Variable (1)

All preparations were complete.

All that was needed now was to buy time.

By tomorrow afternoon—or no, even by tomorrow morning—the situation could have been resolved without a single drop of bloodshed.

The discovery of the tracking artifact and the lack of a means of communication had allowed for advance preparation.

Even sending Mariel to the temple in the first place was done to leave evidence, in case the Red Scorpion decided to cut their losses.

I thought I could protect both Noah and Hephaestus no matter what unexpected events arose.

It was a perfect plan.

I believed that.

But this situation—what on earth...

Hephaestus, who had fainted from exhaustion, weighed heavily on my body.

With blurred vision and a churning stomach, I looked around.

The ground was now littered with flesh, torn beyond recognition.

And at the center of it all—

With a scarlet aura swirling around her, Noah wore a shy smile, while a man sat frozen in fear.

Noah's body was damaged so severely it wouldn't have been surprising if she died immediately.

Her skin was torn apart by her own fingernails.

Her hands, with bones fully exposed, had been ground down by the blade of her greatsword.

Her tongue, chewed to shreds, dangled limply.

Ice shards protruded from her right arm and abdomen.

Her legs, too, bled profusely from puncture wounds, and her body was scorched and melted in various places.

Yet Noah—

Still smiled.

That endless smile she always reserved for me.

I needed to run to her and heal those horrifying wounds right away.

I needed to stop her, no matter what.

But my body refused.

My mind refused.

All I could do was sit there, desperately suppressing the nausea that surged within me.

"No... ah..."

Even so, I clenched my teeth and began crawling toward her.

The singular thought of wanting to stop Noah's bleeding drove my body forward.

Sticky entrails wrapped around my palms.

Slimy chunks of flesh squelched beneath my knees.

Vomiting endlessly, the metallic taste filled not just my throat but my mouth as well.

But I didn't stop.

I had to reach Noah.

I had to stop her, who had used the shard.

Noah, who no longer thought of humans as humans, but as beasts.

Noah, whose twisted mindset consumed her...

I had to stop her.

"Haa... No...ah..."

The stench of filth assaulted my nose.

The grotesque sight tore at my eyes.

"Please... look at me, Noah... just... ugh…"

My trembling hand finally slipped.

My body fell to the floor.

Chunks of flesh, entrails, eyeballs, and teeth strewn across the ground clung to my shoulders, waist, legs, and head.

At last—

Noah, who had been moving further away, stopped and sat down.

Biting my lip, I forced myself to stand.

Schlk— the things stuck to my body peeled off.

Closing my eyes, holding my breath, I crawled again.

And when I was close enough to hear Noah's breathing—

A cheerful voice reached my ears.

"Should I tuck you in?"

At first, it sounded like a strange, out-of-place statement.

But then I remembered what Noah had said earlier.

'They were trembling so much that I skinned one of their underlings alive and used it as a blanket for them....'

I opened my eyes and lifted my head to look at Noah.

Her small back looked so fragile.

Her blood-soaked body was trembling.

In her hands—

Organs and flayed skin dangled gruesomely.

No. No... absolutely not.

I couldn't accept this.

I didn't want to.

My brain rejected Noah.

My instincts.

My body.

Every nerve and cell screamed in denial of Noah.

"Ghk... Haa... Hngh...!"

I pounded my chest with my fist.

I clawed at my flesh with my nails.

I slammed my head into the ground as hard as I could.

The pain brought me back to my senses.

Only then was I able to rise and embrace Noah's back.

Her icy body felt hard against mine.

Sticky skin pressed against my own.

The stench of blood filled my nose.

But I didn't let go.

I held her tighter.

I poured my divine power into her.

I recited prayers inwardly, pouring every bit of my strengthened divine power into her.

But—

The blood aura surrounding Noah repelled my divine power as if rejecting it outright.

Instead, the divine power, now tainted with bloodlust, began to disrupt my own body.

Noah's pulse, faint and slow, weakened further in my arms.

Her cold body grew even colder.

The bleeding worsened.

"No... ah. Noah, please... I'm begging you... please..."

At that moment—

"You bastard! I'll take you with me at least!"

The man who had been sitting in front of Noah fired an ice spear.

It was aimed directly at Noah's head.

Time seemed to stretch.

My body remained frozen, but my thoughts raced.

I couldn't dodge it.

My divine power was a step too slow to block it completely.

The only thing I could do was shield Noah with my body.

I had to use my divine power to stop the ice spear from piercing her, even if it passed through me.

I could do it.

It wouldn't be the worst-case scenario.

My body could endure it.

I was used to pain.

Move.

I tightened my hold on Noah and prepared to turn.

But Noah didn't move an inch.

And then—

A voice, sweet yet so out of place, rang out.

"Mmm... smells delicious."

Noah's hand rose.

The ice spear impaled her hand.

Yet she used that same hand to drive the spear into the man's head.

Bursting eyeballs splattered across my face.

"Ghh... Gk... Urk—"

"Ru...bia... that smell."

Noah's head turned toward me.

Her creaking body twitched as she pulled free from my arms.

Those gentle eyes.

That sweet voice.

That lovely expression.

They all turned to me.

"Time... to eat..."

"No... ah...?"

Noah's mouth slowly opened.

She tilted my head back.

Her vulnerable neck—

Noah's lips—

Her sharp, yet soft teeth—

Met my flesh.

* * * *

"Mmm... such a delicious smell."

Crunch—

Snap... Crack... Gurgle—

I'm thirsty.

I feel so good.

I'm so thirsty.

But I don't feel any pain at all!

I feel like I'm going to die.

But right now, I'm the happiest person in the world!

My throat feels like it's being torn apart.

Look at this! There's a hole in my stomach, but it doesn't hurt at all!

There's nothing left.

I'm bleeding so much, but I'm still fine!

There's nothing left at all.

Hehe... I even finished off all the beasts.

They're all dead.

The beasts were strong, but I was stronger!

The dead ones don't matter.

I don't even need to skin them... it's a shame I killed them all, though.

The living ones.

That's okay too!

Fresh blood.

I was super cool just now, after all!

I need it.

I wonder if Rubia saw me?

My body won't accept it.

I wasn't supposed to use the shard...

But I had to drink.

Will I get scolded? Ugh...

Ah.

Huh?

An ecstatic aroma.

Sweet and familiar...!!

A delicious smell.

It's Rubia's scent!

"Ru...bia... your scent."

I loosened the arms wrapped around me and turned my body.

Even if I get scolded, I just want to nestle into her warm embrace.

And then—

I want to eat.

Right now.

Every last drop, not leaving a single bit behind.

"No...ah...?"

Her terrified face came into view.

I opened my mouth.

Her trembling body was right there.

I bared my teeth.

Even so, her arms held me tightly.

Her hand reached out and tilted my head back.

A worried voice spoke to me.

I felt the blood flowing from her shallow wounds.

Warmth.

As my lips touched the dripping blood—

"Huh, ah..."

The tears that touched my face.

The soft flesh where my teeth dug in—

Rubia's everything.

It quenched my thirst.

"Mm, huh...?"

Suddenly.

That thrilling sensation in my lower abdomen,

That kept me frozen,

That made me feel utterly euphoric—

Vanished.

"Mm...?"

My memory is clear.

But I don't know why I acted that way...

Even now, as I drink from Rubia's neck, I want to keep going, but I don't understand why I did it... Hmm...

"Haa..."

"Mmm? Nom nom."

Rubia, trembling in my hands, tasted so good that I sucked even harder.

Slurp—

"Hngh—ah, uh... Noah..."

In the end, I managed to protect Rubia when she was nearly attacked while I was toying with the beasts.

Phew... I let my guard down because I got carried away using the shard...

Sluuurp—

By the way, the shard's effects are insane...

In the game, it was just about nullifying stiffness, immunity to stuns, and sustaining combat—it seemed decent, but...

It actually numbs pain?

Sure, it requires constant blood to maintain, but it's ridiculously overpowered!

Hmm... I do feel a craving for blood sometimes, but...

Well, lots of monster blood ends up in my mouth during hunts anyway, so it's not a big downside!

Sluurp—slurp—

Wait... huh?

Then... when does the penalty—

"Khuhhk—?!"

Suddenly, searing pain shot through the arm with a gaping hole.

From my abdomen, my legs, my back, my neck—

Everywhere.

All at once.

The pain crashed over me like it wanted to kill me immediately.

My body, writhing from the pain, pushed Rubia away.

I rolled across the corpse-covered floor, gritting my teeth.

Barely holding onto my fading consciousness, I twisted my body.

Or... was my body twisting on its own?

I couldn't pass out.

If I passed out like this, Rubia would panic.

I had to explain.

I didn't know what to do. It hurt. It hurt so much!!

Would it stop hurting if I let go of my mind???

If I woke up, would Rubia's healing have finished, making it hurt less—

"Kyahhhhhh—!"

While rolling on the floor, glass shards lodged into my wounds.

Overwhelmed by the agony, I dropped my greatsword.

I couldn't see anything.

I didn't know. I didn't care.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

Tears streamed down my face.

No, they burst forth!

It hurts, it hurts! It hurts so much...

"No, Noah!"

"Hngh, uhgh... urgh..."

Familiar hands pulled me close.

Immediately, warm energy enveloped my body.

The energy coursing through every corner of my body grew scorching hot, searing me from the inside.

"Kuhh... Ugh... Khack—kugh... cough..."

Black blood surged up my throat and gushed out of my mouth.

"Kaahhk—cough, khack... bleargh..."

Over and over, endlessly, until it nearly choked me.

Only after a long while did the blood finally stop flowing.

The torn and gaping flesh knitted itself back together.

The holes in my arms, legs, and abdomen sealed up.

Eventually, the scorching energy raging inside my body subsided.

The pain faded.

"No... Noah... Noah, Noah!!"

Rubia's frantic voice rang in my ears.

"Uh, uh..."

I couldn't tell where Rubia's face was, but I reached out my hand anyway.

Hmm... if this is her nose—

I lowered my hand slightly and pulled Rubia's neck closer.

"Noah...? Is it really you? Did you regain your senses? Huh?"

"Yes... Heh..."

The way she kept saying "Noah, Noah, Noah" over and over was like a talking doll, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Heeeeh—Noaaahhhahahaaa!"

"Eek... You're... so loud..."

Rubia, who hugged me tightly and cried for a long time—

"Ughh... ugh..."

Finally managed to stop crying, though she was still dry heaving.

It felt like she'd cried for ten minutes straight...

"Are... you done crying?"

"Huff... ugh... sniff... sniffle!"

The way her head shifted slightly felt like a nod.

Then...

"Could you... please find my greatsword?"

"Sniff... okay, fine..."

Rubia moved away from me, her footsteps squelching softly as she went. Soon, she returned and placed the greatsword in my hand.

"Thank you... oh?"

The moment my senses activated—

I saw her.

A woman carrying Hephaestus on her back.