I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

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“Hmm…”

The Great Mage glanced at Hana with suspicion but ultimately let it slide without causing much trouble.

Thanks to the disappearance of the lamb mask she used to wear, her appearance had completely changed.

“I still have things to do here. I can escort you to the school gate, but I can’t protect you outside of the academy.”

At Lea’s words, Shin Woo nodded in agreement.

“That’s enough for me.”

“Great. Then let’s head out right away.”

Currently, they were situated at the very center of the academy grounds.

The time it would take to reach either the front or back gate was about the same.

So, what mattered was which route was safer.

Given that the cathedral was to the south, heading toward the back gate in the north was the only logical choice.

Right now, the priority was to get as far away from the Black Goat as possible.

With Lea leading the way, Shin Woo and the others headed north.

Along the way, the boy kept glancing back at Hana, who was trailing behind.

Her head hung low and she stumbled as if she were exhausted, looking far from okay.

Questions continued to swirl in his mind.

But it wasn’t the best time to ask.

Let’s get out of the academy first and then we can talk.

Of course, there was no guarantee that things would go smoothly.

In fact, it was almost a stroke of luck that they hadn’t encountered any enemies so far in a situation like this.

So the Apostle in front of them was likely someone they would have to face eventually.

If there were two of them, that would change the situation.

Two women, one wearing a hawk mask and the other a shark mask, blocked their path.

“Looks like there are still survivors wandering around.”

“Hm. But for some reason, your face feels familiar.”

The Pink Hawk’s eyes glinted with intrigue.

“Great Mage. Looks like I’ve got a chance to settle the debt.”

“Oh, I remember now. You’re the little brat who ran away after getting thrashed last time. What about the kid who was with you?”

“This time will be different.”

While a tense mental game unfolded up front, Hana did her best to hide and not draw attention.

“You two. I wondered why your faces looked familiar—it’s you little pests from the gentleman’s interference.”

The Blue Shark’s previously relaxed expression sharpened into a glare.

“Then you must have the Holy Grail. Hand it over right now, you bastards.”

“Do you think we’d give it to you?”

“Fine. We can just take it by force.”

With that, the battle began.

Without a doubt, the strongest among them was the Great Mage.

With her unmatched power, she could shift the tide of battle with just one spell.

As long as she was in her usual condition, that is.

Right now, however, she was struggling just to deflect the Apostles’ attacks.

“Ugh…!”

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to attack like last time?”

“Stop chattering!”

Clenching her teeth, she cast a spell, and a magic circle appeared as a blazing flame engulfed the enemies.

But thanks to the Blue Shark’s calm response, it was blocked by a wave shield.

Then the arrows of flowers shot through the air.

Si-hyun calmly drew his sword and deflected the arrows.

Shin Woo tried to join the battle as well.

With his inclusion, they would have a numerical advantage.

But then he remembered Hana behind him.

The girl was hiding close as if trembling with fear.

If he moved now, there would be no one left to protect the unstable Hana.

Shin Woo struggled with what would be the right choice.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on without pause.

“Damn it…! Die!”

Lea pushed herself hard to end the fight quickly.

Magic circles filled the sky, each casting different spells toward the Pink Hawk.

The Pink Hawk remained calm.

She kept her gaze steady at the incoming magic and then kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky.

And wings spread from her back.

Flapping her magnificent hawk wings, she swiftly flew in the air, evading attacks.

Unexpectedly, Lea frowned as she realized she hadn’t been able to finish the enemy at once.

The more magic she used, the more she felt something strange in her body. The horrific sensation she felt just before was creeping back over her.

At this rate…

Meanwhile, Si-hyun faced the Blue Shark one-on-one.

No matter how strong the second-year student was, he was only barely managing to hold out against the Apostle without consuming holy water.

The water-based shark attempted to bite the girl again.

He calmly slashed with his sword, but the heavy sensation caused his attack to falter.

If things continued like this, the outcome would be frustratingly decided.

He could only wait for the Great Mage to finish off the other Apostles and come to his aid, but that seemed unlikely at the moment.

Unlike the struggling Si-hyun, the Blue Shark was taking the fight in stride.

“How pathetic. So you think you can beat us? The one behind you are just useless kids, right? Pathetic fools. Why don’t you just die quietly?”

“I would politely decline.”

“Oh? Then go ahead and perish while you’re at it.”

The shark’s attack surged toward the girl again.

The splashes of water sent droplets flying like bullets, each bearing immense destructive power.

The light swords behind Si-hyun busily slashed at the attack, trying to find an opening, but the skill gap rendered it a one-sided struggle.

The results were evident in the battle.

With the relaxed Blue Shark affecting the others, the Apostles began to gain a significant upper hand.

The fundamental reason for this was that the Great Mage was unable to fully unleash her power.

And the reason was tragically simple.

The more abilities she used, the closer she was to being petrified.

Her whole body was turning into a mushy liquid.

Using strong magic only accelerated the process of petrification.

Even Shin Woo, who was watching the fight from behind, had long realized this.

But knowing didn’t give him any solutions to the problem.

The power of the Holy Grail was indeed overpowered, but it wasn’t omnipotent.

It required time for it to be used on the same target, and it was slightly different from simply healing.

The power of the Grail was certainly regeneration, but strictly speaking, it was closer to restoration.

It reversed rather than healed.

As her petrification progressed, Lea’s demeanor became increasingly passive.

The realization that her existence was turning into nothing more than liquid ignited a primal fear within her.

No matter how much of an S-class hero she was, she couldn’t escape her instincts.

Moreover, the bond among comrades heavily favored the Apostles.

Right now, Shin Woo and the others were merely a temporary alliance formed just before, while the Apostles had built their bonds over many years.

It was a markedly embarrassing comparison.

Eventually, the Pink Hawk’s sharp arrow grazed Si-hyun’s cheek.

As a drop of blood fell, the shark breathed heavily, filled with excitement.

“Ha… I’m going insane.”

When she opened her eyes again, her blue irises were stained a crimson red like blood.

The battle of the transformed White Shark was starkly different from before, as if she were an entirely different person.

Unlike the Blue Shark, who boasted extreme defense, the White Shark was armed with raw brutality.

The fearsome smile at her lips revealed sharp fangs shining through.

It seemed the winner of the fight had already been decided.

Now, whether Shin Woo would join the fray was no longer significant.

Lea also felt deeply that this was her last moment.

If she had known it would end up like this, she should have poured everything into the battle without holding back.

Now, it was far too late for regret.

While she was preparing a grand spell, she would be torn apart by the shark’s teeth.

If just a moment of opportunity presented itself, a hope that could only be called impossible without a miracle.

“Die!”

A torrent of blood erupted around her, ominously swirling.

Shin Woo and his party stood frozen, witnessing the moment of doom.

“Stop!”

At that moment.

Hana, who had been quietly standing behind, stepped forward.

The White Shark couldn’t hide her surprise at finally seeing Hana’s face.

“…Why are you here? Where did you toss your mask? You can’t be…”

Betrayal.

The moment that word floated in her mind.

Lea seized the brief window created by a miracle and cast her ultimate spell.

Instantly the sky darkened, and a gigantic magic circle emerged, bringing forth meteors.

At the same time, Lea’s body began to melt into liquid, losing its shape.

Yet, she wore a satisfied smile on her lips.

“If I can take down those two Apostles with me, that’s enough.”

The Apostles looked skyward, lost in disbelief.

Once the spell had been cast, there was no way to stop it.

Evading the meteors headed for them was impossible.

But this time, the girl didn’t remain idle.

As she reached toward the air, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, revealing a bright sky and warm sunlight shining down upon the world.

And then came the light from above.

Within it, a holy angel descended.

The angel caught the falling meteors and held them back.

A scene that was miraculous to the point of being indistinguishable from illusion.

As the beam of light evaporated, both the angel and the meteors vanished as if they had been mere dreams.

Shin Woo, who had been standing nearby, stared blankly.

He barely turned to look at Hana.

His eyes were filled only with confusion and questions.

“Why…?”

Why was she saving the Apostles?

Hana remained tightly closed-lipped.