“…I don’t want to die.”

The faint voice Ray showed for the first time carried both hope and sorrow.

The boy who had never once broken knelt down and cried like a child.

By pure chance, the three of them witnessed that sight.

Ever since the day Ryuk Drop appeared, they had not neglected their nightly vigilance.

Hidden in the shadows of the gate and in the dark corners of the garden where Ray could not see them, the three stood frozen, barely breathing.

They made sure he would never notice them until he returned to the mansion.

But that very consideration exposed the cruel truth.

—They had mistakenly believed they were fighting together.

—Not one of them had truly understood what it meant to wager one’s life.

—Ray alone had carried everything by himself.

The emotion that seized Lesley’s chest was a burning sense of guilt that felt like it would consume her body.

‘…I was the one who taught him the sword… I was the one who lectured him about what strength meant… and yet what kind of master am I… what right do I have to act so proud…’

A sob rose from deep in her throat so violently it left the taste of iron in her mouth.

The only chance she had to stop Ray, who had resolved himself to defeat the Majin, had been that duel. Yet she had failed to see through the resolve of her own disciple.

She had been blinded by Ray’s smile, the one he showed when he looked up at her with admiration and called her his master.

Ray had realized it. Their softness.

Their weakness that prevented them from truly believing they could defeat the Majin.

While they clung to uncertain hope that perhaps a miracle might occur if the four of them stood together, Ray had been constructing a plan to kill the Majin with his own life as the price.

She had spent more time with him than anyone.

Spoken with him more than anyone.

And yet she believed she understood everything about him.

What a foolish arrogance that had been.

Even when he had both arms broken while surrounded by monsters, Ray had never once complained.

No matter how unreasonable the training she imposed, he always kept looking forward.

That was not strength.

He had simply known that if he stopped, he would die.

When Ray woke up, he acted shockingly normal.

He did not wallow in sorrow and instead looked ahead toward tomorrow.

No. That was wrong.

He hadn’t shown sorrow only because he was trying to spare them from feeling it.

To the very end… he had been protecting their hearts.

‘I noticed nothing… what kind of master am I!’

The curse mark on Ray’s right arm grew darker each day, extending its roots closer to his heart.

And yet she could not find even a single answer on how to save the disciple who would eventually become a Majin.

They could not even find a healer capable of purifying the miasma.

Time simply continued to pass in vain.

Ray’s lonely battle had never ended. It was still continuing even now.

And she hated herself for still not realizing it.

She hated herself for trembling in the darkness instead of embracing the disciple who was crying like a child.

She was no longer a master.

But she would not give up.

Lesley clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

Blood seeped out. But compared to the pain in her chest, this was nothing.

There had to be some way.

If Ray could live, she would do anything.

* * *

Eleanor could no longer remain standing.

Clutching the hem of her skirt, she collapsed to the ground.

‘…Ha… ha… Ray… I’m sorry… truly… I’m so sorry!’

Never before had she wished so desperately to turn back time.

She wanted to curse the days she had spent failing to notice Ray’s resolve and the scream hidden behind his smile.

She could not forgive herself for enjoying peaceful days while turning her eyes away from the threat of the Majin simply because she was happy the four of them were together.

‘Ray will grow even stronger someday.’

The words she had once told him returned like a curse.

Ray had never been thinking about someday.

He had only been thinking about the present. Because he knew there was no guarantee tomorrow would come.

Yet she had spoken about the future so casually in front of him.

How cruel that must have been.

What must he have felt when he nodded at her words?

She had rejected the past, yet took pride in the vast knowledge she gained from it.

And yet she could not even notice that the life of the person most precious to her was slowly being worn away.

‘If only I could take his place…’

Even that shallow wish felt like an insult to Ray.

Because he had walked through hell alone just to ensure they would not be hurt.

Tears flowed endlessly from Eleanor’s eyes.

Yet within those eyes, a cold and dark flame had begun to burn.

She would never give up. If it was for Ray, she would do anything.

* * *

“…What goddess…”

Sophia bit her lip hard as she rejected everything she believed in.

Even though she believed in the existence of the gods, she had always known better than anyone that the gods did not conveniently reach out their hands to the weak.

And yet somewhere deep inside she had still hoped.

She believed that someone who had performed as many good deeds as Ray would surely receive salvation from the gods.

That if they prayed, a path would open.

But that was wrong.

Ray had never relied on the gods.

If he had time to pray, he swung his sword instead.

If he had time to wait for a miracle, he shed blood and carved a path forward.

Saint? Healing hands? Healing magic?

What right did she have to act proud when she could not even save the single boy crying before her eyes?

She could not even break the curse on his right arm.

She could not even remove his pain.

Her magic had not even healed the fear Ray had desperately tried to hide.

“…………”

Sophia looked up at the night sky.

A beautiful sky full of stars. The same mercilessly beautiful sky Ray had looked up at while crying.

‘If you have no intention of saving him—then I will deny you. I will reject you.’

She would not abandon her faith.

She would simply stop relying on the gods.

The one who would save Ray was not a god. It was them.

Even if the method touched forbidden arts or became an act of a demon, she did not care.

If Ray could live and smile, she would gladly descend into hell.

—I will save Ray.

* * *

After suppressing their tears, the three spoke.

“…I know Ryuk Drop well. She is not a woman who compromises with her suspicions. Eventually she will try to detain us.”

“…The court magicians are excellent. I know that better than anyone. But when it comes to knowledge of magic itself, everything is already in my head. I will not make a mistake again.”

“The investigation into the Majin corpse was conducted by the Court Mage Corps, the Saint Church, and the Royal Knights’ joint search unit. As Ryuk said, King Germain is searching for the hero. Because of that, entry into and departure from the Laguni Kingdom has been raised to Level Five security. Therefore, normal travel in or out of the country is nearly impossible unless it is for an official mission. Eventually… no, without a doubt… dozens of parties including Stray Cats Lost Cats will be summoned to the royal castle. When that time comes… what will you do?”

Sophia asked, as though her own answer was already decided.

“If it is to protect Ray, I do not care if I become a great criminal. If it allows his peace to last even one more day… I will show no mercy to anyone.”

“I feel the same. Even if they are old acquaintances, I will do anything to protect Ray.”

“…Me too. If it is for Ray, I do not care if the church becomes my enemy.”

The feelings of the three quietly dissolved into the darkness of the night.

Fortunately or unfortunately, they never reached Ray’s ears.