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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 167 - Human Warmth (3)
Lormane?!
“Lormane?! How did you get here…?”
“When I passed through the Academy gate, I was pulled in. This is Kaiden’s illusion, isn’t it?”
Another blast of attack magic struck the holy barrier above us, flashing brightly.
“There’s something you need to know, Dian. Kaiden is a golem created by the dark mage!”
As Lormane cast her holy shield over the approaching Linus, she shouted.
“I found the hideout of the dark mage who had been on the Empire’s wanted list ten years ago. The underground space there was filled with the corpses of golems—all of them had Kaiden’s face!”
“We already know, Lormane!”
Linus replied as he joined us inside the holy barrier.
“We decoded Kaiden’s hidden diary and were on our way back. But now he’s trapped us in this illusion and started attacking us—damn it!”
A stronger attack struck the barrier this time, shaking it so violently that we all lost our footing and fell.
[So you already knew. No wonder it felt odd for Lormane to arrive at the Academy at this hour.]
Kaiden’s voice echoed around us.
[It’s fortunate I managed to trap Lormane in the illusion as well. Now I can deal with everyone who knows my secret at once.]
More attack magic rained down, but Lormane’s holy shield held firm, blocking everything.
“Kaiden! Your magic may be powerful, but I’ve grown stronger in the past ten years too! Stop wasting your strength on meaningless attacks!”
[Lormane, you’re clever, but also incredibly foolish.]
Kaiden chuckled softly, his voice low.
[The atrocities that Lormane committed against Dian 10 years ago. Don’t you have any suspicions?]
“What are you talking about…?”
[All of it was my illusion, and you never noticed.]
Lormane’s eyes twitched as Kaiden continued.
[The healing potion you botched—because I deliberately made you mistake poisonous herbs for medicinal ones. The succubus you killed—I made it appear as if she were trying to seduce Dian.]
“Focus, Lormane! He’s trying to provoke you!”
As cracks began forming in the holy barrier, Linus shouted.
[And yet, you always came to me for advice, unaware that I was dragging you deeper into the mire. Honestly, I found it revolting.]
Kaiden’s voice was so close it felt as if he were whispering directly into our ears.
[A priest who claims to serve the divine, yet secretly lusts after men. How utterly pathetic.]
When the barrier shattered, I grabbed Lormane and threw us both clear just as another attack spell obliterated the spot where we had stood.
“I’m sorry, Lormane. I misunderstood everything.”
As I held her close and ran, I spoke urgently.
“We fell for Kaiden’s deception entirely. I’m sorry for the way I doubted you back then.”
“Stop. Put me down, Dian.”
Lormane pushed me away firmly.
“Dian, now’s not the time for this.”
Her eyes shone with steely resolve.
“Focus on dealing with Kaiden.”
“Lormane…”
“No. Don’t say another word.”
She pressed a finger to my lips.
“I’ll create an opening. You and Linus press forward. Just like when we went to recruit Kaiden ten years ago.”
At Lormane’s feet, divine energy began to swirl.
In an instant, the golden vortex rose to engulf her entire body, making her shine like a golden statue.
Extending both arms forward, she created a tunnel-like holy barrier that stretched endlessly ahead.
“The power of the divine…?!”
Linus, who had followed us, was stunned into silence.
Ten years ago, when we ascended the dormant volcano where Kaiden had been hiding, he had attacked everything that approached, ourselves included.
Back then, Lormane had devised a strategy to advance by layering holy shields above us one by one.
Now, a decade later, her mastery of divine power had advanced dramatically.
“Go, heroes!”
Linus and I leapt into the tunnel simultaneously.
The holy tunnel led straight to the building where Kaiden was.
The attack magic raining down from above dissipated uselessly against the barrier.
“Dian, the shield is weakening.”
Linus said as we ran.
“I’m not sure how much farther Lormane’s divine power can carry us.”
Indeed, the vibrations from the attacks striking the barrier were growing stronger.
“We’ll go as far as we can. After that, we’ll break through on our own.”
As I spoke, the end of the tunnel came into view, where the divine power abruptly stopped.
“Get ready, Dian!”
Drawing up all our aura, we burst out of the tunnel.
But the expected attacks didn’t come.
What?
Looking up, I saw missiles flying through the sky behind us, streaking toward Kaiden.
Kaiden was too busy dodging them to attack us.
Missiles? Where did those come from?
“Celine!”
At Linus’s shout, I turned and saw Celine standing beside Lormane in the distance.
She braced herself on her prosthetic leg, one knee planted firmly on the ground, her eyes closed.
What’s she doing here?!
In her hands was the longbow she had used as her primary weapon years ago.
A bow so massive that most men couldn’t even pull the string, and yet Celine had nocked ten arrows at once.
Even with her eyes shut, she drew the bowstring taut, sparks crackling along its length.
Zeeeeeeeeek—!!
When she released the string, the arrows streaked forward with a deafening roar, their trajectory more like missiles than arrows.
Each arrow flew in its own path, homing in on Kaiden with relentless precision.
[Ah, Celine. I see your hunter’s instincts have driven you here to save your husband.]
Kaiden chuckled as he dodged the arrows.
[But even the great Celine couldn’t see through me. What an amusing irony.]
Celine said nothing, her eyes still closed as she nocked another ten arrows simultaneously.
[It’s pointless, Celine. This is my illusion. Everything here bends to my will.]
Suddenly, the arrows pursuing Kaiden froze mid-air.
At the same time, random attack spells erupted from Kaiden’s body.
“Dian! Over here! This is our chance!”
Amidst the chaos, Linus shouted.
“Step on my hands—I’ll launch you straight at Kaiden!”
There was no time to hesitate.
I ran to Linus, placing my foot on his interlocked hands.
“Go!”
With all his strength and aura, Linus hurled me upward.
The force of his aura storm propelled me toward Kaiden at incredible speed.
Seeing me approach, Kaiden flinched and cast an attack spell directly in my path.
I couldn’t dodge.
Dodging meant falling.
We had all come too far for me to fail now.
I released the knife in my hand, extinguishing my aura.
It was a gamble.
A test of Kaiden’s heart.
I had heard every word of his diary from the Archmage, right up to the final page.
If the emotions written there were true…
At the last moment, Kaiden’s attack spell disintegrated harmlessly.
He canceled it, his face betraying a moment of panic.
I reached out to grab him, but Kaiden teleported, reappearing far above me in the sky.
Damn it! He’s too far. I’m falling!
“Dian!”
A tear in space opened beside me, and Hindrasta emerged.
“Grab my hand!”
I stretched out, gripping Hindrasta’s outstretched hand.
She pulled me through the tear into another space.
The place we landed was Kaiden’s office.
Hindrasta helped me up, panting heavily.
“I had a bad feeling and came to check. What’s going on here?! Let me finish this punk right now!”
“Thanks, Hindrasta. But I’ll take it from here.”
I stepped past her toward Kaiden.
He stood in front of his desk, wearing his usual faint smile as he looked at me.
“I didn’t expect that.”
Kaiden said, his voice soft.
“I never thought you’d choose to abandon defense entirely. That’s so very like you, Dian.”
“You never planned to kill me in the first place.”
Kaiden hesitated slightly before answering.
“You’re right. I wasn’t going to kill you. Everyone else I could mislead or drive away, but… all I ever needed was you, Dian. And then that damned dragon had to intervene.”
Hindrasta growled something under her breath, but I raised a hand, signaling her to stop.
Kaiden tilted his head, a faint, curious smile on his lips.
“Why did you leave the illusion? I thought you always wanted to return to Earth. I built you a perfect replica, a world where you could live happily until the end. Wasn’t it enough?”
I said nothing, simply staring at him.
Kaiden shook his head.
“No matter. Everything is revealed now. I can’t undo what’s been done. And with you this close, I can’t use magic to stop you. You could kill me before I even cast a spell.”
Kaiden smiled bitterly, spreading his arms wide.
“Go ahead. Kill me. I’m a golem made of slime and dark magic. You don’t need to feel any guilt. I never truly thought of you as comrades, nor did I have some noble reason for killing the Demon King…”
# # # # #
Kaiden couldn’t finish his sentence.
Dian dropped to his knees and embraced him.
“Huh?”
Kaiden froze, his mind struggling to process what was happening.
“What… are you doing, Dian? This won’t…”
“I read your diary. All of it.”
“…What?”
“Thank you, Kaiden.”
…What?
Kaiden’s eyes widened in disbelief.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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