And So, the Boy Becomes a Hero
Eve explained that Scarlet had been severely injured while defeating the monster to save the people, and that she had been forced to hide the truth to prevent mass panic. While the children understood the reasoning, they began to raise their voices in indignation, finding the situation impossible to accept. The classroom grew rowdy, but Yoon Siwoo was lost in thought, unable to hear even the noise around him. Severely injured? If she was hospitalized, just how badly was she hurt, and where?
Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind: her hand, dripping with blood from his own accidental attack. In his imagination, her entire body was stained crimson with blood. Thinking of her lying in a hospital bed made his stomach churn, and he bit his lip hard.
"Severely injured... is she... is she going to be okay? She has to be okay, right?"
He heard Sylvia, her face pale, muttering anxiously beside him. It seemed that even Sylvia, who had appeared to be growing close to Scarlet lately, didn't know the extent of her condition. Yoon Siwoo scanned the students who had stayed at the academy yesterday. Among the confused faces, he spotted a few who were stiff and tight-lipped. They likely knew exactly how badly she had been hurt.
Yoon Siwoo waited for the morning assembly to end and approached the person who seemed to know her best. Mei, the girl who always seemed so bold and capable, was currently serving as the temporary class representative, but she was radiating a gloominess that was completely unlike her.
"...Mei, do you think Scarlet is going to be okay?"
At his question, Mei slowly turned her head to look at him. Her eyes, her face, her entire expression told him that things were not okay, but she punctuated it with a final, devastating sentence.
"...I don't know."
When someone says "I don't know" in this context, it is rarely a positive sign.
"...She might even have to quit the academy..."
The truth. Even with the qualifier "might," it meant her injuries were severe enough that leaving the academy was a genuine consideration. Yoon Siwoo’s pupils trembled like a ship caught in a violent storm.
When classes ended, the air was thick with talk of visiting Scarlet in the hospital. Sensing the atmosphere during the homeroom session, their homeroom teacher, Eve, spoke to the students.
"Miss Evande is in critical condition, so she needs to rest for a while. I understand you all want to visit, but too many visitors will have a negative impact on her health. It would be best to select a few people to go each day. For today, Mei, our temporary class representative, will go as our representative."
"...Understood." Mei replied in a small voice.
Yoon Siwoo certainly had the desire to visit her. But at the same time, he was terrified of seeing her condition with his own eyes. If she were crying, how much sadness would he feel? That thought terrified him more than anything.
He returned home and lay in bed, but sleep wouldn't come. Just yesterday, he had wished to see her smile, and it was deeply depressing to have to think the exact opposite just one day later. He didn't want to see her crying ever again.
The next day, as soon as he arrived at school, Yoon Siwoo saw the children surrounding Mei. It was obvious they were talking about the hospital visit from yesterday, so he leaned in to listen.
"So, how did she look? Does she seem okay?"
To someone's question, Mei smiled faintly and replied, "Yeah, she was in much better shape than I thought. She didn't seem depressed at all. I think she'll be fine."
It was the truth. Yoon Siwoo felt his gloomy mood, which had been sinking to the very bottom, lift as if by magic.
"You looked like you were at death's door just a moment ago, so I was wondering what to do... Siwoo, how about changing your profession to a clown?"
Yoon Siwoo gave a bitter smile at Lucy's words. Even he found it ridiculous how he swung between extremes every time the subject of her came up.
Once the word spread that she was doing a bit better, a fierce debate broke out over how many people should go today and who they should be.
"Should we go with three people?"
"Three is too few! Let's make it four!"
"If five go, I have a feeling one of them will be a weirdo, so four is better."
For that reason, it was decided that four people would go today. Aside from Mei, the three who had fought alongside her on the day she was injured had the most valid reasons to visit, so those three spots were filled quickly. It was suggested that Sylvia, who was usually close to Scarlet, should take the final spot, but...
"I'm so busy that I can't possibly make time. I want to drop everything and go, but... *sigh*, please tell Scarlet that I'm so sorry I couldn't visit..."
Sylvia, the most likely candidate, had to decline due to unavoidable circumstances, leaving one vacancy. Since there was no one else who could claim a close relationship with her, they decided to choose the last spot by the most "fair" method: rock-paper-scissors. However, the moment Yoon Siwoo decided he was going to visit, rock-paper-scissors was no longer a fair game.
"I'm going to throw rock."
"Oh, really? Even if I'm much weaker than you, I have no intention of losing at rock-paper-scissors! So, I'm throwing paper!"
It was the truth, and Yoon Siwoo threw scissors.
"You cowardly jerk!!!!"
At the cost of someone's scream, the final spot became Yoon Siwoo's.
"You are pathetic."
Shut up, Lucy.
After arriving at the hospital, Yoon Siwoo told the three others to go ahead and talk to her first.
"Are you really sure you don't want to come in with us?"
"It doesn't matter to us..."
They said it didn't matter, but he knew Scarlet would feel uncomfortable facing him, and that would prevent her from focusing on her conversation with them.
"I'm not as close to Scarlet as you guys are, so I can't really hold a long conversation. I'll just go in later to say a quick hello. Don't worry about me, just go on ahead."
When Yoon Siwoo said that, they shrugged and went into the hospital first. If only he could approach her as freely as they could. That was the only thing he felt regretful about.
Yoon Siwoo walked slowly around the hospital grounds. He imagined what kind of expression she would make when talking to the visitors. Would she be expressionless as usual, or would she be smiling, even a little? As he walked aimlessly, imagining it, he saw the sun beginning to set. Thinking enough time had passed, he went into the hospital and stood in front of her room. It was a soundproof room, but with his keen hearing, he could hear the sounds from inside.
The conversation hadn't ended yet; he heard loud voices, and occasionally, laughter mixed in. I hope her laughter is among them, Yoon Siwoo thought. Because he liked her, he wished for her to smile. He leaned his back against the wall near the room and waited for the conversation to end.
After a while, he saw them coming out of the room with much brighter expressions than when they had entered. Yoon Siwoo approached them and asked, "How did she seem?"
One of the female students smiled slightly and replied, "She didn't seem bad. Sometimes, she even laughed."
At that answer, Yoon Siwoo was able to smile and say, "That's a relief."
That alone was enough reason for him to have stepped aside.
When he opened the door to the room, he saw Scarlet, her face a bit brighter than usual. And finally, Yoon Siwoo understood where she had been injured. The left sleeve of the patient gown she was wearing was empty. It was the arm he had accidentally attacked, causing her to bleed. It didn't look life-threatening, but it was certainly not a light injury. His heart felt like it was being torn apart, but he struggled to hold it in. Seeing her looking not depressed despite having lost her left arm, he was able to hold it in as well.
When their eyes met, her bright expression vanished as if it had never been there, and she frowned slightly. He gave a bitter smile, thinking that he really was thoroughly hated.
"...Why are you here?"
"Obviously, to visit you."
"...That's not what I'm asking."
To her cold words as soon as he entered, Yoon Siwoo replied naturally. He knew perfectly well she was asking why he had come when she had told him not to worry, but he told himself there was no other choice today and ignored her words as if he hadn't heard them. He was able to act that way because the sadness was suppressing his heart's racing, creating a strange sense of composure.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"...I'm fine, except for the arm. The arm will probably be fine once I get a prosthetic. If you're done, can you leave?"
He felt her kindness in the fact that she was answering his questions one by one. Now that he had confirmed she was doing better than he thought, his business was, honestly, finished. Still, Yoon Siwoo decided to lean on her kindness a little longer.
"I have one more thing to ask before I leave. Are you going to keep attending the academy?"
"I'm going to keep attending. I answered you, so get out."
The question of whether she would keep attending the academy held many meanings. For a hero who used her own body as a weapon, losing a limb was clearly a loss of combat power. While many heroes returned to active duty after losing limbs and getting prosthetics, most of them often died because they couldn't adapt to the disconnect from their original bodies. Therefore, the question was also about her resolve: would she continue to aim to be a hero even if she might lose her life?
Yet, she answered that she would continue. Curious about the reason, he asked her again.
"Why?"
"You said you'd only ask one thing..."
Despite her annoyance at his follow-up question, she answered without hesitation.
"Because I want to save people."
It was an idealistic, heroic answer, just like something out of a story.
"Thank you for answering. I'll be going then."
After saying goodbye, he left the room. As he walked out, Yoon Siwoo thought: Honest, kind, and someone who knows how to care for others. Because she is that kind of person, I have no choice but to like her.
Because of that,
"Lucy."
"What is it, Siwoo?"
"I want to become stronger."
The boy said.
"Are you not already strong enough?"
"This isn't enough."
"Then how strong do you wish to become?"
She would surely continue to sacrifice her own body to save people. And he didn't want her to get hurt. So,
"Strong enough to protect everyone."
He would take her place. At the boy's words, the Holy Sword of Humility burst into laughter.
"Ahahahaha, what an arrogant answer indeed."
Yet, even while laughing, she gladly followed his words.
"But, truly, truly, that was an answer I like."
By nature, a Holy Sword is meant to be devoted to its master.
"Then let us make a contract. I will help you awaken the true power of the Holy Swords."
The master of the sword gripped the hilt. Pure white light flowed from the hand holding the sword, covering his body. That pure white light dyed his right eye the same color as the light.
"I will grant your wish, but you must also grant me one thing I desire."
Since a contract was not meant to be one-sided, the boy had to pay the price.
"What do you want?"
The price of the contract made long ago was to grant one wish in the future. And the Holy Sword of Humility, Lucy, stated the price of this contract.
"I have no intention of watching my contractor lose to anyone."
"Become stronger than anyone else."
At those words, the boy gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword firmly and made his vow. To protect one girl, he would protect everyone.
"I accept."
45th Episode - And so, the boy becomes a hero.