On the way home from school.
A roadside spot a short distance from the Academy’s main gate.
There stood a single battered vending machine.
Da-hong was walking along when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Da-hong?”
“I want something to drink.”
“You just had something a little while ago.”
“This time it’s something different.”
Se-ha let out a sigh.
She’d already helped herself to his student ID to buy bread and drinks without asking—and now she wanted soda on top of that.
With no real choice, Se-ha fished out his card.
Beep.
“What do you want?”
“That one.”
“You know what carbonated is?”
“I know.”
Thunk.
A can dropped inside the machine.
Da-hong bent down and pulled it out.
Then she held it up and stared at it for a long moment.
The design was a little different from what she remembered.
Da-hong cracked open the can.
Tsssss—
The sound of carbonation hissing up.
Da-hong tilted the can and took a sip.
“Ahh.”
“Do you like it?”
“Mm.”
Da-hong drank more with a satisfied look on her face.
Se-ha watched her and let out a small laugh.
Well, whatever.
She’s enjoying it that much.
It was then.
“You’re Yu Se-ha, right?”
An unfamiliar voice.
Se-ha turned his head.
A man in a suit was approaching.
Ordinary enough clothes, but there was something about him that radiated pressure.
Se-ha instinctively raised his guard.
“Who are you?”
“Iron Claw Guild.”
The man—Min-seong—said it just like that.
His eyes were filled with open hostility.
Iron Claw Guild.
He’d heard the name at least once before.
An A-rank Guild with solid combat strength and size, led by S-rank Hunter Moon Jeong-hyeon.
And a place that walked the line between legal and illegal.
“What does Iron Claw Guild want with me?”
Min-seong let out a contemptuous snort.
“Unbelievable nerve. After what you did to our guild members.”
“What? I don’t know what you’re—”
Those burning eyes made Se-ha involuntarily step back.
But.
Thud.
Thud.
From the direction they’d come, more men in matching suits appeared.
They’d deliberately cut off the retreat.
“I’d prefer you come quietly. I’d rather not cause a scene out here.”
The man said it calmly.
Behind him, more people with weapons began appearing one by one.
“…”
Se-ha quietly glanced at Da-hong beside him.
She was still drinking her soda with the same unbothered expression.
Se-ha muttered under his breath.
“Da-hong, please run and get help. I’ll try to buy some time.”
“Gulp— Phew!”
“…Da-hong?”
“Hm?”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“What did you say?”
“Run and get help— …never mind.”
Da-hong’s complete ease deflated Se-ha entirely.
Standing here tense all by himself made him feel like an idiot.
Se-ha raised both hands and called out loudly toward the man.
“Look, I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding! I’ve never even met anyone from Iron Claw Guild!”
But the man didn’t stop glaring at him.
“Playing dumb won’t work. We already know everything. Don’t try anything stupid—just come along quietly.”
Se-ha felt helpless.
Where had this even gone wrong…
“No, I’m serious, I—huh? Da-hong! Where are you going?!”
At that moment, Da-hong had started striding forward.
“Hm? They said to come along.”
“You can’t just walk right up to them like that!”
“Why not. Let’s go. Sounds interesting.”
“Honestly…”
Se-ha sighed at Da-hong’s utterly carefree attitude.
But right now, in this situation, there didn’t seem to be much of a choice.
Calling the police didn’t look easy either…
Se-ha exhaled inwardly as he watched the Iron Claw Guild members, who hadn’t lowered their guard for a second.
“Good. Stay close and follow. Try anything reckless and you’ll regret it.”
Min-seong led Se-ha and Da-hong to a secluded location.
***
How long had they walked?
The place they arrived at was a large warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
Da-hong’s nose twitched slightly.
She sensed a considerable presence.
Through the door came a thick killing intent.
Hatred and rage, and a trace of anticipation.
And the tension of many.
“Get inside.”
Min-seong shoved Da-hong and Se-ha through the entrance.
Whether it had been cleared out in advance, the interior was completely empty.
Well—not entirely empty.
Instead of goods, it was packed with people holding weapons.
At a glance, there were well over thirty of them.
And in the center.
A man was seated.
A sharply pressed suit.
A scar over one eye.
Hands covered in old wounds.
“You came.”
Se-ha swallowed hard.
This was no ordinary presence.
His eyes gleamed with an unsettling light, like a tiger’s.
“Was it you. The one who killed our guild members.”
Da-hong didn’t answer.
She just took another sip of her drink.
Se-ha said urgently.
“Excuse me! I think there’s been a misunderstanding! We genuinely don’t know anything about this!”
Jeong-hyeon let out a quiet, dismissive laugh.
“Doesn’t look like an act. You really don’t know?”
He slowly rose to his feet, and the armed guild members each took one step toward Da-hong.
“…What’s going on?”
While Se-ha was still confused—
Da-hong looked at him.
“Se-ha.”
“Yes?”
“Sleep for a bit.”
“What? Da-hong… ssi…”
The moment Da-hong’s finger lightly touched Se-ha’s forehead, his eyes went blank and his body crumpled.
“…”
The atmosphere around them shifted slightly at the sight.
Bewilderment, and questions.
“A summon that ignores its summoner’s will.”
Jeong-hyeon murmured with what sounded like interest.
“Not a proper summon, then?”
“…”
Red eyes turned toward Jeong-hyeon.
A slow grin.
Those eyes curved like a crescent moon.
The corners of her mouth stretched wide.
At that unsettling sight, several guild members swallowed.
In that instant.
Shhk.
Slash!
The can Da-hong was holding was torn in half, and the drink spilled out.
“…”
Da-hong stared at her can with a blank expression.
Drip… drip…
Her suit and shoes were ruined.
The corner of Jeong-hyeon’s mouth curled up.
A preemptive strike.
That was Jeong-hyeon’s way.
Strike first, then read the reaction.
The reaction reveals the opponent’s level.
But she hadn’t reacted.
And right now, that summon—
Shhk.
A line appeared from Da-hong’s shoulder down to her chest.
Beads of blood welled up along it.
‘She couldn’t dodge it.’
Jeong-hyeon assessed her inwardly.
Tougher than expected.
But she hadn’t even noticed his attack coming.
Meaning either she lacked combat experience, or her actual ability was more ordinary than it seemed.
“Still smiling?”
Da-hong’s gaze shifted to Jeong-hyeon.
“…Heh.”
The moment Da-hong smiled—
Jeong-hyeon’s fingertips lit up again.
Keeeeng—!
Steel claws.
The name Iron Claw wasn’t given for nothing.
Da-hong twisted her body slightly.
Crash!
Where she’d been standing a moment ago, deep claw marks were gouged into the floor.
“Good choice.”
Jeong-hyeon smiled thinly.
She dodged.
And with minimal movement at that.
Her instincts, at least, are sharp.
But.
‘That’s all.’
Dodging on instinct and reading a fight were two different things.
Jeong-hyeon had spent over thirty years in real combat.
There had never been a single opponent who could keep deflecting his attacks on instinct alone.
“Hm.”
Da-hong’s red eyes swept the floor once, then returned to face forward.
“This is fun.”
She said it simply.
Jeong-hyeon bared his teeth in a grin.
Crash!
Jeong-hyeon kicked off the ground and launched forward—the shockwave alone shattered the chair behind him.
A guild member who hadn’t braced himself went flying.
Fan-shaped cracks spread across the floor.
Slash!
Slash!
Lines were carved into the walls and floor.
Da-hong grabbed Se-ha by the back of his collar and leaped back sharply.
Jeong-hyeon didn’t let them go.
He pressed in with even greater ferocity, as if refusing to let her escape.
One step.
Two steps.
Da-hong was being driven into a corner.
‘Got her!’
Jeong-hyeon exulted inwardly.
No matter how fast an opponent was, once they had their back to a wall, their movements became predictable.
The moment Da-hong’s back touched the wall—
Fwip—!
Slash!
Her pants were torn, pale thigh exposed, and red blood splattered.
A low cheer broke out among the guild members.
“You’ve got her, boss!”
“Cut her down!”
Jeong-hyeon pushed his speed higher.
Slash!
Bang!
Slaaash——!
Meanwhile.
Outside, a pair of eyes was watching the fight.
‘Th-that’s S-rank combat…!’
It was Sang-jun.
His reason for being here was simple.
He’d wanted to see it.
Yu Se-ha struggling.
Yu Se-ha in danger.
Unlike himself, whose situation had been turned upside down after losing his Salamander, Se-ha was still walking around the Academy without a care in the world—and the sight of it had been unbearable.
So he’d come.
But.
‘What the hell is happening in there…!’
Lee Sang-jun pressed himself against the dusty window.
Flash.
Jeong-hyeon’s fingers moved at blinding speed.
It was hard to follow with the eye.
All he could see was the aftermath of each flash.
Lines carved into the floor.
Walls split open.
Da-hong’s clothes being torn.
‘Why is an S-rank Hunter fighting Yu Se-ha’s summon?’
Sang-jun swallowed without realizing it.
The reason didn’t really matter, he supposed.
‘…She can’t do anything.’
What mattered was that the summon was about to be slaughtered by an S-rank Hunter’s hands.
At that moment.
Jeong-hyeon drew his mana to its peak.
The steel claws blazed with stronger light.
This was the blow he’d been holding back.
“Die!”
Crash!!
Five slashing arcs swept over Da-hong.
Struck by the massive attack, Da-hong was sent flying.
A huge hole was blown through the wall, and dust billowed up.
Rumble.
‘It’s over.’
Min-seong thought.
It was rare for his boss to reveal this level of full power.
The opponent had apparently been close to S-rank after all.
But that last attack had landed clean.
Even if she was still breathing, she wouldn’t be in one piece.
A figure could be seen staggering out from within.
Jeong-hyeon laughed heartily.
“Kuhaha, you’re still moving after taking that?!”
The shadow lurched closer.
But…
“…What?”
“Th-that’s…!”
The guild members staring at the shadow went pale.
What emerged from the dust was a man covered in blood.
And not just any man—one of their own.
“B-boss…”
The man muttered that and collapsed face-first.
“…!?”
Jeong-hyeon urgently looked around.
When had she—!?
“All done?”
The voice came from behind.
Whoosh!!
Jeong-hyeon whipped his arm around toward his back in a flash.
“Aaaargh!!”
The wall behind him exploded, raining chunks of concrete.
A guild member who couldn’t get clear in time collapsed, bleeding.
But Da-hong was untouched—only the hem of her white suit had been nicked slightly.
Jeong-hyeon was briefly thrown off, then shouted.
“What trick did you use, you—!”
“Nothing in particular. It wasn’t an attack worth doing anything about.”
“How dare—!”
Jeong-hyeon drew more mana.
The steel claws grew longer and sharper.
Slaaash!!
Five arcs of slashing force swept over Da-hong.
Dust rose.
But.
‘…?’
The feedback was wrong.
No—something felt different from every strike before.
Jeong-hyeon stared down at his hand, breathing hard.
His fingers were bent in all directions at wild angles.
The pain arrived a beat late.
“…Ngh!”
He clenched his jaw and grabbed his wrist.
“Boss!”
He looked up at Min-seong’s voice.
Da-hong was standing exactly where she had been.
Red eyes looking back at him.
“Damn it!”
Jeong-hyeon swung his still-intact hand.
But no slashing arc came out.
He looked at his hand.
Every finger had been severed.
“Aaaargh!!”
Jeong-hyeon finally sank to the floor.
“Alright.”
Da-hong thought for a moment, then raised a finger as if something had just occurred to her.
“Should I ask Se-ha if we can get a cat?”
“You little—!”
Da-hong sighed.
“Honestly, I’m disappointed.”
“What did you say…?”
“You. You’ve only ever fought people weaker than you, haven’t you? That’s why you have no idea how to actually fight. You’re just being dragged around by your own strength. Completely amateur level.”
Jeong-hyeon stared up at Da-hong with an expression of pure disbelief.
She was telling him—a man with over thirty years of real combat—that he didn’t know how to fight?
“Looking at you like this, Seo-yeon might actually be weaker than I thought. Or maybe even stronger—hard to say.”
“You miserable little—! What the hell are you talking about?!”
“Ah, sorry. That has nothing to do with you. Shall we finish up? I’m starting to want to go home.”
“Raaaaaah!!! Die!”
Jeong-hyeon threw himself at Da-hong again with his broken fingers.
But…
Shwk—
“Wh—wha…”
Splat.
Thud.
A mass of flesh, divided lengthwise into six pieces, slowly toppled over.
Da-hong’s suit, which had been torn and stained, was already immaculate again.
Da-hong looked down at the spreading pool of blood with an indifferent expression, then turned around.
“Alright. Who’s next?”
“Aaaargh!!”
“Sh-she’s a monster—!!”
“Hiiiii!”
Screams erupted from every direction.
Their pillar of strength had just been torn apart before their eyes.
“Haah…”
Da-hong sighed as if bored.
This was always the problem with things that served under someone else…
But Da-hong had no intention of letting them leave in one piece.
Letting them go half-heartedly would only bring trouble later.
A lesson learned in hell.
“Alright, I’m busy too, so I’ll wrap this up quickly.”
“P-please—!”
Slash!
At a flick of Da-hong’s finger, one person was cut to pieces and dropped.
“Hwaaaaah!!”
The man standing beside him, now drenched in blood, crumpled to the ground.
The front of his trousers went warm.
“Oh my, how filthy.”
A moment later, his head was airborne.
The inside of the warehouse became a scene of carnage.
“Please, let me live!!!!” “I-I don’t want to die!!”
“There, there, it won’t hurt~ it won’t hurt~. Or maybe it will? Maybe a little. Kyahahahahaha!!”
The legs of a fleeing man were severed.
Crash.
A headless corpse toppled onto a man cowering on the floor.
The hands of a man pressing his palms together in prayer disappeared.
Some, driven mad with fear, charged at Da-hong—but they became chunks of meat scattered across the floor before they could get close.
“…”
Sang-jun couldn’t close his eyes.
He knew he shouldn’t be watching, but he couldn’t look away.
Aaaargh.
Krrgh.
Screams poured out of the warehouse without end.
And through it all, Da-hong’s laughter.
A high, bright sound, as if she were enjoying herself.
Every time Sang-jun heard that laughter, every hair on his body stood on end.
Her lips were stretched to her ears.
Both arms spread wide as if dancing, eyes closed.
In the moment he forgot to breathe—
Da-hong’s crescent-moon eyes turned toward Sang-jun.
“…!!”
Sang-jun dropped instinctively.
‘W-wait.
Did she spot me?’
It felt as though all the blood had drained from his body.
Sang-jun forced his unresponsive legs to move.
He turned his back and ran.
He didn’t look back.
A business card fell from his pocket.
He didn’t even notice.
“Hh—hhuugh…!”
It felt as though those red eyes were chasing him.
Sang-jun ran until the very end, driven by a single desperate will to survive.