On the way home, Yoon Si-woo was still deeply immersed in the memories of the zoo. Just thinking about the photo that had become his phone’s wallpaper made him smile uncontrollably.
Maybe that’s why, every time he looked at Scarlet walking next to him, he felt warmer than before.
He had never felt a day as enjoyable as today in his whole life. And the fact that he could experience such joy was thanks to the girl walking beside him.
With thoughts of Scarlet swirling in his mind, Yoon Si-woo candidly expressed his gratitude to her.
“Today was really fun. Scarlet, I think I enjoyed the holiday because of you.”
Scarlet silently nodded at his words. He wished she had enjoyed it as much as he did.
Feeling a surge of desire build up inside him, Yoon Si-woo pondered whether or not he should say something. Eventually, he made up his mind. Though unintentional, it felt akin to a date with Scarlet, and he realized that to get what he wanted, he needed to be courageous.
So, shutting his eyes tightly, he said to her, “Hey, if it’s okay, let’s go somewhere fun together next time. If there’s a place you want to go, feel free to tell me anytime.”
While he could have mentioned that he wanted to spend that time alone with her, he chose to phrase it as honestly as he could. Unfortunately, he didn’t receive the reaction he had hoped for.
Scarlet averted her gaze slightly upon hearing his words, as if she wasn’t particularly keen on the idea. Yoon Si-woo felt his courage, which he had mustered with great effort, slip away like dust, leaving him disheartened as he muttered, “Ah… I didn’t mean it to sound like that… Just saying if you ever want to go somewhere…”
As he walked along, feeling deflated, they soon arrived home. Upon reaching the door, Scarlet bowed her head apologetically and said, “Sorry, I’m a bit tired. I’ll just go to my room for a while…”
With that, she closed the door and went inside. Had she been really tired?
Usually, she would prepare a meal for them right after returning home. His worry intensified.
While glancing at the door she had just entered, Yoon Si-woo nodded, making a resolution. Since she looked exhausted and he wanted to repay the joy she had given him today, he decided to prepare dinner for her.
If he was going to do it, he wanted to make something delicious with a bit more expensive ingredients. To accomplish that, he needed to go shopping, so he turned around and stepped back outside.
What kind of food would she like? Last time, she seemed to enjoy desserts, so should he buy some ingredients for that along with a few snacks?
As he pondered while heading to the supermarket, he suddenly felt his heart race unexpectedly. It was an unpleasant and ominous kind of fluttering.
It was too chilling of a sensation to dismiss as just a feeling, sending shivers down his spine.
The moment he felt that sensation, Yoon Si-woo suddenly halted his steps toward the supermarket.
Recently, he had been awakening the true powers of the Holy Swords one by one through Lucy. Thanks to that, the existing abilities of the Holy Swords had gradually enhanced, and now his senses had developed to a level that could be described as superhuman.
From sight, hearing, smell, taste, to touch, and even those indescribable sensations referred to as sixth sense.
And that sixth sense was telling him something.
Right now, something bad was about to happen.
While wondering internally about what could possibly go wrong, a certain incident from earlier suddenly flashed through his mind.
When he had returned from getting something to drink at the zoo, he had asked Scarlet, who had been grimacing in front of sleeping Rion, what had happened. She had replied that it was nothing.
The ambiguous reaction from the Holy Sword of Truth, which did not call her response either true or false, surfaced in his thoughts.
As that memory came rushing back, he could not shake the uneasiness settling in his chest. Yoon Si-woo began to walk quickly back toward the house.
There couldn’t be anything wrong, right?
He muttered that to himself as he approached home, but the ominous fluttering in his chest only grew stronger, causing his pace to quicken.
Eventually, as he neared his house, he faintly heard a sound—a noise that seemed to oscillate between a thud and a smack, echoing from somewhere.
It was the chilling sound of something with flesh breaking against something solid.
Suddenly, that sound came repeatedly, as if his own…
Before he could finish his thought, his legs were already racing against all odds back toward home.
And when he burst through the door, the sound echoed loudly.
A massive crashing sound, reminiscent of shattering glass.
The sound of the joyful day crumbling into pieces. And then—
“Noooooo!!!!!”
Scarlet’s scream, like it was dragged out from the depths of despair.
There was a metallic scent of blood in her scream.
Rushing toward the origin of that ominous scent, he flung the door open violently, and red met his eyes.
The walls speckled with blood, the shards of glass scattered across the floor reflecting the crimson hue.
And there, a red-haired girl, wearing a dress stained with blood, was aiming a sharp shard of glass at her own chest.
The shattered mirror fragment glimmered ominously.
Fortunately, his hand reached her arm faster than the glass could touch her heart.
Grabbing her arm had genuinely been a stroke of luck.
If he had been just a moment later, if he hadn’t returned in time…
He couldn’t even imagine the ghastly scene that might have unfolded before him.
Breathless, with a distorted expression, he asked her, “Why, why are you doing this, Scarlet?”
“Please, don’t try to stop me.”
Scarlet, with a face twisted in despair, had an oddly desperate plea.
The moment he relaxed his grip, she would bring that shard down towards herself.
Yoon Si-woo couldn’t comprehend her.
The gap between the girl he knew at the zoo and the one before him was too wide; he couldn’t understand why she was resorting to such extremes.
“What… what is the reason? There’s gotta be something behind this!”
In response to his questioning, she hesitated for a moment before finally answering.
“On the bed… a drawing.”
She looked toward the bed as she spoke.
Turning his gaze there, he saw a drawing, seemingly ripped from a sketchbook, lying on the bed.
Forcing her fingers open, he carefully took the shard from her grip, then stretched his arm toward the bed.
As soon as he saw the drawing, Yoon Si-woo gasped in shock.
It was a drawing smeared with red.
Like a depiction of flames, the entire background swirled with red, and at the center of the image, there was a girl with red hair, her heart pierced by a blade, wearing a sorrowful expression, and below her lay a boy with white hair.
Even with just one glance, he recognized that the drawing was of him and Scarlet…
But he had no idea what this drawing meant, prompting him to ask, “What… what is this drawing about?”
“It’s a drawing… by Rion…”
Upon hearing the name Rion, Yoon Si-woo was taken aback.
Rion, the child who was especially fond of Scarlet at the orphanage.
That adorable child, who played along with them today, had drawn such a disturbing picture?
Noticing his bewilderment, Scarlet elaborated.
“Rion can see the future. That’s what Rion drew based on what he saw of us today. Do you understand…?”
See the future?
Yoon Si-woo gazed back at the drawing.
Did that mean this gruesome scene depicted was what awaited him and Scarlet in the future?
Regardless of Rion’s supposed ability, it was still hard to accept.
However, Scarlet clutched him tightly, as if she couldn’t accept such a fate, and pleaded desperately, “Because of me, you would die. I absolutely can’t allow that… So let go of my hand… It would be better to die before that happens…”
Hearing those words felt like his heart was being torn apart.
What she feared was not her own death.
What she feared was his death.
She would go so far as to make such a drastic choice instead.
Scarlet was just that unbearably kind.
“Scarlet…”
“Or would you rather do it? Remember the promise we made back then?”
As he called her name, she mentioned a promise. Yoon Si-woo remembered that promise vividly.
Someday, when she was no longer herself. When the time came.
Her lips slowly parted.
“Kill me.”
The moment Yoon Si-woo heard those words, he inhaled sharply.
The Holy Sword of Truth quietly revealed her true feelings, and it was overwhelmingly sorrowful.
It made him so furious.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly.
“…Huh.”
And with that, he quietly drew the Holy Sword from the air.
Pointing the sword at Scarlet, she slowly began to close her eyes, as if mistaking his intentions.
But he had no intention whatsoever of killing her.
“Just a little, I’ll cut off a few strands.”
He spoke softly to her as he snipped a few locks of hair.
“You said before, right? That you believe in me more than anyone in the world.”
As he spoke, he tied her hair to the hilt of the Holy Sword.
With her eyes wide open, she stared at him blankly, and that sort of anger surged within him.
“Was that a lie?”
“…It’s not a lie.”
“Do you not trust me at all?”
“…I don’t see it that way.”
“Then why?”
It wasn’t because it seemed like she trusted the drawing more than him.
“It’s that drawing, it’s made me lose faith in myself.”
He was angry, feeling that he hadn’t given her enough confidence for her to worry like this.
“You’re strong. Probably even stronger than you think. If you’re worried, I’ll make myself even stronger. I’ll be strong enough to beat the witch.”
He declared that he was strong.
He would only grow stronger from now on.
So she should be at ease.
But he didn’t want to instill a thought in her mind that he would overpower her to a point where she would be unable to move.
Instead, he firmly grasped her shoulders.
He would do it so she could be at least a little at ease.
And then he said,
“So, I’m never going to die in your hands. Not ever. So don’t even think about such drawings. Got it?”
“But…”
“Scarlet.”
Seeing her fearful gaze ignited his anger.
As much as he was angry, he was also enormously sad.
It was because he was insufficient, allowing her to talk like that.
He had made her say such things while hiding her true feelings.
Therefore, he told her.
“If you don’t want to die, then say you don’t want to die.”
The truth was, she didn’t want to die.
That was her true intent.
Even if she had begged him for her life, pleading against being overtaken by the witch and losing herself, it would be natural for her not to want to choose death due to anxiety about the future.
Even if she seemed accepting of her death, she was still a normal person.
A regular person who wished to experience more joyful moments and to be happy.
That made him furious and sad, realizing he made her say desperate words.
“Just like that, if it ever becomes difficult, tell me that it’s hard. If you’re worried and scared, don’t ask me to kill you. Just say that you’re worried and scared instead.”
As she bowed her head, feeling as though her inner thoughts had been exposed, he pointed toward the lock of hair bound to the sword’s hilt.
“See? If something happens to you, I’ll know immediately. If you’re ever in danger, no matter where I am, I’ll rush to you right away.”
That was a sort of vow he made to himself. A pledge filled with sincerity that he would immediately rush to her side if any danger befell her.
Had that sincerity reached her?
Seeing Scarlet in tears, Yoon Si-woo stretched out his arms and gently, yet firmly embraced her.
He didn’t want her to cry anymore.
They had made a promise.
To be happy.
He gathered the feelings from that promised moment and spoke to her.
“So, Scarlet, don’t think bad thoughts. Think only about how to be happy. If something unfortunate happens, I’ll do whatever it takes. I’m the kind of person who’ll make it happen. Trust me, okay?”
“…”
But as he looked at her speechless, Yoon Si-woo tightened his hug and whispered.
“If making a choice is difficult, I’ll help with that too.”
So,
“Say you’ll trust me.”
At that moment, she replied softly.
“…Okay, I’ll trust you.”
Patting her back as if she had made a good choice, Scarlet quietly fell asleep in his arms.
After he gently looked at her and laid her down on the bed, Yoon Si-woo silently drew his sword.
If she trusts him, he would change whatever future awaited them.
Swearing to himself, Yoon Si-woo severed the future depicted in the drawing.
*
After wiping the blood smeared on the wallpaper and cleaning up the room, which had turned chaotic with shards of broken glass, Yoon Si-woo, with Lucy’s help, managed to wipe down Scarlet, who was caked in blood, and changed her clothes. Quietly, he lay down in his room and fell into a trance.
There, Yoon Si-woo held the sword.
Because he promised.
To become strong enough to fight and win against the witch.
There were things he had to do for that.
With his eyes shining quietly, Yoon Si-woo spoke to Lucy, who was looking at him.
“Lucy, starting today, I’m going to train until I can wield your power.”
[Hmm, you can’t fully control the other Holy Swords yet, can you?]
“I need to get stronger quickly. I need your power.”
Responding firmly, Lucy mumbled.
[Didn’t I tell you that it’s better to take your time training? And this power isn’t good for you the more you use it.]
“I told you, I’m the kind of person who’ll make it happen.”
Lucy smiled faintly.
[That power might make you unhappy.]
“I’ll only use it when necessary. If it’s for Scarlet.”
[Should it be discovered by others, everything you’ve achieved could vanish in an instant, you know?]
“That doesn’t really matter to me.”
[What if that child doesn’t want you to do so for her happiness?]
At Lucy’s question, Yoon Si-woo paused momentarily.
Surely, Scarlet might not desire for him to sacrifice his happiness for hers.
However…
“…I want it.”
He was not a good person.
He didn’t act for her sake.
He acted for her sake because he wanted to.
That was why he wished for her happiness.
“I wish for it.”
Even if it meant he’d become unhappy, he wanted her to be happy more than anyone else.
“It doesn’t matter what Scarlet thinks. Because I want her to be happy.”
Even if she didn’t wish to be happy through his sacrifice, if that led her to happiness, he would force it to happen.
“So, Lucy, just shut up and help.”
Yoon Si-woo growled with intent.
For himself and nobody else.
Because of that.
[Si-woo, you’re so arrogant.]
Lucy smiled.
“So, what’s your answer?”
Yoon Si-woo asked Lucy.
And Lucy bowed her head, replying.
[Do as you wish. My master, my family, my contract partner.]
For the endlessly arrogant, she would simply follow.
[You have the right to be arrogant.]
*
Late at night, somewhere far away.
The king of beasts awakened from his deep slumber and roared.
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