episode_0040

“Ahahaha! Blaming the innocent? Unforgivable!”

Kwaaang

From behind Alice, the shadow taking on a human form swung its massive hand toward the man.

Raising one hand supported by a cane, the man blocked the attack.

“Die! Die! Die!”

Kwaaang Kwaaang Kwaaang

As Alice wildly waved both hands, the colossal shadow struck with consecutive punches.

“I anticipated this.”

The man gritted his teeth.

“I was prepared for this.”

He clenched the opposite hand.

Witnessing a beloved person genuinely hating them was not easy. It was almost unbearable, given all the pain, suffering, and torment endured.

Even more challenging was seeing that person wail and mourn, believing they had been betrayed.

“Die!”

The shadow gathered both hands and fiercely struck at the man.

Kwaaaaaang

Amidst thickening smoke, silence descended.

“…Uncle?”

Alice called out to the man.

Jjeojeojeok

Gold streaks appeared on the shadow’s massive hand and arm.

“What? Is this all you’ve got?”

Cchhhrang

As the shadow shattered, the man emerged from the smoke.

Brushing his bangs aside with one hand, the man gave a sinister smile to Alice.

“You’re too weak. If this is all it takes, there should be no problem killing you.”

Perhaps Uncle was not joking.

Perhaps Uncle had his reasons.

Maybe he didn’t want me to figure something out.

Despite being her beloved uncle, the hope Alice held onto was as fragile as a thread, but the man’s eyes looking at her were utterly cold.

“Aaahhh!”

Kuoohhh

Behind Alice, an unprecedented amount of shadow coalesced.

In the pitch-black country road where light did not exist.

The abundant darkness allowed the fragments of evil spirits to exert power beyond their usual capabilities.

Kuuuuung

A different form of shadow descended.

Transcending the simple form of a demon, it took on the shape of a Balrog with the head of a dragon.

-Uwooooooo

The shadow Balrog roared.

Unbeknownst to himself, the man knelt down due to the influence of the evil spirit’s aura.

“It seems as planned… but with power beyond imagination.”

He bore the aftermath of the spirit head-on.

Even though it was his body that had surpassed the wall, he was unable to move.

“But.”

Thud

His entire body was enveloped by his magic.

“I must move.”

An unconventional use of magic, disregarding the consequences.

Thud

His body began to burst in various places.

The man stood straight once again.

Despite still being oppressed by the pressure emanating from the evil spirit’s aura, he took a step towards Alice.

“I cannot fail.”

To save Alice from the evil spirit,

And for the one chance to rescue her from a world that seeks to exclude her.

Failure is not an option.

-Dieeeee!

Balrog, possessing an overwhelming sense of oppression to the extent that humans would worship just by watching, threw a punch at the man.

Yet the man stood straight and faced the punch.

He squeezed out all the magic he possessed.

“Not enough.”

But the amount of magic he had was woefully inadequate compared to what he intended to do.

“Then, everything I have!”

The man’s body began to gradually transform.

His arms and legs shriveled one by one.

His face and skin turned pitch black.

He had converted all his life force and vitality into magic.

“Huaaaaaa!”

Clang

A small bead shattered in his hand.

A mysterious and sacred energy flowed through his hand.

Kugwagwa

The shadow Balrog’s fist approached to strike him.

The man pulled back his right fist slightly and then thrust it forward again.

Screams filled the air as the demon’s fist collided with the man’s.

“Aaaah!”

“Haaaah!”

The girl’s cries, as she closed her eyes in sorrow and covered her ears, merged with the man’s desperate screams.

Thud

Starting from the point of impact with the man’s fist, cracks began to form on the demon’s fist.

And the divine energy flowing through the man’s arm entered it.

“…! This can’t be! No, why! How!”

Due to physical contact, the man connected to the demon could hear the bewildered voice of the demon.

“Hmph.”

“It went in nicely.”

Using a specially prepared artifact, the man attempted to bind the curse of an ancient demon fragment under Alice’s control.

This was the method the man had sacrificed everything to try in order to save Alice.

“Human! How dare you!”

The remnants of the demon were restrained by the man’s energy.

They were bound to Alice’s soul.

Plop

As the man heard the demon’s voice gradually fading, he sighed in relief and sank to the ground.

“I…succeeded.”

I saved her.

My precious little one…

The man’s consciousness and vision were fading.

As the price for that, he lost everything, and Alice would probably hate him, but it didn’t matter.

As long as she is happy, as long as I can live freely from now on, it’s okay…

Snap

“…?”

The man felt someone holding his upper body tenderly.

“My…precious…”

Though his vision was blurry, the man knew that presence was Alice.

“No, no, mister!”

Drip, drip

The girl’s tears fell onto the man’s face, though he could barely see.

…Why?

The man didn’t know.

He didn’t realize that just as he was connected to the demon, the girl was also connected to him.

That all his emotions and memories flowed into her.

“Why! Why did you do that!”

“……”

“I don’t need that kind of thing! I just need you, sir!”

“…I made a mistake.”

Alice wished for happiness. That’s why she wished to hate herself.

If she knew her true intentions, Alice would be sad.

She didn’t want that.

“Why! Why are you getting angry for Ar!”

The sobbing girl’s words began to crumble.

“Dying for me? Trying to kill you without even knowing me?”

Why! Why are you doing this!

Chin

A man’s hand rested on the sobbing girl’s head.

“Cutie….”

“Oh, sir….”

“I love you.”

…!

The tear-stained girl’s face turned red.

“You must be happy….”

Thud

That’s how the man’s hand fell to the ground.

Silent night

The girl’s rage echoed.

* * *

Past life? Or different memories?

Through recent dreams, Robina inherited Alice’s memories.

She didn’t retrieve all the memories, but through several dreams, she slowly recalled the memories of being Alice.

And at the same time, she also regained the shadow.

Remnants of evil.

It was the worst curse she had, but thanks to the sacrifice of the man, the shadow had become completely obedient to her soul.

No longer a curse, it was a proof of the man’s love for her.

Sir.

The reason for her existence.

If….

If not only me, but the man also had a past life?

If the man exists in this world?

Then, can I meet the man and ask for forgiveness?

Can I confess the love I couldn’t tell him?

And now, as Robina, she could reunite with her man as she wished.

“Sigh… Our cutie. You’ve become much stronger.”

It was very different from what she wanted and expected.

In Robina’s view, she saw Vyrn, who had been pierced by her own shadow and turned into a bloodied armor.

And his face seemed to overlap with the man from her past life.

“……No.”

She shook her head vigorously.

“That can’t… be. Ah, sir?”

“Our… our ear… ring…ing……”

“No….”

This time too……

Why……

Just like in her past life, the shadow that killed the man.

Despite being a remnant of an evil spirit she could control due to the sacrifice of the man, the shadow once again killed the man.

Nothing but a proof of the man’s love.

Thump

Thump

Thump

Thud

And Vyrn’s heart stopped.

“No no no no no no no…!”

The girl hugged Vyrn again, screaming.

“Please! Please don’t!”

Paaaah

At that moment, the Holy Sword, which had slipped from Vyrn, emitted a brilliant light as it slowly rose from the ground.

Healing light enveloped the surroundings.

Thump

Vyrn’s heart began to beat again.