Chapter 60: Puzzle Piece

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When he comes to, Sid finds himself in a pitch black place.

Even when he strains his eyes, he cannot see anything. It is a darkness that seems to have no end.

In this darkness where there is no up or down, no left or right, and where even his sense of self seems to be fading away, something seems to be looming towards him.

It is a grotesque right arm restrained by chains.

It seems to be so far away, yet so close as to be within reach.

Abruptly, the chains shatter.

The fragments fall away, each piece breaking into even smaller pieces.

The now freed right arm reaches towards Sid, as if to grab him.

Sid raises his jet black sword in readiness, then……

The world is enveloped in light.

Sid finds himself standing in a forest in early morning. It is the exact same place where he had gone into the door.

He quickly scans his surroundings, but that right arm is nowhere to be seen. The bright morning light enters his eyes, causing him to squint.

“So even with your heart pierced, you won’t die.”

Hearing a voice addressing him from behind, Sid turns around. There stands a somewhat indistinct-looking Aurora.

“I shifted the position of my heart. But I am a bit tired……”

He looks up at the morning sky, sighs, then sits with his back leaning against a tree.

“You are a person of surprises. Way more surprises than even me, it seems.”

She sits beside him, then reaches out towards the wound on his chest.

Blood does not get onto Aurora’s hand. In fact, her hand cannot even touch him. It merely phases through.

“So you really are disappearing.”

“So it seems.”

The two sit there, gazing at the beautiful morning sun.

“I did actually call you. Sorry for lying about it.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I also lied to about about a few other things.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Birdsong filters through the leaves. Morning dew shines, glitters.

“I had always wanted to disappear. I wanted to forget everything.”

“Un.”

“But now I have one memory that I really do not want to forget. Even if I disappear, I wish for this memory to remain forever.”

Then she smiles.

“Thank you, for this precious memory.”

But she is gradually fading away. The forced smile on her face is colored with sorrow.

“I had fun too. Thank you.”

“One day, if you ever meet the real me……”

She whispers to him with her hand positioned over his cheek. But he can no longer see her.

There is no one there, merely the morning continuing on in its silence.

“ ‘Please kill me,’ huh……”

He murmurs Aurora’s final words, then touches his own cheek. For some reason, it feels like her warmth is still lingering.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Alpha and Epsilon look down on Lindwurm from a mountaintop.

Alpha’s dress is ruffled by the wind, leading to her white legs being visible in glimpses.

“The Holy Ground has been erased.”

“So it seems.”

Alpha presses the bridge of her nose.

“Retrieval of the Holy Sword?”

“The Holy Sword was evaporated.”

Alpha sighs.

“Sampling of the core?”

“The core was also evaporated.”

Alpha shakes her head.

“The simplest and the surest solution. How like him.”

“The only one who could actually accomplish it is Shadow-sama alone.”

So says Epsilon with pride in her voice.

“The path he walks, is the path we walk.”

Alpha’s beautiful blond hair glitters in reflection of the morning sun. While gazing at the faraway city of Lindwurm, she narrows her eyes.

“Beta?”

“Guiding the princesses. If all goes well, she should be able to plant herself.”

“Noted. Investigation at the Holy Ground?”

“We gathered all information that we could at the present stage.”

“Tell me.”

Epsilon explains, while Alpha listens.

Her brilliant mind instantaneously sorts through the information.

“Enough. That matter?”

“Our hypothesis was ……indeed correct.”

So answers Epsilon with the simplest word choice possible, but only after a brief moment of hesitation.

“Aurora the Witch of Calamity…… by another name, the demon Diabolos.”

Alpha directs her blue eyes towards the faraway morning sun.

“I see…… so that’s why he……”

The sound of a puzzle piece falling into place seems to reverberate in the air.