Chapter 133: Cutting Out The Rot
Everything moved too fast for Ash to act. He could only watch as Joanna drew back to strike, knowing it was finished, knowing there was nothing left he could do. His thoughts tore in every direction, and in that chaos, he forgot the one man who could change everything.
So when someone stepped between him and death and spoke, Ash felt certainty slam into him.
That's him. That's the real hero.
He had no idea how wrong he was.
Joanna recoiled in a blur, flaring wide and coiled tight around Ash's father as he leapt back. He landed in a low crouch, eyes cutting across the street, the newcomer, the ghosts—taking everything in before he spoke.
"Before you push this any further, you should know I'm that boy's father."
Seo-jin didn't hesitate.
"I know."
"You should also know I have the right to raise my child however I see fit."
"I do."
The man's brows drew together as Joanna hissed low. He straightened.
"Then why are—"
"Isn't it standard courtesy to introduce yourself before you start asking questions?"
The ease in Seo-jin's voice threw him off for a beat. Ash's father blinked, then masked his growing anger.
"My name is McLeach. Now why are—"
Seo-jin stepped forward, gaze drifting as if bored.
"McLeach. Funny name. Fits, actually. Leech. That's what I'll call you. So, Leech—do you know who I am?"
It only took a moment of thinking. The answer came together fast. Too fast. Color drained from the man's face.
"Wohan Seo-jin."
Seo-jin spread his arms and clapped once.
"Perfect. Saves us time. Yes. Wohan Seo-jin. Leader of the Dead Hands."
He tilted his head toward Ash.
"And you've got a very interesting son, Leech."
He paused.
"You already know that, don't you?"
The moment control slipped from his hands, McLeach tried to bend with it. His posture softened. His voice followed.
"Of course, sir. He's my son, after—"
Seo-jin cut him off by pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to Ash.
"Wipe the blood off your face."
The air shifted.
Wet sounds rolled out behind Seo-jin, stretching, tearing, waking screams. Low at first, like things being dragged from sleep. Then louder. Layered. A chorus of hate finding shape.
It all died the instant Seo-jin turned and locked eyes with McLeach.
"Then you understand why I invited Ash to join the Dead Hands. It took some effort, but the boy is mine now."
His gaze dipped to the cage.
"Same goes for my pet you locked in a fucking cage."
That single curse settled it.
McLeach opened his mouth to shout, black system light flaring in his hand—
Seo-jin didn't move.
Didn't blink.
The Broodfather didn't need to move first.
McLeach's world snapped sideways. His face slammed into concrete, cartilage crunching as his nose broke. The impact stole his breath.
He thrashed, panic surging, and forced his head just enough to see beside him.
That was when he knew. He was fucked.
"Joanna!"
Her skull was crushed to the pavement beside him, wing pinned under a wooden staff. Two glowing eyes and two rows of teeth stared down, smiling.
Snare grinned wide.
Heat bloomed across McLeach's back. Real heat. His face twisted as sweat poured down, the pressure building until it felt like a fire had been lit on his spine.
"You bastard! He's my son! You have no right!"
The words hit Ash wrong. Every time McLeach said son, the distance between them grew wider.
Almost as wide as Ash's eyes as he stared at the flaming demon standing on his father's back.
Both Pain and Snare dipped their heads in a shallow bow as Seo-jin approached. He ignored McLeach's struggles. He crouched, one finger flowing into a hooked claw, and pressed it to the man's forehead until skin split.
"Honestly, I couldn't decide. Take the son. Take the father. Take both?"
The claw began to move.
"Your class line is interesting. Ghost handlers—like beast tamers, but scarier. How the fuck was I supposed to pass that up?"
He dragged the claw deeper.
"But your boy? He's a wet towel. Build's garbage. Can only fight ghosts. I need someone who can kill ghosts and people."
The claw carved slow, deliberate lines. Seo-jin's voice stayed flat, patient, giving McLeach time to scream between words. The stench of burning flesh rolled out into the street.
"Then you touched my pet. For a second, I thought I'd gotten lucky."
He leaned closer.
"Watching you butcher my broodlings almost sold me. You fought clean. Efficient. I respect that."
A strained groan. A sharp crack. Blue light flared as the cage snapped open behind him.
Grimm burst free and shot straight to Seo-jin, tucking in behind his head. He dangled his intestines forward, swaying them inches from McLeach's face as he scowled.
"But you fucked up, Leech. You were going to kill Grimm. You knew he was mine."
His eyes slid to Ash.
"Even your kid knew better. That's why I don't want you anymore."
The claw finished its work.
"Not all of you, anyway. Grimm wants something from you."
Seo-jin stood. The words DEAD HANDS were carved deep into McLeach's forehead. He glanced back as Panic stepped away from the broken cage, sniffing Ash. Seo-jin smiled.
"Come here, Ash."
McLeach strained against Pain, muscles screaming like they were pushing a mountain. He ground his cheek against the concrete and forced his head up. When he saw Ash walking toward him, his face went purple.
"Ash! Son! Tell your boss to stop! Tell him to have mercy!"
Ash had been drifting in a fog, fear and hope crashing together without shape. Hearing his father beg snapped something loose. Not all at once. Just enough to start the break.
Pain flared brighter. McLeach's scream cut off as heat washed over him, Pain's fangs dripping sizzling drool onto Leech's skull.
Seo-jin rested a hand between Ash's shoulders. The boy shook hard under the touch, fear pouring off him sharp and sour. Seo-jin dropped to a knee until they were eye level and smiled, calm and steady.
"You've got a little time. Go find Triss."
The name hit like a trigger. Ash went white and bolted without a word. Gruff and Onion paused, glanced up at Seo-jin, then tore after him.
Seo-jin straightened and turned back.
"Now—back to you, Leech."
His smile thinned.
"Relax. I'm not gonna kill you. Neither are my boys."
Pain flared.
Leech screamed as growing flames licked his back.
Seo-jin winced and chuckled, waving a hand.
"Easy. Don't make me a liar and cook him."
Pain flushed, rubbing at his burning skull, and dialed the heat down.
"Sorry. They're still young."
Seo-jin shrugged.
"You know how it is. Kids don't listen. Always fuck something up. Feeding them alone is a full-time job."
He bent forward until his face hovered inches from McLeach's, eyes glowing like open furnaces.
"So—thanks. Finding food for Grimm hasn't been easy."
He sent a thought...Grimm drew his entrails tight, coiling them around his ribs and spine.
Joanna felt it instantly.
She thrashed, scales rippling, wings fighting to open. Snare nearly lost his grip before Panic slammed in, adding his weight. Joanna snapped and shrieked, instinct screaming at her. A predator had arrived.
Grimm struck.
His intestines lashed out like barbed whips, hooking into Joanna's ghostly flesh. He lunged forward and clamped his teeth into her skull.
"STOP! Joanna—stop! Get off her, you fucking monsters! I'll kill you! I'll kill you—Joa—!"
Pain shoved McLeach's head harder into the pavement. Concrete cracked. Joanna's screams layered over his.
McLeach broke.
"Stop him! PLEASE—make him stop!"
"You shouldn't have reached for what was mine. You should've listened to your son. Then his ghosts would've been eaten."
He leaned closer, breath brushing McLeach's ear.
"Don't tell him this part. Even before I knew you existed, I was planning to feed his ghosts to mine. Still might, if the kid can't get his shit together."
A pause.
"That's just between us."
The broodlings twitched and snickered, teeth clicking. Seo-jin watched with detached focus.
Ash returned then, Triss cradled tight against his chest. He froze at the sight, arms tightening around her without thinking.
Grimm's jaws snapped and ground. His entrails cinched tight as his hollow sockets burned brighter with every bite. Snare finally released and stepped away. Panic alone held Joanna now.
Slurps. Wet tearing. Crunching bites. Wings vanished first. Then ribs. Then the thrashing tail.
Seo-jin watched Grimm feed and felt his body ease. Tension drained out of him in a slow, satisfied release.
'Two left.'
[Good thing your theory was right. Catching that thing would've been a nightmare.]
'The broodlings are part of me, Seo-jin thought. If I can touch ghosts, they should be able to do the same.'
Grimm finished feeding and the air warped. His glow swelled hard and white, a furnace packed into a small shape. Heat rolled off him as the light climbed, then compressed, folding inward as the ghost drew everything back into himself. Seo-jin stood still and let it wash over him. The satisfaction hit deep.
He stepped in and caught Grimm as the glare bled out. When the light finally faded, he eased the ghost against his chest and pressed him in slow, careful, like setting broken bones. Big meal. Long digestion. The little bastard earned it.
He felt proud.
Noticing Ash was back, Seo-jin scrubbed the smile from his face and turned, posture shifting as he closed the distance.
"Ash. Is she— is she okay?"
He reached out and rested his hand on Triss's head, fingers sinking into her short fur.
The kid broke. Fresh tears spilled as he looked up.
"She's hurt bad, but—I—I think she'll be fine!"
'This fucking kid.'
[Easy.]
Ash didn't see the mask slip. Seo-jin slid his hand under the ghost and kept his voice steady.
"Give her to me."
The words punched the air out of Ash's lungs. He pulled Triss back an inch, eyes wide.
"It's fine. You've got something else to handle. I'll keep her safe."
"Something—?"
Seo-jin didn't wait. He took Triss from him, firm but careful, ignoring the way Ash stiffened.
"I'll protect her. You have my word. Snare."
Snare was there in a blink, head bowed, posture tight.
"Yes, boss?"
"Take her. Be careful. Treat her life like it's mine."
His eyes flared. He nodded once and took the ghost.
"What's happening?! Why won't you let me hold Triss?!"
The pressure in the kid spiked, fear and panic bleeding off him in waves. Seo-jin hit his limit.
Bone cracked. Wet, tearing sounds followed as Butcher's Wrath forced its way out of his forearms. Flesh split. Tendons stretched and locked as the blades formed. Ash froze mid-breath, eyes blown wide, body recoiling from what crawled out of his boss.
Steam rolled off the metal. Blood ran down Seo-jin's hands, slick and hot, his tendons twitching around the grips. He leveled one blade at the boy.
"This is your part. Pain. Let him up."
"What?!"
Ash staggered back like cornered prey. Pain stepped aside, and slowly, his father pushed himself upright, swaying, head hanging low.
He looked like something dragged out of a stove. Clothes burned through. Scalp blistered, hair gone in patches. Skin scorched and split. A nightmare Ash had carried in his head, now standing in front of him and breathing.
"You killed her…"
The words scraped out of Mcleach's throat.
"You killed her!"
His head snapped up, eyes locked on Ash.
His knees buckled—but Seo-jin stepped between them, bloodlight rolling off in thick waves, stopping the boy's collapse.
Seo-jin didn't look away. His blade stayed trained, pointed straight at Ash's chest.
"Kill him."
Hitting the ground hard, Ash landed on his ass.
"W-What?!"
Mcleach's laughter cracked behind Seo-jin. He ignored it. His focus stayed on the boy shaking in front of him.
"Cut the rot out. End the hold he has on you. Free yourself—or die failing."
Metal rang sharp on concrete.
A dagger lay at Ash's feet.
Panic's blade.