Chapter 62 – She and Her – 5

Rachel silently took my hand and dragged me until I left her palace. I just followed her and moved out of her. Soon, the artificial light inside faded and the twilight across the sky began to shine in front of my eyes. As I raised my head following the reddish light, I saw the shape of the castle wall in the distance.

That’s how I witnessed the world shattering.

In the distance, he could see the crumbling castle walls and the monsters pouring over them. Spears, swords, and magic intertwined, and life and death intertwined without borders, still devoting themselves to the blood-craving land.

Fortunately, thanks to the brave knights and citizens, no demons have invaded beyond the wall. However, a huge hole in the sky was singing the fall of the empire. I opened my mouth in a low voice as I watched the scene of demons pouring incessantly through the cracks in the space that had been broken like a mirror.

“That’s…”

“It’s a hole that was opened shortly after the battle started. The wizards tried to block it, but they couldn’t do it with their abilities. Demons are literally coming here from all over the land.”

“Is it the space magic that moved the Four Heavenly Kings?”

“To be precise, they are the dead Four Heavenly Kings. All of them don’t matter now.”

“…”

Is it. Does it matter

I blankly looked at the cross section of that broken world. It was like being in the eye of a storm. There was obviously a disaster brewing in front of her eyes, but since the imperial palace was quite far from the castle walls, she strangely felt like a bystander watching other people’s affairs. Rachel looked at me and took her hand.

“It’s okay, Mr. Luka. For the time being, the knights will block it on their own. There is still a bit of time to rest.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Originally, I was planning to go into some house and steal a few bottles of alcohol, but there are more crazy people in the world than I thought. It’s this way, Mr. Luca.”

She was very kind and led me to somewhere. She thought of just refusing, but she couldn’t bear it because she felt as if her voice was full of earnestness. I got away from people’s screams in an instant and headed for an empty street.

There was no sign of popularity in the street without a single light. Was the death sentence given in advance because it was a city where ghosts would live in the future? The bare face of the city, which had castrated everything after realizing the hopeless future, was horrendous.

“There’s no one there.”

“I thought so too and tried to steal some alcohol.”

Rachel said that and led me towards a bar with the only dim light hanging. When I listened closely, I could hear the faint noises of life coming from inside. Rachel opened her door, and even the bell rang for her guests.

“Welcome.”

“Oh my god.”

“I told you. There’s a madman everywhere.”

Upon entering, an old man’s slow tone accompanied the scent of wood unique to an old bar. The old man, who was standing at the bar cleaning his glass as if he was alone in a world that was perishing, glanced at him and said to the errand boy next to him.

“What are you doing, you worthless bastard?

“Ah, the meal is fine. Like I said earlier, only alcohol…”

“In my house, snacks are essential. If you’re not going to eat, go out.”

“You never said anything like that before.”

“Because I thought it was just one person. If it’s two people, I’ll have to sell it as much as possible.”

“Haha…”

The old man’s blunt tone conveyed a rough personality that had not been broken even through the years. Well, unless you are stubborn, it will be difficult to calmly clean a glass in a world that is perishing. He looked at us, brushing off the traces of time that had accumulated on his shoulders.

“So. Stew and what?”

“Two beers, please.”

“Two beers. Yes.”

“Well… I think it would be nice to have a drink on a day like this.”

When I looked at her with a slightly surprised look, Rachel shrugged her shyly. I just nodded silently, and again silence fell between us.

“…”

“…”

There is a saying that silence is golden. But the reality is the opposite. Silence brings useless thoughts to mind. Just as right before falling asleep is the best time to reflect on one’s nightmares, whenever I stopped my mouth for a bit, gloomy thoughts kept coming up. Rachel stared into space with her uncharacteristic hard expression.

“Here are two bowls of stew.”

The one who broke this precarious silence was the errand boy who went to get the stew earlier. Even at such a time, the girl, who maintained a childlike liveliness, looked at us carefully and threw a word.

“By the way, my older brother and older sister must be pretty crazy too. Our old man was originally like that, but you guys look fine. Why didn’t you run away and are you still here?”

“So you and the old man? Is it okay if we don’t run away?”

“Nonsense. At times like this, we have to sell more. Don’t the demons drink too?”

The old man told a dreamlike story in a realistic tone. Rachel rested her chin on her and stared at the old man.

“Looks like you need a lot of money. Do you have a reason?”

“My granddaughter is getting married soon. But since the other person is from a rich family, I can see it.

“Where does her granddaughter live?”

“Appenheim.”

The moment I heard the name of a familiar city, I looked up and looked at him. Appenheim. It was certainly one of the cities invaded by demons, but there was no trace of worry in the eyes of the old man.

“Appenheim. Isn’t that the area where the demons first invaded?”

“It did.”

“Are you still sure that your granddaughter is still alive?”

“Because I haven’t heard the news that he died.”

The two of us exchanged glances for a moment as we watched the old man speak calmly. The old man, who was indifferent to worldly matters but was quick to notice, put down his glass and got angry at the errand boy.

“You bastard!

“Mistress, why are you mean to me again?”

“Stop nagging and go quickly!”

“Yeah.”

At the old man’s words, the child mumbled and headed to the back of the bar. After the child disappeared, the old man silently wiped the glass, and after a while he opened his mouth.

“Do you think he’s lost too?”

“Uh… No.”

“I live in a city invaded by demons, but I haven’t heard from you for a while. Shouldn’t it be considered dead?”

It was a really stupid logic. But the old man stubbornly frowned at him and shook his head.

“A human is not an animal that dies so easily. A human being is an animal that inevitably survives under any circumstances and paints shit on the wall. Look at me. My dirty-tempered old lady sells water and curses at everyone, but she’s still fine. It’s the same with my granddaughter. Until you hear the news that you’ve died, you’re alive. That’s natural.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s like that. I hope the guy who just went behind died, but he’s probably still alive. That’s because he’s a human. You bastard in the neighborhood, if you don’t hear about it for a week, you’d think he’d drown, but he’s a human. He’ll be alive somehow.”

“Then.”

I opened my mouth for the first time and cut off the old man’s backside. Then he looked at him quietly and asked.

“If you hear the news that you’re dead. Would you really think you’re dead then?”

“…”

It was only then that the stubborn old man was speechless. He looked at me with a terrible expression, as if he was going to spit out swear words, then shook his head and said.

“You look like a young person, but you talk like an old man who’s been through a lot.”

“…”

“If he says he’s dead…”

The old man steamed and then poured beer into the clean glass until it overflowed. And he put it down in front of us and said.

“You should go to the grave, hold it tight and cry. That’s the duty of the living.”

“Is it.”

“By the way, this guy is a goofball. It takes a year to get some guy’s beer. Let’s eat and drink. Don’t think about running away with the money.”

He spat on the floor and thumped his way to the back of the bar. Soon, a raucous voice came from behind, but soon silence fell, and Rachel and I looked at each other in silence.

“Ha…”

After a while, Rachel let out a sigh and gulped down her beer. She hadn’t even taken a few sips, but her cheeks turned red and her eyes watered with alcohol. She stared at her beer, squinting one eye, then turned to me.

“…Did you find it?”

“…”

“That was a stupid question. If I had found it, I would have come with you.”

There was no point in answering a question you knew the answer to. Instead, I took a sip of beer. I thought the smell of alcohol would permeate along with the tangy taste, but I didn’t feel any taste. Either the beer is wrong, or I’m wrong. Will be one of the two

“Then…”

While I was thinking it would be the latter, Rachel opened her mouth again. She dragged on her words and barely finished.

“Did you say he was dead?”

“They said he killed him.”

I corrected her words even though I knew I would hurt myself. As expected, the cracked heart opened up with scars.

“He was angry that the seal wasn’t broken and hit the stone statue with a hammer. That’s what he said.”

“How likely is it to be a lie?”

“You can’t always ignore it. But it didn’t look like that.”

“So you think you’re dead?”

“It would make sense to see it that way.”

“I’m asking Luka-san’s thoughts. Do you believe he’s dead?”

She didn’t ask if she thought so, she asked if she believed so. Leaning on emotion rather than reason, she seemed to ask if she was ready to accept her death.

“I am…”

I opened my mouth a little, but no words came out. Just like a broken doll, only the sound of wind leaking out. It was obviously an easy problem with only two options, but I couldn’t think of it.

Do you believe Ellie is dead?

Did I have the freedom to choose it?

From her inception, in the end, her everything was for her. The reason for accompanying Rachel, the path of vengeance that predestined her ruin, and the many questions she had asked herself were all for Ellie. My life. Reason for my existence. All of that comes down to one name, Ellie. Can you accept her death?

“I am…”

…

I am…

…

I…What should I do…?

In the end, at the last moment, I came back as a young man in Laurenheim who had only been naive. After all the façades he had been forcibly wearing were taken off, the only thing left is Luka, a country boy. That was all.

…

I don’t know. I’m just tired and tired of everything.

“I asked something.”

When I couldn’t answer in the end, Rachel threw out her bitter words and took another sip of her beer. Then she brought up another story.

“So what are you going to do now? Are you going back to your hometown?”

The answer to that was also not ready. Even now, if Rachel hadn’t brought her, she might still be there.

“I haven’t thought about it.”

“Shouldn’t she go to her grave if she died? She’s like he said.”

“There’s no such thing as a grave, Rachel.”

“Then anything…”

“Rachel.”

I called her name in a firm voice. And she said, grabbing a beer mug.

“I’m sorry…Leave me alone for a little while. Just a little bit. I need some time to rest. I…”

Feeling tired of even speaking up now, I stopped her and bowed her head. Rachel hesitated a little, then answered in a small voice, as she always did.

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry…”

Like me, it was a tone that showed signs of exhaustion. Once again, the sound of beer glasses being lifted echoed quietly.

“Ah ya ya ya ya! It hurts!”

“Anyway, if you take your eyes off it a little bit, it’s like this. Do you really want to die, you bastard?”

Then, with a bang, the old man and the child who had disappeared behind the bar appeared. The old man dragged her child by the ear, set it roughly, and nagged at it.

“You don’t change even if the world turns into this bitch. Don’t you?”

“Ai-san…If you’re a kid, ask me to take a vacation. Run away.”

“What? This guy…”

“Don’t be angry in the presence of guests!”

The child slaps the old man’s hand and quickly runs to Rachel’s side. The child, who almost ran into her arms, caught Rachel’s attention and drew her rough breath.

“Mr. Lee…Really. He’s a bad boss. Isn’t that right, sister?”

“Well. I know one rogue employer. He’s no worse than him.”

“A vicious employer? What the hell are you doing? No, I asked before, but who are you guys?”

“…Who are we?”

Rachel raised her head a little at her child’s words. She looked this way and she said.

“That’s the warrior.”

“Are you a warrior?”

“…”

Warrior.

That tag caught up behind me again like fate.

“A real hero? No way, is that person the real hero?”

“That’s right.”

“But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you go out and stop the demons?”

“That…”

“Rachel.”

I gritted my teeth. Surely, until such a time, do I have to give me that name? After forcibly holding on to the hope he had given up in the first place, he trampled on it again. Are you going to put that name on me again?

“Stop talking about it.”

There was even hate in my voice. When the child heard the voice, she seemed a little startled, gulping her saliva and turning her gaze to Rachel.

But she continued her story unfazed.

“Because the hero is very tired right now. The wounds he received from his comrades a long time ago have not yet healed, so he is not in a state to go to the battlefield right now.”

“Rachel. Stop…”

“Perhaps it’s too much for the world to ask for anything from the hero. It’s already taken away too many things.”

“You take too… Many things?”

The child looked this way, but couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked again. Rachel replied, not even looking at me, only looking at her child.

“Because I stole my one and only lover.”

“Ray…”

I stopped calling her name again. She just kept her head down and clenched her fists. Above my head, her story continued.

“The hero was originally an ordinary young man in the countryside. But one day, he heard a prophecy told by a knight and decided to go on a journey to defeat the demon king. Of course, his only lover, a girl, went on the trip together. The two were inseparable. Because it was impossible.”

“…”

“That’s how the adventure began, and the young man got stronger and stronger. He was really strong enough to stand up to the demon king. He took the name of a warrior and invaded the demon’s land. He reached the front of the demon castle while killing countless people with his friends who had grown before he knew it. .. But at the last moment, his comrades betrayed him.”

“…”

“My colleagues harassed and ruthlessly trampled on friends and lovers in front of him. The young man… Watched the whole scene while being trapped in a curse cast by the four unknown kings. A teacher he admired and a close friend. After they all fell one after another, the last thing left was that girl, the girl she would have promised to dedicate her life to if she had been back home.”

Drooling.

After listening for a while, I finally couldn’t stand it and got up from my seat. The chair that was being pulled back fell violently and there was a thud, but Rachel didn’t stop talking.

“The girl resisted to the end. But her opponents were her teammates, and in the end she couldn’t stand it and collapsed. In the cold winter, there was no one to save the girl who fell alone in the land of demons. There was no one.”

And in the end. The girl

She locked herself in time without receiving a helping hand from her beloved lover.

And forever, she met her death in that frozen time.

That is. It was the end of my story.

The ending of a foolish young man who thought he might become a hero.

The story ends like that.

That’s how it ends

If all of this is over and there are still people left to tell the story, my story might go up and down their mouths. And maybe, Rachel will be the one to tell the beginning of the whole story.

It was something I once dreamed of. People sing of my legend. But it was just a foolish dream of a vain young man, and I didn’t want the story of my failure to be told.

So I slowly approached the door. To escape again. To stop your ears from my story.

So, I grabbed the doorknob.

“And then, a rabbit approached the girl.”

“A rabbit?”

“Yes. Rabbit.”

But Rachel’s story is not over. I was about to leave that last word. However, the next moment, her voice caught my ankle.

“…Isn’t it strange? That there are rabbits in the land of the demons. And that even the party members of the warriors’ party who trampled the land of the demons were repelled and rabbits remained inside the barrier.”

“…”

I stopped with time as I held onto the doorknob. What stopped me was neither her comment about the rabbit’s existence nor her somewhat bitter-sounding voice.

How the hell

Did you know that Ellie opened the barrier at that time?

“Of course, it wasn’t a rabbit. It may have looked like a rabbit, but at least it wasn’t like that in reality.”

“Then what was it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I slowly lowered my hand holding the handle. Before I knew it, I was paying all my attention to her story.

“What matters is what the rabbit whispered in her ear then.”

“What did you say?”

“I made a sweet offer to the dying girl. A proposal that was too sweet for that girl to refuse. But, of course, there was an evil plot behind it. But the girl at that time didn’t have the time to think about it. “

Only then did I look back. And, before I knew it, I met eyes with Rachel, who was looking straight at me. Her expression did not show the smile or kindness she had seen so far.

“An offer you will regret for the rest of your life.”

“Rachel, you…”

There was no emotion on her face. It was just a terrifyingly calm and expressionless expression. The errand boy who was asking the question also asked, a little afraid if he felt something changed.

“What…Proposition?”

“It’s a contract. The girl tells the rabbit what she wants, and the rabbit asks for something in return. She’s a contract of sorts.”

“What are you talking about, Rachel?”

I finally got impatient and intervened in her story. Then Rachel opened her mouth again without taking her eyes off me.

“I already told you. She has a contract with that girl. She said she misses you, and instead of looking for you, I got an advance payment.”

“Advance money. What the hell is that?”

“It’s the money you get in advance before you close the contract, Mr. Luca.”

“Don’t talk back and answer straight! What the hell was that advance payment!”

When I shouted, the child and the old man flinched back. But Rachel didn’t feel that way at all. She rather, as if she had been waiting for this moment, she said in an unwavering voice.

“Instead of finding you, she decided to become the new demon king.”

“What…?”

“So I stopped my own time according to my instructions. I only trust the promise that I will be able to meet you if I do that.”

Stories, stories I didn’t know began to pour in. There was nothing I could do but listen to her story with my eyes wide open.

“… It was close. Leo really tried to crush her. Fortunately, I was faster, and Ellie was as strong as I thought. Of course, she had just woken up from the seal, so her sanity was weakened a lot, but that was It was what I wanted.”

“Rachel.”

“Just before she became the Demon King, I lifted all the curses that were placed on my name. And I transferred all my powers to her, the next Demon King. Personality would be destroyed in the process, and even all memories would be scattered.”

“…”

“Nevertheless, her tenacity was amazing. Even in the midst of her hatred towards humans that boiled for no reason, your hometown. Leo’s hometown. Rick’s city. Bobby’s city. The capital of the empire. I searched everywhere to find you. Not really. I wasn’t surprised, it was to be expected.”

“You…”

“Rather, everything went as I had planned.”

She slowly rose from her seat. And with her hands folded, she looked at me.

I stared at her face again. Unidentified detective. Demons who devotedly help me. The girl who shakes my heart by acting like Ellie sometimes gets in my way at the last moment. I asked her one last question.

“You… Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Rachel Moonlight.”

Rachel answered without hesitation. Then she took a step towards me, she said.

“And I’m a detective who was looking for you under the command of the Demon King. In the orphanage, I became the older sister of the children, and I also played the role of a false saint. In the human world, I was called by many titles, but in the land of demons, I was called by one name. Theta .”

“…Theta.”

“That means the demon king.”

…

“The demon king helplessly watched you slaughter my people, colleagues, and even my lover from beginning to end. No, should I say the former demon king? Now that the girl has become the demon king.”

I always wondered why she was helping me. Why are you trying to help me like this? Why do you keep following the way to kill the warrior party members who have trampled the land of demons?

Her hands and feet cooled, and an ominous aura ran through her body. She continued her words as I stared at her, staring at her.

“Anyway, the girl who fell once was resurrected as a demon king and began to disturb the world to find you.”

“That…”

“Yes. It’s a prophecy Mr. Luca. It’s a prophecy handed down from generation to generation in the empire.”

Prophecy.

At a time of chaos when the resurrected demon king disturbs the world, a young man from a village where mint flowers bloom will cut off the demon king’s head and save the world.

She thought it was bullshit. The Demon King has never been resurrected, and as Professor Heide said, the world is peaceful. But things changed after I woke up from the curse. The world fell into chaos, and the Demon King…Was resurrected.

“Ah…”

Fate again had its teeth in me. No matter how hard I tried to turn away, the fate that had pushed my face in the end finally opened its mouth and started to emit a terrible stench. Soon, Rachel’s words spewed out of her black throat.

“And now, according to the prophecy, the young man from the mint-flowering village will cut his throat.”

Is it so.

That’s you. Luca.