10 Minutes Earlier
Ado was following behind the goons who were tailing Shin and Ayaka. When he realized what they were planning, he sped up, trailing after them with silent steps. He just couldn’t stand by and watch the boy he’d been trying to charm get slaughtered by those lowlifes. If anyone was going to kill that boy, it should be them—his team—not so random nobodies.
But before he could intervene, a sickening sound hit his ears—flesh being torn, blood hitting the ground like rain. He peeked through a shattered window and froze.
Shin was there. Covered in blood. Stabbing a man over and over, then swiftly turning to the next. His face twisted into a devilish grin, lips curled, eyes void of rcy. It was a massacre.
Ado’s world flipped.
No... No way...
"This devil... this can’t be the boy I was crushing on... The one with that sweet, innocent face... Not this..."
He muttered the words under his breath, trembling. Then his eyes caught soone else—Yuki. His stomach twisted, and he stumbled back.
If they saw him, he’d be next. Just another corpse on the floor, drowning in his own blood.
He backed away quickly, taking cover behind a dumpster. Hands shaking, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing fast.
"Group leader... I’ve taken the boy out of the safe zones. Take a quick right turn after the gate. Run—fast!"
He ended the call.
His stomach turned. So this was the side of Shin that had killed Gerald. The sweet boy he imagined going on a date with... didn’t exist. Not really. What stood in that blood-drenched store was sothing else entirely.
Sothing demonic!
It didn’t take long for the others to arrive. Tony showed up first, stone-faced as always. He didn’t like wasting ti—he wanted blood. He wanted to chop the bastard’s head off right there. But Lawrence pulled him back, waiting for Ado to explain. Ado fulled them in on the situation. Lawrence touched his chin.
"If he’s got Yuki, then charging in blindly is suicide," he said calmly.
"I heard that woman is a beast."
Tony spat on the ground. "And I heard rumors you cry after sex. Doesn’t an I believe ’em. That’s why you don’t believe everything you hear."
His eye glowed with a greenish tint as he activated his archery skill. A magical goggle appeared over his right eye that allowed him to zoom in like a sniper scope as he closed his left eye and drew his bow, aiming toward the convenience store.
With the distance so far, he fitted two arrows in his bow—doubling the chance that at least one would hit.
"Boss, with all due respect," Lawrence muttered, "if you miss, we’re toast. With Yuki around, we might not make it out."
"Shut up and let take the damn shot," Tony growled. "You afraid of a woman now? Grow a pair."
Ado cracked his knuckles beside them, eager.
"Where’s your pride, Lawrence? You forget who we are? With the boss’s shot and my martial arts, we’ll clean this up. Hell, if we’re lucky, we kill the brat and bring that vixen Yuki back to camp."
He grinned darkly.
"The boss would love a souvenir like her."
Lawrence groaned. "This is insane..."
Tony clicked his tongue. "Stop thinking. Be a man. If you die, die with your chest out and balls in your hand like a real man that deserves so honor."
Lawrence groaned. "Right... fine. Whatever. Do what you want. Count out of the fighting. I’m going back to take a nap."
Tony scoffed. "Hold your ground and get the condoms ready! You’re the one talking to this Yuki woman. If she sees the condoms in your hands, she’ll know we co in peace!"
Grumbling, Lawrence pulled a packet from his coat and held it up like a white flag as Tony loosed the shot.
**
Present Ti
Ayaka shoved Shin aside.
Thunk. Thunk.
Two arrows ripped through the air and pierced her tiny back. One lodged deep into her shoulder. The other jabbed near her spine. She didn’t scream. She gurgled. A sick, bubbling gasp. Blood poured from her mouth as she fell back into Shin’s arms, limp. Her clothes soaked red, like ink spilled in water.
Shin’s hands trembled. Ayaka’s warm blood coated his fingers.
Her cloudy eyes blinked up at him, weakly.
"I... I was useful to you, oni-chan... wasn’t I?"
Shin froze. His heart cracked.
What... What is she saying? She’s dying, pierced through, and all she’s thinking about... is being useful to him?
His mouth ran dry. He couldn’t lose her. Not again. Not like this. Elena... Suzune... that pain was already too much.
"There they are!!" Yuki growled, pointing out through the broken window. "The bastards who fired the arrows."
"KILL THEM!!!" Shin roared.
"KILL THEM ALL!!"
Tears stread down his face. This wasn’t the plan. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
He’d spent the whole night preparing, leaving Ayaka with Yuki while he set the traps, a weak-looking one on purpose. Bait, to lure the idiots. Make them think he was just a scared kid. Then ambush them. Crush them with Lilian and Yuki. Harvest their souls. Gain more power.
But now...
Ayaka—Ayaka—was bleeding out in his arms.
"Use your miracle on her! She’s still alive, Master!" Lilian muttered, kneeling beside them.
Shin bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. He needed to act. Fast. Shaking, he wrapped his hands around the first arrow and yanked.
SHUNK.
The arrowhead ca out with pieces of her flesh clinging to it. Blood gushed from the wound like a ruptured pipe.
Ayaka whimpered. A fragile, broken sound.
He reached for the second one—
Shwak!
No scream. Just a low exhale. Her body was cold and getting even more colder.
Then, Shin slamd his hands over the wounds and activated his healing skill.
Nothing happened.
No. No no no!
He dumped more MP into the spell, crying as he tried to force it to work.
"Just heal her, damn it!! Please!!!"
[Warning!]
Healing Skill: Level 1.
Effect: Slight increase in natural healing. Severe injuries cannot be treated with this skill.]
The system’s cold ssage rang in his ears.
Shin’s teeth clenched. "Then how do I save her?!"
[ Reach Tier 2 Healing Skill.
Healing Skills level up over ti with repeated use—not overnight.]
"DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE TI FOR THAT?!!" he scread into the void.
[...]
TBC
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