Chapter 71 - 6-10
Yugis Necrat, who had been running toward the northeast of Attaik City, came to a sudden halt.
He hurried to hide in the shadow of a building and, from his cover, looked out at the wall that should have been towering in the distance.
A section of the giant wall, which had shocked Yugis when he first visited Attaik, had collapsed magnificently. A tower had vanished entirely, and the curtain wall that had been connected to it was partially crumbled, exposing a jagged cross-section.
It was a sight that felt unreal. Since he began living in Attaik, nothing had become more ingrained in Yugis than the existence of the wall.
—Walls might be useless.
Yugis thought. The Kosa army had punched a hole in the city walls of Attaik, which might have been the greatest fortress in the world.
—As for Malfa Castle...
He shook his head as he began to think that. This was no time for such things.
The place where the tower had stood and the base of the wall had become a mountain of rubble.
Crossing over the mountain of rubble, Kosa army cavalry and infantry were invading the city one after another.
Looking closely, the heavy cavalry of the Attaik regular army were forming a circle near the wall. However, now that it had come to this, it was likely beyond help. They were too late.
Even on the walkway atop the wall, enemy infantry were running about. The Attaik archer units were being poked with long spears, falling from the wall one by one. The screams of the falling archers and the impact sounds of them hitting the ground reached Yugis's ears.
The soldiers who had invaded the city were all moving toward the south, following the eastern wall. It looked like an organized movement.
Yugis moved south, shifting quickly from one cover to another.
Gradually, he began to hear screams. Someone was shouting here and there, everywhere.
He crouched in a narrow alley and listened to the approaching sound of hooves.
Enemy cavalry galloped down the main street. There were cavalry wearing yellow uniforms, and those who were not. There was a splashing sound, like running through mud. Yugis felt terror. There was a flow in the road. Yugis looked down at his feet. His shoes were soaked in blood.
When he looked back, many corpses were lying in the road.
Yugis wandered through the corridor of death.
Severed limbs. Severed necks. Severed torsos. All the corpses had been stripped half-naked. The doorways of the buildings were all thrown open, and all the corpses had been put out into the street. Among the male corpses, there were some whose penises had been cut off. The severed penises were either shoved into the person's own mouth, thrown away, or stuffed into the mouth of a female corpse nearby. It was an act beyond Yugis's understanding. Why would they do such a thing? Most of the female corpses were also naked. In many cases, some form of violation had been inflicted upon their private parts.
In short lanes, three or four corpses were left as twisted lumps of flesh.
Corpses rolled along every path. They were the corpses of citizens.
Splashes of blood stained the walls of the houses red, and yellow and purple viscera overflowed from the bellies of the corpses. In the plain, earth-colored cityscape, those colors looked nightmarish and yet almost festive.
The Kosa soldiers were thorough.
Regardless of whether they were young children or infants, they were killed. The heads and jaws of children had been crushed. Feet had been placed on the heads of infants, applying full body weight. Black footprints remained.
As Yugis watched, not even tears came.
When he saw a pregnant woman's corpse with a single arrow carelessly thrust into her swollen belly, he could no longer endure it and finally vomited.
Is this the taste of defeat? No, it must not be. This has nothing to do with the essence of war. It is some other kind of action. They are doing something primitive now. He didn't want to speak in platitudes, but still.
—This is too much.
How could this happen?
They must not understand the regret of being killed so unreasonably. They must lack such imagination. They are so primitive that they can only think of themselves.
If that's the case, I'll teach them.
I'll kill as many Kosa people as I can. As many as possible. I won't forgive them even if they beg for their lives. I'll make them understand.
At the same time, Yugis noticed that the intervals between the lined-up corpses were constant. There was a feeling that they were carrying out the massacre as a job. If that were the case, it was even more terrifying. For example, it meant it wasn't an emotional motive, such as exercising their power to the fullest according to their desires, or carrying out a massacre for fear of retaliation.
There might be a political or military intention.
They are doing it with cold calculation.
—Do they intend to make it an example?
If it were possible, that would be it. Kosa might be using this massacre to impress upon the surrounding areas the terror that they respond with an appropriate attitude to towns that resist.
Yugis moved from road to road.
Along the way, he saw a scene where Kosa people in yellow uniforms were lining up corpses. Three people were engaged in the work. Yugis ran toward them, silencing his footsteps. He rained down a sword, swung high, upon the nearest one from behind. He didn't even think it was cowardly. Immediately, he thrust his sword into the belly of another who was surprised. The remaining person uttered words Yugis didn't understand and fled.
Yugis quickly delivered the finishing blows to the two.
By doing so, he hadn't saved anyone. They had merely been lining up dead people in the road.
Yugis's mood didn't improve, nor did he feel guilt. However, there was something gained in exchange for two lives.
The uniforms. He could strip the yellow uniforms from the corpses and change into them.
If he pulled the helmet down low, it shouldn't be difficult to blend in with the enemy.
Even if he tried to be angry, saying it was unforgivable, in the end, in an emergency like war, the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong, vanishes without power. How to survive, how to win, how to gain an advantage, how to escape.
—But.
That feeling still didn't vanish. They had crushed the heads of infants. This might be a matter of justice, or a matter of the line one draws as a human being. Above all, it should be a matter of how the world is.
He had misjudged Geraha Wolf. How could there be a country where adults kill and trample children?
While he was stripping the enemy's clothes, he heard a voice.
"Hey."
He turned around and was surprised. A man was standing there. "Hey, is that Yugis?"
It was Cassisi. Cassisi was also wearing a yellow uniform he seemed to have stolen from somewhere.
Yugis pulled the blood-stained enemy uniform over his head and put it on. There were holes in it that Yugis himself had made with his sword.
"Cassisi, I'm going to die fighting here."
Yugis hadn't noticed that his spirit had shrunk from the terror of the massacre, and that he had entered a retirement-like mental state. He had the mindset of a suicide seeker.
"You don't have to say it so grandly, everyone's gonna die. There's nowhere to run. More importantly, come here."
Yugis began to run with Cassisi.
Along the way, he saw the rectangular plaza where the market stood from a distance. A hellish sight was there. A large fire was lit in the center, and they were throwing children into the fire or poking them with spears to push them in. Cavalry were riding, and a man tied with rope was being dragged around. The massacre-perpetrators were soldiers with tattoos on their skin. When the citizens screamed, they laughed with shouts of joy.
The soldiers in yellow uniforms were gathering the rope-bound citizens in one place and lining them up. They were likely carrying out executions in order.
"Let's go."
Urged by Cassisi, Yugis left the place as if shaking it off.
He was heading west.
As he went west, the number of corpses and soldiers visibly decreased.
Near places where there were corpses, Kosa soldiers were almost always breaking into houses and looting.
Following Cassisi, Yugis ran stealthily.
"Here."
Cassisi said in a low voice. Perhaps it had been a fire; there was a house without a roof. There were burn marks on the door. He slipped inside quickly with Cassisi. The walls and furniture inside the house were also blackened. Rubble and trash had been thrown in. It might have become a neighborhood garbage dump.
"Are we hiding here?"
"Yeah."
Cassisi crouched in the darkness at the back and tapped a paving stone on the floor. "It's me."
One of the paving stones lifted. It seemed there was a basement.
Petu showed his face. "Yugis? You, weren't you at Suar Palace?"
"Suar Palace is probably already finished," Cassisi said as he put his foot into the hole in the floor and jumped down. Yugis followed. When he carefully replaced the paving stone lid, he felt as if the surroundings became pitch black for a moment.
That wasn't the case. In the back, a single candle flickered weakly. The light brought out the anxious faces of about twenty citizens. There were old men, young men, women, and children.
The mercenaries of the Broy Mercenary Group were about seven, including Yugis.
"Suar Palace couldn't have fallen, could it?" Petu said.
Cassisi rubbed his face. "That 'couldn't have' is exactly it. The gates were smashed. The regular army seems to have set up their position in the northwest sector. But they won't hold for long."
"Why can you say that? Did you see it?"
"I didn't see it, but I know. Those guys intend to kill everyone. After killing the Attaik citizens—"
Cassisi looked toward the citizens.
Yugis also interrupted. "Petu, this place won't hold for long either. They are thorough. They intend to destroy Attaik."
"What about fire? Are they burning the houses?"
"No," Yugis answered. "They might intend to reuse them as bases. But I don't know. They might burn them. Either way, if we just stay still, we'll only be cornered."
"What do you want us to do? We can't get out by force."
"We can just escape under the cover of night."
"Impossible," Cassisi shook his head. "The gates aren't open. They'll secure both the inside and outside of the gates and light bonfires through the night. In other words, they don't intend to let a single person escape."
"Then, let's gather enough uniforms for everyone. We'll disguise ourselves as enemy soldiers. The ones who are truly dangerous are the tattooed ones. The infantry in yellow uniforms are mostly southerners, apparently. Probably the castle guards of Sadiin City or Gorium City. Right now, this area is thin, we—"
"It is impossible—" an old man sitting in the back said. "Please, just you all escape. Please survive. At least you. I want you to tell others what happened here."
"But—"
"Yugis," Petu lowered his voice. "It's impossible to let the old folks escape."
"It's not impossible."
"It's impossible," Cassisi also said. "We have no choice but to hide here and wait for the situation to change."
"That's exactly what's reckless," Yugis said stubbornly. "There must be a way. We have skilled mercenaries gathered here. There must be one."
It was just after noon when Kushitante, the King of the Tawaru, entered Suar Palace.
He judged that it was fine to leave the scene.
Remnants of the army had gathered in the northwest and were continuing a desperate resistance. However, since Deputy Pusiteto had successfully surrounded them, it was as good as settled.
Inside Suar Palace, the clearing of corpses was progressing. Since only the royal guard had been there, it seemed it hadn't become a major battle.
Attaik and its surrounding facilities were the fist that Koroi thrust into Kandasyata. Conversely, this meant it could also serve as a lid to block Koroi's advance into Kandasyata. Therefore, Kosa would use this as a military base.
Furthermore, conversely, one could say this: the one thrusting a fist at Kosa is now the Tawaru, not Koroi—.
Of course, Kushitante didn't let a hint of that show.
Geraha Wolf was surprisingly reading their circumstances.
If he were suspected poorly, the Tawaru might be given only Attaik and told, "Be satisfied with that." Attaik is a satellite of Koroi. It doesn't function without Koroi.
"Chief."
Welcomed by Hazab, Kushitante was guided through the palace. It was a white, elegant palace built as a residence. There was a fountain in the courtyard.
"I would like you to see this."
Hazab led Kushitante to the commander's quarters.
A beautiful youth with his chest exposed was lying on the bed.
"This is Sitris, the eldest child of Emperor Abinail."
"Is he dead?"
"Yes, by poison."
Kushitante thought that seeing the defeat as inevitable, he had drunk poison and committed suicide. Apparently, that wasn't it.
"According to the women of the palace, it seems his health suddenly declined four or five days ago. We believe a suspicious person sneaked in and poisoned Sitris. Moreover, that suspicious person has not yet been found."
"What do you mean? Do you mean they are still inside this residence?"
"The servants believe so."
Kushitante tilted his head. "I haven't heard anything. What is this suspicious person? The hand of the Great King? Was it not just a death by illness?"
"It is under investigation. However, the inside of this palace is safe. We have searched every corner."
"Hang Sitris's corpse in a prominent place in the town. I will use this room. Change the bedding and make it clean."
"Understood. Chief, it's not over yet. We found something interesting during the investigation—"
Kushitante toured the palace with Hazab.
After that, he entered the hall and took his seat at the military council.
Even during the meeting, messengers with reports arrived without hesitation. The situation was progressing more favorably than expected.
—Because Sitris died.
Even this Suar Palace might have been a struggle if Sitris were alive. Regardless of whose work it was, the assassination of Sitris was worth its weight in gold. For that reason, Kushitante was irritated. It was as if his own achievement had been damaged.
When the hour grew late, Kushitante had food and liquor brought to the spot and had dinner with his staff.
"I just can't bring myself to like it," the staff said one after another, complaining about the palace. "There are too many rooms, and the inside is too complex. I got lost several times."
Being people of the grasslands, they were not used to architectural structures.
If asked whether he liked or disliked it, Kushitante did not like it. He questioned whether a house that couldn't be carried could be called a possession. To be honest, he didn't like things called towns.
The nobles of Attaik were brought in during dinner. They were three men. All three had pale faces.
"Oh, let us welcome you. Take your seats," Kushitante stood up to greet them. "There is a large amount of meat tonight. No matter where you look, it's full of meat. Our soldiers have hearty appetites. It seems they've consumed a lot, more than necessary. After all, we are people of the grasslands. Slaughtering is second nature to us."
The man who seemed to be the representative vomited at his own feet.
"Why, why do this," the man said while wiping his mouth. "I don't understand. The city residents were not supposed to resist."
"Did you see the state of the city?"
"It's indiscriminate massacre. I cannot believe it is the work of humans."
Kushitante grabbed the representative's collar with his large hand and led him to the dining table.
He shoved a mutton dish into the man's mouth.
"Now eat. Eat and gain strength. I'll let you off with exile. I will do the same thing as today everywhere in the south. Go and tell them: if you surrender, I will even become your protector. But if you resist, it's a massacre for all!"
"Everyone, good work." As the soldiers led the nobles away, Kushitante decided to sleep. "Rest well. It's too early to spoil the soldiers."
Immediately after leaving the hall, he spotted a pair of women. They were walking with hand-candles.
One was a beautiful girl with beast-like eyes, and the other was a tall Black woman.
"It seems there are some thoughtful ones," Kushitante called out in a good mood. "Both of you, come to my bedchamber."
The beautiful girl looked back with cold eyes. "We are guests of Mozu Wolf."
"Mozu has good taste," Kushitante looked at the tall Black woman. "Your name?"
"I am Rivet, King of the Tawaru," the Black woman smiled with sad eyes.
Kushitante was a man who had had countless women at his whim. However, he was meeting a woman like Rivet for the first time. Suddenly, interest welled up.
"I'd like you to entertain me someday."
"I do not entertain anyone."
"My apologies then."
Rivet gave a melancholy bow, and the beautiful girl snorted and walked away. After watching the Black woman's backside, Kushitante began to walk.
In front of the commander's quarters that Sitris had used, a sentry was posted.
It was not a face he knew.
"Good night."
"Mm, good work."
When he opened the door, there was no light in the room. Even so, he knew there were several soldiers inside the room. Suddenly, he was pushed from behind and stumbled. He had been completely off guard. His mouth was covered with cloth. His hands were pulled behind him, and ropes were quickly wound around them. Looking closely, Hazab, tied in the same way, was rolling on the floor.
With a gag in his mouth, Kushitante's cheek was pressed against the floor.
A black-haired youth placed a knee on Kushitante's back and let a dagger glint in his hand.
The youth brought his face close. He spat on Kushitante's face. Not just as an insult, the black-haired man used the blade of the dagger to spread the saliva and began to shave Kushitante's beard. It was the skill of an amateur, and it was subtly painful.
"I could just kill you like this. We could have a wild time and then die. Want to die together?"
It was the Enagamo language. He didn't seem to be a southerner.
"You like that kind of thing, don't you? What you've done makes me want to vomit. That said, it's war. I've learned that anything can happen. Anything. It can happen. Right?"
—You brat.
If his mouth hadn't been covered, he would have said it. He didn't want to curse him. He wanted to teach him.
Kill every single person in Attaik. That is the politics of the Tawaru. That is the purpose. They fought with that cherished wish.
How the southerners had treated the Tawaru. Whose fault was it that they were made into Tawaru used even by countries on the level of city-states in the plains? How could one defend the wickedness of Koroi, who split the Tawaru into two factions, then three, and made them fight each other?
What does the brat know? He carries history and ancestors on his shoulders.
That thought must have shown on his face.
The brat stopped shaving the beard and pressed the small knife against Kushitante's bald head. He seemed to have cut a blood vessel that had been bulging. He felt the flow of blood.
Hazab let out a groan and was struck by the bandit.
"We want to leave this town. If you have a good idea, let us hear it."
The black-haired youth said this and loosened Kushitante's gag.
Kushitante took a deep breath and spoke in one go.
"There is a secret passage in this palace. You can get outside. Do not lay a hand on that man. I will let you all escape safely. I promise. So—"
The youth placed a knee on Kushitante's temple. Like tying up luggage, he tightened the knot of the gag cloth again.
The bandits looked at each other. A thin man with thinning hair nodded deeply.
Kohal—Marvel Boony was watching the scene from the window, frozen.
It wasn't a window with glass. It was just a window that had been carved out. Voices from outside entered.
"Don't lay a hand on them!" the bald giant man was shouting until his throat was dry. "Don't make me say it again. You're too close. Get back, get back! I'm fine!"
The light of the garden bonfires reflected in the sweat of the man who was screaming and shouting.
The King of the Tawaru, who had been chatting lightly in the hallway just a moment ago.
The King of the Tawaru had been led out of Suar Palace before anyone noticed. It was an unbelievable level of stupidity. The soldiers were not yet used to this building. The residence immediately became chaotic, the soldiers panicked, and they were searching for the King of the Tawaru in confusion.
And then, the King returned.
Bringing about twenty southerners in filthy appearances.
They seemed to be citizens who had been hiding somewhere. They were walking through the grounds of Suar Palace, huddled together with timid attitudes. Since they were surrounded by the bloodthirsty eyes of the soldiers, it was no wonder they shrank back.
"Try laying a single finger on those people! They are my guests! My guests! Don't come close! Don't approach! If you approach, I'll kill you!"
—The King of the Tawaru is quite something, isn't he.
The King of the Tawaru had a blade pressed against his back. Marvel could now see the man holding the blade. It was a familiar face.
"Is that Yugis?"
She shouldn't have said it out loud.
Beside her was Mozu Wolf.
Mozu frowned suspiciously and looked down at Marvel.
"An acquaintance?"
"Well, something like that."
"Why is that acquaintance pressing a dagger against Kushitante?"
"Who knows. That man can't do anything. Even with a blade, he couldn't even peel a piece of fruit."
"He seems to be making Kushitante scream like that, though."
"Like a pig."
"This is no laughing matter, daughter of Sinkuk," Mozu Wolf stroked his black beard. "It means you let a man who points a blade at us slip through. Is this not a grave situation? I can't let you meet the Great King like this."
After leaving the Valley of Siddim and the Siddim Convent, Marvel had entered Parakitai in the southern part of the Kandasyata Plateau without a destination.
There, she had spoken her circumstances with courtesy to a clan of Kosa people she met. The clan was kind. All the people of the plateau were so.
—I wish to meet the Great King.
When she expressed this wish, the head of the clan sent a messenger to the Great King.
And the one who came was Mozu Wolf.
—I haven't told the Great King about you.
She is the daughter of Sinkuk and Meira. She cannot be trusted, Mozu Wolf had said.
—Prove your innocence and loyalty through work.
Because she was told that, she had disposed of Sitris.
She prided herself on having carried it out perfectly.
"That's not what we agreed," Marvel said. "Geraha—the Great King knows me. We grew up together. I beg you to just let me speak; he'll remember me if he hears my name."
"What will you do after meeting him?"
—I will press him about my father and mother.
Marvel had wanted to say.
"I just want to work for Kosa, and I want that to be recognized."
"I can't say anything to the Great King," Mozu said. "As long as that brat is walking and breathing."
"Of course, he won't live long."
"I certainly hope so. If you need money, I'll arrange it. —That woman, Rivet, was it? You're working with her?"
"No. You can ignore Rivet."
By the time they arrived at Attaik from Parakitai, Rivet was by Marvel's side before she realized it. For Marvel, it wasn't much of a surprise; it was almost too late.
"Rivet doesn't help, and she doesn't hinder. She's just a woman who follows me. She doesn't speak unnecessary things."
"Why? I don't understand. Why does she stalk Kohal?"
"To witness Marvel's death," Rivet answered. "Because I am the witness."
Mozu said nothing more. Seeing Rivet's mysterious smile, he might have realized it was useless to ask anything.
Marvel left Mozu's quarters. The hallway was noisy. Marvel pushed through the soldiers and headed for the palace entrance. She knew without looking that Rivet was following her. She didn't think of chasing Yugis right now to kill him, nor to save the King of the Tawaru. Assassination should be carried out with a plan; that is what God teaches.
Yugis, having entered the grounds of Suar Palace, whispered into the hostage's ear.
"Tell them not to follow."
"Don't follow! No one follow! Don't be in the hallway! Go to the hall or something! Don't worry about me! I'll kill anyone who interferes unnecessarily!"
The hostage man screamed with a booming voice. Yugis felt as if his ears were going to break.
Candelabras were installed on the hallway walls, and fires were lit.
The twenty citizens and the mercenaries, along with the hostage, headed for the depths of the palace.
The lead was Yugis and the hostage, the citizens lined up in the middle, and the rear was guarded by the three mercenaries other than Yugis.
At what seemed to be the end of the hallway, there were stairs leading underground. They opened the door and descended the stairs. Several torches were distributed to the citizens. A man who looked about the same age as Yugis came forward and lit the way at Yugis's feet.
The basement had two rooms. Three mercenaries and the southern hostage were waiting there.
"You're here. Everyone's here, right?" Petu showed a smile.
In the back room, there was an iron grate door. Beyond the door was a pitch-black passage.
This seemed to be the escape route.
As planned, the southern hostage was left here.
Petu slapped the southerner's cheek. "Don't let anyone track us. Understand? The moment someone follows and their footsteps are heard, I'll kill this bald guy. Once we know we're safe, we'll release the bald guy. Repeat it."
"I won't let anyone track you. If you keep your promise, you'll release the hostage."
"And if you break the promise?"
"...I'll kill the hostage."
"That's fine. Let's go."
The path of the escape hole was a fine one, made by stacking square-processed stone materials.
With the mercenaries in the lead, the citizens also followed into the passage. It was an underground passage that was narrow in width but sufficient in height. There seemed to be a downward slope in the direction of travel.
Yugis stayed at the very rear, listening for the footsteps of pursuers that might echo from behind.
The bald, bearded man who was the hostage interfered with that. He groaned "uuu uuu." The hostage was no longer being threatened with a dagger. Only his hands were tied, and the gag had been removed. There should be no reason to groan.
"Be quiet or I'll kill you."
"You, what's your name?" The hostage turned his face toward Yugis.
"If I give my name, will you tell me yours?"
"I promise."
"Yugis. Yugis Necrat," Yugis said. It wasn't a name to be particularly mysterious about.
"Nec..." However, the hostage man showed a surprised expression. "A northerner?"
"What of it? What's your name?"
The hostage man looked down and spoke in a mumble. "Necrat. The rope tied around my arms is tight. I can't walk well. Loosen it."
"Tell me your name."
"If you promise not to kill me, I'll tell you."
"Then I'll just kill you. I have no interest in the name of a dead man."
"Both of you," Cassisi said, looking back. "You're noisy, shut up."
The underground road felt long. It might have just felt that way.
Soon, they arrived at the exit.
The exit was made inconspicuously with unprocessed stone masonry. Turning their bodies sideways, one by one, they exited through the gaps between the stones. The hostage stumbled out, and finally, Yugis also emerged from the escape route.
It was a starry sky. The area below the night sky was hidden by a cliff-like terrain.
Apparently, it was the bottom of a small canyon. It was a terrain not uncommon in the south. When the rainy season comes, the ground is eroded by the flow of water, and countless small canyons are formed. When war breaks out, southerners take refuge in such small canyons. This is apparently a practice continuing since ancient times. Since there are many canyons, the enemy likely doesn't investigate them.
"Petu, I'm killing this guy."
Yugis drew his sword and looked down at the hostage kneeling on the ground.
The hostage looked up, his eyes flashing.
"Huh? You idiot, stop it. We're leaving this guy here."
"This guy is probably the boss. The one responsible for that massacre. He's our enemy. There's no reason to let him go. If I don't kill him here, many more people who shouldn't die will die."
Petu stroked his face, where the skin had sagged from fatigue. "Yugis, I kind of know you have your reasons. You probably have something to do in your hometown. But don't drag us into those reasons. This guy kept his promise. We'll keep our promise too. If we both keep our promises, we'll be able to do various things."
Petu slowly crouched and met the hostage's gaze.
"Listen, bald guy. I won't let him kill you. So, promise not to pursue us. Let us go. Don't send pursuers. We're not big shots; whether you kill us or let us go, it makes no big difference."
"I am the King of the Tawaru, Kushitante Zamora," the hostage said. "On this name, I promise to keep my word."
Kushitante Zamora said this and glared at Yugis.
"Now, let's go. Everyone hurry. Come on, Yugis."
His arm pulled by Petu, Yugis reluctantly began to walk.
Yugis was not convinced.
However, he had to admit that Petu's words were reasonable.
If the so-called King of the Tawaru doesn't break this promise, that becomes one reason to place trust in him. It is not useless to know that such a person exists among the enemy. Because someday, Siddim might have to negotiate with the Kosa army.
—I cannot let that massacre happen in Siddim.
Yugis believes this strongly.
Even if he killed Kushitante, it's not guaranteed that the Kosa army would stop the massacre.
If that's the case, it's better to keep him alive as a person with whom a promise can be exchanged.
"Petu, I'm going back to Siddim," Yugis said as dawn broke.
"Siddim? Where's that?"
"My hometown. Didn't I tell you?"
Petu laughed softly. "Do whatever you want. We're not exactly friends."
"That's true. —But I'll be lonely."
"Yeah, lonely." Petu put an arm around his shoulder and shook Yugis's body twice. "But we're alive. We're not friends, so we can part anytime and meet anytime. That part's the best, isn't it?"