Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: The Angel of Wrath
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The sports festival naturally turned into total chaos.
Of course it did. Everyone was enjoying the event when suddenly they all passed out. No way it could've continued rolling along.
Just in case, I gathered up all the items from the scavenger hunt and brought them over. No one was there to accept them. But you never know. I forced them into someone's hands, gave my name and class, so it should be fine somehow.
So, what's the conclusion?
"Life outside home is pure suffering."
I came back home. I flopped down on the sofa. Levatein came over and lay down beside me.
A blonde head rested above, pressing against mine.
"Angel of Benevolence."
"What is it, Master of the Mid-tier Demon?"
What an embarrassing title. Haha. I laughed mechanically in response.
"What about dinner, Angel?"
"You have to buy whatever we want to eat. Demon. It's your duty."
Of course. Since I owe you big time today, eat whatever you want.
I lifted my head to look at Raphael, and she raised hers too. Then she grinned.
She looked in a good mood. Meanwhile, I'd died twice, and here she was looking happy. I'm jealous. So jealous.
I flicked the forehead of the grinning girl. Normally, she'd pounce the moment I hit her, but she just kept smiling.
I got chills wondering what she'd eaten wrong.
"Levatein."
[Ugh..?]
Yeah, after running around like that, she'd be sleepy. I hugged the yawning Levatein. She closed her eyes and leaned into me.
[What?]
"Did your mom eat something weird?"
[Lily gave it to me, so I ate it.]
I turned to look at Lily at those words. Our eyes met with Lily, who looked cooler than usual.
She shook her head wildly. Her arms too.
"Not poison."
[Weird?]
"Weird."
"What's weird?"
See? She's still smiling. Shouldn't it be 'Do you want to die?' here?
As I panicked without a word, Raphael sat up. Hands on her hips, with a proud expression.
She declared.
"I am the Angel of Benevolence!"
"Liar."
[Surprisingly, it's true nya.]
And annoyingly, she smirked at our reactions as if they were ridiculous.
"I love even that side of you all!!"
Du-dung—!!
She said it dramatically like some sound effect, but no one responded. Leaving the frozen, embarrassed girl behind, the four of us huddled up for a discussion.
"How long do you think it'll last? Two days?"
[Just three minutes nya.]
"Really? It's her official title bestowed by God, though. Maybe a day? I bet a day."
[I'm betting on Dad!!]
"Thanks."
Daughters are the best. I stroked her head, and Levatein smiled brightly.
[I'm betting three minutes nya.]
「May I speak honestly?」
I nodded at Lily opening her mouth. She'd been trained by fear of Raphael. Having seen even 「Seraphim's Embrace (EX)」 earlier, she'd probably say a month.
Or so I thought—
「Right now.」
"Huh?"
I looked over at Lily's words. Raphael was still smiling, but it was a bit different.
A shadow fell over her face. A vein bulged on her forehead.
"She's done for."
"Wait. Raphael. You're the Angel of Benevolence!!"
"Die!!!"
The enraged Raphael charged. The Angel of Wrath coming at me—with more wings, her power felt stronger than usual.
As I blocked her attacks like always, a sudden question popped into my head.
"Lily."
Lily tilted her head. Even as Raphael grabbed her neck and shook her, I asked.
"How exactly did you get into that space?"
A place that even took time for six-winged Seraphim to break through?
"I'm curious about that too."
The damn blonde chimed in as we stared, and Lily smiled awkwardly before answering.
Isia lay there. Unlike the dorm, the room smelled of medicine, with humidity adjusted for patients.
Lying in that place, she closed her eyes and recalled yesterday. Something had suddenly surged in. The pressure crushing her whole body nearly made her faint.
But she didn't faint. The ring Lee Seong-hoon gave her. It protected her, freeing her from the pressure.
Feeling like he'd protected her, she grasped the situation. Sophia was right beside her just in time, so they walked together, but...
They ran into a demon. A strange one. Dressed as a maid, running instead of flying.
She definitely had horns, a tail dragging on the ground, and wings.
Her words were even stranger.
—Master. No, Lee Seong-hoon is in danger.
—Lend me your mana.
It was nonsense. Isia loved books, so she knew. Even without loving books, anyone would know.
Those who lend power to demons always end up on the news, as the underworld says.
She naturally refused and prepared for battle.
—Take it. Take all my mana if you want.
Sophia beside her answered like that. She seemed to know the demon.
Even so, no hesitation. How much mana does she think a demon will suck up?
Just because Lee Seong-hoon was in danger. At those words, she reached out her hand.
So Isia thought. What was Lee Seong-hoon to her?
Someone worth risking danger to save?
He'd saved her multiple times in crises, beaten Lucy whom she'd never beaten.
When Isia hesitated, he summed it up with 'You can do it' and believed in her.
She pondered, and the result was lying here now.
"It was real."
The demon took just enough mana not to kill her. Thanks to that, mana exhaustion sent her to the hospital, but she understood.
People around passed out, Lee Seong-hoon was in danger. The demon appeared asking for power.
And the island returned to normal. Meaning the incident centered on Lee Seong-hoon was resolved.
So when she woke, she could sigh in relief.
'Did I overthink it?'
She was tired but couldn't sleep. So she opened her eyes.
'I must really be exhausted.'
Opening her eyes, she saw a black-haired man. He sat by the bed with a worried look.
His hand rested on the bed, so she reached out. She gripped that hand.
'It's a hallucination anyway.'
This much is fine, right? She even risked her life.
'Lately, I've been weird.'
She kept kneading the hand while thinking. It really was weird.
Isia didn't understand herself well. Lately, she just acted on impulse.
With Lee Seong-hoon, the surroundings felt strangely hot. With that guy, her heart raced oddly.
Her face heated up. If someone else was nearby, she got annoyed.
She didn't know what this feeling was. So she just followed her body's lead.
'No clue. But it feels so real.'
She felt the texture. Hallucinations don't have that, do they? She pondered deeply, but it was strange.
Every time she kneaded it, the sensation was vivid. Like it was alive.
"Like it's alive—?!"
She bolted up. Lee Seong-hoon propped his chin, watching quietly.
"What're you doing?"
—!!!!!!!!!!
Isia's silent scream echoed in her mind.
The reason Lee Seong-hoon was here was simple.
Because of what he'd heard from Lily.
—Unlike Raphael who shattered the space itself, I slipped in through a crack in the space.
—I borrowed mana from the maids. Glad you didn't pass out.
—Evolving to mid-tier demon helped a lot, but without mana, I couldn't even try.
Hearing that caused her mana exhaustion. Hearing she was hospitalized.
She drained all her mana to save him and ended up hospitalized. Not visiting would be inhuman.
Even a trash human like him kept basic human decency.
'Thanks to her, I survived too.'
So he stayed still. Watched dreamily half-asleep Isia grab and knead his hand.
The result was right before his eyes.
She pulled the blanket up to her face, trembling. Her hand red as could be, embarrassing even bystanders.
"Isia."
"..."
"I do that sometimes too. Half-asleep when you wake up."
Lee Seong-hoon tried to soothe her calmly. Like anyone could do it. But that backfired. Mom soothing only makes it worse.
Isia shoved her hand under the blanket too.
'What an idiot.'
It was weird. The Isia he'd set up was a genius who crushed elites except unbeatable Lucy.
The one before him was an idiot.
'No one's perfect.'
But he shook his head. People aren't perfect. This wasn't his scripted text.
It was a living world. So he propped his chin and said what he wanted.
"Thanks."
He really meant it. Lily was a demon. Entrusting her life to a demon on the word 'Lee Seong-hoon is in danger.'
From what Lily said, she hadn't even hesitated.
Sophia meeting Lily before probably helped, but still.
Lee Seong-hoon smirked at the still blanket. No idea why, but he felt like smiling.
Wanting to talk since he was here, he waited a bit. The blanket lowered. Isia peeked her head out through the slight gap.
Hiding everything but her eyes, she looked at Lee Seong-hoon and—
"What about that demon, no, that woman?"
Asked the most awkward question.
"Sophia next, huh."
Lee Seong-hoon muttered leaving Isia's single room. He was already tired. So many questions, he answered them all sincerely.
Normally, he'd brush off or dodge weird ones, but he answered earnestly.
Answering about Lily was the hardest.
Convincing her Lily wasn't underworld took all his effort. Good it was a single room.
"Wanna go home."
Missing his sweet home already, Lee Seong-hoon knocked on the single room marked Sophia.
He brought meager fruit juice, but it was enough. For him who normally came empty-handed.
He brought fruit juice. She had to be moved.
Knock knock—!!
He knocked. No answer. Maybe sleeping? But lights were on, so he entered carefully.
If sleeping, wait till she wakes.
With that thought, he entered but.
"Sophia?"
Gone. No Sophia on the bed where she should be. He'd half-expected silver hair fluttering in the breeze, her grabbing it while looking his way.
No such luck.
Helpless, Lee Seong-hoon sat to wait. Probably in the bathroom.
Heading for the chair—
"Kyaa!!"
Something pounced from behind. Startled, he turned to see Sophia in a weird pose.
"What?"
"Not scared."
"If that's supposed to scare, reflect on it."
Lee Seong-hoon calmed his startled heart and placed a hand on smiling Sophia's head. Meaning do better next time, but.
"Argh."
Suddenly, Sophia hugged him. She meant it as a prank. Scare didn't work, so this instead.
A bit playful intent too. Normally he'd get serious or push away after a brief surprise.
That was the plan.
But.
"....."
'Huh?'
Lee Seong-hoon was at a loss.