I Hope It Gets Brighter

!……….. !……… !……. !…… !….. !…. !…!!!!!!!!

When I used ‘Husk Slash’ while drawing my sword, it was as if the air had been cut, and all sounds in the area were completely silenced.

Simultaneously, seven of Jeremy’s doppelgangers were instantly cut in half.

“…….!”

Jeremy flinched, but he couldn’t move due to the stun effect of Husk Slash.

“Haha, doesn’t everyone have at least one finishing move?”

Deliberately ignoring my churning insides, I speak with a grin.

• • Thud!

“Ouch, that must hurt.”

Jeremy falls to the ground without any resistance.

“Ugh, this damned….”

I subdued him with Dao force as he writhed in pain on the ground, then pressed my sword against his neck.

“….Kill me.”

And so the situation ended.

“Hmm, I wonder. Normally, it would be right to immediately kill an assassin who came to kill you to eliminate future troubles, but….”

After fiddling with my sword, I sheathed it and continued.

“I don’t have a hobby of cutting the necks of innocent people.”

“….What?”

“First of all, let’s take off our masks and talk.”

I crouched down and removed the black mask Jeremy was wearing.

“……Your bare face looks much better.”

That face I’ve always seen, that face that has now entered the path of darkness.

My heart feels quite heavy.

Using the trait ‘Deceiver’ to manage my expression, I forced a relaxed look and continued.

“As I said earlier, you were not destined to walk the path of an assassin. You were meant to be something more noble, a light for many people.”

“….So. How can you be so sure of that?”

“Well, it would be quicker to ask your heart. Every time you accept a request and take the lives of innocent people, you must feel as if your soul is being eaten away.”

For a moment, Jeremy’s pupils trembled.

But he soon regained his composure and spoke.

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.”

“Why don’t you serve me from now on? As far as I know, you work as a freelancer without serving anyone in particular.”

“I refuse. I can’t serve a frivolous guy like you who just throws around pointless jokes.”

“You’re saying that after being crushed today by this frivolous guy who throws around pointless jokes? That’s almost comical.”

“……”

In truth, if I were a normal 1-star character, I would never have been able to subdue Jeremy even if I died and came back to life.

It was only possible because I knew all of Jeremy’s attack methods and strategies, and my ability literally chewed up his greatest strength, which was stealth.

No Natural Mirror? Then honestly, I don’t have confidence in defeating Jeremy.

“Today…..”

“Yes, yes. I know you’ll make excuses like ‘I was in bad condition today~’ or ‘I let my guard down~’. But you know better than anyone that those are all just excuses, don’t you?”

“…….”

“Hmm, it seems you’re still not keen on the idea. Ah, then how about this?”

I held up my index finger and said with a broad smile.

“I’ll give you one more chance.”

“….What kind of chance are you talking about?”

“A chance to assassinate me. Just try once more, and if you fail even then, you’ll truly serve me. How about it?”

Jeremy, having heard my proposal, slightly frowned and asked.

“Are you in your right mind? Giving an assassin another chance to assassinate you. How is that any different from saying you want to commit suicide?”

“Who knows. I think it’s quite doable. Just today, you couldn’t even inflict a single wound on me.”

Thanks to the effect of the title ‘Demonic Casanova’, a vein popped up on Jeremy’s forehead.

“….You will regret today’s choice.”

“Haha, I’ve had my fill of regrets, so I’m a bit reluctant to add more.”

[Intermediate Recovery Potion (200 points) Purchase Complete]

After purchasing an intermediate recovery potion from the achievement store, I opened the cap and said.

“Open your mouth.”

Jeremy hesitated for a moment, then heaved a deep sigh and obediently opened his mouth.

As I poured the potion into Jeremy’s mouth, I muttered.

“I thought someday I might feed someone food…. but I never dreamed that the person would be an assassin who came to kill me….”

“Kagh…!”

Jeremy’s eyes widened as if he was choking, and he started coughing.

“Hey, don’t spill it. It’s expensive.”

“Cough… Can’t you just shut that mouth of yours?”

“Haha, I have a disease where I’ll die if I stay quiet even for a little bit. Please understand.”

Even so, he must have downed a fair amount of the potion, as I can visibly see Jeremy’s complexion improving.

“I should let you go soon. If someone on patrol were to discover this secret rendezvous, it would be awkward for both of us.”

I withdrew the Dao force that was suppressing him and stood up.

Soon after, Jeremy also got up, dusted off the dirt on his clothes, and said to me.

“First, I’ll tell the client that I’m abandoning the request. The condition was to kill you within a month, but… I won’t be able to gather enough strength to kill you in just a month.”

“Oh, in other words, I can rest easy for a month?”

“…..Really, you’re a guy who interprets things as he pleases. Think whatever you want. Be prepared. If there comes a day when I come looking for you again, that will be your last day.”

Jeremy glared at me and began to slowly melt into the shadows.

After Jeremy disappeared, I wiped away my cold sweat and sighed…

“….There’s one last thing I want to ask.”

“Ah, what? You’re still here? I almost had a heart attack.”

“When a guy who grasps my every move says such things, it only sounds like deception.”

Jeremy, half-buried in the shadows, glared at me sharply, then looked into my eyes and asked.

“….I was clearly an assassin trying to kill you. Moreover, we’re meeting for the first time. But why are you showing me kindness?”

Jeremy’s pupils were trembling.

The reason I show kindness to Jeremy.

“…..Let’s call it my own kind of atonement. Well, something like that.”

Because your life has plunged into the abyss because of me, it’s also my responsibility to pull it back up.

“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying.”

“That’s normal. And… if there’s a reason, there’s one more.”

I grinned at him and said.

“I believe that anyone in this world can change if they have the will to change. And today, I glimpsed a bit of that will in you. That’s all.”

“……”

After hearing my answer, Jeremy remained silent for a moment, then completely melted into the shadows and disappeared.

“Ah, he left his mask behind….”

And so the sudden encounter with Jeremy was concluded for now.

---

“Whew, what an eventful day.”

The plan to head to the tteokbokki place was immediately scrapped; I don’t know if it’s because I used Husk Slash, but my stomach feels too nauseous.

With my stomach like this, I can’t eat anything…. I think I should just sleep comfortably today.

“…..Oh wait. Today is Wednesday, right?”

I jumped up just 10 seconds after lying down on the bed.

Today is Wednesday, the day the newspaper is published.

As much as I’d like to become one with the bed right now, I don’t want to regret putting off reading the newspaper later. Oh, my fate.

I walked to my dormitory mailbox, gave a big yawn, and then pulled out the newspaper…. Huh? What’s this?

“This is… a letter?”

Next to the newspaper was a small letter.

Moreover, it’s a letter wrapped in packaging that looks extremely luxurious.

“Hmm…. let’s quickly check the newspaper first.”

Setting the letter aside, I quickly read through the newspaper. The main goal is to find signs of chaos.

“Still not showing his face.”

Unfortunately, this newspaper is also a bust. There isn’t a single incident that could be suspected of chaos involvement.

No significant findings today either. I clicked my tongue and folded the newspaper….

“Wait.”

There’s quite shocking content on the last page of the newspaper.

“Three students missing from Ruin Academy, victims have no commonalities except that they are all commoners.”

Strange. In the main episode I knew, there was no such thing as students going missing.

Actually, to be precise, there is. There is one later, but it’s not an episode that would happen at this time period.

“….Or is there some behind story that I don’t know about?”

I become filled with concern at the thought that something I don’t know about is happening somewhere.

“Hmm, it’s ambiguous.”

For now, I can’t figure out what’s happening. I’ll need to observe the situation a bit more.

After casually folding the newspaper I had finished reading and tossing it on the desk, I picked up the letter.

“There’s no one I can think of who would send me a letter.”

I wonder what content is written in this letter.

“….Could it be a love letter?”

After taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the letter.