Yuren's fists clenched so tightly, I thought his knuckles might crack. He was shaking with fury and grief, his voice brittle.
"Dale… won't die."
"Of course," I replied quietly. "He has the Blessing of Revival."
"Then…"
"But if the demons capture him, he'll suffer torment beyond imagining. So much that death would seem like mercy."
His breath caught. "That's…"
"I can't leave Dale behind."
"You…!" he growled and suddenly grabbed the front of my uniform, his face twisted in pain.
"Do you think I don't know that?! Huh? Do you think I want to run away and leave Dale behind?" he shouted, voice ragged. "But you know as well as I do—if we die here…"
"The hope of humanity will be gone. Right?" I finished for him.
"…Yes." Yuren bit his lip hard. Blood welled at the corner of his mouth.
"If you don't come willingly, I'll drag you away. No matter what."
"Hah."
A bitter laugh slipped past my lips.
"Do you want to know something?" I said quietly.
"…What?"
"Until now… I've never once healed Dale. Not even once."
He blinked. "What?"
"No matter how badly he was injured, he'd recover. No matter how much pain he was in, he wouldn't die."
My voice trembled as I forced the words out.
"It was always more practical to use healing magic on someone else. Someone who could die."
Even if Dale died—he'd just come back.
And so I didn't. I watched. I watched as he died a hundred times. A thousand. Screaming in agony. And I did nothing.
That's why… I could never tell Dale that his life was precious.
Because it wasn't allowed to be. Because the moment I acknowledged that truth—every time I let him die—it became unforgivable.
"You know the thing Dale always says, right?" I asked.
Yuren didn't reply. But he didn't need to.
"He says, 'Thank goodness you're alive.' Every time. You've heard it too, haven't you? After he's saved your life?"
"Yeah," Yuren muttered. "He always says that."
Even after all the deaths, all the pain—he'd smile. Brightly. Like none of it mattered.
He'd say words that no one ever said to him.
"Thank goodness you're alive."
"I'm going to die in a month," I said quietly.
"…What?" Yuren's voice dropped.
"I've been overusing the gods' blessing without my Seven Eyes. It's a miracle I've lasted this long."
His eyes widened. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I didn't want Dale to worry. But there's no point hiding it anymore."
I smiled faintly, not out of joy, but acceptance.
"If I run away now… I could still save many lives. I could heal the injured. Hundreds. Maybe thousands."
"But…"
I looked toward the battlefield. Toward the place Dale was.
"I want to go back."
"…Iris."
"I've done my best, haven't I? I've healed so many. I became one of the Five Great Heroes… I've earned this one selfish moment, haven't I?"
Yuren didn't answer. He stared at me, his shoulders trembling.
"Just this once," I whispered, "before I die… I want to save him. I want to tell him…"
I closed my eyes.
"That his life is precious."
There was a long silence. Then, without a word, Yuren let go of my collar.
"…Yuren?"
"Go."
He turned away, gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly I thought it would snap.
"…Thank you," I whispered.
And with that, I turned toward the black cloud in the distance—where the Demon God's army gathered.
The Sealing Festival ended in catastrophe.
Due to the unprecedented invasion by demonic beasts, this year's event went down in history as the worst since the founding of Reynald Hero Academy. No cadets or civilians died, thanks to the quick actions of professors and several students, but the damage was undeniable.
Still, no matter how the school dressed it up, this wasn't a simple mishap. Beasts had infiltrated the campus. An Archbishop of the Demon Church had masqueraded as a professor for years.
And then vanished.
The official report stated:
Professor Morpheus, the event supervisor, was in fact a demon who snuck others into the Academy disguised as merchants. After the chaos, he escaped. That was all.
Naturally, the public was furious. A demon had operated undetected for years? The school hadn't identified his goals? Or even who he truly was?
The outrage was only quelled when the Thunder God himself, Lionel Ryu—ranked 3rd among the continent's heroes—returned.
"This incident is my fault," he said publicly. "For being away too long. Blame me."
No one dared question the hero of the Republic's strongest family.
With his return, the school stabilized. And after a two-week shutdown, Reynald Academy resumed normal operations.
In the infirmary's private recovery zone, I stood before the training ground.
Those who could afford the luxury suite also got access to personal rehab spaces.
"Money really does talk," I muttered.
Beep.[Hero Cadet Dale Han – Identity Confirmed.]
As the door opened, a 20-pyeong training area stretched before me. Spacious, clean, and perfect for what I had planned.
I stepped to the center and closed my eyes.
I exhaled slowly, letting the power hidden in my Stigma flow through my channels.
'Just as I thought… my mana has grown.'
The fight with Astaroth hadn't been for nothing. Even without touching the full extent of the Primordial Flame, something inside me had changed.
Something permanent.
And now…
It was time to see just how far I could push it.
***