I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 85

Si woo narrowed his eyes at the unexpected proposal.

What was Black Goat’s true intention?

There was no apparent benefit for him if Hana regained her memories.

A tinge of unease crept in, but Si woo couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

Hana, too, seemed to have resolved herself after Black Goat’s sudden suggestion.

Whatever it took, if she could reclaim her memories, things would surely improve.

The girl approached cautiously and reached out, touching the light.

In that instant, the radiant glow enveloped her, illuminating the entire cathedral.

Something was changing—everyone present could sense it.

Finally, the light dimmed, and the girl’s form came into view.

The mask that had hidden her face shattered into two pieces, revealing her features.

She stood still with her eyes closed, appearing outwardly unharmed.

“······.”

Si woo stared blankly at her before cautiously calling her name.

“…Hana?”

At the sound of his voice, the girl slowly opened her eyes.

Her amber irises sparkled as she blinked a few times, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Si woo… why…”

The voice calling his name was the same as when they first met in the cathedral.

Yet the emotions within it were entirely different—Si woo could feel it.

“Hana. Finally.”

Struggling to steady his racing heart, Si woo looked at her with relief.

But she continued to cry, her sorrowful gaze unwavering.

“Why… why did I…?”

“It’s okay now. Everything is back.”

Thud!

Black Goat leapt from the demon’s hand, landing on the ground.

Noticing his movement, Si woo immediately stepped between them, baring his teeth.

“Stop.”

“She’s finally complete.”

“…What?”

“Deceiver, I should thank you. By using the power of the Holy Grail, you’ve allowed the savior to become whole once more.”

Black Goat’s tone was unusually gleeful, his voice carrying a strange excitement.

Sensing something wrong, Si woo turned to Hana with concern.

“Hana, are you okay?”

“It’s fascinating,” Black Goat continued, ignoring him. “I thought it was simply a side effect of awakening, but to think she sealed her memories herself.”

Hana… sealed her own memories?

What could that mean? Why would she do such a thing?

Unable to make sense of the situation, Si woo was overwhelmed with panic.

Hana, who had been crying with her head down, murmured faintly,

“There’s no turning back now…”

“By using the Holy Grail to purify the savior, only one thing remains,” Black Goat declared.

Dark, ominous energy swirled around him as he spoke.

His crimson gaze was fixed on a single target—a sacrificial offering for all things.

Casually, he extended his hand forward.

The inverted cross etched on his palm glowed with a sinister black light as viscous darkness poured forth.

The darkness surged toward Hana without hesitation, intent on consuming her.

But just as it was about to reach her, a violet spear flew from the cathedral’s entrance, piercing through the darkness.

Interrupted at the perfect moment, Black Goat clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Longinus, who had narrowly saved Hana, glared at him and spoke.

“Stop this.”

“Holy Spear, why are you interfering?”

“This isn’t right.”

“You know this is the purpose of the savior’s descent, don’t you?”

“Not like this.”

At those words, Black Goat let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Then are you saying the humans’ methods are right?”

“That’s…”

“In the end, there’s no such thing as right in this world. The only thing that matters is who desires it more.”

Though his expression was hidden behind his mask, his voice betrayed his emotional turmoil.

“And no one in this world desires it more than I do.”

Realizing that he couldn’t proceed with his plan unless he dealt with her, Black Goat resolved to act swiftly.

He raised his hand, and the massive demon outside the cathedral began to stir.

Longinus, retrieving her spear, shouted to Si woo.

“Take her and run!”

“…You’d better explain this later.”

Though surrounded by questions, Si woo knew staying here would lead to nothing good.

For now, escaping the demon was the priority.

“Hana! We have to go now!”

“···”

But Hana didn’t respond, as if in a daze.

Her eyes were open, and she was breathing normally, but her mind seemed elsewhere.

Growing impatient, Si woo grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

As they fled, a massive hand from above came crashing down toward them.

However, Longinus leapt into the air, her spear slicing through the demon’s attack.

Leaving behind the mythic battle, Si woo and Hana managed to escape the cathedral.

But it wasn’t over.

The outside was no safer, still caught in the throes of war.

Where could they go?

Could they even survive if they encountered another apostle in their current state?

Though they had fled far from the cathedral, they had no clear destination.

The academy was in ruins, with no place left untouched by destruction.

The tallest building, the main hall, had collapsed beyond recognition.

The auditorium? The cafeteria? The library?

Nowhere seemed safe.

If there was no sanctuary within the academy, only one option remained.

“We need to leave the academy.”

“Yes, we should… Ah!”

Startled by an unexpected voice beside him, Si woo turned with a yelp.

There stood Si-hyun, tilting her head at him curiously.

“Was that reaction really necessary? I feel a bit awkward now.”

“…You scared me.”

“Sorry. So, you finally found her.”

Si-hyun’s gaze flickered with interest as she glanced at Si woo and Hana, their hands tightly clasped.

Noticing her look, Si woo quickly let go, flustered.

“T-this is just…”

“Never mind that. Where were you? I thought for sure you were dead since I didn’t see you.”

“Well, a lot happened. But that’s not important right now.”

She was right—their only option was to escape the academy as soon as possible.

They needed to get far away to ensure Hana’s safety.

“By the way, Hana seems… off. Is she okay?”

“That’s…”

With the situation momentarily calmer, Si woo’s worry for Hana grew.

Black Goat had said her memory loss was her own choice.

It didn’t seem like a baseless claim—Hana’s reactions had indeed been odd.

She now seemed completely out of it, staring blankly.

“Hana.”

“…Yes, Si woo?”

Fortunately, she appeared physically fine.

“What should we do? Do you think it’s safe to leave the academy?”

He couldn’t make decisions without considering her thoughts.

He had promised himself to act in her best interests.

After some hesitation, Hana replied with a conflicted expression.

“I don’t know… I’m not sure how we’ll make it…”

“Standing around here won’t help. We should keep moving.”

“I agree. If we stay, we’ll run into an enemy eventually, and…”

Si woo’s words trailed off.

A menacing presence loomed from afar, slowly closing in.

At the edge of their vision, a massive figure emerged.

It wasn’t human—fur, claws, and a lion’s mane marked its form.

“An apostle. We need to run now.”

“Wait.”

Si-hyun, sharp-eyed, noticed something odd about the lion-like apostle.

Its movements were sluggish, and it eventually collapsed weakly.

Something was clearly wrong, but they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

From behind the fallen lion, a small figure stepped out confidently.

“A person…?”

“Did she defeat that monster?”

The figure approached, revealing herself to be someone familiar.

“…Could it be, Lena?”

Recognizing her as the famous S-Class Grand Mage, they couldn’t hide their surprise.

Lena, the strongest human alive, was a powerful ally to gain. Si woo’s face brightened.

But his relief was short-lived.

He noticed something strange—Lena’s body began to waver, as if melting into liquid.

Hana, aware of what this meant, watched her with a sorrowful gaze.

Realizing her condition, Lena smiled bitterly.

As a Grand Mage, she had long suspected the Holy Water’s side effects.

But she hadn’t anticipated what came next.

“I’ll help you!”

“What?”

A radiant light from the Holy Grail enveloped Lena.

“My body…”

Lena looked down in astonishment as her form returned to normal.

Even the injuries she had sustained in battle vanished completely.

“Lena, please help us. We need to escape the academy now.”

Still disoriented, Lena examined her restored body before focusing on the three before her.

“You saved my life; of course, I’ll help. But…”

She pointed at Hana.

“This girl… she seems familiar. Haven’t we met before?”