Chapter 96: The Price of a Promise

Thud.

With every step he took, marks appeared on the floor, and the Shadow was pushed back. Cracks began to spiderweb across the chakram. The Shadow, merely rolling its eyes to check the weapon’s condition, cast its gaze toward Yeowon’s back.

Unlike their struggle, the exchange between Sagyeol and the hooded figure was dominated by the latter. Yeowon realized this fact belatedly. Every time Sagyeol gritted his teeth and groaned, Yeowon’s entire focus shifted to him.

His fractured concentration created an opening. The Shadow, pressing its chakram against the axe once more, abruptly asked,

“What do you believe is the Shadow’s true purpose?”

“To quietly remain at my master’s feet, and when my master dies, to die with them.”

“…That is also true, I suppose.”

For a fleeting moment, the Shadow’s expression grew subtle, but it quickly reverted to its usual state.

“To perfectly fulfill my master’s desires. That is the very reason for our existence, we who have served the Dragon-Demon Tribe for generations.”

‘What is it trying to achieve?’ The Shadow chuckled, remarking that ‘this’ hadn’t changed either. It was an ominous laugh.

“You haven’t forgotten what my master desires, have you?”

A flash of realization struck Yeowon. The Shadow was uncharacteristically talkative. It felt too contrived to simply be due to a long-awaited reunion. The casual question he’d thrown out earlier—’Are you trying to buy time?’—now belatedly seized his mind.

Swoosh—

The Shadow instantly transformed into a mere shadow and vanished. The one confronting Sagyeol did the same. The dark figures, clinging to the floor, easily slipped through the narrow gap beneath the door. The sturdy iron door proved utterly useless.

“Sagyeol!”

“Damn it!”

He frantically pressed the terminal against the pad.

Beep.

With a light, almost incongruous beep, the iron door clanged open. Pushing the door as if to shatter it, he surged inside. His vision was obstructed by the blinding light pouring forth. Within the magic circle etched in blood, the figure was already slowly fading away.

“Until next time, Lord Yenis.”

CRASH!

Yeowon hurled his axe with all his might towards the Shadow within the light. The axe, spinning as it flew, sailed past the spot where the Shadow had vanished, striking the opposite wall before clattering down. The light slowly receded. All that remained was the spent magic circle.

It was over.

They had been utterly outmaneuvered. Yeowon slammed his fist against the wall beside the door.

CRASH!

The wall, forged from a special alloy, dented inward. Blood streamed from his knuckles, split open by that single blow. Unmindful of the pain, he struck it two more times.

There hadn’t been five of them, but six. Those outside had remained to buy time until the one who entered could secure Illeis Regiatus’s corpse and prepare to open the gate. As Yeowon stood, overwhelmed by despair, Sagyeol swiftly rushed over from behind and clasped his hand.

“Why are you abusing your innocent fist?”

Yeowon flinched, then bowed his head deeply.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I… I misjudged the situation.”

Sagyeol remained silent for a while. Examining Yeowon’s hand with a furrowed brow, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully stemmed the bleeding. Once that was done, he gently probed various other places, checking for any injuries. Eventually, he even instructed Yeowon to turn around.

Normally, Yeowon would have ignored such a command, but burdened by his perceived mistake, he complied meekly. He spun in place, his arms slightly spread. Sagyeol narrowed his eyes.

“From that position, lift your arms just a bit. Spread them slightly, in a rounded shape…”

After making some subtle adjustments, Sagyeol meticulously observed Yeowon from various angles, as if appreciating a sculpture, then nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Good.”

‘What’s so good about it?’ ‘Your mother’s corpse is currently—’

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Sagyeol slipped through the gap in Yeowon’s arms and pulled him into a tight embrace. Sagyeol’s back and waist fit perfectly into Yeowon’s bewildered arms.

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who suggested we go to the disaster zone.”

Even though his mother’s corpse, the very anchor of his life, had vanished, Sagyeol calmly comforted him. Yeowon found this unbearable. He belatedly tried to push Sagyeol away. Yet, no strength gathered in his hands. His efforts amounted to nothing more than a helpless struggle within the embrace.

As his lover remained mired in despair, Sagyeol scratched his cheek with a finger. ‘Hmm, what should I do?’ He mumbled, as if deliberately letting Yeowon overhear, then spoke with a refreshing clarity, as if presenting a brilliant solution.

“Since it’s come to this, there’s no other way. I’ll just have to kill that bastard myself.”

Something snapped within Yeowon’s mind. This time, he pushed Sagyeol away with all his might. Sagyeol’s body, instantly released, stumbled back a few steps. Sagyeol gazed at Yeowon. His face was rarely so agitated and distorted. It was the most profound emotional turmoil he had ever witnessed from him.

Though it displeased him that Yeowon’s distress stemmed from something other than himself, Sagyeol let it pass for now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

“Didn’t you say it was impossible…!”

Yeowon, gasping for breath as he spoke, seemed on the verge of tears. His body still trembled uncontrollably. He tried to calm himself, but his body seemed unwilling to obey his will.

Sagyeol, who had retreated, now approached Yeowon once more. Firmly planted, as if determined not to step back again, he spoke with serene composure.

“If, as you say, it’s impossible, then at least I’ll die with you.”

“……!”

He was so stunned that even his trembling ceased. Yeowon’s eyes widened.

“You promised, didn’t you? That we’d figure out what to do together once this was all over. Let me say it again: I’m going to kill that bastard. Honestly, I don’t think it’s impossible. But even if it were, as you say, I wouldn’t just hand you over willingly.”

Sagyeol’s voice, as he laid bare his true feelings, sounded almost relieved.

“Truthfully, I’m not afraid of death at all. It’s not normal, I know. There have been times recently when I’ve felt a little scared… but it wasn’t about my own death.”

“You said we’d die together.”

“Hmm, then I’ll just die a little bit first. But if you can live, I hope you do.”

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

Unable to bear it any longer, Yeowon gritted his teeth.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’d rather struggle with all my might. Even if it means tearing the skin from my chest again, I will resist. So don’t speak of dying. If you die before me… I will never forgive you.”

Sagyeol smiled, as if he had been waiting for precisely those words.

“Yes. Those were exactly the words I was waiting for.”

Two days later.

Gates opened in all surrounding major cities. Given that they had come to steal Illeis Regiatus’s corpse, the presence of an informant was to be expected. Whether they had already escaped to another city or eluded the search, the whereabouts of a mere informant were no longer the primary concern.

From the gates emerged demonkind. Unlike the Shadow from before, these were ordinary demons, utterly terrified. He recognized them instantly. As if there was something shared among slaves, a spark seemed to fly between their gazes the moment their eyes met.

“That one. They’re like me.”

Sagyeol understood his words immediately.

The demon, marked with a contract of subjugation, was the king’s messenger. They conveyed the king’s message in a trembling voice.

Though the message was long-winded, its essence was simple. The king desired only one thing: to reclaim someone who had been his from the very beginning. The reprieve was ten days. If he came to the designated location, the middle world would never be invaded again. Furthermore, if assistance was needed, they would cooperate. They would continuously supply suitable magical creatures.

“If you refuse, I will lead my grand army across dimensions, annihilate the middle world, and personally reclaim what rightfully belongs in my hands. It would be wise to choose prudently.”

After delivering the message, the demon committed suicide. Neither the cameramen, the brave spectators, nor the hunters at the front line could utter a single word. Where they had fallen, a single piece of parchment remained. Letters were engraved upon unmelting ice. It specified the date and location. Both were based on the demon world’s reckoning.

‘Ultimately, only I or Winslot could understand this and deduce the location.’

‘That bastard doesn’t know about Winslot. This message was sent specifically for me.’

The message appeared to be a warning directed at the entire middle world, but in truth, it was a precise declaration aimed solely at him: “If you do not come, your world will perish.”

Think. Just think.

Yeowon desperately forced his brain, which felt as if it were trying to go on strike, to function. Once activated, a gate was a one-way path. Any magical creature that crossed over could not return, and the only way to close a gate was to kill that creature.

If Kratus crossed over, he would not be able to return. There was no gate stone in the middle world capable of sending back such a massive entity. So, what did this imply?

Yeowon’s face turned ashen. He looked as if he might vomit at any moment. Every instant he had spent in the Demon King’s castle had made him realize Kratus’s madness, but now, once again, that insanity was etched into his very bones.

Kratus was serious about crossing over. If things didn’t go his way, he truly intended to come. The theft of Illeis Regiatus’s corpse was precisely for this purpose.

‘He has no intention of returning.’

He planned to settle here, becoming the new master of the middle world. Yet, that was merely a secondary objective. His true goal was one thing: Yeowon himself.

Thud. A firm hand grasped his shoulder.

“No. Don’t even think about it.”

Yeowon didn’t ask how Sagyeol knew what he was thinking. In the eerie silence, someone’s gaze shifted. It moved to the spot where the demon had kept its eyes fixed from beginning to end: the very back row of the hunter’s defensive line, where Yeowon stood beside Sagyeol.

“The Returnee.”

No one knew who uttered those words first. Yeowon was slightly astonished. To think someone could so thoroughly analyze the situation and deduce the correct answer, even in circumstances that should have incited panic.

However, the situation was too dire for mere admiration.

“We’re moving.”

At Sagyeol’s suggestion, Yeowon silently nodded. No sooner had they swiftly withdrawn than a commotion erupted at the scene. Loud shouts exchanged, and scuffles broke out frequently. There was no need to strain his ears.

The panic-stricken crowd all sought one person.

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