I stared blankly at the person standing before me.

Their purely white hair was so distinctive.

Such a remarkable appearance was completely fitting for the words expressing greatness.

How could I possibly misinterpret that face, one I had gazed at countless times?

The figure right in front of me was undoubtedly that of Yoon Si-woo.

Thus, I was left in utter confusion.

“Eh…? Yoon… no, Master… um…?”

The person I saw in front of me was Yoon Si-woo, but my mind kept shouting.

This person before you is your master.

The one you must obey.

It was strange, strange indeed.

Clearly the person standing before me was Yoon Si-woo, so why did I keep thinking of him as my master?

There was no way Yoon Si-woo could be my master.

The master had just commanded me to kill my friends until a moment ago, a truly terrible person.

Wait, was that right? Or not…?

In my dazed mind, a faint sense of discomfort lingered as my brain, soaked in pleasure, was unable to think clearly.

I didn’t know. I couldn’t understand.

But one thing was certain:

“Haha, look at that. The eyes that were staring daggers at me just a moment ago have turned into those of a gentle lamb.”

Just moments ago, the resentment I had desperately harbored toward my master seemed to melt away like snow upon seeing Yoon Si-woo’s face.

It was unavoidable.

How could I harbor feelings of hostility toward none other than Yoon Si-woo?

“Come back, Scarlet.”

When I thought of that voice that had saved me just when I thought it was all over,

When I thought of you, who had saved me and then succumbed to a long slumber,

I realized that there was no way I could feel that way.

“The only thing you can truly rely on in this world is yourself, yet you’re living and dying for others. Such fools.”

Yoon Si-woo mumbled, chuckling.

My head was too foggy to fully grasp his words, but seeing him smile brought me joy.

I was scared that you might never wake up again, that you might never smile and speak like that, so just seeing that expression made me happy.

Perhaps because of that feeling, the discomfort felt less important or concerning.

Seeing Yoon Si-woo standing there, talking normally was something I had longed for so much.

Filled with that happiness, I somehow crawled up to Yoon Si-woo, hugging his leg and choked back tears.

“…I’m so glad, so glad. Yoon Si-woo, you’re awake… so glad…”

“…What are you saying? What’s this? Well, seeing you like this makes it seem like you’re not going to resist anymore. Really troublesome. Anyway, stop loafing around and get up. You have to fulfill your precious friend’s request.”

Yoon Si-woo stated as he impatiently shook me off his leg.

“Request…? Okay, I’ll do it. Anything… If it’s Yoon Si-woo asking, I’ll do anything…”

I nodded, answering vaguely at the word “request” that reached my ears.

Yoon Si-woo, who said he would even use his wish ticket given to repay a debt, to save me.

With the heart that I would gladly accept any request from Yoon Si-woo,

Yoon Si-woo, or rather, my master commanded me, gave me an order.

“Then go and kill those who came to harm me.”

Upon hearing those words, I blankly turned my head to look back at the path I had taken.

I recalled my other friends and the hunting squad if I retraced that path back.

“Friends… It’s wrong to kill people…”

They were precious to me.

So I could reject my master’s command to kill them.

But, but…

“Ugh, ah… But I must obey my master’s command… And not to mention, I also have to fulfill Yoon Si-woo’s request…”

As the thought of obeying my master seeped into my mind and blended with the feeling of wanting to fulfill Yoon Si-woo’s request, my head gradually grew foggier.

I felt the beliefs I had been desperately clinging to starting to crack little by little.

Then, at that moment of wavering in my mind, Yoon Si-woo, my master, whispered to me.

“They’re the ones trying to kill me, your precious person. Are you going to let those bad guys live?”

The whisper crept into my ear and burrowed into my heart like a bug.

Yoon Si-woo is going to die?

No, that can’t happen.

I need to protect him.

I shook my head and muttered.

“Ah…? No… Master, Yoon Si-woo. You can’t die… I have to protect you…”

“Right, you have to protect me. So how will you do that?”

“To protect…?”

Then the whispers flowed into me, as if to reveal the way.

“Kill.”

“…Kill?”

“Yeah, you must kill those who wish to harm me, with your own hands.”

Yoon Si-woo told me to kill people.

I felt a sense of discomfort about that.

It was strange, very strange.

But still, the thought that I might lose Yoon Si-woo again filled me with dread, leaving no room to contemplate the discomfort.

I nodded and muttered.

“I have to kill… the bad people. I need to kill them all… to protect.”

I must protect, I must kill.

Overwhelmed by those two thoughts, I stood up dazedly from my place.

And to protect, to kill.

I tried to step back to where I had come from, to kill all those evil beings trying to harm my precious ones beyond that point.

Vwoooosh—!

“…?”

A pure white dagger sprang from my grasp, blocking my way.

The Holy Sword of Truth floated in the air as if trying to tell me something.

But not understanding, I pushed the Holy Sword aside with my hand and muttered.

“Move aside, I have to go protect my master, Yoon Si-woo.”

As I said that, the Holy Sword of Truth trembled and flew toward Yoon Si-woo, my master.

Then it swung around as if preparing to attack.

“What? What’s with this buzzing little sword! Are you trying to cut me with some toy? Pathetic little thing, buzzing around!”

But the Holy Sword of Truth, wielded with less skill than a child, was easily caught by Yoon Si-woo’s hand.

Then, held by Yoon Si-woo, the Holy Sword of Truth shook violently like a bird ready to take flight, barely escaping his grip and flying back to me, settling into my hand.

As the Holy Sword of Truth landed in my hand, it finally seemed to calm down.

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel something was off about the Holy Sword’s behavior just now.

Why, why was the Holy Sword of Truth acting like this toward its master, Yoon Si-woo?

Why did I feel like I couldn’t ignore this discomfort?

At that moment, as I was pondering these thoughts while looking at the Holy Sword of Truth, it suddenly pricked my body gently.

It was at that moment.

“Ah…?”

A faint light began to seep from my body.

That warm and sacred golden light, I recognized.

There was no way I wouldn’t.

That was the light that had saved me from darkness countless times, Yoon Si-woo’s light.

I watched in awe as the golden radiance I had gazed at spread slowly before me.

The light of the sword illuminating the path ahead, ensuring its master would not lose their way.

“Damn it, what the hell is this! Hey, you! What are you doing, standing there in a daze! Aren’t you going to hurry and go kill?!”

In the place illuminated by the light was Yoon Si-woo, my master.

“Can’t you hear me?! Go kill those humans! For me! Got it?!”

And seeing he was angrily shouting for me to kill people, I suddenly realized something.

“…That can’t be true.”

“What?”

“…Yoon Si-woo would never tell me to kill people for his sake.”

He was the one who, risking his own life, threw himself to save me.

There’s no way Yoon Si-woo would say something like that.

I foolishly realized this obvious truth just now, and I looked again at the person standing before me.

Perhaps due to the light, I was now able to see his figure clearly.

No, that person before me wasn’t Yoon Si-woo.

The moment I realized that, I felt the dimness in my consciousness brighten.

I could now recognize the discomfort that had clouded my thoughts.

“What, what the hell! You’re back to your senses?! Damn it, now that it has come to this, once more—!”

But I still hadn’t fully regained my senses.

The person before me was still recognized as my master, as someone I had to obey.

I didn’t wish to harm the person standing in front of me.

So, in this moment of slight recovery, I thought about it.

A way to overcome this situation.

A way to escape whatever was twisting my mind.

And just as my thoughts reached that point,

Woosh,

I set myself ablaze with flames.

“GAAAHHHH—!!”

I was burning.

I was on fire.

My skin, organs, muscles, veins, even every drop of blood inside me.

With my entire body being horrifically burnt alive, a scream involuntarily escaped my mouth.

But at the same time, I also felt it.

Those things that had melted within me, those that had been twisting me, were being consumed by the flames along with my body.

Thus, having regained my senses, I approached the figure before me cloaked in flames and shouted with all the anger I had harbored until now.

“YOU!!! How dare you play such a cruel game!!!”

“How could…! This is impossible! My ability has been enhanced by the relic, how could you regain your senses on your own…!! Why, why am I losing to someone like you!!”

The Witch of Lust wore a look of disbelief, shocked that I had regained my senses by my own will.

“Ugh…! Hii…!! Don’t come near me!!!”

The Witch of Lust, losing her will to fight, retreated until she stumbled and fell backward.

Still, she desperately tried to escape, using her one remaining arm awkwardly to crawl away.

Even in that state, it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to escape me and would be caught easily.

“Y-You got it wrong! I was wrong! Pl-please spare me!”

Realizing she could not escape me, the Witch of Lust immediately began to beg for her life.

To think the true form of the enemy, who had almost dealt me a fatal blow moments before, would be in such a pathetic state.

I sighed and reached out my nearly burnt and blackened hand to remove the black gem, the relic dangling around the Witch of Lust’s neck, which had been my original goal.

“…Why you lost to me? After all, you’ve never once fought with your fists while I’m here, burning myself to fight you, how could you possibly win?”

“Y-You’re right…! I lost! I lost, so! Was that relic your objective?! I’ll just give it to you, so don’t you want to let me go? I won’t provoke you again!”

As the Witch of Lust continued to show her ugly side and beg for her life, I let out a sigh and muttered.

“Sure, I’ll let you go.”

“Really! Thank you! I truly—”

“Send you to hell, you miserable piece of trash.”

“Cough—”

With a thud,

My fist, filled with my true intentions, struck the Witch of Lust’s abdomen.

Though I would have loved to beat her until she died, time was running out, allowing me no such luxury.

Still, I wasn’t too disappointed.

“GAAAHHHH—!! AAARGH—! KKYAAAHHH—!”

The flames infused in my fist would send the Witch of Lust to hell in excruciating pain.

This fire was specially adjusted with care just for you.

Suffer slowly, painfully, until you die, thinking of those you’ve harmed.

That would be a fitting end for someone like you.