Even after the war against the Demon Army ended, there were still many issues between humans and demons.
There were conflicts. There was hatred. Each time, the hero Lucille took up her sword and fought.
She fought and fought and fought and fought and fought—emerging victorious in every battle.
She won too much, kept on winning.
She grew too strong, kept getting stronger.
“–Yaaaahhh!”
That day, she had taken the frontlines as part of the hero’s party to stop a sudden demon stampede. She drove the last demon to the edge of a cliff and struck with her sword.
“That’s the last one…we did it, Theo–“
A thick red liquid dripped from her mouth. When she looked down, a bloodied blade protruded from her belly.
“Eh…ah…?”
“You’re strong. Truly strong.”
“Theo…?”
The cold blade had pierced Lucille’s belly from behind.
The one gripping that blade was her beloved, Theo, as his voice immediately made clear.
“Strong, so strong—terrifyingly so.”
“What…are you…saying…?”
“Lucille. You’ve grown too strong. So strong that this peaceful world sees the power of the hero as a hindrance…that’s what they think.”
“I don’t…understand…hey…”
“We’re afraid of you. Afraid that you’ll keep growing stronger and stronger, keep winning. Afraid your blade might one day turn on us.”
“You’re lying…Theo…”
The eyes Theo turned on Lucille were the same as the villagers’ when she was young.
“You said…you loved me…!”
“Of course that was a lie.”
“Eh…?”
“It’s impossible to defeat you head-on. But if I’m your companion who you let your guard down around, your lover, then a surprise attack becomes possible. That’s what I thought, anyway…ah, I’m glad. My plan succeeded.”
“Lies…you’re lying…”
“My love for you was the lie. My attempt to kill you is the truth…ah, it’s no use trying to rely on the others either. Everyone agreed to this.”
“Every…one…?”
“Everyone in the hero’s party, the king, the royal army, the Demon Army, the Demon King himself. Everyone.”
“…No way…”
“At first, everyone was charmed by you. But then they realized the truth—that you were just a monster, growing stronger without end. It’s terrifying. You, the monster, are terrifying.”
“Ah…ah…”
“Rest easy as you pass. The story of the hero Lucille you built will be rewritten as the tale of the hero Theo. It might even become a picture book for later generations…ah, that’s right. No more being overshadowed by you for me. From now on, I’m the hero.”
Theo drew the bloodied sword and struck Lucille with it.
“Farewell, Lucille.”
Spurting blood and searing pain assaulted her body. Lucille’s body, legs tangled, fell backwards off the cliff.
“Ah…ugh…”
Even crashing to the ground, Lucille still lived. Her body clung tenuously together, blood pooling heavily on the ground—it was clear she would soon die.
(Lies…all of it…all of it…love was…a lie…)
Blood welling in her throat, Lucille still screamed.
“No…I don’t…want this…someone…love me…love me!”
No one had loved her. She had wanted someone to love her. That lone desire had driven her to fight. She had wanted to become someone loved by all. The love she thought she had gained was false. An illusion.
“Someone…please…someone!”
She reached skyward, clawing, her fingers tracing bloody tracks in the blue.
“Someone…love meeeeee!”
–I sense it. A powerful heart of [love].
At that moment, Lucille’s body was enveloped in a deep miasma, and someone whispered to her.
“Who…are you…?”
–I am the [Witch of the Night].
“Witch of…the Night…?”
–The pitiful hero betrayed and shattered…Lucille. Hero Lucille. I shall make you my daughter.
“Your…daughter…?”
–Yes. I shall become your mother. Is that not what you desired? The love poured forth from others?
“Ah…”
In her village, she had always been alone. She envied the other children with parents.
The girl Lucille had been born craving love.
–I shall give you the family you crave. So you will devote yourself to me. You will act as a daughter acts for her mother.
To Lucille, that offer was an unimaginable blessing—the greatest birthday present.
“Make me…your daughter…give me…your love…”
–Very well. I shall grant that wish.
“Ah…aaah…aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!”
She welcomed the miasma enveloping, corroding her entire being.
When she opened her eyes again, there stood not the former hero, but the witch’s daughter.
–Lucille. Children of Six Emotions who governs Love. From now on, you are my beloved daughter.
“…Yes, Mother.”
Love is wonderful, Lucille thought.
As the hero Lucille, she had wanted to be loved. For the sake of her loved ones, she could do anything, overcome any battle.
Love is pointless, Lucille thought. Love was unstable, uncertain, bound to betray eventually.
Love is pointless. And yet, I want to be loved.
She wanted to be loved. But love was pointless.
Such was the contradiction harbored by the girl Lucille.
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☆
“–gh…!”
At the end of that long journey into memory, Leor understood.
What he had seen were Lucille’s memories of the past.
“…You saw it…! My memories!”
And Lucille had sensed it as well.
“It seems our [Lions] resonated, leaking memories—a near-miraculous phenomenon from the clashing of powers heightened to the limit by the same spirit.”
“…What’s with that look. Going to pity me?”
Lucille sneered, wickedly, cruelly.
“Ahah! Ahahahahahahaha! Then let me tell you! As soon as I became Mother’s daughter, I massacred them all! My former comrades, destroying countries, exterminating demons and humans alike! I slaughtered until history itself was erased! That’s who I am! A monster, a freak! And still you would–“
“–Love you. No matter the monster or freak, I love all of you.”
“…Gh…!”
“You have indeed committed sins. Then let us atone for them together, you and I. I’m prepared for that. I told you, didn’t I? I’ll accept all of you. Even your sins.”
To Leor’s whispered love, Lucille, who had deftly manipulated with words until now, responded not with words but with her blade. Leor met every strike without hesitation, answering blade with blade.
“Ever since I lost you, I’ve been regretting it. Regretting that I couldn’t answer your love…That’s right. More than losing my arm or ring or pride or throne, losing you was the most painful thing.”
“……..Ghh…!”
“Your love saved me. You saw through the coward always running away, Leor-Berg-Leuville, and saved him. That’s why I fell hopelessly in love with you. I want to accept all of you, to keep touching you, to stay together. That hasn’t changed, even now that I know the truth of who you are, the misdeeds of your past.”
“……………………………Ghh…!”
“A foolish infatuation, you could say. Go ahead and laugh at the foolishness. …But it should be clear to you by now, right? That my love holds no lies. Just how much I love you. Like I saw your memories just now—you must have seen mine too, overflowing with my love for you.”
Unconsciously, perhaps, Lucille took a step back.
The one who had been attacking one-sidedly.
“Now that you’ve seen my memories, you understand.”
“Understand…what…!”
“That what you fear most, you who govern [love], is [love] itself.”
Until now, Lucille had toyed with and manipulated the [love] others harbored.
But it wasn’t simply because she was a being who governed [love]. Precisely because she was that, she understood the power it held, its terror, better than anyone.
“You don’t need to fear love anymore. My love will envelop all of you. I accept every part.”
“…You believe that?”
“Yeah. Then—let’s do this.”
Leor discarded his sword and even dispelled his [Spirit Armor].
“Now I’m defenseless. This has to be your chance, right?”
“…Gh!”
Lucille kicked off the floor, accelerating. In the next moment, she held the tip of her massive obsidian blade to Leor’s throat.
“As befitting the former hero who saved the world. Magnificent reflexes and reactions…I’m glad to learn this secret of your strength, this side of you I didn’t know.”
“Shut up. A slight twitch and that head comes off.”
“Not even time to call a spirit.”
“Then why discard your sword?”
“To embrace you, who fears love, I thought a bit of recklessness was needed.”
“…Still…spouting that nonsense…gh!”
Leor’s one armwrapped around Lucille, drawing her close.
When they were at the academy, it had been both arms. Lucille would naturally accept it then, her body never stiffening like this.
“…If you reject my love, you’re welcome to run me through with that blade. I won’t resent you. But if you can believe in my love…”
“–Gh…”
Leor drew his face close to Lucille’s, slowly, giving her a chance to refuse.
However, even in the moment before their lips met, and even after they touched, Lucille’s sword did not pierce Leor. Instead, the sound of the massive sword sliding to the floor and the sensation of the pitch-black spirit armor dissolving echoed within the dark curtain.
The kiss lasted only an instant. Their lips touched briefly, then parted slowly, as if confirming something.
“…Leor…kun…”
“Yes… I definitely prefer hearing you call me that.”
He had regained one of the precious things he thought he had lost.
“Lucille. I’ll say this as many times as it takes. I love you.”
“…Leor-kun. I also… you—”
In that instant, the dark curtain surrounding them distorted slightly.
“—Did you think I was going to say ‘I love you’?”
“Ugh!?”
Lucille’s hand, wrapped in miasma, shoved Leor away.
It was a complete surprise. Unable to even brace himself, Leor was thrown backward, floating slightly in the air. What his eyes witnessed was—
“—Kah…”
The sight of miasma forcefully breaking through the curtain and piercing Lucille’s body from behind.
“Lucille…? Lucille!”
“Haha… ha… fooled again… Boys are… really so simple…”
“Lucille…! You protected… me…!”
“That’s why… I told you… you’re wrong… I’m not… that kind-hearted… gah…!”
The miasma that had pierced Lucille’s body was now trying to drag her into an unknown darkness. Beyond the torn curtain stood Charlotte. No—the Witch of the Night.
“You’re foolish to the end… You are… truly a foolish person… To say you love… someone like me… stained with sin… After all… ‘love’ is foolish to no end…”
The mother was trying to absorb her daughter.
“But… I couldn’t… ignore your words… I guess… I’m quite the fool too… In a way… we’re well matched…”
Lucille was being devoured.
“…I’ve lived a long time… as Mother’s daughter… but the days I spent with you at the academy… I quite liked them…”
She was disappearing into the darkness.
“…Leor-kun…”
“Lucille—!”
His anguished cry never reached her. The girl named Lucille was devoured by the witch and vanished.
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