Side Story 62. Yi-gang, Cheongho, Ahim (1)

Something had seized Cheongho’s body.
He couldn’t tell because it was invisible, but it felt as if a giant hand had grabbed Cheongho and was dragging him away.
Naturally, Cheongho resisted fiercely.

But he couldn’t shake off the invisible hand.
Something was clearly pressing down on his body, yet even when he swung his hands, they touched nothing.
It was the same even when he twisted his body and tried to escape.
It was a pressure that would have broken an ordinary person’s ribs.
In the end, Cheongho was dragged away helplessly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Along every path he passed, walls descended from the ceiling and blocked the way.
It was as if this cave itself were a living creature.
It would be difficult for the companions who had been with him to come save Cheongho.

“Aaaaak!”

Cheongho screamed out of frustration.
The cave was longer than he had expected.
How long had he been dragged?
The narrow passage gradually widened, and at last, a vast cavern appeared.
There, Ahim was waiting.

“You have come.”

The physical force that had been pressing down on Cheongho also vanished.
He saw Seok Sung lying dead at Ahim’s feet.
And beside him, So-ryu had collapsed.

“…What did you do?”
“That woman? She is still alive.”

Looking closely, So-ryu was breathing.
Cheongho bared his teeth at Ahim.

“Hehe, I felt something was off from the moment I first saw you. You were not human.”
“……”

Cheongho forced himself to glare at Ahim.
His anger toward Ahim kept trying to fade away.

“There is fear in your eyes.”
“Shut up!”

Cheongho barely kept his body from trembling.
The Ahim now was completely different from when they had met before.

Ahim’s body was floating slightly in the air.
His long hair fluttered on its own like someone submerged in water, and his eyes shone like the sun.
Not only that, he gave off an overwhelming pressure.
It was as if he were looking at Yinglong when she revealed her power.
Perhaps he might be even stronger than her.

“Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox. That was your true identity. I heard Gumi’s new child was superior to Gumi…”

Ahim had completely seen through Cheongho’s identity.

“Why are you in human form? It is not a mere transformation spell.”
“……”

Cheongho remained silent.
Something came into view.
It was the giant head of Guihon behind Ahim.

In the end, Cheongho could not suppress his fear and began to tremble.
A yokai that powerful.
That was surely a great yokai among great yokai.

“You recognize it. Is it not magnificent? I fell in love at first sight.”

Ahim stroked the severed head of Guihon as if it were beloved.

“Madman.”
“Now, now. Watch your tongue.”

Ahim flicked his finger downward.
At that, tremendous pressure crushed down on Cheongho.

Uduuduk-

The ground Cheongho stood on cracked with an ominous sound.
In the end, Cheongho dropped to one knee.
His face turned bright red, and he gritted his teeth hard enough to break his molars.
He resisted with all his might.
He straightened the knee he had bent and rose again.
Veins stood out on his neck.

Seeing that, Ahim laughed.
The pressure crushing Cheongho also vanished at that moment.

“Is having such fine spirit an innate quality as a great yokai? I envy you. I truly envy you.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I had no need for the other chaff anyway. Only you were worth speaking with.”

Ahim raised a finger and pointed beneath the ground.

“The Demon King below, in that Yokai Realm, gave me a mandate.”
“Yokai Realm?”
“Yes, the Yokai Realm where true yokai exist. Those who swagger around on the surface calling themselves great yokai are actually nothing compared to the true great yokai of the Yokai Realm. Even that Guihon could not be called strong in the Yokai Realm.”

Ahim gave a more detailed explanation than the one he had given Seok Sung.
About the place called the Yokai Realm.
And about the great yokai there, and about the Demon King, the father of those great yokai.

“That one gave me an opportunity. To be reborn as a new Guihon and subjugate the surface. And to offer humans as sacrifices.”

That was Ahim’s plan.
And the reason he had called Cheongho in was.

“Even if the great yokai of the surface are nothing special, there are some genuine ones mixed among them. The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes for example.”
“Why us?”
“Gumi was originally a child cherished by the Demon King. She was not that powerful, but she possessed a beautiful bloodline.”
“……”

This was the first time Cheongho had heard anything about his roots.

“Because she was such a special yokai, and because the power she possessed was small enough not to be caught by the restrictions of causality, she crossed over to the surface where humans dwell.”
“So what?”
“Listen. And you inherited the bloodline of the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox more strongly than Gumi did. At a young age, you even created three tails on your own.”
“……”

Ahim had already seen through even Cheongho’s true form.
Rather than his own ability, it was likely power he had received from someone in the Yokai Realm.

“That one ordered me to recruit you.”

Ahim extended his hand and spoke.

“I will soon be reborn as a new Guihon, a great yokai. Join me. If you do, you will be able to be reborn as a great yokai one level higher than your mother, Gumi.”
“…!”

He said a great yokai of higher standing than Gumi.
Ahim was a human trying to become a yokai.

“No!”

And Cheongho flatly refused.
Ahim wore an expression of genuine incomprehension.

“Why? This is a golden opportunity that no yokai would refuse.”
“I am going to become human.”
“You are going to become human…”

The meeting of a yokai who wanted to become human and a human who wanted to become a yokai.
How did Cheongho appear to Ahim, who had been born as royalty, yet wanted to abandon humanity and become a yokai?

“Yes, so you intended to be reborn as a human. I finally understand.”

Ahim did not become angry or criticize Cheongho.

“I understand. Then it cannot be helped.”

Ahim smiled faintly.
However, Cheongho watched Ahim’s expression and didn’t lower his guard.

“Did you think I would kill you just because you rejected my offer? We are not humans, and fellow yokai should not be so harsh with one another. Besides, if you are reborn as a new yokai, you will become my equal… and honestly, that is burdensome too.”

Cheongho wanted to tell him not to call them fellow yokai, but he held back.

“Then, can I just go?”
“Of course.”

Ahim waved his hand.
The closed passage opened on its own. It seemed he truly intended to let him go.

Cheongho approached So-ryu while glancing at Ahim.
Even if he could not defeat Ahim, taking So-ryu away like this came first.
It was the moment Cheongho was about to reach out to So-ryu.

“That is not allowed.”

Cheongho flinched to a stop and looked back at Ahim.

“That woman is my food. Leave her and go.”
“……”
“You don’t want to?”

Cheongho glared at Ahim without saying anything.
Yes, of course it would turn out like this.
There was no way he could trust that man.

“If you don’t want to, then die in her place.”

First Strike Wins.
Before Ahim could make a move, Cheongho flew like lightning.
He unfolded a movement art that had advanced a step beyond when he fought Ahim before.
Thanks to Cloud Treading unleashed to the extreme, Cheongho was as fast as a flash of light.

Jjeong!

But Cheongho’s sword strike was deflected by a single gesture from Ahim.

“A sword? Using something like a blade?”

Ahim reached out while smiling.
Cheongho swung his sword down with enough force to split that palm. Bright blue Sword Qi flashed, carrying Thunder Qi.
With a snap, the sword was caught.
The Sword Qi couldn’t even scratch Ahim’s palm.

“When you can use claws and teeth. How can a yokai imitate humans and use a blade? Foolish.”

Then Ahim put strength into his grip.

Kwajak!

The sword shattered to pieces.
Its fragments scattered in every direction like hidden weapons.
They couldn’t harm Ahim in the slightest, but the same was not true for Cheongho.

Pababak!

Pieces of the blade embedded themselves in Cheongho, and his body became covered in blood.

“Is that woman important to you?”

Ahim asked that.
Even amid that, Cheongho extended his left arm and blocked the blade fragments from reaching So-ryu.
Because of that, his arm was also covered in blood.

“She is someone important to my Junior Sister.”
“That doesn’t seem like a reason to throw away your life.”

Peoeok!

Cheongho was kicked in the stomach and sent flying.
He couldn’t even sense how he had been kicked.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
The pain burned, but Cheongho could not afford to stay down.

“I will stomp that woman’s head and kill her. If you wish to stop me, then try.”
“S-stop!”

Cheongho stood up and ran.
He threw the broken sword hilt like a hidden weapon, but it only cut Ahim’s hem and bounced away.
If he had no sword, he could fight with his bare hands and feet.
Cheongho leaped up and tried to kick the back of Ahim’s head.

Tak.

His ankle was caught.
Ahim swung Cheongho and threw him as if swatting away a fly.

Kwaang!

He smashed into the wall with enough force to break it.
Blood burst from Cheongho’s mouth.
Even during that, Ahim drew closer to So-ryu.
Cheongho staggered and ran again.
This time, no strength would gather in his body.
He stood before So-ryu to block Ahim and pushed against Ahim with his shoulder.
But Ahim didn’t budge.
Like a child trying to stop a bull, Cheongho was forced backward by Ahim.
His feet carved deep furrows into the ground.

“You intend to hide your teeth and claws to the very end. Very well, then…”

Cheongho was sent flying once again.
He rolled and fell right beside So-ryu’s head.
Ahim stood before So-ryu.

“Cheongho. You are the one who killed this woman.”

Then Ahim slowly raised his foot.
If he only brought his foot down, So-ryu’s head would burst like a watermelon.

Ah, Cheongho’s mouth opened slightly.
No.
Cheongho wanted to become human. He was truly sincere about that.
But So-ryu couldn’t die.
If that happened, Baek Sang-ye would cry.
She would resent Cheongho. She would resent herself. She would resent the world.
He didn’t want to leave things that way.
If he were human, he could not possibly let Ahim stomp So-ryu to death.

At that moment.
A memory flashed through his mind like lightning.
One day, Yinglong had prophesied to Cheongho.
Since he had decided to become human, he must never return to being a yokai.
“But when you realize the human heart, a moment will come when you must choose whether to return to being a yokai or become human.”
The moment of choice Yinglong had spoken of had arrived.
If Cheongho remained still like this, he could become a true human, but…

Cheongho finished making his choice.

Kagak!

A long wound appeared on Ahim’s face.
He grinned.

“Finally, your true form…”

Then a giant fox bit into Ahim’s torso.
Cheongho was no longer a small, young fox.
He was a giant fox larger than a great tiger, large enough to swallow a person whole.

His long, abundant blue fur rippled like waves.
From his four swaying white tails, lightning flashed as if a storm of thunderbolts were raging.
Cheongho ran while holding Ahim in his jaws.
Teeth sharper than swords began to pierce and dig into Ahim’s skin.

Through the wall.

Kwaang!

He swung his jaws and tore into Ahim’s body.
He released an electric shock from his mouth.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

As lightning burst from inside his mouth, Ahim’s entire body gave off white steam.
Ahim’s skin burst, and his hair burned away, leaving him looking like a corpse.

“Yes, this is much better.”

He was still smiling.