Taeseong stared at the house-sized wolf with a dumbfounded expression.
Unbothered by his gaze, the wolf continued to lie on its back, whimpering.
‘It looks like it could devour a tiger, so why is it acting so cute?’
The sight of an otherworldly being, looking like it had crawled back from the underworld, rolling over on its back was enough to shock not only Taeseong and Yato but also everyone else watching from the room.
“……”
“……”
Even Xiao Yun, who had been talking nonstop, could only stare with a dumbfounded look, unable to say a word.
But the one most shocked was, of course, Yato, the one who had summoned the being.
The spell she had just used was a summoning ritual that temporarily called forth an otherworldly entity.
In other words, it was the same type of spell as the one that had once led to her brother’s death.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have used a spell related to that event, unless she had lost her mind.
However, Yato had gained a special ability that day—she could communicate with beings from the other world.
She was unaware that these beings were considered insignificant creatures in their own world, but that didn’t matter. To her, each one was a monstrous existence.
Still, because the summoning always came with unpredictable costs—and in the worst case, required sacrificing a part of her body—Yato had vowed never to use it unless absolutely necessary.
— Sis. Promise me you won’t use this technique unless you’re on the verge of death.
Thus, this was a taboo she had set for herself—her ultimate trump card.
Even in a fit of rage, she never imagined she would use it for something as trivial as a sparring match.
And on top of that, the summoned being was now lying on its back, whimpering in submission to a mere Delta-ranked administrator.
Even if she were reborn, she would never have believed it.
“What… what am I even looking at…?”
Now that her senses had returned, Yato felt as if she were dreaming. She rubbed her eyes repeatedly, unable to accept what she was seeing.
No matter how many times she rubbed them, the scene remained unchanged.
“That noble Wairang… why…?”
Wairang.
A name she had given it, meaning wolf from beyond. Among all the otherworldly beings, Wairang was the only one Yato could say she had some sort of connection with. She knew better than anyone how powerful and arrogant it was.
And yet, that same Wairang had prostrated itself before a mere human. A wolf from another dimension, one that wouldn’t have even blinked at Xiao Yun’s presence.
Then, a memory of Wairang’s cry flashed through Yato’s mind.
— הישות הגדולה ביותר! ( The greatest entity )
“…Great… Being…?”
Her gaze naturally shifted toward Lee Taeseong.
“No way… Was it referring to him?”
All the evidence pointed to Taeseong. But Yato couldn’t accept it.
It made no sense!
She acknowledged that Taeseong was an exceptional individual.
But he was still Delta-ranked.
An otherworldly entity, not just submitting but worshiping a mere Delta-ranked administrator?
It was absurd.
No one understood the overwhelming power of these beings better than Yato, which was precisely why she had to deny it.
A hollow, breathless laugh escaped her lips.
“Haha… Hahaha… Hahahaha…”
She stared blankly as Taeseong approached Wairang.
The man, significantly smaller than the towering wolf, slowly reached out his hand.
“Up close, you’re quite cute.”
Yato had expected Wairang’s body, made of swirling black smoke, to feel eerie.
But contrary to her expectations, it was surprisingly soft.
Each time Taeseong stroked its belly, Wairang whimpered happily, looking every bit like a domesticated dog.
“I sense no hostility from you. And strangely enough, even though you’re standing before me, I don’t feel the hunger rising within me.”
Wairang’s tail wagged excitedly.
“I don’t know why, but you’re genuinely happy right now.”
Taeseong smiled. A rare smile.
Even he didn’t understand why, but the moment he faced this wolf, he felt a nostalgic longing, as if reuniting with an old acquaintance.
“Since I see no hostility in you, I won’t harm you. Now, return to where you came from.”
At his words, Wairang abruptly stood up and shook its head.
Taeseong had no way of understanding its language. But when he locked eyes with its glowing red gaze, he instinctively knew what it wanted.
“I don’t mind.”
Wairang’s tail wagged even more vigorously before it suddenly lunged at Taeseong.
In the room, Eunha and Haeyoung had been watching in silence, but upon seeing this, they gasped and instinctively cried out.
“Mr. Taeseong!”
“Chief Lee!”
Their concerns were unfounded.
Rather than attacking him, Wairang simply vanished into his shadow.
A massive being, the size of a house, disappeared without a trace, as if it had never been there at all.
Only the flickering movement of Taeseong’s shadow hinted at its presence.
“……”
From the beginning, what Wairang had truly desired was to reside within Taeseong’s shadow.
Thus, Taeseong had unwittingly gained possession of an otherworldly wolf.
Turning away from Yato, who stood there with a shocked look, he took slow, deliberate steps toward her.
“……”
Step. Step.
He towered over her and spoke.
“The match isn’t over yet.”
Crunch.
He stomped on Yato’s arm, crushing it.
“Ghhkkk…!”
Without hesitation, he kicked her jaw, then stomped on her other arm, shattering it as well.
Her screams were too loud, so he pressed his foot against her throat, silencing her.
Taeseong gazed down at her with ice-cold eyes.
“You crossed the line.”
This time, he reached down and crushed her collarbone with his grip.
Crack. Crack.
“No matter how much you lost control, you really tried to kill me.”
Indeed, Yato had.
Whether she had wanted to or not, the moment she summoned Wairang, her intent was clear.
“And why should I let you live?”
Taeseong knew. He had seen it before.
The skull-shaped aura hovering above her head.
If he willed it, her head would be obliterated in an instant.
“Give me a reason.”
Yato turned her gaze toward her younger brother, lying in the distance.
If she died here… he would die, too.
Taeseong’s cold eyes gleamed ominously.
“Is there any reason I should let you live?”
With difficulty, Yato reached out with her shattered arm and grabbed Taeseong’s foot.
“…Please… spare me.”
“Reason.”
“…If I die, my brother dies, too. To be honest, I have no attachment to my own life. I’ve lived long enough, seen and experienced enough.”
“……”
“But not Ito. That child has done nothing wrong. That child deserves to live a normal life. Please, I beg you, show mercy.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Taeseong made his decision.
“Stand up. The duel is over.”
In truth, Taeseong had fully intended to kill Yato. Since she had crossed the line first, he had no reason to hold back. Whether it had been a mistake or not, whether it was of her own will or not—none of that mattered.
That was simply the kind of man Taeseong was.
But the mention of ‘Ito’ had swayed him. After all, the reason he had come here in the first place was to find his younger sister, Sooah.
“Ito.”
“……Speak.”
“Keep your promise.”
“I will.”
As Taeseong turned to leave, a voice called out from behind him. When he looked back, he saw Yato, partially healed through regenerative techniques, cautiously asking a question.
“……Mr. Lee Taeseong. May I ask you one question?”
“Go ahead.”
Yato hesitated for a moment before speaking in a trembling voice. She no longer saw him as just some Delta-rank administrator.
“Who…… are you?”
A question filled with many meanings.
“I am Lee Taeseong, Delta-rank administrator of the Republic of Korea.”
A heavy silence filled the room.
Xiao Yun, who always wore a faint smile, now had a hardened expression. His serious gaze made it clear he was deep in thought.
In one corner, the Japanese administrators were gathered, their atmosphere as solemn as a funeral.
The duel’s result—an absolute defeat at the hands of the Korean administrators they had so thoroughly looked down on—was nothing short of shocking.
The humiliation alone was unbearable, but the true shock came from something else entirely.
Yato and Ito. Gamma-rank administrators, representing the Japan branch. No one understood their strength better than their own subordinates. They had fought alongside them on life-or-death battlefields and felt first hand how reassuring their presence was.
So, there had never been even a sliver of doubt. Just as one never questions whether the sun will rise after a night’s sleep, Yato and Ito’s victory had been an undeniable certainty.
And yet, that certainty had been shattered before their eyes. Even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe it.
A primal emotion took hold of them.
Shock.
And fear.
On the other hand, the reactions among the Korean administrators varied.
Oh Haeyoung, her eyes wide, murmured in awe.
“Wow… Taeseong, you’re seriously amazing.”
She had spoken without thinking, and with a gasp, she quickly covered her mouth.
Only then did she notice the grim expressions of the Japanese administrators, as if attending a funeral.
Even Lee Eunha, though greatly shocked, kept quiet, reading the room.
‘This confirms it. Lee Taeseong is beyond rank classifications. Before long, he’ll rise even higher. I need to start building a connection with him now.’
Then there was Yu Gi-jun, who spoke his mind regardless of the situation.
“All that talk about ‘Delta this, Delta that,’ acting so high and mighty, and now you’ve got nothing to say? What’s the matter?”
“……”
“I told you, didn’t I? No matter what, the Captain would win. Even back when he had no powers, he was already living in another world. Your so-called revered team leaders losing isn’t something to be ashamed of.”
As Gi-jun casually heaped on the praise, Xiao Yun finally spoke.
“Wow. He really is incredible, huh?”
“……”
“Why so quiet?”
“……Hah. I hesitated because I felt embarrassed to keep talking.”
“Oh, right. We made a bet, didn’t we?”
Xiao Yun stood up, his expression unreadable as he slowly stepped toward Gi-jun.
“Hmm… What kind of reward should I give you?”
Sensing the danger, Gi-ijun forced an awkward smile.
“N-no, it’s fine.”
But Xiao Yun didn’t seem to hear him, muttering to himself.
“The head would be too much… Maybe an arm? Hmm… No, no. A leg might be better.”
“……Administrator Xiao Yun?”
Though Gi-jun had no idea what those words meant, his instincts kicked in. He tensed his body, ready to snap the man’s neck at a moment’s notice.
With about five steps left between them, Xiao Yun seemed to reach a decision.
“Yes. An arm would be best.”
At that moment—
The door swung open, and Lee Taeseong entered.
Xiao Yun’s gaze shifted to Taeseong. Taeseong looked over each of his team members before turning his head toward Xiao Yun.
The two locked eyes without saying a word.
“……”
“……”
Xiao Yun tilted his head slightly.
“How strange.”
0.2 seconds.
No, perhaps even less.
Xiao Yun’s figure vanished.
And when he reappeared—
In his grasp was Taeseong’s severed arm.
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