Free Web NovelChapter 1118: Masked Tears of an Assassin
Tachibana bowed her head deeply, tears dripping onto the floor. "Master... I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. I never wanted to cause Jack harm..."
Akane remained on her knees beside me, gently stroking my hair with trembling fingers. Through the telepathic link, her inner thoughts continued flooding into my mind without pause:
[You stupid, kind-hearted bastard... If you leave me now, I really will kill myself... Don’t you dare die on me...] freёweɓnovel.com
Yuko leaned down and pressed her forehead against my chest, whispering softly, "Jack... please wake up soon. I still need to scold you... and then... I want to stay by your side forever."
I continued pretending to be unconscious for a long, agonizing time. Three and a half hours dragged by in heavy, suffocating silence. The tension in the room thickened like storm clouds, pressing down on everyone present.
Every shallow breath I took was carefully measured to seem natural, every slight twitch of my body controlled.
Tachibana paced anxiously back and forth across the wooden floor, her footsteps echoing sharply. She muttered under her breath, running a hand through her disheveled hair.
"This is too long... Why isn’t he waking up yet? It’s never taken this much time before. Master, please... say something, anything. We can’t lose you like this."
Hitomi sat rigidly beside the bed, clutching her now-healed hands tightly to her chest as if afraid they might shatter again.
Fresh tears rolled silently down her pale cheeks, leaving glistening trails. "This is all because of me... If I had just stayed hidden like I was supposed to... None of this would have happened. I’m so sorry, Jack..."
Yuko refused to let go of my hand even for a second, her grip tight and almost painful, her knuckles white. She whispered desperate prayers under her breath, her voice hoarse from crying.
"Jack... please... I can’t lose you... Not after everything we’ve been through. God, if you’re listening, bring him back to us..."
Finally, I decided it was time. I let out a weak, realistic cough that rattled in my chest, then stirred slowly on the bed, my eyelids fluttering open as if waking from a deep coma.
"Jack...!" "Jack!!" "He’s awake! Thank goodness!"
Everyone rushed toward me at once, their faces lighting up with overwhelming relief and pure joy, eyes wide and brimming with emotion.
But instead of the expected hugs and gentle words, Yuko’s palm flew across my face with a loud, stinging SLAP! The sharp sound cracked through the room like a whip.
I blinked, rubbing my stinging cheek with a weak smile. Yuko’s eyes were swollen and red from hours of crying, her lips quivering with a violent storm of relief, anger, and fear all mixed together.
"You big bastard...!" she shouted, her voice cracking painfully. "Are you trying to kill yourself?! Do you have any idea how terrified we all were?! We thought you were going to die right in front of us! We sat here for hours thinking this was the end!"
I coughed again softly, trying to play it off with a tired grin. "What are you guys talking about? I’m just a little weak after using the ability... It always happens like this. I’ll recover after some rest, I promise." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Tachibana stepped forward, her face twisted with a mix of anger, pain, and betrayal. "Are you really going to lie to us until the very end?! Master already told us everything! We know the truth about your lifespan! About how every time you heal someone, you’re carving away pieces of your own life!"
I pretended to be shocked, widening my eyes dramatically as I slowly turned my head toward Akane. "You told them?"
Akane remained deathly silent, staring at me with those complicated, pained crimson eyes that held a universe of unspoken suffering.
I looked at Hitomi and gave her a gentle, warm smile despite the exhaustion weighing on me. "Sister Hitomi... you look so beautiful now. The healing worked perfectly. Your hands... they’re completely restored. I’m really glad."
Hitomi burst into fresh tears, covering her mouth as heavy sobs wracked her body. "You big idiot...! Why did you heal me...? Why did you throw away pieces of your own life like that for someone like me?! Tell me honestly... was it worth it? Was saving someone as ruined and broken as me really worth shortening your lifespan?! Answer me!"
I answered without even a moment’s hesitation, nodding firmly. "Yeah... it was worth it. Every single second. Seeing you whole again makes it all worth it."
The room fell into a heavy, emotional quiet for a long moment, the weight of my words hanging in the air.
I continued calmly, my voice steady despite the fatigue. "And don’t blame anyone here — not Tachibana, not Yuko, and definitely not your Master. This was my choice. My decision alone. No one forced me."
Akane took a deep, shaky breath and looked at the others with a heavy, commanding expression that left no room for argument. "Yuko, Hitomi, Tachibana... go outside for a while. I need to talk to him privately. Now. Don’t come back until I call for you."
The three of them hesitated visibly, reluctance and worry etched on their faces, but they eventually obeyed. They filed out quietly, closing the door behind them with a soft click that echoed like a finality.
The second they were gone, Akane moved like a deadly shadow. In a flash, she grabbed my collar with both hands and yanked me upright with surprising strength, staring directly into my eyes from mere inches away. Her face was half-covered by her black assassin mask, but her striking red eyes were overflowing with hot tears and burning with raw fury.
"Why...?" she demanded, her voice shaking violently, almost feral. "Tell me, Jack... Why?! Don’t you want to live?! Why are you throwing your life away like this over and over again?! Answer me, you stupid idiot!!"
Her grip tightened painfully on my collar, wrinkling the fabric as more tears slipped down her cheeks, soaking into her mask.
"Do you have any idea how I felt watching you lie there motionless for hours?! I thought... I thought you were really going to die this time! My heart stopped every time your breathing slowed."
"Every single time you use that cursed power, I feel like my soul is being ripped out piece by piece! Why do you keep doing this to me?! Why can’t you just be selfish for once in your life and think about yourself, about your own future?!"
She shook me slightly, her voice breaking further into raw anguish. "You promised me... You swore you wouldn’t use it recklessly anymore! And yet here you are, healing Hitomi without a second thought about the cost!"
"What about Haruna? What about Yuko? Did you even stop for one moment to think about how we would survive — how we would keep living — if something happened to you?!"
Akane’s forehead pressed hard against mine, her breath ragged and warm against my skin, carrying the scent of salt from her tears.
"You big fool... I hate you... I hate you so much for making me worry like this, for making me feel this helpless... If you die, I swear I’ll follow you right after. I won’t let you leave me alone in this world... Do you understand?! I’ll end it all the moment you do!"
Her hands trembled violently as she held my collar, clearly torn between wanting to slap me, scream at me, and pull me into the tightest embrace imaginable.
