Chapter 220: Hello

'Hello…

...My name is Viel. Or so Sofie keeps on telling me. I will be brief since Sofie is currently examining a monster in the basement. It's quite funny, the basement itself is actually bigger than the house. I am not allowed to go there anymore, however.

I tried to, but I fell off my wheelchair and got a nice scolding. But enough about that.

Ah, yes. I…

...don't really remember who I am. I keep seeing these images of a different world, a more advanced world if you believe it.

Sofie said they weren't my memories, that it was a memory of one of the guys in my head, trying to take over me. Can you believe it? I have other people in my head. Crazy… insane, even.

Sofie tells me my story, I let her tell it to me every night when we are about to sleep. It would seem that I was a very interesting individual as a kid… but it's such a tragic story. I don't even know how I was able to survive then. If it was the me now, I would have probably already died of loneliness.

My favorite story was one of the earliest ones. How I enrolled in an Academy in the Western Continent. It said I almost destroyed half the school. The second one would most probably be the story of me going to her world.

Could you believe it? I was rotting in a cell for 5 years when I could simply just force my way out. Although seeing as I was only around 5 or 6 years old then, I wasn't probably thinking straight.

Anyway, Sofie… Sofia. She takes care of me… and have been taking care of me for quite a while now. She said I started to completely lose all of my memories about 2 years ago when we were traveling in the South.

It… was apparently the saddest moment of her life, or so she keeps telling me every time.

We were on a cliff, and she was beside me holding my hand as we stared at the horizon. That, I can kind of vaguely remember. I can remember the warmth of her hands, her tears, even with the sun wrapping around our bodies, I can remember them.

I am starting to get sidetracked. This… this is what I do every day when I am alone, talk to myself. It's the only thing I could do whenever Sofie isn't around. But right now I am writing it in a diary.

Of course, Miss Lu Yi is listening in, but she keeps to herself. She said she doesn't really want to hinder my daily life by always talking so she only talks when it's important… like reminding me that I should eat.

Right, Miss Lu Yi is one of the people in my head, apparently, the rest are sleeping. She's a good person, but she keeps on calling me baby Viel. I asked her if she was my true mother, but she started giggling and cheering after that.

I… am not crazy, though. There really are people in my head.

You might also be wondering why I am in a wheelchair?

My legs, my eyes. They don't work anymore. Apparently, it was I who did it to myself. Crazy, right? Sofie said I did it because my powers are getting out of control, whatever that means, I don't know yet.

Maybe I really am just crazy, who in their right mind would even do something like this to themselves, right?

Oh, I think that's Sofie coming up now. This has been fun, I will write again when something nice happens.

Goodbye, my diary.

No, that's kind of cheesy.

Goodbye, my reader. Until next time.'

***

"Vi, you're still up? What are you doing?"

"Oh, I am trying to write a diary."

"Writing? Can I see it?"

"Uhm… sure."

Viel gently rolled his wheelchair back and handed Sofia the book he was writing on. And as soon as Sofia saw the contents, she started rotating the book and adjusting her spectacles.

"..."

She then looked at the desk, which now has pen markings all over the place. She couldn't help but sigh as she grabbed the pen on the desk.

"You do know you just scribbled on the notebook, right?"

"What? But I wrote it with all my heart."

"No, you literally scribbled on the book, and on the desk."

"What!? But didn't we just have that desk made!?"

"It's alright. Now come on, tell me what you wrote. I'll rewrite it for you."

"...Really?"

"Hm… Let me just take a bath."

And so, the two spent their nights trying to write Viel's diary. Come morning, Sofia once again set out to the city to buy their daily necessities. But before she could leave the door, Viel grabbed her hand, telling her that he wanted to come to the city to enjoy the… sights.

Sofia insisted that he stayed, but alas, he did not let go of Sofia's hand.

"Alright, alright. Just let go of my hand so I can push you already."

"Yes!" Viel quickly let go of Sofia's hand and raised his fist in the air. Finally, victory, he thought. He had been wanting to go to the city ever since they settled here in the North for 6 months now, but alas, Sofia did not allow him, saying it was dangerous.

"But remember, keep your hands to yourself, okay? And you will be the one carrying our stuff!"

"No problem, my hands are tied… and also my legs."

"..."

"...Sorry. I thought it was kind of funny at first." Viel lightly tapped his head and stuck his tongue out.

"That would have been cute if you were still a kid."

"Tehee."

"Let's go, I am going to push you now, okay?"

"You know, if you bought me those electric wheelchairs, I could just move the chair with a push of a button," Viel said as he started moving his fingers and tapping the side of his chair.

"...Vi. That… doesn't exist here."

"Oh… nevermind then. Alright, onwards, my captain! To the city!"

***

"Protect the city at all costs!"

Somewhere in the Western Continent, the bright sky that was supposed to bask a city with light was covered in darkness, and the ground that was supposed to be filled with the merry footsteps of the people... was filled with nothing but the steps of blood.

"We need to hold out until the Hero arrives!"

"Men, assist some of the old people to the barracks!"

The soldiers, even those that are currently bleeding, still fought for their lives. Perhaps it was their unending will or the cries of their people that kept them going on.

But they fought… and they fight, still.

The Demon God's minions, people that somehow rose from the dead which are forever loyal to the Demon God. There were countless of them, and with every death, another soldier adds to the Demon God's army.

They were lucky now that the Demon God seemed to not be interested in making a move by herself anymore. But those who were the pioneers of this war were not so lucky. They were mowed down by the Demon God herself, not even able to fight back.

"They are breaking through the inner gates!"

"Men, stand your ground! Protect your family!"

All the soldiers went into formation in front of the quivering gate, knowing that they were already lining up for their deaths. They were just mortals, their experts have already long died to the horde, but yet, they fight.

Bang. Bang. The hordes of the undead knocked on their gates, wanting to welcome them into their ranks.

"Men, this is it! If we die, our families die along with us!"

"Rah!"

"Die with honor!"

"Rah!"

And so, with a final thunderous explosion ringing into their ears, the gates of death opened.

"Stand your ground!"

"Ra-- huh?"

But with the gates opened, it was not death that barged into their city, but hope.

"That's… that's the Hero's party!"

Walking into the gates were three people. One grabbing an undead by its neck.

"We were too late again…" The one leading them in the front spoke, sheathing the two swords in her hands to her sides. She wiped the sweat and blood that was covering her cheeks, slightly moving her hair, which was black and silver in color.

"Choryu should just send out their forces, why are they so afraid of sending some of our cultivators? It's not like the Demon God's army would even reach Choryu." The man holding an undead by its neck could not help but sigh as he turned his head back, only to see an endless number of corpses sprawled in the streets, both people and undead alike.

"The Emperor has already sent their men, Lu Xun."

"Yeah, sending people not from our world to their deaths is so gallant, Mei. The master should also be with us, we would probably avoid more deaths."

"You know she can't leave, right? She's the only one preventing the Demon God from marching on."

"You two are arguing again? I swear, ever since the two of you got married… Wait, it's not the time to be talking about that. Let's go check on the survivors."

"The two of you go ahead, I will check if there are any undead left… alive." Lu Xun closed the gates, leaving Diao Mei and Violet inside the inner city.

And as soon as the sound of the gates closing reached the ears of the soldiers, their cheers traveled through the city instantly.

"We… We are saved!"

"Glory to the Hero!"

"Lady Violet! Lady Mei! Noble Lu Xun!"

Hearing the cheers and seeing the people approached them, Violet could not help but let out a long and sorrowful sigh.

"I wish we could do more for these people." She muttered.

"We're already doing the best we can, Vi."

"Please stop calling me that, it keeps on reminding me about you know who."

"I wonder what he is up to right now?" Diao Mei placed a finger on her chin as she hummed.

"Well, if he's not dead yet, he better stay wherever he is."

"Come on, don't tell me you don't think of him?"

"I do. 4 years and I still do, and it irritates the heck out of me! He's just someone who comes in and out of our lives whenever he pleases! Now stop talking and let's see what we can do for these people." Violet waved her hand as she approached the people, trying to put on the best smile she could.

"Viel… huh." Diao Mei, on the other hand, still remained staring at the skies even as the people cheered for her.

"...I wonder what you're doing right now?"