Chapter 469: Let Me Be the Sandbag!
Fengyue had finished saying everything he needed to.
There was no doubt in his mind—the Guardians were vile beyond redemption, and the Evictors, though far from perfect, were at least fighting for a cleaner cause.
"I think I understand now," Ryuunosuke said at last. "But regardless of what side is right or wrong, we'll head to Raftel first. Once we reach it, I'll make my choice there."
He tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "What about you, Mr. Fengyue? Will you join us, or continue alone?"
Fengyue sighed. "It seems Captain Ryuunosuke is still as cautious as ever. But I suppose it's only natural."
He stood up, stretching his shoulders. "We won't impose any further. We'll meet again at Raftel."
He had to admit—he had expected Ryuunosuke to be at least slightly swayed by his words. Instead, the man remained as unshakable and unreadable as ever. Still, it was reassuring in a way. A man that guarded his heart this well wouldn't be easy prey for the Guardians.
"I see," Ryuunosuke said lightly. "Though you might not be leaving so soon. Jin doesn't seem like he's planning to stop right now."
With a snap of his fingers, the scenery shifted. In an instant, both of them reappeared on the Eternal Ship's deck.
Below, a crowd had gathered, cheering as Jin traded blows with Ban.
Fengyue rubbed his temples. "This guy… It seems I won't be leaving any time soon. Let's wait until they're done. Hopefully, Jin doesn't go berserk and level half the ship before it ends."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just admit defeat?" he muttered under his breath before sitting down cross-legged on the deck.
Still, his eyes stayed on Ban. He had fought the man before and knew Ban's insane regeneration ability well—but Ban's weapon and other powers remained a mystery.
Ryuunosuke sat down beside him casually.
"Captain," Tatsumi called out, approaching with a grin. "Is this guy our new sandbag? When can we take turns fighting him?"
Ryuunosuke raised a brow. "What, is Sevian not enough for you anymore?"
"With Sevian's strength, he should've been the perfect training partner," Ryuunosuke added, frowning.
Tatsumi scratched his head awkwardly. "About that… after getting beaten senseless by Ban and Meliodas, he kinda… lost his drive. He still fights back, but it's half-hearted. More like muscle memory than spirit."
"I see."
Ryuunosuke stood, brushing off his coat. "Then I'll go talk to him. You can all stay here and watch. If you get a chance, feel free to spar with Jin—but be careful. His strength isn't something you can take lightly."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
---
Ryuunosuke appeared inside a reinforced chamber deep within the ship—the place where Sevian was kept.
"Captain, you're here," said Merlin, pausing her work as arcane instruments hummed around her. "If he's no longer useful as a punching bag, I can repurpose him as an experimental subject."
Her tone was calm—almost cheerful.
Sevian, however, didn't even flinch. His eyes were hollow. Whether he became Merlin's test subject or continued serving as a living sandbag made little difference to him now. Death might have been the kinder option.
"Merlin," Ryuunosuke said evenly, "move your equipment somewhere else for now. I'll speak with him first."
Merlin blinked. "Move my lab? You do realize everything's stored in my dimensional inventory, right?"
Still, she sighed, clearly understanding the message. The captain wanted her gone for a moment.
Ryuunosuke stepped closer to Sevian.
"So, what? You're here because you can't afford to lose a sandbag like me?" Sevian sneered weakly.
"Overestimating yourself, aren't you?" Ryuunosuke replied. "I came because Merlin said you were falling apart—body and mind. I'm here to fix that."
Before Sevian could react, Ryuunosuke's hand shot forward, gripping his neck. A drop of shimmering liquid dripped from his fingertip into Sevian's mouth—the Life Essence.
Then, Ryuunosuke tossed him aside like trash.
"Damn you…" Sevian coughed, glaring weakly. "What are you planning?"
"Don't think too much," Ryuunosuke said coolly. "You're not in control of your future. See those?"
He pointed to a table lined with grotesque, half-finished experiments—disembodied limbs, scales, horns, and claws from ancient beasts Merlin had dissected.
"You'll be joining that collection if you keep sulking."
Sevian's face drained of color. "No… I won't become that… I'm—"
Ryuunosuke slammed his head into the floor.
"The first thing," he said calmly, "is to erase your useless pride."
He straightened, dusting his gloves. "From now on, you'll serve as a war slave of the Dragon Hunter Pirates. Your body might not be impressive, but we'll make good use of it."
He turned toward the exit.
Merlin appeared again, now holding two large claws pulsing with dark energy.
"Hehehe…" She smiled sweetly. "Let's start by testing the compatibility of these Void Destruction Beast claws. If it works, we'll rebuild him into something stronger."
Sevian's eyes widened in horror. "You've got to be kidding! I don't want those things on me!"
He turned to Ryuunosuke, panicked. "Captain! Please—I was wrong! Let me stay as a sandbag! Anything but that!"
Merlin's grin widened as she stepped closer. "Oh? You want to be a sandbag instead?"
"That's adorable," she said teasingly. "Unfortunately, unless the captain says otherwise, I still get to play with you first."
Ryuunosuke didn't answer.
Sevian's voice broke into a scream. "No! Please! Don't let her turn me into that thing! I'll be the sandbag! Just let me be the sandbag!"
His plea echoed through the chamber as Merlin's laughter rang in reply.
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