OMS Chapter 31

The girl who had declared she could save Zeph clammed up when I asked her how. Her face flushed red, and she glanced between Zeph and me, then looked at Dirk and Kahim with a troubled expression.

…Did she find it hard to explain with them around?

Understanding her hesitation, I asked the two of them to step outside. Once we were alone, the red-faced girl finally began explaining.

“…Um, if he’s running out of sacred power, we can just give him more. My sacred power would be a hindrance since it’s different, but if you can return Oji-san’s sacred power back to him…”

“Zeph’s sacred power?”

“Yeah. Um, you know, kind of like the reverse of how you get kago…”

“You mean I should give it back?”

“Yeah! Well, I’ll leave now! Don’t forget to lock the door!”

The moment I understood, the girl dashed out of the room.

…It must’ve been difficult for a twelve-year-old to explain something like that. I felt a bit guilty, but I followed her instructions and locked the door.

No one could witness what I was about to do with Zeph.

“…Zeph.”

There was no response. I knew there wouldn’t be.

But I still had to call his name.

“Please forgive me for touching you without permission.”

I had never touched Zeph without his consent before.

The kisses, the caresses, and everything beyond that—I always sought his approval.

I had hoped he would just go along with it, but if Zeph ever tensed up, I’d stop immediately. The only thing I ever allowed myself to do in secret was press my lips to his forehead, a simple sign of affection, nothing more.

Even now, though I was permitted to touch his body, it didn’t mean I had been given permission for everything.

He could still tell me no tomorrow.

That’s why I was careful, making sure I didn’t misinterpret things or get ahead of myself, always keeping my emotions in check.

—But now, I’m about to break that self-imposed rule.

I didn’t know how much sacred power I needed to pour in… but if I could save Zeph, I’d do whatever it took.

I would kiss him, take him into my mouth, and if that wasn’t enough, I would connect with him directly to pour it in.

…He might get angry at me for doing something like this to him while he’s asleep, but right now, I’d even welcome his anger.

I just wanted him to wake up again.

I didn’t care if he ended up hating me or if I could no longer stay by his side.

As long as Zeph was alive, that was all I needed to keep going.

I pressed my lips to Zeph’s dry ones, slowly sliding my tongue inside.

His lips were unresponsive, his tongue still.

It felt wrong, but I pushed through the discomfort, gently running my tongue over his, closing my eyes.

I had watched Zeph skillfully manipulate sacred power many times.

He’d laugh at my admiration, saying, “It’s just like controlling magical power.”

He always said he was just converting magical power into sacred power.

—Which means… if I want to draw out sacred power from the vessel of his blessing and give it back to him…

Both Zeph and the girl had stared at my chest earlier when checking for the kago. Just as the heart is the source of magical power, the kago must be stored there too.

Placing a hand on my chest, I concentrated, searching for the sacred power. I felt a warm energy beginning to flow out. It was a sensation I had felt before, similar to when I received kago from Zeph.

I guided the energy up to my throat, preparing to pass it to Zeph through my tongue.

But then—

“?!”

The sacred power was being pulled out of me at an astonishing rate. It wasn’t so much that I was giving it to him—it felt more like it was being forcibly extracted.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as the intense pain shot through me, and I clenched my fists tightly.

Something deep inside me was being ripped away, dragged out. The pain was overwhelming, furrowing my brow as I endured it.

—Is this what purification feels like?

I had seen Zeph sweat and grit his teeth as he endured the agony of purification. The brilliant sacred power and blood surrounding him had been forcefully drawn into the ritual’s basin.

If this pain was similar to what Zeph had experienced, how many times must he have suffered through it?

In the royal temple, Zeph had gone to the purification ritual each time his sacred power was replenished.

He had only taken a brief rest after he fainted, but other than that, he had spent every available moment on purification.

—What kind of person are you…?

Even after suffering through such agony, you’d still say things like, “If all I have to do is work hard so everyone can live peacefully, then it’s worth it.”

How…?

“Mm…”

A faint sound escaped Zeph’s lips, startling me into pulling away. I suddenly realized the pain had ended.

The kago I had always sensed from Zeph was completely gone. It seemed I had successfully returned all the sacred power to him.

Since it had originally been his sacred power, perhaps the kiss alone had been enough to restore it.

Holding my breath, I watched closely as Zeph furrowed his brow slightly.

His saliva-wet lips parted, his pale chest rose and fell, and slowly, color returned to his face. His fragile fingers twitched.

…Zeph is moving.

After being still for so long, as if he were dead, impaled by that cursed arrow, unable to move, Zeph is finally stirring.

I glanced at the hateful arrow and saw that it had begun to change.

The dark arrow was now wrapped in radiant white sacred power. The light was gradually breaking the arrow down, piece by piece, dissolving it.

Zeph was fighting the curse.

—Please, God.

All I could do was pray as I watched the arrow lose its shape, disintegrating into nothingness.

Underneath Zeph’s bloodstained clothes, where the arrow had pierced him, only a small scar remained.

I hesitantly reached out to touch it and felt the steady thump of his heart.

—Is it… over?

I gazed down at Zeph’s face in disbelief.

His skin was now a healthier shade of red. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

He scrunched his brow, his dark eyelashes trembled… and soon, those familiar brown eyes slowly opened.

After a few blinks, his gaze settled on me, and he grinned.

“…Heh, I won.”

He looked so smug, like he wanted to ask, “How’s that?”

But his face blurred before my eyes.

I wanted to keep looking at him, to take in every detail, but my vision swam and warped.

—You don’t know anything.

You idiot.

You really are an idiot.

You were on the brink of death just moments ago, and after sleeping for over a month, the first thing you say is that?

Do you even understand how worried I was?

How much it chilled me to think I might lose you?

I barely got by with your words, “I’ll leave the rest to you,” as my guide… but I realized that if I lost you, I couldn’t go on living.

I was terrified, wondering when your kago would disappear. Even when I slept, I woke up over and over again in fear.

So, how can you…

“Uh… are you… crying?”

“Why…”

Zeph reached out to gently wipe away the hot tears on my cheeks.

I caught his hand and pressed it to my wet face, softly murmuring, “Why…” again.

Why did you so easily sacrifice yourself?

Why do you smile so triumphantly?

Why do you try to wipe away the tears of someone as worthless as me?

Why…?

“Why won’t you let me protect you…?!”

You are the one I want to protect more than anyone.

You are strong, weak, kind… the most precious person in the world to me.

The only person I want to protect.

And yet, you never let me protect you.

I cried, spilling my frustration as if it were some petty tantrum, and Zeph, after staying quiet for a moment, let out a small chuckle.

He ruffled my hair with his free hand and wiped away my tears with his thumb.

“Can’t help it, can I? I’m in love with you.”

With a nonchalant air, he dropped that unbelievable statement.