Chapter 33: Kirin

  In a quiet corner of Bupyeong, the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of a basketball echoed against the pavement. Jaejin stepped onto the court just as a tall man smmed a dunk through the hoop. The ball bounced away, rolling toward Jaejin’s feet.

  He picked it up, banced it on his fingertips, and took a long shot. The ball cttered off the rim. He missed—barely.

  "Dang. I’ve never been a sports guy," Jaejin said, smoothing out his suit.

  The tall man spread his arms wide, his eyes narrowing. "What’s your problem, dude?"

  "My problem is—I have two better things to do right now," Jaejin began, ticking them off on his fingers. "A: Watch my representatives kick ass in a tournament that was my idea. And B: Join a demon dungeon raid with elite soldiers of high caliber in the Outnds." He sighed, looking at the four men. "Instead, I am here in Bupyeong—great city, by the way—wasting my time with talentless... demons."

  The tall man didn't wait. Cws erupted from his knuckles and fangs lengthened in his jaw. He let out a gutteral growl and lunged with a massive punch.

  "Kirin," Jaejin whispered. His eyes ignited with a piercing yellow light.

  BLAM!

  In the blink of an eye, the asphalt of the court was gone. The four demons found themselves standing in a blindingly bright Sanctuary of gold and yellow marble. Ahead of them stood a temple so massive it seemed to touch a sky that was permanently midday.

  "What? Where are we?"

  The illusions of their human forms shattered. Their jerseys ripped as wings, horns, and tails erupted. They were in their true, monstrous forms.

  Jaejin stepped forward, his expression calm but his aura suffocating. "Xin’s cult. You guys have been hiding for a while now. I already know about Azazel, but you guys are hiding something else."

  The demons of Xin's cult circled Jaejin, their eyes darting between the impenetrable golden walls of the Kirin and the man standing calmly in the center. They were desperate.

  "Let’s use Karadin’s Dark Lasso on him," one hissed, his voice a jagged rasp.

  "Yeah! That burns through Celestial energy and depowers them!" the other replied, his hands already sparking with a foul, necrotic heat.

  They began to channel. The air in the sanctuary grew heavy and sour as they conjured gring red ssos that writhed in their hands like angry snakes. Without hesitation, they shed out. The red coils wrapped around Jaejin’s neck, his chest, and his arms, cinching tight against his golden aura.

  Immediately, thick bck smoke began to pour from the contact points. Jaejin’s body shuddered, and the brilliant yellow in his eyes began to bleed into a painful, forced red. The Celestial light that defined him started to flicker and dim.

  "AHHH! No!!" Jaejin cried out, his voice strained as he fell to one knee, the weight of the ssos dragging him down. "The Dark Lassos... my only weakness!"

  The demons smirked, their confidence surging like a tide. "This is actually working?" one ughed, pulling the rope tighter. "The great Inquisitor is nothing but a man underneath the light!"

  "AHHH!!" Jaejin screamed again, his head bowed. But then, the scream died away, repced by a low, vibrating hum. "This type of dark magic... it truly does counter Celestial energy. It’s a good thing, then..."

  Jaejin lifted his head. The red in his eyes was gone, repced by a cold, calcuting crity.

  "...that Celestial isn't my only power."

  "What?" the demons gasped.

  "Vyan... Chrome..." Suddenly, the floor of the Kirin breathed. Glowing white glyphs erupted across the white stone, scattered in a perfect, geometric pattern around the intruders. It was an Anti-Magic Field, a silent execution of logic over sorcery.

  The moment the glyphs fred, the Dark Lassos didn't just break—they began to melt into puddles of useless, lukewarm ink. The necrotic heat vanished, repced by the sterile, immovable pressure of Jaejin’s tactical dominance.

  "Dark magic," Jaejin murmured. He stood up slowly, the golden light of the Kirin flooding back into his form as if it had never left. He casually dusted off his shoulder, looking at the terrified cultists with a gaze that felt like a trial.

  "So fragile."

  The glyphs faded back into the floor, leaving the demons standing there with empty hands and useless weapons, realizing too te that they hadn't found a weakness—they had walked into a trap.

  The demons roared and attacked. Fsh. A Celestial Knight appeared from the light, skewering the side demon’s heart with a nce. The demon didn't bleed; it evaporated instantly.

  Jaejin grinned, the light reflecting off his teeth. "You know what? Nevermind. This is actually kinda fun too!"

  A second knight dropped behind the next demon, impaling it from the back. It vanished into nothingness. Jaejin tapped his foot, summoning a circur yellow Angelic Glyph on the floor powered by the Vyan Chrome. It activated with a hum, propelling him high into the air.

  With a smirk, he summoned a celestial bde that protruded from the top of his wrist like a hidden katar. He dove, stabbing the third demon through the chest. It faded to ash before it even hit the ground.

  He nded in front of the final demon. The creature tried to fly, but stopped dead. The sky was no longer empty; dozens of Angelic Knights hovered above, their golden armor shining like a wall of suns.

  Jaejin’s hands began to glow. He didn't use bdes this time. He pummeled the demon with celestial-charged punches, each strike echoing like a bell. As the demon y broken, it stared at its wounds in horror.

  "What? I’m not... regenerating..."

  "Celestial energy is a blessing to humans," Jaejin leaned in close, his hand hovering over the demon's face. The heat was immense. "To a demon? It’s a curse... Absorbing, eating Oblivion energies away." He touched the demon's skin, and the creature began to burn from the inside out. "What is Xin pnning?"

  "Aaahhh!! A relic—!"

  The air suddenly turned cold. A jagged tear appeared in the golden sky.

  Xin stepped through the portal. He looked pale, his chest still tightly bandaged from the scar Sungmin had left on him, but his presence was enough to make the Sanctuary's light flicker.

  "Xin??? You tore through Kirin???" Jaejin’s smirk vanished, repced by a fsh of genuine fear.

  Xin didn't speak. He snarled, summoning a scarlet scythe and driving it through the st demon’s heart. He wasn't there to rescue his cultists; he was there to silence them. The demon turned to ash instantly.

  Then, Xin swung the scythe in a wide arc. A wave of Scarlet Energy exploded outward, shattering the Celestial Knights into fragments of light.

  "Chrome..." Jaejin whispered, the wave simply vanished before it could even hit him. Gritting his teeth, he used another glyph to unch himself at Xin like a rocket. "You aren't leaving this time!"

  Xin simply stepped back into the closing portal. "Not yet, Golden Boy."

  The portal snapped shut. Jaejin’s fist hit empty air.

  "Dammit..."

  He dropped to the white floors of Kirin, panting. "I used a lot of Celestial energy just to keep the Chrome on." The glyphs faded away. "I may need a break from that."

  ***

  Eunchae didn't make it to the medical wing. She colpsed the moment she reached the suite, falling straight into Wonjung’s arms.

  "I got you... I got you," Wonjung whispered, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

  Eunchae gasped for breath, her trembling hands fumbling to remove the cracked Ptinum mask. "I'm... I'm dying..."

  "No... don't worry. I'm here," Wonjung said firmly.

  Leeseo watched them, a small, hopeful smile breaking through her worry. Wonjung didn't hesitate; her eyes ignited with a brilliant, steady blue glow. The energy flowed from her fingertips into Eunchae’s battered body, knitting bone and sealing flesh until the girl was as good as new.

  "There. All healed," Wonjung exhaled.

  In a burst of pure, relieved adrenaline, Eunchae hugged Wonjung.

  Wonjung gasped, her entire body locking up like stone. Behind her, Leeseo and Seonho shared a stunned look.

  "Unnie," Eunchae cried into her shoulder, "it hurt so bad... then it was just gone. Thank you."

  Wonjung froze. Her mind raced—what is this? What does it mean for someone to actually hug her? She wasn't a hero; she was a monster in a gold mask, yet here was this girl clinging to her like a lifeline.

  "Eunchae..." Leeseo stepped forward, gently pcing a hand on the girl's back.

  Eunchae gasped and quickly let go, her face flushing. "Right... uhm... I'm sorry."

  Wonjung didn't move. She just stood there, her eyes welling up with tears she refused to let fall.

  "Wonjung-unnie? Are you okay?"

  Wonjung didn't answer. She turned and bolted toward the bathroom, her heels clicking frantically on the marble floor. Inside, she leaned over the sink, gasping for breath as if she were the one who had been punched. She clutched her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs.

  "What is... happening to me?"

  She looked up and saw her reflection in the polished marble wall. Beside her head, the Gold Mask sat on the counter, its empty eyes staring back.

  "Fbbergasting," a voice chirped from the shadows behind her. It was Kwak.

  Wonjung spun around, her hands glowing blue in defense.

  But the bathroom was empty. Only the hum of the ventition answered her.

  Meanwhile, in the main room, Eunchae was admiring herself in the mirror. She poked her cheeks and stretched her arms. "Look at that, twin! No more wounds. No scars, either. Awesome," she cheered.

  Leeseo smiled, though her eyes remained on the bathroom door.

  "Yeah, that was originally Yaejin’s power," Seonho noted, leaning against the wall. "Pretty cool, right?"

  "Why didn't Wonjung-unnie just heal her own scars, then?" Eunchae asked, pointing to the faint marks Wonjung usually hid.

  "Her power heals active wounds," Seonho expined quietly. "You can't heal scars. Those are wounds that healed the natural way. Once the body decides it's 'done,' the magic doesn't recognize it as an injury anymore."

  Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, the voice of the Covenant booming through the suite. "All fighters to the suites, please."

  The team gathered together—Wonjung (back from the bathroom, mask firmly in pce), Leeseo, Eunchae, and Seonho—standing in a tense line.

  "There has been a change of rules," the Covenant's hologram announced coldly. Wonjung and Leeseo exchanged a sharp look. "All fighters are prohibited from using Oblivion energies—that includes Aion, Scarlet, Chaos, and Soul."

  "We already know that," Wonjung snapped. "What now—"

  "For the remainder of the event... if any fighter’s eyes glow—whether in or out of a match—they will be disqualified immediately."

  The hologram flickered and vanished.

  "Okay, Jaejin was right. They are assholes," Seonho growled.

  "Maaan!" Eunchae groaned, though she managed a weak grin. "I'm just gd I got healed before that announcement!"

  Wonjung let out a long, shaky sigh. She looked at her teammates, her voice small. "Sorry, guys." She felt the tears threatening to return.

  "Hey, hey," Leeseo said, stepping closer and offering a genuine, warm smile. "It's okay."

  ***

  The two heavy-duty rides ground to a halt in the grey dust of the Outnds. Before them loomed a massive cave entrance, the opening framed by ancient crests and monoliths carved with the grotesque faces of demons. It looked less like a natural formation and more like a cathedral for the damned.

  "Aki?" Jiwon called out.

  Aki flickered into existence, hovering over Jiwon’s shoulder. Rin froze for a moment; seeing Gaeul’s face rendered as a glowing AI hologram was still a jarring sight.

  "Yes, Jiwon?" Aki asked, her digital voice crisp.

  "This is the cave that Jaejin marked, right?"

  "Yup," Aki nodded, the data streams in her eyes flickering.

  "Cool," Jiwon smiled, and with a snap of her fingers, the AI vanished.

  Rin and Ren hopped out of the transport, their boots crunching on the ash-covered ground. Ren walked toward the entrance, adjusting his suit as he examining the stone carvings. "They are demons, but—you gotta admire the style."

  "It’s very typical," Jiwon said, jumping down and stretching her arms.

  Rin stayed close to San as he climbed out. He looked steadier than before, but there was still a weariness in his posture. "San, you okay?"

  "I’m fine. Gd... that we made it here in one piece."

  Rin let out a long sigh, looking him in the eye. "You are one of the greatest fighters I have ever known. No one here needs your corruption, San. Do not force yourself to use it."

  "Yeah," Jiwon added, cocking her shotgun with a satisfying cck-cck. She pushed her goggles up from her eyes to her forehead and fshed a confident grin. "We got your back too, man."

  "Thanks, guys," San said, a genuine smile finally breaking through. He turned toward Ren. "We’ll wait for Jaejin to arrive before we go in."

  "Are you kidding? and waste time?" Ren countered, shaking his head. "No, go inside. Find the crest. I’ll wait for Jaejin here alone. I'll be fine."

  Rin stepped toward him, concerned. "You sure?"

  "Yeah—no. Don't worry, we can stay. There are a lot of demons out here," San argued, scanning the jagged horizon.

  As if on cue, a demon erupted from the thick ash, snarling as it pounced toward the group.

  Ren didn't flinch. His eyes ignited with a sharp blue glow. He pivoted, meeting the demon’s charge head-on. He thrust his palm forward, releasing a concentrated Force Pulse. The energy didn't just push the demon; it surged inward, causing the creature's heart to implode. The demon let out a choked sound and disintegrated into ash before it even hit the ground.

  Jiwon let out a whistle and cheered, "Woop woop!"

  "Go," Ren said, his voice calm as his eyes dimmed back to their natural color.

  San nodded, a look of pride on his face. He, Rin, and Jiwon turned toward the dark, yawning mouth of the cave.

  "Spooky," Rin muttered.

  With weapons drawn and senses heightened, the three of them vanished into the darkness of the cave. Ren remained outside, standing guard in the silent ash, his eyes scanning the distance for any sign of Jaejin so they could move toward the third crest together.

  ***

  The canteen of the Covenant’s pocket dimension was a jarring contrast to the tension of the matches. It was a sprawling, five-star buffet, filled with the aroma of world-css cuisines—sizzling meats, fresh seafood, and delicate pastries.

  Leeseo moved through the aisles with a tray that was dangerously overloaded, her eyes bright with excitement. After the stress of Eunchae’s match, she was eating for three. She spotted Seonho nearby, looking at his own pte which held nothing but a single chicken leg and a few slivers of meat.

  "Babe? Are you not hungry?" Leeseo asked, tilting her head. "You need energy in case you’re next in the bracket."

  Seonho offered a small, tired smile. "I’m fine, Leeseo."

  "You sure? Lemme—" Leeseo’s hand started to reach out toward a serving of shrimp on a distant table, but she caught herself, pulling her hand back with a nervous ugh. "Whoops, haha... I almost forgot. I can't use telekinesis even here. I almost tried to lift that shrimp across the room."

  "What now?" Seonho wasn't even listening, his gaze drifting toward the ice cream station.

  In the shadows of a nearby pilr, a woman watched them, her hand gripped tight around the hilt of a combat knife. She was a representative from Incheon, her eyes burning with a mix of grief and hatred. Without their Aion or Chaos energy, they’re just kids, she thought. I can dismantle them for what they did to Aeri!

  The assaint lunged. She was fast, silent, and aimed the bde directly at Leeseo’s exposed side.

  Leeseo didn't panic. Her peripheral vision caught the fsh of steel. She began to tilt her head, her muscles tensing to parry the strike and counter-punch the woman into the floor. She was ready.

  ZIP!

  The air crackled. In a blur of blue light, Seonho was suddenly there, grabbing Leeseo and blinking her five feet to the left.

  The Incheon soldier hit nothing but air, stumbling forward. "What?"

  Leeseo didn't cheer. She turned to Seonho, her face pale with horror. "SEONHO! What did you do!?"

  Seonho stood panting, his eyes still glowing with the tell-tale blue light of Aion energy. "She was going to kill you!!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "I thought—I lost Sungmin... I can't... I can’t lose another—"

  He broke off as a cold, mechanical hum filled the canteen. The air shimmered as the AR holograms of the Covenant leaders materialized, surrounding them like ghosts.

  "Choi Seonho," the central figure announced, its voice devoid of emotion. "You have used your Aion powers while still a qualifier for this event. Despite the clear warning regarding the new regutions."

  Seonho gasped, the blue light in his eyes fading into a dull, hollow gray.

  "You are now... disqualified."

  Seonho’s shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes, the weight of the mistake crashing down on him.

  Leeseo gnashed her teeth, her expression shifting from shock to deep, stinging disappointment. "Seonho... that was dumb," she whispered. "I had her. I was ready."

  "I... I’m sorry," he choked out.

  The Covenant turned their attention to the trembling woman from Incheon. "You are disqualified for attacking a qualifier outside of a sanctioned match."

  The woman dropped to her knees, the knife cttering to the floor. With a flicker of static, the holograms vanished. High above on the canteen’s digital dispy, the tournament bracket updated instantly—Seonho’s name was crossed out in red.

  Seonho let out a frustrated growl and smmed his fist onto a nearby table, the sound echoing through the empty luxury of the room.

  The silence in the suite was deafening.

  "So let me get this straight," Eunchae said, her voice ft. "You got yourself eliminated for trying to help Leeseo... who didn't even need your help?"

  Seonho let out a jagged sigh, his head hanging low. "I’m... I’m sorry, guys. I let you down."

  Leeseo wouldn't even look at him. She stared at the wall, her expression hardened. "Just... Try and rex for now."

  "Babe, I’m really sorry," Seonho started, but she cut him off with a sharp gre.

  "Have some time to think," she said coldly. "You never talked to me. Maybe you'd rather do this alone... and I... I get it."

  Seonho looked at the cross attached to her katana, the symbol of their shared past. "I..."

  "It’s okay," Wonjung interrupted, her voice surprisingly steady as she reached out. "Even with Seonho out, odds aren't that bad."

  Leeseo didn't talk anymore. She just turned and walked toward the arena gates.

  NEXT MATCH: LEESEO VS. LEE

  Leeseo adjusted her Silver Mask and stepped onto the stage. Her opponent, Lee, was a marvel of Busan technology—90% of his body was gleaming, high-grade metal. He was a literal living weapon.

  In the Busan suite, Kwon watched with a smug grin. "Lee is spectacur. Without the use of Aion or Chaos energy, that girl is a target. Lee’s body is packed with tranquilizers, sleeping darts, and high-velocity projectiles. One hit and it’s game over."

  Leeseo stood at the edge of the stage, her eyes hidden behind the silver visor, studying the mechanical joints of her opponent. Lee offered a confident smirk—the only human part of him left was his face.

  "FIGHT!"

  Leeseo vanished.

  The crowd let out a collective gasp. It wasn't a "Blink"—there was no blue light, no magic. It was pure, unadulterated speed. Lee whirled around, his sensors screaming as he tried to lock onto a target that wasn't there.

  "What? Where!?" Lee’s human forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

  In the suites, everyone was on their feet. Soojin watched with wide eyes, and even Wonjung whispered, "My god... Leeseo."

  From the shadows of the ceiling rafters, Leeseo was already falling.

  Lee finally looked up, his mechanical eyes zooming in. He opened fire, a barrage of sleeping darts and non-lethal bullets filling the air.

  Leeseo didn't flinch. She began to swirl in mid-air, her body a blur of silver. She sliced through the air with her tanto and katana, the ting-ting-ting of metal on metal echoing as she deflected every single projectile.

  She saw Lee pause to reload. It was the only opening she needed. She surged downward. SLICE!

  Lee’s robotic arms hit the floor with a heavy cnk, severed perfectly at the shoulder.

  "No way!!" Lee screamed, his bance failing.

  Leeseo nded light as a feather and immediately spun in a low sweep. SHINK! The mechanical legs were sliced clean off. Lee’s torso hit the ground with a pathetic thud.

  "This... is unfair!" Lee cried out, squirming on the floor.

  Leeseo didn't say a word. She pced her boot firmly on his chest pte, pinning him down.

  1... 2... 3...

  "NOOOO!!!!"

  4... 5... 6...

  Leeseo calmly sheathed her weapons.

  7... 8... 9... 10!

  "WINNER: LEESEO!"

  The arena erupted. "SILVER MASK! SILVER MASK!" the crowd chanted, having found their new favorite.

  Leeseo didn't celebrate. She turned her back on the crying, limbless cyborg and walked toward the tunnel. In the suite, Wonjung smirked, looking immensely proud of the warrior she had helped mold. Seonho just watched, amazed and intimidated by the woman his girlfriend had become.

  As Leeseo walked through the dim hallway toward the locker rooms, she saw a girl standing near a pilr. It was Kwak, watching her with an unreadable expression. Leeseo snapped her head around to look again, but the hallway was empty.

  "I must be more tired than I thought," Leeseo reasoned. She removed her silver mask, her face flushed from the exertion. Despite the drama with Seonho, a small, proud smile finally tugged at her lips. She had won—on her own terms.

  Divine.