Ch.331Chapter 331 Epilogue – Reunion (1)

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Returning to the original world.

As soon as Lilianshiz, who had become one from two, returned to her home, she knew exactly what she needed to do.

Despite her naturally light movements that surely wouldn’t make any sound, she moved carefully to avoid making even the slightest noise.

Swish- Swish-

At the end of those footsteps, she approached the sleeping Karl to create a comfortable environment for him to rest.

It must have taken quite some time to leave and return, but…

“…Time still hasn’t returned to its normal flow.”

The slow flow of time that persisted when she left remained unchanged after her return.

Only she and the sleeping Karl beside her maintained a normal flow without being caught in this distortion.

In truth, Lilianshiz, who had become one from two, had enough power to instantly restore the normal flow of time from this sluggishness.

After all, she had mastered how to handle the overflowing divine power.

But as Lilianshiz looked around at the slow flow of time with a blank gaze, she refused to make that choice.

“Just a little longer…”

Muttering these words to herself, she placed her thigh under Karl’s head just as before.

Perhaps feeling comfort from the soft touch beneath his head…

Hoo- Hoo-

Karl’s breathing, which had been somewhat rough though steady, changed to an incredibly gentle sound.

“…”

Without saying a word, Lilianshiz watched him, an incomparable smile of relief spreading across her face.

“…”

But only for a moment—one could see a faint, barely perceptible shadow cast over her face beneath that relief.

Was it a shadow that unconsciously emerged while she was accepting and processing all the painful memories and aspects of her other self that she had embraced when becoming one from two?

Or was it a shadow born from fear of the unknown future, not knowing how the sleeping Karl’s eyes would react when they saw her reborn as a new being?

Or perhaps it was a shadow created by a mixture of both reasons—there was no way to know.

“Haa…”

With a soft sigh, Lilianshiz composed herself and reached her hand toward Karl’s head.

“This is what I need to do now.”

With these words…

Swish-

She simply stroked his head gently.

There was something she realized after becoming one from two.

Like Karl, who still cherished her despite how coldly and harshly she had treated him—though it had been an unavoidable choice—

She too would maintain her devotion to cherishing him, regardless of what thoughts and feelings he might harbor upon seeing her changed self.

Since Karl was more perceptive than expected, he would quickly notice the change in her, and his expression would change rapidly.

She needed to prepare herself to remain composed even when seeing those changes in his expression.

As these thoughts filled Lilianshiz’s mind while she stroked the head of her precious person, growing in intensity…

She detected a very careful movement beginning from her thigh.

It was a movement signaling that her precious person, who had seemed like he would sleep forever, was finally waking from his long slumber.

Naturally, a gentle smile formed on Lilianshiz’s lips as she witnessed this.

Come to think of it, there was always something she had wanted to do when he woke up.

A simple wish to gently awaken his consciousness from beneath sleep with a voice filled with incomparable tenderness.

“…Haa.”

After taking a deep breath to prepare herself to gracefully accept whatever situation might unfold next, even if it differed from her expectations…

“…Wake up.”

Lilianshiz woke her precious person with the most tender voice she could currently produce.

Thump-thump-

Fear of the unknown—not knowing how her precious person would react upon seeing her changed self—made her heart race uncontrollably.

Yet strangely, this fear wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

After all, this moment was incomparably better than spending time merely imagining what might have been while waiting for those thoughts to erode, without ever facing him again.

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“…Up.”

…Hmm?

“…Wake…”

…What is it?

A remarkably warm voice tickles my ear, awakening my consciousness from sleep.

It’s not just the voice that feels warm.

Though my mind is foggy, I remember where my body was before falling asleep.

Cold—there’s no other way to describe it—cold, hard, and even desolate obsidian floor.

That’s where I had lain down, overcome by fatigue while intuitively sensing that everything would turn out fine.

Yet strangely, I don’t feel hardness anywhere on my body.

Not only that, rather than hardness, my entire body is becoming warm.

As my consciousness gradually rose to the surface, puzzled by this sudden change in my body…

I could feel an incredibly warm touch on my right cheek.

As my drowsy eyes were about to open, drawn by that warmth…

“…Sleepyhead.”

A sweet voice, like birdsong, penetrated my ears once again.

Unlike when my consciousness was submerged, now I could immediately recognize whose voice it was.

How could I not know?

The person I cherish most…

The one who made me wish for nothing more than their happiness.

That’s why, before my eyes were fully open, my lips moved first.

To call the name of my precious person.

“…Shiz.”

If I call you like this, will you also call my name affectionately?

When you call my name, I’ll open my eyes to match.

But what’s happening?

What reaches my ears isn’t your voice calling me affectionately…

“…”

Instead, I only hear the sound of you catching your breath somewhat hastily, as you do when you hesitate about something.

I couldn’t mistake it—it’s your habit of regulating your breathing before doing something when faced with a tense situation.

But… what’s going on?

In a situation that should signal everything has ended well, why are you so tense that you need to steady your breathing?

Feeling something wasn’t right, I slowly opened my eyes, abandoning my plan to open them in response to your call.

I could see it.

Golden waves that made me forget we were in a dark space where day and night were indistinguishable despite the collapsed ceiling.

And within those golden waves, the owner of blue eyes reminiscent of the sky or sea, whose presence remained unmistakable.

“…Karl.”

I could see you calling me with an attitude that suggested you had to muster tremendous courage.

The hesitation visible in those clear, pure blue eyes wasn’t just due to the haziness I felt from just waking up.

Why? Why do you put so much heart into calling my name?

It’s similar to how I always had to gather all my courage to call you by a nickname before the regression or right after it, always worrying about what might happen afterward…

…Huh?

Something clicked in my mind, and my half-open eyes suddenly became alert.

“…You know.”

I could see you opening your mouth again, showing signs of hesitation as you looked at me.

Just as when you called my name, your voice now carried a solemnity and hesitation that was clearly noticeable even compared to moments before, despite its softness and gentleness.

Forgetting that I was lying down, I slowly blinked, waiting for the words to fall from your lips, and to my ears…

“I… remember everything now.”

As I heard your voice conveying something important to me…

I felt my head go slightly numb as I processed what your voice was communicating.

It was the momentary mental blankness that comes from learning something shocking, completely different from the drowsiness of just waking up.

Could it be that the memories you’re talking about are what I think they are?

…It seems like that’s exactly what you mean.

Before I could open my mouth to ask specifically what memories you had recovered, wanting to understand clearly…

“About how you lived for me… for the world… what kind of life you endured and how many times you repeated time.”

Through Shiz, who continued speaking while carefully accepting my touch, I could immediately understand.

…I see. So you remember too.

The memories of the time I lived, hurting you while hiding behind the noble-sounding pretext of saving the world…

Now that you remember that, I have something I need to say too.

I need to say what I couldn’t tell you when you disappeared like smoke.

That I’m sorry…

That I’m truly sorry for only causing you pain…

I needed to say that quickly and reach a conclusion, whether you forgave me or abandoned me.

“…”

But before my parting lips could express this…

“…I’m sorry.”

I could see Shiz apologizing before me, her face showing dejection.

…No, I’m the one who should be sorry, so how can you look more dejected than me while apologizing?

I tried to open my mouth again to comfort her, telling her there was no need for that, but…

Your hand, which had been gently stroking my face, moved to a spot on my abdomen.

“Remembering that makes me want to apologize first…”

You blocked my words again by putting another apology in your mouth.

I needed to say something this time too, but…

“…”

My mouth wouldn’t open, as if I’d eaten honey and become mute.

“Did it hurt? I’m sorry…”

Because the spot where Shiz’s apologetic hand touched matched exactly with that place.

It was precisely where your sword had pierced through me when we crossed blades in our final confrontation before the regression.

My lips won’t move.

After being stabbed by that sword, I heard words sharper than the blade itself.

But I thought they were words I deserved to hear, so hearing them didn’t weigh on my heart.

Yet now, as time has passed and I hear your sincere apology for what happened then, my heart only grows heavier.

…Why are you apologizing? You only did what was right—what a good person should do to someone who did wrong.

That’s when I realized there was something better I could do than clouding this atmosphere with more apologies.

I should do it now.

Having organized my thoughts, I slowly raised my body.

“Ah…”

A surprised sound escaped from Shiz, who had her hand on my stomach.

Ignoring that, I completely raised my body, turned around, and faced you again as you expressed your regret.

Though you weren’t crying, I could see your troubled expression as you showed remorse for what you couldn’t express at that similar place in a different time.

It was an expression that clearly revealed what you were thinking.

Your face plainly showed your anxiety about how I might react if I didn’t accept your apology and got angry—how could I not understand that?

Anyway, there was a better method than awkwardly clouding the atmosphere with more apologies, so I’m going to use that now.

First, I slowly extend both arms to caress your face as you hold back tears.

“Ah…”

You’re surprised by my sudden touch but don’t refuse to accept it.

It’s soft. I unconsciously feel the urge to gently pinch your cheeks… control yourself, my instincts. I still have things to do.

Lowering my gaze slightly, I examine you, who are at least a head shorter than me.

I could see your face, no longer on the verge of tears, becoming slightly flushed.

Relieved to see your heavy, surprised feelings calming down a bit, I immediately moved to my next action.

I carefully removed my hands from your face.

“Ah…”

Another faint exclamation escapes your lips.

There was a hint of disappointment compared to your earlier surprise, but this isn’t the end.

Squeeze-!!

I extend my arms again and hold you tightly.

I bury your face in my chest.

“Wha-!!”

Something was about to come out of your surprised mouth, but it was cut off as your face was buried in my chest, though it didn’t matter.

“…”

Because you, who entered my embrace, accepted it without any resistance.

Like this, I intend to stay this way for now, though I don’t know how long it will last.

If you start crying after some time passes, I plan to accept it as is.

Even if you go beyond crying to wailing, I will accept it all the same.

While conveying the words I desperately wanted to say to you when you ran toward me that day, as you disappeared into less than a handful of ashes.

At the time when I settled everything with Desire, I didn’t like this slow flow of time.

But now that I’m alone with my precious person, I find myself welcoming this flow of time.