I'd Rather Die Here

Tatcheon descended slowly, as if treading a staircase erected in the heavens. A bizarre aura bloomed from his entire body, as though divinity and demonic nature, chaos and order, had all been woven into a single being.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Tatcheon radiate a presence that seemed to have already left humanity behind. So Tatcheon really did come. There were two people in Eden capable of stopping the White Blood Cult Leader, but only one of them was active. From the very beginning, the one who would come here had been Tatcheon. His presence is so vast I can barely even feel it.

Tatcheon's mana was so immense that, paradoxically, his energy couldn't be sensed at all. It felt like standing before an endless ocean.

So then. Raon forcibly lowered his gaze and poked Wrath. What do you mean, mixed?

"Exactly what I said." Wrath answered without taking his eyes off Tatcheon. "That bastard has the power of one of the Demon Kings dwelling within him."

A Demon King? The moment Wrath said those words, Sloth from Habun Castle flashed through Raon's mind. That overwhelming pressure that had seemed capable of shattering the sky. Even now, having reached Mid-rank Master, Raon doubted he could even stand properly before him.

"The amusing part is that half of that bastard is pure divinity. Tatcheon, was it? Quite the fitting name." Wrath looked up at Tatcheon and sneered. "There's only one lunatic who'd do something like that."

And that lunatic is?

"Pride." Wrath glared at Tatcheon, wrinkling the bridge of his nose. An irritation Raon had never seen before colored his expression as he continued. "The Monarch of Pride."

Pride... Raon muttered the word and swallowed dryly. Just hearing the name sent a chill crawling down his spine. Come to think of it, this guy's mentioned him before. Wrath had talked about Pride several times, and his reaction had never been good. Given Wrath's personality, Pride was probably a Demon King on par with him.

So Pride is bound to that guy's body, like you and me?

"That's not it. This King cannot sense Pride's existence itself from him." Wrath shook his head as if the fact displeased him.

Huh... Raon's hand trembled around the sword hilt. The leader of Eden has a connection to a Demon King... It was something he had never imagined—more shocking even than the White Blood Cult Leader's appearance.

Then what about that woman? He pointed at the White Blood Cult Leader, who was watching Tatcheon at her leisure from inside the palanquin.

"This King does not know."

Huh?

"That one is thoroughly concealing her own power. Normally This King might be able to tell, but energy is running low, so I cannot see that deep." Wrath shook his head with a drooping face. Completely useless when it actually mattered.

Thud.

Tatcheon descended to the ground, radiating nobility. His very existence glittered to the point one might say light shone from his face. If Raon had been an ordinary person who knew nothing, he would have thought this was a god.

"Hah..." Raon expelled the stagnant air that had filled his lungs. We're already at a disadvantage. He couldn't let himself be cowed by the enemies. He had to use this as an opportunity, read the situation, and find some way to escape.

"It's been a while, White Blood Cult Leader." Tatcheon approached the palanquin where the White Blood Cult Leader sat. The mask engraved with a handsome young man's face drew a gentle smile.

"You've changed your appearance again, I see." He tilted his head slightly as he looked at the White Blood Cult Leader behind the red beads.

"The time had come." The White Blood Cult Leader showed no surprise at seeing Tatcheon, letting a languid smile drift across her face.

"Is this the first time we've met in person since the Five Demons Pact?"

"No. I saw you once after that."

"Ah, that's right."

The two of them carried themselves as if reuniting with old acquaintances. But deep in both their voices was a chill cold enough to freeze blood.

"If you'd called, I would have come to you. What brings you all the way here?" Tatcheon took a step toward the palanquin, smoothing his sleeve. Whether it was the mask or the atmosphere, every movement seemed overflowing with elegance.

"There's something I want."

"Something you want..."

"That child." The White Blood Cult Leader extended a finger beyond the red beads, pointing at Raon. "I want to take him with me."

"Hmm." Tatcheon turned his head to look at Raon. The mouth of the mask curved up in a peculiar way. "Unfortunately, I cannot grant that request."

"Why?" The White Blood Cult Leader asked with the same brazen confidence, as if Raon had been left in her care.

"Every member of Eden has gathered for Reversion. Whatever else we may do, we do not hand over our comrades." Tatcheon recited the same words the Gold Masked Snake had spoken to the White Blood Cult Leader. "And that helmet is special."

"Special?"

"That blue Dragon's Helmet was not made by me. Merlin crafted it from start to finish. Neither the helmet nor the one wearing it belongs to me. How could I possibly give them to you?" He spoke with the utmost courtesy, then shook his head.

Raon bit his lip. This tension is going to kill me. Contrary to his expectations, the two monsters were far too composed. There was no opening to interject. He circulated the Ring of Fire to clear his mind and waited for an opportunity.

"Merlin, is it." The White Blood Cult Leader traced her lips with a slender finger and smiled. "Then I really can't leave empty-handed. That woman suddenly inserted herself into our plans and snatched Raon away."

"Ah, so that happened as well." Tatcheon clicked his tongue briefly, as if he hadn't known. But his expression remained placid. It felt like he was saying, So what?

"It's regrettable, but that child has already donned the helmet. Let me say it again. Eden does not hand over its comrades."

Raon let out a hollow breath at the word "comrade." Saying something like that in front of the White Blood Cult Leader—he didn't know whether to call Tatcheon insane or thank him.

"Then let's make a wager." The White Blood Cult Leader raised a finger.

"A wager, you say?"

"You said that child is a member of Eden, so of course the wager will involve him." She continued, saying it would be simple and entertaining.

"Hmm." Tatcheon turned back to look at Raon again. He lightly brushed his mask as if considering.

Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the White Blood Cult Leader and Tatcheon. This is my chance. To drive a wedge between Tatcheon and the White Blood Cult Leader, having them accept this wager was advantageous. He had to make sure they took it.

"I am not your property. The only one who can give me orders is the Princess." He scraped his voice rough, as if to provoke. This has to land. Since Tatcheon had received Pride's power, even if he appeared polite, his true nature would be arrogant. Seeing how he didn't yield an inch to the White Blood Cult Leader, he wasn't the type to stay quiet after hearing something like this.

"I have a duty to protect my fellow members. However..." Tatcheon's eyes narrowed slightly. "That only applies when he is a member who aims for Reversion." He turned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his head to look at the White Blood Cult Leader. "Go on. What kind of wager did you have in mind?"

"Simple. If that child has truly been consumed by the helmet's soul, I'll back off. But if he's overcome the helmet's soul, I'll take him with me." The White Blood Cult Leader waved her hand leisurely. "Then he wouldn't be one of your members either, so it wouldn't matter, would it?"

"And how do you intend to determine whether he's been consumed by the helmet's soul or not?"

"There's a way." She smiled, saying she had an accurate method of finding out.

"Very well. I accept. However, I have a condition of my own."

"A condition?"

"Yes. If, after the Cult Leader's method, he also receives Merlin's acknowledgment, then I'll permit it."

"Fine." The White Blood Cult Leader nodded, as if confident.

"Then show us. How you intend to determine whether that child has been consumed by the helmet or not." Tatcheon spread his hand as if telling her to do as she pleased.

Raon swallowed dryly as he watched the White Blood Cult Leader and Tatcheon. Neither of them thinks they'll lose. No matter how the wager went, they didn't believe they would lose to each other. They were filled with the confidence that, whatever the result, they wouldn't let Raon be taken. That works for me.

He already had every one of Lokta's behaviors burned into his mind. Having absorbed his soul, there was no chance of his identity being exposed through words or actions. The best outcome was a war between Eden and the White Blood Cult. Holding that goal in mind, he calmed himself.

"Good." The White Blood Cult Leader nodded as if pleased. When she glanced to the side, the 5th Apostle stepped forward.

As the 5th Apostle channeled his blood energy, a man wrapped in gray aura surged up from a gray pool that erupted at his feet.

Hoooooo!

The blood energy unraveled, revealing his appearance. Fluttering green hair and innocent, puppy-like eyes. There was no way Raon wouldn't recognize him. Why? Why is he here...

Dorian. The moment he saw those unfocused eyes, Raon's heart plummeted. He'd never imagined Dorian would be here. Hah... Raon bit the tip of his tongue to hide his shock.

"What is this! Why is your wallet over there!"

Don't tell me, back then... He remembered Dorian throwing something when Raon's body was being sucked into the box Merlin had opened. Apparently he'd been caught by the 10th Apostle after that.

"Thanks to this child sprinkling Continental Tracking Scent on Raon, we were able to come all the way here." The White Blood Cult Leader stroked Dorian's head. The antenna-like tuft of hair settled down.

Continental Tracking Scent. So that's what it was. He got caught by the 10th Apostle after spraying it on me. The White Blood Cult had clearly used the Continental Tracking Scent on Dorian to track them here. This is a complete mess.

Dorian had sprayed the Continental Tracking Scent to save him, but the situation had spiraled into the worst possible outcome. It was so unexpected that Raon's mind went blank.

"He did well." Despite understanding the situation, Tatcheon nodded with composure. Pride. His personality made it all the more real that he'd received that bastard's power.

"Now you know what wager I'm making, don't you?" When the White Blood Cult Leader pointed with her finger, the 5th Apostle brought Dorian to stand in front of Raon. "If Raon kills this child, I'll admit my defeat. But if he doesn't kill this child, I'll take him with me." She smiled as if certain of her victory.

Damn it... He could feel cold sweat running down his back. Thank god he was wearing the helmet. If his expression had been visible, he would have been found out instantly. There's no way out. With Dorian here, even handing his body over to Wrath wouldn't be easy. If Wrath went berserk, he'd kill Dorian first, since he was closest.

"Not bad, but a bit ambiguous." Tatcheon tilted his head as he looked at Dorian. "Just because one has consumed a human's soul doesn't mean one immediately becomes that person. That child only donned the helmet yesterday. His soul and body haven't fully fused ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet."

I have to step in now. Raon clenched his lips tight as he looked at Tatcheon, who seemed displeased with the wager.

"Setting that aside, why should I have to kill that child?" He glared at Dorian with a look of incomprehension. "I am a knight. I do not swing my sword at someone without reason." He recited words Lokta would have said and shook his head. Please... His expression was confident, but his heart was not. He clenched his fist, hoping Tatcheon would reject the wager.

"Doesn't that sound like an act?" The White Blood Cult Leader's eyes flashed from behind the red beads. "It seems I've already won this wager."

"No." Tatcheon shook his head. "The soul dwelling in that helmet is Lokta Deporte, a Dragonian and a knight commander. It's not strange for a knight to say such things."

"Hmm."

"So we should phrase it properly." He approached Dorian's side and pointed at the inverted sword emblem on the uniform jacket. "You see this? This inverted sword is the emblem of our greatest enemy. In other words, the enemy of the Merlin you serve." Tatcheon stroked the Zieghart emblem and smiled faintly. "Not long ago, Merlin suffered a grave wound to her chest. That, too, was their doing."

"Hah..." Raon exhaled a low breath, pretending to be enraged. That's not a lie. He remembered Sheryl unleashing dual-sword strikes when driving Merlin away. Tatcheon was talking about that incident.

"That swordsman is our enemy, and one of the culprits who injured Merlin. That's reason enough, isn't it?"

It was more than enough. If he were Lokta, for whom Merlin was the center of the world, he would have cut Dorian down on the spot. But he wasn't Lokta. He was Raon Zieghart. He could never cut Dorian down.

"Then shall I make it even easier?" The White Blood Cult Leader snapped her fingers. The sharp sound spread through the air, and light returned to Dorian's large eyes.

"Huh? Wh-where is this... Ugh!" Dorian groaned as he took in the bizarre palanquin, the White Blood Cultists surrounding him, and the helmeted specters. When he finally saw the 10th Apostle, his jaw trembled as he recalled the moment of his abduction.

Vicious bastard. This wasn't helping. It was no different from driving a knife in. The White Blood Cult Leader clearly knew he hadn't been consumed by the helmet.

"Huh...?" Dorian, whose eyes had been rolling endlessly with anxiety, stopped when he saw Raon. His eyes flew wide at the blue Dragon's Helmet and the uniform and sword beneath it.

"V-Vice Leader?"

Hearing that innocent voice sent a chill through Raon's entire body. Alarm bells of crisis rang in his mind. If he made a single mistake, everyone here could die.

"I'll say it again. This man's affiliation is Zieghart, one of our primary enemies. Cutting him down is an act for Merlin's sake."

"...I see." Raon tightly gripped the sword hilt as he looked at Dorian.

"Ah!" Dorian saw his own eyes reflected in the helmet and clamped his mouth shut. His terrified pupils trembled.

He recognized me. Having spent so long together, Dorian seemed to have realized that Raon hadn't been consumed by the helmet.

"Then you'll accept the wager?" The White Blood Cult Leader grinned and gestured toward Tatcheon.

"Yes. As I said at the end, once Merlin's confirmation is complete, I'll send him along. However, you don't seem inclined to wait. We never specified a time, did we?" Tatcheon smiled faintly and shook his head.

"Ah, I'd prefer a quick decision." When the White Blood Cult Leader turned her head to the right, the old man who had been carrying the palanquin stepped forward. Even with three people supporting the legs, the palanquin didn't so much as sway.

Wooooom!

When the old man stamped his foot, a long corridor of blood energy opened from the ground like a wall. Ten men and women rose from the murky blood energy. All of them had unfocused eyes, just like Dorian.

"Knights can't stand injustice, can they? From now on, one person per minute."

The moment her amused words ended, the old man sank his teeth into the neck of the young man at the front and tore out the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flesh.

Crunch!

Blood sprayed from the headless corpse and splattered onto Raon's shoulder.

"The Cult Leader hasn't changed. Well, if it gets resolved quickly, I don't mind either." Tatcheon looked at the crimson blood soaking the ground and smiled with a child's innocence.

"Aaaah!" Dorian's lips trembled as he watched the person standing next to him lose their head in an instant. His pupils shook endlessly.

Crunch. Raon gripped the blade of the Heavenly Sky Sword so hard it seemed it might snap. He knows too. Tatcheon also knew he hadn't been consumed by the helmet. He knew, and he was mocking him. He knew, and he was enjoying this situation.

"Heheheh."

"Hahaha."

The two monsters' laughter didn't sound human. Raon's heart clenched tight, as if he'd seen the smiles of demons who regarded people as food.

"Hah..." The sensation of death crept up with every breath he drew.

If a fight broke out, it would be a good chance to escape—but only if they intended to keep him alive. Both the White Blood Cult Leader and Tatcheon were the type to kill him before letting the other have him if they couldn't possess him themselves. This was the worst moment, beyond anything he'd anticipated.

Khh... Raon exhaled a ragged breath as he looked at the terrified Dorian and the nine people who knew nothing, one after another.

"What are you doing? A minute's almost up."

"Please cut down Merlin's enemy, as a knight should."

The White Blood Cult Leader and Tatcheon lowered their voices as if bored.

Thuck!

The old man smashed the second woman's heart before a full minute had even passed. The woman ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠collapsed without even knowing she had died.

"That's two."

"How long will this go?"

They're insane. Even including his past life and present one, he'd never seen people this deranged. They wanted to take him, yet they didn't even consider what would come after. It was arrogance of the most vicious kind.

But he couldn't resist. The air itself told him. Do something stupid here, and you die. The intangible energy radiating from the Absolutes made every hair on his body stand on end. Thoughts that were nothing more than self-consolation rose one by one in his mind.

They were going to die anyway.

Even if it weren't me, they would have become the Cult's prey.

I have things I need to do. I can't die here because of them.

And Dorian... Dorian...

Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Dorian. Dorian was the one he'd spent the most time with besides his family, the one he'd shown the most of his heart to. He couldn't even pretend to abandon him.

A way. There has to be a way out...

If he didn't kill Dorian here, Tatcheon would kill him. If he didn't kill Dorian, the White Blood Cult Leader would come after him. Even if he handed his body over to Wrath, Dorian would die. He felt like he was standing at a crossroads of death with nowhere to run.

"Raon Zieghart!" Dorian glared at Raon. "You stupid bastard!" He screamed, biting his lip. Blood welled up and dripped to the ground. "I never liked you from the start! I knew you'd end up like this, always acting so high and mighty! Not a single day I spent with you was enjoyable!" Dorian's eyes wavered as if they were crumpling. "Get this through your head! It's not just me—there's not a single person who likes an arrogant bastard like you!"

"......"

"Why are you keeping your mouth shut! Kill me! All you know how to do is run your mouth anyway! Act all high and mighty and kill me!"

Raon gripped the sword hilt even tighter. Dorian... Dorian's eyes no longer wavered. They were the eyes of someone who had steeled his resolve. That stupid coward was squeezing out every last drop of courage to tell Raon to kill him. Instead of the sharp resentment or curses people usually hurled before dying, he was throwing out hollow accusations. Even at the end, he was worrying about Raon.

"Ha!" Raon let out a hollow laugh and lowered his head. This guy can't even curse properly. But he's brave. Far braver than me. He was far greater than Raon, who had been looking for a way to run while staining himself with filth. There's no point in living like a coward. Living like a rat was enough for his past life. He wouldn't end this life that way.

Thanks to Dorian finding his courage, Raon was able to steel his own heart.

"This is getting interesting."

"This is why humans are so fascinating."

The White Blood Cult Leader and Tatcheon smiled. Both of them let out eerie laughs, as if they didn't care how it turned out.

Raon no longer looked at them. He headed between Dorian and the hostages, gripping the Heavenly Sky Sword. Wrath. I'll take your wrath. Even just for a moment...

"There's no need. This King is pissed off too." Wrath frowned as he looked at the sobbing Dorian. "He's stupid and dull, but he's This King's subordinate. This King shall give you all the help possible right now."

Thank you. Raon nodded and stood at the center between Dorian and the hostages.

"A stupid bastard, is it."

"Ugh..." Dorian closed his eyes, prepared for death.

"Hah." Raon drew both swords at once.

CRACK!

The Requiem Sword buried itself in the neck of the 5th Apostle holding Dorian, and the Heavenly Sky Sword pierced through the old man's chest.

SPLUUURT!

When he yanked both swords free at once, a savage amount of blood sprayed from the 5th Apostle's neck, and the old man collapsed to his knees.

"Rather than live in filth..."

Raon removed the blue Dragon's Helmet. His brilliantly shining red eyes did not lose their color even before the Absolutes.