An Interesting Person

A dense fog hung over the forest.

At the rustle of undergrowth, Han Seorin unfurled her whip and swept her gaze through the trees.

Footsteps thudded somewhere close. Beyond the fog, the packed silhouettes of ancient trunks swam faintly into view—but the mist was so thick that nothing past them could be seen at all.

The footsteps came from every direction. Han Seorin's breathing turned ragged, panic clawing up her throat. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her heart hammered as if it meant to smash its way out of her chest.

Then, calm and even, Asmode's voice rang through her mind.

"Han Seorin. Can you hear me?"

"Hah... hah... I hear you, Asmode. I... I think something's gone wrong."

"I know. I'm watching everything. Calm down first. Steady your breathing, then activate the demonic power. After that, you do exactly as I say."

"...Nngh. Got it!"

Terrified as she was, Han Seorin drew a deep breath and forced her mind to still. The weight on her chest eased a fraction. She clenched her teeth and called up the demonic power.

Her pupils bled crimson. A thick black aura began to pour from her body.

The instant every one of her senses sharpened to a razor's edge, Asmode's voice cracked through her skull like a whip.

"...Right side!"

Han Seorin's whip snapped to the right with everything she had. The black flesh of a gorilla-like demon mid-lunge split cleanly in two. A shrill, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gurgling scream tore from its throat.

"Northeast this time! The one crawling toward you!"

"...Got it!"

The whip sheared through it in a single stroke.

"Both flanks and the front, all at once. In exactly two seconds, dodge backward and strike!"

"One second... two...!"

Han Seorin launched herself backward. The three gorilla demons charging from separate directions smashed into one another in a tangle of limbs. She didn't waste the opening—she slammed the whip into the ground and used the rebound to sweep it in a wide, vicious arc. Heads came off in clean lines. Dark crimson blood fountained from the stumps.

From the far side of the mirror, Asmode watched Han Seorin work. Every demon that fell pushed the remaining survival time higher, and Asmode kept calling out their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠positions without pause, reading the chaotic swarm of bodies in a single glance.

There have to be dozens of them. At this rate, Han Seorin is definitely going to—!

The speed of the whip began to drop off sharply. Chunks of demon corpses littered the ground around her, but the rest showed no intention of stopping. They kept coming.

"Damn it. They just keep coming..."

"Han Seorin, I know it hurts—hold on! Draw the demonic power up as far as it will go! Your life comes first right now!"

"...So you're finally giving me permission. Then let's do this for real."

Han Seorin's body swayed. The black aura wrapped around her thickened, denser and darker, until it scoured the fog from the air itself. The mist peeled away at last, and she could see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every demon charging toward her.

"...Found you!"

She didn't hesitate. The whip carved and she surged forward, and the slaughter began in earnest. With the demonic power wrung out to its limit, an ugly little laugh bubbled from her throat every time she hacked a body apart.

"Heh... hahaha. Hahahahaha...!"

The last gorilla demon's neck came apart under her whip. Demon blood soaked her clothes through. She kept bringing the whip down on the corpse anyway, over and over, as if it still needed killing.

Asmode couldn't watch it any longer.

"Han Seorin. It's over! What are you doing?! Snap out of it!"

"Ah... huh?"

Asmode's shout dragged her back. A sudden headache lanced through her skull; she clutched her forehead, and then her legs gave out and she went down. Her pupils bled back to their original color. The aura around her body guttered and vanished.

On the other side of the mirror, Asmode had been watching with her heart in her throat. A status window unfolded in front of her eyes.

Anomalous phenomenon...?

Asmode was still turning over the cryptic phrasing when she felt it—something approaching Han Seorin. She swallowed hard and stared into the mirror.

What had come for Han Seorin was none other than Baek Seol-ah, laser gun in hand.

"Han Seorin, so this is where you were! I've been looking for you ever since we entered the gate. It seems we got dropped in different locations."

"..."

Baek Seol-ah hooked the laser gun at her hip and walked toward Han Seorin, who was still sitting on the ground. Her gaze traveled over the demon corpses strewn around her, then over the blood soaking Han Seorin's uniform, and a smile of genuine interest touched her mouth.

"Hmm. Taking down every last one of these... You really do get more interesting the more I look at you, Han Seorin. You always do manage to turn in results that catch the eye."

"...Stay back."

"Hm? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that..."

"I said stay back...!"

The whip cracked.

"...Huh?"

The whispers clawing at her ears had been eating her alive. The moment Han Seorin came back to herself and lifted her head, despair hit her like a wall.

"H-Han Seorin..."

"...Team Leader Baek Seol-aaaaah!"

The whip she had swung without thinking had grazed Baek Seol-ah across the abdomen. Baek Seol-ah clutched her bleeding stomach, and then her eyes rolled back and she crumpled to the ground.

"What—what are you doing?! Han Seorin...!"

"...No. I—she looked like a demon. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Tears spilled down Han Seorin's face as Asmode's voice cut through. She hooked the whip at her hip. Baek Seol-ah's clear sky-blue eyes were already going dull. Han Seorin trembled like a leaf, scrambled to her feet, and hauled Baek Seol-ah up, half-carrying her as she made a frantic break for the gate.

It was the moment she felt, firsthand, the price of wielding demonic power.

Lunch hour. The infirmary at Devil Hunter Association headquarters.

Han Seorin gave the Association staff a full and unflinching account of how Baek Seol-ah had been so badly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hurt.

"So you're saying you swung your whip and accidentally struck Team Leader Baek Seol-ah...?"

"...Yes. That's correct. I'm truly sorry. Please issue whatever disciplinary action is appropriate."

"Well, even if you want us to discipline you..."

The staff member eyed Han Seorin with open suspicion.

"Team Leader Baek Seol-ah has a barrier ability. There's no way she wouldn't have blocked your attack."

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. I injured Team Leader Baek Seol-ah—"

"I've noted your statement for now. Her injuries aren't life-threatening, so we'll establish the facts once she wakes up."

"No, I'm telling you it's true! You're more willing to believe low-rank demons injured her than that I did?!"

"...P-please calm down."

While Han Seorin and the staff member went back and forth, the woman on the bed slowly opened her eyes. Baek Seol-ah looked at the staff member and spoke.

"It wasn't Han Seorin's fault. I let my guard down and got hurt by the demons. Honestly, I got far too complacent just because it was a gate with nothing but low-rank demons in it, you know?"

"...There you have it, Han Seorin."

"...!"

Relief that Baek Seol-ah was awake hit Han Seorin in the same breath as a spike of bewilderment.

Why is she covering for the person who injured her?

It made no sense. Baek Seol-ah only smiled at her with her eyes and went on in a voice that was almost fond.

"You did well, Han Seorin. The mission may have ended in failure, but getting to see your potential was more than satisfying. Honestly, I can hardly believe you were ever a C-rank Devil Hunter. Ah—you're B-rank now, aren't you?"

"...Why."

"You there—it seems Han Seorin has developed some trauma over my getting injured. Would you mind taking her to Suite 204?"

"Why are you covering for me?! Team Leader!"

Baek Seol-ah ignored her entirely, tipping her head in a small signal to the staff. A hand settled on Han Seorin's shoulder, and they began steering her toward the suite. She was still reeling, but she couldn't refuse the woman she had put in that bed.

Before long, Baek Seol-ah was alone in the room. She pressed her fingers to her forehead, let out a long breath, and started rummaging through the pocket of her hospital gown with her other hand.

She pulled out a recorder.

It was linked to the wiretap she had patted onto Han Seorin's shoulder, casual as anything, the day Han Seorin had gotten into her car.

...She was far more interesting than I'd anticipated.

Baek Seol-ah fitted the earpiece into her ear and started the playback.

Han Seorin... just who were you talking to? Who the hell is Asmode?

The recording alone wasn't enough to put the whole picture together. But one thing, Baek Seol-ah was suddenly certain of.

This Asmode was the source. The wellspring feeding Han Seorin her power.

Heh. This is going to be fun.

Baek Seol-ah pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, and made herself a promise.

Someday, she would drag Asmode's identity into the light—and she would put that power to use.

Interest, at last, had crept into Baek Seol-ah's tedious daily life.