I’m Trying to End This Possession – Chapter 239

Author: alyalia

* * *

Ignis, whom she finally found, was in a terrible state.

“Ignis! No!”

Perhaps he had bitten his tongue. Blood was streaming from his mouth. Not only that, his entire body looked like charred meat. The bright red branding marks, as though seared with hot iron, were so dreadful… It was a wonder he was still alive at all.

Dana immediately ran to Demian, who was watching from behind. “Give me the holy water!”

“W-What are you doing!”

“You have holy water! I saw it while I was climbing up you earlier!” Dana snatched the holy water and rushed to Ignis. Quickly, she poured it into his mouth.

Please, please, heal. Reattach his tongue.

Next, she poured holy water onto the wound on his chest. Then she tried to turn his body over to treat his back, but… He’s heavy! The unconscious boy was incredibly heavy. Even as she struggled, she couldn’t lift him. She had to treat him quickly…

“Honestly.”

At that moment, a large hand covered her like a saving grace. In one easy motion, Demian lifted the boy’s body and turned him over.

“You really do all sorts of things.”

Demian took the bottle of holy water from her hand and poured it over Ignis’s back himself. The wounds began to close at a rapid speed. Only then did Dana let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness. At least he’s alive now…

“If you’re done here, get up. Let’s go.” Demian slung Ignis over his shoulder.

Dana blinked in surprise. He’s helping this proactively?

“Speak. What’s your next plan?”

“Well…”

Actually, she was going to detonate black cores everywhere. So no one could approach her. If Ignis had been unconscious, I was going to threaten someone with a black core and make them carry him for me! She had planned to reach the harbor where the ship was and meet up with Carl. But if he’s helping, maybe I don’t need to detonate the black cores at all.

There was no need to reveal that she herself had caused the first appearance of the rotting land. Having changed her mind, Dana grabbed Demian’s collar. “Getting Demian to help me.”

“…”

“That’s my next plan!”

Dana thought he’d sneer and tell her not to be ridiculous, but for some reason, Demian just looked completely resigned.

“Carl should have secured a ship. Take us to the harbor.”

“Carl is helping you?”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t believe that brat would help anyone…” He frowned as if it were hard to believe, then soon nodded as if understanding. “Very well. I’ll take you there. However.” He lifted her easily with one arm. “You must also let me board that ship. I intend to leave the sanctuary as well.”

“Then take Viego with you!”

“I was going to mention it earlier. Viego already returned to the empire on the day of the attack.”

“Really?”

“It’s true.”

“Is it really true? Can you swear on anything? For real?”

“It’s true.”

She was suspicious, but he swore on everything. Besides, there was no time to interrogate him.

10 hours and 12 minutes! That’s all that’s left!

Growing anxious, Dana nodded. “Then let’s hurry!”

* * *

It was on the way back after confirming the rotten land from afar. Rodrigo doubted his eyes. No, he didn’t doubt them. There was no way he could mistake that one and only existence.

“Dana!” When he called, sure enough, she turned her head.

Dana, held in one arm by his son, Demian… Rodrigo grasped the situation at once. Demian had betrayed him. Taking advantage of the chaos, he was kidnapping Ignis and Dana.

“Demian Windsor, you b*stard! Leave Dana behind!”

At that moment, his eyes met Dana’s. Rodrigo was about to shout, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll save you, so don’t worry about anything—’

“Don’t follow us!”

He had meant to say not to worry.

“I really hate you!”

But…

“I hate you the most in the whole world!”

Why was Dana saying such things?

“Go die! You idiot who’s not even worth the dirt under Ignis’s fingernails!”

Kind, innocent, angelic Dana would never say such ugly words.

“Never touch my Ignis again! Bad guy! Cockroach! Maggot!”

Rodrigo, bewildered, pointed at himself. Who is she talking to? Me?

“Yes, you! Rodrigo, you nasty old man!”

At that moment, Rodrigo’s world collapsed.

* * *

“You’re here too, Brother.”

The harbor was a sea of flames.

“Hurry and board. I prepared it so we can depart immediately.”

Carl Windsor had set fire to every ship except one. And he had already perfectly bribed or threatened the crew of that remaining ship. They asked no questions and set sail the moment they received the signal. With a booming horn, the ship began to move.

Ah, we’re alive. Dana was just going to rest a bit. She couldn’t move anymore. Half collapsed onto the deck, she closed her eyes, gasping for breath. With all the ships in the sanctuary burned, no one would be able to chase them for the time being. Still, I can’t let my guard down!

Dana forced her eyes open and clung to the ship’s railing, watching for any pursuers. Then she checked the remaining time. Four hours left. No one’s coming!

Three hours left.

Really no one.

Two hours.

One hour…

Even as time passed, nothing appeared beyond the horizon. And finally, when 20 minutes remained, her heart pounded. I can see the empire’s land!

Gradually, the empire’s coastline came into view. Now she could even see the harbor in the distance. Only then did it begin to feel real. She had succeeded. She had truly succeeded in saving Ignis! I saved Ignis!

Overcome with joy, Dana beamed and suddenly hugged Demian around the waist as he approached. “Thank you for helping!”

Demian looked down at her with a complicated expression. “Hey, Dana.”

“Yeah?”

“How long do you plan to stay in a child’s body?”

“Why?”

“Return your adult body as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

“It seems you’ve forgotten. You are my wife.”

“…”

“Return to my wife’s body. Only then can we build a family.”

“What?” Dana was flustered. “You already have a woman you love! Viego’s real mother!”

“I will take her as a secondary wife.”

“Huh?”

“She is not more important than you, but she is still meaningful to me. I cannot turn my back on her.”

At that moment, Carl cut in from the side. “No. I won’t allow it.”

“What?”

“Dana agreed to be my daughter.”

Demian frowned. “Carl, you’re about to marry Sandra Rolland. What nonsense is that?”

“Sandra will understand.”

“No. Dana’s soul is that of an adult woman. It is not right to confine her in this milk-smelling child’s body.”

“Isn’t the real problem your own lecherous mind, Brother? How can you already be thinking about dragging her into your bed?”

For a moment, Demian’s lips stiffened. Then he replied calmly, “I wasn’t thinking that.”

“Haha. That’s funny. The intent behind telling her to hurry back to her adult body and become your wife is obvious.” Carl smiled brightly, thick with sarcasm. “It’s amazing. How could you think such things about someone as cute and lovely as Dana?”

It was at that moment.

“What about you, Carl?”

“…”

Carl slowly lowered his gaze to look at Dana.

“Have you never thought about that even once in your life?”

“…”

“Is Carl impotent?” Dana blurted out the thought in her head without filtering it. It was a long-held question she’d always wondered about. “Are you impotent, or are you gay?”

“…”

“Must be one or the other. Or both?”

Carl stared at her blankly for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter. “Neither, I think.”

But what does he mean by ‘Neither, I think?’ Dana grumbled as she thought. “What do you mean by ‘I think’? It’s either yes or no.”

“What kind of conversation is this?”

Apparently displeased, Demian quickly cut in. “Enough. Just hurry up and figure out how to return to my wife’s body. Is dying in that body the only option?”

Dying…? At that word, her mind cleared slightly. Wow. This is bad. I’m losing control of my thoughts. Her train of thought was becoming extremely simple and scattered. Everything was getting shorter, more direct, easier. Her thoughts, her sentences, even her tongue.

How much time is left? Dana glanced into the air. 8 minutes 19 seconds left. Once that time passed, she would truly lose all her thoughts and become a child. Ignis has to wake up before then! She needed to explain why she couldn’t stay with him!

A surge of anxiety crashed over, and Dana stomped her feet. “Give me another bottle of holy water!”

“What?”

“I’m giving it to Ignis! I have to see him wake up before I go!”

Tick, tock. As the seconds passed, she felt herself becoming more childlike. She grew uneasy.

“Hurry, I have to see him before I leave!”

Just then, Carl asked quietly. “Leave? Where to?”

“To the future!”

Ah! Dana hurriedly clapped her hand over her mouth in shock. But it didn’t last. Her thoughts about Ignis, her top priority, quickly made her forget everything else.

“I came from the future to save Ignis! So hurry and give me holy water!”

7 minutes 49 seconds.

7 minutes 48 seconds.

“The future?”

“Yeah!”

Still, 7 minutes 45 seconds. There was clearly time left.

Has there been an error in Yustio’s calculation of time? Or did the rate at which her memories disappeared accelerate as time ran out? Dana no longer felt like an adult. No, she’d remembered for a moment. And then forgot again.

Carl and Demian asked with interest.

“That’s quite a mysterious ability. Are you my wife in the future too?”

“No. She must be my daughter.”

Dana shook her head vigorously. “Neither! Later, I’ll become Danae Windsor!”

“What?”

“Demian is Danae’s dad! Carl is uncle! But by then Demian is already dead, so I’m seeing him here for the first time!”

Demian’s face stiffened. “I die?”

He seemed shocked, but Dana cheerfully declared with bright eyes. “Yeah! You die! You don’t live long!”

“…”

“Anyway, I have to go now! I can’t be late!”

Woooong! Just then, the ship’s horn sounded, and the vessel stopped at the harbor. Sailors ran busily as they began to dock.

“…You can’t be late?” After a moment, Carl smiled brightly. “So that was a time limit.”

“…”

What? Dana jerked her head up to look at Carl. He wasn’t looking at her.

“I was curious about it from the start.” Carl was staring at the air where the glowing numbers floated. “That number.”

“…”

“It was a clock telling you how long you could stay in this time.” He pointed precisely at the numbers.

Dana hiccupped. He can see that? How?

“Time’s been ticking down this whole time.”

The next moment, Carl suddenly grabbed it, the number itself. As the veins bulged on the back of his hand… Crack! The glowing time crumpled in his grasp. Then it vanished with a strange black smoke.

Dana was completely stunned. How could this be…?

“W-We’ve arrived.” A sailor approached nervously. “You’ll need to go through official docking procedures. We require the ship owner’s signature.”

Carl stared at Dana, then brushed off his hands and turned away. “I’ll handle it.” He walked off.

Dana’s heart pounded violently, her face turning pale. G-Go. I need to go! She had wanted to explain everything to Ignis, to apologize for not keeping her promise. But now, there was truly no time. This was it. Now I have to go!

It was when Dana tried to focus on leaving, closing her eyes tightly, gathering her mind.

“Ah!”

Her neck was suddenly constricted, breaking her concentration. Dana’s eyes flew open.

“I was short-sighted.”

A large hand was gripping her throat. It was Demian.

“I shouldn’t have taken you out of the sanctuary.”

Squeeze.

Dana grabbed his wrist in terror. What is he doing?

Demian strangled her and muttered low. “Did you think I helped you just to let you go so easily?”

It hurts! Before she could even struggle, his grip tightened. Her breath began to fail. This was no joke, no threat. He really intends to kill me!

“You said I would die before long? Fine. Then.” Demian laughed hollowly. But in his eyes, there was no fear. Instead, there was a desire. “Live as my wife until then.”

Crack! The next moment, Dana heard the sound of her own neck bones shattering.

* * *

0 minutes 0 seconds.

“As expected, she didn’t make it back.”

A sigh. A long, long breath. And a man’s voice she had heard somewhere before.

“Please wait. I will find a way.”

Within the slowly severing connection of her soul, his voice scattered one last time.

“However, time flows differently there than it does here.”

It grew fainter and fainter.

“You may have to spend a long time there.”

The sound grew distant until it could no longer be heard.

“Please wait.”