Chapter 125 Himuro Yukiko
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I sprinted through the frozen dark, lungs burning.
Far behind me, a phalanx of soldiers trailed my wake-hounds of the crown hungry for my shadow. But it wasn’t just the king’s men anymore; Monster Hunter¹s had joined the chase. I’d lost sight of my partner when we split up at the border; by now, I didn’t even know if they were still breathing.
How the hell did it come to this?
I, Suzuki Morio, could only ask the void.
We only wanted to protect the Young Lady. That was the beginning and the end of it. So where did the path turn to ash?
Was it the moment we fled Plaudix² to escape that animal, Sugita? Was it when we knelt before the King of Wrathfiria³, begging for sanctuary just to keep her safe?
I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. No matter how I rake through the embers of my memory, the fire provides no answers.
”After him! Don’t let him slip away! Kill him if you have to!” a soldier barked from the distance.
The shouts drifted through the cold, sharp and jagged. My life was clearly a secondary concern to my capture. The numbers were against me, growing by the minute. My only edge was my raw stats-my physical enhancements were far beyond any single man behind me. Bit by bit, the distance grew. And for some reason, my night vision was sharp, piercing the gloom as if the sun had never set.
Ahead lay a forest, a suffocating wall of timber. In the daylight, the frost-rimed branches might have looked like a fairy tale, but under the shroud of night, it was a macabre graveyard. I dove into the thicket without a second thought.
The trees were a natural screen against their human-wave tactics. Even with their numbers, they couldn’t easily surround me in this tangle of roots and shadow. I had to get out of this country. I needed my partner for that-and then there was the Young Lady. I’d left her behind in the castle. The thought gnawed at me. I had to go back. I had to get her out.
I pushed deeper into the woods. My boots sank into the drifts, but my strength didn’t waver-another perk of my “Cheat” abilities.
Eventually, the world went silent. The canopy was so thick that not even a sliver of moonlight reached the forest floor. It was total, oppressive blackness. I slowed my pace, convinced I’d finally lost them. The tension that had been coiling in my chest finally snapped, and I let out a long, ragged breath of relief.
”Yo. Enjoying your little game of hide-and-seek?”
The voice hit me like a physical blow. I knew that tone-that smug, effortless lilt.
I whipped around. There, standing in the dark, was a man in a bone-white mask. A mocking, painted grin stared back at me. From his hand dangled something grotesque-the long-faced, severed head of a horse.
And beside him stood a girl with silver hair that caught the non-existent light. Her skin was as pale as the snow, her eyes like fresh blood. It was the woman I had pledged my life to.
The Young Lady-Himuro Yukiko-was clinging to his arm. She leaned into him with the intimate, radiant smile of a lover.
Ah, God…
How did it really come to this?
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Trivia:
- Morio’s enhanced night vision and physical stats are active results of his ‘Cheat’ ability.
- The location Plaudix is where they originally fled from.
- The masked man is holding a severed horse head, which is a visceral, symbolic threat.
- Yukiko is not just present; she is acting ‘like a lover’ toward the enemy
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Character Insight:
Morio’s internal monologue reveals deep guilt and self-doubt, contrasting with his superior physical power. Yukiko’s sudden shift from ‘ward’ to ‘traitor/lover’ suggests a complex subversion of the loyal-hero trope.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author noted this chapter was unusually short (approx. 1000 characters) to bridge the transition into a new arc.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Morio – Height 192 cm, weight 102 kg. The largest student in class. He has a terrifying face like a bull. Along with Sato, he ‘guarded’ Himuro Yukiko, controlling her every need including meals and bathing.
• Sugita – The leader of the Sugita gang and the primary bully of Natsumi Sasaki. His grandfather is the Superintendent General and his father is a Police Superintendent, so the two of them covered up all his crimes. Because of this, he does whatever he wants wherever he goes. He has a lean build, sharp features, and a calculating gaze.
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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