The sound of breaking bones was all too familiar.
Yona, being a healer, had spent plenty of time on the front lines and had seen many injuries right before her eyes.
Thus, she had witnessed her fair share of gruesome sights.
Severed limbs, broken bones, protruding entrails.
But if she had to pick the worst of all—
It was definitely right now.
“W-w-what is that…”
Yona found herself staring blankly.
The enormous presence of Vervaria was shoving the remaining chunks of mermaid into its mouth without mercy.
“That’s… that’s… a demon…”
Without realizing it, Yona murmured.
The demon known as Vervaria that resided in her left arm.
The one that wouldn’t stop chattering uselessly in her head.
Because of that, Yona had treated Vervaria casually.
To be more precise, she hadn’t really felt any difference.
What had changed just because a demon resided in her? Nothing.
It was just one more annoying voice echoing in her head; aside from that, Yona was still just Yona.
But witnessing Vervaria like this completely altered everything.
Yona was at a loss for words as she watched Vervaria shove a mermaid’s leg into its mouth.
“…Yona.”
Suddenly, warmth enveloped her shoulders, and Yona’s body stiffened.
The warm embrace stood in stark contrast to the horrific sight before her.
Unknowingly, Yona bit her lip.
An indescribable feeling stirred in her chest—fear, terror, and oddly enough, relief.
Those conflicting emotions were weighing on her.
“Yona.”
Alex pulled Yona closer into his arms, reassuring her.
The scene unfolding with Vervaria’s manifestation was indeed horrifying, but Alex was more worried about Yona’s state.
Seeing the demon that resided within her like this was bound to be a massive shock.
In all the time they had spent together, Yona had never been particularly strong-minded.
Just as Alex feared, Yona stood there, blankly, without any resistance, enveloped in his embrace.
– Oh, vessel.
The moment Vervaria’s voice echoed, Yona’s body jolted in Alex’s arms.
The term “vessel” was a reminder for Yona of why Vervaria had allowed her to live.
– Are you missing the warmth of a man? The way you’re snuggled up is just like a woman, absolutely delightful to see.
Vervaria’s voice resonated, shaking the surroundings.
The surviving Lizardmen, who had been gaping at the sight of Vervaria devouring the mermaid, now turned their attention to Yona as Vervaria spoke to her.
Vervaria had been watching, and now that Vervaria was speaking to Yona, all eyes naturally turned towards her.
– In the end, it’s going to be just like that. How long you’ve held out, only for it to be in vain.
Vervaria unraveled herself and twisted her body in a circle.
Wriggling that long body, Vervaria straightened up again and looked down at Yona, her fiery red eyes fixed on her and Alex, who was hugging her.
– You do possess quite a bit of divine power, don’t you? The celestial being you serve is ultimately just a woman. She treats her followers with such disdain, and so this is what becomes of it. Quite absurd, isn’t it?
“…What do you want to say, Demon?”
– I speak only the words I wish to share. Even if you ask me, I have no obligation to answer.
Vervaria chuckled, a sound only she could be heard making, while those around her couldn’t muster a single laugh.
– It seems it’s time for me to leave.
Vervaria floated up into the air.
As she pointed her head towards the sky and took off, a fierce wind whipped up.
*
Yona’s left arm was wrapped in Alex’s shirt.
When Vervaria had jumped out, the left arm of her nun’s outfit had been torn into shreds, disappearing without a trace, and with no way to procure another nun’s outfit from Lizardden, it couldn’t be helped.
The assembly hall was engulfed in silence, a strange tension hanging in the air.
Yona, Alex, and Kaiyak sat together, while the other Lizardmen kept their distance, unwilling to approach them.
Rather, their attention was fixated on Yona and Alex, yet that attention was anything but friendly.
“So, that tattoo on your left arm isn’t just a tattoo but a mark of a Demon residing within it?”
After a long pause, the first words finally came out.
One Lizardman managed to say it.
And this Lizardman was the very first to express gratitude to Yona.
“…Yes.”
Yona nodded weakly.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to say it; she just hadn’t planned to disclose it.
Who in the world goes around saying there’s a Demon dwelling in their arm?
If someone did, they’d merely be labeled insane, so Yona hadn’t chosen to speak up, not out of secrecy but simply reluctance.
“Why did you hide it? That there’s a Demon within you and that it relates to that mermaid.”
“Ricaldon. That’s a harsh thing to say.”
“Kaiyak, you have become the strange one. While neglecting the tribe and wandering as an adventurer, are you going to defend the Demon now?”
The Lizardman named Ricaldon flicked his tongue and glared at Kaiyak.
Kaiyak, in turn, glared back at Ricaldon with equally vicious eyes.
“Yona is not a Demon. She merely offered her body to a Demon to save me. She is my benefactor and the benefactor of our tribe. Have you forgotten that?”
“Am I not the savior of the tribe? Have you forgotten that?”
“What if it was a scheme to sneak into our village? That female walked into the village and the Mermaid attacked right afterward. Is that just a coincidence?”
“Ricardon!”
Kaiyak yelled, jumping to his feet.
While others might doubt, Kaiyak believed in Yona. He knew what she had done for him. It wasn’t just once or twice; every time there was a battle, Yona had saved him. Even when his life was hanging by a thread, when death was knocking at his door… Yona had rushed to his aid without hesitation.
For that Yona, Kaiyak had to defend her. He had to stand in front of her. It was his duty, and it was the right thing to do. The code of honor regarding saviors passed down among the Lizardmen dictated as much.
Yona watched with blank eyes.
She quietly observed the heated argument between Kaiyak and the Lizardman named Ricardon.
It felt like she was about to burst out laughing. The thought of accepting a demon was just like this.
Yona should have expected that it would turn out this way.
Even if they were saved by the power of a demon, there was no guarantee that he would be grateful for that salvation.
Yona didn’t want to die; she couldn’t let Alex die, and she couldn’t let Kaiyak die.
So she did what she had to do. She succumbed to the demon’s whispers and manifested Vervaria, allowing her to deal with the Mermaid.
Now what remained was this.
She was saved by a demon, but the one possessed by that demon was standing right there.
Was that mere coincidence—or fate?
With no evidence to support either side, Yona reached her conclusion.
“…Enough, just enough.”
Kaiyak and Ricardon were both nearing a boiling point, red with anger.
In the chaotic clash of voices trying to convince each other, Yona’s voice was quickly drowned out.
“Enough… please.”
Yona mumbled as she looked down at the floor of the assembly hall.
It was noisy.
She didn’t care who it was; whether it was Kaiyak, Ricardon, or anyone else, she just wanted it to quiet down, but they wouldn’t, and it was getting on her nerves.
Heat rose from her chest.
‘What did I do wrong?’
When she thought about it, what did she do to deserve this?
‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’
A demon?
Did I even summon a demon?
That damned thing threatened to kill her; who wouldn’t accept that?
‘But why am I the one getting blamed?’
Besides, if I hadn’t used the demon’s power, they all would have died.
Whether it was a demon or not, I survived; that’s what mattered. It was better than rolling around in a pile of dog poop.
That so-called hero they keep mentioning must have never taught them that proverb.
“Why is there any reason to be cursed at?”
Thus, Yona finally came to a conclusion.
Now that she had made a decision, it was time to take action.
Yona slowly stood up from her seat.
She picked up the drinks table in front of her and, holding it high above her head, hurled it right into the middle of Kaiyak and Rikaldon’s heated argument.
– Crash!
As the table smashed to pieces, all eyes of Rikaldon, Kaiyak, and every Lizardman turned towards Yona.
With a multitude of glaring yellow eyes boring into her, Yona trembled.
“You ungrateful lizard bastards! Talk about demons and whatever, if you have brains, think a little!”
A torrent of harsh words poured out in an instant.
The atmosphere turned even more hostile.
“If I could freely command such a demon, why would I bother concocting schemes through that mermaid or whatever? In the face of overwhelming power, schemes are meaningless. Right, Kaiyak?”
Kaiyak remained silent.
Yona was not wrong. That was the very point he wanted to make. Why would anyone go through the trouble of scheming if a demon’s servant was involved?
But the Lizardmen, including Rikaldon, were already in a state of madness, and that logic didn’t register with them.
“My nun outfit is expensive, you lizard punks! I saved you while it was getting ruined, and what do I get? Demon this, demon that? Hmph.”
As she spoke, her anger only grew. In this infuriating situation where she was being cursed after saving them, Yona stood with her arms crossed, scratching her head in frustration.
“Don’t go blabbering about being a race of manners elsewhere. I’ll disappear right now, so you all figure things out for yourselves. I must be crazy to have gone through all that trouble to save you idiots. For crying out loud.”
*
Passing through the entrance of the Lizardden and heading towards the sanctuary.
Alex was patiently waiting for Yona, who stood silently on that path.
Yona, head bowed low, stood still.
Gone was the brave, confident Yona who had hurled insults at the Lizardmen; she now stood quietly on the path.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying, you bald bastard…”
But there was a wetness in her voice.
“Yeah, right. You’re not crying, not at all.”
Alex put a hand on Yona’s shoulder and gently pulled her closer.
Without any resistance, Yona was drawn into Alex’s embrace and shivered slightly.
“Good job, Yona. You did well. Regardless of demons or anything, you saved the Lizardmen. You truly were like a priest.”
Yona didn’t respond.
“…You did great, Yona. Really great.”
Yona didn’t reply.
Instead, soft whimpering sounds accompanied her soaking Alex’s shirt.
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