I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 97

CHAPTER 97

“Uh, don’t torment my sister.”

Pitiful.

That was exactly the word fitting for the situation.

The face, full of childishness, was smeared with tears and dirt, with fear dominating the reddened eyes.

“Aaaah!!”

Nevertheless, Arkin came running with a sword in hand.

“No, Arkin!!”

Even as I glared at Kyres, I shouted.

“Don’t come!”

But Arkin came running anyway.

Heh. Kyres chuckled. 

Extending his hand toward the approaching Arkin.

‘No!’

I turned my head. 

It wasn’t a conscious decision. 

I wanted to stop Arkin, but Arkin was acting strangely.

Wide-eyed in surprise, he threw down the sword and came running. 

I couldn’t hear what he was shouting.

My ears felt clogged. 

When I glanced sideways, I saw a hand reaching towards me. 

A rotting hand, bones protruding, flesh falling off.

Thud!!

Something pushed me, and my ears filled with a deafening noise. 

Even after the noise faded, a ringing sound lingered in my ears.

“W-what’s this.”

My head, hitting the ground, spun. 

The blood spilled earlier tinted my vision red.

My body felt heavy. It was too heavy. 

I lifted myself after wiping my face with my sleeve.

And then.

“Arkin?”

I faced my fallen younger brother.

Blink, blink.

I slowly closed my eyes and opened them again.

I wiped my face with my sleeve again and even shook my head vigorously enough to make a snapping sound.

But Arkin remained the same. 

My young brother, unconscious with his eyes closed.

“Arkin.”

Stay calm, I need to stay calm. 

Especially in times like this, my mind should be clear.

But my heart was pounding madly, ignoring my attempts to stay rational.

“Arkin. Try to wake up, open your eyes.”

Calling his name again, I reached out my hand. 

I shook him. 

His small body shook as I shook him back and forth.

‘I need to check his breathing.’

I gulped and instinctively lowered my head. 

I pressed my ear against his nose and felt a faint breath.

Even the faint heartbeat in the palm of my outstretched hand.

‘He’s alive!’

I got up. I had to return to the mansion quickly, I had to treat him as soon as possible.

“Arkin, just rest for a moment.”

I gently laid Arkin down on the ground.

Sis will come back soon. I whispered as I brushed his hair.

I got up. Even though I was barely able to stand due to reaching my limits, I staggered heavily.

<Oh, is that little one precious to you?>

Kyres sneered at me.

<Use your hands to kill yourself.>

Kyres stared at me, sneering.

<Then I’ll show mercy and spare that boy.>

“…Mercy?”

Is he talking about showing mercy after causing such suffering?

“You, of all people?”

I glared at Kyres with intense eyes.

“Hey.”

Thud, a strange noise rang in my ears.

I was trying not to use it. I didn’t want to use it.

“Mercy should be given by me, not you.”

The strange sound that had been echoing in my ears started to swell. My hair began to turn white.

<No way!>

Now he seemed to realize what I was planning to do. Kyres’ face contorted into the most sinister expression I had ever seen.

<How dare you.>

He started to tremble with anger. 

Bloodshot veins appeared in his remaining eye.

<How dare a human like you defy the gods!!>

“How dare you defy me, of all beings.”

Until just now, my vision, clouded with blood, suddenly became clear again. 

I could see far beyond what I could usually see. 

The same light that Kyres had emitted initially poured out of my body. 

It was what the god had given me. 

The first creation of its kind, though incomplete, was enough to be called nectar.

“I have a gift for you.”

God had gifted me this ability. It looked nice, like a tempting treat, but deadly when consumed. 

That’s why I had always called it the ticket to the afterlife and never used it once in all my life.

Yet you forced me to use this power.

Crack!! A loud noise erupted as a nearby branch ignited.

“Hey.”

Thud, thud, thud! The ground began to shake.

 It was a situation reminiscent of when the god manifested in the mortal realm in his true form.

“I’m in the same position as you.”

<…!!>

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Kyres’ face contorted again, but this time with a different emotion.

Detecting a faint fear, I smiled brightly.

As I took a step forward, Kyres tried to retreat backward.

Then.

“….!!”

Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over us.

Like a mountain suspended in the air, casting a colossal shadow.

Both Kyres and I naturally looked upward.

<Hey!!!>

My eyes widened. Something chaotic was descending at a rapid pace.

<It’s been a while!!>

Thud!! As two sturdy legs made contact with the ground, it shook as if experiencing an earthquake.

And then.

“Is… is that thing dead?”

I blinked as I looked at Kyres crushed under the dragon’s foot.

His fingertips moved slightly, then went limp. The god’s scream brushed past my ears and disappeared.

“…??”

<Wow, it’s been a long time. Really!>

Whether the dragon knew what it had crushed or not, it leaned in, its face filling the entire view.

With each exhale, the trees in the forest shook violently.

<Just woke up from a nap, and my wings feel a bit stiff? So I thought I’d stretch them out and take a little walk, and guess what? An orc herd knew about you?>

“….”

<So I came flying straight to you! Wow, it’s been ages. Wanna go grab a drink somewhere? But your hair looks a bit weird. The color of your eyes, too, it’s a mix of two colors? Is that a trend in the mortal realm these days?>

“Hey, you…”

As I silently pointed to where Kyres was trampled, Pendrade’s gaze followed my finger.

Then he leaped up.

<Whoa! What’s this!>

Now it seemed Pendrade had finally noticed Kyres.

<Aaah, gross, gross!!>

With that, he went berserk trying to pry Kyres’ remains stuck to the sole of his foot with his huge claws. 

But perhaps due to his heavy body pressing down firmly, it didn’t come off easily.

<It’s not coming off, what do I do!!>

Thud thud thud! Watching the dragon hopping on one foot for a moment, I turned away.

I confirmed that Kyres had indeed received a proper blow and fallen unconscious.

“Arkin!!”

I checked Arkin’s condition. His breathing seemed even fainter than before.

“W-what should I do?”

I need to treat him. Treatment. 

What herbs should I use when I’ve been hit with the power of the gods? 

What medicine can I use to revive him?

My head spun. Tears mixed with blood streamed down my face.

In the midst of this…

<Come here.>

Someone was calling me. 

“Come.”

A polymorphed Pendrade stood beside me in his human form.

“This one’s dead. No hope?”

“No!!”

I shouted, then hugged Arkin tightly.

“I’ll save him, I can save him.”

“How?”

Pendrade narrowed his eyes at me.

“It seems like he’s already boarded the ferry to the Three River.”

The Three River is the river that separates the underworld and the mortal realm. 

To be on that boat meant you were already on your way to the other side.

It meant you were already dead.

“Even for you, bringing back the dead is impossible.”

“….”

“For now, shouldn’t you focus on yourself? You’re collapsing right now.”

“I know but…”

I expelled a breath mixed with tears and blood. 

I knew, but even though I knew my body was collapsing…

Wait, collapsing?

I blinked slowly. Then I listened carefully.

<Come here.>

The same voice as before echoed. 

I slowly turned my head and looked at Pendrade, who was muttering.

“There seems to be something left… huh.”

“Pendrade.”

“Yeah, what?”

Pendrade, without even bothering to look at me, replied as he inspected the sole of his foot.

It was just a moment.

“Please protect my body.”

“Huh??”

Pendrade finally tore his gaze away from his foot, looking at me in surprise.

“Not you, but your body?”

“Yeah.”

I gently laid Arkin on the ground, just like before, smiling as I brushed his hair.

“I’ll go fetch my brother for a moment.”

What else could I do? 

If my brother is lost, as his elder sister, I should go find him.

Now was just a brief moment to die.