The Kingdom of June

      Jinu stands before Gwi-ma and cannot move: his voice mesmerizes him, haunts him, drives him mad, reminding him of the biggest mistake of his life: how he betrayed his mother and sister, content with his life in the palace while they starved and had no home of their own. No matter how much he wants to, the demon cannot forget this memory like a terrible dream until he destroys the hunters. But one of them has touched the powerful demon’s soul so deeply that for a moment he truly felt something other than shame and self-hatred — hope. Hope to forget everything, to change, to start a new life with the one who instilled this feeling in him.       And now, standing in the middle of Gwi-ma’s purple fire and looking at the huge crowd of his predecessors, he feels a growing panic. It would seem that everything should end soon, when he lures the hunters and throws them off balance, but Rumi keeps appearing before his eyes with her confident expression, saying that they can win and live like never before. It is with her that he feels that he is not to blame, that everything has changed now, and that he can become better than he was hundreds of years ago. However, no one can give him a choice except the lord himself, who wanted to enslave and devour all the souls of humanity, making him an omnipotent being on Earth, and possibly in the whole world. - Do you really think she knows what she’s doing? That she dares to defeat us? — The demon bursts into wild laughter, joined by a huge crowd of his predecessors, including the mindless members of the Saja Boys, causing Jinu to tremble with inner anxiety for his own life and Rumi’s fate. It’s funny that at a moment like this, he thinks of her. — Take them and defeat them! — bursts into everyone’s heads, — So that none of them remain alive, and we can continue to rule the world!       For a while, Jinu was in turmoil. The voice kept calling him to obey, to forget his true self and catch the hunters, but the feeling that had begun to grow somewhere deep in his chest stronger and stronger, opposing the alien commanding voice. Lost in his thoughts, he felt something soft press sharply between his palms, covered with endless patterns, begging for affection — it was none other than his tiger and the raven with a hat on its head. The animal looked at him with huge eyes, as if it understood him and wanted to help. And then he realized that he had to act.       Grabbing the monster standing next to him, he threw it forcefully into the blazing fire, causing it to writhe in agony and suffering. Unexpectedly, Gwi-ma was stunned for a moment, and when he was about to hit Jinu with his flames, he, along with the tiger and the raven on his head, managed to descend through the portal, heading straight for Rumi’s balcony. However, once he arrived, he realized that barging into the hunters' “headquarters” like this would not lead to success, especially from the girl’s room. Therefore, all he could do was wait.       Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long, as he was sure that his master would not ignore the betrayal. He was already doing so, sending threats to the demon’s head to deal not only with him, but also with Rumi, who burst into her room in a cheerful mood, talking to one of the hunters. When she saw Jinu, she wanted to cry out in surprise, but the guy didn’t let her do it, immediately covering her mouth with his hand. Her bright, stunned eyes looked intently, checking to see if anything had happened to him, and at first glance everything would have been fine if she hadn’t seen in his eyes how the spark of hope she had instilled in him was beginning to fade. Not thinking of anything better to do, she immediately began to sing:

Bring back hope

Forget it with a scope

Don’t listen to the chatter

Especially if it flatters

      This song was not like the others that Zoe usually came up with, but the demon felt that for the first time, her words were healing rather than tormenting him. Calming down in the girl’s arms, he suddenly realized that the voice in his head was disappearing. He didn’t know if this was a bad omen, but in any case, he remembered what he wanted to say to Rumi.       Upon learning what he had done, the girl was beside herself with happiness. She had been dreaming of this moment since they met, so, trying not to discuss the plan for too long, they decided to go to the other hunters. - What is he doing here?! — exclaimed Mira, armed with her Gok-Do. Grinning, Jinu was about to leave, but the Rumil’s graceful hand took his own, holding him back and showing everyone that he was not going anywhere, and that they would all fight against the lord of all demons, leaving the hunters no choice but to resist.

***

      There was too little time. Looking out of the large panoramic window, they see huge purple clouds, which means that Gwi-ma has gone mad and, in his anger, has decided to take all souls, not caring if anyone sees his monsters. Saja Boys performed without their lead singer for the first time, but the fans didn’t care when they noticed the guys with pretty faces and six-pack abs every second.       The last item on their agenda was to get to the concert hall and finally kill those who had opposed them for hundreds of years.

***

      Thousands of spectators gathered in a huge stadium, unable to resist the enticing voices of the Saja Boys, even without Jinu at the helm, who, together with his new partners, was getting closer and closer to the stage. However, soon the movements of the group of demons began to quicken, and their voices became so smooth and bright that Mira and Zoe succumbed to temptation, and since Rumi is a half-demon, it did not affect her, only the pain in her head intensified. When both hunters had already disappeared into the crowd, Jinu realized that this was his chance to redeem himself, to atone for what he had done in the past, and to build his own kingdom, where only he and the one who walked side by side with him would rule. Taking her by the hand and ignoring the wide-eyed stares of strangers, he began to sing in contrast to the demonic song of his former companions. Rumi, looking at him as if the entire galaxy had shifted into one person, began to sing along in sync, creating an incredible harmony between two souls that seemed so different, yet so similar in other ways. Their voices grew louder and higher, clearing away the purple clumps and replacing them with golden ones. Jinu did not look at the pain and the voice. He was as if possessed by the girl who killed monsters, tearing their dirty bodies to shreds and stumps, which once seemed to him to be a new and eternal family. Now he clearly sees who he wants to put on the throne and rise above the world together, protecting Hongmun from new enemies and misfortunes.       Upon reaching Gwi-Ma, he and Rumi achieved such height and harmony of voice that they gained the strength not only to repel all demons, but also to strike down the leader of these creatures with a sword and a piercing and even terrifying cry.

***

      Two red thrones towered over Hongmun, offering a view of the Golden Barrier, which is visible across all of Korea. It symbolizes power, the blood of enemies, and confidence in a demon-free tomorrow. These thrones also never go unnoticed by Jinu and Rumi, who began to live without patterns, a new life, and spent every morning and evening on them, kissing passionately and thanking each other for finding themselves and a new member of their family — June, who will continue her parents' work in protecting the great tree.