Chapter 79: Conditions For Perfecting Love
The entire area collapsed, burying a body alive beneath the rubble.
Surviving such a shock would be impossible, even for those with natural-born resilience.
Dont say such nonsense.
Originally, it was supposed to be just a cover to buy time for escape.
The words of a madman who made an irrevocable choice without even a moments hesitation were beyond the prediction of a fortune-teller with the power to read the future.
You youre a demon
She was one who traversed dimensions, trampling countless beings and supporting an army.
An entity of calamity and the incarnation of evil itself.
That such a being, bewitched by someone she met only a day or two ago, suppressed even her survival instincts, essential for a selfish demon, and rushed towards him as if enchanted.
Such a case should not exist; how could she, who predicted the future based on precedent with the help of a God, foresee that?
Why do you dream of such loveto meet your end with him?
Though she understood that it was inevitable through reading her past, she couldnt respect her despite feeling sympathy.
No matter how her life had been a torture of hope, wielding her stubbornness over him could never be called true love.
Foolish person.
Yes, no matter how pitiful, this poor and foolish woman could not be allowed to stay by her companions side.
Thud!
Just as she was about to turn her back without regret, something emerged from the pit filled with rubble.
With a body no better than rags.
The demon, shaking off the fragments embedded in her body, staggered towards her
Impossible. How can this be?
She had taken the full brunt of her most powerful spell.
Even though demons were more resilient than humans, she had no defense-specialized abilities.
If hit directly, it should have caused a fatal injury that would have rendered her unable to move.
Ah Airi
As that figure took one step with her tattered body and then leaped, Airi embraced the body of her companion, not herself.
I must protect Hyo-sung.
All her plans had come to naught.
Yet, determined to protect this person, she embraced him tightly.
Crash!
However, the one who had charged at them was not aiming for him but for her.
Pushed by the body that crashed into hers, she rolled on the ground, but her attacker, undeterred by her broken form, simply got up.
Airi Haven.
At that moment, her legs, meant to be spread out, crashed back into the ground, breaking her knees.
Despite this, she crawled on the ground, her eyes clearer than the stars in the sky, starting to shed tears of passion.
You are the best!!!
Directed not at him but at herself.
As if using this moment to shift the focus of her obsession.
What Ugh!
I thought I could reach you.
She wanted to increase the distance, but her own strength was at its limit as well.
She assumed it was the same for her opponent, yet the opponent, despite her broken legs, was dragging herself towards her.
I thought I could finally reach you but because of you, were further apart again.
Let go of this! What on earth?
I thought it could be achieved this time.
Despite her dying state, the hand gripping her clothes was even stronger than before.
Even now, within reach of my hand, because you are here I dont think I can achieve it
It wasnt that she had become stronger.
Her control over the power emanating from her body was gone to the extent that she wouldnt mind if her fingers broke.
But not achieving it means the desire doesnt end, right?
Her rationality was completely paralyzed to the point of not being aware of her state.
Focusing solely on the object of her obsession, endlessly repeating it.
Using this moment of defeat to spread her obsession even to those around her.
I wont end up like the Demon King, unable to achieve anything anymore Im not wrong, am I?
Yes, the demon was fearfully aware of it.
Having always watched the one she longed for, she knew painfully well what would become of those faithful to their desires.
Desire would grow the more it was fulfilled, and when it was realized that it couldnt be achieved, what remained would only be emptiness.
The end that demons, who lived and died for desire, ultimately faced after eternally pursuing their desires, was nothing more than such a fate.
Yeah~ Now that Ive finally found the treasure, I cant let it end like this
Before it would lead to such emptiness, she thought it must bear fruit and quickly end in the form of a happy conclusion.
Rather than dragging it out and leading to regret, she believed that a short but intense path was the one she should pursue.
Even if it was the wrong choice, she had wandered too long in the void to coolly assess such things.
Having wandered in such emptiness, she watched her master, who could no longer return to his old form.
For this love to continue, someone like you was needed.
It was not out of her own will but the intervention of another who tried with all her might to stop her, who made such a wrong choice.
The love that should have been curbed by impulse was being stopped by the person in front of her, making her realize it could last a bit longer.
Realizing this amplified her desires, she underwent an evolution as a demon who gains power from desire.
To complete my love, I need a rival like you!!
This newfound strength, a result of her intensified desire, even awakened the vitality to withstand a deadly strike that had hit her body at this moment.
By not destroying the source of her desire herself and finding hope to extend it a bit longer, she finally found a way to continue.
What are you talking about? Cough!
You too, right? You came because you were worried I would ruin him. You came to stop me from destroying him!
In the midst of not understanding such madness and being terrified, the demon who had crawled up began to grip the fortune tellers neck.
Losing her reason, her body, eroded by madness, moved involuntarily.
Even if the object of her obsession might break, the power in her hand was becoming so strong that it could even break her own fingers.
Try harder to stop me. Keep stopping me so my love can continue!
It was impossible to suppress her.
She was madness itself now.
For the demon dreaming of a double suicide with him, unable to restrain even her own love, there was no way to regain the rationality lost in the euphoria of enlightenment.
No, this cant be happening. I cant breathe
But Airi, too, was completely exhausted from the battle thus far.
In that situation, the future she saw with her remaining strength was solely pitch black.
Yes, if she stayed like this, she would die.
If she didnt get out of there, she would just end up dying.
Crackle.
In what seemed like the predetermined pitch-black future, a spark suddenly flared up.
At that moment, Airi, regaining consciousness, realized that the grip on her neck was gradually loosening.
Because she realized that the demon, who had shown a fanatical obsession with her, had now turned her attention away from her.
Ah, really
Yes, someone was approaching this place.
A woman in casual clothes, with a tired look and a cigarette in her mouth.
Though she looked like an ordinary human, Airi could tell from her presence alone that she was no ordinary person.
I was planning to stay here for a while, maybe to recuperate in a quiet place.
Where did these brats crawl out from, making a fuss in someones front yard since dawn?
The Smoke Dragon, Tashian Pheloi.
A being whose time had come, yet due to her inherent nature, was not permitted to vanish from the world, the greatest and oldest disaster this world had ever created.
And a mere bystander who, after providing weapons to her companion, had resolved never to interfere in the worlds fate unless his death was certain.
Tashian. Why are you here?
And you, what are you?
Had she lost her rationality to the extent that she couldnt sense her formidable presence?
The frenzied demon, forgetting even the act of strangling her, forced her damaged knees to stretch, readying herself to approach Tashian.
Why are you suddenly interfering? Are you after Hyo-sung, too?
What are you talking about? Why would he be here?
Tashian, frowning, swiftly shifted her gaze to the side.
There, she saw a man lying unconscious, oblivious to the chaos of the deserted city.
Woo Hyo-sung.
The man entrusted with the fate of humanity, destined to be destroyed by her own hands.
Why is he sleeping here like a fool?
Ah, right. So, youre after Hyo-sung, too.
A bothersome demon started charging toward her as she pondered why he was here.
Great I actually prefer to fight! Come at me, you damn
Bang!!
She flicked the annoying demons forehead with her finger, and her charging body was flung back, sprawling in the middle of the road.
Uh, ugh, ack
A blow strong enough to quell the madness that had been forcing her body to move beyond its limits.
No, it wasnt even an attack.
Like punishing a child, the dragon that sent her flying didnt show a trace of seriousness.
Hey, demi-god kid.
Yes, even in decline, a dragon was still a dragon.
As she swallowed hard at the sight, a voice came from behind Airi, who was staring blankly at the situation.
Come here. If you dont want to get hit.
Yes, yes.
She didnt know why she was here, but whatever the reason, she couldnt afford to upset her.
Airi, leading her injured body closer at that command, stared up at the figure before her with uncertain eyes.
You know who I am, right?
Yes, yes. Ah, I know.
Looking up at the indifferent eyes, Airi felt a terror she had never experienced before.
The opponents she had faced before were somewhat equal, but the presence in front of her, despite having a human body, felt as immense as if facing a mountain.
Like comparing a monster to a disaster.
One who could be a threat but still could be dealt with, versus one who could only wait to be affected.
You can sort of see the future, right? Then you must know what Im about to do.
Tashian Pheloi, indifferent to such assessments, discarded the cigarette butt from her mouth and lit a new one.
Using that moment of respite, Airi, having sensed her future with her foresight ability, weakly smiled and said to her,
I uh would get hit ten seconds into the future Cant you let it slide?
Tashian Pheloi, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, looked at her listlessly.
Then, exhaling a puff of smoke, she looked down at her with indifferent eyes and asked,
You were supposed to get hit anyway; why cant we just skip over it?
Do you think it makes sense to say that after you just mentioned it?
Yes, I guess so.
Pwak!!
Her rationality evaporated with the blow to her forehead.
The bloody fight between the two women ended just like that, in futility.
And then
Whoosh.
Mist enshrouded everything, and a gentle wind blew through the ruins.
Feeling a sense of familiarity from this, I spent a moment wandering the ruins, guided by that familiarity.
It was an experience I had endured before, and had faced several times since that day.
Tap, tap.
At the end of it, I found a girl with blue hair shoveling sand in the middle of the ruins.
A child I had seen a few times in my dreams.
Moreover, though I had never met her directly, she was always a child who had helped me.
Hey there.
Using that familiarity, I spoke first, and the girl stopped digging, turned around, and began to smile brightly.
Daddy!
Yes, that child always called me that.
I wasnt actually her father, but since I was essentially her guardian, I had come to accept it.
Oh, um, yes. Daddys here.
Daddy~
The soul of the Ego Weapon, laughing happily in my arms
Holding what I presumed to be that child, I finally realized that I was in a dream.
The only place I could actually meet this child was in my dreams.
Hehe, Daddy, Daddy~
You like it that much?
The girl smiled broadly, simply from being hugged and having her head gently patted.
Seeing this, I felt it was time to acknowledge that I had become somewhat of a guardian to her, and I quietly posed a question.
Come to think of it, I havent heard your name yet. What should I call you in the future?
My name?
Yeah, thats right. What would you like to be called?
It was strange to name a weapon, but this child clearly had a sense of self.
So, it would be good to have a name to call her, especially if such situations were to happen frequently in the future.
Tacchia.
The girl, as if waiting for this question, answered brightly with a smile.
Tacchia?
Yes, Tacchia Hinui!!
Something about Tacchia
I seemed to recall hearing such a name when we first met.
And thinking back, it was because she had mentioned it that I had called her that in front of her.
By any chance, is your name Tacchia Pheloi?
Recalling the past, I ventured the familiar name, wondering if it might be hers.
Yes!
The girl claimed it as her name.
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