"Kira!"
The flames spread, and through them a scream emerged. It was a scream that was neither filled with rage nor anger. Rather, it was filled with sadness and anxiety—the despair and sudden feeling of losing someone very close once again. It was a scream of agony.
Riya jumped as the meteor fell, broke the ground, and pierced into it. She was desperate because she didn't want to lose someone once again.
Following the meteor, which was piercing into the ground, she followed her instinct and jumped with her full force. But before she could close the distance between herself and the meteor, Lisa caught her.
"Idiot! What are you doing?"
"Hk—" Riya felt as if her momentum had been cut off, and in that desperate moment, she made a wise decision.
She pressed her hand against the nearby wall of the hole that had been created by the meteor. It was hot. Hot like a scorching sun, but she didn't fall back and spoke:
"Absolute Zero!"
In that moment, everything, including reality itself, started to freeze. It felt as if time had stopped. It was a desperate situation where a massive layer of ice appeared and froze the hole, stopping the meteor from going down.
But it was just a desperate action that didn't stop the ground from falling downward. Lisa pulled her out.
"Kira! Kira! Kira!" Riya didn't stop her hopeless screams, filled with sadness and despair. Lisa hugged her as Riya's eyes filled with tears and then spoke, "Don't worry. He will come back."
Those words were just for sympathy, but they generated a spark inside Riya.
"Shit." Riya stood up, wiping her tears from her eyes in order to stop showcasing her pathetic side, but it didn't stop. Still, she gathered her courage, clenched her grip on her sword, and spoke. "I am going to find him."
Lisa looked at her with sympathy on her face and also realized that she couldn't stop her. The only thing she could do for her now was to let her go.
"Okay. Guards and students, evacuate immediately. The fire is increasing, and arrest that woman there. Now!" Lisa then turned her face to see Riya but was surprised to see that she was already running. Riya gave her a smile before leaving.
Downwards, huh… I should hurry quickly. Please… Kira, be alive.
Riya swiftly moved forward, and as she passed, a giant chunk of wood covered in flames fell behind her, creating a giant cloud of smoke. With that smoke, she vanished completely.
✧✧✧
The scream erased the fog, and the voice with it. The only thing that remained was a boy kneeling on the ground, his hand pressed against the surface in front of him. His shoulders were trembling, his head hanging so low that his black hair covered most of his face. The wounds on his naked body were magically erasing themselves, stained from everything that had happened, but none of that mattered to him anymore. His mind was somewhere else entirely.
He mumbled a cracking whisper through his mouth, which was filled with blood as if he had bitten his own tongue.
"Why…"
The surroundings changed without warning.
There was no explosion, no transition, no sensation of falling. One moment, Kira had been surrounded by destruction, and the next, everything had vanished. The flames were gone. The screams were gone. Even the feeling of the ground beneath his feet had disappeared. He found himself kneeling in an endless white world where the sky and the ground were indistinguishable from one another. There was no sun, no clouds, no wind, and no horizon—only an infinite, blinding whiteness that seemed to stretch forever. Yet despite how empty the place was, Kira could hear something clearly.
His own breathing.
It was uneven and broken.
"Why…" A dying whisper escaped from his mouth.
He curled his trembling fingers and slammed his fist into the milky ground again.
BAM!
The sound echoed through the world, and the blood that had stopped a few moments before started spreading, but still, he didn't stop.
BAM!
"Why…?"
Another strike.
BAM!
His knuckles trembled as he stared at the ground, his eyes becoming increasingly red.
"Why did you sacrifice yourselves for me…?"
His voice cracked.
The question echoed into the distance, but there was no answer.
Kira lowered his head again. His hair fell over his face, but it couldn't hide the tears anymore. They began falling onto the white ground, one after another, leaving tiny marks that slowly disappeared.
"Why me…?"
His voice became quieter.
"Why did you all choose me…?"
He clenched his fist so tightly that his entire arm shook.
"I am just a weak, pathetic bastard."
His breathing suddenly became erratic.
"I was supposed to become stronger."
He slammed his fist down again.
BAM!
"But I wasn't!"
"I was too weak! I was too stupid! I was… I am pathetic… I was not even able to protect the students… my classmates there." His vision began to become blurry, or perhaps it was due to the tears covering his eyes. "It was all the same. It was the same at that time also! When he died because of me."
As he spoke, his surroundings changed again to a scene where a boy was crying in front of an injured young man who was on the verge of dying.
BAM!
Kira slammed his fist into the ground once again.
BAM!
He repeated it.
BAM!
He ignored his swollen fist.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
He slammed his fist onto the ground, and within a few seconds, the surroundings began to shatter.
"WHY!"
He raised his fist once again, shouting, and then—
BAM!
With the last strength in his numb fist, the surrounding world shattered into pieces once again, and the only thing that remained was him and the white, milky sea.
"I hate myself…"
Kira lowered his head.
"I am truly a Curse Child."
A long silence followed, but it didn't last long.
Footsteps.
Soft footsteps echoed from a distance, or perhaps they came from behind him.
The sound was strangely gentle against the silent world, and it grew louder with time, as if the owner of the footsteps was coming closer.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Kira lifted his head as he felt a soft, small hand touch him from behind. His red eyes widened, and the first thing he saw was a figure smiling. The figure seemed to be a little girl, but as Kira raised his eyes, a cute little face came into view.
A little girl—or perhaps a little boy. The overwhelming brightness made the figure difficult to distinguish. Kira's vision was blurred by tears anyway.
The child smiled at him, and Kira was finally able to see the face clearly.
A young little boy with blond hair was smiling at Kira, his blue pupils looking like an ocean filled with the brilliance of diamonds. The boy's blond hair seemed to be made of golden threads, and the smile he gave could not be compared to anything less than an angel's.
Kira, who was filled with a sea of despair and was on the verge of losing control like that time, saw the boy as none other than a god himself.
"No…" Kira recognized the boy, and as he was about to say something, the boy interrupted him.
"Kira."
Kira's body trembled, and he instantly hugged him. The boy's body was small, but it gave a small, warm feeling to Kira, who was slowly being corrupted by madness.
"Kira."
"Just why…"
Kira's eyes filled with tears. The person he wanted to meet. The person he wanted to save. The person he wanted to live. The person he wanted to do anything for, even if it meant living in isolation for eternity, was there.
"Kira." The child repeated the name and hugged Kira, who was crying in his arms like a baby. He then stroked his hair and smiled brightly.
✧✧✧
The Principal's eyes widened in surprise as the Lady in Red stood in front of him.
"B-But how?" He let the words escape from his mouth without even realizing it, and in response, the Lady licked the blood from her dagger.
"Oh my! You are surprised, right? But don't worry about it. You are going to die anyway."
She spoke and quickly coated her dagger with mana using Mana Possession. This was her first time using it ever since she had appeared in the forest, which was a surprise and also a relief for the Principal because it told him that she was desperate to quickly finish the fight.
The desperation could have two reasons.
"Fire. The fire in the room is increasing rapidly. Thus, if the fight lasts long, we will both be burned alive, and then there is the smoke."
"The second reason for her desperation could be due to the time limit. She has been ordered to quickly kidnap the child and move, but the chances of it being real are very low. Then, what is it?"
He quickly dodged the dagger and replied with his cane. He crossed his cane with the slashes of the dagger. In those moments, it felt like they were both equal, but as their clashes increased, the Lady gained the upper advantage and slashed the Principal's cheek.
"Hk—" The Principal sprang backward and quickly created distance between them. In response, the Lady simply licked the blood from her dagger and smiled devilishly.
Bang!
The wall that was on fire nearby fell, proving that if this fight continued any longer, they would both be burned alive.
"Oh! Oh! This is it. It is…" The Principal looked toward the dagger, which was coated with mana around it. Generally, coated mana was not visible to the naked eye unless you had studied Advanced Basics Mana Techniques, but the Principal had not only studied Advanced Basics Mana Techniques. He had mastered them. During his time at the university, he was known as the President of Knowledge.
"Yeah… Her Blessed Authority. Her Blessed Authority surely helps her in creating illusions, but there is a risk involved with it. Her Blessed Authority surely exhausts more mana compared to other Authority Blessed Ones. But why didn't she collapse, and how is she handling this much toll? I saw it. She was fighting Oryn before at the main gate. So, technically, she should have collapsed after using that illusion. Does she have infinite mana?" Whispering to himself, the Principal finally figured out her whole Authority case. "It is due to the bloodlust she possesses. A unique characteristic of a vampire, who are branch descendants of the King of Death."
"Hey, whom are you smirking at? It seems like you have figured everything out."
"Hmm… You can say that. But there is one thing. The thing which has been irritating me for some time." The Principal smirked at her, and pointing his cane toward her, he asked a question.
"What was your intention in attacking the University, and who was the sender who sent two letters to us?"
Hearing those questions, the Lady in Red became silent for some time. Meanwhile, in the background, another wall collapsed due to the flames, and it felt like the roof above them was going to collapse at any second.
"The two letters… No, we sent only one letter, and it was just to trick your side for the kids who were left. Hmm… I should tell you everything anyway. It isn't like our mission will be affected by it. Though, my mind is going crazy due to the madness, it will not pose any problem to me as our mission has been successful. Well, you people were tough, huh? Even though our attack was a surprise, you people were prepared."
"…" The Principal remained silent for a moment, and then he thought.
Only one letter… They also have a traitor among them like us.
"Oh, judging by your reaction, it seems like you were prepared because of something, huh. Was it because you knew we were coming? Ma-ha, shit! My brain is frying."
Shit, she is smart.
"No, it was because of the… the Blessing Wars which were coming."
"Well, I don't care because I am going to die anyway. Hmm… The reason behind why we attacked the shitty university is because… because we wanted the empire and its shitty queen to know how it felt when someone entered one colony and destroyed everything. Like that time. That day, when Archeon entered RNC and destroyed everything. Well, it also wasn't because of revenge that we came. It was because we wanted to tarnish the reputation of Torminas and conquer it. And as all of us are dead except that dragon girl, it didn't matter. We can come back anytime. You know, I am just a puppet led by her, the Daughter of our Lady in Darkness."
"I can't die, neither do I want to live here in this cursed world. You know, as a vampire, I had lived for many hundreds of years, changing professions like clothes. One time, I was a concubine of the emperor. He was a man filled with lust. So, I gave him everything he wanted, and then I took everything from him. I destroyed his empire. His wife. His family. His—his—his—his—his life. Yeah, I am a great sinner."
"In another era, I was a queen of the underworld, where I lived for forty-five years until I destroyed it. I monopolized the black market. I imposed everything, every rule that could destroy… No… which could erase the underworld from existence. Yeah… I am the sole embodiment of justice."
"But everything changed when she came. She, the one who filled me with darkness. She gave me everything. She changed me from within, and I am going to do what I am going to do for her. For her daughter…" As she spoke, her breathing increased along with her heartbeat.
Here goes… She has fallen into the trap of bloodlust, which has affected her whole brain, and right now, she is engulfed by madness.
The Principal took his stance and got ready for another round. The Lady in Red looked over the Principal while biting her lips. She leaned downward, and at that moment, she smiled. One of the veins on her neck moved.
And then, out of nowhere, her teeth became sharp and pointed, which made her smile even more horrifying. She sprang forward, but before she could do anything—
Bang!
The roof collapsed alongside the flames, and underneath it, three people stood. One was sitting. The Principal quickly grabbed Kira and spoke, "Exile." He used his blessing on himself and made himself fast enough to reach the fallen wall and escape, reaching the stairs, which were also covered with flames but not as heavily as the surroundings.
The Lady in Red also followed them, but before she could pass the wall, the Principal made a rule.
"Steal."
In the quick one-second gap, her thoughts were stolen, and she simply stood there like a tree before the entire roof collapsed and covered her in flames.
Bang!
Is it over?
The Principal was relieved for a moment but didn't lower his guard. In his hand, there was Kira, whose eyes were still closed.
Puppets, Marionettes, huh… But how? The corpses were found in RNC, which proved Archeon was affiliated and killed everyone there. So, the ones standing in front of us are just vessels. No, it can't be, because if it was, then they would not be this incompatible with their blessing, as incompatibility depends on a person's physical stability, and this is just a law of Stratum to ensure the person should be able to use their Authority more precisely and reach the King's level. Then, it means the bodies were stolen and resurrected. No, that needs more mana compared to Stratum 4. Oh! This case can also be taken as a hypothesis. Their bodies were stolen and replaced by other bodies, which could be doppelgängers or someone's blessing, and then they were converted into puppets by another Blessed Authority, as she said. This explains why the reports of stolen corpses were not sent because they were replaced. I should tell this to Draves, and through him, I myself will directly interrogate those bodies.
"Fuck! Fuck!" A loud voice emerged from the scraps of the roof, followed by a hand and then a whole naked body.
Guess not.
The Principal quickly glanced over it. The naked body belonged to a middle-aged woman, but something was different.
Guess her clothes were burned due to the flames, but what are those scars? It is like her body is stitched like a marionette.
On the naked body, there were many scars, but they felt different, as if those scars were stitched onto clothes. It felt like she had been made like a piece of clothing.
The naked woman quickly glanced over at the Principal and started walking toward him through the flames. Step by step, her feet burned. Her hands, neck, and then her flesh were engulfed by the flames, but she didn't stop and finally crossed the wall.
[Stop it! You have to stop it now, or else you will ruin everything.]
A mysterious voice emerged from within her mind, and she collapsed onto her knees in an instant.
"SHIT! SHIT! Why nowwwwwww!"
[Control your bloodlust.]
"FUCK YOU! I AM NOT CONTROLLING IT."
[Control it, or you will lose the darkness.]
"FUCK… NO!"
The Principal looked in surprise and quickly grabbed his cane, which had fallen down due to the sudden collapse of the roof. He then glanced at Kira and became even more shocked.
His eyes… He is opening his eyes.
✧✧✧
"Don't cry, Kira. You look like a baby now."
"B-But w-w-why!? Just w-why did you save me that time? I am pathetic. A w-weak loser who can't even protect anyone and just begs for himself. I-I am selfish. I am just—"
"So what?"
Kira grieved with a pathetic, almost broken expression, his eyes red from the tears that had gathered within them. The tears spilled silently down his cheeks, tracing trembling paths across his face. His hands were cold, almost devoid of warmth, but the warmth he felt within that embrace made that coldness seem like nothing but a mere illusion.
He looked toward the boy who had embraced him in his arms. His tear-filled eyes gazed toward the small blond-haired boy, whose childlike eyes held a purity that Kira had almost forgotten existed. His smile was magnificent—so gentle, so innocent, and yet so overwhelmingly bright that merely looking upon it felt as though even a heart drowning in despair could bloom once more.
"W-What—" In his cracked voice, he tried to speak but stopped as he saw the boy's face.
"Don't worry. Everything was wrong. It was all wrong from the beginning anyway." A sadness emerged around the boy's face. "The way they work. Corruption, discrimination, malice, violence. Everything we feel. Everything we see. Everything is just a will."
"T-Then w-w-why!?" Kira's face twisted with grief and disbelief, his red-rimmed eyes trembling as tears continued to gather at their corners. His lips quivered uncontrollably, as though even forming the words had become painful. "I am not some kind of hero here. I-I am just a weak bastard." His voice cracked, the words coming out between ragged breaths. "D-Don't give me that shit. Sadness, discrimination, violence, I have felt them ever since I came to this university…" His expression gradually sank into something hollow, his gaze trembling as memories he desperately wanted to bury resurfaced one after another. "No… It was the same in the RNC also." His hands clenched weakly, his fingernails digging into his palms as his face contorted beneath the weight of everything he had endured. "I was born to be consumed by despair!" His voice rose into a desperate cry, tears finally slipping freely from his eyes. "Y-You know what they called me here!! A Curse Child." His face twisted into a bitter, broken smile, as if even the name itself had become a wound that could never heal. "Yeah, they were right." His trembling gaze fell toward the ground. "Everywhere I went, I brought despair—"
"Despair, huh…" The boy's expression softened, his smile remaining gentle as he looked at Kira. "Well… that's not true."
"Huh… w-what are you saying!?—" Kira's eyes widened, his tear-stained face tightening with confusion. "Don't tell me… Y-You still think—"
"For me, you were a reincarnated angel. My first friend." His smile grew warmer, carrying a sincerity that made Kira's trembling expression freeze for a moment. "They call you a Curse Child. Let them call you that. It doesn't matter. The thing that matters is your heart. The one you want to protect—"
"Protect!?" Kira's face twisted bitterly, his trembling lips pulling into a pained expression. "Huh. Who do you think you are to say I can protect someone when I was the one begging for my life a few seconds ago?" His voice trembled as tears gathered in his eyes once again. "I am just w-w-weak… p-pathetic." His gaze dropped, his shoulders trembling beneath the weight of his own words. "If I had died and you were here instead… Things would have gone differently."
"Well, maybe it's true…" The boy's expression remained calm, his gentle smile never fading. "But you remember your promise, right? Live for me." His eyes softened as he looked directly at Kira. "So, it doesn't matter whether you beg for your life or present yourself as pathetic."
"Just… J-Just what are you trying to say—" Kira's voice became smaller, almost disappearing beneath his trembling breath. His red eyes slowly lifted toward the boy, confusion and sorrow intertwined within them.
"You want to know why I saved you there." The boy's smile faded slightly, replaced by an expression of quiet seriousness. His eyes remained gentle, but something deeper could be seen within them. "You want to know…the difference between you and me."
"The reason is simple, Kira." The blond boy looked directly into Kira's trembling eyes, his expression calm yet filled with an unwavering conviction. "It is your willpower. You are strong, Kira. Stronger than you realize. Even when everything falls apart around you, you still refuse to give up. That is why you should live."
"W-Wha…" Kira's lips parted slightly, his red, tear-filled eyes widening in disbelief. His expression seemed frozen, as though he could not understand the words being spoken to him.
"It's because of your ideology, Kira." The blond boy's smile softened, his eyes carrying a warmth that seemed to reach straight into Kira's broken heart. "I am completely different from you. That is why fate chose you." His expression became gentle, almost bittersweet. "And that is why… you should just live. Protect the people you want to protect. Do whatever you want to do with your life. Walk wherever you want to walk. Choose whatever path you want to choose."
Kira's trembling face slowly lifted toward him, tears still clinging to his eyelashes. "W-Wha…"
"You are not a burden." The blond boy smiled again, as though those words alone should have been enough to silence every doubt inside Kira. "So… just live."
"W-Wha…" Kira could only stare at him, his lips trembling as another tear slipped down his cheek.
The blond boy slowly released him, freeing both of his hands from the embrace. He then stepped back and stood before Kira, raising both arms slightly with an almost childish, carefree pose. His golden hair swayed gently as he looked directly into Kira's eyes.
His smile was brighter than before.
"You are not a Curse Child, Kira."
For a brief moment, everything seemed to fall silent.
"You are a Child of Hope."
Kira's eyes widened.
The blond boy continued to smile, his gaze never leaving Kira's.
"So live for me…"
His voice was gentle.
"…my best friend."
And then, with a gentle smile, the blond boy gave Kira one last small hug before his figure slowly disappeared.
The child, who was only around ten years old, somehow looked more mature than a boy who had already entered his adolescence.
And then, as he spoke, the white surroundings around them began to shatter like countless pieces of glass. The voice of the blond boy was still echoing within Kira's ears.
You are a Child of Hope.
That is why fate chose you.
Choose whatever path you want to choose.
The words echoed inside Kira's mind. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. Kira then leaned forward, raising one trembling hand to wipe the tears from his swollen, reddened eyes. He looked toward the shattering surroundings, his expression still carrying traces of grief, but something faint had begun to change within his eyes. Then, in a low whisper, he spoke.
"I am not a Child of Hope… but… but I will not break our promise."
And as he spoke, the surrounding world finally shattered into countless pieces.
Kira opened his eyes.
✧✧✧
"Fuck… No!!"
A voice suddenly emerged from the surrounding chaos, its desperate tone confusing Kira even more about the situation. The Principal then carefully placed Kira on the ground. The moment his feet touched the floor, Kira felt an intense wave of heat against his skin, immediately reminding him of the fire raging throughout the room.
"Sir, Principal… What is happening?"
"I don't have time to explain, but as you can see, the lady right now is overwhelmed by her bloodlust. So, this is our only chance." The Principal's expression remained serious as he glanced toward the Lady in Red. Then his eyes returned to Kira, and his expression suddenly became slightly confused. "But why are you crying?"
Kira looked surprised, his red and swollen eyes widening slightly. "Oh…" He slowly raised his hand and wiped the tears from his cheeks, his fingers trembling slightly as they passed beneath his eyes. He then turned his gaze toward the Lady in Red.
[Lose yourself right now. It is an order.]
"No! I am not going to do what you tell me!" The Lady in Red screamed, her expression twisting with fury and pain as she fell onto her knees. For a moment, she remained there, her shoulders trembling violently. Then, suddenly, she threw her head back and screamed again, her voice echoing through the burning room.
Kira grew anxious, his eyes darting between the Lady in Red and the Principal. Then he suddenly felt something rest upon his shoulder. His body stiffened, and he slowly turned his head toward it.
"Right now… Go toward Sir Draves and tell him that help is needed."
"B-But, sir…"
"Don't worry. I will make a path for you." As he spoke, the Principal lowered his head slightly and whispered, "Stairs."
Blood suddenly spilled from his mouth. He coughed violently, his face tightening from the pain, before wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. "Go now. Don't worry about me. I will be okay." He then raised his cane and pointed toward a distant section of the fallen wall.
In an instant, the chunks of wood scattered nearby began trembling before being pulled together. Piece by piece, they started merging with one another, forming a staircase in the middle of the burning surroundings as flames continued to spread around them.
"Go now!"
"B-But, sir…" Kira hesitated, his worried expression lingering for a moment before he finally nodded. "Yes, sir."
Kira then walked toward the newly formed staircase and began climbing upward, his footsteps echoing faintly through the burning room.
The Principal then turned his gaze toward the Lady in Red and spoke:
"Should I make your misery bearable?"
"O-Oh… you can. Please do it, then." Her face twisted into a strained expression as she struggled against her own bloodlust. "I-I can't stand this bitch for now. I will get my revenge next time. Just you wait."
"You are welcome."
And as he spoke, the Principal calmly swung his cane. The motion was swift and effortless, and the blade-like edge passed through her neck.
His expression remained completely blank. There was no anger in his eyes, nor hatred—only a quiet sense of relief, as though a burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. He slowly lowered his cane before looking up toward the staircase, where he saw Kira jumping from the final step and opening the door to leave.
"Now then…"
The Principal's expression remained calm as he stared toward the open doorway.
"How should I go?"
✧✧✧
Kira pushed through the door and immediately broke into a run, his footsteps hurried and uneven as he moved through the corridor. His breathing was still ragged, and his face remained pale from everything that had happened. He didn't stop to think. He simply ran, one hand occasionally brushing against the wall to steady himself as he desperately tried to reach the main gate.
Then—
He stopped.
A massive presence suddenly descended upon him from the direction of the main gate. It was so overwhelming that Kira's entire body instinctively froze. His pupils shrank, and the faint color that remained on his face seemed to disappear. Even from a distance, he could feel the sheer weight of that presence pressing against his body.
Kira slowly continued forward, his steps becoming cautious as he approached the entrance. The further he walked, the stronger the heat became. Smoke filled the air, and the familiar corridors had been replaced by a scene of destruction. The entire area around the main gate was burning, with chunks of broken walls, shattered wood, and debris scattered across the ground. Flames continued to crawl across the ruins, casting an eerie glow through the thick smoke.
Kira's expression gradually changed.
He reached the doorway that led toward the main gate and stopped just before crossing it. His trembling hand slowly tightened, and his eyes narrowed as he stared ahead.
Then—
He stepped through the doorway.
His eyes widened.
His breath caught in his throat.
There was something standing before the main gate.
Something he should never have seen.