The teleportation haze lifted. The uneven stones of the village street came into focus, along with the familiar outline of the small house the brothers once called home.
But before Caelan or Ciel could take a single step forward, a figure leaned casually against the wooden fence, arms crossed. His presence was suffocating, flames flickering faintly around his shoulders as though he were wrapped in fire itself.
"About damn time," he drawled. His hair was a burnt copper-red, eyes glowing like embers. The insignia of the Hunter Association gleamed on his chestplate.
Caelan froze, whispering under his breath. "That's… Kang Jiwon…"
The SS-rank Fire Hunter. The one everyone in the district feared.
Jiwon straightened, his gaze snapping to the brothers. "Where the fuck have you been?!" His voice was sharp, flames flaring at his fingertips. "I told you—I gave you a few days. And now you disappear?!"
He stepped forward, towering over the boys, his aura pressing down like molten heat. Ciel immediately shrank behind Caelan, clutching his sleeve.
"W-We…" Caelan stammered, his throat dry.
Jiwon sneered, looking past them. "Where's your mother? Don't tell me she ran off. That woman still owes me. Money doesn't just vanish into smoke." His eyes narrowed. "You think you can hide from me, brats?"
Before Caelan could reply, a soft click echoed behind him.
Khae had tilted his head, a faint smile curling his lips. "Money?" His tone dripped with amusement. "That is what troubles mortals these days?"
Jiwon's eyes flicked to him at last — and for the first time, a hint of hesitation cracked through his arrogance. The tall stranger, cloaked in shadow and majesty, did not look like any Hunter he had ever seen. And beside him stood another — the purple-haired man who exuded an equally strange, oppressive aura.
Jiwon frowned. "And who the hell are you supposed to be? Babysitters? Hunters from another district?"
Zerath's expression darkened instantly. His hands clenched, purple sparks flickering across his knuckles. He turned slightly toward Khae, lowering his voice.
"My lord," he said smoothly, his tone cold and eager, "shall I kill him?"
Ciel gasped softly at the word, and Caelan's grip on his brother tightened.
Khae's smile only widened. "Patience, Zerath." His crimson eyes gleamed like molten gems. "It has been some time since I've seen how mortals handle… power."
Jiwon bristled, fire flaring brighter around him as if to prove a point. "What the fuck did you just call him?" He jabbed a finger at Zerath, flames swirling. "Lord? Don't make me laugh. Do you kids think you can bring some wannabe magician here and scare me? I'm SS-rank. This entire street belongs to my fire if I so much as snap."
Khae tilted his head, almost bored. "SS-rank…?" He tasted the words as though they were foreign. "Is that a measure of power among mortals?"
Zerath snorted. "A pitiful one."
Jiwon's face darkened. "What the hell did you say—"
But before his flame could burst forward, the air shifted. The aura that rolled off Khae was nothing human, nothing SS-rank, nothing this world had words for. The shadows stretched, the light dimmed, and for a fleeting second, even the crackling fire in Jiwon's hands sputtered.
Khae's smile never faltered. "Careful, mortal. You stand before a Demon God."
Jiwon froze, his skin prickling with a primal instinct he could not suppress. His mouth opened, but no words came.
Ciel tugged at Caelan's sleeve nervously. "Brother… is he going to hurt us?"
Caelan whispered back, though his own voice trembled. "No… not us."
Zerath leaned closer, his voice low but hungry. "My lord. Allow me. Just one strike… he will not even scream before he dies."
Khae lifted a hand lightly, silencing him. His crimson gaze never left Jiwon, who now looked far less like a mighty Hunter and far more like a child who had stepped into the den of wolves.
And in that silence, Khae chuckled softly.
"So… this is how the mighty of this age behave? Extorting children, demanding coin? Hm." He glanced down at the brothers, then back at Jiwon. "Pathetic."
Ciel instinctively tugged Caelan toward the shadow behind Khae's back. The towering figure of the Demon God stood like an immovable wall, his presence swallowing the flames that Jiwon had wrapped himself in.
The children pressed closer, their fear slowly shifting into something else—security.
Zerath, however, took a step forward, purple sparks crawling up his arm. His expression twisted with disdain. "I'm sick of this worm already," he muttered, loud enough for all to hear. His sharp eyes locked on Jiwon, who reflexively raised his guard as the dragon's aura flared, heavy and suffocating.
Jiwon's sneer faltered. He hadn't even fought yet, but his instincts screamed danger. The purple-haired man wasn't bluffing—one wrong word, and he'd strike.
Zerath cracked his neck, taking another slow step closer. "Pathetic human. Back in the Abyss, even our weakest hatchlings would turn you to ash with a breath." His voice was venom, but there was a cruel smile dancing at the edge of his lips. "And you dare to raise your voice at his chosen?"
"Zerath," Khae said softly, not even glancing at him. The dragon froze, mid-step.
Khae's crimson gaze bore into Jiwon, stripping away every ounce of arrogance he'd built up. He let the silence hang, the only sound the faint crackle of Jiwon's dwindling fire.
"Understand this," Khae finally spoke, his voice calm but edged like steel. "The only reason you still draw breath… is because my children have not asked for your death."
Jiwon's throat tightened. He wanted to retort, to spit fire, to declare himself SS-rank and unstoppable—but the words died in his mouth. Something primal chained his tongue.
Zerath chuckled darkly at the sight, folding his arms. "Consider yourself blessed, human. My lord is merciful today."
Behind Khae, Caelan swallowed hard, whispering to his little brother. "Brother… did he just call us… my lord's children?"
Ciel's grip on Caelan's hand tightened. "I… I think so…"
Neither dared to ask what that meant—but both felt the strange warmth of protection surge in their chests. For the first time in weeks, they weren't just two helpless kids cornered by a predator.
They had something greater standing in front of them.
And Jiwon, for all his fire and fury, looked smaller than ever.
Jiwon's flames flared hotter, licking up his arms as if to remind himself he wasn't prey. His pride wouldn't allow him to crumble completely before strangers. "Don't you dare look down on me. I'm an SS-rank hunter—the pinnacle of humanity's strength."
Khae tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "...SS-rank?" His tone was almost amused, as if tasting the word for the first time. "So, there is a… measure now? Humanity grades its warriors with letters?"
Zerath snorted, covering his mouth with the back of his hand to hide his grin. "Like children scribbling stars on their papers."
Caelan blinked at the exchange, whispering to his brother. "Brother… he doesn't know what an SS-rank is?"
Ciel whispered back nervously, "He… he doesn't even know about hunters, I think…"
Khae ignored them, taking a slow step forward until the flames bent away from him, recoiling like frightened serpents. His voice carried a sharp curiosity, layered over with disdain.
"And you call yourself a hunter. What is that?" His gaze flickered to Jiwon's trembling hands. "An awakened one, wielding fire… A mortal blessed with power, perhaps?"
Jiwon clenched his jaw. The way this man—no, this thing—spoke made it sound like he was nothing more than a parlor trick. "You don't know…?" He let out a shaky laugh, masking his unease with arrogance. "You must have been living under a rock. Hunters are the reason humanity still exists. Without us, the world would've been consumed by dungeons and monsters long ago."
Khae's lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer. "Hunters… awakened ones… letters to rank your power…" His eyes burned darker, voice dropping low. "How far humanity has fallen, if this is what you call strength."
The weight in his words crushed the air. Jiwon's knees bent slightly under the pressure, though he forced himself upright, his pride refusing to bow.
Behind him, Zerath chuckled again, leaning lazily against the wall. "Oh, this is delightful. My lord, do you see? These 'hunters' think themselves kings of this world." He cast a mocking glance at Jiwon. "If only they knew."
Khae's gaze lingered on Jiwon a moment longer, then he finally straightened, folding his hands behind his back. "So. You are an SS-rank… the pinnacle of your kind." He leaned down slightly, so close Jiwon could feel the abyss pressing against his skin.
"Tell me," Khae whispered, "do you truly believe you stand at the top?"
Jiwon's fire wavered. For the first time, he had no answer.
Jiwon's lips trembled, but he forced a smirk, trying to hold onto the last shred of his pride. "Tch. Of course. I'm one of the strongest alive. I've slain more monsters than you could count—"
Khae raised a hand. Not a threatening gesture, not even a spark of energy, just… lifted it.
The fire around Jiwon flickered, sputtered, and died out as if the flames themselves were too ashamed to burn in front of him. The silence that followed was suffocating.
Khae's voice was calm, almost soft, but it cut sharper than any blade.
"Strength? You mistake power for strength. Slaughtering beasts in cages you call 'dungeons'? Posturing over titles made by fragile men? That is not strength. That is desperation dressed as glory."
Jiwon's throat tightened. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his pride rooted him to the ground. "Y-you… you don't know anything about this world—"
Khae leaned closer, his abyssal eyes reflecting Jiwon's paling face. "I know more than you ever will. In the Abyss, I commanded legions greater than anything your kind could imagine. Dragons bent their necks. Demons bowed at my shadow. And yet—" His voice sharpened. "Here you stand, flaunting borrowed fire and believing yourself a god."
The weight of those words pressed down on Jiwon's chest, making it hard to breathe.
Zerath chuckled from behind, unable to resist twisting the knife. "My lord, if this is the pinnacle of humanity… it's no wonder the world fell to ruin."
Khae ignored him, his gaze never leaving Jiwon. "You are no sovereign, no ruler, no protector. You are a candle… pretending to be the sun."
The words shattered something inside Jiwon. His fists clenched, nails digging into his palms, but the fire refused to come back. He looked down at the ground, jaw tight, pride bleeding away drop by drop.
Caelan and Ciel clung to each other, watching with wide eyes. For the first time, they realized—Khae hadn't even fought him. He had dismantled an SS-rank with words alone.
Finally, Khae straightened and stepped back, tone almost dismissive.
"Go. Crawl back to whatever hole you came from. You are beneath my concern."
Jiwon staggered, rage and humiliation burning in his chest, but he couldn't meet those abyssal eyes again. He turned, teeth gritted, and vanished into the shadows of the street—defeated without a single strike.
Zerath smirked, tilting his head at Khae. "You didn't even have to touch him."
Khae's lips curved faintly. "Why would I? He was already broken."