"Name."
"Kiyohime."
"Nationality."
"Japan."
"Gender."
"Sir, can't you tell my gender?"
Kiyohime stared darkly at Caelus, who questioned her with an impassive face, like a police officer interrogating a criminal.
"There are plenty of people with male bodies and feminine appearances, female bodies and masculine appearances, and even those with dual genders. These aren't unusual at all in various myths, which is why I wanted to confirm your gender."
"Alright, female."
"Tell me, why did you start fighting?"
"I helped a group of people escape from Wyverns, then got separated from them. On my way to the last human gathering place, I encountered this person. At first, we got along quite well, but after several subsequent battles, we had some disagreements regarding dragon species."
At this point, Kiyohime couldn't help glancing at Elizabeth, who was kneeling nearby with a bump on her head, crying pitifully.
The reason was that when Elizabeth regained consciousness earlier, she angrily lashed out at Caelus and even let out a loud roar.
Then, after receiving a punch to the head, she quieted down and sat there looking miserable.
Because of this, Kiyohime was now cooperating so well. As a lady, she didn't want a bump on her head. It would be too embarrassing if Master Anchin saw her in such an undignified state.
"She believes dragons should be winged lizards, not serpentine creatures. We argued over this, then started fighting, leading to the scene you just witnessed."
After hearing the explanation, Caelus found it reasonable. After all, both had dragon traits, and according to various myths, dragons are proud creatures. Any doubt about their nature would inevitably provoke a dragon's wrath, leading to a fight.
"But honestly, neither of you are purebred dragons. One became a fire dragon-serpent due to deception in a story. The other is a vampire from a horror tale, who gained dragon attributes because your family crest had dragon teeth, combined with the subtle relationship between vampires and dragons."
"So, both of you, with tragic origins as dragon species, shouldn't argue over who's more pitiful."
These words pierced their hearts like sharp blades. Kiyohime's proper smile nearly faltered, and Elizabeth couldn't help glaring at Caelus.
Caelus picked up a book. There wasn't much to investigate about Kiyohime's story, as the widespread version was clear, it was a tale of deception. But as a historical figure with a clear prototype, Elizabeth had some aspects worth exploring.
"From what I've read in historical stories, after Elizabeth Báthory's husband and brother died successively, inheriting the property and manors of two families, along with a large amount of Treasury bonds, she was rumored to be the culprit behind cases of missing girls and accused of bathing in their blood, leaving behind a vampire stigma in later generations. As the real Elizabeth, can you tell me, did you really do such things, or was it pure slander by László Turóczi because you didn't follow Catholicism?"
Elizabeth hung her head. After a long silence, she finally said, "It wasn't pure slander. I really did such things when I grew up."
"Oh, I thought you were a victim of power struggles. So, it's all true?"
"Yes."
"Judging by your current appearance, your spiritual foundation is from your teenage years. What do you think of your future self now?"
"Although I hate that version of me, I can't escape the fact that it is indeed my future self..."
"Then why do you think you became like that?"
"...It was separation."
Caelus recorded the truth. When he first read this legend, he thought it was pure slander, but unexpectedly, there was truth to it, or at least in this universe, it was real.
"This Singularity has changed greatly. The current situation isn't the worst. Greater dangers lie ahead."
"Huh!? It's not dangerous now?"
"Greater crises are yet to come. I can't say much about this. If I revealed the mastermind's name, you'd likely face trouble too."
Caelus closed the book, stood up, and without another word to the two of them, left the campfire.
Mem appeared beside Caelus. Looking at the story of Elizabeth Báthory, she asked, "Partner, why do people become bad after experiencing separation?"
"They don't become bad, they just become fragile."
As Caelus walked toward Marseille, he spoke to Mem beside him.
"The successive deaths of her husband and brother dealt her a heavy blow, making her realize the fragility of life. Perhaps bathing in blood wasn't just about maintaining her appearance forever, but because that separation made her fear loss and death, so she sought methods to gain a longer life."
"Death, eternal separation from others, is truly sad. I don't want to be forever separated from Partner."
Mem's ears drooped.
"But death is necessary. Only because death exists as the final limit do people realize time is finite, cherish and love within it, and live without pity before the end comes."
"If death were postponed infinitely, time would no longer be precious. People would realize they don't need to rush, as time is long and death won't come, so they wouldn't begin to cherish it."
As Caelus passed a Wyvern, he lightly touched its body. The Wyvern fell to the ground, losing its breath of life. Its flesh began to rot, its bones decayed, as if time had accelerated countless times, integrating into the land below, making the barren soil sprout grass and flowers.
"Death is another form of life. The constant rotation of life and death creates a vibrant universe. Only death means there is no colorful life, only life means everything rots and stinks."
"Death is the equilibrium of life."
Mem looked at the tender green grass and blooming flowers, then asked Caelus beside her,
"Will Partner embrace death someday too?"
"I don't know. Perhaps in the extremely distant future, when I reach the end of my journey, when no stories move me anymore, and I no longer hold passion for anything, I might choose to embrace eternal peace."
"I won't let that day happen. I'll always be with Partner, always keeping Partner excited for tomorrow!"
"Mm, let's walk this path together then."
"Then we'll be together forever!"
"Forever..."
(To be continued.)