Ren’s Faith (2) The Blood-Soaked Hero
The ecstasy that had spread across Del’s face changed to displeasure, and from Coco’s hands that had grabbed the sword as she fell, a stream of bright red blood flowed down along her wrists.
The sword embedded deep in my chest.
Just before it pierced straight through my heart in one strike, Del withdrew the force he’d been pushing with.
The moment Del lifted the sword, I put my weight into it and pushed Coco away.
The trajectory of the sword was accurate, but it entered my chest, which was shorter than the princess’s.
Urk.
I can’t swallow anymore.
Uweeek.
It’s fishy and horrible. Swallowing blood… is more disgusting than vomit.
As I vomited blood in streams, terrible sorrow spread across Coco’s face.
Why are you looking at me like that? You saw I had a ton of medicine in the carriage, right? I was going to die anyway. And being stabbed by a sword is less agonizing than a seizure. I’m fine!
“……”
But I couldn’t speak.
I kept moving my lips several times then stopped. I could barely move my head a little.
It’s okay! It’s not your fault! Rather, I’m happy with this kind of death!!
Just kill off that nasty personality a bit! Now that I think about it, you’re better than I thought, just the type that’s perfect for being misunderstood.
What happens when you die?
It’d be nice if I could be a ghost, even for a moment!
“Ha… Really. Beyond imagination.”
Del trembled.
“The feel isn’t bad. Very chilling indeed. This feeling is like when I first killed someone….”
“Re… Ren…… Ren… Ren! Ren! Re—en! Let go! Let go, I said! Don’t! Stop it! Please! Del Belkerman!!”
Coco shook her head while grabbing the blade. Her white hands tore easily and blood flowed.
Damn it. Why are you crying…!! More than that, you’re getting hurt, you idiot…….
Del repeatedly clenched and opened his palm.
“Huuuu.”
His face was full of excitement. His gleaming eyes looked at me as if licking me, as if seeing something fascinating.
“Is it altruism?”
It was a voice full of curiosity.
Altruism my ass! It’s because you’re a fucking bastard and what you’re doing is filthy, so I’m trying to ruin it!!
I wanted to shout this and spit at him, but only gurgling sounds came from my mouth.
“Ren….. Ren–! Please, stop it! The life you want is mine!”
“To see the princess’s face crumbling.”
Del smacked his lips.
“It’s unfortunate, but I can’t drag this out too long….”
“Weeek.”
No. Del Belkerman.
You’ve already wasted too much time.
I kept vomiting blood.
My breathing became labored. Through my shoulders. The breath that rose to my neck. Would soon linger in my mouth then disappear.
The sour smell filled my nose fishily.
Del Belkerman pulling out the sword.
As the sword was pulled out all at once with a swoosh, it felt like my chest was being torn out. It was pain like being burned with fire.
Coco’s small hand pressed on my chest, and the gray-haired man obscured my vision.
When did you wake up! I’m really glad you didn’t die. Please protect Coco safely! Earlier, I was sorry.
And behind the man’s back, two pitch-black shadows were approaching.
Those clad in blue light and golden light.
I couldn’t see their faces, but I could tell who they were.
I smiled with my eyes folded brightly.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
Del, who had widened his eyes, stopped right there.
A murderous intent so intense it made the back of my knees tingle filled this small space suffocatingly.
Very vivid murderous intent that entered through the dense air gaps. Coco’s body also trembled mercilessly.
“I, said… right… huu… didn’t I….”
“You, idiot… huk… huuu don’t, don’t talk!”
Urk! Coco shook her head while gathering up the blood that burst out.
Hey! Still, I saved someone’s life, so let me say my last line coolly!
“Hy, hyung, hyung… has never failed a mission… huu He, Hero….”
Ah! Didn’t I tell you? Then I’m sorry!
Coco! I told you earlier, didn’t I, Coco? I was right!
Hyung is a Hero who has never failed a mission!
“You must refrain from speaking. Please take this… Princess, you must press harder, harder.”
The force pressing on my chest became stronger.
The gray-haired man put something in my mouth.
I tried to spit it out, but he shook his head.
They were ashen eyes, but somehow they looked warm.
You’re someone who wants to protect Coco enough to jump off a cliff, right?
I’m glad.
Hehe.
“……”
“Ren!”
Ruman’s voice and hyung’s silence.
The Hero’s sword that intervened in that split second instantly beheaded Del.
A cleanly severed neck.
The head of the traitor Del Belkerman falling with a thud, his face frozen in shock and disbelief.
The head that rolled and stopped.
Those wide-open eyes were looking exactly at me.
“Do not look. You must swallow it.”
The gray-haired man covered my eyes.
I won’t look! Let me go!
I need to see hyung.
Hyung! I believed in you. That you’d come to rescue Coco! Because you’re a Hero!!
If I can see hyung one last time, I’m satisfied with that.
“Temarr! We need to interrogate… no, never mind. Good job…..”
Ruman passed by Temarr hyung who stood stock-still and discovered me.
“……Ren?”
Ruman not even blinking.
Ah… I hate this kind of thing…..
“Huk… huuk….”
The princess’s suppressed sobbing.
“……Ren! Ren……! What on earth happened.”
Ruman, who knelt down, rubbed my cheek.
Ah, it’s warm.
When I closed my eyes, the two people’s voices could be heard even more clearly.
Hyung, I prefer when you stroke me though.
I did well, right?
Hyung! You always said we should help weak people. Am I a good younger brother to this extent?
“……”
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened. Temarr! Isn’t this the person you mentioned? The gray-haired, gaunt body you said you found as a corpse… It’s a different person, that corpse.”
Ruman, who had been continuing his words, speculated after a brief silence.
“He’s my younger brother.”
“Haa. Ren is… a physician! His condition….”
“I gave him medicine. Temporary hemostasis is possible, but….”
“Temarr!”
Ruman’s angry voice shook the cavity.
My head’s ringing. It’s noisy.
I opened and closed my mouth.
Coco was now crying as if she’d breathe her last.
You’re noisy too, Coco.
“Temarr!”
Pususu.
At Ruman’s shout filled with energy, the cavity groaned with a wuu sound.
Stone dust falling from the ceiling dropped onto my hair.
The gray-haired man brushed off the dust for me.
“Use your ability to bring a physician. Unless you want to kill your younger brother.”
“……”
No, Ruman, there’s no need for that.
It feels like the blood has thoroughly drained from my fingertips.
Won’t I probably die within a few minutes? I’d rather stay with hyung though.
Hyung! Don’t go!!
“Temarr—!”
The gray-haired man covered my ears.
Wow. You have big hands. Um, thank you. Why is Ruman screaming so loudly?
“Ren.”
Hyung, who called me in a very faint voice, disappeared in an instant.
Just like when he disappeared to rescue Coco.
In the place where hyung disappeared, blue light sparkled.
Light that looked hot like flames.
“Re, Ren. It hurts a lot, a lot… sorry, sorry, sorry.”
The man wiped away my tears.
Hyung…….
Abandoning me again……?
No. This time, this time I couldn’t tell you not to go… so the fault is mine, but if I die like this, I think I’ll feel wronged. I want to be praised by hyung, you know.
I want to live a little longer… I’ve spilled too much blood… my thoughts are scattered.
The man who carefully wiped even my face soaked in blood and my mouth stained with vomit.
“‘Luvien.'”
A yellow fox that appeared with cautious light.
An energy and light that warmly caressed the cavity.
Rante who approached with large steps. The jet-black eyes and nose. Rubbing its snout against my face….
A quiet silence where even breathing sounds seemed to be heard cautiously.
It felt like warm energy was embracing me.
Like being held in my mother’s arms, which I don’t remember.
“Ren.”
Ruman’s sad face.
Platinum blonde hair burned pure white and in contrast, vivid golden eyes.
Several hands holding onto me.
In Rante’s light, Ruman’s appearance was clearly visible.
He was covered in blood.
So was the gray-haired man who was covered in Del Belkerman’s blood instead of mine.
Ah. Then hyung too…….
I can’t breathe. My heart hurts. Hyung. You’re not badly hurt, are you?
I recalled hyung who had come bearing the unhealed deep scars of the 7-Year War on his back.
“Ren… Ren?”
“Please calm down. Breathe. Follow me calmly. Breathe in, breathe out… Don’t you have something like a bag? I need an air sac.”
“‘Rante’, ‘Rante!’ Please… do something somehow……!”
“…ya…! Don’t, don’t joke around. You should curse at me, what are you… huuk.”
With blue light so bright it was blinding like a flash as the last thing.
Pitch-black darkness…… swallowed me.
***
A small cavity created by an artificial explosion.
Dangerous blue light billowed as if to swallow the cavity.
What appeared with flash-like light was Temarr. In his hand, a person terrified out of their wits was trembling while holding a bag. Judging by how the crotch of their pants was wet, they seemed terrified to death.
The young man’s arm was darkly bruised. It was because blood couldn’t circulate due to Temarr’s grip strength. But he couldn’t even ask to be let go. Because if he said even one wrong word, it was clear that what would fall would be his own life.
So this is what a Hero is like?
Should he have said no when asked if he was a physician?
The man trembled violently.
Temarr seemed unable to think of letting go of his arm.
Blood-soaked Hero! He should have run when their eyes met! It was a mistake to speak to him thinking he might be sick somewhere! Mother, please let me return home safely!
The trembling man followed to where Temarr’s eyes were fixed as if nailed.
What is he looking at so…!
Horror also appeared in the man’s eyes.
It wasn’t only because of the head rolling on the ground. The disgustingly fishy smell of blood was only now noticed, and just like the girl whose face was thoroughly soaked, he saw a man whose arms and legs were bent one each in a bizarre form as if his bones were broken, a man covered in blood, and belatedly visible behind them, a boy whose mouth and neck were soaked in blood.
Thin arms and thick hands were blocking the boy’s chest.
Blood spurting out like wriggling life.
He could tell that the boy’s life hung by a thread.
The man who turned his head toward Temarr thought that all of them were suffering from a terrible nightmare.
Everyone was covered in blood.
If that boy died, it was clear that all of them would be trapped in a terrible nightmare.
To avoid being swayed by the fear and obsession, dread and desperate sadness flowing down his spine, the man pinched the softest part of his inner thigh with his palm.
“Let go!! Shouldn’t I treat him!”
Those suffering from nightmares can come later.
The man sat in front of the boy without even thinking to massage his arm that tingled as blood returned, postponing the face that looked back at him with a blank expression.
Relieved that all the necessary medicine was equipped in his small bag.
