My Muse || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

⭐ My Muse || Chapter 130

"It's such a shame, really. That I have to murder my little brother." 

The air in the room was thick, almost suffocating me. Walls, pillars, the floor, and the throne, everything was painted red with blood. A truly horrifying scene. But amidst all that suffering, and all that fear, she shone like a tiny light in the middle of a dark stormy mountain. "Why are you hungry?" Mujika asked the Queen, softly. I was shocked. Confused. What? What was she saying? My legs, my arms, everything hurt. But I needed to help her! I stumbled forwards, grabbing her shoulder. She gently smiled, taking my hand. Her face turned to me only for a second, flashing me that look I'd given Ray many times before. "I can do this. I'm fine." So I took a deep breath and followed her gaze onto the Queen's blank face. "You, who are the richest in the land. You, who has the most authority in this land, how can you be so terribly starved?" The thing let out a noise like a growl, her razor sharp movements sending a silver claw to Mujika and I. I jumped in front of her, expecting to be turned into a human kabob. Hmph, that's been happening a lot today. But her attack never reached us, as Sonju and Ray had also jumped in to deflect the steel talons. Both of them grit their teeth, glaring at the creature coldly. "Don't touch her." The black haired boy hissed, with a voice I'd never heard before. Ray... My heart skipped a beat. Agh! This wasn't the time to be blushing y/n, you're literally fighting the Queen! But I couldn't help myself, when such a handsome boy would risk his life to protect me. Mujika tugged Sonju's leg, stepping in front of him. "I pity you, I really do." She whispered, kneeling down. Mujika... What are you doing? She'll kill you! And as the thought left my head, another strike somehow faster than the others was sent to our friend's head. I glanced at Sonju, who had a panicked look on his face. He knew he wouldn't find the angle to deflect that direct hit. "Mujika!" I shouted, reaching out to her. She was- She was going to die! Suddenly, a large unexpected explosion sent chunks of flesh across the room. My eyes darted around the chamber, a disgusting rotting stench starting to waft from a certain someone's body. The Queen's arm, charged backwards into a drilling attack had started to crumble. "She- She's degenerating-!" Norman stuttered, watching the battle, yet trying to treat Zazie and Cislo at the same time. Barbara, who had also been injured in the initial fight, was sitting barely conscious at the other corner of the room. Mujika spoke up again, in her soft yet sharp voice. "My Queen, you have eaten too much. You thought you were special, right? For having a second core? That's nothing but a second chance at life, and with your new life, you've made the same mistake." The monster's right limb had turned to ash, everyone immediately noticing it's failing to regenerate. "This is nonsense, I was- I was reborn! What- What's happening to me?" The curtain of flesh still standing behind it started to swell, trying to rejoin it's master. Hundreds of faces, demons and humans alike started to break through, screaming in agony. Mujika stepped back, watching the demon before us implode. "You may have been reborn, but you're already dead. Your body has already been pushed to it's limit. The lives that you've taken, the identities you've consumed... They're killing you, aren't they?" The screams of the lost only got louder and louder. Dead children, dead demons, shouting for help. The Queen buried her face into her hands, trying to drown them out with her own pained howls. I covered my ear, grimacing at the heart shattering noise. Ray grabbed my shoulders, pulling me into his chest. "She's melting..." He whispered, not allowing me to watch the gruesome scene. I let his warm, familiar smell envelope me before I had to inevitably return to the sour, rotting stench of her corpse. His grip on me loosened and I pulled myself free. A black puddle of blood and guts was left in her place. Mujika was kneeling next to it, her hands locked together in prayer. "Goodbye, your majesty." 

Another loud, unexpected shout startled me back into Ray's arms. He patted my head, pointing at Norman and Zazie, who had woken up. I rushed over to them, dragging the black haired boy behind me. "You're okay?" I smiled, patting his chest. This was the first time I'd seen Zazie's face. Mujika kneeled beside me, examining his condition. "What do we do now?" Ray asked, his voice low. He clenched his fists, turning to the Queen's carcass, or what was left of it. "Norman is right. Because we've done this, because the Queen is dead, and all nobility alongside her, this world will fall into chaos. A civil war amongst demons." I shrugged, turning to Sonju, who was still frozen from the battle. "Why can't you be King? The Queen's little brother, right? The prince?" He snapped back into reality, shaking his head no. "I know nothing of politics, nor do I have any connections to the people. For hundreds of years, the brand on my name was of a traitor, and I doubt the people would accept that as their king." My gaze fell to the floor, completely perplexed and confused. How do I fix this? A small hand gently grabbed mine, comforting me with a slight squeeze. "y/n, it's okay." Mujika smiled brightly, just like the light she was. "You guys should go back to the hideout. Your friends are waiting, right?" I nodded hesitantly. I wanted to stay and to help. The purple haired demon seemed to notice my uncertainty and gave me a quick hug. "Really, y/n. We'll be fine. I already have a plan, so go, okay? If the royal army did make it to your home, then there would be trouble." She was right. We had to leave. I ran up to Sonju, who had been staring at us silently. He seemed to have something troubling on his mind. I hugged his leg, shouting a loud thank you before running off with the others. Zazie was holding Cislo as gently as he could, Barbara over Vincent's shoulder. Our horses were waiting patiently right outside the city walls. Ray grabbed my waist, helping me onto the large animal, and taking a seat behind me. "Hold on tight." He said, yanking the reigns. 

"I hadn't thought about it before," I shouted, the wind muffling my voice. "But why had the demon army deviated from the capitol? Why were they going to our base? It can't have been the Queens orders. She was fighting you guys." Norman's white hair bounced with his horse's trot, his slender, bruised fingers clutched the steed tightly. "Because it wasn't hers. Someone else had the same amount of authority she had. Someone else very important, an heir to a family as royal as hers." I bit my cheek, only one name coming to mind. "Peter Ratri."