LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 93
I never imagined I would see Sophie here.
Shin Woo couldn’t hide his confusion, and his gaze shook violently.
“Why is Sophie here…?”
He unwittingly asked the question, but he already realized the answer in his mind without needing a reply.
The person who killed Sophie was none other than the man in front of him.
To be precise, Shin Woo didn’t actually witness her death.
All he knew was that Sophie had vanished and that Hana had watched her die.
The girl lying in the coffin matched the description Hana had given.
The left side of her chest, where a heart should be, was hollow.
Shin Woo bit his lip.
If only that girl hadn’t died, Hana would be doing much better than now.
To kill her and then say he would bring her back?
No. This couldn’t even be called bringing her back.
It was simply defiling the deceased under the pretext of divine flesh.
This was wrong.
“Stop it right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This resurrection thing or whatever. If you’re planning to go through with this, I’ll stop you.”
The Black Goat didn’t show a strong reaction to the boy’s firm declaration.
He merely rubbed his chin nonchalantly, as if he expected it.
“Are you saying you’ll stop us? You?”
“You think I can’t?”
As he clenched his fist, the power of the Holy Grail surged from within, revealing its presence.
Even if the focus was on healing, that was not all.
It was clear that the boy’s power had grown immensely compared to before.
“It wouldn’t be wise to oppose each other in this situation.”
“You said you would make Hana happy. Do you really think she would like this!?”
“Do you know what she wants or what she craves?”
“…What?”
The question bounced back at him, and Shin Woo frowned.
Was he intentionally changing the subject to avoid answering?
But Shin Woo couldn’t easily respond.
He couldn’t confidently speak up.
“You have no idea what that girl desires or what she longs for.”
“Don’t kid around! Don’t act like you know!”
“Unlike you, I know all too well.”
He shouldn’t have listened to this.
Even while thinking so, Shin Woo didn’t move from his spot.
As if waiting silently for the Black Goat’s next response.
“Eternal rest. What that girl wants is death.”
*
Before long, night had passed and dawn was gradually brightening.
But the conversation between the two women by the sea was still ongoing.
Si-hyun asked the girl a question, forgetting even the fact that he was sleepy.
“So there’s really no other way?”
“What do you mean by a way?”
If Longinus’ words were true, then Hana was definitely in a dangerous state.
Of course, not having the privilege of resurrection also applied to ordinary people.
But wasn’t Hana continually forced to confront death?
Under the name of a savior, under the guise of sacrifice.
“Your words make it sound like… Hana is destined to die.”
“That’s right. That’s Christ’s role. A sacrificial atonement.”
“…Does that mean she must uphold that role? No matter what happens?”
Then it ultimately meant that Hana had to die somehow.
That was…
Unforgivable.
It was too heavy a responsibility for that delicate girl.
Longinus maintained a complex expression that was hard to read for a while.
Si-hyun couldn’t find any hope in her face, and he ended up feeling despair.
Just then, Longinus opened her mouth to speak.
“It’s not that there are no methods at all.”
“What’s that method?”
*
Morning in the temple, with sunlight streaming in.
People who had scattered earlier gathered in one place.
The apostles who barely returned from the brink of death also made their appearance.
The Red Dragon and Blue Shark were doing okay, but the Pink Hawk, who had a bullet hit her heart, was in terrible condition despite the power of the Holy Grail.
Though each held different thoughts in their hearts, a common point among most was their lack of a bright expression. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they looked as though they were deteriorating.
In particular, Shin Woo was also feeling quite uneasy due to his earlier friction with the Black Goat.
Yet, they all gathered together without a word. Right now, there was a purpose that took priority over individual feelings.
“Looks like everyone’s here. Then let’s head back to the Academy.”
The Black Goat spoke only the main point.
“Aren’t we taking the White Lamb with us?”
“The ceremony will proceed once the divine mind is attained and returns to the temple.”
“What about the others? Do you know what happened to them?”
Though pretending to be indifferent, the Blue Shark was internally concerned about the well-being of her companions.
However, the Black Goat merely shook his head and replied.
“No. I don’t know.”
“…That’s fantastic.”
“Any other questions from your side?”
Eventually, his gaze turned towards the students sitting on one side and Longinus.
Among them, only Yeon Hwa reacted.
“Let’s cut to the chase. Once we go back, can we win? I heard those bastards can nullify all abilities.”
“It’s tricky, but it’s not impossible. Of course, with our current strength, it would be tough.”
Yeon Hwa was flabbergasted by the Black Goat’s seemingly unconfident response.
“What’s this? You were all high and mighty a moment ago.”
“That’s fine. I can handle it.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to where the voice had come from.
Different reactions arose from each of them. Shin Woo jumped up in surprise and exclaimed.
“Hana! You’re awake!”
“Yeah.”
“…But what was that you said earlier?”
Hana replied nonchalantly.
“The divine domain used by the opponent. I can disregard that.”
“Is that even possible? Then why…?”
It seemed she had been affected before.
Shin Woo looked at the girl with a dazed expression.
What should he say? The girl, who had just woken from a deep slumber, felt quite unfamiliar.
Rather than feeling that she had changed, it was more like she had suddenly grown up.
But just for a moment, Shin Woo quickly shook off those thoughts and firmly stood in front of Hana.
“No way. You just woke up, so you need to rest here.”
“No. I can’t do that. I’m going with you.”
“I said you can’t!”
“Why?”
Why, indeed.
Shin Woo momentarily lost his words at the girl’s innocent question.
The reason was so simple and clear.
“…Because it’s dangerous. You know the council is targeting you. If something goes wrong, you could die.”
“That’s the same whether I stay here quietly. If the ones here don’t return, it will be my turn next.”
“But still!”
He couldn’t possibly send her into a dangerous battlefield.
Even if he were to go there himself, he didn’t want Hana to go.
It didn’t matter if they weren’t together.
He just hoped Hana could live and find happiness.
He wanted to prove that everything the Black Goat said was wrong.
“Kim Shin Woo.”
“………”
“You promised. You said you would follow me no matter what choice I made.”
That was right.
When Hana suddenly took it upon herself to protect the apostles and acted in a way he couldn’t comprehend, the boy had clearly said those words.
As Shin Woo’s expression remained tense, Hana smiled brightly and approached him.
Then she playfully pinched his nose and said.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“………”
It’s been a while.
A familiar habit she had done since childhood.
It was a kind of signal only they could understand.
“In this world right now, I’m the strongest.”
“Okay. I get it. You’re stubborn, so I’ll trust you.”
“Hehe. That’s the Kim Shin Woo I know!”
The girl seemed blissfully unaware of what the future held.
Instead, she wore a carefree and bright smile, as if she were just going out on an outing.
Soon, Hana turned her head and locked eyes with the Black Goat.
A momentary pause in their gazes.
Though they didn’t articulate it, it seemed much was communicated between them.
The Black Goat stood up and said.
“Then let’s move out.”
They decided to use the magic circle located in the basement of the temple for their transport.
While moving down to the basement, Hana naturally stuck close to Shin Woo.
Then she tiptoed and whispered softly in his ear.
“Once it’s all over, how about we go on a picnic together since we couldn’t go before?”
“Out of nowhere…?”
It was quite an unexpected proposal.
Moreover, considering the situation, it felt a bit out of place, causing Shin Woo to chuckle.
Was she intentionally trying to ease his tension by joking around?
What was clear was that the restored Hana seemed much more at ease than before.
It wasn’t bad. In fact, he preferred her this way over the previously timid girl he had grown accustomed to.
It felt like returning to the happy days of their childhood.
Yes.
Once everything is over, going on a picnic together wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Shin Woo lost himself in a happy thought for the first time in ages and broke into a small smile.