Part 1
The Sea of Japan, near Busan, was alive with light.
A luxury cruise ship glided across the dark water, its decks glowing like a floating city.
From afar, it looked peaceful.
Safe.
Then—
Something descended from the air.
At first glance, it looked like a man.
A supernatural figure, dressed entirely in black.
Wait—
That silhouette—
No-Gul.
But something was different.
His eyes burned purple, the iris split sharply down the middle—
an animal's eye.
No-Gul inhaled slowly.
The scent hit him instantly.
Blood.
Strong.
Pulling.
Unstoppable.
It drew him toward the upper decks.
As he walked, anyone who crossed his path—crew, guests, strangers—collapsed the moment they met his gaze.
Their bodies shut down instantly, falling into unconsciousness before fear could even form.
Then the air shifted.
A group of men stepped into view.
Guards.
Unlike the others, they didn't fall.
There was a red thread tied around their wrists—one that was preventing No-Gul's powers from fully affecting them.
Before they could raise their weapons, No-Gul tilted his head slightly—and looked at them.
Their bodies locked in place.
Frozen.
Unable to move.
Unable to breathe.
His gaze passed over them—
Toward a massive hall door.
It opened on its own.
Inside sat a familiar figure.
Ivan Dragunov.
No-Gul's old rival.
The moment Ivan saw him, the glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
Fear drained the color from his face.
"Nozh…" he whispered.
This wasn't who he had been waiting for.
"Kill him!" Ivan shouted, backing toward the stairs.
Gunfire erupted.
Bullets rushed toward No-Gul like rain—
And stopped.
With a simple opening of his palm, they hung in the air.
He closed his fingers.
The bullets reversed direction.
All of them.
In a single, fluid leap, No-Gul reached the upper level.
The moment he entered the dark room, his hand closed around Dragunov's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
Bones cracked beneath his grip.
Then—
The scent intensified.
Sharp.
Urgent.
A girl burst out of the room, running toward the stairs.
No-Gul released Dragunov and appeared behind her in a blink, catching her from behind.
She gasped.
The scent of blood hypnotized No-Gul's unconscious mind—he could smell it with frightening clarity.
She brushed her fingers against his black gloves, a name escaped her lips—
"No-Gul…"
She turned.
It was Nora.
His eyes flared brighter.
Her hair was messy. Her breath uneven.
Around Nora's neck, a soft pink lightfeather shimmered—alive, responding to him.
As if two ancient forces were pulling toward each other, drawn by something older than fate itself.
Behind No-Gul, nine black fox tails unfurled, moving like living shadows.
He was no longer just No-Gul.
He was the Black Nine-Tailed Fox—
The most powerful of his kind.
Nora's strength gave out.
She collapsed into his arms.
The scent of blood came from her hand—a small cut, still fresh.
Rage and instinct merged.
With a snap of his fingers, the air bent — sea blast waves high.
Holding Nora close, No-Gul lifted into the sky, crossing the ocean in silence—
Leaving behind fire, fear, and broken fate—
And moving toward a new home.
Part-2
No-Gul reached Seoul past midnight, Nora still cradled in his arms.
In front of him stood a tall residential building.
He lifted his eyes once.
Nine Gate Residence.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside and entered the elevator.
The doors were about to close when—
A hand suddenly blocked them.
— "Wait !"
Man [Park Min-gyu]
Hurried in, holding the doors open as he gently pulled his wife along.
"Okay, okay—sorry, honey. No repeats. We'll go next month, I swear." he said.
The woman—[Hwang Hae-in]—stepped inside, coldly jerk her hand.
"Just forget it. You always have to work overtime on weekends, and today—after six months—we finally got time, you fell asleep right in the middle of the movie like a horse."
"Don't talk to me."
But the moment she fully entered, her eyes fell on No-Gul's black gloves and his black dress.
She froze in mid.
She nudged her husband with her elbow, trying to signal him with her eyes.
Min-Gyu frowned.
"What's? Are you hungry?"
Hae-In signaled wih side eyes, whispered sharply,
"Look… over there."
Both of them exchanged a silent side-stare, then subtly leaned back, trying to peek behind him.
No-Gul stood slightly turned away. Loose strands of his hair fell forward, partially hiding his eyes.
In his arms—
Nora.
Unconscious.
Covered with his blazer.
But her bandaged wrist was visible.
Hae-In swallowed.
Min-gyu's jaw tightened.
Their imagination filled in everything.
"He looks like some kind of intruder… who knows what he's done to that girl."
Hae-in quickly typed on her phone.
Group Message – Nine Gate Residence: --["An intruder just got into the elevator. The man seems violent… unstable. He's carrying an unconscious woman." ]
One by one—
Lights flicked on across the building.
The elevator stopped at the 10th floor.
A woman in her 40s stepped inside—perfect makeup, fancy hair.
Seo Mi-Yeon.
Her eyes landed instantly on No-Gul… then Nora.
She glanced at Min-Gyu and Hae-In.
A silent understanding passed between them.
She lifted her hand dramatically.
"Don't worry. I came prepared."
"If he does something stupid, I will grilled—no return policy."
In her hand—
A hair straightener.
Hae-In blinked.
"Miss Mi- Yeon ,But… that only gets hot with electricity."
Seo Mi-yeon nodded proudly.
"I heated it at home."
Park Min-gyu cracked his knuckles, trying hard to look tough.
"I-if y-you s-say the word, I'll k-knock him out. O-one hit. Th-then… p-police. Y-yeah."
Hae-in rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."
" When you're scared, not even a sound comes out of your throat."
"I"'ll handle him myself—chop, fry, and send him off like express delivery."
The elevator stopped.
17th floor.
The elevator doors slid open.
Hearing their whispered threats, No-Gul already felt like a strange creature trapped among humans.
Still, he forced a smile—polite, calm—and stepped out quietly with Nora in his arms.
And the moment he stepped outside—
An elderly woman in her 60s stood waiting with a wooden stick. — [Oh Hwa-sook]
Beside her, a man in his 50s—[Seo Dong-Hyuk], gripping a mop like a weapon.
No-Gul paused when he suddenly saw them standing there with weapons in hand. He took a small step back, genuinely confused, his expression flickering for just a second.
He had no idea what was happening.
Still smiling painfully, he avoided eye contact and walked toward his apartment.
They followed.
All of them.
Like an investigation squad.
He stopped at his door.
Silence.
He didn't have a key .
No password.
He turned back to look at them again.
All five of them stood there, weapons in hand—stiff smiles plastered on their faces.
They exchanged looks, then leaned closer, whispering among themselves while pretending everything was totally normal.
Seo Mi-Yeon whispered first, forcing a polite grin.
"…So this must be the new family that moved in."
Hae-In shook her head immediately, eyes narrowed.
"No way. Just look at him. He's definitely trying to sneak in here illegally."
Seo Dong Hyuk squinted at No-Gul, gripping her mop tighter.
"Now that you mention it… he does look like a thief. Standing in front of the door and still hasn't opened it."
They all nodded subtly, smiling even wider—
while No-Gul stood there holding Nora, completely lost, wondering what kind of building he had walked into.
Suspicious breathing.
Weapons ready.
...
Slowly, discreetly, No-Gul tilted his head. He used his powers.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
A faint magical shimmer.
The door unlocked itself.
Apartment 1173.
He stepped inside with Nora.
The door shut.
The hallway froze.
Seo Dong-Hyuk frowned.
"Where did he go?"
Seo Mi-Yeon scoffed.
"You came fully prepared with a mop and still let him disappear?"
Park Min-Gyu crossed his arms.
"He really looked like he was from some gang. We should inform the police."
Miss Oh [Oh Hwa-sook] shook her stick.
"Enough. Without proof, we can't accuse anyone."
Hwang Hae-In narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm… then we'll get proof."
She smiled thinly.
"After all—Nine Gate members are not amateurs."
Miss Oh: " Just stop it and go to sleep already. You fools already ruined this old woman's sleep."
Inside Apartment 1173—
No-Gul finally dropped the smile.
And sighed.
"All of them are insane."
To Be Continued…