Chapter 302
When he opened his eyes, the walls and floor were hard and cold.
In the midst of this, only he was wrapped up in a blanket, and it was sowhat dark with just one small lamp lit.
As he lay powerless with strangely aching limbs and joints that felt like they might fall off at any mont,
Soone cast a shadow over him.
"Are you awake now?"
Yurik was looking down at him.
The last mont he had been in control of his body was when he was chasing Shub-Niggurath.
Why was Yurik, who had been in Asgard, here?
This ti he couldn't even guess how much ti had passed.
And what was even worse,
Were the blotchy stains visible through Yurik's carelessly worn shirt.
He thought he could tell what those were without being told now.
He had devoured another person again.
Should he take consolation in the fact that he hadn't killed Yurik, or should he say it was disgusting that this guy was still alive and well despite being devoured by him twice?
He couldn't bring himself to lift his face in front of Yurik.
As he stuck his head under the blanket like a caterpillar, sothing grabbed the blanket firmly.
"What did I say would happen if you did this again?"
"Waaaah!"
A gentle voice was followed by pain as if his neck was being pulled out.
Yurik had reached his hand into the blanket and pulled him out by gripping his neck with just one hand.
Before he could co to his senses after being suddenly dragged to the floor,
Yurik's hand wrapped around his neck and gradually applied pressure, imdiately cutting off his breath.
"Neck, neck..."
"I said I'd break this if you did it one more ti."
The world spun around. Was this life going to end by suffocation? At least he wouldn't regress with his body in pieces, so was that fortunate?
Just when he thought he had reached his limit, the strength in Yurik's hand slightly loosened.
Air! Fresh air!
As he barely managed to breathe in, the world regained its color.
And only then did he realize that red eyes were quietly burning right in front of him.
"Explain. If you can."
"-I have nothing to say."
It was true that he had devoured Yurik, and it was also true that Yurik had said he wouldn't let it slide if he did it one more ti.
The fact that Yurik was only beside him when he ca back to life was quite troubling for him too,
But ultimately, Yurik was the victim in this matter, so he had no room for excuses even with ten mouths.
When he only said that, Yurik's eyes narrowed and strength was slowly applied to his grip again.
"I thought so. I should have realized earlier that Yesung doesn't consider promises made with important."
"But, wait, listen,"
"If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to just leave you in the box for life. Right, hyung?"
"-But, whenever I, do this... you're, beside...!"
What was he supposed to do about being beside him!
He had no reason when that happened, so he didn't even know exactly what he was doing!
He understood being angry about what happened when he couldn't control his body!
If that was the case, why didn't he lock him up sowhere? Why was he always beside him, causing this trouble!
When he began to gasp indignantly, Yurik loosened his grip just enough for him to speak.
This was his chance!
"I'm really sorry for hurting you but as you know I can't think straight at that ti and you happened to be beside so I think it was unavoidable that I ended up devouring you because you were there beside !"
"...What are you saying?"
"I'm sorry for doing that to you! But do you think I wanted to do that to you? I know you're angry, but couldn't you cut so slack?"
He wanted him to consider extenuating circumstances! He didn't want to do it either!
He'd rather eat 900 pieces of tough jerky than devour him!
When he appealed his grievances with all his might, Yurik was silent for a mont before asking back.
"You think I'm angry because you bit and tore at ?"
"You said so in Asgard. That you'd kill if I did it one more ti."
"I don't care whether you bite or tear off my limbs. If I can be of help to Yesung, that's what I want most."
"Huh?"
"I said that when you had 'died' again. I told you never to die again. Don't you understand? Did your intelligence drop after dying and coming back to life?"
It wasn't that he would kill him if he devoured him?
He had been interpreting it as Yurik really hating having his body arbitrarily damaged.
But Yurik had made that threat telling him not to die.
When he looked at Yurik with a bewildered expression, Yurik's face, now completely devoid of killing intent, obediently released his neck.
Rather than having no killing intent, it was more like his killing intent had disappeared because he was dumbfounded by his ntal state.
Still breathing in and out while deeply angry, he sat up and shot at him.
"Now explain."
"Wait, there's a reason for that."
"What is it. In three words or less- No. Just spill everything from the beginning. If you hide sothing and I find out later, I'll bury you in the garden with only your head sticking out."
Ah, he was serious about this.
For so reason, he felt it was highly likely to happen, so this ti he had to answer honestly.
"On the way to the Leng Plateau, I gave my body to Aphoom-Zhah."
"You gave... your body?"
"It's a bit complicated to explain. It seed like I couldn't solve things without borrowing Aphoom-Zhah's power, so I just gave it."
"Why on earth?"
"Because we had a contract. That was the original contract. If I lend him the vessel, Aphoom-Zhah can use greater power. Ah, so he's strong even as a god, but his power to interfere with this world increases, should I say? The fact that he could exist in this world or cause such a rampage in Asgard was because I was supplying him with magical power, but actually, rather than drawing and using magical power remotely like that, if Aphoom-Zhah directly descended into my body, he could freely draw and imdiately use my magical power, so I told him to do that- Yurik?"
Yurik was covering his face with both hands.
Why was he doing this? Was he sick sowhere?
After staying like that for quite a while, words leaked out sporadically through the gaps in Yurik's hands.
"So, you, gave your body to that thing. It used your body carelessly, and later, you ended up in that state."
"Huh? Oh, right. They said that's because my body has weak durability and can't withstand it when real divine power is used. I get nagged for being weak every ti because of that, but it can't be helped."
"What idiot, what moron lets a god descend into their own body!"
Yurik suddenly shouted.
He flinched at the voice echoing off the walls. Why was he suddenly getting angry?
"But it's been like that since long ago..."
"Since long ago? Since when exactly? This must be another thing that happened while I wasn't around! You never told that thing would enter your body!"
"There was no chance to tell you."
"So while I was gone, you just let that thing take over your body? And then you ca back in pieces after being manipulated by it? Didn't you think about what kind of influence that thing might have on you? How could you commit such an irresponsible and reckless act!"
"Hey!"
It was unfair. When he thought about it, this was because of that trash villain bastard Yurik from another cycle.
Of course, he couldn't completely equate this Yurik with that Yurik, but seeing this dutiful son Yurik getting angry because of that Yurik was sowhat... funny.
But regardless, Yurik stood up abruptly and began pacing.
Unlike just before, he was overflowing with anxiety.
"I shouldn't have let you leave Shambhala. No matter what sacrifice it took, I should have caught you and brought you back then."
"No, I probably wouldn't have been caught anyway."
"Can't you shut your mouth?"
Ah, he was angry, angry.
Still, it seed less than when he had t him after escaping from being sealed with Shub-Niggurath,
But he couldn't say this directly and watched Yurik's mood.
Yurik ran his hands through his hair and glared at the ceiling while constantly moving around.
After muttering sothing like that for a while, he suddenly rushed over and grabbed his thin shoulders with both hands.
"Promise ."
"Wh-what?"
"That you'll never again give Yesung's body's control to that thing. It doesn't matter what contract you made with it. Never do it again."
"But if sothing like the Leng Plateau happens again-"
"That's my mistake. I won't create such things again. I'll promise too, so Yesung, make an oath."
He couldn't understand why Yurik was suddenly acting like this.
But Yurik looked so desperate that he found himself nodding without realizing it.
Well, Shub-Niggurath was gone now. It seed like no gods would appear on this land for a while, so it should be fine.
"Alright. I'll promise."
"I might not know as much about gods as Yesung does. But giving control of your body to another being like that is not good. Absolutely not."
"I said I understand."
"And stay in Aquilonia."
"I did say before that I would stay here."
"Send that thing to Asgard."
"What? That won't do."
"Make it happen. At least in front of my eyes, in this Aquilonia, there will be no gods."
This was... a sowhat bewildering request.
He was soone who didn't know how to protect even his own body in this world,
And only Aphoom-Zhah was his sole source of power.
It was thanks to Aphoom-Zhah that he had been able to hunt gods all this ti and still be fine.
But now, to beco a useless human again?
Just thinking about it made his chest feel stuffy.
He didn't want to beco that kind of person again. He couldn't just regret while watching things he couldn't do because he was powerless.
"No. Even thinking about it again, I can't accept that."
"Why? Because you made a contract?"
"That's part of it. But without Aphoom-Zhah, I don't have confidence I can survive alone."
"I'm here. Don't you trust ? Do you find unreliable?"
"I can trust you! It's not that I don't trust you. It's just, that's a bit."
"A bit?"
It was difficult to explain.
Aphoom-Zhah had always been with him, and willingly lent him power whenever he wanted.
But this Yurik was different. He was a proper human with the status of a prince in Aquilonia.
He couldn't drag such a person around everywhere like packing for travel.
He must have his own things to do, so he couldn't stay attached to him all the ti.
And it would be undignified for him to step forward and pester him about it.
When he hung his head, he felt sharp pain in his shoulders for a mont, then it subsided.
"...Yesung must have his circumstances too. I'll try to understand that. Of course, even so, my thoughts remain the sa. That thing can't be here."
"Absolutely? Even if I say I need Aphoom-Zhah?"
"Compromise."
It was a short but firm answer.
Leaving only those words, Yurik stepped on the dried blood and unidentifiable substances on the floor and left this place first.
The footsteps faded and eventually beca completely quiet.
But he couldn't move a single step from there.
Yurik or Aphoom-Zhah.
Like most of life, he too couldn't have everything he wanted.
To gain one thing, it was natural to sacrifice another,
And right now it was just Aphoom-Zhah and Yurik.
Normally, he thought he wouldn't have hesitated in such a choice.
Today, he felt particularly unable to get a grip on his choices and future.
He thought he needed to sort himself out a bit, about everything that had happened so far-
[What are you worrying about so much, believer?]
"Gasp!"
[Oh. The believer's heart almost stopped. Treasure it. Isn't it a heart that was just remade not long ago?]
Aphoom-Zhah spoke as calmly as if he had been sitting beside him from the beginning.
He was looking at him and smiling with one leg raised and his arm resting on it,
But perhaps because he was troubled by Yurik's statent, he couldn't smile back.
Aphoom-Zhah looked him over and snapped his fingers.
[Are you trying to be misled by that thing's words?]
"...Were you listening?"
[A little. Believer, you still don't seem to know how great this body is. Even without a body, that much is possible.]
"What should I do? If you go to Asgard, then I..."
[Indeed. This body certainly prefers cold things. Asgard has an environnt suitable for this body.]
"Will you go?"
[I'm just pointing out facts. Believer, what do you want to do now? Do you want to rebel against that thing? Or will you co to Asgard with ? If this body's believer wants it, I'll grant anything.]
"I don't want to upset Yurik that much. I just hate becoming powerless without you."
[You think thoroughly practically, believer.]
"That's the essence of our relationship. I need to make plans for what to do going forward."
[Believer, but the originally set goals haven't changed, have they? You must co to Asgard to find the traces Eibon left, and after that, you must find the human who was the believer's escort knight.]
"That's true."
At tis like this, he really felt that Aphoom-Zhah was his god.
How should he put it, it wasn't common to have a being who was part of him yet could objectively view his situation.
When he was nodding, Aphoom-Zhah stared at him intently.
Why was he doing that?
[And also, believer. You seem to have completely forgotten.]
"? What did I forget? I haven't forgotten anything."
[The believer's younger sibling. The one that the mad god obsessed with theater has. Don't you need to get him back?]
What?
Strangely, he felt that what Aphoom-Zhah said didn't make sense.
His younger sibling, with Hastur.
He had known for a long ti that the kid was Hastur's ghostwriter.
But what was this about needing to save him?
No... wait. No. That's not right, is it? If there had been such a goal, there's no way he would have forgotten it.
If he could save his younger sibling, that would have been the highest priority goal, but he couldn't rember anything about it.
Why did this sound like he was hearing it for the first ti? He hadn't thought about it at all until now.
This wasn't right. He hadn't forgotten this.
He tried desperately to find the reason why he had been forgetting this.
But it was useless.
His mories from before entering this world felt like pages that soone had torn out and burned.
"No. That's... not right. It can't be. Was there such a thing? I can't rember. Nothing, but it's not. There was such a thing? Is he here?"
He was confused.
Which cycle was it when he had been blown behind the stage?
When had he seen his younger sibling captured by Hastur?
No, when had he realized that the kid was captured by 'Hastur' in the first place?
Black horse. Pit. Hills of people. Book. Red book. White north. Mi-Go, Hastur? No, this isn't the place.
His hands were trembling. Suddenly he doubted whether this was even his body and rubbed his face.
Through his completely incomplete mories full of holes, Aphoom-Zhah was looking at him with pity.
[You gave away so many mories to this body that you completely forgot. Believer, did you even give your resolve to get your younger sibling back?]
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