"Then where were you planning to go, Jason?" Smick Lanche asked in a low voice.
Across from him, Jason Todd sat wrapped in a long robe, silent.
Hearing Smick's words, Jason held out his hand. Strictly speaking, Smick's slash had saved his life, but it had also pushed him into some abyss.
Corpse spots had already appeared on Jason's hand. He could feel his flesh dying, slowly rotting away.
His breathing had stopped, and his heart no longer beat, yet he was still alive.
"This place is no longer safe. Negary's subordinates are searching everywhere for our traces. This time, we failed completely." Smick looked somewhat dazed. Though the loss had come for no clear reason, a loss was still a loss.
"How about coming back with me? Whether it's the revenge you seek or your current condition, I believe the Kingdom of Roas has a way to deal with both," Smick continued.
"No. I was someone who existed only for revenge to begin with, and I have no complaints about my current state." Jason finally spoke. He rose to his feet, his body swaying slightly. "I'm going somewhere—to obtain the power for revenge."
Having been crushed by his enemies this time and proving utterly incapable of making any effective difference in his battle against Negary, Jason had come to deeply understand his own weakness. He needed to become stronger.
A few years ago, he had given up that opportunity. Its chances of success had been too low; failure meant death. For revenge, he had chosen to abandon it. Now, for revenge as well, he would seek that thing once more.
"Please arrange a Haus Beast for me. I need to reach a place before my body rots completely," Jason said solemnly.
"No problem," Smick said. He felt a faint