“I’m immortal, bitch.” - Cin Coperus, 250 years after his first appearance, in the year 713 A.C.

I awoke with a splitting headache. Sitting up, I looked around and realized that I was in the school's clinic. “Morning sunshine.” A familiar voice said from

my left. Turning, I saw Cori sitting next to my bed. Other than his eyes, which were a little red, he looked fine. I heaved a sigh of relief at that, before

beginning to panic. “Cori! My father, is he alright?” Cori nodded. “Relax. He didn’t kill anyone.” That sentence stunned me into silence. The Heretical

God of Death, humanity's greatest criminal, hadn’t killed anyone? “Makus is still unconscious, but Lord Vitar says he’ll be waking up soon. I myself only

woke up a couple of hours ago.” Cori continued. I nodded. “Anyway, that’s not what I want to talk about.” He then looked me dead in the eye. “Why did

you do that?” He asked. “I could say the same to you.” I cooly retorted. Cori sighed. “Why would you do something so stupid, as to look the God of

Death in the face?” I gritted my teeth. Rage was building inside me. All my life, I had been taught by my father about the glory of the Church, and about

the one and only stain on its’ history. All my life, I had been taught that it was the duty of a believer to faithfully follow the Will of Mana, traversing the

Path to Godhood. All my life, I had been taught that I must punish heretics. And now, Cori was telling me that I should have bowed my head in front of

the greatest heretic of them all? That I should have betrayed my father and my faith? “He’s a criminal, Cori. The most heinous villain to ever exist. Are

you telling me that I should simply bow my head in fear and let him walk all over me? He’s a heretic! He must be punished for his sins! I refuse to bow

my head in front of a heretic like him.” Cori glared at me. “So you’d rather die than bow your head?” He said, voice rising in volume. “He was going to

kill us anyways!” I shouted. “Besides, who are you to say anything? You moved, Cori! You’re going on and on about how I should have simply bowed my

head in fear, when you are the one who stood up to a God!” Cori stared at me, before lowering his head. “I-I just couldn’t let it happen again.” He said in

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a dejected voice. “I couldn’t just watch someone I care about die again.” My anger died down. Throughout all the time I had knew him, I had never seen

Cori look like this. Look so…weak. So dejected. “Thanks.” I said quietly. He looked up at me, before smiling sadly. “No problem.”

I awoke with a splitting headache. “Oh good, you’re finally awake. I was about to start biting you.” An annoyingly familiar voice said to my side. “Fuck

you to, Corin.” I said, sitting up. Corin and Reina were both sitting at the side of my bed. We were in the academy’s clinic. “Where’s Lord Vitar?” I asked.

“He said he had things to take care of and left.” Corin explained. “He didn’t look very happy about leaving two unconscious patients behind, but said that

it was important and left me to explain things to you.” I nodded. “So what happened?” I asked. Corin took a deep breath and then briefly went over

everything that had happened while I was unconscious. I looked at him in stunned disbelief. “The God of Death didn’t kill anyone?” Corin nodded. “I was

just as surprised as you when Cori told me.” Reina said. “After experiencing that, I can’t believe that he would just leave without killing anyone. But Lord

Vitar confirmed it, so it must be true.” No one said anything for a bit after that, leaving us in contemplating silence. After a while, I opened my mouth and

said “Do you guys think you could give me some time to rest? Sorry, but I’m really tired right now.” The two of them nodded, and then stood up. Corin

clapped me on the shoulder, and then drew the curtains around my bed closed. I heard them walking away. Laying back down on the bed, I clenched

my fist. ‘Damn it.’ I was supposed to be the strongest of the three of us, yet when faced with that overwhelming presence, all I could do was bow my

head in fear. Reina stared at him, and Corin, the weakest of us by far, actually moved! I always knew he was a madman, but I didn’t think he would be

able to do something like that. Meanwhile, I, with my God ranked mana core, couldn’t do anything. ‘No. That’s not right.’ I didn’t do anything. I was too

scared to move, too scared to act. ‘I was weak.’ My friends were about to die, I was about to die, and yet I didn’t do anything. ‘How pathetic you are

Makus.’ How pathetic.

Lord Vitar returned shortly after Makus woke up, and after a quick checkup discharged all three of us. We had been unconscious for a day, and missed

the farewell ceremony, which hadn’t been canceled even with the appearance of Cin Coperus nearby. According to Lord Vitar, Cin Coperus had left

shortly after knocking us unconscious, and besides, he had never attacked the academy anyway, not even during the Day of Red Cathedrals. I went

back to my dorm room to pack. Reina was going to be staying in the Sacred City, and Makus was traveling back to his hometown in the north. I was

going to be taking a carriage on a week-long journey back to the Rivum Estate in Caerin Kingdom, where my father was waiting for me. Changing out of

my school uniform, I put on other clothes for the first time in what felt like forever. Looking around my room, I did one last sweep before walking out the

door, suitcase in tow. ‘It’s time to go home.’ And to face whatever was waiting for me there.