Chapter 5
About ten minutes later, the building came into view. Dahong gazed at it from afar. It was quite a large structure—a towering edifice of glass and concrete where sunlight glinted off the windows. Lower buildings flanked it, along with what looked like a sports field and training grounds. A tall iron fence stretched around the perimeter, enclosing neatly trimmed trees visible inside.
Dahong stopped absentmindedly, then muttered indifferently, “Not bad.”
It was short. But coming from Dahong, who usually brushed off most things with a hum, it was something.
“Right?” Seha's shoulders lifted with pride as he glanced toward the main gate. “Getting in here is incredibly tough. Especially for summoners.”
“Yeah?”
“You need to score in the top five percent on the written exam just to qualify. It's nationwide, so the competition is fierce.”
Dahong looked up at the building again. It seemed the academy's impressive exterior matched its reputation for admitting only the elite.
“That main building alone has three floors underground and twelve above. Underground are the training halls and mock gate simulation zones. Above ground, you've got classrooms and research labs. And over there by the sports field—that's the outdoor summoning training ground. On nice days, we do outdoor drills there.”
Seha's voice grew louder as he spoke. “I'm top of the class in written scores. I got in on a scholarship.”
“Hmm.”
“My summoning skills are the problem, so I'm at the bottom now... but my theory is perfect. The professor even said my summoning circle designs are flawless.”
Dahong glanced at Seha. She remembered the room crammed full of books. He was a studious boy. She knew that much. But his failure to summon until now was probably because...
I killed all his potential summons.
Well, no need to tell him that.
“Good for you.”
“Hehe.” Seha grinned sheepishly.
Then.
“Well, look who it is.”
A low, sneering voice. Seha flinched, his body trembling. He slowly turned his head.
It was a group in the same academy uniform. Four of them. The leader strode forward boldly.
“Seha, you worthless shit showed up again?”
He said it loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I told you to quit nicely before you get expelled. Why don't you listen?”
“...Sangjun.”
Seha muttered under his breath. Sangjun shoved Seha's shoulder lightly—but Seha staggered back hard.
“Hey, guys. The worthless summonless loser showed up again.”
“For real? He still hasn't quit?”
“What the hell's he doing here?”
Laughter erupted from behind. Seha ignored it and tried to slip away.
But Sangjun blocked his path. Seha mumbled softly, “...Move. Let me through.”
Sangjun just smirked and stepped closer instead. He growled low, “What's the point? You gonna do nothing again today and go home empty-handed?”
“...”
“Isn't it pathetic? A summoner who can't summon. Non-awakeners at least have a chance to awaken someday. But you? You're awakened and still can't. You're worse than them.”
“...Insulting regular people as non-awakeners is grounds for disciplinary action.”
“You won't deny you're worse than non-awakeners, huh?”
Seha dropped his gaze to the ground. Sangjun sneered down at him.
“Why not just re-enroll in the general track? You're good at studying, right? You'd fit there. Summoning just isn't your path.”
Chuckles spread through the group. Then Sangjun's eyes shifted to Dahong standing beside him. White hair, white suit, horns.
“Hey, what's this? You brought a cosplayer? Hoping for a summoned beast cosplay or something...”
Sangjun stepped closer to get a better look at Dahong's face—and froze.
Blood-red eyes.
“...”
A brief silence. The mocking laughter cut off abruptly. The others who saw Dahong's face reacted the same.
Sangjun cleared his throat awkwardly, scowling. “What, you think you're gonna pass the exam with that? What's its rank? Not even F-grade. Succubus or something?”
At that moment, Seha clenched his fist.
“...Don't talk like that.”
It was the first time he'd raised his voice.
“What?”
“Don't say that about Dahong.”
A moment of silence. Sangjun snorted in disbelief.
“A failing loser telling me what to do?”
Then he shoved Seha's shoulder hard.
“Ugh...!”
This time it wasn't light. Seha stumbled and fell to the ground.
Dahong's eyes twitched slightly.
“Stop it!”
A spirited voice cut in. Seha looked up. Ponytail. Immaculate uniform with necktie. A girl approached with confident strides.
“What's this on exam morning?”
“...Isol.”
Sangjun's face twisted.
“This doesn't concern you, another class rep. Mind your own business.”
“It does. What do you think happens if the professors see you roughing up a classmate outside the exam hall?”
Sangjun glared at Isol, then clicked his tongue.
“Tch.”
He jerked his chin at his group. “Let's go.”
“Pfft.”
Sangjun's crew walked off. Isol watched their backs, then turned to Seha on the ground.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
Seha stood, brushing off his uniform. Isol scanned him up and down, sighing.
“You need to carry yourself with more confidence. They pick on you because you shrink like that.”
“...Easier said than done.”
“Practice. It's not hard.”
“...”
Seha started to reply but shut his mouth. Isol turned to Dahong beside him.
“Um... is that your summoned beast, sis?”
It was a hesitant question. Among the summons she'd seen at the academy, the most humanoid were skeleton soldiers.
“Ah...”
Isol trailed off. She'd gotten a proper look at Dahong's face. Bleached white hair. Blood-red eyes. And that face—not of this world.
Dahong met Isol's gaze. “Got something to say?”
“...Ah.”
Isol realized she'd been staring and quickly looked away. “S-sorry. My bad.”
Those eyes weren't scared or shaken.
Interesting.
The same gaze she'd given Sangjun's gang earlier. A girl without shadows in her heart, Dahong mused inwardly.
Isol turned back to Seha. “Oh, right. I've got an errand from the professor, so I gotta go.”
“Ah, y-yeah.”
“Good luck on the exam today! Bye!”
“Y-yeah, b-bye...”
Isol dashed off the other way. Seha watched her go until she vanished.
Dahong observed silently. His ears were red.
“You know her?”
“Yeah, she's our grade's class president. Isol.”
“Hmm.”
Dahong grinned. “You like her, huh.”
“What!? N-no! I don't... what are you even...!”
Seha jumped in denial. Dahong just kept grinning, saying nothing more. She walked on, chuckling to herself.
Seha hurried after her. “We're just classmates, and she's nice to me, that's all...! I-I'd never have anything that impure...!”
“Sure, young love.”
“It's not!? Are you listening!?”
“Yep.”
“It isn't!”
Dahong ignored Seha's flailing as they entered the exam hall. The corner of her mouth curved up.
Demons were sensitive to desire. And this pure one? How long had it been? Not bad at all.
A funeral hall filled with chrysanthemums. The young man in the portrait smiled.
Iron Claw Guild's master, Jeonghyeon, pressed a handkerchief to his eyes. Donghyeon. His son. Twenty-two this year.
A troublemaker, sure. Fights, incidents, cover-ups. Not just once or twice.
But so what? No one's hands are clean. A young guy letting off some hot blood? Normal.
Jeonghyeon had been the same in his youth. Blood on his hands, raising hell. It all built the foundation to lead this guild.
Good guys? Bullshit. They just lack power.
Donghyeon was the same. He'd inherit this guild someday.
And that son was found dead in an alley. Unrecognizable.
“...Donghyeon.”
The handkerchief crumpled. Careful footsteps approached from behind.
“Hyungnim.”
Kim Minseong. His right-hand man, the guild's vice master.
“We've secured a witness statement. The night of the incident, a white-haired woman was seen near the alley where Donghyeon was found. Wearing a white suit... and she had horns.”
“...”
“Suspected awakener. Given the location, likely connected to the Hunter Academy...”
“Don't bother with the small stuff.”
Jeonghyeon turned slowly. Tear tracks stained his face, but his eyes blazed with vengeance.
“Guys hanging out at night deserve death? What's the crime in that?”
“...”
“Who did this to my son? That's what matters. No need for reasons.”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
Minseong bowed his head.
“Bring her.”
He growled low. “Keep her breathing. I'll handle the rest myself.”
“Understood.”
“Use any means. Take as many men as you need.”
Jeonghyeon turned back to the portrait. His smiling son.
“Someone touched my boy. They'll pay.”