Chapter 248

R​ea​d ​o​n KatReadi​ngCafe​

Rain poured down.

A dark, sticky downpour.

What stained the sky wasn’t storm clouds, but the remnants of a broken world.

The ground was dyed red. It burned fiercely. Everything shattered and crumbled. Screams echoed, and corpses piled up.

Wherever the rain touched, death left its mark. What was once taken for granted no longer was.

The everyday life believed to be eternal was shattered, and a catastrophic disaster greedily extended its grasp.

Eugene ran.

He ran, gasping for breath.

The hand he held was drenched in sweat.

The one pulling Eugene along was a girl smaller than him.

Her obsidian-black hair swayed.

Her eyes, glancing back, were as clear as a blue lake.

Wiping her sweat-soaked face, the girl shouted.

“Big brother, we’re almost there! Just a little further, and we’ll reach the shelter!”

Eugene nodded with a pale face. Having witnessed monsters multiple times, his mind was tainted by their corruption.

His thoughts were disjointed, and his limbs stiffened. For Eugene, who lacked the mental barriers of a supernatural, the mental corruption of monsters was fatal. A vague sense of fear became the final shackle holding his mind captive.

“Just a little… huff, huff… just a little further…!”

Yui’s complexion was no better than Eugene’s. As a supernatural, she could resist mental corruption, but she had overused her abilities to fend off the monsters.

Despite being hailed as a prodigy, Yui was still a 10-year-old girl. Protecting her brother while running through the heart of a catastrophe was inevitably draining.

A collapsed building blocked their path. The burning streets were filled with thick smoke. Screams for help and death throes assaulted their ears.

They clenched their teeth and ran. Tears blurred their vision, but they didn’t stop. Stopping meant death. Even at their young age, they instinctively knew that.

Shelters had been set up in various locations in preparation for rifts. As Yui said, they were close to reaching one. Eugene gritted his teeth. His consciousness was hazy. He felt like he could collapse at any moment. Just a little more, just a little more…

“Ah…”

But their hopes were shattered.

The shelter they finally reached was engulfed in flames.

The shelter, built to withstand monster attacks, had been breached.

From that moment, shelters were no longer safe.

They were nothing more than feasting grounds for monsters.

“Let’s… go somewhere else…”

Yui held back her sobs as she pulled Eugene along.

Even though she was scared, she held back her tears for her brother’s sake.

They ran aimlessly again. Their breath was ragged. They had inhaled too much smoke. Their stomachs churned as if they would vomit everything they had eaten. But they couldn’t stop. Forcing their trembling legs to move, they ran toward the next shelter.

“Don’t worry! I’ll protect you, big brother!”

Flames erupted.

Crimson fire burned like the sun.

Yui’s supernatural ability lit up the dark sky.

The monsters were incinerated in an instant. The flames that burst from Yui’s fingertips burned everything in their path in moments. Supernatural abilities were the power of the mind, and the extreme mental strain pushed her output to its limits.

They might survive. In his fading consciousness, Eugene thought.

It was pathetic. Being protected by his younger sister. But his mind, eroded by corruption, couldn’t feel shame. It was driven purely by instinct. He wanted to live. He didn’t want to die. That was all that filled Eugene’s mind.

But,

A monster landed, flipping the asphalt.

Big, heavy, and terrifying.

A monster that paralyzed reason at a glance stood in their way.

Even Eugene, who knew nothing, realized it.

This monster was different from the ones they had encountered so far.

There was no escape. They had already been spotted. Yui clenched her teeth and swung her flames.

And then.

A hole was torn through Yui’s small body.

Blood splattered chaotically.

The blood that touched Eugene’s face was scorching hot.

Like flames.

Overwhelmed by the heat, Eugene collapsed on the spot.

“Bro… ther…”

A voice on the verge of breaking called out to him.

Through his flickering vision, he saw Yui.

Her small hand twitched. Seeing her hand reaching out to him, Eugene reflexively moved. He tried to stand up to grab her outstretched hand. He was surprised he still had the strength to do so. Flames, crimson flames, filled his wavering vision.

And then.

The dream shattered.

Eugene woke up.

◈

“Huff…!”

Eugene jolted upright, gasping for air.

His clothes, the sheets, and even the mattress were soaked in cold sweat.

He wiped his face, panting heavily.

Eugene’s eyes darted around as he struggled to catch his breath.

Only after calming down slightly could he finally let out a deep sigh.

“That dream again…”

A nightmare he used to have every day.

As he grew older, the frequency gradually decreased.

By the time he entered the academy, he hardly had it anymore.

But recently, it came every night. It started about a month ago. After he became aware of his true abilities. Eugene looked down at his trembling hand. He must have clenched his fist tightly in his sleep.

The dream was part of why Eugene endured the God of War’s harsh training. The helplessness from that day returned. The sense of loss buried in his memories became clearer. Eugene smiled bitterly and got up. The alarm was blaring, but he hadn’t noticed it until now.

He washed off the sweat and got ready for school. In truth, Eugene no longer needed to attend the academy. The academy was an educational facility for training supernaturals. It taught how to fight monsters.

But Eugene already possessed combat power on par with a Captain. He had surpassed the level where he could be immediately deployed in battle and reached a realm where he could challenge the pinnacle of humanity.

From the Celestial Corps’ perspective, which was always short on talent, it would be far more beneficial to have Eugene join the Corps rather than remain a student.

Moreover, Eugene was the God of War’s disciple.

Being by the God of War’s side would be more helpful for his growth than the academy’s collective training.

Yet, Eugene’s decision to continue attending the academy was largely his own. The academy wasn’t just about combat training, and he wanted to stay until graduation if possible.

Before enrolling, he had lived solely for training, but now he had made friends. Above all, the person he liked was there.

As Eugene left the dormitory, his steps were noticeably lighter compared to a month ago. It was because he had put down a heavy burden. Lucia, who had been in a coma, had woken up.

Of course, Lucia hadn’t fully recovered.

According to the God of War, ‘Belial’ still slept within her.

Though her soul was shattered, and the God of War had suppressed it, preventing any further incidents where Lucia’s body would be taken over… it was still worrying. A ticking time bomb lay within Lucia. Still, it was much better than her being in an indefinite coma.

It had been four days since Lucia returned to school. Eugene quickened his pace. He wanted to get to the classroom quickly. He wanted to see her face. Every time he saw her radiant smile, like cherry blossoms in full bloom, Eugene felt like he was being rewarded for all his efforts.

Her relationship with the God of War.

Belial sleeping within her.

The nightmare that kept him up every night.

Worries and anxieties piled up like mountains, but seeing her return to everyday life allowed him to forget those concerns, even if just for a moment.

“Eugene.”

“Huh?”

Lost in thought, Eugene snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his name.

Turning his head toward the voice, he saw a familiar girl.

“Arin?”

Her hairstyle had changed, and she had removed the glasses she always wore, making her seem slightly unfamiliar. But Eugene knew he’d get used to it in a few days. He waved cheerfully in greeting.

“Good morning. But what brings you here?”

The dormitories were separated by grade and gender. Eugene lived in the male dormitory, while Arin lived in the female dormitory. Naturally, their routes to school were different.

Of course, since the dormitories were within the academy grounds, there were points along the way where male and female students would cross paths. But that was a bit further along the route. Which meant that if Arin was here, she had come specifically to find him.

“I need to talk to you for a moment. Do you have some time?”

There was still some time before classes started.

After checking his watch, Eugene nodded.

“This isn’t a good place. Follow me.”

“?”

Feeling puzzled, Eugene followed Arin without protest. Her expression was unusually serious. She led him down a side path, away from the students heading to school.

Once she found a suitable spot, Arin stopped and turned around. Through her hair, he could see the dark circles under her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? If it’s something like that, just tell me. I’ll help however I can.”

Eugene owed Arin a lot. Even if that weren’t the case, Arin was one of his few friends. Seeing her looking so pale, he was starting to worry.

Despite Eugene’s words, Arin hesitated to speak. She looked at him, chewing her lip as if unsure. This uncharacteristic hesitation from Arin, who was usually so direct, made Eugene realize something was seriously wrong.

What could be troubling her so much? Just as his anxiety was beginning to rise, Arin finally spoke with a sigh.

“Don’t go spreading what you hear today. No, that’s unnecessary. You wouldn’t do that even if I told you to.”

“…Is this about Lucia?”

Arin paused for a moment, then quietly nodded. Eugene had once sought advice from Arin about Lucia before, so he had a hunch, and it turned out he was right.

His expression grew even more serious. For Arin to come find him this early in the morning, it had to be something big. What could it be?

“It’s… going to be a bit shocking. Try not to freak out too much.”

Was Lucia going on a date again?

Maybe with Carlos from D-Class?

I should’ve thrown the Sun Sword at him back then.

Eugene tried to mentally prepare himself, but as Arin’s heavy words spilled out, his entire body froze.

“Lucia attempted suicide.”

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Attempted suicide (wrong)

Self-harm (true)

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Noob Arin!