Kwon Taehyuk narrowed his eyes and quickly moved Cha Seohu behind him. Whoever this man called Kang Haeil was, judging by Seohu's complexion, he was clearly not a friendly face.
Don't tell me... Was he also someone connected to the District? Like Kwon Seoyul or Hyun Dowoon who had come looking for Seohu before?
Kwon Taehyuk's tension spiked as he raised his sword. Even though the blade was clearly drawn against him, Kang Haeil remained casually seated on the sofa. With a stretched-out smile, Kang Haeil tilted his head.
"Aren't you going to show your face to your big brother after all this time? Move that stone-faced boyfriend out of the way."
Cha Seohu didn't budge from behind Kwon Taehyuk and swallowed hard.
So Kang Haeil actually came in person...
He'd thought the man would just monitor from a distance for a while—why the sudden movement?
Kang Haeil was different from Kwon Seoyul. Seoyul was impulsive and selfish, but he'd bend when pushed. Kang Haeil only moved when there was a reason. If he'd come here, it meant he had a clear purpose—and Seohu had a rough idea of what that might be.
But I can't just go along with him.
Suppressing the anxiety churning inside, Cha Seohu looked toward Cha Sahyeon. The harmless water that Kwon Taehyuk had blocked just moments ago—if it had truly been dangerous, Sahyeon would have reacted first. If Kang Haeil had attacked for real, no one would've moved faster than Sahyeon.
Kang Haeil was certainly a threat, but Seohu couldn't let Sahyeon use his skills in such a public place. With Kwon Taehyuk here, he'd manage somehow.
"Just stay still for now."
At Seohu's quiet order, Cha Sahyeon looked at him, silently asking if he was really okay.
"Don't move unless I give you the signal. No matter what."
After repeating himself firmly, Seohu walked forward, leaving Sahyeon behind. As he stepped out from behind Taehyuk's back, the man looked like he wanted to say something, but bit it back.
Facing Kang Haeil's piercing blue eyes, Cha Seohu forced himself to speak.
"Why are you here?"
"If an older brother wants to see his little brother, he can visit, can't he? You make it sound so cold."
"...I heard you were just going to monitor me."
"Mm~ That was the plan."
Kang Haeil sighed playfully, as if disappointed, and glanced between Seohu and Kwon Taehyuk.
"But the brothers I left to watch over you didn't even know where you were going, so I had to step in myself."
He uncrossed his legs and stood up. Just as Taehyuk had guessed, he was exceptionally tall. Even Taehyuk, who was quite tall for an S-rank, was about the same height—or slightly shorter.
With both hands in the pockets of his coat, a flock of blue butterflies began to appear around Kang Haeil. Fluttering, several butterflies formed from water crossed the air and flew toward Cha Seohu.
Frowning, Kwon Taehyuk immediately cut down the one leading the pack.
"...!"
But the butterfly only flickered briefly before regaining its form and flapping its wings as if nothing had happened. Kwon Taehyuk's pupils trembled slightly at the sight.
Hunters who wielded elemental-type skills like Kang Haeil were rare, though not unheard of. Taehyuk had fought against them before and was familiar with their fighting styles.
But this was different. Even Ryu Sunghyun, whose 'light' element was notoriously tricky, couldn't maintain form after his attacks were cut. So why were Kang Haeil's butterflies...?
"It's because it's water."
A calm voice spoke up.
"Water exists in the air, so even if the form is broken, it can regenerate. It's not that it didn't take damage—just that the butterflies are small and easy to restore. Ugh—"
SPLASH!
The butterflies swirling around suddenly expanded, transforming into dozens of streams of water. As they wrapped around Cha Seohu's body, Kwon Taehyuk panicked and reached out.
"Hunter Cha Seohu!"
He grabbed Seohu's arm just as the water began to pull him away. Although he'd managed to catch his arm in time, the force dragging Seohu in the opposite direction didn't stop—in fact, it was growing stronger.
"Ah, ngh—!"
Pulled from both sides by two S-ranks, Cha Seohu let out a pained groan, his face pale. His exposed wrist, peeking out from his sleeve, was just as white as his face.
Taehyuk glanced at Kang Haeil in shock. But the man was still standing calmly with his hands in his coat pockets. His lips were curled in a faint smile, but his eyes—locked onto Taehyuk—were devoid of any emotion.
He wasn't going to let go. That much was clear. Kwon Taehyuk's hand began to tremble.
Damn it...!
He gritted his teeth and slashed at the water, but just like the butterflies, the streams binding Seohu didn't disappear.
Should I let go?
The arm he was gripping felt far too fragile. Just a bit more force and the soft flesh—and the bones beneath—would shatter. That delicate body was being dragged helplessly toward Kang Haeil, giving him only one arm to hold on with.
It would be easy not to back down. Like Kang Haeil, he could ignore Seohu's pain and just keep holding on. But then Seohu's shoulder would pop, his bones would snap, and eventually—his arm would...
His mind filled with the image of bright red blood. Seeing Seohu drenched in cold sweat from the pain, Kwon Taehyuk finally let go.
Splash—Seohu's body, suspended in midair, was pulled smoothly into Kang Haeil's arms. Holding him like it was second nature, Kang Haeil sighed with exaggerated disappointment.
"Your boyfriend's way too soft. Why don't you find someone else?"
"I'm a bit too old to be told who I can or can't see."
Cha Seohu replied flatly, while signaling with his eyes toward Cha Sahyeon. Sahyeon, just as instructed, remained still and didn't interfere—but his expression was anything but calm.
Of course, a signal alone wouldn't be enough if his anger passed the point of reason. Once Sahyeon lost control, not even Seohu could stop him.
"Maybe it's best if you break up. You won't be seeing each other again anyway."
Even though he clearly didn't believe they were in that kind of relationship, Kang Haeil kept joking to the end. Then, he lowered his head and brought his lips to Seohu's ear.
"You're going to be in so much trouble when we get back."
A cold stream of water brushed past his cheek, sending a shiver down his spine.
"The Great Dungeon, really? You actually thought you'd get to go in? That's cute. How much dumber did you get while I was gone, Seohu?"
Kang Haeil wrapped his arm around Seohu's neck from behind. His chin tilted upward, making it hard to breathe.
"I didn't want to get involved either, but now I don't have a choice. Disciplining you was always my job anyway. Better me than Mook Jeongho, right?"
His soft voice trailed off just as a sudden burst of water shot up from the ground, blocking an incoming blade.
The moment Kang Haeil jumped into the air with Seohu's waist in his grip, another sword sliced through the water and struck the ground.
BOOM!
The spot where they had just been standing shattered. Shards of floor flew everywhere as Kwon Taehyuk's swords chased after Kang Haeil.
As Taehyuk's blades closed in, Kang Haeil swiped his hand in a wide arc. Whirlwinds of water erupted in all directions, crashing into the walls, floor, and decorations—turning the hotel lobby into chaos.
"H-Holy shit! Aaaah!"
"Run!"
"Call the authorities!"
The moment Kwon Taehyuk had drawn his sword, the bystanders had already started panicking—and now they scattered in terror.
Even as he wrecked someone else's lobby, Kang Haeil smiled gleefully, knocking away the blades flying at him. In his arms, dragged helplessly, Cha Seohu squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed back the rising nausea.
I feel like I'm going to throw up...
He hated this side of his "brothers." The way they lived only in their own world, hurting others like it meant nothing. The way they always ignored his will and put their own desires first.
It was all disgusting and exhausting. The more unbearable it became, the more a thought he normally wouldn't consider kept surfacing.
He wanted to tell Sahyeon to do as he pleased.
...No. I can't.
The hotel staff and people must've already called the authorities. It was a major hotel on a public street—Hunters from the Association would show up soon. Even Kang Haeil wouldn't be able to hold out for long. With Kwon Taehyuk's testimony, Seohu would be rescued safely.
Just a little longer...
He was barely holding back a wave of curses when—
"The fuck is this?!"
A loud yell echoed across the lobby. It was a familiar voice.
Through the flying water droplets, Seohu saw a head of apricot-colored hair. Kwon Seoyul had just arrived, his mouth agape in disbelief. Standing beside him was Hyun Dowoon.
"Ha-il hyung?! What the hell are you doing here? And why are you grabbing Seohu hyung?!"
Seoyul stepped into the rippling water and gagged.
"Ugh, what the hell! It's soaked in here!"
Hyun Dowoon, seeing Seohu in Kang Haeil's grasp, turned pale. He clearly hadn't expected Kang Haeil to act either.
With Seoyul, a combat-type, now present, Kwon Taehyuk drew two more blades from his inventory. Kang Haeil, noticing the increased number of floating ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) swords, turned to Seohu and said:
"Cast your buffs."
"Go fuck yourself."
"So hard to handle, as always."
Grumbling as if he expected that answer, Kang Haeil turned to Seoyul and Dowoon.
"Seoyul, hold them off. Dowoon, erase the hotel's CCTV. We'll clean this up before the Association arrives."
Smiling, Kang Haeil raised his hand. From above, a towering wall of water loomed, reaching toward the ceiling.
"Time to go back to the District."
"Huh, really?"
RUMBLE. The enormous wave shook the ground. Seeing it, Kwon Seoyul's eyes lit up.
"I don't know what's going on, but if all I gotta do is take care of this bastard and we go home, sounds great. I hated that guy anyway."
Grinning, Seoyul pulled something from his inventory—a pure white violin.
With practiced ease, he raised it to position and drew his bow. In the middle of the raging battle, a strangely beautiful melody filled the lobby.
"Khk...!"
Feeling a sharp presence behind his neck, Kwon Taehyuk jerked back just as blood spurted from his throat. A thin red line stretched across his neck like he'd been cut by an invisible blade.
A formless attack.
Seoyul, eyes closed as he played, was defenseless—yet his music formed a barrier, making it impossible to approach.
Breathing heavily, Kwon Taehyuk gripped his sword tighter. Even with the massive wave about to crash down and the overwhelming sound of the violin, his eyes never left Cha Seohu.
Cha Seohu had expected him to give up at this point—and that made him pause. He stared at Taehyuk in silent surprise.
Then, as if reaching the end of his tolerance, Seohu quietly spoke the name he had kept in reserve until the very last moment.
"...Cha Sahyeon."

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