“Guide Ji Yeon-woo!”
At the same moment, Ji Yeon-woo’s body collapsed forward, limp. Lee Haru, startled, immediately reached out toward him. Ji Yeon-woo’s eyes were shut tight, likely from the sheer shock.
Lee Haru quickly caught his sagging body in his arms. He understood now—this had hit Ji Yeon-woo hard.
Lee Haru had also wanted revenge on Black’s leader, but now that the man was actually dead, his emotions were all over the place. It was the first time he’d ever seen someone die right in front of him. The impact was intense.
The stench of blood grew heavier in the air, stinging his nose. The floor was soaked with the blood Black’s leader had spilled.
His heart had been crushed so badly it was unrecognizable. Lee Haru doubted he could eat anything with organs in it ever again.
That bastard’s trying to run.
Still clutching Ji Yeon-woo, Lee Haru struggled to calm his labored breathing. Just then, the voice inside him snapped him back to reality.
He immediately turned in the direction where Hong Seong-jun had been. Sure enough, just like the voice said, Hong Seong-jun was slinking away like a rat.
But Lee Haru couldn’t give chase. He was supporting Ji Yeon-woo, and even if he weren’t, there was no way he could catch him at his current speed.
“Esper Yu Je-hyun, Hong Seong-jun is—”
Before he could finish, Yu Je-hyun shot forward like a gust of wind and grabbed Hong Seong-jun by the scruff of the neck.
“Let me go…!”
“Big talk for a criminal. You really think now’s the time to run? Still haven’t realized it’s all over?”
With Black’s leader dead, Hong Seong-jun had no one left on his side. Kim Hyun-seo and Shin Ji-soo had entered from the back, surrounding him.
Hong Seong-jun glanced around, then let out a crazed chuckle. Out of nowhere, he jabbed his elbow into Yu Je-hyun’s stomach.
Thud—
“Guess talking doesn’t get through to you.”
Yu Je-hyun blocked the attack and, with a brutal crack, twisted Hong Seong-jun’s arm behind his back without mercy.
“Ghk…”
He fastened Hong Seong-jun’s wrists together with metal cuffs, then forced him to his knees and locked both ankles together with a single restraint.
Pinned to the floor like a criminal, Hong Seong-jun looked up with bloodshot eyes. His gaze dared them—go ahead and kill me if you can. Yu Je-hyun’s lips curled into a menacing smirk.
“You really think I won’t?”
“Kgh…”
Yu Je-hyun raised his foot and pressed it down hard on Hong Seong-jun’s thigh. The sound of bones shattering echoed as pain ripped through him. He let out a stifled groan.
Only after confirming multiple times that Black’s leader was truly dead did Kang Min approach.
Lee Haru stood off to the side, silently watching as Yu Je-hyun crushed Hong Seong-jun beneath his heel.
So, what do you want to do now?
He knew the voice inside was watching the same scene. With Black’s leader gone, their biggest obstacle to revenge was no more.
For Ji Yeon-woo and himself, Black’s leader had been the enemy. But the voice inside had no real connection to the man.
[…I’m not sure. Now that it’s actually happened, it feels complicated.]
The voice responded quietly. Rumors were strange things. Just stringing together a few circulating in the Association would paint him as selfish and cold.
But Lee Haru had seen the truth—he was just someone deeply lonely, carrying too many wounds. He even had enough softness in him to pity the person who’d left a scar that would never heal.
Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. Just choose what brings you peace.
No matter what Hong Seong-jun did, there was no escaping. With Yu Je-hyun and Kang Min here, it was impossible. Unless he downed a whole recovery potion, those broken legs weren’t healing anytime soon.
His only paths left were death on the spot—or being dragged to the Association, where every last crime would be exposed and punished.
The voice inside fell silent for a while after Lee Haru’s words. In that time, Kang Min approached Hong Seong-jun, crouching in front of him.
Ptuh.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Hong Seong-jun spat bloody saliva at Kang Min’s face. Kang Min dodged quickly, but Yu Je-hyun looked appalled.
He seriously wondered if the man was mentally unwell. Who else would do something a three-year-old might think twice about?
Then again, no sane person would take Kang Min’s form or team up with Black’s leader in the first place.
“If you’re going to kill me, do it already. I’m not about to beg for my life.”
Hong Seong-jun didn’t even flinch at Yu Je-hyun’s words. His eyes only darted between Kang Min and Lee Haru.
Yu Je-hyun had him restrained, but if he really wanted to, slipping free would be easy.
His mana was unstable from prolonged exposure to Zero’s pheromones, but transforming his body? That was second nature.
He was waiting. Watching for the right moment. If it came to this, he figured—why not kill Kang Min in front of Lee Haru before dying?
Or maybe he would take Lee Haru with him to the grave.
His gaze turned dark and eerie. Sensing something off, Yu Je-hyun wrapped a hand around his throat.
“Ghk…”
At last, Hong Seong-jun fixed Yu Je-hyun with a murderous glare. Veins bulged across the back of Yu Je-hyun’s hand.
There was a world of difference between a broken leg and a crushed windpipe. Left with no other choice, Hong Seong-jun activated his mana.
His wrists and ankles, trapped in metal restraints, thinned rapidly. In that instant, as the bindings loosened, he struck Yu Je-hyun’s hand away from his neck.
Before Yu Je-hyun could react, Kang Min casually flicked his right hand.
A blood-colored net spread wide, enveloping Hong Seong-jun’s entire body. Just like a fish caught in a net, he thrashed helplessly across the floor.
[…Pathetic. The fact that I was ever beaten by someone like him is downright humiliating.]
For someone who had boldly claimed he wouldn’t beg for his life, Hong Seong-jun was certainly fighting tooth and nail now that death was imminent.
The inner voice let out a heavy sigh at the sight. In the end, Hong Seong-jun was nothing more than a frog in a well, seeing only what he wanted to see.
He had twisted reality to suit his own beliefs. There had always been a gap between him and Kang Min—something fundamental he could never imitate.
That bastard’s beyond saving. So don’t go soft on him.
Lee Haru agreed. When Black’s leader had neared the brink of a rampage, he’d taken his own life without a second thought.
But Hong Seong-jun? He was still clinging to life, using every dirty trick he had to fend off Kang Min and Yu Je-hyun.
[…Can we make everything he did public?]
Are you sure you’re okay with that?
Lee Haru’s question carried a note of concern. Even if they exposed all of Hong Seong-jun’s crimes, people would undoubtedly drag the inner voice through the mud as well.
It might actually be cleaner to end things right here. Judging by Kang Min’s fury, he seemed just as eager to see Hong Seong-jun dead.
Yu Je-hyun had also taken a step back, now acting more like an observer. He’d realized just how deep Kang Min’s anger truly ran.
[The more I think about it, just killing him feels too easy. I want him to lose everything—suffer disgrace, be despised by everyone, and slowly rot away until there’s nothing left.]
Lee Haru nodded in silent agreement. As he listened, it became clear: even death was too good for Hong Seong-jun.
Then he hesitated. How exactly could they take away his power?
It was almost as if Kang Min had read his thoughts—before the question could take root, he acted.
“Ngh… No…!”
Kang Min was forcing his own blood into Hong Seong-jun’s body. The man thrashed wildly, but it was already too late—blood was already streaming into his ear canal.
He had previously swallowed Kang Min’s blood once. Until now, he’d been quietly using mana to purge the remnants from his system, but this time the dose was even greater. He was powerless to resist.
Hong Seong-jun’s face turned ghostly pale. Yu Je-hyun let out a dry scoff. Of course—this bastard had never intended to die quietly.
“You’re not dying anytime soon. Not until you’ve paid for every last thing you’ve done. And your final judgment… will be left to Guide Lee Haru.”
At Kang Min’s words, Lee Haru held his breath. The inner voice also fell silent. Kang Min, still holding Hong Seong-jun down, turned to face him.
He had always been difficult to read, but right now, Lee Haru understood the look in his eyes all too clearly—and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Kang Min was feeling guilty. Even though it wasn’t his fault, the weight of responsibility still lingered in his gaze.
