Chapter 194: Shall we make a Bet?

In the endless abyss, light and darkness clash incessantly.

The goddess’s beam of light envelops the demon. The demon frowns at the searing pain on its skin, but soon unfurls its wings and escapes through the light.

“Persistent, for a demon.”

[Heh, you’re the one who’s overly fixated, aren’t you?]

The goddess briefly looked down.

A smile spread across her face as she watched the determined women charge toward the black sphere, defeating the demon.

‘They’re doing well.’

She believed that if they continued this way, they would surely be able to extract Tina from the barrier. If they could just draw the attention of the Great Demon, she trusted that the rest would be handled by them.

[Hmm, I have a different thought.]

The goddess turned her gaze once more.

Despite being at a disadvantage, the demon was grinning with a vile smile.

“…What are you plotting?”

The Great Demon’s strangely composed attitude was unsettling.

After a few encounters, she had a sense of it. Although it seemed like an even match on the surface, the demon would reach its limit first if more time passed.

[Angel, shall we make a bet?]

The demon slowly raised its slender finger.

“…A bet?”

[Yes, a very simple bet. If you win, I will give up everything and remain motionless in this hell.]

“Even without a bet, I plan to seal you here.”

[Hahaha! But angel, aren’t you curious about their choice?]

The demon’s gaze drifted downward.

The goddess’s gaze followed, naturally turning toward the place where the women were.

There, a girl stood, blocking the women’s path.

[Everyone is gathered now.]

“…You.”

The girl looked exactly like her beloved follower.

[You know, don’t you? Who the real daughter of Artasha is, and who the true mother of the pure white soul is.]

“……”

[Aren’t you saddened by how the two of them ended up crossing paths? I just want to set things right.]

The goddess knew as well.

The connection between Artasha and Tina had long strayed from the natural course of things.

But because of that, the goddess looked at their relationship more beautifully.

A bond formed even against the flow of fate. A meeting of two souls capable of healing each other’s deep wounds.

Wasn’t that like destiny? Perhaps, at long last, their connection had found its rightful place.

However, that did not mean the Great Demon’s words were wrong.

In the end, each of the two women had their own family.

It was not her place to assume that the current relationship was right just because it looked good.

“What do you want to say?”

[The pure white soul is now with her real mother.]

The Great Demon whispered slowly.

[By now, they’re probably spending time together in the realm of memories.]

The demon’s finger pointed to the black sphere.

Inside, something was stirring, as if it were jumping.

[Let’s watch this together.]

It whispered softly.

[What choice will the two estranged families make?]

“…Is this the bet you were talking about?”

[Yes. If either of them chooses their real family, it’s my victory.]

The thin fingertip pointed at the goddess.

[On the other hand, if the two women abandon their past and choose each other, it’s your victory.]

“……”

[You wouldn’t, as a goddess, try to determine the fate of the lives on the mortal plane, would you?]

It was a reasonable proposal.

No matter how omnipotent a god might be, they should not interfere with the affairs of the world.

“If that happens, the life on the surface will no longer be beings who make their own choices, but will live dependent lives, moving only according to the will of the gods.”

Life is precious because each being moves forward by their own choice. Respecting their decisions and watching over them is the role of the watcher.

Although, at one time, unable to overcome overflowing desires, the watcher had violated a taboo, that did not mean the duty of the watcher had disappeared.

As the great demon said, their story was their destiny to end on their own.

Here, the demon could be punished and the broken mother-daughter relationship could be forcibly made to fit the watcher’s will. But that, in itself, would be an act of denying their freedom.

“Fine.”

Therefore, the goddess decided to believe. In the mother-daughter relationship she had witnessed.

Even though it might be an illusion, their love could transcend the truth.

[It would be better if you were not so sure about that.]

The great demon scoffed at the goddess’s belief.

[Humans are much easier to tame with fear.]

“Fear?”

The goddess withdrew the light and stared at the demon with a serious gaze.

“Lowly demon, you underestimate the power of love.”

[Heh, love? You don’t understand that child at all, do you?]

On the contrary, the great demon relaxed, crossing his arms, and shrugged.

[She doesn’t know love.]

A voice full of certainty.

A victorious smile spread across the demon’s lips.

[She never knew it, and she will never know it, now and forever.]

“Is that… the original Tina?”

Viviana muttered, staring blankly at the pure-white girl.

Everyone present knew it.

That at some point, Tina had changed into a different being. And that the original owner of the body had made a contract and headed to hell.

“…It seems so.”

Lilian’s expression was as complicated as Viviana’s.

She wanted to push the girl away and save Tina right away.

But still, she could not act rashly. Even after seeing the violently shaking eyes of Artasha, how could she easily move?

“Mother…”

The silver-haired girl burrowed into Artasha’s arms.

Her delicate arms tightly wrapped around her mother’s waist.

The girl did not seem to have any intention of letting go, clinging to her mother without moving.

“…Daughter.”

Artasha called the girl by that name.

At those words, the girl’s blue eyes filled with joy.

A bright smile spread across her face, and she nodded vigorously.

“That’s right. I’m your daughter. The daughter you gave birth to.”

Artasha bit her lip tightly.

The other women who had been watching from behind also looked equally confused.

“I-I missed you so much, mother.”

The girl spoke with a trembling voice, lowering her head.

“I never thought that the man who claimed to be my father would be that much of a scoundrel. If I had known, I would have stood by you until the end…”

The girl’s lips trembled slightly.

“….”

“During my time here, I’ve reflected every day. I kept wishing that I could meet you again, that I could go back to that time.”

The girl’s voice was filled with deep regret, as if she were revisiting the mistakes of the past.

And every word she spoke weighed heavily on Artasha’s heart.

“Ha, how laughable.”

Nia gave a cynical laugh as she looked at Artasha.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s the one who, at the cost of your life, willingly stepped into hell.”

“You…”

The girl cast a sharp glance at the familiar face.

The link between Nia and the girl was the pact with the demon.

“If there hadn’t been a flaw in the contract, it would have been over. If she had been a little more thorough, I would have had to kill you.”

“Don’t joke around!”

The girl shouted, biting her lip hard.

“You made me wish for that! If it weren’t for you, I would never have made such a wish!”

“Ha?”

Nia’s face twisted.

“Enough nonsense. I just read the desires hidden deep in your heart. Do you think I used some sort of enchantment?”

“You must have done something like that! You’re a demon!”

“This shameless brat…”

Nia gritted her teeth.

Dark thorns, imbued with murderous intent, shot up around her.

“Don’t believe that demon, Mother.”

The girl, undeterred by Nia’s threat, nestled into Artasha’s arms.

“You were the one who truly loved me. But I didn’t know that at the time. I was too young… I only believed in my father’s words.”

The girl tightly held Artasha’s hand with trembling fingers.

“I want to live happily with you again… Please, Mother?”

Artasha looked at the girl.

She gazed at her daughter, whom she had once loved so much and thought she would never meet again.

“…Alright. I understand.”

After a long and deep silence, Artasha quietly spoke.

“Mother…!”

“However, right now, there is another child I must save first. We will talk about this later.”

Artasha smiled with effort and gently pushed the girl aside.

But the girl furrowed her brows and firmly blocked her path.

As Artasha moved closer to the black sphere, the girl desperately spread her arms to block her way.

“No!!”

The girl’s voice echoed with desperation.

“If she returns to her body… I’ll have to live in hell for the rest of my life!”

Artasha’s hand trembled.

“Please… Please choose me, Mother… Won’t you?”

The girl begged earnestly.

Begging her to choose her.

To take her out of this hell.

“I’m your real daughter… It’s me…”

Artasha clenched her fist.

Her nails dug into her flesh, so strongly that blood began to trickle down.