Chapter Text
Han Yoojin is a Weapon. He has the power to transform into a small dagger. It wasn't very impressive.
Everyone always laughed when they saw his weapon form. It was no bigger than a butterknife with a jet black polished handle and a two inch silver blade barely sharp enough to cut a steak.
Everyone told him that there was no point in him enrolling at the famous weapon training academy, the DWMA, since he was useless as a weapon anyway.
He agreed. Weapons were legally required to register themselves, so he stopped by the registration office and was unsurprisingly labeled as an F-class.
Weapons are classified according to how useful they could be to a meister. Meisters and weapons of the same class are normally paired together.
A strong meister has powers that come from their strong souls, and a weapon can help enhance and direct those powers. Kinda like how an electric guitar produces more sound when plugged in to an amp.
Meisters use their powers to hunt monsters that have infested the world.
Yoojin used to dream about becoming a meister and getting rich off the huge pay monster hunters received.
When he discovered his weapon form was so useless, he realized that dream would never become reality.
He dropped out of school and worked odd jobs in order to support his younger brother's education, who later awakened as an incredibly talented and powerful S-class meister.
His brother had also not wanted him to attend the academy, probably because he didn't want to be embarrassed by having such a weak older brother.
Han Yoojin remembered when Han Yoohyung had first awakened as a meister. He had begged Yoojin to turn into his weapon form so he could test their compatibility.
Yoojin had reluctantly agreed and a bright light shined as he transformed.
Yoohyung caught him in his hand. Yoojin immediately sensed the strong soul resonance sync between them.
It felt like their hearts were beating in perfect tune to eachother. Yoohyung's soul felt like a warm fire. It comforted Yoojin who was familiar with his brother, but he sensed the soul was incredibly powerful and dangerous.
Before Yoojin could even rap his mind around the sensation however, Yoohyung dropped him onto the floor as if he had been burned by the dagger.
After clattering onto the ground Yoojin transformed back into human form while he sat up on his elbows still lying on the ground.
"What happened?" He asked his younger brother in confusion.
Yoohyung stared at him with a peculiar expression for a moment before shaking his head.
"You're too weak. You shouldn't let any other meisters hold you. Promise me you'll stay away from all meisters."
Yoojin frowned. He already knew he was weak, it's why he didn't attend the academy. So why did his brother have to rub it in?
"Promise me!" Yoohyung said sternly as if it was a life or death matter.
"Ok ok. I promise. It's not like any meister would be interested in me anyway. Like you said... I'm weak." He conceded with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Yoohyung nodded. "Yes. Correct. That's why you should stay away from meisters... no other reason."
Yoojin didn't know why his brother was acting so strange. Maybe the soul resonance had messed with his brain.
His brother lended a hand to help him stand up.
"Sorry for dropping you." He said with a genuinely remorseful look.
Yoojin patted him on the back. "It's ok, buy me a burger at that good restaurant down the street and we'll call it even."
Yoohyung smiled and nodded as they went to eat while chatting happily.
Yoojin missed those days.
It had been two years since his brother awakened as a meister. He left for the academy and quickly became famous as an S-class meister who fought without a weapon.
Even without a partner to enhance his soul wavelength, Yoohyung's flame wavelength was powerful enough on its own to take down monsters.
He was now rich and successful... and had completely forgotten about his useless brother.
Yoojin had sent hundreds of letters and left thousands of phone calls and texts, but he never received a reply.
He even tried going to the school and demanding to see his brother, but they had turned him away saying Yoohyung had not approved visitors.
It was on the day his brother graduated from the academy that they finally saw eachother again.
Yoojin had hidden in the bushes outside the academy and as soon as he saw Yoohyung walk outside with his diploma, he jumped out and wrestled him.
Yoohyung easily outmaneuvered him and pinned him to a tree with his hands behind his back.
"Yoojin?!" Yoohyung said in surprise when he realized who had attacked him.
He let go and took a step back as Yoojin brushed himself off.
"Wow! Glad to see you still remember my name!" Yoojin said sarcastically.
Yoohyung frowned. "You shouldn't be here."
Yoojin grew angry at the statement.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot. You wouldn't want any of your classmates to see your failure of an older brother. A mighty S-class like you has a reputation to maintain. I just wanted to make sure you were ok... I'll leave now, I wouldn't want to burden you with my presence." Yoojin scathingly replied.
Yoohyung clenched his jaw and fists as if holding in a reply.
"What? Do you want to yell at me? Tell me how much you hate me for being a weak F-class? Feel free to say it. It's nothing I haven't heard before or told myself." Yoojin said with drooping shoulders.
"That's not it! I just... you can't be near me!" Yoohyung blurted out.
Yoojin was confused. What did he mean "that's not it?" Why else would he ignore him so blatantly for two years straight.
"I wanted to see you! I really did! But..."
"But what?" Yoojin asked with a raised eyebrow.
Yoohyung looked at his brother hesitantly. As if deciding if he should keep talking.
Yoojin waited in silence before speaking. "Look Yoohyung, you can tell me anything. We're brothers, we should be able to rely on each other and tell each other anything."
"I know, I was just scared someone would take you away." Yoohyung admitted sullenly.
Yoojin was even more confused now. What did he mean by taking him away?
"You're going to need to explain more."
Yoohyung looked like he was about to reveal the reason for his strange behavior, but was interrupted by a smooth and deep voice from behind.
"Mr. Han, congratulations on your graduation. Have you considered the offer to join my guild?"
A tall blonde man with piercing golden eyes walked up to them.
He wore a long red trench coat and formal attire.
"I told you I'm going to start my own monster hunting guild. I don't want to work with you. Now leave us alone." Yoohyung responded sharply.
"What terrible manners. Aren't you going to at least introduce me to the cutie?" The blonde man gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes as he looked at Yoojin.
"You don't need to know who he is. He was just leaving." Yoohyung glared as he stood between Yoojin and the man.
"That's a shame. His looks are my type. I was going to ask him out to dinner."
Yoohyung grabbed Yoojin by the hand and started dragging him away.
"Well, maybe next time then cutie." The blonde man called with a wave.
Yoohyung lead his brother to his fancy sports car and shoved him into the passengers seat before getting in and quickly pulling out of the driveway.
"Slow down will you! What's the hurry?!" Yoojin asked as the car raced well over the speed limit.
"I'm taking you to my place. I need to get you away from all those meisters." Yoohyung said seriously.
"What is going on?! Something tells me this isn't about you being embarrassed because of my low class." Yoojin said inquiringly.
Yoohyung frowned. "I never meant for you to think that way. I just didn't want to put a spotlight on you. I'll explain everything when we get to my place."
"Fine, but you better be honest." Yoojin sighed as the sports car raced to a fancy part of town and pulled into the driveway of a nice two story house.
Once they were inside Yoojin didn't waste anytime. He forced them to sit at the dining room table and demanded the explanation.
"It was when I held you in weapon form that one time. I instantly knew. I knew I needed to ensure no other meister learned of your existence. When I started becoming famous as an S-class I realized people would be curious about my family and friends too. So I completely blocked you out. It was to protect you."
Yoojin was even more confused, "Protect me from what?"
Yoohyung took a deep breath as if preparing for something difficult.
"Yoojin... you have a crazy powerful soul wavelength. The instant I resonated with you my power level doubled! I felt like my full potential was instantly reached just from holding you. Even after all the training and leveling up I did at the academy, I've never felt more powerful than in that moment. I felt greedy. I wanted to keep holding onto you forever... then I realized I wouldn't be the only one." Yoohyung glowered at the thought.
Yoojin was starting to put the pieces together. But it didn't make any sense. He was an F-class. How could he be as powerful as his brother claims?
As if reading his thoughts Yoohyung explained further.
"Weapons are given their class based of their weapon forms. Since soul wavelengths are difficult to judge without proper resonance with a meister. The registration office just saw your small dagger form and figured you weren't a very powerful weapon. But your soul wavelength is a different story. I felt it clear as day when I held you. It felt like your soul was nurturing my own. As if it was helping my own soul boost its power to maximum levels. Soul wavelengths are reflections of the persons nature, and you are a natural caregiver. Your wavelength cares for other souls." Yoohyung smiled at his older brother as he described the other's nature.
"So... you didn't want to let others know about me, because you're scared another meister will take me away?" Yoojin summarized.
Yoohyung nodded anxiously. "I'm sorry for ignoring you. We can't be seen together or you could be in danger. There are many meister's who don't see weapons as having free will and will simply take whatever weapon they want by force. Until I'm strong enough to stop any meister, we can't interact. But now that asshole at school saw you, I'm afraid I'll have to keep you confined in this house for the time being."
Yoojin froze.
"What?" He asked in shock.
"That blonde man is named Sung Hyunjae. He is an S-rank meister even more powerful than myself. He's the leader of the strongest guild in Korea. He already seemed curious about you. I can't let you go wandering around if you could be snatched up by that jerk or anyone else."
"Don't you think confinement is a little extreme? How about I just promise to lay low. It's not like that guy knows about my wavelength. Don't you have to hold a weapon to feel a wavelength?" Yoojin tried to argue.
Yoohyung sighed. "Unfortunately, that man has the power to see souls. He may not be able to tell just how useful your wavelength is, but he can at least see the nature of your soul... so he probably already has a few guesses. I need to keep you away from him."
Yoojin vaguely recalled hearing about a meister known as Sung Hyunjae. He has a rare power that could manifest his soul as golden chains. The strongest meister in the country and the only meister other than his brother to not have a weapon partner.
"But doesn't Sung Hyunjae use his soul chains as his weapon? He'd never be interested in a tiny dagger like me." Yoojin again tried to persuade his brother into not jailing him in the house.
"No. He wouldn't want you for your weapon form. Like I said, it's your soul that's powerful. It can grow power to over double in an instant. He would never let something that useful go."
Yoojin signed, "Well you can't keep me here forever!"
"It won't be forever." Yoohyung assured. "Just until I become stronger than Sung Hyunjae."
Yoojin grew even more concerned, that could take years! He would need to think of a way to escape his brother's overbearing grasp.
Sung Hyunjae sat in his penthouse as he thought about the soul he had seen earlier that day.
If he had to guess, it was the brother of Han Yoohyung.
He had overheard a bit of their conversation and was instantly intrigued.
Why would Han Yoohyung be keeping his brother such a secret?
It made him want to dig deeper. The soul he had seen inside the shorter man had been one of deep acceptance. It appeared to be the kind of soul that would care for even the most vile of monsters. It was unique because despite its caring nature, it also had a fierce and rebellious side. An interesting soul indeed.
Sung Hyunjae figured an opportunity would present itself for him to learn more.
He just had to be patient.