“Underworld… what? What are you saying? Say that again!”
The word ‘underworld’ came from Abrisius’s mouth. Cairens’s eyes, which had been like a calm lake, rippled like waves. Having confirmed the unbelievable truth, he desperately denied it and shook Abrisius.
“Ah, was that too difficult to understand? I’m from the underworld, a member of the underground divine race.”
“Don’t tell me it’s what I’m thinking?”
“If not that, then what do you think it means?”
Ah.
The secret about Abrisius that Seianes had been keeping was revealed.
So anticlimactically, and through his own mouth at that.
The underground divine race.
Long ago, Ircadeon planted deep darkness in the surface world ruled by Henelion to throw the world into chaos.
Countless monsters were born in that darkness. Giants with multiple eyes, monsters with lion bodies and a hundred human faces. Things too terrifying to even speak of were born in the darkness and threw the surface into chaos.
Naturally, Henelion couldn’t stand by and watch this, so he tried to drive them out, and after a long war, succeeded in sending Ircadeon and his people deep underground.
This story has been passed down to many people even now. Minstrels spoke to people about how terrifying the gods of the underworld were, and even children who couldn’t sleep would fall asleep immediately upon hearing the names ‘underworld’ and ‘Ircadeon.’
To humans, they were evil, objects of loathing and fear.
And yet…
“Why? Do I seem strange to you?”
The Abrisius before his eyes was casually saying he was from the underground divine race.
As if talking about what he had for dinner yesterday, not a trace of agitation or trembling could be found in his expression.
“…Ha.”
It was so anticlimactic that he couldn’t even laugh.
He thought it would take a long time to discover the secret, but it wasn’t like that. Even though the secret he wanted was revealed, he wasn’t happy at all. No, rather, all of this seemed like a prank Abrisius was playing.
“Don’t lie.”
The gods of the underworld were cruel, greedy things consumed by desire. It was hard to believe that the friend who had tried to give up his life for him was from the underground divine race.
But he couldn’t deny it either.
Only now did Seianes’s behavior make sense. Why he had tried to keep him and Abrisius apart, why he had so disliked it when Abrisius went toward the contaminated earth.
‘All of it was because Abrisius was from the underground divine race?’
It was an unbelievable fact.
Seianes was the God of the Earth. A god who ruled the land of the surface had secretly brought in someone from the underground divine race to this land. That was clearly a crime, an act that should rightfully be punished.
And if that was true, Abrisius was an existence that shouldn’t be on the surface.
His head spinning, Cairens staggered for a moment. The truth swirling in his head was hard to believe.
“Are you satisfied now? For finding out my secret?”
Watching Cairens deny it, Abrisius smiled crookedly. Seeing that, Cairens couldn’t say anything. It felt like his head was growing cold from the shock.
“No, that can’t be. Don’t lie.”
“No, it’s true. That’s why Seianes hated you and me meeting. In case you found out my secret and hurt me. You’re destined to defeat the underground divine race, after all.”
Unbelievable facts landed on his ears. He couldn’t accept each word Abrisius was saying.
“Cairens, you said it yourself. This isn’t the me you know.”
Abrisius, who had completely wiped away his smile, looked down at Cairens with a serious expression.
“What do you know about me? How much do you know to say that? When you’re struggling over such a trivial truth.”
“…Trivial?”
He was astounded at Abrisius’s description of the shocking truth as ‘trivial.’
His eyes wavered like waves. The happy memories of his childhood crumbled helplessly because of Abrisius.
[I’ll become the sacrifice instead of you.]
Long ago, the savior who had stepped forward to save him when he was trapped in the underground prison. Those determined eyes were still vivid in Cairens’s memory.
Abrisius’s words about becoming the sacrifice without hesitation weren’t something that could be said lightly. And in fact, he had appeared before the platform to become the sacrifice and had even persuaded the people.
To Cairens’s eyes, that didn’t seem like a lie or pretense.
But could Cairens say he knew Abrisius well based on just that?
An emotion difficult to define scratched at his insides. It wasn’t anger. Looking up at Abrisius from his defenseless position, Cairens moistened his parched lips.
Vivid red covered Cairens’s vision. As the brilliant red reached his chest, Cairens had no choice but to acknowledge it. Red. The underground divine race.
“Your eyes are red.”
The reason he felt dissonance when looking at Abrisius and the fact he had desperately denied were proven the moment he saw his eyes.
“Yes, do you accept it now?”
Buried in the sweet fantasy of memories, he was pulled back to reality. The sweet lies were removed, and the revealed truth shocked Cairens.
“Yeah.”
It was quite a quick acknowledgment for someone who had denied it so strongly.
He was an existence from the underworld, so he should kill Abrisius. His reason was crying out that he should flip over the one pinning him down and strangle him. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Was it because of the shock, or was it because the contaminated earth and Abrisius’s energy as a member of the underground divine race had taken over his thoughts? He couldn’t tell.
“…Then let me ask you one thing.”
Desperately calming his chaotic heart, Cairens opened his mouth.
“Why are you honestly telling me the truth?”
The secret of Abrisius’s birth that even Seianes had tried to hide. He couldn’t understand why the person who should be most careful was revealing that truth so defensively.
“Don’t you know my destiny? I have to kill the underground divine race. And if you’re from the underground divine race, that means you’re included among them, so why would you tell me…”
All the truth. He absolutely couldn’t understand. At his question, Abrisius smiled softly. And gently stroked the face of the one beneath him.
“Cairens, the underground divine race, you see, can see people’s hearts.”
The sensation of flesh touching his fingertips was vivid. Warm and yet cold hands swept across Cairens’s cheeks.
“How else would I have known about your desire for revenge that you didn’t even speak of? And the affection that even you didn’t notice?”
At those words, Cairens’s pupils dilated.
He recalled what Abrisius had said.
[You want to use me to get revenge, don’t you?]
How did Abrisius know that he wanted revenge against the gods including Seianes? Conversations he had tried not to recall due to shock came to mind.
How did Abrisius know that? He hadn’t even mentioned the word revenge.
[You like me.]
The face of Abrisius speaking with confidence came vividly to mind.
Had he really looked into the feelings inside him? It felt like he had been laid bare to the bone.
“Cairens, you said you wanted revenge, didn’t you? Your desire is saying so.”
Whether knowing his heart or not, Abrisius still didn’t hide the smile on his lips. The sound of breathing touching his ear was clear. Goosebumps rose. Their gazes met. Long eyelashes curved softly, and Abrisius, looking at Cairens, smiled with his eyes.
“I’ll help you with that revenge.”
“What?”
As soon as the words ended, Abrisius’s tongue plunged into Cairens’s mouth.
Breath and breath exchanged, and a deep kiss filled only with despair and excitement was shared. Dreamlike stimulation conquered his brain, and soft, warm lips explored each other, driving them to the edge of pleasure and immorality.
“Ugh…!”
The more Cairens gasped for breath, the more Abrisius gave no opening and explored his mouth more intensely.
The pungent scent of the underworld seeped into Cairens’s nose. Perhaps because of that, his mind became hazy and dim.
“I changed like this because of love.”
The thread of reason faded, and finally, he heard a hallucination ringing in his ears.
