But I Refuse!

"So I was part of your plan too?" Yuri asked, an odd look on his face.

"No. To be honest, I had no idea who you were or what you wanted," Cain admitted.

"If I remember correctly, I should have already killed the mage Sonia commissioned before he arrived. But less than two days later, a freelance mage suddenly showed up in town, claiming he'd accepted the commission."

"At first, just like Sonia, I thought you were from the kingdom or the Magic Council, so I didn't act rashly..."

In Cain's original plan, Erza would go to the church with Sonia to defeat Qliphoth, while he took the opportunity to sneak into Caro Town's sewers and devour the thorny roots, weakening his opponent while restoring some of his own power.

He would then slaughter the people of Caro Town. That way, whether Erza and Sonia succeeded or failed, he would at least have a fighting chance.

But Yuri's arrival had forced him to abandon the idea and remain hidden in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity.

And the reason Yuri had been able to obtain Sonia's commission letter was precisely because Cain had killed the mage originally sent to carry out the mission.

Unfortunately, Yuri had arrived in the area a step too late and could only take the commission letter and get involved himself.

"But now it seems you really are a freelance mage."

"Why do you say that?" Yuri asked curiously.

"Because no one would accept a human with demon blood flowing through his veins. That's why I said you must be a demon like us," Cain continued. "I imagine you've experienced it too—the scorn and rejection of those humans. Otherwise, with talent and strength like yours, there's no reason you'd be an unknown freelance mage."

Yuri fell silent for a moment. "So after all that..."

"Naturally, I want to work with you."

"Work together?" Yuri's tone was unreadable. "But you don't even know what I actually want."

"That doesn't matter. It's enough that we share the same identity."

Although the people of Caro Town revered Cain as the hero who had freed them, that had all come about by chance, not by his original design. He had even taken advantage of their gratitude and used them as sacrifices for his resurrection.

So in his view, Yuri, who also had demon blood and had "suffered discrimination from humans since childhood," had to have some ulterior motive for choosing to help humans, rather than acting out of any supposed humanity.

As for what that motive was, Cain didn't care.

Because after today, they would become "companions" who shared hardships together.

Cain explained, "After today, everything that happened in Caro Town is bound to come to light. It's only a matter of time, and as outsiders, we'll certainly be wanted too. That's the basis for our cooperation."

"Not necessarily. I haven't done anything utterly unconscionable. If anyone's going to be wanted, it'll be you. What does that have to do with me?"

"You're too naive, Mr. Yuri." Cain snorted coldly. "This world is now completely dominated by humans. To them, demons like us aren't just outsiders—we're synonymous with instability."

"Even if you've done nothing, the moment your identity as a demon is exposed, those people in the Magic Council will brand you a criminal all the same. That's reality."

Although Cain had only been resurrected for seven years, he had also inherited the priest's memories when he took over his body. Together with the intelligence he had gathered over the years, he knew very well what kind of organization the Magic Council was.

"That's true." For once, Yuri agreed with Cain. "The way those Magic Council guys operate really is annoying. They've been getting on my nerves for a long time."

At that, anticipation appeared in Cain's eyes. "Does that mean you agree?"

"Honestly, just being able to get under the Magic Council's skin is enough to tempt me..." Yuri rubbed his chin, then suddenly raised a hand and pointed at Cain. His expression changed in an instant, and his tone took an abrupt turn. "But I refuse!"

"Nani?!" Cain refused to believe the answer. He frowned. "Can you give me a reason?"

"A reason? There's no reason!" Yuri lifted his head, his expression haughty. "One of my favorite things to do in life, I, Yuri Redgrave, is to say no to people who think they're so sure of themselves!"

"Is that so?" Cain's face immediately darkened. "You really are a... free-spirited man, Mr. Yuri!"

"Thanks. A lot of people say that."

"In that case, please die!" With that, Cain dropped his hypocritical gentlemanly manner. His expression suddenly turned sinister, and without warning, he reached out with a clawed hand toward... Sonia's heart.

"?"

Yuri froze for an instant, then his figure became a blur as he rushed over at full speed.

"Pssh!"

Blood splashed across Yuri's face. An instant before Yuri reached Sonia, Cain tore out her still-beating heart.

Eyes wide, Yuri withdrew his outstretched hand and drew the Red Queen from his back instead, slashing at Cain's neck.

Cain sneered and, rather than meeting Yuri's attack head-on, pulled back and threw Sonia's corpse at him to block the blow.

Seeing this, Yuri forcibly pulled back his greatsword and caught Sonia in his arms.

At that moment, Cain finally bared his sinister "fangs" completely, raising a hand and hurling a blood-red spear at Yuri.

Yuri was in midair with a wounded person in his arms, and because he had forcibly stopped his attack, he had no time to bring the Red Queen in front of him. He could only force himself to turn, using his back as a shield to protect Sonia in his arms.

"Pssh!"

The blood-red spear, carrying the force to shatter an army, pierced straight through Yuri's body.

"You bastard really have no shame." Yuri knocked the blood-red spear away with a palm. "After all that tough talk, you attacked your own daughter instead of coming after me."

"Daughter?" Cain scoffed. "Are you joking with me? She was nothing but a dog I raised. For demons, there's never been any such thing as family!"

"Tch, what a disgusting bastard," Yuri said irritably. "Even if she were a dog, you should've grown attached after seven years together."

"Feelings are nothing but a burden. Demons have no need for them." Cain's gaze was icy as he sneered. "Since you care so much about loyalty, I'll send you to meet her ahead of time!"

With that, blood-red spears formed all around him and shot toward Yuri in unison.

Note: This chapter was edited without my permission during review. If you notice missing sentences or anything like that, please leave a comment, and I'll fix it as soon as possible.