Chapter 6 …
“Azel.”
When I called his name in a composed voice, the familiar sight of his black hair slowly turned toward me.
“What are you?”
For a brief moment, our eyes met. As expected, Azel’s first words were cold.
“You said you came here to save me? It was novel, I’ll give you that—but only that.”
It sounded like he’d been waiting for me the entire time, because the moment he saw me, he began pressing for answers.
What is he, some hyper-vigilant stray cat or something?
I bit my lip, choosing my words carefully—but Azel spoke again before I could respond.
And what he said next was completely unexpected.
“What’s really strange is this—no matter how much I look into you, nothing comes up.”
“…What?”
Nothing comes up?
“No records. No testimonies. I can’t even find out when you started waiting for me in that plaza. Every record is blank.”
“…!”
“As if you just fell out of the sky.”
His voice, sharp as thorns, coldly interrogated me—but I was still at a loss for words.
No records? This wasn’t just some ordinary possession?
My thoughts tangled in an instant.
“So. What are you?”
“……”
“And for what purpose did you approach me?”
This wasn’t the time to stand around like an idiot, flustered.
If I let my guard down even a little, he’d tear me apart.
“I don’t really know what my ‘identity’ is, but I do have a purpose. Saving you.”
“That again? I’m starting to get sick of it.”
“Even if you’re sick of it, it can’t be helped. That’s all there is.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Azel’s handsome lips twisted viciously.
A silence, entirely different from before, settled between us.
“You? With what means?”
His low voice cut through the brief stillness.
“I was watching to see just how far you’d go. Turns out, you really have no sense of limits.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“How could I? I’ve never even seen you before.”
“…!”
“What’s with that look? Are you still going to insist that I forgot you?”
Bastard.
He wasn’t wrong—but it was infuriating.
He was clearly choosing the cruelest words on purpose, just to get under my skin.
But I wasn’t about to waver over something like this.
Sorry, but I don’t have anywhere left to retreat.
He was underestimating me. If I were going to be scared off by something like this, I never would’ve started.
“Just now, I was actually glad that you forgot me.”
“What?”
“If you knew you said something like that to me, the you I know would definitely regret it.”
“…!”
Plop. Plop.
Before the words had even finished echoing, tears pooled at the corners of my eyes and slid down my cheeks.
You didn’t expect me to do this, did you?
When I looked at him with hollow, wounded eyes, Azel’s expression finally cracked—his patience at an end.
“That look again…”
Azel, his face unreadable, showed a flicker of irritation—then finally exploded.
“…It irritates me.”
“Azel.”
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
The atmosphere grew even colder, but it wasn’t enough to scare me—
“…I’m sorry.”
Right.
…To be honest, that just now was a little scary.
Avoiding his gaze, I offered something that was half an excuse.
“It’s fine if you don’t trust me. But there’s only one thing I can say. I came here to stop your regression, and even if you never believe me, I’ll still do everything I can.”
There was a bit of a lie mixed in—but I truly did intend to save Azel.
So it wasn’t a complete lie.
But then, a problem arose.
Azel’s reaction was… strange.
“End my regression?”
Unlike the vague talk of “saving” him, directly mentioning regression seemed to flip a switch.
“Regression. You’re saying you’ll end my regression.”
“Azel…?”
Confusion, hatred, fear, mockery—
Raw, unfiltered emotions churned violently within his red eyes as they locked onto me.
“How could you possibly end my regression? Who do you think you are? How dare you stand in front of me and spout that kind of nonsense.”
Azel closed the distance in an instant. He looked like a completely different person from just moments ago.
“I don’t know what you think you can do, but fine. Say it. Let’s hear this brilliant plan of yours that’s crammed into that tiny head.”
“I… can’t tell you right now.”
“Are you messing with me?”
“I can’t tell you the method. But believe me. I’m not lying.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You tell me nothing and expect me to believe you?”
Even I knew how absurd that sounded.
But the Azel in the game had always been possessed by an almost religious belief that he would regress again.
To make someone like that believe me, I needed undeniable proof—and I couldn’t bring that proof.
Because I’m a damn extra.
So in the end, I had to use another method.
“If you know, you’ll get hurt.”
When I forced myself to speak calmly and spouted nonsense, Azel finally lost it.
“It irritates me. It irritates me to death! You babbling about saving me, acting like you know me so well—and even the way you keep looking at me like that! Every single bit of it pisses me off!”
His rage poured out like a blade.
Faced with this outburst of emotion I’d never seen before, my fingers trembled instinctively—but I couldn’t back away.
Anyone could see that Azel was on the verge of breaking.
“Calm down, Azel! Just breathe first—!”
“Get your hands off me! Drop the disgusting act and answer me properly!”
At this rate, he was going to collapse!
Thinking something terrible would happen if I left him like this, I wrapped my arms around him without thinking.
“…!”
His chest, heaving with ragged breaths, felt tight beneath my arms—but instead of retreating, I stubbornly pressed my cheek against his heart.
“What do you think you’re—!”
“I’m sorry. For not telling you. For making you doubt me. For hurting you—I’m sorry.”
The sound of a rapidly beating heart was so loud I couldn’t even tell whose it was.
“But I promise you. You don’t have to lose anything anymore. I’ll give you your life back. I swear.”
Because I’m an extra, I can’t use the clues from the game.
But this place was no longer a game.
It was reality.
And because I’m an extra without a fixed role, I can free Azel from his curse in my own way.
“Just one month. Stay with me for one month. Then you’ll be free from this eternal hell.”
And according to my plan, one month was enough.
“When everything’s over, I’ll leave quietly. Like someone who was never here in the first place. So please—just this once, trust me.”
And when everything is done, I’ll leave this place.
I never intended to stay by the final boss’s side for long anyway.
“If you fail…?”
“Then kill me.”
“…!”
“When that time comes, I’ll willingly die by your hand.”
So please—just let me deceive you for one month.
I’ll save you. And when it’s all over, let’s never see each other again, Azel Beotz.
I was confident.
And exactly ten minutes later.
I was sitting alone on a cold stone floor.
“…Is this for real?”
My muttered words echoed off the surrounding walls.
The chill rising from the ground made my backside ache, but it was still better than looking up and seeing iron bars.
“No, seriously. Is this for real?”
Yes. This was a prison.
To be thrown into jail a mere ten minutes after feeling victorious—what an astounding achievement.
“…Fuck.”
It seemed I was well and truly screwed.
Sure, maybe I said some things he didn’t like—but was that really a reason to toss someone straight into prison?
It felt even more unfair because things had seemed pretty good right up until then.
He’s such a fragile, jumpy bastard that I was already worried about leaving him alone.
That’s why I planned to stick by his side until everything was resolved—but I never imagined I’d be imprisoned like this.
So… what now?
“Hoo… okay. Let’s break out.”
“Unni, are you actually insane?”
For some reason, I thought I heard my younger sister’s voice—but it had to be my imagination.
This was a perfectly rational conclusion, after all!
I mean, what choice do I have?
Azel awakening his power on his own would be disastrous—but the possibility that he’d just leave me locked up here forever couldn’t be ignored either.
Hesitation was a luxury, so I immediately started tapping on the prison walls.
I’m pretty sure there was an escape mechanism around here somewhere.
Back when people even called me “rotted water” of this game, escaping prisons was practically second nature—
Tap, tap, tap…
“…?”
Second nature…
Tap, tap, tap!
“Huh?”
…It should be obvious.
At this point, there should’ve been a hollow thunk from an empty brick—but unbelievably, there was nothing.
“……”
It seemed I was really screwed this time.
