THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"How are you alive?"

"WHY DID YOU REMOVE THE GAG ALREADY?!!"

"Shut up a bit, damn."

After she finished closing my wound, Tatiana removes the gag on my mouth. It was actually a long tube it seems judging by the three seconds it took her to remove it.

"What?!! Are you fucking kidding me?!!"

"I said shut up."

As Tatiana speaks again, the room is filled with murderous intent and a monstrous aura that defies common sense. I don't think even Dilt has that much power.

"Ugh!!"

"You bitch!"

I hear Anriette insulting her but there are no sounds of fighting. She must be immobilized as well.

"I told you to calm down numerous times already. Just because you are a bit strong now doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want."

"You think I will let you steal him from me?!!"

"Again with that shit. Listen," Tatiana releases her aura and I can finally breathe a bit more normally, "I don't need to steal him from anybody. He was mine to begin with. I am just borrowing him to you until you get bored."

"No! I will be the one to kill hi-"

I hear a crashing sound like somebody just slams the head of another person on a wall or the floor.

"Ugh…"

Well, hearing Anriette's painful voice tells me what just happened.

"Like I said. Just because you have become stronger doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. I told you before we capture him that you would have only five days. So you either take good care of him during those five days or you forget about him right here, right now. Do you understand?"

"Uagh!"

"Don't make me hurt you more than I should. Do you understand?"

"…Yes, I do."

"Good. I will bring another priest tomorrow. But it will certainly be a simple one so don't overdo it again like earlier. He might be special but he would still die if you hit vital organs."

"Yes, I understand."

"…"

"Mistress."

"Good."

After their heated discussion, Tatiana leaves the room, or so I think judging by the sounds of the footsteps going away. Then a loud breathing can be heard. It becomes noisier and noisier until…

"Argh!!!" Anriette hits a wall of the cave and the sound is quite menacing. I hope she isn't planning on collapsing the whole place on us. "That fucking bitch!! Always acting so high and mighty even though she is just a bit stronger. Damn!!"

She then walks to me in such big strides I hear the floor breaking on each steps she takes.

"What does she even find so attractive on you to want to keep you around, huh?!!"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Hmph!! I don't want to understand anyways! You have destroyed my whole town and killed all those I loved! You have humiliated and lied to me! And you even dare to live your happy life with other people!!"

She punches me once again then grabs my head and spits on my face.

"I will make sure to show you the extent of my hatred and rage before you die, you miserable coward."

"You have really turned into a bitch, you know that?"

***

I can understand Anriette's reaction. After all, it is because I felt the same way that I did what I did. Finding the dead and mutilated corpses of the people I loved more than anyone else, being betrayed by the guy who made a promise that we would see each other again one day. Now that I think about it, we did see each other in the end, just not in the way I imagined it.

In any case, it is her right to be angry. It is her right to hate me as much as she likes. But, what I don't understand is why and how she is with Tatiana.

"Ugh…"

"Come on, speak some more, won't you?!!"

And of course, she won't let me place a single sentence. Not only has she broken my jaw after I called her a bitch, but she has also done a good job of breaking some of my ribs. I really wonder how I am breathing right now.

"Oh dear, and I here I thought you would hold back a little."

Tatiana's voice puts an end to her mindless torture. It has been a day already? I didn't even notice. Well, I didn't really have the time to.

"W-w-what is happening? What is this?"

There is an unknown new voice ringing into my ears now. A woman's one. Surely the priest Tatiana went to capture.

"Like I said, I need you to heal this guy when he is too injured. Just obey silently without asking questions and you won't end up like that guy over there."

"Hiii!!!" The new voice screams of horror suddenly. I guess she has seen her previous companion's corpse.

"Just hurry up and heal him."

"Y-y-yes!"

I hear the footsteps of somebody coming then the glowing characteristic green light of healing scripts lightly brighten my poor vision.

Then slowly but steadily, my vision becomes better and better, until I can see clearly again. Now that it is done, the first thing is to confirm my suspicion.

I look at the woman next to Anriette and indeed, even though the hood is somehow hiding a part of her face, I definitively recognize that shitty face.

"So it was really you, then."

"Of course. Or what, you are not happy to see me again?"

"Can't you guess by my face?"

"Oh, don't worry. When this amateur is finished with you. We will have plenty of time to explore the real joy of torture."

"You will be dead by then."

"Fufufu. Always the so optimistic little sweet dragon you are. Anyway, as I said, if this priest dies, you go and find another by yourself. I am not at your service here. Also, this priest is weak so don't activate the barrier."

I look at the priest in question and it is the woman who healed me during the tournament. The one with the burn scar on her face. How unlucky can one be? Also, does that mean Tatiana managed to stealth her way in and out and grab a priest without anyone noticing? There is no way, somebody must be helping her.

"I really want to kill him. Why are you doing this to me? You told me that I would get my revenge if I followed you! So why won't you let me kill him?!!"

"Sigh…Not again. Haven't got your revenge yet? You have brought him near death two times already. Isn't it enough?"

"No, it is not! Only his dead corpse rotting under the sun would satisfy me!"

"Well, that's stupid."

"What?!"

"I mean, there are so many other ways to enjoy one's body other than killing him. If you can only think of that then you truly are an amateur. Oh well, in any case, I will come back to pick him up in four days. Have funn…"

Tatiana turns around and waves her hand while leaving in the darkness.

"This fucking bitch!"

"I heard that."

"Ugh!" 

Yep, she wasn't gone yet, it seems.

***

"Hiii!!"

Two days? Yeah, I think it must have been two days now. The grumbling stomach of the priest is a constant reminder of how long we have been here already. It is also taking her much more time to heal me now than when she just arrives. Though, Anriette constant shouts do keep her motivated.

"You don't have to do this anymore, I will heal myself back."

"W-what?"

"Ohhh…Would you look at that. Aren't you the so thoughtful fellow? Well, she did say that you can use healing scripts so I am not surprised. But if you can heal by yourself, then she doesn't have any use anymore, right?"

Anriette places her claw on the woman's neck. It is still wet with my blood which then flows a bit on the woman's white robe.

"P-please. I can still do it."

"Nah, he said it himself. He can heal by himself. He is a generous guy so he doesn't want me to go and look for a new priest. And you haven't been healing him properly anyway. Look at how pale he looks."

"No, please. I will heal him better. Just give me a chance."

"Hm…" Anriette tries to act cute by placing a finger on her mouth but the fact that her hand looks nothing like a human breaks all the common sense of cute. "Okay, let's play a game then. I will give him a fatal wound and if you can heal him before I finish counting then you stay alive. If you can't though..." She drives her thumb along her own neck while smiling, revealing her dark teeth once again.

"But, I…I need to rest and-"

"Oh, then I can kill you right now. That way, you will have all the time in the world to rest." She pushes her claw a bit more into the woman's neck and a bit of her blood flows on it as well.

"Hiii!! No, please! I will…I can do it."

"Good. Now, where can I hurt you that I haven't touched yet."

"Can't we get this over with already?"

"Oh, yeah! How about I cut that piece of junk between your legs? It never got hard when we were together so I don't think you can even use it. Might as well remove it."

"Maybe you were just too ugly."

"You would really like me to get angry right now, right?"

She pushes the priest away then brings her face close to mine again. But this time, her claw is right on my neck. If I even swallow my saliva in a weird way, it will surely pierce it.

"Not really. Just stating facts here."

"Hm…facts, eh…Well, if you say so." She retrieves her claw then turns back. "Then let us what your heart really thinks."

"Argh!!!"

She turns around with a swift movement and cuts open my chest. I almost lose consciousness from the pain.

"I will count until twenty."

"E-eh?"

"One."

The woman priest who was apparently lost finally regains her senses and start healing me. As soon as the pain from my chest subsides a little, I heal myself as well. But it is really hard to do it somehow. My mind isn't focused enough.

"Nineteen."

"I- I am done!!"

Right before the end of the count, the priest announces that she done. Well, I am still continuing but I guess she has done her part.

"Hm…Isn't that blood I still see over there?"

"W-where? I have hea-"

Just like that, as she turned her head to look at the spot Anriette was indicating, the priest got her head sliced off. Once again, another fountain of blood spurts on me as her corpse falls to the ground.

"Ahahahah!! Oh, dear!! Another dead body because of you!! What are we gonna do with the naughty boy you are?!"