than anyone.
That was why Yu Je-hyun had to die. Right here, right now. As long as Yu Je-hyun lived, something deep inside whispered that he would never truly have Haru.
He was someone who couldn’t stand to hold back, no matter the cost. And yet—just wearing Haru’s face was enough to make him hesitate.
The unfamiliar reaction made his stomach twist. He thought of how Haru had been constantly clinging to Yu Je-hyun since arriving at the mansion. His outward expression was full of fear, but beneath the surface, he was sharpening his blade.
He took a step closer. Then another. Slowly, deliberately, until he stood within arm’s reach. Even then, the arrows didn’t fly.
Power surged to his fingertips. He would finish what he had failed to do last time. No matter how strong Yu Je-hyun was, if he tore out his heart, he would die.
“Esper Yu Je-hyun…”
He called his name and reached for him. Even then, as Yu Je-hyun stood motionless, he had to fight the smirk creeping onto his lips.
“Kuhk…”
But instead of landing the blow, Hong Seong-jun choked out a stifled groan, frozen mid-motion—his hand still reaching for Yu Je-hyun.
