The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me Chapter 224 - Side Story Chapter 14

“…Even though you have no intention of dying.”

“But if you come closer, I won’t hesitate to slash you.”

“Noona, it would be best if you stopped provoking me.”

“You’re the one who killed me.”

In the tense atmosphere where no one hesitated, I bit the inside of my lip.

This would only buy time.

Clang—

A sharp piece of metal struck the stone floor and bounced up.

The sound rang out unusually loud.

“…Have you finally given up?”

The corner of Yurtha’s lips twisted upward.

It was the face of someone clearly intoxicated with victory.

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I took a step toward him.

The poison of this cursed land is fatal to a transcendent like him.

He may be pretending to be fine on the outside, but inside, the poison must already be gnawing away at his mana.

It would seep deep into his lungs, making even breathing painful.

“Yurtha.”

I deliberately called him in a low, gentle voice.

“…Let’s not do this. I don’t want to fight you anymore.”

“Noona.”

“And you… aren’t you pushing yourself right now?”

His eyes wavered for a moment.

Very slightly.

But I didn’t miss it.

Whenever I acted gentle, you always wavered.

Even when you swore you wouldn’t fall for it, you wavered every time.

“Because this land is rejecting you. Just breathing must feel like your lungs are burning.”

“…It doesn’t matter.”

He said it through clenched teeth.

“As long as I can take you with me.”

“That’s a lie.”

I cut him off firmly.

“You’re hurting.”

Then I reached out and cupped his cheek.

His body trembled reflexively.

But he didn’t step back.

No—he probably couldn’t.

He had always been like that.

What was love even worth?

Long ago it had been both ridiculous and disgusting.

Now it just felt pitiful.

He would spend his whole life longing only for me.

But…

We can’t be together.

“…Cough—!”

It happened in an instant.

Yurtha’s eyes flew wide open as if they might roll back.

A dark red mass of blood burst from his mouth.

I gathered all the sticky, black malice drifting in the air.

The curse of this land that devours flesh and mana.

I scraped together as much of it as possible.

And then I shoved all of it into his mana circuits, which were completely open and unguarded.

“Cough! Hrk—!”

It wasn’t just pain.

The poison flowing through his veins ravaged his organs.

Even a transcendent couldn’t endure corruption exploding from inside.

His massive body collapsed forward without strength.

His forehead slammed against my shoulder with a dull thud.

“N-noona….”

“Does it hurt?”

With blood-stained lips, he looked up at me.

“…That’s why I told you not to come.”

I shoved his staggering body away without mercy.

“Ugh!”

Yurtha crashed onto the ground and coughed up blood while clutching his chest.

His white shirt was instantly soaked black with blood.

I used that moment to step back.

Now I had to run.

Before he regained his senses.

But then—

“…Ha.”

The man crawling on the ground suddenly stopped.

Then he lifted his head.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were twisted with pain, but the corners of his lips curled upward in a grotesque smile.

“Haha, hahaha…!”

Yurtha laughed.

Even in the agony of his insides melting, he laughed like a madman.

“As expected… that’s just like you.”

He wiped the blood from his mouth roughly with his blood-soaked hand and stared at me.

Resentment? Anger?

No.

What filled those red eyes was unmistakable exhilaration.

“That’s how you should be. This is far more thrilling than any kind of healing.”

“…You lunatic.”

“Try running, noona.”

He staggered to his feet.

Slowly, but stubbornly.

“Before the pain you gave me disappears… I’ll come catch you.”

 

 

*****

 

 

 

I ran.

Even though I had walked for a long time without sleeping a single moment, I didn’t know how I still had the strength to run.

But somehow, I had to endure.

“Haah….”

The cabin wasn’t far now.

I used every last bit of strength until I reached it.

There were self-defense artifacts in the cabin.

But those probably wouldn’t be able to stop Yurtha.

I have to contact Richard!

Maybe… Yurtha was the one who attacked the holy knights.

He figured out where Richard was and came all the way to Piet Territory!

After all, only a transcendent could attack an elite squad of holy knights.

I didn’t know whether he had realized Richard and I were together…

I have to tell Richard…!

I finally reached the cabin.

When I grabbed the doorknob, my vision spun.

I had to endure.

I clenched my teeth and opened the door.

And at that moment—

“Ah!”

My foot tangled and I fell.

As I fell, the luggage I was carrying slammed into my ribs.

Tears slipped out.

Sure enough, my foot had caught on the mess I had left lying around.

I should’ve listened when Richard told me to clean up…!

“Ugh….”

I had to get up right away.

Before Yurtha burst in here…

As quickly as possible…

I put down the luggage and hurried into the cabin.

The artifact! The artifact!

I panicked.

Where did I put it last?

Seriously, where did it go?!

This was exactly why people needed to keep things organized.

CRASH!

At that moment, the sound of the door being smashed to pieces echoed.

Damn it.

Yurtha had entered the house.

My heart pounded wildly.

At this rate, I would be caught by Yurtha without being able to do anything.

Without even telling Richard anything…

Then—

Bzzzz—

The artifact vibrated.

[Rose, are you doing well?]

Richard!

He had contacted me.

It was such perfect timing that searching for the artifact suddenly felt pointless.

[I’ve arrived at the outskirts of the capital.]

“Rich—!”

I hurriedly tried to tell him what was happening.

CRACK!

At that moment, the artifact shattered.

Fragments like transparent shards of glass scattered everywhere.

You’ve got to be kidding me….

I stared blankly at the shattered artifact.

The broken fragments scattered across the floor, and even the faint glow they had been giving off completely disappeared.

No….

There was no way left to tell Richard what was happening.

A large shadow fell over me.

The back of my neck stiffened.

Yurtha stood there, bleeding, looking down at me.

Like a vengeful spirit.

“Ha….”

Yurtha stepped right up in front of me.

“Honestly…”

“You…”

“I can’t calm my anger, noona.”

The moment I lifted my head, I met eyes blazing with fury.

…He’s insane.

His eyes had completely snapped.