The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 79

Ruin considered Hans a good friend.

He was the only friend who reached out to him when he was adopted by the Tower Master and struggled to adapt to the Magic Tower.

-What’s your name?

-Why do you want to know?

-I’m Hans. No last name!

-Who asked you to introduce yourself?

-…You’re really sensitive. But that’s okay! We can become friends from now on.

-Whatever.

He was one of the few friends who tolerated Ruin’s rough personality.

For over ten years, they had shared joys and sorrows in the Magic Tower. They were both orphans and had similar upbringings. Their shared love for magic brought them closer.

Although Hans had been demoted from a Direct Disciple Position due to his stagnant magical skills, Ruin thought they maintained their friendship by talking and relieving stress at the Academy.

The day before Hans went missing, he visited Ruin’s room with a liquor bottle in hand. Ruin, puzzled by Hans’ unusual behavior since he wasn’t fond of alcohol, didn’t think much of it.

-Ruin… I’m thinking of giving up on magic.

-What are you saying, idiot? How do you plan to make a living if you quit magic?

-It’s just… Every time I’m compared to you and our other friends, I feel like this path isn’t meant for me. No matter how hard I try, I don’t think I’ll ever escape the lower ranks.

-Stop spouting nonsense and just focus on what you’re doing. Once you graduate from the Academy, you can get into a good household. And wouldn’t the Tower Master recommend you for a decent position?

-…You think so?

-Just do your best, like I do. It’s not like I only fool around.

-…Do my best?

-Yeah. Put in relentless effort.

-Even if it costs me my life?

-Idiot. Isn’t that obvious?

After pouring out his heart, Hans left Ruin’s room that day with a refreshed expression.

-Ruin, you told me to do it.

Hans left behind those ominous words.

Up until that moment, Ruin never imagined things would escalate this much.

Not even a little.

*

The Magic Circle began to emit a crimson glow.

The corpses piled on the Magic Circle turned into black liquid, serving as nourishment for the spell. The dark energy emanating from the Magic Circle started clinging to Hans, the caster.

To block the horrifying malice of the dark energy, Yuria poured out her Divine Power to suppress it, but her clumsy efforts were no match for the intricately crafted spell.

The spell’s name was ‘Metamorphosis.’

A spell designed to shed the shell of a wizard and be reborn as a Dark Sorcerer, it was invented by Calypso, a Dark Sorcerer who had plunged the Empire into terror a hundred years ago.

The more human souls gathered, the stronger the spell’s power became, and the type of ability was determined by the caster’s desires—a truly evil magic.

One year ago, on a certain day.

Hans discovered the spell while training in a dungeon.

-Rumble, rumble, rumble…

With a majestic sound that shook the earth, the screams of the victims began to echo from the spell.

The piercing malice weighed heavily on the shoulders of the three, and Mikhail shouted at Ruin.

“Ruin!”

“…”

“What are you doing? Snap out of it!”

Mikhail’s words didn’t reach Ruin.

It all felt like a lie.

He couldn’t believe that his close friend, who couldn’t even kill an ant, was capable of committing such a horrifying act.

Standing at the center of the altar with a maniacal smile, his close friend’s appearance was unrecognizable.

Introverted.

Timid Hans.

That version of him had long disappeared.

Hans, awakening to Dark Magic, was laughing maniacally. His face showed satisfaction with the surging power.

“There was such an easy way to become strong. Why did I waste time going in circles? I didn’t even need to study bothersome things like formulas or calculations.”

Ruin gritted his teeth and asked Hans.

“Hans, I just want to ask you one thing.”

“Hmm?”

“The people here… Did you kill them all?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Hans replied.

“Yeah. Isn’t magic meant to kill people anyway? What’s the big deal?”

Ruin’s Red Sphere began to rise, radiating an intense heat as if it were about to explode.

One. Two. Three.

Countless fiery spheres floated in the air, and Hans watched them with fascination.

“You’ve grown again? How strong are you planning to get?”

“It’s not growth; it’s effort.”

“Right, effort… I know all about that. I’ve tried it myself.”

With a snap of his fingers, Hans made a sharp sound.

At the same time, a black wave spread across the ground, and the spheres Ruin had created began to vanish with a hissing sound.

Ruin’s pupils trembled violently.

Hans spoke to the startled Ruin in a detached tone, as if sharing a philosophy he had realized through experience. Calmly, Hans continued.

“Ruin, the Domain of Talent and the Domain of Effort are completely different. No matter how long you lock yourself in the library, you can’t catch up to talent.”

“Don’t you agree, Ruin? Ah… Maybe you’re different. You always said magic was easy. Perhaps you think differently.”

Hans stared straight at Ruin with a twisted smile. Though he had to look up due to his shorter stature, the overwhelming magic Hans displayed made him seem anything but small.

Standing before Ruin, Hans spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about my path for a long time.”

“Was it after I was stripped of my Direct Disciple Position…? Anyway, I had a lot on my mind. I wondered if this path was truly mine, going through a stormy period of doubt.”

“Still, magic was fun, you know? Casting spells with my own hands and receiving praise from the Tower Master felt amazing. But that all ended because of you.”

Hans spoke indifferently about his story, his voice devoid of resentment or bitterness, as if he had reached a state of enlightenment.

“So I was going to give it up.”

Emotion began to seep into Hans’ voice.

“There’s no point in continuing when there’s no sign of improvement. It’s just foolish. That’s why I wanted to ask you, Ruin.”

“…”

“Should I give up on magic?”

Hans’ black eyes began to ripple.

“But, Ruin, you told me. Have you ever given it your best? So I gave it my best.”

“Thanks to your advice, I succeeded, Ruin.”

Hans’ eyes began to fill with madness.

“Look, Ruin.”

He infused dark energy into his fingertips and showed it to Ruin.

Looking directly into Ruin’s eyes, he declared that he, too, could possess talent like him—not a fool struggling with insufficient mana, but a gifted prodigy.

Ruin prepared his magic once again. To stop his cherished friend and to do what he must.

Clenching his fists tightly, he said.

“Even so, you’ve crossed the line.”

“The line?”

As Ruin generated another Red Sphere, Hans waved his hand, neutralizing Ruin’s magic.

“Who decides the line? Did the Goddess decree it? You and Mikhail over there learned magic to kill people anyway.”

“No. We learned it to protect people…”

“Stop living in a fantasy, idiot.”

Hans let out a deep sigh and reached out toward Ruin.

“It’s my first time, so controlling the power might be tricky. Be careful.”

“What?!”

With a sharp sound, several Black Chains emerged from behind Hans. The jet-black chains floated in the air and began to shoot forward like bullets at Hans’ command.

“Got you.”

The chains shot forward swiftly at Hans’ command. Ruin tried to turn and evade, but the Black Chains, branching out in multiple directions, had already wrapped tightly around Ruin’s legs.

Sssk. With the sound of the chains pulling taut, Ruin’s body was slammed to the ground.

“It’s so easy. Why did I even bother worrying about it all this time?”

Hans, with his hands in his pockets, walked toward the fallen Ruin.

Just as Ruin had always done, Hans walked arrogantly with his hands in his pockets.

Ruin struggled to break free, but the chains that had initially bound his legs now tightly restrained both his hands and feet, leaving him unable to move.

The Black Chains began to emit an Ominous Energy.

Sssk. The tighter the chains constricted, the more it felt as though the mana within Ruin’s body was being drained, and the chains tightened even further.

“Hans, snap out of it…!”

“Why are you trying to turn a perfectly sane person into a lunatic?”

Hans pressed his foot down on Ruin’s head.

“A wizard trying to engage in close combat—doesn’t that make you the crazy one?”

“Hans…!”

“Hold still. I told you, it’s my first time, so I’m not great at controlling the power yet.”

“Get a grip!”

Mana flowed out of Ruin’s body through the chains.

The Black Chains absorbed Ruin’s Mana and began to constrict him even more forcefully.

Hans bent down.

Placing his hand on Ruin’s head, Hans muttered as Dark Energy began to flow from his touch.

“So, this is how it’s done.”

‘[Plunder]’

As the Black Mana engulfed Ruin, Hans’ Dark Magic spread rapidly, consuming Ruin’s body. Hans’ dark sorcery was a power rooted in Greed.

He had envied the talents of others.

Hans’ desire to steal the heights he could never reach was reflected in his ability.

‘[Plunder]’

It was the ability to steal a target’s Unique Ability. If he had complete understanding of the target’s ability, he could take it for himself.

Hans placed his hand on Ruin’s head, aiming to steal Ruin’s Unique Ability, the ‘Flame Script.’

Overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding, Ruin trembled.

“Aaaagh!!! Let me go!”

“Hmm… This is a bit tricky.”

“I said, let me go!”

“Hold still for a moment. If I steal something weird, it’ll be awkward for both of us. Don’t you think you should understand how I feel?”

Hans’ magic delved into Ruin’s Magic Circuit, searching for his Unique Magic, the ‘Fire Script.’ Just as the tendrils of Dark Energy began to steal Ruin’s magic—

“Stop!”

With a flash of a blade, Mikhail’s Sword gleamed brightly.

In a swift motion, Mikhail severed the chains that had been binding Ruin. Gasping for air, Ruin was pulled behind Mikhail, who raised his sword toward Hans.

Hans waved his hand dismissively.

“Ah, Mikhail.”

Countless Black Chains shot toward Mikhail, but he calmly swung his sword, cutting through them one by one.

Hans clicked his tongue as he watched Mikhail.

“Tsk… I’d love to have Mikhail’s abilities too, but I can’t mess with him since I don’t know what kind of talent he has.”

“Shut up.”

“What? Is it a crime to be envious?”

“I said, shut up…”

Hans wrapped a chain around his arm. The chains coiled together, forming the shape of a massive hand.

With a bright smile, Hans swung it.

“One down, for now.”

With a loud crash, Mikhail was sent flying. Hans muttered as he watched him fall.

“Tsk… I told you not to get in my way.”

Hans turned back toward the fallen Ruin. Just as he was about to cast ‘Plunder’ on Ruin again—

“Hans!”

Yuria’s trembling voice called out to Hans, stopping him in his tracks.

Hans raised his head and looked at Yuria.

Even in this Desperate Situation, Yuria’s unwavering eyes met Hans’.

They were familiar eyes.

Eyes that always carried Hope.

When Hans had despaired at the Wall of Talent that was Ruin, she had comforted him, saying he could do it.

To Hans, who had few human connections, she was one of the rare friends he remembered as a good person.

With her steadfast gaze, Yuria shouted at Hans.

“This isn’t who you are!”

“…”

Yuria’s eyes glistened with tears.

Seeing her on the verge of crying, Hans felt a strange pang of guilt.

“We used to read books together in the library, work on assignments… Remember? Are you doing this because it’s hard? We’ll help you. If you stay with us, you can grow too, Hans.”

“…”

Hans’ expression grew heavier, and he let out a bitter smile.

“It’s too late, Yuria.”

“No, it’s not, Hans!”

Clenching her fists tightly, Yuria conveyed her True Feelings.

She didn’t want to fight.

She said they were good friends and that they could find a way together. Yuria’s warm words carried her sincerity.

“We’re friends.”

“…Yeah, we’re friends.”

“You can rise again. If you’re struggling, I’ll help you.”

Hearing Yuria’s words, Hans gave an awkward smile.

“But, Yuria.”

“Yes…?”

Hans’ expression turned cold.

“What can you even do for me?”

“What?”

“You can’t do anything for me, so what are you even talking about helping me? You’ve never done anything for me before.”

Yuria’s face began to show signs of shock. Hans looked at her and spoke coldly.

“Yuria, didn’t anything come to mind while you were on your way here?”

“Huh…?”

“You must’ve remembered something.”

Yuria, her voice trembling, asked Hans.

“What are you talking about?”

Hans shook his head as if he found it amusing.

“When you were abandoned in the dungeon, don’t you remember anything?”

“What?”

“You know, Yuria. When you were abandoned in the dungeon, you fled here.”

With a sly smile, Hans spoke to Yuria.

“Thanks to you, I was able to find this place. Anyway.”

“What?”

“There was a Very Old Monster living here. A monster over a hundred years old.”

Cracks began to form on Yuria’s expression.

“What are you saying?”

Hans let out a laugh.

“How do you think you survived?”

In that moment, a Blue Window appeared before Yuria’s eyes.

-You have failed the Quest.

‘Huh…?’

[Opening the 42nd Side Story, ‘The Unqualified One,’ immediately.]

Yuria’s time began to freeze.

[Commencing viewing.]