Yuri wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but when she hugged Iris and spoke those words, she clearly saw Iris’s projected form in her arms tremble ever so slightly.
It flickered like a broken lamp, blinking on and off, as if she might disappear at any moment.
Hmm?
What’s with her now?
At this moment, the little Evil God wore a dazed expression, as if she couldn’t believe she’d just done something like that.
Then, Yuri watched as a faint blush slowly crept across Iris’s delicate face.
“Yuri-chan…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
The next second, a sharp bang rang out right by her ear.
“Kyaa!”
The figure in her arms vanished. She saw the little Evil God stumble back several steps in a panic, the blush on her face only deepening, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
“Wh-wh-who… who told you to just suddenly hug me like that, and even say thank you…”
Eh?
She didn’t expect it—could it be that even Iris could get embarrassed?
“And also, y-y-y-y-you… don’t get the wrong idea, I-I-I-I… I wasn’t helping you of my own will.”
That blush on her cheeks made every excuse she tried sound weak and unconvincing.
Besides, if she hadn’t offered to help, did Yuri really expect she could have handled it on her own?
Yuri certainly didn’t remember asking Iris for help last night. Although she vaguely recalled Iris saying something to her, by then she could barely hear anything; her consciousness had grown so faint she was practically running on instinct.
So, there was absolutely no way she’d asked Iris for help.
As for enduring the Abyss’s corrosion on her own, Yuri didn’t think her unconscious self could have put up any real resistance.
If Iris hadn’t taken the initiative, Yuri wouldn’t have lived to see today’s sunrise.
“Eh… You really didn’t, huh.”
“Of course not!”
Iris’s voice suddenly shot up in pitch.
“I—I—how could I ever help you willingly? Listen, Yuri-chan, I—I just thought, um, thought… cough, right, if you died just like that, I’d never be able to wash away the shame of failing to seize your body back then.”
Now that she’d found a reasonable excuse for herself, Iris’s confidence returned, her voice regaining its usual tone.
“So, don’t get the wrong idea. There’s no way I would help you of my own accord, hmph~”
Hearing all this, Yuri couldn’t help but curve her lips into a faint, subtle smile.
This girl—she’s the very picture of saying one thing but meaning another.
Still, Yuri didn’t bother to point it out.
After last night, Yuri had a growing feeling that her original guess might have been right.
Iris wanted to take over her body—but maybe she didn’t want it quite so badly after all.
If she’d truly wanted to seize her body, last night would’ve been the perfect opportunity. She could have done the same as during their first encounter: when Yuri lost consciousness from the curse’s eruption, she could have invaded Yuri’s mindscape and forcibly taken over her body.
Last night, at that moment, Yuri’s consciousness was at its weakest.
Trying to take over her body then would have been ideal, wouldn’t it? If Iris had really wanted to, Yuri probably wouldn’t have been able to resist at all. If she’d made her move, Yuri’s body would have been hers.
But she hadn’t done it. Which meant Iris’s desire to take over her body was worth reconsidering.
As for “washing away her shame,” that was probably just a convenient excuse.
Just like now—saying she hadn’t helped on purpose, but only to redeem her previous failure.
If taking over her body wasn’t Iris’s main goal, then what was her real objective? What did she truly want?
She thought of the dream she’d had… dream?
What dream was it again?
She was sure she’d dreamed something important, but now she couldn’t remember a thing. She only vaguely recalled seeing two people in the dream, but who they were, what they looked like, what features they had—it all faded the moment she awoke.
Maybe Iris’s real goal was connected to that hazy dream?
Surely not—yet she simply couldn’t remember.
Well, if she’d forgotten so easily, perhaps it wasn’t that important after all. Guessing wildly now wouldn’t get her anywhere. Maybe one day in the future, the answer would come, but not today.
Putting that question aside, Yuri instinctively touched the mark at her shoulder and neck. The interval between curse eruptions had already shortened to just a few days. Whether it would keep getting shorter, or become stronger, she didn’t know.
That was the most unpredictable and urgent problem she had right now. She might not even reach the next city before the curse broke out again—it might even flare up tomorrow.
She had no more Abyss Crystals left; if she wanted to suppress the curse, she’d have to rely on Iris.
“About the curse on you…”
Hmm?
Yuri looked up. Most of the blush had faded from Iris’s face, but her cheeks were still tinged with red.
It was like she could see right through Yuri’s thoughts, bringing up exactly the question that weighed on her mind.
“Last night, I suppressed it a bit. It won’t erupt again in the short term. Ah, nothing, I didn’t say anything, hmph~”
This girl… The smile on Yuri’s lips grew a little brighter.
“I never imagined Iris cared so much about my well-being.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Iris jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“Hah?
Care about your well-being? Like that would ever happen.
I was just bored and wanted to see what my Authority could still do, th-th-that’s all, Yuri-chan, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
Though her words said one thing, that flush rising to her face betrayed her true feelings.
“More to the point, Yuri-chan…” The little Evil God’s eyes darted as she quickly came up with a comeback. “Who would’ve thought someone as cold as you would actually say thank you?”
As she spoke, the little Evil God floated back to her old self, drifting right up in front of Yuri.
“Since you’re so eager to thank me, shouldn’t you give me a little gift or something? Like, say, lending me your body for a while?”
“That’s the one thing I won’t do.”
“Che, Yuri-chan, you stingy little miser.”
“But, this is still okay, you know.”
Saying that, Yuri spread her arms wide, making a motion as if she wanted to hug her, only for Iris to dodge away at once.
“I don’t want that, give me your body already!”
“This is a hug from my own body, it’s the same thing.”
And so, the two of them playfully wrestled around the room for quite some time before finally settling down.
Yuri packed up her things, stuffed them all into her spatial storage pouch, slung it at her waist, and didn’t forget to pull up her scarf to cover the mark. Looking out at the morning sun beyond the window, she knew it was time to leave Anvil City and head for her next destination.
She went downstairs to return the key, and after leaving the inn, walked toward the north gate. Compared to yesterday, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere on the street.
As she neared the city gate, she was surprised to see a large crowd gathered there, noisy and agitated, as if something had happened. Even more striking, the number of guards at the gate had increased dramatically—they stood at attention, weapons in hand, blocking the tightly shut gate with grave faces.
The gate had been closed?
A wave of foreboding surged through Yuri’s heart. She spotted an anxious-looking woman nearby and approached to ask what was going on.
“Excuse me, what’s happening here?”
“Who knows what happened all of a sudden? I heard it was an order from the City Lord’s mansion. From today, the gates are closed—no one is allowed to enter or leave Anvil City.”
What?
Just as Yuri was about to leave, the city gates suddenly locked down, not letting anyone out?