Swearing to the Goddess
I had a nightmare.
In the dream, I stupidly shoved Pyris's head into a demon's maw.
With a sickening crunch, Pyris's head vanished from his shoulders.
A second Pyris appeared.
This time I pushed him off a cliff.
Thud—his head shattered against the rocks below.
A third Pyris appeared.
When he asked "Why?", I grabbed his hand and threw him into a man-eating plant.
The plant chewed noisily before spitting something out.
Ptui—the ejected Pyris had a melted head.
A fourth Pyris appeared…
A fifth…
A sixth…
…
……
………
!#(!&#th Pyris
"Hah!!"
I must have had a terrible nightmare. A dream where Pyris kept losing his head over and over… How horrifying.
"Hoo… hoo—haa—"
I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Worried that Pyris might have woken up because of me, I glanced around.
Soon I spotted him a short distance away, eyes closed in sleep. He seemed to be resting peacefully, though his pale complexion made him look freezing. I needed to cover him with something.
But no matter how hard I searched, I found nothing suitable. Left with no choice, I decided to lie beside him and share my body heat.
I approached and tried to lie down next to Pyris, but…
My body.
Was gone.
"Ah…"
Memories.
Came flooding back.
"Aah…"
Because of my foolish choice.
"No… Aaaah… Aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
Pyris was dead.
"Awake already, I see."
While I could think of nothing but screaming, a voice I never expected to hear reached my ears.
The bastard who lured us here with promises about the Stigma, lied about sparing us, and killed Pyris.
"Hayden…!"
"Still sane, are you? Your mental fortitude is stronger than I expected. Pity. It would have been kinder if you'd broken right there."
Pyris's murderer—the man I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands—sat on a chair near the warehouse entrance, watching me with amusement.
"Pyris's… murderer…!! I'll kill you!!"
"Murderer… How unfair."
"Don't you dare act innocent after killing him with your own hands!!"
"Think carefully, ignorant child. You were the one who found me when I only wanted to rest."
"What nonsense!"
What was this bastard saying? Just hearing his voice made me nauseous. If I had any strength, I'd rip his mouth open right now.
"You showed me those eyes and piqued my interest. You agreed to follow without suspicion. You convinced your hesitant brother."
"Shut up…!"
"I won't deny my hand dealt the final blow, but—"
"Shut your mouth!!"
I couldn't bear to listen anymore. I lost all reason and lunged at him.
—Kiing
A glowing purple ring shot from his hand and bound my body. I collapsed before I could reach him.
"Release me! I'll kill you right now!!"
"Tsk tsk. You've lost your mind and can't even gauge the difference in our power. You should listen to people until the end."
"I told you to shut up!!"
"If a foolish girl like you hadn't followed me so eagerly, your brother wouldn't have died."
"What?"
"So in the end, you're the one who killed that child, not me."
"…How dare you twist it like that!!"
"Child, do you truly wish to kill me? When you can't even break such a simple binding?"
"I'll kill you no matter what!! I swear it!!"
Burning with murderous intent, I crawled toward Hayden. If I couldn't strike him, I'd kick him. If I couldn't kick him, I'd bite him to death.
Unless I tore him apart with my own hands, I couldn't atone for Pyris's death. That was the least I could do—and if I failed, I wouldn't be able to bear the weight of it.
"Let me ask you something."
"Shut up!!"
"Before you kill me, aren't you curious why I did it?"
"Just shut up already!!"
I mustn't listen. That tongue was a serpent's. He was trying to seduce and break me.
"Because you are beloved by the goddess."
"Stop spouting nonsense. My ears are rotting!!"
No matter how I looked at it, this bastard seemed to want my throat slit and bleeding out.
"Because you are beloved by the goddess, you met me as if by fate. Even that meeting was her blessing."
"…"
Since answering only encouraged him, I ignored him and kept crawling.
"Your coming here with me was surely the goddess's guidance as well."
Madman.
"Therefore, your brother's death today was also the goddess calling him to her side."
Madman. Madman. Madman.
"In other words, your eyes became that way because the goddess wished to guide your brother to her."
Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman. Madman.
Listening made my ears feel like they were rotting, and fury burned in my chest. If I didn't vent this rage, I'd die before I could kill the bastard.
"Then I swear to that damn goddess—I'll tear you apart with my own hands!!"
When I reached his feet and met his gaze, the madman suddenly smiled brightly.
"Yes… yes… So that's it… 『I swear to the goddess』—you'll kill me with your own hands."
"Ha, scared now?"
"Of course. I'm terrified of you killing me with those hands. Therefore…"
—Woong
The air vibrated. He began gathering the same purple energy in his hand, but this time it radiated killing intent.
Ha. He'd had enough fun watching me struggle. Now he was going to kill me too.
"You will never achieve your revenge."
—Puuk
A chilling sound of flesh being torn rang out.
But it didn't come from me. My body felt no pain, and the purple bindings around me were fading.
—Tuk… tuduk…
Warm liquid splashed across my face. Confused, I looked up.
The madman had stabbed his own heart with his hand.
"Huh…?"
"Kuk… kuhuhuh…"
He was laughing grotesquely even as he took his own life. My stunned mind finally started working again.
"Ah… no… Stop… Stop it… If you die like that, what does that make me?!"
"Kik… kihihihik… Your prayer… hack… will never come true…"
"Shut up!! Shut up!! You can't die like that!! My… my hands… If I don't kill you with my own hands, Pyris—?"
"That… is the fate the goddess has ordained for you…"
—Koong
Before my hands could even touch him, he collapsed as a corpse.
My vision blurred. My hands trembled violently. My legs gave out and I sank to the floor.
"Ah… hik… hick… If you die like that… sob… Pyris… How can Pyris rest in peace…? What did he even die for? Why? Why? Whyyyyyyyyy!!"
I had failed even at revenge. He was dead, but I had done nothing.
They said the goddess truly existed in this world.
So I prayed. That Pyris and I could live to see tomorrow.
So I vowed. That I would protect Pyris.
So I believed. That even if we parted, we would surely meet again.
…
……
What was the point of praying?
Nothing came true.
What was the goddess's love?
Because of that love, Pyris died.
They said this was a world where the goddess existed.
Because we were orphans, because we had nothing, because no one would care if we died on the street—that's why she ignored us?
"If that's what gods are… we don't need them…"
If a god truly knew everything and could do anything, why did she abandon us?
"So then…"
In that case, I…
Would curse the existence that abandoned us.
"…will curse her…"
It was perfect.
I couldn't be certain the final illusion spell would work on those eyes, so I used every method at my disposal.
She was no ordinary girl, yet she wasn't accustomed to the scent of blood either. Breaking her was easier than expected.
The result was exquisite.
As predicted, the young saint candidate didn't even know how to use her eyes yet—like a newborn.
The saint candidate bearing the clearest, most beautiful Stigma I had ever seen was now inside, cursing the goddess magnificently.
I would love to watch how she grows, but if she learns I'm alive, she might rekindle her flames of vengeance and return to the goddess.
Such a fine vintage requires proper aging.
Considering how long I've waited for this moment, a little more time is nothing.
She's five now, so I'll hide somewhere no one can find me until she turns twenty.
At this rate, she'll become a splendid fallen one before long.
When she's sufficiently matured, revealing myself and watching her heart shatter upon seeing her irreversible transformation will be delightful entertainment.
If she dies before then, it would be a shame—but I'd rather see her break than remain an incomplete failure.
The moment I've been waiting for…
How I look forward to it.
The tears wouldn't stop.
Pyris's headless body lay on the floor, looking so pitiful that I sat hugging his head.
I kept touching, staring at, and kicking Hayden's corpse to check if it was an illusion, but no matter how many times I looked, it was real.
Drip. Drop. Trickle.
Meanwhile, my tears kept flowing as if my body intended to expel every drop of moisture through my eyes.
But…
Yeah.
It's okay. I can stand now.
"Ahaha. Yeah. I can smile."
I couldn't die too. If I did, Pyris wouldn't rest in peace—he'd come scold me.
Ah, the thought of Pyris coming to scold me suddenly sounds appealing.
Still, I can't. The tears won't stop right now.
I want him to see me smiling.
If he sees me crying, Pyris will definitely feel guilty.
I'm the one who was wrong.
Yeah. Not now.
"I'll be back soon."
I leaned Pyris's headless body against the statue and adjusted his head so he could hold it without getting too dusty. Then I kicked Hayden's corpse once more and stepped outside the warehouse.
Looking up at the sky, the sun was already rising, indifferent to my grief.
I couldn't leave Pyris like that—it was too pitiful. I'd go find Uncle Hans and ask for help.
"Sniffle, sniff. The tears… won't stop…"
Too many things had happened in a single day.
My head was overloaded and I couldn't even remember the path from yesterday, but I thought I could reach Uncle Hans's tavern by the time the sun fully rose.
While walking blankly, my head bumped into something and I lost my balance, falling backward.
"Aang~?"
"Ahaha. I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention at all. Sniffle. That's why…"
I forced a smile as I stood, not wanting to burden the person I'd bumped into with my tears.
When I looked up—
"Bro, this kid's smiling?"
"Isn't she crying?"
"Hey, it's a brat. Brats smile at your face and cry at mine, don't you know?"
"So seeing both of you at once, smiling while crying makes sense."
Four rough-looking men were surrounding a caged wagon as they passed by.
I must have headbutted one of them.
"You okay, kid?"
"Ahaha… Yes. I'm fine. You must feel bad because someone like me bumped into you. I'm really sorry."
I apologized to the relatively decent-looking man among them. If an orphan like me bumped into dangerous men, they might kill me just for ruining their mood. I poured as much sincerity into the apology as I could.
Fortunately, he wasn't that kind of villain.
—Creak.
"Good if you're fine. Now get in."
"Huh?"
"I said get in."
He wasn't that kind of villain.
He was a proper villain—light-years away from the word "sane."
Inside the iron cage he casually opened were terrified slaves packed tightly together.
And so I…
Without even being able to collect Pyris's body…
Was sold off as a slave.
Ha, fuck. Now that my dick's gone, my life's turned into one instead.