Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Missing
As black energy scattered into the sky, a man wearing a mask let out a sigh and swept back his hair.
He was a striking figure, dressed in a sharp suit with white hair peeking out from beneath his mask.
His methods were a bit... bizarre, but there was no denying that he had just blocked whatever had happened.
"…Interesting."
He had come to see what kind of man could take down both the Puppeteer and the Magician.
And indeed, he had shown a power far beyond expectations.
With a cackle, he crossed his arms.
As the distinct black demonic energy of demonkind eerily spread around him, he muttered in a low voice,
"He finds a way to win. No matter the situation."
…It really was fascinating.
Using everything in his surroundings to overcome a crisis—easy to say, but in practice, it was a remarkably rare talent to witness.
Countless powerful beings had existed throughout history, across time and culture, like grains of sand on a beach.
Clever ones, too, must have existed in similar numbers.
But those who could utilize such abilities to their absolute maximum? They were far fewer.
Those who possessed the talent to survive. Those who completed the missions assigned to them, no matter what.
The man knew the phrase used to describe such people.
Unyielding and ever-victorious.
"Indeed, a vessel that holds omnipotence."
And as he said this, the man’s head jerked sharply to the side.
An attack had come flying at him. If he hadn’t moved, his skull would’ve been crushed on the spot.
“About that agreement—”
The human responsible for the attack immediately followed with a statement.
The growl-like voice of a woman made the white-haired demon chuckle.
Her presence alone radiated a heat that seemed to burn. Just looking at her made one feel like they'd get scorched.
“The Magician should be back by now. Isn’t it you who’s still holding her?”
“You’re the one who moved first, Varga.”
“You’re meddling with them in human form too, aren’t you, Athena?”
“…Let me say this again.”
Her words shot out.
“Stop dodging the point. It’s always your side that crosses the line first. Remember that?”
Then, as if drawn from her very body, ‘golden wings’ settled onto her back.
In those blazing eyes now dwelled a golden supernatural power.
She was clearly ready for battle. It was her way of saying that if they kept provoking her, she wouldn’t hesitate to cross the line herself.
But Varga, after calmly scanning her up and down without the slightest disturbance, slowly turned his gaze back to the ground.
There, barely in his peripheral vision, was Aiden—face pale after meeting eyes with Katya.
"He's quite similar, isn’t he? To how I looked when I was human."
The woman called Athena glared at him with all the force she could muster, her face tightly furrowed.
"Don't you dare compare him to you. He might become my family someday. Are you seriously trying to die?"
"Either way, I just don’t get why you’re being so aggressive. Considering old times, you'd think you'd let a little mischief slide."
"What?"
"The agreement only applies when we make direct contact with each other. We're opposites, after all. If we clash, the whole continent could be swept up."
Having said that, Varga let out a sigh and continued, almost spitting the words out.
"…It’s not like these weren’t the rules those damn ones at the Pantheon laid down."
"……."
"Unless, what? You’re saying we should fight here and now? Two apostles of the same outsider god?"
"……."
"That wouldn’t be too bad, either. Ending things right here in mutual destruction with you doesn’t sound like the worst outcome."
As he spoke, the black demonic energy around him thickened far more than before.
Earlier, it was simply mixing with the landscape around them. Now, it had grown into a dark shroud that cloaked the area around him.
Blacker than the night sky, and writhing with a sinister aura—it held just as much intensity as Athena’s golden wings.
Athena, watching silently, finally let out a deep sigh.
"I have a proposal."
"…Hmm?"
"Let’s be honest. No matter what we say, you and I both need that 'vessel.' It’s just that what each of us wants to put in it is different."
Whether it was Varga or Athena—in the end, they both had their sights set on that man named Aiden to achieve their goals.
Originally, they might have aimed for the Lionhearted.
But by now, both Varga and Athena had reached the same conclusion: going for him over the Lionhearted was far more reasonable.
In terms of 'potential,' the value of that man was simply on another level.
"Let’s just end this with a single decisive move. No more dragging it out."
Varga's eyebrow arched with interest.
▣
If there was one thing that had been clear for a while, it was that Katya, more often than not, seemed emotionally unstable—more than she let on.
"……."
…Seriously. In that sense,
Even if she’d shouted at him to his face, that would have been less terrifying than this.
Still sitting side by side on the terrace, Katya silently swung her legs over the edge of the cliff.
To Aiden, who was nervously glancing at her while sweating coldly, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.
She was someone who never even tried to hide her emotions—and with that kind of expression, he had no idea what she could be thinking.
In truth, Aiden had already expected that her mood would be terrible—so much so that he had even asked Milene in advance to help calm her down.
But if she had acted like this in front of someone she usually bickered with, like Noel—
"The Holiness said he would allow you inside the altar chamber, didn’t he?"
Before Aiden could follow that train of thought any further, Katya suddenly spoke.
Her tone was just as flat and emotionless as before, so it took him a moment to realize she had been the one to say it.
"…Yes. He said it was because I contributed the most."
Originally, the reward would have gone to the one who had conquered the most regions in the Tournament, but in the end, it had been awarded to Aiden.
The fact that not a single royal opposed that decision only proved how deeply Aiden’s performance had impressed everyone.
"Be careful."
"…?"
"That man never gives anything for free. If he piles a bunch of things into your hands, it’s because he wants to make you do something just as heavy in return."
"Katya…?"
Aiden called out to her in a daze.
This was a side of her he had never seen before.
She wasn’t consumed by a burst of emotion, like a fire flaring up—but rather, it was like a slow, steady release of ‘negation’ built up over many long years.
Katya wasn’t the type to hold grudges. She was someone who always let her emotions out as soon as they arose, straightforwardly.
The only real exception was Noel—but even that wasn’t quite hatred. She just didn’t like how Noel got along with Aiden, not because of anything personal between them.
However, when it came to the Pontiff—
…It was like she was speaking of an enemy she could never reconcile with.
"Just."
Katya muttered as she pressed her hand firmly against her chest.
"…It’s something I know from experience. That man’s behavior patterns."
Come to think of it—
Wasn’t she the only one who addressed him so casually?
Beyond just informal speech—among everyone in the Holy Crown Kingdom, Katya was the only one who consistently showed such open hostility toward Abigail III.
‘She didn’t even participate in the ceremony.’
Even if she was often ignored by those around her, she was still a royal with a rightful claim to succession. She had more than enough qualification to take part in the succession ceremony.
But she had voluntarily forfeited that right.
Considering her current attitude, it all made sense.
Right now, Katya was refusing to be involved in anything related to the Pontiff and her so-called ‘accomplishments.’
Even back when he had first tried to bring Aiden in, her extreme reaction had made that clear.
Realizing this again, Aiden quietly turned his gaze toward her.
"Katya."
"Hmm?"
"Did something happen between you and His Holiness?"
At those words, Katya slowly turned her head toward Aiden.
The motion carried the weight of someone wondering how best to sum up something far too complicated.
"It was just a failed mother-daughter relationship."
What finally came out was far darker than Aiden had expected.
"……."
"I was the only one foolishly hoping she’d become a mother to me. She never had any intention of doing so."
After saying that, Katya stretched out her arms in a long, lazy motion.
"Well, it’s already over. I don’t want to talk about her anymore."
…She really meant it.
If he pushed further, it would only feel like reopening a wound that had long since been stitched up and healed, so Aiden decided to say no more.
Katya, who had been silently watching him, then leaned back with a small smile.
Her body tilted backward over the railing, bringing her face closer to Aiden’s.
Yes—this was the Katya he knew.
The kind who always said whatever came to mind and carried it through without hesitation.
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Do it for me, too."
"……."
…He had wondered when something like that would come up.
Aiden barely managed to suppress the spinning in his head and forced his mouth open.
Secretly hoping that what he’d understood wasn’t quite what she had meant.
"What exactly are you asking me to do?"
"What you and the Lionhearted did."
"……."
"It looked nice. I wanted to try it, too."
"Katya."
"Hmm?"
"The thing is… Dame Noel and I are going to be married, so there’s really nothing improper about doing that kind of thing between us—"
As Aiden spoke, cold sweat now uncontrollably dripping from his forehead, Katya tilted her head and casually replied.
"Then I’ll marry you too."
"……."
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
At this point, he couldn’t even begin to figure out how to explain to this bullheaded woman just how wrong everything about that sentence was…
"Hey."
While Aiden was struggling with that thought, Katya tilted her head again and asked,
"Marriage means becoming family, right?"
"…Yes?"
"Then… am I not allowed to have a family?"
"……."
Aiden froze.
His expression, too, stiffened completely compared to a moment ago.
‘…That’s just unfair.’
If she approached it from that angle, he couldn’t possibly find the right words to reply.
Especially after what they had just been talking about.
In short—
"…Marriage is out of the question."
Even if it was a ridiculous promise, he found himself saying something to offer her.
Aiden brushed his damp bangs back with a quiet sigh and answered,
"But I’ll find a way for us to become a family. One way or another."
"……."
Katya blinked wide-eyed at his words—then burst out laughing.
"Pfft—what is that?"
"I’m the kind of person who does what he says. I’ll really find a way."
"Alright, then."
With that, Katya grabbed Aiden’s hand.
"…Promise."
Thumb to index finger, press press.
Like children making a pinky swear, the gesture made Aiden chuckle quietly.
Well.
He didn’t know what this would lead to, but at least she seemed to have calmed down.
This should keep things peaceful for now.
"……?"
That’s what he had thought—
Until he saw something suddenly shoot up from beyond the edge of the terrace where Katya was sitting.