FI CH 29

Chapter 29: Sentinel-Guide Prohibition (II)

Just a few days after their visit to An Shi, a wave of out-of-control episodes suddenly broke out within the Sentinel and Guide Associations.

The manifestations were identical to that berserk sentinel from before: falling into a berserk or chaotic state without warning, under normal circumstances. Later investigations revealed that all these unstable ability users had been in contact with the four who returned from the rainforest.

The Sentinel-Guide Association later confirmed An Shi’s claim—it was a virus targeting ability users, and one that could only be transmitted between them. This was Lin Yuan and his group’s real objective.

Looking at it now, this was far more than just a rebellion. The true goal of the organization seemed to lean more toward control over ability users.

After nearly a decade of hiding, Lin Yuan only began to make major moves again upon reappearing.

Bai Hua realized that the reason they hadn’t been infected was because they still held value. That’s why Lin Yuan had deliberately let their four teammates go—so they could return early and unknowingly spread the virus.

And now, that goal had been achieved.

This form of attack was unprecedented and difficult to guard against. The Association was in chaos, and reports of suppression kept surfacing. Kurosawa and Bai Hua were also placed under strict orders not to leave their residence. It was clear that the number of covert protectors around them had significantly decreased—likely reassigned to assist in the crisis.

Since they could no longer retrieve more data on Lin Yuan through battlefield memories, the only thing they could do was keep tabs on these ongoing incidents.

Bai Hua had never experienced being grounded like this before. In the past, whenever something happened, he was always the kind to rush straight to the front lines. Now, being unable to do anything left him restless. Even as a dark sentinel with extreme self-control, he wouldn’t lose his mind if he went berserk—but he couldn’t reveal his identity to the public. Besides, he was still affected by the looming risk of combination heat.

This stalemate dragged on for several more days.

Until one night—one of the nearest local Sentinel-Guide Association branches was suddenly attacked.

Bai Hua was startled awake in the middle of the night by the sound of a distant explosion. He quickly sat up, pulled open the curtains, and looked outside—one section of the base was engulfed in flames, and a large number of ability users were rushing in that direction.

Kurosawa seemed to have been woken up by the commotion too. He knocked on Bai Hua’s door and entered after receiving permission.

Bai Hua glanced at him briefly before turning his eyes back to the window. “What happened?”

“I only heard a bit,” Kurosawa replied. “Seems like an enemy attack, but I’m not entirely sure yet.”

Kurosawa didn’t elaborate, but Bai Hua could already guess. Given the current situation, the most likely culprit taking advantage of the chaos was Lin Yuan and his group. Though Bai Hua wanted to go and check things out, they were officially under lockdown—strictly prohibited from leaving without authorization. He was worried, but powerless.

After a moment of silence, Kurosawa said, “Let’s go have a look.”

Bai Hua looked at him in surprise.

“You want to go, don’t you?” Kurosawa said. “We just can’t get too close, and you have to stay within my line of sight. If you can do that, we’ll head out now.”

Without any hesitation, Bai Hua agreed. “Alright.”

The two quickly changed and ran toward the base. Amid the chaos, no one would be monitoring their movements too closely.

Kurosawa brought Bai Hua to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the base. Though still a distance from the scene, Bai Hua could see everything clearly from his vantage point—even if it was slightly far for Kurosawa.

It really was an enemy attack, but it looked more like a chaotic brawl. Some infected ability users had lost control and started fighting their own allies. Following the infected individuals’ movements, Bai Hua soon pinpointed the orchestrator—it was Lin Yuan.

Their suspicions were right. The virus had been used to control ability users. Lin Yuan’s arrival seemed to be for the sole purpose of “checking the harvest.”

After verifying it himself, Kurosawa frowned. “It’s mental control.”

Bai Hua asked, “Is there a way to reverse it?”

Kurosawa shook his head. “A guide’s mental guidance alone won’t be enough.”

Even though Bai Hua had expected this, hearing the confirmation still filled him with dismay.

But even more disheartened than him were likely their comrades on the battlefield. Facing their own kind, it must have been even harder for them to strike. This was destined to be a bitter fight.

Kurosawa didn’t let Bai Hua watch until the end. As dawn approached, he pulled Bai Hua along and quietly headed back. Kurosawa’s expression was grim, while Bai Hua followed silently behind. The two of them didn’t exchange a single word.

They hadn’t slept a wink that night, yet neither of them seemed tired.

It wasn’t until midday that news came in from the base. Lin Yuan had already withdrawn, and casualty numbers were still being estimated—but it didn’t sound optimistic.

In the following days, things slowly began to return to normal.

Bai Hua heard that He He had participated in the battle as well and sustained some injuries. Even though Bai Hua had seen it the night before, he couldn’t help—he had to pretend he didn’t know. More importantly, the hospital was now a high-risk zone, and even setting foot in it was impossible. As a sentinel, he had never felt so powerless before. Whether it was encountering Lin Yuan, meeting Kurosawa, or all the chaos caused by their compatibility rate—he had never taken it all too seriously. But now, the feeling of wanting to do something yet being completely helpless… that was what made him feel truly desperate.

He was desperate to change the current situation. And it seemed there was only one way to break this deadlock…

That night, Kurosawa heard some faint sounds. He could sense Bai Hua entering his room. Just as he opened his eyes, he felt a weight press down on him—Bai Hua had straddled him and was forcefully kissing him while gripping his shoulders.

Kurosawa didn’t dodge. He simply looked calmly at Bai Hua’s movements, not resisting at all. From the very moment Bai Hua kissed him, he already understood what Bai Hua wanted—to forcibly trigger a heat.

Bai Hua hadn’t taken any suppressants for this. Kurosawa could smell the rich, intoxicating scent of his pheromones.

Bai Hua had originally planned to rely on his physical strength to suppress Kurosawa. But Kurosawa’s reaction caught him completely off guard—he was so calm, as if nothing was happening. Bai Hua hadn’t expected resistance, but Kurosawa’s complete lack of response instead made him irrationally annoyed.

Almost as if venting his frustration, Bai Hua suddenly yanked at Kurosawa’s shirt, ripping the buttons clean off, exposing firm, well-toned muscles underneath. Just a glance out of the corner of his eye made his breathing go erratic.

Maybe at first he just saw this as a hurdle he needed to cross—but Kurosawa’s allure, combined with the pull of his pheromones, made Bai Hua’s actions shift further and further into instinctive desire.

When his hand touched the warm, firm skin, he couldn’t help but want to keep going. And so he did—kissing Kurosawa more deeply, more eagerly. He left his lips and kissed his neck, his collarbones, and eventually bit at his Adam’s apple.

Kurosawa finally wasn’t so unresponsive anymore—a low, muffled groan escaped his throat.

That slight change seemed to encourage Bai Hua even more. His hand kept sliding down along Kurosawa’s body, tracing the lines of his waist, and reaching further, exploring just beneath the V-cut of his abs…

Just as Bai Hua’s hand was about to slip under Kurosawa’s pants, Kurosawa suddenly grabbed it and pressed it down. A helpless voice came from above, “…Don’t force yourself.”

Bai Hua muttered, “I’m not.”

“Really?”

Kurosawa slid his hand along Bai Hua’s back, and when it reached the base of his spine through the thin specialized fabric, he must have touched a sensitive spot—because Bai Hua let out an involuntary whimper and collapsed softly onto Kurosawa’s body.

Kurosawa took the opportunity to hook Bai Hua’s leg and flipped them over, pinning Bai Hua underneath him. Maybe it was the way the light fell, but his gaze seemed unusually deep. The beautiful pale-gold eyes had now darkened into a rich brown.

Bai Hua didn’t like being in such a submissive position. But just as he was about to push Kurosawa back and flip over again, something hard and hot pressed against him from below. He froze and looked at Kurosawa. Even through the thin layer of cloth, he could clearly sense the heat and shape bulging between Kurosawa’s thighs.

Even though he understood in theory how a heat worked, this was the first time he was facing such raw, direct desire. One of them would inevitably have to submit beneath the other.

But before he could sort out his chaotic thoughts, Kurosawa was already kissing him again.

Unlike Bai Hua’s earlier aggressive and messy kiss, Kurosawa’s was powerful and deliberate. He expertly teased Bai Hua’s lips and tongue, coaxing a response from him. Bai Hua passively endured it all—his mind blank, overwhelmed by the heat. As their lower bodies rubbed together, Bai Hua’s body stiffened again.

Kurosawa noticed his reaction and paused the kiss. As he pulled away, he gave Bai Hua’s tongue a soft suck.

Bai Hua stared at Kurosawa’s face, looking as though he hadn’t fully returned to his senses.

Kurosawa looked at him for a few seconds, then reached over to the nightstand and shoved a few tablets into Bai Hua’s mouth. A bitter taste quickly spread over his tongue—it was the familiar taste of suppressants.

Kurosawa sat up on the edge of the bed, his back to Bai Hua as he faced the door. “Do you understand now? You’re not actually ready for this…”

When Bai Hua heard those words, he couldn’t even describe what he felt. He realized he didn’t reject the intimacy—they even stirred up a faint longing within him. But something still felt… off.

“Sleep,” Kurosawa said again. “…You haven’t really rested in a long time.”

Bai Hua didn’t know what came over him—maybe it was just hearing Kurosawa say that, but he suddenly felt drowsy. It was true he’d been far too tense lately. As soon as he closed his eyes, he really did drift off to sleep just like that.

Kurosawa turned to look at him and gently used a soothing wave of his guiding ability to help Bai Hua sleep more soundly.

As he crouched down to pick up the buttons Bai Hua had torn off his shirt, he spotted the little fox curled up asleep beside the bed. He stroked its fur gently, and the fox narrowed its eyes in comfort, unconsciously nudging against his hand.

Kurosawa chuckled quietly, thinking of Bai Hua’s earlier behavior. “Your master… wants to top me, huh…”

(To be continued…)