Chapter 112 - Damn Reincarnation

Flames

There was no way Barang did not know that name.

Yet even after hearing it confirmed by the man himself, Barang still could not believe him.

How could he? That thing, standing, right there before him. That overwhelmingly imposing being who seemed utterly beyond his reach. A human brat who had not even come of age?

"... That's... impossible."

Barang gritted his teeth in denial.

"You, you're not Eugene Lionheart. Who... are you? Are you a dragon?"

That was a first. Eugene let out a disbelieving laugh and shook his head.

"Do I look like a dragon to you?"

Barang did not answer.

Both his arms had been severed. His entrails had spilled from his split-open body as well.

But he was not dead yet. His wounds were too severe to leave untreated, but he was still alive.

Only barely. Could he turn the situation around in this state? Had he let his guard down? That had only ever been an excuse for the beginning of the fight. He could no longer use it now.

Barang had given it everything he had, and even that had failed to close the gap between him and Eugene. That unidentified bastard was some unknown being wearing the skin of nineteen-year-old Eugene Lionheart.

'... Brother.'

Barang swallowed the blood filling his throat.

The seemingly insurmountable distance was shrinking. Eugene was approaching him. His steps were unhurried, his footfalls steady. With every step closer, Barang's body began to tremble faintly.

He denied that this being was Eugene Lionheart.

But he could not deny this fear. It grew more vivid with every step Eugene took. Instinct forced his feet to move, trying to get him farther away.

"Who put you up to this?"

Ignition was still active. There was a limit to how long it could last, but Eugene still had plenty of time.

'... Brother.'

Barang drew his trembling body inward. Although they were sworn brothers, he feared Yagon. He was not alone in that. Every beastfolk who followed Yagon feared him.

To the beastfolk, Yagon was terror incarnate.

Sworn brothers.

That bond meant little to Yagon. He had bitten his own father to death. What could be so important or precious about a sworn brother who shared none of his blood?

Barang knew that well. Whatever happened to him, Yagon would not mourn him. He might even sneer that Barang had died because he was weak. The brotherhood they had sworn as youths while dreaming of the distant future meant nothing to the Yagon of today.

"... Yagon has nothing to do with this."

Barang spat the words out through twisted lips.

"This wasn't Yagon's order. Yagon doesn't give orders for such trivial matters."

"Trivial matters... Fine. So what were you going to do after following me into the domain?"

"My role was to confirm that the domain existed, and find its location."

A little closer.

"Once I'd confirmed that, I intended to kill you and the saint, then return."

Come a little closer.

"You said you wouldn't kill us. So that was a lie after all."

"..."

"So. Who put you up to this? If it wasn't Yagon, was it another demon? A dark elf?"

As Eugene took another step closer, the blood soaking the ground changed color. It turned pitch-black and shot toward him. Barang gritted his teeth without waiting to see it reach its target.

The spilled blood and entrails—no, Barang's entire body—became a black bomb. Both his arms were gone. He still had his teeth, but even if he lunged, he would never be able to sink his fangs into that bastard. The best he could do now was blow himself up and take Eugene with him.

"Sir Eugene!"

Kristina's scream was swallowed by a tremendous blast. The black explosion engulfed Eugene. At that distance, dodging was impossible.

There was no need to dodge it, anyway.

BOOOOM!

The explosion could advance no farther than where Eugene stood.

In the instant of his death, Barang saw flames burning blue and white. Those two flames formed an immense barrier that blocked his explosion. In the end, even the blast he had sacrificed his life to create failed to leave a single wound on Eugene.

"Shit."

Eugene swore and shook his hand. Barang had not left so much as a scrap of a corpse behind. Glaring at the blackened ground, Eugene slipped Wynnyd, which he still held, into his cloak.

"Sir Eugene...!"

Kristina hurried over and caught his wrist. Eugene laid a hand over his pounding heart and narrowed his eyes.

"I shouldn't have let him die. You needed to make that bastard talk."

There was much he needed to hear from Barang. Torture was the only interrogation method Eugene knew, but Kristina was here. No matter how tightly the bastard kept his mouth shut, her divine magic would easily pry that maw open.

"... No. That would have been impossible."

Kristina composed her expression and looked at Eugene.

"That beastfolk was incomparably stronger and more corrupted than a dark elf. Even if I had used interrogation magic on him, his soul would have collapsed before we could hear his confession."

"Even so, I shouldn't have let him die like that. Even if you couldn't make him talk, beating the shit out of him some more might have gotten something out of him."

"... Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine now. I won't be in a moment."

"... Pardon?"

Kristina asked again, unable to understand.

Eugene did not bother explaining.

His fingers pressed deep into his chest, caressing his heart. The heat of his runaway core slowly faded, and his heartbeat slowed.

Then the backlash struck. His body swayed violently. Kristina hurriedly supported him as he began to crumple.

"S-Sir Eugene?! What's happened to you all of a sudden?"

He could barely hear her voice. His head spun. Every muscle in his body felt as though it were being torn to shreds. His bones—no, the blood circulating through his veins—felt heavy. His core, overworked by its rampage, had fallen silent. He could not draw out even enough strength to hold himself upright.

'... Still, this is better than I expected.'

In his previous life, he had always lost consciousness after using Ignition. After collapsing and waking again, he had endured all manner of harsh words from Kristina and Anise.

'Is it because this body is tougher than my old one?'

The strain on his heart was not all that great, either. Even so, this was not a technique he could use indiscriminately. He needed absolute certainty that he could kill his opponent, and a companion to look after his battered body afterward. Without those, he could not use it.

"I'll cast healing magic right..."

"It's no use."

Despite his words, Kristina laid him down and cast divine magic. Warm light enveloped his body. But even healing magic could not dispel Ignition's backlash. Plenty of rest was the only way to restore his overworked core.

'... Is Anise not here?'

Eugene wondered as he looked behind Kristina. Even amid the brilliant light, Anise was nowhere to be seen.

"... That dead animal bastard."

Lying on the ground, Eugene opened and closed his tingling hand.

"He knew about you and me."

"... Are you saying someone told him about us?"

Kristina's expression hardened. After a moment's hesitation, she continued.

"... Only His Holiness the Pope and Cardinal Rogeris know that I came to Samar."

"Are you sure?"

"... They may have told someone else, but those two are the only people I reported to."

"Can you trust them?"

Eugene asked while looking her straight in the eyes.

To be honest, he had braced himself for a slap. One was the Pope, the supreme leader of the faith of Light. The other was a cardinal directly beneath the Pope, as well as Kristina's adoptive father. His question openly cast suspicion on them both, so it would be perfectly natural for her to take offense.

But Kristina showed no anger. Rather than answering immediately, she gazed at Eugene for a while. He could not quite read the emotion in her eyes.

But he could tell that it was not anger.

"... What about you, Sir Eugene? If information about us has been leaked, we must suspect not only the Holy Empire, but Lionheart as well."

"The family head would never do that. He has no reason to. But I think the head of the Council of Elders might."

An adopted son who outshone the main family's legitimate descendants. No matter how often Eugene refused, as long as he remained an adopted son, the Council of Elders had no choice but to be wary of him.

That was not necessarily the only reason, either.

Eugene and Kristina knew that Vermouth's tomb held no corpse. The Lionheart family's honor had endured because its founder was Vermouth the Great. For the sake of that honor... burying a truth that need never come to light, ensuring it remained hidden forever, was one possible solution.

"What about you? Can you trust the Pope and the cardinal?"

After a brief silence, Kristina spoke.

"No."

Her voice was subdued.

"I do not trust either of them. I cannot guess what reason they would have, but if necessary, they would readily make a deal with demons."

"..."

"But, Sir Eugene, I heard what that beastfolk said as well. He said he intended to kill us after we guided him into the domain. We can no longer know whether that was true, but if it was... neither His Holiness nor Cardinal Rogeris would have been the one who made a deal with him."

"Because the Holy Sword acknowledged me?"

"That too, but neither of them would want me killed over something like this."

Kristina gave a faint smile as she spoke. This was hardly a conversation to smile about. It was an artificial smile, exactly like the one Anise had worn long ago when speaking of the Holy Empire.

Anise had spoken strangely little about the Holy Empire. Even when everyone else talked about their pasts, she would remain silent, wearing a twisted smile unlike her usual one.

Kristina looked exactly the same now.

"... Why?"

"I don't believe we are close enough yet for me to discuss such things freely with you."

"Fine, then."

Grumbling, Eugene sat up.

Or tried to. He could not muster enough strength, and no amount of straining would lift his torso beyond a certain angle. Seeing that, Kristina's smile changed again. Chuckling, she slipped her hands under his arms.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Eugene recoiled, twisting his body.

"What has gotten into you, Sir Eugene? I was merely trying to help you up."

"Don't lie. You weren't helping me up—you were going to scratch my armpits!"

"... What on earth are you thinking? I haven't lost my mind. Why would I scratch your armpits?"

Kristina's face turned serious as she questioned him. Her argument was perfectly reasonable, but Eugene had distinctly felt her fingers curl beneath his arms.

"... Look... Don't support me like that. Just take my hands and pull me up."

"Are you embarrassed to be helpless in my hands?"

"..."

"You do have a rather cute side. Your usual words and behavior kept me from noticing, but seeing you now reminds me that you are younger than I am."

Kristina smiled brightly and extended both hands toward him.

"Come now. Don't be so embarrassed. Raise both arms for your big sister, as though you were cheering."

"... You're angry because I brought up the Pope and the cardinal, aren't you?"

"No. I feel no anger whatsoever over that question. Nor do I have any reason to."

"Then why are you doing this to me? Why are you tormenting me?"

"Sir Eugene. Do you know what karma means?"

"..."

"You have tormented me several times in this forest and hurt my feelings with your harsh words. Of course, I have never hated you for it, but if not at a time like this, when else would I get to do whatever I please with you?"

Eugene clamped his mouth shut and pressed both arms against his sides. Kristina took his hands herself and pulled his arms wide open. He resisted with all the strength he could muster, but in his current state, he could not overpower her...

"You really are stubborn, Sir Eugene. Judging by your condition, I doubt you could walk even with my support."

"... A stretcher..."

"No. There is no need for that. I shall carry you on my back myself."

"You're going to carry me on your back...?"

"Yes. I'll make sure to support your bottom firmly so you won't fall or feel uncomfortable."

Eugene's eyes trembled. A piggyback ride at his age? His previous life as a rough mercenary flashed through his mind. He absolutely did not want Kristina carrying him on her back.

"There we go."

No matter how much he protested, he could not physically resist.

"Hold on a little tighter around my neck."

"Do you... do you have no sense of shame?"

"Why should I feel ashamed when I'm merely caring for an injured person? Are you feeling ashamed right now, Sir Eugene?"

"..."

"Do not forget that feeling. I hope you will learn from today's experience and become a better person."

Eugene pressed his trembling lips tightly together and bowed his head.

He hated both of Kristina's hands supporting his bottom.