Ian Volkanov had been created and repeatedly sacrificed himself for Ariel.
These words struck Ian deeply. It felt as if his very existence was being denied.
‘I thought it was just a simple possession.’
He had long been aware that, for some reason, his soul had vanished, and something had taken its place.
However, according to his words, it meant that Ian had never existed from the beginning.
‘It was all me?’
The Ian from the original story never existed. It was just a past version of Lee Hyun-Woo.
Although a great truth was revealed, it didn’t resolve his questions.
In fact, it did the opposite. It made him more curious.
‘Why on earth….’
Why did Eris and Belphegor choose him?
What kind of life had he lived up until now?
Ian wanted answers to these questions, but unfortunately, Belphegor was not in a position to answer them.
Sssrrrk!
Belphegor’s form began to blur. His figure was gradually fading away, swept by the blowing wind.
“Are you disappearing already? I still have more to ask.”
“I would also like to answer more, but I cannot defy Gaia’s restrictions.”
Belphegor knew how cruel it was to appear only to deliver such a shocking revelation.
But he wasn’t particularly worried.
The Ian he had observed wasn’t someone who would crumble because of this.
“Don’t worry too much. If you continue as you have been, you’ll gradually uncover the truth. I look forward to our next meeting.”
With those words, Belphegor completely vanished.
It was the end of the third truth Ian had obtained as a reward.
As he watched Belphegor fade away, he felt a mix of emotions.
“What… is this?”
“What?”
It was at that moment that he heard a soft female voice behind him.
It was a familiar voice. He had heard it countless times and knew exactly who it belonged to.
“Ariel.”
“Wh-what do you mean…. You sacrificed yourself for me? What on earth are you talking about!”
Ariel Volkanov.
It was the moment she learned the hidden truth.
***
‘What have I done?’
Ariel was floating alone in an entirely black space.
Her body moved with the flow of consciousness as if she were dreaming.
But Ariel knew this was not a dream.
‘To become a hero and then get possessed by a demon, losing my body….’
Why do heroes gain recognition and fame?
Is it not because they save people from the demons?
Fame and recognition do not come easily. They follow only by inheriting the faith and will of the people.
A hero losing their body to a demon—Ariel couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.
‘Is that why Elysion doesn’t respond to my voice?’
Maybe it’s because of what kind of hero she had become. Perhaps it didn’t want to lend its power to her.
“Haa.”
A deep sigh echoed in the space.
What should she do now? Was there a way to reclaim her body?
‘Even if I reclaim my body…. What should I do afterward?’
She would have to apologize to the students, and her reputation would be ruined. She thought it was already at rock bottom, but it could fall even lower.
Her reputation was in tatters, but what Ariel cared about most was her relationships with her friends.
‘…I don’t want to be alone.’
She feared growing distant. She couldn’t bear the thought of becoming estranged from those who had always loved and supported her.
How could she restore their relationships? Just as she was pondering this, it happened.
Sssrrrk!
‘What? Light!’
In the dark, pitch-black space, a crack appeared, and bright light entered her eyes.
“You have repeatedly sacrificed countless times for Ariel.”
It was the moment she heard the voice of the transcendent being standing before Ian.
‘He sacrificed himself for me?’
Ariel’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck, unable to conceal her shock.
‘What does that even mean?’
Her mind seemed to stop. The worries that had plagued her incessantly just moments ago vanished from her thoughts.
‘Ian sacrificed himself for me?’
At first, she wanted to deny it.
After all, who was Ian?
He was the person who had constantly blocked her path and hindered her progress.
She had missed perfect opportunities to confront the Demon Kings, and after enrolling in Ark Academy, he had thoroughly oppressed her.
That he had sacrificed himself? For her?
‘It’s a lie.’
If he had truly lived for Ariel, wouldn’t he have helped her in her conquests?
She wanted to dismiss it as a lie, but Ariel couldn’t do that.
The presence that made her body tremble just by looking at it didn’t seem like it was lying.
Stunned, Ariel remained silent until Belphegor disappeared. Only after the demonic aura completely vanished did she open her mouth.
“Say something! What does it mean that you sacrificed yourself for me?”
She cried out desperately, hoping he would tell her it was a lie, that it couldn’t be true.
If it were true that he had sacrificed himself, she wouldn’t be able to face him.
In a way, it was fear.
The person who had supported her all along was someone else, and she had been rejecting him without even knowing it.
She hoped it wasn’t true, so she stared intently at him.
‘How am I supposed to explain this?’
Ian felt just as frustrated.
He hadn’t expected Ariel to regain her senses at this moment.
‘I let my guard down. If I had known, I would have insisted on having this conversation somewhere Ariel wasn’t present.’
Up until now, he had verified all his rewards in dreams. He had assumed this time would be similar, leading to this unexpected situation.
Thankfully, it seemed Ariel hadn’t grasped the entire truth.
‘Judging by what she’s saying, it seems she only heard the last part.’
If she had heard more, she wouldn’t be demanding an explanation.
Even as he racked his brain, Ariel kept her gaze fixed on him.
‘She wants me to say it isn’t true.’
Ariel was desperate. Although he wanted to tell her what she wished to hear, he couldn’t.
‘But.’
Ian wasn’t in a state to consider her feelings.
The person most distressed in this situation was himself, and he wasn’t capable of comforting anyone right now.
“So, you won’t tell me.”
With his silence continuing, Ariel stood up. After grabbing her sword, she turned and walked away.
“Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll find out on my own.”
If he didn’t want to reveal the truth, she would uncover it herself.
***
Realizing she wouldn’t get anything from Ian, Ariel left immediately.
Swoosh!
Ian watched her retreating figure in a daze.
He wanted to comfort her somehow, but he couldn’t.
“Hah… What is going on?”
Ariel’s expression at the end, filled with determination, was a clear indication she would strive to uncover the hidden truth on her own.
‘This complicates things.’
While he had succeeded in dealing with Leviathan, he couldn’t consider the current situation favorable.
According to his original plan, he had intended to deal with the Demon King and then restore his relationship with the estranged heroines.
But now, Ariel, instead of talking to the heroines, had set off to uncover the truth on her own.
Considering her character, she wouldn’t return until she had the answers she wanted.
It was in that moment, lamenting the reality far surpassing his expectations, that he felt a deep sense of frustration.
– Mmm? Ian! You’re alive!
Neltalion, having regained her strength, wiggled and moved around.
With her complexion restored, she jumped up and nestled into Ian’s arms.
– I’m so glad! I’m so glad!
Rubbing her face against Ian’s with delight, Neltalion suddenly flinched and puffed out her cheeks.
– Ian! I told you not to overdo it!
‘I’m sorry… This time I had no choice.’
– Still, I was worried! I didn’t expect you to use all of your divine power!
Neltalion pouted, upset that Ian had recklessly used his divine power.
Of course, it wasn’t because Ian had used her power without permission.
Given the contract they had made to help each other, she wouldn’t be angry over something like that.
The reason Neltalion was upset lay elsewhere.
– I thought something had gone wrong…
The fact that he had fought an opponent so powerful he had to use all his divine power.
The amount of power used to the point of losing consciousness meant Ian had been in a tight spot, which naturally worried her.
Living life on the edge like walking a tightrope, it was inevitable for her to feel anxious.
‘When hunting beings like Lilith or Beelzebub….’
Hadn’t he used his life as bait countless times to hunt down his enemies? It was fortunate he succeeded, but had he failed, what would this fool have done?
Thus, Ian could only say one thing to her.
‘I’ll be really careful from now on.’
– Do you promise?
‘Can we promise later?’
– …
Neltalion pouted but eventually nodded, realizing she had no other choice.
As he held her and rested for a moment, she suddenly spoke up.
– Oh right! Ian, look over there! Look!
‘Huh? What am I supposed to see?’
Neltalion pointed and raised her voice.
Her finger was aimed at the spot where Ariel had collapsed after he used the Holy Sword to slay Leviathan.
Why does she want me to look there? he wondered as he turned his head and saw it.
“What, what is that?”
A fallen object in the corner caught his eye.
It had been hidden behind the items decorating the lobby, but now he saw it clearly.
He got up and approached, curious.
“What is this? Are my eyes deceiving me?”
On the ground lay a sword.
A weapon with a black blade interwoven with blood-red lines.
Ian knew what it was.
“Is this really appearing now? Seriously?”
