The Way of Love

When Elizabeth opened her eyes again, the world was silent. But it wasn't a familiar silence. It was the kind of stillness that seemed to carry a massive echo rolling in from somewhere very far away. From somewhere deep within her body, an unbearable power spread quietly, like it was ruminating. It didn't rampage or explode. It simply eroded her endlessly, quietly, profoundly.

She knew it. She was no longer the Elizabeth she had been. She had touched some higher, farther dimension. The fact was clear. But strangely, it didn't bring joy. There was no ecstasy, no sense of liberation. She simply knew. All these changes were just part of a "process." Not a goal, not an end. Merely a milestone passed on the way to something.

And that destination boiled down to one simple word.

Leo.

In her memories, he was still her father. The object of her longing, the source of her warmth, the center of her life. But those memories were wrong. He had raised her like a daughter, yes—but it wasn't a true father-daughter bond. She knew that now. The world had told her so.

His expressions, his gazes, his silences. They all rang differently now. The pieces that hadn't made sense were falling into new places. She could no longer understand him. She couldn't grasp his true feelings. But at the same time, she had become the one who could pierce through him more than anyone else.

It meant the form of her love had changed.

Flutter.

Her purple cloak billowed. It fluttered vigorously, like a puppy reunited with its long-lost owner after years apart. And that wasn't the only change.

Whoosh.

Elizabeth felt the ring in her bosom trembling. She pulled it out and saw it glowing. She slipped it on. Only then did she understand the ring's power.

Meanwhile, Oblivius, who had been watching the scene with delight, let out a sigh.

Elizabeth had awakened to her power, so she no longer needed his. She had achieved strength equal to the emperor's. So how was he supposed to make a contract with her now?

Oblivius sank into deep thought.

"Ha."

Joshua stared at her with bloodshot eyes. That overwhelming might. That potential. That stillness. That aura. All of it was what he had longed for over long years. With that alone, he could surely become a god. The power he had so desperately wanted was right before him.

Rumble.

War clouds churned, and the sky split open. Joshua hesitated no longer. No reluctance, no delay. Full power. He held nothing back now. A massive lightning spear cleaved through the heavens and hurtled down.

In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that moment, Elizabeth quietly extended her hand. As if blocking the wind, as if pushing back a wave.

She reached out.

Rumble.

Lightning flashed. Her lightning spear flew forth. Identical in form to Joshua's. Same speed. Same power.

The two spears collided in midair—

Boom!

A short, heavy explosion rang out.

"...You bitch."

Joshua ground his teeth. Immediately after, a barrage of spells poured from his hands. No reason to hold back. He unleashed every forbidden magic in his arsenal without mercy. Magic refined from starlight flowed like a storm. Lightning rent the air, the earth writhed, typhoons tore space, flames devoured everything. Jagged glaciers erupted like thorns.

Elizabeth countered every attack a single beat later, mirroring them exactly. Just as he fired. Just as he cast. She unleashed lightning, shook the earth, rent space, spewed fire, raised ice.

"You... you're imitating me!?"

Joshua's shout was closer to astonishment than rage.

She didn't answer. Instead, she replicated the flame whirlwind he had just cast.

"How dare you use my magic...!"

He had doubted it, but it was true. She was copying his magic. She read the instantaneous gaps as he cast, with her eyes. Understanding, analyzing, deploying it. Impossible, normally.

Casting even one spell required precise calculations and deep comprehension. Most mages kept only about five spells by their side for life. Even high mages managed around ten. Joshua had carried thirty, and prided himself on it. Even for him, this scene was hard to accept.

"It's those eyes... and that brain."

Joshua's gaze fixed on her starry blue eyes. Stars within: the castle and the five constellations. Those eyes analyzed all magic; that mind reassembled and perfected it.

Truly unfair.

Joshua saw Elizabeth. The girl with stars in her eyes was utterly different now. She didn't retreat. Didn't cower. Didn't evade.

"Your Majesty!"

The captain of the Imperial Guard's shout came then. Not far off. He had arrived leading soldiers. The clash of the two mages had already collapsed the Imperial Palace annex. The thick walls dividing it from the world had crumbled, turning the heart of the empire into the center of the battlefield.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky. Black thunderheads ready to unleash rain at any moment.

The Imperial Guard and combat mages of the palace slowly encircled Elizabeth. The captain had issued orders faster than anyone. Thus, all forces mobilized from across Hesenia converged on the annex.

"Who is that...?"

"The Imperial Princess?"

"S-Stars in her eyes."

"That cloak... it's definitely the Founding Emperor's..."

Unease rippled through the soldiers. Her face resembled the emperor's. Her eyes held an eerie glow. Her cloak was the one from ancient legends.

A quiet shock spread like waves.

"Snap out of it! That's the enemy. The enemy of the empire! Prepare for battle."

The captain bellowed. At his roar, the soldiers regained their senses and took positions. Cavalry and infantry drew swords in unison; gunners packed heavy powder into muskets. Mages whispered incantations, drawing magic circles.

The situation was sudden, but preparations swift. All ready for combat.

One mage muttered quietly.

"...Of all times, Sir Schvalier had to be out on a subjugation mission."

The man beside him replied in a low voice.

"No choice. But with this many men and His Majesty here, it'll be fine."

The numbers surrounding Elizabeth swelled rapidly. Black armor and red cloaks filled the palace ruins. Hundreds in seconds. And growing.

Silence shattered; battlefield tension descended. No one spoke rashly. They responded to battle in their own ways. All eyes fixed on Elizabeth alone.

"... "

Elizabeth surveyed the troops with cold eyes. Soldiers flinched wherever her gaze passed.

As she calculated spells, Elizabeth said,

"I came here to learn the truth from the start. Not to fight."

"......"

Oblivius was one of the strongest demons, but his combat prowess was the weakest among the Ten Demon Lords. And this was the human world, not Hell; descending via the ring imposed restrictions.

Elizabeth didn't reply. Instead, her cloak billowed as she shot high into the air. She abruptly veered toward the nearest escape route—west.

Her speed was insane; the soldiers panicked.

"She's fleeing!"

"Your Majesty, orders!"

The emperor conjured flames and roared,

"Attack!"

"Capture alive?"

"What the fuck— just attack!"

"Y-Yes!"

The moment the emperor's command fell, all soldiers moved as one. Hundreds of magic circles bloomed; countless muzzles spat fire. Sword gleams and flames poured toward her.

Black smoke blanketed the sky; spells rent the air.

Elizabeth extended her hand. Whirling winds cleaved the battlefield, erecting a curtain that blocked lines of fire. But the assault was endless. Even refined power and awakened instincts would crack eventually under the empire's elite firepower.

Roar!!

A massive blaze engulfed her like a gigantic blade. The emperor's spell. While soldiers distracted with attacks, Joshua had prepared this covertly. His highest fire magic—not mere flames, but power enough to rend the heavens.

The barrier shattered with a sound. Her airborne body twisted. Devastating flames, but the Founding Emperor's cloak wrapped around her, enduring. Yet she lost balance and plummeted to the ground.

"...!"

Ground forces opened fire again. Spells flew before she hit dirt.

Even in crisis, Elizabeth thought calmly. She read her fall trajectory, the scattering debris and wind flows. She twisted her toes, riding ash and smoke to veer. As a huge fragment blocked the sky, she hid behind it.

The drop was dizzying. But with the target gone, soldiers fell into chaos.

"Hit?!"

"Can't see! Smoke's too thick!"

"Regain visual! Don't let her escape!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth crawled into a gap in the rubble.

"... "

She pressed torn cloth to her wounds, quickly assessing damage. Cracked left rib, punctured right shoulder. Not fatal. Clutching her throbbing head, she scanned around. Not sure where, but far from the palace core. After that long flight, she'd escaped the palace grounds. Natural, given her frantic flight.

But no time to linger. Had to flee before soldiers swarmed.

My power's fading.

The force that matched the emperor withered. Not fully leaving her body, but retreating to rest.

Then.

"You...?"

A startled face peered through a rusty iron door at the battered Elizabeth. Gaius. Former prime minister, once the emperor's loyal servant.

"What happened to you...?"

Gaius's eyes wavered at her state. Soldiers' shouts echoed.

"Search! She fell into the mint!"

"Wh-What's going on all of a sudden?!"

"Enemy infiltrated the mint. By His Majesty's order—cooperate with the search."

Gaius glanced toward the shouts, then back at Elizabeth. He eyed the stars fading in her pupils, the cloak on her shoulder. The stars flickered faintly, about to vanish. The cloak was singed but bore the distinct imperial crest. It all pointed clearly.

Gaius, holding back emotion, breathed shallowly.

"...As I thought, Your Highness."

Elizabeth didn't reply. Instead, she glared with feigned impassivity.

Gaius spoke carefully yet firmly.

"Follow me. I know a way. You can escape."

Elizabeth showed wariness. Her eyes trembled slightly.

Gaius smiled. Soft, but sad.

"I told you. I swore to His Majesty."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"How could it not? You are his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠daughter."

"... "

"No time, Your Highness."

At that, Elizabeth quietly lowered her eyes. Neither denying nor affirming. But she turned and followed him into the mint's deep passages.

The stairs to the basement reeked of mold and damp. Mossy bricks dripped; walls bore water stains.

Gaius stopped, groping the right wall. He pressed a strangely clean brick with little moss. Rumble—a narrow gap opened beside it, barely for one person.

"Passage to the sewers. Exit here, you'll drop into the flow. Let the current carry you to the fork—take the right. Then..."

Gaius explained the path breathlessly. Each word a key to survival; Elizabeth memorized every one.

Finished, he bowed.

"Then... until next time."

She hesitated, lips trembling, then said calmly,

"...Thank you."

All the emotion in those short words etched deep into Gaius's eyes. He bowed deeply again without reply.

And she plunged into the dark passage.

How much time passed after falling into the sewer? Cold seeped in first. Chilly currents invaded her clothes. Chill spread under skin; joints shivered. She was submerged. No light, no warmth, no name.

She floated like that for ages, it seemed. Swept by the flow, bumping walls. Unsure what hurt. Pain blurred; thoughts muddled.

Then a long-ago scene flashed. Snowy night outside the window, he tucked her in blankets, murmuring,

"Hot cocoa's best on nights like this, right?"

She had smiled, taken the cup. That moment felt more real than reality. But the memory quietly squeezed her heart and faded.

He wasn't someone who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could give such warmth.

Unsure which fork, she crawled right—the cloak pulled that way. So she went. As Gaius said, she reached the sewer outlet. Crawled through rusted bars.

Torrential rain poured from the sky. Outside air. Mud, water, rotten sewage mingled on the ground. Freedom, if it was freedom. But heavier than expected.

Rain unrelenting. Shoes waterlogged and heavy; cloak torn, charred—not a cloak anymore. Mind blanked. She didn't know where to go. Just walked. Stopping meant never rising again.

She staggered forward. Tripped on a stone, hands in mud. Suddenly, remembered him pulling her up.

"It's fine. Falling once in a while's no big deal."

His hand large and warm. Now, it seemed poison.

A worn umbrella overlapped her rain-soaked shoulder. He held it over her, smiling.

"You'll catch cold. Careful."

She had loved that smile. Still couldn't hate it.

Fists clenched. Empty, but she wouldn't unclench, as if holding something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠precious. Rain stung eyes. Tears or rain? Indistinguishable. She didn't wipe.

The world was quiet. Cruelly serene. She walked on. Through knee-deep water, past fallen trees. Then stopped.

In the middle of a peaceful hill. Grass sodden; sky heavy. Open view. Like his embrace. Too far now, unreachable.

Rain pelted her. And the final memory. Birthday evening, cake he prepared. Blowing candles, smiling, he said,

"I'm glad you're my daughter. Happy birthday, Elizabeth."

Those words—now horrific. Because untrue. Because she wasn't his daughter. That fact was horrific.

Expressionless. Lips pressed, just standing. Cheeks streamed—rain or tears, no difference.

He wasn't her father. All those memories, lies. But... so beautiful, so warm, the lies crueler than anything.

"Oblivius."

She spoke. Words lost in rain, but resolve rang quietly. She had pondered long; now deciding.

"Give me back my memories."

Oblivius, silent till now, replied in surprise. He had given up.

"No. I don't know. I need to. Everything. So I can... truly understand him."

Realizing truth differed from reclaiming memories. She wanted it all. That day.

"I want to know now. I'm ready to accept."

"I know. As you said, I'll kill those Ten Demon Lords. So return my original memories."

"Why hesitate? You want this deal more."

Elizabeth's lips curved slightly.

That smile sent chills through Oblivius for an instant.

'Me, existing a millennium, scared of a mere human?'

Oblivius denied it, continuing,

"Did I? News to me."

Sincere or acting? No emotion readable on her face. Even Oblivius couldn't pierce it.

"So, will you do it or not?"

A contract with a demon. She knew. Irreversible. Breach meant losing her soul. She knew. But...

'Already past the point of no return.'

The line was too far crossed.

The demon manifested. Black, skeletal form. Oblivius quietly placed a hand on her forehead.

And—memories flooded in.

*

First, there was black. The man's bewildered mutterings. Spilled blood. A rolling head. Whose it was didn't matter now. In shattered time, just a fragment.

Spilled blood stained the earth; atop it, a crying child. That was her.

The world hot; the heat soon turned cold void. Something broke. Irreparably.

Then embraced. Stranger's arms, yet sole sanctuary. Warm. But false. He wrapped her in false name, false face. Covered lost time with illusion. Erased wounds, sealed sorrow, turned loneliness to "love."

She believed. No other way to live.

Slowly, obsessively, he rewove her world; in it, she found peace. Forgetting even who she was.

Thus... he was cruel.

"Haha."

Memories shattered. From age one to ten—half her life—scattered.

True memories seeped through the gaps.

"Haha, so that's it. That's why."

Accepting truth took no time. Understanding neither. Only enduring it did.

Forgetting to breathe, she knelt in mud. Wet earth embraced knees; rain trailed fingertips. World hushed; in silence, she broke body and soul.

Hands clutched face. First silent tremors. Then faint smiles. Laughter small, sobs smaller. Growing. Unbearable laughter. Rageful sobs. Laughing from understanding, yet unable to accept. And above all—sobbing for loving him.

Absurdly, incomprehensibly, she loved him. Long. He was her everything; even now, with memories restored, still her everything.

She knew he wasn't her real dad. No surprise. Relief, even. Now okay. Can love. Not a sinner.

Slowly lowered hands. Rain poured on drenched face—no need to wipe. Let it flow.

"...Dad."

The twisted word lingered on her tongue. But meaning changed.

"I love you."

Confession to him, liberation to the world, declaration to herself above all.

"So, I'll never give up again."

No need for understanding, forgiveness. I want him. As he deceived me, I'll deceive him.

"I'll have you, no matter what it takes."

No matter what. No one else will have him. He's my everything now.

She smiled. Affirming the ruins. Wretched, beautiful. Utterly human.