Episode 123
I heard about the real Yerine, but I couldnât ask the details because I didnât have time.
I just found out that she was doing well and that she felt sorry for me even though I donât know why.
Thatâs why sheâs begging the woman to help me.
âWould it be okay to go right away?â
Just before returning to the human world, the woman asked in a worried voice.
âThere are only about three hours left, so I think itâs better to go with ease.â
I looked at my friends leaning on the tree and said.
I have to go quickly and turn Ikerâs attention to me.
That way, while Iker is distracted by me, those kids will be able to escape safely.
âThe more aesthetically pleasing you are, the more terrifying you are.â
I wiggled my fingers.
I kept thinking about whether I could do well and survive.
âNo. Letâs not think about bad things.â
I clenched my right fist and repeated it inside.
âI have to survive.â
A life where I can help others with my power.
A life where I can fix the world little by little with my strength.
The life of those who love me and who I love.
My life as Yerine Spade was like that.
So I couldnât give up easily.
It was too brilliant to let go.
âWell, I will survive, right?â
In front of Cassius, I said I was okay, but I seemed scared.
Still, I thought this level of childishness would be okay.
The woman who heard me stared at me with surprised red eyes.
âJust once, if you tell me that I can live and that I will survive, I think it will be very encouraging.â
Why?
Itâs blurry as if thereâs water in front of my eyes.
âIf you donât mind, would you do that?â
The woman squeezed my hand at the words.
Long, thin fingers were stained with blood and wrapped around rough hands.
Warm warmth was delivered.
âEven if I donât say so, you know.â
It was a calm voice like a ripple spreading over the calm surface.
With a soothing echo, warmth seemed to spread throughout the body.
âThat you will survive.â
Something came up from deep in the throat.
I really wanted to live.
Because I missed the people who I love and who love me so much.
The word âsurviveâ to me came as more precious than any other jewel.
â.â¦â¦.Thank you.â
âYes.â
The woman put her hand on my head and patted it lightly and said.
âJust do what I said before. Donât forget to come in contact with the biggest monster and say your wish correctly.â
âYes.â
âTell your wish that you want the mana absorbed by the monsters to return to its original place and to return it to you at the end.â
Her voice, which recounts the precautions, contained worries and affection like parents who taught their children what to do and what not to do.
âIâll be sure to. Thank you.â
âYes, if you keep that, there will be no problem.â
The woman smiled and said.
âIâll send your friends right near you if you think things are clear after you go.â
âYes, Iâd appreciate it if you could. If it doesnât finish in three hours, send them to a place where the Crown Prince couldnât find them.â
âDonât worry, Iâll send them to the safest place possible.â
âI look forward to your kind cooperation.â
I said, looking away from my friends who were sleeping.
âTheyâll be shocked when they wake up, so please do your best.â
âOkay.â
Saying so, the woman stretched out her right hand.
The smoke rising from the tip of her finger drew a vortex.
Then the smoke clumped together to form a huge mirror-like figure.
Beyond that, there was a rainbow-coloured vortex.
âThe Crown Prince is still in the Academy.â
âI see.â
âIf you get through here, youâll get in front of him.â
âThank you.â
I bit my lips pretending to be okay, but my steps didnât fall off.
I had to go, but my legs didnât move.
âWell, do you mind if I ask you one more question before I go?â
Eventually, I stopped and talked.
âSure.â
As expected, she didnât push me.
She seemed to know well why I was doing this.
âYou can ask me two or three questions, not one. You can ask me a few more questions.â
There is no high or low tone, but her voice seems to contain warmth for some reason added.
âIf time permits.â
When I turned around, her sweet and gentle red eyes were looking at me.
If those who saw child Yerineâs red eyes and said it was a curse to look at those eyes, wouldnât they have thought completely differently?
They wouldnât have known.
They wouldnât expect this eye to save someone.
âWill the day come when we meet again?â
The woman smiled silently.
It was not an awkward smile when it was difficult to answer.
It wasnât even a fake smile to act.
She seemed genuinely pleased to be asked this question.
âWell, Iâm not sure.â
Her voice was heard in the gentle breeze.
âStill, this one is for sure.â
Her red eyes shining like rubies folded in a line.
âIf you call me when something as difficult as it is today, I will help you as much as I want.â
She spoke in a whispering soft voice.
âBecause you said thank you to me.â
Her face flushed as she talked like that.
And it shone brilliantly like the moon floating in the black night sky.
âAnd I promised that kid.â
Her red eyes fluttered slowly as if holding water.
The vortex beyond the smoke-made mirror was darker than before.
As if it was calling me.
I knew I had to get going.
â.â¦â¦â¦Yes.â
I said with the other hand overlapping in her hand, which was wrapped around my hand.
âThank you.â
She now knows that I really have to go.
Two pairs of hands fell off each other, and as soon as they fell, I turned away.
Finally, my foot fell off the ground.
âIâm really going now.â
âYes.â
I tried not to look back on purpose.
I feel like Iâm going to cry when I see the faces of Cassius and other kids who are asleep.
I extended my right hand into the mirror.
The moment I touched the rainbow vortex, I felt my body being sucked into the air.
It was like crossing a river that I couldnât really come back from.
I closed my eyes and thought to myself.
âBye, everyone.â
Until I say âhelloâ again, bye for a while.
***
The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was the smell of blood.
A disgusting smell.
When I opened my eyes, the scene that the dragon woman showed me unfolded.
injured people, kneeling professors and students.
Even the shadow of a giant monster floating in the air.
âThere, do you dare to defy me?â
A creepy deeply imprinted voice came into my memory.
It was a mean voice full of arrogance.
I felt the monsters coming toward me through the wind.
I looked up quietly.
That way he canât kill me.
âThereâs nothing you can get out of killing me.â
Iker was floating in the blackened sky with a monster.
The monster stopped moving when my eyes met with that arrogance gold eyes.
âYerineâ¦â¦.â
His eyes calling my name shone with madness.
His face was flushed with joy.
âIâll do whatever you want.â
I opened my mouth heavily.
It was a must-do thing to stop him, but while I was saying that, it was awkward and difficult to bear.
âIf you accept my terms.â
Then Iker twisted his mouth and laughed.
As if heâs laughing at me.
âYerine, youâre mistaken about something. You are not in a position to propose a deal.â
The monsters that stopped moving began to approach again.
The monsters came close enough to block my view.
With their terrible mouth with sharp teeth sticking out.
âNow youâre weaker than I am. I donât have to listen to your proposal.â
Iker came down from the air and landed in front of me.
âTo be honest, I donât need you that much right now.â
A low warning voice came out between the twisted lips.
In short, it meant that it doesnât matter if he just kills me now.
But I knew it was a lie.
âI know youâre not.â
I looked straight at his low golden eyes and said.
âYouâre letting me live because you need me. If you were, you would have killed me right away when you didnât need me.â
âYouâre smart.â
Iker lowered his upper body and whispered in my ear.
âSmart kids are such a nuisance.â
Then he straightened his upper body again and said.
âThatâs cute but.â
I didnât want to hear his voice anymore.
I interrupted him and immediately said the conditions.
âStop the attack on the Academy now. Youâve got me, so donât attack others anymore.â
Iker looked at me with an interesting look at me talking like that.
It was like looking at a tropical fish in an aquarium, so I felt bad.
âThatâs my deal.â
âHmm. I donât want to listen though.â
âDidnât you see me teleporting earlier?â
Ikerâs face was slightly stiffened by the words.
âYou put a teleport restriction on me, but I got out.â
It was scary.
However, I smiled intentionally so that I wouldnât look like that.
âCanât you tell from that? I can still fight, I can run away.â
ââ¦â¦..â
âBut if you accept my terms, Iâll follow you without that.â
I heard a buzzing sound from behind.
It was the voices of professors who shouted âNo.â
I couldnât bear to raise my head.
It was even more so when I heard Professor Frainâs voice mixed with tears.
âOkay, Iâll give you a special listen.â
Surprisingly, I was a little surprised to see the answer.
When I looked at him with a suspicious look, Iker grinned and opened his mouth.
âFollow me without saying anything and without resistance. Thatâs the condition I push.â
Without saying anything.
Without any resistance.
As soon as I heard that, I got goosebumps.
Nevertheless, I had no choice but to answer.
âOkay.â
Then Ikerâs golden eyes folded in a line like a crescent moon.
At that very moment, I felt a dull pain in my shoulder.
âHuhâ¦?â
The view began to turn upside down.
Then I realized.
That Iker used stun magic.
âOkay, so you just have to follow me without saying anything and without any resistance.â
As soon as I lost my balance and tried to fall weakly, Iker grabbed me by the shoulder.
Under the dark sky without the moon or stars, I could see Ikerâs face with shadows.
âIsnât this okay?â
The face of the devil, stained with madness.
The golden eyes, seen through the gradually closing view, were dancing joyfully.
âGood night.â
The devil whispered in my ear.
As if to become a doll with no words, no resistance.