Voice (3): The Voice We Shared
Rion the knight and Erin the mage had fought in countless battles together. As he charged toward the enemy lines, Rion often adopted a defensive stance to protect Erin. In response, Erin started casting more spells tailored for close-range combat rather than large-scale magic. At first, people tried to dissuade her, but as the victories piled up, no one stopped her anymore. The consensus shifted to supporting her so she wouldn't get hurt, and they began equipping her with all sorts of magical tools and artifacts.
Puuk—
Rion stabbed the hearts of the fallen demons one by one with his sword as he spoke.
"That side's done?"
"Finished ages ago. Just cleaning up."
"You checked all three hearts, right?"
"Do you think I'm still a kid, oppa?"
It had been three years since Erin met Rion. The allied forces, centered around the Empire, were advancing toward the demons' stronghold.
"There are definitely more high-ranking demons."
"Well, yeah. The Demon King's just a little further ahead. They can't just sit back while their home base gets raided."
Around Rion and Erin, the ground was covered in purple blood. Dozens of demon and high-ranking demon corpses lay scattered. Yet they took a break as if this scene were routine.
"Oppa, was the plan for us to push this far and then link up?"
"Yeah. We've cleared most of the demons, so just mop up the monsters. They should be here soon, probably."
Regular soldiers could handle monsters but not demons. Knights and mages could manage demons but not high-ranking ones. That was why they'd devised this strategy: Use a small elite force to draw out the high-rankers and push the front line forward. It had proven more effective than expected.
"Is your master doing okay? I can't even see her face without her blasting magic at me."
"Seems like she's still recovering. Word is, it'll take more time before she returns to the battlefield."
The problem was that this small elite bore a heavy burden. If any of them met with an accident on the field, the advance would stall.
"Doesn't that mean we just have to run ourselves ragged even more?"
"Shouldn't you be the one resting, oppa?"
Erin slowly scanned Rion. His body was already a total wreck—standing on the battlefield at all was pushing it. Even his comrades were starting to say forcing him out there was an issue.
But every time, Rion ignored them without a word. Just like now.
Kwang—!
Rion spun his spear effortlessly with one hand and slammed it down, shattering the earth. The unbelievable power from such a casual swing explained exactly why he had to be on the front lines.
"Oppa, how long do you plan to keep fighting?"
"Who knows... Maybe until half my limbs are gone, or I can't see anymore. Guess I'd have to stop then."
Could a frontline knight who couldn't see survive to return? What about one who couldn't run or swing a weapon? The odds were vanishingly low.
'That's basically saying you'll just die...'
Erin kept the thought to herself. She silently vowed to stay by his side until that day came, wishing this time could last forever.
Thud—
Suddenly, Erin's body lurched violently. She had no idea why she was collapsing, but Rion caught her as she fell.
A demon visible in the distance. Erin recognized it—the one that had dealt a mortal wound to her master, the Tower Lord. This high-ranking demon, undetectable by magic, had claimed countless mages' lives with its long-range attacks.
"Hup!"
Catching Erin with one arm, Rion hurled his spear with the other. It flew at supersonic speed but missed the demon. Still, it was enough to drive the fiend away from here.
"..."
Erin wanted to say something to the worried Rion. But her half-blown-away throat couldn't make a sound.
She wasn't even angry. It was beyond a knight like Rion's detection range. Despite the Tower Lord's warnings, she had let her guard down.
'...This is the end.'
As her eyelids grew heavy and her body cooled, Erin thought,
'I'll probably survive, at least.'
Rion pulled a vial of holy water from his pocket—the highest-grade stuff distributed to key figures. It was what had saved the mortally wounded Tower Lord.
What Erin thought was over wasn't her life, but her career as a mage.
Over half her throat was gone. Her prodigious talent was only barely keeping her alive. A normal person would have died instantly. Worst of all, her vocal cords were obliterated.
Holy water enabled near-miraculous recovery. But it only healed—it couldn't regenerate lost organs. Splash it on a severed arm after reattaching, and it'd heal. But pour it on the stump, and only the wound closes—no new arm grows.
There was no regenerating vocal cords shattered to pieces by an attack.
'I can't stay by oppa's side anymore.'
A mage who couldn't cast spells lost all value. She could maybe assist from the rear with torture-level support, but no more front-line action.
The fact that she could no longer stand beside Rion hurt her most.
Splash—
Erin felt something hot splash on her face and struggled to open her eyes.
"Kuh!"
Rion was stabbing his own throat with a dagger. Realizing the warmth on her face was his blood, Erin mustered all her strength to move her arm.
She didn't know what he was thinking. But whatever it was, she had to stop him.
Yet her blood-drained body wouldn't obey. All she could do was watch with a tearing heart.
There was no hesitation in Rion's movements. He pressed the sliced section of his throat to Erin's and poured the holy water. Then he doused his own neck too.
As her consciousness faded, Erin's last sight was Rion clutching his throat in agony.
※
When Erin opened her eyes, she was in a familiar tent.
'The army's moved.'
The allied forces had advanced along the path she and Rion had cleared. This was the new base.
Erin turned her stiff neck to look at the person sitting beside her.
'Oppa...'
Rion gazed down at her with a worried expression. Though his body wasn't fully healed, Erin ignored it. She forced herself up by willpower alone and grabbed his collar.
The image from before she passed out was burned into her mind. She couldn't let that reckless act—which she didn't even understand—slide.
"Are you insane?!"
"..."
"...Huh?"
Erin sensed something off. She had spoken, and Rion's mouth hadn't moved. But that voice was unmistakably Rion's.
Before she could process the shock, Rion acted first. He grabbed his nearby spear and began writing on the dirt floor.
Are you okay?
"Am I... okay?"
Hearing Rion's voice come from her own mouth made Erin's stomach churn. She fought back nausea and pressed on.
"Ha... haha. Do you... think I'm okay?!"
"..."
Rion didn't speak. He couldn't. His voice was now hers.
I’m sorry.
Seeing Rion's apology, Erin clawed at her throat. Alarmed, he grabbed her arm, but she fought harder to reach it.
She wanted to rip out this damned voice. She hated this throat that had stolen Rion's voice. Her own throat felt like a curse.
'Filthy bitch...'
And what felt most vile was herself. The moment she realized she'd taken Rion's voice, she'd felt relief. Joy, even. That she hadn't lost her magic. That her magic-obsessed life remained intact.
At the cost of stealing someone else's life. Not just anyone's— the man she loved.
Erin loathed herself for even thinking that, even briefly. She couldn't forgive it.
She stopped struggling against Rion's grip and forced her mouth open, squeezing out the words that wouldn't come.
"Why... did you make this choice?"
“You’ll need it more than I do.”
"No... regrets?"
Because it’s you—no one else.
Rion looked like he was the sinner. The fact that he felt guilt when he'd done nothing wrong hurt Erin even more.
At the same time, a swelling emotion rose in her chest. It felt like a hot coal had lodged there, making her breath quicken. She wanted to expel it immediately.
But not knowing how to release this unfamiliar feeling, Erin surrendered to it.
"...!"
She hugged Rion tight.
"Thank... you..."
For giving me your world when I'd lost mine.
Your world is now my world.
And now, you are my world.