Backside.
It was a word that referred to the back side of an object or the part that doesn’t show on the surface.
And a person’s heart is no different from that which remains hidden.
And the 71st ranked demon, Dantalion, had the ability to read those hidden feelings.
It seemed that the ability of the item I obtained this time was to read other people’s thoughts directly.
The voice that hit me directly in the head instead of my ears felt pretty amazing.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t help but momentarily drop my jaw in admiration.
After all, if you’re human, the ability to read minds must be something you’ve dreamed of at least once.
– Well, I guess if you’re that emotionless, you’d walk around wearing so little in the summer.
So, I decided to keep the ability on for a while, just to see.
– Ah, I really hope summer comes soon. Then I could see Yor’s awesome physique again…
‘Hmm…’
But not long after, I had to turn the ability off quickly.
I could see the tips of Dantalion’s ears crumbling into dust.
And Chaerin’s thoughts were even more straightforward and crude than I expected.
I mean, it’s just thoughts, so she can imagine whatever she likes, but…
Hearing it directly made me feel all embarrassed.
After demonstrating the item, I made a light evaluation.
‘It’s good, but… it’s awkward to use.’
I had hardly used it, but already about a third of my ear was gone.
No matter how small the part I got this time, the consumption rate was way too fast.
Seere’s arm didn’t seem to have any usage limits, but it seemed this one did.
It wasn’t like I could think of a situation to use it, anyway.
It’s fun to read trivial thoughts like this, but that’s all it is.
Well, if you’re some noble, you might read an opponent’s schemes.
But sadly, living in the forest, I couldn’t utilize it that way.
‘Well, there might be a chance to use it someday.’
Organizing my thoughts, I returned to the storeroom with my ear still attached.
I might use it for fun later or when it’s needed.
So, for now, I’ll just store it away.
“Ah, right.”
With that thought finished, I opened my mouth to her.
Come to think of it, I had something to tell her. It was probably pretty good news from Chaerin’s perspective.
“You can just turn on your stream when you come into the cave from now on.”
“Oh, really? Why so suddenly… No wait, is that okay?”
I nodded to indicate it was fine.
The original reason I limited her streaming was that I was worried about my cave’s location being exposed.
Because of that, she had to go through the hassle of turning her stream on and off.
Some of her viewers even left the stream because of it.
But now that the location was exposed anyway, there was no need to hide it.
I felt a bit bittersweet about it.
Well, turning on the stream itself is fun, so I should think positively.
Upon hearing my words, Chaerin nodded in a daze.
After that, we chatted about this and that. Honestly, I had been busy organizing things lately, but I needed breaks like this.
Even so, talking made the weight on my heart feel a bit lighter.
After a moment…
“Oh, wait.”
I noticed it was getting dark outside.
“It’s already getting late. Well, I’ll head back now.”
Chaerin said that as she prepared to get up.
I frowned for a moment. It wasn’t that I regretted her leaving.
‘… Ah, right, damn.’
I remembered that today was the day when the new moon was visible.
It had already been over six days since Dantalion came and went, and I had to welcome the Akuma residing within me as usual.
However, the timing this time was rather unfortunate.
Usually, I would have to endure the berserk state deep in the cave, but my location was already exposed. I hadn’t managed to find another place to hide…
Well, if it were Berserk A, I could probably manage somewhat but the odds were slim.
That’s because for the past two months, it had mostly been B.
Once one berserk state occurs, the chances of the opposite berserk state happening increases.
If you have the same berserk state three times in a row, the next one will definitely be a different berserk state.
Anyway, today the probability was very high for A to happen.
Moreover, this time I had used Demon’s Blood on top of that. Even if I didn’t use much, there could be serious side effects that might worsen the berserk state.
Thud, thud.
Thinking about enduring that terrible pain again made fear wash over me.
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead from the tension.
“Uh? Yor! Why are you suddenly like this? You look extremely pale…”
In the meantime, I felt Chaerin’s worried gaze on me.
It seemed my psychological change was sensed by her.
Without realizing it, I grabbed her wrist.
“Uh?”
“Um, that is…”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea.
It was revealing one of my vulnerabilities to someone else.
But what could I do? I had to endure at least tonight.
If an intruder comes in during Berserk A, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
Above all, I didn’t want to spend the night alone.
So, I asked her. My voice trembled slightly from the tension.
“Could you stay with me tonight…?”
“…?”
She looked at me with a strange expression, mouth agape.
But that was only for a moment; soon she vigorously nodded.
I felt that my meaning might have gotten twisted, but anyway, I was relieved.
So, I led her deeper inside.
To the deepest part of that cave…
*
When Chaerin first heard Yor’s request to “stay with me at night,”
She couldn’t help but think this.
‘Whoa, could this be a chance for something lewd?’
19 Mode!
The legendary mode that had only existed as an internet myth was finally about to be unlocked for her!
It’s obvious that asking someone to spend the night together carries that kind of signal between men and women.
On top of that, Yor’s shy demeanor and trembling voice all felt like lewd signals.
Because of that, she followed Yor in giggling.
But soon after, she couldn’t help but feel something was off.
‘… Wait, he’s not the kind of person who gets shy like this, is he?’
That was true; Yor wasn’t that kind of person. He would rather say straight up.
Realizing that, her distorted memories returned to their proper place.
Come to think of it, he seemed a bit scared.
As it darkened, his complexion turned pale and his voice began to tremble.
And that was obviously a strange reaction.
He had been through dark nights hundreds of times, but she had never seen him show such weakness before.
Still, she hesitated, filled with questions, but followed Yor.
Padding, padding.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent cave.
‘He’s going really deep…’
Even though she frequently visited this cave, it was the first time she had come this deep.
The darkness gradually engulfed the cave.
Even though the sun was still up, the light seemed to struggle to reach here.
Nevertheless, Yor walked ahead as if he were familiar with it, as if he had memorized all the paths.
‘The atmosphere is a bit scary…’
Surrounded by darkness, Chaerin couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of dread.
It was an instinctual fear arising from the dark. Since ancient times, people have often felt fear from the unknown within darkness.
She was glad to have Yor with her. Otherwise, she might have sat down on the ground, terrified that ghosts would spring out.
As she inwardly sighed in relief, she suddenly thought:
‘But… doesn’t that mean he has lived in this environment all along?’
In this pitch-black cave, alone for decades.
Without many tools of civilization, and no one to spend the dark nights with him.
It would have been great if he had at least neighbors like in the village, but he was thoroughly alone.
The fate of a wielder meant not blending with ordinary people.
Chaerin briefly imagined Yor being alone in this dark space.
Just thinking about it gave her an overwhelming sense of loneliness and sadness.
‘That’s a bit unfortunate…’
Chaerin looked at him with a hint of pity.
And then, it happened. After walking silently, Yor finally spoke.
“This should be good enough.”
Suddenly, the smell of rusted iron invaded Chaerin’s nostrils.
The sharp scent of blood.
“You might be surprised… so be prepared.”
Whoosh!
Yor said this as he infused mana into the luminescent stone he held.
The surroundings began to glow gently, revealing the scene at the end of the cave.
She couldn’t help but gasp.
“Gasp…!”
The cave walls were entirely red.
There wasn’t just a spot of dried blood; it was smeared everywhere. Scratches indicative of something being scraped were noticeable on the ground.
The walls, stained with blood and darkened brown, bore the marks of time.
This sight was so gruesome that it felt like it could drive one insane, making her breath catch momentarily.
“Wait, what is this…?”
Chaerin looked at Yor, her face begging for an explanation.
Yor, with a pitiful expression, looked back at her and said,
“I’m sorry, but it might get a bit brutal from now on. So just… stay by my side.”
She could see the strange fear and anxiety in his expression.
Even Chaerin, who had spent a lot of time with him, had never seen this vulnerable side of him before.
It wouldn’t take long for her to understand what his words meant.
Eventually, the sun set, and the new moon appeared.
THUD!
Suddenly, Yor jabbed his shoulder.
SPLAT-!
Blood erupted everywhere.
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