章 53: Unlocked Memories
The bullets was unstoppable…
No one could possibly interfere in this. Death was already a certainty when the trigger was pulled.
Lumina's high agility stat turned into a curse. She could only watch the bullet course in her direction.
Her body paralysed in fear…
In her high cognitive sight, she could clearly see the bullet get closer and closer to her eyes.
For the first time, she started to fear dying…
The feeling that 'Adam' was distinctly aware of.
However, this and that were totally different co costs altogether. Fearing death and 'seeing' it.
She started understanding where she went wrong.
Everything was her mistake from the beginning.
She shouldn't have pretended to be a great villain if she didn't want the karma that came with intent.
She shouldn't have forgotten how others saw her.
After being so caught up in her role, she had forgotten her place. The nature of her existence.
Regardless, she didn't want to die.
Not today…
Not tomorrow…
So how could she accept this outcome?
Her eyes started to moisten. Teardrops we're on the verge of falling after seeing absolute despair.
The bullet came right next to her face…
Even without entering her body, the damage was already being done to her eye with its phenomena.
The skin on her face started to twist.
*BANG!*
The sound of an impact resounded, along with flesh being pierced by a physics-defying bullet.
Solaris showed a darkening face at that moment.
He couldn't imagine losing Lumina…
The counterpart thought they would have forever to talk to each other. To get to know her.
No one could've expected it…
Before he could scream roar, the sight of a familiar figure made him pause midway through his action.
Crimson fluids stained the walls and ground.
There was an exaggerated fountain of blood.
The spray of blood stopped splattering around for a moment, which revealed a horned silhouette.
In the moment before the bullet hit her, 'Simon' had moved at a speed that surpassed that of even light.
In fact, using light as an estimation was wrong.
Holy Protector used his personal Attribute to boost his speed, but this had caused an unusual result.
Earlier, he'd ran all this way to see where these new egos of Adam were born… only to see the situation.
He was unable to stop Sebastian from shooting…
…but what he WAS able to do was protect her.
After all, this was the willpower of magical energy he'd once manifested to create the 'Holy Attribute'.
It was the epitome of a heroic force…
When desiring to protect someone, he reached the speed of a God. Going past the realm of possibility.
He skipped the cause and became the effect.
'Godspeed' was an movement skill that allowed him to move faster than any cause of damage.
So long as it was to protect someone else, he would be able to move in front of them instantly.
Faster than any attack to anyone he protected.
That's how he was able to catch Lumina in one hand… and the horrifying disaster in the other.
The bullet he'd caught continued to throttle in his direction. It span on top of the bones on his hand.
Threatening to lethally pierce both of their bodies.
Blood continued to spray out of his hand once more. There was no way to protect her like this…
Regardless, his Holy Mana continued healing the hand that was being decimated by the projectile.
It became a deadlock between his physical self-healing… and the overwhelming penetrative force.
He looked down to see Lumina's face…
His glowing eyes containing a strange light while considering the circumstances around them.
'Simon' looked deeply at the damage that had been done to her face… then chose to say nothing.
Another part of his Holy Mana healed her up.
Whether it was her physical body or mentality, this was a power that fully specialised in healing others.
It was at that point the bullet stopped…
With Lumina waking up in one hand and the projectile in the other, he faced the vigilante.
A burst of energy from his body calming all who was in his radius. Even the Beastkins all around.
His light purifying everything…
It was at that point Lumina and Solaris quickly returned to each other's side; fearing for her life.
They embraced like family that had been separated for years. Unable to hide how relieved they'd felt .
"You two can get out of here… for now. I just wanted to see if you… 'two' were feeling okay." The hero didn't let his current act of heroism go to his head any longer. There was a lot he wanted to say.
But after looking at them, he felt like it would be better to not interfere in their lives any longer.
He'd just help them by getting Sebas 'home'…
They nodded, then got out of the way so he could have some alone time with the white-haired man.
'Simon' and Sebastian looked at each other…
The latter seemed to have calmed down after his mind was eased. His feelings were complicated…
"You should've let her die." His eyes looked around to see the marionettes had vanished, but it didn't change his mind. The fear he'd felt from that satanic face was something anyone could see.
"We shouldn't interfere with this. 'Adam' is in a delicate state right now. Killing her wouldn't help."
"I was doing this to help him out."
"Then you should've asked first-" Before finishing those words, Holy Protector remembered Hyuk.
["You didn't ask for consent."] Although those words felt wrong, the meaning was now accurate.
Did the Martial King of Dual Cultivation plan this?
He felt like he was looking at himself in a mirror. It was like he'd become the strange one once again.
The former vigilante and hero started at each other silently… only for Sebastian to be the first to relax.
He cracked his neck and started walking off.
"Where are you going?"
"Can't you see yourself? I don't want anything to do with this anymore." The man readily spoke.
'Simon' followed behind him…
As they walked there step by step, it was the Magician with the revolver who spoke up first:
"Thank you for stopping me."
"No problem."
"I just… I just…"
"You don't have to explain it to me."
"But still…" Sebas scratched the back of his head in thought, before realising who he was talking to.
"…What's with that look?"
"Nothing. I'm just surprised YOU would be the voice of reason here." It was hard to imagine this.
That the once messy drunkard originated from someone who looked reasonable and honest.
Sebastian couldn't help looking at 'Simon' while snacking his lip. The difference was extreme.
"…Was my future self really that bad?" This question only got a derisive toned response:
"I'd trust Hyuk before I trusted you with doing literally ANYTHING. That's just how you were."
"Harsh…!"
"I'm wondering... How did you become worse than that pervert anyway?" He had a a cat-like curiosity.
"…You could probably relate."
"To what?"
"I can sense your affinity with the Holy Attribute. I know you have likely grown up being a 'Hero'."
"Hero… Maybe if society wanted me, I would have been called that. Anyway, that's a unique ability."
"Stop going in circles. If you want to ask how I saved that girl earlier, it's because of Holy Energy."
"Sounds like a heroic power…" Sebas wasn't exactly wrong, but it made 'Simon' look down.
As if he remembered a bad memory…
The Magician felt this silence, so he decided to say what he could to make things feel less awkward:
"Did you defeat a Demon King, Mr Hero?"
"…I killed a Ruler of all Beasts?"
"That's different?"
"You could say the former is a manifestation of evil intent, and the latter a president of the country."
"Sounds complicated…" Sebas couldn't even dare to imagine the scale of the youth's adventure.
He imagined the typical story of an otherworldly hero defeating the final boss, but with some reality.
It was at that point 'Mr Hero' asked him:
"You must have killed one as well?" These words made the Magician wonder if he could talk about it.
But since no one he knew would learn through Holy Progenitor, it was probably alright to tell him…
"I… EVENTUALLY killed my 'Demon King'. He was a sociopathic bastard with some screws loose."
"A psychopath?"
"A criminal. Just like everyone else I put behind bars." Sebastian found it hard to speak about this.
"But you said you killed him. Isn't that against what you deign justice, Mr Policeman?" These words were thrown out just to tease him, but 'Simon' didn't expect a greater reaction than just scoffing.
The anger the Magician built up started spilling out.
"That's rich coming from you…!" A gun was pointed at Mr Hero's head. The intent to kill was heavy…
"And what about me…?"
"I broke my creed, but held my sanity. You held your creed, but look at where that took you." He retrieved the revolver pointing at Holy Progenitor's head and tapped his own forehead with the barrel.
The gesture was clear…
"…This and that are different." 'Mr Hero' covered them reflexively. They'd become an insecurity.
"Right right... They are VERY different."
"Hey, I was joking about earlier. I understand it must have been hard for you to go through with it."
"And here's another person who 'understands'." A trigger of Sebastian's had been lit up like fireworks.
His face twisted and became a dark shade of red.
Only to then hold back, his eyes sorting through many things before accurately bring 'that' up.
"You know… For someone who apparently created the Attribute all about saving people and healing, it looks like you went astray." These slimy words made 'Simon' hold his head. A migraine had struck.
"…You mean about getting drunk? Fine. I admit my future self had went overboard, but you get it."
"Get what?"
"The feeling that everything we did was worthless in the end. Especially when the people we saved aren't there to reassure us. You care about what people think, and so do I. So… don't you get it?"
"…" Sebas couldn't deny it. There was indeed a time when they could possibly sync wavelengths.
However…
"That isn't what I meant." The Magician put away his revolver and continued with an indifferent look:
"You said it back in that Portable Space… That you were the 'Ruler of all Beasts', and that everyone should now and suck up to you. Interestingly, you looked a lot like now… With those two horns..."
"…" 'Simon' widened his eyes.
He couldn't possibly believe what he was hearing from Sebastian, but there was no way it'd be a lie.
Regardless of how he felt, Sebastian cooked up a theory while speaking out what he was thinking:
"If I was to put your personas in order. The you right now is the 'youngest', then came the Ruler of all Beasts, and then your old and drunk self. Isn't it ironic that both your next two faces are… 'unholy'?"
Again, his words struck deep. Similar to the way it did when Solaris was told off about his attitude.
'Mr Hero' suddenly became silent…
The thoughts going through his mind at this moment were unknowable, but Sebas still went on:
"Moreover, you ended a war by killing what was apparently a president- No, perhaps you meant the Ruler of all Beasts was the Demon King the first time you were summoned? Doesn't that mean you became your own foe the second summoning?"
"Stop it. Don't make a mockery out of the life I've lived. What do you know?" That last question made the Magician's face light up. It was as if that declaration prove they didn't have 'understanding'.
Sebas felt more at ease. He no longer held back while retorting: "You killed a king, I killed a serial killer who got many addicted to Devil Dust. Me and you are not the same. My 'justice' was simpler."
"Don't you mean 'smaller scale'? I had also slain many slaughters who would raise villages." As if trying to regain his dignity, 'Simon' spitefully struck back. The difference between them was great.
Like the difference between the sky and Earth…
"Maybe… but at the very least, I didn't turn into a deranged narcissistic tyrant the first change I got."
"What would you know-? Wait… What was this about 'Devil Dust' earlier?" 'Simon' shook his head.
The way he went from angry to thoughtful caused whiplash. Sebastian felt like something was off.
He couldn't have known than consistently prodding at the past was undoing parts of the 'Existential Rendering'. Holy Progenitor was feeling like his brain was on fire… Fragmented memories arose…
"You're curious about it? Don't. That's just an illegal narcotic from my world. It's just a poison."
"About that… What colour was this 'Devil Dust' again?" This sudden question was bewildering.
Sebas stared ay 'Simon' for a good moment, but had no reason to hide such an insignificant detail.
"It was, well… pitch black."
"How black?" The youth kept on talking. This line of conversation was becoming even more strange.
But since the Magician felt a little guilty about earlier, he decided to humour 'Mr Hero' a bit:
"A colour darker than black. Almost like light was being devoured by it." This answer shook 'Simon'.
Devil… Darker than pitch black… Evil… Poison…
The fragments of his memories started to string themselves together, but he kept it from showing.
Nothing happened on the outside. He just looked like he had a really bad migraine all of a a sudden.
However, something had changed inside of him.
Regardless of what he remembered, the youth made sure nothing about this surfaced on his face.
He was wary of Sebastian…
Intelligences was one thing, but the prudence to pay attention to small details was more valuable.
It was why even if his intelligence was high, 'Mr Hero' wouldn't go into a battle of wits unprepared.
"How sure are you that criminal died?" The topic changed again, but the Magician got used to this.
"I blew his brains out, so yeah… He's dead. The little self-healing Devil Dust gave didn't help him."
"Right… Sorry for asking that."
"No problem. Anyway, what are your plans? Do you plan to help 'them'?" Sebas pointed behind them.
"We were only hired to instruct Adam. If they don't ask us, then there's no reason to seek them out."
"You sure about this?"
"I'm sure… There's something I need to do first anyway." 'Simon' spoke while hiding his thoughts.
'He is definitely here, but I will keep this as a secret for now. I think it would be better for you.' Holy Progenitor thought while keeping a crucial bit of information away from him. The things he knew…
His thoughts couldn't be understood without knowing the context of his life as a 'Beast King'.
While the youth was silent, Sebas started to think that he should probably work on his own attitude.
Thus, the duo walked back to the mansion.
Unknowing that at a certain Noble Household, the man they talked scratched the wound on his head.
The place where the scar of a bullet wound had yet to be healed. An injury that the serial killer ignored.
The glass equipment and scientific resources he used made it look like he was cooking up meth.
Unaware that his arch-nemesis thought of him…
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