Chapter 45: Love and Trauma. Trauma and Love.
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✦•✦•✦•✦•『Chapter 45: Start』•✦•✦•✦•✦
'Man, what a way to start your day! I kind of feel bad for Thanos right now; the dude was vibing on his farm and all of a sudden those Avenger thugs break in and kill him.'
'They didn't even let him have a sip of the stew that he was making. Animals. You really can't have shit in Detroit, huh.'
Yuhao was making his way home to the center of Great Devil's Den Forest with Usagi following right behind him.
"I was just minding my own business on my farm and a crazy rabbit started fighting me. What a weird story, don't you think so too, Usagi?"
He didn't forget to snort at his animal friend following behind him as he started observing the area around them.
The result of their clash left the surrounding area in shambles.
Trees were either fully uprooted from the ground or had their trunks damaged from the shockwaves of the battle. The forest land was also looking rough, as it was filled with craters, spiderweb cracks, burn marks, and of course, trenches that had Usagi's face planted in them.
Even though the area looked quite bad, both fighters were mostly holding back. After all, it was a sparring session, not a fight to the death.
More importantly, the world would fix the damage in the forest anyway, with newer trees growing rapidly to replace the uprooted ones and the ground filling up with water or soil to create another spot for the monster inhabitants in the forest.
Argena was a world that had awareness and conscience, and unlike the Douluo Dalu world, the will of the planet was actively present in the lives of its inhabitants and helped them whenever they needed.
Something that the people of the Natsuverse would cry tears of envy about.
"Not as weird as you talking to a magical rabbit in a magic forest, I would say."
Replied Usagi with his deep voice that didn't exactly fit with his image as he was, you know, a rabbit.
Until now, Yuhao didn't know the purpose of Usagi's sudden visit. If it was just for sparring, then it would be even more confusing as both fighters had agreed that today was an off day.
"Did you finally lose to your animalistic side, Usagi? Is this why you attacked me like a ravaged dog? Or in your case, a ravaged rabbit?" Asked Yuhao sarcastically.
"Hmm, it just felt weird not starting the day with sparring, you know. We have been sparring every day for the last two years; it has somehow become my morning routine."
Usagi hopped past Yuhao and increased his pace, leaving him behind speechless.
Yuhao actually wanted to get mad, but it was the same for him as well.
It had somehow become a routine for him to train all night inside the stigma space with Kiana, then spar against Usagi in the morning where he could implement his training in the real world by fighting a real opponent.
So all the annoyance and frustration he was feeling this morning was actually because his morning routine got compromised, and now he was feeling better after 'sparring' with Usagi.
Well, he wiped the floor with him, quite literally, but Usagi deserved it nonetheless.
It was a guy friendship, after all.
…
『Huo Yuhao POV』
I step onto the back patio of my house and dematerialize my footwear and place them in my [Item box] before making my way inside.
Usagi fucked off to somewhere, most likely to my garden to raid my entire carrot stock again and to annoy Fou.
Hmm, the house was feeling kind of empty.
Kiana was still out; she was on one of her long night drives that mostly involve her being chased by the entire police force of Japan for her speeding. Well, as long as she was having fun, it was all good.
And mom was…
Actually, where is she? She should be awake by now. We have a lot to do today. Actually no, we just have to go on a date and relax for a bit before going back to Douluo Dalu.
I made my way to our room on the second floor and opened the door. No one is inside, oh, but the shower is on; she is awake.
Better hurry up and prepare her a hearty breakfast filled with love, passion, and finally, lots of beans. I was thinking a full English breakfast would go so well with this cold morning.
I made my way down the stairs towards the kitchen and paused midway. The open staircase allowed me to overlook the entire 'house'.
I say house, but it was more like a luxury chalet that a rich family would rent for their winter vacation in the Alps.
It had changed a lot since I inherited it from the Sage.
It used to look like a generic, barren wood cabin that you find in every isekai story or a typical RPG, and now it is a two-story luxury chalet that overlooks the entire forest from its position.
I shifted the terrain a bit, so instead of it sitting on just flat ground in the middle of the forest, I made a hill a bit shorter than the surrounding trees and built the chalet on top of it.
Magic is really a wonderful thing. Imagine getting reincarnated in the Type-moon world. Couldn't be me. Haha.
Now I wake up every morning overlooking a sea of trees and the singing of the lethal nature of this cursed forest, not that it mattered anyway. I usually admire my mom's face in her sleep rather than the boring nature.
Anyhow, after mom burned nearly most of the house when she thought I was mind-controlled by Fou, I had renovated it beyond recognition.
It was quite easy when I had the 『Monster Slime』 martial soul, a martial soul that was just designed for support, logistics, and production, especially the second soul ring.
『Skill: Forgecraft of Greed. 』
『Description: The ability to use the arts of alchemy, forging, enchanting, and more. The ultimate skill for forging, creating, and developing medicine, potions, artifacts, weapons, and more. 』
All I had to do was devour the entire house using [Predator], design the new chalet in [Stomach], and make use of the mythical materials that I have been hoarding inside my [Item Box].
I made use of every magic sequence I created and every enchantment I learned from the Sage in making the foundation of the building.
The result was what you would expect. A luxury chalet that was made to withstand a world-ending calamity with ease.
Seriously, I went overboard with it, and I love it.
I quickly made my way to the kitchen and started preparing a traditional British fry-up.
"It is time for a Shokugeki."
[Cooking: Max]
•✦•✦•✦•✦•『Herrscher in Douluo』•✦•✦•✦•✦•
『Omniscient POV』
While Yuhao was having a breakfast shokugeki against himself in the kitchen for his beautiful mother, said beautiful mother was not having a wonderful morning like her son.
Inside the master bathroom, behind the frosted glass door of the shower cabinet, stood the silhouette of a tall, pale woman with reddish-pink hair that fades into white at the ends, reaching her full thighs.
She had a beautiful face crafted with delicate and gentle features that complimented her otherworldly looks, and what stood out the most were her golden eyes that were framed by her long pink eyelashes, her aegyo-sal giving her a look that screamed beauty incarnate.
Except those beautiful eyes were filled with anxiety, worry, and fear.
"I don't want to go back."
Said Huo Yun'er as she covered her face with both her hands; her voice was breaking.
"I don't like our world. I hate it. I hate it so much that the thought of going back makes my stomach twist and my heart drop."
Water slid down her beautiful face and it was unknown if it was water from the showerhead or her tears.
"Here, I am a successful woman. I am not a sob maid that everyone could make fun of or carelessly mistreat."
"I am actually worth something here in this world. I am the owner of a fashion brand so strong I decide the trends of the entire world."
"I have friends here sobthat talk, laugh, and hang out with me. I am worth something in this world."
Her voice was breaking more.
"I can nurture Yuhao here better than our own damned world. Why do we have to go back?"
She already knew the answer, but she still asked the question to vent her resentment against her own world.
They still have unfinished business in Douluo Dalu, or more specifically, she still has her own revenge that she was going to execute with her own hands.
But that doesn't mean that she liked the process.
"Every time I try to lessen my hatred towards that bitch (duchess), I feel like vomiting. Every time I try to convince myself that 'I am in a better place, there is no need for revenge,' I recoil in disgust at myself."
Her voice was filled with so much hatred and need for revenge that the temperature around her started getting higher and the water coming from the shower started boiling.
For years, she was at the receiving end of that bitch's jealous antics and dehumanizing behaviour.
Was it her fault that the worthless horndog of the [White Tiger] household fell in love with her?
Was it her fault that that bitch's husband was a horndog that wasn't loyal to his wife?
Was it her fault that the awful birth controls that bitch forced her to consume didn't work?
Was it her fault that her husband was a complete sack of shit that cared for nothing but war?
Was asking for a good life where she can keep her own self-dignity and nurture her son too much to ask for in that cursed world?
With each question she asked herself, the temperature was increasing. It was because of the quality of the materials used in building the entire building that she didn't melt off the walls of her own bathroom.
"No more."
She brought down the hands that were covering her face and placed them on the wall in front of her. The look in her eyes that was filled with fear, despair, and frustration disappeared; replaced with the sharp glittering light of her gold pupils.
"I am no longer weak."
Her breaking voice didn't break anymore. It was filled with revenge, madness, and glee.
"I will burn her down to the last atom. I will keep her soul in eternal torture in my realm. Not even a second would pass for her pathetic self where she wouldn't wish for death."
"To force me and my son to leave our freaking world. I will return this degradation and humiliation a thousandfold."
Her smile, which used to feel like a gentle breeze, now looked like a volcano ready to erupt, filled with nothing but malice and madness.
"You did all that to 'protect your sons' heirship of that filthy household', right?"
Crimson flames started burning around her still naked figure in the shower cabinet.
The duchess was a very paranoid person; her husband, Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke, had multiple children that weren't from her.
What if one of those illegitimate children displayed more talent than her own children?
What would happen to them?
Would her husband start favoring those filthy illegitimate children more than her own legitimate ones?
Would they lose their rights to the heirship?
How could she allow such a thing to happen?
How could she raise her head in the noble's social circles when a filthy illegitimate child stole the heirship from her own children?
After all, the duchess was also a mother, and she loved her sons dearly. She was willing to use any underhanded tactics if it meant the best for them.
An honourable quality without a doubt, but when you were the one at the receiving end of said underhanded tactics, you would start seeing things differently, like Huo Yun'er.
"Hehahehehaha. Well, Your Highness the Duchess of the White Tiger household, you showed me how much of a great mother you are. Then let me demonstrate my own version of motherhood to you. Hahaha."
A laugh that differed too much from her genuine, joyful, and loving one escaped her lips.
The flames had burned the entire shower cabinet and were quickly consuming the rest of the bathroom.
The wisps of her crimson fire were about to succeed in their endeavor until the bathroom door opened and Huo Yuhao entered with a neutral look on his face.
A dark field of 『Nihility』 expanded from his position, putting a 'null' to Yun'er's everlasting burning crimson flames, putting the ever-burning flames 'down' before making his way towards her.
His beautiful eyes met hers.
She didn't want him to see her like that; she really didn't want him to see her in this state. So vulnerable. So weak. So pathetic.
She knew that if he knew that the whole 'returning back' thing was weighing down this much on her, he would choose her, all things be damned.
He loved her.
He was the only person to love her at her worst and at her best. That is why she turned her back to him so he couldn't see her 'ugliness'.
Her son, her baby, her Hao'er was the only person who truly loved her.
She pathetically depended on him more than any mother should depend on her son.
She pathetically loved him more than any normal mother should love her son.
She was so flawed, but he still loved her.
She closed her eyes as she felt him hugging her waist from behind and resting his head on her head.
He grew up to be much taller than her in such a short period of time.
"What happened?"
His voice gently reached her ears, filled with nothing but concern for her wellbeing.
"Nothing happened."
She didn't want him to cancel their trip back just because she was cowardly.
He softly nodded as his chin stroked her fluffy hair that was now dry from the intense heat of her flames.
The bathroom area around them started fixing itself, courtesy of Yuhao's engineering skills and the 『Regrowth』 magic sequence that was engraved on all parts of the chalet.
"If the whole thing is weighing down on you this much, then there is no need for it, mother."
He spoke softly as he swayed with her in his arms inside the now-fixed shower cabinet.
"That won't be necessary. I will be fine after a while."
She really will be. Now that he was holding her in his arms, she really was fine. Excellent even.
She felt the once-darkening world that seemed to hate her and want to consume her dreams, happiness, and her entire existence recede in fear when he was holding her.
She truly felt the beauty of the world in his arms.
'So much love and care, all for me.'
'So much attention and worry, all for me.'
'So much beauty and brightness, all for me.'
'All for me, belonging to me. Mine.'
Her thoughts changed in a heartbeat. From swearing off revenge against the 'world' that wronged her and her son to thinking about her outfit that she would wear on today's date with him.
Hot water started flowing down again from the now-restored shower head, soaking his clothes and her naked body.
"Where do you want to go today? It has been freezing and snowing the past couple of days. There is an ice rink that we could visit in the evening. What do you think?"
They were swaying rhythmically under the shower.
"That would be lovely."
Her voice, which was filled with malice and madness, mellowed out and changed back to her velvety sweet voice that could sing him to sleep.
"I made you breakfast. A full English breakfast with baby tomatoes that you like."
"Really? I actually thought about having breakfast outside today."
"Then we can have two breakfasts for today."
She smiled and leaned her head back on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
The noise of the water hitting the ground didn't conceal the heartbeat in his chest.
Lub-dup Lub-dup Lub-dup Lub-dup Lub-dup Lub-dup Lub-dup
The sound that she enjoyed hearing every night. Her peace.
"Sorry."
She apologized for showing him an unsightly sight, for breaking down in front of him, for making him the one to comfort her, for being a handful, for being a coward, for being needy.
"Don't be."
He tightened the hug around her waist and kissed the top of her head.
She knew that he would answer that, but she still did anyway. She did it for herself. To apologize to herself, for being flawed.
"I kind of needed to shower as well. I smell like grilled sausages and beans."
That was a lie and she knew it. He always smelled nice. He was a dragon, one that governed over light. He smelled like sunshine, rainbows, and fairy dust.
He was just making an excuse to not leave her alone in the shower; he was still worried that she might relapse and she knew it, but she let him.
"Then let's shower together."
She opened her eyes slightly and looked up at his face and gestured with her hand to the second shower head in the shower cabinet that wasn't in use.
He unwound his arms from hugging her waist and made his way towards the second shower head, not before kissing her head one more time. This time it was on her forehead.
"Love you."
He said before starting to take off his clothes and turning on the second shower head at max temperature.
"Love you too, honey."
Yes. She truly loved him.
He was many things for her. Her light. Her comfort. Her peace. Her strength. Her love.
'May this love be eternal and may this bond remain unsevered.'
Her true earnest wish that she made to herself and would try to uphold as much as she could.
But there was someone who 'heard' her wish and started working her cute pink magic in the depths of Yuhao's soul.
'To make such a cute girl cry is a mistake, right? Haha.'
It was a shame that her adorable laughter did not reach anyone.
✦•✦•✦•✦•『Chapter 45: finished』•✦•✦•✦•✦
Word count: 3.1k.