The two screamers stopped trying to run away and approached closer. I raised my head at once and spoke to them.
"Killed Dantalian."
Those were all the words I needed to say.
"W-what?" Luka muttered.
"I knew it…" and Albert spoke.
"Fucking blabbermouth, you just really don't know when to drop the smart guy act huh?"
"I did know it! I figured it all out!"
"Shut up. Shut up!"
"That and, Senior Lethe told us everything. We were taking turns to nurse Miss Dawn."
"Oh…" I muttered.
A night breeze swept past us.
"How is she?" I asked.
"She woke up this morning," Luka was the one who answered. "You should probably go."
I nodded at their words.
"You guys, thanks."
"AHHH!"
"He's going to kill us!"
"This is not Yujin! It's a demon!!"
These cunts.
With my brows twitching, I left them behind and walked away.
As I left, I raised my hands.
"Also, Luka."
"What?"
"Noa Roselle never died."
A thud sounded behind me, but I didn't bother.
There was someone more important waiting for me.
***
The faint light of the skies spilled in through the windows in my room. As the door opened, a cold breeze spread inside, sending aflutter the white drapes next to the bed.
And sitting atop it, was a woman with purple hair. Her hand on her knees and her gaze outward.
I stepped inside and locked the door behind me, but she didn't look my way.
Without a word, I snapped my fingers.
A thud resounded in the room as a coffin fell right next to my bed.
Only then, did she turn this way.
The light outside was brightening up her face, it was a pity, or maybe a relief, that I couldn't see.
I snapped my fingers again and the top of the coffin slid aside, revealing the corpse of the demon, Dantalian, inside.
"I do have excuses," I said.
Dawn's eyes tore away from the coffin toward me.
"Y-ou don't have to…"
"No. I won't, because it won't change I let you get hurt." I clenched my fists. "I wasn't strong enough to not let it happen. I killed Dantalian, gave her a gruesome death, but even then."
My lips pursed on their own.
This was right.
I never should have let her got hurt.
It was definitely my fault. My weakness that let it happen.
I wasn't able to pull through when it mattered. And I knew it was a process of gradually growing stronger, none of those excused what had happened.
"I'll let you cut off my ears or nose if you want anything. I'll even do something else—"
"Dusk."
"I know, I know. I talk about you being safe or doing this or that and still let you get hurt. It's all my fault, you should curse me out. Heck, I say you can even punch me or something—"
"Dusk."
"Right. Even that won't fix anything. It's just me being selfish—"
"Dus—ouch."
The moment she hissed in pain, I dashed over to her side and held her up. Supporting Dawn against the bed, I leaned down and looked at her.
"Why in the world are you trying to get off the bed—"
"You brat, finally listening, huh?"
I shut my mouth and helped her settle down. Dawn winced in pain and slowly leaned back on the bed, her sides were nowhere fully healed.
Once she was calmer, she patted on the bed to her right.
"Sit."
I hesitated a little, but sat down when she urged me again.
She slowly took my hand in hers, her fingers grazed over the spot where my finger was missing.
"Lady Acacia told me everything."
"Ah…"
"You would have been swallowed up by the demon if I wasn't there, right?"
How did Lethe know…
"In a way, I saved you this time, right?"
"That's…"
"So I was hurt in vain?"
I shook my head.
"No. I would have lost myself if you weren't there at that very moment."
Dantalian almost succeeded. Dawn truly did save me.
She grazed my hand again.
"To save me, you lost a finger. And to save you, I got this wound. There's no need to for you to blame yourself. Do you get it? You didn't let me be hurt, but I was the one who came there and saved you, getting hurt in the process."
I couldn't say anything to that.
"I have to say, I was quite surprised seeing you with a demon. But… I trust you more than I trust myself, Dusk."
I clenched her hand in turn.
"I… have learnt to do so too…"
She nodded and turned her eye toward the corpse in the room.
"You really went and killed Dantalian, huh? How?"
"I chased her to hell."
"Insane."
"No. I couldn't have faced you otherwise."
Dawn laughed.
She slowly leaned to the side, placing her head on my shoulder.
I tapped her hand tight and looked down.
I… got off easy.
"Dusk… No, um, Eugene…"
I turned toward Dawn. She tightened the grip on my hand and leaned closer.
I did so too, slowly inching toward her lips.
And then, softly, ever so softly, our lips met—
"EEEK!"
—Before I was pushed away.
"W-w-what? What happened?" I said, surprised.
"Y-y-y-y-y-y-youu!!" Dawn screamed. She seemed to have forgotten about her wound as she pointed a finger at me.
She didn't even let me react as she picked up her stick from her side and filled it with her ki.
"D-dawn?"
"Stay still! Don't you dare move!"
I remained in spot as she brought the stick toward my head, and with her ki, stabbed it through my skin.
A stinging sensation like a mosquito biting spread.
And blood drizzled down my head.
"D-d-dusk…"
I slowly dabbed my fingers over the blood and looked at my hand.
"You… are..."
Words rushed to my head.
[It's only natural… Yes, as long as that blood is in you]
That claim.
[I didn't think you'd lose without putting up a fight]
My assumption.
[Feel free to reach out if you ever need any help. You've given this old sack of bones a good reason to live a little longer.]
That strangeness.
And Dantalian's…
[This isn't a game… no one has won… not me… and definitely not YOU! EUGENE HALL!]
Scream…
My blood.
The slight dab that had fallen into my hand.
It was black.
"A demon?"
***
[A/N: Thanks for reading Volume 4!]
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