<h4>Vol. 5 ITRG Volume 5 Chapter 15.1</h4>


    “Aaaack!”


    “Please… let us live!”


    “Aaaack! My wrist!”


    The narrow alley quickly turned into an agonizing scene. The brave but reckless thugs sprawled on the dirty floor in a pool of blood. The dagger-wielder even had his wrist shed off. The moment a hand of the otherwise healthy man fell to the floor, Aeroc couldn’t handle his nausea and turned his head.


    “Where are you trying to go?”


    Bendyke hadn’t stopped at simply incapacitating his opponent. He shed their wrists, severed two of their ankle cords, and punctured one of their lungs. Some had dirty towels tied tightly around their thighs to stop the bleeding, while others screamed in agony as they clutched their bleeding wrists. Some tried to crawl across the floor in terror. Bendyke cut long shes across their backs. It was almost demonic, the way he inflicted pain, intentionally not killing them.


    “Enough now.”


    Aeroc stopped him, unable to stand it any longer. A few drops of blood trickled down the torturer’s face.


    “He’s already lost the will to resist. Unnecessary killing is a felony.”


    “These people need to be erased from existence.”


    Bendyke was already past the point of self-defense, yet he had no intention of stopping.


    “Then I’ll leave. I don’t want to see this horrible scene anymore.”


    Aeroc didn’t want to use murder to the man who had helped him. If someone had reported them and they went on trial with Aeroc as a witness, he didn’t have the confidence that he could lie. He would rather not see or hear anything. It might already be toote, but he had to get out of there before he witnessed something worse.


    “Aeroc.”


    Bendyke called from behind. Aeroc ignored him and continued walking quickly. The moans of the disgusting, yet pitiful men, soon faded into the distance. But the pestering presence did not fade.


    “Wait.”


    When they reached an alley where there were no horrible moans or blood, Bendyke grabbed Aeroc. The ck gloves had never looked so terrible.


    “Let go.”


    Aeroc jerked the hand away. But he stopped walking. He stared at the other in disbelief. The excitement had worn off, and Bendyke had returned to his stern expression. There was no sign of his usual sneer.


    “I will apany you to the estate. It’s not safe here.”


    “Put that horrible sword away.”


    Aeroc warned in a low whisper, looking everywhere in case anyone was watching. Bendyke pulled a handkerchief from his chest pocket and ran it across the de. Red blood stained the handkerchief as he tossed it to the ground. Aeroc shook his head.


    “I can’t tell who is more dangerous. No matter if it’s the bottom ce, how can you carry such a weapon in broad daylight in the center of the capital? Are you insane?”


    “I have never harmed an innocent person.”


    Instead of remorse, the man tried to justify his actions. Aeroc should have realized the implications when Wolke warned him that Bendyke was a dangerous man.


    “Those men deserve to die, for all they’ve done is bring misery to others.”


    “Do you think you’re the judge of that? Or do you think you’re a god? Even if they’re a waste of life, as long as they were born human, they should be punished with due process. If they rob me and harm me, they deserve a few weeks in jail, not the dismemberment and crippling of their limbs.”


    “They’re not human, they’re bugs. And if they even touched a hair on your head, I’d have their eyes gouged out and their heart ripped out alive. A sh on the wrist is a mild punishment.”


    “You’ve gone crazy.”


    Just then, a whistle sounded in the distance. Aeroc jumped, but the assant only frowned.


    “Is it a policeman?”


    “No, it’s a signal from the thugs.”


    “Anyway, let’s get out of the way.”


    “Are you worried about me?”


    “I’m worried about me getting caught in this.”


    “I’ll walk you to the estate.”


    “Don’t even think abouting into my house like that. I have no intention of inviting a criminal into the estate my parents left me.”


    “I’ve already been there,” Bendyke sneered. Judging by his reaction, this wasn’t the first time he’d done this kind of thing, but Aeroc didn’t want to waste any more emotional energy on the madman’s unsupported nonsense. Aeroc didn’t even want to talk to him anymore. Aeroc kept his mouth shut and red at Bendyke, and was just about to turn away when the man spoke up.


    “If you don’t want to go to the estate, how about my house?”


    “I’d rather be in an abandoned house with fleas and rats.”


    Aeroc shot back coldly. The whistle sounded closer and closer. This time Bendyke made the first move. He nced at Aeroc and brushed past him. Then he stalked away. But they should be moving towards the other way. Aeroc’s anxiety grew at the sound of the whistle and the sight of someone running toward him. Aeroc hesitated, then decided on a path.


    “Only until I get to the main street. This doesn’t mean I’m following you.”


    “Who said anything?”


    Bendyke replied nonchntly. But Aeroc didn’t miss the slight upturn of his lips, and as the group of unknown pursuers drew closer, Aeroc couldn’t hide his anxiety. He stood close to Bendyke.


    “You there!”


    Someone shouted, and Bendyke pushed him through a door he hadn’t realized existed. It was a dark, dusty room. It looked like a warehouse. The door mmed shut, and a group of men scurried out a momentter. Aeroc held his breath, pressed against his unwee opponent, while some people passed by, searching for them.


    Something hard pressed painfully against his thigh. The position he was pressed against was ufortable.


    “Something’s touching me.”


    In a low whisper, Aeroc tried to shift his leg, and Bendyke groaned lowly. It seemed like Aeroc wasn’t the only one ufortable.


    “What is it down there?”


    “Don’t talk, just stay still.”


    “But…… it hurts.”


    Aeroc used his hand to feel around. The other man’s groan deepened.


    “Are you carrying two knives around? You dangerous bastard.”


    “Wrong.”


    “Then, a gun?”


    Aeroc was about to argue with him about why he would use a sword when he had a gun, but a hot exhale rattled Aeroc’s ears.


    “Sword or gun, it clearly doesn’t belong to the Count, so let it go.”


    A pained sigh mingled in the other’s stifled voice, and Aeroc finally realized what it was.


    “Oh.”


    Aeroc pulled his hand away immediately. But their position hadn’t changed, it was still pressing painfully against his thigh. As the embarrassment wore off, disgust took over.


    “Getting aroused while hurting people. You crazy pervert.”


    “It’s the other way around.”


    “What?”


    “It’s the other way around. I came out here to calm my arousal.”


    What a naive fool he was to have sex with this man. Aeroc regretted, bitterly, that he hadn’t recognized the crazed pervert and secretlyplimented his body. He didn’t want to spend a single moment with this horrible man. Part of him wanted to storm out of here right now, but s, there were still those guys out there, searching for the man who had harmed their colleagues. It was a choice between potential danger and immediate danger. Right now, facing a crazed pervert was only slightly preferable.


    “Why do you need to bring a weapon to calm your nerves?”


    “To get some exercise.”


    “If you’re going to a brothel, you should bring some money, not a sword. Don’t tell me you’re going to threaten them because you don’t have enough money for the sex? You crazy…….”


    Aeroc was stunned as he tried to piece together this situation. Then Bendyke told him to keep quiet.


    “I’ll pay for you. I’ve given up hope of ever doing anything in this disgusting district. I’ll hand over my entire wallet.”


    “Here? And what do you mean by paying money?”


    The moment he heard the low voice from the darkness, Aeroc realized he had made a grave mistake. His entire body froze, even though it was just a series of inhales and exhales.


    “Count,e to think of it, I haven’t heard the reason you came here alone.”


    “It’s none of your business.”


    Aeroc turned away from him in embarrassment. Once again, he realized, any physical cues were meaningless in such close quarters. In fact, his nervousness only increased the other’s excitement. His breathing became increasingly ragged. The hard penis pressed painfully against his thigh, ready to tear through his flesh at any moment.


    “I can’t hold it anymore.”


    Aeroc didn’t know what Bendyke meant by “can’t hold it anymore,” and he hoped, desperately, that it was what he expected. However, the arrogant employee, only a day has passed since he was fired, took no notice of Aeroc’s wishes. He yanked the door open and dragged Aeroc back out into the dirty alley.


    “They’re there!”


    As they stepped out, the pursuers came after them again.


    “Fuck off.”


    Bendyke warned in a menacing voice as he drew his sword. As they hesitated, someone blew a whistle. A sharp noise cut through the air, followed by the appearance of a man with a gun.


    “It’s dangerous.”


    Aeroc felt breathless and stopped Bendyke. But instead of running away, he pulled Aeroc back and threw his sword away.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    With a loud sound, the gun went off. But it wasn’t Bendyke who fell to the street in the pungent smell of gunpowder.


    “He’s dead!”


    The man with the gun fell to the ground, bleeding, but that didn’t mean Bendyke was unharmed. A hole in his broad shoulder gushed blood.


    “He’s been shot!”


    Aeroc shouted as he unconsciously put his hand to the wound, his hand covered in red blood.


    “Kill him!”


    The men charged. Even with a serious gunshot wound, Bendyke snatched the cane from Aeroc’s hand and turned to face them. An unbelievable sight ensued. He was so tough, barely using one arm to throw off the thugs one by one.


    <i>Hit. Hit.</i>


    Swung mercilessly, the tip of the cane dyed the same color as the sword Bendyke held. As Aeroc stood there, mouth agape, watching the carnage, a figure even bigger than Bendyke appeared from the end of the alley.


    “Hagen.”


    A thug called him Hagen, and he looked at Bendyke and clicked his tongue. A thug went closer to greet him, but Hagen smashed his fist into that thug’s face.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    The sound of the face getting broken froze the thugs in their tracks.


    “Sir, the Lord had asked me to tell you to do it in moderation.”


    “I’d like to do it in moderation, but as you can see, I have a guest.”


    Exhaling harshly, Bendyke spoke with a tone that implied he knew Hagen well. At the mention of a guest, Hagen looked at Aeroc and frowned.


    “I’ll clean this up.”


    Just as he said that, a group of hoodlums appeared out of nowhere, dragging the half-dead thugs away.


    “Who the hell are you? If it’s the Lord, then he must be the owner of the bottom ce. How do you know him? Are you not the Lord?”


    Aeroc asked, and Bendyke gave him a strange look. He wanted to say something, but a low groan came out. Blood from the gunshot wound trickled down to his fingertips.


    “I guess I’ll have to treat you first.”


    “My house.”


    Aeroc followed him without argument. In fact, he tried to help, but Bendyke refused. The reason being he didn’t want to get blood on Aeroc’s fine jacket.


    “I don’t want to ruin the Count’s perfection.”


    The words seemed to be meant as a joke, but Aeroc felt bad listening to that. More than being offended, he felt saddened. How inhuman and cold-blooded this man was. An aristocrat, no matter how proud, would be fine to have his clothes stained with the blood of someone who had risked his life to help him.


    Come to think of it, Bendyke had insisted that Aeroc stay exactly as he was when they first met. Perfectly as he was. How in the world does this man see himself? A proud, noble aristocrat? Aeroc had hoped to appear that way. However, Aeroc couldn’t figure out why he felt unhappy now, apanying a man who was bleeding and walking the dirty streets.


    * * *


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