Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: I'll Go Willingly
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I'm going of my own free will.
The atmosphere changed.
It was a chilly night, but after Isaac snapped his fingers, it grew even colder. The air itself was frigid. This was clearly Isaac’s power.
But my body felt fine. There was no pain at all.
Finding it strange, I slowly opened my eyes.
I saw Lena’s face.
She seemed to have lost consciousness. There were no wounds.
*Phew. Thank goodness she doesn't seem hurt.*
But what happened? I turned my head, full of questions.
‘…!’
Rene was standing there with her arms outstretched, as if to protect us.
Her body was covered in a thick layer of frost.
I understood. It looked like Rene had taken the full brunt of Isaac’s attack.
Having taken it all head-on, her body was in terrible shape.
At Rene’s appearance, Isaac spoke in a puzzled voice.
“Strange. Why are you here? You should be with those guys from the Cult of the Grim Reaper… They’re not the type to go down so easily.”
*Huh, now that he mentions it, that is strange.*
Isaac’s point made me wonder as well.
Rene was standing right here. She was definitely real, with a physical form.
But I could also feel Rene’s presence some distance away. In fact, her presence was stronger over there.
*Then, what is this standing here?*
Rene let out a deep breath and said.
“And what brings you here at this late hour, Mr. Isaac? That outfit doesn’t look like a costume for playing with the children.”
Her voice was remarkably calm, but it was laced with hostility.
Isaac paid no mind to the sharp question. The eye revealed by his broken mask simply curved into a crescent.
“Would you believe me if I said I came to play?”
“You’ve been awfully loud for someone who just came to play. Besides, your new friends look rather menacing.”
“Honestly, this is so annoying. I was planning to just quietly sneak that child out of here…”
Isaac grumbled in displeasure, his gaze slowly shifting toward me.
Our eyes met.
It was a look that seemed to blame me, as if saying this was all my fault.
At Isaac's glance, Rene also turned her head slightly and shot a sideways look in our direction.
She was relieved to see that Lena and I were safe.
Her relaxed expression hardened again as she turned back to watch Isaac.
“I’ll leave quietly if you just hand over that masked kid. So, won’t you hand her over while I’m asking nicely?”
“I don’t know your reasons, but it’s late today. Please come back tomorrow morning.”
“*Sigh*, do you even know what that child is to be protecting her?”
Rene flinched ever so slightly.
My expression also turned cold.
*Could it be that he knew my identity from the start?*
“…Then, do you know?”
At Rene’s question, I was flooded with immense regret for not having dealt with Isaac properly from the beginning.
I should have eliminated him, even if it meant drawing suspicion from others.
If Isaac reveals my identity here, what should I do? Or should I get rid of him now, before he answers that question…
I sank into deep contemplation.
My mind raced.
Let’s wait and see what he says, while preparing for the worst.
Isaac opened his mouth.
“I don’t know the details either.”
It was such an anticlimactic answer that I couldn't help but frown.
I tried to gauge whether he was telling the truth. Neither his eyes nor his voice seemed to be lying.
But it was too early to feel relieved.
Isaac’s eyes were serious as he continued.
“But there’s one thing I’m sure of. That masked child is a child who shouldn't exist in this world.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Such a cryptic statement.”
“And I’m doing this to protect this world.”
I tilted my head inwardly.
*A person who shouldn’t exist? What on earth does that mean?*
Is he saying that with my identity as the Grim Reaper in mind? Or is there some other meaning?
I don’t know.
I know nothing about this body.
This girl’s identity, why she has these powers, and why I woke up in a place where no one else was.
I never thought to investigate these questions.
Even if I was curious about the secrets surrounding me, I was too busy just trying to live in this world to spare them any thought.
After I got used to my powers and had some leeway, I didn't bother investigating because not knowing the secrets didn't inconvenience my life.
I had been living without paying it any mind.
But Isaac’s words dredged up the curiosity I had left dormant in a corner of my mind.
Isaac seemed to know something.
This might be a chance to find out from Isaac who I am.
I glanced at Rene, trying to read her expression.
What is she thinking? Does she believe him?
I could sense the seriousness in Isaac’s words.
Meaning, it wasn’t a lie.
However, at his firm declaration, Rene let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“You have a funny way of spouting nonsense. Attacking children… and you call it world peace? Is that all peace means to you?”
Isaac shrugged at her mocking tone.
“Well, you might not understand my intentions right now, but you’ll understand everything later.”
Isaac forcibly pulled the trowel embedded in his wrist.
His face contorted in pain.
With a grunt, he dropped the extracted trowel to the ground.
Blood gushed from the deep wound.
Isaac took something like a syringe from his pocket and injected it into his injured arm.
In an instant, new flesh grew, and the arm was restored.
He then held that hand out to Rene.
“Now, hurry up and hand over the child.”
The atmosphere was tense.
Rene said.
“Take your friends and go back.”
It was a clear refusal.
His eyes narrowed.
Displeasure emanated from his gaze.
“I see. So that’s your choice. But are you sure? Do you really think you can stop me with a mere clone?”
“…”
*What? A clone?*
“Besides, can you really reveal your power in front of a child?”
“…I knew you were no ordinary person from the moment I met you… Just how much do you know?”
“Believe it or not, I’m confident I know more about you than you do.”
“How could you possibly know?”
“Who knows… Maybe I’ll tell you if you hand over that child.”
The atmosphere of their conversation was unusual.
Rene, who had maintained a certain decorum despite her bluntness before, was now no longer hiding her emotions.
Considering the circumstances, it seemed Rene had a secret.
And Isaac appeared to know it.
“The problems that occurred at the orphanage before. Were you involved in all of them?”
“…Perhaps.”
“I’m warning you again. If you don’t turn back with your friends right now, I won’t go easy on you.”
“You think you can beat me while protecting the children? Especially as a mere clone?”
“Justice doesn’t lose to villains.”
Isaac’s eyebrow twitched.
“A villain? Me…? You’re wrong. I’m a hero. A hero who will save the world! Don’t you dare say such things when you know nothing.”
His voice was slightly agitated.
Isaac, seeming to realize his own excitement, took a slow, deep breath to compose himself.
Just then, Rene moved her hand slightly, in a way only I could see.
Knowing what it meant, I picked up Lena and hurried inside the building.
*‘The air… no, the atmosphere inside the house has changed?’*
Immediately after, along with a slight noise, the atmosphere inside the house shifted.
It felt like walking into the jaws of a beast.
But strangely, I didn’t sense any malice or hostility.
As I wondered what was happening, I could faintly hear a continuous thudding noise from outside.
The noise showed no signs of stopping.
The inside of the house vibrated weakly.
It was easy to guess what was happening outside.
Five minutes passed.
The noise and vibrations stopped.
The air inside the house returned to normal, and the strange sensation vanished completely.
The battle seemed to be over.
To see the outcome, I cautiously opened the door a crack to check.
*‘As I thought…’*
I was calm, as it was the result I had expected.
“As if I would lose to a mere clone.”
Outside, the brutal aftermath of the fight was on full display.
The one left standing was Isaac.
Rene was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, there were several pillars of ice on one side, and I could faintly feel Rene’s presence from them.
Rene had lost.
The situation had been against her.
The Rene who faced Isaac was not in her usual, complete state.
And since Rene had to fight without causing damage to the orphanage, she was naturally at a disadvantage.
My eyes, peering through the crack in the door, met Isaac’s.
Isaac’s eyes curved into a crescent.
Isaac approached.
At that moment, something like a long tentacle shot out from the ice pillar and grabbed his wrist.
*What is that?*
Isaac didn't seem surprised, as if he knew what it was.
He spoke in an annoyed voice.
“*Ugh*, right. That was your ability. Such persistent regenerative power.”
As Isaac raised his magic, the tentacle holding his wrist froze solid and shattered.
Immediately after, the ground began to vibrate.
Isaac let out a long sigh.
“I guess I have no choice… If you keep interfering, I’ll just have to freeze this entire orphanage.”
Isaac’s magic fluctuated violently.
He seemed about to do something dangerous, so I opened the door before he could.
The vibrations stopped instantly, and Isaac’s magic subsided.
I could feel his gaze on me.
I stepped outside and conveyed my intention to follow Isaac and for him to stop.
If this continued, the situation would only get worse for us.
It was better to end it here.
“If you come along quietly, then I have no reason to cause any more trouble here.”
Thankfully, my message got across.
But the ground began to shake as if in protest of my actions, so I shook my head.
I moved closer to the ice pillar where I could feel Rene’s presence.
I took a long breath. I was a little nervous.
Slowly, I raised my hands and took off my mask.
*This feels so strange. To show my face to someone else first.*
Since I can't speak, I have no choice but to reveal my face to convey my feelings clearly.
I stared at the ice pillar for a few seconds like that, then put my mask back on.
I turned my head to Isaac.
I nodded my head, signaling for us to go.
I followed Isaac.
This wasn't self-sacrifice.
It was more advantageous for me to have a private chat with him.
Just as he has business with me, I have a mountain of questions for him.
*Once our business is done, I'll take care of him quickly and come back.*