By Zephyria ‘This is…’
Ki Jae-eon staggered back in the scene of blood. He just came to deliver the lost item to Ahn Seo-myeong.
“Huff…… Huff,” Kim Ju-won was laughing while spitting out blood, and children were collapsed everywhere.
The curse was branded blackly on their faces.
Ki Jae-eon’s gaze slowly turned to Kim Ju-won, or rather, Poor little cutie.
‘Something not human is inside him.’
At that moment, the image of the past battlefield was superimposed, pressuring Ki Jae-eon.
His dark pupils began to shake wildly.
“Ugh……!!”
The sensation of his insides being turned upside down was vivid. The indescribable revulsion was terrible, as if it were ringing all the nerves in his body. Then, Poor little cutie began to clap his hands, chattering his jaw, “Ah, ah, ah?” Ahahahahaha! It was a dull laughter, like rusty metal clashing against each other.
“That one, that one. Broke, see.”
“Huff, huff……”
Ki Jae-eon’s knees buckled. His hand, which was covering his mouth as he sat down on the floor, was shaking mercilessly. The warrior who had broken through the seal was just a useless, defeated soldier. Poor little cutie looked at Ki Jae-eon in his wretched state and thought thoughtlessly, ‘Weak.’ No, he really was. This defeated soldier was several times more pathetic than the other small fries.
Compared to this shell he had taken over, wasn’t he just trash?
“Broke. See, torn to shreds…… torn, soul, see.”
He was even a maggot that couldn’t be eaten.
The roughly patched-up soul didn’t exactly whet his appetite.
Poor little cutie looked down at Ki Jae-eon without interest, then turned his body around with a spin.
“See. Soul, see.”
His voice was excited. I want to fight that one! I can’t! Because he’s broken? Broken things should be thrown away. Poor little cutie, humming like a song as he mocked Kim Ju-won, headed towards one of the fallen children. The hand being used by Poor little cutie paused several times as if resisting, before finally grabbing the hair of the fallen child tightly. Poor little cutie, who had dragged the unconscious child back in front of Ki Jae-eon, said with a glint in his eyes.
“Hung, gry. Eat, more?”
His mouth, torn up to his cheekbones, opened wide. At that moment, something that could have been tears or blood welled up in Kim Ju-won’s distorted eyes and flowed down.
It was then.
The child whose hair was being grabbed faintly regained consciousness and fluttered his eyelids open. Ki Jae-eon immediately recognized who he was.
-Why aren’t you working hard?
It was that child.
Their eyes met for a moment.
A head shaking weakly, skin turned purple, eyes filled with fear.
The child moved his lips slightly towards Ki Jae-eon and mouthed.
‘He.’
His wrinkled lips gathered and released in a circle.
‘Lp.’
Finally, he moved slightly.
‘Me.’
That was precisely a curse directed at Ki Jae-eon…… awakening the him of the past.
-Why did you change?
Voices overlapped.
-Are you tired of this job?
The sound of rain that day gradually grew louder.
The hand that had been covering his mouth gradually fell down.
……Ah, I think I can finally give you an answer.
Child, actually.
“I…….”
I’ve never changed, I’ve never been tired of it. Yeah, that’s right. I think that’s how it was.
If I could have changed and been tired of it…… I wouldn’t have been so unhappy.
In an instant, Ki Jae-eon kicked off the floor and shot out.
Screech-!!
White sneakers slipping on blood left a new trajectory as they ran somewhere. It was a movement without a moment’s hesitation. Ah…… Was I abandoned? Well, I said such terrible things, so it’s a natural result. It was the moment when the child’s face, looking at his unrepentant back, was filled with despair.
“……!!”
Screech- The sound of friction rang out once more, and the child’s gaze changed.
From the fear of facing death, to the look of someone who had found unbelievable hope.
“Haa……. Haa.”
The place Ki Jae-eon ran to was none other than Ahn Seo-myeong, where that child was.
He moved quickly with efficient movements. He stuck close to the flustered Ahn Seo-myeong, grabbed his hands, and made a prayer position.
Then, he overlapped his own hands.
Large hands gently wrapped around blood-soaked hands.
“Exorcist-nim!”
Ahn Seo-myeong hurriedly tried to shout into the phone that had fallen to the floor.
But Ki Jae-eon was faster.
“Don’t move.”
Ki Jae-eon was still trembling. But he was more resolute than ever.
“From now on.”
Ki Jae-eon muttered, having brushed aside the fear that was grabbing at his legs.
“I’m going to borrow you.”
The way to fight without going berserk like before was simple.
Just find a vessel to take his place.
The spiritual power that flowed into Ahn Seo-myeong at the moment of Exorcism Poor little cutie would also be cut off. That way, the spirit chant would naturally stop and the spell would be broken.
He didn’t run away?
Poor little cutie’s head tilted unnaturally to the left and right with a snap, snap.
At best…… Isn’t he just a bug attached to a crumb?
I don’t know what he’s doing, but it’s just a typical struggle of the weak.
That’s what I thought, but.
[Oh you who command the flame of life.]
It was around then that the gaze of Poor little cutie, who had been sneering, changed.
The sharp pupils, reminiscent of reptiles, narrowed even further, and he threw away the head he had been holding as if discarding it. Poor little cutie instinctively flinched! He bent his upper body. Like a beast facing its natural enemy.
……He was scared.
[Oh wings that burn away evil and judge wickedness.]
Why is that guy’s Spirituality changing……?!
Clearly, it was in pieces!
Right now, he looked too, too, dangerous.
[The malice that rots without turning to ash.]
This won’t do.
It was the moment when Poor little cutie screamed and rushed towards the two of them.
Whoosh-!!
The ultimate flames began to burn in a circle around Ki Jae-eon and Ahn Seo-myeong.
“Save us.”
The flames soon spread out at a terrifying speed, writing new letters on the floor.
[Gate]
The tightly closed southern gate opened, and red wings soared.
The third guardian deity among the Four Guardian Deities descended.
The light that rose in Donggwan flashed greatly before the setting sun!
Divine Punishment for the wicked, blessings for the good.
As if teaching the obvious truth, red wings fluttered greatly in the multicolored clouds.
“……-…… -!!”
The merciless flames burned Poor little cutie, and the scattering feathers cleanly erased even the marks of the curse engraved on the children.
It was truly an enormous destructive power.
“Cough! Haa, cough……!”
“Cough, cough!”
In front of the children, who were regaining consciousness one by one, were Ahn Seo-myeong, who had collapsed from exhaustion, and Ki Jae-eon, who was supporting him.
A Genius who miraculously reversed the moment everyone was despondent.
A power that showed as if proving ‘I am the apex.’
A talent that blew away all the clumsiness and uncooperative attitude he had shown so far in one shot.
‘No way…….’
The child who had escaped from Poor little cutie’s hands thought with tears welling up in his eyes.
He has returned!
My hero has returned!
The main office was greatly shaken.
Of course. The story that they had succeeded in summoning the Vermilion Bird God, one of the Four Guardian Deities, was a major event that could not be overlooked.
Currently, the history of successfully summoning a sacred animal dates back 50 years, and the Exorcist of the ‘Sea God’ was the only one. Of course, even that was just hearsay.
In any case, it means that no existing Exorcist has ever actually seen the Four Guardian Deities. In other words, Ki Jae-eon had done that difficult thing…… alone!
And that too, in the main office!
“This is not a matter to be taken lightly!”
Frankly, if it weren’t for Heavenly Land, they would have already hung up [Ki Jae-eon Forever] banners for fifteen days and held a grand banquet.
“The Vermilion Bird God’s blessing has descended on the main office!! Hahaha~ To think I could enjoy such luxury before I die!”
One of the elders rejoiced, emptying his teacup instead of a wine glass with a hearty gesture. The others nodded in agreement.
“……It still feels like I’m dreaming.”
Although the descent time was remarkably short, it was an impeccable, clear Vermilion Bird God.
Murmur, murmur.
But the joy was only temporary, and the elders soon began to share their opinions with serious expressions.
“Will it reach the ears of Heavenly Land and the Sea God?”
“It will soon.”
“Then, Heavenly Land will definitely try to take our Jae-eon away.”
Everyone fell silent.
“Which Jae-eon?”
“Ahem.”
The elder who made the ‘our Jae-eon’ remark turned his head away, pretending not to know. Then, another old man sitting next to him pointed at the one who was picking a fight and shouted back.
“Hey! Then is our Jae-eon in Seoul or Incheon?!”
Applause erupted from the surroundings, saying, “That’s right! That’s right!” Only the old man who had raised the objection clicked his tongue with a sour look, saying, ‘Transparent old men.’ But he too wanted Ki Jae-eon just as much.
If Ki Jae-eon only promised to stay in the main office, he would immediately give away all his assets…… No! What are all his assets! He was more than willing to give away even the shares of the main office.
“But if Heavenly Land calls, shouldn’t we send him…….”
“We can’t send him like this. What is this, a school? Coming and going as they please? We have to hold onto him until we get more information about the Vermilion Bird God summoning. It would be even better if he settled down here!”
“Then…….”
“First of all, since he succeeded in summoning the Vermilion Bird God in the main office, how about bringing up that part?”
“Do you think those guys will easily agree to that?”
The oldest elder once again shone his eyes.
“A justification, that’s what we need. A justification for Exorcist Ki Jae-eon to stay in the main office!”
“Is there such a thing?!”
“We have to create one even if there isn’t!”
In short, it was [Absolutely protect, Ki Jae-eon].