Chapter 204: Chapter 200: Final Note

Anyway, Merilyn seemed to be showing some signs of remorse.

There still seemed to be some conflict with Flang, but she decided to take her time to resolve it.

If her apology to me was sincere, the demons she brought with her shouldn’t cause us any harm.

“By the way, what has been happening over the past six months?”

However, there were still several things that were bothering me.

Even if it was partly a joke, if things had escalated this far, there must be some truth to it.

“Bringing a horde of demons here… Does that mean you’ve had contact with the Demon King’s army while I was away?”

At this anxiety-laden question, she shook her head and replied.

“It’s true that I left the Demon King’s army. However, by chance, I had a brief opportunity to return to the Demon King, and during that process, I learned about the existence of these creatures and brought them along.”

“And that opportunity was…?”

“A fellow Four Heavenly King… Do you remember that demon from before?”

Yasmo Deus.

The one who attacked me and subsequently caused that horrific incident in the sanctuary.

“From what I’ve heard, it seems she met a miserable end… How ironic that she, who served the Demon King as long as I have, met her demise in this world.”

“Were you close?”

“Not at all.”

Her straightforward answer followed my curious question.

The shrug of her shoulders that followed indicated the sincerity of her words.

“It’s just that it’s sad to see the old remnants disappear one by one. In fact, in her case, I’m rather relieved that I won’t have to see her again.”

“…You’re quite merciless.”

“That’s what demons are like. Even if we have comrades or swear loyalty, if someone no longer seems useful, it’s not unusual to part ways or betray them.”

No matter how long they’d spent together, if they were no longer useful, they would discard them without hesitation.

Whether they had the same blood, a comrade they had known for years, or even a lord they had sworn lifelong loyalty to—there were no exceptions.

She was speaking directly of what it meant to be a demon, and she emphasized that she was no different.

“Then…”

What about me?

Does that mean that, to her, I’m also someone she’s connected with out of necessity and could turn her back on if the opportunity arises?

“Yes, I’ve already betrayed the Demon King.”

Merilyn continued speaking before I could let go of that anxiety.

With that, she closed her eyes, placing a hand on her chest, and began to whisper with increasing emotion.

“Because he could never fulfill what I desired. For so long, he failed to realize my desires, falling into an endless ennui, and all he could do was reminisce about past glories, repeating meaningless journeys.” ᚱ₳NổᛒĘʂ

Was it because she felt guilty for betraying her lord, or was it because she regretted that she couldn’t go back?

I couldn’t exactly grasp her true feelings, but one thing was certain.

“So I was afraid.”

At this moment, the hand placed on her chest must feel a heartbeat, and that heartbeat stemmed from feelings directed at me.

“If he truly regains his power… I was afraid that the heartbeat I feel for you now would disappear.”

“…Merilyn.”

“I adore you.”

Despite the fear, she was prepared to face it.

She was faithful to the heartbeat in her chest, and that was why she sought me out again, even after confronting her old lord.

“I fell in love with you, the one who freed me from the eternal cycle. I want to believe that you are the most special being to me, irreplaceable by anything in this world.”

Even though I belonged to a selfish race that could forsake comradeship and loyalty.

She seemed firmly convinced that even someone like her could earnestly long for affection for another.

“…Did you return to the Demon King’s army for that?”

“I thought I needed to confirm it. If the day comes when he rises again, I feared I might betray you the moment I encounter him.”

As she revealed her true feelings, her head slowly lifted, and her closed eyes began to open.

Her gaze shifted from me to the ceiling, towards the remnants of the past that lingered beyond.

“…And when I saw him, I realized something. The past is just the past.”

And with that, her relieved whisper carried away all the anxieties she had expressed until now.

As if just confessing her feelings in this moment had fulfilled her wish.

“It’s true that I achieved a lot through him, but even if he rises again, it will only be temporary. Once the fleeting pleasure ends, he will soon return to his old ways, repeating the same patterns as before.”

Yes, because she was a demon.

Even if she swore true loyalty, it was only because she believed that it would fulfill her desires.

Clinging to someone who couldn’t fulfill her desires because there was no one else to replace them. If there were, there would be no need to hold on to past glories.

“That’s why I came to cherish you even more.”

And the one she chose for that role was none other than me.

She firmly believed that only I, who freed her from the shackles of the past, could fulfill that role.

“Just being with you like this, having my heart race like this, you were the only one who made me feel this way.”

Lost in that realization, her hand gradually reached towards me, towards the hand that hung loosely by my side.

And then, she brought it to her chest…

To the place where she had felt her heartbeat, intending to share that sensation with me.

“Can you feel it? My heartbeat.”

The heartbeat was clearly transmitted from her.

I could feel how vast the capacity of that heart was.

And because of that, I felt an even greater sense of pity for her.

Despite being born from a race that believed they couldn’t awaken love, she was still frustrated by the reality of never being rewarded, even after an eternity.

And finally, after abandoning all of her past, she blossomed into true love for me, but the harsh reality was that I couldn’t regard her as my first.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

She closed the distance between us, sensing the guilt I felt, and before I knew it, she kissed me.

I didn’t reject her unhesitating embrace.

Though she couldn’t be the first, and perhaps she never would be, I genuinely loved her nonetheless.

“Even if I can’t be your first, I can at least try to be the first in your last.”

It seemed that feeling my affection was enough for her, as a smile gradually appeared on her lips.

Afterward, she stepped back from me, and with a determined voice, she continued speaking.

“To prove that I can stay with you forever, I brought those children before you.”

“By children, do you mean the demons you brought?”

“Yes, to be precise, demons born in another world. Should I say they’re hybrids of humans and demons…?”

I shuddered, startled.

Her words were entirely unexpected.

Hybrids? Is she saying that children can be born between demons and humans?

“You don’t have to see it as strange. Demons can breed with any species from the start.”

As I stood there, flustered, Merilyn gave a gentle smile and placed both her hands on her abdomen as she continued.

“All this time, the Demon King’s army has followed him across various dimensions, pillaging the inhabitants to increase their numbers. Some for pleasure, some as seeds, some as sacrifices, or even for experiments…”

Born with the instincts of a plunderer.

Even breeding was devoid of any humanity, but there was a note of bitterness in her voice when she mentioned the demons she had brought along.

“…They’re the same. Children born from forced relations with the inhabitants of this world, products of lust, and unfortunate beings born out of necessity.”

Emotions that someone who only uses others for their gain would never show.

As she revealed these emotions, she gazed intently at the hand she had placed on her abdomen and asked.

“Their situation might be similar to that of the children we might have one day, right?”

“…Ch-children?”

“Not yet, not yet…”

A voice filled with regret.

But even that didn’t last long.

Soon, the anticipation that would overturn even that began to appear on her lips as she placed her hand on her abdomen.

“But someday, they will be born. If I continue my relationship with you.”

Someday, they would have a child, and they would see that child grow before them…

Just imagining that moment brought her happiness, and she now held high hopes for her future.

As if the time when she was fixated on unfulfilled desires bound to the past had faded away, she was now determined to achieve that happiness with her own hands.

“It’s not the time yet, but when that time comes… I hope the world will be a place where our child can blend in.”

For the child that would be born from their union.

To cast aside the empty times bound to the past and open up a future true to her desires with her own hands.

“…What about you, Hyo-sung?”

With that, she began to gradually put strength into her body.

The strength she exhibited was befitting of her position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, yet the flow of it was soft and gentle.

Even the form it took in the end.

“Are you… dreaming of the same future as I am?”

Yes, what was revealed in this moment was the reflection of the future she longed for.

Seeing that familiar image, a bright smile began to form on my lips, just like hers.

“Yes, I am too…”

Yes, we were in love.

“I want to be with you, Merilyn, from now on.”

Because we were selfish, we sincerely longed to be with the one who made our hearts race…

So much so that we were willing to face our fears and even defy common sense.

“…I’m glad, Hyo-sung, that you feel the same way.”

From now on, we would share that resolve together.

With a relieved smile on her face, she soon let out a bitter voice.

“But to make that happen, it seems that the Demon King must disappear from this world.”

The Demon King.

A being with the potential to destroy this world at any time. And her former lord, to whom she had sworn loyalty until she met me.

“Can the Demon King truly be defeated?”

I believe she truly wants to defeat him, but her response to my question was a shake of the head.

“It’s impossible. For me.”

“…Was it a lie?”@@novelbin@@

“I can’t even imagine it. A way to defeat someone who has ruled over countless dimensions as a conqueror… If such a thing existed, he wouldn’t have fallen into ennui.”

These were the words of someone who had been known as the closest to the Demon King, spoken with sincerity.

I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the weight of those words.

“But if it were a being called a ‘god’…”

Yet she continued speaking, trying to extend the faint thread of her words.

What followed was not about her own hands, but rather the possibility that her former lord could be defeated.

“If it were a being called a ‘god’ descending from another world… Maybe there’s a chance.”

“A god?”

“Yes, soon, such a being is expected to descend into this world. And once the Demon King is provoked by that being’s power, he will head straight there. And everything in that place will be ‘destroyed without a trace.’”

A god descending to this land with the power to destroy everything that exists.

No matter how strange this world may be, isn’t that just too unbelievable?

“So, Hyo-sung.”

But from the moment she mentioned that being, her body began to tremble, and that trembling soon transmitted through her hand gripping my sleeve.

“Before he makes a move, let’s get out of here right now.”

“Out of here…? Is the Demon King coming here?”

“Even if he doesn’t come here directly, the impact will reach beyond the Empire. So we should get as far away from here as possible… Yes, crossing the sea and escaping might be a good idea. There might still be dangers there, but it would be safer than facing the Demon King or a god. After that, we’ll find a safe place somehow…”

“W-wait a minute, Merilyn. This is all too sudden.”

I stopped her, as she was becoming increasingly agitated, and grabbed her shoulders to calm her down.

Only then did Merilyn realize that she had lost her composure, and closed her mouth.

Sure, it would be frightening if the Demon King were to move soon, but there were still things that didn’t sit right with me about following her suggestion.

“Airi is still in the capital.”

Airi Haven.

The woman I love just as much as the one before me, but she came first, so she must be my number one.

No matter the situation, I couldn’t help but think of her first, and her words implied that Airi was in danger.

“That being, when they descend, and the Demon King moves, it puts the Empire in danger, right? Then I need to go save Airi right away…”

So even if we escape from here, we need to return to the capital first and bring her out before anything happens.

“Even if Airi doesn’t want that?”

Cutting off my words, she continued with an answer I hadn’t expected.

“…What do you mean by that?”

She doesn’t want it?

With danger about to strike the Empire, Airi doesn’t want to avoid it?

“Don’t say such nonsense. Even if you and Airi don’t get along, that’s just—”

“It’s still too much.”

I was sure it was a lie.

But at that moment, her face, which had whispered love to me, was now adorned with a smile that seemed on the verge of collapse.

“No matter how much I want to have you all to myself… No matter how much I want to stop you by force, I don’t want to be hated by you for it.”

“What on earth are you talking about…?”

“You still have the note Tashian gave you, right?”

The note.

The prophecy Airi handed to Tashian, and the most valuable item for establishing a refuge.

[After reuniting with Merilyn, take the ark and get as far away from the Empire as possible.]

I quickly pulled out and unfolded the final note, and inside, I saw the following sentence written.

[And please forget me. For the sake of fulfilling each of our missions…]

Something I never expected.

A farewell written by the one I love.

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