Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Don't Forget Me - 4
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"...We have to assume she's dead. There are no signs of life at all."
"I don't give a damn about that, fuck! Just tell me how to break the seal. That's what I'm asking right now."
"The way to break it... We have no idea with our current knowledge. We've never seen a curse like this before. At least give us some time to research..."
"Shut up! Goddamn it... I came to the empire's top academy, and it's full of useless idiots. I don't need any of you, damn it. None of you!"
"Wait! Please, just give us some time..."
Time passes.
No, to be precise, it doesn't flow. At least not for me. I awoke only occasionally within the frozen time, observing the changes in the world. I strained to listen, hoping to catch some news of him in those fleeting moments, but nothing came. All I saw were the selfish facets of the world I'd ignored until now.
"...The more I look at her, the prettier she gets. It's a shame she's just a statue."
"Tell me about it. A bitch like this needs her holes wrecked with a cock on a stick..."
"What a filthy bastard. Anyway, why would such a cute girl get hit with a curse this strong?"
"Who knows. But looking at her makes me hard—feels like I've been cursed too..."
Bang.
"Ah, shit. It's Leo."
"How's it going? Any progress?"
"We're working on it, Leo. Almost every priest in the order is on it."
"So no progress, then. You fucking incompetent assholes. What the hell are you even doing?"
"We're doing our absolute best..."
"Your best, best, best bullshit! Maybe I need to lop off a couple of heads to get your real best?"
"S-sorry! We just..."
"Shut the fuck up!"
Bang!
...
"Ha... Where's Bobby?"
"Pardon? The Archbishop has urgent business..."
"Fucking piece of shit..."
Harsh curses and filthy obscenities. The human world is filled with deceit and hypocrisy. Not everyone in the world is pure and kind like Luca. No, to be exact, most humans are wicked and filthy.
No, nearly all humans are wicked and filthy.
No. Every single one without exception...
...
Why am I thinking like this?
I don't know. Each time I awoke, a strange magic gnawed at my brain like a parasite, twisting my thoughts and replacing them with others.
"Please, Reina. Just listen."
"No! I don't want to hear it!"
Bang.
"Fuck...! No, sorry. Don't do that, Reina. Be careful."
"Were you about to curse at me, bro? At me?"
"No. I was just excited. That's all."
"Excited? Why? Over this stupid rock? You were gonna curse at me because of it?"
"It's not like that, Reina. So please, calm down."
"Fine. Then tell me this: Why are you still obsessed with this thing? The mages said it can't be undone. So why the obsession?"
"I told you, Reina. It's not some weird ulterior motive. It's just that inside this statue..."
"Yeah, I know. A genius mage. The greatest mage of the century with immense magic power. But so what? You've got the empire, bro. You're the Hero who beat the Demon King. What do you need some girl for?"
"It's complicated."
"Yeah, complicated alright! Because that's not your only goal, right?"
"What are you talking about, Reina..."
"She looks just like me, doesn't she? I didn't say it, but from the first moment I saw her, I felt it. And the way you look at her is off somehow. What, was I not enough? Is that it?"
"It's not like that."
"Then what is it!!!"
Crash.
Thud.
Pat pat pat.
"Reina..."
"...Am I not enough for you, bro?"
"No. It's not like that."
"Where... Where am I lacking compared to that girl?"
"It's not that!"
"Am I embarrassing? Of course... Yeah, of course I am. Loving your little sister, fucking your little sister—that's embarrassing!"
"It's not like that!!!"
"..."
"..."
"Then... what's the reason?"
"I... I just..."
"..."
"Damn it..."
"..."
"Fine. I get it. I'll... handle it somehow."
Everything is shattering. Once time starts crumbling, it doesn't come back. It just flows.
The last time I awoke, I gazed up at a ceiling where hazy light poured in. The light was so faint it could barely be called light, yet it stung my eyes. Why? The sunlight back home felt stronger and warmer than this. Right. My hometown, Loren...
Loren...
...
...What was it again...
Has too much time passed? I can't even remember the name of my hometown. No, that doesn't make sense. My time has been stopped the whole while. Memories shouldn't fade in frozen time.
Or is something devouring me after all?
Only then did I start piecing together my memories one by one. My name. My hometown. The people I knew. Past events.
I am Eli.
And I come from the land of the demons.
"..."
It felt off somewhere, but it wasn't a lie. I did come from the demon lands. I just couldn't remember where I'd been before that. I tilted my head slightly and ruminated further.
I was abandoned by humans.
I made humans my comrades and was betrayed, violated by the goddess's Archbishop, thoroughly toyed with by the fake Hero and his companions.
"...Ah..."
My head throbbed painfully. The strangeness didn't even register anymore. It was all true, without a shred of falsehood—things that definitely happened to me.
No, that can't be. For some reason, I shook my head, denying the clear facts. There's something more. Something. Yeah, there has to be something. I...
I love the humans' Hero.
"That's why I was abandoned."
I love Luca.
"That's why I died once."
I miss him so much even now.
"That's why I'm trapped and suffering in time even now."
"Ahk..."
The more I chewed over the memories, the more a voice poked at them. Mere trivial points, yet her voice crumbled the world I knew bit by bit. It wasn't rhetoric. The darkness before my eyes actually crumpled, letting fiercer light seep in.
"Ah... Ahk..."
So blinding. This world's light was irritatingly bright. Why? Why? I shook my head without knowing the reason. The more I writhed, the more chunks of darkness flaked off my skin, and I groaned in pain.
"Ah... Aaaah..."
Eli.
The voice called me again. Who are you? Who the hell are you?
Eli.
Ignoring my question, it called my name once more. I lifted my head to face the light head-on and asked again. Who are you? But the voice ignored me and answered something unrelated.
It's time to keep your promise.
A promise? Did I make one?
I endured the pain and dug through my memories. Suddenly, I recalled the last promise I'd made. It was a snowy field. Exhausted, collapsed on it, I had made a vow. Yes. Definitely.
A pledge to spend eternity with Luca.
"Ah... Aaa..."
Only then did I realize the truth and raised my head. This voice is Luca's. Yes. If it's a promise, it can only be that.
I reached for the light. Powerful gravity poured down on it, but I ignored it and stretched out. Gathering all my remaining magic, I tore at the beam of light tormenting me with all my might. Space warped, revealing a familiar landscape beyond.
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, my strength gave out, and all my power and magic drained away. But seeing that nostalgic scene made me forget the agony in an instant.
Here it is.
Luca is here.
"Aaaaah...!"
Without hesitation, I yanked my hand, ripping space fully open. Gravel and sand encasing me trembled and collapsed in a rush. Agony like my skin tearing hit me, and indeed, my skin ripped away with the stone. But it didn't matter. Now I can go. I've waited so long. Now I'll go.
"Aaaaaah...!"
Gravel erupted with an explosion, and I threw myself through the rift. The scenery flipped in an instant, sand and gravel flying wildly. Twisting my long-stiffened body, I called his name with desperate longing.
"Luca..."
Thud.
But before the name escaped, my body hit rough ground powerlessly. Like a bird with broken wings, I closed my eyes in the fall. All I could do was twitch pathetically. In the end, I lost consciousness and sank back into darkness.
Beyond the cold metal touch on the back of my head, a warm energy flowed in. A cozy, hot sensation like basking in fire washed over my forehead. Feeling a sensation other than pain for the first time in ages, I joyfully opened my eyes. Then, blood trickling from my forehead seeped into my lips.
"Ah..."
The salty, fishy taste filled my mouth, drawing an involuntary groan of disgust. Then, a hazy figure approached from my blurry vision. It gently brushed over my eyes with soft hands.
Is it Luca? I hoped, but the hands were too small and delicate compared to his. Finally, my vision cleared, revealing a red-haired girl.
"Hello, Eli."
"...?"
The girl greeted me as if we were old friends. I wanted to ask who she was, but my body wouldn't respond. She looked at my limp form, then turned away. With a snap of her fingers, she lit a fire.
Mesmerized, I followed the firelight with my gaze. Only then did the room around me come into sharp focus. Broken pillars. Gray carpets layered with dust. Ceilings dangling with cobwebs. Crossing the ancient space, the girl stopped in the center. She approached another person lying there.
"Rian."
His name? Not knowing what I leaned against, I lifted my chin to look. Who is he? He felt familiar, and staring long, I realized upon seeing his severed neck.
That's...
"...Rian."
The unidentified Fourth Heavenly King I'd met before the Demon King's Castle.
I instinctively felt threatened and tried to writhe, but my body didn't move, and the dead king didn't revive. The girl gazed tenderly at his corpse, then kissed his forehead.
"Sleep well, Rian."
She set his body ablaze.
The body that haunted our nightmares was engulfed in huge flames in an instant. The girl stepped back, staring at the blaze for a long time. Her soot-streaked face bore countless dried tear tracks.
"Who are you..."
Then, my parched lips parted with effort, a cracked voice leaking out. My body was still as ravaged as before the Demon King's Castle. As I groaned in lingering pain, the girl spoke without turning.
"I told you not to stay with the black-haired beast."
"Ah... Ugh..."
"Looks like that goes for demons too."
The girl slowly turned to me. And approached.
"Remember that, Eli. Human proverbs apply to demons too. Consider this my first advice to you."
"Who are you..."
"Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself yet."
She stood straight before me. And spoke with an emotionless face.
"I'm Rachel Moonlight. First time meeting like this."
"Like this...?"
"How disappointing. I thought we'd talked plenty. Should I attach those long ears to my head for you to remember?"
"You're..."
"Yes. The rabbit that helped you that day. Though that wasn't my true form."
Rachel leaned down, staring into my face.
"You've gotten so gaunt. And why's your face covered in dirt? You're filthy."
"Who... are you..."
"You need to look presentable. For the Demon King's Castle's dignity."
"Who the hell are you!"
I mustered strength to shout. But Rachel calmly stroked my cheek.
"That's not important, Eli. Time's up."
"Time...?"
"Yes. Time to keep the promise."
Promise. The word muddled my head again. Headache worsened, vision blurring slightly.
"Promise..."
"Don't you remember? I explained everything. You said yes. The contract was made."
"I don't remember."
"Can't brush it off like that, Eli. Contracts with the Demon King are unbreakable. That's why you could stop time."
"I...?"
"Yes. Only those contracted with the Demon King can use that magic. Means the contract took hold. Time's passed, we've met again—now fulfill it."
Suddenly, I recalled another promise from that snowy field. Desperately piecing it, words tumbled from my lips.
"You'd... let me see Luca...?"
"Yes, exactly, Eli. I'll let you see Luca again."
"Really?"
"Yes. Because I know the way."
For a brief moment, hope bloomed, a faint smile on my lips. But it withered before fully forming. Rachel looked at me and spoke.
"Become the Demon King. Then you'll meet the Hero."
"Huh...?"
As I blinked in confusion, Rachel straightened, clasping her hands politely.
"You know the prophecy passed down in the human empire, right, Eli? When the revived Demon King disturbs the world, a youth from the mint flower village will behead the Demon King and save it. Humans dismissed it as old superstition, but it's real. The Ennesic Order decreed it."
"But..."
"Yes. But no Demon King revived, world stayed peaceful. Yet the Hero stormed the Demon King's Castle to behead one. So he got turned to stone. Technically Rian's last gasp, but I see it as Ennesic's will."
"No... That's..."
"So how does the stone Hero awaken? Answer's set. Demon King revives, disturbs the world. But I never died, can't revive, no power to disturb. You can."
A foreboding chill crawled over me. I stared at Rachel with trembling eyes.
"You've crossed death's threshold once and revived. Got power to disturb the world."
"Wait..."
"And you want to see that Hero desperately. Right? Become Demon King, he'll come to behead you. Then you meet, Eli."
"No! That's not—!"
"No. Not Eli anymore."
Rachel knelt before me as she was. Bowed her head and said.
"Great Demon King."
"I...!"
I thrashed to stand. But unknown gravity crushed me down, strength fading, head lolling back onto cold metal. Only then did I look to see where I sat. A pitch-black throne met my eyes, terrifyingly so.
"I'll make you meet him as promised, Demon King. So keep yours."
She rose and approached. Reached for my head. I shook wildly, squeezing out my voice.
"No... Not like this...!"
"Can't turn back now. Or rather, it was fated from the start—no turning back."
"No! Please... I don't want that!"
"Yes. It was all destined. Hero's curse, you coming here, Rian's death."
Suddenly, Rachel's approaching hand trembled. She bit her lip hard and spoke slowly.
"Should be fun. Watching your tangled fates. Sweet revenge for me."
"I...!"
"Then..."
Glory to the prophesied Demon King.
Her finger touched my head. Then, everything in my mind ignited white-hot.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
I screamed madly. Not physical pain. Not mental agony. The scant memories left in my head burned, evaporating in seconds.
"Aaaah!!! Ah... Uuuuugh!!!"
Immense magic surged through me. I shattered the gravity pinning me, leaping from the throne. But strength failed, and I collapsed, trembling violently.
"Ugh... Uuuuugh!!! Uuuuuugh!!!"
Everything fades. My name. Hometown. Loved ones. Friends. Family. Memories. Past. Nightmares. All slip through my fingers instantly. I strain to grasp even one, but no use. All gone. Everything.
"Ahhhh... Ugh... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
I clawed my head, desperately wishing not to forget. Grab at least one somehow. I hurl myself into burning memories, yanking the name deepest in my heart, clutching it close. To not forget, I chant it.
Luca.
Mint flowers. Ring. Idiot. My knight.
In the end, the only name remaining was his, not mine. What was my name again? Long scattered in the air, but I don't regret. Instead, I embrace his name fully, chanting on.
Luca.
Luca.
Luca.
Luca.
Luca.
Engrave it on all five fingers. Grip tight, keep only you in my arms. So when we meet again, I can call your name.
Luca.
Even as who I am, where I am fades, your name stays vivid. Amid pain, I smile faintly. Yeah, Luca. I won't forget. Never. Absolutely never.
I poured all my strength into shouting that name as the world vanished.
"Demon King."
"..."
The Demon King raised her head. A demon bowed, reporting.
"The Hero has been found in the capital."
The demon's voice held faint glee. Catharsis of revenge after years of violation. Triumph of finally locating the Hero. All mixed in.
"..."
But the Demon King showed no emotion. She'd scoured his hometown, his hated old comrades' cities, their homes for him. One might expect a smile at finding him, but she replied dryly.
"I see."
She gazed afar. No words, but clear dismissal. The demon withdrew slyly. The Demon King stared endlessly, unaware he'd left.
Following her gaze, the empire's vast capital loomed beyond the horizon. Her eyes on the human city held untold stories.
"...Yeah."
The Demon King murmured to no one, voice heavy.
"Luca's there, huh."
Her body rose slightly with thin breath. She savored the Hero's name aloud, eyes closing. Long lashes veiled deep darkness.
The revived Demon King luxuriated in her self-cast shadow, exhaling long. Each heave shook the earth; the human empire trembled in night heat haze.
She'd ravaged the empire cruelly in less than a year, but now she steadied her tension, breathing deeply. Crossing borders, death—rushing to another death—what thoughts filled the Demon King?
"Luca..."
Then, a frail voice unlike hers escaped, laced with longing and affection. Her subordinates would be stunned.
But she resumed her expression, head up. No hesitation lingered. Hands neatly at navel, eyes open, she uttered her final words.
"Now, time to meet him."