2.16: ENDING (III) {NEUTRAL ENDING}

Yujun was angry. He had had enough of this. This woman was simply crazy. She had tortured Yujun so much that he felt furious. "How does this feel?" Ari asked as she placed a hot iron on Yujun's skin. It hurt, and Yujun wouldn't lie, but he wondered why he should give Ari the satisfaction. Yujun looked at her and didn't say anything. He just smiled, and soon after, a series of laughter followed. "I swear I'll make you feel dead," Yujun said and fell silent.

"How will you, huh? How will you? Do you think my brother is going to free you? Wake up to reality, whore. We are in the middle of nowhere. Even if my brother does get here, my beloved will take care of him," Ari said and spat on Yujun's face. Yujun thought, "It has been two days. What is taking him so long?" He looked at Ari with crazed eyes and a wide smile on his face. "I can't believe I trusted my brother, only for him to stab me in the back," Ari said, speaking to no one in particular. "Like brother, like a sister," Yujun whispered loudly enough for Ari to hear. *Pa!* Ari's hand left a mark on Yujun's face. "You slut, you better watch your mouth, or who knows, I might kill you."

Yuan had never searched for anything as desperately as he searched for Yujun. He had woken up the day before, filled with excitement to find his teacher. However, he had overlooked a simple problem: he didn't know where to look for Yujun. Now, two days had passed, and there was still no sign of him. "Host, I apologize for my incompetence. It seems Ari still has her protagonist halo after all," Lulu said, feeling sad that he couldn't do anything in this situation.

{Ah, I am so dead} Wanda said, suddenly appearing. {My host said I should bring you to him.} Wanda paused, looking at them. {I was supposed to deliver this two days ago, but I was partying, and I sort of forgot, I guess,} Wanda said sheepishly. "Do you know where he is?" Yuan asked, staring at the purple-haired woman. Wanda stammered, feeling shivers down her spine. {Y-Yes,} she managed to say. "Let's go then," Yuan said.

Yuan wasted no time as he followed Wanda, eager to be reunited with Yujun. They hurried through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Yuan's heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

"Where do you think you're going?" Baekhun demanded, his voice laced with authority. He recognized Yuan as Ari's younger brother and had been instructed to prevent anyone from accessing the room where Yujun was held captive.

Yuan's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. He knew he had to find a way past Baekhun to reach Yujun. "I'm here to see Teacher, let me through" he replied firmly, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

Yuan took a step forward, his determination burning brightly. "I won't let anyone stand in my way, not even you," he declared, his voice filled with conviction. He knew he had to confront Baekhun head-on if he wanted to rescue Yujun.

In a swift motion, Yuan launched himself toward Baekhun, aiming to catch him off guard. Baekhun, however, was no ordinary opponent. He possessed exceptional combat skills and swiftly countered Yuan's attack, blocking his strikes with expert precision.

Their movements became a flurry of punches and dodge, each trying to gain the upper hand. Yuan fought with determination, fueled by his love for Yujun and the urgency to free him from Ari's clutches. Baekhun fought with a mix of loyalty and conflict, torn between his allegiance to Ari and his doubts about her actions.

Their clash echoed through the corridor as the sound of fists colliding filled the air. Yuan's agility and speed proved to be a formidable match for Baekhun's strength and technique. They exchanged blow after blow, neither giving an inch.

With a sudden burst of agility, Yuan sidestepped Baekhun's incoming strike and delivered a swift, well-placed kick to his opponent's side. Baekhun staggered back, momentarily stunned by the unexpected move.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuan pressed forward, launching a series of calculated strikes at Baekhun's defenses. His punches landed with precision, weakening Baekhun's resistance. Yuan analyzed Baekhun's movements, looking for an opening that he could exploit.

With a swift sidestep, Yuan dodged one of Baekhun's powerful strikes and swiftly delivered a lightning-quick series of blows, targeting Baekhun's vulnerable spots. But to his surprise, Baekhun's expression twisted into a malicious grin.

In a sudden and unexpected move, Baekhun swiftly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a concealed gun, aiming it directly at Yuan. Time seemed to slow down as Yuan's instincts kicked in.

With lightning-fast reflexes, he leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming gunshot. The sound of the bullet echoed through the corridor, followed by the shattering of glass as it hit a nearby window.

Using his momentum, Yuan closed the distance between them in a blur of motion. He swiftly delivered a precise strike, targeting Baekhun's wrist and causing him to drop the gun. In the same fluid motion, Yuan followed up with a powerful blow, striking the back of Baekhun's head with the butt of the gun. The impact sent Baekhun sprawling to the ground, unconscious.

{Wow, that was cool,} Wanda said while Yujun panted. He had fought a lot on his way up, but this was a serious battle, "Well, I guess it's easy from here on out." Luno said.

Yujun sat still in the darkness. Ari had gone outside for a while. He looked at the knife in front of him. "Ahh, freedom at last," Yujun said, cutting the last piece of rope. "And now for my revenge," Yujun said as he got up from the chair and placed the pill he got from Wanda as compensation into his mouth. The pill wasn't meant to heal the wounds and injuries but to numb the pain. The door of the room where Yujun was held opened slowly, emitting a creepy sound. Yujun held the knife ready to stab whoever was at the door.

"Teacher, are you here?" a familiar voice came from outside, which made Yujun put the knife down. "Teacher, I missed you," Yuan said as Yujun came into his view. He rushed to hug his teacher. "Do you have a cigarette and a lighter too?" Yujun asked. "Yes?" Yuan said as he brought them out. "Good, now we wait for Ari to come in," Yujun said. "Okay?" Yuan said, wanting to ask what the plan was but didn't.

"Teacher, are you alright? Do you need me to carry you?" Yuan asked after a few minutes of silence. "You're just asking that question now?" Yujun said as he rolled his eyes.

Ari walked outside to see an unconscious Baekhyun. 'I gave him just one job and he fails, so brother is here, time to make him pay for his betrayal,' Ari thought as she made her way to where she kept Yujun. When she got there, she saw a figure on the chair, which she assumed was Yujun. "So, brother hasn't reached here," Ari said. "He did, he is seated on the chair," a voice whispered in her ear. "Boo," Yujun said and hit Ari with the cold iron, making her go unconscious.

"Welcome back, Ari," Yujun said, smiling at the seated person in front of him. "Karma is such a bitch, isn't it?" Yujun said and laughed. "Brother, are you going to let this psychopath hurt me?" Ari asked. "You brought this upon yourself," Yuan answered coldly, making Yujun laugh some more. He took the petrol gallon he found and poured it on Ari's body. "Teacher, are you going to burn her?" Yuan asked. "Yes," Yujun said as he placed a cigarette on his lip and lit it. "*Cough cough* I don't know how to smoke," he said, taking it out. "Haru, please don't do this. I beg of you, please don't," Ari begged. "Too late," Yujun said, smiling as he threw the cigarette and Ari's body caught on fire. "Argh, I feel so tired," Yujun said as he stretched his body.

Yuan watched everything and decided not to interfere. He looked at his teacher, who seemed tired. "Let's get out of here," Yujun said, holding Yuan's hand as they both ran towards the exit. "You did well," Yujun said as he fainted.

*Ding* Mission successful.

*Ding* Ejecting soul from the body.

*Ding* Ejection successful.

"He's gone, host," Luno said. "Okay," Yuan said as he carried the unconscious body to the nearest hospital. "Let's go too," Yuan said as his body vanished into thin air.

A few days later, the soul of the body came back into it, and memories flooded his head. He thought he would feel sad if any harm came to Baekhyun, but he felt nothing. He sat down on the bed. "Thank you," he muttered to no one exactly as he closed his eyes to rest.