I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 218

* * *

Something was wrong. No, something was horrifying.

 

“What do you think happened here?”

 

The hallway was completely drenched in blood. Corpses lined the floor the entire way. There were no living people. There weren’t even intact bodies. As if torn apart by a gigantic monster, the bodies of the contaminated barbarians had been ripped cleanly in half. Every single one of them. Not a single exception.

 

How could anyone kill like this?

 

Yustio examined the unreal remains and declared calmly, “Give up on finding the imperial consort.”

 

“…”

 

“She has either already escaped or is dead. One of the two.”

 

That was probably true. Then what about Carl? If my guess is right… This was Carl Windsor’s doing. Because this was a level of devastation beyond a human’s capacity. He definitely used that power.

 

Dana had never seen it even once, but he was hiding something extremely dangerous. The power of a demon. The fragment of the seven-headed serpent resided within him. What if Yustio realized that?

 

“Carl Windsor.”

 

Dana flinched. As if he had read her thoughts, Yustio spoke the name.

 

“He is the one who locked you in the room, correct?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“The one who chained the door and put you in handcuffs as well?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I sensed demonic power from them.”

 

“What?”

 

“That means they were not ordinary chains. No one but me could have broken them.” Yustio resumed walking as he continued. “I have suspected for a very long time that he might not be human.”

 

“…Why?”

 

“When Carl Windsor was a soldier.” Yustio seemed about to say something, then changed his mind and closed his mouth. “No. It’s just an unnecessary detail.”

 

“…”

 

Starting to speak and then stopping in the middle, what an irritating man…

 

“In any case, I suspect him.”

 

Suddenly, the words of the paladin who had died earlier came back to her. A fragment of the seven-headed serpent had crawled up and become absorbed in pretending to be human. So absorbed that it forgot it was a demon.

 

“No matter how striking the face, evil is still evil. Remember that.”

 

Dana felt strangely dazed and followed behind Yustio as if entranced. So what he meant just now was… Since he suspected Carl of being a demon, he intended to kill him.

 

“That’s not it…” At that moment, Dana’s lips moved on their own. “He just went through an unfortunate accident.”

 

What am I saying? Why am I saying this?

 

“I can vouch for him. He was in an accident when he was young and was tainted by demonic power. He’s not like that…” Even as she spoke, she was stunned. Why am I defending him right now?

 

“Then all the more reason he cannot be allowed to live.”

 

It was a failed defense. All it did was give Yustio even stronger justification.

 

Dana followed him in silence. With every step, her thoughts grew more tangled. If the two of them fought, who would win? Carl would lose. As long as Carl had a human body, just brushing against Yustio would kill him. His entire body would explode. Then he would die. The man she hated so deeply would finally die.

 

If Carl dies, I can take the holy relic. Then everything would become easier. So maybe it was better to let Yustio kill Carl this time. Logically, that was the better option. Though Dana reached that conclusion, and yet… Why were her steps slowing?

 

She was confused. Her emotions were a jumbled mess. Why did she want to stop now? Why did she want to grab Yustio by the collar and cling to him?

 

“Dana?”

 

It was when she found that man on the deck.

 

“Is that you, Dana?”

 

In that instant, an indescribable emotion seized her.

 

“You’re safe.”

 

Everyone on the deck was dead as well. And standing tall among the corpses, Carl Windsor’s face was a mess. His eyes were bloodshot. Tear tracks streaking across his cheeks.

 

“Seriously, I was so worried. No matter how much I searched, you were nowhere to be found…”

 

Yustio did not stop walking. Step by step, he advanced straight toward him. He was going to kill Carl.

 

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Since when had her heart been pounding so loudly? Her fingertips tingled as she trembled with anxiety.

 

Right now, Yustio was going to kill Carl. Dana bit down hard on her lip. Otherwise, she felt like she would scream at Carl to run right now.

 

“I’m really glad you’re safe.” Stupidly, Carl did not run. He didn’t even look at Yustio, speaking as if he didn’t exist. “I was so worried. I thought they might’ve eaten y—”

 

“So you tore their bodies in half.”

 

Carl’s words cut off abruptly. Because Yustio had interjected coldly.

 

“To confirm whether they had eaten her.” Yustio drew closer to Carl. Even now, at this very moment. “Carl Windsor, you truly haven’t changed at all.”

 

Ten steps, no, nine eight. One more step, one reach, and Yustio would touch Carl. And if Yustio touched him, he would die. Shatter completely, leaving no trace. So what? Let him die. It’s better that way.

 

Her chest tightened painfully. Her vision swam like tangled threads.

 

Yes. Let him die. It’s better. The con artist she was sick of…

 

“Get out of the way!”

 

And yet why did she…

 

“Move, Carl Windsor, you idiot!”

 

Why was her mouth moving on its own?

 

“Stop, Yustio!” Dana screamed. “Stop!”

 

But Yustio didn’t stop. And Carl didn’t move.

 

Dana didn’t know what possessed her next. She hurriedly picked up a blood-stained gun from the floor. Click. She chambered a round. “Stop!”

 

But Yustio didn’t.

 

“I said stop!”

 

Bang!

 

“…”

 

A strange sound escaped Dana’s throat. She should have hit him. The bullet definitely flew straight toward Yustio’s back, but it didn’t penetrate. The moment it touched him, it exploded. The bullet shattered into pieces, scattering as metallic dust. Sparkling… particles of light shimmered in the dark air.

 

What is that…? A chill ran through her.

 

Yustio wasn’t only able to make people explode. Any matter, perhaps even things without form. To him, nothing had meaning. Nothing. At all.

 

Bang! Without thinking, Dana fired another shot. But once again, the bullet vanished.

 

“…”

 

Yustio slowly turned around and stared at her. His face was expressionless, but his eyes held undeniable shock. As if he couldn’t believe what she had just done.

 

“What are you doing?” That was why he asked such a pointless question. Even though he clearly knew.

 

“I told you to stop. Why didn’t you?”

 

“And you think that justifies shooting me?”

 

“There’s no reason I shouldn’t.” Dana met his blue eyes head-on. Click. She chambered another round. “Don’t move, Your Holiness.” She knew it was a useless threat. It was simply a declaration of will. “You owe me.” She aimed the gun squarely at Yustio’s face and spoke clearly. “If it weren’t for me, Sir Klito would have died like a beast. Wasn’t he someone important to you?”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t forget. I’m the one who let Sir Klito die as a human.”

 

“And so?” Yustio tilted his head. His gaze grew even colder. “What do you want from me?”

 

Killing intent filled the air. His face was utterly devoid of mercy, and yet, Dana couldn’t give up. Shockingly, she truly couldn’t. She absolutely couldn’t…

 

“Carl Windsor is.” She paused, then clenched her lips tightly. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! “…someone important to me.” She had no choice but to say it. The moment the words left her mouth, humiliation threatened to make her face explode. She felt resentful, ashamed. “Don’t touch him.” Even this plea forced its way out.

 

Overwhelmed by intense defeat and self-loathing, Dana said, “Please turn a blind eye just this once, Your Holiness.”

 

And then—

 

Is he smiling? Dana saw it clearly. The corner of Carl’s mouth lifts behind Yustio’s back. He’s smiling, right now? Heat rushed to her head. Smiling? Now? Really? B*stard. Absolute b*stard. I hate you! Someone’s risking their life to protect him, and instead of running, he’s smiling like an idiot?!

 

“He forcibly confined you.” Yustio spoke with clear irritation. “I guarantee you, Carl Windsor is the kind of man who would do it again and again. Even so, you want him spared?”

 

“If he has to die, I’ll be the one to kill him.” The moment she said it, Dana knew. Yes. This is her true feeling. This is what she wanted. Once she accepted it, the confusion vanished. “Carl Windsor is mine to kill.”

 

Because Carl Windsor’s life belongs to her. She would never allow him to die by someone else’s hand.

 

“When I want to. In the way I choose. I’ll kill him myself. So don’t touch him.”

 

But that b*stard, seriously… For a moment, Dana felt a powerful urge to shoot Carl on the spot. He wasn’t even pretending anymore, grinning openly. Still, she spoke with forced patience. “So please, Your Holiness. Just this once—”

 

At that instant, Carl’s smile froze sharply. The sudden change in expression startled Dana into silence. Why did he suddenly get serious? Did he read her mind, that she didn’t want him to smile?

 

It was then.

 

Huh? A sense of dread made her look down. From the hand of a man she had assumed was a corpse, something rolled out. Clink. It stopped at Dana’s feet. It was a very small, pitch-black bead, about the size of a thumbnail.

 

At that moment, déjà vu slammed into her. I’ve seen something like this before. Yes. She definitely had. It had been bigger, but the same, and the color was the same.

 

[6]

 

Numbers like this had been written on its surface. That’s right. I saw it on the Daiana. A bomb made by the demon worshipper.

 

[5]

 

The one neither Rumie nor Carl had been able to deal with.

 

[4]

 

The one Carl had clutched as he jumped into the sea.

 

[3]

 

“Da—”

 

[2]

 

“—na!”

 

One syllable. Just one syllable. Yet the moment Carl spoke her name felt unbearably long. Time seemed to slow, as if grasped by an enormous hand.

 

Blankly, Dana thought. They say time slows down before you die…

 

Carl was reaching toward her with a horrified expression. From his hand, something spilled out, like a kind of black curtain. It surged forward rapidly, as if trying to shield her.

 

[0]

 

Booooom! A deafening roar that tore at her ears. A blinding white flash erupted before her eyes. The violent explosion sent her body flying. Dana became aware of herself being thrown off the ship and falling into the sea. It didn’t feel real. Like a dream. Why did it feel like it was happening to someone else?

 

Her feet, calves, and knees were ripped apart and scattered. Legs flying in all directions. Even that felt like someone else’s body…

 

Could that really be my body? Impossible. Disgusting.

 

That thought was the last thing she had. Then everything ended.