Bloodline (6)
Ren had been extremely tense from the moment she heard those words.
“I am Xerxes, the Fist Demon who transcended worldly ethics to become the Fist Saint! You there, will you not face me in a battle of fists?”
She had heard rumors about the Fist Demon before. He was said to be one of the strongest on the continent. Even her mother, the family head, or her father would find him a difficult opponent. Still, up until that point, she hadn’t been too worried. The magic Jain had shown just moments ago had been incredible.
“They all died. In this arena built from magic-sealing stones.”
Ren truly began to feel real tension the moment she heard about the magic-sealing stones. It was a dirty trick. Sitting in the spectator seats, she bit her lip hard. If the other side was going to play like that, there was no need for her side to keep their word either.
Should she barge in? Bring him a weapon? Or find a way for them to escape together? As she searched for options, Ren soon fell into despair. The duel between the two was on such a high level that there was simply no room for someone like her to intervene.
Amazingly, Jain was fighting the Fist Demon on equal footing using only his bare fists. Ren could barely even follow the flow of the battle.
“Jain! No!”
She realized the tide was turning for the worse around the middle of the fight. It was when Jain took a direct hit from the Fist Demon’s fist and was slammed into the arena wall. Fortunately, Jain soon rose from the pile of shattered stone. But he didn’t look well at all. His left forehead was badly scraped, his hair soaked in blood, and a thin stream of fresh blood trickled from his lips.
I have to help somehow.
Ren shot up from her seat and ran outside. She was going to retrieve the sword Jain had been tricked into throwing away by the Fist Demon and bring it to him. The opponent was the Fist Demon, after all. Fighting him with a sword instead of fists seemed several times more reasonable.
Because she had been outside, she missed what happened next in the fight.
When Ren burst back into the arena, clutching the sword in a panic, a massive gust of wind suddenly whipped up and tousled her bangs. By the time she pushed through that wind and stepped inside, the Fist Demon was already crumbling away into dust.
“Ah!”
Ren let out a cry of joy and ran toward Jain. Then she was struck with shock. The always arrogant and composed Jain was badly injured. His bangs were drenched in blood, hanging low enough to cover his eyes, and his clothes were torn in multiple places. His right arm was completely wrecked, the collarbone visible through the damage, and his shoulder was dislocated, hanging limply.
Tears welled in Ren’s eyes as she carefully took Jain’s hand.
“You did well. You were really amazing.”
“Was I?”
Even in that state, Jain’s voice was calm. Ren thought he was pretending to be fine so she wouldn’t worry. She gripped his hand tightly and said,
“Then let’s go back now. Let’s go back and get you treated. I have an elixir. My parents gave it to me to use if it looked like they were going to die. When we get back, I’ll heal you with that…”
“It’s fine. Save that for yourself later.”
Jain let go of her hand and walked away. But not in the direction Ren had expected. He was heading toward the far side of the arena, where the Succubus Queen was waiting.
Ren asked in confusion,
“Where are you going?”
“To beat up the Succubus Queen.”
“Th-that’s crazy, stop it!”
Just defeating the Fist Demon here was already an incredible achievement. From what Ren could see, his body had clearly reached its limit. Fighting one of the Four Commanders, who was obviously stronger than the Fist Demon, in that condition would be pure recklessness. She couldn’t possibly allow it out of sheer worry.
“Y-your arm is in that state! Let’s go back first!”
“Hm? My arm? Oh, I guess I wasn’t used to the output yet.”
Jain finally seemed to notice his dislocated arm. He looked at his dangling right arm, clicked his tongue, and then simply forced the dislocated shoulder back into place with raw strength. With a loud crack, the shoulder popped back into its socket. Then he strode off toward the Succubus Queen’s bedchamber.
Ren followed anxiously behind him. Soon the two reached a grand bronze door. It was covered in obscene reliefs of naked women and lavish floral patterns. Beyond it, the Succubus Queen would surely be waiting.
Stopping in front of it, Jain grabbed the door handle and finally spoke to Ren.
“Open the door. And wait here.”
“N-no.”
Ren clenched her fists and refused. Jain didn’t even look back. He asked again, his voice serious.
“Ren. Open it.”
“I won’t! With your body like that, where do you think you’re going alone again…”
Ren threw her arms around his back, trying to pull him away from the door that looked like a guillotine. As she pressed close, the mixed smells of blood and sweat washed over her. But Jain didn’t budge. Struggling desperately to drag him away from the door, Ren stammered,
“This is enough. Let’s go back first and come back together later. It’s too dangerous.”
“That woman is a coward. If she finds out the Fist Demon is dead, she’ll run away tomorrow. I have to catch her now, even if I have to push myself.”
“Why… why are you going this far…”
At Ren’s tearful question, Jain let out a sigh and said,
“Medicine.”
“What?”
“The Succubus Queen’s essence is the medicine that will cure your illness. So I have to catch her no matter what.”
It was an answer she had never even imagined. Ren’s mind went completely blank as she stammered back,
“You’re doing this… because of me?”
Now that she thought about it, it was true. Ever since she had collapsed from her blocked meridians, ever since Jain had seen it, the party’s strategy had suddenly changed. It had become all about capturing the Succubus Queen as quickly as possible.
Ren buried her face in Jain’s back. She didn’t know what expression she should make. The arms wrapped around him tightened. After squeezing his back so hard it felt like it might burst, Ren finally made up her mind. When she lifted her face again, she was wearing a faint smile.
“If that’s the reason, then it’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“Let’s stop this and go back. This illness has been a part of me since I was born, so I’m already used to it. I’ve known about it for a long time, so dying isn’t scary or frightening. I’m more afraid of you getting hurt. Just the fact that you tried this hard for me is enough to make me happy…”
“Liar.”
Ren couldn’t finish her sentence. A large hand had begun gently stroking her head.
“Ah…”
“Sometimes you should lean on other people a little.”
Then, taking the hand of the stunned Ren who had been struck right in her heart, he placed it on the bronze door. The door began to open with a heavy rumble. Ren’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor. From inside the room, an incredibly dense wave of demonic energy poured out. It was suffocating.
Jain crouched down in front of her, bit his thumb to draw blood, and began drawing a protective array. It was a barrier to protect Ren from the wave of demonic energy and any potential monsters that might appear. As he drew a circle of characters centered around her, a pillar of white light shot up and isolated her.
“I’ll be back. Wait for me.”
“No, don’t go!”
Despite Ren’s final protest, Jain stepped through the open door. Soon the door rumbled shut again. In the empty corridor, only Ren remained, trapped inside the pillar of light.
“Ah…”
Ren murmured in a daze. Regret flooded her. Why hadn’t she stopped him? She hated herself for daring to hope when there was no way he could win. The warmth of that person still lingered vividly on her forehead and both cheeks.
Soon, tremendous noises began to echo. The crack of lightning, the roar of exploding flames, screams, the clash of blades, every kind of explosive sound burst forth without restraint. It was undoubtedly the sound of the Succubus Queen and Jain fighting. Sitting still and listening to those sounds was unbearable. Terrible images kept rising in her mind. The sight of Jain being punched by the Fist Demon and slammed into the wall flashed before her eyes. She was terrified of what was happening inside. She kept imagining Jain being pierced through the heart or coughing up blood. It was so hard to breathe.
But the only thing Ren could do right now was pray. She closed her eyes and prayed desperately.
God, I’ve never resented you once all this time, and I’ve tried to live as a good child, so please, just this once, hear my prayer. I don’t need anything like passionate love. Please let that guy come back alive through that door…
"My, what an interesting prayer."
⟨ Voice from the Void ⟩
“Huh?”
Ren slowly opened her eyes. Her blue pupils were filled with tears. Her vision was blurred by the tears, making it hard to see ahead. She wiped them away and blinked, and the face of the person standing before her came into sharp focus. It was Jain, grinning down at her. In his hand, the essence extracted from the Succubus Queen sparkled like a pink jewel.
*
It was a night when moonlight poured down like the hem of a skirt. The Crescent Moon Lake, blessed by a nameless god, restored the vitality of anyone who dipped their feet in its waters. Two people appeared at that lake.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.”
It was Ren and Jain. They had returned to this place to prevent any possible side effects when absorbing the Succubus Queen’s essence. Ren let out a gasp as she looked at the lake that reflected the moonlight like a mirror. Moonlight also poured over her silver hair, tinting its outline with a faint blue glow.
Jain muttered indifferently,
“Back again after just a few days.”
“Again? You’ve been here before with someone other than me?”
“I came here with that flat forehead guy.”
“Hmm, I see. So that’s how it is.”
For some reason, she felt a little annoyed. But Jain paid no attention and sat down heavily by the lakeside. He even gestured for her to sit beside him.
“For now, sit here and soak your feet in the lake water.”
Ren obediently followed. When she took off her shoes, her long, white legs like those of a crane were revealed. After confirming her feet were fully submerged, Jain took out the Succubus Queen’s essence from his pocket. It looked like a pink diamond cut into a hexagon.
“Here, open your mouth.”
Just like when she had received the honey before, Ren closed her eyes and quietly opened her mouth. She felt something enter her mouth. The Succubus Queen’s essence that entered her mouth instantly turned into liquid and flowed down her throat. It felt like swallowing extremely strong liquor.
A moment later, her chest suddenly grew hot.
“Ugh.”
Ren clutched her chest and groaned. A burning pain like fire had been lit inside her chest surged up. Jain, as if he had expected it, wrapped an arm around her shoulders to support her.
“Hold on just a little longer. The lake is constantly boosting your stamina, so you should be able to endure it. Once this is over, you’ll be free.”
“Okay. I’ll… endure it.”
The chest pain continued for about an hour. Finally, when all the pain subsided, Ren placed a hand on her chest and said quietly,
“Is this… the end?”
“It’s over. Your blocked meridians are now completely cured.”
Jain declared it as refreshingly as always. Ren, still touching her chest, murmured,
“It doesn’t feel real somehow. But I did feel something. Like the lump of ice that had been stuck inside my chest melted and scattered away.”
“Rest well. There might still be some side effects to your body.”
Only then did Ren realize she was practically in Jain’s arms. Her face flushed red as she scooted a step away. Her heart was pounding so hard it hurt in a completely different way.
The two sat side by side like that, gazing at the Crescent Moon Lake at night. Tonight’s moonlight was blue. The lake water, flickering with fireflies, sparkled with beautiful light like a decorative mirror.
Ren, who had been staring blankly at the lake, suddenly spoke as if something had occurred to her.
“You know, now that my blocked meridians are cured…”
“I told you, it’s completely cured.”
“Can I… try nagging my husband now?”
“Huh?”
Jain turned to look at her at the strange question. But Ren’s face was utterly serious. She was recalling, one by one, the fragments of ordinary life she had seen in the farming village. Things she had only watched from afar because she thought they would never be hers.
“Packing a lunch and going with them when a child has their first day of school… can I do that? Or taking a family photo together, showing it off to others, choosing presents for a child’s birthday and throwing a party. Can I… do all of that?”
For some reason, tears began to flow again. It seemed the ones that had pooled earlier were finally spilling over. Ren wiped her eyes in embarrassment.
“It’s strange. I’m incredibly happy right now, but I’m crying.”
She tried to smile, but it didn’t work well. Jain once again stroked her head.
“See? It really was a lie.”
“Yeah… yeah… it was a lie.”
Tears flowed down her cheeks again. The words she had carried with her ever since she overheard about her illness on that cold bed at age seven, words she had never said to anyone, came out on their own.
“Dying… I was always scared… so scared… I wanted to live too. I wanted to stay with everyone longer. But if I wasn’t strong about it, everyone would be sad, so…”
“Don’t do that.”
Jain said shortly and turned his head away.
“Thank you. Really.”
Ren grabbed both of Jain’s hands tightly. They were big and solid. So this is what a man’s hands feel like. She thought the expression she should be making right now wasn’t tears, but a smile. She tried to give the brightest smile she could manage.
Jain, looking down at that face, muttered awkwardly,
“Don’t keep yielding like that from now on.”
Actually, there’s something I absolutely don’t want to yield on anymore.
Swallowing the words that had risen to her throat, Ren looked up at the sky. It was already dawn. The sky, brightening with a golden glow, seemed to be smiling at her.
*
It was the following night.
“Um… are you asleep?”
One person opened the flap of Jain’s tent and entered. It was Ren. As if she felt no shame at all, she was wearing only provocative black lingerie that faintly revealed what was underneath.
“He must already be asleep.”
Ren knelt politely beside the sleeping bag. Only the sound of quiet breathing came from inside, as if he were already sleeping.