The Evomon summoned by Kaien was a Black Hydra. The hideous three-headed viper flicked its red tongues and bared its fangs at Yuto. Green saliva dripped onto the floor, melting the marble with a hiss.
This was not an Evomon bonded through affection and trust, but one Kaien had contracted solely to poison his father, Rufus. The poison fed to Rufus had at least been mixed from the Black Hydra's venom and several poisonous herbs to make his death appear natural. Unprocessed Black Hydra venom was so deadly that the slightest touch could melt a human body.
“Kill every last one of those rat bastards!”
Kaien shrieked with madness in his voice. His contract with the Black Hydra was itself conclusive evidence of the poisoning, but cornered by Yuto's oppressive presence and his own fear, Kaien could no longer make a rational judgment.
There would be no problem if he killed them all. If anyone questioned him later, he could claim that Levian had coveted the position of family head and hired the rat to plot against him. The dead told no tales. Once his father and even his younger sister were dead, no matter what anyone said, Kaien would inevitably become the next family head of Marigold.
“KRAAAH!”
Each of the Black Hydra's three heads flicked its tongue and lunged at Yuto. Even a single one of those heads was large enough to swallow fourteen-year-old Yuto whole.
“Aaaah!”
Levian screamed, but Yuto did not so much as flinch. Then Flokiro moved. It showed not a trace of fear before the Black Hydra, which was many times larger than itself.
WHOOSH—! Flokiro kicked off the floor and reached the top of the Black Hydra's central head in a single leap. BOOM—! An unbelievable roar shook the corridor. Flokiro's tiny leg had slammed down upon the Black Hydra's central head.
The sight was so unreal that it almost looked like a staged performance. The serpent's head, large enough to fill the corridor and more, caved in as though struck by an enormous hammer and smashed into the floor.
“SKREEE!”
The Black Hydra shrieked in pain. While the remaining two heads recoiled in shock, Flokiro landed atop the central head. CRUNCH—! Its foot stamped down upon the Black Hydra's central head once more.
“Yuto.”
Flokiro spoke. Its eyes flashed as it glared at the Black Hydra's other heads.
“Leave this one to me. An Evomon should face an Evomon.”
It spoke in the mischievous voice of a boy, but its eyes were as fierce and cold as a warrior's. Flokiro called them both Evomon, but even among Evomon, differences in status existed. The Black Hydra did not even possess proper reason. Drooling filthy saliva, it had dared to harm Yuto. Flokiro growled low and pressed harder with the foot crushing its head.
CRACKLE—! The already-collapsed central head shattered completely. Dark-red blood splattered across the corridor with a wet SPLASH. The blood was also highly toxic, making the marble soften and melt while releasing a vicious stench, but poison of that caliber had no effect on Flokiro.
“All right.”
Yuto nodded. Flokiro was a warrior Yuto acknowledged, one who had crossed countless battlefields at his side. Even before evolution, in that basic form, it could slaughter most Evomon with laughable ease. Moreover, over the two years since reuniting with Yuto, Flokiro had conquered countless Dungeons with him and received a share of Yuto's aether.
Most people with an Evomon Contract summoned their Evomon only when circumstances made it unavoidable, such as in battle. Summoning and maintaining an Evomon continuously consumed aether. Yuto, however, had not dismissed Flokiro even once in two years.
Yuto was both a warrior and an expert in Evomon Contracts. If a contractor treated an Evomon sincerely, communed with it, and built trust, the aether consumed while it remained summoned would gradually decrease instead.
If a contractor avoided summoning an Evomon out of concern for immediate waste, they could never build trust with it. If an Evomon surrendered its personal freedom to enter a contract, then the human had to compensate it for that lost freedom. Only through such mutual support could an Evomon grow and reach evolution.
The disparity in status between the Evomon was already wide, and the depth of their trust differed as well. On top of that, Yuto focused aether into the contract crest on the back of his hand. WHOOSH—! Flokiro's body shone with the aether Yuto poured into it.
Kaien was an utterly pathetic novice when it came to fighting alongside an Evomon. He did not even know the fundamental combat method of sending additional aether to empower his Evomon, rather than simply summoning it and consuming aether.
It was inevitable.
The Black Hydra was merely an Evomon he had contracted to manufacture poison. No trust had ever been built in that contractual bond. In exchange for leaving the dangerous wilderness behind, the Black Hydra gained constrained comfort and delicious meals through its contract with Kaien.
Until now, Kaien had fed the Black Hydra dozens of living slaves.
“SKREEEE!”
The remaining two heads went berserk. A roar mixed with fury shook the corridor. The left head opened its maw and spewed green venom, while the right head bent like a whip and lunged at Flokiro.
It was a pincer attack with nowhere to evade. Flokiro merely snorted.
“Slow.”
The aether it received from Yuto enhanced all of Flokiro's abilities. The Black Hydra's attacks had not been difficult to evade in the first place. Now they appeared to move in slow motion.
FLASH—! Flokiro's form scattered into a red afterimage. The venom that sliced through empty air melted the innocent floor, while the right head's attack struck uselessly at the place Flokiro had occupied.
Tap.
The light landing sound did not come from the floor. Before anyone realized it, Flokiro was running along the wall.
“W-what is that......?!”
Kaien doubted his eyes. He could not believe that such a small Evomon could move like that. Its movements seemed to ignore gravity, and explosive acceleration burst from its tiny frame.
Flokiro reached the left head in an instant. The terrified head tried to spit its venom, but Flokiro extended a hand even faster. WHOOSH—! Crimson light wrapped around Flokiro's hand.
“Farewell.”
BOOM—! Crimson flames erupted from Flokiro's hand and engulfed the Black Hydra's left head. The head could not even scream before it became a charred lump and fell limply to the floor.
“SKRAAAH!”
Only the right head remained. After losing two heads in an instant, the Black Hydra finally understood. The small fox before it was no prey, but a predator far above itself.
Instinctive fear took command of the beast's brain. The last remaining head trembled and tried to retreat. Its master's orders no longer mattered. It possessed no trust strong enough to overcome instinct. The only thought left in the Black Hydra's mind was the terror driving it to flee.
But Flokiro showed no mercy. WHOOSH—! Crimson light blazed across its entire body. It kicked off the wall and reached the right head in an instant.
Flokiro's aether-filled fist slammed into the Black Hydra's head. This was no simple blow. Condensed aether invaded the Black Hydra's skull and exploded from within. The gigantic serpent's skull burst apart with a POP.
―THOOM—!
The massive, headless body twitched several times before collapsing helplessly to the floor. A moment later, the dead Black Hydra's body dissolved into black smoke and dispersed through the air, leaving only a small Evostone behind.
A heavy silence settled over the corridor. After landing on the floor, Flokiro dusted off its forepaw, then turned its head and looked at Yuto.
“It's over, Yuto.”
It looked so calm and adorable that it was hard to believe it had just slaughtered a giant monster. Flokiro smiled while swishing its tail, and Yuto grinned back.
“Good work.”
Yuto approached Flokiro and held out his fist. Tap. The partners lightly bumped fists.
“Kaien Marigold.”
Yuto's gaze shifted. Kaien, huddled in a corner and trembling like an aspen leaf, flinched.
“Do you still intend to stop me?”
“Ugh...... urgh......!”
Kaien was too terrified to speak properly. He had witnessed the Black Hydra he summoned in desperation get slaughtered by a single fox.
But what frightened Kaien more was Yuto's very existence. He should have been insignificant. Until moments ago, Kaien had scorned him as a filthy rat. Once fear took root, however, Yuto's presence became overwhelmingly terrifying. It felt as though those cold eyes would suck out his soul and devour it whole.
A commotion rose from the stairs of the estate. The guards who had sealed off the stairs on Kaien's prior orders had finally been broken through.
“L-Lady Levian?”
The guards who belatedly reached the corridor widened their eyes in shock. A wall of flame blocked the way, and the corridor was a ruined mess, melted by poison and shattered apart. Kaien's knights lay strewn across the floor, their bodies hideously crumpled.
“My brother.”
Levian forced the words out. She glared at Kaien with eyes that held no pity, only contempt.
“He tried to poison Father. Father's illness was caused by the poison my brother fed him.”
“W...... what do you mean......?”
The instant the bewildered guard asked, Kaien shouted as though having a fit.
“N-no! I did no such thing! This was all Levian's scheme.......”
“Kaien Marigold.”
Yuto whispered.
WHOOSH!
The vicious pressure that erupted from Yuto made Kaien's hair stand on end. Without even noticing that he had wet himself, he trembled and hiccupped uncontrollably.
“Admit your crime.”
It felt as though that voice were whispering directly into Kaien's ear. A blade seemed to press against his throat, filling him with unbearable terror.
“I...... I...... I tried to...... kill Father.......”
Kaien could no longer struggle and admitted his crime in terror.
“I contracted...... the Black Hydra...... and made poison. I secretly mixed it into Father's meals and poisoned him little by little....... Because I...... wanted to become...... the family head.......”
The guards' expressions transformed at his stammered confession. They had not been bought by Kaien, but had sworn loyalty to Marigold. Without waiting for Levian to give an order, they charged with spears and swords raised and restrained Kaien.
“Levian Marigold.”
Watching Kaien get captured, Yuto called Levian's name.
“Let us go to your father.”
“Ah...... ah, yes! Yes, I understand.”
Levian finally regained her senses and answered.
*
The stench of rot filled the family head's bedroom.
A middle-aged man reduced to skin and bone lay atop the massive bed. Black veins writhed like worms across his ashen skin, while the poison strangled his heart and gnawed away at his aether.
Rufus Marigold. The great merchant who once commanded Merchant City was dying in such a wretched state that no trace of his former health remained. At the sight of her father, Levian barely held back the tears threatening to spill.
“The...... the antidote...... will definitely work...... right?”
Levian asked cautiously. Kaien's plot had been exposed. She had also learned that it was a new poison based primarily on Black Hydra venom. Now that they knew the cause, they should be able to make an antidote.
“After coming this far, you still do not trust me?”
Yuto asked with a snort, and Levian startled and shook her head.
“N-no, that isn't what I meant. I am just...... worried about Father.......”
“If you truly cannot trust me, examine it yourself.”
Yuto took out the antidote and held it toward Levian. Even if the current Levian looked at the antidote, she would not be able to understand it. This was the antidote Levian herself had created through sheer determination before Yuto returned to the past.
“......No, it is all right.”
After hesitating, Levian shook her head.
“I trust you. Um....... I-I'm sorry. I have not even heard your name yet.”
“Yuto.”
Yuto gave his name with a faint smile.
“Yuto.......”
Levian repeated the name and nodded.
“Allow me to say it again. Yuto, I trust you. You...... exposed Kaien Marigold's atrocity. You also protected me from Kaien Marigold's grasp and defeated him.”
Levian composed her expression and bowed deeply to Yuto.
“I do not believe there could be anything wrong with an antidote brought by someone like you. I, Levian Marigold, daughter of Rufus Marigold, beg this of you. Please...... save my father.”
“That is why I came.”
Yuto smiled faintly. Failing to save her father had been Levian Marigold's lifelong regret.
Because Yuto had returned to the past, Levian's regret would disappear.
Kaien Marigold would not become the family head.
Rufus Marigold would not die.
Yuto slowly approached Rufus Marigold.
“Raise his upper body. His convulsions will be severe, so hold him tight.”
He could have used Void Hand, but Yuto deliberately chose not to. It was a consideration for Levian, who had done everything she could to save Rufus.
“Y-yes......!”
Following his instructions, Levian approached Rufus and raised her father's body with trembling hands. Her fingertips flinched at his body temperature, which burned like fire.
Could the antidote inside that tiny vial truly cure a father in such grave condition? Worry and doubt arose within Levian, but she bit her lip and steeled herself.
Yuto. Levian still did not know exactly who this boy was, but―she had chosen to trust him. Trusting him was also her only option, but the aura Yuto emanated gave Levian a distinct sense of confidence.
Yuto approached slowly and opened the antidote without hesitation.
The antidote Levian Marigold had created before Yuto's return. It had not been made from obsession and suspicion alone.
In that other worldline, Kaien became the Marigold family head, then lost his position in a rebellion led by Levian with Yuto's support. Kaien afterward abandoned everything, fled, and took his own life, but his knight―Nale, whom Yuto had just beaten unconscious―eventually talked under torture led by Levian.
That was how Levian secured physical evidence that her father had been poisoned with Black Hydra venom. Afterward, Levian created an antidote for the venom through numerous experiments and shared it with Yuto.
Just as the present Levian trusted Yuto, Yuto trusted the Levian from before his return. Without hesitation, he poured the antidote into Rufus's mouth.
Gulp.
The instant the antidote passed down his throat.
“KURGH!”
Rufus's limp body flopped like a live fish. The black veins covering his entire body swelled and writhed madly, while red and black light flashed beneath his skin as though waging a fierce war.
“F-Father?! Yuto, i-is this really all right?!”
Levian screamed and clutched her father.
“The poison is being expelled. If you do not want to ruin this, hold your father tighter and channel your aether into him.”
Levian was confused, but she followed Yuto's instructions, gripping Rufus's shoulders and raising her aether. WHOOSH! Pale-red aether wrapped around Levian's hands. Her aether became a gentle warmth and seeped into Rufus's body.
SIZZLE......!
Pitch-black smoke began to rise from Rufus's pores. The stench of burning flesh filled the room. The vicious Black Hydra venom clinging to Rufus's insides and the essence of the assorted poisonous herbs were being purified by Yuto's antidote and expelled from his body.
“KRAAAGH......!”
An agonized scream burst from Rufus's mouth. Tears streamed from Levian's eyes as she hugged her father tight and prayed over and over that he would live.
After one violent bout of convulsions passed, Rufus's body sagged. Only his ragged breathing remained in the room.
“F...... Father?”
The instant Levian caressed Rufus's cheek with a trembling hand.
“Mmm.......”
Rufus's eyelids trembled. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes opened. His pupils, which had been so dead and black that no whites could be seen, were regaining their original clarity. The hideous black veins had vanished as if they had never existed.
Her father had returned from death's threshold. Levian's face brightened at that realization.
“F-Family Head......!”
The knights and servants who had watched everything with tense faces cried out and dropped to their knees. Levian also sobbed as she wrapped her arms tightly around Rufus.
“F-Father....... Sob......! Father......!”
“Le...... Levian......?”
Rufus spoke in a hoarse voice. The antidote had succeeded, but his body had suffered the illness for a long time, leaving no strength in his voice.
‘It worked.’
Yuto stepped back with a sigh of relief. The tragedy from before his return had not repeated itself. House Marigold had been saved, Rufus had not died, and Yuto had achieved his objective as well.
Despite emerging from a long illness, Rufus's mind was not clouded. Though his body had no strength at the moment, he was a titan who had commanded Merchant City as the Marigold family head. He quickly steadied his mind and began grasping the situation.
“What happened to me?”
Levian answered Rufus's question. She told him that he had lain unconscious from poison for months and been left with so little time that he could have died at any moment. Then she revealed that none other than his eldest son, Kaien Marigold, was responsible for it all.
“Ah......”
After hearing the entire story, Rufus sighed in despair. The fact that his own son had committed such an unthinkable atrocity tore the father's heart apart. Yet Rufus did not remain lost in despair for long. Before he was a father, he was the family head of Marigold.
“So...... you saved me.”
Rufus forcibly calmed his emotions and stared at Yuto. With Levian supporting him as he sat up in bed, Rufus looked frail, but he had lost none of his dignity as family head.
“You saved not only my life, but the honor of House Marigold as well. You said your name was Yuto?”
“Yes.”
Yuto bowed his head slightly as he answered. Rufus gave a faint smile at the sight and spoke.
“Yuto. You are the benefactor of House Marigold. I swear upon my name and my family's honor that I will grant you anything you desire.”
Rufus had placed before Yuto a blank check from House Marigold that everyone in Merchant City would covet, but Yuto shook his head impassively.
“We can discuss that later. There is something I need to confirm now.”
“Confirm?”
“It concerns Kaien Marigold.”
Yuto raised his head, his eyes turning cold. Rufus's expression trembled beneath that gaze. It was not because his atrocious son had been mentioned. The boy's gaze was sharp and intense enough to make Rufus, who had spent decades as the Marigold family head contending with other titans, shrink back for a moment.
“Kaien Marigold is incompetent. There is no chance a man like him independently contracted a Black Hydra and manufactured such a complex poison. Someone must be behind him.”
Black Hydras were ferocious wild Evomon that neither lived in packs nor mingled with humans in cities. Their habitat was also tremendously far from Merchant City.
Yet Kaien had contracted a Black Hydra, and the contract was not founded upon trust. Had Kaien subdued the Black Hydra by himself and then made a contract with it? It was hard to believe. The Kaien Marigold Yuto knew possessed neither the nerve nor the skill.
Someone else had unquestionably manipulated Kaien from behind the scenes. That suspicion had existed before Yuto's return as well, but Kaien took his own life while fleeing, so Yuto never learned who had been behind him. Nale had known nothing about Kaien's backer, either.
“......”
Rufus squeezed his eyes shut and sank into thought for a moment, but the deliberation did not last long. His son had committed the vile atrocity of poisoning his own father. Rufus still possessed a father's love, but he could not allow it to sway him and compromise his judgment. Soon Rufus opened his eyes and nodded.
“I understand what you mean. But I can barely move at present, so I cannot interrogate Kaien myself. Therefore...... Levian. Go down to the underground prison with Yuto and interrogate Kaien.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Levian composed herself and nodded. Rufus looked at Levian and Yuto with trust in his eyes, then added something more.
“You may conduct the interrogation as you wish. Even if that means...... torture. I delegate full authority over the interrogation to you.”
Rufus intended to show Yuto, his lifesaving benefactor, the utmost respect. Beyond saving his life, the boy with that unfathomable aura made Rufus feel that he simply did not want to antagonize him. Rufus did not doubt that instinct.
“Understood.”
Yuto nodded, turned, and strode out of the room first. Levian hurried after Yuto and Flokiro.
“I-I will guide you to the underground prison.”
In truth, Yuto needed no guide. He had already visited the Marigold estate before returning to the past.
But Yuto nodded at Levian's words and followed her lead. Acting however he pleased merely because he already knew the way would only invite needless suspicion.
*
Unlike the magnificent floors above, the underground reeked of dampness, mold, and the metallic tang of blood.
Yuto descended the torchlit stairs with Levian. Her face was pale, but her eyes alone remained resolute.
“Lady Levian?”
The guard they encountered at the bottom of the stairs faltered for a moment, then bowed to Levian.
“I came to see Kaien.”
At Levian's cold response, the guard immediately began leading the way. The knights and soldiers who had followed Kaien were already restrained behind the bars of the underground prison.
“Here it is.”
At the deepest end of the corridor stood a solitary cell sealed by a heavy iron door. The guard handed over the key and withdrew after guiding them there. When Yuto looked inside the cell, a scream burst from within.
“H-hieek!”
It was Kaien's scream. Yuto clicked his tongue at the utterly pathetic sound, while Levian also hardened her face and opened the cell door.
Creeeak.......
Inside the dark cell, Kaien lay sprawled across the floor in disarray. His arms and legs were bound by thick chains, and the stench of urine around him made their noses wrinkle.
“Ugh...... urgh.......”
Barely lifting his head, Kaien hunched his shoulders. The sight of Flokiro tearing the Black Hydra apart with its bare hands and Yuto swatting Nale down like a fly had carved overwhelming fear into Kaien's mind.
“L...... let me out.......”
Even so, Kaien begged with a servile expression.
“I-I am the eldest son of Marigold....... I should not be treated like this.......”
“Brother. No, Kaien. Do you still not understand your situation?”
Levian spoke with disgust in her expression. Kaien flinched at her words.
“Levian....... Levian, I-I had my reasons too....... Th-this is all a misunderstanding. Just hear me out first.......”
Though the interrogation had not even begun, Kaien tried to ramble in a servile voice. The sight left Yuto dumbfounded. A pathetic bastard like that had become the Marigold family head without knowing his place. No wonder House Marigold's fortunes had declined so quickly before Yuto's return.
“Kaien.”
Yuto passed Levian and strode toward Kaien. As Yuto approached, Kaien screamed and twisted his body in an attempt to retreat, but the weight of the chains restraining him prevented him from moving as he wished.
“Answer my questions truthfully.”
“W-what......? What......?”
THUD—! Yuto's foot buried itself in Kaien's solar plexus.
“KUHURGH!”
Kaien screamed and retched up vomit. Yuto raised his foot again and slowly pressed it down on Kaien's head. Foul, filthy vomit smeared across Kaien's face, already stained with sweat and dust.
“Ugh...... aaagh.......”
Kaien thrashed under the pain that threatened to crush his head. Yuto whispered to him in a cold voice.
“Black Hydras do not live anywhere near Merchant City. Nor are they Evomon the likes of you could subdue and contract.”
“Ugh.......”
“Who gave you the Black Hydra?”
Yuto leaned forward.
“Tell me who is behind you.”
“Th...... that is......!”
Kaien's eyes filled with fear. Now he felt a different kind of terror from the one Yuto inspired.
“I cannot...... tell you that. Th...... this is all a misunderstanding.......”
“You still have not come to your senses.......”
Yuto clicked his tongue and summoned Void Hand. A pitch-black hand appeared behind Yuto and seized Kaien's arm. Then―
CRACK—!
Kaien's arm twisted with a horrific sound.
“AAAAAGH!”
Kaien screamed until his throat threatened to tear.
“Are you afraid of retribution from a backer who is not even here?”
“Uuurgh.......”
“Yet it seems you are not afraid of me, when I am right in front of you.”
Yuto snorted and moved the other Void Hand. Kaien screamed and tried to escape its grasp, but the struggle was meaningless. Soon the Void Hand seized Kaien's uninjured left arm and twisted it like a stalk of sorghum.
“Ghk! AAAAGH!”
Kaien's eyes rolled back. Yet he could not even lose consciousness as he wished. Levian approached with a pale face and extended a hand toward Kaien. Her aether became healing magic and awakened Kaien after he passed out.
“Ugh...... urgh.......”
The pain remained vivid. He could not even faint. It was enough to drive Kaien mad. The Void Hands that had so easily broken both his arms now seized his leg.
“If you intend to spout nothing but nonsense, I have no choice. I will simply have to make you want to tell the truth. This time, I will not break it as cleanly as your arms.”
Yuto tapped Kaien's head as he whispered.
“I will break your toes one by one, grinding each of them apart. If you still hold out after every toe is broken, I will break your shin, then your thigh. After that, I will break your ribs one at a time. When you have no bones left worth breaking, I will gouge out your eyes.”
Naturally, Yuto's words were no bluff. Void Hand removed Kaien's shoe and seized his little toe.
“My only role today is to interrogate you. Rufus Marigold, whose life was spared, will pass judgment upon your atrocity.”
Kaien's eyes shook at the additional whisper. Perhaps, just perhaps...... his father might pity his son and show him mercy. The present Kaien had no choice but to cling to that futile hope.
“A-all right. I will tell you, so...... please, move that hand.......”
“You still do not understand your situation. You cannot demand anything of me.”
CRACK—! Void Hand broke Kaien's little toe. Kaien screamed, spraying spittle, and shook his head violently.
“Aaagh! Aaaagh! A b-black-market merchant! It was a black-market merchant!”
Yuto's eyes flashed at Kaien's cry.
“A merchant?”
“H-he said he wanted to enter Merchant City! That if I-I became the Marigold family head......! I should give him full support and l-look the other way......!”
Kaien panted as tears streamed down his face.
“He said...... he would help me become family head...... that he would make a poison no one could detect......! He made me...... contract the Black Hydra.......”
From those words, Yuto immediately grasped the truth. A black-market merchant seeking to enter Merchant City had enticed Kaien. The merchant had even arranged the unnecessary contract with the Black Hydra, making it impossible for Kaien to betray him. Kaien then joined hands with the black-market merchant and fed Rufus Black Serpent Venom.
“I...... I did not want to do it. The black-market merchant planned everything. Even the B-Black Hydra's food came from him.......”
“The Black Hydra's food?”
“Sl-slaves. Human slaves. The Black Hydra eats nothing but humans.......”
CRUNCH—!
Void Hand moved in an instant and broke every one of Kaien's toes. No, it crushed his entire foot to pulp.
“AAAAAAAAAGH!”
Yuto glared at Kaien with eyes full of disgust. In the world before Yuto's return, using slaves had been illegal. That was because Yuto had abolished slavery as the prince of Belkain.
Even in that world, however, slaves were still traded in secret. The trade took place through the black markets a certain Eclipse had created in the shadows of major cities.
In the current world, slavery existed. The slave trade that had once taken place in secret now operated openly. Yet even in this world, slaves were merely exploited for labor. They were not used as food for Evomon.
Slaves treated no differently from livestock, stripped even of the dignity the law granted them. The fact that this merchant supplied such slaves, combined with the black market's expansion, allowed Yuto to guess who stood behind Kaien.
“I...... I only followed their will.......”
Kaien whimpered.
“The black-market merchants...... and th-their master.......”
The instant he uttered those words.
A pitch-black tattoo shaped like a chain rose beneath the skin of Kaien's neck. Then the neck wrapped by that tattoo constricted under its pressure.
“Guuuurgh!”
A fountain of blood and a scream erupted from Kaien's mouth. The tattoo ruptured his carotid artery and windpipe and continued to tighten. SPLAT—! With a hideous bursting sound, Kaien's head twisted at a grotesque angle.
Kaien was executed as the price for uttering words he was forbidden to speak.
“Aaaah!”
Amid Levian's scream, Yuto's eyes turned cold. What had been mere suspicion became certainty.
The master of the black-market merchants. The ruler of the cities' black markets.
‘Marketer.’
Yuto ground his teeth as he recalled the name of that Eclipse.