Yung, perched on a rock, looked at with a sly smile.
"At first, I didn’t recognize who you were."
"..."
"You’ve changed too much."
Yung’s gaze was fixed on Tirbing at my waist.
"You’ve grown so tall I couldn’t recognize you."
"..."
"And you’ve beco so strong, it’s hard to believe you’re one of us…."
"..."
"It’s funny, isn’t it? The sa amount of ti passed, yet you turned into a monster, and I beca an old man stuck in the back room."
Clicking his tongue, Yung stared straight into my eyes.
"Every ti I see you, I wonder if life is always this unfair."
"..."
"I was a pretty successful rcenary, you know. Then my parents died… my comrades died right in front of … the woman I loved ran away…. I tried to drown it all in alcohol, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought…."
"Spare the sob story."
"Cold-hearted bastard."
Yung clicked his tongue and let out a sigh.
"I’ve been thinking about it carefully, and I decided the usual thods wouldn’t be any fun."
"..."
"Haven’t I suffered enough because of you? Both physically and ntally."
"You brought it on yourself, so accepting it with humility might be a good approach."
"Haha…! Easy for you to say."
Yung burst into laughter at my casual retort, nodding his head.
"You’re amusing."
"..."
"Really amusing."
"..."
"You’re probably curious, so I’ll tell you in advance."
"..."
"I have no intention of leaving here alive today."
"That’s the best news I’ve heard all day."
"Heartless bastard."
"I am quite exceptional, after all."
Yung clicked his tongue and looked at as he spoke.
"For the record, I don’t plan on dying by your hands today either."
"What a sha. I was just wondering when would be the best ti to kill you."
"Then go ahead and try."
"..."
Yung smirked viciously as he watched struggle to move. His bold appearance ant he had so kind of insurance.
"You can’t kill , can you?"
"That’s correct."
"Good restraint, kiddo. If you had killed just now, that kid would’ve died, even if you didn’t."
"...Dark magic, is it?"
"No, I don’t include tragic choices in my plays. I’ve prepared sothing far more straightforward and certain."
Yung pulled out a small box from his coat and showed it to . When I saw what was inside, I clenched my fist.
An orb.
The black orb, shaped like a sphere, was an artifact I recognized well.
That artifact.
"Is it an artifact created by the Cult Leader?"
It was an artifact capable of causing large-scale explosions.
At my flat statent, Yung burst into laughter and nodded confidently.
"Yes, you’re right. It’s an artifact imbued with the Cult Leader’s mana. Then you must already know what this is."
"A large-scale explosion."
"You really don’t miss a thing. Like soone who ca from the future…."
"...The Cult Leader wouldn’t have given it to you so easily."
"Of course not. Even for the Cult Leader, creating sothing like this is difficult…. I stole it secretly."
"..."
"I’m planning to die anyway, so what’s there to fear? Don’t you think so, kiddo?"
Looking into Yung’s murderous eyes, I clenched my fist. He didn’t seem to be lying.
"I’ve hidden orbs imbued with the Cult Leader’s mana throughout the underground chamber."
"That’s cowardly."
"If you want to watch an entertaining play, you have to pay the admission fee, don’t you?"
"..."
"Even if you had taken that kid outside, the explosion would’ve still happened. I’ve hidden them above ground too."
"Can you tell where you’ve hidden them?"
"Do you think I’d tell you?"
"That’s unfortunate."
Yung’s eyes began to take on a colder expression.
"The activation condition is…"
Yung pointed to his neck with his finger.
"My life."
"..."
"The deactivation thod is also my life."
Faced with this convoluted riddle, I furrowed my brows. What did he an by that? Even the Sphinx’s riddles had answers, but Yung’s puzzle, where the answer and the wrong choice were the sa, was incomprehensible.
Seeing my complicated expression, Yung reassured in a tone ant to ease my concern as he revealed the answer to the riddle.
"Don’t worry, as long as you don’t kill , it’s fine."
"What do you an by that?"
"That kid."
Yung gestured with his eyes toward Mikhail, who was clutching an illusion tightly.
"That kid is the key."
"The key…?"
"If that kid slits my throat with his hand, you win. On the other hand, if you can’t bear to see the kid get broken any further and kill yourself, I win."
"You son of a b*tch."
"Does that make you angry?"
"Wouldn’t it?"
Yung exhaled deeply from his diaphragm, his voice calm and steady.
"That’s why I’m showing you."
"..."
"The sight of sothing precious to you breaking."
"..."
"That silver-haired kid is precious to you, isn’t he?"
"..."
Yung raised his eyebrows and smirked slyly.
"If he wasn’t important to you, you wouldn’t have co here. Every ti I tried to do sothing to him, you appeared and interfered…."
"..."
"It’s so obvious. It’s like you’re screaming, ‘This is my weakness.’"
"You’ve hit the mark."
"That’s why emotions are terrifying. No matter how strong soone is, they crumble when their reverse scale is touched."
As Yung stared directly into my eyes, he proudly recounted his story.
"The script I’ve prepared won’t be boring."
"Heart-wrenching, yet entertaining."
"It’ll make you cry and get angry."
I nodded at Yung’s words, realizing he was more cunning than I had thought.
"I pondered deeply on what the ultimate revenge an old man in the backroom could enact might be…"
-Hyaaaahhh!!!
Watching Mikhail charge at him, having lost all reason, Yung spoke.
"This is it."
-I’ll kill you!!!!
"Breaking this guy."
"…"
"If soone you hold dear crumbles right before your eyes, wouldn’t that be the ultimate revenge?"
"…"
Yung, wearing a cruel smile, looked at and said.
"I told you. I can’t beat you."
Mikhail, having drawn his sword, was charging toward empty space.
"Youuu!!!"
Even though Yung was standing right beside him.
Watching Mikhail’s sword slice through the air, Yung let out a hollow laugh. It must have been truly amusing, as Yung clenched his teeth to suppress his laughter, which made frown.
"Even if it’s cowardly, it can’t be helped."
"…"
"Endure it, kiddo."
-Swaaaash!
Mikhail swung his sword aninglessly.
As if his nesis were right where he swung.
Watching Mikhail like that, Yung turned to and said.
"Look closely."
"It’s a scene you haven’t seen in a while, isn’t it?"
"…"
"You need to watch carefully."
"You really enjoy playing nasty pranks, don’t you?"
"That’s right."
Yung, seeing my awkward smile, coldly voiced his thoughts.
"What do you think would happen if that sword were aid at you?"
"Are you saying you’ll change the target?"
"I need to show the script I’ve prepared properly. You must have been expecting sothing too."
A single question arose in my mind.
"But…"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you think I can’t kill you?"
"What?"
"If I kill you and break the magic, wouldn’t it be a simple solution?"
"Didn’t you hear say I hid the Orb…? Do you want to be buried alive?"
"Didn’t I say I ca here to die?"
"…"
"Even if Mikhail defeats you, it all ends if I blow everything up."
"…"
"I just think it’d be better to vent my stress thoroughly and save my friend."
Looking at Mikhail, who was swinging his sword into empty space, I spoke in a low voice.
"I admit it. That person you call a kiddo is soone precious to . You’re right; he’s my weakness and my reverse scale."
"…"
"Still, I think it’s better to bet on a future where there’s at least so hope rather than a zero-percent chance."
"You’re insane."
Slowly, I drew my sword and began walking toward him. At the sa ti, Mikhail’s eyes started to gleam as they focused on .
As if blinded by rage, the tip of Mikhail’s sword pointed at . Letting out a deep sigh, I spoke.
"You killed him."
"…This is troubleso."
"You… you killed him!"
"Haa…"
Yung, unable to hide his bewildered expression, was watching us. It seed he was quite flustered by the situation unfolding differently from what he had envisioned.
He wanted to watch.
But he also needed to escape.
He had even considered mutual destruction.
For the first ti, it seed he felt fear toward , soone who declared they’d destroy the script he had painstakingly prepared.
"If you don’t follow my words, that boy will undoubtedly die."
"I suppose so."
"Do you think that kid can withstand the Cult Leader’s mana?"
"It’s impossible, isn’t it?"
"…Then!"
"I can. If I take the shock in his place, it’s entirely possible."
Looking at Mikhail, who was breathing heavily, and Yung, I spoke in a cold tone.
"It’s not as pretty a picture as you thought, is it?"
-Kang…!
"Your ominous words had a bit scared, but honestly, it’s a bit underwhelming, Archbishop of Oblivion."
Grinding his teeth, Yung said.
"Let’s see how long you can keep that expression."
-Snap!
Yung snapped his fingers while glaring at .
And then.
"Ah…"
Mikhail, whose eyes regained focus, stood in front of .
Mikhail swung his sword firmly. But his flustered eyes seed to dance, unsure of where to settle.
"How is this…"
Watching Mikhail’s trembling eyes, I smiled.
"Have you woken up?"
"Where is this…? I was definitely with that man…"
"Shh."
A sparkling red flash scattered toward Yung. Looking at the wall, which now seed torn and crushed, Yung let out a deep breath, muttering that even monsters couldn’t compare to this.
"Don’t think about it."
"No… no."
"It’s just a dream. Don’t think too deeply or try to rember it."
Mikhail’s trembling eyes turned to , as if seeking an answer to what was happening.
Lightly parrying Mikhail’s sword, I offered a faint smile. Sotis, a simple, enigmatic smile is easier to understand than complex words.
"I don’t want this…"
"…"
"I don’t want to do this anymore…"
Speaking as if to remind her of her role, I called her na with weight in my voice.
"Miss Misa."
"Ah…?"
"Yes, Miss Misa."
-Kang!
Once again, the reverberating sound of a sword strike filled the space, leaving my ears ringing. As a tingling pain shot up from his hands, Mikhail’s expression began to change rapidly.
"Stop..."
-Kang!
"I said stop...!"
-Ka-ga-ga-gak!
"Please, just stop!!"
He despaired over his body that refused to move as he willed.
"My body won’t listen to ...!"
"I understand."
"I want to stop...! But my body!"
"I understand."
Mikhail, at this mont.
"Please...!"
Was trembling in fear.
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