The Devil and the Poking Meddler
Dahong crouched beside the collapsed Seha and poked his side. It must have been his first time channeling mana for so long—he'd gotten exhausted and passed out right away. He kept mumbling in his sleep, as if caught in a nightmare: "No... Dahong-ssi..." It was pretty pathetic.
Dahong left him be and stood up. The upcoming class was all about self-defense anyway. There wasn't much point in sticking around Seha's side.
"Meow."
"Leave him. I'll wake him up soon anyway."
"Haha, I'll take care of it."
Isol gave an awkward smile.
"Yeah."
Dahong nodded and headed out the training room door with Ruby.
Whoosh—the rain wasn't just falling anymore; it was pouring in sheets. Dahong leaned against the hallway window. Ruby perked up her tail, sniffing curiously at the scent of a rainy day.
Dahong gazed quietly at the rain-soaked grass of the sports field, arms crossed. The downpour enveloped the entire building.
Clack. Clack.
Footsteps slick with water echoed. It was Seoyeun, folding her umbrella as she stepped inside.
"There you are."
Seoyeun shook off her umbrella and approached Dahong.
"Where's Seha?"
"Asleep."
"He's sleeping?"
"He channeled mana for a long time."
"Hm..."
Seoyeun let out a smirk.
"Looks like he's working hard."
Dahong didn't reply. Seoyeun stood beside her, staring out the window. Her reflection in the glass looked serious.
"...I've got something to tell you."
"What?"
"Someone from the Management Bureau HQ Audit Office is coming down."
"HQ?"
Dahong's eyes turned to Seoyeun for the first time.
"I'm with the Seoul branch. HQ is above us. When something blows up at the branch, the Audit Office comes to investigate."
Seoyeun spoke matter-of-factly.
"Kim Donghwi. Head of the HQ Audit Office. In simple terms, he's the one who keeps tabs on our branch."
"...Why tell me this?"
No matter how Dahong thought about it, there was no reason to share internal bureau drama with someone like her, who was under suspicion.
Seoyeun let out a small sigh.
"That guy's had it out for me forever, nitpicking everything. He even tried to make an issue of me assigning you to Seha."
"..."
"And now Belzar invaded the academy. He's going to use that as leverage."
In short, she was here to apologize in advance, since Dahong might get dragged into their power struggle.
Dahong turned back to the window. She tapped the sill with her fingers.
"Sounds rough for you, Teach."
"Yeah... pretty much. Haha."
Seoyeun chuckled softly, amused at hearing that from a demon.
"Just in case: whatever you do, don't attack that guy."
"..."
"I heard you're a demon strong enough to handle even grand demons. But Seha isn't."
At Seha's name, Dahong's fingers stilled.
"If a summoned beast attacks a bureau executive, the responsibility falls on the summoner. Seha would be in deep trouble. Real deep."
"..."
"I'll do everything I can to keep you two out of it. But I can't promise. Sorry."
"Got it."
Dahong replied, chin propped on her hand.
"Alright then..."
The footsteps faded away. Dahong kept staring out the window.
Management Bureau. HQ. Audit Chief.
Human power games. One more annoying hassle.
'...'
A faint noise came from the training room. The professor's voice. Students moving. Seha must have woken up.
"Meow."
Ruby wagged her tail toward the training room.
"Go if you want."
Ruby glanced up at Dahong, then scampered toward the door. Through the crack, girls squealed, calling for Ruby.
Dahong was alone again. The rain kept falling.
Seoyeun walked down the main building hallway. She'd said what she needed to Dahong. No matter what the Audit Chief said, she'd have to endure it. That was all she could do.
Provoking Dahong was a given for the Audit Chief. If Dahong snapped and killed him then, it'd be a total disaster. She had to prevent that at all costs.
A sigh escaped her.
'...I have to hold it off as best I can.'
Donghwi was coming. Today, even.
She needed to prepare documents. Dahong's summoning contract details, Seha's growth records, response report from Belzar's invasion. Organize it all logically for defense—
"This is your security!?"
Seoyeun's steps halted. Main building, second floor. Toward the staff room. The voice pierced through the wall.
'Already?'
Seoyeun pressed her forehead. Faster than expected...
Clack-clack-clack.
She quickened her pace. The staff room door was slightly ajar. Voices poured out.
"A grand demon got inside the school! A student was attacked! And this is your entire post-incident report!?"
Papers slapped onto the desk with a thud. The vice principal sat with a troubled expression. The summoning department head and homeroom professor stood silently beside him.
Donghwi stood before them. Short-cropped hair. Narrow eyes. Downturned mouth corners. Square gold-rimmed glasses. He had a distinctly irritable look. His suit was impeccable, but his face ruined it.
"Um... given the situation on-site, we did our absolute best at the time..."
"On-site? Best? You think I don't know the field? That's why I'm here—because it's a mess!"
The professor broke into a cold sweat at Donghwi's bellow.
Seoyeun entered the staff room.
"Audit Chief Kim Donghwi."
Donghwi turned. His eyes narrowed.
"Kang Seoyeun."
"If I'm the cause of the commotion, say it to my face."
Seoyeun stood before him.
"These people have classes."
Donghwi smirked. Probably thinking something like gotcha.
"Right. Spot on. You're the cause."
Donghwi picked up the papers.
"Assigning an unmeasurable demon to a first-year academy student? A failing one at that? Normal judgment?"
"The rationale was already submitted to HQ."
"Rationale? Did that stop the grand demon?"
Donghwi shook the papers.
"Look at the results. Grand demon rampages inside the school. Your call caused this."
Seoyeun's expression didn't change.
"I'll take responsibility for it. So for now, let's—"
"Yu Seha."
Donghwi cut her off.
"Bring that student and his summoned beast."
"...It's class time right now."
Seoyeun narrowed her eyes. Donghwi glared back wide-eyed.
"Class time more important than my time right now?"
The staff room fell silent. A direct insult to the academy's authority.
Seoyeun stared at Donghwi for a moment, then spoke.
"...Understood. I'll bring them."
"Good. That's more like it."
Donghwi grinned in satisfaction.
A moment later, Seha entered the staff room. His hair was a mess, sweat still fresh on his forehead. Dragged straight from training. His upper lip was smeared red.
Donghwi scowled at the sight of Seha.
"What the hell is that look?"
"Pardon?"
"Walking around with blood on your face? Didn't think to wipe it off?"
"S-Sorry!"
Seha frantically rubbed under his nose with his hand.
"Tch."
Donghwi clicked his tongue openly, like he'd seen something filthy.
Seoyeun's fist clenched tight. That blood was the result of Seha's hard effort. Proof of pushing his limits in class. But to Donghwi, it was just a dirty stain.
"Sit."
Seha sat. Donghwi spread out the papers.
"Yu Seha. Class A. Overall rank: dead last."
Each word chipped away at Seha's self-esteem.
Donghwi soon frowned oddly.
"What? Class assignment was top rank, but overall score like this?"
"Haha, I failed the evaluation semester... somehow ended up like this."
"You think this is funny? Something to laugh about?"
"N-No! Sorry!"
"Might need to investigate for irregularities."
"..."
Donghwi read on.
"Summoned beast rank: unmeasurable."
He slammed the papers down.
"Unmeasurable what?"
"...Pardon?"
"Does 'unmeasurable rank' even make sense? What kind of rank is that?"
Donghwi glared at Seha.
"An academy student walking around with a summoned beast whose rank we don't even know—D? C? B? Normal?"
Seha floundered for an excuse, but Donghwi gave no opening.
"Not that it couldn't be measured, but you didn't? Equipment broken? Skipped proper procedure?"
"Th-That's—"
"Did the branch remeasure?"
Seoyeun spoke up.
"We attempted remeasurement. Result was the same: unmeasurable."
Donghwi looked at her.
"Equipment? Swapped it out?"
"Used HQ-standard gear."
"Still unmeasurable?"
"Yes."
Donghwi snorted.
"Then we'll do it directly at HQ. Can't trust branch equipment."
Donghwi turned back to Seha.
"Where's the summoned beast?"
"O-Outside the door..."
"Call it."
Having heard, Dahong sauntered in slowly. Ruby trailed at her feet.
Donghwi scanned Dahong up and down.
"This is unmeasurable?"
A woman with white hair and horns. That was it, to Donghwi's eyes.
Except... those eyes. Blood-red. Arrogant. Bored.
The gaze irked him. A summoned beast looking down on a human?
Donghwi stood. Dahong was half a head taller, but he ignored it.
"..."
Donghwi glared at Dahong. She didn't blink. Like staring at an inanimate object—no emotion whatsoever.
"...Tch."
Donghwi clicked his tongue. Waste of time, he judged. He averted his gaze from Dahong, back to Seha.
"To the point."
Donghwi flipped papers.
"Be honest. Does this summoned beast even obey you?"
"..."
"If a summoner can't control their beast, it's not a contract—it's a bomb. Got it?"
Seha's shoulders hunched.
"During the grand demon invasion, what did this thing do?"
"That was..."
"Fight alongside you at least?"
Thwack.
Donghwi smacked the rolled papers on Seha's head. Seha flinched. It didn't hurt. But the humiliation did.
"Nothing, right? Summoner nearly dies, beast just eating?"
Seha's head drooped. He wanted to argue. But it was true. Dahong hadn't come.
"Grand demon shows up because of this beast, they say?"
"..."
"Can't control a dangerous summon like that. Total screw-up."
Donghwi jabbed Seha's chest with his finger.
"Results?"
Another jab. Seha hit the chair back.
"Grand demon storms the school. Not just you—other students endangered."
Another. Nowhere left to retreat.
Donghwi glared.
"This beast's too much for your level. Doesn't suit you."
Seha's eyes wavered.
Thud.
Papers slammed onto the desk.
"Got it?"
Seha bit his lip. Speechless.
Seoyeun stood, fists clenched. She wanted to intervene. But that would just give Donghwi more ammo. Staying silent was the fastest way to end this.
Meanwhile, Dahong's gaze fixed on Donghwi's hand.
The moment the papers hit Seha's head.
The finger jabbing his chest.
Her eyelid twitched.
'Should I rip off that finger?'
Her finger twitched slightly.
999 slices would do. No—cleaner to take the wrist.
Ripping off that human's hand here would be easier than breathing.
But.
'If a summoned beast attacks a bureau executive, responsibility goes to the summoner.'
Seoyeun's voice echoed.
'Seha would be in trouble.'
"..."
Dahong's hand stilled.
"Why no answer?"
"...Sorry."
"You think I want to hear 'sorry'?"
Donghwi's tirade continued. Abuse backed by authority and position. Seha taking it full force.
Dahong felt a strange sensation. In her thousands of years, she'd raged countless times. Unjust fall to hell. Misery. Powerless flights. She'd screamed, torn hair, clawed earth.
That anger was familiar.
But this was different.
A worthless human daring to strike Seha. Unbearable.
Yet she had to bear it.
Crunch.
Dahong's nails dug into her palm.