Chapter 46
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Ben's Unfair Fate
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Ben fought to keep his consciousness from fading.
Funnily enough, perhaps thanks to his last experience, he could still somehow swing his sword even with a hole in his shoulder.
*Tap.*
He lightly stomped his foot and thrust his aura forward, causing the woman to recoil in disgust.
“You're a tough one.”
Was it because the fight had dragged on? The woman's face was gradually turning vicious.
She had been quite beautiful at first, but now wrinkles were creeping up on her once-fine skin, etching lines like a spiderweb.
Corrupted in an instant, the woman's arms were now covered in a black shell.
*‘Still, though...’*
Ben’s gaze flickered downward before he hastily raised it again.
Unlike the extent of her corruption, the woman's combat skills weren't particularly impressive.
If he hadn't been injured, and if the woman's chest hadn't been so large, the fight would surely have been over in an instant.
His aura was now barely the brightness of a candle compared to the beginning, but Ben was satisfied that he still had any left.
Once again, he raised his right arm, aimed his sword at the woman's brow, and extended his right foot slightly.
*Tap, tap.*
He then moved his body lightly back and forth, trying to disrupt her sense of distance.
A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder with every move, but it paradoxically helped him stay focused.
“You've lost so much blood, why won't you collapse? You hypocrite!”
Ben smiled bitterly at the word "hypocrite."
*‘I won't collapse...’*
Ben twisted his wrist, thinking of his dear friend.
Compared to his friend's deeply ingrained battles, this barely counted as an injury.
Besides, he had made a bold promise. He would rather die than fall.
*‘This time is different!’*
As Ben made his firm resolve, the woman nervously picked at some powder that had flaked off her cheek.
Just then, the woman's gaze left Ben for a brief moment.
It was a clear opportunity.
Ben exhaled deeply and put more strength into his left foot.
As his left foot pushed off the ground, his right foot kicked out powerfully, and with the last of his aura, he shot forward in an instant.
*Thwack—*
Reaching the woman in just two steps, Ben forced his straying gaze to lock onto her brow and thrust his sword.
*‘This is the end.’*
The woman's horrified face as she realized too late, the force he felt in his hand, the sword imbued with his remaining aura aimed at her brow—in that moment, Ben sensed victory.
*‘This time was really different, my friend!’*
Ben imagined himself boasting to Aron, telling him that the last two times were mistakes born of carelessness, that he had the skill to take down a demon single-handedly.
Just then.
*CRACK!*
Something slammed into Ben.
The woman had moved her arm belatedly, looking startled, so it wasn't her.
Struck while defenseless, Ben flew backward and crashed into a wall. The excruciating pain in his back clouded his mind, and blood surged up from within.
Blood trickling from his mouth, Ben stared straight ahead.
Next to the woman, whose face was contorted in a deep scowl, stood a man.
In the hand of the man wearing a black hood was a condensed black sphere.
Draped over the man's shoulder, the unconscious young lady dangled limply.
*‘A bone’s broken.’*
Seeing the young lady, Ben tried to move, but only pain flared up; his legs wouldn't budge.
He barely managed to stay on his feet, but standing was all he could do.
Soon, the man threw the black sphere in his hand toward Ben. It moved so slowly it was almost yawn-inducing, but Ben couldn't dodge it.
Pushed by an immense force, Ben broke through the wall and fell outside.
As he fell, Ben looked up at the dark sky.
*‘...I really won this time, though.’*
He felt an overwhelming sense of unfairness, but the blood rising in his throat kept him from screaming. Ben soon hit the ground and lost consciousness.
Why did Aron's disappointed gaze come to mind?
*‘I won...’*
Ben muttered one last time before his mind went blank.
***
"I'm going to chew up every last one of his bones. And I'll collect all his blood to use for my bath—"
*‘She's really pissed. Why did she have to make such a fuss about facing the knight alone...’*
Hartun clicked his tongue.
After meeting the 'Knight Hunter,' the Crimson Darkness had thrown a fit, insisting she would face the knight alone, and ended up causing this mess.
The 'Crimson Darkness' was a jealous woman who couldn't rest until she did whatever someone else had done.
*‘At least she didn't go berserk, that's a relief. ...Should I just leave her? But the Knight Hunter isn't here yet, and to deal with the other forces...’*
Having organized his thoughts, Hartun grabbed the Crimson Darkness as she was about to jump through the broken wall.
“We have to go.”
“Shut up! I'm not leaving until I grind that bastard's bones to powder my face with!”
“The Master will be angry.”
“...”
At the mention of the 'Master,' the Crimson Darkness, who had been raging like a beast, instantly became docile.
Hartun let out a small sigh of relief and headed for the door.
Muttering a curse, the Crimson Darkness followed him.
*‘There are fewer soldiers than I expected.’*
As a subtle sense of déjà vu made Hartun wonder, he saw that one of the hallways was blocked.
“So demons really did infiltrate.”
“Yes. That woman was right.”
No, looking closer, it was a man large enough to fill the hallway and a thin, lanky man.
*‘What's this now?’*
Hartun narrowed his eyes and stared at them.
“By the way, how did Nova figure it out? Did that Aron fellow tell her?”
“He may be a scoundrel, but he's a man who keeps his promises, so I doubt it. She must have her own methods, but I don't know the specifics yet.”
Hartun was dumbfounded by their casual chatter right in front of him.
But Hartun didn't act rashly. He quickly scanned the surroundings. There had to be other reinforcements.
“Anyway, since they're turning a blind eye, let's just take it easy. Nothing's more unsightly than a retired old man meddling in kids' games.”
“Yes.”
Watching the two young people glare at him in disbelief as they abducted the young lady, Ska's father, Jackson, stretched his stiff body.
***
Despite the commotion, Casthedic Castle was quiet.
The Inquisitor and I had taken care of the black mages, and the infiltrating demons were in the inner castle, so the residents of the outer castle were sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world.
*‘Is that a good thing?’*
I felt a strange sense of unfairness, but it was better than having the residents wake up and cause a scene.
These people would go absolutely ballistic whenever demons were involved, throwing the whole castle into an uproar.
I organized my thoughts as I ran through the dark streets with the Inquisitor.
*‘In the inner castle, there's the Crimson Darkness and some Hart-something. And that guy called the Knight Hunter was supposed to come but suddenly didn't.’*
The Knight Hunter...
A truly grim nickname.
If he really hunted knights, he was clearly no ordinary man.
As I was running toward the inner castle.
I came across a massive man at a three-way fork, stroking his chin in contemplation.
The only person bigger than me was the Constable, but this guy was even bigger than him.
Facing him, I instinctively sensed his strength.
*‘A demon? No, a swordsman.’*
The worn hilt of the shabby sword at his waist, his strangely thick right forearm, and his perfectly balanced stance told me he was a swordsman.
I flexed my fingers and gripped the hilt of my sword.
I tried to gauge our chances, but I had too little information.
At most, I could tell he was right-handed and had a long reach.
Judging by his size and presence, he had to be skilled, but you never know the outcome of a fight until you clash.
With a build like that, there was no way I wouldn't remember him, which meant he was likely the 'Knight Hunter' they mentioned.
I gave a subtle glance to the Inquisitor beside me.
Her usual expressionless face, she nodded at my signal.
I nodded back.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
The man raised his hand as if he'd found just the person he needed.
“Yes, old sir.”
Pretending to place a hand on my hip, I kept it close to my sword hilt and approached with a bright smile.
I stopped at a distance just shorter than the combined length of his arm and his sword, which I'd estimated by eye.
A distance that would be a bit awkward for him to swing his sword, but convenient for me to draw mine.
“Do you happen to know where the inner castle is? I'm not very good with directions.”
The man's question sent my mind spinning.
Casthedic Castle was so small you'd have a hard time getting lost even if you tried.
If he wasn't joking, he had to be hopelessly bad with directions. And his earnest eyes didn't look like he was joking.
*‘The reason the Knight Hunter disappeared was because he couldn't find his way?’*
It was a ridiculous reason, but the medieval era was full of strange people.
A guy who only drew his sword on days he took a shit, a mage who wouldn't use magic on days he spoke to a horse. The medieval period was teeming with characters like that.
Assessing the situation, I racked my brain.
It seemed I could handle this wisely without risking my life.
Besides, if his nickname was the Knight Hunter, it was better to let a knight deal with him. No need for me to step in.
And helping visitors with directions was part of a guard's duties.
Of course, that was a precious kindness bestowed only upon receiving a significant token of sincerity, but I decided to be flexible.
“Ah, old sir. You're lost. Casthedic Castle is quite complex, so many people lose their way.”
“You're right. Why is this town so damn winding?”
Compared to a city, Casthedic Castle was just a quaint little miniature, but I didn't point that out.
“Indeed. Casthedic Castle's structure is different from other places, making the inner castle hard to find. It's a good thing you ran into me. I'm excellent with directions.”
I spoke quickly, and the man nodded with an uncertain expression.
“The inner castle isn't inside Casthedic Castle. The previous lord considered it an insult to live in the same castle as commoners, so he built a new one outside. If you follow that road straight ahead, you'll reach the main gate. Go through the gate, turn left, and keep going straight, and you'll see a huge castle. That's the Casthedic inner castle, old sir.”
I explained quickly and at length, holding my breath with my hand on my sword hilt. I wasn't sure if he'd fall for it, but I could always draw my sword if it didn't work.
“Oh, I see. I would have been in real trouble without you. Thank you very much.”
“Don't mention it. It's my job, old sir.”
I smiled brightly and nodded, and the man nodded back slightly.
I stepped aside, and the man strolled off in the direction I'd pointed.
As he passed me, I quickly scanned him from head to toe, looking for an opening.
Even in plain clothes, his bulging muscles made him look like he was wearing armor.
It didn't seem like I could finish him with a single strike, so I suppressed the urge.
The man suddenly stopped and turned around.
I quickly put on my business smile and tapped my sword hilt.
“Ah, by the way, are you perhaps a knight?”
His question confirmed my suspicion that he was the 'Knight Hunter.'
“Heh, of course not. I'm just a mere guard captain. This is my subordinate.”
“...?”
The Inquisitor tilted her head but didn't open her mouth to deny it.
“That's a relief. A kind young man like you couldn't possibly be a knight. Well then, have a good night.”
With a light nod, the man walked away again.
*‘This is the wisdom of a modern man. You ignorant medieval fools.’*
I watched the direction the man disappeared and nodded.
The Inquisitor beside me also nodded.
*‘Why is she nodding?’*
I wondered for a moment but didn't bother asking and headed toward the inner castle again.
Just then, I heard a familiar voice yelling at the top of its lungs.
“Bastard! Father! Bastard!”
The annoying voice proudly shouting such patricidal content, and the fact that it was directed at me, gave me a throbbing headache.
I headed toward the voice and soon came face to face with the weasel, running around and drenched in sweat.
“Bas... No, Father!! We're in big trouble! Big trouble!”
The weasel rushed up to me, wiped the sweat from his brow, and shouted.
“What is it?”
“That... monster! A guy as huge as you, Father, got into the castle! Brother Pul and I tried our damnedest to stop him—we shot arrows! Poured hot oil! But he climbed over the wall anyway! And what's more, Brother Pul was taken down by him and passed out!”
Hearing the weasel's story, I could pretty much guess what happened.
Pul, despite his snake-like appearance, was a man of integrity, so he would have tried to fight the man head-on.
*‘But if that guy hit him, he wouldn't just be unconscious...?’*
Just then, I saw the weasel whining like a dog that needed to poop, avoiding my gaze.
*‘This bastard clocked Pul from behind again.’*
The situation became instantly clear.
There was no need to senselessly throw your life away against an unbeatable foe, but the back of my head felt strangely itchy.
“I've already dealt with him.”
“...Huh? The really huge guy?”
“Yeah.”
“As expected of you, boss! I always believed you were the strongest bas... no, Father! The hope of Casthedic Castle! The shield! Guard Captain Aron!”
I was dumbfounded by the weasel, who went from wide-eyed surprise to shameless flattery in the blink of an eye. I waved my hand dismissively.
“Enough. We're heading to the inner castle.”
“Am... I going too?”
“Of course.”
“You son of a... No! Of course I was planning to go! I'll follow you to hell and back, Father!”
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him going from a constipated expression to clenching his fist and shouting loudly.
I glanced to the side and saw the Inquisitor staring back and forth between me and the weasel with wide eyes.
*‘What's with her now?’*
I didn't particularly want to know, so I just gave a vague nod.
The Inquisitor mumbled something, then nodded. This time, she nodded twice, much more emphatically than before.
It seemed she had her own meanings and rules, but I didn't want to get into it, so I just nodded once in return and started walking.
The wide-open gate of the inner castle looked ominous.
*‘Ben. That bastard... no, it can't be, right?’*
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought that had suddenly occurred to me.
***
“Guuuh—.”
I saw a familiar figure among the grass in front of the lord's castle. Blood flowed from the hole in his left shoulder as he shivered slightly.
He was still a knight, at least in name, so he hadn't let go of his sword. Of course, he still looked like a defeated man gasping for breath.
“This guy's not even human. Seriously.”
“...Boss, you said that out loud.”
Seeing Ben's deathly pale face, it was clear he couldn't hear me.
I shook my head at the weasel's words and took out two potions from my coat. I generously poured one onto the gaping hole in Ben's shoulder and sprinkled the other all over his body, like pouring liquor on a grave.
“You stay here and watch him.”
“Yes! Understood! I will carry out my duty with my life on the line!”
The weasel's face instantly lit up at my words.
*‘Transparent bastard.’*
I clicked my tongue and looked up at the lord's castle.
He might be a baron, but he'd been established here for a long time, so the lord's castle was not small.
The people here considered living in high places a symbol of power, so they constantly tried to build higher.
With magic added to the mix, there were quite a few bizarrely shaped buildings. Still, Casthedic Castle was relatively normal.
A blocky, rectangular shape built from brown sandstone.
It was a crude form, but it looked sturdy.
Shouts erupted from various parts of the lord's castle.
*‘Looks like the inner castle is having a rough time, too.’*
As I clicked my tongue, I saw a crimson fire erupt from the upper part of the lord's castle.
*‘Is that the Crimson Darkness?’*
Cool nickname. My old nickname was...
I clicked my tongue again, readjusted my grip on my sword, and headed inside the lord's castle.
The Inquisitor, half a step behind me, slung her greatsword back on her back and drew a mace.
The castle's interior was so narrow that two people walking side-by-side would fill it, so it was a wise choice.
I moved quickly, almost running, through the hallway, which was made entirely of stone and exuded a chilly atmosphere.
With no light coming in, it felt more like a demon's castle than a lord's.
*‘How can anyone live in such a stuffy place?’*
As I climbed the narrow, circular staircase, I saw a familiar face.
“Oh, Bastard Squared.”
“...”
Jayce was trembling in a corner of the hallway.
He didn't answer my call, just kept biting his nails.
*‘Looks like he saw a demon or something.’*
I asked him something, but he still didn't react. Giving up, I smacked him hard on the head to let him rest easy.
After climbing another cramped staircase, the path split in two.
I looked back at the Inquisitor, and she nodded, so I nodded back.
Then she moved down one of the paths first.
*‘So that meant we should split up.’*
Surprised that her nod had a meaning, I stared down the opposite path from where she had disappeared.
The hallway was extremely dark. Only the cool moonlight shining through occasional openings illuminated the interior.
*‘It'd be weirder if there weren't any demons here.’*
I walked slowly, careful not to lose my balance. Then, I saw black flames in the distance.
*‘Found it.’*
A woman ran out from between the black flames filling the hallway. Squinting, I saw it was the young lady.
The young lady was fleeing desperately, tears streaming from her eyes as if a demon were chasing her. Scratches all over her suggested she'd had a rough time.
“Ahh...!”
Seeing me, the young lady's face filled with relief as she approached.
Just as I was about to kneel on one knee, the young lady instantly entered my range.
Too close.
The tears in her beautiful eyes and her trembling hands suggested she was so desperate she'd lost her mind, but...
The distance was too close.
I decided to trust the instincts that had helped me tenaciously survive countless crises.
Watching the young lady approach right in front of me, I moved my hand.
My sword drew a silver line in the darkness, and the upper part of the young lady's chest split open, spewing black blood like a fountain.
The cold, black blood drenched my face.
“Ah... ah?”
The young lady, looking utterly bewildered by the situation, touched the thin line on her chest with a trembling hand, her face contorting viciously.
Simultaneously, black flames erupted from behind her, filling the hallway.
*‘So this must be the Crimson Darkness.’*
The woman's skin began to melt away, and soon she transformed into a completely different form.
*‘So it wasn't the young lady.’*
I felt a small sense of relief and readjusted my grip on the sword.
What emerged from the black flames was an extremely large-chested woman covered in countless minor scars.
The upper part of her chest was deeply cut, tearing away the leather she wore.
This exposed her enormous bust, but what caught my eye more than her chest was the hideous thing on her left breast.
*‘Devil's Handprint.’*
Unlike the Tenant's, which had an amber-gem-like eye embedded in it, this one had no extra toppings and just looked like a giant wart.
I briefly wondered if it was a wart, but there was no way a wart could be that huge.
- *Looks delicious.*
*‘Yeah, it looks delicious... what?’*
I narrowed my eyes at the Tenant's voice.
“How dare you! First him... now you! I can't take it anymore! I'll kill you all! I'll chew you to pieces...”
The woman smeared the blood from her wound with both hands, spewing her rage. Because her chest was so large, the cut on the upper part gaped even wider.
“I'll peel off your skin and fry it in oil—I'll crush all your bones into powder for my face...”
While the woman loudly announced her gruesome cooking plans, the Devil's Handprint on her chest rapidly expanded.
It didn't grow as grotesquely large as the Tenant's, but a hard, black skin like the bark of a giant tree spread out.
Like ink dropped in water, it started from her left arm and gradually expanded.
I quickly lunged forward.
There was no reason to give the woman time.
- *That thing you call a Devil's Handprint. Eat it.*
*‘Why?’*
It was a Devil's Handprint that looked disgusting at a glance. It had tasted awful the last time I'd torn a piece off and eaten it. I didn't want to eat it.
- *Then I can recover a little of my power. If so, the duration and size of what you call aura will also increase.*
The Tenant gave a rare, lengthy explanation.
*‘So I can escape being a quick finisher.’*
- *I don't like that nickname either.*
By then, I had arrived right in front of the woman.
The woman was still transforming, consumed by rage.
Funnily enough, she seemed to expect me to wait for her transformation to finish.
*‘I don't know where she gets that confidence.’*
I planted my feet firmly, twisted my waist to its limit, then spun powerfully, channeling strength into my sword.
I then swung the fully powered sword at the woman's neck.
“Damn it!”
The startled woman hastily raised her right hand.
Her right hand, not yet covered by the shell, was cleanly severed. However, this slightly slowed the sword's speed, allowing her to dodge back, so I only managed to graze her neck, my initial target.
I didn't stop there. I violently twisted my arm and thrust the sword. My arm muscles screamed, but didn't tear, and the sword, which had been in a horizontal slash, came to an abrupt halt and shot forward in a stab.
Just then, the woman's hideous left arm slammed into my right shoulder. My right shoulder blade shattered.
*CRACK!*
Even as I was pushed back, I tenaciously thrust my sword, slicing a long gash from her left cheek to her right.
“Aaargh!!”
The woman's cheek split open, revealing the white teeth inside.
I flew backward, a satisfied smile on my face, now splattered with black blood.
*BANG!* My back hit the wall. The immense impact made me grimace, but I forced myself to ignore it and charged toward the woman again.
I had the momentum; I had to keep it up.
As if she'd lost her mind, the woman's eyes went blank as her left hand fully transformed into something hideous. It looked like a giant thorn covered in countless smaller thorns.
For a moment, I was captivated by the cool sight, like an ancient weapon equipped on her left hand. A voluptuous woman armed with an ancient weapon stimulated a deep-seated desire in a man's heart.
*‘Can you do that too?’*
- *...Do you want it?*
*‘No, pulling out something like that in such a narrow space is stupid. Just get ready to draw out the aura.’*
The woman, her eyes unfocused, swung her hideously transformed left hand. But funnily enough, its increased size caused it to get caught on the stone hallway, slowing it down.
The woman was clearly not skilled in combat.
Also, seeing the numerous scars all over her body, it seemed she had accumulated significant damage.
I quickly lunged forward.
Seeing me, the woman squeezed her eyes shut, and the hideous growth that had reached her neck rapidly covered her face.
She probably thought I'd have no way to deal with her if she hid like that, but—
*‘In a fight, you have to consider every possibility.’*
I smiled faintly and raised my sword high to the upper left.
Sensing the danger, the crimson flames on the woman's back grew larger. But I paid them no mind.
No matter how intense the flames were, it would surely take longer than the one second I needed to slice her neck for them to burn my entire body.
*‘Now.’*
- *I don't have much power left either. Sucking on your dreams is too slow for recovery, so you must eat that Devil's Handprint... I don't even have the strength to say this...*
*‘This bastard talks too much. Pay your rent.’*
A blue light coated my sword. Two small holes appeared in the hideous thing covering the woman's face, and her eyes appeared through them.
The woman's eyes, full of horror, were focused again.
“H... How...! Were you a hypocrite all along?! You coward!!”
The woman shrieked in terror at the blue light that was now right in front of her.
*‘Hypocrite?’*
I smiled broadly at the woman for using such a classy curse even at the very end.
*‘If it were me, I would've at least cursed her parents.’*
I swung the now-heavy sword. The hideous thing covering her neck was sliced as smoothly as tofu.
The woman's head flew into the air.
The brilliant blue light vanished in an instant, and the darkness that had been pushed back flooded in again.
The smell of damp stone mixed with the scent of blood tickled my nose.
In the pitch-black darkness, I caught my breath and looked down at the woman's body.
Once her head was gone, the hideous thing shrank instantly, like a parasite whose host had died.
Soon, what had become like a small stone lay upon the woman's chest.
*‘Is this the Devil's Handprint?’*
I hesitated for a moment, then reached out and picked it up.
I was already in the same boat as a demon, so there was no need to think long. It was better than collecting human blood.
Suddenly, I recalled old comics I'd read long ago, where someone becomes a demon's host and loses their mind—things like that.
*‘...A demon controlling me?’*
It was so absurd I had to laugh.
Think short, act fast.
Recalling the medieval maxim, I tossed it into my mouth.
And it tasted like absolute shit.
***
*‘Stupid brutes.’*
Nova walked, suppressing the curses that threatened to erupt.
She had promised to reduce their taxes and overlook their past under-the-table dealings, but Jackson had merely put on a show of blocking them before falling flat on his back.
Of course, he claimed he couldn't help it because he was up against a demon and a black mage, but to Nova, who had been watching him secretly, it just looked like he was stalling for time before pretending to be defeated.
Sure, he had done his part just by buying time, but she couldn't help but find him detestable.
Nova quietly tailed the two of them.
There was nothing she could do right now, but she couldn't just hand over the young lady.
More than her value as the 'Flower of the East,' whose beauty enriched the castle every year on her birthday, she was like a little sister to Nova, having been close since childhood because she wasn't like other nobles. She couldn't just let her go.
However, it was dangerous to be spotted, so she followed from a distance. As a result, she lost them at a fork in the road.
She hesitated for a moment but had no choice but to guess. In the end, Nova chose a path and her eyes went wide at the scene before her.
Aron was fighting a demon all by himself.
She knew Aron was a good fighter from the stories of his hooliganism, but she never imagined he was skilled enough to fight on par with a demon.
Nova tightened her grip on her dagger and watched for an opportunity. She was behind the demon, so if Aron was in danger or if an opening appeared, she planned to rush in and stab it.
Her hand trembled with fear, but Nova hardened her gaze and steeled her weakening heart.
And then—.
The demon became even more demonic.
*‘Even for Aron, this is...’*
It was then.
Aron's sword emitted a blue light that filled the entire hallway.
Nova stared blankly at the sight.
At the unexpected scene, she momentarily dropped the dagger in her hand.
Soon, Aron's sword sent the demon's head flying, and the hallway grew dark again.
It was aura, the undeniable proof of a knight.
Having seen a knight's aura before, Nova was certain.
*‘Then... Aron is a knight?’*
Nova's mind was more tangled than ever.
Nova, who had been curious about Aron's past and had made various deductions, had never once considered 'knight'.
It made sense. A knight was at least a quasi-noble, and that hooligan Aron being a quasi-noble...
It was unbelievable. Her head was so cluttered it felt like it would explode.
Just then, Aron crouched down in front of the woman.
The hallway was too dark to see clearly; she could only make out his silhouette.
And...
*‘What... what is he doing now?’*
Nova's eyes widened as she watched Aron reach for the fallen woman's chest.
Aron's hand landed on the wicked chest that had clearly made a deal with a demon.
With that, everything that had been filling Nova's mind moments ago vanished.
In its place, an inexplicable anger welled up.
Feeling inexplicably stuffy, Nova tapped the heart protector she wore under her clothes with her finger.
The heart protector was definitely too small.