I Became the Childhood Friend Who Commits Suicide

Chapter 86

“Hmm…”

The Archmage cast a doubtful glance at Hana but ultimately let the matter slide without further issue.

It helped that her appearance had changed completely since losing the sheep mask she used as white sheep.

“I still have things to do here. I can escort you to the front gate, but I can’t protect you beyond that, outside the academy.”

At Lena’s words, Si woo nodded in agreement without hesitation.

“That’s more than enough.”

“Good. Let’s head out, then.”

They were currently positioned at the very center of the academy grounds.

The time it would take to reach either the front or rear gate was roughly the same.

The real question was which route would be safer.

Considering the cathedral was located to the south, heading toward the northern rear gate was the obvious choice.

The priority now was to get as far away as possible from the black goats.

With Lena leading the way, Si woo and his group headed north. As they moved, the boy kept glancing at Hana, who trailed behind them.

Her head hung low, and her weak, staggering steps were anything but reassuring.

Questions kept swirling in his mind, but this wasn’t the right moment to ask. Better to wait until they were safely outside the academy.

Of course, things rarely went as smoothly as one hoped.

The fact they hadn’t encountered any enemies so far was more a stroke of luck than anything else.

Inevitable confrontations loomed ahead. And as fate would have it, they now faced not one but two adversaries.

Two women, wearing masks resembling a falcon and a shark, blocked their path.

“Survivors are still wandering the streets, I see,” the falcon-masked woman remarked.

“Hm. That face looks oddly familiar,” she added, her sharp eyes narrowing.

The pink falcon’s expression brightened as recognition dawned. “Archmage, this is my chance to repay you.”

“Oh, I remember now. The mage who fled in disgrace last time. And the kid who was with you?” the shark-masked woman sneered.

“This time will be different,” the falcon-masked woman hissed.

While tensions mounted at the front, Hana kept to the back, trying her best to remain unnoticed.

“You two… Now I remember. You’re the brats who disrupted things at the shrine,” the shark-masked woman said casually, her gaze turning razor-sharp.

“Then that must mean you have the Grail. Hand it over, you brats.”

“Do you think we’d give it to you?”

“No problem. We’ll just take it by force.”

With those words, the battle erupted.

The Archmage was undoubtedly the strongest among them. Her overwhelming power could have easily turned the tide of the battle—under normal circumstances.

But now, she was barely managing to parry the apostles’ attacks.

“Ugh…!”

“What’s wrong? Not attacking like last time?” the shark taunted.

“Shut up!” Lena gritted her teeth and chanted, conjuring a magic circle that unleashed blazing flames upon her foes.

Yet, the shark adeptly countered with a shield of water, nullifying the attack.

Arrows of blooming flowers sliced through the air. Calmly, Si-hyun unsheathed her sword and deflected them.

Si woo contemplated joining the fray, hoping their numbers would give them an advantage.

But his eyes flicked to Hana, trembling and clinging to his back like a frightened child. If he moved, there would be no one to protect her.

What’s the right choice? He hesitated, torn.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

“Damn it… Die!” Lena shouted, recklessly pushing herself to end the fight quickly.

The sky filled with magic circles, each casting a different spell aimed at the pink falcon.

Yet the falcon remained calm, leaping into the air with a powerful kick.

Wings unfolded from her back, allowing her to nimbly evade the attacks.

Despite her efforts, Lena grimaced, feeling her body deteriorate with each spell she cast.

The horrifying sensation she had felt earlier began to return.

At this rate…

Si-hyun, locked in a one-on-one battle with the shark, was barely holding her ground.

Though she was the strongest second-year, the gap in power between her and the apostle was insurmountable.

The shark’s watery construct lunged at her again, and though she parried it, her movements grew sluggish.

If this keeps up, it’ll be over in no time. Si-hyun prayed for Lena to finish her opponent and provide backup, but it didn’t seem likely.

The shark, unlike Si-hyun, fought effortlessly.

“Pathetic. You think you can beat us? Those two behind you are useless brats, aren’t they? Why don’t you just die quietly?”

“Politely declined.”

“Then die flailing.”

Water erupted in a storm of projectiles, each droplet carrying the force of a bullet.

Behind Si-hyun, glowing swords worked frantically to deflect the attacks, but the overwhelming gap in skill was evident.

The apostles’ side quickly gained the upper hand, exploiting their unity and long-standing bonds, unlike the makeshift alliance between Si woo’s group and Lena.

A sharp arrow grazed Si-hyun’s cheek, and the sight of blood drove the shark into a frenzy.

“Hah… This is insane.”

When she opened her eyes again, Si-hyun’s once-blue irises glowed crimson.

Her transformation into the white shark turned her into a ferocious force, far more ruthless than before.

But even this newfound ferocity didn’t shift the battle’s course.

Lena, realizing her limits, prepared one final, powerful spell. Meteors filled the sky as her body began to liquefy, a result of her transformation accelerating.

Her desperate smile bore satisfaction. “If I can take these two apostles with me, that’s enough.”

The apostles, realizing their doom, stared in shock at the descending meteors.

But the girl who had remained silent until now, Hana, stepped forward.

“Stop!” she cried.

The white shark faltered upon seeing her face. “Why are you here? And without your mask… Don’t tell me…”

A single word hovered on her lips: betrayal.

Lena seized the moment, casting her strongest spell. But before the meteors could land, Hana raised her hand. The clouds parted, and sunlight bathed the battlefield.

A divine angel descended, stopping the meteors mid-air. In an instant, both the angel and meteors vanished as though they had never existed.

Si woo, frozen in disbelief, turned to Hana, his expression filled with confusion.

“Why…?”

Why would she save the apostles?

Hana remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.