The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 114

 

The cold touch of metal brushed against the tips of my fingers, which were stretched behind me.  

It was almost done.  

 

“Because of a worthless bug like you, this time again—”  

 

At that moment, I clenched my teeth and firmly grasped the broken blade that had fully entered my hand.  

 

‘Please…!’  

 

Desperately praying for my plan to succeed, I swung my right arm with all my might.  

 

It was exactly at that moment.  

 

“…Ciel!!”  

 

Blood spilled from my mouth. Looking down, I saw Jayden’s long sword embedded in my abdomen.  

 

It was a wound that could only be described as fatal.  

 

“Ciel!! No!!”  

 

Cedric’s voice screamed in madness.  

 

“You fool, did you think I wouldn’t notice that?”  

 

Jayden, his face twisted grotesquely, let out a bizarre laugh.  

 

“It was so pathetic watching you struggle to grab that broken blade behind your back.”  

 

[Hey, what are you—]  

 

Caliberne’s voice, agitated, cut off abruptly.  

 

And then, the mana stone embedded in Jayden’s sword began to gather light.  

 

[Ci…el…!]  

 

As Caliberne’s voice faded and Cedric’s desperate screams calling my name echoed, I closed my eyes.  

 

I couldn’t fall here.  

 

“Finally, Caliberne is…!”  

 

Jayden let out a mad laugh, baring his teeth.  

 

And without hesitation, he pulled the sword from my abdomen.  

 

A metallic, bloody taste surged up my throat, but I clenched my teeth, refusing to collapse. With blood-soaked hands, I grabbed Jayden’s glowing sword barehanded.  

 

“Huh? What are you—”  

 

Jayden’s face twisted in confusion as the sword refused to leave my grip. I smiled at him and spoke in a low voice.  

 

“Congratulations.”  

 

A blue spark crackled from the blade I still held in my right hand.  

 

“This is the end for you.”  

 

“W-what is this?!”  

 

The spark, once it started, rapidly intensified.  

 

Jayden stared in shock at the blue spark, now as thick as a bolt of lightning.  

 

“Let go of it right now!!”  

 

Jayden tried to pull his sword free from my grasp.  

 

But…

  

“Huh…?”  

 

It was precisely the moment when light began to envelop his sword. His body, which had swelled and strengthened after absorbing an enormous amount of black mana, began to shrink rapidly.  

 

“Doesn’t something feel off?”  

 

But Jayden didn’t even have the strength to hear my voice.  

 

“What did you do to my body?!”  

 

He thrashed around, still unable to release the glowing sword from my grip. But the more he struggled, the faster his body shrank.  

 

It was because Caliberne was absorbing all the mana inside him.  

 

“There’s one thing you overlooked.”  

 

The moment Caliberne left, my entire body burned as if my blood was boiling.  

 

The mana, which had been dormant, surged wildly in response to my emotions.  

 

It felt like my body might burst at any moment. I channeled all that power into the broken blade.  

 

“It’s not that gaining Caliberne increases your mana.”  

 

“What…?”  

 

“From the beginning, Caliberne chooses those who already possess immense mana.”

 

I dashed toward Jayden, who stood frozen in shock, my eyes wide open.  

 

‘Thunderstrike.’  

 

It was the first and last thunderstrike of my life, unleashed without Caliberne, which had always absorbed my mana.  

 

With all my strength, I drove the blade, crackling with lightning, into Jayden’s neck.  

 

A deafening roar filled the air, and my vision turned white.  

 

My skin burned, and it felt like everything around me was shattering or exploding.  

 

‘Ah.’  

 

I was thrown back, my nails scraping against the stone floor as I tightly shut my eyes.  

 

Finally, the roar and explosions ceased.  

 

‘Did it work…?’  

 

At that moment, Caliberne’s voice echoed in my mind.  

 

[Ciel! Ciel, wake up!]  

 

The fact that Caliberne had returned to me meant Jayden was truly dead.  

 

‘Thank goodness…’  

 

Just as I felt a wave of relief, someone rushed to my side.  

 

“Ciel!!”  

 

Cedric, freed from the curse, looked down at me with a face streaked with tears and blood.  

 

I tried to speak, but my mouth was filled with too much blood. I couldn’t move a single finger.  

 

“Ciel, wait. I’ll definitely…”  

 

He cradled my head and back, but his words trailed off.  

 

The tears welling in his crimson eyes finally fell onto my cheek.  

 

‘It stings.’  

 

Not just where his tears touched, but my entire body ached.  

 

I couldn’t feel anything in my hands.  

 

I instinctively knew.  

 

That I didn’t have much time left.  

 

But Cedric, as if refusing to accept that reality, tore off a piece of his clothing to staunch my wound and pulled out a few medicinal herbs he had.  

 

“I’m sorry, Ciel. Just hold on a little longer, I’ll heal you—”  

 

“…Your Majesty.”  

 

I barely managed to speak, stopping him as he tried to apply the herbs.  

 

“I’m already… beyond saving…”  

 

His crimson eyes, the color of camellia petals, trembled.  

 

Another tear fell with a soft plop.  

 

“No, what are you saying? Ciel, I’ll definitely save you, so don’t worry. Okay…?”  

 

“Your Majesty, you know it too.”  

 

Cedric was also severely injured from the curse earlier.  

 

Even so, if he used the herbs now, his life wouldn’t be in danger. Unlike me, who had lost too much blood and had no hope left, even with the herbs.  

 

“I’m already done for. Please, use those herbs for yourself…”  

 

“Ciel, why are you saying that? Please, don’t—”  

 

“Cedric.”  

 

It was the first time I called his name fully.  

 

A name I had thought of millions of times in my heart, repeated millions of times.  

 

And a name I had loved millions of times.  

 

At least in this final moment, I wanted to call him that.  

 

“…I’m sorry, and thank you.”  

 

“Ah, ahh…”

 

With those words, Cedric finally broke down. He pulled me into his embrace, his tear-streaked hand repeatedly stroking my cheek as he wept uncontrollably.  

 

“There’s still so much I haven’t done for you, and because of me, you’re—”  

 

That’s what I wanted to say.  

 

There were still so many things I wanted to do together.  

 

Anything would have been fine, as long as it was with you.  

 

Sparring with you in swordsmanship lessons, sharing silly jokes during our impromptu tea parties.  

 

Holding hands, lying side by side on the same bed.  

 

‘I wanted to keep doing those things.’  

 

Cedric’s tear-streaked face came into view.  

 

Looking at that beloved face, my heart swelled with emotion. I wanted to reach out and caress his face, but I couldn’t.  

 

“Don’t go. I can’t let you go like this, Ciel…”  

 

Tears finally spilled from my eyes.  

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”  

 

I smiled through my tears.  

 

Even in this final moment, I wanted to be remembered with a smile.  

 

“I really wanted to give you a happy ending…”  

 

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks.  

 

If Jayden, the caster of the curse, wasn’t killed, Cedric would have been consumed by the curse and died.  

 

That’s why I had no choice but to execute the plan I had prepared as a last resort.  

 

There was truly no other way to save Cedric.  

 

I knew it was cruel to him, but I did it anyway. I knew that Cedric, having lost me, could never have a happy ending or find happiness.  

 

But I couldn’t give up on him, because I loved him too much.  

 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you that…”  

 

“No, what are you sorry for…”  

 

His grip on me tightened.  

 

My vision was growing blurrier. For some reason, my body felt cold.  

 

The pain from the burning wound seemed to fade away.  

 

“Will you… hold my hand?”  

 

With a faint smile on my lips, I made the request to Cedric. He bit his lip and gently clasped my hand.  

 

“Thank… you.”  

 

I forced my gaze downward, looking at my numb hand, and struggled to speak.  

 

“Let’s… definitely meet again.”  

 

“…I’ll follow you soon.”  

 

Cedric kissed my cheek as he spoke.  

 

“Wherever you are, I’ll find you.”  

 

His words were comforting. It felt like I could close my eyes peacefully now.  

 

“I love you, Ciel.”  

 

To the owner of that unbearably sweet voice, I conveyed my final truth.  

 

“I love you too.”  

 

My vision turned black, and breathing became difficult.  

 

It was time to go.  

 

And so, I quietly closed my eyes.