Chapter 29: Slot Machine

  In the frost-bitten heights of the North, justice didn't come from a badge—it came from the edge of a bde. Inside the ancient, shadow-drenched temple, Lord Soojin stood like a pilr of crimson fme. Her red combat dress flowed around her like cooling va, and the long katana at her waist hummed with a quiet, lethal intent.

  A man y prone on the stone floor, his forehead pressed against the cold tiles.

  "Lord Soojin... please," he choked out, his voice thick with terror. "My tribe strives every day, doing everything we can to survive. Please... have mercy on us."

  Soojin stepped down from her throne, the steady cck of her boots echoing through the silent hall. She stopped just inches from the man, looking down with eyes that had seen too much winter.

  "I admire how you speak of your tribe as one," she said, her voice smooth but sharp as a razor, "even though you are the only one who committed the crime. Stealing food is a desperate act, but it is still a betrayal of those who worked for it. This does not justify you. We are all struggling here. Even me."

  "Yes, Empress," the man whispered, trembling.

  "I will let you pass for now," Soojin continued, her gaze unwavering. "But if you do not have two breads to return to the man you stole from in the next three days, I will take your eye and give it to him as a gift. Understood?"

  The man let out a sob, but it was one of relief. "Oh thank you... thank you, thank you, Lord Soojin!"

  "You may leave."

  The man scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the temple as if the shadows themselves were chasing him. Soojin watched him go, her hand resting habitually on the hilt of her katana.

  "Anything is really better than death, isn't it?"

  The torches flickered violently. From the swirling darkness in the center of the room, the Blue Mask appeared. The North’s representative to the Covenant stood with a chilling stillness, his presence instantly cooling the room.

  Soojin didn't flinch. She simply adjusted her stance. "The Covenant? What do you want?"

  The Blue Mask glided forward, leaning close to her face, his mask reflecting the dim red glow of her dress.

  "We need... a representative," he whispered, the authority in his voice unmistakable. "And we choose you, Lord Soojin."

  ***

  The morning air in the Sanctuary yard was crisp, the only sound being the rhythmic thump-thump of a tennis ball. Eunchae tossed the ball across the grass. "Go, Sunbae!"

  A chubby white Corgi scrambled after it, his little legs moving as fast as they could. Eunchae waited, but when the dog didn't return, she jogged over to see what was wrong.

  Sunbae was on his back, the ball resting on his belly, but his face was completely obscured by the Ptinum Mask. Eunchae burst out ughing, scooping the dog up. "Haha! Come on, Sunbae." She gently pulled the mask off. "Wearing that mask burdens you with a huge responsibility, you know. You can't just nap in it."

  Sunbae barked, his tongue lolling out in a happy grin.

  "You seem very brave, anyway," she whispered, bopping his nose. He licked her cheek in response, but suddenly, his ears perked up. He let out a sharp "Arf!" and bolted toward the gate.

  Leeseo entered the yard, followed closely by Jaejin. Sunbae didn't greet them; he pnted his paws and barked ferociously at Jaejin, his fur standing on end.

  "Whoa! Your dog does not like me," Jaejin said, scratching his head with a crooked smirk.

  "Uhm, who are you?" Eunchae asked, lifting Sunbae to calm him down.

  "Eunchae," Leeseo said, her voice tight. "Call in the Elites. Now."

  Eunchae’s shoulders slumped. "The Elites? So... I’m not in this meeting again?"

  Leeseo closed her eyes and exhaled a long, tired sigh. "Just... just call them. Please."

  Eunchae looked at the ground, feeling the familiar sting of being the "kid" again. She walked away, Sunbae still growling over her shoulder at Jaejin, who just watched them with an amused, yellow glint in his eyes.

  One Hour Later

  The conference room felt smaller than usual. San, Seonho, Jiwon, Rin, and Leeseo sat in a heavy silence that had sted for minutes after Jaejin finished his proposal.

  San was the first to break. "Let’s seal him. Again. He was locked away for ages. It worked for centuries—the only reason he's out is because of Wonjung. We fix the seal, we fix the problem."

  "Yup. I have learned a new, more powerful glyph that can seal him really fast and really well, even without the pilrs. I learned a thing or two when I was away so this option is much easier and safer now." Jaejin expined with a pyful smirk. "However, do we really just—want to lock him away—again?"

  Rin shook her head, her one remaining hand clenched into a fist. "Naah. I don’t know. I think we should kill him now. Enough is enough, San."

  Leeseo sat in the middle chair, her expression unreadable, while Jaejin stood at the head of the table, smiling like he was watching a particurly entertaining py.

  Seonho didn't say a word. He looked at the table, stood up, and walked out of the room without looking back. Leeseo watched the door sm behind him, her heart sinking further.

  "Jaejin said his ability to seal him again is quick and easy," San argued, his voice rising. "He's done it before; he can do it again!"

  "I don't know what you're so scared of, San," Rin countered. "Jaejin also said Xin is rebuilding his cult. He has an army. If we just seal him, someone else will just release him again. Sungmin only had Chaos and he almost killed Xin. Imagine what Leeseo can do with it now!"

  "Leeseo is not Sungmin!" San snapped, turning to her. "No offense."

  "None taken," Leeseo said softly, her voice hollow.

  "Leeseo beat Zeal!" Rin pointed out.

  "Xin is stronger than when she first encountered him!" San yelled back.

  "We are stronger than him!" Rin yelled.

  "I am tired of LOSING PEOPLE!" San’s scream echoed off the walls, raw and jagged.

  The room went dead silent. Leeseo lowered her head. Rin stepped back, her bravado vanishing.

  San slumped into his chair, the "tough General" mask finally shattering. Tears began to track down his face, disappearing into his scars. "I am not strong like you, okay? I’m not..."

  Rin rubbed her face in frustration, unable to look at him.

  "Well..." Jaejin’s smile widened, his yellow eyes dancing with amusement. "Looks like she’s made her decision anyway."

  Leeseo stood up, the chair screeching against the floor. Her face was set in stone, the grief from earlier hardened into resolve. "That’s right. We are killing Xin. That’s what we’re doing."

  Rin smmed her fist into her chest. "Yes!"

  San didn't cheer. He just let out a long, shaky sigh and looked out the window, his spirit clearly elsewhere.

  "Alright," Jiwon stepped forward, the pragmatic General taking charge. "And how exactly do we do that?"

  Jaejin paced the room, gesturing with his hands as if weaving a spell. "We have three Crests. These were the energies that held the pilrs sealing him before. When Wonjung freed him, the Crests returned to their original pnting positions. Two are in the Outnds, but the most important one is held by the Covenant."

  "How are these Crests going to help us kill him?" Rin asked, leaning in.

  "Simple," Jaejin said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We pnt these Crests in Leeseo’s heart. One Crest makes her a demigod. Two? She becomes a Titan. Three? She can delete Xin with a single thought. It’s game over."

  Jiwon frowned. "You think you can handle that much power, Leeseo? You basically become a god with that."

  "I'm already used to people injecting whatever in me. I just want Xin to die," Leeseo replied, her voice cold. "I want to end this war."

  "Whether or not Leeseo can handle it is not the issue. It has to be her because only her Chaos Energy can stabilize all three crests. If it's not her, the vessel will evaporate just by the swirl of having more than two crests." Jaejin expined.

  "It's fine. I'll do it." said Leeseo.

  "Okay, so getting the Crests in the Outnds is a scouting mission. Easy enough," Rin noted. "But how do we get the one from the Covenant? They aren't just going to hand it over."

  "I already arranged it," Jaejin smirked. "The Covenant agreed to a tournament. A brawler fight. No killing. It’s free-for-all, so no teams, and only one winner. But each region gets four representatives. If any of our four wins, we take the Crest home."

  "Brilliant," Jiwon calcuted. "So let's say it’s me, Rin, Leeseo, and San—if San wins, even if Leeseo loses, he can give her the Crest?"

  "Well, I can’t imagine a world where Leeseo loses and San wins," Jaejin chuckled, "but yes. Exactly that."

  "A tournament," San muttered, finally turning back. "This seems weirdly civilized for the end of the world."

  "It is. It’s ALSO better than war," Jaejin said. "Though don’t think it’s a walk in the park. We’re fighting the weirdos from the North and Busan. They’re tough."

  "If we can beat Xin with this, we’ll do it," Rin said, gncing at San. He still didn't meet her eyes.

  "I got to pick one representative, and obviously, I picked Leeseo," Jaejin added.

  Leeseo nodded. "Okay. I’m going."

  "So if you picked Leeseo, the rest is voluntary, right?" Jiwon asked, straightening her colr. "I’ll go."

  "Count me in," Rin added, rolling her shoulder.

  Leeseo looked at San, her eyes pleading.

  San sighed. "I'd rather guard the hold. Someone needs to stay back."

  "No. No guarding the hold, San," Jaejin interrupted. "You guys agreed to kill Xin. Either you're joining the tournament, or you’re heading into the meat-grinder of the Outnds to find the other Crests."

  "It’s fine," Rin said, trying to bridge the gap. "Ren can be our fourth. San and Seonho can handle the Outnds."

  "Actually, that’s not how it works either," Jaejin said, stopping his pacing.

  Leeseo tilted her head. "What do you mean? You said there are four representatives."

  "Yes, and I picked you," Jaejin said, his eyes beginning to glow a brilliant, neon yellow. "The rest has to be picked with this."

  With a snap of his fingers, the air shimmered and a mechanical Slot Machine materialized in the center of the room. It was gaudy and glowing, but the icons on the reels were chilling: badly drawn faces of the team. A guy with demon horns (Seonho), a man with jagged burn scars (San), and a girl with twin buns (Rin).

  "Oh no, no," Rin stepped back. "We are not pying this by chance."

  "Yeah, what if we get trainees?" Leeseo asked, her voice rising in arm. "Like that kid, Yu! Why is his face there? Why is a rookie like him included here?"

  "Hey," Jaejin shrugged, his hand already on the lever. "I did not make the rules. This was the deal."

  The team stood frozen, staring at the spinning icons, realizing their lives—and the fate of the Crest—were currently at the mercy of a machine.

  Outside the heavy doors, the air was just as thick, but for a different reason. Seonho leaned against the cold stone wall, the muffled shouts of the debate inside sounding like a distant storm.

  Eunchae approached him, her footsteps light, carrying a squirming Sunbae in her arms. She saw the dark clouds hanging over Seonho’s head and decided a little jab might pull him out of it.

  "What’s up, demon boy?" she asked with a pyful tilt of her head.

  Seonho snapped. He straightened up, his eyes fshing with a sudden, dangerous intensity. "Hey!" he barked, his voice echoing in the hall. "Don’t call me that!"

  Eunchae blinked, her smile faltering. "Sorry... I thought you, of all people here, had a sense of humor?"

  Sunbae let out a sharp, defensive bark, sensing the sudden spike in tension.

  "Just... don't ever call me that!" Seonho hissed, his fists clenching at his sides. He didn't wait for her to apologize. He turned and stomped away down the corridor, his shadow stretching out long and jagged behind him.

  Eunchae leaned her cheek against Sunbae’s soft head. "Everyone is mad today, huh?"

  "Arf! Arf!" Sunbae agreed, wagging his tail.

  Eunchae’s curiosity finally got the better of her. She leaned in close to the door, her ear pressed against the wood. "What are they hiding in there?"

  Inside the Conference Room

  The tension was a physical weight. The Slot Machine hummed, a neon yellow glow bathing the faces of the survivors.

  "We have no other choice," Jaejin said, his voice smooth and hypnotic. "I agreed to this, you all should too. The Crests are the only answer against him."

  Jiwon stepped closer to the machine, her eyes scanning the digital reels. "Are these names all from Flux?"

  "Of course," Jaejin nodded, his hand hovering over the lever. "All reted to Flux."

  "Let's do it," Jiwon said, her voice resigned. "What else can we do? We need that Crest."

  Leeseo nodded, though her knuckles were white. "Yeah. Start it."

  "I don't know, guys..." Rin whispered, her one hand trembling. "This feels like a bad idea."

  San just let out a long, shuddering sigh, closing his eyes tight.

  "Slot machine... GO!" Jaejin shouted, and with a violent jerk, he pulled the lever.

  The sound was deafening—a mechanical grinding of gears and digital bleeps that seemed to vibrate in their very bones. The faces on the reels blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors.

  Every second felt like an hour. San’s breathing was heavy and ragged. Leeseo was swearing under her breath, a string of words that would have made her old self blush. Jiwon and Rin looked away, unable to watch the spinning fate of their team.

  CLICK.

  The machine let out a final, triumphant chime. The yellow light intensified, then settled on a single, brightly lit name.

  [ EUNCHAE ]

  The room went deathly silent.

  Leeseo’s eyes widened, the blue-purple glow in them flickering like a dying candle. She looked at the door, then back at the machine, her face turning a ghostly pale.

  "No," Leeseo whispered. "No. Not her."

  Rin let out a sharp, hysterical ugh, shaking her head. "Okay, Jaejin. Come on. She’s a kid... No, come on. The joke is over. Do it again. Pull the lever again."

  "Rin," Jaejin said, his voice ft and devoid of its usual pyfulness. "Eunchae is almost the same age as Leeseo. She's been in a war."

  "This is stupid!" San roared, his fist connecting with the stone wall. The impact cracked the masonry, but it didn't dull his rage. He lunged across the room, grabbing Jaejin by the colr and pinning him against the slot machine. His fist was cocked back, inches from Jaejin's cheek. "You’re a psychopath! Why are we trusting you? Why are we letting a machine decide who dies?"

  Jaejin didn't flinch. His eyes began to glow a neon, predatory yellow that filled the room with a hum of raw power. "Let go of me," he whispered, his voice vibrating deep in San’s chest, "or I will rearrange your atoms where you stand."

  San didn't need a demonstration. The sheer, ancient weight of that voice was enough. He let go, stumbling back, his hands trembling with a mix of fury and genuine terror.

  Jaejin calmly straightened his suit and dusted off his colr. "The machine picked Eunchae. Respect the fate."

  Leeseo slumped into her chair, her head in her hands. "You’ve got to be kidding me..."

  Rin was looking at the floor, her hair shadowing her face so her eyes were barely visible. "Just... just roll for the next one," she whispered.

  Jaejin smiled and pulled the lever again.

  "Please let it be me," Jiwon muttered, her hands cmped together for a prayer. "Please."

  The reels ground into motion. Every click-cck of the machine felt like a heartbeat.

  "This is hideous," San spat, leaning against the far wall.

  Rin was visibly tearing up, her one hand gripping the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white.

  CLICK.

  [ SEONHO ]

  The room exhaled. A collective sigh of relief swept through the Elites.

  "Okay," Jiwon breathed, her shoulders dropping. "That’s better. Demon blood and all... he’s strong."

  "Yeah. Good," Rin added, wiping her eyes. "Last one. Let’s just get this over with."

  San looked relieved but stayed in the corner, his eyes darting toward the machine like it was a live grenade.

  "No more deys. Last one. Go, Jaejin." Leeseo gestured.

  Jaejin paused, his hand on the lever. He looked around the room, his expression uncharacteristically solemn—almost mocking in its sincerity. "First of all, I just want to say this has been very exciting. Whoever this st person is... I hope... I hope we are full of heart here."

  He pulled the lever for the final time.

  Leeseo’s gaze was sharp, her purple-blue eyes tracking every rotation. Rin was a mess of tears and anxiety; Jiwon looked like she was standing before a firing squad. San just looked terrified.

  The reels spun. The faces blurred.

  Spin. Spin. Spin.

  CLICK.

  The mechanical chime of the machine felt like a scream. Everyone’s eyes widened. The air in the room seemed to vanish entirely.

  [ WONJUNG ]

  Fate.