The reunion with Albert was anything but pleasant, even as a polite lie.
My breath was heavy, and my heart raced faster than ever. After all, this was the first encounter after throwing away all my masks.
I had been caught by someone who knew my ugly side. Regardless of the tricky situation, the feeling was the worst.
I met him again as the Back Alley Monster, not as the first-year Iria.
I pressed the Red Sword to Albert’s neck.
“If you’re thinking of fighting, you should stop. It would only hasten your already short life.”
I’ve already won against him twice.
In fact, regardless of records, I was simply stronger than Albert. He was just a tricky opponent when I wasn’t using magical energy down in the Underground.
But now it was different.
The Academy was overflowing with monsters, with magical energy permeating everywhere.
In a place teeming with magical energy, what’s the point of hiding it? Most humans only know of its existence, not who it belongs to.
So today was one of those rare days I could sprinkle magical energy around, considering it was raining.
Even if someone’s blood flowed, it would wash away with the falling rain.
“Before that, I have a few questions. Is it alright to ask, Miss Iria?”
“Go ahead.”
Albert called my name.
He knew more than I expected.
To me, Albert was too big a risk factor. It would be wise to eliminate him here.
But we had shared some words before. I wasn’t heartless enough to ignore his last words.
So, what did he want to say?
I waited in the rain.
“Are you… the Back Alley Monster?”
“Yes.”
“And you have caused countless casualties until now? Just recently, you invaded the Empire’s Underground and killed the top knight Eve, is that you?”
“That’s me.”
Albert’s face looked complex.
It made sense. Some of his memories must be missing. To help his understanding, I added a little explanation.
“I was also the one who erased your memories. The memories from the Underground and the garden. Do you understand now?”
“……”
“You can ask more. I’m also the cause of the massacre a year ago, and this monster incident… Well, I didn’t actually cause this one.”
After making eye contact with Albert, I preemptively answered the questions I knew he had.
Honestly, without any lies.
But soon enough, I felt something strange.
I was too emotionally invested when facing him.
Was it the Demon King’s emotions mixing in? Maybe it was the first time meeting a human bare-faced without a mask.
In reality, I didn’t care much about that anymore.
“Do you understand now? I’m not the kind of good person… No, I’m just a monster that melted into humans.”
A monster, not a student.
A monster that killed humans.
A being who wanted to kill humans but wore a mask out of fear of being hated.
That was me.
If you’re feeling disillusioned, I apologize.
This wasn’t the conversation I wanted to have.
It was because the mask had fallen. I had revealed the face nobody wanted to show.
Did I seem desperate?
Albert spoke up.
“Calm down. It’s okay to speak slowly. I’m not going to run away.”
“……”
Hearing Albert’s words brought me back to my senses. Something was flowing down my cheek.
Now, I wouldn’t be shedding tears, so it must be rainwater.
The rain was pouring so heavily, it was hard to tell whether the water was from my eyes or the rain.
Still holding the Red Sword, I stepped closer to Albert.
“…I have your lifeline in my hands.”
“I know.”
“Your very existence in front of me right now… is just due to my fleeting whim. If I had the heart to, you would have already died in the Underground or the garden.”
“I know that as well.”
“Then why!!”
I shouted.
Maybe it was the rain that made me feel more miserable.
Without realizing it, the grip on the sword tightened, and a cut appeared on Albert’s neck.
He’s got a taste I’ve had before; his blood isn’t great. The smell of murky blood wafted gently through the rain.
“Why don’t you get angry at me? Don’t you hate me?”
I killed Albert’s junior. I had killed knights from the Knights Order, invaded the Empire’s Underground, and erased his memories.
Yet, he showed no emotion toward me. His face was filled with confusion rather than anger, even while looking at me.
Here he was, pitying the monster that was about to take his life. I spoke with a furrowed brow.
“…Don’t look at me like that.”
Should I kill him now?
This could also be some kind of trick. Maybe he was trying to con me because he didn’t want to die.
Better to end this before I get any more agitated.
I never thought I would end up killing Albert.
To finish it, I pulled the Red Sword back, preparing for a swing.
Until just before that moment, I couldn’t read Albert’s expression. He was a human I couldn’t properly see through from our first meeting.
It’s likely we wouldn’t meet again, though.
“Can I ask one last reason? Why did you have to kill people?”
Albert asked with an expressionless face.
For a human facing death, he surprisingly looked calm. Maybe he’s just naturally easygoing.
A reason.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure myself.
I never wanted to kill anyone. If there was a way to survive without anyone dying, I would have chosen that without hesitation.
But I had to kill humans. Without that, I couldn’t continue living.
If I did not kill humans, I would ultimately be the one to kill more.
I couldn’t afford to die.
When my body got wounded, I would heal, replenishing that energy by feeding on humans.
And if I got badly wounded, I would lose control and kill humans.
I was a being whose very existence required the killing of humans from the start.
There was never a way for me to exist without killing humans.
“There’s no reason.”
I just did it because my body wanted it.
“I’m a monster.”
I’m a monster that loses control at the sight of human blood.
“Was that an answer?”
This time I asked Albert, if that was a satisfactory answer for him.
And for a long time, Albert didn’t respond.
At that point, I thought it was time to end this conversation. I felt I had waited long enough.
I closed my eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
I swung the Red Sword I held.
The sharp blade cutting through human flesh echoed with a soft sound.
Blood spattered into the air, and the sensation of slicing through flesh traveled through my fingertips.
Albert silently knelt there. Blood filled his mouth as he met my gaze.
The look in his eyes was different from before. This time, I was looking down at him.
So, just one swing wasn’t enough to kill him? It made sense he was evaluated as one of the Empire’s top warriors.
Now, Albert, on the verge of death, gingerly touched the wound. But thinking of killing someone I had known was unsettling.
As the red magical energy mixed with the rain, his once-red hair returned to its original color.
What was initially awkward had now become disturbingly familiar—my silver hair.
I lifted the Red Sword once more to cut down Albert.
But I couldn’t swing it. There was an unexpected obstacle.
“Iria!”
The voice calling my name made me quickly inject magical energy and turn around.
There was Rena, who had somewhat recovered from her injuries, running toward me. Why was she here?
“I’m glad! You’re safe! As soon as my leg got better, I searched for you… I was worried something might have happened to you!”
When Rena saw me, she let out a sigh of relief, reacting vigorously. Honestly, I was a bit embarrassed about how to respond.
I didn’t want to show my ugly side, the murderous version of me, to her. So, I turned away and stood still for a moment.
If the situation escalated out of control, I might have to kill Rena as well. I only hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“But what’s going on right now? Why are the professors lying around?”
“…I was taking care of them. Both are severely injured from combat with monsters.”
That wasn’t entirely false. I had inflicted those wounds, but I was a monster too.
Fortunately, a giant monster was lying near Albert, diverting her attention in that direction.
The issue was Albert’s reaction. He shot me a piercing look and went silent.
If he was about to say something unnecessary, I was prepared to silence him immediately, but he stayed quiet instead.
He was a quick-witted human.
“How about you, Rena? Are you okay? You fell from the third floor.”
“I’m fine, I got treatment. I think Iria and the professors need me more than I do.”
“……”
That wouldn’t do.
Albert was aware of the secret I was trying to hide. I had no intention of letting him live here.
Should I send Rena away for a moment and kill Albert?
No, if he died, it would be the same as telling Rena I was the culprit.
What if I erased Rena’s memories?
No, erasing memories from someone who knows you carries significant risk. Just like Albert.
I was lost in thoughts for a while.
What to do with him and what to do with Rena.
A considerable amount of time passed, and I couldn’t find the answer. I only felt Rena’s hand pulling mine.
“Let’s go somewhere safe. I was really scared… when you took all the risks for me.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, Iria. You saved me, but I didn’t have the strength to help you. I truly appreciate it. If you hadn’t come, I might have died back there.”
“……”
“But honestly, I’m not sure where you’re looking right now. Sometimes I feel like you’re right beside me, yet it feels so distant… This feels like one of those moments.”
Listening to Rena’s words, I reflected on my current self.
In many aspects, I was covered in blood. The wounds I received had healed, but there was plenty of another being’s blood.
A slight sense of alienation washed over me. I wondered if what I was doing was truly right.
Murder isn’t inherently a good action. I had committed irredeemably too many sins, but I had never questioned if there was a reason strong enough to make a pool of blood.
The reasons for killing.
Come to think of it, hadn’t Albert asked something similar?
I don’t know anymore.
It was so hard to understand the emotions of a monster turned into me.
The deeper my thoughts ran, the darker the blood became, and I felt a strange indifference.
I wanted to stop complicating things.
“I will kill everyone around you if you disclose any information about me. I possess parts of your memories.”
I whispered it in a small voice so Rena wouldn’t hear, believing Albert to be smart enough to understand my meaning.
I took out two pieces of the fragments he had and pocketed them.
Then, as if nothing happened, I naturally lifted Albert’s body and threw Rena over my shoulder.
I didn’t want to, but I had to take them both to the treatment facility.
At this point, I couldn’t kill them.
I should just drop them somewhere and continue along my path.
