Chapter 303: I’m very sorry, juniors—your senior apologizes
cvHVqvLife.d0b
R8VGqFThe trajectory of an existence.9W6aV
8NKI don’t know about my past life, but in this one, I couldn’t be happier.j882
rHZLIThey say happiness shouldn’t be spoken of lightly, and yet…ftBO6D2
Uez1‘Happiness.’4ik2ai
FqowhI can’t think of a word that better describes the fullness of this life.Rq4r
wnFY9Maybe that’s why.4RRewUC
DSgCuFor me, the concept of “dreaming” didn’t exist.l7T
TQFlAfter all, a dream is a projection of desire.4TZ74J7
SiyeeBut I didn’t want anything more than this. If I’m being completely honest.LoAZp76
PtmSVElThe real reason I stopped dreaming was something else.icU
3hOxkI annihilated the false gods. With my sashimi, I erased them from the universe as if they were pencil marks wiped clean with an eraser.KpWgoP
1Ei1eqAnd so, I became something close to a god. Though not exactly a god.vdkq08
KNaz7To begin with, I still retained my humanity. I have women I love. If I were a true god, that would be impossible.XNGG
hEzNThough I possess power comparable to the God of the Sword, my soul remains that of a mere human.ljh
MYxAnd I chose to accept that.P2jN
NPQ1vI didn’t want to wake from this sweet reality.7GD
IYDGHowever…kc4
wzXzp***4b3
xwFgdPT“Hmm.”Df5km5
O5EHalf-asleep, I opened my eyes.QV8GMN
1wQaTgMy vision was blurred, as if a film covered them.wDTT2Tt
XhZLI blinked slowly.EkNT62
Szl“What is this?”y5dq
QLHHolding off the sigh, I looked around.Ti1
lDiAgainst a pitch-black backdrop, scattered points of light shimmered without order.ljMBkU
XXVHxE6A sea of stars stretched out before me.XzN
yBMuKJSShhhhh…gWM6
kxZVoSlThe stars gathered into small clusters, forming galaxies.a1Qq
qEJvAnd then, those galaxies merged into a single, immense Milky Way.KLXLYZ
ZZtosIn that moment, the Milky Way opened slightly, above and below.iA4P
ukGT0It looked like a long mouth splitting open.RmH
mP3Then, a voice echoed without warning.Mzsly
cIru5[World formation progress: 98.99%.]RJjZf8T
caB[Resolve the anomaly immediately.]oA3h6Ea
VOp[Achieve world perfection.]1yenMD0
dU3I had returned to Joaquin Academy.uCxLZdR
frXEWLlI had spent the night on the director’s office sofa with my wife, Saki Ryozo.yBfkXq
FEskAnd for the first time in ten years, I dreamed.9mCMTG
pDCb[Notification to supreme god candidate.]7kJd
Az13Xu[You must abandon your ‘humanity’.]phNzuXn
AQx[It is an unnecessary impurity to perfection.]koY
DzfIxfuA dry, arid voice.V8QDUOg
dF6An unknown entity demanded I give up my happiness. A threat disguised as a warning.RdN8
8VTSeriously? To me?rkKIs
d4mFF“What a stupid dream.”Lj0uD
sEgI’d faced similar situations before.uNK
H28The difference now was, I no longer feared such nonsense.CtH
ZFY361Chiiing.ruI
7vU2ytEven in the dream, I drew my spiritual companion, Murasame.ShjTDX
mOYThe sword’s hum echoed through the universe.IzDlZX
ZyqyuhUI was ready to paint the cosmos in blood.kfKtD2
posl1@/-7+#%71$arZt5j
vRbDXHuh?He4BK
UYCUlCpThe universe trembled. Celestial bodies distorted, trailing light to the left and right.HsX
rP0tNo—actually, it was the other way around. I realized soon enough that it was my field of vision that trembled.fGl4koO
kvyj5qOA groan escaped me. I, who never gets dizzy, was experiencing cosmic vertigo.DLn
butDQEven in dreams, I formed my sashimi and drew my blade.izajH
kFlj2FNBut I couldn’t resist that voice.4XCEOER
kY29NDIEven in sleep, under its power?M2XHor
4P66jRWhile a deep sense of defeat filled me, the dry voice persisted.hBK
vJFl[If you do not comply, the suppressive agent will intervene directly.]98wM4o
ZJKxH[This is an unavoidable causal event.]UBbW4T
wLmBut then—zvdflAa
aHVV1@/- 7 4 #%7!$0r!!2tM
USczTjAA different voice dispersed that presence.zifhf0U
Qmb1QNo matter who that “suppressive agent” was, it had no power before her.izk
CpeTMy temples pulsed. It felt like a seismograph was vibrating wildly in my brain.U0zTU
dVOYAAyThrough the haze, she shouted again.7D4uhP
cAxrM/@/“Wake up!”kMn
GMU04I jolted awake. The universe vanished in a blink. A ceiling filled my vision.26w
SLYPqIShortly after, she—Saki Ryozo—leaned in, replacing the ceiling with her face.iAVP
NxobVEP“Are you planning to sleep all day?”culdg
HVHhH1v“…”m1s
8Woj4B6Ryozo was on top of me, looming from above.iKbL
KfeOI sat up. Though our faces were close, she didn’t pull away.H4M2TB
mrb‘Really…’VoPlXTa
yNN4B9VYou’ve changed a lot, Ryozo. At the start of our relationship, just holding hands would turn her face red as a tomato…ZQLt7
wrVfnjNow she stares at me like a hungry wolf. Not a trace of embarrassment.gr2Sla
Hccc66iShe is, without doubt, the finest “product” of Class Wolf (3h).UXxVNN
SdeR8“The sun is already high.”CJRcgd
sXvB3pHearing that, I looked to the window.7g5
vh9D9pThe blue of dawn had just begun to fade.ZCR
5yiLMorning bird songs softly touched my ears.fVH6D
wcjR“…But it’s still early morning.”TkKqoIp
lXFIu“By the time you’re bathed and ready, it’ll be day. Besides, starting early always feels good.”zTc
kQ5Ryozo used to be a nerd at the academy.Q94Vvt
77QZHer schedule was a mess, and she often skipped meals.zsU
mLqSBecoming director had semi-forced her to become a morning person.fKB56w
jIqOf course, that hasn’t been particularly good for my mental health.FP35e41
tq6yBBut thanks to that, her life is now healthier.MydDf6
Bv5if1tAnd good things are good.bOpq8yQ
QlJStill…Vnlk
D7f“Days usually start in the morning, not at dawn, Miss Ryozo.”YQYn9Y
U60RmsI joked with a hint of sarcasm.JhODL
eQMamlP“That’s how it’s done in Gehenna. Huh? But so what? In the human world, there’s no such rule. And even if there were, if I say it’s day, it’s day. At least here, in Joaquin Academy.”GQBFk3
CDkz“Isn’t that an abuse of power, Director?”3Rb
z1LS“Calling it abuse when I abolished discrimination against special students? What a funny comment, Heavenly Sword.”DnABdZ
MABx6Ryozo slowly fastened the buttons she’d left open at her chest.OtTW
Ka8jNThen she smiled slightly and added.nd4s
JluH0pR“You know what they say, right? The early bird catches the worm. Nothing wrong with being diligent. Let’s have breakfast.”YSOlh
ehmgneg‘Isn’t it too early for breakfast?’gdi
8yVmI swallowed the protest that rose in my throat.4b1W
EiFt4“There’s also the other version. The early worm is the one that gets eaten.”WAta2v
iny3OsI made a joke to shake off sleep. That was a mistake.KOY
rqQj“The one that gets eaten… you say…”vTRiN
WLvjRyozo murmured quietly. Her hands stopped adjusting her clothes.cUE5Y
3rrKTi“In Gehenna, they say the day starts in the morning.”kqPaPo
xkqUHD4“That was just a casual comment—”b3eaj
MYwUAVs“Then it’s still March 9.”d2AtkBJ
Kn7W7T“Ryozo?”NKHNut
F4m“The early bird fills its belly earlier.”0ZZLD
sSOhA bad feeling crept in.MGY2s
4Y3XEfHer hand, which had paused at a button, moved again.brCY
LZRdBut instead of going up, it swiftly went down. A rapid tutuduc followed.wGxCa9
HcS0“Excuse me, Miss Ryozo…”zGk
4x7I let my guard down. Ryozo’s IQ could devour any Mensa member, and her foresight as an archer was nearly prophetic.5ZN2e1n
3JCbI2No winning against her in a verbal match.j3EGe
s1mThud.bEg
PmGuCAwShe extended her hand and firmly pushed me in the chest. I fell back helplessly.WnC
k7N2That’s when you feel the “spicy touch” of an archer.9zb
4aS“Silence in the director’s office.”n1UiLFl
CBhoShe looked down at me, placing a finger to her lips. Lying down, I turned my head sideways.xDO
qCKFVTo top it off, the clock hands pointed at 5.eEbO
30HSIf we go by Ryozo’s logic, then it’s still March 9. I walked straight into my own trap.yFky
Jwldj)Haha. How sad—Heavenly Sword reduced to a worm.’4vC
hGkNThe slight unease from the dream vanished like it had been whitewashed.piZT1
wsUx4After an odd-numbered day comes an even one. An endless loop from which there’s no escape.8Y6
vpI1mMhSuddenly, I remembered that voice from the universe.3VgbP
lpz9— It is an unavoidable, preordained causality.swB
G9WIt’s all your fault. One day, I’ll cut you down.s1UyhPU
pW1And in the meantime, I kept repeating to myself like a mantra.0Jm3qoN
V8a2o‘Happiness.’2di
4fYjCwNI am happy, happy…STvZJ
RX7Y2IiBut then, why do my eyes feel moist? From early morning, I was already living the highs and lows of married life.ZJYT
l1yc***pgBlGr6
eHiwj1AIt was spring.yzGt
tNtuShff, shff.Aszc
0X8VR79The brittle grass crackled as it brushed against my ankles. So withered it was, it turned to dust at the slightest touch of skin.VvRLB
708DIt was a scene that perfectly reflected Gehenna’s arid nature.lJLy
DG59c1Even so, Horn continued walking with brisk steps.z00mR
PdowShe was a dragon. Though she longed for the human world, her home was still the Demon Realm.kDLyfl
64VT80G“Leon—!”t5mi
VBbEnlqThe hero, Leon van Reinhardt, turned around and smiled at her.H568L
9irA clean, radiant smile that didn’t seem to belong in Gehenna.YrFy
iUCR5oO“Horn? You’re here?”wTil4
vyQ6zzkLeon currently resided in Gehenna, for the sake of his father, Metatron.rlOTO
CkqIxjAs a form of atonement, he had left the comforts of the human world to roam the Demon Realm.lHT
LPy8zHe passed along any information he received during visits from the Heavenly Sword.a50o
fOVIdAtThere was still some awkwardness between them. After all, they both knew each other’s true identity.ECU
qjniiBut their bond was deeper than simple friendship.8QzLC
5dLThey didn’t share all their thoughts, but gradually, they were opening up more.N3s4NA
FC4Gx“You’ve grown so much, Horn. You’re a proper young lady now. You’re so lovely I recognized you from afar. At this rate, you should enter Gehenna’s beauty pageant.”Y0qr6H
WApmTThe woman at Leon’s side smiled faintly.d70pt63
OK5EeOcHorn, now close by, shyly lowered her gaze.LAz
MwMQvKThen she murmured softly.pzNK3
r3V“But Miss Meian is so much prettier… I look like a squid next to her…”xUuhO
1KFeE“Oh, stop that nonsense.”vOfMXA
d8d8koKnown as Power of Ten Thousand, she was Meain Poison.IKCB
bKO9R8cTwin sister of former director Media Poison and mentor of the Seven Stars.2m2ig
bPX1SChShe was deeply involved in studying Gehenna and occasionally cared for Metatron’s condition.lrw
KyCQvjn“I wish I were as beautiful as you, Miss Meian…”oHNa23u
JJpism“If you say it too often, it starts sounding like flattery.”FsQzp
6em“F-flattery? I really mean it!”Ywt5
bL4“I know.”kv252
KPQYHMeain gently stroked Horn’s head with an almost heavenly tenderness.YB0F08n
fR7XomVShe had also once served as a director.EqEU
DObCXctA true expert in dealing with the young.mpMDIq3
NbQ“But Horn, while you’re still in your teenage years, you need to take care of your self-esteem.”LTo7
k6a“Yes!”IXZJZO
5OiMeain withdrew her hand from Horn’s head but suddenly paused in surprise.eWI
VGfK2El“Hmm… Horn, how old did you say you were again?”oB5Lpf
2U9N“This year I turn 713!”07M
IyGMVc2“…Ah. Well, adolescence came a little late, huh? I’m also a bit older than I look. Mind if I call you noona?”CwyS
OIlI“Miss Meian!”LXcvJf
1bO“Just teasing, little sister.”pKyv
tY2“I mean it!”O2Oo
1Jnp“All right, all right.”3FyZdd
TrHlOzHorn pouted adorably.TWQM
ATu6WSatisfied with teasing her, Meain looked away.LnZN
DxmFLeon watched them both with a warm smile.dsp
Fe0x“Now then…”CAJN7v
lIIgPXxMeain returned to the main topic.tI5wd
6vT“What did you find that was important enough to call even the future dragon elder, Leon? You’ve made quite a trip, haven’t you? Go on, tell us.”MaaCP
OXB8“Seriously! Quit teasing meee!”b9qnFKt
7cYHorn was nearly in tears. Leon, who had been smiling, suddenly wore a serious expression.cx2y1yH
6k0W“The truth is… the environment in Gehenna is changing. We’ve been monitoring it for a while, but lately it’s intensified.”CpC64kO
o098XNcLeon knelt and plucked a stalk of grass. Then he opened his palm to reveal it.jqr
hnNcMpc“…!”y8RhV
geQkKL“Demon Realm grass… is alive?”dpaj
X7QPvDespite having lost its roots, the grass grown in Gehenna glowed with a fresh sheen.tBS0VYy
BsvxThat was a problem. Such vitality was typical of the human world.FFw
1LikLAnd now that same energy was appearing in Gehenna.6NE1j
YMzdwIf something was wrong, it had to be in one of the two worlds.6fHj0x4
EoWRp“This is just my personal opinion.”XQdW2
HAOULeon waved his hand, scattering the grass into the wind.DutPFem
uTd“I think Gehenna and the human world’s environments are beginning to merge.”jH4
ASkE9“And the cause… still unknown, of course.”En457eS
38zx90S“Yes.”beff68D
eqm7hMeain ran a hand through her hair, thinking for a moment.URFGd
frPTFPThen she looked at Leon.7Tu
mtH“Did you tell the Heavenly Sword?”B9lK
Dn5dk1l“No. I found out right after he left yesterday.”ZPO
FpJvwG“Then shouldn’t we tell him now?”KlNxaeP
feYLeon shook his head firmly.3UyH1s
PQxH“It’s his first break in two weeks. Let him rest. It’s not like we don’t have personnel in Gehenna. Besides, he has family there. Better he stays in the human world for at least a month.”pw9Ph
7pXYn“I suppose you’re right. You, me, and Horn are here. Let’s investigate on our own. Plus, he’s so impatient, he’ll probably prefer a full summary later.”syj
uHZJN9“Exactly.”XJH
HNO0“What should I do?” Horn asked, tilting her head.Rgs
wl8uZ2Z“Talk to the Dragon Lord. He’s the true ruler of Gehenna. He should know what’s going on.”9KD
kDN“Got it!”oLo
omjqThe conversation wrapped up.qzYh
KqIrlaMeain turned to leave, but then stopped and asked Leon again:OJWEKo
ndZNh“And what’s that guy doing at the Academy now?”t97hD
RGeg74x“Oh, that…”XOLtuMv
mybLeon hesitated before answering.7Yp
CYz“He’s working as a special guest lecturer.”djuKSH
v7U7Meain and Horn were stunned.nnFM
o426qyThey looked at each other and exclaimed.ZQZGjtM
H4p“The Heavenly Sword?”lDjh
G0i“Mom!?”pcdMFY
ocgLeon nodded heavily.S2bM
UjD“That guy’s going to teach someone!?”hIwQ7
y9Q“…Yeah…”mgea
9hPvmw“Oh no. The Academy is doomed.”6C6
9hwPPbvCouldn’t agree more.RnLw
wMgieAt a loss for words, Leon could only gaze at the overcast Gehenna sky.o8wnl
wZpmHe knew all too well—if there was one thing the Heavenly Sword was absolutely terrible at, it was teaching.YcfntCW
u7rHis infamous “Heavenly Class” was all the proof needed.QYnEhD
NPuCAs a former student of the Academy, Leon could only silently pray for his poor juniors.mJhbyiV
9E2EThat day, the sky was covered in black clouds.GfIq
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