"I know, even if you didn''t remind me."


    Not even allowing myself to emerge from the shadows, I focused all my attention back on the human, clenching my teeth in disbelief.


    "When I ran for my breath, I lost my home…"


    Wait? What''s that smell?


    Once again… another blow struck me, sending me scrambling, still hiding in the shadows as I tried to gather my thoughts.


    "When I stopped for my love, I lost my hatred…"


    Again! A swift blow struck my head, and to my shock, I realized my right hand was missing. Yet, I pushed aside the bizarre loss and focused on the more pressing danger, drawing another spike.


    "No matter how loudly I called out the name of the land"—Above me?!—"to remind myself of my pride in them…"—No! In front!—"This heart cannot escape the guilt that drove me to seek that pride."


    A sudden clash of blades ripped through the air, loud enough to ring my deaf ears.


    "What are you doing?! Why the hell am I being predicted?!"


    "Even Hidesato himself, ugh…" the man who swung his blade to sever my head struggled to stay on his feet, blood spilling from his lips as he muttered, "…died protecting the beliefs of his people when he…"


    "Burned in a house fire set by those same people! So what?! …wait, fire? The smell!"


    The claws he had dug into my back earlier, the fleeting touches during those frantic movements, each time he doused me with the gunpowder?! How naive I was to think it was just these surroundings, foolish me!


    In the instant I lost myself in the thought of the strange smell, he lunged at me. There was another brief tussle, but it was nothing like what I remembered—just like this human. His abrupt and rapid movements made me wonder why he is so… Fast!


    "What kind of pig are you to be able to smell such a distinct scent?!"


    "Given the conditions that''s not possible," he drove the thorn into my hand and pulled me closer as he continued, "All I needed was a faint wisp of the smoke…"


    "That doesn''t explain how you set me on fir--AHH!!!"


    【相】(Sou)


    It felt almost fated that I was not even given the chance to pull away.


    "How can you move, you piece of tin?! Aren''t you feeling any pain?!"


    Taking advantage of the difference in the perspectives and my hand trapped in his grasp, he began his barbarity.


    "You are the one who called me a dead man…"


    He stabbed the stake into my hand, ripping through the muscle, and then forced his hand through the wound to tighten his hold on my bicep.


    "Cut with that bullshit!"—Grabbing his collarbone.


    "Just because of that you can take a bashing?!"—Headbutting him.


    "Just because of that you can endure the pain?!"—Applying pressure to the injury.


    "Just because of that you can push forward?!"—I reattached my hand and severed the other as I kicked him.


    Changing his grip on my severed hand, he held it as if to use it as a feeble club.


    "And you also referred to yourself as life…"


    "Huuuh?!"


    Frustration overwhelmed me, lunging me towards him as I aimed to push him to his limits. I flung the black tag at his sharp eyes that grazed the irritating itch in my head, and drew a red stake.


    With a swift motion, I swung it along his knee, anticipating a counter that could help me reclaim the limb I had lost. He may be fast, but I have confidence in mine too.


    "Then I must show you…" he muttered as he stomped on my foot.


    Whipping the rubbery hand, I successfully drove the stake into his thigh.


    "That no matter how much you shame me…"


    I proceeded with the determination of making a thorned tower, even at the risk of my head in a deadlock with my own severed hand.


    "…I must force myself to sleep through the night of humiliation!"


    I saw the man grunting softly through his bloodied jaws, crimson drops falling onto his hand, but it wasn''t either of our blood.


    "No matter how many times I have to wake up to the same day!"


    It was merely a distorted view of my own saliva.


    "I will keep going until I rise to a peaceful morning!"


    Ah……


    "After all…"


    Such a distorted view……


    "Dawn will always pierce through any darkest night!"


    Unlike the strangulation I expected, he gave my body a vile toss.


    There was no lie in his words, which was evident in his swift action. There was no time to think of a counter, or rather, he was simply faster than what I could process, each strike forcing me to retreat.


    Where the hell is all this explosive energy coming from? Has he been hiding it all along? Why would he do that? He–


    A swift blow to my jaw, almost strong enough to knock me out, sent me into deeper contemplation, so deep that I vehemently tore into the instincts of any vulnerable prey…


    Run!


    ——————————〇


    "Why won''t you show me…? That pitiful side of you!"


    The twisted black demon, ever patient, remained fixated on his singular aim of seeing the bellowing sight of the child in distress.


    Yet he found himself unable to accomplish what he deemed an easy task, even after attempting to show a blend of hopeful and despairing realities, which he believed should be enough to crush any unyielding spirit.


    Deep down, he was convinced he could succeed, for he saw the child huddled in his cupped hands, hugging his own legs as if clinging to life itself.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Feeling that this was the moment to break the child''s faith in his own beliefs, the demon leaned in closer as he let out an eerie groan, ready to weave a new nightmare…


    …but the unexpected roll of the child''s eyeball to stare at the demon''s unfounded confidence caught him off guard, causing him to lurch back.


    The discomfort was unmistakably evident on his detail-free face.


    Taking advantage of his staggering form, a door suddenly burst open.


    And before the demon could even react to the sound, before he could even register the sharp sound that ripped through the air, a thick, black bar shot through the darkened ceiling, and mercilessly impaled him from above.


    ——————————


    Any attempt to flee was proved futile, but at least each blow that struck me gradually brought me back to reality. As confident as I was in myself, I was equally naive.


    I was too late to realize my grated and battered body. But at least in time to…


    "But you know it too! That what I said was true!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "You can''t and will never–"


    Another crushing blow landed on my mouth, sending blood splattering. "Don''t make me repeat myself…" he replied in an annoyed tone, tinged with a sense of helplessness.


    Pulling me closer, his eyes shut in discontent as he muttered under his breath, "You don''t get to test my resolve…"


    Taking advantage of the man''s brooding as he softened his forced stance, I made another attempt to flee, ignoring my severed hand. However, before I could make a full turn, his grip on my hand suddenly tightened.


    "……you don''t get to decide it."


    I strained with all my might, only to find that each tug proved that escape was impossible.


    "Others don''t get to decide…"


    A solution remained elusive. Despite the memories of how easily my limbs could be severed, I couldn''t figure out how to recreate it.


    "Well, even I was the same. Every time I felt lost…"


    The pummeling ceased, as if his words demanded attention.


    "I foolishly questioned the determination of the bee that sacrificed itself to protect its hive."


    And as if to suggest that I was to hurt myself.


    Perhaps not, but that is how I felt. To rip off my own arm to get away as quickly as possible.


    "I foolishly questioned the resolve of a tree that let go of the hands of its children like leaves to protect itself."


    The jutted horn on my head remorselessly dug into my shoulder, and I screamed, desperate to dislodge the bone and tear through the muscle.


    "Every time I pondered, every time I bled with guilt, I questioned and questioned and questioned!"


    Balancing myself to avoid falling, I prepared for a sprint. But, as bizarre as it may sound, he threw my arms back to me and made them reattach themselves.


    "But after we walked the path, supporting each other''s shoulders…"


    In that fleeting moment of distraction, he lifted his right hand high, and wisps of air began to gather in his palm.


    "The answer became clear…"


    As his voice regained its calm, the disorderly gathering began to take shape. The shape of a…


    This… This can''t be…! No, it''s impossible!!!


    "Holding what I can; bearing what I must. Consequently, realizing…"


    His grip tightened around the long, long, long blade, poised to strike down. With a limited choice of actions, I readied myself for the strike while simultaneously surrendering my body and spirit to his harbinger of doom.


    "…that I am the only one who could truly decide for myself."


    The air shattered with a thunderous roar as his strike cleaved through the very essence of our conflict.


    Every piece of my flesh, every ounce of my soul, every part of my existence that was in its path, convulsed against the impact…… but strangely, the damage I felt disappeared in an instant.


    "You really have high senses, huh?!"


    Or rather, the damage I felt wasn''t linear to my thought, completely evident in his chirpy remark.


    "Looks like the gamble worked…"


    Huh? Gamble? What is he–?


    The unnecessary mulling came to an end as soon as I realized that I was plopped down with no foreseen damage.


    By gamble– This man… Just to prove me wrong… So the reason he returned my arms was to make me pause, to catch me off guard, and seizing the opportunity, he used my high senses to project a false image of this weapon?


    Does this mean that this was all planned? And I…


    "Should just accept that?! Do you think you are safe that–"


    "Buddy?"


    "What the hell is your problem?!!! Huh?!!!"


    I directed my frustration at the buffoon who was shedding his thin black skin, exposing his… or changing into his new skin—an illuminating pure white skin.


    "Wh-What are you…?"


    "Would you please allow me to take some of your time for my reflection?"


    Why the hell are you talking like that?! More like, what the hell am I doing here?!!!


    My confusion was answered in a flash as I looked at the man walking past us.


    So it wasn''t just the last bit that he had colluded with fate for his scheme. Then… Since when?


    Since I turned my back towards him?


    No, he just showed his true speed at that time.


    But why did he hide it? Why didn''t he just stop me to begin with?


    No, he did display it when he tried to maim me.


    Did knowing I was immortal change anything?


    No, he changed his ways a bit before that. When he saw the child… When he saw my power…


    Power?!!!


    Not power, but powers! This son of a mammoth''s power!


    Since then?!!!


    Being unaware of his powers, he made me blurt out every detail he needed!


    No! It was certainly before that! Since he first ripped my hand and changed his position!


    Assessing the distance. Ascertaining the situation. Gathering the information. Strategizing a solution. All while keeping me unaware of it.


    Yet, it still doesn''t add up. Why did he leave me unharmed? What is he so sure of?


    "Well then, Buddy…"


    "What the– Ah…"


    Was it this…? Seriously…?


    The reason he only attempted to restrain me was so that he could immobilize both me and this fool simultaneously. By ensnaring me in his bizarre illusion…


    Was this also a gamble…? To see if it would work…


    Probably not… It was likely the kick I delivered to this imbecile''s head that led the human to believe this strategy would work… A simple display that I am on bad terms with this fool.


    So, this is a human?


    A human who has come to terms with the taunting world.


    Definitely not captivated, but I remained still because of his unshakeable spirit. I surrendered to his game and allowed this white figure to take me along for the ride.