The Heavenly Demon Cult Headquarters (2)
Instantly, a tingling sensation spread through Soso's entire body.
Of course, Minsu wasn't a lightning-type awakener. It was probably just in her head. Who would have thought that even just holding hands could create such a feeling?
- Tongue... Blood Demon! Answer me! Why is this... why does this feeling come over me...
Soso had unconsciously called out to the Blood Demon in her confusion, but the usually noisy Blood Demon didn't answer this time.
So, the sensation of Minsu's hand touching hers, and the pounding in her heart that felt like it might burst, belonged entirely to Soso.
'Minsu... doesn't reject me?'
And Soso was surprised. According to the Blood Demon's words, Minsu really hadn't let go of her hand.
During their time at Eins, there had been some light touching, but...
Now it was clearly different. The warmth of that hand was being felt first by her.
She had never directly told Minsu that she liked him, so this was the first time she had mustered the courage.
'Minsu's hand... is still warm.'
Countless thoughts and emotions raced through her mind, but Soso's heart was still fluttering like a pubescent girl.
From the second year of her time at Eins when she first met Minsu and got close to him, she had been gazing at him for five years.
Even in pure terms, it had been nearly three and a half years since she had fallen for him.
'What kind of feelings does Minsu have right now?'
But Soso lowered her head. She quickly averted her gaze from Minsu. Whether positive or negative, if she looked at his face now, she felt she couldn't control her emotions.
She just didn't want to let go of his hand for a little while. And finally, unable to hide her feelings any longer, her heart grew a bit bolder.
Although she was a woman, since Minsu was a man, his hand was naturally larger.
She wanted to feel the warmth of that big hand even more. Soso began to move her own palm slightly.
If she was rejected like this, she might get her heart broken, but she couldn't stop.
Like hugging Minsu, she stroked his palm and felt the sensation. Her heart, which felt like it was about to burst, beat even stronger there, heating up Soso's body.
'Yeah, Minsu... is really the person I like.'
No, beyond liking, Soso's mind was filled with nothing but him right now.
The past two years Minsu had been in the hospital, she had wanted to see him so badly but couldn't.
But now, she was close to him like this. And since Minsu had chosen Flame, she knew he would definitely need her strength.
'I'm the raid team leader of Flame. So, Minsu definitely needs me as a presence...'
She had read Minsu's self-introduction. A clear hostility towards villains, especially Red Lake, was felt.
Since Minsu had lost his power now, she would definitely be needed for revenge against those villains.
From the moment she held his hand, Soso was certain. Her feelings were no longer satisfied just by looking at him.
'I want Minsu...'
Even if it was selfish and bad, she wanted to have him.
She had consciously tried to forget the day Minsu came to work at Flame, the first day. The feeling of his lips touching her lips revived.
'That sensation... was too... good.'
She knew that having the person she liked, or even loved, was so thrilling and filled her heart.
Even if she gave everything she had, and somehow got his heart and made him her man, Soso clasped Minsu's hand tightly.
And she didn't let go of his hand for a long time.
***
The plane arrived in Hong Kong.
Finding the headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Cult wasn't difficult. It was a holy place revered by many dimensional hunters.
So, the city of Hong Kong had prepared excellent roads and transportation to the headquarters.
And the Heavenly Mountain, which was the headquarters before the dimensional fusion, was incomparable in accessibility compared to the rugged mountains on the outskirts.
'Hong Kong is a big city from the start.'
Even the headquarters didn't require them to go directly.
Immediately after getting off the plane, a group of men came to greet them.
A large black limousine with glossy black paint, and multiple vehicles escorting it lined up around the airport.
It looked like Hong Kong mafia, or actually it was mafia. The Heavenly Demon Cult was a super large hunter clan.
The men in black suits who got out of the vehicle bowed deeply towards Soso all at once.
"Cheon-se, Cheon-se, Cheon-cheon..."
"No need for that formalities. We didn't come to the sect formally. No need for such noisy etiquette."
Even a normal young woman would have been intimidated, but Soso flicked her fingers and gave them a light instruction.
The strong men all felt like awakened strong people. Their gazes naturally went to me too, but they sent very polite greetings to me as well.
'They aren't misunderstanding, are they.'
If they thought I was Soso's man.
And thinking about the status of the Heavenly Demon Cult's young master among her followers, sending such greetings to me wouldn't be strange.
Of course it was a misunderstanding, but Minsu and I were friends. Or just people from the same company. We had to think that way.
"Then please come this way."
But without showing any particular reaction, I got into the limousine with Soso. A very spacious back seat, but privacy between the driver and us was thoroughly divided.
'This is more... than the plane a moment ago.'
No other passengers, just the two of us in a closed space.
It was a dangerous space where, if the Blood Demon inside Soso tried to take over her body, panic might occur.
But now it was clearly Soso. Unlike the confident demeanor she had shown against those rough cultists earlier.
Soso kept her head down and avoided looking at me. And she kept twisting her plain black hair with her fingers.
The habit she had when she was very flustered, it hadn't changed from Eins days to now.
'It was like that on the plane too.'
Soon the limousine started moving. But silence continued between the two. Soso, unable to calm down, kept switching her crossed legs.
'Is that so. Soso is still... like that on the plane.'
A moment ago, when Soso had held my hand on the plane, I was momentarily surprised. Was the Blood Demon inside her awakening? I checked her complexion.
But it wasn't the Blood Demon. It was clearly Soso who had held my hand.
The warmth and surprise and embarrassment felt from the held hand couldn't possibly be the Blood Demon. The Blood Demon wouldn't react like that just from holding hands.
'Soso is still...'
And I wasn't a fool. Soso's actions were not just light skinship between friends.
Otherwise, even at the moment of getting off the plane, Soso wouldn't have held my hand so tightly.
That hand that stroked my hand and finally clasped it was clearly filled with Soso's emotions. The feelings she had for me. The rational feelings.
'I know that feeling too.'
Before graduation, when Yuri and I had gotten very close. We didn't date but naturally held hands often.
The emotions transmitted through skin and body naturally held more than words. Soso would be the same.
So I couldn't push away Soso's tightly held hand. Soso was a very precious person to me too.
In the Eins days, I had clearly liked Yuri, but the one I was closest to after reincarnating into Akahunter and being thrown into this world unknown to anyone was definitely Soso.
'But Soso's feelings are... more than mine.'
I had heard from the Blood Demon before, but I confirmed it again like this.
But for me, all I could do was hold her hand together. Not only for Soso, but for Yuri and Arin too.
'I can't go beyond that.'
Even until the moment I die. I won't cross the line of that emotion. After waking up, I had repeatedly disciplined my heart.
'All because of my feelings. That's why the Eins tragedy happened.'
I grabbed my lost composure again. And picked up the expensive tea set placed in the limousine.
"Team Leader Yeon Soso. Would you like some?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
After opening the bag and handing it over, Soso ate without saying a word. The awkward atmosphere slightly eased. I recalled the purpose of coming here.
'The Heavenly Demon Cult leader, Yeon Se-hwi. The equipment maker who serves him. I know the method to unlock Hongok's seal.'
I had to meet him. If he was an equipment maker, he would know a lot about the S-rank Ancient Gear Hongok.
The limousine soon arrived at the Heavenly Demon Cult headquarters.
***
A very large and wide wall continued endlessly. The wide grounds were all the Heavenly Demon Cult's land.
And after passing through several strict checkpoints where cultists were on guard, finally arrived at the Heavenly Demon Cult headquarters, the main building.
'Is that Soso's house?'
Appropriate for Chinese-style architecture, it was a very gorgeous and huge traditional building. The limousine stopped in front of the courtyard. The two got out.
Then again, a group of people who exuded unusual atmosphere came to greet them. They greeted.
"We greet the Young Cult Leader."
But unlike at the airport, it wasn't a very formal greeting. It was natural. Here, it wasn't the Young Cult Leader, but the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Cult Leader himself, came to welcome them.
The group in suits split left and right. And from the middle, a man walked out.
"You're here. Soso."
"Yes. I'm here. Dad... I mean Father."
This greeting from the group filling the courtyard was completely mismatched with the atmosphere.
It was just a normal father and daughter greeting.
'Is that person Yeon Se-hwi, the Heavenly Demon?'
I already knew his face well, but seeing it in person was even more surprising. Around him were filled with rough men, but...
Soso's father looked more like a frail scholar rather than a warrior or hunter. And although he had a daughter over twenty, he looked quite young.
The clothing he was wearing was also different; others were in black suits, but only he wore traditional Chinese clothing. Not flashy, plain, giving a more ordinary impression.
"Soso-ya. Who is that person?"
"Huh? Ah... Father. As I mentioned earlier... This is the new intern from our company. This time, I came on a business trip together with..."
"I see. Nice to meet you. I'm Yeon Se-hwi, Soso's father."
And he lightly smiled at me and extended his hand.
That very simple action of asking for a handshake. But the cultists around him seemed very tense.
I felt the same. Yeon Se-hwi. SS-rank hunter. And one of the Five Heavenly Stars called the absolute in the hunter world.
Behind that harmless smile, there was definitely the leisure of the Heavenly Demon hidden. And the overwhelming pressure only felt by absolute strong.
The moment he extended his hand, the air in the vicinity changed.
'Different from killing intent, but still the Heavenly Demon.'
Just by his existence, he dominated the surroundings. Like the top predator at the end of the food chain.
Muguk was a strong nation on par with the alliance between Slavonia Kingdom and South Korea. And in Muguk, the one at the top was Yeon Se-hwi.
At this moment, the seemingly frail scholar felt like a huge existence bigger than any hunter I had met.
"Ah... Dad! This person is my guest..."
And the panicked Soso shouted at Yeon Se-hwi, but he didn't retract his extended hand.
"Why? Soso-ya. I'm just greeting the guest."
"Th-that!"
Soso's reaction was understood. The group around Yeon Se-hwi, even the executives of the Heavenly Demon Cult, were barely holding up the atmosphere he was emitting.
Ordinary people would be like fragile beasts already fainting from a tiger's gaze. They might have already fainted.
And even if they were awakener, the overwhelming momentum that made them stagger and kneel immediately was felt from the ordinary man in front of them.
But I calmly took the hand he extended.
"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Lee Minsu."
Then the gazes of the Heavenly Demon Cult cultists all turned to me.