Miracle Rain and Vanishing Smoke
Jeong In-ah and Seong Ha-yeon followed Ma Yu-hyeon's lead back to the priest class encampment. The priests, with Ma Yu-hyeon at the forefront, had set up in a dry reservoir surrounded by residential neighborhoods. They had been chatting idly in clusters until Ma Yu-hyeon arrived, at which point their conversation cut off abruptly. As if on cue, their faces hardened into stiff masks, and they began mechanically channeling divine power.
Ma Yu-hyeon directed their output like a conductor, gathering it into his own hands. Following his gaze, blessing circles etched themselves into existence. In the center of the dry reservoir, countless such circles piled up and overlapped.
"What... is all this?"
Seong Ha-yeon scanned the hundreds of blessing circles sprawled across the ground. They interconnected to form one enormous fusion blessing circle. It hadn't activated yet, but imagining the result once it did and unleashed its radiant light was beyond comprehension.
"A blessing close to a miracle. And..."
A gift for someone, and a small diversion from the tedium of everyday life. Ma Yu-hyeon swallowed the rest. They wouldn't understand anyway. In all of Florence, only one person would get it.
Ma Yu-hyeon continued drawing blessing circles with the other students' divine power, layering them meticulously. His pupils gleamed brilliantly—whether from the light in his eyes or the reflection of divine power, it was impossible to tell.
Unlike Seong Ha-yeon, who stared at the massive fusion in stunned silence, Jeong In-ah calmly surveyed it with a serious expression, her eyes sharp as if dissecting its structure. Ma Yu-hyeon watched her with evident interest. His hands, which had been dancing intricately to draw the circles, had come to a halt.
"......"
Ma Yu-hyeon approached Jeong In-ah and casually placed a hand on her shoulder. Leaning in like an old friend, he spoke.
"I saw you fighting with Do Seon-woo earlier. What was that about?"
"......"
"Didn't hear me? Or are you just ignoring—"
Thwack! Jeong In-ah roughly shook off his hand. She turned to glare at him wordlessly, her eyes brimming with clear displeasure—and a hint of contempt. After a few seconds of icy staring, she whipped her head toward the blessing circle.
"This part's wrong."
She jabbed at a spot on the massive circle, her tone curt. Ma Yu-hyeon tilted his head with a crooked smirk, a faint crease forming between his brows. He looked annoyed at being called out.
"Huh? Where?"
"Here. Can't you see?"
"'Here' what? And how would you know if it's right or—"
Ma Yu-hyeon muttered irritably but fell silent upon inspecting the spot she'd indicated. Sure enough, it was wrong. A critical connection in the fusion blessing circle had been botched.
"See? Told you."
Jeong In-ah snorted derisively. In a fusion blessing circle, there were main blessings and auxiliary ones. The main blessings formed the core, defining the primary traits. The auxiliaries supported them while ensuring stable activation overall. If the connection between main and auxiliary was too tight or too loose, the main traits could get overshadowed, or the circle might fail to activate properly. Just like now.
"......Yeah, it is."
Ma Yu-hyeon admitted grudgingly, quickly fixing it. Without even touching it, the divine power writhed and corrected itself under his gaze. Normally, it wouldn't have mattered, but with a fusion this vast, even a tiny error could prove fatal.
He scrutinized his fix closely. It hadn't been disconnected—just a bit loose. Without flawless theoretical mastery of fusion blessing circles, no amount of sharp eyes would spot it.
"How'd you catch that?"
Ma Yu-hyeon asked. Jeong In-ah eyed him coolly before shrugging it off.
"It just... stood out."
"Just stood out? Hmm... What was your rank on the written exam?"
"Why do you care?"
Jeong In-ah's irritation was blatant. Ma Yu-hyeon faltered slightly—this was a far cry from the rumors.
"Just figured you were smart. Don't wanna say? Fine."
"......Second place."
"Whoa, not bad! Then why act like you didn't wanna tell me?"
Jeong In-ah clamped her mouth shut, offering no reply. Ma Yu-hyeon was the top scorer overall. Hearing praise from him about acing the exam felt oddly off-putting, even if she couldn't quite explain why.
Ma Yu-hyeon stared at her silence before lightly nudging her back.
"Anyway, nice. Stick around nearby and point out any other mistakes like that."
"......Why should I—"
"We're in the same class. Let's help each other out."
He'd anticipated the objection, answering smoothly. His smile shifted—not the creepy one from before, but a convincingly warm one.
"You're the only one I can ask. Second place? I can trust that."
"......You're first."
"I got 398 total, lost 2 points on divine studies. So on that section, you're first, right?"
Jeong In-ah went quiet. It was true—and flattering. Ma Yu-hyeon caught the subtle softening of her rigid expression. Hiding his smile, he pressed on with feigned sincerity.
"I'm weak on divine studies, fusion circles, that stuff. I make dumb little slips. Need someone to catch 'em, whether it's you or not."
"......"
"But you'd be perfect. Good grades mean reliable. Kinda silly judging skill by written scores, but... anyway."
He trailed off, gazing at her. He knew she wouldn't refuse, yet he played the pitiful card, eyes drooping like rejection would crush him. Jeong In-ah avoided his gaze. It was exam time, and they were in the same group. She couldn't just say no to a "request" like this. Helping Ma Yu-hyeon score well for the priest class—and their group—benefited her too.
"What do you say? If you don't want to, just join the circle and pump out divine power like the rest."
Ma Yu-hyeon prompted. Jeong In-ah glanced at the kids encircling the fusion, mechanically outputting divine power.
"No, fine... I'll do it. We're in the same group, and..."
"Awesome, thanks!"
His cheer was oddly buoyant. Just like that, Jeong In-ah took on the role of inspector. She roamed the vast circle, spotting and reporting Ma Yu-hyeon's oversights. He'd fix them while drawing new ones with the others' power.
Seong Ha-yeon stood by awkwardly, watching. Ma Yu-hyeon hadn't assigned her anything. When she tried contributing divine power, he'd hastily stop her.
"You, stay put."
"Huh? Why...?"
"Just rest. I'll call if I need you later."
The "if needed" stung like she was just a tool, but Seong Ha-yeon didn't protest. She couldn't, really. Everyone here was being used like tools: the kids fueling the fusion, Ma Yu-hyeon directing it, Jeong In-ah spotting errors. But now wasn't the time for resentment. Rest was a luxury to be grateful for.
Guilt and pressure gnawed at Seong Ha-yeon for not contributing—mingled with an inexplicable unease.
"Ah."
Minutes later, as the circle grew even grander, Ma Yu-hyeon let out a sigh or gasp. His eyes sparkled with zeal as he turned to Seong Ha-yeon. She flinched under his gaze—it eerily mirrored Do Seon-woo's. Same intensity, different essence.
He strode off, beckoning.
"Seong Ha-yeon, you're up. Follow me."
"Y-yes."
She channeled divine power, tailing him eagerly. Watching everyone toil while she stood idle had worn thin. Finally contributing brought faint joy.
"Here."
Ma Yu-hyeon halted, pointing to a spot. In the center, where main blessing circles should densely fill, one tiny gap yawned empty. Just one point, yet it seemed to halt the whole thing.
Seong Ha-yeon unleashed her divine power, radiant light pouring from her hands. But she didn't know what circle to draw.
"What blessing circle—"
"Purification."
"Pardon?"
"Purification blessing circle. Say it again?"
Seong Ha-yeon froze mid-draw. Her father had decreed only three cases for using it: when she was in danger; when someone irreplaceable to her was; or when adequately compensated. Never waste it on coercion—especially not others' demands.
Ma Yu-hyeon scowled at her hesitation.
"Why do you think I let you slack? We need purification—and only you can do it."
"W-well, it's not that simple..."
"It's not some casual blessing; it costs blood. But..."
He dramatically raised his hands, gesturing to the encircling group.
"Can't you see? Everyone else is busting their asses."
"......"
Seong Ha-yeon followed his gesture. Exhaustion etched every face; one kid had even collapsed. Ma Yu-hyeon singled out the worst-off.
"While they push to collapse, what've you been doing?"
"You told me to rest—"
"To avoid wasting it when we actually need it."
"......"
Had she known purification was key, she'd have contributed something else. His logic was sophistry, but the guilt from idling weighed heavy.
"Ugh, come on... Decide already. Don't want to? Say so."
He paused, then jabbed at the group.
"But if you bail, we scrap the plan. Their effort? Down the drain."
"......"
"Fine by you? You're top of the written scores—no big loss if practical tanks. Your teammates suffer, but hey, not your problem—"
Whoosh!
Before he finished, Seong Ha-yeon began drawing. Complex, ornate lines confirmed it: purification blessing circle. Ma Yu-hyeon smiled faintly. She and her father both crumbled under this tactic. Blood tells, after all.
"Got something sharp? Pointy?"
Seong Ha-yeon snapped curtly mid-draw. Ma Yu-hyeon removed his cross-shaped earring piercing. Not razor-sharp, but pointy enough for a prick.
"This work?"
"It's dirty; don't wanna use it."
"......Sorry it's filthy. Bear with it—for the kids."
Her tone had chilled. He sweetened his, coaxing warmly. Seong Ha-yeon pressed the point to her fingertip hard.
"Ngh."
She winced, a short groan escaping. Pain never got easier. Blood welled and dripped into the circle. The dormant pattern ignited, brilliant light blooming brighter than any before. Even she recoiled in shock.
Ma Yu-hyeon, beaming, strode into it—embracing the glow like a moth to flame.
"Thanks. Now everyone's hard work pays off!"
From the light's heart, his voice rang ecstatic, face obscured. Seong Ha-yeon scowled.
"......Never again."
Swallowing a sob, she continued.
"Never ask me for this crap again."
She stormed off to rejoin the group. Ma Yu-hyeon chuckled, raising a hand in signal from the center.
At his cue, kids guarding the cardinal points drew holy marks and produced holy oil—the priest class's assigned holy relic, like weapons for holy warriors or cuffs for paladins.
Splash!
They poured it unhesitatingly over their heads, kneeling amid the sticky oil, murmuring prayers. Light spread from central mains to auxiliaries to the oiled kids. It swelled, filling the reservoir in blinding radiance.
Ma Yu-hyeon knelt too, hands clasped, thumbs crossed in a cross. Eyes shut, head raised.
"Adonai, and my angel, Gabriel!"
His cry rode the light. Ground-hugging glow surged skyward in response, blanketing the heavens. Brighter than the sun, it shimmered over the kids' heads. They gazed at Ma Yu-hyeon and the light in awe and fear.
He opened his eyes.
"From within this blessing, we pray—answer us."
Whoosh!
Heavenly light rained down as thick, heavy, beautiful droplets. Joy lit their faces as it fell. More precisely, joy bloomed after. Blessed light poured from their bodies, mingling with the downpour, amplifying into unity. Light aids us. Heaven aids us. Overwhelmed by the power, they felt感动, reverence, oneness. Individual will dissolved. Under light and Adonai's service, their minds merged. A true blessing. A miracle.
*
"Formation."
At Do Seon-woo's command, Paladin-D group's members moved in unison. But the resulting lineup was pathetically sparse. Do Seon-woo stood firm; the others, sans Kang Dae-man, clustered like cavalry in formation, hands linked. Kang Dae-man had stepped out alone to scoop up Han Su-ryeon.
"Eek! Hey! What the hell?!"
She flailed to escape, but handcuffs sapped her strength. Kang Dae-man ignored it, eyeing her with mild displeasure.
"Stay still."
"Y-you...! You dating me or what!?"
"What're you on about?"
"You wanna date or not? Don't manhandle if not!"
Han Su-ryeon yapped; Kang Dae-man responded flatly. Yeo Min-seo snorted at the exchange and the "formation," hopping up.
She stomped toward Do Seon-woo.
"Done? Kinda lame—short-staffed?"
"Appreciate the pity."
Do Seon-woo continued nonchalantly.
"But can you clear the smoke? It's annoying. Can't see shit."
"Why would I? I laid it for this."
Yeo Min-seo shrugged teasingly. She knew his skill—from their clash while teamed with Han Su-ryeon, when he'd caught her incoming smoke grenade barehanded. So she'd blanketed the negotiation zone to obscure visibility. No matter his reflexes, he couldn't swat blind grenades. Plus, it hid their numbers, leveraging info asymmetry for psychological edge.
"Oh... right?"
"Wanna haggle? How much for Han Su-ryeon?"
His tepid reaction prompted her to cut to the chase. Do Seon-woo cocked his head slyly.
"Nah, the other two hostages first. Su-ryeon after."
"That's our offer. No take? We're done."
"Hah......"
Yeo Min-seo exhaled irritably, cracking her neck with a crunch—her tic for foul moods.
"No hostage grabs during or 10 minutes post-negotiation. Total bullshit rule, right?"
"Dunno... Why bring it up now?"
"What makes you so cocky?"
She advanced threateningly but stopped short—close enough to menace, fog-shrouded. Closer, and who knew what he'd do.
Do Seon-woo paused at her question, checking his formation, then scanning buildings. Holy warrior group members poked from windows, muzzles trained. Fog reduced them to silhouettes—counting impossible.
But he didn't care to count.
"Show me?"
Chill light flickered in his eyes, pupils unyieldingly fixed on her. The shift in his aura registered with Yeo Min-seo and her team. But buckling meant defeat. Yielding momentum doomed negotiations—better to scrap them.
She flashed a faux-relaxed grin.
"Sure, show your balls. You little—"
Whoosh!
Before she finished, a fierce gust scattered the smoke in seconds. Yeo Min-seo tried peering through, eyes watering from flung dust and gravel. She squeezed them shut.
"—the fuck, just now...!"
Wind died; she channeled divine power and blinked. Smoke gone, air crisp. Visible: Kang Dae-man cradling Han Su-ryeon; his teammates sprawled from cavalry formation, blessed light glowing on them.
Confusion hit. Do Seon-woo was gone. He'd vanished in that blink—impeccable timing, like the wind conspired.
Then, an odd shadow rippled. She traced it upward.
"No way......"
Absurdity choked her words. Do Seon-woo dangled from the third-floor railing of her right-side sniper nest building. Beaming a smile she'd never seen, he peered down. His lips moved, but she caught nothing.
(To be continued)