Heat the Pig Liver - Volume 3: Interlude 3

Interlude 3 – A Certain Animal’s Past

Amidst the large crowd surrounding the sand-filled arena stage was a chained wild animal.

 

He was an animal that came from another world.  His knowledge was valued, and he was now a prisoner.

 

The animal’s eyes widened at the girl who had been brought along with the pitiful swordsman.  Her hair was long and disheveled, and her face was expressionless, but she was clearly familiar to him.

 

Nuris!  So you were still alive…?  But why are you here?

 

The animal remembered.  He remembered how he had failed to save her.  The freckled girl had kindly helped him, who had taken an ugly form and was collapsed on a farm.  Her wails as she was torn away from her home and sent to the Ground Spider Castle.  Despite his resistance to try and rescue her somehow, he was shot dead and pulled back to the world he came from.

 

Thinking that he could save her – Nuris, the boy once again came to Mestria.

 

“Is she an acquaintance of yours?  What a cruel coincidence this must be.  That Yesma will die.”

 

The shadowy old man sitting next to the animal spoke emotionlessly, causing the hair on the creature’s entire body to stand on end.

 

The old man smiled ruthlessly at the growling animal, his eyes glowing golden underneath the sun.

 

“It’s not that I’m going to kill her.  If only one person is allowed to survive, the Yesma will kill herself.  Just watch, youngster from another world.”

 

The flame-wielding swordsman ran towards the other side of the stage.  A young boy was over there holding a sword to his own neck.  The swordsman ran to save the boy.  The girl that was standing next to the swordsman until a moment ago was no longer reflected in his eyes.

 

The pitiful figure of the Yesma pointed her blade at her stomach and stabbed with all her might-

 

Nuris!  No!

 

No matter how hard he tried to scream, the animal’s throat would only make grunting, choked-up noises.  Even if he twisted his body and ran wild, he was hindered by the chains and couldn’t move from his seat.  The animal was powerless.

 

The swordsman saved the boy; but the pitiful girl’s abdomen was already easily pierced by the sharp blade she thrusted into herself.  Blood bloomed from the girl’s stomach, and she collapsed with a thud.

 

This can’t be happening.  Nowaynowaynoway.  The animal didn’t want to believe the sight in front of him.  He had even given up on making a scene and simply sat next to the old man with his mouth wide open.

 

It was at this moment, just when he wondered why the sun had suddenly gone dark, he heard a roar.  Part of the arena crumbled, and he saw the old man slowly look over there.

 

In an instant, everything was enveloped in black smoke.  The arena became disorderly in the darkness, and there were cries of confusion.

 

When the smoked dissipated, the girl’s corpse was, for some reason, nowhere to be found.