Chapter 37 - Just A Question

With a giant arm in front of him. Teren's panicked expression faded back into an indifferent one.

He immediately ducked, charged in, took the metal rod, and with a spin, he slammed it onto the back of Clade's knee.

With all of his force directed to his punch, Clade could not stop himself. The crack that Teren made spread, breaking his knee cap and bones behind it!

"Ack-!"

Thud!*

Clade shouted in pain but his face went towards the ground, eating the soil. Out of fear, he jerked and wanted to stand up, afraid for Teren to sneak attack him again.

But, unfortunately for him, with that sudden movement, numerous bones all over his body cracked all at the same time. Clade's face twitched as he dropped onto the ground on his back one last time.

Thud*

Strength faded as his bulging muscles slowly returned to their original form. Clade felt numb all over his body. He couldn't even lift a finger or move his mouth. His body was in a bloody mess and even wrinkled.

He could only roll his eyes and even that was difficult for him. He was totally naught of energy.

Clade looked and saw Teren looking down on him. Chills run up his spine upon realization.

'He had yet to sweat... the Devil Himself didn't even sweat while I'm at his mercy. No, this guy has no mercy...'

At that moment, Clade teared up.

'I fucking lost... I will die... help. I don't want to die yet.'

Meanwhile, Teren didn't make a move on him. On his peripheral vision, he saw something flash by. He looked and frowned at it.

'Is that a Spirit? I feel no malicious intent...'

After a moment, he took the knife from Clade's other hand and walked towards the only gate to the lot.

"Teren!" Iesa clenched her fists and trembled. But it was not out of frustration. The cool Iesa Hun was almost hopping as she couldn't stop smiling. She was feeling excitement and great joy.

'He won! He won!'

When she thought that Teren was about to talk to them, he walked past her and Nick. He stood in front of Mike with Catherine behind his back.

"W-what?" asked Mike.

The fight happened so fast after the monster became black and blue. They have yet to process it when they just saw that Teren won the fight. Then right now, he was in front of them.

Iesa couldn't hear Teren's thoughts and the worst-case scenario appeared in her head.

Teren raised the knife in front of Mike. But before he could speak, Iesa hugged him front behind as if stopping him.

"Wait! Teren! Don't kill them!"

'Kill... us...?'

Both Mike and Catherine were petrified.

"Even though they're witnesses, you basically saved their lives too! I don't think they will go against you! If you add them to your murder, the case will get bigger and the police will come for you more! And... and...!"

Iesa tried reasoning anything but Nick found something missing from those reasons.

'Is she shy? Why didn't she include that their lives are important or that killing itself is bad...? All of them seemed to be because she didn't want Teren to be caught or something...'

Mike and Catherine realized the situation they are in. They didn't know that Teren is a psychopath but they know that Teren CAN kill them! And that was enough for them to lose their mind in panic.

"P-p-please, n-...no!" tears poured down from Catherine's eyes like water from a faucet.

Even Mike teared up and felt limp. He was unable to say anything.

But at the next moment, their eyes widened in disbelief. The indifference on Teren's face melted as he blushed upon glancing at Iesa's arms wrapped around him.

"N-no... I wasn't planning to kill them. I was just going to ask if they want me to bribe them so that they can shut up or if they want to die... that's all." Teren's bashfully said with reddened ears and wandering eyes.

'So you really planned to kill us(them) if we(they) said no!!?' Nick, Mike, and Catherine all thought.

"Oh... so you will do what I said to you before." Iesa slightly smiled as she replied softly. Even though Teren already said he's just going to ask a question, she still didn't let go of her arm.

"Y-yeah..."

"Okay..." Iesa blushed as she slightly buried her face onto his back.

'You're fine with that!? And what's with this sweet scene!?' the three were petrified for another reason.

Only after a moment did Iesa let go before fidgeting.

"S-sorry..."

"It's fine. Maybe that guy back there scared you, hahaha... But it's okay, he's already down."

Teren looked back at her with a smile which Iesa smiled back and slightly nodded.

"Yeah, okay."

There was a pause in which Teren wanted to say that Iesa can hug more but realizing how embarrassing that sounds, he turned back to the pair.

"Do you want a bribe or a threat to shut your mouths?"

He no longer raised the knife but his words were still taken by Mike and Catherine seriously.

It felt surreal since Teren was still restraining his smile while his face flushed with red. If they didn't see how he was so unhesitant in fighting that monster and won in the end, Mike and Catherine would've just laughed at him.

'Bribe or threat...?' they both thought. The answer was so obvious but it felt like a trap.

"B-bribe..." Catherine answered after a moment of thought.

"Then, I will also choose bribe." Mike said with a cautious expression.

Even if it felt like a trap, why wouldn't they choose it?

Teren nodded and took his phone from his pocket. He then showed his number to them.

'He has his phone in his pocket this whole time!?' even Iesa was shocked. He moved so fast and wide while still having the phone stay in his pocket. None of them know how to comment on this.

But after that initial shock, Iesa realized the situation and put down Teren's arm.

"Teren, I think they can just tell you right now what they want, right?"

"...I guess, you're right." Teren then put down his phone when Catherine reacted -

"-Ah"

"What?" Iesa asked.

"I... already put the number in my phone."

"..."

Seeing Iesa's deep stare, Catherine shuddered.

"I have quick fingers since I... chat with my friends all the time." she timidly said.

"I guess that's fine. At least, I have to people with my number now."

Teren mumbled with a smile.

Meanwhile, Iesa was shocked.

'Doesn't that mean I'm the only one who knows his phone number before...? I'm the only one... before. But now...'

Her shocked eyes rolled to the phone Catherine held.

'Isn't one enough....?'