Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Averted Gazes
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"…I see, Anis. It's okay. No one's blaming you."
The boy said.
"………Yeah."
And the girl said.
The boy and girl faced each other.
Though facing each other, their gazes did not meet.
The two were looking elsewhere.
"Reisi."
"Yeah?"
"Take care of Anis."
"What about you?"
"…I'll check inside the building for a bit."
Han U-sol entrusted Anis to Reisi and headed toward the entrance of the abandoned building.
"Wait, just a moment…"
Anis looked like she wanted to say something, but Han U-sol deliberately turned away and showed her his back.
He opened the door and slipped into the abandoned building as if fleeing from her. A heavy, damp humidity greeted Han U-sol.
Splash.
The stifling humidity choked his throat. The blood pooled on the floor and the red paint splattered across the walls—clearly the source of it all—tightened his breath even further.
He took a step forward.
A pitch-black corridor where he could barely make out a foot ahead.
Splash.
Yet even through the darkness, the vivid red liquids stubbornly made their presence known.
Thud. Thud.
And with every step, the corpses snagging at his feet.
Han U-sol held his breath. He forced down the nausea rising in his gut and bowed his head.
The thick afterscent of blood he'd inhaled transformed into a heavy sigh as it escaped his throat.
"………"
He walked on. Aimlessly.
He hadn't come in here to search for any survivors, or to count how many she'd killed.
He'd simply run away.
Afraid of what expression to wear in front of her, what words to say to her.
Unable to sort out the ominous chill crawling over his skin or the chaos swirling deep in his chest, he'd fled here.
This abandoned building, stuffed with corpses like a sewer.
That was Han U-sol's refuge.
"……Ha."
Han U-sol halted his steps and let out a hollow, mocking laugh right there on the spot.
He found himself ridiculous for indulging in such nonsense delusions.
Even now, he half-hoped some third-party villain would burst in and declare that it wasn't Anis who'd done this—that it was the villain's own doing.
Though the circumstances had already convinced him otherwise in his mind, and Anis herself had admitted it.
Still, Han U-sol clung to his delusions.
He wanted to turn away from the reality that he could no longer see her as the pure girl she once was.
Drip. Drip. Splash.
How long had he stood there like that? Footsteps echoed from the deepest end of the corridor. They grew steadily closer to where Han U-sol stood.
Could it be a survivor? Or...
Han U-sol swallowed hard. Deep down, he hoped those footsteps belonged to a villain.
A villain who'd slaughtered everyone here and used some unknown power to trick Anis into believing she'd done it herself.
He fantasized desperately.
Yeah. If that's the case.
If this delusion turns out true.
If it wasn't her fault at all, just some illusion caused by something else.
Then I could still see her as the pure girl she is.
Soon, the footsteps drew right up to him and stopped. Han U-sol came face-to-face with a long-haired man. His voice trembled slightly as he asked,
"…Did you kill all the people here?"
Hoping against hope that the man would prove it all a misunderstanding.
But.
"No."
Delusions are called delusions precisely because they rarely come true.
Han U-sol snapped awake from his fleeting dream.
"Are you Anis Harper's comrade?"
"……Yes."
"I see. Then it's simple."
The man jerked his chin toward the door at the abandoned building's exit.
"If you're curious about what happened here, ask her."
"………"
"It was Anis who killed the organization members, after all."
Han U-sol scanned the man's body.
Not a single bloodstain marred his neatly tailored suit.
He had a sword at his waist, but that too showed no traces of blood. His claim of innocence was probably true.
"……I see."
An image of Anis flashed through Han U-sol's mind—the sight of her as she passed by.
Her clothes stained red as if drenched in blood.
Her pupils shaking violently the moment she spotted them.
And finally, her own desperate admission.
"………"
Han U-sol closed his eyes and bowed his head.
As always, a delusion remained just that—a delusion.
Now, it had finally been proven.
It wasn't a misunderstanding.
In the dark corridor, Han U-sol—head bowed in silence—soon snapped out of it and lifted his gaze.
A mysterious man emerging from the corpse-filled abandoned building. Suspicious. Han U-sol stayed on guard.
"…Who are you? Why'd you come from inside? State your identity."
"Backing against the wall to stay alert. It's a basic human defense mechanism in the dark, but not a great choice."
The long-haired man drew his sword from his waist and advanced on Han U-sol.
"Just drawing a sword like this, without doing anything else, and you've already backed yourself into a corner. What if I'd ambushed you?"
Han U-sol panicked. Just as the man said, merely drawing the sword had forced him into a defensive posture against the wall.
Han U-sol slowly examined the man before him.
Long hair. Red eyes. A swordsman. Features he'd definitely seen somewhere before.
His mind raced through his memories until he recalled the wanted poster. His face hardened.
Thousand Killer Ghost.
He'd heard the man had fled outside, hadn't he? Or maybe not.
In the darkness, his crimson eyes gleamed.
"No need to be so on edge. I have no intention of fighting you."
The man sheathed his sword again. Han U-sol didn't lower his guard.
"Shocked that she killed people?"
As if reading his mind, the man spoke to him.
"…She did kill them pretty brutally. Look at this. The cuts are all ragged."
Han U-sol glanced at the corpse the man pointed to. It was drenched in blood and entrails spilling from its body.
"It's what happens when you twist your wrist on the slice to rip and shred with raw force. Crush it hard enough, and the bones show, guts spill out."
"………"
"Brutal, but effective when fighting multiples alone. Better than just bleeding them out—spilling guts too breaks their will faster. Not sure if she meant to, but if she did, she's pretty clever."
"……What are you getting at."
"Just commenting. It's a habit of mine to explain and backseat whenever I learn something."
Han U-sol considered calling out to Reisi and Anis outside right now to fight together, but quickly dismissed it. He couldn't predict how this man might turn if he made a sound.
"…That shocking, huh? A hero killing people."
"………"
"Most heroes end up killing people eventually."
"What nonsense…"
"Not civilians, of course."
The man cut him off, then continued.
"But sometimes the villains you have to take down are too strong to subdue alive. Or there're too many. Or it endangers civilians."
The man raised his index finger. Han U-sol noticed the calluses between his fingers—marks of sword training.
"In those cases, you kill them. No choice. Most heroes walk that path."
"………"
"So what I'm saying is, don't take it too hard that your comrade killed someone. Heroes killing criminals isn't that unusual."
Irritation surged through Han U-sol.
What do you know.
He resented this man preaching at him so impassively without knowing the full story.
Of course Han U-sol knew that much. It was standard fare in any hero documentary.
Even by common sense, Anis's killings were justified. Even if brutal. He had no intention of blaming her for it.
It was just her background. Her true nature.
The scent of her lingering on the bridge of his nose—something only he could detect.
That alone plunged him into thought.
"A traitor like you lecturing me now?"
"………"
At Han U-sol's words, the man's cool expression soured slightly.
"…Ah, sorry. Just old memories surfacing. If it bothers you, ignore it."
"…Old memories?"
"Back when I was active, we used to joke that you weren't a real hero until you'd killed five or six people."
Did I hear that wrong? Active? Han U-sol doubted his ears.
"What do you mean…? You were a hero?"
"Yes. A bit different, but classified as one. No records left, though."
The man gave a cryptic answer to Han U-sol's question.
Han U-sol tilted his head. Heroes were heroes, non-heroes non-heroes—what did "classified as one" even mean?
"The Association has a secret department, not public-facing."
He'd heard rumors. An urban legend about a dirty division handling the executives' corruption and scandals in secret.
But he'd never thought it real. Just idle gossip for entertainment.
"…So you. Don't tell me."
Han U-sol and the man's eyes met.
"Taking on the higher-ups' dirty work until you're discarded—pretty cliché plot, right?"
His red eyes gleamed as he spoke flatly.
"Realize too late you've been thrown away, already wanted as a villain, hunted by former comrades. Same old story."
His tone was even, but a hint of mockery lurked deep in those crimson pupils.
"You're a good person. Felt a flicker of pity for me, even briefly."
"………"
He was right. Han U-sol had felt a pang of shallow sympathy.
"…I get you have a story, but you're still someone who betrayed humanity."
But only for a moment. Traitor or not, he'd caused countless civilian deaths. He was someone who needed capturing.
"You're right. No matter how rough my life or pitiful my end, betraying humanity was my choice. No excuses. Pity me a little, but treat me as enemy. Excellent mindset."
Han U-sol felt irritation rising again at the man's tone, like he'd just passed a test.
The man had a cold impression, like he'd swing a sword wordlessly, but contrary to looks, he was talkative. Skilled not just at slicing flesh, but scraping at nerves with words.
"Feels nice chatting with someone after so long. Most avoid talking to me. You get annoyed but hear me out and respond—satisfying."
The man said, then asked his name.
"What's your name? I'm Han."
Han U-sol hesitated, then spoke.
"……Han U-sol."
"………"
The man's face stiffened. A brief silence fell.
"……Han U-sol?"
The atmosphere shifted. The lax vibe vanished; the man suddenly exuded sharp pressure.
Han U-sol stepped back in alarm.
"…One question."
The man said. His low, grave voice made Han U-sol heighten his guard.
Then his mouth opened,
"Do you know someone named Black U-sol, by any chance."
"……What?"
"Just asking since it sounds similar to a name I know. Any idea about Black U-sol?"
His glowing red eyes fixed on Han U-sol.
Tension maxed out, Han U-sol broke into a light sweat and tilted his head.
'…That's the nickname Anis calls me.'
How does this guy know that?
And why ask about it all of a sudden?'