DPGR 156

“…Huh?”

“Guide Jiho!”

Everyone cried out in alarm and tried to hold Jiho back.

But Jiho looked around at the people restraining him and spoke clearly.

“I was taught that guiding can soothe an esper in a overload state.”

“But that only works if you can approach them! If you go in now, you’ll be swept up in it and die without a trace!”

“No!”

Jiho’s eyes shone.

“If it’s radiant guiding, it’ll work!”

“…!”

“I just need to get as close as possible and stabilize the waves with radiant guiding. Once he calms down even a little, someone else can knock him out. Then, once that’s done, we can move him to the bunker.”

“…”

“Please. Just make him lose consciousness. After that, we can do contact guiding or whatever it takes…”

Jiho’s eyes reddened, but he held back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Don’t give up on him. Save him…”

“…Ah, seriously!”

Sena, who had kept her mouth shut this whole time, suddenly snapped.

Not at anyone else, but at Yuchan, Kijoon, and the espers who had gathered around.

“What the hell are you all doing?! Do what he says, now!”

“S-Sena!”

“You idiots! Baek Dojin saved every single one of you! You get that?! So now you have to save that unlucky jerk! Move, move, move! Cooperate, now…!”

Yuchan grabbed Sena from behind and tried to calm her. Sena shoved him away, and Yuchan held on stubbornly, afraid she’d punch someone.

Just then, Kijoon sighed and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll go in front with a shield. You need to stay close behind me.”

“…!”

Jiho’s eyes widened. As soon as Kijoon stepped up, the other nearby espers began murmuring and joining in.

Some said they’d form a guard, others that they’d help however they could, asking to be given something to do. Among them were Sehun, Jihye, and Team Leader Yoon, their faces pale.

“If I gather as much mana as I can, I should be able to cast a wide-range spell. Just once, though.”

Sehun stepped forward. Since he wielded ice magic, he could potentially dampen the heat radiating from Dojin.

Jihye also held a rock she’d picked up from somewhere.

“I don’t just shoot arrows, you know.”

Grinning, she said she’d try to knock Dojin out by hitting the back of his head with the rock when the moment came.

Moved by everyone’s kindness, Jiho sniffled. The tears he had been holding back welled up in his eyes.

“Th-Thank you, everyone…”

“Hey! Is this the time for that?!”

But there was no time for sentiment. Sena, still in Yuchan’s grip, screamed.

“Stop crying and think about saving Baek Dojin first!”

“Y-Yes…!”

Watching all this unfold, Team Leader Yoon looked at Dojin, who was still in a overload state, and thought,

‘Captain Baek… I don’t think I can follow your request after all.’

Saying they had to kill Baek Dojin in this atmosphere would probably get him buried alive.

Of course, Yoon hadn’t really wanted to raise a blade against Dojin either, so this worked out fine.

‘If you survive, don’t blame me later.’

With that, Team Leader Yoon clapped his hands.

“Then I’ll handle getting you all closer! Believe it or not, I did gain a movement ability!”

***

Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot.

The blood running through his veins boiled like magma. He had never felt pain like this before.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Dojin, having lost his mind, clawed at his face and neck in a desperate attempt to escape the pain.

But the more he did, the worse it got.

No. It hurts. I hate it. Too hot.

A beastly growl slipped between his clenched teeth. The more the pain intensified, the more uncontrollable the power rampaging inside him became.

Boom! Crash!

There was a deafening noise. At the same time, another voice whispered in his mind.

–Not enough. I’m thirsty. Aren’t you?

Yeah. I’m thirsty. It’s not enough.

–Let’s quench that thirst.

Alright. But how?

Espers entered Dojin’s vision. They weren’t approaching, but neither were they attacking or fleeing. They only watched him.

Gulp.

Dojin’s throat moved.

–Think carefully about what you really want.

‘I’m thirsty.’

–Good. Then let’s quench it with the blood those humans carry. It’ll feel good.

There was a hint of laughter in the voice echoing in his head. Unaware, Dojin reached out into the air.

A long spear of flame formed in his empty hand. Just as he was about to swing it at the espers.

Whoosh

A breeze brushed his cheek. No, it wasn’t wind…

“Urgh…”

It was something softer and warmer. It wrapped delicately around his cheek, chin, neck, and body.

“Ah… ugh…”

Thump

His heart plummeted. The thirst grew stronger.

Even his throat felt like it might shrivel up and crack. The voice in his head acknowledged it too.

–There. That’s what you need to consume. You’re thirsty, right? Swallow it whole.

It pushed him. Dojin turned his head. Not too far, not too close. A small group had gathered.

Among them, he spotted a tuft of brown, fluffy hair sticking out. Just a little, just barely visible, but for some reason it drew his gaze.

–That’s it. What you need to eat. Your prey. Yours alone.

‘My prey. Mine alone.’

Stagger

Dojin began to walk toward it, the flame spear still in hand.

Each step melted the snow beneath him into a slushy mess. Monster blood and human blood mixed into those puddles, forming a trail like a red carpet.

Bit by bit, he closed the distance.

‘I’m thirsty. It hurts. I need to eat that.’

Primitive thoughts devoured his mind. He began to resent the ones standing guard in front of his prey.

“Don’t get in… my way.”

With a growl, Dojin swung the spear. A ball of fire flew through the air.

“Fall back!”

“Urgh…!”

Crash! The large man in front blocked the attack with a shield as big as himself.

But Dojin didn’t stop.

Whoosh–Flare–Boom!

Mine. They’re trying to steal what’s mine. How dare they, my prey.

His vision burned red with rage. Dojin panted heavily and launched another flurry of attacks.

Boom! Boom! Flare! Crash!

Each time, the group was forced to retreat, widening the gap.

“Argh! I don’t think we can hold much longer…!”

“L-Let’s fall back for now…”

“N-No! Just a little more…”

Noisy. The voices were irritating.

Dojin clenched his teeth and raised his spear again.

“…Dojin-hyung!”

Fwoosh

The thing that had been tickling Dojin’s skin swelled larger.

As if it understood his pain and wanted to comfort him, it wrapped tightly around his body.

‘Ah, that’s good. But not enough. Just a little more…’

Dojin halted and panted heavily. Then, unable to resist, he reached out toward the source. But before he could grab it.

Whoosh–Boom!

A tall man leapt out from the group. Whatever he had done, deep blue mana surged from him and filled the surroundings.

“Guh…!”

It pressed down on Dojin. The flames around his body faltered.

At the same time, his instincts screamed that something was going wrong, that this was dangerous.

“Sorry, Captain!”

A heavy object came flying from behind. Before he could react, it slammed into the back of his head.

“Ugh!”

Dojin staggered and dropped to one knee. He jabbed the flaming spear into the ground to keep himself upright. But then–

Thwack!

Another blow struck his head while he was off guard. Dojin collapsed.

“Urgh…”

He didn’t fully lose consciousness. An esper wouldn’t faint from a couple of hits to the back of the head.

But it did interfere with his mana circuits. His power weakened and wavered.

Panicking, Dojin tried to gather mana before he could be attacked or restrained. But before he could,

That brown-haired person from the group dashed toward him.

“Hyung…!”

Closer. My prey, mine.

Dojin swallowed dryly. The nearer he got, the stronger the energy that wafted toward him.

I want him. No, I want to kill him. No, no. I have to run.

He’ll either save me or destroy me. He’s dangerous.

‘I want to eat him.’

Another growl slipped from between Dojin’s teeth as the person reached out a hand right in front of him.

In Dojin’s eyes, it moved in slow motion. So he caught the slender wrist.

“Ah!”

He yanked him forward and flipped him down.

Pinning his prey to the ground, Dojin gripped the back of his neck to subdue him for a clean kill. But–

“Hyung…”

There was no fear. Trapped beneath him, the prey smiled through teary eyes.

With trembling hands, he reached up and cupped Dojin’s cheeks.