episode_0157

If only these tears could melt the lump in my chest, if only they could untangle this heart that is completely twisted and cannot be undone. But for that, it was too light, just a single drop, compared to the fate I had to bear.

Creak- creak-. A violent sound came from beyond the window. A sound. A ruthless reality that could not be filtered out by simply closing my eyes.

Creak… creak! Just by listening to that irregular and unpleasant noise, I felt as if I was actually seeing it. Fosao crushing Tia, pressing down with his massive weight. The bed shaking precariously each time his protruding belly and flattened, pancake-like chest swayed. Red hair scattered wildly across the bed. Tia’s body, almost buried and unseen beneath the black mass of flesh. Her pure white hands and feet desperately clutching within.

Tia. Just like me, standing foolishly by the window, unable to move. You were the same, too. You, who were like the sun, burned so brightly that it was too late to realize your own mistakes. You asked everyone for help, but everyone, scorched by your hot sunlight, turned away. Your fate, unable to move and forced to accept him to survive, how should it have been saved?

A black mist descends. Like the ‘solar eclipse’ of ancient times, when light vanished in broad daylight. Holding the sun in the sky tightly, preventing it from escaping, the black shadow slowly swallows it. Tia, who had shone brightly in my heart, was now buried in the mist, leaving only a faint light behind.

“Get pregnant… Ti, Tia…” Each time his heavy waist struck Tia’s buttocks, it sounded like a whip cracking. The intense copulation, like a hammer striking an anvil with full force, grew stronger and more vigorous with each repetition.

Slam-!! Slam-!! Struck by the impact throughout her body, Tia could do nothing but gasp breathlessly. Even following Fosao’s organ as it churned wildly inside her was a sound too overwhelming. Was Tia feeling terror at the foreign sensation of it tearing through her vagina and pressing against her uterus, or was she feeling happiness? …I had no way of knowing.

“Haa… haa…” “Hoo-! Hoo-!” Creak-! Screech-! Rising excitement, ragged breathing, and the creaking of the wobbling bed all intricately mixed together. Fosao’s sudden cry cut through it all.

“It’s, coming out–!!” Thump! I opened my eyes at the sound of something breaking.

Fosao had thrust his penis deep inside Tia’s body. With his tongue sticking out long, drooling dirty saliva, in his hideous and ugly form, he continued to spew semen into her pure white womb. “Uhoh-” Semen that hadn’t fully entered slowly seeped out from where the two were connected. The moment Fosao, having ejaculated, pulled out his penis. Plop-. With a gurgling sound, a gush of white fluid spilled out from the widely opened orifice.

Fosao grabbed Tia’s legs. And he grinned broadly, watching his ejaculated semen slowly squirming out of the girl’s vagina.

“Ti, Tia. The baby seed I gave you… you must carry it properly until Go, Goldenburg. Ri, right?” It seemed her half-lost consciousness had finally returned. As soon as she heard his voice, I saw Tia’s unfocused gaze straighten. The very first thing she did upon regaining consciousness was… an instinctive posture of a female.

Although she didn’t say “yes” aloud. With a tearful smile, she caressed her lower belly, which held Fosao’s semen, thereby answering that she would faithfully obey his command. That careful gesture was already… the maternal instinct of one carrying a child.

“Hehe.” It was the moment Fosao, letting out a satisfied laugh, got up. Creaaaak-. An unsettling sound briefly brushed past from somewhere. CRASH!! Suddenly, the end of the bed collapsed, and Fosao’s body tilted sharply backward.

“Nuuuaa-?” “…Uncle-nim!” The moment he lost his balance and was about to fall to the floor. Tia quickly snatched his hand and pulled him.

“Nuwah!” Fosao awkwardly fell into Tia’s embrace. He buried his face in her breasts, gasping in surprise.

One of the bed’s legs had collapsed. In fact, it was strange that it had been fine until now. No, was Tia even more remarkable for not losing consciousness despite such a heavy man thrusting so violently that the bed couldn’t bear it? She stared blankly at the ruined bed.

“The bed broke.” “Oh, right.” “Are you okay, Uncle-nim?” “Mmm.” “Honestly… I told you not to do it too hard. What if you got hurt again?”

Tia gently embraced Fosao. Her face showed little concern about the broken bed. She had boasted to Ruyef, who fixed the bed for her, saying she was so happy to have the bed her parents had used. Even after having sex with Fosao on it, and it breaking because he was rough. Now, Tia was more concerned for him.

“You said you’d marry me. Now… I can’t marry anyone but Uncle-nim. Will you make me a widow for life?” “I, I’m sorry.” “I want to live a long time with Uncle-nim. So don’t get sick anymore… and don’t get hurt…” In that voice, there was a strong obsession beyond mere request. Because she was a girl who had once buried someone she loved with her own hands, she sincerely wished for the person she loved ‘now’ to live a long time.

“Mmm. I’ll stay alive. We, we have to see our baby, too.” Fosao placed a hand on Tia’s lower belly and asked. “Did it take?” “…” I don’t know. That is something only the Divine Dragon-nim of the heavens would know. But Tia had a look in her eyes as if she knew somehow.

“…Maybe.”

***

Tia tried to fix the broken bed all night, but soon gave up and spent the night sleeping together on a mattress laid on the floor. Anyway, it was time to leave Breezedon.

As soon as dawn broke the next day, the two moved diligently. They fastened their coats tightly, checked and packed emergency food supplies and money for the long journey.

Just before leaving, Tia lightly tidied up the house. She left souvenirs and books in their original places. Although she couldn’t ultimately fix the broken bed, she left it as close to its original state as possible.

Tia had been preparing to leave since yesterday, but Fosao just dilly-dallied. It was difficult for him even to put on his coat and sling his bag, to the point where she had to wait for a long time.

Only after a long time did Fosao finally finish all his preparations and come out of the house. Click. Click. Meanwhile, Tia was doing something in front of the wooden door.

“Ti, Tia? What are you doing?” “A memento.” “A memento?”

Tia looked up at the wooden door with nostalgic eyes. “Because… we might never come back here again.” “…” I couldn’t dare say that premonition was wrong. If they left like this, they might never return. As they settled in a new place, started a family, raised children, and lived busy lives, thoughts of their hometown would gradually fade. After a very long time, by the time nostalgia suddenly struck… this house too would probably be swallowed up and gone by Dragonez’s magnificent nature.

“I want to keep my last memories here beautiful. So I changed the password.” “Wh, what to?” Tia showed the wooden block on the wooden door.

January 15th. “It’s the day I shone brightest.” That day was when Tia and Fosao had their baptism together and became bound. “It’s, it’s my birthday…” “Yes. It’s Uncle-nim’s birthday too.”

The moment Tia answered that way, a sudden hallucination overlapped. [Right, right? That’s why I intentionally didn’t tell Ritsu. If it were Ritsu, he’d guess it at once and then scold me, saying “Why is the password so easy?”. Then I’d change the password back to that date. And whenever Ritsu and I have an anniversary, I plan to keep changing it then. How’s that, fun, right?] It was Tia, giggling with Ruyef in front of the wooden door. Indeed. Originally, the password for the wooden door was February 2nd. Tia’s birthday. She had said that the moment the password was discovered, she would keep changing it to an anniversary with me. But that playful act was now… …ending with it being changed to ‘Fosao’s anniversary.’

Tia held her hands together, a desolate smile on her face. “If Uncle-nim and I live happily for a long, long time, there will surely come a day when this password is solved again. Even if it’s not us, our children might come here…” “…Mmm.”

Whooosh-. The wind of Breezedon blew. A strong, fierce wind, blowing away all the memories left in the village.

“…Let’s go. Tia.” Tears were already flowing down Tia’s cheeks, which had just been smiling. Clutching the hand Fosao offered, the girl barely managed to turn her reluctant steps. Rustle. Rustle. Tia left Breezedon. She slowly descended the hill, never to return. Burying all of Tia’s childhood memories and memories with me, she departed. Eventually, when her bright red hair was no longer visible… The memory-vision had scattered and vanished.

“…” Back in reality, the wooden door was before me. Click. I moved my hand to set the date to January 15th. Clunk! Screech-. Then, the wooden door, which had never opened before me until now, finally swung open. Haha. Everything I saw… was truly not a lie.

“Ritsu.” Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Ruyef standing there. A little further away, on a distant hill, Marie was squatting, sobbing.

“What are you doing?” “…” I couldn’t answer. No, I had no strength to answer at all.

It was when I turned my head back and tried to push the wooden door open and enter. Ruyef blocked my way. “Were you standing there like an idiot all this time just to figure out that wooden door’s password?”

The moment I tried to ignore him and pass by. Suddenly, my nape was abruptly lifted.

“…” My body flapped helplessly through the air. Then, a sharp impact from my waist to the back of my head. The rough feel of grass against my neck told me what situation I was in.

“Oppa-!” Marie’s scream was heard from afar.

“Snap out of it, you idiot.” Ruyef was gripping the front of my shirt, which had fallen to the ground. No one, I swear, would have ever seen Ruyef with such a terrifying expression.

“Don’t go around in front of me with that kind of face, you bastard. Did I save you for that?” “Ugh…” “If you want to die, just die quickly!”

Ruyef placed his hand on my neck as if he was about to kill me. “Don’t! Don’t do it-! Oppa!” Marie’s voice, holding onto Ruyef and stopping him, was heard. But it was not enough to remove that firm arm slowly tightening around my neck.

“You can see the past? Fine. I don’t know how terrible that is. But that’s no excuse for you to sit around like an idiot.” “Let… go…” “Stop it, Oppa!”

It’s tormenting. I can’t breathe. My chest hurts. My body hurts so much I can’t move.

“Ugh…” Yet, I was twisting Ruyef’s hand, which was choking me, with all my might to survive. Why? Why… why must I live like this? With my father dead, my hometown gone, and even my beloved childhood friend taken from me… Why do I have to go through such trials?

As my consciousness faded, I saw the sky. If there’s a Divine Dragon there, answer me. Is there anyone in the world more miserable than me? If not, why must it be ‘me’ of all people? Just take me to the underworld. Why leave me ambiguously alive just to tear me apart like this? Did I… do something wrong? Did I commit an irreverent sin that one should not dare to commit against a god? I merely lived an ordinary life. Is the sin of loving one girl really that great?

“Do you feel wronged?” Ruyef’s question was heard. Looking down at me, who was shedding tears and clenching my teeth, he spoke. My sharp fingernails were tearing his thick skin and drawing blood. Ruyef’s hand and arm, which were choking me, were covered in blood.

“Finally… your face is worth looking at.” Thud. Suddenly, my obstructed breathing eased. “Gasp-!! Cough! Gasp-! Gasp-! Cough! Cough!” Something filled my head, and my vision became so clear it felt like my eyes would pop out. My throat was hot, and my chest felt like it was burning. My saliva had a strong taste of blood, causing me to keep coughing.

It hurts. It hurts like crazy. …Yet, this was the first time the feeling of being alive had ever felt so peaceful.

“Ritsu Oppa!” Marie held onto my body, which felt like it was about to collapse. Ah… was Marie’s body always this warm? All my senses were so heightened that it felt incredibly stimulating.

“Ritsu.” Ruyef held a water bottle and poured it over his blood-soaked arm.

“Marie and I… are orphans.” “Haa- haa- Cough!” “I barely remember my mother’s faint face and the village where I lived when I was very young. But that place was already destroyed by war and completely vanished, and the only place I can call home is here. Marie… it’s as good as if she was truly born here now.”

His voice echoed through the empty village. “Back then, I was endlessly young and couldn’t do anything. But now it’s different. As a member of Breezedon, I will find and punish the one who destroyed my hometown and rebuild this village.”

That grim, metallic voice carried a firm resolve to definitely make it happen. Ruyef had intended to do that from the very beginning. Rescuing me from the coffin, hiding in the mountains of Dragonez, and continuously circling Breezedon. He had struggled in his own way to prevent his hometown from progressively collapsing. Having seen fragments of Ruyef’s memories, I could understand everything.

“But what are you, the smartest and most distinguished person in the village, doing right now? ‘Village Elder of Breezedon’, Ritsu.”

Grind-. A handful of dirt was clutched in my tightly clenched fist. A shiver that made my whole body tremble. Tears that felt like they would melt my cheeks, and this chest, tightly constricted as if it would burst. I had forgotten it at some point, but that sensation was familiar.

The bastard who ruined my life. That pig-bastard who stole my love entirely. Fosao.

“…I’ll kill him.” The words seeped out between my trembling teeth. With bloodshot eyes, clenching my fists so tightly that blood would come out. I said again. “I will… have my revenge.”

Definitely.