Zoemi didn't scream once out loud, but in his heart, he was wailing.

If he had to choose between this pain and the pain he felt right before his previous life ended - the one that his throat was crushed by a motorbike's tire - he would choose the crushed throat any time.

This agony was just too much.

And he was only thirty hits in...

--------

*SNAP*

"!!!!!!!!

"

Up until forty hits, the black-haired boy managed to keep standing up by concentrating on the shadows dancing deep within his mind.

-------

*SNAP*

"!!!!!!!!

"

After fifty hits, Zoemi leaned against the wooden pole with all his weight and his eyes were full of tears.

|I want to see Miriette...|

He sobbed in his mind and gritted his teeth bracing for another hit.

*SNAP*

"!!!!!!!!!

"

Each hit hurt so much that Zoemi felt like the pain would make his skull explode – the black-haired boy prayed that he could lose consciousness but the technique of the torturer didn't allow for that.

---------

*SNAP*

"GHUGH...! Ughe...! Ugh...!|

After sixty hits Zoemi made a sound that wasn't just a gasp for the first time - he started coughing and spat out a mouthful of blood and stomach acid.

*SNAP*

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

After seventy hits Zoemi wasn't able to think straight and was trembling uncontrollably.

My lady, I want to see you so much...! My lady...!

On one hand, he was happy that she couldn't see him in such a state – in the first place that was the reason why he forced himself to not scream – the dark-haired girl was definitely keeping her window open and listening if there's anything wrong with him.

If the black-haired boy would scream in pain she would get to him instantly.

...but the thing she would do then would definitely put her right on the one-way road towards the bad end...

Even in that situation, Miriette's safety and happiness were at the top of Zoemi's priorities list.

But on the other hand...

Even her presence would be enough for him to prevail through this torment...

Just a glimpse of his beloved master... of her platinum hair...!

…

…?

Platinum hair...?

"...?

"

The black-haired boy flinched even before the whip reached his back.

Why did he just think about platinum hair...?

Zoemi tried to focus and furrowed his brows – did he think about that color because the strange young girl was in the crowd of students watching his punishment in terror...?

The black-haired boy tried to look at the horrified audience but couldn't hold his head up for long enough to confirm his guess...

... but it must have been the case...

Feeling his thought being complete blur the black-haired attendant tried to compose himself...

He would be a failure of an attendant if he mistook his master for another person – was the ridiculous thought that the boy's brain produced to escape from the agony of whipping.

| Miriette's hair is soo green that it looks black... I love her... I love brushing her dark hair...|

Zoemi managed to compose a sensible thought.

|Yes. That was correct...|

He congratulated himself, trying to swallow the blood filling his mouth because he was gritting his teeth too hard.

|Exactly – Miriette's hair is dark... yes... so, therefore, it's obvious that my beloved master's hair is plati...|

*SNAP*

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

The next hit chased away any semblance of clarity that the black-haired boy managed to gather...

--------

*SNAP*

"...

"

After eighty hits Zoemi slumped down against the pole completely and was silently crying with his face pressed against his arms and the wooden pole - if not for the rope binding his hands up, the black-haired boy would be curled up on the ground in the fetal position.

The amount of the tears he cried out was only beaten by the amount of blood that was spilling from his back.

"...

"

The pale-blue-haired torturer wasn't the best torture-master in the kingdom for no reason - he knew his job very well and he knew exactly how to whip someone properly so they wouldn't die from something as boring as the loss of blood.

After all, he was the transcended water magician – no, even more – he was the ice magician and was using his ice enchants that were considered the absolute peak of power out of every known attribute – variant or not - that not even the extremely powerful transcended magicians of other attributes could compare to by a long shot, to keep the bleeding of his victims to the minimum while maximalizing the pain.

------

*SNAP*

"...

"

After ninety hits only one longing remained in Zoemi's tattered body.

|Miriette... I miss you... Miriette... I want to see you... Miriette...|

It wasn't the longing for his master – it was the honest call of his heart to see the dark-haired girl at least one more time...

For everyone else gathered in front of the academy it was just a couple dozen minutes - it didn't take even an hour for the punishment to end...

...but by the time the whip hit his body for the one-hundredth time, Zoemi's tears completely dried up and except for the longing to see Miriette, his mind went completely blank.

"...hey... um... kid... it's over...

"

"...

"

At first, the black-haired boy didn't even react when the tortured walked up to him and muttered quietly before releasing the attendant's hands.

"...

"

"...whoa there... I got you...

"

The pale-blue-haired man helped Zoemi keep his balance as the black-haired boy immediately fell forward as soon as his body wasn't being supported.

|I... I think this might have been my last job...|

The torturer was a middle-aged man but he caused more suffering than he ever wanted - he punished criminals and unjustly sentenced innocent people alike.

He never enjoyed causing pain, it was just a part of his job.

"Now, now... it's okay... you did fine... now... you can curse me out... it will make you feel better... I think...

"

The pale-blue-haired man helped the black-haired attendant to stand up just so that the boy could pour all his hatred out on him. It was the least a torturer could do for his victim...

"...huh...? It... it's over... sir...?

"

"?!?!?!

"

But then the scarred black-haired boy looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"Thank... thank you... for helping me... protect my master.... sir...

"

Zoemi said and bowed his head to the torturer.

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"

The pale-blue-haired man trembled.

In his whole career, no one ever thanked him for tortures - not even the people who were paying him to torture others.

That was a stigma of the job.

But this boy just thanked him.

The black-haired boy took the punishment meant for his master on himself and thanked the torturer for fulfilling his duty...!

The torturer gulped down his saliva.

"Listen, I'm so...

"

For the first time in his life, the torturer wanted to apologize to the person he tortured.

...but it was unnecessary...

Zoemi already managed to hold himself up without his help and started stumbling his way to his clothes and wasn't even looking at the troubled man.

The attendant simply didn't hold any ill will towards the blue-haired man with the whip stained by his blood.

|I'm going to see Miriette...!|

At the moment it was the only thought fueling Zoemi to keep moving.

He completed both of his objectives.

Now he must only return to Miriette,- now, most of her bad endings won't be able to trigger - she was so much closer to being safe and happy...!

"...I told Miriette that I will bring her meal...

"

Zoemi muttered under his breath...

That's right - he couldn't just fall there - ha had a promise to keep after all....