At Kang Haeil’s demand to hand him over, the expression vanished from Ryu Sunghyun’s face for an instant.
What appeared next was clear hostility. The way he hugged Cha Seohu even tighter revealed his will not to let him be taken away.
Seeing that, Kang Haeil’s mouth twisted.
“How annoying......”
“Hunter Ryu Sunghyun!”
Seeing Kang Haeil move his hand, Kwon Taehyuk hurriedly ran over and blocked Ryu Sunghyun’s path.
It meant he would take Kang Haeil’s attack in place of Ryu Sunghyun, who was holding Cha Seohu.
But as if Kang Haeil had expected that, he instead dismissed the column of water spiraling beside him.
Just as Kwon Taehyuk flinched and tried to grasp the situation, Yoon Jeha, who was carrying J on her back, muttered with a stiff expression.
“What the hell is that......”
Behind Kang Haeil, who had erased the water column, something began to reveal itself.
As if a giant were rising to its feet, an enormous something surged rapidly upward from below.
The huge thing that rose high enough to cover the sky was none other than water. Kang Haeil had used his ability to create a massive wave.
Seeing Kwon Taehyuk’s confusion, Kang Haeil laughed.
“You think I’m an idiot.”
No matter how much Ryu Sunghyun and Yoon Jeha were each carrying someone, facing three S-ranks alone would be difficult.
But Kang Haeil was an ability user who controlled water, and water had endless uses.
“Wouldn’t it have been nice if you’d handed him over when I told you to?”
Kang Haeil muttered indifferently and flicked his hand. The enormous wave violently swallowed all three of them.
It was not simple water, but a wave filled with an S-rank’s power, so they could not keep their balance.
The wave crashed over them several times in succession, turning every direction into a complete sea of water. The three, struggling to hold out, were swept away by the waves and submerged before they could even scream.
The powerful waves turned the area around the church into a disaster. Trees snapped at the trunks, and even the remnants of buildings were pushed away, unable to withstand the force of the water.
The old church, struck head-on by the wave, shook precariously before finally collapsing.
For a long while, the sound of water filled the surroundings.
After sweeping away everything with water to his satisfaction, Kang Haeil waved his hand briefly one more time.
Then the waves stopped, and the water spreading across the road like a flood evaporated cleanly in an instant. What remained was the collapsed church, the ruined surroundings, and the S-ranks soaked to the bone and coughing.
“Nice and clean.”
With a short laugh, Kang Haeil leisurely walked into the middle of that wreckage.
Cha Seohu, whom Ryu Sunghyun had let go of, had collapsed on the ground, completely drenched. His blood-soaked clothes and arm were the same as before, but the black dirt had been washed clean away by the water.
Kang Haeil’s smile vanished when he stood in front of Cha Seohu.
“......”
He opened his mouth to call Cha Seohu, then froze like that.
The blue eyes looking down at Cha Seohu shook. Then, from his slightly parted lips, what came out was not his younger brother’s name, but a bewildered murmur.
“......What?”
His voice, always smooth and languid, was rough, tightly suppressed.
His eyes blinked again and again as he looked down at Cha Seohu, who lay limp on the ground.
The cheek visible beneath his wet golden hair was far too pale.
His face, which had been damp with cold sweat, was now covered in the cold water Kang Haeil had mercilessly poured down, and his lips, always pleasantly colored, were purple now.
“Cha Seohu.”
After a long while, Kang Haeil barely called his name in a trembling voice and sank to his knees.
Breathing. A heartbeat. He could not hear any of it. Those two things, which should naturally be heard from a living person, could not be heard no matter how hard he listened.
“Cha Seohu.”
Calling him again, Kang Haeil reached out and gripped Cha Seohu’s shoulder firmly. But he could not bring himself to use strength the way he usually did. On the contrary, the large hand holding his shoulder trembled faintly.
“...Open your eyes.”
He waited for an answer, but Cha Seohu, whose eyes were closed, did not respond. Kang Haeil clenched his teeth and demanded again, grinding out the words.
“I told you to open your eyes, Cha Seohu.”
The muscles in Kang Haeil’s jaw stood out as he clenched his teeth.
“Cough, move......”
Ryu Sunghyun, who had been swept away by the wave and slammed hard in the back against the corner of some building debris, barely pushed himself up and warned him.
Kang Haeil, who had been quietly looking at Cha Seohu, slowly lifted his head at those words.
Bloodshot red eyes turned toward the three S-ranks who had been with Cha Seohu.
His reason rejected Cha Seohu’s death, but he was quick to understand who had made his younger brother like this. Endless hatred rose and filled his blue eyes completely.
“You fucking bastards, right now.”
A chilling force burst from Kang Haeil’s body, incomparable to before.
His killing intent went straight toward the three in front of him. Ryu Sunghyun, who had lost Cha Seohu, also drew up his power to deal with Kang Haeil and take him back.
Neither side had any rational judgment left to say that they should hold back because the other was Cha Seohu’s acquaintance. Yoon Jeha, who had been checking on J, realized the situation and was horrified.
“Stop!”
She shouted urgently and gripped her sword.
It was then.
From somewhere, there came the faint sound of someone drawing breath.
It was the sound of instinctively inhaling, like someone surfacing after being submerged deep underwater.
Everyone’s gaze turned downward at the same time.
“Cough, hngh...”
Cha Seohu twisted his head with a frown. His lips parted as he gasped for breath and let out a groan.
The marks of pain were deep in his distorted eyes and pale cheeks.
But.
But......
He was alive. He was breathing. His heart, which had been silent until just moments ago, was beating powerfully.
“Ah......”
Realizing that, Kang Haeil unconsciously clutched his chest.
For the first time, he learned that when relief was too strong, the heart hurt.
Ryu Sunghyun also heard Cha Seohu’s breathing and heartbeat.
After moving his lips several times, Ryu Sunghyun staggered over. Then he dropped to both knees with a thud as if collapsing.
Once he knew Cha Seohu was alive, an overwhelming loss of strength came over him. And also the realization of just how far out of his mind he had been until moments ago.
“Hu-Hunter Cha Seohu.”
Kwon Taehyuk stammered his name and hurried over.
Sitting beside him without hesitation, Kwon Taehyuk brushed Cha Seohu’s wet hair aside with a trembling hand and wiped the water from his cheek.
“I’m here. It’s Kwon Taehyuk. Can you hear me? Hunter Cha Seohu. I’m here.”
Kwon Taehyuk rambled, repeating the same words over and over, and his voice gradually began to shake.
Before long, tears began pouring down his cheeks. His face, which had been wet with Kang Haeil’s water, was now wet with hot tears.
“Thank goodness. Thank goodness, truly. I......”
Kwon Taehyuk held Cha Seohu’s hand tightly and bit his lip.
The apology that he was sorry for not coming faster, and the guilt of having left him alone while he was in so much pain, blocked his throat hotly. He did not even dare utter the words that he was sorry.
“Crazy bastard.”
Yoon Jeha muttered a curse, yet let out a breath of relief.
Carrying J on her back again, Yoon Jeha staggered closer and spoke firmly to the men.
“Get a grip. Is this the time to stand around stupidly crying? He needs treatment. He’s still bleeding!”
At Yoon Jeha’s sharp shout, Kwon Taehyuk jerked his head up.
It was true. The area around his arm, which had already been soaked in blood, was being stained again by fresh blood flowing out.
Ryu Sunghyun inhaled, looked at Cha Seohu, then moved his gaze to the sky.
As if one disaster were not enough, darkness was disappearing and morning was arriving. At least the sun had not risen yet, but the sky was turning blue. There was not much time left before morning came.
“We have to go. As quickly as possible while he’s still in S-rank condition!”
“My car!”
Fortunately, Ryu Sunghyun’s car, which had not been swept away by Kang Haeil’s wave, was still standing intact.
With his face twisted viciously, Kang Haeil had no choice but to carefully lay Cha Seohu, whom he had taken into his arms, across the back seat of Ryu Sunghyun’s car, then climbed in himself.
“Go straight to my guild. I’ll contact the healer and follow behind.”
Kwon Taehyuk also spoke as he climbed onto the motorcycle he had ridden earlier. Ryu Sunghyun nodded and hurriedly got into the driver’s seat.
Yoon Jeha climbed onto the motorcycle Cha Seohu had ridden, holding J in her arms.
Ryu Sunghyun’s car started first.
The car shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow and raced through the ruined city at an insane speed. Every time the car jolted roughly, Kang °• N ?? v ?? l i g h t •° Haeil held Cha Seohu’s limp body firmly in place.
Ryu Sunghyun did not care whether the car struck something or scraped against anything, and he truly drove like a madman. Thanks to that, they were able to leave Sector T-27 as quickly as the car became battered.
Kwon Taehyuk followed Ryu Sunghyun’s car with his phone wedged against one shoulder. The person he called was not a healer belonging to his guild.
It was someone who had made a promise to him in advance. Someone who had asked him, if the moment came when Cha Seohu needed a healer, to call him no matter when it was.
—Hello?
Even though it was an hour so early it was difficult to call it morning, the other person answered before the signal had even rung three times.
Kwon Taehyuk increased the speed of his motorcycle and called the other person’s name.
“Hunter Dan Yeoun. I need your help. Right now.”

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