Chapter 217
Consciousness rises.
The spirit inhabits a body that is no longer truly human.
With the overwhelming power flowing through me, my physical form reconstructs, and I feel the sensation of my returned left arm.
None of these are trivial matters that can be easily overlooked, but what’s important now is not those things.
The only thought filling my head is one.
“Ugh…!”
I must save Yoon Si-woo.
That was the only thing.
Still, the surroundings were a sea of flames.
At this rate, Yoon Si-woo is in danger.
With that thought, I focused all my mind on extinguishing the flames overwhelming the area.
Despite fumbling with the unfamiliar power…
Urgently and desperately.
Could that earnestness have been sensed?
The flames that had been devouring everything around me gradually began to calm down.
Now what remained was the air shimmering with residual heat and the suffocating smoke surrounding us.
“Huh…”
And Yoon Si-woo, groaning softly in pain.
Perhaps he no longer had the strength to maintain his powers, as the white armor that enveloped him slowly faded.
Inside the armor, Yoon Si-woo’s condition appeared dire.
His eyes were clouded, and his entire body was covered in horrifying burn marks.
Though he looked to be on the brink of death, I could tell that he was in no state to regenerate.
Because of me, Yoon Si-woo ended up like this, because of me.
Unable to hold my head up due to that guilt, at that moment,
“…Scarlet?”
I heard Yoon Si-woo’s voice.
When I raised my head at the sound of his voice.
There was Yoon Si-woo, struggling to look at me.
When I made a distressed expression, he stared blankly for a moment before mumbling…
“…You came back, didn’t you?”
And then, he smiled contentedly as if that was enough.
“Y-You fool…!”
I shouted out unconsciously, as if scolding Yoon Si-woo.
“Why… why would you…!”
Words failed to come forth.
Why he would do something so foolish.
Why he would go to such lengths because of me.
I had so many things I wanted to say, things I wanted to ask.
But all that came out was that short word… why, why.
And to my brief question, Yoon Si-woo seemed to understand everything.
“Because we’re friends…”
Just that one short response.
With just those words, it was as if he didn’t need any other reason to endure everything.
“Aah… Aah…”
I couldn’t hold back the tears that had been restrained any longer.
What could I possibly say to someone who risked their life for me as a friend?
I also wanted to be of help to my precious ones, and I had sought to end it all alongside the demonic beasts.
Yet, the result was that I hadn’t helped but instead caused this suffering to someone dear to me.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
With my tears, an endless stream of apologies flowed from my mouth.
It was Yoon Si-woo’s hand, reaching out toward me, that made me stop.
He wiped my tears with his trembling hand and slowly shook his head.
As if to say he didn’t want to hear that.
From that gesture, I realized what he wanted to hear.
So I held back my tears.
I recalled saying that it isn’t something friends do to apologize.
To that foolish and precious friend of mine.
“…Thank you. Thank you for helping me, Yoon Si-woo.”
I expressed my gratitude, filled with as much appreciation as my guilt.
Then Yoon Si-woo beamed as if my words brought him such joy.
“…No need to mention it.”
He responded to me like that.
Just then, when I was about to smile unconsciously…
“…! Yoon Si-woo!”
Yoon Si-woo’s body wavered.
As I quickly reached out to catch him before he fell, I could feel him struggling to breathe heavily in my grasp.
Damn it, this wasn’t the time to be having this conversation.
“Just hold on a bit longer…! I’ll get you to a hospital or somewhere as fast as I can!”
Seeing him in such desperate need for treatment, I shouted out, but I felt Yoon Si-woo shaking his head as if to stop me.
Slowly, Yoon Si-woo lifted his head.
The face looking at me was devoid of color and had lost its smile.
And with what seemed to be his last ounce of strength, he whispered into my ear.
“Scarlet. Run away.”
And just like that, Yoon Si-woo’s body crumbled in my arms.
“Yoon Si-woo…?”
No response came back.
In panic, I slightly shook Yoon Si-woo, who I had been holding.
“This bastard!!!”
With a cry filled with animosity from somewhere,
Crack!
Blood splattered from my hand holding Yoon Si-woo.
A sniper?
My hand regenerated immediately, but as I looked around at the sudden attack, I felt the countless gazes of the people behind the hazy heat and smoke.
And yet, yet another attack came flying at me as if they were trying to separate Yoon Si-woo from me.
For a moment, I thought, why? But soon, I realized.
How they must see me right now.
Why Yoon Si-woo had told me to run away.
“Get away from the captain, you witch!!!”
The evil witch who had brought down humanity’s hope was here.
“Living as something different from people must be more challenging than you can imagine.”
Sorrowfully, I gently laid Yoon Si-woo down on the ground.
Though I had been pinpointing the aim, I didn’t want him to get hit by any attacks.
As I put Yoon Si-woo on the ground and took in his face.
I knew that you must have already realized how difficult it would be to resolve misunderstandings through conversation.
I’ll follow your words.
Until that day when we meet again.
Stay alive.
The sword that Yoon Si-woo had driven into his heart fell to the ground with a clattering sound.
At the same time, a massive wall of flames rose up between the people and me.
“Ugh…!”
“Captain…!”
And shortly after, when the magnificent wall of flames that had been blazing brightly disappeared.
“…! The witch!”
“First, let’s rescue the captain!!!”
Leaving behind one fallen hero, the evil witch had vanished without a trace.
*
The news that the captain of the 2nd Squad, Yoon Si-woo, had fallen at the hands of a witch disguised as an Academy student spread.
*
Bang─!
“What’s going on here?!”
An emergency meeting was held at the Central Committee.
One of the councilors, who had just received the news, slammed his fist on the table and shouted loudly.
His shout was directed at the Astra heir, Silvia Astra, who had just arrived and looked as though her soul had left her body.
Although he was just a mere councilor, he shouldn’t have been shouting like that, but he didn’t care and continued.
“The witch who took down Captain Yoon Si-woo, Scarlet Evande, was guaranteed by the Astra side during the interrogation held last time! What the hell is going on?! Is Astra a puppet of the witch?!”
Such an incredibly rude comment.
Yet, perhaps due to the peculiarity of the current situation, no one stopped him.
Even Silvia, the person involved, merely shook her head, muttering no, no, without expressing anger.
Seeing her like that, the councilor held his head and let out a sigh.
No matter how you looked at it, her current demeanor didn’t appear to be that of someone colluding with a witch.
She looked more like a victim shocked by the unexpected identity of someone she had simply considered a friend.
This was not a place to settle anyone’s faults, so after taking a deep breath to regain composure, he asked the one who had just conveyed the news.
“…What’s Captain Yoon Si-woo’s condition?”
“They say it’s a miracle he’s even alive. They did their best to treat him, but it’s practically just an empty shell now… He might not wake up again.”
“Damn it, first Deputy Commander Lucas, now Captain Yoon Si-woo in a coma. Even former Captain Telos…”
A gloomy atmosphere filled the room.
It wasn’t just sadness over the loss of power, but a sense of helplessness at the fact that those who held greater roles had been reduced like this.
Especially considering that Yoon Si-woo, who had recently become a symbol of hope for humanity, had fallen, it was indeed a serious issue for them.
The councilor sighed and muttered.
“What’s the response from the citizens…?”
“…It’s a disaster. We’ve tried to stop the news from spreading, but somehow everyone is talking about Captain Yoon Si-woo and that witch. They say this demonic beast attack was all due to that witch.”
Just then, as they were discussing the witch,
“That’s not true…!”
Silvia, who had been sitting blankly, suddenly exploded in frustration and yelled.
She desperately shook her head at those she had been conversing with.
“Scarlet is not that kind of person! Do you even know how many lives she saved this time? How… How could you say such things…?”
“No, we’re just saying what people are saying…”
Seeing her, the councilors began to stir.
Usually calm and collected, when she cried out like that, they couldn’t help but feel their hearts soften.
But amid her outburst, one person continued to speak unfazed.
“Nevertheless, it’s a fact that the witch harmed Captain Yoon Si-woo. Isn’t it?”
It was Diakonos Dolos.
To him, Silvia reacted fiercely.
“That’s true, but… still…!”
“The witch was known to be quite close with Captain Yoon Si-woo. It wouldn’t be unusual to suspect that she was hiding her evil intent from the start since she harmed someone she was friendly with.”
Speaking in his usual bluntly logical manner, Diakonos Dolos looked like he was unleashing some cold fury on those present.
After all, he had just lost his father, Telos.
Silvia knew this and couldn’t find the words to respond as she listened to him. Just then, Diakonos spoke again.
“I heard the witch was seen escaping through the sewers moments ago. Regardless, it’s unacceptable to let that witch escape.”
“So, what are you going to do…?”
“She’s a witch who fought with Captain Yoon Si-woo just moments ago. The fact that she didn’t ensure his death means she was likely just trying to run away. If she’s weakened, we should be able to deal with her if the captains join forces.”
“Deal with her…! No way!”
Sylvia shouted in a frenzy at the idea of killing Scarlet.
To that, Diakonos responded in a cold voice.
“Astra, are you in a position to voice your opinion right now?”
“…What?”
“Didn’t you say during the previous interrogation that you would take full responsibility if anything happened to her? Let’s say we let the witch go. If she recovers her strength and returns later as a stronger enemy, would Astra be able to take responsibility for that?”
“Ugh…”
The word responsibility shook Silvia’s pupils.
Now she was in a position representing her family.
For someone in such a position, the word responsibility was not something to be taken lightly.
Diakonos, noticing her tremble, continued speaking.
“I will let this one go. But from now on, don’t say anything you can’t be responsible for. Responsibility is a weight that heavy.”
Saying that, Diakonos turned his gaze away from Silvia and spoke to the others.
“To the heroes who are surely weary from today’s events, please relay this.”
With a firm voice.
“Before the witch escapes the city, find her and kill her.”
Hearing that, Silvia thought.
At this rate, Scarlet would die.
She clearly needed to intervene.
Flames flickered in her mind.
The witch who harmed Yoon Si-woo, the one who had tried to burn her as well.
Those flames.
Yoon Si-woo couldn’t fulfill the promise he made with Scarlet and collapsed.
Was it right to fulfill Scarlet’s wish in his stead?
I don’t know.
I couldn’t grasp what was right.
However, weighed down by the responsibility I had once spat out in the past…
In the end, Silvia couldn’t say a word to Diakonos, who commanded the death of Scarlet.
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