HLFH | Chapter 19

“This is…”

Ki Jaeeon stumbled backward at the scene of bloodshed. He had only come to return something Ahn Seomyeong had lost.

Gasp… Huff, Kim Juwon was laughing while spewing blood, and kids were collapsed everywhere.

A dark curse was branded on their faces.

Ki Jaeeon’s gaze slowly turned to Kim Juwon, or rather, the Jimoetgwi.

“There’s something non-human inside him.”

At that moment, memories of past battlefields overlapped, pressing down on Ki Jaeeon.

His black pupils began to shake uncontrollably.

“Ugh…!!”

The sensation was as if his insides were being turned upside down. An indescribable repulsion rang through his nerves like a terrible alarm. Then, the Jimoetgwi started clapping, “Ah ah ah?” It was a laugh like rusty metal clashing together.

“That thing, that thing. It’s broken, I see.”

“Gasp, huff…”

Ki Jaeeon’s knees buckled. He collapsed to the ground, his hand trembling uncontrollably as it covered his mouth. The warrior who had broken through the seal was nothing more than a useless remnant.

The Jimoetgwi looked down at the pathetic Ki Jaeeon and thought, Weak.

And indeed, he was. This remnant was several times more pitiful than the usual small fry.

Compared to the shell it occupied, it was truly trash.

“It’s broken. I see, the torn… soul, I see.”

It was a maggot that couldn’t even be eaten.

The roughly stitched soul didn’t even whet the appetite.

The Jimoetgwi looked down at Ki Jaeeon without interest and then turned around with a spin.

“I see. The soul, I see.”

It was a voice filled with excitement. I want to fight that! But I can’t! Because it’s broken? You have to throw away what’s broken.

Humming like a song, the Jimoetgwi mocked Kim Juwon as it made its way toward one of the fallen children. The hand it controlled hesitated several times, as if resisting, but eventually, it reached down, grabbed the unconscious child by the hair, and dragged them toward Ki Jaeeon.

The Jimoetgwi’s eyes gleamed as it spoke.

“I’m hungry, so I’ll eat more?”

The mouth, torn up to the cheekbones, opened wide. At that moment, something that might have been tears or blood trickled down from Kim Juwon’s distorted eyes.

Then it happened.

The child whose hair was grabbed seemed to regain some consciousness, their eyelids fluttering open. Ki Jaeeon immediately recognized who it was.

-Why don’t you try harder?

It was that child.

Their eyes met for a moment.

A head shaking weakly, skin turned purple, eyes filled with fear.

The child mouthed weakly towards Ki Jaeeon.

‘Help.’

Their wrinkled lips formed a circle and then parted.

‘Me.’

Finally, they moved slightly.

‘Please.’

It was a curse aimed precisely at Ki Jaeeon, awakening his past self.

-Why did you change?

The voice overlapped.

-Are you tired of this?

The sound of rain from that day grew louder.

The hand that had been covering his mouth slowly fell.

…Ah, I think I can finally give an answer.

Child, actually.

“I never…”

I’ve never changed, never been tired of it. Yeah, I think that’s how it was.

If I could have changed and been tired of it… I wouldn’t be this unhappy.

In an instant, Ki Jaeeon kicked off the ground and sprang forward.

Screech-!!

White sneakers slipping in the blood left a new trajectory as they ran somewhere. It was a movement without a moment’s hesitation. Ah… was I abandoned? Well, I did speak so harshly, so it’s only natural. As the child’s face filled with despair watching the back with no regrets, it happened.

“…!!”

Screech- the sound of friction echoed once more, and the child’s gaze changed.

From the fear of impending death to the look of someone who found unbelievable hope.

“Haa… Ha.”

The place Ki Jaeeon ran to was none other than Ahn Seomyeong, where the child was.

He moved quickly with no unnecessary actions. He pressed close behind the startled Ahn Seomyeong, suddenly grabbing his hand and forming a prayer position.

Then he overlapped his own hands.

Large hands gently enveloped the blood-soaked ones.

“Exorcist-!”

Ahn Seomyeong tried to shout towards the phone that had fallen to the floor.

But Ki Jaeeon was faster.

“Don’t move.”

Ki Jaeeon was still trembling. But he was more resolute than ever.

“From now on.”

Ki Jaeeon muttered, pushing away the fear that gripped 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 moment the Jimoetgwi is exorcised, the spiritual energy flowing into Ahn Seomyeong will be cut off. Then the incantation will naturally stop, and the curse will be broken.

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

Did he not run away?

The Jimoetgwi’s head tilted unnaturally, cracking left and right.

After all… isn’t it just a bug attached to a fragment?

Whatever he’s doing, it’s just the typical struggle of the weak.

That’s what it thought.

[O keeper of the flame of life.]

It was around then that the Jimoetgwi’s mocking gaze changed.

Its sharp pupils, reminiscent of a reptile, narrowed deeply, and it let go of the head it was holding as if throwing it away. The Jimoetgwi instinctively flinched! Its upper body crouched. Like a beast facing its natural enemy.

…It was scared.

[Burning the wickedness, wings that judge evil.]

Why is that guy’s soul changing…?!

It was definitely shattered!

Now it looked too, too dangerous.

[The malice that rots without becoming ashes.]

This can’t go on.

Just as the Jimoetgwi was about to scream and charge at the two, it happened.

Whoosh!!

Supreme flames began to burn in a circle around Ki Jaeeon and Ahn Seomyeong.

“Save us.”

The flames quickly spread out, writing new characters on the ground.

[fcnt header='Footnote' content='Open in Hanja']門[/fcnt]

The tightly closed southern gate opened, and red wings soared.

The third guardian deity among the Four Guardian Beasts descended.

The light rising in the east shone brightly in front of the setting sun!

To the wicked, heavenly punishment, to the good, blessings.

As if teaching the natural order, the red wings flapped grandly within the colorful clouds.

“…-… -!!”

The merciless flames burned the Jimoetgwi, and the scattering feathers even wiped away the curse branded on the children.

It was truly an incredible display of power.

“Cough! Huff, cough…!”

“Ugh, cough!”

In front of the children who slowly regained consciousness were Ahn Seomyeong, who had collapsed from exhaustion, and Ki Jaeeon, supporting him.

A genius who turned a moment of despair into a miracle.

A power that seemed to prove ‘I am at the top.’

A talent that blew away all the clumsiness and uncooperative attitude shown so far in one go.

‘No way…’

The child who had escaped from the Jimoetgwi’s grasp thought with tears welling up.

He’s back!

My hero is back!

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

Bonryeong was in an uproar.

Of course, it was. The story of successfully summoning the Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Guardian Beasts, was a major event that couldn’t be overlooked.

The last time anyone succeeded in summoning a divine beast was 50 years ago, and it was only the exorcist of Haeshin. Even that was just a rumor.

In any case, it meant that no existing exorcist had ever seen a divine beast in person. In other words, that difficult feat… Ki Jaeeon accomplished it alone!

And in Bonryeong!

“This is not something to be taken lightly!”

Honestly, if it weren’t for Cheonjiharang, they would have already hung banners saying [Ki Jaeeon Forever] and held a grand banquet for two weeks.

“The blessing of the Vermilion Bird god has descended upon Bonryeong!! Haha~ To enjoy such luxury before I die!”

One of the elders emptied a teacup instead of a wine glass with joy. Others nodded in agreement.

“…It still feels like a dream.”

Although the descent time was significantly short, it was a flawless, unmistakable Vermilion Bird.

Murmur, murmur.

But the joy was short-lived, and the elders soon began to discuss with serious expressions.

“Will it reach the ears of Cheonjiharang and Haeshin?”

“It won’t be long before it does.”

“Then, Cheonjiharang will surely try to take our Jaeeon.”

Silence fell.

“Which Jaeeon?”

“Ahem.”

The elder who had mentioned ‘our Jaeeon’ turned his head as if he didn’t know. Then, another old man sitting next to him pointed a finger at the one who was nitpicking and shouted.

“No! Then is our Jaeeon in Seoul or Incheon?!”

Around them, people shouted in agreement and applause erupted. Only the old man who had been nitpicking clicked his tongue at the ‘obvious old men’ with a sour look. But he, too, coveted Ki Jaeeon.

If Ki Jaeeon would just promise to stay in Bonryeong, he was ready to give away his entire fortune… No! What was his entire fortune! He was even willing to give a share of Bonryeong.

“But if Cheonjiharang calls, we have to let him go…”

“We can’t send him like this. Is this some academy? Coming and going as they please? We need to hold onto him until we extract more information about the Vermilion Bird summoning. It would be even better if we could keep him here!”

“Then…”

“Since the Vermilion Bird was successfully summoned in Bonryeong, how about we bring that up?”

“Do you think they’d easily agree to that?”

The oldest elder’s eyes sparkled once more.

“We need justification. A reason for Exorcist Ki Jaeeon to stay in Bonryeong!”

“Is there such a thing?!”

“If there isn’t, we have to create one!”

In short, it was [Protect Ki Jaeeon at all costs].