Captain Crunch

*This is impossible!*

As he tried to close the gap, the tsunami of smoldering air thickened. Hyeon held his hands up to minimize the contact to his face. The incinerating vapor started to burn the fleshy parts of his palms. If he went any closer, he'd be roasted.

"Master!" Hyeon yelled. It was difficult since his throat was sore from the smoke. Fenrir didn't react.

Tiptoeing closer, Hyeon could feel charring skin and curling arm hair. His body reacted fast to heal the burns, but it wasn't quick enough to subdue the agony. The clothes he wore were sticky like melting plastic.

The distance between them was a mere twenty feet, but it felt like miles. Falling to his hands and knees from the shaking floor, he could only choke out the name, "Master."

Hyeon was panicking. It reminded him of when he was burning in the pit of Hell after briefly dying from the centipede's venom.

His inner animal whispered in his head, *Why don't you depend on me?*

Fear of what happened before throbbed in his stomach. He didn't want to go crazy again or return to that fiery place.

*You won't,* it said. *At least not today.*

After a few moments of hesitation, he made a choice.

*Then help me.*

Complying, heat circulated through his veins. Since his core temperature skyrocketed, the scorching intensity from Fenrir didn't affect him as much. It was like a steamy sauna room rather than a forest fire.

Since his surroundings were dark, the smoke particles zooming in front of his face glimmered lightly from his glowing irises. The soot releasing from his upper back contributed to the polluted air. His ability still couldn't fully release itself for some unknown reason, but it was better than being defenseless.

Having more confidence that he wouldn't be cooked alive, Hyeon stood up and continued walking towards the uncontrollable Lord of Festr Castle.

Fenrir finally acknowledged the stronger presence. A human Hyeon wasn't enough to be noticed, but now he was a potential threat.

And Fenrir didn't like that.

The embedded, yellow ribbon in Fenrir's skin gleamed brighter. An eruption of smoke burst out of his body.

The force from the small explosion made Hyeon go flying. His body rolled until it settled on his backside. Sliding over ceiling fragments left long, nasty scratches.

After coughing, he stumbled back up with ringing ears and protesting joints, Hyeon saw just how powerful the blast was. It detonated the corner that Fenrir stood at before. Bricks piled everywhere. The dust and smoke escaped into the stormy sky. With the surging wind and loss of a supporting wall, it was only a matter of time before the remaining ones crumbled.

There were no other people there. The others must've reached safety.

But where was Fenrir?

Going to the newly-made hole, Hyeon squinted to see through the hammering downpour. There was no sign of him.

He looked into the destroyed arena behind him and then at the storm.

*Should I go out there without knowing when my ability will disappear? Is this worth it to risk my life?*

Hyeon mulled over his predicament. Accepting this job, which he thought was an ordinary gig, was meant to be a fresh start. Being here has caused him nothing but trouble. How was he supposed to use this experience for future employment anyway when his contract expires?

The image of his odd friends slipped into his self-critical thoughts. Sparring with Shika. Going on silent walks with Haruma. Informative conversations with Sani, if you could count him as a companion. It's been a long time since he let people into his bubble. After the car accident, people wanted to get close with ulterior motives.

And there were those amber eyes. They were full of hidden suffering that Hyeon recognized all too well. He reminisced their first time meeting, intimate moments, and their most recent conversation about miscommunication. Hyeon didn't know what he and Fenrir had exactly, but...

*I like him.*

When he admitted his feelings, he exhaled and took a step outside. The soil couldn't absorb any more rain. Water pooled around his feet. Quickly getting soaked, the black grime coating his body slid off into the puddles.

He figured Fenrir might've run into the tree line. It made the most sense to go hide, but something was nagging him. His instincts felt off. The feeling could be described as a deer realizing it was being watched by a dangerous thing.

*The wolf is behind you.*

Hyeon only had a split second to react to the voice's warning. In milliseconds, he tried to dodge to the right, but knifed teeth sunk into his left shoulder. The weight of the attacker shoved him to the slick ground. The target was obviously supposed to be his neck.

Hyeon cried like a wounded beast. Any struggling movement made the teeth grind further into his sliced muscles. When he reached around to pry off the predator's locked jaws, he stopped. The beat of his heart pumped out the storm's thunder from his eardrums.

A giant black wolf was clamped onto his flesh. Its hot, dog breath smelled like a recent kill. Golden eyes stared back with feral ferocity. There was no humanity in them. Before, Fenrir disclosed how his inner demon can take control of him during unprepared moments. Was the person who helped him in the Jeep trapped inside?

"M-Master Fenrir?"

When he spoke, Fenrir released his grip. Hyeon thought the god had finally come to his senses.

...Until the wolf snarled and made a new bite by chomping into a different area of Hyeon's shoulder. This time, it crunched through bone. Veins popped. It wouldn't surprise him if his heart was punctured, too. The beats became erratic.

As he wheezed out a scream, his fist weakly pounded against the furry chest. The sparks that have shot out of his palms in the past didn't appear when he needed it.

"White flag. I surrender," he whimpered.

Hyeon's blood soaked the wolf's muzzle. The red liquid drizzled and mixed into the slushy grass. There wasn't anything he could do to make the monstrous wolf let go.

His body was becoming numb from either bleeding out or internal damage.

Fenrir went into position to rip out the meaty shoulder. Hyeon groaned when the shredding started.

*So this is how I go, huh? Being eaten alive by my boss.*

The animal that made itself at home in Hyeon's mind didn't agree. Again, you won't perish on this day.

*How do you know?*

*Because, boy, it's my turn now.*