Madness

Dante wanted to argue back, but the words wouldn't come.

Was it fear?

No.

It was something far crueler.

Everything the Captain said was true.

He had noticed Rion crumbling from the very start.

The way the boy's eyes grew darker with abyss-like shadows. The nightly nightmares that tore screams from his throat. The way he clawed at his own arms until blood ran.

But he had looked away.

'To save Mari... I need Rion's strength.'

That was the lie he told himself.

Every time Rion's madness deepened, he pretended not to see. Even when the other kids started fearing and avoiding him. Even when he collapsed in a corner, vomiting blood. Even when he stared blankly into space, murmuring someone's name.

'Just a little longer... just hold on a bit more.'

'Once we save Mari... then I'll help Rion.'

If he had mustered this courage back then, as the Captain said...

Would everything have been different?

But that thought lasted only a moment. Dante screamed at the Captain, who gazed down at him with cold eyes.

"Shut up! It's all because of you! If only you... if only you hadn't—!"

The moment the words left his mouth, revulsion surged up.

He felt the pathetic depths of his own being to his bones.

'Rion...'

Rion had gathered the weak for us, built us a shelter. He fought without sparing his body for our sake. Even spitting blood, even consumed by madness, he protected us to the end.

And what did we do?

We pretended to fight while shoving everything onto Rion. The dangerous jobs, the dirty work, the bloodstained tasks—all of it on him.

And even now, in this moment...

'I'm blaming others again.'

Dante's hands trembled.

They had turned Rion into a monster, and now they were trying to dump even that guilt on the Captain.

"Pathetic. Even after realizing everything, you won't even spare a moment for regret—you just shove it all onto me."

'No... that's not it... I'm not like that!'

Dante desperately tried to deny it.

'When did I ever use Rion? I just... I just received his help.'

But even that excuse rang false in his own ears.

'Help? Was it help? Or exploitation?'

"No! I... I worried about Rion! I always thought about him!"

Dante screamed in self-defense, but his voice grew smaller and smaller.

'Really? If you truly worried about Rion... why did you do nothing?'

"Shut—"

In that instant, someone rushed in like the wind.

A shadow that blocked between Dante and the Captain in a flash, dropping to one knee.

"Captain, Dust Rose leader Rion reports."

That voice.

The cold, emotionless tone, yet resonating from some deep place—the moment he heard it—

Dante's heart seemed to stop.

"Ri... on..."

"Shut up."

A single cold word pierced Dante's chest.

"Uh..."

"Do you even know what you've done?"

There was no emotion in Rion's voice. Or rather, so many emotions tangled that it sounded emotionless.

"I, I just..."

Dante's voice shook.

Rion's eyes were deep and dark like an abyss. In them, Dante saw every sin he had committed.

"I just... worried about you..."

"Worried?"

Rion's lips twisted. An expression impossible to read as smile or sneer.

"You mean Mari."

At those words, Dante's face drained white.

Rion knew everything. How selfish, how cowardly he had been.

Dante bowed his head, collapsing inward.

But Rion no longer looked at him. As if he didn't exist, he turned his gaze to Astra.

"Black Claw remnants: 42 eliminated. Slums now under Dust Rose control."

A report stripped of all feeling. Just numbers and facts, mechanical.

Rion fell silent for a moment. Then, still kneeling, he bowed his head deeper.

"I will follow any order."

Astra's gaze lingered on Rion.

"Any order?"

"Yes."

"Even if I order you to kill your friend Dante?"

For an instant, time froze.

Rion's expression didn't change a fraction. But Dante saw the faint stiffening in the fingers gripping his sword.

That tiny tremor.

Was that the last thread of humanity left in Rion?

Only then did Dante realize.

This was the hell Rion faced every day.

'To protect us... you had to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠make choices like this every time...'

"Yes. I will follow any order."

Rion's reply was immediate. No hesitation.

'Yes, Rion. Even if it's to atone to you...'

In that moment, Dante let everything go.

Rion would save Mari.

For that, my life—

Red energy began to rise from Rion's body.

In a flash, he swung his sword toward Dante, bound in black chains.

"Stop."

At Astra's single word, Rion's blade halted right before Dante's throat.

"Your loyalty is confirmed."

Rion slowly lowered his sword and knelt again.

"From today, the slums are under Dust Rose management. Report anomalies to steward Elbern monthly. And Rion."

"Yes."

Rion answered, hiding his trembling hands behind his back.

Bound in black chains, Dante lifted his head to look at Rion.

From that angle, he could see the tremor in the hand Rion tried to conceal.

'Rion... you're still...'

Tears streamed from Dante's eyes.

Relief that his friend hadn't fully become a monster. Crushing guilt toward those who had driven him to this. The two emotions tangled, unleashing unstoppable tears.

"Only you, follow me."

Astra turned and commanded.

"Give Mari back."

* * *

I glanced sideways at Rion following behind me.

'Good. He hasn't been fully consumed by his ability.'

Madness of Murderous Intent was a dangerous power that, uncontrolled, would swallow the user in madness and strip their reason.

But that faint tremor just before attacking Dante...

Proof that Rion still clung to a thin thread of humanity.

'What an irony.'

A character I raised grows stronger wanting to kill me.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The 'revenge target' of Madness of Murderous Intent was undoubtedly me.

Someday, he would surely come for my life.

That was the price his ability demanded—the fuel for his growth.

'So that's why...'

I had to become a 'powerful, hard-to-kill revenge target' to keep him alive. That way, he would keep growing stronger and survive.

On the road to the territory, people's faces twisted as their bowed gazes shifted from me to Rion behind.

"Isn't that... a slum rat?"

"Filthy... how can he bring something like that...?"

"Why would the Captain keep a sewer rat like that...?"

The whispers reached my ears.

Open contempt and disgust for slum-born. This was how they treated slum kids. Dirty. Something to avoid.

I glanced back at Rion.

He walked on expressionless, as if he heard nothing—or didn't care if he did.

Probably words he'd heard his whole life.

"Tsk tsk, the territory's getting dirtied."

"Smells like the slums all the way here."

I stopped.

The murmurs cut off like sliced by a blade.

I slowly turned and approached the middle-aged man who last mentioned 'smell'.

His face paled. He bowed hastily, but too late.

"Smells, you say?"

"N-no, sir. I misspoke..."

Darkness rose from my hand, coiling around his throat.

"I'm walking the same path as you. Putting up with your revolting stench."

"Guhk... guhk..."

"The stench of your greed, the rot of your cowardice, the stink of your hypocrisy—I endure it daily..."

I increased ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the pressure of the darkness slightly.

"And you can't endure that one thing?"

The people around backed away in terror.

"To me, slum folk and you lot are no different. No, if anything..."

I hurled the man to the ground.

He clutched his throat, coughing violently.

Unable to breathe properly, his face turned purple.

"You weaklings trampling even weaker ones—it's laughable and disgusting."

The plaza fell silent as death. Everyone froze in fear, not daring to lift their eyes.

"From now on, when I pass..."

I slowly scanned the surroundings.

Wherever my gaze touched, people dropped to their knees.

"Shut your mouths and bow your heads. I don't even want to hear your filthy breathing."

"Y-yes... Captain..."

The man on the ground rasped the reply, barely catching his breath.

His throat was bruised purple, voice cracked like rusted iron.

"N-never... again..."

"Remember that."

I looked down at him coldly.

"Next time, no warning."

Heading to the castle, I checked Rion's expression.

Still blank.

'Got pissed for a second there.'

No matter how harshly I treated Rion for his ability's sake, it came from affection.

Daring to insult a kid like that.

They should be grateful I didn't kill him.

My steps toward the castle with Rion quickened.

Soon, the gates came into view.

But...

White snowflakes danced down.

"...What the hell is this?"

It was midsummer.

In the scorching sun season, winter had come only to my castle, snowflakes swirling.