It’s over… I think.
I just returned after taking a deep rest in the consciousness space, so I’m not exactly sure how everything unfolded, but the successful elimination of Maleficent has been confirmed, and the Academy seems unharmed…
Most importantly, it appears that thanks to me, the situation was resolved without any harm to the students.
Well, aside from other details, I personally witnessed Maleficent’s death with my own eyes.
I can definitely say she’s dead.
It was a complete annihilation…
If she somehow survived after all that, that would be an accomplishment in itself…
Out of curiosity, I asked how they managed to capture Maleficent, and as expected, they traced her lifeforce back to her heart and forcibly brought her to where we were.
Well, since they captured her that way…
Basically, Liches require what’s called a Life Vessel, something akin to a heart in humans, to sustain their presence in the world.
If that gets destroyed, even a typical Lich would be considered dead.
True as this may be, considering she was no ordinary Lich Mage but a Great Mage, it’s possible she had some measures in place to avoid death.
Therefore, to ensure the matter was truly concluded, it was necessary to bring her here and eliminate her conclusively.
As to the exact details, I was not present to see it, so I don’t entirely know.
Anyway, the mission was completed with no one injured, and that is certainly fortunate.
…
Wait, what did I just say?
“No one being injured means there’s no one for me to heal…”
This isn’t a happy or fortunate story; it’s a disappointing and sorrowful one.
Of course, an ordinary saint might think it’s a blessing, but I am no ordinary saint.
I just want to heal as many people as possible.
Perhaps I over-prepared?
“I didn’t really do much, did I?”
I speak the truth, not lies.
I truly did nothing.
I simply warned Arhen that Maleficent would soon attack, and suggested preparation.
After that, it was Arhen who handled everything.
There’s more.
“Evan has managed a second awakening…”
I don’t know why, but Evan successfully awakened a second time.
Even in the game, he hadn’t awakened this early.
Ordinarily, while wearing that necklace, it wasn’t possible to awaken so quickly, whether in the game or in real life.
Typically, second awakenings happen sometime during the second year.
But Evan, who hasn’t even finished his first year, has already awakened.
Surprising as it is, it also fills me with anticipation.
If Evan keeps this up, he might really succeed in eliminating the Demon King.
Anyway, I don’t know why I came to this world, but as long as the Demon King isn’t eliminated, there’s no way for me to return to my original world.
If the world falls into ruin, I will perish with it.
That’s why I’ve been moving forward until now.
“Are you alright?”
Evan, who approached without me noticing, extended a hand toward me.
It wasn’t just Evan; Stella, Uriel, and Arhen also gathered around me, their gazes filled with concern.
“Can you not see me well?”
After asking if I was okay and extending a hand, perhaps thinking I had exhausted my Divine Power, Evan hesitated as if considering whether he should retract his hand.
Of course, with the way I fell from Maleficent’s dark energy, it is understandable to assume I used up all my Divine Power.
I shook my head.
“[I hear you clearly… I’m glad everyone is safe.]”
It wasn’t because I used all my Divine Power fighting against the Life Vessel but rather because Maleficent’s dark energy was so oppressive.
I hadn’t exhausted all my Divine Power.
Rather, the Divine Power I used to purify Maleficent’s heart was a substantial amount that I had accumulated over time.
Since it’s possible to store Divine Power within a sacred artifact, I had prepared in case I ever ran short.
Had I not stored Divine Power within my artifact, I might have been overwhelmed.
Even with Arhen by my side, while failure wasn’t probable, some damage would have been inevitable.
Thanks to my well-thought-out preparations, we managed to settle this affair with minimal losses.
I’m relieved.
It is indeed fortunate, but…
“Ah… another crisis.”
Arhen, who had been standing near where Maleficent fell, sighed heavily.
When Stella asked him if anything was wrong, he pointed toward the Academy as if it were obvious.
At that moment, Stella appeared to finally understand why she felt the way she did.
However…
“There aren’t many students seriously injured, and no professors have perished. If we can capture a high-ranking Demon King officer with so little damage, isn’t that remarkable?”
Uriel asked innocently, her expression pure.
Stella explained instead.
It’s natural for Arhen to feel this way.
Even if no one was injured and the incident ended peacefully, the fact that the incident happened at all cannot be erased.
Regardless, the fact remains that a high-ranking official of the Demon King’s army and a Great Mage directly attacked the Argen Academy with their forces.
Even with all the security measures in place, the academy was heavily compromised, and everyone around the world will undoubtedly question the credibility of Argen Academy.
While Arhen, as its leader, is a renowned Great Mage and former member of the Hero Party that sealed the Demon King, it’s still clear that there will be consequences.
“I don’t want any more trouble…”
“Aha…”
“Ah…”
Arhen sighed again while Stella explained his situation to Uriel.
While they were speaking, someone approached me.
“Aria.”
It was Evan.
“Can you stand?”
Well, I could stand, but…
“Could Evan actually wish for me to seem unable to stand on my own?”
Even if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, Evan’s awakening was genuinely for me…
In any case, I had to explain things.
Apparently, it was Evan who seized Maleficent’s opportunity and shattered her heart.
If it weren’t for Evan, the situation could have gotten much worse.
Even though my extreme pain hasn’t disappeared, Evan still looks deeply apologetic.
Although the truth is, I actually felt great…
But, everyone thinks I underwent unimaginable suffering, and they’re filled with guilt.
There’s no need for that.
‘Even so, I can’t just tell them I feel great, right?’
Especially since Maleficent herself called me a “crazy woman”…
Anyway…
‘Isn’t a little bit of service acceptable?’
He’s done so much for me…
Not that I needed to call it “service.”
In fact, I feel like I’m just becoming a troublesome burden for Evan, and it makes me a bit sorry.
I smiled inwardly but externally expressed my troubles to Evan sincerely.
“[… I can’t stand right now…]”
“…Really?”
I entrusted myself to Evan’s gentle support…
Entrusted…
Entrusted…
?
“Uh?”
I thought he was just trying to help me get up, but why does it feel like my body is being lifted higher?
“How does this feel? Is it okay?”
“!!!”
Without warning, Evan picked me up princess-style.
Erm… I didn’t mean to say I couldn’t get up expecting this…
But now, after saying I couldn’t get up, it would feel strange to ask to be put down, especially since Evan’s expression seemed sincere.
I felt some guilt for teasing myself.
In the end, I could only nod slightly.
‘From now on, I should avoid creating such scenes…’
S, still…
It’s comforting to be held like this…
‘Is it an effect of his awakening?’
It feels inexplicably warm and not entirely unpleasant.
Yes… absolutely.
