I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

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“Take off your mask. Then I’ll tell you.”

After a brief silence at Shin Woo’s suggestion, the girl replied.

“I can’t. The teacher said not to show my face to anyone.”

“There has to be something coming and going.”

“It seems you don’t quite understand your situation. I could kill you anytime.”

Despite the deadly threat, Shin Woo maintained his composure.

He wanted to save Si-hyun, who was collapsed beside them, but rashly intervening might only provoke their opponent further.

“Fine. Just remove the mask, and save my friend beside you.”

“Do you really think I’ll accept such a proposal?”

“You asked who Yu Hana is. Why are you so curious about that?”

It seemed to be an unexpected question.

The girl, who had been coldly retorting until now, appeared to be at a loss for words for the first time.

After hesitating for a while, White Lamb muttered softly.

“It’s just…”

“You said earlier you felt nostalgic and affectionate for some reason.”

As the conversation progressed, the girl’s momentum gradually weakened. She seemed to be losing her will to fight, and the pressure that had been weighing on her body vanished long ago.

Shin Woo sensed a possibility.

He cautiously took a step closer and spoke.

“Do you… not remember anything from the past?”

“……”

“Just as I thought. You’re not White Lamb. You’re Yu Hana. That’s your real name.”

He could feel the girl’s agitation even beyond the mask.

She seemed to be struck with a significant shock and immediately shook her head in denial.

“I don’t believe it. That’s just human talk…”

“You’re human too. Not a mahin, but a human like us.”

“Shut up!”

With a grim expression, Shin Woo took slow steps toward the girl.

The more he approached, the more she seemed to retreat, like she was fleeing. However, their distance gradually closed, until they were finally close enough to touch.

“It’s okay. I’m on your side.”

He thought she was dead.

He had expected never to see her again.

Yet, if by some miracle, he were to meet her again…

He had resolved to live solely for her.

At any cost.

Even if it meant betraying the whole world.

He reached out his hand to remove the white lamb mask, to confirm her face.

Tap.

But the girl rejected his touch.

White Lamb slapped away Shin Woo’s hand and adjusted her disheveled mask, saying,

“…I am White Lamb.”

It was as if White Lamb was drawing her determination back up, unwilling to allow any more conversation.

She was being swayed too much by that boy. She had much more urgent matters to deal with.

Not wanting to waver any longer, the girl resolved to end this standoff, forcing herself.

With the will to kill the enemy in one blow.

A cross made of light appeared behind her.

The compressed power, beyond any comparison to before, surged vividly.

The moment Shin Woo saw the cross, he instantly lost all will to fight.

He couldn’t see a way to defeat her in his current state whatsoever.

It was then.

Something suddenly flew in from the side, causing the shrine wall to crumble completely.

In the thick dust, Shin Woo turned his gaze and realized what had just flown in.

“…Damn.”

The priestess, who had been calmly conversing with him a moment ago, flew in here in a horrific, blood-soaked condition. She had already lost consciousness and looked about to take her last breath.

Then, a calm voice rang out from a distance.

“Wow. My bad. You happened to be there, huh? You okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“Glad to hear that. That woman was unexpectedly such a nuisance, it took me a while.”

The woman who appeared had eyes that were close to blood-red. Additionally, her flowing silver hair and the bloodstains on her white skin created a ferocious appearance.

However, contrary to her appearance, the woman displayed an extremely relaxed demeanor.

“Oops. What about the Holy Grail? Did you find it?”

“No. I’m sorry. I haven’t found it yet.”

“Really? Where haven’t you searched yet?”

“I’ve checked everywhere except the innermost shrine.”

“That’s fine since the Gold Lion went there. This shrine might be a bust.”

Amid their calm conversation was content that couldn’t be ignored.

Did it mean that another mahin was headed to the shelter everyone had evacuated to?

Shin Woo bit his lip.

What should he do now?

The priestess fighting the mahin had ultimately been defeated.

At this rate, not only would he fail to bring Hana back, but he would also die here in vain.

At that moment, a giant pillar of light burst forth from the shrine direction. The pillar erupted from the ground, rising to the sky and capturing everyone’s attention.

“That’s…”

He had learned about it in the academy.

Immediately, a glimmer of hope was revived within Shin Woo. On the other hand, White Shark scratched her head, looking troubled, and sighed.

“Damn. This is annoying.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a hero support request. The color dictates the rank of the arriving beings. If it’s rainbow-colored like that…”

It’s an S-rank hero support request.

Unlike other ranks, S-rank support is only possible in special spaces.

It meant this shrine was of such importance to humanity that it needed to be protected by an S-rank.

White Shark muttered in disbelief.

“It doesn’t make sense unless the Holy Grail is here… Damn, I don’t get it. Let’s just run.”

“Shark, what about the teacher’s request?”

“Hmm? Oh, the academy kids? They’re bound to be less important than our lives right now.”

In that instant, Shin Woo’s and White Lamb’s eyes met amid the rubble.

“…Yes. Let’s run.”

“Here comes the Gold Lion too.”

Another mahin was rushing from the shrine direction.

Not only that, but two other figures were also nearby him.

“Seems like he’s being chased? This is bad.”

In their original condition, it might’ve been manageable, but now both of them were weakened from entering the shrine.

In other words, they were truly in a life-threatening situation against an S-rank hero.

Meanwhile, noticing that the two were trying to escape, Shin Woo was determined to block them.

While holding his breath, he was waiting for the right moment, then suddenly felt his ankle being snatched, causing his heart to drop.

The owner of that touch was none other than the priestess.

“…A-are you okay?”

“The Holy Grail…”

“Oh, that… It suddenly disappeared. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect it.”

The priestess shook her head weakly as she tried to say something more.

“The Holy Grail… use it.”

“Pardon?”

“Quickly!”

But suddenly asking him to use the Holy Grail? How was he supposed to do that?

He didn’t even have it. The moment he touched it, it vanished without a trace.

“Ugh…!”

Sudden headaches flooded his mind with images.

The sight of the Holy Grail he had previously seen flashed back to him once more.

And also the hand that was lifting it.

Wait. Could it be…?

He couldn’t see the owner of that hand clearly, but Shin Woo concentrated on the image in his mind, drawing more details.

The hazy figure gradually clarified, and the owner’s face was formed.

It was Shin Woo himself.

Immediately, golden light brightly illuminated his surroundings, coloring the world.

And under the influence of the light, the priestess’s wounds completely healed.

“This is a bit of a gamble…! Gold Lion! Newbie! Get into this water!”

Meanwhile, the mahins rushed to escape the dire situation, recklessly using their abilities.

The Gold Lion dove straight into the puddle made by White Shark.

Then came flying projectiles aimed immediately after. The ground gradually began to freeze, encroaching upon the water.

“Newbie! What are you doing!?”

Despite her urgings, White Lamb was busy staring at the collapsed shrine.

She gazed at the light flowing out from there, mesmerized, and murmured.

“The Holy Grail… it was within your embrace.”

“Ugh! Seriously! Let’s meet again later!”

In the end, unable to wait any longer, White Shark forcibly grabbed White Lamb by the waist and dove into the water.

Just as they were about to be swept away, the boy from the building burst out, and their gazes connected once more.

There was no time.

There were so many things he wanted to say, yet here he was, saying goodbye.

If it was truly you, if you had lost your memory and joined the mahins…

What should he say for you to be able to return?

Shin Woo shouted the answer to that dilemma.

“Don’t let Sophie’s sacrifice go to waste! Yu Hana!!!”

Before he could even hear her response, the water puddle where she had dived vanished from sight.

*

“Where’s the Blue Shark?”

“She’s paying the price for overusing her abilities.”

The expression on Gold Lion’s face was less than pleasant, even as a mere thought.

No matter how much she faced two S-rank heroes, she couldn’t bear the embarrassment of having to flee in such a pitiful manner. To make her ally go through such trouble just to barely escape was even more disgraceful.

The Black Goat nodded silently before asking the most crucial question.

“Did you find the Holy Grail?”

“No.”

“Hm.”

“But the newbie said one of the academy brats possessed the Holy Grail.”

“Possessed the Holy Grail… This complicates things significantly.”

Considering the current imperfection of the Savior, the Holy Grail was essential to their plans.

“What’s the plan?”

“We’ll retrieve it.”

“But the opponent is an academy student.”

“Then we’ll just take down the academy.”

Gold Lion smiled faintly at the Black Goat’s calm response.

“I like that idea.”

“Where’s the Savior?”

“She locked herself in her room as soon as she arrived. However, it seems she was quite shocked by something.”

“Hm. I should check on her then.”

As it happened, the girl had remained locked in her room.

Through the half-open window, the sound of crashing waves could be heard.

The girl was hunched against the wall on her bed, her face buried in her knees.

She looked too weak and fragile to be a member of the world’s worst criminal organization.

In a hoarse voice, the girl murmured to herself.

“…Sophie.”