Chapter 142
"I came to keep my promise."
I was standing while embracing the woman.
Purple hair fluttering.
Only thread-like stillness circled around.
The air of the underground prison sank instantly.
"......"
I looked down at the body heat in my arms.
The drunkard's appearance was truly a mess.
Arms and legs with no healthy spots anywhere, forehead with clear traces of blood flowing down, a haggard complexion without a trace of vitality.
Selena was looking up at this side while sitting on the floor.
Her red eyes wavered blankly.
'Did I surprise her too much?'
She didn't seem to grasp the situation.
For her, it was only questionable.
Why she was alive, why her self-destruction failed, why a familiar face was standing before her eyes...
Her confused feelings were revealed directly through the woman's expression.
Seeing even her expressionless mask broken, she seemed considerably flustered.
I smiled bitterly.
'You did it.'
I had been watching constantly.
To see what choice she would make.
Whether she would wake from alcohol or repeat her transgressions.
I believed.
I believed in your regret muttered with a haggard appearance.
I believed in the trace of light shimmering in your pupils.
That you would surely not be consumed by depression unlike foolish me.
I waited for you to choose.
And
-Just, I sobered up.
You chose sobriety.
Though the poison accumulated for so long would be painful when sober.
To move forward.
"Master."
Selena was still in a daze.
I stroked her cheek and whispered one word quietly.
"Thank you."
Words of thanks for answering my faith.
I gently smiled.
I flowed a bit of shadow to the point where my palm and cheek touched.
The shade that bloomed sluggishly soon stuck to the woman, then was slowly absorbed onto her skin like moisture seeping into cloth.
Along with the dissolution of lies, wounds began to heal.
Sruruuk-.
Her appearance that had been a mess in various ways was tidied up.
What remained afterwards was only snow-white flesh.
Following the pain gradually fading, the drunkard's blurry gaze returned too.
Our gazes crossed.
"Please sit for a moment. It will be over soon."
I took off my robe.
Then I draped it over Selena's shoulders as she sat.
Though she was an adult stained with dust and blood, the cloth the boy handed over wrapped her shoulders in pure white.
As if hiding her tattered essence.
"Hmm."
I turned around.
At the end of my gaze, angels wearing white robes were in place.
A formation made without an inch of error.
It was none other than Astro's elite unit.
Splash-.
Only red traces existed at their feet.
Corpses were rolling on the floor.
They were the guards who had been guarding the prison until just before.
Now they were just rotting lumps of meat.
As I chewed over the smell of blood spreading stealthily, soon the angel standing at the very front opened his mouth.
It was the vice commander.
"Master."
"Miss Neria."
"Underground floor infiltration and securing is complete. Please order the members to head upstairs."
"The enemy forces confirmed in this branch are about 200 people. Our side's number is ten... it means a force difference of nearly 20 times."
I narrowed my eyes.
As if saying to give an answer satisfactory as master.
"How long will it take?"
"Exactly 30 minutes... no, we'll clear up to the ground within 20 minutes."
"Then good."
The angels' pupils shining brightly.
I issued a call to everyone standing behind, including Neria.
It was a slaughter.
"Don't leave even one alive."
The angels all bowed their heads.
The robes suddenly fluttering contained stars along with pure white afterimages.
"Everything according to your will."
Right after.
The stars began to move.
Until the pure white veil they wore over was dyed completely red.
Light fluttered.
***
The branch was cleaned up in an instant.
As it was a branch of small scale from the start, the internal forces were swept away like falling leaves.
There was no mercy in the swords and magic wielded by the members.
Especially Neria.
"Light."
Whoosh-!
Brilliant starlight judged evil.
Heat that didn't even leave corpses behind.
The heretics tried to counterattack with chimeras and black magic, but unable to stop even the silver-haired girl, they returned to ashes.
The remaining angels executed sins on their respective execution grounds as if following the vice commander.
I just watched the scenery of purification being carried out.
Like that, a little over 10 minutes passed.
"Master. Cleanup is complete."
"Good work."
There were just ten people.
They had annihilated a branch where 200 people were stationed in 10 minutes.
Perhaps because they were elites in their own right, their firepower was refreshing.
The vice commander saluted towards this side.
The branch's safety was now secured.
Only then did I extend my hand to the drunkard.
"Master."
"......"
Selena sprawled on the floor.
Perhaps she had now somewhat accepted the confusing situation?
The air of surprise or bewilderment from before had subsided.
She was just making a complicated expression.
The woman kneeling alone turned her head from the hand extended before her eyes.
As if turning away from goodwill.
"It's all over."
"......"
"Let's go back together. To the home where everyone is waiting."
Academy.
I conveyed words to return home together.
But the drunkard didn't readily take my hand.
Perhaps she was suffering from thoughts? It was a reaction as if she had no courage to do so at all.
Her trembling lips muttered.
"...Student Yuda."
"Please stand up."
"I... can't. I can't shamelessly return there..."
"Excuse me for a moment."
"What?"
Grab-.
I suddenly embraced her.
Faint body heat spreading from my arms.
Without even time for resistance to return, I lifted the woman's body.
It was a pose commonly called 'princess carry' in the world.
"S-Student Yuda...?"
"Shh."
We were just like that.
Like how I escorted her at the banquet that became our first.
Selena grasped my sleeve at the sudden action.
"W-wait... where are you trying to go?"
"Didn't I tell you? There's no home but the academy. Everyone is waiting only for Master."
"Everyone...?"
"Yes, everyone. They must all be flustered since the hospitalized patient disappeared. The dean of course, students who received teachings, colleague professors... even that Professor Cardel is looking for you."
"...Why."
Head gradually dropping.
Soon the woman held tears as if about to burst.
But she swallowed them down so they wouldn't overflow.
As if she didn't even have the right to shed tears for herself.
She hung a recollection of sins already spilled on her neck like an execution ground.
The guilt was terrible.
"I don't have the right. The right to return to the academy..."
"Why do you think that?"
"If it's Student Yuda, you know. What I almost did."
"Master."
"I almost broke the things I love. At the same time, I almost broke the things that love me. Using my own sadness as an excuse for that."
Wavering pupils.
The drunkard had eyes like she would die at any moment.
The shoulders in my arms were trembling powerlessly.
"Just... let me end it here."
One word of request.
Perhaps a plea.
The woman was wishing for the end of her miserable life.
As if trying to take responsibility for herself.
But
"How foolish."
Responsibility wasn't such a thing.
"What Master is doing is just running away."
Death can never become a means of responsibility.
And it shouldn't become a means of responsibility.
It becomes a wound for those left behind afterwards, and unresolved conflict becomes a deep scar.
If one wants to take responsibility for one's transgressions, one must face them properly.
Even if that process is sinful.
"You must live. Only then does the opportunity to atone come."
God gives opportunities only to the living.
After facing death, there is no opportunity to atone to others, or opportunity to correct.
"But..."
"Why do you think everything is over?"
I thought while observing you all this time.
A person with many wounds.
Yet a warm person.
It was no coincidence that there were many children who followed her at the academy, because she always pretended to be indifferent to everything in the world, but inwardly didn't forget kindness to students.
It was a connection the drunkard had steadily built.
It was also proof of affection at the same time.
'If.'
If you hadn't walked the path of revenge... I thought you would have become quite a good educator.
On the other hand, I also thought it wasn't too late yet.
Because you had just come out of the long tunnel of regret.
-Go eat shit.
-Being swayed by you guys for 5 years is enough.
Since you shed the shell of the past.
All your life had just now stood at the starting line.
You chose things you wanted to protect out of love for something, not anger at something.
You were finally allowed to remain in the world.
In my world too.
In your world too.
"Master."
You in the original work deserved to die.
Because you pushed too many people into unhappiness with just anger and sadness as reasons.
But not in this world.
No one was harmed or became unhappy.
"You... haven't ruined anything yet."
If nothing was ruined, opportunity exists.
I believe that to be true.
"Because I stopped it."
I stopped your sin.
I stopped the ugly tragedy.
Regret, self-blame, suicide that would have weighed on your shoulders someday... all those words no longer had meaning.
Because as I said before, I wanted to save you.
"So it's alright."
"But, Student Yuda was hurt. To the extent of having to ride a wheelchair. With such a noticeably haggard appearance..."
The hand grasping my sleeve trembled.
Was she recalling a few days ago?
I remembered her making a complicated smile while looking at my appearance sitting in a wheelchair.
All those things must have been painful for you.
To the extent it was hard to endure turning away.
"Your sin may indeed be heavy."
"......"
"But."
I was grateful to you.
For making a different choice.
My trashy past life, full of only despair and sadness.
Though it was a life that couldn't change until the end... I saw a new possibility from your choice.
Perhaps even I of that time.
"Aren't we connected by a special bond?"
There was just no one to hold me.
The possibility that I could have changed too if there was just an opportunity.
Just from that, I received some salvation from that time.
I promise.
"When you take responsibility... I will always stand by your side."
That's what taming is.
Just as I tamed you, you tamed me too, so we must take responsibility for each other.
What meaning would there be in relationships if individuals just lived for individuals alone?
Humans are beings who harmonize because they conflict, love because they hate, and forgive others because they make mistakes.
If you don't give up, the opportunity for a comeback will come someday.
"Selena Drunkard."
What you needed to beg for wasn't death.
It was none other than forgiveness.
And I.
"I will forgive you."
I already didn't resent you.
I conveyed complete sincerity over lips and lips.
-Everything. Without exception.
-All my firsts were Student Yuda's.
This time too, I was your first.
The first person to forgive you.
Though you'll have to live through numerous atonements, apologies, original sins from now on, rather because of that, the value of this forgiveness was clear.
Because it will become hope for every single step you take.
Hope that you can be forgiven for all sins someday.
"So, Master."
I
Volunteered to become your first hope.
"Let's go back together. To the home waiting for us."
"......"
Pupils frozen blankly.
Dew gathered in her red eyes, then overflowing emotion flowed down.
Straight lines drew thick tear marks on her cheeks.
Relief, joy, doubt, hope, sadness... a wave of all those emotions mixed.
The woman asked with pronunciation gradually crumbling.
"Why... why is Student Yuda, to me so..."
Why?
A question asking why I was so kind to her.
I answered without even needing to think.
"Well, because I'm your disciple."
Words that finally made her burst into tears.
The drunkard buried her face in the snake's chest.
Tears gradually wet beyond the shirt.
While holding her gradually growing sobs, I walked step by step through the dark corridor.
Though surrounded by pitch darkness, my vision wasn't obscured at all.
It was just bright.
Like that.
For the first time, light shone on the life of the traitor or drunkard.
Perhaps light she would cherish forever.