22 – Coward
“You’re overly kind, Daehyeop.”
“Huh?”
I was taken aback by Yeonhwa’s sudden words and tried to read her expression.
Bright eyes and a clenched fist.
Even a slightly protruding mouth.
I forced myself to hold back my laughter at the adorable Yeonhwa.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Daehyeop, you value the medical association more than anyone in Gangho, and you’re very generous to women.”
Ah… That’s what she meant.
“Is it because of what happened with the woman?”
“Hmph.”
This adorable side of Yeonhwa was a rare sight.
I decided to tease her a little more.
“She’s a woman… No matter how cruel a killer he is, how can he lay a hand on a woman?”
“He’s not a woman; he’s a killer who came to kill Kang Daehyeop!”
“Perhaps the innocence in the eyes above the mask is attractive? Or, when you take off the mask, is she much more beautiful than you expected?”
“W-what! No! Her eyes are slanted, her mouth is crooked, and her chest is… her chest…”
“Her chest is what? Why are you hesitating to speak?”
“Hmph!”
“Is it because her chest is much smaller and less impressive than yours?”
“It’s not like that…”
I walked behind Yeonhwa and embraced her, gently touching her lower chest with my right hand.
“Ah~ it seems to be true, doesn’t it?”
“Ugh…”
My left hand descended along her waistline and stopped on her buttocks.
“What about your buttocks? Are you more confident than that killer’s?”
“Ugh… Wait…”
From her lips pressed against mine, a rough breath mixed with confusion escapes and grazes my cheek.
– She only spared my life. The martial arts are ruined, and I made sure she never returns.
– Even so…
My right hand, which had only been raised, and my left hand grip her chest and hips roughly.
– Ah!
– Why? Can’t I touch you?
– No! It’s just so sudden…
Even in her embarrassment, Yeon-hwa is so lovable as she takes my hand and presses it with her own.
– Whether they’re weak or women, I hope that those who threaten the guild won’t be spared… Even the greatest masters lose their lives here due to a momentary lapse or sympathy. For me… For me… the guild’s safety is more important than anything else in the world.
Her sincere concern makes me realize that I need to become a stronger person.
In fact, her fleeting feeling is more important to me than any petty feelings of sympathy or the life of an unknown female assassin.
***
Below in the garden, Lim Han-young and Yoo So-young look up in this direction.
Lim Han-young with a bewildered face because he doesn’t understand English.
Yoo So-young with a worried look, fearing that Ji-hoon might use the Igzel’s heart.
They both look up in this direction, waiting for Ji-hoon.
In Ji-hoon’s hand is Igzel’s heart.
The brilliant blue light makes it a tempting object even for those who don’t understand the effect.
“What’s your plan, Kang Hunter?” President Lee asks.
“Haven’t you already entrusted everything to me? Since you taught me how to use Igzel’s heart.”
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President Lee nods slowly with closed eyes.
“Since it’s an item that has already been taken… Yes, your words are right.”
“I’ll be back soon. Please take So-young to the healer.”
“Alright.”
“Oh… President Lee.”
“…?”
“Can I kill them both?”
President Lee responds with a serious expression to Ji-hoon, who speaks without any emotion.
“It’s an audacious request… but please, don’t kill them. They’ve worked hard for our guild for a long time.”
“It has nothing to do with me, right? I’ve caused a lot of harm to my friend.”
“Just this once… please… they didn’t kill Sojeong, right? Please, just listen to my request…”
Why does he feel so restless, unable to save those who have already betrayed him?
Although he doesn’t quite understand, Lim Jihoon, who doesn’t dislike Representative Yidaepyo, nods at him and jumps out the window.
***
“Why are you doing this?”
Lim Hanyeong, who couldn’t understand why Yoo Soyeong kept jumping out of the representative’s office and grabbing onto him.
In a moment, Lim Hanyeong quickly grasps the situation as he sees the heart of Igzel held in Jihoon’s hand.
“You… you bastard… you don’t even know how to-“
“Just shut up and stay put!!!”
Yoo Soyeong, who was listening, hurriedly stops Lim Hanyeong.
Since Jihoon has already heard how to use Igzel from the representative, there was no other choice but to be cautious in this situation.
“Why are you all making such a fuss about this small thing?”
Jihoon, with an irritated expression, throws and catches Igzel’s heart just like before, scanning their faces.
“…Do you know what it is and still handle it so casually?”
“Well, it’s because it can revive you.”
“Those who know that…”
Jihoon’s irritated expression quickly changes to an even more bored one.
“If it’s so precious, take it.”
Jihoon suddenly throws Igzel’s heart into the sky.
In an instant, as Igzel’s heart leaves Jihoon’s hand, Lim Hanyeong flies at an incredible speed.
Then,
Jihoon’s sword swings forcefully towards Igzel’s heart.
A powerful sword beam shoots out from his sword toward Igzel’s heart.
Lim Hanyeong, who was flying in the same direction, turns abruptly with a start, heading towards the sword beam.
Clank.
Lim Hanyeong catches Igzel’s heart, even extending his left arm to do so.
But before his body touches the ground, Jihoon, who was already in an unstoppable attack, swings his sword, cutting through his chest.
“aaargh!!!”
Lim Hanyeong falls to the ground, blood splurting from his chest, and Jihoon snatches Igzel’s heart from his hand once again.
“Ahhhhh!!! This… this coward…”
It was Im Han Young, who had lost his left arm and was groaning in pain while glaring at Ji Hoon.
“Coward? Weren’t you guys using poison?”
Im Han Young, at a loss for words in response to Ji Hoon’s words, continues to groan.
“I didn’t cut deep, so you won’t die.”
Ignoring Im Han Young, who is on the verge of death, Ji Hoon turns his gaze towards Yoo So Young this time.
“Who… who the hell are you… the person our boss brought, suspecting us?”
“That nobleman doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”
With each step, Ji Hoon approaches Yoo So Young, scratching the back of her head with a knife.
Having witnessed Im Han Young’s easy defeat earlier, Yoo So Young could not relax.
Yoo So Young’s hands intersect in mid-air.
Gradually, countless clusters of magical energy take the form of circles around her, twitching and floating.
When Yoo So Young’s hand points towards Ji Hoon, the clusters of magical energy shoot out like arrows.
Once again raising his left hand and placing the Ezgel’s heart in front, Ji Hoon
When Yoo So Young panics and changes the direction of her hand, the flying clusters of magical energy also lose their way.
“You cowardly jerk!!!”
Yoo So Young shouts in rage.
“Is that a trendy phrase?”
In an instant, Ji Hoon’s figure, stepping on the spell, divides into three figures.
The afterimages created by his incredible speed make it seem as if he is three people.
Ji Hoon and his afterimages pinpoint Yoo So Young’s three directions.
Yoo So Young is taken aback but spreads her hands and shoots clusters of magical energy towards the two afterimages on either side.
Swoosh
Swoosh
Thud
The clusters of magical energy shooting towards the sides along with Yoo So Young’s hands pass by the two afterimages and it is Ji Hoon’s original self, rushing from the front, that stabs her chest with a sword.
“Ahhhhh!!!”
Like Im Han Young, Yoo So Young falls while spraying a fountain of blood.
“Well, out of the three, you couldn’t guess the right one… Don’t worry about your life and just suffer… in pain,” Ji Hoon calmly says, with sweat drops rolling down his forehead.
It was a fierce struggle that depleted my inner strength.
“Ah… right…”
Jihoon took a few steps and approached Lim Hanyoung, who had fallen first.
“Ugh… what… what…”
Just as Jihoon was about to attack Lim Hanyoung, who tried to escape even by rolling her body, after having already harmed Yoo Soyoung who had tried to save her,
“Thigh.”
“What?”
Jihoon stabbed his knife into Lim Hanyoung’s struggling thigh.
“aaah!! aaah!!”
Lim Hanyoung, who was already in enough pain, screamed again as she writhed in agony from the new wound.
“Sojeong will have scars on her thigh.”
Jihoon stabbed the knife into the other thigh as well, then threw the knife away and headed back towards the building.
Whether it was based on the instructions from Lee Daepyo, or on their own, about ten hunters jumped out of the building and ran towards the two fallen figures passed by Jihoon.
***
“Think again… let’s have another talk while having some more tea…”
“I’ve had too much tea already. I have to return to Seoul now.”
Jihoon sweated profusely as he tried to separate himself from the persistent representative.
Sojeong, who was sitting next to him, had received treatment from the healer but still looked pale and lacking in energy.
And for some reason, she kept glancing at Jihoon.
“We’ll give you better conditions than any other guild… please join us, Gang Hunter…” the representative insisted.
“Please stop asking! Keep it for yourself and please…”
The representative kept trying to put the box containing Ixcell’s heart into the car.
Jihoon suddenly took it out and threw it away.
“No!!!”
Hastily running towards the box and hugging it tightly, the representative pleaded tearfully.
“If it’s that precious, why don’t you hold onto it and go to sleep? Why are you trying to leave it with me? Sojeong, let’s leave quickly.”
“But my thighs still hurt… can’t you drive?”
Sojeong, who had been quiet all along, widened her eyes and looked at Jihoon before making a short tongue click sound.
Feeling a throbbing headache, Jihoon raised his hand to his forehead and let out a sigh.
“Ha… I don’t have a driver’s license.”