Archive of Our Own ^beta

Christopher Reed has only been scared twice in his life.

The first time was in the face of the Calamity, at that moment when they found themselves with only five left standing, in a sea of corpses, to face the beast. The researchers decided to name the dragon Kamish, after several days of destruction, but the name absolutely does not refer to the real horror, to the real monstrosity of the beast. The name isn't significant enough to reveal the full extent of the dread caused by the dragon - even the moniker Calamity isn't enough. Nothing is enough to describe the monstrosity that the dragon was, to speak of the fear it instilled in all hunters facing it.

The second time is happening right now. He lives for the fight, but he knows he's losing. He knows that the monsters around him are stronger, more violent, more destructive than him. He tries, he fights giving everything he has, using all his powers, all his techniques but it's not enough and Chris sees death coming, as he had never seen it happen, even when facing Kamish. And he doesn't want to die, he's scared of leaving this world behind, not knowing what awaits him after. He doesn't want to die leaving the monsters free, because he failed to take a single one down with him.

Fear is something visceral. A feeling he can't get used to. It seeps into his veins and makes him want to run away, with the desire not to continue the fight and to leave. Fear fights against his pride and against his dignity – he is not ready to get down on his knees and beg for his life, even if a part of him wants to. It wouldn't matter if he did, those monsters are out to kill him, and they're going to succeed, because Chris isn't strong enough to defeat them.

“For fuck sake.” He growls, trying to get up after being thrown against a wall.

The monsters speak with each other, in a language he does not understand. He still manages to realize that their tone is mocking – they do not take him seriously, and rightly so, because they are stronger than him. They are stronger than all the people and all the monsters that Chris has ever faced and even Thomas André, even Liu Zhigang, even Siddharth Bachchan or Jonas will not be able to do anything against them. They are too strong, and Chris can easily imagine that he is their first victim, but he won't be the last. The others will follow him, and their ego will lose them like Chris' ego lost him.

'Flee'. A voice in his head told him, the one he sometimes hears when he uses up his last mana reserves. ‘You’re not strong enough.’ The voice explains, as if he didn’t already know that. ‘I can’t help you against them, run away.’ The voice continues. And Chris would like to listen to it, and follow its advice, but he doesn't even have the strength to run away anymore. His wounds are too deep to allow him to escape until he receives treatment. He's lost too much blood to even manage to stand. He's going to die, and he's going to leave the rest of the world facing these monsters without even managing to take one down with him.

The flames coming from his mansion graze his skin, and if the monsters continue to play with him, like a child plays with food, perhaps he will die of asphyxiation more than of his wounds. It would be almost poetic, to die from the fire he himself caused. ‘No.’ Says the voice again. ‘You won’t die here.’ And Chris wants to tell it to fuck off, to take a look at the situation he’s in. He knows he's screwed, he doesn't need anyone trying to cheer him up. He knows he is going to die.

‘What will happen if you’re about to die, Christopher Reed?’ the voice asks, and for a few split seconds Chris has no answer. He hasn't believed in any deities or mythologies for a long time. He knows that what awaits him after his death is nothingness, absolute emptiness. He does not believe in reincarnation or rebirth. Then, he realizes that the voice did not ask him what would happen after his death, but only when he is about to die. And Chris realizes.

Just when he is about to get killed, he will trade places with his soulmate. Because that's how this cruel world works. At the exact moment one of the soulmates is about to die, the two switch places. The story behind it is romantic, that of a woman ready to do anything for her love, to the point of dying for that person when danger was about to strike; to the point of sacrificing her own life so that the object of her affection survives. The reality is much less romantic.

Chris has never traded places with anyone in his life. He would have preferred it. He is stronger than anyone in this world, and he would have been able to get out of any life-threatening situation for his soulmate, and they could have stayed alive, and met. But Chris is about to die, so his soulmate will appear in his place and die at the hands of the monsters. His soulmate will die, and Chris will also die of his injuries. Oh, how pitiful.

‘Run or fight. You were chosen for a reason.’ Add the voice, and Chris doesn't understand what it’s talking about. He wasn't chosen for anything. Everything he has, he fought for. At the cost of his blood and his sweat, with his nails and his teeth. He wasn't chosen for anything. He chose himself. Fate promised him nothing, it was he who forced fate. ‘Flee or fight Christopher Reed, the rest doesn’t matter.’ And maybe that’s true.

He leans on the broken wall behind him to try to get up and the monster in a woman's body raises an eyebrow at him, before grinning wickedly, showing its teeth. It says a few things to the other two monsters who turn toward him as well, and let their power fly around them. Flee or fight. Flee or fight. Flee or fight. Ah…Chris was never a coward.

“Come on you fuckers." He spits. "I'm going to rip your ass off.”

The fingernails of one who is more beast than man transform into claws and it rushes towards him at high speed. If it was alone, if Chris was completely healthy, he thinks he could handle it. But the beast is not alone, and its companions attack at the same time as it does. Chris doesn't have time to mentally apologize to his soulmate before their attacks hit their mark.

He closes his eyes, feeling himself disappear.

When he opens them again, he is in a moving car. He looks for a second at the landscape scrolling through the window. It is a city, but all the big cities of the world are alike. Most of the people outside have Asian features, but that's not saying much. He turns his head the other way, and there's another Asian staring at him, someone Chris has never seen. He doesn't look very old, and looks at him with undisguised surprise.

"Where… where am I?" He asks.

The car driver also looks at him with wide eyes, and Chris imagines that it's not every day that he sees a stranger appear, covered in blood and wounds, in the place of the person he is supposed to drive. And who can be his soulmate, to be driven by a driver, surrounded by several other armored cars? Who could be the person he just sent to die in his place?

“Pretty close to a hospital,” replies the young man next to him, in English. “And that is for the best I imagine.”

Chris lowers his eyes a little, to look at his wounds, the open flesh and the blood that continues to flow. He nods his head a little, because he definitely needs healing if he's going to hope to survive. He was once lucky that his soulmate was with someone, in the middle of a street, where all the passers-by seemed to be watching them, gesturing. It's a bit strange by the way, it's as if they were all there to greet his soulmate. He'll have to find out about it, he thinks, just before he passes out.

He is in the hospital when he wakes up.

“Thomas?” He asks, as soon as he sees the blond hair of the other American hunter. "What are you doing here?”

Thomas André is not a friend of his – he is more of a regular opponent with whom he enjoys training. He has no reason to come see him in the hospital, they are not close enough for that. Chris tries to get up a little, quickly getting rid of the few devices attached to his body. He grabs the glass of water on the bedside table, before quickly downing it, to soothe his throat. He no longer feels the wounds on his body too much, but the bandages prevent him from seeing if they are completely healed.

“You spent two weeks in the hospital Chris.” Reveals Thomas André, “A lot has happened since then. »

And Chris never spent two weeks in the hospital. Even after the fight against Kamish, he wasn't hurt enough to spend that long getting healed. The monsters he fought against were powerful enough to put him in a forced coma for two weeks and he never thought that was possible. That he is alive is already a miracle, and he was lucky not to have died due to blood loss.

“There were three monsters. I didn't even manage to take one down with me.” Chris explains, because he needs to be aware of the situation. “Thomas, they were stronger than me, we have to prepare.”

And Thomas doesn't seem to really understand the danger that is coming because he just giggles a little, shrugging his shoulders. It's stupid, Thomas André is an asshole, but he's not a moron. He knows the strength of Chris, he knows how difficult it would be to put him in the position he was in. Thomas needs to realize how strong the monsters were, because now that Chris is alive, they will be able to ally to fight against them. Zhigang won't turn down a good fight, neither will Siddharth.

“Yeah, Sung took care of them.”

And Chris has heard Sung's name before. Everyone has heard Sung’s name before. He can't remember the man's first name, but he knows it's the one Norma Selner wanted him to call (and with good reason apparently); the one who slaughtered the ants on Jeju Island, and the one who headed to Japan to slaughter the giants. The last Chris heard, he had succeeded without too much trouble in ridding the country of its little problem.

“Sung?’ He asks, turning his head a little, because he doesn't quite understand what his name is doing in the conversation.

Thomas laughs out loud, amused as he has never been by the situation. And Chris wants to gouge out his eyes. He may be a little off the hook, but he's been healed, and he never turns down a good fight. If Thomas doesn't explain to him immediately what makes him laugh so much, he will rip his head off, and make him puff out his own tongue. The blond's laughter increases, before he manages to calm himself down.

“Yeah, your soulmate is a fucking motherfucker.” Thomas reveals, showing his arm in a cast (and Chris hadn't even noticed his arm). “He slew the monsters that tried to kill you. And he crushed my face when we got on it for…various reasons.”

And oh - Chris's soulmate apparently managed to get rid of the monsters that he himself failed to kill. He knew that Sung was a powerful hunter – only those who are really powerful can defeat S-rank gates alone. He just didn't think he would be more powerful than him. If he had known, he might have taken Selner's advice and called him… Or maybe not, out of simple respect for his ego. Even if he had been told that Sung was more powerful than him, he would never have believed that kind of comment. Even if he had known, it wouldn't have made a difference.

“You will like him.” Thomas adds, and Chris raises an eyebrow. "I'm serious! We have the same taste, you and I Reed and Sung is... more beautiful than anything I've ever seen.”

And Chris remembers Thomas' amazement at Kamish, his trembling and his exclamations at the beauty of the beast. Chris learned a long time ago not to trust Thomas' beauty criteria anymore, for his own safety. Just because someone or something is powerful doesn't necessarily mean they're beautiful, just at best that they're attractive.

“Your definition of beautiful is totally disconnected from reality André.”

Thomas gives him a big smile, before throwing him a cereal bar that Chris grabs without even looking, before opening it to devour it. It's not enough to dull his hunger, but it calms the grunting in his stomach a little bit. Thomas lets him eat quietly, before continuing to talk, as if he had only that to do (and that doesn't make sense, he is one of the most powerful hunters in the world, and with the hospitalization from Chris, he must be called everywhere - why does he take the time to stay?)

"I honestly didn't fully understand the explanation. Apparently he died during the fight, before returning.” And Chris doesn't understand what he means by that either, but he imagines there will be more to it when he finally meets his soulmate. “It was quite a shit-show honestly. The guy is a fucking omniscient monster, I've never seen that.”

For Thomas to say such a thing when they fought Kamish together, Sung's power must really be phenomenal. Chris honestly has a little trouble believing it. But no matter - contrary to all expectations, his soulmate is alive, and has managed to get rid of the monsters that have overcome Chris. It makes him want to meet him, to test his own strength against him – because there is nothing more exciting than a good fight, especially when his life is not being threatened.

“He killed two others like those who attacked you.”

The idea that other monsters like the ones that attacked him exist, other such powerful monsters almost makes him tremble. He's seen the power and rage of monsters, he knows how destructive they are - the idea that there could be any more is terrifying. The idea that his soulmate has already started slaughtering them is more heartening (and yes, Chris wants to meet him, but who wouldn't want to meet their soulmate?)

"The only one left will be harder to defeat than all the others Thomas, maybe you should specify that."

The voice is new, and there's a slight accent that Chris doesn't know. The man it belongs to appears in the shadows of the corner of a wall, walking as if through a door when no one else was there previously, either in the room or in the hallways around. It is as if the man came from nowhere. Thomas doesn't seem particularly worried, so Chris takes the time to look at him.

And he doesn't think he's ever seen someone so handsome and attractive. The power that emanates from him is phenomenal, like a hurricane. No. Not exactly. It’s more like something even more powerful than a hurricane. It's a tornado mixed with a thunderstorm. Its center is protected but the surroundings are struck down, trembling under the power of the winds. Chris feels like he could get swallowed up just by staring at him for too long. He is beautiful and so, so powerful.

“And I will be useless without my arm.” Thomas replies to the newcomer. “Thank you again for that by the way Sung.”

And oh, Chris hit the jackpot. His soulmate is… Splendid. He radiates mana, to the point that it reflects in his eyes even when he's not using it, and the purple color it gives off is absolutely stunning. The whole man is magnificent. Chris feels like Sung could rip his head off with one hand, and the very idea makes him quiver with desire. This man, strong enough to destroy the world, is his soulmate.

“If the fight starts before you recover, I will ask Beru to heal you.”

And Chris has no idea who Beru is, but he must be very powerful to be able to heal what the best healers in America couldn't. And, apparently, his soulmate has some kind of control over this Beru, which gives him the power by association. Thomas laughs, totally ignoring Chris' thoughts – he doesn't even take the time to introduce them either.

"So you have the power to heal me but you don't." Replies Thomas, with a small pout. “Why are you so mean to me?”

And damn, Chris could have realized this sooner with the little comments from the other hunter, but there is something very unpleasant about seeing him almost flirting with his soulmate. He feels like ripping Thomas's head off to make him pay, or at least breaking his other arm, to stay within the realm of possibility.

"Seriously?” Chris asks, as Thomas's smile widens, and as the man runs his tongue over his upper lip.

Sung is sitting next to him in the next split second, one hand in his hair and oh, he's fast, Chris didn't even see him move. He didn't feel him move. His hand is cold in his hair, like a corpse's, but it's not unpleasant. His gaze is fixed on him, his eyes wide open.

“I felt you wake up.” Sung tells him, with a small smile. “Sorry for the delay.”

Chris wonders for a few seconds what Sung's lips must taste like. They look delicious, just waiting to be devoured. His lip fixation must be a bit noticeable because Sung's smile is growing, and his eyes are fixed on him as well.

“Christopher Reed.” He introduces himself, with his hand outstretched. “Call me Chris.”

“Sung Jin-Woo.” His soulmate tells him, accepting the handshake. “You can call me Jin-Woo.”

There are some imitation sounds of someone vomiting behind them, and Chris glares at Thomas who pretends to choke. Sung's fingers tangle a little in his hair, before going down the back of his neck and it's crazy, but Chris has some knowledge of medicine, and he's pretty sure that the temperature of a normal human body is far from being reached in Jin-Woo.

"It's not every day that kindred spirits get to meet Thomas.” Sung replies, giving the blond an amused look. “Let me enjoy it for a while.”

And oh, most people just switch places on their deathbed. It sometimes happens that old people, on the verge of succumbing to time, change places with their soulmate and end up dying anyway, just in another place. It also happens that people, about to be run over by a car, change places and their soulmate dies in their place, leaving them to live with the blood of the person made for them on their hands.

“Sorry about your mansion.” Jin-Woo tells him, turning back to him. "My shadows are rebuilding it but I can't promise you it will be identical.”

Chris has no idea what he wants to talk about, but the idea of Jin-Woo looking to do something for him when they've only just met is...nice. Oh, how jealous Thomas must be. How jealous Liu Zhigang will be, seeing how big he hit the jackpot. Chris knows he's lucky – it's rare to have the opportunity to meet your soulmate, and it's even rarer to be lucky enough to have such a perfect soulmate.

“I had already been busy destroying it, don’t worry too much." He answers.

And oh, the fires he caused were devastating. Chris hopes they didn't hurt his soulmate when they swapped places. He would blame himself, to be responsible for the injuries of the man made for him (the idea suits him very well by the way. Sung Jin-Woo could be no-one for him and he still would have no problem taking him to his bed – no matter how hard it is to admit but, Thomas was right).

“You mentioned the last of those monsters.” Chris continues, to occupy his thoughts a bit with something other than Jin-Woo's collarbone. “Do you know more about that?”

Jin-Woo sniffs a bit, and even Thomas seems to straighten up in his seat, as if stingy to learn more. If in two weeks, Jin-Woo was able to slaughter the monsters that threatened him, put Thomas in his place for other reasons, and make sure to have him as an ally (and to also do that same with Liu Zhigang, if the smell he recognizes on his soulmate is the good one – and oh, maybe he's jealous) – then his soulmate must have worked hard. But apparently there's still more to do, and Chris can't wait to be part of it.

“The Dragon Monarch. He is the strongest of all.” Jin-Woo explains, looking serious.

“Are you talking about Kamish?” Thomas asks, one eyebrow raised.

And Jin-Woo sighs a little, quite lightly, but Chris is right next to him, and it's quite easy to hear him. He puts a hand on his cheek and Jin-Woo leans into his touch a bit.

“Kamish was just one of his soldiers.” His soulmate reveals. “And there are thousands of them.”

Joyful. Chris is somewhat reassured when he sees he's not the only one taking a deep breath and Thomas, still comfortably seated, winces slightly at the mention of the fight ahead. Oh it will be a good fight, sure, but Kamish is both a fond memory and a trauma. This is also without counting the destruction that thousands of dragons could cause, when Kamish alone ravaged half of the United States.

“What are we waiting for to prepare then?”

Jin-Woo smiles at him a little bit, turning his face to kiss the palm of his hand. And oh, if Thomas André had the sympathy to leave this room immediately, Chris has many ideas of what he could do.

"Well, you'll be glad to hear it but… I have a plan."

Chris smiles a little. He will go anywhere, and fight all the dragons in the universe, as long as Sung Jin-Woo is the one asks him to.