Blood spurted out of the wound caused by Juan getting stabbed by the black blade. For a moment, Juan couldn’t understand the situation in front of him, and at the same time, he understood it better than anyone else—it was the same as then.

Juan was well aware that Gerard had betrayed him—he was the one who assassinated Juan. But at the same time, it was true that Juan was hoping for Gerard to have an excuse for doing what he did and hoped that he had a compelling and inevitable reason behind his actions. He hoped for that even more after his encounter with Ras.

Juan still hasn’t forgotten the gibberish that left the mouth of the frightened Gerard on the night of the assassination. Juan even had a feeling that Gerard might have been manipulated by some conspiracy or a curse.

Not only did Gerard not attack Juan back in Hiveden, but he also saved Juan from being affected by the flame crown back in Durgal. The Gerard who had appeared to save the villagers of Arbalde was exactly how Juan remembered him being in the past. This fact made Juan emotional.

Juan wanted to believe that Gerard might have been misunderstood too, just like Ras.

Splat!

But at this moment, Gerard had once again stabbed Juan in the back, almost as if he was laughing at Juan’s hope.

Splat! Crack! Squelch! Shunk!

Elkihel repeatedly entered and exited through Juan’s wound—it was as if stabbing him just once was not enough. Juan flinched and was helplessly shaken every time Gerard...