Returned to the Past, the Hero is Protected by the Villain?

Chapter 3: Then You'll Die

Emerging from a blue rift, the man's expression was strained as his eyebrows knit in seemingly annoyance. In contrast, the man he was carrying had a face of confusion and uncertainty about what was happening.

Putting him down on the ground, he started inspecting the area around him.

They were in a hallway that had an unknown language inscribed on the walls. The walls and floors were cracked with age, and weeds grew in between them on the floor. A blue tint was present throughout the hall, despite no light source being visibly present.

Looking at the walls, Deus focused his attention.

"W-why did you bring me here? Where are we?"

The frightened man finally spoke with a trembling voice, as he looked up at him.

Deus met him in the eyes and looked at him with a complicated expression, but the strained face he was making could be interpreted as one of a glare as well, especially when his eyebrows were closely knit together. Looking away, he continued to resume what he was doing.

"Kafka."

"Kafka?"

"We're currently in Kafka's tomb. You should already know of the legend."

"Ah... right... what was it again?"

Deus looked back with an expression of disbelief, the words 'are you for real' Spelled out on his face. Hiiro, getting the message, averted his eyes, trying not to make contact with the former's judgemental glare.

"The story is about the King of Gregor, Kafka. In a small town called Grete near the borders of the country, a family found some of their livestock feeling ill. After a few weeks, the livestock had gotten better, but to the horror of the family, when they had killed an old cow to feed the family, there were thousands of insects in the body of the cow. However, this parasite had not only just infected the livestock, but also the people living there. By the time the king had heard of this, half the country had already been plagued with this new parasite."

Deus drew his sword.

"The people infected died after feeling ill for a few weeks, and the parasites soon infested their body and acted normally like them. They acted so naturally, that even the King had not noticed that his family were already gone and had been infected. After realizing this, he couldn't risk this deadly parasite spreading to the outside world. Thus, with a heavy heart, he buried the whole country of Gregor, trapping the parasite underground forever."

Holding his unsheathed sword, he pointed it at Hiiro, who was sitting on the ground, dumbfounded. Growing pale, Hiiro focused on the blade pointed at him.

"Hold still."

"?!"

Fear welled up as his life seemed to flash before his eyes, and he sat frozen in place.

Deus then thrust his sword, as the other closed his eyes with a flinch.

However, he didn't feel any pain. He slowly opened his eyes, only to see the blade a few centimeters away from his cheek. He began to tremble in fear as he had just escaped death somehow.

Looking next to him, he saw what the sword had hit, which was surprisingly an insect that squirmed about.

"!!"

As he retreated his weapon, Deus pulled Hiiro up and held him close in his arms, on guard.

"Wha—?!"

"Stay alert, or you'll end up like the people in the legend."

Suddenly, the story that he was told sank in as he realized what situation he was in.