62 – Truth
The tears kept flowing without cease, and the endless self-blame wore away at my heart. But the changing world did not wait for Ariel.
The world that was once the Academy has now transformed into the Snowfield Village. And in the distance, I see Ariel walking through the village, conversing with Venice.
“Cough… Cough…”
The sight of me continuously coughing and Venice looking at me with pity. Clearly… it was before the cold had worsened.
At that moment, I felt a strange energy within my coughing body. It was similar to the dark magic I can now sense, but slightly different.
Why… Why do I feel this peculiar energy coming from myself?
“…”
Venice suddenly stares intently at me.
Why… Why is he making such a desolate expression? Could it be…
“No… Please don’t…”
“I’ll pat your back at least.”
Despite Ariel’s plea, Venice reluctantly places his hand on her back. Soon, a dark energy begins to drain out of my body and is absorbed into Venice’s.
It was impossible, but Venice eventually absorbed the energy through her own body, despite Ariel’s desperate denial.
Ariel’s complexion brightened in an instant, while Venice’s complexion darkened.
“…Cough.”
As Venice coughed softly, blood seeped out little by little. Watching this, Ariel felt a piercing pain and guilt as if her heart was being torn apart.
“Ah… Ahh…”
What she had thought was a cold that came and went in an instant was something similar to the dark magic that remained in her body.
Every time Venice patted her back and stroked her, miraculously, it felt like her body was getting better. She was grateful to Venice and a new interest arose.
However, Venice had not made the cold disappear; instead, she had absorbed the energy that was eating away at Ariel’s own body.
She must have known that absorbing the energy would destroy her body.
As another truth that she did not know was revealed, Ariel once again crumbled.
Her legs lost strength, and she sank to the floor, reaching out with trembling hands towards her past self.
“Please… Turn around…”
Turn around now. Look at Venice’s complexion behind you.
You can deduce it. In an instant, your condition improved, and another person’s complexion worsened.
If you turn around now, you can undo it. So please, turn around… I’m begging you.
“No… No…!”
However, that scream naturally did not reach Ariel’s past self. The despised self of the past continued to walk expressionlessly, as usual.
Without even realizing the sad smile of Venice following behind.
“Ugh… Ahh…!”
“…It seems like you understand my feelings even a little bit.”
He gazes at the detestable past Ariel, who walks without realizing the sacrifice of Venice.
Ariel screams, pounding the ground, while the angel silently sheds tears, aiming at their past selves.
Thunk!
The world turns upside down once again. It was my familiar room in Snowfield Village.
“Cough… cough…”
The past Ariel, lying down from severe headache and burning fever, and the worried family looking down at her, as well as Venice silently watching.
Finally, only the past self and Venice remain in the room. When the past Ariel falls asleep, Venice shows a sad smile. Then, a determined expression quickly follows.
“No… don’t…! Don’t do it…!”
“Gurgle… gurgle…”
“aaahhh…!!”
Ariel is locked in despair, watching the sleeping past self and Venice, who vomits blood while absorbing energy.
As Venice’s complexion worsens and the frequency of vomiting blood increases, the energy within their body gradually diminishes. And within Venice’s body, that energy is clearly felt, accumulating over time.
Stop. Please stop. You’re killing yourself.
Stop. Please scream to let go of your disgusting self, and try to reach out to Venice, but it doesn’t reach them.
“Sob… sniffle…”
No matter how hard Ariel tries, they realize there is no way to reach the past Venice and themselves. They sit down in their place, helplessly staring at that sight.
Time passes quickly like that. One day, two days, and three days go by.
Venice always sits next to their fallen self, tirelessly absorbing energy.
They even go out alone in the evening after finishing nursing duties, to hunt down and rescue victims from the black magicians.
It was a devoted hero, someone who anyone would believe to be a fool.
Time passes like that. At some point, Venice trembles and can’t control himself. It’s because of himself, who suddenly left for the royal palace.
“If this continues… there won’t be enough time for treatment…”
Venice’s expression and words prioritize the fact that he couldn’t absorb energy more than the process of harming his own body.
Seeing this incomprehensible selfless act, another dagger pierces Ariel’s heart and tears stream down her face.
Then, Venice starts packing his bag alone and heads towards Snowfield Village. Greeting acquaintances and friends in the village with a tense expression, he soon changes into the robe of a black magician and heads towards the highest point of the village roof.
Venice starts looking down at the village without blinking an eye. He anxiously wonders when the black magicians will attack, continuing to monitor them even without eating.
Until the next night, Venice doesn’t leave his spot. At that moment, dark magic power begins to emanate from all sides of Snowfield Village.
No one in the village, when everyone is asleep, notices the dark magic power.
However, the dark magic power rises rapidly. If they were to quickly knock on every door and wake people up, it would already be too late.
Looking around, Venice starts running towards the orphanage. He gathers various inflammable materials and sets them on fire.
As the orphanage starts to burn and collapse, causing a loud noise, people are startled and rush out of their houses.
People discover the burning orphanage and run to the houses of their neighbors, and soon all the villagers gather.
Venice discovers the fire and starts dealing with the black magicians who come running. He completely annihilates the group of black magicians who try to stop the evacuating villagers.
After confirming that the villagers are evacuating, Venice starts searching for the remaining black magicians within the village and deals with them one by one.
“…….!”
During that time. A massive dark magic power emanates from the center of the village. When Venice rushes towards the center, a powerful black magician greets him.
After a brief conversation, they immediately engage in battle. At first, the black magician has the upper hand, but Venice lures him into complacency and reverses the black magic, achieving victory.
The face behind the broken mask was a face that Ariel also knows.
Karl Vent. That disgusting creature was even a black magician. Venice sends Karl Vent, who was despicable until the end, away with a single blow.
“…No…”
And right after that. The angry expressions of Kale and Freya, and the disgust on their faces, were revealed.
Without knowing the truth, they expressed their anger at what they saw in front of them. Ariel was disgusted by their behavior.
With her eyes shaking violently as soon as she saw them, she grabbed Venice, who was trying to escape quickly because she had to join the assembly.
In the end, Venice’s face was revealed by her own magic, and she showed no intention of listening to Venice’s explanation.
“Don’t… Venice isn’t that kind of person…”
Even with Ariel’s small sob, the past Ariel blamed Venice. Venice silently endured the criticism.
From Noble mtl dot com
Venice no longer had time. In order to thwart the plans of the dark sorcerers, she had to act now.
“…I’m sorry.”
In the end, Venice chose to sacrifice herself in order to save many others.
She and her friends, who couldn’t even realize that, insulted, blamed, and resented Venice.
They criticized and blamed the purest and most noble sacrifice. In a situation where even a saint would feel unjustly accused, Venice sacrificed herself for herself and her friends.
How much did Venice endure the criticism alone? How much did that noble sacrifice hurt when it was belittled and ignored?
Venice ran away. Hot tears streamed down her eyes, repeating apologies.
And so time passed once again. Venice infiltrated the inner circle of the dark sorcerers, pretending to be Karl Bentin.
Sacrificing herself, endlessly striving to save everyone and suppressing her anger, her figure was revealed.
Hiding among the disgusting dark sorcerers, Venice matched their preferences and suppressed her emotions.
What was I doing back then?
When Venice risked her life and sacrificed herself, I insulted her with disgusting delusions and mistrust.
“…Ha…hahahaha…”
I am despicable. Every action she took was for others, for the sake of others, but I didn’t even realize that.
Even distrusting and resentful of Venice, who had saved him even at the cost of his own body.
A vulture who rejected the benefactor who had saved his life multiple times.
A fool who couldn’t even recognize his true intentions with the same thoughts.
That human trash was me.