It was a very small name that could barely be heard by Alois beside her, but one of the heads whose name was called by her perked up its ears. Flashing its eyes, it trampled the soldiers who were blocking it mercilessly and ran toward Olivia, ignoring the flying bars.

“Damn it.”

Quickly pushing Olivia behind his back, Alois gripped his sword straight. It wasn’t a puppy happily running to its owner after being called by name. With its mouth wide open, dripping with human flesh and blood, and eyes no longer able to distinguish friend from foe, it was filled only with the forced desire to bite everything. As the monster got closer to Olivia and Alois, its howling was transmitted with a clear meaning only to the two of them.

—Kill. Kill. Kill everyone.

—Kill all. I’ll kill everyone.

“Ah, aah……”

Olivia, who instinctively sensed it was irreversible, buried her tear-soaked face in both hands at the familiar voices of the little ones who seemed to be giggling with pleasure. Alois stood in front of Olivia, facing the charging monster.

Unfortunately, the voice that came through made Alois uncomfortable as well. The shadows, which had been split into several strands by the fire burning all around, crept up from Alois’s feet to his sword. The darkness enveloping the sword swelled in size, flickering like flames.

—Olivia, I just want to rest now.

Barry, who had been called by name by her last, quietly murmured. Olivia, who had buried her face in her palms, suddenly raised her head. Perhaps a conversation……

“Alois! Please wait……”

Though he didn’t need to hear what she was about to say to know, and though Alois had also heard the monster’s last words, he didn’t stop his hand from swinging the sword. The largely undulating darkness pierced the monster’s heart with a single stroke. As if throwing itself into death, the monster’s heads, which had been running elegantly, simultaneously vomited red blood. When he pulled out the sword, blood gushed out like a waterfall. Alois’s clothes were completely soaked with blood splashing from all directions. After wiping away the blood that had splashed on his face with the back of his hand, Alois turned around while the heat still hadn’t subsided.

“It’s really time to go back now.”

Behind Alois’s back, the monster with its heart pierced collapsed. The clumsily attached leather tore, and the heads that had been forcibly attached to one body finally found true freedom and fell to the ground. The forest was so covered in blood that it was hard to tell what the original color was, with the ground and leaves of vegetation all soaked in blood. As if a red shower had fallen.

“No, n-no. I said wait, I said wait……”

Olivia crawled on the ground, trying to pass by Alois’s side. Seeing her trying to approach the corpse that had met death, Alois swallowed a short breath and put down his blood-stained sword. The darkness that fell from the sword swallowed the corpse whole, and before Olivia could reach it, the monster’s corpse disappeared without a trace in the darkness.

“No. I hate this, I really hate this. I hate it.”

He forcibly lifted Olivia, who was screaming while scratching the empty ground. He forcibly held her as she struggled and twisted in his arms. I told you to wait! She repeatedly hit Alois’s shoulders, pouring out words of resentment, but he didn’t reply and slowly moved his steps. Olivia’s body, which had been crying as if to dry out all the moisture in her body, slumped down. Thick veins bulged on the back of Alois’s hand holding her. He quietly swallowed a curse.

“How dare you! How dare you kill my property? You, you worthless bastard!”

But there was a stupid person who wouldn’t let Alois leave nicely and grabbed him. Alois barely suppressed the anger that was heating up and closed his eyes, then opened them. Then he turned to look at the man calling for him.

A man with bloodshot eyes, surrounded by the few surviving soldiers, was pointing at Alois. Though the soldiers protecting him were desperately hoping that he would pretend not to see and leave, given the overwhelming difference in power they had just witnessed, their foolish master didn’t seem to know this.

“My property? Ah, so you’re the one who created that thing earlier?”

The administrator, who had been raging, closed his mouth at the voice questioning if he had created the chimera. Not only did he belatedly realize it was a criminal act punishable as a serious crime, but the face of the man looking at him seemed somewhat familiar.

“If you continue to covet what is mine in such a mess, then you will face a monster that will tear you apart.”

The administrator, who had been frowning and staring at Alois, fell back in shock. That face, those eyes. It was a face he could never forget and at the same time a face he shouldn’t encounter here.

“I’m deeply disappointed in Julian for keeping you under him. Tell him that.”

After staring intently at the administrator who was choking as if suffocated, Alois smiled grimly and turned away. Despite exposing his back defenseless, his complete lack of caution prevented anyone from easily approaching Alois.

The soldiers, who had been blankly staring at the unidentifiable figure who had subdued the monster with a single strike and made it disappear, only gasped for breath at the slightly diminished pressure after they had completely disappeared.

“Administrator. Should we ch-chase after them?”

“Talking stupid. Do you think we could chase them in our current state?”

The administrator kicked his subordinate who was carefully asking beside him, pouring out his misplaced anger. Only after beating his subordinate thoroughly did the administrator snort and dust off his clothes. The event he had planned with difficulty had all come to nothing. But there was another issue that was more problematic.

“It’s the duke. The duke has come out.”

“W-what? What do you mean?”

“Useless bastard.”

The administrator spat on his fallen subordinate and hurriedly left the place. The lost event wasn’t important now.

Alois Schraien. The cursed duke who should have been confined to his mansion was walking around the forest without any issues. And with an even more terrifying power than before. The administrator urgently urged his soldiers, who couldn’t even compose themselves, to return to his mansion immediately.

* * *

Warm water gently wrapped around her body, which had cooled. It washed away the dirty soil and flying ash, dissolving the dried bloodstains. Olivia swayed back and forth like a doll without any will as Alois moved her. After undressing her and gently placing her in the bathtub, Alois sat at the edge of the water and cupped Olivia’s face, which had lost all expression, with one hand.

“……ells.”

“……”

“Your hands smell of blood.”

And that blood probably belongs to the little ones who died. Olivia, who had been staring at the rippling water without focus, irritably brushed away Alois’s hand that was cupping her cheek. Though a sharp gaze of resentment flew at him, Alois rose from his seat with an indifferent, calm face.

“Make sure to wash up and come out.”

“I begged you. I pleaded……”

“Yes. I killed them, and now those little ones no longer exist in this world.”

Huh. At Alois’s cold declaration, tears began to fill Olivia’s eyes again, which had seemed dry. He tried to wipe the brimming corners of her eyes with his fingertips but carefully withdrew his hand, remembering how she had rejected his touch just before.

“But there are still other little ones waiting for you.”

“……”

“Don’t be pathetic. Look at what you can do, and what you need to do now.”

The robe is over there. Without kind comfort or apology, Alois coldly pointed to one side and left the bathroom. In the bathroom left alone, only the sound of water droplets continued to break the heavy silence. For a while, tears continued to fall like rain onto the rippling water, creating small waves.

* * *

Red liquid filled the transparent glass. The thick grape scent swirled around, trapped in the darkened room. She couldn’t understand what taste people found in such alcohol. Olivia grumbled but had already carelessly thrown the second empty bottle under the table.

The little ones rescued from hell were all safe. Their injuries healed quickly, and adapting to the forest as their new home was proceeding without difficulty. They still ran to Olivia happily when they saw her, and the same daily routine continued as before. As if nothing had happened, the world in the thorn bush continued to flow peacefully.

“It feels like I’m the only one having nightmares.”

It seemed like she was the only one who was broken somewhere and continued to hurt. Olivia’s pink hair, which she always kept neatly tied, was unusually dry and lifelessly tangled. The cheeks that used to be full of vitality had lost their color, and above all, her eyes that always sparkled were now filled with a deep sense of helplessness.

During the day, she managed to put on a smiling face when facing the animals, but when she was alone in her room at night like this, the hell of that day kept vividly replaying.

If she fell asleep even a little, the once tiny puppies would appear and run to her happily, but as they got closer, they would howl, dripping blood, asking why she couldn’t save them. She had been unable to sleep for several days now.