— THIS TAKES PLACE ON THE NIGHT VAN LEFT THE CAPITAL — THE NIGHT HE FREED LALYN AND BELIAL
[VAN!]
Arlyn's voice rang out as Van stepped silently under the cold night sky. He was on the cobblestone street just outside Lalyn's house, having left undetected.
He stopped, sensing the dragon's presence.
[...I felt it. Magus's presence lifted from Lalyn.]
"...That so? How fortunate," Van muttered.
He didn't turn around. Arlyn opened her beak slightly, but no words followed.
"You don't have to say anything, Arlyn," Van said. "We're equal now, right?"
[You... You wish that were the case, Van Hellix.]
[After all those years... That was the least you could do to make amends.]
Silence lingered between them.
[She... She will need someone to lean on.]
"Oh?" Van turned slightly, expression unreadable. "Surely you don't mean me?"
Arlyn looked down. Quiet.
"Well," Van continued, "she has you. Her daughter. Marcy. Amoria. Those twins..."
He paused.
"...Let's just leave it at that, Arlyn. There's nothing else to say. I released her because I coul—"
He stopped. Marcy's image flashed in his mind. How he'd left her under the spell.
"...Anyway," he finished quietly, "I freed her. Let that be enough."
He turned to leave.
[Is this... really all you amounted to, VAN HELLIX!?]
[You leave her now, knowing she'll lose her mind, and that's everything you can do for her!?]
Van stopped again.
"...Yeah," he said.
"I'm just... too exhausted to do more, Arlyn."
He looked down, voice trailing into the darkness.
"I just want to be done with it. Sorry."
And then he vanished into the shadows.
— TWO YEARS AFTER VAN'S DEPARTURE —
The sun hung low over the Magic Academy campus. Anne walked hand in hand with a guy Lizzy had introduced her to. She had been dating him for a few weeks now.
"Let's go grab something to eat, Anne?" he asked with a casual smile.
'AGAIN...?' She thought, exasperated.
In her mind, Lizzy's voice chimed in.
'Now remember! Boys like it when you're nice to them! Just smile along when he tries to be considerate!'
'Haah...' Anne sighed internally. 'The moment he found out I like to eat, it's been nothing but restaurants. It's like he's not even a person... Can't I just say something?'
But then Lizzy's advice returned like clockwork:
'Most guys don't like it when you try to course-correct them! They'll get hurt! If you don't like him, just bear with it, or break up and find someone better!'
'I don't even know why I keep listening to her. She's never held a relationship longer than two months...'
Anne stopped walking.
YOU ARE READING
Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord
FantasyVan and his friend Magus had reincarnated in another world with magic. Tasked to kill the demon lord, they set forth. Van was granted very rough skills that made life for him in that world a living hell, yet he muscled through. Magus however, was be...
