I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 65

“Why am I here?”

Si woo sighed as he pondered this question.

A school trip.

One of those events that would leave lasting memories in school life.

But the Academy’s school trips differed slightly from those of typical schools.

Officially, it was meant to be a leisure trip to ease students’ academic fatigue, but once they arrived at the tourist spots, the atmosphere felt anything but relaxing.

Their visit to a local shrine on the second day was no exception.

It was a traditional Japanese shrine, yet not remarkable enough to inspire awe. On the contrary, it was rather plain and unadorned, perhaps even dull.

Regardless, the students of Class A wandered freely, exploring the shrine at their own pace. Si woo, not wanting to remain idle, began walking around as well.

As he moved, he noticed a small shrine nestled in a shadowed corner, untouched by sunlight. Overgrown vines crept around it, giving it an aura of ancient abandonment as if it had been left undisturbed for thousands of years.

Of course, that couldn’t be the case.

For a place open to public tours, it would undoubtedly be well-maintained.

“…”

An odd feeling washed over him.

He wasn’t particularly interested and was about to walk past, but then he noticed a faint light seeping through the small opening in the shrine’s door.

Almost as if entranced, Si woo approached the shrine. Just as he reached to open the door, someone suddenly appeared.

A woman dressed in a white robe and a red skirt—traditional attire he recognized as a shrine maiden’s outfit.

“This is not a place you should enter so casually.”

“…Oh, I’m sorry.”

Speaking informally to a stranger from the outset might be considered rude, but Si woo admitted he was at fault here, so he apologized and prepared to leave.

But he paused and asked, “You speak Korean?”

“No. I don’t.”

“…What?”

What kind of nonsense was that?

If she didn’t speak Korean, then what language was she using?

Japanese?

That couldn’t be. If it were, he wouldn’t understand a word. Si woo only knew Korean and English.

If it were any other language, he would’ve noticed. But he understood her words as if they were spoken directly into his mind.

“Do I sound like I’m speaking Korean?”

“…”

Si woo didn’t answer, instead focusing intently on her lips. The movement of her mouth didn’t match the words he was hearing—she wasn’t speaking Korean.

But… How was this possible?

An ability, perhaps?

Nothing else came to mind.

“How is this possible?”

“Because this isn’t Japan.”

“…Excuse me?”

The shrine maiden calmly pointed to a nearby spot.

He followed her gaze to the torii gate in front of the shrine.

“Once you crossed that torii, you entered a place beyond human realms.”

“…So, it’s the land of the gods?”

“Exactly.”

What a ridiculous notion.

Losing interest, Si woo dismissed her and was about to leave when the ground suddenly shook violently.

An earthquake?

He’d heard Japan experienced earthquakes frequently.

The shrine maiden, who had crouched down during the tremor, looked off into the distance and muttered.

“An enemy.”

“…Enemy?”

“This sightseeing trip ends here. Everyone needs to return to the accommodation.”

“If it’s a beast, we can fight. After all, as Academy students—”

“They aren’t opponents you can handle. You’d all die.”

It wasn’t just a warning; it was a statement of certainty.

How did she know that an enemy was approaching? Si woo hadn’t sensed a thing.

The shrine maiden’s expression turned grave, and she murmured, almost to herself.

“…Damn, they’re moving too fast. There’s no time to escape…”

“What’s going on? Let me help; just tell me what to do.”

“Get everyone into the inner shrine and keep the doors closed. Do not open them, no matter what.”

Bang!

A massive explosion echoed nearby.

Now, Si woo knew something was truly wrong.

“Hurry!”

Following her instructions, he alerted the teachers and started the evacuation. Surprisingly, the teachers complied without question or objection, following the shrine maiden’s directive without hesitation.

Could she be something more than just a shrine maiden?

For now, there was no way to find out.

When the students gathered inside the inner shrine, Si woo noticed talismans plastered all over the doors.

Had those always been there? Recalling her stern warning, he shut the doors firmly.

Valentina approached him with a worried expression.

“Si woo, what’s going on?”

“…I’m not entirely sure, but it seems someone has invaded the shrine.”

“The shrine? But why?”

“I don’t know.”

Two possibilities came to mind.

Either they were the target, or there was something within the shrine that held value to the invaders.

—

Blue Shark, arms crossed, grumbled.

“Isn’t this overkill? If we go through all this and the Grail isn’t here, I’m gonna lose it.”

Golden Lion, who had just destroyed the intricate barrier around the shrine, smirked as he flexed his muscles.

“You gotta admit, whoever set this up knew what they were doing. A barrier specifically designed to keep demons out? Impressive.”

“Yeah, but it’s like a soap bubble compared to my fist.”

“Congratulations.”

She then turned to the quiet girl behind them.

“White Sheep, stay back and just watch. Got it?”

“Yes, Shark.”

“A rookie like you doesn’t need to get involved. There’ll only be a bunch of kids in the shrine anyway.”

The apostles’ strength was overwhelming, far beyond what ordinary people could comprehend. Only a handful of S-rank heroes could rival them, and there were fewer than ten of those in existence.

In other words, they rarely encountered anything that could stand against them.

If two apostles were working together, failure was almost impossible.

Perhaps that’s why they were so complacent.

The three passed through the torii, taking in the empty shrine grounds.

At that moment, the two apostles in the lead noticed a strange sensation.

Golden Lion and Blue Shark were startled, and the shrine maiden stepped forward.

“Foolish sinners. Here in the land of the gods, all are stripped bare and shown their shame.”

“…What did you do to us?”

“I simply took away the power you gained through unnatural means. Here, you are merely ordinary humans.”

In other words, the power they’d obtained through magic stones and their status as apostles was temporarily nullified here.

Golden Lion clenched and released his fist, gauging his remaining strength, and laughed.

“Interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve felt like this. Not too bad.”

His expression changed suddenly, revealing a fierce, murderous intent.

“But how dare you? You think you can take away my blessing?”

“Silence, foolish lion.”

The shrine maiden shook her handbell, sending waves of energy toward her foes.

Golden Lion calmly readied himself and punched the air.

Bam!

The impact created a shockwave, shattering the energy wave before it could reach him.

“Alright, woman. Where’s the Grail?”

“The only thing awaiting you here is death.”

“Ridiculous.”

Blue Shark, having adjusted to her reduced power, summoned her abilities. Though her water-based attacks were less potent than before, they were still deadly.

Sharp waves surged forward to tear the shrine maiden apart.

She swiftly held up a mirror, reflecting the wave back.

The apostles pressed their advantage, attacking relentlessly. The shrine maiden’s skill was evident. While they would have easily overpowered her if they were at full strength, in their weakened state, she was able to hold her ground.

Even so, Golden Lion’s strikes were fierce, and Blue Shark’s defense remained formidable.

Despite her best efforts, the scales of victory began tipping against her.

“Tell me where the Grail is.”

“…It’s not here.”

“Do you think you can just stall us? Other apostles are already targeting every suspected Grail location. No matter what you do, we will get our hands on it.”

“Do you think I’ll just let you have the Grail…?”

Golden Lion clicked his tongue at her defiance.

“Tch. Looks like we have no choice. Hey, rookie.”

“Yes, Lion.”

“While we handle this woman, find the Grail.”

“Understood.”

As White Sheep, who had been quietly watching, began to move, the shrine maiden’s face twisted in shock.

“That light…!”

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