Saeki's voice abruptly stopped, touched his nose and realised he was bleeding. "...Oh no."
Without another word, Shin grabbed him by the collar and dragged him toward the back garden where the little demon had been hanging earlier.
"Big bro... what are you doing?"
"Helping you stop the bleeding," Shin answered casually as he picked up the rope still hanging from the tree.
Saeki blinked.
Only when Shin started tying the rope around one of his ankles did realization finally dawn on him.
"Uncle! Save me!" he howled at the top of his lungs. "Big bro's gone mad!"
Master Keir merely pressed a hand against his temple before turning around to leave.
"You're all grown men..." he muttered as he walked away. "Still playing around at this hour. Honestly..."
Behind him, Butler Hong carefully picked up one surviving bottle after another.
"What a tragedy... What a tragedy..."
-
Tristan hurriedly packed a few essentials, looking like a fugitive on the run. He rushed to the parking area, picked a random sports car, and sped toward the exit.
The moment the car left the villa, it came to an abrupt halt.
Shin was already standing in the middle of the road.
Ever since living in this realm, this was probably the first time Tristan had broken into a cold sweat.
Shin's aura alone sent shivers down his spine.
Unlike Saeki, who was only human, Tristan knew Shin would never hold back against him. After all, they were both demons.
Sure enough, before Tristan could say a word, Shin casually dismantled the sports car. Dark mist tore through it, reducing the entire vehicle to dust within seconds.
"Shin, aren't you afraid a human might see us?" Tristan reminded him.
Naturally, Shin had already taken care of that. Just like in the Arctic, the entire villa was shrouded by a veil that blanketed everything, as though time itself had come to a standstill.
Bang!
A sword grazed Tristan as it sliced through the air, reducing the entire wall behind him to rubble.
"You dare dodge it," Shin muttered.
The dark mist surrounding him drifted like a raging dust storm, devouring everything it touched.
Tristan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. At this rate, his entire villa might disappear overnight.
Somehow, it reminded him of the time Shin awakened and remembered that he was the Demon Emperor.
It seemed he had no choice but to fight him once again.
"Your Majesty... how about we talk instead?"
His answer came in the form of another sword strike from behind, had it not been for his quick reflexes, the blade would have pierced straight through him.
Shin scoffed. "Since you still remember how to address me, how dare you betray me? Have you forgotten your oath? If so, let me remind you."
Tristan also drew his sword, deflecting another incoming attack.
"Your Majesty, the fact that I'm still alive should already prove that I never betrayed you. Otherwise, if my actions truly counted as betrayal, the loyalty oath would've already claimed my life."
Shin ignored his explanation. Instead, his attacks only became fiercer and fiercer, even more ruthless than the way he dealt with the little prince.
Tristan understood, this wasn't about hearing the reason. He simply wanted to beat him up.
Well, when was the last time he had dueled the Demon Emperor as his general?
Words were useless as the two clashed, or rather, as Tristan did everything he could just to keep up until Shin finally vented his anger.
Unlike humans, Prince Xati woke the moment he sensed the collision of two demonic auras, only to find the living room completely gone, as though a tornado had swept it away.
Then a deafening boom echoed across the sky.
"Your Majesty, if we keep this up, those nosy beings from the Light Realm will be paying us another visit," Tristan said, already covered in blood.
Shin glanced at the sky before retracting his sword. He shot Tristan one last icy stare and turned to leave.
"Wait! Don't forget to restore the place first. Otherwise, it'll be hard to explain," Tristan called after him.
Shin answered by stomping the ground.
The earth beneath Tristan cracked apart like an earthquake. Before he could react, he fell straight into the widening crevice.
Looking down from above, Shin spoke coldly. "Tartarus is a game owned by Hexion. If it was only for the rewards and perks, you could've simply bypassed the system and given her the rewards directly."
Tristan flew back out of the crevice, looking like someone who had just survived a mudslide.
"Hexion takes fairness seriously, right? I thought it was only for a one-time event anyway. Creating a guild would've been enough, but a relationship status is different."
Tristan carefully avoided saying the word married, fearing it might send Shin into another rampage.
"Aside from the rewards, she could continue leveling up even if she rarely played since we could carry her through the content."
Shin "..."
"Yeri was actually the one who suggested it. She's been overwhelmed with school and can't always play." Tristan silently apologized to Yeri in his heart. "It was purely a strategy. It isn't some X-rated game, so it's only a status. Unlike actors who have to kiss, film intimate scenes, or even play married couples in real life, at the end of the day, it's just part of the job."
"Is that your reason?" Shin asked, his expression unchanged.
Tristan immediately fell silent and bowed his head in apology.
"If you're going to kill him, can you make him transfer all his assets to me first?"
The little prince casually walked over. "That way, you won't have to give me your bank card."
Tristan "..."
Shin "..."
Why was this little troublemaker so obsessed with human money?
The little prince looked completely serious.
Tilting his head as he thought, with money, he can buy gifts for his Empress Mother and even travel with her.
Tristan's mouth twitched, this little troublemaker just had to insert himself at the worst possible moment.
Now, standing before Shin, they're like two hindrances who seemed determined to compete with him over Yeri.
As expected, Shin didn't hold back.
With nothing more than a flick to the little prince's forehead, Prince Xati was sent flying across the room.
Unlike them, Prince Xati wasn't using a human body as a vessel. However, with his powers sealed, he could still feel pain. He slammed into the concrete floor with a loud thud. It hurt, but not a single drop of blood was shed.
"Ahhhh!" Prince Xati cried, clutching his forehead. "Just you wait! I'll have my revenge one of these days! Don't think you'll continue living happily with Empress Mother! No, I won't allo-"
Tristan hurriedly covered the little prince's mouth. "Little Prince, now isn't the right time to provoke His Majesty,"
"This prince will say whatever he wants!" Prince Xati muffled through Tristan's hand. "I..."
Tristan let out a helpless chuckle before using his mental ability to put the little prince to sleep.
Turning back to Shin, he smiled faintly.
"Doesn't he remind you of the Empress's stubbornness?"
Shin simply turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Before Tristan could remind him to restore the damage, he was already gone.
Looking at what remained of his villa, Tristan rubbed his temples.
What a headache.
Still, repairing the villa could wait and getting himself treated was far more urgent.
---
At the penthouse, Yeri was startled awake by a loud crashing sound.
She blinked sleepily, then nearly jumped out of bed when she noticed someone silently standing beside it.
She quickly reached over and switched on the bedside lamp.
...Shin Keir?
Damn it. Did he suddenly want to change this story's genre into horror?
"Brother Shin?" Yeri asked, still groggy from sleep. "Were you the one who made that noise? What are you doing just standing there?"
Shin stared at her without a word, his expression unreadable.
Yeri glanced at the clock. It was already past two in the morning.
"What is it?"
"I don't like it. Even if it's just a game... I don't like it."
Yeri blinked. "...???"
"You're no longer incapable of feelings. You know that I love you..." His gaze never left hers. "Why did you betray me again? What should I do so you'll only look at me?"
Yeri couldn't be more confused.
She looked around the room to make sure he wasn't talking to someone else before cautiously waving a hand in front of him, wondering if he was sleepwalking.
Shin slowly walked forward and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Now that you've remembered who you were... tell me, what do you think about me? Do you love me now?"
Yeri was taken aback, something about him felt different.
Shin suddenly grabbed her arm, his gaze fixed on her eyes. "Between the Demon Emperor in your memories and me... whom do you love?"
Hearing that title again, fear slowly washed over Yeri as memories of her death resurfaced.
"Why are you comparing yourself to him?" she asked softly. "The two of you are different."
Shin let out a cold laugh.
"I want to hear how you feel about me now."
Yeri swallowed, her mouth opened and closed as her half-awake mind struggled to process everything.
Right, back in the Arctic, when she thought Calin was going to kill her, what had she been thinking?
Her biggest regret had been not telling Shin Keir that.
"Actually..."
"Never mind." Shin cut her off before she could continue. "I don't want to hear it."
Yeri frowned, was this his new way of pissing her off?
"What were you thinking, marrying someone else in Tartarus? When did that happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
For a moment, Yeri's thoughts tangled by the abrupt turn in their conversation, especially with the way Shin was looking at her.
It was as though he had caught his wife cheating.
Tartarus?
She blinked before her eyes widened in realization. "Ah... I rarely play that game these days. What about it?"
"Hmm." Shin's lips curved into a faint, sarcastic smile. "Rarely, because your husbands can level you up even when you're offline."
Why did he have to make it sound so awful?
"It's just a game," Yeri replied helplessly. "My character just happened to have that setting."
"A succubus, right?" Shin muttered, his grip around her wrist tightened. "You were also a succubus back in the Demon Realm. It's not surprising that part of you carried over. Weren't you also looking for a man when we first met at the bar?"
Yeri suddenly felt uneasy.