Salvation Through Delusion C20

Chapter 20

Those crimson eyes were chilling—like blood given form. Only after that first shock did I manage to take in the rest of the creature’s appearance.

Every non-human being I’d seen so far had been vague and translucent, their shapes shifting like smoke. But this one—this one had a form. A sharp, undeniable form.

It was a goat.

Or rather, something that looked like a goat—except it had four horns. Two curved back naturally, while the other two rose straight up like pillars, branching at their tips like the antlers of a stag. They pierced the ceiling, stretching beyond sight.

But the horns weren’t what froze me. It was those eyes—those blood-red eyes that seemed to swallow the entire room.

And what the hell—why were they spinning like that?

I barely stopped myself from blurting it out. The goat tilted its head slowly, as if curious that I could see it at all.

Great. Because a monster tilting its head at me is so much less terrifying.

Seconds stretched into what felt like centuries. Then, finally, the creature lowered its gaze. I followed its motion, exhaling the breath I’d been holding.

Wait—what the…?

The pervert pinned beneath me was muttering something under his breath. At the same time, a glowing magic circle formed in the air above us.

Oh, hell no. That definitely didn’t look good.

“You bastard,” he hissed, grinning vilely. “I’ll tear you apart.”

Fantastic. He actually knew magic.

I moved to back away—when the goat’s front hoof entered my vision. It tapped the magic circle lightly with the tip of its hoof… and then withdrew.

And just like that, the glowing runes shattered into sparkling fragments and faded into the air. The fragments glimmered like starlight, too beautiful for how utterly bizarre the situation was.

For a moment, I just stared.

It’s… kind of pretty.

When I finally snapped out of it, the goat was gone too—dissolving into the air like it had never existed.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the empty space. A faint echo drifted through the air, like a whisper in the wind.

“…glad I came to watch after hearing your master’s call.”

That was what it sounded like. But the name—whoever that “master” was—was lost in the rush of a sharp, howling wind.

Who was that? And why tell the goat to watch me?

Even stranger was how the goat had spoken formally, respectfully. Whatever it was, it had recognized someone greater than itself. And if divine beasts existed in this world… that goat must’ve been one.

“Haha! You bastard, whoever you are—my spell will rip your body to shreds—wait, what?!”

The pervert’s voice snapped me back to the moment. He had just noticed that his magic circle was gone. Panic widened his eyes.

“W-What did you do?! What happened to my spell?!”

“Guess you messed it up yourself. Don’t blame me for your incompetence.”

“N-No, that’s not—ugh!”

His words cut off when my fist connected with his jaw. This time, it landed cleanly. His head snapped back, his body went limp, and he dropped unconscious.

No time to celebrate.

Bang! Bang!

“Lord Bilge! Are you all right?!”

The guards were slamming against the door now, trying to break it down.

I hurried to the brown-haired youth, who was still lying dazed on the bed. “I’m just going to help you get dressed, okay? Don’t be scared.”

He flinched but didn’t resist. I quickly pulled his clothes up and buttoned them.

The buttons were tiny—no bigger than beans—but my hands moved with uncanny precision.

Almost like they had muscle memory for this sort of thing.

Damn it, Rue. How many people’s clothes have you unbuttoned in your life?

Crash!

The door twisted off its hinges, a guard’s face appearing through the gap.

“Lord Bilge! What—” His eyes widened. “Who are you?!”

Ignoring him, I bent down to whisper to the youth. “Help’s here. Just tell them you were attacked by a dog or something, got it?”

I gave his shoulder a reassuring pat and sprinted toward the balcony.

Crack!

The door gave way completely behind me.

“Stop right there!” a guard shouted as I leapt onto the railing.

Like hell I would. I pushed off and dove toward the nearest tree branch.

The same one I’d used to climb up before. Which meant—

It was half-broken.

“Come on—!”

My hand barely caught the end of the branch. My arm trembled under my own weight.

“Ugh!”

Teeth gritted, I reached up with my other hand and pulled myself up, every muscle screaming in protest.

One hundred pull-ups when I get home. Minimum.

I finally hauled myself onto the branch, breathing hard. Through the leaves, I saw the balcony below. One of the guards was leaning over the edge, scanning the ground.

“He’s gone! Must’ve used teleportation magic—”

Perfect. Thanks for the alibi.

Still, I stayed put a moment longer just in case. Then I slid down the tree quietly.

Unfortunately, I’d underestimated how much strength I’d lost. My arms trembled, refusing to grip properly.

“Ugh, this damn body—”

I slipped, sliding down the trunk far faster than intended.

Thud!

I hit the ground hard enough to roll.

“Ow—shit.”

Cursing under my breath, I pushed up on trembling arms—then froze.

Black shoes. Right in front of me.

Wait. No way—

Did someone catch me?

But the shape of those boots—it sparked a memory. Not shoes. Combat boots.

A creeping sense of déjà vu crawled up my spine.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

Even in the dark, I recognized those golden eyes gleaming down at me—and the cruel twist of the man’s lips.

“Adeye Rue.”

Don’t get emotional.

That was what I used to tell my team back in the volunteer corps. On the battlefield, even the smallest lapse of control could cost a life.

Yet now, I was the one trembling with rage.

“Adeye Rue.”

He said my name again. No hesitation. No doubt.

And I knew that voice. That face.

How could I forget? The bastard who’d kicked me off a slope to die when we were escaping the monsters at the resort.

Oh, I knew him all right.

You’re dead.

Heat flared in my chest like a lit fuse.

I stood up slowly, brushing the dirt from my pants, and smiled thinly.

“Well, fancy meeting you again.”

“Fancy?”

“Of course.” I tilted my head, smiling wider. “How could I not be happy to see garbage filthier than a monster?”

Even as I spat the words, the smirk on his face didn’t fade.

“I should’ve made sure to cut your throat back then.”

“Oh? Bringing weapons again? Figures. Your kicks were so weak, it felt like being tickled by feathers. Pathetic. Guess you need a big sword to make up for what you lack, huh?”

That finally earned me a reaction. His eyes narrowed in irritation.

“Keep talking. The more you do, the sweeter it’ll be when I spill your blood.”

He stepped forward, his tall frame casting a shadow over me. He was at least a head taller than Rue’s body—bigger, stronger, faster.

Fine by me.

I grinned, baring my teeth. “Yeah, keep smiling. Things are just getting fun.”

Before he could reply, I lashed out with a kick aimed at his torso.

Thud!

He caught my leg with one arm, blocking it effortlessly, then reached for me with the other. I twisted at the last second, ducking under his grasp—and drove my fist upward.

The kick was a feint, you bastard.

My uppercut slammed into his side.

“Take that—”

What?

Why… why was it so hard?

My knuckles struck something solid—rock solid. It felt like punching stone.

Pain shot up my arm, numbing my hand.

That’s not human.

I froze, looking up. Those golden eyes stared down like shards of ice.

Ah, shit.

Before I could move, his hand shot out, clamping around my collar. I tried to pull away, but he lifted me off the ground effortlessly, one-handed.

I grabbed his wrist, trying to pry it off, but his grip only tightened around my throat. Air burned in my lungs. My legs kicked uselessly in the air, fluttering like some ridiculous inflatable tube man at a store opening.

He looked up at me—red-faced, choking—and smirked.

“Not so fun now, is it?”

And then—

With a casual flick of his arm, he threw me.

Like a ball.

His boot followed, slamming into my stomach midair.

CRASH!

My back hit a tree trunk hard enough to echo.

“Ugh—damn it—”

Pain rippled through my whole body as I rolled onto the ground, groaning.

I pressed my palm to the dirt, forcing myself upright, every muscle screaming.

I’m going to kill that bastard.

My voice came out low, ragged, trembling with fury.

“Guess I still need more practice,” I muttered, baring my teeth.