IGWNI Ch 26

Yoon Jaewoo grinned broadly and showed off an even more dazzling display of lifting. Malik leaned back at an angle and watched Yoon Jaewoo. Yatenbaum clapped his hands, praising the Ramia’s talent.

It was a feeling of pride he had not felt in a long time. His shoulders squared. Yoon Jaewoo was getting more and more excited. While lifting the ball with the top of his foot, he glanced around, thinking, should I give it a try?

He found a suitable target with his eyes. He put strength into his legs and lofted the ball up moderately. Then, he kicked the ball with all his might with his left foot. Because his right leg was impaired, it did not have the same power as before, but the ball flew at a terrifying speed and precisely hit the statue Yoon Jaewoo had aimed for.

With a clang, the ball soared into the air.

Yatenbaum stood up from his seat, applauding. Malik also looked at Yoon Jaewoo with surprised eyes.

「Blondie. What in the world did you used to do? Where did you learn a talent like this?」

“Yoon Jaewoo. A player who advanced to the Premier League. The Wizard of the Midfield. The best midfielder… I was.”

The voice introducing his brilliant past lost its strength. Yatenbaum noticed the look of gloom on Yoon Jaewoo and quickly brought the ball back and handed it to him.

「Do it one more time, Blondie.」

“I am fine. My leg is aching too.”

Yoon Jaewoo shook his head, massaging his right shin which had begun to throb.

「Do it. If Lord Dweord tells you to do it, you do it.」

Even Malik joined in.

“Ah, these gentlemen, really. Tsk. They sure know a good thing when they see it.”

Yoon Jaewoo grinned and accepted the ball.

“Alright, here I go.”

Just as he was about to lift the ball into the air, the office door opened. Yoon Jaewoo, who had been playing with the ball in the friendly atmosphere, spotted Eustace appearing with a map and a pile of papers and said, “Uh,” stopping the ball.

He had noticed that Eustace’s gaze, which was fixed on him, held a subtle hint of discomfort.

「Why? Not doing more?」

Malik asked. After confirming that Yoon Jaewoo’s gaze was lingering at the doorway, he frowned.

「Is there some law that you cannot do it when your master arrives? Do it if you are told. Because this noble Malik-nim wants to see it. Do you think the opportunity to show off your talents in front of me is so common? It is an honor for your family and a glory in your filthy and vulgar Ramia life.」

「Blondie. It’s okay. Surely, no matter how easily he gets sulky, Rau wouldn’t get angry over something like this. Hahahaha.」

Yatenbaum said with a laugh as he patted Yoon Jaewoo’s head. Yoon Jaewoo looked back at Eustace, thinking, is that so?

Eustace silently walked into the office and placed the map and the pile of papers he brought onto the desk. Then he walked over to Yoon Jaewoo and pulled his arm. Before he could even ask why, Yoon Jaewoo’s hand was twisted behind his back.

“Ah, that hurts.”

A scream burst from Yoon Jaewoo’s mouth, but Eustace did not even bat an eye.

“What is wrong? What did I… ugh.”

Eustace added more force to his hand. Pressing down on the Ramia who was struggling and saying it hurt, Eustace glared at Yatenbaum.

「Blondie. Look at that. What is so good about a guy like this? Come to my room later, Blondie. I will dote on you plenty.」

It was said like a joke. Eustace, Yoon Jaewoo, and even Yatenbaum who was saying it, knew it was a joke. But Eustace’s expression showed no sign of softening.

「He will not go.」

Eustace’s voice rang out loosely. A smile was playing on the corners of his eyes. However, everyone present noticed that Eustace was not truly smiling.

「A Maryan must not enter another man’s room alone. If he commits such an act, it is permissible to cut off his limbs and throw them to the dogs as feed.」

At the horrific words coming from Eustace’s mouth, Yoon Jaewoo flinched. He could not believe that such words came from Eustace’s mouth, and not Malik’s.

「When you cut him up and throw him to the dogs, give me one finger. Yummy… so I can suck on one finger. Ah, it would be delicious.」

Cox, who had followed him in, muttered as he placed a load of maps onto the desk. At that sound, Yoon Jaewoo’s face hardened to a degree that was pitiful to see.

「Rau. No matter what, those words are…」

When Yatenbaum laughed and patted his shoulder, a sharp wind flew out and pushed Yatenbaum’s body away. A menacing energy crossed Yatenbaum’s face.

「Mäden. I am getting tired of even speaking further.」

Eustace continued, glancing pointedly at his cousin, Yatenbaum Mäden.

「Do not touch what is mine.」

「It is not completely yours yet, Rau. If I ascend to the position of Azhar, I can take your Ramia from you.」

「You? Azhar?」

Eustace laughed. The flames of fury erupted in Yatenbaum’s eyes.

「You have forgotten. The power that I possess.」

「I know it well. That is why I am laughing like this, is it not?」

「Rau! You bastard…!」

Yatenbaum furiously called his name. The floor trembled at his voice.

Cox and Malik watched the fight between the two with intrigued faces. Although the cousins Eustace and Yatenbaum bickered and argued, they had rarely fought while revealing their anger so murderously.

Yoon Jaewoo interjected with a dying voice, saying, “don’t fight.” Between Eustace and Yatenbaum, he was barely able to breathe. No matter how much he ate the fruit that made him less affected by their power every morning, the energy the two Dweords were emitting now was not on that level. He could do nothing more than breathe. If this continued, he might vomit blood and collapse again.

「Blondie looks like he’s struggling, so let’s talk later.」

Yatenbaum was the first to back down. Eustace’s eyes grew even colder.

「Why are you worrying about my Maryan?」

「Whether he’s your Maryan or whatever, he can’t die, first of all!」

「Whether he lives or dies is my problem to handle.」

Yoon Jaewoo’s expression, upon hearing those words, was colored with horror. They were all words that were hard to believe came from the Eustace who had been affectionately stroking his face just a while ago.

「Rau!」

Yatenbaum gestured with his eyes for him to look at Yoon Jaewoo. Eustace did not even like that. Neither Yatenbaum touching his Ramia, nor the Ramia who let Yatenbaum touch his body without any wariness.

“Just why are you being like this? What did I do so wrong… Let go of this.”

Yoon Jaewoo said, putting strength into his wrist to break free from Eustace’s grip. The moment he saw the Ramia making a move to get away from him, Eustace heard the sound of the anger he was barely suppressing break past its limit.

Eustace narrowed his eyes and smiled.

「Not just you, but it seems I also need to teach this thing who its master is.」

「What?」

“What are you….”

Eustace pressed Yoon Jaewoo’s body down, forcing him to lie prone on the desk. Then he swept a hand down Yoon Jaewoo’s back. Feeling a strange sensation prickle everywhere his hand touched, Yoon Jaewoo urgently bit his lip.

「What, …surely, you’re not going to have intercourse here? Hmm… it probably won’t be a pretty sight. Hmm… my head hurts…」

Cox muttered to himself, shaking his head from side to side.

「What? Fuck, my eyes will rot!」

Malik threw a fit, covering his own eyes.

Yoon Jaewoo looked up at Eustace with a no way expression on his face. A similar thing had happened before, but he had only pretended to do it to deceive others, not actually done such a thing.

When his eyes met the bewildered Yoon Jaewoo’s, Eustace clicked his tongue with an indifferent face and tightened his grip on Yoon Jaewoo.

“Ah, I said it hurts!”

「Stay still.」

Even so, he did not think that Eustace would actually do such a thing in front of other Dweords. Yoon Jaewoo thought Eustace would end it at giving Yatenbaum a suitable warning. No, he wanted to believe so. But the moment a hand slipped inside his clothes, the thought that something was wrong hit him.

“I said don’t!”

Even when they were completely naked and in the bathtub together, it did not feel like this. The touch of the groping hand was different. If the touch back then had felt like it was to protect Yoon Jaewoo, the touch now was merely a gesture to suppress and demand obedience.

Yoon Jaewoo struggled desperately.

“Don’t! Just why are you being like this!”

「What is this? It looks like your Maryan dislikes you?」

Malik smirked and lifted his chin. A sharp chill crossed Eustace’s face. He lifted Yoon Jaewoo’s body with one hand.

「Take off your clothes, Ramia.」

“I refuse.”

Though he knew in his head that he should not do this, Yoon Jaewoo answered that way. It was unbearably unpleasant that Eustace was suddenly treating him like a lowly slave in front of the other Dweords.

“I said I refuse!”

It was not like this even when Malik showered him with words like vermin, disgusting, or that he should be torn limb from limb and fed to dogs. It was just, that crazy bastard is at it again, and that was all.

But now is different.

When Eustace treated him that way, he felt extremely, foully dirty. It felt like being shoved into a sewer. It was similar to the emotion he felt back in the days when he had injured his leg and did not know what to do, when he first read the malicious comments under an article about himself.

That vague sense of betrayal he felt when he thought he was a beloved being, only to find out that people thought he was a crippled piece of trash.

「Insolent thing…」

A blue aura gathered in Eustace’s eyes. A coldness that felt like his body would freeze seeped in through the wrist he was holding. Still, Yoon Jaewoo looked him straight in the eye and shook his head.

“I refuse.”

He knew that the only one who could protect him in this place right now was Eustace. And also the fact that if he changed his mind, his body would be thrown to Dweords who were like a pack of hungry dogs.

“I don’t want to. I refuse. I said no!”

And yet, Yoon Jaewoo did not want to listen to Eustace.

Eustace, who had been silently looking at Yoon Jaewoo, swallowed a short laugh. He raised his head. The ball that had been rolling at Yoon Jaewoo’s feet floated gently into the air.

「You dislike me?」

Eustace asked. Yoon Jaewoo nodded.

The ball began to spin. The sound of wind echoed around the slowly spinning ball. The ball, which had been humming with a sharp sound, burst with a pop. The color drained from Yoon Jaewoo’s face.

「It seems I will have to tame you from the beginning again.」

The remains of the ball crumbled between Eustace’s palms. Yoon Jaewoo, who had been blankly watching the scene, dropped his gaze to the floor.

Eustace reached out, grabbed Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulders, and forced his body to lie prone on the desk. The sound of fabric ripping was heard. It sounded like a noise from a distant place that had nothing to do with him, Yoon Jaewoo thought.

「Who your master is, I will make sure to carve it clearly into that stupid head of yours.」

A low voice, like that of a beast making a threat, pressed down on Yoon Jaewoo’s body. He was crushed by the sound. Yoon Jaewoo knew that it was a power the man possessed.

The man who had held him last night and patted his chest with his palm until he fell asleep was now trying to insult and trample him with that same hand. It felt like having cold water dumped over his head.

It was not even this bad when he was insulted as trash, a cripple, a washed-up loser by people he did not even know the faces of. The rope he had been hanging onto precariously had snapped, and he was plummeting into the abyss.

It was just as the malicious comments said. I am a cripple. For believing in Eustace, even for a moment, I am truly a cripple.

Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulders, while he was lying prone, trembled violently.

「Ramia.」

Eustace reached out to turn Yoon Jaewoo’s head. Not missing the opening, Yoon Jaewoo turned his body and put strength into his legs. Then, with all his might, he moved his foot.

「……!」

At the unexpected attack, Eustace moved his body back. The Ramia, Eustace’s Maryan, had kicked his shin with all his might.

It was not only Eustace who was shocked by that unbelievable act. The three Dweords also could not open their mouths for a moment and froze on the spot.

“I said don’t touch me! You son of a bitch!”

Yoon Jaewoo quickly pushed him away and went out of the office. The sound of the office door slamming shut echoed behind him.

「Hahahaha. That’s quite something.」

Yatenbaum burst into laughter.

「Yummy… has a temper. Hehe…」

「An insolent Ramia like that should be executed on the spot. Let’s take this opportunity to slit his belly and kill him.」

Malik said to Eustace. Eustace walked right past such a Malik.

「Where are you going? To find Blondie? Shall I bring him? If you go now, it might rather…」

Yatenbaum shut his mouth at the force of the power that suddenly poured towards him. Eustace withdrew his cold gaze. He turned his body towards the hallway Yoon Jaewoo had exited from.

As Eustace left the office, Malik clicked his tongue.

「What is all this fuss over one insolent Ramia. At a sacred time like this. I should go right now, catch that Ramia, scalp him to keep only his hair, and burn the rest to a crisp.」

「Stop it, …Dicker.」

Cox muttered with a gloomy face.

「Why? In his current state, Eustace would surely agree to killing the Ramia. It works out well. It would be nice for me to take the Ramia and play with him a bit before he dies, too.」

A vile smile crossed Malik’s lips.

The Ramia that Eustace had now had a pretty hair color, so it occurred to him that making a taxidermy of him wouldn’t be a bad idea, rather than just burning him to death.

「Stupid Dicker. …that is certainly Eustace’s Maryan.」

At Cox’s words, Malik’s lips puckered into a what are you talking about expression.

「…he kicked him, but Eustace didn’t kill him, did he?」

Giggling, Cox gathered his hair and tied it up. His beautiful face, which had been hidden by his long, flowing hair, was clearly revealed.

「Dicker. Did you forget the Rau from the day we competed for the Dweord position? I confused Mäden and Rau’s backs that day.」

Cox said, pointing to Yatenbaum’s bright red hair color. He was talking about the moment that day when Eustace had been drenched in bright red blood from head to toe. Cox smiled brightly and continued speaking quickly.

「Even if he acts the most respectable, Rau is Rau. If everyone has forgotten why a guy who likes to read books and do paperwork rose to that position, then there’s really nothing more to say.」

Cox’s voice, with his hair gathered and swept to one side, had become strangely bright.

「…I see.」

Yatenbaum also nodded with a grave face.

The Eustace he knew would naturally have snapped the Ramia’s neck in a situation like the one just now. Being kicked in the shin by a mere Ramia in front of other Dweords was a great insult. Eustace was not one to endure that insult. Although he usually acted relaxed and wore a smiling face, if someone tried to shake his authority in the slightest, he would mercilessly strike the opponent down.

Yatenbaum recalled that just before leaving the office, Eustace’s fingertips had been trembling slightly.

…He suppressed his anger. That Eustace Rau.

「Is he really trying to make that filthy thing his Maryan?」

As Malik muttered as if to himself, Cox replied with a bright smile.

「Well, first, he has to catch him and not kill him to make him his or whatever.」

Yatenbaum’s worried gaze fell on the doorway where Eustace and the Ramia had disappeared.

「Before that, though.」

Cox plucked a single blue flower from the vase decorating the table and tore off its leaves. Seeing this, Yatenbaum and Malik’s expressions froze for a moment. Cox, humming a tune, placed the flower, now with only its stem and petals left, in his hair.

There was a vitality in Cox’s eyes, which always looked gloomy. He was a completely different person from the Cox who had been gloomily muttering while touching his hair earlier. Seeing this, Malik muttered “fuck,” and put a hand to his forehead. Yatenbaum also bit his lip and swallowed a curse.

The beautiful Cox Philippte, with a flower in his hair, spread his arms wide and exclaimed.

「Can you guys not feel this right now? This aura of darkness! The sound calling for me! Uhuhuhu.」

Turning the corner of the hallway, Yoon Jaewoo thought that he wished he could disappear from this damn, miserable world, right this very instant.

Why, of all places, did he have to come to a place like this?

Of all the many worlds, why did he have to fall into a world teeming with sons of bitches like that? Why, of all days, did I have to get into that kind of accident…

“Ugh.”

At the tears welling up, Yoon Jaewoo bit his lip. He would absolutely not cry. Just you watch. You damn son of a bitch. I will definitely escape this place and, for you to see, my leg will heal, I will succeed in my comeback, and I will live happily.

Yoon Jaewoo dragged his limping leg past the corner and walked down the hallway. He was walking aimlessly, but there was nowhere to go. Knowing this fact, he did not stop walking.

He felt that anywhere he did not have to see that bastard’s face would be fine. He just wanted to get as far away from that bastard as possible.

「Ramia!」

He heard a voice calling him from afar. Yoon Jaewoo pretended not to hear and just stared at the floor as he walked forward.

「Ramia! Ramia!」

Call all you want, I will absolutely not turn back. You bad bastard. Fucking bastard. Son of a bitch. —Damn bastard.

「Ramia!!」

I cannot hear you. I said I cannot hear you.

Even if you call me with such a desperate voice, I will absolutely never…!

“Hic!”

For a moment, the end of the hallway wavered in darkness. A darkness starting from a pitch-black point rushed to engulf him. Yoon Jaewoo, who had felt this sensation with his body several times, flinched backward.

But the darkness was faster. The darkness reached out a hand and seized Yoon Jaewoo’s ankle. In an instant, his center of gravity was upended.

Yoon Jaewoo, thrown onto the hallway floor, struggled to keep from being dragged into the darkness. He barely managed to grab a pillar, but at the same moment he thought he had caught it, his hand slipped.

“Ugh…!”

He gripped the hallway floor and pushed with all his might, trying to hold on somehow. His fingernails bent and broke. It hurt so much, but he had no time to think about such things. Below his waist, a black shadow was already cast. The moment he thought it was truly the end, a sharp wind brushed past him.

It was a familiar scent. A sweet, cool body scent.

Eustace, who had run to Yoon Jaewoo’s side at some point, swung his hand and pushed away the shadow that was rising from the end of the hallway. The darkness, pushed back with a lurch, wriggled and squirmed, looking for an opportunity. Eustace’s eyes glowed a ghastly blue. Yoon Jaewoo knew instinctively that he was in a state of extreme anger.

The shadow, wriggling and squirming in the corner, let out a Kee-ak sound and charged. A wind as sharp as a blade covered it. In an instant, the shadow was torn to shreds. The shadow screamed and writhed. At the ferocious scream that was deafening, Yoon Jaewoo was frozen in place, unable to move.

Eustace’s coattails wrapped around Yoon Jaewoo’s face. The moment his vision was covered, there was a thud sound, and the smell of something burning spread. Yoon Jaewoo could tell that Eustace had completely annihilated the shadow.

「Ramia.」

Eustace called him.

Yoon Jaewoo’s face, which had been hidden by the sleeve, was revealed.

「Are you hurt anywhere?」

He asked. Yoon Jaewoo blankly shook his head.

Why… why does the nightmare of that day keep appearing in reality? Why do I have to keep seeing the nightmare of the accident? Am I really going crazy?

「Ramia!」

Eustace pulled Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulders into an embrace. The darkness brushed past him, barely missing. Eustace bit his lip and chanted a spell, cutting down the remaining shadow.

「Are you really not hurt anywhere?」

Eustace, noticing that Yoon Jaewoo’s expression was not its usual self, narrowed his eyes and asked.

“…I am not….”

「Then that is fine. You must stay right by my side.」

Eustace held onto Yoon Jaewoo’s arm.

It was the same gentle Eustace as before. However, Yoon Jaewoo could not readily take Eustace’s hand. Yoon Jaewoo put strength into his hands and pushed Eustace away.

「Ramia!」

He called Yoon Jaewoo.

“…Just leave me alone.”

Yoon Jaewoo repeated as if talking to himself.

「Ramia, right now….」

“You can just leave me alone, can you not? Why do you pretend to care about me? You think someone like me is a being you can just trample and ignore anyway.”

Yoon Jaewoo shook off Eustace’s hand.

「This is not the time to be having this conversation.」

“Then when do we have this conversation? It was always, always a crisis for me.”

He had just been closing his eyes to it.

Even in a precarious situation where life and death hung in the balance, he told himself, this is fine, I can tolerate this much.

“To you people, it may just be a piece of entertainment, but it is not that for me. To you people, it may be a trivial matter happening on that map, but it is not that for me. I feel like I am going to go crazy from anger, so just leave me alone. It does not matter to you whether I live or die anyway! If I die, just turn me into a marble!”

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

He hated himself for forgetting his own situation because of the man’s tenderness and leaning on the peace that was given, even for a moment. That weakness, it felt horrific.

He had to accept the fact that Yoon Jaewoo, whose life was over and who could not do a single thing properly, was who he was now.

“Just leave me alone, please…, just leave me be.”

Muttering weakly, Yoon Jaewoo pushed Eustace away.

「Leave you alone?」

Eustace asked.

「Did you just tell me to leave you here and go?」

Eustace gripped Yoon Jaewoo’s wrist.

Already, at the far end of the hallway, the shadow of darkness was beginning to creep forward again. On the opposite side, although it was not visible, the presence of the Ibnu could be felt.

It was only a matter of time before this place was surrounded.

When the Ramia’s ankle was caught by the shadow in the hallway, Eustace was reminded of the memory of that day. Of the moment the Ramia disappeared into the darkness.

If Yatenbaum had not rushed over, the Ramia would have vanished without a trace. Eustace looked at the whole, living being he was holding in his hand.

Just seeing someone touch this thing made his anger flare. He wanted to lock it up somewhere and prevent anyone’s hand from touching it.

And,

He does not want to lose this thing.

He wanted to keep it by his side continuously, whole, in the state he held it in now.

“Leave me and go. Go and save this world, or fight for the position of a god, or smash the barrier, do as you please. It has nothing to do with me anyway….”

Eustace pulled Yoon Jaewoo tightly into an embrace. The man’s hot breath could be felt above his head. Yoon Jaewoo was about to scream, what on earth are you doing now? A cluster of darkness fell with a thud next to them. A nauseating, fishy, and burnt smell filled the air. Yoon Jaewoo’s face turned ashen, as he had not even felt the presence of the shadow of darkness approaching.

Flap, flap, the sensation of something beating its wings was felt from above.

「Rau. You take the west. From here to the west garden.」

A familiar voice was heard from above his head.

Cox Philippte was flying, holding a sword in each hand. Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes widened at the sight of the large wings sprouting from his shoulders.

「Understood. I will take the west.」

Eustace answered in a calm tone.

「Right. I’m entrusting it to you because it seems like the weakest group is over there. You’re carrying a burden right now. It must be a headache to carry that around on your hip.」

Cox rapidly rattled off what he had to say. Although it was the same person, he gave off a strangely different feeling, to the point of seeming unfamiliar.

Yoon Jaewoo, who was trying to figure out what had changed, noticed Cox’s long hair, which was tied up high and neatly.

“His hair….”

Cox’s usual appearance was to let his hair hang long and stringy like a ghost, muttering to himself while braiding it or wrapping it around his fingers. It was a dark and bizarre hairstyle, but it suited his personality so well that he had never thought of him in any other way. Cox, with his hair neatly gathered and his face clearly revealed, looked completely different from before.

「Just why are they crawling in like this?」

At Eustace’s question, Cox shrugged his shoulders.

「The excuse from Yatenbaum, who is moving the lake like a motherfucker, is that this vicinity is probably the tomb where the Ibnu were sealed. And I, well. I have a feeling that those bastards are desperately trying to get inside here. Strangely enough….」

Cox’s eyes held a sinister smile. No matter how he changed his appearance, a smile like that never changes, Yoon Jaewoo thought.

「How dare they.」

Eustace muttered lowly through his teeth.

「Exactly, how dare they. How can mere Ibnu even think of crawling into a castle where four Dweords are present? How dare they, I say. Huhuhu.」

Cox’s voice was subtly high. Can one’s way of speaking change that much just by putting one’s hair up?

「Yummy.」

Cox spotted Yoon Jaewoo, who was held in Eustace’s arms, licked his lips, and called to him.

「Our yummy, stick close to Rau’s side. Otherwise, you might get dragged away before I can even take a bite of you. If you are going to get dragged away, make sure to stop by me before that. Considering our past affection, you should at least feed me one of your fingers. Right?」

At the voice that chattered on without rest, Yoon Jaewoo wondered if this was really the Dweord Cox he knew.

「By the way, are you okay going around like that without changing into a Lot? It would be more convenient to be in Lot form when dealing with the Ibnu.」

It’s faster that way, Cox added.

「Mind your own business and get lost.」

At Eustace’s short reply, Cox giggled and flapped his wings. Seeing the large wings move, Yoon Jaewoo felt that the sight was strangely familiar. He was sure he had seen that sight somewhere before….

「Alright. Be careful. It’s a kind worry I’m giving you, since it looks like one of your hands is completely useless now. Well then, good luck.」

Leaving those words behind, Cox flapped his wings once and disappeared to the other side of the hallway. Yoon Jaewoo turned his head to the side. One of Eustace’s arms was torn to the point where the bone was almost exposed. It was the arm that had been holding Yoon Jaewoo.

“Your arm…!”

「There’s no time to worry about this now.」

Eustace said with an indifferent face as he pulled Yoon Jaewoo’s arm.

“Your arm, right now, the blood is continuously…!”

Suddenly, Eustace clicked his tongue lowly with a displeased face. He had seen that Yoon Jaewoo’s fingernails were tattered and torn off.

「That must hurt.」

“Is my fingernail the problem right now? Half of your arm is gone!”

The blood flowing from Eustace’s arm soaked Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulder and pooled at his feet. The hallway floor was stained with Eustace’s blood.

Seeing that, Yoon Jaewoo’s hands trembled as he tore his own clothes to try and wrap Eustace’s wound somehow. Eustace laughed lowly.

“Are you laughing right now?”

He could die.

Yoon Jaewoo learned for the first time that blood could flow like this even from a god’s body. They also had the same red blood as him. If they get hurt, it hurts, and their lives are also in danger.

Yoon Jaewoo was reminded of the moment he had his accident. One of his legs was pressed by the car body, and at first, he could not even feel the sensation of pain. It looked like a slab of meat from a butcher shop, not his own leg, so it did not feel real that he was injured. The horrific pain came after he realized it was his own leg. Eustace was in a more horrific state than he had been then. Through the gouged-out flesh, shattered bone fragments protruded, looking as if the arm would be torn right off if someone grabbed it and pulled.

“The bleeding won’t stop!”

The cloth wrapped awkwardly around the wound was quickly soaked in red blood. Yoon Jaewoo, with trembling hands, tore his clothes again and wrapped it on top, but the blood flowed down, making the effort of bandaging the wound seem meaningless. He wanted to help somehow, but there was nothing he could do.

“What if you die!”

His large eyes trembled with tears. Worry for the other person was contained within them. Even while knowing how ridiculous it was to be worried about by something so young and weak, Eustace strangely felt his mood loosen. It overlapped with the image of that day, when he tried to protect him from the Angra worm’s attack by blocking the path of a beast several times his size.

How could a young thing that cannot even protect its own body be so worried about others?

“Damn it, what if you die….”

Repeating the same words, Yoon Jaewoo touches the cloth wrapped around Eustace’s wound with trembling hands. Eustace gently stroked the Ramia’s face.

「Then I should just leave you here and go.」

“……!”

「It has nothing to do with you, so I can just leave you and go, can I not?」

Eustace met Yoon Jaewoo’s gaze. Yoon Jaewoo could tell that a hint of a smile lingered in the voice that said so.

Eustace’s fingers swept across Yoon Jaewoo’s cheek, the corners of his eyes, and his ear, in order. As if to check every part of the whole, living being.

「Is that not so? It will not matter whether I live or die.」

“…….”

Yoon Jaewoo realized that he was getting back the exact words he had said to Eustace earlier.

This damn, personality-disordered son of a bitch.

「If it has nothing to do with you, then just leave me and go.」

Even while saying that, the touch caressing Yoon Jaewoo’s face was extremely careful and gentle.

The blood that flowed down from his right arm soaked Eustace’s leg. With a casual face as if such things did not matter at all, Eustace caressed Yoon Jaewoo’s cheek.

“…Damn it.”

The dark emotions that had filled his chest just a moment ago subsided with absurd ease.

Even if Yoon Jaewoo were to leave Eustace and go, he would not leave him, Yoon Jaewoo could tell.

“…It does.”

「What did you say?」

“…That wound on your arm, it is because of me, so for now, it does matter.”

So I cannot leave you and go.

A faint murmur followed sheepishly. Eustace said, “I see,” and gently held Yoon Jaewoo’s cheek. The hand touching his cheek felt unusually cold, Yoon Jaewoo thought.

「It does for me too.」

“…….”

「Because you are what I picked up.」

Eustace’s words, muttered through his teeth, resounded lowly. At the same time, the hallway shook. Eustace’s blood, which had been soaking the hallway, began to take form and move. Each time that form moved, a heavy sound, woooong, vibrated the surrounding air.

And, the wind rushed in.

Eustace’s coattails covered Yoon Jaewoo’s body, and a wind of blood began to blow over the hallway.

「Ah, that’s refreshing.」

A blood-soaked Cox said in a cheerful voice as he brushed the blood off his clothes. But there was so much blood caked on in sticky clumps that the act of brushing it off seemed meaningless.

Soon after, Malik walked in with a deep frown. His beautiful blond hair was also stained with sticky, smelly black blood.

「Ah! Fuck, I shouldn’t have come here! I really hate a musty castle like this, full of dirty Ibnu. I feel so gross I could die.」

「It is proof that we are getting closer to the barrier.」

Yatenbaum appeared. Having already finished the battle and even changed his clothes, he was the only one with a neat appearance.

「What. You even changed your clothes?」

「Why? You didn’t have the time for that? I could do it just by playing around and taking it easy.」

When Yatenbaum spoke mockingly, Malik clenched his fist. Then Cox clicked his tongue once and raised his hand upwards.

Water poured down on their heads, and the blood was washed away.

「Ah, refreshing.」

Cox once again uttered the same words as before. Malik shouted, Graah!, and got annoyed.

「How dare a crazy bird-brain pour water and act like a maniac!」

「You said you felt gross. It’s washed off, so what’s the big deal. Don’t worry about every little thing. You’ll get a neurosis and die before you even reach a hundred thousand years old.」

「You will die by my hand before that. I will break that neck of yours, put it on a skewer, and decorate your castle wall with it.」

While Malik was showering Cox with curses, Eustace came in. The moment they saw his blood-soaked figure, Yatenbaum grimaced.

「Where’s Blondie?」

Yoon Jaewoo walked out from beside Eustace. In a neat appearance, contrasting with the blood-soaked and tattered Eustace.

「Is Blondie hurt anywhere?」

Yatenbaum ran to his side. Yoon Jaewoo shook his head. He did not seem to be hurt anywhere, but his face was pale. He had already passed the brink of death several times today alone.

Besides, his stomach was not well because of having seen too many horrific scenes of blood splattering and flesh flying right before his eyes.

「What happened?」

Eustace asked.

「They say this place is the tomb of the Ibnu. We are currently treading on the tomb.」

When Asir was sealed, the numerous Ibnu who followed him, whom he commanded, were also killed. Their bodies were gathered, burned, and a barrier was erected on top to seal them. Living Ibnu were also mixed in among them.

「Can the Ibnu enter this place just by us passing over the barrier?」

Eustace accurately voiced the same question that was in everyone’s mind.

「Impossible. Of course. A barrier doesn’t break that easily. You all know that.」

Cox continued to speak alone, not giving anyone else a chance to answer.

「Someone is controlling the Ibnu. And it seems that Ibnu has business in this castle we are in.」

Everyone scanned each other with cold gazes.

The only beings in this world who could control the Ibnu at present were these four.

「Who is it, then?」

Malik frankly voiced the words no one else could.

「So who among us is controlling mere Ibnu? Why? And what business does that Ibnu have here that it keeps crawling in?」

「If we knew that, would we be standing around like this?」

Yatenbaum sighed as he looked at Malik. Yoon Jaewoo’s body swayed forward. Eustace caught him with one hand.

“…I am fine. Do not mind me, and please continue your conversation.”

Yoon Jaewoo waved his hand with an embarrassed face.

Although Eustace had moved around while holding Yoon Jaewoo in his arms even during the slaughter of the Ibnu, Yoon Jaewoo’s physical condition had certainly reached its limit. Furthermore, his stomach was not well, having been affected by the foul smell of Ibnu blood and Eustace’s power right next to him.

Eustace, who noticed Yoon Jaewoo’s condition, looked at the other Dweords and said.

「If there is nothing more to talk about, I will be leaving first.」

A sneer appeared on Malik’s face upon hearing Eustace’s words.

「Even in a situation like this, you’re going into a room to fuck a dirty hole? Ha, that’s ridiculous. Just how delicious is that hole, let’s all take turns and have a go…」

Sharp fingernails gripped Malik’s throat. Blood trickled down the nails. A menacing energy flowed from Malik’s eyes.

「Watch your mouth, Dicker.」

Eustace threatened lowly.

The smell of blood was overpowering every time he breathed out. Malik saw Eustace’s right arm and let out a snort of a laugh.

「Are you threatening me with that arm right now?」

Malik grabbed Eustace’s bleeding arm. Sharp claws dug into the wound. The stream of blood grew stronger.

Yoon Jaewoo’s face, watching from behind, turned deathly white.

「Shall I tear that arm off with my own hands?」

「It is a shame that before that, your neck would be torn off, so even if my arm gets torn off, you would not be able to see it.」

Seeing the uncharacteristically agitated Eustace, Yatenbaum had a bitter taste in his mouth. It was clear proof, just as Cox had said, that Eustace was thinking of the Ramia as his Maryan.

Yatenbaum gritted his molars.

Damn it. It seems I will have to make a desperate effort to snatch Blondie away from that bastard’s hands.

「Are you scorning me now for a filthy Ramia like that? This damn son of a…!」