Chap 82-It’s Not Your Fault

 

“…Why did you come all the way here?”

Camilla smiled as she answered my question, which I had tossed out casually.

“Well, as the team leader, I couldn’t just sit still when our team member is suffering alone on this cold autumn night. I was worried.”

Her voice was so kind, but I could feel the pretense within it.

A mask.

That thick mask that was always on her face.

Pretending to be cool, pretending to be arrogant, pretending to be strong.

But her real self, hidden behind that mask, was completely different.

I needed to confirm one last thing.

I stared straight at her and said coldly.

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me the real reason you came here, Camilla.”

I watched Camilla’s reaction closely, not missing a thing, to my strong attitude.

“……!”

In that instant, the perfect mask slowly began to peel away from Camilla’s face.

Her eyes wavered, and the relaxed smile that had been on her lips disappeared.

And finally, her true face was revealed.

What I felt there was, as expected, hatred and contempt for me.

But beneath that, hidden deep within, was another emotion.

That was…

‘…Fear?’

Yes, there was no mistake.

She was afraid of me.

Bang-!

Right at that moment.

Red magical power erupted from Camilla’s hand and flew towards a tree right next to me.

The powerful magic bullet hit the tree with a loud explosion, and fragments of bark scattered in all directions.

A clear threat that could have hit me if I had moved even a little.

She breathed roughly, glaring at me with eyes mixed with anger and fear.

Then, with trembling hands, she gathered magical power again, this time aiming the end of it directly at me.

“…Next time, I’ll aim it right at you.”

She said, growling.

But her hand was trembling ever so slightly, yet clearly.

“It was from the beginning, wasn’t it?”

Camilla asked with a trembling voice, but sharply.

“What?”

I asked back, puzzled.

“You were childhood friends, with that Saintess Candidate.”

Camilla’s eyes shone as if to pierce through me.

“That’s when it started, wasn’t it, your plan.”

She took a step closer and continued.

Her voice was filled with conviction and disgust.

“Making a connection with the Saintess Candidate, and using that as a stepping stone to infiltrate Duke Bennett’s family. Hiding behind that immense power, you continue to disrupt Terra and cause conflict! Now you’ve even come to this academy, what are you aiming for? Tell me!”

“…It’s just a coincidence. There’s no grand plan like you’re imagining.”

I replied as if I was annoyed.

“Yes, it might be a coincidence.”

Camilla sneered as if she didn’t believe me at all.

“That ability to regenerate your head in an instant…”

She bit her lip as if hesitating for a moment.

And then, as if she had made up her mind, she looked at me with eyes mixed with contempt and conviction and spat out.

“You, you’re a Contamination Worshiper, aren’t you?”

At Camilla’s confident words, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Puh-hah! Ahahahahaha!”

‘Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness.’

“…What’s so funny?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Because…

Now I didn’t have to hesitate anymore.

“What if I really am a Contamination Worshiper?”

I stopped laughing and glared at her with cold eyes.

“Why are you revealing that fact now? And just what gave you the confidence to show up in front of me again?”

“…There was something I needed to confirm.”

Camilla replied.

“Inside this ‘Farm’, there’s something you wanted to hide from others. That’s why you forced the other students out. Isn’t that right?”

With a trembling hand, she brought a ring imbued with the aura of Contamination close to me.

“S-So… you better not think recklessly. Did you think I revealed your identity without any preparation?”

She tried to act strong, but her voice was trembling slightly.

From that trembling, I could feel her true emotions.

‘Fear.’

A Contamination Worshiper.

That was not a threat that a mere first-year academy student could handle alone.

Nevertheless, Camilla was standing in front of me now.

Knowing that she could also be in danger.

‘For what?’

To save her fellow academy students?

Because she couldn’t just stand by and watch a Contamination Worshiper threaten Terra?

Well, if it was Camilla that I knew, it might be for the glory of her family or her own power.

In any case, thanks to her foolish and reckless courage, I could be sure of one thing.

Camilla had nothing to do with the Contamination Worshippers.

At least she herself either didn’t know the identity of the power imbued in this ring, or she was being deceived by her family.

Yes. I’ll believe you, Camilla.

I don’t know how a traitor managed to infiltrate the Medici Family, one of the five great dukes.

But at least you seem to be innocent.

I’ll save you somehow.

So…

“…It’s not your fault, Camilla.”

I said quietly.

“…What?”

You were just deceived.

Crack-!

Without hesitation, I surrounded my right arm with all my Mana and tore off my own left arm.

The dull sound of my arm being torn off echoed in the silent forest.

That moment, when an ordinary person would have screamed in pain and collapsed on the spot—

The world flashed white.

All the senses in my body disappeared.

Only one sensation dominated me.

A fierce pleasure rushing like a storm along my nerves.

Felt at the end of it.

That feeling that was strangely familiar and missed.

My skin tingled and trembled.

My spine twisted with a chill.

A trance in which my mind was emptied.

And spreading from the shoulder where the flesh had been torn off.

An intense, burning sensation.

[SYSTEM]

Unique Ability ‘Masochist’ is activated.

I used to be much more used to fighting without my left arm like this.

I guess I haven’t been training lately, so I even feel a little awkward.

I smiled with satisfaction and raised my head.

In front of me… Camilla was standing, completely frozen in shock and fear, covered in my blood.

I could feel that she was still just an academy student.

You can’t freeze up like that in front of the enemy, Camilla.

I felt her magical power rushing towards the ring, but my movements were faster.

I instantly snatched the ring from her hand.

“…!”

The flustered Camilla then came to her senses and tried to cast a spell…

But it was already too late.

Thud-!

With one kick from me.

Her body flew away lightly like a leaf.

I had already gotten a feel for it while eliminating the students earlier.

At this rate, she won’t be able to move for a while.

Not strong enough to activate the magic item for preventing fatal injuries.

Just the stage right before that.

“Then now…”

I muttered quietly and slowly turned my head.

The direction of my gaze was not towards the base.

A little closer, behind a tree covered in deep darkness.

I looked towards that place, precisely where Lina was hiding, and said.

“…Will you come out now?”

Even at my words, the forest was still silent.

Nothing could be heard except the sound of insects.

“Lina.”

I called her name again, this time clearly.

Swish-

Finally, a white figure slowly emerged from the darkness behind the tree.

Her figure revealed under the moonlight.

She was…

Crying.

Covering her mouth with both hands.

Tears were falling silently.

‘…I’m sorry, Lina.’

I should have drawn a clear line a long time ago.

My foolishness in acting like a villain and lingering around her because of unnecessary attachment.

It seemed that my hesitation had ultimately returned to her as such a great wound.

“Lies…”

“Please tell me it’s a lie, Yeon…”

Lina said imploringly with a trembling voice.

She was still crying.

Instead of answering, I slowly took a step towards her.

“Please… stop this boring prank, Yeon.”

Lina forced a smile while sobbing.

As if she desperately wanted me to deny all of this right now.

“You’re the one who trusted someone you shouldn’t have trusted in the first place, Lina.”

I said coldly.

At those words, the smile disappeared from Lina’s face.

She stared blankly at me with a shocked expression.

“…Since when?”

She asked weakly.

“Since the day we first met in the slums? Or… since the day you saved me from the magical beast? Was all of that… all acting?”

I slowly continued to approach her without saying anything.

I had no intention of making any excuses or explanations.

“…But you know what?”

Lina suddenly smiled sadly.

That smile looked so sad.

“I still… like you.”

“……”

“So…”

Lina’s eyes changed.

Sadness and despair disappeared, and in their place, a cold, intense, twisted light of obsession arose.

“Since you chose that dark path yourself, it can’t be helped.”

She wiped away her tears and declared solemnly.

“I’ll beat you up and tie you up… and keep you by my side. So you can never do this again.”

With those words, a dazzling light erupted from Lina’s body.

The moment a huge, pure divine power began to swirl around her like a storm.

KWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!!!

A huge explosion that seemed to tear the sky resounded from the northern direction of the ‘Farm’.

The ground vibrated and the trees shook as if screaming.

A blackish-red pillar soared into the sky from the place where the explosion occurred, and at the same time, an extremely ominous and evil storm of magical power began to engulf the surroundings.

‘This is… a gate…?’