"...I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. This must have been his fate."

Lucas and Aman's expressions were miserable as they looked at Brandy's cold body.

Brandy's body, which had turned black from the curse.

"It's a shame..."

"Right, he couldn't achieve it in the end. The small spark he would summon with his own hands... he couldn't see it in the end."

-Fwoosh!

A small flame appeared on Lucas's palm.

"It's so easy for us... but this pitiful human lost his life to the magic he so longed for."

Lucas looked at the spark flickering at his fingertips for a moment.

"If I had known it would end like this, I would have let him win once..."

In the year he had entered the academy, he had often played chess with Brandy when he visited the library, but as time passed, the number of times he visited him had gradually decreased.

Lucas now regretted that fact a little.

That he should have visited him often and been the old man's companion. That he should have lost to him in chess at least once...

In addition, he had not been able to keep his promise to the old man.

'I said I would help him until the day he could use magic...'

If it had been his previous life, he would have struggled to keep this promise until the day he died, but now that he had become a human, he no longer valued promises as much as he had then.

His mouth was bitter and his throat was scratchy. The unkept promise was uncomfortable and heavy, like a stone placed on a corner of his heart.

"..."

"He has no family. You should take care of him and send him off."

Lucas clenched his fist and scattered the spark.

"Yes, Lord."

"Brandy's soul must have already been guided to the divine world. He lived a good life... he must have gone to a good place."

"He must have."

"And... we cannot show mercy to the ruffians who have invaded our territory."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it..."

Aman, who quickly stepped forward at his words.

"No. This time, I'll do it myself. I'll show the dogs of the Demon God hell myself."

But he had no choice but to shut his mouth at Lucas's angry words.

'The dogs of the Demon God are f-cked now... they're f-cked...'

Goosebumps appeared on Aman's arms as he looked at Lucas's murderous eyes.

***

Aman's office.

There were two priests of the Demon God Cult and the high priest.

"Do you know why I've brought you here? High Priest."

"Hoho... I was just asked to come..."

The high priest, who was feigning ignorance at Aman's question.

"Haha, is that so. Something very unfortunate happened today."

"What is it?"

"There is a library in our academy."

"Yes. I heard there are many good books."

"Haha. Thank you for recognizing it... but the librarian there died, you know?"

For a moment, Aman's sharp gaze swept over them. As if he knew that they had done it.

"Oh my... oh dear... how did that happen..."

"So I investigated... and the curse of the Demon God Cult was used. Haha! Isn't this too sloppy?"

Aman, who had laughed loudly, leaned back comfortably in his chair. As if to say, 'If you have something to say, say it.'

"The curse of the Demon God Cult? Hmph... that's something I can't understand. To think that the curse of the Demon God Cult was used..."

The high priest, who opened his eyes wide as if he had never heard of it. The priests who stood behind him also tilted their heads and looked at each other.

"That's what I'm saying. Can you explain what happened?"

"That's absurd. Our Demon God Cult has never done such a thing. And you know that we are here... we're not fools, so how could we have done such a thing?"

It was plausible. If Aman hadn't known about the Soul of Shamos.

"Oh, is that so. Haha, then someone has plotted a conspiracy... is that what you're saying?"

"It seems so. As you know, there are many who try to slander our Demon God Cult. So I think someone has imitated the curse of the Demon God Cult and has harmed the librarian."

Aman's patience was gradually reaching its limit at the high priest's truly regretful expression.

He had gathered them at Lucas's request, but they were no different from the dogs of the devil, not the dogs of the Demon God.

No, what kind of priest would commit murder and lie so casually with a body that served a god?

"Is that so... then I'll need to investigate further. Thank you for your time late at night."

The corner of Aman's mouth, who was forcing a smile, trembled.

If it had been up to him, he would have torn them to pieces right here and now, but he had to endure it this time.

"I understand. More importantly... I pray for the deceased."

"I pray for the deceased."

The priests also offered their condolences at the high priest's greeting.

'Endure... I have to endure...'

He could hear the sound of the thread of his reason snapping somewhere, but Aman barely held it in.

Now, if they opened that door and went out, the subspace he had created would appear.

And Lucas would be waiting there.

"Thank you..."

Aman, who had expressed his gratitude through clenched teeth, opened the door for them himself.

"Then..."

As they left the door, Aman, who had turned around, let out a long sigh.

'You endured well, Amarok. You're a good boy, Amarok!'

Aman, who had praised himself, closed the door.

Now they would face the blazing Lucas.

***

The high priest and the priests, who had just left Aman's office, turned around at the strange energy they felt.

"W-the door?"

"The door is gone! High Priest!"

They had just left the door, but the door was nowhere to be seen, and there was only black darkness.

A space of only darkness, whether they looked forward or to the side.

"Khuk! You pathetic magic user!"

The high priest, who had finally realized what had happened, was enraged.

"That bastard must have used a trick!"

"Shut up! Do you think there's anyone here who doesn't know that!?"

The priest lowered his head at the high priest's roar.

"There must be a gap somewhere! Scatter and find it!"

"Yes!"

No matter how firmly it was made, a subspace was a subspace. There must be a gap somewhere.

"How dare you lock me up? A servant who receives the favor of the great Taras-nim!?"

As the priests scattered, the high priest narrowed his eyes and looked around.

As his eyes, which had gradually adapted to the darkness, began to identify his surroundings, he began to move forward slowly and examine every corner.

-Thud!

Then something blocked his path.

"W-who are you...! Gaaah!!!"

A burning pain he felt before he could even recognize its existence.

"Gaaah!!!"

The high priest, who could not overcome the pain, rolled on the floor.

"...How is it. I tried to imitate the trick you used."

The high priest tried to raise his head and look at the owner of the low and cold voice.

"Gaaah... ugh!!"

But at the even stronger pain, he just rolled on the floor and wailed.

"I don't know if this is right."

A very relaxed voice, unimaginable for someone who was torturing an opponent.

His voice was even empty, as if he were uttering meaningless words.

"Gaaah... ugh..."

As the pain gradually subsided, the high priest slowly raised his head.

'To ambush me...! But this won't do!'

He was still a high priest. He had just been flustered by the ambush, and he could inflict the same pain on him right away.

"Right, but you're still a servant of Taras... show me. Your pathetic tricks."

It was a clear mockery. In addition, there was a sense of composure as if he were sneering and giving him a chance, as if he knew all his tricks.

The position that even the emperor of a country could not ignore was the high priest of all the temples.

Their unique abilities were not something to be ignored.

And yet, to have such a relaxed attitude?

"Kh, khahaha! Right... khuk..."

Although the afterglow of the pain had not yet subsided, the high priest stumbled and got up.

"I don't know who you are... but you'll regret giving me a chance for the rest of your life... no, right now."

-Gooooo

A black sphere began to form in the high priest's hand.

'Experience is not to be ignored. Is he going to end it in one shot?'

The sphere that had gathered in his hand was 'the Judge of Darkness'.

It was a unique ability that was only passed down to the high priest, a magic power that cast a strong curse.

"O darkness that protects the light, the enemy before me... gaaah!!!"

The sphere, which had been growing larger at the renewed pain, scattered in an instant, and the high priest rolled on the floor again.

"You shouldn't trust your enemy so easily, should you. High Priest."

In fact, it was cowardly. It was something he would never have done in his previous life, but now he was a weak human, and it was true that he could not win against the high priest in a one-on-one fight.

So he had no choice but to use a slightly cowardly trick.

"Right, did you find what you were looking for?"

"Gaaah!"

"Are you frustrated? Then you shouldn't have forgotten that you were a priest. Did you think you could win against a mage in a close fight?"

Lucas's sly voice pierced the high priest's ears.

"Then go to the great god you serve and ask him to let you use magic power without chattering your mouth."

The high priest was frustrated. To think that he had thought of fighting a mage in a close fight, in the pain he had never felt before in his life...!

"Right, you've learned well today, so don't do it next time. Ah, is there no next time?"

Lucas, who was smiling faintly in the darkness.

"Let me tell you one thing on your way out... I stole that."

Lucas, who was whispering softly in the ear of the high priest who was rolling on the floor.

"...?!"

"That's right. I stole it about five hundred years ago. The Soul of Shamos."

Lucas, who smiled brightly, summoned a flame in his hand.

As Lucas's face was revealed in the white flame that was blazing in the darkness, the high priest sensed his death.

'That little brat...! In the end... it's as Taras-nim willed...'

"Go and tell your great demon god."

-Bang!

A white fireball fell on the high priest's body.

"Gaaah!!!"

The high priest, who was writhing in the pain of his body melting.

"That I'm sorry for stealing it."

His face, which was faintly reflected in the flame that was blazing on his body, showed his last agony, and the high priest breathed his last.

"Now, the remaining two..."

Lucas, who was about to turn around and leave him behind, held his chest at the sudden and enormous energy he felt.

"G-ugh..."

An enormous energy that made his knees bend on their own.

[That's too much. He was a child I cherished.]

Lucas barely raised his head and looked at it at the strange voice he heard.

A strange being descending from the sky of the subspace filled with darkness.

[Nice to meet you. I've reduced my energy, but... are you okay now?]

"Huk...!"

As his breath, which had been held as if someone had grabbed his neck, finally began to open up a little, the appearance of the being began to come into view.

A handsome man with jet-black hair that fell to his waist. Standing on either side of him were... with black wings...

'Angels? Did a god come down because I killed one high priest?'

[I know you. You know me too, right?]

"Are you Taras?"

[Haha! Of course. You're different.]

He was annoyed at Taras's very relaxed appearance.

"Sh-t. A god incarnates because I killed one high priest?"

[Of course. You're too different. Now it's not a suspicion... I can be sure.]

Lucas was very annoyed now.

He would also go to the divine world when he died, so wouldn't they be on equal footing in a hundred years?

But to think that he couldn't even straighten his bent knees at that pathetic divine power. He wished he would just kill him right away.

"If you're going to kill me, kill me quickly. I didn't like you anyway, you son of a b-tch."

[Sorry. I can't do that. I think I'll get angry if I kill you now. Ah, and I didn't like you either?]

"Shut your mouth. Where did a black bat-like bastard come from...!"

Even though he tried to pretend to be calm and squeeze out his voice, his voice was trembling too much.

[Haha! You're still good at cursing.]

'You son of a b-tch, you're dead.'

It was when he was about to end his life at the annoying voice.

[Let's make a deal.]

What kind of son of a b-tch is that?

[Let's make a deal.]

(End of Chapter)