76 Rebirth (V)

Rebirth (V)

The instant that light came rushing toward him, Lion El'Jonson involuntarily raised his hands, trying to shield himself from that light—not dazzling or terrifying in the least, even gentle enough to be called mild.

It defied all reason, yet a voice in his heart whispered softly, with the cadence of breathing: You must do this, or you will be utterly destroyed.

But that was not the truth.

The truth was that someone, for reasons unknown, had reached out and seized his wrists. Those hands were rough and powerful, their surfaces like sandpaper, like millstones, containing immense strength. Not even Lion El'Jonson could contend with them.

Even so, their owner chose to use only the slightest force, as though afraid of hurting Lion El'Jonson. Little by little, he pressed Lion El'Jonson's hands down, and then there was nothing left to block the light.

Soft golden radiance washed over him, and Lion El'Jonson collapsed to the ground despite himself.

He barely managed to prop himself up, kneeling gracelessly on the ground. The light felt like countless smooth blades brushing over his flesh and soul, opening innumerable tiny wounds.

Afterward, some cold, viscous fluid flowed out through those wounds, bringing with it an overwhelming dizziness.

Was he wounded? He had to be wounded, or so much blood would not have spilled out. But was what flowed from those millions of wounds truly blood?

Lion El'Jonson forced open his sore, aching eyes and instinctively realized something was wrong. Raising a hand, amid the overlapping images and vertigo, he saw a palmful of rotten blackness.

He stared at it in confusion for a long while before realizing that it was not blood at all. How could human blood possibly look like this? The black liquid lying in his hand, as though mixed with