CHAPTER 164 – PROMISE IN THE NEXT LIFE
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN – PREVIOUS TIMELINE
The Purge of Humanity was slowed down for the next two years, primarily due to two significant reasons. First, we are not yet prepared to confront Arthur and his formidable anti-Dragon Lord bodyguard, Deo. No matter how glorious our achievements may seem, Arthur possesses the terrifying ability to rewind time using his so-called Regression Magic, rendering all our efforts futile and reversing our progress with a mere thought.
Second, I have intricate plans involving Lysander Faradeiss. I've known Lysander as a quiet man plagued by chronic stomach problems. However, recalling our days back in magic high school, I remember him as a reasonable and strategic thinker. I've heard whispers of his oddly advantageous schemes, such as orchestrating secret dates and meetings between Maggie and her ex-boyfriend Johnny. Moreover, Lysander is Arthur's best friend, which means he holds invaluable knowledge about him. If I can convince Lysander to join our cause, he could tip the scales in our favor and lead us to victory.
Eva, who was secretly betraying humanity's side, provided updates on Lysander's activities. According to her, Lysander made significant strides on three battlefronts ever since his heart was replaced with Exceria’s. His magical powers have tripled, and he has mastered high-end military-grade nuclear magic—a feat even spellcasters like Earvin and Gaeun cannot achieve. This is why I place immense hope in Lysander. He could be the key to our salvation, the savior we've been desperately seeking.
When Lysander was finally promoted to an Erudite, I arranged with Eva to meet him in secret at the crater of Tasty Town. My condition was a face-to-face meeting without anyone else knowing. This secluded location was the only place I could think of where we could converse without interruptions. It was also the perfect setting for me to seek my retribution.
I stood at the center of the crater of Tasty Town, staring at the debris and destruction I had caused four years ago. Each time I think of it, my heart shatters anew. This immense abyssal crater is one of the most haunting places on the planet, a stark reminder of the most horrifying act I ever committed. The silence of the place amplifies its eeriness, making the atmosphere feel even more surreal and oppressive.
Lysander arrived punctually, as always. He descended gracefully with the help of his Wings of Light, his blue eyes filled with a murderous intent as they locked onto mine.
“Hiraya Misteltein,” Lysander muttered, his voice cold and sharp.
“Lysander Faradeiss,” I replied, forcing a smile to greet him. “I thought you might never come. But here you are, ten minutes early, just as punctual as ever.”
“You’ve always kept meticulous records on every Magic High School student. That much is understandable,” Lysander said, his tone edged with nostalgia. “It’s been eight years, huh.”
“Yeah,” I replied, giving a wry smile as I looked at the ground. “Since you made a mess on our school bus and earned the nickname Dynamite Diarrhea.”
“You were always a caring person, Vice Prez,” Lysander muttered softly. “And that’s why I had a crush on you back then.”
My smile transformed into a frown as soon as I heard Lysander’s stale confession. “I’m sorry, Lysander. I’m already married. And with everything happening right now… I don’t think you still have the admiration you once had for me.”
Lysander clenched his fists in anger. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, unable to meet my gaze. “I’m surprised you dare to show your face before me. You have betrayed us all this time. Everyone in the student council, the students of Magic High, and everyone in Tasty Town. Even my whole family is…” His voice trailed off, choked with emotion.
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I noticed Lysander was suppressing his tears, refusing to let them fall. He was gritting his teeth, straining to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. I remained silent, knowing that nothing I could say would ever heal his deep wounds.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you… Did you bomb Tasty Town out of your own volition?” Lysander asked, his voice trembling.
I looked away and held my aching heart. “Yes.”
“To kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people?!” Lysander raised his voice, the pain and betrayal evident in his tone.
“That is part of the plan. Yes,” I said, closing my eyes, trying to shield myself from the weight of my own words.
“Why such a plan?” Lysander asked, his voice laced with pain and confusion.
“To purge humankind and disable Arthur’s Archonlight. So that we can kill him and save the planet,” I replied, mixing inconvenient lies with fragments of the truth.
“What about my family? The people in the school?” Lysander’s voice trembled with anguish. “Are they simply expendable pawns that you wanted to throw away?”
“They all had to die,” I stated coldly. “Yes, all these sins are mine to bear.”
“You’re a horrible person, Hiraya Misteltein,” Lysander said, his words cutting deep.
As soon as I heard those words, I looked at the ground, my strength failing me. I started to kneel. “Forgive me, Lysander Faradeiss. For this very moment, I am bowing my head to someone for the first time in my life. I have no shame nor reputation left to lose. I will let you kill me. Just please… help us.”
“Do you think you will be forgiven just because you are bowing your head to me?!” Lysander roared, his voice echoing through the eerie silence. “Do you think everyone will forgive you for what you’ve done? Millions of people died just because you wanted to kill one single person! If you want to be forgiven, then bring everyone back to life right now! You’re a Dragon Lord, right? You lead the immortal army of Dragons! Bring them back to life!”
“I can’t,” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. “But this is the only thing I can give you right now. I can’t return to the past! I can’t undo what I have done!”
Lysander grabbed my neck, but there was no force behind his grip. He was torn, trying to summon the will to kill me yet unable to fully commit. His blue eyes were now brimming with tears, mirroring his inner turmoil.
“Tell me, Hiraya!” he shouted, his voice thick with hatred and anguish. “Why did you revive me? Why did you give me a dragonoid’s heart? Why!?”
“Because I wanted you to live. I wanted you to be my pawn, to help me kill Arthur once and for all. I wanted to learn about the Regression Magic, the secrets of Deo, the whereabouts of the Orb of Exceria, and the location of Arthur,” I confessed with brutal honesty.
“So you were planning to use me all along, to kill my own kind? And then dispose of me once I had done everything you wanted?” Lysander cried, his voice breaking. “Just how low can you be?”
I did not answer. I knew that anything I said would only further infuriate him. I didn’t know what I was thinking, really. Why was I telling him the whole truth? I did have evil plans for him, so why did I choose to disclose everything now? Was it because of the Heart of Exceria inside him? Was it because he had become a part of me too?
There was a deep silence between us, a heavy, oppressive stillness that seemed to stretch on forever. The weight of our shared history and the enormity of our actions hung in the air, an unspoken testament to the irreversible choices we had made. The silence was suffocating, filled with unspoken words and emotions too complex to articulate. It was a silence that spoke of betrayal, pain, and the faintest glimmer of hope for redemption, buried beneath layers of guilt and sorrow.
Lysander let go of me, wiped away his tears and took a deep breath. Then, he took a few steps backward and offered his hand to me.
“You were my first and last love, Hiraya. You gave me a second chance in life, so I’ll see what you do until the very end,” Lysander said, his voice steadying.
“I-I’m sorry, Lysander.” I took his hand, and he helped me stand. “As I told you before, I’m already married to my loved one. But I promise, I will find you in my next life.”
Lysander scoffed lightly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I know it’s impossible, but I will take that as a real promise.”
“I always fulfill my promises.” I smiled at him, and for the first time in almost a decade, I finally managed to give a genuine smile to someone.
As we stood there amidst the wreckage of Tasty Town, the past's heavy burden seemed to lift slightly. The crater around us, once a symbol of destruction and despair, now felt like a place where the seeds of redemption could be sown. The silence that had enveloped us began to recede, replaced by a fragile understanding and the faintest hope for a future that could be rebuilt from the ashes of our shared past.