"What has been done? What did you do?" Soo Min-ji gawked at the Shamblers.
"Let me say.. they are under my spell," he took a few steps forward.
"Vekral ral zhun morth'ek." (lead us to thine master)
He said in some language not familiar to Soo Min-ji.
"Ral uh vekh." (We shall do so.)
They chorused in unison.
Soo Min-ji darted her eyes between the shamblers and Heuk Jin, "What is happening here?'
"Just watch, stop asking questions princess," he ruffled her hair.
"I deserve to know what's going on at least," she raised her hands in the air.
He suddenly placed a hand over her lips, "Hold on.."
He went forward, unbinding them quickly before stepping backwards again.
The shamblers suddenly broke into formation, creating a star sign. As usual, the one at the pinnacle of the formation kept carving glowing, bluish symbols in the air.
"In three.. two.. one.."
BOOM!
The burst of blinding light exploded above them. The skies ripped apart, the heart of light showed the space twisting inward.
"The portal has been opened again," she mummured.
The shamblers began to recede back into the ground, but Heuk Jin quickly brought out his katana, and swept off their heads with one clean arc.
"Oh well," he shook off the black blood from his katana before sliding it back into its sheath.
He went back to stand beside Min-ji. Golden rays of light began to emanate from the ground, round about them. The rays of light turned into a full burst of golden beam of light leading directly to the portal.
"Here we go again," she exhaled deeply, clinging to her crescent blade.
"We should be finishing this off quickly," he shoved his hands into his pockets, unbothered.
***
"Ow, that hurt," Min-ji winced as her butt hit the hard, glossy floor.
"Oops," Heuk Jin stood beside her, "Someone could not handle being in a portal.'
She shot him a glare, and he chuckled.
"I see you came back," a thunderous voice jolted them out of their reverie.
"Damn it," he cursed, clutching his katana.
Soo Min-ji sighed deeply, before getting to her feet.
"Yes, we did," Min-ji flipped her hair back.
Ripperborn's gaze finally landed on Heuk Jin, and there was a long, torturous pause.
"Aren't you one of us?" He snarled.
"I am," he affirmed.
Min-ji could swear, at that moment that her heart went to earth, and back. The muscles in her face suddenly went tense as she clenched her jaw.
"Wh--"
"With you, yes. For you, no," he finally clarified.
Soo Min-ji's face softened as he said those words, her heart fluttering with happiness.
Ripperborn's face hardened, "Don't be foolish. You wouldn't betray your kind because of a weak human as her."
Heuk Jin scoffed, "Hate to burst your bubble, but she is stronger than you think," he wrapped a hand around her shoulder.
"I believe she beat your soldiers the one time she was here."
He slammed his fists into one of the armrests of his crystal throne.
"How dare you try to shame us in front of her?!" He thundered.
"I am not doing so," he gently rubbed his forehead.
"I only came here to tell you to leave her alone. She was not the one who killed your colleagues that day. I am."
There was another long silence.
"I see," Ripperborn leaned back into his crystal throne, "Trying to take the blame for her hm? How lovely of a dead man."
Min-ji balled her hands into a fists, "You are being far too sarcastic for your own good, Ripperborn."
A dark, bitter cackle erupted from Ripperborn's chest, his dark laughter vibrating throughout the hall, shaking it.
"Not until you find out I actually mean it," he waved at the surrounding air.
"Bitch," she cursed under her breath.
"I am warning you Ripperborn, leave her alone."
Ripperborn looked the least unbothered, "Funny how you have got some nerve considering you're of a lower rank."
He sucked his lower lip in, "Wait.. until I actually bring you down," he mummured.
"Let's make a deal instead."
Min-ji clutched Heuk Jin's hand, "Don't listen to him. I am sure he's of no good."
"She shouldn't be your worry when you have us. Come, let's finish off the pathetic world she's trying to build, and dominate it!" He growled, his glinting red eyes darkened, swirling with blackened flecks.
"Unfortunately I was reborn so I could preserve it," he drew out his katana, "There is no way I would destroy what I am supposed to rebuild."
"Such foolishness," he threw his head back, laughing mockingly.
"For the last time, leave her alone! She is not the one you are supposed to be attacking! If you truly are strong, why not attack your kind?"
Ripperborn stopped laughing immediately, and his gaze went icy cold as Heuk Jin said those words.
"Very well then," he mumbled.
"Kaisel!"
A fleshbinder marched out of the shadows holding what resembled a burning sword in his left hand.
"Show them our captives," he rested back on his throne.
"Captives?" Min-ji arched her brow.
Kaisel scuttled to the middle of the hall, then clapped his palms twice.
A large coffin was hurled from a space in the wall, and brought to the center by some shamblers.
"Do you think he has mutated zombies?" Min-ji whispered.
"I doubt so,"
"This doesn't feel right," she gritted her teeth trying to ignore the churning feeling in her stomach.
The coffin was finally open, and the 'captives' were yanked outside.
Min-ji gasped loudly, "Wait.. how?!"
"Oh no," he palmed his face.
The captives were Eun-ji, and her brother. Their skins looked pale, and dry, somehow sickly too as though they had been trapped in there for so long.
"How did he get them?" Min-ji shrieked.
Heuk Jin held her hand, trying to make her calm down.
"Try not to scream so much, okay? I am thinking," he whispered in her ears.
"Whatever you are planning at the moment is useless," Ripperborn's voice interrupted them again.
"What do you want with them?!" He groaned.
"If you don't reconsider your decision, I'll make sure every single zombie in this place bites them till they either mutate quickly, or die."
Soo Min-ji's heart dropped, her face contorting at his words.
"I knew you both would eventually come here, so I had to be one step ahead," he crossed his legs, "Who has the upper hand now?"
Heuk Jin's heart hammered in his ribcage.
'Damn it! How do I get out of this?!'
"So.. do you reconsider your decision or not?"