Chapter 34
"Did I deliberately drag you into the Node? Yes, that's right."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"I'm not crazy. Oh, and I'm in the middle of a dilemma, so it would be best if you kept your mouth shut."
"Dilemma? What..."
Eki only rolled her eyes to look behind her. Ian, who was still trying to grasp the situation, felt as if he had been doused with ice water as he met her gaze. Ekinesia's eyes were chilling. She smirked, only raising the corner of her lips.
"I'm debating whether to kill you with my own hands or leave the decision to Baraha, sunbaenim. If you keep talking, I'll get annoyed and might just kill you now."
"...Kill? Who?"
"Ian sunbaenim, of course."
Ian blankly opened his mouth. He stepped back, gripping his sword. It didn't seem like she was joking at all.
Eki turned her gaze back outside. She nonchalantly turned her back to Ian. Then, she gathered the pink hair that was soaked and clinging to her body, wrung it out, and roughly combed it with her fingers.
"I really, really don't want to kill people if I can help it. I've killed thousands of people I didn't want to kill, well, no, it must be tens of thousands... I don't know, I've never counted. Anyway, after being forced to kill that many, you'll understand how I feel. Ah, you might never understand, given your personality."
"What nonsense..."
"I'm saying I don't want to see blood if I can avoid it. I want to live peacefully. Wearing pretty clothes, eating delicious food, and living with people I like. A life where I don't kill anyone and am not threatened by anyone. That's how I want to live. But, well..."
After roughly tidying her hair, she was now wringing out the hem of her soaked dress. She continued in a calm tone.
"Thinking about it as I speak... I wonder if I should even consider something that's barely human as a person. It's also a hassle to drag you around until I find Baraha sunbaenim. And from the looks of it, this place might be tough even for me."
[Master, me! Me! Use me! I love it! There's no one here anyway, since we're inside the Node!]
Bardelgiosa, reacting to her murderous intent, pleaded in an excited voice. Instead of replying to the Demon Sword, Eki continued.
"You should have targeted me instead. Then I would have just ignored you because it would have been pathetic. I don't care what you do to me. But..."
As she spoke, she kept searching for Baraha's presence. Found him. Not far. Baraha was hiding inside one of the tents. Alive. Fortunately, the Monsters hadn't started tearing through the tents yet, as they were still busy devouring the Shadow Soldiers.
Finally relieved, Eki turned away from the outside and looked back at Ian. He was pale, unable to comprehend this bizarre situation. She smiled and finished her sentence.
"But, I can't stand seeing other people get hurt."
Ian was silent for a moment, then smiled. The forced smile was awkward.
"What did I do? Ekinesia, there seems to be some misunderstanding. More than that, we should be focusing on getting out of here..."
"That's not a problem you need to worry about. You have other problems to worry about."
Eki shook out the hem of her dress, which she had wrung out. She looked down at her sword, which she had kept holding onto even while discarding the umbrella, and then tossed it aside. Empty-handed, she walked lightly towards Ian. The small face, framed by the pink hair that had darkened with water, whispered.
"Are you the kind of person who can reflect and change, sunbaenim?"
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
After a moment of silence, Ian drooped his eyebrows and made a hurt expression. His pale complexion had slightly improved. He slowly raised his hand and placed it on Eki's shoulder. She didn't brush his hand away.
"I don't know who I hurt, and it seems like you're seriously misunderstanding something..."
He said softly. The hand that was caressing her shoulder as if to soothe her, as it moved near her neck, Eki grabbed his wrist like lightning. The thick wrist was completely still in her hand. Without even looking at the wrist she was holding, she said.
"I guess you'll never change, sunbaenim."
She twisted his wrist with force. The hand wrapped in a dark purple silk glove looked fragile, but as Mana swirled within it, it displayed tremendous grip strength.
Ian involuntarily groaned. A small dagger, like a razor blade, fell from his twisted hand. It was the dagger that had stabbed Baraha.
Eki ignored the falling dagger and stared straight into his eyes.
"Why did you do it?"
"Ugh, let, go..."
"I'm asking, what were you dissatisfied with? Well, right now, it seems like you were trying to get rid of me because I was questioning you. But why did you do it to Baraha sunbaenim?"
"Fuck."
A curse burst from Ian's mouth. His expression crumbled for the first time. A face twisted like a demon from pain. He glared at her. His eyes were wild.
"Don't you let go right now? Do you want to die?"
Eki instead increased the force she was applying to his wrist. There was a cracking sound as the bone broke. Only then did she release him. Ian clutched his wrist with his good hand, staggering and screaming.
"Kuh, eugh, eugh... You, you, you fucking crazy bitch!"
"Voice."
"Cough."
"Lower it. This is inside the Node. You saw it outside, right? What if a Monster hears that sound and comes in?"
Eki grabbed his neck, then slowly let go. Ian collapsed to the floor. He panted, looking up at Eki with a pale face. She squatted down in front of him, rested her chin on her knee with her bare right hand, and asked again.
"Tell me why you did it. If I'm convinced, I might spare you."
"Crazy... You monster..."
"It's good that you're being honest, but do you still not understand the situation?"
Eki tilted her head. Her gaze landed on his other, unharmed wrist. A gaze filled with clear intent.
Realizing this, Ian gasped for breath, his shoulders shaking, and then rubbed his face with his trembling hand. He swallowed hard, moistened his dry lips several times, and then opened his mouth.
"I... Why did I push Baraha into the Node?"
"Yes, I've been asking you that since earlier."
"...Do you really not know why?"
Ian gritted his teeth. He glared at Eki from behind the hand covering his face.
"I did my best. I acted like a tongue in the mouths of those damn knights, and even took on the annoying position of student representative, and yet, why? Why does some desert wanderer who wasn't even a temporary Squire suddenly become the owner's Squire? Why does some airhead who only wears dresses get appointed as the commander's Squire on the first day of enrollment! It's unfair! Those who don't even try get everything so easily!"
His voice, which had started quietly, became rougher and faster as he went on. It sounded like he was spitting out the words. Eki stared at him intently, then asked back.
"That's it? You pushed Baraha sunbaenim into the Node just because of that?"
"Just? Is that just to you? You've only walked lucky and easy paths, so my struggles look like nothing to you? I, how much effort did I put in! Those who don't even try are just lucky, getting everything so easily...!"
"Didn't try at all, you say."
She cut off Ian's words. It was a cold voice. Ian flinched and shut his mouth at the ominous atmosphere.
"Is that how it looks? Do you think everyone else lives easily except you? Everything others have, they just got it because they were lucky? And for that reason, you tried to kill them?"
Eki unknowingly twisted her lips. Didn't try. Got it easily? The six years she had been trapped inside a body that moved as it pleased, screaming in agony, and the nine years she had crawled like a dog to obtain this time, this life, surged up from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.
She lowered her head. She took a deep breath, feeling like her vision was turning completely black. She didn't want to be swayed by murderous intent. It was okay to be angry, but she always had to be calm when acting. She couldn't lose her composure. Because she was the owner of the Demon Sword.
Her eyes, which had been lowered, turned cold. She brushed away her anger and thought with a cool head. What to do with Ian Pelletro. She gave him one last chance.
Ian noticed that she was shaken. She was not looking at him, with her head lowered. The neck revealed through the drooping hair was slender. Moreover, she was empty-handed. Her sword was lying carelessly at the entrance of the tent.
This was his chance. Perhaps his only one. That's what he thought.
Ian quickly drew his sword with his good hand and swung it towards Eki's neck. But just before the sword touched her white neck, he felt a burning pain spreading from his chest.
"Kuh..."
As he opened his mouth, something hot flowed into his throat. Eki, who had easily dodged his sword, raised her head.
Ian Pelletro had kicked away the last chance she had given him himself.
Eki no longer showed mercy. The sword that had been missing was now in her right hand. A blade as clear as glass, a black hilt. Red blood pooled along the patterns engraved on the blade.
[Ugh... It's been so long, this feeling. It's good...]
The Demon Sword made a purring sound like a satisfied cat. Eki twisted Bardelgiosa out of Ian's body. He collapsed, his trembling eyes closing. It was instant death. The red blood that had been on Bardelgiosa disappeared as if absorbed into the sword. The Demon Sword hummed a tune.
[Ah, I feel refreshed now. How about you, don't you feel good too? Seems like your murderous intent has been relieved a bit!]
"Maybe."
Eki replied casually and retrieved the Demon Sword. The sword quickly disappeared into her palm. She put the glove back on her right hand. And stood there for a moment, looking down at Ian's corpse. The Demon Sword asked, puzzled.
[Why? Do you feel uneasy? Do you think you killed him for nothing?]
"It's not that."
[Then why?]
"I've just revised my resolve."
[Resolve? What resolve?]
"A resolve about how I'm going to live."
[What is it? Tell me too!]
"You don't need to know."
[Tch, tch, tch! You're always stingy.]
Looking down at the dead Ian, she thought. If it hadn't been for her, it might have been Baraha who was dead in this place instead of Ian.
That would certainly have been the case in the erased past. Ian Pelletro would have lived and become a knight in three years, and Baraha Islaf would have died during a Monster subjugation.
'Kairos Giosa said there would be no second chances. Now, no matter who dies, I can't bring them back. Then... I have to protect them.'
