Cecil panted heavily, scratches and cuts all over her body, blood dirtying her clean clothes that she just changed into. The cloak that Xue had given her was badly torn now, there were even some bruises forming on the places that showed her bare skin.

Isleif was on the ground, coughing mouthfuls of blood. He was in an even worse state compared to Cecil, and he was still heavily injured from the fight with Mir.

Zeau blinked, still wearing the gentle smile on his face that seemed eerie. He still looked the same as he did when he exited the cave, the two of them didn’t even land a hit on him. His left boot was pressing down on Isleif’s back, forcing him to the ground. 

Cecil couldn’t do anything, one of her arms had been heavily injured when Zeau parried one of her attacks. 

“I think I have delayed you long enough,” Zeau stated, tilting his head to one side. “Now that I think about it, I should have killed the two of you instead of playing around.” 

Cecil grimaced, her body was aching and throbbing in pain. 

“The two of you do not contribute to our plans either way,” Zeau sighed. “I wasted so much effort, all for naught.” 

Cecil bit on her lower lip, her face pale. 

Am I ready to die yet? In this world?

Cecil squeezed her eyes close for a second, shaking her head.

No, not yet. 

Though I don’t belong here, I still want to stay.  I want to stay by their side, both Hana and Xue. 

I do not want to die, not yet.

Not until I see those two safe and sound.

Not until I see them happy with their own lives. 

They are not just characters in a book to me, they are...they are more then that...

Zeau nodded to himself, gesturing to Isleif. “I can kill you, since Xue would still manage to absorb you, but the mortal woman…” 

It was like Zeau said, he was planning to use Cecil as leverage. However, she still too much of an unknown factor that he did not dare risk currently.

Cecil looked at Zeau, furrowing her eyebrows in pain. 

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Zeau pointed his sword at her. “How did someone like you become a...friend to Xue and Hana? You do not simply become friends with Xue, there has to be something else…” 

Cecil gulped nervously, the sword inches from her face. She felt the dark magic oozing out from it, and though it wasn’t as fatal as Yelena’s dark magic that made her bleed endlessly, it still wouldn’t be good if the sword left a deep gash on her.

Until now, Cecil wasn’t sure about Zeau’s specialty, since all dark magic users had their own forte. Cecil only knew Zeau did something to Hana, and Hana later eloped with him, leaving Xue alone in this world. Though, the former was a theory speculated by many fans of the novel.

The lazy author, once again, never bothered to explain much about the events. 

Hana simply left Xue, and that was the end of it. 

“A friend is a friend,” Cecil stated, looking wan. “What else do you want me to answer? Like you said, I am but a mere mortal, there is no possible way for me to influence Hana or Xue through any sort of power.” 

“So, you do know what the two of them truly are?” 

Cecil nodded. 

She saw no point in lying to Zeau.

Zeau brought his sword back, narrowing his eyes at Cecil. A moment later, he widened his eyes as if he saw something. 

“Your lifeforce...it looks exactly like--” 

“Cecil!” 

The three people there shot their heads to the source of the voice, spotting an ash blonde-haired man and a red-haired woman. 

“Xu-Xue,” Cecil breathed out in relief, her knees shaking as she collapsed to the floor. “You are finally back.” 

Xue rushed to Cecil’s side, and Hana trailed behind him. 

The two of them were equally worried, fussing over Cecil who tried to wave them off since there were more urgent matters at hand. 

Isleif clicked his tongue, trying to punch Zeau’s leg that was still pinning him down.

Zeau leaped back to avoid Isleif, observing the three people huddled together in interest. He remembered Cecil calling herself a friend to them, and he raised his eyebrows. 

A friend? 

I doubt so.

Xue clenched his fists, observing the cuts and bruises all over Cecil. He wielded his spear, standing in front of the two women as Hana supported Cecil.

Xue had no doubt that it was this man that harmed Cecil.

“Who the hell are you?” Xue growled out, glaring menacingly at Veau. “No, I know who you are…” 

“We haven’t seen each other in almost a hundred years, Xue.” 

“You are...Zeau,” Xue tightened his grip around his spear, growing more furious. “Veau’s half brother.” 

Xue heard Hana gasping behind him, and she was looking at Isleif beside them. 

“What happened to you?” Hana questioned, covering her mouth with her hands.

Isleif didn’t answer Hana, only giving her a perfunctory glance. 

Finally realising that Isleif was there with them, Xue gave Isleif a quick glance before his mind arrived to a conclusion. He noted his different coloured eyes, and the deformed demon wing on his back. 

It was exactly like Hana and Mir had told him, Isleif had changed completely. 

Indeed, he was the cause for the change in the air, and what made him change wasn’t Veau...

Xue looked back at Zeau, stepping forward. “It wasn’t Veau, but you.” 

“As expected of the person that my brother regarded as a close friend,” Zeau smiled in a hair-raising manner. “You figured it out as well.” 

“Close friend,” Xue scoffed, getting into a defensive stance with his spear. “A sentiment that is long gone.” 

Hana went into her own fighting stance as well. 

Isleif rose up to his feet, grimacing as most of his wounds had reopened but it didn’t stop him, he still wanted to fight Zeau. 

Seeing three of them standing in a line, waiting to make a move against him while protecting Cecil behind them, Zeau was further intrigued. 

Within a split second, all of them charged in and the battle started. Alas, the battle didn’t last longer, Hana and Isleif were beaten down quickly. 

The only standing one was Xue, and he kept his eyes trained on Zeau. Zeau went in first, relentlessly attacking Xue with his black sword, and Xue defended them with his spear, remaining composed. 

Cecil was worried. 

She knew the current Xue wasn’t able to last long against Zeau.

However, strange enough, Zeau still had not gained the upper hand and neither did Xue, they were just attacking, blocking and dodging. It seemed like Zeau was playing around with Xue instead, and she could see Zeau's eyes drifting to her from time to time.

Is he planning something? Thinking about something? 

Zeau landed a powerful strike on Xue, and Xue blocked it but the force of it caused him to stumble back. At that moment, Zeau smiled and he threw something at Cecil that was hidden between his fingers. 

Cecil gasped.

Too fast! 

She reached for her dagger to block the object glinting in the light when a figure appeared in front of her, defending her. 

His red hair shimmered in the light, and Cecil raised her eyebrows in surprise. 

Isleif? 

Xue hurried towards Cecil, crouching down beside her as he observed her in concern, and he gave Isleif a dubious glance. 

Hana rushed in with Xue, equally concerned.

This bad guy is aiming for Cecil!

Isleif disregarded Xue and Hana beside him, glancing back to look at Cecil for a second. He turned back, narrowing his eyes at Zeau. 

Once again, the three of them were back to Cecil’s side.

“She is indeed a leverage, probably even better than Hana Katae,” Zeau muttered to himself, nodding in approval. “Or I can just use them both.” 

Isleif widened his eyes and he turned to the side, coughing as blood spilled from his mouth. Hana gasped at the horrifying sight and Isleif wiped the blood sliding down his lips, clicking his tongue. 

“Damnit.” 

“You are dying.” Xue stated nonchalantly. 

“Shut up, you think I don’t know that?” Isleif hissed.

Xue didn’t say a word in return, looking back at Zeau. It seemed like Zeau was deliberating, not moving from his spot with the same eerie smile on his face.

Isleif looked down at his own battered body, frowning and he turned back to look at Cecil once again. 

Seeing the raven-haired woman covered in scratches and cuts, along with some bruises on her arms and legs that weren’t his own marks, Isleif didn’t like it one bit. 

He had to grow stronger, and get stronger, so that no one other than him can mark her in such a manner. 

He only allowed his own marks to show on her body, since Cecil Lan was his. 

No one other than him could lay a hand on her, and Isleif was determined to show the entire world that. 

Cecil Lan belonged only to him. 

Cecil noted the intent gaze on her from Isleif, and the gaze sent chills down her spine. Whatever that gaze meant, she did not have a good feeling about it and she furrowed her eyebrows at him. 

The next moment, she received another notification from the system.

It was a “terrifying” notification she was all too familiar with now. 

[ Secret Mission #6: Isleif, the Obsessive Soul
Objective: Assist Xue in assimilating with his eighth fragment (along with 5 other fragments), Isleif.
Clue: His obsession for you overpowers his obsession with power.
Time limit: 1 hour
Reward: 3000 points ] 

Cecil closed her eyes and lowered her head, hitting her forehead with her grimy hand. 

“AI500, really, what have I done?” 

[ At this rate, every soul fragment you meet will fall for you~ ]

“How did I become a love interest, how is that possible?! They were all supposed to fall for Hana, yet it’s happening to me again and again!” 

[ You are really too amazing~
Words cannot describe how amazing you are~ ]

“No, no no. This can’t continue on. If I meet the next soul fragment, I swear I am going to just lie on the ground and not move.”

[ … ]

[ Go ahead and do so, no one is stopping you~ ]

“...”

Somehow, Cecil had a feeling even if she played dead, she will still leave a favourable impression on the next soul fragment they meet. However, Cecil didn’t want to believe it. 

After all, which person in the world would fall for a person that plays dead?

“Oi, you, my main host.” Isleif called out to Xue suddenly.

Xue ignored Isleif, not even looking at him.

“None of us stand a chance against that bastard,” Isleif stated. “So, let’s combine our souls together.” 

Xue glanced coldly at Isleif. “You want to absorb me and use that dying body of yours to fight Zeau? You are underestimating him.” 

“Why would I want to use this useless body of mine?” Isleif smirked, pointing at Zeau. “I’ll be using yours, to kill him.” 

Xue raised his eyebrows. 

“I’ll kill him, for touching and harming what is mine.” Isleif’s scarlet eyes were focused on Cecil. 

Cecil was still mourning at the fact that she is a love interest now, stealing all the soul fragments away from Hana. She wondered how things even get to such a point.

Xue and Hana followed his gaze, and Hana shook her head to herself. 

All of them keep falling for Cecil so quickly! 

They are truly a part of Xue!

It was then Xue noticed the strangulation marks on her neck, and the red marks on her wrist where her scar from saving Alric was at. 

“Those marks on her neck and her wrist, it doesn’t match Zeau, and you were here earlier,” Xue narrowed his eyes at Isleif. “You did those, didn’t you?” 

Isleif simply smirked arrogantly at Xue. 

A dark shadow hung over Xue’s grey eyes. 

It wasn't only Zeau...but you as well.

Kai: “That bastard!”

Zasiok: “That bastard!”

Leonaut: “That bastard!”

The three souls shouted at the same time, the rage discernible in their voices.

Alric: “Wh-why did he do that to Cecil…”

Sid: “My goddess! Oh those ugly marks on her skin, how painful it must have been!” 

Zeau noticed the tension between Isleif and Xue, pleasantly surprised. 

It seemed like he didn’t need to do anything to cause a distraction now, he could even sit back and enjoy a good show. In fact, if he sneaked an attack on Cecil or Hana, neither of them would notice it. 

Cecil felt herself being dragged away by someone a second later, and she realised it was Hana. The bubbly red-haired woman wore a look of panic on her face. 

“Xue is angry!” Hana exclaimed, biting on her lower lip. “Like super angry! We...we should stay further away…” 

Cecil blinked rapidly, looking at the scene before her. 

“Cecil...I think you need to calm them down.” Hana nudged Cecil, still biting on her lower lip. 

Cecil pointed to herself with wide eyes.

Hana nodded.

“You...you want me to go in there…” Cecil pointed to the two men, an extremely dangerous atmosphere around them. “And calm them down…?” 

“Mhmm!”

“...how?” 

“By talking to them!” 

“...”

“You want me to go in there...and talk?” 

Hana thought for a moment before shaking her head vehemently. “No, no! On second thought, don’t go in there! They are too scary!” 

Zeau, on the other hand, only kept his wings and sat down on the grass as he observed the scene before him. 

It was a literal fight between Xue and Xue. 

Why wouldn’t he watch someone fighting himself? Moreover, that someone was Xue!

“So what if I did?” Isleif smirked even further. “She’s mine, and I can do whatever I want with what’s mine.” 

Xue rushed towards Isleif and started to attack him ruthlessly. 

Isleif was already severely injured, and he easily lost, collapsing to the ground. Without giving him a chance to breathe, Xue skewered Isleif’s palm with his spear, and the tip of the spear was completely heated up by fire. 

Isleif let out a broken yell, along with his warped appearance between a mortal and a demon, it wasn’t a good sight to see. 

Hana squeezed her eyes close, looking away and Cecil patted her on the back. 

Cecil wondered what made Xue so furious, to go after Isleif in such a manner. 

Xue watched Isleif with a callous gaze, twisting his spear and the searing pain made Isleif writhe involuntarily. 

"Cecil Lan isn't an object, or a person you can treat so lightly," his voice was low, lacking any emotion though he was trembling slightly. "Neither is she someone you can simply harm."

"Yo-you can't tell me what to--do!"

"I'll make sure you will never touch her ever again, Isleif."

***

Pt. 1

《 start 》

Mine.

You are only allowed to leave my side when I say so.

Mine.

The only person who can make such marks on your body is me.

You are mine.

You can only die by my hands.

You are mine.

I'll kill whoever who harms what's mine and tries to snatch you away.

You are all mine.

I will never let you go.

《 stop 》

***

Pt. 2

《 start 》

A soul fragment like this actually exists?

He is...a part of me?

He hurt you.

...he dared to hurt you.

I'll make him suffer.

...

...will I ever hurt you like that?

If that day ever comes, I'll disappear.

I will never appear in front of you ever again.

Forever.

《 stop 》