Chapter 101: Reno (1)

"Why did you guys survive?"

"Huh? What do you mean-"

*Pierce*

Before Xavier could even make sense of the question, he looked back to see two black tentacles emerging from the shadows of Lilly and piercing both Lafia and Alina.

"...What?"

Xavier was too stunned to even be surprised. His voice slipped out, he could not even put proper strength into his throat. He watched as light faded out from the eyes of Lafia and Alina, them staring at him with shock and despair.

The black tentacles retracted back into his shadow as he turned around to face Xavier. He could see the hollow eyes of this monster who had heartlessly killed Alina and Lafia without batting an eye.

"I just wanted some good seeds, but never did I expect that some problem children would barge into my playground. You fucking bastard, do you know how many years went into preparing this? Illusion magic, dark magic, memory magic, curse magic, summon magic, necromancy, disguise magic… I even had a high-ranking member of Laplace. But you…

You just barged in here and ruined it all. Do you have some fucking shame?"

Xavier could not believe what his ears were hearing. He had his eyes fixed on the dead body of Lafia, his memories overrun by a part of his past that he always wanted to forget.

************

"Your kind is extinct. Do you support me because of revenge, prince of the Pure Nature Spirits?"

"...It definitely plays a part, but the biggest reason I support you is the vision you are trying to paint in this world, Lord Xavier. A world run purely on merit, with your legacy determining absolutely nothing about your value as a member of society, there's something beautiful about that impossible ideal."

"So even you say that it's impossible. Well, it's not the first time I've heard these words."

A man with green eyes and black hair laughed as he shared another drink with his leader and master. It was a shabby bar with cheap alcohol, but the vibes had made the drinks taste infinitely better. The people there had no idea that they were in the presence of the strongest person in the world.

"Honestly, Lord Xavier, even though you fight for this cause, you know it's a hopeless one, right? I can ask you the same, why do you fight this battle? The people call you a demon king, and the whole world wishes for nothing but your demise. Tell me, isn't it because you think it's too late to turn back now?"

Your journey continues on m v|l--NovelFire

Xavier, who was silently sitting and sipping his own hard liquor, replied in a wistful manner,

"I'm like a shooting star, Logan. I am bright, I am memorable, and my impression will last for a long time, but… I'll burn away in just a few seconds. Since that is my fate, it is my duty to burn the brightest, and I hope that future generations learn something from my era."

Logan heard the tone of profound acceptance from the words of Xavier, and that made him sigh and take a huge chuck of his own drink. Xavier watched this old subordinate of his with amusement. While he had worked for him for a long time, it was only recently that they had begun getting to really know each other. It was also the first time they were sharing drinks like this.

"You know, you remind me of my mother?"

"Haha, mother? Do I look like I have any maternal qualities, dumbass?"

"Of course not, but neither did she. I don't remember much about her, but she was apparently an adventurer and a party leader of a C-ranked party. Their party had quite close bonds with each other, as they even visited me when my mother retired and left the party."

Logan had a distant look as he recalled his life,

"We Pure Nature Spirits are different from you humans. We don't necessarily need a mate to have children, but it is usually preferred. My mother created me out of her own life essence when she matured enough, sacrificing a part of her lifespan and her power base. She became an Uninitiated and decided to peacefully live her days in a countryside village.

But… As you might've guessed, fate screwed us over. The Age of Chaos crept up on us too, and it devoured our happiness… I don't need to say anything more, do I?"

Xavier nodded and commented,

"Such a tragedy is hardly a rare story nowadays. Go on."

"Well, I just wanted to say that you're a lot like her. She wanted to find a recluse for our endangered kind and reign as the queen of her race like she deserved to be. When she found out she could never hold enough power or influence to even begin scratching the surface of her dream, she bore me and left that burden onto me.

You both are incredible people. You dream big, but you realize your incapability to fulfill it alone. That is why you set the foundation for the future generations. Isn't that why you wrote your story in a book and secretly published it? Isn't that why you haven't gone all out in killing that hero?

I know, the real you is not an arrogant, demonic tyrant. You are a visionary, a primordial entity who wants to devour the world, and that is why I follow you."

Xavier was stunned silent at those words, but soon he smiled and took a sip of of drink.

"I'm not that smart, kiddo. I had a dream, and I'm just simply trying to fulfill it. Some things just happened along the way…"

***********

Xavier could never forget that memory, because that was the first and last time they shared a deep conversation before Logan died. It all clicked why he was so friendly with Lafia, why he felt such uncharacteristic nostalgia for her. The burden of that memory was a heavy one, because he had just witnessed what should've never happened.

It was a death that was not supposed to happen right now, a life he treasured was never born because of his interference with the timeline. Searᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.