By Zephyria 
‘I’ve heard of his reputation.’
Kim Yeong held his breath as he watched the specters burning away, piled up like a mountain.
But this was too much, even for him.
Yes, beyond ‘amazing’—an overwhelming feeling.
As you sow, so shall you reap, or so they say?
‘Indeed, he’s the one who made Ki Jae-eon.’
And half of him is Teacher Ryu, so enough said.
Kwang!
Kwang!
The exploding flames plunged down as if to eradicate the specters’ seeds.
‘A breeding speed that we couldn’t even stop on our own……’
He’s cleaning it up single-handedly!
‘But what’s still bothering me is—’
Kim Yeong’s gaze turned to Shin Yoon.
All of his planned schemes were being shattered, yet he was smiling.
‘That composure, there must be a reason.’
Or is it just a bluff?
“Ata ma, that’s so refreshing.”
Shin Yoon praised Ki Tae-ho in a hearty voice.
“As expected, the old man is the one who’s left standing in the end. Right?”
As Shin Yoon flicked his fingers, the specters’ momentum, which had been waning, quickly turned fierce.
‘We have the upper hand, but if it continues like this, it will never end.’
Kim Yeong gritted his teeth and raised the Rosary. No matter how strong Ki Tae-ho was, there was no need to let him drag out the time. He had to quickly lend his strength, in case Shin Yoon tried any more cunning tricks. Only then could they bring it to a conclusion.
Kim Yeong wrapped the Rosary beads around his fingers and recited a short incantation. In that gap, Ki Tae-ho also took out a new talisman. Everyone’s energy converged on one point.
“It’s about time……”
“Is that so. How did you come up with the same idea as me?”
After a moment of silence, their toes scraped the ground simultaneously.
Finally, the two clashed.
Kuuung—!
Their energies intersected, and a fierce storm raged.
Nothing could be seen in the dusty wind.
Kim Yeong furrowed his brow and lowered his stance, enduring. The destructive power was enough to make his legs tremble. Ugh, this is tough. He heard sounds of people staggering from all directions.
‘What about Master Commander?!’
He quickly rolled his eyes, but it was still hazy.
The only things he could discern were the faint smell of blood coming from inside, and the overlapping breaths…… Everything felt tangled together.
What on earth is going on!
He waited for his vision to clear, without letting go of the tension.
Of course, he didn’t think that Master Commander Ki Tae-ho would lose……
But in any case, that was just wishful thinking, and he couldn’t make a proper judgment right now.
Kim Yeong hooked the Rosary beads on his fingertips and spun them, calming his breathing. One bead, two beads. As he counted the beats, there was another short collision sound from within the dust—kwang!
It was during that time.
Hwiiiiik!
The dust gradually cleared, and what he saw was—.
“……!”
Ki Tae-ho standing, and Shin Yoon kneeling on one knee.
D, did they win?
Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, he sensed something was wrong.
Ki Tae-ho was clearly standing upright on both legs, but why.
“M, Master…… Master Commander?”
Would there be no answer?
“Master Commander!”
When he shouted in a loud voice, only then did his head slowly turn towards him.
And in the eyes that met his……
There was nothing.
In an instant, a cold chill ran down his spine.
“M—.”
Just as he was about to calm his surprised heart and call him once more.
“Aigoya.”
Shin Yoon straightened his body with an unpleasant voice. Then he staggered once, losing his balance.
“That old man, he’s really something.” Shin Yoon muttered to himself, wiping the bloodstains from his lips.
At that sight, Kim Yeong instinctively gripped the Rosary. The beads clicked at his fingertips. His mouth went dry. Thoughts of what if—filled his head without stopping. It was a truly terrible and dizzying imagination.
“……You.”
“Ah? Aah—.”
A strangled call flowed from Kim Yeong’s mouth. Then Shin Yoon’s gaze turned directly towards him. It was a chilling gaze that he couldn’t avoid even if he wanted to.
“Why are you so surprised.”
Shin Yoon smirked, raising the corners of his lips. It was a truly hateful face. So much so that he wanted to punch him.
“How could you, you, Master Commander……”
At Kim Yeong’s question, Shin Yoon tilted his head slightly. Like someone looking into the other person’s thoughts. Then his fox-like eyes folded into crescents, smiling.
“One minute.”
That time is my time. The voice that fell from his lips was low but clear.
Shin Yoon’s smile deepened a little more.
“Well, I was a little surprised that he moved his head……”
“……”
“Is it fun?”
Jjaak! A large hand slapped Ki Tae-ho’s cheek. Under Shin Yoon’s restraint, he could only be helplessly beaten without any resistance.
At that mockery, Kim Yeong’s lungs burned. So all of this is just a game to you!
“You insolent……!”
At that moment, the surroundings became noisy.
“Uwaaaaa!”
“You son of a bitch!”
It was a cry of rage that had reached its peak.
Anger at the one who was insulting the pride of the Exorcists.
As all those voices rushed head-on, Shin Yoon raised his head very slightly.
His face, looking at the sky, was faintly tinged with boredom.
“Let’s stop.”
The moment he muttered and slowly raised his fingers.
Just before his thumb and middle finger touched, a cold wind blew.
“I’m sleepy.”
Ttak—.
The sound of fingers snapping rippled through the air. And everything stopped.
The people were frozen as they were, holding their weapons.
The flames in their eyes were still burning steadily, but that was all.
A space where only Shin Yoon’s time existed.
He brushed past the frozen people, scanning their final movements with his eyes. Kim Ju-won’s bloodshot eyes, Kim Yeong’s veined hands, the children’s trembling eyelashes. Each of their resolutions and fears were firmly mixed together.
“Well, that’s enough.”
It was fun in its own way. He muttered to himself as if whispering, and when he blinked once, he was already standing alone in his place.
It was pure silence, with no specters or people.
“Now, let’s see.”
He let out a short sigh and plopped down on the floor, laughing haha.
“I wonder when our Yun-i will come.”
How many minutes passed as he hummed a joyful tune like that.
From far away, he felt the presence of the guest he had been waiting for. The timing is good. No, should I say it’s bad for that guy? If he had come a little earlier, he might have been able to save everyone.
“Ma!”
Shin Yoon tilted his head back while sitting and smiled.
“You’ve finally come.”
However, Ki Jae-eon did not answer Shin Yoon’s question. He simply rolled his eyes quietly, as if trying to grasp the situation. From him, he couldn’t feel the murderous intent he had met before. Yes, the overwhelming difference in energy he had shown in Busan.
Ah? Shin Yoon’s brow furrowed very slightly.
A suspicion that it couldn’t be quickly flashed through his mind.
“You, who are you?”
“……”
Shin Yoon smirked as his black eyes met his.
“Aah, is my question a little strange?”
“……”
“Aratta. I’ll take it back.”
His finger, raised into the air, slowly pointed left and then right alternately.
“Which one lost their memory, and which one didn’t.”
After a long time, Ki Jae-eon opened his mouth.
“I’m…… just me.”
It was as if he was asking something obvious.
Ah, is that so. Shin Yoon shrugged at the ambiguous answer.
“So, why are you being so boring.”
With a slow complaint, Shin Yoon took out a palm-sized jar from his pocket.
“Never mind that. Then next question.”
“……”
“Yun-i, who do you think is left?”
Shin Yoon lightly shook the jar.
“If you guess right, I’ll let you go.”
Surprisingly, a very faint smell of blood seemed to waft from the jar.
“You know what will happen if I shake this hard, right?”
“……Someone will be broken.”
“You know it well.”
“Stop with the childish games.”
“Games?”
Games, he says. Shin Yoon muttered sarcastically.
“You want me, don’t you.”
The moment he heard those words, the smile disappeared from Shin Yoon’s face. When the smile disappeared, a chilling impression was revealed. A silence that was neither short nor long continued.
“Is that so.”
He smiled again.
It was an attitude that covered up the previous silence as if nothing had happened. Shin Yoon raised the jar and said in a cheerful voice.
“Then beg.”
The jar shook at Ki Jae-eon’s eye level.
Teasingly, as if showing a snack to a child.
“Beg, Ki Jae-eon.”
But with malice.