Ruger's eyes shifted. He looked at the rabbit in his hand, staring blankly as if lost in thought, then at the two terrified faces of the two-headed demon.
He retreated again, standing near Mahama as Foul-Smelling Skin reappeared around him. The two-headed demon also moved closer when it saw this.
"Yiya?"
The Blood Curse Doll leaped out of the bloody flesh slurry, yet its body was exceptionally clean.
It cried out, brimming with smug pride.
Ruger looked at the little thing waiting for praise. He had long since used their connection to have it sneak into the bog of flesh and run back, ordering it to circle around within the flesh bog. The Blood Curse Doll had obediently complied, but he knew the little fellow had apparently found it fun midway and could not resist taking many extra detours, turning left and right as it wandered around nearby for quite some time before truly returning to his side.
That was a sign of abundant spirit, Ruger consoled himself inwardly.
He reached out and stroked the Blood Curse Doll. Its smug little head leaned over and rubbed itself against Ruger's face.
The ring-shaped, surging flesh bog gradually sank lower without anyone noticing, slowly returning to calm.
Ruger looked toward the two demon tides tangled together in the distance and calculated silently. He was not especially flustered. The only thing tugging at his thoughts was the Furred Demon One—or rather, the Black Knight left alone in Stone City.
Fate?
Coincidence?
He pondered whether, once this was over, he should return to Stone City according to the original plan.
He glanced back.
Things like the vortex of flesh had already gone still, leaving behind not the slightest trace. Everything had returned to calm. Only vast numbers of demons passed through, trampling the flesh