I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 215

Dana doubted her own eyes. That man was definitely Yustio. Or not? Did I see wrong? His face was hard to make out with the hood of his robe pulled low.

 

While she was still wavering, the man grabbed hold of her handcuffs. A sharp cracking sound rang out, and the metal shattered into pieces. Only then was Dana sure. It’s him… The power to destroy anything his hand touched. That was Yustio Geranze’s ability.

 

“Were you aware this room is protected by barrier stones?”

 

Yustio slipped the broken cuffs off her wrist and let them clatter to the floor as he spoke. “There was a barrier around this room that blocked entry and exit. If it weren’t for me, it would’ve been hard to break.”

 

A barrier that blocked entry and exit? In other words, something that stopped anyone from coming in or going out. As if the cuffs and chains weren’t enough…

 

A chill swept over her skin. That b*stard really wasn’t sane. And yet with that personality, he’d knelt in front of her, voice trembling, acting like the weakest thing alive. It made her teeth grind. If Carl had just been openly vicious, he wouldn’t have been nearly this disgusting.

 

“Carl Windsor did this,” Dana said, barely swallowing down the rage boiling up inside her. “Didn’t you run into him in the hallway? Brown shaggy wig, horn-rimmed glasses.”

 

“That man was Carl Windsor?”

 

That was unexpected. Was Carl’s disguise really that good? Good enough that even Yustio hadn’t recognized him…? No, wait. This conversation, something felt off about it. This wasn’t the kind of talk you had with someone you’d just met. The flow between them was too natural, like they already knew each other. His tone was almost the same as when he’d spoken with ‘Danae Windsor’…

 

“Do you,” she began, a ridiculous thought forming. “Do you know who I am?”

 

Yustio stared down at her like she’d asked the strangest thing. “Danaena Rolland.”

 

“…”

 

“And before that, I know you were Danae Windsor. I also know you’re the experiment that the Daiana Church invested the most effort into.” He stated that grotesque truth with an utterly calm face. How could he say it like it was nothing?

 

“Did you know from the beginning?” she asked.

 

“I’ve long suspected the Daiana Church’s experiments, but I only learned about you recently.”

 

How had he found out? Well, of course Yustio could have found it. He was the pope of the Ramun Church, after all. He’d have eyes and ears everywhere. There might even be spies of the Ramun Church in the sanctuary.

 

What bothered Dana was his attitude. He knew what she was, and yet he was treating her like this, as if it didn’t matter.

 

Yustio loathed the Daiana Church. Dana’s body was created by the experiments of that despised heretical cult. Yet he was acting like that wasn’t even his concern.

 

“For now, take a lifeboat and get off this ship. I’ll help you at least that far.”

 

Or maybe he was just pretending. Putting on an act to make her drop her guard.

 

“No. I’m fine,” Dana refused at once. She couldn’t bring herself to trust him yet. “Thank you for helping me, but there’s something I have to do here. I can’t leave yet.”

 

“You can’t leave?” Yustio repeated her words slowly, as if tasting them. “You’re saying there’s something you must do on this ship?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He fell silent. The moment she thought that chiseled face had tilted slightly—

 

“…!”

 

A large hand flashed toward her. He seized her by the collar and yanked her forward in one brutal motion. “What is it?”

 

Dana was dragged like a straw doll. His oppressive gaze bore down on her, blue eyes like cold flames.

 

“Answer me. What is this thing you have to do?”

 

Dana panted for breath. Of course. She’d known it would go like this. This man, for all that he looked like the incarnation of the sun god, was incredibly violent. On top of that, he was the inquisitor who’d killed more demon worshippers than anyone. And more than anything… He once squeezed my throat like he meant to kill me.

 

Now that he knew she was an experiment, Yustio was nothing but a very dangerous man to her. He could decide to interrogate her at any moment…

 

“All, ice,” Dana said, giving the answer she’d prepared in advance. “I can’t, leave Allice, behind.”

 

Was that not what he’d expected? One of his eyebrows shot up sharply. “You mean the imperial consort?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“There’s no way you have any fondness for my nephew’s wife.”

 

“Even so, I can’t just leave her in a place like this.” It was a lie, but it sounded fairly sincere. “I won’t ask you to save Allice. But don’t force me to abandon her.”

 

Did he buy it? The iron grip on her collar loosened and slid away.

 

Dana rubbed her neck and cleared her throat, then asked, “Since you went so far as to grab my collar and interrogate me, I think I’ve earned the right to ask at least this much. Your Holiness, what are you doing here?”

 

“There’s something I’m looking for.”

 

“…”

 

Ah. Of course he is… His expression said he had no intention of explaining further, and Dana lost any motivation to pry. Fine. Whatever. Just get out already…

 

Why did this man even come to rescue her in the first place? It’s not like he’s the type to do it out of kindness.

 

Then Yustio said something she hadn’t seen coming. “You’re coming with me.”

 

“What?”

 

What on earth was he talking about? Dana barely kept her face from twisting.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean you’ll accompany me.”

 

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the words…

 

“Once I’ve finished my business, I’ll help you search for the imperial consort.” He informed her unilaterally, then lifted his right arm and swept his robe open. It was as if inviting her to step inside.

 

“…”

 

What the hell with this lunatic… She was dumbfounded. So he wanted her to hide under his clothes and move around like that? Was that really something you suggested to a woman whose collar you’d just grabbed?

 

Misreading her hesitation, Yustio frowned slightly. “This robe is enchanted with a holy spell that erases any sign of my presence. You don’t need to worry.”

 

That wasn’t the problem. Dana had absolutely no desire to hide inside the clothes of a man who might suddenly decide to kill her. But she couldn’t say that, so she said this instead. “Unless it’s an invisibility cloak, someone’s going to notice. If I go inside, it’ll be obvious.”

 

“Don’t waste time on pointless worries. You’re smaller than you seem to think.”

 

“…”

 

That was… weirdly insulting…

 

“I told you I’d help you with your task. Or are you planning to do something I mustn’t help with?”

 

Well, if he’s next to her, the anti-church leader faction will never dare approach her… But if she said that out loud, he’d switch into inquisitor mode on the spot.

 

“Of course not.”

 

This wouldn’t do. She’d have to pretend to go along for now, then find a chance to slip away. Once she got out, she could deliberately cause a commotion and… I’ll expose him as the pope of Ramun Church.

 

This Red Ship was crawling with Yustio’s enemies, after all.

 

* * *

Meanwhile, Carl Windsor, who had left after locking Dana, attended another gaming floor.

 

“Hey, what took you so long? The game’s about to start!”

 

He was with the man he’d played cards with earlier.

 

“My apologies. Something came up.” Carl sat down, rubbing the back of his head where Dana’s shoe had smacked him. “The very back row, huh.”

 

“Hey, don’t say that like it’s nothing. Just getting this seat, no, just getting into this hall, is incredibly difficult.” The man chuckled and patted Carl on the shoulder. “Only verified customers like me can enter. If I hadn’t vouched for you, a first-timer like you wouldn’t have stood a chance!”

 

That was true. And yet, the man brought along this unfamiliar fellow of the same race. Because Carl was extremely wealthy, and more importantly… I caught myself a perfect sucker.

 

A fool who didn’t even know the rules and wouldn’t notice cheating happening right in front of him. The amount of money he had wrung out of Carl today was enormous. In other words, Carl was a rare cash cow.

 

“Alright, let’s place our bets. You know the old gladiator matches, right? Just think of it like that.”

 

The hall looked like someone had shrunk a colosseum and moved it indoors. The only difference was the barrier set up between the arena and the audience.

 

“Now! Let me introduce today’s fighters!” The host, seated in the very front row, shouted. “Two paladins of the Ramun Church.”

 

On the stage, two men in pure white paladin uniforms were thrashing against their chains.

 

“Grrr, grrrr…”

 

They looked less like humans and more like beasts. Skin blackened with rot, eyes gleaming with murderous intent, drool dripping like starving animals.

 

“Woooooah!”

 

“Come on, get them started already! I really want to see which paladin wins!”

 

“I’m putting my money on the brown-haired one!”

 

“I’ll take the blond!”

 

Mockery, cheers, and shouts of wagers filled the hall.

 

“How? Fun, right? Look at those paladins of Ramun, reduced to fighting dogs.” The man slung an arm around Carl’s shoulders and grinned. “Isn’t it genius? Using Ramun’s paladins as test subjects to make mutant-contaminated.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Just imagine an army made out of them! The day we take revenge on those Ramun believers who drove us to the north isn’t far off!”

 

“But can they really be used as soldiers? They don’t seem intelligent.”

 

“You see those chains? They’re enchanted with control spells. Beast, human, idiot, doesn’t matter. Put those chains around their necks, and they’ll obey like well-trained dogs.”

 

At that, Carl watched the chains around the paladins’ necks with interest. “So such things have been developed. Fascinating.”

 

“Yeah, I hear they go for a ridiculous price, but someone like you could afford them easily.” The man glanced at the gold coin in Carl’s hand. “By the way, you’re ridiculously rich. You just spent a fortune winning Danaena Rolland, and you still have money left to play.” He jabbed Carl’s side with his elbow, grinning lecherously. “That’s why you were late, right? You were having some fun with Danaena.”

 

“…”

 

“How was she with her clothes off? She was fair all over. Was her skin just as fair underneath? And that body, damn, she was something else.” He cupped both hands in front of his chest in a bouncing motion and laughed. “If you don’t mind, lend her to me for a bit. I’ll pay a nice rental fee—” His words were being cut off. It was because Carl suddenly reached out and grabbed the man’s jaw.

 

Before he could say what Carl was doing, a flash of red filled his vision. Crack. Something broke and twisted. Then came a wave of pain. Something thick pierced through his jaw, pushed into his mouth, and clamped down on his tongue.

 

“Guh, uh, uurgh!”

 

Carl then yanked it straight out.

 

“Uaaaagh!”

 

“Wooooo!”

 

“Come on! Blond paladin, win!”

 

“Hey, Sir Paladin! Fight better than that!”

 

But the man’s death scream was swallowed by the roar of the crowd.

 

Carl smiled faintly and murmured, “The very back row is convenient, I’ll give it that.”

 

There was no answer. The man was already dead, blood pouring from his mouth.

 

Carl stared down at the ruined face. “Oh dear.” He then bowed his head. “Seems I made a mistake.”

 

Carl had worked so hard to catch this sucker. Still, at least he’d used him enough. Thanks to him, he’d been able to enter this arena easily.

 

Carl sighed and flicked the gold coin in his hand. The coin flew like a bullet, no, faster than that. It shot in a straight line, tearing through, piercing, and shattering the three-layered barrier around the stage, and finally. Snap. The chains broke. He flickered another coin and severed the other paladin’s chain as well.

 

“W-What on earth!”

 

The moment the chains broke, the stands erupted in panic.

 

“I-Is this supposed to happen?”

 

“The chains just broke out of nowhere!”

 

The flustered host shouted, “D-Don’t worry! There’s a defensive barrier on the stage, so it’s sa—aagh!”

 

The next moment, the paladin leapt from the stage and landed atop the host, sinking his teeth into the host’s neck and tearing flesh away.

 

“Aaaagh, aaaaagh!”

 

“R-Run!”

 

“Move! D-Don’t let them touch you, you’ll get contaminated! Move!”

 

“T-The door’s locked! Someone locked the door! Aargh!”

 

Horrible screams followed one after another.

 

Carl, who had slipped out earlier, walked away at an unhurried pace. He had locked the door because he still had a few things left to do. Soon the door would break, and the Red Ship would turn into a hell packed with mutant contaminated.

 

Yes. This ship is dangerous. Dana should stay quietly in that room.

 

Though the danger was of Carl’s own making, Dana would never know. If she found out, she’d only get angry again. Fortunately, there were no witnesses.

 

* * *

Unfortunately for Carl, there was a witness.