Yu Je-hyun despised one kind of person above all: those who bowed to power and trampled the weak.
Aside from their ability to Guide, Guides were no different from ordinary civilians.
Espers had a duty to protect and safeguard Guides. Some even described them as divine gifts sent to Earth for the sake of Espers.
That was how invaluable Guides were—they eased pain and prolonged life.
Sure, he had done some unforgivable things to Lee Haru in the past. But not once had he laid a hand on him or threatened his life.
According to the testimonies of Guides rescued from Black’s headquarters, the Espers in Black—especially their leader—didn’t even consider Guides human.
They raised them like livestock, killed them at will, and stripped them of all rights and dignity.
Now that very bastard was throwing a tantrum, demanding people acknowledge his past? It was beyond absurd.
“Guides exist for Espers anyway. If they died Guiding their whole lives, even that would be a meaningful death.”
“…Just because you dress up bullshit in human words doesn’t make it true.”
But Zero wasn’t someone you could reason with. If he were capable of normal thinking, he wouldn’t have done any of this in the first place.
“You people guarded the Association President so damn tightly—none of this would’ve happened if not for that. Everything is your fault. The reason I formed my organization, the reason I kidnapped and exploited so many Guides—all of it happened because scum like you never cared about the crimes of the First Generation.”
How much longer did he have to listen to this garbage?
Yu Je-hyun shifted his gaze past Zero and locked eyes with Kang Min. The latter gave a faint nod.
The clip tucked in the back pocket of Yu Je-hyun’s uniform silently changed form. Turning into a tiny metallic snake, it slithered out and retrieved a small vial, about the length of two fingers.
The snake coiled its thin body around the vial and slipped smoothly down the inside of his pants leg.
To distract Zero, Yu Je-hyun deliberately spun a metallic ring on his palm with a threatening flair.
“But do you even have proof? All you’ve done so far is run your mouth. Team Leader and I were suspicious of the Association President too, you know? The problem is, suspicion alone isn’t enough. If he really is the scumbag you say he is, then you’ll need evidence. Meanwhile, your own crimes? There’s no shortage of proof and witnesses.”
Ji Yeon-woo, for one, was a long-time victim of both Black and its leader. And as an S-Rank Guide, he was a powerful piece of living evidence.
“If you want us to believe you, show us the evidence. We’re not friends—I can’t just take your word for it.”
Yu Je-hyun never held a shred of respect for the Association President. If the man had indeed committed inhumane acts as a First Generation leader, then he would make sure he paid for them.
“…I have evidence. I just don’t trust that you people won’t bury it instead of revealing it to the world.”
Zero had gathered the Second Generation S-Rank Espers for a simple reason.
The Association President’s power was absolute. His fellow First Generation allies had spread their influence across every corner—not just in the world of Espers, but also in politics, business, and media.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to go through the broadcast networks. The problem was, every major station was in the Association President’s pocket.
Even if he sent them the evidence, it would most likely be suppressed.
In this situation, the only forces who could oppose the Association President on equal footing were the Second Generation S-Rank Espers: Kang Min, Hong Sung-joon, and Yu Je-hyun.
Zero had never intended to move this quickly. But his deteriorating condition forced his hand.
His Guiding compatibility with Ji Yeon-woo had collapsed. With no other option, he had to resort to kidnapping Lee Haru.
From what he knew, Lee Haru’s relationship with the S-Rank Espers was abysmal. His reputation within the Association was surprisingly poor.
He’d assumed that even if Lee Haru disappeared, no one would seriously step up for him. That assumption had blown up in his face, leading to the chaos they were now in.
Zero removed the mask that had been hiding his face. A shadowy energy writhed along the edges of his whites.
The grotesque veins crawling across his face made Yu Je-hyun tense. It was a clear sign—he was on the verge of a rampage.
A cold sweat broke out down his back. If Zero lost control, no one here would be safe.
And an Esper right before a rampage often displayed power well beyond their normal capacity, burning their life force in one final burst.
Even now, Zero’s strength was enough to overwhelm Kang Min. The fact that both Kang Min and Hong Sung-joon were immobilized said everything.
For now, I’ll have to play along.
Espers on the verge of rampage were emotionally volatile. If he said the wrong thing and triggered it early, they were all screwed.
“If the evidence is real, I’ll expose everything the Association President did. I’m not the type to go back on my word.”
It was partly to keep Zero calm, but he meant it too.
If the Association President really had committed those crimes, Yu Je-hyun intended to make sure he paid for them.
And Kang Min would likely feel the same. He wasn’t a shining example of justice, but he’d suffered plenty under the Association President as well. He didn’t harbor any loyalty or admiration for the man.
“How can I trust you?”
Even after hearing what he wanted, Zero’s eyes narrowed. Yu Je-hyun clenched his fists.
Zero had taken Kang Min hostage, and now he was the one acting entitled. One moment, he was throwing a childish fit, begging to be heard—and now that someone finally gave in, he had the nerve to talk about trust?
He wanted nothing more than to abandon the act and smash that arrogant face into the floor.
Yu Je-hyun forced himself to take a deep breath, repeating the word patience in his head. Acting on emotion would only make things worse.
“What, you want me to write it in blood? Trust isn’t something you can see—so how exactly do you plan on verifying it?”
“There’s a way more certain than a blood oath.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zero’s eyes flicked toward the door. Yu Je-hyun immediately moved to block it.
Zero remained where he was, not budging an inch—just turning his head slightly.
“Hand over what you value most. Then I’ll consider believing you.”
“…You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
He was asking for Lee Haru as a hostage. Rage surged, making Yu Je-hyun’s vision blur.
Even if the Association President had done something vile to him, Zero’s every word and action reeked of cowardice. Nothing about him made Yu Je-hyun want to take his side.
“You’re the one who should be on your knees right now, begging. Can’t you grasp the situation?”
“Oh? So you don’t care what happens to Kang Min?”
“Nope. As much as I hate to admit it, the Team Leader’s stronger than me. By about… an ant’s eyelash?”
Yu Je-hyun curled his lips into a cold grin. He’d succeeded in throwing Black’s leader off guard.
Seeing the stimulant slip between Kang Min’s lips, Yu Je-hyun cheered inwardly.
Zero sensed the change in atmosphere and glanced at Kang Min—but he was already too late.
One of the two chairs was now empty. And the next instant, a devastating blow smashed into Zero’s side, sending him flying and crashing into the wall.
“Guhk…!”
He’d raised an arm the moment he heard the sonic boom, but it wasn’t enough to deflect the full force. Pain shot through his limb. He knew immediately—a bone had fractured.
But there was no time to recover. Zero rolled to the side on instinct.
BOOM!
The wall where he’d just been pinned was blown apart. His eyes turned pitch black in an instant, and a wave of killing intent burst from his body.
But Kang Min didn’t back down. Without a second’s hesitation, he charged straight at Zero.
“Team Leader!”
Zero’s arm struck Kang Min, sending him skidding across the floor. Deep grooves tore through the ground where the soles of his shoes scraped across it.
Yu Je-hyun instantly launched his metal rings like bullets. Each carried enough power to punch through the hide of an S-Rank monster.
“…How the hell is he so fast?”
But no matter how powerful the attack, it only mattered if it landed. Zero’s movements were entirely different now.
To Yu Je-hyun’s eyes, he looked even faster than Hong Seong-jun. Every metal ring missed, crashing uselessly into the walls.
