Come Here. Date Your Big Brother.
"Even for a rampage, that was a proper one."
"Tell me about it. If it weren't a full moon, the werewolf kids might have handled it somehow. That one's going to be rough."
Na Wangrang had become a true king. With the king's blood in full bloom and running wild, there was nothing wrong with calling him a monster.
The werewolves startled and scrambled back, tails between their legs, while the elders threw themselves in front of him to keep the damage from spreading. Even so, they could not bring themselves to lay a hand on the king's sacred person. They answered only with defense and evasion, never striking a blow that might truly harm him.
"The ending has to be clean. At this rate, it's a fifty."
Pele opened the window.
"You're going to put him down?"
"You think I shouldn't? Leave him like that and we'll be hauling corpses."
"Just watch a little longer. That full moon didn't rise for nothing."
Something like this had happened in the original work, too—times when Na Wangrang lost control of the Wolf King's power and rampaged without restraint. And the one who stopped the Wolf King every time was, of course—
"……I can't just watch. I'll go."
The protagonist.
"This is Na Wangrang's matter. Let him overcome it himself."
I made a show of stopping him, for now.
"I'll only step in if it looks like someone's about to die."
"Hm. That much is fine, but…… are you confident Na Wangrang won't notice you?"
Get marked by mistake, and it turned into a game of tag with death.
"If that happens…… honestly, please help me."
Dan Chuyeon swallowed.
────!!!
"If Wangrang gets a hold of me, I don't trust myself to get out in one piece."
"Then take responsibility for the path you chose, within reason. I did tell you not to go. Once."
I glanced at Pele. She stepped aside.
Dan Chuyeon drew a deep breath and bolted outside. Wind wrapped him as he rode the air, killing his presence in shadow until he vanished into it.
"So the tempering of the mind was not in vain."
The corner of Hong Yumin's mouth lifted, just barely. She seemed proud of the choice her disciple had made.
"So this is where the two of them grow."
Pele stroked her chin as if something had just clicked into place.
"Didn't even tell his parents he was going."
"What's the harm? He's not going off to do anything bad."
"If he so much as gets hurt, I'm confiscating his smartphone."
"You don't mean a word of that."
Mi Soryeong patted Dan Miryu's shoulder and laughed, soft and bright.
"Kyaaaahp."
San-gun stretched out in a yawn, utterly unconcerned.
Peaceful in here.
Outside, it was five minutes to total chaos.
"Child of Man. Got any popcorn?"
"Of course. Caramel? Salt? Butter?"
"All three."
"You got it."
I shook out my sleeve and summoned popcorn. Fresh kernels, golden and just popped, were pressed into Pele's hands.
"Kraaaaaaah!!!"
"He hasn't even been gone a minute, and he's already been spotted."
"Now that's killer timing for the popcorn."
Dan Chuyeon threw his head back. Claws sliced past the tip of his nose.
A fraction of a second after they passed, a vicious blade of wind tore through the air. In that sliver of time he drove the Five Phases of wood, metal, and earth to their limit. The three energies fed one another, and the hardness of his body climbed without end.
Boom!
The wind-blade came down. Dan Chuyeon was driven into the earth's embrace.
"Damn it. Should I have learned stealth after all?"
He bounced back out of the ground, spitting the complaint. He had hidden himself as thoroughly as his ability allowed, and the moment he drew near he was caught. What was the point of steeling himself to come out here?
"The king's close friend? Why are you here?"
Elder Wildflower, panting, asked it of the Dan Chuyeon crawling up out of the dirt. Dan Chuyeon scratched his head, embarrassed.
"I came to help, for now. It's hard to watch a friend throw a tantrum."
"We can handle it ourselves."
"For people who can handle it—"
Boom!
Na Wangrang blasted the elders aside and went for Wildflower. Under the king's pressure, Wildflower's body locked for an instant.
Dan Chuyeon raised his arm. Earth and sand surged up and buried Na Wangrang.
"You seem to be having a pretty hard time."
"……Shameful as it is, I have nothing to say."
Wildflower's mouth went bitter.
"It's all right. The others aren't coming to help. I threw a fit until they let me come."
"I'll take the thought alone. This is a matter for the clan."
Wildflower declined with careful courtesy. Dan Chuyeon read something in his face.
"You don't trust us, do you."
"……We cannot take on any more debt than this."
He wasn't saying no.
Dan Chuyeon felt bitter. Even so, he decided to understand how Wildflower felt. They had not been together long enough to build trust.
"I hope we can grow into a good relationship from here, Elder Wildflower."
"I hope for the same."
Wildflower was blasted aside. Na Wangrang tore free of the earthen grave, and the elders threw themselves in front of him once more.
This won't do.
Dan Chuyeon bit down on his finger.
The elders have a limit. They won't hold much longer.
Three traitor elders had already died before the day was out. The ones who remained were matching their breathing and holding on, but collapse was only a matter of time.
If there's any luck in it, it's that he's simply thrashing with no aim. At least there isn't the killing intent he showed when he went after the traitors.
If there had been, the fight would have ended long ago. His master, or Phantom, would have stepped in without him ever needing to. It was a rampage in the most literal sense.
It's because the full moon is up. Should I just get rid of the moon? No. I'm not Piccolo, and I'm no Turtle Hermit. How would I even do that?
Blocking the moon from sight was no method either. Moonlight had even pierced the aura of death. A half-measure would only waste strength.
Hold out until the moon sets? That's the surest way, but……
Kwaaang!
"Wildflower! We can't do this alone! We have to send in the other warriors! Rotation is the only answer!"
"Stop talking nonsense! They'd only come to be shields!"
"And you say that with your own body in that state!"
The elder who was no traitor—Wriggling Water Beetle—shouted in sheer frustration.
"I don't know why, but half your body is already wrecked, isn't it!"
"This much? Spit on it and it'll heal!"
"Have you actually gone senile!"
"You've lost to me more than twenty times, and you're worried about me!"
"Why bring that up he—"
In the brief gap while Water Beetle's eyes locked on Wildflower, Na Wangrang's straight punch landed square. There wasn't even time for a scream. Wriggling Water Beetle was launched and buried beyond the mountain ravine.
"I'm losing it."
The levee four of them had been desperately holding gave way. He could not keep his eyes elsewhere.
"Hoo. This is your fault, Wangrang."
Dan Chuyeon set his resolve. He had meant to take the safe road if there was one, but it seemed he would have to gamble after all.
If I'm not dead yet, they'll save me.
His eyes flashed. He wrapped himself in lightning, a power faster than wind and more destructive than fire closing around him.
"Hup!"
He kicked off the ground.
The world shoved backward. He wedged his body through the gap between instants and arrived at Na Wangrang's side.
Oh, shit.
Na Wangrang's pupils tracked him. A hand rose from below; he felt it coming. He had moved at lightning speed, and the other had caught it on reflex alone.
But I'm faster!
He swung a leg wreathed in lightning.
Crackle—!!!
Electricity discharged. Na Wangrang's head snapped around.
"……!"
The first clean hit. Skin beneath the fur flushed red.
Dan Chuyeon clenched his teeth against the numb ache in his leg.
Once isn't enough! Keep going!
Crackle!
He launched another chain of strikes at a face that still hadn't grasped what was happening.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!!!
Dozens of attacks, thrown in the space of a blink. Lightning stacked upon lightning, and thunder shook the sky.
The body that would not break bent at the waist. Brows pinched. A faint groan slipped out.
"Haaap!"
Boom!
Dan Chuyeon's last kick buried itself in Na Wangrang's stomach. The huge body lifted into the air and flew far.
"Elder Wildflower. I'll subdue him. Please take care of things here."
"……I'm counting on you."
Wildflower bowed his head. Blood ran from his lips, and Dan Chuyeon could feel the man's self-reproach.
He ran. His friend was already pushing himself up.
"Wangrang. Time to wake up."
"Keuheoheoheoheong!!!"
"You really don't listen, do you."
Right.
"They always said a dog only comes out right after you beat it."
Endless nature filled Dan Chuyeon's eyes.
Clouds scattered across the sky, and moonlight poured into the space between them. The Wolf King and nature faced each other.
"Krrrrr."
Unlike before, the Wolf King did not move carelessly. He lowered his body and crept in a circle, as if measuring the level of his enemy.
"Wangrang."
Dan Chuyeon grinned.
"You look like such a coward. Not very manly."
A flinch.
Na Wangrang's pupils contracted.
Dan Chuyeon had scraped his reverse scale.
"Even in that form, the weakness doesn't change, does it. That's why people misunderstand you. Go work out."
─────!!!!!!
The moonlight deepened. Fur began to glow.
At last the king drew his blade.
A tingling killing intent raked down Dan Chuyeon's spine. This was not the artificial death he had felt in the arena. Behind him, the reaper was waiting.
A damp, clinging fear closed in. But he had already died once. What was dying a second time?
And he believed. Even if Na Wangrang had lost his mind, in the end he would recognize him.
"Come here. Let's go on a date, big brother."
────!!!
Nature and the wolf collided on the wild mountain.