1203 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Crack-! A pristine white hand emerges from the egg, causing my eyes to widen in disbelief. "......A hand?" Indeed, a hand. Not the paw of a beast or the claw of some creature; it was unmistakably a human hand. And not just any hand, but one so pale and slender it seemed almost ethereal—delicate to the point of looking skeletal. Gradually, the hand continues its escape from the egg, followed by an arm, then a head. All at once, the egg shatters completely, its fragments scattered across the ground, revealing something with a humanoid form. It was the shape of a person, emaciated to the bone, with tangled black hair. Judging by size, likely under the age of ten, older than five but surely no more than a decade. The issue at hand... 'Heavenly Demon.' The problem was the identity of the human figure that emerged. '......The Heavenly Demon.' Despite being gaunt and fragile, it was unmistakably a figure I knew well. The Heavenly Demon. A diabolic entity bestowed from the heavens and the instigator of the Great War of Light and Darkness. This image of the Heavenly Demon bore a strong resemblance to the one I had seen at the Gate of the Abyss some time ago. "......." With narrowed eyes, I watched the Heavenly Demon. Whoosh. The Heavenly Demon looks up at me, shaking off the fragments of the egg from her body. The universe reflected in her eyes caused my body to freeze. It was always the same. My body would involuntarily lock up upon meeting her gaze. Fear and dread. In the past, such emotions would paralyze me, but now... '......Is that still the case?' It was hard to say. Could it be that I'm still bound by those emotions now? Is this fear? Is this dread? No. 'I don't think so.' This felt distinct from fear or dread. Whatever it was, I doubt it could be defined as such. Gently. The Heavenly Demon moves toward me, locking her gaze onto mine. "Ah......" A faint voice escapes her lips, a voice I recognized well. "Ahh......" She seemed surprised to hear herself speak, glancing around in confusion. Her bewilderment made my eyes quiver. After a long moment, the Heavenly Demon fixes her gaze back on me and... "Ah......" ...begins to approach slowly. "......!" With her delicate frame, she staggers toward me, but the iron bars between us should stop her in her tracks. Yet... Tap. Her pale fingertips brush against the bars. Creeeak-!! The bars yield and bend. "What?" What is happening? Even as I gape at the bending bars, there's no time to process the astonishment. Creeeeak-!! The Heavenly Demon shatters even the bars of the cage I've been confined in, opening up a space. And then she simply stands there, as if waiting for me. "....... I slowly step out of the cage. 'Just what.' What on earth is happening? For the Heavenly Demon to appear now, of all times... '......Is it because I absorbed the aura of the Blood Demon?' I have no idea. Maybe the Heavenly Demon has already been reborn in some form. Is this the unfolding of a predetermined fate I am witnessing? Such questions spill forth. 'Heavenly Demon.' The Heavenly Demon's presence has always been this way for me. So alien and bizarre. The more I've come to know about her, the more that seemed to be the case. While I ponder over these feelings, the Heavenly Demon makes a move. Whoosh. She extends a hand toward me. "......?" What does she want? I stare at the proffered hand. "......Um." The Heavenly Demon makes a low noise. Is she telling me to take it? Should I? This thought flits through my mind, but before long... Whoosh. I find myself taking her hand. "......" Nothing in particular happens. No events unfold; nothing changes. A cold sensation merely brushes against my grasp. But then... "Um." The Heavenly Demon lets out an incongruous sound and smiles brightly. "......" That radiant smile freezes my heart solid. It feels as though its beating has truly halted. What sort of expression is this? What's bringing such a bright smile to her face? What pleases her so much that she'd smile like that? Why. 'Why are you smiling at me?' Why is the Heavenly Demon smiling at me? As those actions coincide with the memory of the old Heavenly Demon, my face contorts. Thunk. I release her hand. Even as a fool, I didn't shake it off; I simply let go. In response, the expression on her face grows. Why? Her eyes fill with the question. "......What are you?" An undefinable irritation seeps in. "Why are you doing this again? You......" Why do you always find a way to turn everything inside out within me when you see me? "What is it?" What on earth do you want from me to make everything so chaotic? "What is it you desire from me?" The significance behind the existence of the Heavenly Demon eludes me. Now, that's how it is. Even the one whom I vowed to curse in death leaves me hesitating. Can I even resent her? A villain. More than merely a heretic, a demonic master beyond categorization. Hesitating to blame the one who waged war upon the world—a monstrous villain. What a senseless state of affairs. Reasons to resent her are in abundance. I don't wish to go through life blaming others, but if I were to accuse anyone, it should be her. She was to blame for the ruin of my life. If there were curses to be thrown, they would belong to her, and yet... 'Why is it that.' When meeting those eyes, I find myself incapable of doing anything. "Disgusting." Not the Heavenly Demon, but myself. I felt repulsed by my inability to resent her. I clench my teeth. Thoughts of the Blood Demon that suffused my mind now absurdly fill entirely with thoughts of the Heavenly Demon. I swallow my annoyance, tame the rising anger, and continue to gaze at the Heavenly Demon. And at that moment. Whoosh. The Heavenly Demon moves again, clutching at the hem of my trousers. The sensation of her grasp makes my insides shudder. Why grab me now? Her eyes shimmer with that same smile from before. "......What." Why does she keep grinning? I didn't want to behold that smile. It felt as though something precariously hanging within me might shatter. It had to be removed once again. Those hands, that smile. If this place were to rid itself of the Heavenly Demon, that would be right. Acknowledging this, even still... The hesitation lies in the touch. In an instant when all those foolish moments seemed ready to burst, Crack. "What?" "Ah." It broke. The hand that clutched me was that of the Heavenly Demon's. "What is this......?" The hand truly splintered into pieces like shattered wood, scattering in fragments. My eyes widen at the sight. Inadvertently, my body leaned closer. Crumbling within my grasp, the Heavenly Demon’s hand disintegrates. Crackle-!! As her form touches mine, her body collapses. "Wha... wha...?" Why is this happening? Why is she disintegrating all of a sudden? My hands tremble ever so slightly. "Ah." The Heavenly Demon, witnessing the ruin of her own body, reacts with a dull surprise. She seems more astonished by my approach. Yet, even now... "Ahh." As her body disintegrates, she turns and smiles at me. While I’m busy being shocked by her crumbling form, she’s busy smiling at me with that same body. Gently. Something brushes against my cheek. It’s the Heavenly Demon’s hand, the one part of her still intact, caressing my face. "Heh." She giggles, eyes sparkling with mirth. "......You." My face twists at her reaction, a web of complex emotions I can't single out or define. I might not be able to assign a label to this, but one thing is clear. ‘I...’ Somehow, I don't seem to resent her. In this moment, I understand. I do not resent you. It’s a realization, a certainty. How could I not resent the Heavenly Demon? Is it because I, too, am guilty? All sorts of thoughts overwhelm me. Buried beneath myriad contemplations, I almost falter— Crackle-!! "......!" The remaining hand shows signs of cracking too. Instinctively, I reach out, but pause. Touching her might cause her to fragment further. "Ah." Upon seeing her completely destroyed hand, the Heavenly Demon reacts belatedly. Yet, her eyes lack fear—if anything, there's the slightest hint of regret. Regret over what, I could guess that much. She regrets not being able to touch me. "Ahh......" The smile dims from her forlorn eyes. What is it she wants to say? Her eyes speak a thousand words yet none escape her lips. As her state deteriorates, the Heavenly Demon manages to caress my head delicately with what's left of her fingertips. Each touch causes her hand to crumble until it completely disappears. Crack. The Heavenly Demon finally fractures entirely and vanishes into nothingness. "......" My gaze lowers. Where the Heavenly Demon had stood, something remains. A mass of black. A pitch-black mass. In a daze, I extend my hand towards it. It was an unconscious act. Gently. I lift the mass into my grasp. It is cold, yielding to the touch. I cradle it cautiously, fearing it might crumble too. "......" My eyes remain vacant as I watch it. BOOM!!!!! A thunderous sound erupts from behind. Heat surges forth. I turn my head instinctively, compelled by the scorching air. Flames explode, melting the iron door as someone steps through the large opening. Fwoosh-! A figure emerges quickly, and I watch him. “Ah......” Breaking through the heat strides a man with eyes the color of a blazing red sky. A figure with a massive frame and a face sculpted with masculine features, someone painfully familiar. An individual I dearly wish to resent, yet find myself unable. As our eyes lock, I falter; something held at bay threatens to overflow. A man shaking his disfigured face at the sight of me makes me utter unconsciously. “Father...... what should I do?” "......?" A question I've never asked in a lifetime escapes my lips to him. In response to my words... The eyes of my father in his youth wrinkle with scrutiny.