Chapter 265

R​eａd òｎ KａtRèad&i;n‍g​Cafe

A twilight gloom settled.

The shattered remnants were restored, and the dispersing dark clouds.

The acrid smoke that had flooded the ground lost its intensity.

The flames that had blazed like the sun also subsided.

I lay flat on the floor, covered in ashes.

I didn’t care about the dirt on my school uniform.

After all, this was the world of my mind. There was no need to bother with laundry.

I stared blankly at the sky.

It wasn’t just my imagination that my eyelids felt heavy.

The world of my mind, where changes according to the passage of time didn’t exist.

Yet, the reason the sun was slowly setting was only one.

It was a reflection of my mind, which could be said to be the master of this world.

“Haa, that was tough…”

My stamina was depleted.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that my mental strength was exhausted.

Anyway, I was so tired that I couldn’t even twitch a finger.

How did things end up like this? The cause was so obvious that it wasn’t even worth thinking about. It was all my fault. I danced a tap dance in a minefield, so how could I be okay?

“From now on, let’s think before we act…”

Lucia, deeply regretting it.

I kept singing about how I shouldn’t let my guard down, how I shouldn’t relax my vigilance… but I couldn’t resist a moment’s desire and almost caused an accident.

I knew it in my head.

Belial, chained up, was still a Devil God.

She was a ferocious beast who would bite if I approached her carelessly just because she was weakened.

But I had secretly deluded myself.

I thought that since she had used up her last remaining strength, she wouldn’t be dangerous anymore.

With that flimsy thought, I committed the foolish act of connecting my senses with Belial’s.

I overlooked the most important fact.

The world of my mind was mine, but Belial also had some ownership of it.

Belial encroached upon my mind through mental corruption, increasing her territory.

That was why my mental world was replaying the Great Catastrophe.

If that was all, I wouldn’t be so exhausted. The mistakes kept piling up.

I couldn’t perfectly control the world of my mind.

How should I put it? If my mental world was a country, I was a king who had just ascended the throne. Just because I became a king didn’t mean I would suddenly be proficient in all aspects of national affairs. Anything would be clumsy without enough experience.

Up to this point, it would have ended as just another minor incident.

Even the mistake of trying to share senses clumsily and ending up connecting minds could be laughed off.

However, the story was different if the other party was a Devil God. It was a major accident that could turn into an irreversible disaster. Not a monster, not a magical beast, but connecting senses with a Devil God? Was I so desperate to be mentally corrupted? It was like diving directly into a trap I had barely avoided.

I was hit directly by mental corruption and sucked into Belial’s consciousness.

Fortunately, Belial had no remaining power.

Having exhausted all her strength in preparing the trap, Belial couldn’t interfere in any way.

Like being swept away by a flowing river, I was swallowed by Belial’s memories.

It was only after killing Jin five times and being cut by Jin five times that I realized I wasn’t Belial.

The former 7th Division Captain… I could see why Belial was so obsessed.

He transcended his limits at the very end. For a moment, he reached the same level as the heroes of the past.

It was no coincidence that he even cut Belial’s soul. If Jin had been given even one more breath, Belial would have surely died.

I barely managed to escape from the memories. I never thought that my experience reading Lucille’s memories would be so helpful.

Phew, really. If I hadn’t received that prior training, I would still be fighting Jin in the memories. This is why home education is important. Thank you, Mom!

“I barely escaped from the memories… but my body and mind are tattered…”

Just escaping from the memories didn’t solve anything yet. My mind and Belial’s were connected as one. In other words, I had provided Belial with a passage to escape the seal. I guess this is what they mean by digging your own grave.

“I managed to fix it somehow… Uhehe… I’m so languid…”

I returned exactly what I had received.

Just like I had been swallowed by Belial’s memories.

This time, I put Belial into my memories.

Into the memory of when I was kidnapped by Astaroth a month ago.

Into the moment when I was being tortured by Regina.

It would be a terrible paradise for her. A happy hell. I look forward to seeing Belial when we meet again. How will she have changed? Hehe, I need to thank Regina. She did what I was supposed to do.

“Now that it’s somehow resolved, shall I wake up soon? Alice and Frey must be worried.”

I suddenly fainted, vomiting blood.

They witnessed it right in front of their eyes, so they must be worried sick.

Besides, it was the timing when I was about to confess my true feelings to clear up the misunderstanding.

I can’t stay asleep forever.

I need to wake up quickly and relieve Alice’s (Frey’s) worries.

◈

Clearing away the traces of mental corruption that remained like embers, I escaped from the world of my mind and resurfaced my consciousness.

I gently opened my closed eyes. Thanks to the effect of Super Regeneration, I was physically fine, but I felt a little tired from overworking my mind.

I took small, repeated breaths. The soft mattress and cozy blanket welcomed me.

As expected, there was a subtle difference between reality and the world of my mind. No matter how well you imitate it, there’s a difference between the genuine article and a fake.

I saw the ceiling of the infirmary. Since I had collapsed in the infirmary, they must have moved me to the bed as I was.

“Cough, cough.”

I coughed dryly and stroked my neck.

The bitter taste of iron still lingered in my mouth.

“Lucia!”

Perhaps they realized I had woken up from the sound of my cough. I heard a voice calling me. Not just one person. Several voices overlapped. They were all familiar voices. Hurried footsteps echoed, and the ceiling was obscured by figures.

“A-Are you okay? Are you awake?”

“Haa, thank goodness…”

“…”

Alice, trembling, held my hand tightly and teared up. Arin sighed in relief, and Eugene’s lips moved as if he had something to say, but he remained silent.

I felt like laughing. What are you all doing here? Aren’t you in class? You’re all delinquents. Were you that worried about me? Ah, or maybe I slept for so long that it’s already time to go home?

“I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m okay now.”

I answered Alice’s question and turned my gaze.

I checked the analog clock on the wall.

The second hand ticked regularly.

It wasn’t even lunchtime, let alone time to go home.

‘Huh?’

In the process of checking the clock, purple hair came into view. Regina was leaning against the wall, looking at me. You’re awake too. That’s a relief. But your complexion is still not good. No, it looks even worse than before I fainted.

…Did you have trouble sleeping? Ah, well, there must have been a commotion right next to you, so you might have woken up because it was noisy. I might have unintentionally bothered Regina.

“Don’t push yourself and lie down a little longer.”

Arin stopped me as I tried to get up.

What do you think my Supernatural Ability is?

I was a little mentally exhausted, but there was nothing wrong with me physically.

I could even take training right now without any problems, but… I decided to obediently follow her words.

Arin’s expression was very serious.

Just like when she witnessed me (not) attempting suicide.

Not only her, but Alice and Eugene as well, so I could only laugh awkwardly.

…When I sank into Belial’s memories.

Belial’s will might have surfaced.

Even if she couldn’t take over my body, she could have blurted out a few words.

I hope I didn’t say anything weird.

No, Belial at that time wouldn’t have had the composure to say anything rational.

Then, by any chance, did I moan in pleasure, saying “Heeung?” I said I hated it with my mouth, but my expression honestly showed that I liked it. My body and mind had already been conquered, but I was holding on with my last bit of pride.

If she had openly said such things with my body, I could explain those expressions.

Hmm, but then I’d be a little wronged.

Did the secret I’ve been hiding all along get exposed so easily?

I wasn’t planning to hide it desperately, but if it was going to be revealed, I wanted to confess it myself.

But it’s not a bad outcome.

If I play my cards right, I might be able to use it.

In the first place, I was going to reveal that I was a masochist to clear up the misunderstanding.

“S-So, everyone, you know…”

I carefully opened my mouth.

No matter how much I worry, it will only be speculation in the end.

Then I can just ask directly and find out the answer.

“While I was asleep.”

Hmm, what should I say?

I can’t directly ask, “Did I moan with a female face?” Can I?

I paused and organized my thoughts.

I completed a reasonably smooth sentence in my head and immediately spoke it.

“Did I happen to say anything strange in my sleep…? Ehehe, I’ve been having bad sleep-talking lately… I’m a little embarrassed…”

No answer came to my awkward question. Everyone just stared blankly at me. For some reason, their expressions seemed to be getting darker… Could it really be Belial?

“…It was okay.”

Almost as soon as I had a certain conviction, a denying word returned. Eugene was giving a bitter smile. It was an awkward smile. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“There wasn’t any sleep-talking, really. You were sleeping comfortably.”

“…Is that so?”

I don’t think so.

But Eugene wouldn’t lie.

He’s such an upright teenager that he’s terrible at lying.

It’s not just lip service, ‘Novel’ Eugene couldn’t lie so badly that he would get hives all over his body if he lied.

Everyone has a troubled expression, so I’m suspicious… Well, come to think of it, anyone would be like that if their friend vomited blood and collapsed.

I shrugged and changed my mind.

It wasn’t a big deal anyway.

Well, that’s just as well.

All three of them are here.

Now that it’s come to this, I might as well clear up the misunderstanding all at once.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Eugene is bad at lying.

But he is just bad at it, it’s not that he can’t lie.

What an idiot.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Not sure who received worse damages, having the time of your life fighting or being in a cruel torture chamber.

Heh.