Chapter 100
Joo Sarang—no, Seo Da-hee, who had taken on Joo Sarang’s appearance through the Mask of the Deceiver—looked at me with anxious eyes.
“Do you really think this is the right thing to do?”
“What is?”
“Revealing to Iseo that I’m still alive!”
“It’s right. That’s why we’re doing it.”
At my curt reply, Seo Da-hee flared up.
“That’s not what I meant. What if she gets angry because we deceived her all this time? What if she thinks we’re traitors too?”
“Why are you the one worrying about that? I’m the one who put a hole in your chest. I’m the one who locked you in that studio apartment.”
At my words, Seo Da-hee’s expression grew complicated.
Truthfully, even though I spoke calmly, cold sweat was running down the back of my neck.
How would she react once she learned the truth?
Still, I could no longer delay revealing it.
There was a reason I had gone as far as pretending to kill Seo Da-hee and hiding her existence.
When Berid had been cornered—
it was to use her as a hidden card that could drag him down completely.
Now, Pandemonium’s gaze that had once been cast toward Yoo Iseo had been withdrawn, and Berid was too preoccupied to maintain his information network.
Now was the perfect time to reveal the truth.
Above all, since we could now use the Mask of the Deceiver, there was no longer any need for Seo Da-hee to stay in hiding.
I looked at her.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yeah.”
Seo Da-hee nodded firmly.
At present, Yoo Iseo was in her dormitory.
Normally, the old Yoo Iseo would have been in the Student Council room at this hour,
but ever since the Honey Jack Club incident, she had spent more time staying in her dorm and either returned late to the Council or didn’t come at all.
It was likely because she hadn’t yet identified who among the Student Council members could be trusted and was trying to minimize contact with them.
For me—who had to meet her in secret—this was a fortunate circumstance.
The only issue was that men were strictly forbidden from entering the female dorms.
So, I too borrowed the appearance of a female cadet through the Mask of the Deceiver.
As we walked through the dormitory, a hint of nostalgia crossed Seo Da-hee’s face.
She still seemed unable to relax, her fingers constantly fidgeting without rest.
We reached Yoo Iseo’s dorm room and gently knocked on the door.
Before long, Yoo Iseo opened it.
“Cadet Joo Sarang, and the person beside you is…?”
“She’s a friend.”
“I didn’t expect Cadet Joo Sarang to seek me out. What brings you here?”
Yoo Iseo’s tone was cold.
No doubt because all Student Council members were under suspicion—and Joo Sarang was one of them.
Seo Da-hee answered her question, her voice faintly trembling.
“There’s something important I’d like to discuss with you, President. Would it be alright if we talked inside?”
“So it’s something you came with a friend to say. I suppose it’s not a conversation fit for the hallway?”
At Seo Da-hee’s words, Yoo Iseo’s expression grew even more guarded.
At times like this, a direct approach was better.
I quietly added,
“It’s about a Demon.”
At the word Demon, Yoo Iseo’s face stiffened.
“…Come in.”
She led us into the room.
Yoo Iseo’s room was messier than I had imagined.
Clothes scattered everywhere, countless documents spread across the floor—
and an entire wall covered in photographs and notes.
So this was what she had been doing instead of attending the Student Council—
ceaselessly trying to deduce who the traitor was.
After confirming the door was shut, Yoo Iseo released her mana throughout the room.
She was setting up a barrier to prevent any sound from leaking out.
Her pupils glowed blue.
“So, what is it you wanted to say?”
Her intent was clear—if I said the wrong thing, she’d subdue me instantly.
Still, since she’d erected a barrier, it was about time I revealed myself.
I released the Mask of the Deceiver’s power.
Yoo Iseo’s eyes wavered as she recognized me.
“Cadet Yoo Seongwoo…? That just now—?”
It was natural for her to be shocked.
Though the aura couldn’t be sensed while the power was active,
the moment it was invoked and then released, the presence of demonic energy could be clearly felt.
And such a miracle could only be achieved through the Power of a Demon.
“It’s the Power of a Demon. You’ve been suspicious of me for a while, haven’t you?”
“…What are you thinking, coming here like this? Don’t tell me you’ve come to surrender yourself?”
As she said that, Yoo Iseo’s hair turned white.
She looked ready to attack at any moment.
If a fight broke out here, the instructors would immediately notice the disturbance and rush in.
But this level of hostility was already expected.
I drew The Reader from my shadow and drove it into the ground.
With a heavy thud, the blade pierced the floor and a white space expanded outward.
The Reader retained the original function of the Guardian’s Sword.
No—after evolving when it inherited the Guardian’s power, its barrier’s strength had only grown greater.
Perhaps thinking my action was a threat, Yoo Iseo transformed into a streak of lightning and appeared before me in an instant.
She struck with the Spear of Thunderbolt in hand.
Clang!
But her attack failed.
Before she knew it, Seo Da-hee had summoned her spear and shield, blocking Yoo Iseo’s strike.
After a brief clash, Yoo Iseo froze mid-motion.
“The previous barrier wasn’t enough, so I simply reinforced it. Please, don’t be so wary. I came here because I wanted to talk with you, President.”
It seemed my voice no longer reached her ears.
Yoo Iseo’s gaze never left Seo Da-hee.
“You’re not Cadet Joo Sarang, are you? We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“……”
At her question, Seo Da-hee closed her mouth and looked toward me.
Her eyes said she didn’t know how to answer.
But even if she sought help from me, there was nothing I could say.
This was a path she had to walk on her own.
“The way you look now is different from before. Did you receive help from Cadet Seongwoo? Who exactly are you?”
Yoo Iseo’s gaze was fixed solely on Seo Da-hee.
It was as if she had forgotten that I, the one who had used the Power of a Demon, was even present.
I could understand that well enough.
Seo Da-hee had already told me that the two of them had met once before at the Honey Jack Club.
And she also mentioned that Yoo Iseo seemed to have recognized her identity during that fight.
In truth, this was one of the reasons I decided it was better to reveal Seo Da-hee’s existence to Yoo Iseo as soon as possible.
If Yoo Iseo had truly realized who Seo Da-hee was—
then in her process of weeding out and suspecting Demons, Seo Da-hee’s image must have lingered in her thoughts.
If she were to fall into despair and corruption because of that—
it would be an absurd situation where all of Berid’s plans failed, yet Yoo Iseo herself became corrupted.
That was something I had to prevent.
Only if Yoo Iseo fulfilled her role properly would subduing Berid become easier.
Seo Da-hee, now seemingly resolved, glanced at me and nodded.
I released the power of deception I had placed upon her.
The appearance of Joo Sarang that had covered Seo Da-hee began to melt away.
Her true form slowly revealed itself.
A short girl with doll-like features, her face stiffened with unease.
Yoo Iseo’s expression froze.
She was trying to remain composed, but the tremor in her eyes betrayed her agitation.
“Da-hee…?”
“H-hi.”
Seo Da-hee gave an awkward smile.
But no response came.
Yoo Iseo continued to look at her in disbelief.
When she finally gathered herself, the question she threw wasn’t to Seo Da-hee—but to me.
“How am I supposed to take this? Is this another trick from Pandemonium?”
“There’s no trick. What you see before you is the truth itself.”
“…I just saw your appearance change. You expect me to believe that?”
Her tone grew sharper, cutting.
White energy began to surge from Yoo Iseo’s body, her hair standing on end.
A powerful aura filled the white space around us.
Seeing her look ready to strike at any moment, I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender.
“I’ll say this again—I’m only here to talk. And my power doesn’t project memories or habits, even if it changes appearances.”
“In that excuse, I still don’t see any reason—or proof—for me to believe you.”
With a crackling sound, spears of lightning began forming one after another in the air.
Seeing this, Seo Da-hee stepped in front of Yoo Iseo.
“Please listen! Everything we did was for you!”
“Don’t act friendly with me while wearing Da-hee’s face!”
The spears of thunder rained down from above.
Damn it, I had tried my best not to provoke her, but it seemed Seo Da-hee’s very existence was too strong a trigger.
I quickly pulled Seo Da-hee into my arms and activated the Dark Relic, forming a massive shield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The heavy bombardment numbed my arms.
As I was about to summon the armor through my demonic power, Seo Da-hee stopped me.
Yoo Iseo frowned at the sight.
“Show your true self. Why do you have the same habits, the same fighting style as Da-hee? Is this the Power of a Demon? Did you steal her body and memories?”
“No… I’m the real Seo Da-hee! Your friend, you idiot!”
Seo Da-hee shouted, her eyes brimming red.
“I’m sorry for showing up only now… I know how much pain I caused you. But I had no choice.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Pain? I lost my family! Do you even know what it feels like to have your heart ripped out?”
“I do! I know! I’ve felt that same loss! I felt the hand that pierced my chest—and the cold eyes of someone I trusted staring down at me!”
Seo Da-hee’s death had become a deep trauma for both of them.
Yoo Iseo had lost her family.
Seo Da-hee had died at the hands of the person she loved—me—
and after being resurrected, she was forced to live in isolation, cut off from everything she cherished.
Even though the person Yoo Iseo longed for more than anyone stood right before her, she couldn’t help but doubt her.
It was a tragedy—and I was the one who had caused it.
Before long, thick tears began to fall from both their eyes.
“We promised, didn’t we? Even if the whole world turns against us—
we’d always stand by each other no matter what… Then why won’t you believe me?”
“……”
Yoo Iseo’s eyes wavered under Seo Da-hee’s desperate gaze.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“If you’re really Da-hee, then why are you only showing up now? If you’d come back earlier, we could’ve taken care of the Demons in the Student Council long ago.”
“That’s because…!”
As Seo Da-hee tried to answer, I raised my hand to stop her.
That question wasn’t hers to answer.
“It’s because of me. I stopped her.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The moment her identity was revealed, I would’ve been in trouble.”
At my words, Yoo Iseo’s expression hardened.
“Explain yourself clearly.”
“You still haven’t realized who I am, have you?”
“Your identity?”
At that, she closed her mouth, thinking.
I could roughly tell what she was imagining.
Yoo Iseo suspected Ha Yoon.
She must have believed Ha Yoon to be the Devil Knight.
That image of the Devil Knight must’ve been deeply imprinted in her mind.
But she was wrong.
“There are two commander-class Demons dispatched to the Academy. Ha Yoon is the one known as Berid.”
“Berid…?”
“I suspected as much after seeing your notes. Your information is fragmented and incomplete, President. That’s why you’re at risk of being manipulated by him.”
“If he is Berid… then you are…”
Instead of answering, I began to draw upon the Power of a Demon.
From my shadow, black darkness surged forth and clung to my body.
The darkness spread, forming into armor that enveloped me completely, filling me with overwhelming power.
Yoo Iseo’s face froze in shock.
“I am the Devil Knight.”