Memoirs of the Returnee
Chapter 313: Milky Way (7)

30 minutes earlier.

Riley was backstage at the Symposium, keeping an eye on Killian as she waited.

As planned, Theia had moved in and detained Derek, and during this distraction, [Vancheon] made their move, but something unexpected happened.

A third group had initiated sabotage.

“What the…”

An unidentified armed organization had entered Ortus. Riley was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly grasped the situation.

It was the doing of Vern, the CEO of Everett, Derek's most direct competitor.

According to [Vancheon]'s investigation, Vern was also using artificial intelligence similar to Derek's.

Of course, it wasn't as horrific a crime as Derek's. He didn't completely overwrite people whole.

However, the use of data derived from human souls was the same.

Thus, to keep his own crimes from being exposed and to check Derek, Vern was attacking.

The targets were key researchers, Killian and Vito.

Not to detain or kidnap, but to assassinate.

“This is insane!”

Fortunately, Killian seemed to quickly realize the situation and had escaped to the rooftop of the Hanja Hotel, with Riley following him.

Boom! Bang!

A series of explosions echoed as they climbed the emergency stairs of the hotel to the top floor.

Killian was standing at the edge of the rooftop.

“Dr. Killian!”

Riley called out to him. Killian turned to look at her.

“lts dangerous! Come this way!”

A fierce wind seemed to grab at their clothes.

Killian Leaned against the railing, and Riley slowly approached him.

“Doctor!”

To execute Plan B, it was crucial to secure Killian's safety. More important than any document, the real evidence was the 'person' himself.

“Hurry over!”

The air was turbulent. It was uncertain if her shouts were even being heard.

Yet, Riley took one step at a time towards Ki Ilian…

A Loud noise erupted from the sky as a gust swept through. Riley and Killian both Looked up.

It was a helicopter. Agents were lowering a line to rescue Killian from the trembling propeller above.

Riley was startled, but only for a moment.

Suddenly, a fireball surged from somewhere and struck the helicopter directly.

The helicopter, having Lost power, crashed onto the rooftop and exploded Like a firecracker. Pieces of machinery and human flesh scattered as flames spread. Black smoke enveloped the entire area.

“Dr. Killian!”

Riley seized the moment and rushed towards Killian.

“Stop.”

Suddenly, Killian stopped her. Riley froze in place. Killian was holding a cellphone in his hand.

“Stay there.”

“…Doctor?”

Could it be, perhaps.

Had he received some information?

“MS. Riley.”

Killian called her. Riley responded as usual.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“…I told you, you don't need to monitor me anymore.”

A small smile spread across his Lips.

“…”

It was a suspicious look.

No, it was certain.

Riley bit her lower lip.

He knew her role.

“Why did you follow me? It's dangerouS.”

Killian asked. Riley straightened her back. Her expression had suddenly turned cold.

Now was the time for persuasion.

“Listen carefully, Dr. Ki Ilian.”

Killian raised his eyebrows.

“Derek has been detained. Very important internal documents have been leaked.”

“…”

He remained silent. He just stood there calmly, looking at her with his usual eyes.

“But Derek won't take the fall. He'll claim he didn't know about it, that he was unaware of such matters.”

The wind stirred, causing Killian's coat to flutter.

“He will definitely betray you.”

Derek's history proves it. He has consistently cut off his own tail by claiming ignorance of all his deeds.

Riley extended her hand to him.

“lf you come with me—”

“No.”

Killian shook his head. Then he sat on the railing. Riley's eyes widened.

“Stop!”

“…Fortunately.”

Riley immediately knew what Killian was about to do.

Suicide, to destroy the 'evidence* that was himself.

“lf you fall, you'll die!”

It was a jumbled plea. Killian smiled faintly, as if he found her endearing.

“MS. Riley.”

“Come down from there, now!”

“You should be more worried about the evidence.”

“Come down…?”

Killian's strange words, somehow odd.

Unknowingly, Riley furrowed her brow. Her head tilted in confusion.

“Everything I say directly can't become evidence.”

“…Yes?”

“Libra has the power and authority to crush even a single witness. Besides, as you said, if Derek claims ignorance, that's the end of it.”

Riley couldn't understand what he was saying. The meanings of the words flowing into her ears weren't assembling properly.

Was it because the situation was too urgent?

“That won't do.”

Boom——！ The sound erupted loudly——!

From the wreckage of the helicopter, a secondary explosion erupted.

Amidst the rising flames, Killian continued calmly.

“I think it's better for me to be the perpetrator rather than a witness.”

“…”

At that moment Killian murmured, Riley felt an inexplicable pain. It was as if her heart was being crushed.

“…Doctor?”

Her frail voice called out to Killian. He faced her and nodded firmly.

“I thought I could become numb doing this job.”

Crackle—Crackle—

The asphalt on the road slowly melted, and dark red ash fluttered in the air, sticking to their faces.

“But I realized that I shouldn't become numb.”

Killian closed his eyes for a moment.

It seemed as if he was contemplating something he had lost, recounting things that had already passed.

“MS. Riley.”

Killian called her name. Riley's breath hitched.

“Did you once say you wanted to make a lot of money and retire?”

Riley had claimed her goal was money. It was a common disguise.

“l've tried it, but you'll never make enough to retire in your lifetime. The more money you have, the more places there are to spend it.”

Killian Laughed. For some reason, Riley felt his demeanor was genuinely pure.

“And…”

Suddenly, his expression darkened.

“There's something I'm curious about.”

“…”

Riley blinked blankly.

“lf… our meeting hadn't been like this. Could I have spent more time with you, Ms. Riley?”

Killian's gaze drifted slightly. There was a designer bag placed near where his gaze fell. It was small, but packed with some contents.

“I…”

Riley started to respond but stopped herself. She simply couldn't.

“MS. Riley.”

He called her name again. The burning toxic substances choked Riley's breath.

“Overcome this.”

He was encouraging her. Riley suddenly remembered a certain day.

“Don't become numb.”

Even in situations where she was suspected, he didn't distance himself; instead, he protected her.

Whenever he was by her side, he always smiled shyly.

“Ms. Riley, you've caught me. Killian, the key researcher for Derek.”

Riley tilted her head down to Look at her feet. Flames had transferred to her shoes.

“I am a person full of greed, jealousy, and suspicion, so I feared Derek might abandon me and I collected a lot of evidence. A lot.”

Facing him was overwhelming. Listening to him was difficult.

“Now you take that evidence. Like some drama or movie. Just like a cliche.”

“…”

“MS. Riley. Look at me.”

Riley Lifted her head. He smiled at her.

“lts okay.”

“…Killian.”

“T00 many people have died. Too many have been sacrificed.”

Killian Looked up at the sky.

Wrapped in black smoke, the flaming rooftop seemed like a perfect stage for death.

“People shouldn't be like this. We're all human, so why do we do this to each other…”

Killian's body slowly Leaned forward. Riley, startled, took a step towards him.

“Doctor!”

“I trust you, Ms. Riley.”

“Don't move!”

“…SO.”

Before he fell.

Before he faced his own death.

He had something he wanted to say to Riley as Killian.

“Don't give up.”

He hoped she would avenge Libra from the highest place in [Vancheon].

Beyond that, he hoped she would continue to pursue the right values as she did now.

“You are a good person.”

Killian's body crossed the railing. He flowed down like a crescent moon. Riley ran and stretched out her hand, but Killian, already falling, had closed his eyes.

He serenely accepted his own death.

She couldn't even utter the word “No.”

She didn't even feel she had the right to.

Boom-

A sudden explosion obscured her entire view. Riley fell backwards.

“Uh.”

Her hand groping the ground grabbed a bag. It was Killian's bag.

“…”

Riley hugged it to her chest. With trembling eyes, she looked inside.

All the evidence was there. All the internal documents of Libra, Derek, and Vito.

Additionally, there was a single Letter, probably left for her by Killian…

Crash—

There was a noise from behind. Riley quickly grabbed the letter.

“Who's there!”

They were the subordinates of the Holy Knight, Theia. They were the knights involved in the investigation.

All the evidence they collected would have legal effect.

“…”

Riley silently sat on the ground. The knights rushed to her side. Riley muttered very quietly.

“…seize.”

“Excuse me? seize?”

The knights asked confusedly. Riley bit her Lip as if she was about to curse.

“Damn it. Seize me. Take me away.”

While glancing at the bag in her hand.

“Ah, yes! Seize her!”

Realizing what she meant, they pressed Riley's face to the ground.

Thump! It hurt terribly. It felt Like her cheekbone was splitting.

It didn't matter, the knights secured Killian's bag as evidence.

“…Huh, senior! Look at this!”

The information in the bag was shocking enough. Its a wonder they didn't faint from the surprise.

“Uh, pass it on quickly. Call the professor first…”

“Ah, yes.”

The knights were flustered, their faces flushed, and the sound of explosions echoed from all around.

However, Riley was somewhat dazed.

She turned her head, which was pressed against the ground, to Look at the railing.

The railing from which Killian had just fallen.

He was no longer there.

He had fallen down below and already met his death.

He chose to die… to "destroy the evidence/

“Ah…”

Riley's vision blurred.

I thought he was just human trash, a doctor I considered using just to get close.

Tears clung to her eyes. They were so uncomfortable that she just closed her eyes.

Instead, her mouth moved on its own. A childlike sob burst out.

“What's the? Is she crying?”

The knights* confused voices were irritating, but the crying didn't stop for a while.

“Here it is!”

Derek interrogation barrier set up in Ortus.

Theia received Killian's bag from the subordinate knight.

“…”

Everything was inside.

From information about the formula used by Dr. Vito, to the method of extracting souls, names of some people who had been overwritten, and even recordings of conversations between Derek and Vito.

Theia asked,

“What's the source?”

“We acquired it after the core researcher, Dr. Killian, died.”

“…Died?”

“Yes. It was an accident, but it seems these guys didn't trust each other either.”

Theia quietly scanned through the evidence left by Killian.

It was meticulous. Abnormally meticulous, as if he had anticipated this situation.

“T0 engage in the act of overwriting souls into spirits, there's no way they could truly trust each other.

The subordinates say so, but is that really the case?

Did Killian really not trust Derek and Vito, creating this just as a precaution?

Theia was still skeptical, but she would need to hear the details from Riley to know for sure.

“Good work.”

Regardless— the evidence was now sufficient.

Theia looked at Derek in the interrogation room.

He was oblivious to the situation outside, not anxious but rather smug.

Drring——

Just then, a call came through. It was Yusef, the vice-captain of the Edsilla Knights.

—Theia.

“Yes.”

—…lt's the Limit now. Release Derek.

Yusefs voice was steeped in deep fatigue and hardship. It seemed he had been tremendously tormented in just half a day.

—There's chaos in Ortus too. The operation has failed, it seems.

“No.”

Theia smiled satisfactorily.

“lts alright. There's no need to release him now.”

—No need? The council is in uproar. If you^e detained Derek without evidence-

“Eviden ce.”

Theia cut him off. She sighed in relief and looked at Derek in the interrogation room.

“lts sufficient.”

At that moment, Derek also Looked at Theia with a relaxed gaze. Their eyes met.

“Quite sufficient.”

Theia smiled deeply. Derek chuckled in ridicule, but soon his expression slowly hardened. He had caught a sense of dissonance in Theia's smile.

It was correct.

“Derek will now be imprisoned.”

Theia asserted and hung up the phone.