Kays Translations

Chapter 31: Give me a shot

Perhaps it was because the two young women struggled desperately, their captors—the fanatical demon worshippers—moved neither quickly nor cautiously. Burdened with their prey, they lacked the spare energy to notice the two silent shadows trailing behind them: Marlon and Musa.

The terrified cries for help from the women mixed with the curses and threats of the cultists. Together, those sounds drowned out the clumsy missteps of the two pursuers, whose inexperience in shadowing others would have otherwise betrayed them.

At last, the demon worshippers seemed to grow impatient. After a series of dull, sickening thuds—blows striking flesh—the young women’s screams broke off abruptly, leaving behind only a hollow silence.

What followed was worse: the cultists’ mocking comments about the unconscious women’s bodies, punctuated by vile, lecherous laughter that echoed down the dark alleyways like the cackling of hyenas.

“Heh… this one’s got such big breasts. When I get my hands on them later, it’ll be quite the treat.”

“This one’s not bad either. Smaller up top, but she fights hard. If I grab that long neck of hers and take her from behind, her despair and spasms will squeeze me tighter than anything else!”

“Think these two can take both of us at once? Hah, she looks like she might still be a virgin—maybe we’ll break her.”

“If they break, so what? We’ll just snatch more. Later I’ll mention it to Bloodfist, I’m sure the leader will want a taste too. And the one we revere—oh, he’ll enjoy them most of all…”

“Beasts!” Marlon hissed through clenched teeth, his rage boiling over. His hand shot out toward Musa Mein, reaching for the strange crystal-powered nail gun slung at his side. “Give me the gun! I’ll slaughter every last one of those bastards!”

But Musa Mein’s reply was calm, almost gentle, like a bucket of cold water thrown across Marlon’s burning fury.

“Marlon, I can hand you the gun. But remember this—what you see here isn’t the real world. This place is nothing more than a fragment, a projection I created.”

The words struck Marlon hard. Yes… he reminded himself bitterly, this was only a fragment of a plane created by Musa. Even if he killed those demon worshippers a hundred times, a thousand times, not a single hair on their real bodies in the true world would be harmed.

No matter how deeply he wished it otherwise.

“Damn it…” Marlon let out a long, shuddering breath, forcing the rage back down into his chest. “Fine. You’re right. Let’s keep following. If we learn where they’re hiding… then we’ll…”

Their whispered exchange was lost beneath the chaos of White Sand City, where flames leapt high into the night sky and confusion reigned.

Moments later, their patience bore fruit. From the shadows, Marlon finally saw it: the demon worshippers leading their victims into a half-buried structure, hidden carefully beneath the rubble of the city.

And it wasn’t just the group they had followed. In the short time the two lay in wait, they witnessed three more bands of cultists drag away more youths—boys and girls alike—into the same underground lair.

“Why boys as well?” Marlon whispered, his voice tight with unease.

“That question…” Musa hesitated, his expression darkening. At last, he answered: “Nebiros, the demon lord they serve, is no respecter of gender. He devours both. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

Marlon fell silent, nodding stiffly. Yes. He understood all too well. He had been an adult long before he crossed into this world; nothing about the depravity of such creatures was beyond his comprehension.

“Then there’s no doubt. This must be their nest.” Marlon gritted his teeth, surveying the hidden lair a moment longer. Finally, he turned toward Musa, eyes burning with resolve. “Give me a shot.”

His pronunciation was sharp, deliberate. He did not say, “Give me the gun.” He said, “Give me a shot.”

This was not the Marlon who once clung desperately to life during the Battle of Coriasa’s plane projection, who resisted every attempt to force him toward death. No—this Marlon was transformed.

“You’re certain?” Musa asked, watching him closely. “You don’t want to go to White Sand Lake anymore?”

“No.” Marlon shook his head firmly. “Enough. Give me a shot. You know me—I’ll never be able to pull the trigger on myself.”

Musa sighed faintly, but did not argue further. With a shrug, he drew out the crystalline nail gun, lifted it without hesitation, and pulled the trigger.

Pfft—!

The iron nail, no longer than a finger, pierced Marlon’s forehead at point-blank range.

“As you wish.”

The body Marlon had been inhabiting collapsed heavily, staring blankly at the sky as life fled.

Then came the second shot. Pfft.

…

Marlon’s eyes fluttered open once more. The filthy alleys, the underground lair, the echoing laughter—all had vanished.

Instead, the first thing he saw was the face of Amy, the little fox girl. Her wide, pure eyes brimmed with concern, her delicate features filled with innocent worry.

Under that gaze, the suffocating anger and cruelty that had taken root in Marlon’s chest slowly, gently dissolved.

“Sweet Amy,” Marlon said with a warm smile, the brightest he could muster. “We’re back. You’ve been waiting here all this time? You didn’t leave at all?”

The fox girl nodded softly, her expression tender. It was as if she had glimpsed something in his eyes when he first awoke—something he wished desperately to hide.

“I’m fine, Amy,” Marlon assured her. “Really, I’m fine.”

Of course, he would never burden her with the horrors he had just witnessed in that fragment. Those uglinesses would remain locked in his own heart.

Glancing upward, Marlon noticed dawn had already broken. He turned to Musa and spoke in a lower tone: “Musa, what happened inside the fragment—don’t tell anyone, not yet.”

“I understand.” Musa’s reply was as calm as ever.

After a pause, Musa gestured toward the glowing crystal sphere that housed the fragment. “Shall we keep it, or destroy it?”

Marlon considered. “We can’t destroy it. Didn’t you say if we cut off its power supply, it would simply shut down on its own?”

Destroying evidence was foolish. Marlon would never be so naïve as to discard such a useful piece of leverage.

“Understood.” Musa inclined his head. Then, without another word, he bent over the tangled mess of wires and crystalline components connected to the projection sphere, his hands moving with practiced ease.

Meanwhile, Marlon drew out the communication crystal Delft had given him. With a press of his thumb, the stone flickered to life.

“How did it go?” Delft’s voice came immediately, calm yet sharp, from the other end.

“There are leads,” Marlon replied directly. “A false god seeking to seize divinity, god-blooded offspring walking among men, and a nest of foul demon worshippers. All of this should interest Secretary Newvently and Mayor Kachibu.”

The line was silent for a beat before Delft finally answered. “Marlon Lister… the Secretary and the Mayor should already be at your orphanage by now. It’s time you spoke with them in person.”

“On Sphinklak Street,” Marlon said at once, “there’s a Moonlight Alley. At its deepest point lies a half-buried structure. Delft, can you send men there immediately? They must rescue the dozen or so innocents held inside. And if possible…” his voice hardened, “…kill every last one of those cultists.”

“I hear you. But unfortunately, that request is beyond my authority. You’ll need to put it directly to the Secretary and the Mayor.”

“…Fine.” Marlon exhaled, closing the crystal with a curt click.

Then, turning to Musa once more, he added, “I’ll return later. We’ll sign the Yolana Pact then.”

With that, he took Amy’s small hand in his own and led her toward the waiting dawn.

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