346. Perfect Ending (3)
“That means…”
It is an obvious fact that the person who made death manifest cannot be sane, so it is nothing new, but this person seems to be crazy in a truly unique way.
Death blinked for a moment at the completely unexpected answer, then his eyes darkened.
“…It’s the kind of thing you shouldn’t do carelessly in the face of death.”
“If I had quit just because I listened to you, I would have quit right away. “Didn’t you say that from the beginning knowing you wouldn’t quit?”
surely. Death nodded.
I expected it to some extent. Even if he had taken the advice and quit, nothing would have changed except that the person concerned would feel at ease because he had already been cursed for too long.
That’s why I was able to say this.
“It was mercy and consideration in its own way.”
“I don’t need it, so take my eyes.”
Let’s make a deal quickly and get it over with.
I had an intuition that this was what the shaman once said about being careful with your eyes, but it’s funny that I’m conscious of it now.
Deon, who was focused on the present, raised his head and raised his eyes as if to take it. Red eyes that seemed to resemble blood or jewels caught Death’s gaze, but he did not stretch out his hand.
“Now that I think about it, I didn’t tell you this. “It is not for me to take it; you must do it yourself.”
Stop.
The gently opened eyes blinked with an unknown emotion.
“If you’re scared, you can give up…”
“No, not that. “I just suddenly thought that my brother might interfere with royalties in the future.”
“…her.”
Since you have decided to proceed with the transaction, wouldn’t it be better to extract the maximum profit possible? Deon grinned at Death, who had a tired expression on his face.
“I wish he would hand over to me not only now, but all the karma he will accumulate in the future. Is it possible?”
So that he can interfere with royalties whenever he wants.
Since I haven’t done anything right in my life and only caused damage, I guess I should at least do this. Deon looked at death with a proud face.
“…That’s terrible.”
Death suddenly exclaimed in exclamation.
It’s really awful. No matter how much it may be to repay a favor, how can a human being do something like this for another person? Isn’t it true that humans are a race of people who easily forget what they originally received?
Cruel Hart even made sacrifices without receiving anything in return. Even in death, he only cared for his younger brother.
‘Is it a matter of the environment or blood….’
Or was there something in the essence of the soul itself? Everyone clicked their tongues thinking about their toxic brother, but Deon Hardt glanced at the sky and asked impatiently.
“So is it possible or impossible? Should I give you something other than eyes?”
“…If the credit for breaking the bondage between the hero and the devil is credited to this rather than to forgiveness of sins, this is possible. “I will do whatever you wish.”
Cruel Hart will not recklessly interfere with royalties, ignoring the karma that will accrue to his younger brother, and at best, he will intervene only when his reincarnated younger brother is in danger, so there is no problem. There is a possibility that he may choose to be reincarnated, but that would be a loss for that side and a gain for this side, and there is no way in the first place that he would throw away the freedom that his younger brother gave me by going to such lengths.
After hearing the positive answer, Deon smiled brightly.
“thanks.”
And then he picked up a dagger.
“Should I pull it out completely?”
“No, it doesn’t matter if you just stab me. “The main purpose of this price is not for ‘death to acquire the eyes of the trading partner’ but ‘for the trading partner to lose his eyes’.”
“okay?”
A good day reflects the moonlight and shows off its charm. Deon looked at it for a moment, then looked back at Death and pursed his lips.
“But…”
The reason why I repeatedly stopped and kept my mouth shut while trying to speak was that the question that had slowly begun to reveal its presence after the question about Cruel was resolved for a while came out after hesitation.
“…What happened to Lord Lien?”
If Cruel can be reincarnated, other people I know will definitely be reincarnated, so there is no question. As if considering the background of the times, the ‘average’ value of karma was used as the standard, so in this era of war, my parents and Count Hart’s people at the time, who had never committed murder, let alone taught murder, would have achieved ‘freedom’.
In that case, the only remaining ambiguous entity is Lord Lien.
‘I wasn’t going to ask, but…’
Anyway, just paying off my brother for his sins is too much for me, so even if she takes the path of reincarnation, there’s nothing I can do. But still.
The voice of death fell on my shoulders, which were stiff with unexplained tension.
“What do you think an upright knight who stands alone, not a hero, but an ordinary man, will gain after death in order to prevent a catastrophe from going astray?”
“…Haha, that’s right….”
“….”
“…Thank goodness.”
There really are no regrets left now. After shaking off the last of his luggage, Deon smiled brightly and sincerely. A stunningly beautiful smile appeared on her face.
“As expected, I’m lucky.”
That was the end of it.
Deon swung his dagger down without hesitation.
Red blood splatters under the white moonlight. Death watched him with silence for a moment, then spoke quietly in a whisper.
“It was a satisfying conversation.”
As expected, he did not disappoint me as he was the embodiment of death.
“I guess I’ll never forget you. “If you come to me in the future and ask for a deal like now, I might accept.”
“okay? “Then wait.”
Deon, who seemed to not care about the pain and changed the position of the dagger and aimed it, answered playfully without erasing the bright smile on his face.
“Next time, I will ask for ‘immortality’.”
“…her.”
“It’s better to just end it in one life than to pay for your sins while being reincarnated one after another. is not it?”
“It may not work out the way you want, though. What is it? “I’m looking forward to it.”
As expected, it is a statement that does not disappoint. Death laughed lowly.
Deon also chuckled, as if joining in with the laughter. Perhaps it was because I had received the unexpected gift of a deal with death that I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Some people might think I’m crazy, but it’s okay.
Deon, who saw the moons overlapping as one just before the world went dark, looked extremely satisfied as he slashed his dagger once again.
“It’s the perfect ending.”
On the anniversary of his brother’s death, I ended my revenge and gave him complete freedom. You will be able to enjoy life after death comfortably without worrying about being forcibly reincarnated in the future, whether it’s interference with royalties or anything else.
It may be a bit selfish, but it puts my heart at ease to some extent, so it’s the perfect ending.
‘Let’s rest in peace this time, brother.’
I’ll take advantage of this brief moment of breathing to get some rest.
In my fading consciousness, I steadfastly drove the dagger into my heart and then lay down on my back. Against the backdrop of darkness, I could feel the power draining from my body at a rapid rate, but Deon just smiled.
‘Honestly, it was difficult.’
It was a difficult life.
If someone hears this, they might criticize that there are so many people in this world who are having a hard time, so why do you, a sinner, look like you are taking on all your misfortunes on your own? However, pain and unhappiness are subjective, so I, being selfish, cannot say that it was not difficult.
‘But it wasn’t the worst.’
Nevertheless, the reason I don’t say it was the worst life is probably because there were many people who gave for me.
These people willingly sacrificed their bodies to become a small stone pedestal because they thought I was so pretty as I waded through the increasingly strong current to cross the river that I should not have crossed. When I think of those people who gave me something, even though I knew they would soon be submerged and swept away without a trace by the rising tide, I can’t help but say that it was the worst.
‘I have no regrets.’
From the same perspective, you won’t regret it either.
Even when I think of the countless bodies of people lying along the path I walked. No, actually, I couldn’t regret it, even for myself.
Did Emperor Edoardo also say that he had no regrets in this way? I laughed heartily while thinking about meaningless thoughts.
‘So don’t scold me. ‘You kept your promise.’
I didn’t live to the best of my ability, but I died to the best of my ability. Although we could not move toward the future, we steadily looked back on the past.
I walked the path without regrets, and at the end, I made a choice without regrets.
So, honestly, I think this way of dying is too much for me. I thought I was lucky.
[Be happy.]
…Yes, I was happy.
I finally feel comfortable with the voice that has been constantly shouting like a curse in the corner of my head.
It was a somewhat one-sided and unpromising promise that was made unintentionally, but I am very fortunate that we were able to fulfill it. Now I can be more honest with Ririnel.
‘…Has death left?’
The flow of thought returned to reality and a useless question came to mind. No, I don’t know if it’s actually reality. Maybe I’m not already dead.
As I wander beyond consciousness in the dark, a vague scent of flowers passes my nose. Deon, who realized that its true identity was ‘the devil’s consideration’, smiled faintly.
The greenhouse was broken and the flowers that filled it were swept away and trampled in the battle and ruined, but their scent still remained.
‘I didn’t like winter.’
Thanks to you, I die in spring.
….
“…Hey.”
“….”
“Deonhardt.”
“….”
Consciousness was cut off.
I thought I heard the voice of death, who I thought had left for the last time, but no further thoughts were possible.
I think I answered for now, but…
“…the world wants me to tell you. ‘Humans carrying unbearable karma, karma keeps going round and round. What you have done will one day strangle you again, so you will not be at peace even after death.’”
What did I reply?
***
The soul laughed. Even though the words were almost like curses, I just laughed. Instead of being crushed by the energy of death, he burst out laughing several times and grinned. The answer came back with a relieved smile, as if a burden had been truly lifted.
‘Fuck you.’
“….”
Death gave up his soul without saying a word.
A breathtaking silence came. In an extremely quiet space, he turned his head and belatedly took in the surrounding scenery.
It was only then that he became convinced after seeing the petals that had fallen here and there and the flowers that had been trampled to a pulp and were emitting a strong scent.
“It must have been a perfect ending.”
It was winter that took away Cruel Hart and all those who were related to Deon Hart, and it was spring that returned Cruel Hart’s intact body and delivered his message.
For Deon Hardt, not only the situation but also the background must have been perfect as he died surrounded by the scent of spring.
“…anyway.”
The veil of crows that had been blocking access all along was lifted.
“Master Deon!”
“Get away from there right now!”
Ben and Ed came running as if they had been waiting.
It seemed like he was going to use his unique ability to its maximum power at any moment, but Ed, who glanced at the corpses of the demon king and the hero, gritted his teeth and threw a punch. Death dodged his attack, caught a glimpse of Ben sitting in front of Deonhardt’s body, and immediately left.
After looking for the missing person for a while, Ed quickly approached the fallen hero and the demon king. The sky-blue eyes that looked back and forth between the two bodies with a look of confusion soon began to drip rain.
“Why…why…”
“….”
“I never wanted this outcome…”
Death, who had been watching this scene from afar, looked away.
Now that the bond between the hero and the devil has been broken, many things will change. As a world that took steps to break the shackles in the past, it will have to take steps to clean things up again. Considering that Deonhardt left behind many things, it would be safe to call the changes that will occur afterward a breakaway from the world.
So our confirmation is more important than theirs.
…just as expected.
‘It’s already started.’
Almost all the passages connecting the human world and the abyss can be seen slowly starting to close. Abyssal races crossing the border and moving to the human world were also visible.
‘Is it fairies, mermaids, dwarves… Vampires are missing.’
After coveting the sun like that, they seem to be migrating to the present, when the human world is busy taking care of itself and the world is busy cleaning up after itself, so they don’t have time to worry about anything else.
Well… they don’t have any dangerous ideas or goals, and they’re not a species that’s threatening enough to wipe out humans, so it’s not a big problem.
‘A lot of things will change.’
Humans who will repeat the history of starting from scratch, increasing their power, establishing a country, integrating or dividing, and seeking stability, and the abyss races who will take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate and settle in the human world.
The bondage between the warrior and the demon lord has ended, and since the human world and the abyss are ‘one world’, most of the boundaries that made it easy to travel between the two worlds will be closed, even if they are not completely cut off.
After that, a completely different world will unfold.
Death grinned and muttered to the survivors.
“Congratulations on being at the beginning of a new era.”
