NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 – Protection
I stood up from the ground.
And tried pulling off the collar.
Damn it… It won’t budge!
I glared at her retreating figure.
You... Why..?!
I should’ve ran away when I had the chance!
Dangle, dangle.
That sound…
I looked back over to the woman walking away…
And saw in her left hand… A long metal chain…
Dangle, dangle.
That was connected to the collar on my neck.
Pull-
Ack, fuck!
Thud.
I fell back on the ground.
You..!
I struggled against the chain, but she had tremendous strength…
Casually overpowering me, I was being dragged on the floor.
Damn it!
I threw myself up and decided to submit myself to the collar.
Then, as if I were a dog, I followed her lead.
I ran in front and glared at her,
“What the hell are you doing?!”
…
But she kept walking.
Still following her path, I yelled,
“Take this off me!
Why are you doing this to me?!”
…
No response.
…
Hah… I don’t want to hit a woman…
But clearly she’s not normal.
Is she just like that ‘Manager’ monster?
Well…
If she won’t listen…
I clenched my fist.
Then I had to make her listen.
Charging up a punch, I ran towards her…
And threw a punch-
Swoo-
Wait, what?
But my hand phased through her body.
-oosh.
I… Can’t touch her?!
Thud.
I fell back down on the floor.
Fuck-
I looked back up to the woman.
Noticing my desperate attempt, she stopped and looked at me on the floor.
“Ehehehe… How cute…”
You bitch..!
“Don't worry… We’re almost there.”
Hah?
Almost whe-
…
Up ahead.
I saw a huge hole of darkness.
Hold up…
“M-Miss… W-Why are we going to the large hole?”
…
Silence.
She continued walking.
"Damn it, answer me!"
…
“My name…”, she quietly muttered.
I blankly stared at her.
I asked her about it, in an irritated tone,
“What about it?!”
Then, I noticed her face…
…
She was blushing,
“I want you… To call me Senior…”
…
You can’t be serious.
Suddenly, I was having flashbacks to Delilah’s confession.
There’s no way..!
You-
…
Sigh…
“Senior… Bystander…”
Just like a puppy she propped her head up and looked at me.
She creepily smiled at me,
“Hah… Hah… Hah…
M-My junior called me by my name…”
Repulsed by her reaction, I flinched back.
C-Creepy…
“Uh… Yeah…
So…
Why are we heading to the large hole up ahead?”
I cautiously walked beside her,
“Ah… It’s a rite of passage.”
Rite of passage..?
“I have to drop you in there.”
…
…
…
I freaked out,
“Senior, take this off me!”
Ignoring my pleas, she continued walking.
“I said take it off!!!”
Once again, I desperately tried to pull against the chain.
“Don’t do this!
Why are you doing this to me?!”
…
Pull-
Ack!
Once again, I fell on the floor.
She was dragging me closer to the large hole.
No! No! No!
Fuck what can I do?!
…
Wait a minute…
The chain…
I can physically grab onto the chain!
But how the hell do I make her drop
the chain?!…
“Senior…”
Her head propped up again.
“Ah... Y-Yes..?”
What the…
She looks like a tall beauty, but acts like a middle schooler in love.
It felt like I was dealing with a tsundere sister...
Not that I had one.
...
“Hey, is it possible if…”
God damnit, I can’t believe I’m doing this…
“I can hold onto your hand?”
…
She completely stopped.
Once again she loomed over me…
Blushing from ear to ear, she shyly asked me,
“We just… Met…”
…
Let’s just go through with it…
“Yes… So can you hand over your left hand..?”
…
“Ah… Yes…
Okay…
Let’s hold hands…”
As she lessened her strength in her left hand, just so she could transfer the chain into her right hand…
In that split second.
Pull-!
The chain flew out of her hands.
Okay lets-
Fuuush.
AHHH!!!
Fuck it burns!
My entire body was engulfed by black flames.
“Ah… Ah..!!
Yohlan!”
She rushed over to me, and grabbed the chain once more.
“Nononono… My first junior..!
Are you okay?!”
Pant… Pant…
No way… Did I just..?!
Do I get burnt if she isn’t holding onto me?
Fuck!
There’s literally nothing I can do!
I glared at her…
Noticing my gaze, with a saddened look on her face, she told me,
“I told you…
You have to undergo the rite of passage…
You’re marked by me…
So you won’t get hurt yet, as we get closer to the hole.”
I won’t get hurt..?
Wait…
…
Was she protecting me?