The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1173 - 179 - A Miraculous Reunion (3)

Chiaki’s POV

"Sensei, who is that person?" Sakai-san asked, her voice low but clear, as if she were afraid that speaking too loudly might somehow change what she was seeing.

"I–It’s Princess Myrcella’s lover," I answered. The words left my mouth almost automatically. Or rather, that was what I believed him to be. I had no proof as well as no solid reason. It was just a feeling that settled in my chest the moment I saw the way they stood near each other.

I shifted my gaze toward Princess Myrcella, watching her reaction closely. She noticed, met my eyes, and gave a small nod, confirming that he was really her lover.

Sakai-san narrowed her eyes slightly, her brows knitting together. "I feel like I’ve seen that person before..." she said after a pause. "I don’t know why, but... it’s bothering me. It was the same kind of feeling when I met Miss Shredica, but he doesn’t look anything like the person I thought he was. And yet, for a second, someone else came to mind."

Her words mirrored what I was feeling almost perfectly, and that alone made my unease deepen.

"That’s strange," I said quietly. "I felt it too. Like I’ve met him before... even though I know for a fact that I haven’t."

The feeling lingered, and it was very heavy and uncomfortable. It was the kind of sensation that crawled under your skin. It was the kind you couldn’t explain away with logic. Déjà vu, perhaps. That was the easiest answer. And yet, it didn’t feel so simple.

"Are you really sure you’ve never met Leon before?" Princess Myrcella asked suddenly.

I turned to her, caught off guard.

"I mean earlier," she continued, her tone thoughtful, "he called you by name. ’Hasegawa-sensei.’ I don’t remember ever telling him your name. Not once."

My breath caught.

My eyes widened before I could stop myself. A small, instinctive reaction—but it said everything. That wasn’t something that could be brushed aside so easily. I was absolutely certain of it. I had never met someone named Leon before. Never spoken to him. Never introduced myself.

And yet... he knew.

For some reason, an image surfaced in my mind. A boy sitting in the classroom. A quiet presence. A desk that now sat empty.

A boy who had died just months ago.

Ichinose-kun.

The name slipped from my lips before I could think better of it. "Ichinose-kun...?"

The moment I said it out loud, I knew how ridiculous it sounded. Impossible, even. There was no connection. There couldn’t be. He was gone. I had seen the grief firsthand. I had stood before the class and struggled to find the right words.

And yet, the feeling wouldn’t leave.

I glanced at Sakai-san.

She hadn’t said anything—but I didn’t need her to.

Her expression told me everything.

She was thinking the same thing.

***

Leon’s POV

The wyvern’s wings cut cleanly through the air, each powerful flap steady and controlled. Shredica rode it with practiced ease, her posture firm, while I stayed lower, my eyes scanning the land beneath us. Trees blurred past, hills stretched out in the distance, and somewhere below, something felt... off.

"Hey, Leon," Shredica said suddenly.

I looked up at her.

Her voice sounded different. Softer. Calmer. It lacked the sharp edge she usually carried, and that alone caught my attention.

"Do you know that woman?" she asked. "Miss Chiaki."

"Why do you ask?" I replied.

"You looked shocked when you saw her," she said plainly. "I figured she wasn’t your lover. But maybe a former one?"

"There’s no way," I answered immediately. "I’ve never met her in my entire life."

That much was true. In the twenty years I had lived as Leon, I had never once crossed paths with her. Not even remotely. So technically, I wasn’t lying.

"Is that so?" Shredica said. "I thought I heard you say her name earlier. That’s why I wondered. If you really don’t know her, then forget it."

She didn’t press further, but I noticed something else instead.

She was talking more than usual.

Shredica wasn’t normally like this. She spoke when necessary, never wasting words. But now, she seemed... relaxed. Almost casual.

"It’s surprising you volunteered for this," she said after a moment. "You don’t strike me as the type who gets involved. You seem like someone who prefers to mind his own business."

"If you put it that way," I said, "isn’t it surprising for someone like you as well?"

She gave a small huff. "Not really. It’s only natural. I’m responsible for watching over them. Saving them is part of that responsibility."

Her explanation should have made sense.

Instead, it only made her decision feel even more unexpected.

Before I could dwell on it, the wyvern suddenly flapped its wings harder than before. The abrupt motion threw me off balance. My grip slipped, and instinct took over.

My arms wrapped around Shredica.

Even through her uniform, which had light armor sewn into it, I could feel the warmth of her body. The solid reality of her presence grounded me. And for reasons I couldn’t explain, her scent—faint, clean and for some reason, familiar—was strangely comforting.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sorry," I said quickly. "Your wyvern doesn’t like me holding its wings. It shoved me away."

"Is that so?" she replied, unfazed. "Then just hold onto me. It’s safer that way."

She said it so casually that I froze for half a second.

Then I accepted it.

Moments passed. The wind rushed past us. And then—

"There they are," I said.

Below us, a group of people moved along a dirt path. Horses. A wagon. Their direction was clear.

Toward the Empire.

"I’m going down, Shredica."

"What—" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I didn’t wait.

I stepped off the wyvern.

Levitation Magic activated instantly, redirecting my fall and carrying me straight toward them. The ground rushed up. The moment my feet touched down, I summoned Ayuru into my hand.

There was no hesitation.

I didn’t show any mercy.

I killed all of them.

***

Kaori’s POV

"Huh? What the fuck is that?!"

"Who are you?! You want to get killed—Ack! Ahhhhh!"

"Nghhaaaa! W-What...?! Guaaaahhhh!!!"

I jolted awake, my heart slamming violently against my chest.

Screams filled the air. They were raw, desperate, and sharp. They weren’t normal shouts. They were the kind that came from pure pain. The sound of something slicing through the air followed, clean and terrifying.

What stood out the most was what I didn’t hear.

There was no swords clashing.

There was no struggle at all.

Just screams.

"P-Please, don’t kill me! Please! Forgive me—please, forgive me...! Don’t—! Ahhhh! Guaaaahhhh!!"

And then... silence.

Sudden. Heavy. Suffocating.

Footsteps approached. Slow. Calm. Deliberate.

So this was it.

I was going to die.

Honestly, it didn’t even matter anymore. I was already dead the moment they took me. Whoever it was didn’t change the outcome.

The door opened.

Light spilled in.

And there he was.

Dark hair. Red eyes. Features so striking they almost didn’t seem real.

Strangely, I didn’t feel fear.

What welled up inside me was something closer to sadness.

My throat tightened. My vision blurred. Tears threatened to fall as I looked at him.

I didn’t know why.

I didn’t know if it was relief... or something else.

Something heavy.

Something that felt like loss.

All I knew was—

I wanted to cry.