I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Sui**de

---

“You’re saying we should summon a god?”

Just hearing it was absurd enough for me to want to laugh.

Shin Woo, along with Si-hyun and Yeon Hwa beside him, all seemed to share the same incredulity.

Putting everything else aside, the most confusing part was, of course.

“Is there really a god?”

At the boy’s question, the Black Goat stared at him for a moment, wordlessly.

As if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’d rather ask you. Why do you think there’s no god?”

“Well···.”

Once I opened my mouth, I found it hard to come up with an answer.

Then Yeon Hwa interrupted, angrily replying.

“Is that even a question!? If there really was a god, does it make sense for the world to be falling apart like this while they just stand by and watch?!”

“That’s just your opinion. Why must the god fix the world?”

“That’s just a fallacy.”

“No. This is the truth. If you discard the thought that gods must be good, it’s a conclusion anyone can reach.”

Right. He might have a point.

In a world rampant with superpowers and monsters, there’s no reason for a god to not exist.

But even so, that’s not the end of it.

Assuming there is a god, then what? What comes next?

“How are you planning to summon a god? Or rather, what do you intend to do once you bring them forth?”

“I’m just trying to create a better world.”

“…What?”

Now it was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but scoff.

I never imagined I’d hear such an answer from this man.

I seriously wondered if I had misheard within the most mismatched combination.

The atmosphere grew icy.

Even though we had barely reached a temporary ceasefire of mutual understanding, those present were just moments ago sworn enemies, eager to kill each other.

In such a situation, for the perpetrator to claim they committed slaughter for noble intentions only fueled more resentment.

Even Si-hyun, who had been quiet until now, frowned and openly refuted him.

“It’s easy to make excuses after creating a world like this. A better world, you say.”

“I’ve never wanted anyone’s understanding.”

“Right now, you look no different from that priest earlier. If anything, you seem worse.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

No matter the accusations thrown at him, his demeanor remained steadfast.

The way he appeared to have no regrets about the path he walked was enough to terrify anyone, regardless of right or wrong.

“Anyway, deep down you must think the same. That we can’t truly understand each other. We’re only together, briefly, until our intentions align, nothing more.”

“Right. So you’re saying you’re going back to the academy to summon that god or whatever?”

Finally, after managing to suppress the discord, we returned to the main topic.

“Plus, there are still apostles left in the academy. They probably don’t even know the full situation and are still fighting.”

Generally speaking, the apostles would have an overwhelming advantage, but the holy water was keeping the balance in check. Furthermore, the amount of holy water would only increase with time, meaning if the war dragged on, it would increasingly disadvantage the apostle side.

However, that didn’t imply it guaranteed humanity’s victory.

An increase in holy water meant that human casualties would rise proportionally.

In other words, regardless of how the war ended, both sides would incur irreparable and vast losses.

The best option was to end the war as quickly as possible.

After pondering for a moment, Shin Woo spoke to the Black Goat.

“Anyway, your goal now is to find the spirit of the god, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“And once you retrieve it, there won’t be any reason to continue the war?”

“Of course.”

Upon hearing this, Yeon Hwa gasped and grabbed Shin Woo’s shoulder, shouting.

“Hey! Are you really planning to negotiate with the apostles?!”

“It’s already a negotiation since I treated them. So, we must ensure that it benefits us as well.”

“…Damn!”

Among the three, her resentment toward the apostles was the strongest, and although she cursed, she didn’t counter further.

She simply shot the Black Goat a ferocious glare.

“Seeing that look, it reminded me. You’ve grown much stronger than before.”

“Shut up. I’m not the same as I was then. I’ve been training to kill scum like you.”

“Indeed. That’s a good look in your eyes.”

Is there anything worse than receiving praise from an enemy?

Yeon Hwa paced around with a face like she had just chewed something foul, eventually storming off to swallow her anger.

Watching her worriedly, Shin Woo decided to wrap up the conversation with the Black Goat.

“If we’re to form a temporary alliance, act more cooperatively. Provoking us is definitely not a good move.”

“I had no intention of doing so. I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now let’s start negotiating.”

*

Surprisingly, the conversation went smoothly.

There were no difficulties since our interests aligned.

The apostles, led by the Black Goat, aimed solely for the spirit of the god.

Of course, among them, there were apostles with strong hostility toward humans, but nobody defied the Black Goat’s orders to continue the war.

And for Shin Woo’s group, they just wanted the war to end as quickly as possible.

They struck an agreement to end the war immediately, ensuring that the process of obtaining the god’s spirit would result in minimal casualties.

Moreover, there was one other condition.

If possible, they would handle the council governing the academy and thwart their plans.

No matter how one thought about it, they couldn’t be left unchecked.

The most dangerous enemies facing humanity might very well be them, not the apostles.

Even with noble purposes, the processes involved couldn’t be justified.

After much contemplation, Shin Woo concluded that dismantling the council would ultimately serve humanity’s interests.

Of course, the possibility of his predictions being wrong was quite high.

The council could be a necessary evil, and once they disappeared, the balance could collapse, leaving humanity unable to resist the apostles.

But was that truly right?

If humanity survived and persisted due to such a vile group, could that truly be described as humanity’s victory?

“….”

There probably wasn’t a clear answer, after all.

It was a question that could only change based on everyone’s values and thoughts.

The boy couldn’t accept such contradictions, and he thought that if things continued this way, he would rather have the world perish.

Shin Woo didn’t unilaterally make the decision.

He discussed it with the two girls present, and they agreed with the boy’s resolution.

Of course, Yeon Hwa didn’t seem too pleased.

After explaining the situation to her, who had joined late, she too accepted that for now, this was the best option.

Thus, a conclusion was reached.

As soon as those who had fallen regained consciousness, they would return to the academy.

However, the apostles and Hana did not easily wake up.

Especially in Hana’s case, even without serious injury, it seemed the backlash from her abilities was so severe that even after a considerable amount of time, she hadn’t regained consciousness.

In the end, the anxious waiting became meaningless.

Time mercilessly passed, and it was now the deep of night.

The remaining members wouldn’t be able to stay awake forever to maintain their conditions.

There were many empty rooms in the temple, so they decided to get some sleep.

Of course, sleep wouldn’t come easily.

Si-hyun tossed and turned in bed for a while before finally sitting up.

“….”

This peaceful situation felt far too surreal.

Just a few hours ago, they were in the deadly midst of a battlefield.

Now, they were tossing and turning in the hideout where humanity’s enemies, the ones who instigated that war, had stayed.

A flood of thoughts filled his mind.

At the end of it all, the only thing that clearly emerged was his only family, his older sister.

He knew.

What kind of ending she must have met.

Having witnessed the fate of the Great Mage, he had completely understood it long ago.

Not only that, but Valentina, who had shared her holy water, must have…

He understood it intellectually.

The heroes protecting humanity were always exposed to the threat of death.

Leading lives where it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment, they all grew accustomed to parting ways.

But knowing that didn’t mean he could manage his emotions separately.

Let alone, Si-hyun had lived alone with his sister since losing their family.

Since entering the academy, he always watched her back.

But now, she was gone.

It felt like he was left all alone in the world.

The extreme loneliness pierced him, and the once-strong girl trembled precariously.

What would change if the day broke and they returned to the academy?

If the council’s plans were realized, and the god descended at the apostles’ behest, would anything change?

In the end, would his sister die, and he be left all alone?

Suddenly, emptiness enveloped his heart.

It felt as if a void had opened up in the center of his chest.

There was no way he could fall asleep like this.

Finally, Si-hyun gave up on laying back in bed and decided to step out of the room.