Back home (3)

Ansia’s expression was colored with bewilderment.

“Professor’s… old colleague?”

“yes.”

Being positive makes me even more confused.

A woman who died with a sword stuck in her heart in a forest full of demons.

Because it was an unexpected figure of a hero who tried to save the world.

“This is the end of those who have been encroached on by demonic energy.”

People with demonic blood.

Since they are humans and monsters at the same time, they are inevitably born with two selves coexisting.

Normally, the human ego dominates the body, but when the demon’s blood awakens, the human ego is consumed by the demon’s ego, so-called “witchcrafting” proceeds.

Because the human ego is truly weak in front of the demon’s power.

A person who has started to become a demon beast will sooner or later be pushed away by the demon beast and lose his body.

“Maria was like that, too.”

Even if you were the strongest hunter, you couldn’t avoid that fate as long as you were born with demonic blood.

She has been on the battlefield for a long time, and has been exposed to an unimaginable amount of demonic energy.

Maria lost herself due to the power of the Witchbeast slowly awakening, and she, exhausted from a long battle, was eventually devoured by the Witchbeast’s ego.

“·······.”

He lowered his stance in front of Maria.

He took off his gloves and caressed his now cold cheek.

The close friend who could not be buried is still closing his eyes lonely in a dark forest like this.

“Maybe it could have been stopped.”

If there was enough time to stop the battle and rule the demons. Maria may not have been like this.

“But I couldn’t.”

because it was a war

Because I couldn’t afford it.

Everyone knew it, but pretended not to know it.

Even as her condition deteriorated and our fragmented selves clashed, we had no choice but to head to the battlefield.

Because at that time, the pentagram was the last line of defense for mankind.

“Those who have the blood of monsters. To have a person you call ‘Evil’ as your close friend is like always having this fate.”

“·······.”

“You guys don’t make the same mistake as me.”

I saved the world of mankind, but I couldn’t protect Maria, who was my world.

Everyone’s time moves towards reconstruction, but my time stopped again on that day.

Because the only person who gave me tomorrow is gone.

“If you pull out that sword, the sealed magic will be released all at once.”

“Uh…wasn’t that person dead?”

“Maria’s ego is dead. But the Witchbeast’s ego is still alive.”

Maria was the strongest Hunter of her time.

As a Witchbeast, her power was second only to that of the leader.

It may have killed the body, but it was impossible for me to burn even the enormous demonic energy.

Although it was sealed with Equinox embedded in it, the demonic energy is still leaking out little by little and encroaching on the area.

That is why the whole area of Gangwon-do is immersed in demons.

“Honestly, Magi released will be too much for you to bear.”

“Uh…”

“I’ll give you time to get away if you want.”

Maria’s magi is overwhelming in both quality and quantity.

Now, a lot of time has passed and almost all of them have been neutralized, but the remaining demons were not enough to be ignored.

She may be able to protect Ensia, but it will be a very hard experience for her to endure and stand in the suffocating demon.

Personally, I wanted them to stay far away, but Encia shook her head.

“Eh. It’s okay.”

Then, they joined my hands together as if praying.

“I want to stay with the professor.”

Ensia’s will was stubborn.

She smiled and took a seat next to me.

“…don’t regret it.”

Leaving those words behind, I grabbed the handle of the Equinox.

It was cold as if it had been imbued with winter, and he squeezed it tightly and slowly pulled it out of Maria’s chest.

Kwaaa-!!

When the sword disappeared, the sealed demonic energy surged like a dam collapsing.

The high-density demonic energy took the form of a black airflow and began to spread out in all directions like a raging wind.

Wind pressure so strong that the body was pushed out all over the place.

The wind, made only of demons, was so thick that even my skin felt numb.

“Ugh…”

Ensia, who held her hands tightly, sat down in a cold sweat.

She tried to lighten her mental burden by covering herself with holy power, but her light seemed feeble as if it would go out at any moment in front of the black air current that engulfed the whole area.

Quaaa-

Amid the pouring out of demons.

Maria’s body reacted slowly.

The tightly closed eyes slowly open.

Pale shining silver eyes moved slowly and looked at me.

“·······.”

He clutched his chest that was about to throb.

Forge your senses and arm your mind with cool-headedness.

Burning her demonic energy with the raised magic power, I finished preparing to confront the delusion of the past.

So, the mouth that faced me slowly opened with a cold smile.

“hi.”

“·······.”

“Long time no see.”

A cold gaze that doesn’t feel even a handful of warmth.

Facing it, I spoke in a low-pitched voice as usual.

“You are not Maria.”

“·······.”

“Don’t talk like Maria.”

magic power burns

anger. hate Everything blends together to become cowardice and burn.

“I see.”

Beneath the glowing eyes in the dark, the corner of his mouth drew a cool smile.

“But, I was born with Maria too.”

She moved her hand and touched her chest, which had been pierced by a sword.

“It was also my body.”

The Witchbeast didn’t die and made fun of it.

The hand holding the Equinox trembled.

An old anger pounded hard in his heart.

The pounding heart was telling me to swing the sword.

but.

Seruk-

Suddenly, I felt a small hand holding me

It was my student who was waiting behind me with a weak light that seemed to go out.

“professor···.”

if it used to be

If it were me before I met Maria.

I might have lost my temper in anger at that statement.

He might have cursed and cursed.

Perhaps this time he raised his sword and cut his throat.

“···yes.”

But, not anymore.

I know what to do and what not to do.

He is a person who knows how to suppress his emotions and arm himself with reason.

And, I am the one who should always be an example.

Because there is a student who will be watching behind me.

“It was also your body.”

“·······.”

A bright light drove away the demonic darkness.

The holy power that rose in place of magical power wrapped around the whole body.

As an apostle of Laniakea, I, clad in holy power, slowly walked out of the demonic storm.

“I just wanted to be born.”

“yes.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“anything.”

Standing in front of her, he lowered his stance and made eye contact.

“Curse you. Kang Yoo-jin.”

Eyes shining like ice are glaring at me.

One day, the curse that comes from the mouth of the person I loved hurts and hurts as if it were digging my chest.

Nonetheless, he managed his emotions.

It’s not your fault that it woke up.

The ego, which had been dormant for the rest of its life, was just born for the first time in the fire of war.

I know that the natural strength is so great that it is destined to inevitably consume the other half of the soul.

“yes···.”

In the past, I couldn’t admit it.

That the person I loved is no longer in the world.

That the vacant place in that soul was now taken by the demonic beast that I hated.

I didn’t admit it, and I thrust my sword into her chest.

“I know that your birth was not intentional, just as Mary was born unintentionally.”

“·······.”

“The way you pushed Maria’s consciousness away. And the way you took possession of her body.”

The voice trembled a little.

“Now, I know it wasn’t intentional.”

I already knew.

Maria was already at her limit in the war.

He saw the deaths of countless people, and nevertheless had to accept the fate of protecting humans with tears in his eyes.

In the past, Maria hated humans as much as witches.

She became disillusioned with the people who had driven her people through discrimination and prejudice, and it was only natural for her weakened spirit to collapse.

-Kill me… before it’s too late···.

At last.

She said kill herself.

If it was the usual Maria, she would have asked for help.

He must have asked for strength so that he could drive out the demonic energy that engulfed him.

But she didn’t.

Because I was already exhausted, and even the heart to overcome it was broken.

She asked me to kill her.

“You must not have intended to push Maria away.”

A broken spirit cannot overcome the mighty ego of the Witchbeast.

Even if the other didn’t want it, Mary’s ego was destined to be pushed aside.

“Maria, who has undergone magical beast transformation, is definitely strong enough to compete with the boss.”

“·······.”

“Nevertheless, there was still a ritual to ask for one last time.”

That’s because the awakened consciousness didn’t reject Maria.

As a subject that has just been born, I feel sorry for the half that is disappearing.

She would have suppressed herself.

Even though it is a choice to die as soon as you are born.

“I will forgive you.”

“······!”

her eyes widen

The nameless half of Mary, who had died the moment she was born, stood still, speechless.

“You may curse me. I will endure it even if you hate me.”

“·······.”

“You deserve it.”

Now I am ready to accept that truth.

Because I am beyond the one who kills someone, now I have to teach someone.

Because we have to show a more mature spirit than those who ask for instruction.

I had to be able to forgive even the monster that ate my lover.

“Kang Yoo-jin.”

she called me

“Are you going to kill me?”

“no.”

He reached out and cupped his cold cheek.

I touched her consciousness with a hand that held the light of holy power.

From now on, I will extract her consciousness with the power of mind capture.

Originally, 4 levels of mind control and 6 or more magic powers were required, but now it was exceptionally possible.

Her consciousness is a young consciousness that has just been born, and there is no physical strength left to resist me.

“It just puts you to sleep for a while.”

The cold, shining eyes slowly close.

As if giving himself over to the rushing horse, he settled down to the bottom of his consciousness.

Holy power bursting with clear light enveloped her, and the gathered consciousness formed a small crystal.

“Sleep comfortably.”

I silently looked at the decision, then captured it in my arms.

I don’t know how to do this in the future.

Whether there will be a chance to wake up, or whether it will still be left to sleep, I don’t know.

“But this is the right thing to do.”

It would be better to do this than to be trapped in that body without even dying.

Serureung-

I raised Maria’s sword.

He grabbed a silver pulsating sword and blew magic into it.

Equinox’s sword body was covered in a bright glow, and the demonic energy that encroached on the area began to burn at once.

The ground and trees that had been stained black regained their true colors, and the demonic darkness that covered the area faded.

The forest that drove the darkness like that was just a lonely forest covered with white birch trees.

“Ah. It’s morning.”

Magi disappeared, and the morning sunlight shone in the forest, which was illuminated again.

Maria, in that brilliant morning, fell asleep again quietly.

It will be a sleep you will never wake up from.

“professor.”

“Tell me.”

“I think I know now.”

Ensia, who had come to the side without realizing it, said with a lively smile.

“Why is the image that dwells in the winter forest and the professor’s magical power so similar?”

“I see. I don’t know.”

“Can I ask you one question?”

“What.”

“When did your colleague die?”

It was a rather rude question, but Encia was uncharacteristically serious.

I measured the time and told her.

“Seven years ago.”

“It was seven years ago that the winter forest was called the winter forest.”

Before I knew it, Ensia stood in front of me and smiled brightly.

“I don’t know why, but the winter forest has such a mind of the professor.”

“·······.”

“Professor is, of course, the person I was looking for.”

It was a shy voice, as if confessing your first love.

“···is it.”

The endless winter forest.

Was that my image?

Did my time, which stopped after Maria died, forever be bound by that winter?

“At the end, when I saw the professor’s energy when he closed his eyes, I was convinced.”

“So. What do we do after we find out?”

“Well~?”

Smiling, she turned to her parked car.

“You’ll find out soon.”

“·······.”

“Go back now! Oh, I’m hungry!”

The sight of him going back to the car seemed somehow at ease.

I didn’t do anything different, so why am I doing that?

Seriously, kids these days don’t even know.

“Isn’t that right, Maria?”

He placed a flower he had raised with his magical powers in front of the sleeping woman.

I can neither collect her body nor hold a funeral.

It’s up to my colleagues who will find this place someday.

So, I was content with offering one flower like this.

For me now, that’s enough.

“then.”

I inserted the Equinox and turned around without regret.

The footsteps walking through the woods in the morning were no longer as heavy as before.