'Jeon Kwonoo.'
That was the only name that could echo in his head.
"JEON!" He had not given up on continuing to look for him, even when he himself told him to run away. Because of course, they were a team.
And if, in any case, Jeon were lost, cornered, with no escape... "Jeon…" He wanted to help him too. Perhaps he was being a little dependent on him, but he couldn't help it; Jeon simply always wanted to be glued to his side.
And surprisingly, he didn't dislike that.
Even now, that was what he longed for most.
Again, he asked himself; does he want revenge? The answer is yes; he wants to avenge Sherly, Layla, Mandeleine, and above all, those responsible for making everyone distrust Jeon.
But even so, that's more like a 'secondary' goal, in all the mess that is his life. What he truly longs for is to live his life surrounded by the people he loves most in this life.
That lady from his sect, his mom, Sherly, Randy, Layla, Joakim, Renato, Frederick, Liam, Gene...even the scandalous July 14. They were his family. A real family. And Jeon...was just another member of his family, and it would hurt him deeply to lose more members of his family.
It's not because he's an exaggerator, maybe he is.
But even the smallest squeal from his tracker demon pet, it was enough for him to understand which direction Jeon had gone and to find him.
Until soon, he arrived at a place where several of Joakim's men were; upon seeing Anser stop in front of them, they immediately raised their weapons against him. In any case, Joakim had previously warned them that Anser would most likely go looking for Jeon.
"Back off!" However, Anser didn't seem to take the threat seriously, walking past the man and instead continuing to look around for any clues. "Oi! I warned you!" The soldier who ignored Anser screamed, and when he tried to knock him out with his weapon, the weapon instead broke in two, and Anser remained unharmed. "…"
They looked at each other, and in the end, they knew they couldn't fight a sect leader...
"Jeon!" He searched among bushes and trees, which his pet was guiding him through; however, it wasn't much help, as it was just wandering around aimlessly. "Jeon…"
He was starting to lose hope...but he knew that if they said they had captured Ji Noo...it meant he was close! Hidden!
"Anser Ciro," A woman's commanding voice made him turn around; it was Karmen, the second-in-command of the Third Round Sect. She had her arms crossed, and while leaning against a tree, she watched what he was doing. "We may be enemies now, but you can't come in here and look for Ji Noo when he's already gone."
Anser turned to look at her, almost in an instant.
"Gone?"
She nodded, adjusting her cap. "Just when we thought we had captured him, he disappeared." She took a few steps, until she reached the center of where Anser was searching. "That trap is supposed to work for demons, so Ji Noo fell into it, but we were surprised to find that he wasn't in the pit we dug…" She explained, while still standing with her arms crossed. "For a moment we thought it was your doing...but apparently it wasn't." And she meant it, especially when she saw Anser's confused and worried face.
Anser looked at her, then looked away, and instead stared at the ground.
It was impossible for him to believe that, especially, as Karmen said, when they were now enemies.
"…" So, he would simply check it. "Vulpecula:…"
Karmen opened her eyes, and immediately, she stepped back.
"…Moonlight!"
_
The heavy fog was obstructing my view. Apparently, Eiram is 'immune' to it. She's dead, anyway. Or at least that's what I can gather.
She is an angel, literally; angelic wings and a halo that was the only thing that served as a lamp for us in this thick fog.
Even so, I still don't believe she's really an angel... I'm suspicious of her even though she saved me, I know. I am...a hypocrite.
"Jeon…"
"Yes?"
And yet, for some reason, every time she calls me that I can't help but shudder…
She stopped, at what appeared to be a ravine, and then turned to look at me with those gray eyes of hers. "You should see this."
And, following her suggestion, I went towards her, and when I was able to stand beside her, I squinted to see beyond the ravine; I could see nothing. "Huh…"
"Oh! That's right, I forgot you don't have my perspective! Sorry!" Then, she took the halo from her head and threw it into the ravine.
The halo's light illuminated everything around it as it fell, until finally, it reached the bottom. With a small 'poof', the halo was the only thing visible at the bottom of the ravine. And suddenly, the glow of the halo expanded, illuminating the entire floor of the ravine, and it was then that I could see what Eiram meant;
The worn-out structure of a city.
It was a whole city, destroyed and invaded by carrion demons, who, upon noticing the light, hid inside the buildings.
I could even spot a skyscraper; it was still the tallest building of all, but it showed the most wear and corrosion.
"This is..." I turned to look at Eiram; she had her gaze lost in the landscape, and after a few seconds of silence, she turned to look at me too.
"Pieces of... your world; of the ancient world."
Again...are you still saying that?
"I doubt that this is really still the same world; if it were, how do you explain the arrival of the demons?"
"Demons are just…like animals," Eiram assured. "No demon is truly evil; most of them act on their survival instinct…" She raised her hand, and immediately, her halo returned to her, until it was to her head again. "Just like humans do, right?"
That was a somewhat...convincing hypothesis, I accept, however, even in that way, I still don't feel sure that it's true.
I mean, maybe she's just another character in the book who lived as an extra, so perhaps there could be a possibility that she is wrong.
I am the author! And as the author, I believe that all of this is impossible without more witnesses besides Liam and me!
So, until proven otherwise, it will remain just a possibility.
"I'll consider that possibility, at least until I can verify it..."
I heard her sigh, but instead of getting annoyed, she smiled slightly. "Then...I'll wait until the day you verify it."
And it was at that moment that...
I was able to recall that smile for a moment.
Perhaps I've seen her before...I think I know who she is...but I can't remember her name...or where I know her from.
"…"
Eiram, if that is your real name; since during my stay here my memory seems to be fading...I want to know who you truly are.
"Eiram—"
But just as he was about to say something more, the sound of footsteps became present. We both looked into the ravine, and, thanks to the faint light of Eiram's halo, I managed to notice the demons running away, fleeing in terror.
"What's happening?" Eiram murmured, and soon, I could hear his voice fading away. "N-No…"
I immediately turned to look at her, noticing her terrified face...that's when I looked in the direction she was looking.
"Ah—"
And then, a gust of wind came towards us, so strong it was almost capable of blowing us away.
"U-Ugh—!" I frowned, then I looked at her. "Eiram!"
And soon, the gust grew even stronger, and it was then that Eiram began to float thanks to that air, her wings flapping rapidly to avoid being thrown into the air; even the mist dissipated.
"Jeon!"
I had to hold on to the ground to avoid being blown away, and while I struggled to keep from letting go, I noticed that now—with the fog dissipating—what lay beyond that city we had seen before was revealed…
…A giant demon, with reddish skin, and an open mouth that was the cause of all that sudden wind.
How long had it been there?
"Damn...it's so damn big I doubt I'd be able to kill it..." I murmured, while still holding onto the ground.
"No…Jeon…" Eiram's voice made me turn to look at her, and that's when I noticed that, apparently, her worry wasn't coming from that giant demon, although it really was something to worry about... "The real danger...is approaching...and it's behind that thing!"
Behind...that thing?
What greater danger could there be than that thing?!
And soon, the demon suddenly let out a powerful roar, as it began to rise from where it had been standing. "GAAAAAAH!" I ducked down when I felt the wind stop blowing towards us, and then I looked up to see him start walking.
"Will he attack us?" I asked Eiram, as I got up from the floor, and just in case, I put myself on guard.
Eiram returned to the ground, placing his feet on the ground, as he watched the giant demon walk towards us. "No. He's also running away."
Huh?
This gives me...a bad feeling.
Again, the giant demon let out a scream as it approached us, and then its body burst into flames.
"July 14?" Without realizing it, I gained some hope knowing it was July 14th with Frederick coming for me...
Especially when the flames turned green, finishing off the demon.
"Jeon…"
Perhaps I'm right! It was July 14!
"July! It's—"
Until the flames turned blue.
That's when I had a memory; didn't we see blue flames...when we entered the third world?
To whom did they belong?
Perhaps they belonged to Enver and his magicians...but, I'm not sure if they're still here.
"Jeon!"
"Huh?"
Without realizing it, the demon's ashes had fallen on us, and besides that, I could see Eiram's worried face.
"We have to leave, right now!" She stretched out her hand, and when the flame from her fingers touched my shoulder, my chest lit up. Again. "A-Ah!" She was repelled by me, and at the same time, I felt that same pain in my chest.
"A-Agh!" I held my chest with one hand, while with the other I held myself tightly to the ground.
This was not good; in this state, I wouldn't be able to move…
"N-No…! Jeon!" I could hear Eiram's voice, at the same time as I heard her footsteps approaching me, running, worried.
But just as she was about to reach me, bursts of blue fire stopped her, until they reached her and made her disappear.
"Eiram!"
And that's when my chest shone even brighter.
I pressed my forehead to the ground, until soon, I felt someone in front of me. Slowly, I raised my gaze; I saw some nicely styled black shoes, but beyond that, I could also see a tail moving between its feet.
He was a demon, indeed...however...could it be July 14?
No... he looks too rebellious to wear that kind of clothing.
Instead, I slowly raised my head, and enduring the pain in my chest, I slowly saw that person's face...
"H-Huh…" He had so much chest pain that he couldn't even speak normally. "…W-Who…"
And yet, amidst the pain, it was then that I could see his face; eyes of a bright, demonic blue, two horns that if you squinted even looked like cat ears, and above all, pointed ears.
"So, you were the one who murdered my commander."
Huh?
Commander?
He is referring to... "Raum?"
He whistled, and then he kicked me, sending me flying backwards. "Yes, you know who I'm talking about..." He adjusted his jacket, then looked away. "So... you and your friends came back here despite the lesson I taught you in past lives, huh?"
"What are you…talking about?"
"Do you know what palingenesis is, human?" He dictated, while slowly beginning to walk around me. "We call it...'being born again'."
Do I know? Of course I know, I remember my mother reading about it several times in the Bible, teaching me that...
But was there any connection to that?
"Y-Yes…I know…" I murmured, while still holding my chest, at this point I was starting to drool.
"Whatever silly meaning it has been given...in the end, it will always mean the same thing; to be born again," Then he snapped his fingers, and my chest stopped glowing, at the same time that I appeared dressed in a suit. Just like him. And when I looked ahead, there he was; watching from the ravine. "I am a demon capable of performing that palingenesis at will. Well, this isn't the first time I've met you; and I know it won't be the last..." Then he smiled, and turned to look at me. "Rather, I mean, yes; it will be the last time this happens."
I quickly got up from the floor, and then I got on my guard, ready in case he attacked me.
"But don't take it that way!" Then, he walked towards me. "I cannot do it until my prince stops using my power."
"Prince?" What did he mean by that? Is there anyone else in this world who can do what this guy does? Also, what does he mean by saying we've met before? I can't... I can't tell if he's telling the truth…
"His name is so hard to remember that I won't say it...but if you ever see him, tell him to die quickly, and for good, if he ever tries to use my power again...I'll kill him myself!"
"Huh?"
He...he really is a strange demon; he talks about the past, then the future, then he threatens me...and finally...
Well...it has to be a demon, after all...
"Anyway, on second thought..." Then, he smiled at me. "I should kill you anyway; that ghost girl died as soon as she touched my flames…"
Did he...kill Eiram?
But then, his smile faded.
"Why don't you look angry?"
"?" Well, I am getting angry, but more than angry, I'm more confused by all the sudden information than by Eiram's situation...but yes, I am angry. A little. "I am."
He snorted, then looked to the side.
"Are you mentally challenged? It's obvious she was your beloved Marie!"
Marie? I hear that name again, and yet... no matter how much I want to, I can't remember that name anymore.
And I think he noticed it immediately.
"…"
His angry face changed to a serious one, and then he opened his palm, where a blue flame appeared.
"I suppose it really is necessary for you to die." Then, his eyes met mine. "Perhaps in your next reincarnation, you will not return to this place again."
My eyes widened as I realized what he was about to do, and immediately, I took a few steps back.
"Don't come near!"
He moved his other hand, and immediately my chest glowed again, preventing me from running away. "Ugh!"
Was he really...the cause of this thing in my chest?
"The others transmigrants usually die from my curse, I must say you are strong to endure it so well…" Others, he said? Does that mean...Eiram—no, Marie, was right?
"Do you mean that...there are others with the same thing as me…?"
He sighed, then moved his hand where he had that blue flame. "Enough with the questions, I'll kill you right now."
And he moved his hand; a gust of wind and fire shot out towards me.
"!"
But, to our surprise…
Something cut the attack short; from behind me came that powerful cut, which was able to split the attack and that demon in two.
And of course, I was able to recognize that very fine cut.
"Anser…" I turned around; maybe he was behind me...?
"He must have a sharp instinct, otherwise he must be very lucky to manage to hit me."
And yet, soon, he began to regenerate, enveloped in blue flames.
Perhaps the wisest thing to do now is not to wait for him to kill me, and better yet, I should run away.
Before he could finish regenerating, I was already running. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before he would catch up to me, but even if that were the case, I didn't want it to happen.
Perhaps there's a small chance...that Anser is near here!
Yes! And if that's the case...I'd be saved!
I turned around behind me, and yet I did not see the demon chasing me. Even so, I shouldn't get overconfident, so I just kept running.
Once I leave this place, he won't be able to pursue me anymore, and finally, I'll be safe.
Even so, the words of that demon, like Marie's, kept echoing in my head. Perhaps, when I return...I'll tell Anser and the others about it...perhaps there's something more to it than that.
Perhaps...
Marie was right.
Perhaps there is 'something' in this world that I haven't seen; that I haven't yet stopped to observe.
So, I guess it's time to stop acting and start actually investigating.
Anyway, if that helps others...then I'll definitely do it.
_
"…Are you completely crazy?" Karmen said she had to accept that it was; it was a clean and powerful cut, and she was glad it wasn't directed at them, however on the other hand... "If you hadn't been careful with that thing...you would have sliced us all up here!"
Anser sheathed his sword, and then, sighing, depressed…
He thought his attack might tell him if Ji Noo was nearby; but apparently, since he couldn't hit anything...maybe Ji Noo really wasn't nearby.
"Jeon…"
"…"
And so, without saying anything else, he turned around, with his pet tucked into his coat, stroking it, as he walked back. All the soldiers parted as he passed, clearing the way for him because of the fear they now felt towards him...
Anyway, nobody expected such tremendous power…
So, where did all that power suddenly come from?
***
Frederick —with Liam carrying— and July 14 ran through the corridors of the giant base, while debris from the destroyed wall of the base fell near them.
He didn't want to accept it; but July 14 was really worried about the witch; Gene.
Amina was truly a formidable enemy; she knew that even if Randy faced her, he would lose. Unless there was magic of equivalent power or antiquity to hers.
And, seeing all the debris that kept falling…his concern was now impossible to hide.
"This is the first time I've seen you worried," Frederick told him, while dodging all the falling obstacles. "She'll be fine, she's a strong girl."
July 14 frowned, offended at being taken in by his concern. "Me?! Worried about that witch?! Never! A demon like me doesn't worry about something like...those filthy witches!"
Frederick glanced at him sideways, with a face that said, 'Are you serious?' However, he did his best to hide it.
"Oi…I can see that you completely distrust what I said."
However, July 14 knew that if he admitted to being worried, it would hurt his pride even more, and appearing weak in front of the person who practically kept him as a pet—was not what he wanted!
"Huh?" Frederick noticed that a shield appeared on the others around him—who were still paralyzed by Amina's magic. But it wasn't just any shield; it was Sherly's own shield, the very same shield he learned to use directly from him. "Gene?"
Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to revive a person who was lying peacefully at rest, so he simply answered himself and his surprise with Gene.
However, even knowing that Gene can mimic magic, wouldn't he be using more mana than she can to do that?
"Tsk…" Had she become stronger? Well, if that were the case, Frederick would be pleased; but considering that Gene has a lot of mana, but it is very difficult for her to regulate it...it was impossible.
"This is the first time I've seen you worried, she'll be fine, she's a strong girl…"
"You suck at imitating me," Frederick responded upon hearing July 14's voice very poorly imitate his own. "I'm going upstairs to see what's happening, keep running with Liam."
And, he threw Liam into July 14's arms, who caught her in mid-air, but, instead of continuing to run, he stopped. "Wait! Are you going with that witch?"
Frederick snorted, somewhat annoyed. "Of course, we're from the same sect, I have to go and support her."
July 14 frowned; he was angry, offended, frustrated...and jealous. Why was Frederick always so chivalrous with those girls when he—the self-proclaimed most powerful demon in this world—was a new member of their sect?
"What does she have that I don't?!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
However, just as they were about to continue fighting, July 14 stood still. His tail twitched behind him, and then he turned around; all the other members of the sect remained paralyzed and protected by that shield, but, for some reason, he felt that something was watching him. He shuddered, and instead, he ran towards Frederick, pressing his head to his chest, squeezing Liam between them. "I'm so scared! I don't want you to leave...human!"
Frederick looked at him, confused one second, and the next second even more confused. "…What the actual fuck is wrong with you? Are you gay? What the hell…"
July 14 gave him a withering look, while his eyes glanced back and forth repeatedly.
That was the sign; someone was behind him.
And suddenly, Frederick understood.
"…You disgust me."
"…HUH?!"
Well, July 14 was expected him to play along and protect him, just like in romance novels or—
"You're wild, ferocious, stupid, but incredibly cute when you act like that," And then Frederick's words made him falter. Frederick placed his hands on July 14's shoulders, squeezing them. "If this is the end for us..." He slowly moved closer to his face—which was redder than a tomato—and smirked. "I disgustingly desire you."
"W-What—"
Just as their lips were about to touch, a gunshot rang out behind July 14. He immediately looked at Frederick's arm; he was the one who fired.
He quickly turned around and saw behind him that the bullet was suspended in the air, and soon, among particles, Amina appeared, although now her body was no longer visible, but only a trace of constellations.
"If I leave... you'll come with me..." That's what Amina's now distorted voice told July 14; however, he knew that now without a physical body, those particles were practically just a very small part of Amina's power that remained in this world; who was also surely there when Amina helped create July 14.
"…"
And yet, despite being one of the biggest collaborators—besides Marco—in his creation...she kept trying to kill him.
And that made him sad, although he knew that since he wasn't human, he had no right to feel that way.
"Funny." Frederick said, and with another shot, the constellations adhered to the bullet; all that last trace of his body remaining inside that bullet that Frederick fired.
The bullet fell to the ground, the sound of the material combined with mana on the ground, remaining forgotten under the rubble, despite all the destruction, they knew that if Amina appeared to them...it meant that Gene managed to stop her.
July 14, still holding Liam in his arms, looked at the bullet; he felt sad, yes, but, knowing that Amina and the others only used him as 'bait' for their enemies...
"…" What was he really created for? What was his reason for being? Why was he...abandoned? "Amina…"
Frederick looked at him; he noticed how quiet and different he seemed now. "You're not that disgusting, okay?" He said, as if trying to reassure him, and then placed his hand on his shoulder, this time more gently. "You did a great job."
July 14 turned to look at him, frowning, and confused. "Me? But I didn't help with anything."
And Frederick smiled; perhaps one of the few times he smiled honestly, and not sarcastically. "You are alive despite the fact that the girl who should have been close to you betrayed you," He sighed. "Honestly? If my closest companions betrayed me, I would have preferred to die rather than continue living a life completely different from the one I believed I belonged to."
July 14's eyes lit up. Was it pity? Was he trying to calm him down?
He didn't really understand why Frederick was saying that, and if July 14 opened up...it made his sorrow feel less heavy.
"But...I still don't know...what I have to do next..."
Dying is always the solution to everything. Anyone would prefer to die, since living was too complex for an artificial being like him.
"Isn't it obvious?" Frederick said, standing in front of him. "Live. Just like us."
"…?"
July 14 didn't understand.
Such an obvious answer to something as complex as 'what to do with your life'.
"…Are you making fun of me again?!"
But perhaps he could simply stay with them until he discovered the true meaning of 'living;' just as Frederick did after losing his family and his sect; like Gene did when she decided to live peacefully, instead of striving for something that even she couldn't bear; like Liam lived by adapting her fears based on her experience so that they would not be an obstacle; like Anser after losing everything close to him…
Perhaps. The true meaning behind that little word 'live' was learning to live with the heavy burden you carried. Knowing that perhaps...living was just a process that would have an end, and tormenting oneself with painful events was too much time for such a short life expectancy.
Even when he was a demon, he still didn't know if he would live long enough before being killed.
"…"
So, just this once, he would take that word 'live' to find out what would happen to him.
"Whatever, I still feel strange after you flirted with me."
Frederick's smile disappeared, instead changing into a grimace. "How the hell do you not know what living is, but you do know what flirting is?"
"HA! Now you're embarrassed, aren't you?! BAHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh please…" He rubbed his temple, predicting that a headache would come if he continued arguing with July 14. "Let's just focus; let's go get Gene and then look for Anser, that guy must be lost in the woods."
July 14 smiled, relaxed for the first time.
"'Kay…just because now I have something to annoy you with back."
"Forget what I said. Kill yourself."
And with that, they both ran back down the road they had been fleeing from before.
But at least, on this occasion, both could say that perhaps none of the sect were so different; they all lost something, they all lived in hopelessness, they all lived in despair...until everything they lived for disappeared, and in its place, they now lived with memories.
They were human, well, some of them.
And perhaps live together trying to face their problems to have a happy death…It would be the most precious gift that could be given to them instead of dying in despair and sadness.
In any case, the end will always be death.