Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Deja Vu Nightmare
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"Isn't it about time you really made your choice?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"Where you belong."
"........."
As expected, Fergus fell silent.
Ronel continued without even glancing at him.
What Ronel wanted to say was simple.
Would he save the poor girl who had been dragged here against her own will?
Or would he cut down the potential threat before it could grow?
Stop standing by forever. If you'd come all the way to the battlefield declaring you'd fight, then take a real stand for where you want to be.
"I'm saying this for your sake, Fergus."
He knew it went against ethics, but Fergus's sins were grave—he'd turned a blind eye to countless victims for his own safety.
Yet if someone asked whether the victims' ruin was entirely Fergus's fault, the answer was no. His sins were heavy, but not deep. They were ambiguous.
And that made them all the worse.
Even if those ambiguities piled up and thickened, they never suffocated.
Even as they grew heavier day by day, they never crushed him.
Just enough to keep him from moving.
Just enough to make breathing hard.
Just enough to leave him unable to shake it off without regret or take a single step.
Fergus feared moving from his spot, born with a timid nature and weighed down by the accumulated guilt of his sins.
Ronel pitied him, yet couldn't understand.
No, beyond not understanding, he thought it pathetic.
Guilt whether he acted or not.
Without conviction in what was right or wrong for himself, only guilt remained, leaving him frozen, unable to act.
Decades of this nonsense, and nothing learned?
Right or wrong aside, if guilt was inevitable anyway, Ronel figured it was better to act as he pleased than do nothing.
Standing by and watching would only let guilt slowly eat away at him, but taking action and focusing on something would at least let him forget it for a while.
Ronel hesitated for a moment on whether to say it, then opened his mouth.
"...Looks like U-sol senior figured out a way to save her."
"........."
This was the first and last thing Ronel could offer him—the man he'd once cared for, now hated.
"The choice is yours, Fergus."
A crossroads.
I was led by the hand into the cafe by Yoon Na-rin.
As a spot near Acamedy Academy, it had a cozy interior and tables spaced comfortably apart.
A moderate number of customers—not too many, not too few.
Being after school, most were students.
Yoon Na-rin and I lined up at the counter.
"Anis, Americano?"
"...No."
"Aww, chocolate latte then~"
Yoon Na-rin stuck out her tongue playfully.
She knew I couldn't handle bitter and still teased me like this.
"...Ahem."
...Damn it.
This body that used to down spicy fire chicken with bitter soju without a care had somehow developed such a girly palate.
Embarrassed for no reason, I let out an awkward cough, and Yoon Na-rin giggled lightly as if it were cute.
As Yoon Na-rin laughed, the other customers in the cafe started laughing along.
From those seated at tables to those in line to order. Even the staff taking orders chuckled lightly after her.
"...?"
The same everyday routine, yet somehow not quite.
But in that routine, I tilted my head at an inexplicable sense of deja vu.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
After ordering for the soon-to-arrive Han U-sol and Reisi as well, we took our vibrating pager and sat at an empty table.
The customers who'd been smiling at me returned to their own places.
Ordering, finding seats, chatting naturally among themselves.
As I passed the time with trivial chit-chat with Yoon Na-rin, the cafe soon filled up with customers.
Good thing we'd snagged seats early. But just then, Han U-sol and Reisi walked in.
I waved my hand wildly, calling their names. Spotting us, they approached with happy faces and took their seats.
"Brought ice cream?"
"Yeah, check this out."
To my question, Han U-sol proudly opened the tub.
...This jerk filled it all with mint chocolate again.
"You bastard!!!!!!!!!!!"
Smack—!
I smacked the back of his head as hard as I could.
"Ahahaha! Anis! Calm down!"
Reisi burst into laughter at the sight, then held me back as I grabbed his hair.
"I was with him, you think he'd really buy all mint choco? No one here eats that crap but him. He kept stuffing it in, so I told him to just get his own separate. Ours are these."
Reisi pulled out another tub from the paper bag.
Opening the lid revealed vanilla, strawberry, chocolate—proper ice cream flavors at last.
Reisi, as expected.
I trusted you.
Was this the charm of a lively 17-year-old who cracked up at the sight of tumbling autumn leaves? I quickly switched gears and gave a thumbs-up, making Yoon Na-rin and Reisi burst into giggles over whatever was so funny.
Peaceful.
An everyday that felt similar yet fresh to me each day.
However.
As I scooped ice cream amid the kids' laughter, that deja vu crept back in.
Familiar, yet this daily routine that should feel new every time.
Something I'd never experienced before.
Yet felt like I had, somewhere.
I looked up.
And realized.
Not deja vu. It had happened before.
Three years ago.
"...Ah."
The kids were still laughing loudly.
I turned my head, and the packed cafe's customers were now laughing along with them.
Everyone laughing.
Those in line.
Those at other tables.
Han U-sol, Yoon Na-rin, Reisi.
...Noise.
The pleasant laughter ringing out turned into noise.
Amid that noise, I mumbled softly, head down.
"...Another dream."
And the laughter stopped.
"........."
Everyone in the cafe turned to look at me.
Black pupils fixed on me,
voices silenced,
expressions blank,
staring.
Those in line, those at other tables, Han U-sol, Yoon Na-rin, Reisi—all stopped laughing, stopped what they were doing, and silently turned blank faces toward me.
The noise sank in an instant.
The faint sound of cars outside, the cafe part-timer wiping the windows, the bell on the door, the rhythmic tapping of fingers on tables.
Focused gazes, blank expressions, silence so deep even breaths weren't audible.
My own breathing grew shorter in response.
Until it stopped completely.
Then the ceiling crumbled.
The floor sank slowly from the edges.
Bright sunlight had filled the cafe, but darkness arrived in a moment.
It crumbled bit by bit.
Me, the world.
As the world fully collapsed, I began to crumble too.
Can't breathe.
Want to wake up from this dream fast.
As I closed my eyes and accepted it all.
Han U-sol, who'd kept his blank face, spoke.
"Anis, wait. I'll come save you soon."
And I collapsed completely.
"Anis. Wake up."
"........."
I opened my eyes to Han's mug staring down.
"...Fucking hell."
"...Pardon?"
A far more chaotic dream than usual.
"Anis, can you beat Han U-sol?"
He wakes me out of nowhere, then hits me with that.
"...I think I could."
Still groggy from sleep, I mumbled with some confidence anyway.
I didn't know why, but... somehow, I just felt fucking strong.
As a direct descendant of angels, Han U-sol must have grown a lot in three years too...
But I'd just smacked Han around yesterday. What couldn't U-sol do?
Filled with baseless confidence from that.
What if I'm actually fucking strong?
Even with bad matchup, with effort, couldn't I land at least one good hit?
And U-sol was sneaky gentlemanly—couldn't hit a girl carelessly.
Based on my big data analysis, I concluded. Han nodded.
"Good. Heroes are incoming right now. U-sol's among them. You handle him. Kill if you can. The rest, me and the minions got."
"...Scratch that. Thinking again, I can't win."
I flipped my stance like turning a palm, and Han's eyebrow twitched.
No, what I meant was for light sparring.
But seriously risking life against U-sol? No thanks.
Even if he came because I asked.
Even though I'd said never meet again.
Then Na-rin too? Reisi? Maybe even that Daniel I glimpsed back then.
I'd accepted this was my place, but still didn't want to face the kids.
Especially after that chaotic dream.
[Heh.]
[Hehehehe.]
Laughter echoed from somewhere.
At first sneering.
Then turning to guffaws.
[Ahahaha!]
[Just the same~ Exactly the same~]
[Puhaha! Identical! Nothing changed!]
The noise filled the room.
My sleep-soaked pajamas, chilled from nightmare sweat, grew damp again.
Laughter like the dream's, yet distinctly different—mockery crafted just for me.
"...Most of the incoming heroes are rookies anyway. Our goal isn't total annihilation, just hold out till Kahtel rises. No need to kill U-sol specifically—just keep him tied up so he can't fight properly. That's it."
Han stared at me—frozen, sweating buckets—then spoke reassuringly.
"Betty scouted again. Still just young heroes. Won't be hard."
"...Yeah."
The noise faded gradually. Relief flashed through my mind unbidden, but I ignored it.
"........."
Han, red eyes open, stared blankly at me as I unwittingly sighed in relief.
Stared.
Reading my emotions again without permission.
I'd told him not to.
"...Don't read me."
Normally he'd apologize and look away by now, but today he stayed silent.
...What? His blank face gave no clue to his thoughts.
"Wh-what."
Closer than expected, embarrassed, I covered myself with both hands.
Han stared into my eyes a while longer, then snorted and stepped back.
"Sweat stench."
"...Get out."
"Go wash up. You stink."
"I said get out!!"
I kicked him out immediately.