Ch.6767. From Despair to Hope

Inside an unknown stone building somewhere.

Two figures, a man and a woman, can be seen there.

Former Student Vice President Diggers and current Student Council President Alkine.

They didn’t look close by any means.

Well, with one of them trapped in a giant cage, unless they were enjoying some perverted play, the word “close” certainly wouldn’t describe their situation.

In reality, they weren’t particularly close.

More precisely, they had known each other for a long time, but their relationship had gone awry.

While one side felt sticky love, the other felt plain camaraderie.

Perhaps there had always been an unspoken distance between them even when they worked together.

Thinking that this situation arose because of that disconnect… well, it really makes you realize the importance of maintaining good relationships.

‘How much… time has passed?’

Alkine, slumped listlessly inside the cage, wondered this.

It hadn’t been that long since she was kidnapped and brought here.

But perhaps due to the psychological damage, it felt like an extremely long time had passed.

“President. Do you remember when I first met you? Back then, I…”

“When I first entered the Rift with you, while I was struggling to keep up, you took the lead and performed brilliantly. You looked amazing.”

“The day you appointed me as Vice President, I was so happy I stayed up all night. Did you know that?”

Perhaps that’s why she realized she had started listening to the voice she had tried to ignore.

But she didn’t feel the need to cover her ears again now.

After all, listening to his story was all she could do at the moment.

His long-winded stories were about truly trivial things.

Stories about having lunch with her, or walking together to the student council after lectures.

Whatever it was, they were stories about being with Student Council President Alkine.

Though she had vaguely known it, he clearly seemed to harbor affection for the person named Alkine.

‘The problem is that his affection is severely twisted.’

If it had been healthy affection, he wouldn’t have suddenly disappeared in the first place, and he certainly wouldn’t have created this situation.

As if noticing her thoughts, his stories began to drift in an increasingly negative direction.

“That day, if that arrogant guy hadn’t shown up, we would have continued to be happy… He ruined everything.”

“You’re not at fault, President. It’s all that guy’s fault.”

“You were just temporarily blinded, President. Right?”

“Ah… but perhaps it was all fate. After all, I gained power and obtained you.”

His words were self-interpreted nonsense. Statements made under the assumption that only he was right.

But was it because the name of the man who had always exceeded expectations came up? She found herself interested despite herself.

For a story she wasn’t entirely uninterested in, her mouth opened involuntarily despite her resolve to keep it shut.

Part of it was also due to her resigned state, having no hope of being rescued quickly.

But that was a mistake.

“How did you obtain this power you speak of?”

“…Even in your helpless state, you maintain that tone, President.”

“…Ugh!”

His twisted affection began with breaking down her dignified demeanor.

An unpleasant energy flowed from his body and enveloped her.

Though she was merely surrounded by this cold, ominous energy, for some reason she couldn’t move her body.

“I wanted to enjoy the original President a bit longer. But seeing you pretend to be strong even in your weakened state… I can’t hold back anymore.”

“W-wait, Diggers. What are you trying to…”

Diggers’ hand slowly approached her as she remained unable to move.

His hand, which had somehow reached inside the cage, lightly touched her face.

Seeing her body flinch and her eyes tremble greatly at his touch, Diggers smirked.

“So even you get scared in situations like this, President? Because you’re human too.”

Now I know. Because the President told me.

The fact that this revealed he wasn’t truly understanding her but simply memorizing information made his apparent affection feel even colder.

No, perhaps it couldn’t even be called affection anymore.

“I want you to walk the same path as me, President.”

“What… what are you saying, Diggers? Calm down and let’s talk…”

“I’m going to forcibly mix my energy with your body. It might be painful for a while… but please bear with it. You’ll feel refreshed soon.”

A normal human wouldn’t call such twisted emotions “affection.”

If it meant walking the same path as him, it would mean the end of her life as a human being.

‘What a foolish thought.’

The impression that he had no intention of harming her was just an illusion.

He had planned this from the beginning.

He simply didn’t consider it harmful, which is why she hadn’t noticed.

Is this the end? So futilely?

To end without being able to do anything, without receiving help from anyone.

‘If I had known it would come to this, I could have lived a little more freely.’

Perhaps because it was too sudden to feel real, she prepared to accept the end with surprising calmness.

…That’s when it happened.

Just as she was about to close her eyes helplessly, Diggers’ expression suddenly hardened and he whipped his head around.

At the end of his gaze was the only door to this room… and beyond it, vague but loud noises could be heard.

“…It seems we have visitors. I didn’t expect them to come so quickly.”

Visitors? If someone could find this place so quickly, it could only be the Student Council members who were exploring with her.

When that thought occurred to her, her whole body suddenly went cold.

The moment they came through that door, they would face this man before her.

Diggers was already skilled enough to be appointed Vice President.

Now that he had become a demon, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

“Don’t worry, President. I’ll handle them well so you can leave without regrets.”

And… Diggers didn’t seem to have even a speck of mercy for his former colleagues.

The only one he cared for was Alkine.

If this continues, surely…

“No… don’t come…”

She pleaded desperately, but the noise beyond the door only grew closer.

She could do nothing despite the obvious tragedy unfolding.

And a moment later, after a loud sound that seemed to come from right in front of the door, the noise stopped, and she could sense something approaching.

It didn’t feel like multiple presences.

If it were the Student Council coming to find her, there would surely be more people.

“Wait… this is…”

BANG!

By the time Diggers noticed something was wrong, the door had already opened.

And what appeared beyond it was…

“Kyaah! Ludion! Stop pulling me toward your body!”

“I’m not doing it on purpose. It just happens when we move. By the way, do I smell bad? I don’t think I’ve sweated much.”

“That’s not the issue… Haah, never mind.”

It was Ludion, whom she had vaguely thought of but never actually expected to come.

And Celia, who was in his arms, her face slightly flushed.

Seeing them, both Alkine and Diggers’ expressions changed dramatically.

Whatever the case, Ludion was a significant figure to both of them.

Alkine’s expression in particular was a sight to behold.

Unable to keep up with the sudden shift from despair to hope, her stunned face was probably the most foolish expression of her life.

“Ah, President! Are you okay? Nothing happened to you, right?”

She finally came to her senses when she saw him calling out to her with genuine concern.

And when her emotions settled somewhat, what she felt wasn’t joy or relief.

‘…What is this feeling?’

For some reason, an inexplicable discomfort.

Every time she saw Celia in his arms, her chest ached a little.

Even knowing this wasn’t the time for such thoughts, she couldn’t control her discomfort.

Does she realize?

That her emotion carries a similar texture to what Diggers harbors.

She was accustomed to hiding and restraining herself, so her desires weren’t readily apparent.

But she too was human, just an emotionally rich young woman of her age.

The interest she felt while receiving help from someone with outstanding abilities was a deeper affection than she had thought, and beneath what she believed was just a girlish hobby of collecting dolls lay the concept of possessiveness.

And this emotion she felt now, with those two aspects overlapping… if anything, the word “obsession” would be fitting.

[Favorability System has been unlocked!]

[You can acquire special rewards and exclusive stats when reaching certain favorability levels.]

[Current favorability: 17/100]

[3 remaining until next reward.]

Well… whether she realizes she’s becoming obsessive or not doesn’t really matter.

‘Favorability…?’

Understanding her own emotions would be overwhelming enough for her right now.