episode_0016

When we see things humans cannot understand, we look at them with curiosity. That was exactly my state right now. ‘Even if she fell from the third floor, if she absorbed the impact with magic, she should be alive… she should be…’ Before me, the self-proclaimed Grim Reaper, whose body was embedded in the ground and trembling, was slowly trying to get up.

Wearing a strange robe and with white bobbed hair, she pointed at me with her finger, her face covered in dirt. “If you run now, I’ll spare you. Otherwise, the flames within this eyepatch of mine will consume you… *chuckle*…” She said, covering her face with one hand, a pose that could be called her signature. Her black eyes glared at me through the gaps between her fingers.

“That… that’s just magic worse than a fireball…” I tried to neutralize her a little with blunt honesty, but far from being neutralized, she only tormented my ears and skin further. “To compare my ‘Flame of the Punisher’ to a mere fireball… I cannot contain my indignation! I shall personally show you my true form and force you to kneel.”

She suddenly said that, then took off the eyepatch covering her eye. There, a perfectly normal eye, advertising as if the eyepatch was merely decorative, stared at me without a single scratch. From that eye, a flame, smaller than a fireball, emerged and slowly approached me. “Hahahahahaha!!!!! Die!!!! Burn in my flames and vanish without a trace..!!!! *Gasp*… *Ugh*… *Die*…!!!!” ‘Her ribs are definitely broken…’

Even with tears welling up in her eyes, she wagged her finger at me, giving all sorts of names to the incredibly slow-moving flame. I was too bothered, so I just pulled out a single Heart Sword and simply drew a line in the air. *Whoosh*… Then, the flame vanished without a trace.

‘Astoria would easily win against this…?’ While I was thinking this, the one calling herself the Grim Reaper was truly surprised to see that. She had expected such a pathetic attack to land a blow on me. Her magic was genuinely flustered. ‘Just… a pitiful wretch…’

As I looked at her with disdain, the Grim Reaper, as if to hide her momentary bewilderment, raised her hand again to conceal her flustered face and began spouting arrogant nonsense with utmost confidence. “Indeed! That person was worth hiring! To extinguish my flame so simply—a flame that twists the underworld, makes even Cerberus flee, and is stronger than the fire contained in the primordial Holy Grail!!!” ‘For some reason, I feel like her backstory is expanding in real-time…?’

“However!” She changed her stance again, about to continue, but suddenly, for some reason, she began wiping away tears. It was so absurd to see her suddenly crying for no reason that I naturally expected a strange answer, but I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked. “Um… why are you crying…?” Then she suddenly pointed at me and said, “I am crying for you. No one has ever returned alive from this colossal scythe… All I can do is weep for the poor souls who will pass on before me…” ‘This one is truly something else…’

I was now looking at her with an almost wondrous expression. “However, even if that flame stopped, my work does not stop… I, the Grim Reaper, shall unseal my forbidden weapon, Charon, right here!!!” She said, pointing the hand that had covered her face towards the sky. “I had sworn not to use this…!”

She tried to pick up the colossal scythe next to her and swing it. To be precise, she *tried* to swing it. Her thin arms could not physically lift such a massive scythe, and even if they could, swinging it was another matter, so I simply watched her. She was struggling, only managing to lift the handle part of the scythe lying on the ground. “A strained shriek!!!!!”

Magic began to course through her arms, and finally, the scythe slowly began to lift. And exactly five minutes later, she was able to lift the scythe completely. Her body was drenched in sweat, and she was panting heavily, but her lines did not stop. “My Charon doesn’t want to hurt people, so it’s reluctant to rise… but don’t worry… I’ll slice you so quickly you won’t even know you’re dead… *chuckle*…” She put the scythe behind her and swung her arm to strike me, but instead of reaching me, the scythe merely swept the floor like a broom.

And for a moment, there was silence. I was now looking at her with a respectful gaze, and she, perhaps knowing her own embarrassment, blushed and merely stared at the scythe embedded in the ground. “So… can I leave now that you’re done…?” I tried to leave, but she didn’t let me.

“Oh dear… I was testing you… How dare someone so impatient turn their back on me… Die!!!” Finally, the scythe that had been embedded in the ground for about five minutes flew into the air, aiming precisely for my head. “Hah…” It was late, and I wanted to quickly get back to the dorm and rest, so I just swung my hand without saying anything.

Then, my merciless blade shattered the ‘great Charon’. At that moment, a shattering sound assaulted my ears, and I, not having expected the scythe to break with such force, was a little flustered as I observed the Grim Reaper’s reaction. For a while, she seemed unable to comprehend what had happened to her. “Huuuh…?” She stared at the cleanly broken cross-section with a deflated voice for a long time.

For a moment, I felt as if I had broken my niece’s toy, but remembering that she was older than me, I gave her a slightly contemptuous look. The Grim Reaper looked at her scythe, then gripped it tightly and spoke to me. I just stared at her with a cold expression. “It seems Charon’s blade was too precious to cut you… It can’t be helped… I shall retreat for now…” The Grim Reaper uttered only those words, then pulled out a mana stone from her pocket and disappeared somewhere, seemingly unable to warp with her own magic.

***

“Ah, Grim Reaper-nim, welcome back.” Astoria was a little surprised to see the Grim Reaper entering through the front gate so normally. To her, the Grim Reaper seemed somehow different, making her a bit hesitant to approach. Of course, she had been even more hesitant before,

“Grim Reaper-nim, so what about the person you needed to deal with…?” “The ancient sages said that the strong must know how to forgive the weak. I merely actualized what is obvious. That person knelt and begged before me, and I simply forgave him.” The Grim Reaper spoke, breaking out in a slight cold sweat, yet her posture was utterly confident. At her words, Astoria let out a sigh that seemed to make the floor cave in, and said, “Then what are those scythe fragments scattered over there…?”

Then the Grim Reaper gripped the broken scythe handle even tighter and said, “Today, Charon didn’t particularly want to cut anyone. But I am a Grim Reaper who must cut people… I couldn’t torment this entity with a will of its own, so I at least allowed it to ‘die’ by its owner’s hand…” The Grim Reaper said, wiping tears from her eyes. ‘Has the Demonic Cult truly abandoned me…?’ Astoria looked up at the ceiling and lamented.

***

“Oh, Ray, where have you been?” Aris greeted me with a displeased expression. “Ah, there was someone I had to deal with for a moment. Why? Is something wrong?” Then Aris pointed her finger towards our dorm room. Someone was sitting in her chair, and I immediately knew who she was. As soon as I saw her, the system flashed beside me, emphasizing something.

[Urgent Quest] [Please appease Savior and return her to normal, Player.] [Reward: Setus-style Swordsmanship Form 2] [The system emphasizes.]

“Ugh… alright… I get it… What’s with this fuss over a prank…” I entered the room and sat opposite her, who had been waiting in the dorm room first. The main heroine, Savior, with her red hair, sharp eyes, and strong heart, sat before me. Her magic was enveloped in guilt, and that guilt was contaminating her vibrant and robust magic. I was the first to speak to her.

Savior, across from me, had lost her usual bold personality and was merely twiddling her fingers, completely at a loss. That’s why I felt if I didn’t speak first, the silence would continue. “So, why did you come…” Then, before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly heard something hit the floor. Her knees were on the ground, and her head was bowed.

“To use such sincerity against the weak, I am a disgrace to knights… This is a plea, please use me as you wish until I feel even a little better… I won’t care what you do…” As I pondered how to deal with her, who had come out like this, the future Saintess glared at the scene from the entrance.