Wrap up (1)
"I think... I've gathered all the necessary information."
A voice murmured lightly.
As I brushed off the remaining shadows from my palm, a faint presence stirred at my feet.
I looked down with cold eyes.
It was none other than the robed man.
The administrator in charge of this abandoned laboratory, and the demon who appeared as the final villain of this episode.
He was also the one who brought us here.
The man was writhing on the floor as if having a seizure.
"Ugh, gah, uwaaa..."
The man groaned with his eyes rolled back.
His facial muscles twisted grotesquely.
After that, he even started drooling.
Eventually, after observing his broken reaction, I let out a cool breath and muttered.
My words were laced with deep contempt.
"To think you'd crumble at this level."
Perhaps it was because I had put emotional force into my words.
In the end, the man couldn't endure it and lost his mind. He was just making whimpering sounds like a beast that had lost its reason.
I clicked my tongue softly.
"I did get the most crucial information, but... I was hoping for something more."
Damn tree bastards.
Especially the whereabouts of the cult leader, but unfortunately, the man was nothing but an empty can.
He was like a puppet, simply following orders from above.
"You were useless to the very end."
I put my disappointment behind me.
As I quietly turned around, the mutants that were hiding nearby crawled out one by one.
They were the wolves we saw in the laboratory.
They had their tails tucked in, suppressed by my killing intent.
But as I was about to leave, they started to prowl around me one by one.
I loaded shadows onto my fingertips.
However.
"Hmm."
Growl-.
The target of their teeth wasn't me.
It was the man rolling on the floor in a ridiculous manner.
The mutants drooled, their mouths watering.
"Are they hungry?"
Murderous glint in their eyes.
Their rough breaths were filled with the will to tear into flesh.
If I left them like this, they would pounce on the man.
He wouldn't be able to resist at all.
He would be bitten alive by the experimental subjects he managed and disappear into the most miserable death.
Perhaps that was the ending I desired for him.
I withdrew my scattered killing intent and quietly stepped aside.
Immediately after.
"Kyaaaaa!!!"
Crack, crunch-!
The man's screams, filled with pain, painted the basement, followed by gruesome noises.
Flesh being torn, bones breaking, blood splattering everywhere.
A cruel scene unfolding.
But I just took a step back with a bitter smile.
"It's the judgment of the monsters."
I silently chewed on my thoughts.
"Please."
Forgive the world with this.
Satisfy your hunger for revenge by tearing into the flesh of the one who tormented you.
Kill him as cruelly, horribly, and painfully as possible.
And in that way, even a little bit.
Fill the hunger of your twisted souls.
"May God take you."
This is a prayer for the monsters.
I quietly moved my lips.
I listened to the clearly ringing requiem and walked out of the laboratory.
It was truly the moment when everything came to an end.
***
When I returned to the lab after finishing my work.
The first thing that caught my eye were several adults standing around the children.
People looking around blankly.
"...Is this all...?"
"..."
"What in the world happened here...?"
It seemed that reinforcements had arrived from Galimar.
Realizing once again that this episode had come to an end, I slowly approached them.
I greeted them lightly.
"Oh my... You're all a little late."
Their scattered gazes focused on me.
The professors were standing there, lost in thought.
They seemed to be flustered by the chaotic scene.
The broken ceiling, the corpses of the wolves, the smell of blood in the air... It was a complete mess.
I smiled brightly.
"I've been waiting."
It was a smile that leaked out from my genuine relief.
The professors arrived at the perfect time, just as my output was dropping.
I approached them with a cheerful atmosphere.
I happened to see the children lying on the floor.
Pink and blue hair.
They seemed to be fast asleep.
Perhaps to check on them, some professors were examining them.
I shrugged lightly.
"It's already too late."
Because I had already checked them once.
Both of them only had slight exhaustion; there were no noticeable abnormalities.
"Both of them are healthy."
""...""
"Hmm?"
The professors didn't react.
As I felt something strange, the adults with serious expressions came into view.
The atmosphere was unusual.
Perhaps it was because of the ominous background of the laboratory.
The professors didn't let their guard down easily and seemed to be preparing for any potential enemies that might be around.
I spoke up, indicating that it wasn't necessary.
"Hmm~ You don't have to be so wary."
"..."
"The situation ended a long time ago. Please be at ease."
A friendly explanation followed.
I acted nonchalantly.
I naturally diverted their suspicious gazes and subtly approached the children.
As if I was worried about my friends.
"Hehe."
"Student Judas, do you perhaps know what happened in this laboratory...?"
"Shh."
Suddenly, one of the professors who came to their senses tried to ask a question, but I firmly placed my index finger on my lips.
It was a sign to keep silent.
So that the children wouldn't wake up from the noise.
"Can we go back to the academy first?"
I asked quietly.
"Everyone seems tired... We desperately need rest. I do too."
The children always came first for me.
I had no intention of having a conversation while they were lying on the floor like this.
As I politely made my request, the professors, who had paused for a moment, nodded in agreement.
"I suppose we should."
"Thank you."
"For now, we will return to the academy. The collapsed students will be immediately transferred to the infirmary."
"That's a relief."
Perhaps it was because of my concern for my friends.
The tense atmosphere softened considerably.
We moved to a location where teleportation was possible and proceeded with the return procedure without hesitation.
[EP5. Midterm Exam]
-Abandoned Laboratory, the Monster that Cannot Smile-
It was the moment when the episode was successfully concluded.
***
Immediately after returning to the academy.
We were transported straight to the infirmary and underwent various examinations.
We received a more detailed checkup to confirm our physical condition and were prescribed IV fluids to replenish our depleted mana.
Contrary to my worries, no abnormalities were found.
Needless to say, I was healthy.
I hadn't been injured in the first place.
There was an opinion that the villainess and the protagonist had simply fainted and would wake up soon.
Fortunately, it was a reassuring statement.
"We will hear about what happened today... when the other two wake up."
The professors withdrew for now.
The investigation of the basement wasn't over yet, and since there were students who had suffered minor injuries, they seemed to want to be cautious.
Especially our homeroom teacher, Selena, was very considerate.
"Let's not burden the students for now. They are children who have experienced a terrifying incident."
She soothed her colleagues who were acting hastily.
I thought she was always drunk, but I was a little surprised that she had such a thoughtful side.
She calmly brushed back her purple hair.
Her red eyes stared at us without a hint of wavering.
"...For now, please get some rest."
Her face was somewhat complex.
I quietly spoke to her as she subtly turned her head.
"I will stay by their side... until the other two wake up."
"Your concern for your friends is commendable, but don't forget to take care of yourself as well."
"Hehe, I'm doing just that."
"I will be waiting outside the ward. Please call me anytime if you need anything."
"Thank you, Professor Selena."
Selena suddenly left.
Only three people remained in the spacious ward: the Snake, the Pilot, and Vanity.
On the neatly arranged beds, only pink and blue hair lay.
I quietly sat beside them.
"..."
The children, each repeating a steady breath.
I held one of their hands each.
Our warm body temperatures touched each other.
Since there had been an unpleasant incident, I hoped they wouldn't have any nightmares.
I gently applied pressure with my fingertips.
"...I should wait too."
I quietly kept watch.
The silent ward.
For a while, only the children's breathing could be heard around us.
***
-Become stronger, Emilia.
Emilia was dreaming.
No, it was actually closer to a memory than a dream.
-Otherwise, you won't survive.
A voice stained with tears.
Even though she was young, the girl seemed to understand the world.
Living through a harsh winter, the child wandering in the snowy mountains could only grow colder.
It was a life filled withvenom.
-The Princess must be even more perfect.
-You must show the proper demeanor as the rightful successor.
-That way, the Duke and Duchess who left early will be able to rest in peace.
The hypocritical elders of the family.
-Don't worry, Emilia.
-You're still just a student, so you can't handle the family affairs... I'll help you out.
-We're family, aren't we?
Her uncle, who always pretended to care for her but couldn't hide his greedy eyes.
-Si-sister... I'm scared.
-I miss mom and dad. Where are they?
Her younger brother, whom she had to protect even in the midst of a fierce daily life.
'I'm sick of it.'
Emilia eventually had to push herself.
Just to survive.
Willpower eats away at the heart.
It abandons altruism, gives up happiness, and scoffs at sacrifice.
Before she knew it, an adult who had forgotten her childhood and was completely worn out stood in front of the mirror.
It was a hideous mask.
'Don't forget.'
There are things you have to protect.
If I make a mistake, everything will be over.
For the sake of revenge, for the sake of happiness, I have to keep running forward.
The moment I look back, something terrible will happen.
'I have no one but myself to rely on.'
The obsession that had stained her life for a long time.
Emilia reminisced about her happy childhood, but she knew she could never go back.
Too many things had changed.
The girl no longer deserved to be called young.
Because she had personally painted her innocent inner self black, she thought she could never live for anything again.
Yes.
I thought it would definitely be like that.
"..."
"You're awake."
She opened her closed eyes.
As she blinked her heavy eyelids, a voice came from beside her.
Emilia unconsciously moved her eyes.
"A whole day has passed."
A boy with dark blond hair.
His blue eyes were staring blankly at the scene.
"..."
"I'm glad you're safe. I was worried about you the whole time."
The Snake smiled brightly.
Then he raised his hand and gently stroked the girl's messy hair.
It was a touch filled with affection.
As if treating someone precious.
"You've worked hard, Lady."
He whispered affectionately.
The boy left a light kiss on the back of her snow-white hand.
Emilia was startled by the soft touch, but she couldn't help but freeze.
Because a nostalgic sense of fulfillment filled her chest.
"You did really well."
"..."
The villainess silently accepted it.
The boy's palm, stained with taming.
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It's wholesome but also bittersweet....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter! I guess she is falling for him?
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