I lowered my gaze from the sky, locking eyes with the Drakonid.
Hate radiated from her, a smoldering fire in her gaze. Her chest heaved, every breath a silent snarl.
I couldn't blame her. The way I'd won—it wasn't fair. I had bent the rules, but it didn't change the fact that I sat here, victorious.
"What trick did you pull Human? Why can't I move?"
She was speaking, her voice sharp, demanding. I couldn't understand her words, but I didn't need to. The confusion, the anger—it was all written in the way she strained against the unseen chains holding her down.
I exhaled and rose to my feet.
"The chain," I began, brushing a hand over my kusarigama, "was laced with curse magic. The moment it wrapped around your arm, it started working."
I took a step forward, watching the way her body trembled, struggling against itself.
"Then, when I cut you—" I lifted my sword slightly, letting the light catch the dark steel. "This isn't just any blade. A Stillblade, seething with a curse of its own." A pause. A smirk. "And I took the liberty of coating it in poison."
Her breath hitched.
"The curse from the chain alone? Too weak. Something like that wouldn't even slow you down." I tilted my head, watching understanding dawn in her eyes. "But add a cursed, poisoned blade into the mix… and, well—" I gestured toward her trembling form.
She probably didn't understand a word I was saying—but did it really matter?
"So that's what it was."
The voice, smooth yet edged with irritation, made me pause. My head turned slowly, curiosity flickering across my face.
"You can speak English?" My tone stayed level, but the surprise was there, just beneath the surface.
Her glare remained, though the fire behind it dulled just a little.
"Of course I can speak your language."
I held her gaze, thoughts drifting.
'Must be because of the system that this is happening.'
Before I could dwell on it, she snapped, her voice cutting through my silence.
"Don't look at me like I'm the weird one! How come you can't speak Draconian?"
I blinked, then exhaled. Not worth answering. Not now. There were more pressing matters at hand.
Without another word, I reached for the chains, wrapping them around her. The curse etched into the links pulsed faintly, ensuring she stayed bound.
The battle-scarred ground crunched beneath my boots as I dragged her forward, the weight of unfinished business settling back onto my shoulders.
On any other day, this would be routine—hauling a rancid Terror carcass through the city while dodging glares and complaints from bystanders. But today? Today, I had an oversized, very-much-alive lizard thrashing behind me, spitting outrage with every breath.
"Release me, Human!!"
"A battle should end in death or honor, not this disgrace!!"
"This is an insult to all warriors!!"
"RELEASE ME!!!"
'So annoying.'
Ignoring her, I pressed forward, the weight of exhaustion settling into my bones. The chains rattled, dragging against the torn earth. Step by step, I kept moving—until pain crashed over me like a wave, raw and all-consuming.
My knees hit the dirt.
A sharp breath, a clenched jaw—too late. The pill's effects had worn off, and my body screamed for relief. Moving any further was impossible.
My fingers curled into the soil. The forest around us remained eerily still, the aftermath of our battle keeping any would-be predators at bay.
Looks like I'd be camping here for the night.
I set the Drakonid down against the rough bark of a nearby tree, its roots twisting beneath her like gnarled fingers. Sliding down onto the dirt opposite her, I let out a slow breath. The fight had drained me, and from the way she sat—shoulders no longer rigid, eyes no longer burning—she had let go of her rage, at least for now.
For a while, we simply stared at each other. The silence stretched between us, thick as the night air, until she finally spoke.
"You're a strange one, human."
I said nothing.
"The others I've fought wielded unnatural abilities, desperate to end me in an instant." She tilted her head, watching me as if I were a puzzle missing half its pieces. "But you… you relied on nothing but wit and sheer physicality." A pause. "Why?"
Again, silence.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Fine. I'll get my answer later. Let me ask something else."
She leaned forward slightly, searching my expression. "Where do you plan on taking me?"
More silence.
Her patience finally snapped. "Why won't you just answer me, damn it?!" Her voice tore through the quiet, bouncing off the trees. Leaves trembled from the force of it.
I exhaled through my nose, rubbing my temple.
"Do you ever shut up?"
She blinked, stunned into silence for the first time since I'd met her.
Before she could fire back, I continued, "If answering one question will keep you quiet, then fine. I'll humor you. But only one."
Her mouth opened, ready to argue, but she hesitated. I watched the gears turn behind her crimson eyes as she weighed her options. Finally, she huffed, steadying her breath.
She met my gaze, her voice quieter this time.
"…What are you going to do with me?"
I leaned my head back against the rough bark and sighed. "I'm taking you to my boss and getting paid."
A pause. Then, without a hint of remorse, I added, "Where you go from there isn't my problem."
Silence hung between us.
"That's it?" she finally said. "You would risk death… for money?"
The disappointment in her voice was almost laughable.
"Pathetic," she muttered, turning away. "If riches are what compel you to fight, then you're doomed to perish sooner rather than later."
With that, she shut her eyes, ending the conversation.
Normally, I'd let words like that slide off me. But hearing it from a Drakonid—a race notorious for their greed—left a bitter taste in my mouth.
'Whatever.'
I shut my eyes and let exhaustion pull me under.
*
I blinked the sleep from my eyes, still feeling the weight of exhaustion. My muscles ached, but at least I could move.
Looking ahead, I was about to wake the Drakonid—except… she was gone.
I shot up, scanning my surroundings in alarm.
'How? How can she move already?'
Panic surged through me. Had I miscalculated? Had the curse worn off too soon?
Then, as if sensing my distress, she casually emerged from the shadows, chains still tightly wound around her form.
Amused, she tilted her head. "Relax, human. I'm still bound by this curse of yours—I can barely move."
Narrowing my eyes, I asked, "Then why are you still here? You had the chance to escape."
Her smirk widened. "And go where? I'm too weak to fend off whatever creatures lurk in this place."
She studied me for a moment longer before adding, "Besides… I've taken an interest in you."
I raised a brow. "Oh? And why is that?"
"I had time to think."
She took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. "What I said yesterday—it was wrong. You're not just fighting for money."
I said nothing.
"Someone who only cares about riches wouldn't have fought so desperately." She paused, her crimson eyes gleaming with intrigue. "No… you're after something else, aren't you?"
I remained silent.
A slow, knowing smile crept across her lips.
"Well… whatever it is you're after," she said, "I could help."
I stared at her for a moment before lazily responding, "No. You're wrong—I do want money."
Her eyes widened, and for a second, I almost laughed at her expression. She quickly regained her composure, though, and countered, "I could help with that too. All you need to do is release me."
It was tempting. I let the thought linger for a while before finally answering.
"No."
She didn't like that answer, but she didn't fight it either. She was too proud to beg, too drained to demand. Instead, she simply turned and started walking, waiting for me to lead her to our destination.
Thirty minutes later, we arrived at that all-too-familiar building, the one that had marked the start of this whole ordeal.
I glanced at the Drakonid beside me. She wouldn't meet my eyes, clearly still irritated by my decision.
'Cute.'
Entering the building, we passed by the extravagant decorations, which seemed out of place but not worth my attention. We made our way to the [Hollow Hunters] office door. As I opened it, I was greeted by the sight of Kraven in a golfing outfit. The absurdity of it barely registered—I was too exhausted to care. The Drakonid beside me seemed equally indifferent.
After a beat, Kraven noticed us.
"Ah, you're finally here!" he exclaimed, a smile on his face.
I stayed silent, looking at him with a blank expression.
Kraven glanced at the Drakonid, giving her an appreciative look. "Hmmm, so that's the Drakonid, huh? Quite the looker, if I say so myself."
She scowled at him, but Kraven wasn't fazed. He took out a cigar and lit it, turning his attention back to me.
"You did a good job. I'm impressed."
"For that, you get a bonus." He handed me an envelope, and I accepted it without a word.
I didn't react outwardly, but internally, I felt a small sense of satisfaction.
"We'll take her off your hands now," Kraven said, gesturing to the Drakonid.
In an instant, she vanished without a trace.
Before leaving, I decided to make one thing clear.
"I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks."
"HUH???" Kraven sputtered, clearly surprised.
But I didn't wait for him to protest. I turned and left the office without another word, the door closing behind me.
As I stepped outside, I paused and glanced back at the building for a moment.
I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a few seconds before it clicked.
"Hey, do me a solid."