Chapter 78
I can still remember that unfortunate day when I witnessed my real father die, killed by his own brother.
His blood flowed across the marble floor, so red that even the darkness of the room could not conceal it, while my father lay motionless on the ground and his brother slowly pulled his sword from his body.
The thunderstorm outside cracked loudly, almost as though the sky itself were reacting to the tragedy unfolding before my eyes. Whenever lightning illuminated the room, I could clearly see the face of the man responsible for it.
It was Auremund.
My father's death was expected in a way, since my mother's parents had founded this kingdom and my father had married into their family. I was still very young at the time, so I could barely remember anything about them.
However, I had heard from the people who knew them that they were genuinely kind people who made those around them happy, and even though those memories were not my own, hearing about them still made me feel something that I could never properly explain.
After my father died, Auremund became the ruler of my parents' kingdom, and he also adopted Kuroko and me. Every time I was forced to call him Father, I felt disgusted by the word.
I don't know how it happened, but eventually, I barely had anything left that could be called emotion. I felt like some character without a personality of her own, someone who existed only to fill the background of another person's story.
I was even about to marry a man who barely respected me as a woman, and I could never find anything good to say about him. The only thing I knew for certain was that he was a disturbing man who slept with every woman he could, leaving me with the belief that all men were probably like that.
I began to see humans as disgusting creatures, born from two people whose desire for each other had brought them into existence.
Then I met a man named Haruto Satoru, a name that sounded strangely unfamiliar to me at the time.
I heard that he and his little village were going to war against Auremund, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to conceal the poison I had been feeding that man, so I secretly aided Haruto from the shadows.
During the time we spent interacting with each other, I found Haruto to be a terrifying person because his heart seemed cold, and something about that coldness reminded me of the men who had made me hate the world because it reflected something similar within myself.
Perhaps that reflection was the reason we understood each other so well, because having someone who could actually understand what I felt made me genuinely happy.
It became natural for me to speak to him about things I had kept buried inside myself, knowing that I could tell him how I felt without having to worry that he would simply look at me without understanding what I meant.
Then the day came that would remain in my mind and soul forever, when Haruto told me that he liked me.
I was happy to hear those words, but I rejected him because I was afraid he was only manipulating me. Even if I had not completely minded the possibility, I could not bring myself to trust his feelings when I had spent so long believing that people would only use me.
I thought that after my rejection, Haruto would never ask me again, so I began distancing myself from him, expecting him to eventually do the same.
Thankfully, that never happened.
As time passed, I saw no signs that he was manipulating me, and that realization slowly gave me enough courage to reach out to him again.
When I finally took his hand, something inside me changed, and emotions that I had forgotten how to feel began returning to me one after another.
I felt happiness, love, compassion, and so many other emotions that I had once believed were beyond me, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I truly felt alive.
Ronóva suddenly shot upright in her bed, one hand covering her face as she tried to steady her breathing. Her hair was completely disheveled from sleep, while the darkness of the room was repeatedly illuminated by flashes of lightning from the storm outside.
(What was that all about…? Was that a dream?) Ronóva wondered internally, her eyes widening as she tried to understand what she had just experienced.
(It felt so real. Was Haruto a dream?)
Ronóva remained sitting in the darkness, thinking so deeply about the dream that the thunderstorm outside barely registered in her mind.
(Please… don't let it be a dream.)
She quickly stood from the bed, her white gown hanging slightly from one shoulder as she moved across the room with hurried steps.
Her foot slipped beneath her, causing her balance to suddenly disappear, but before she could fall, someone caught her.
Ronóva looked upward, and her eyes immediately began filling with tears when she realized who had caught her.
It was Haruto.
"Hey, what's wrong? Don't cry," Haruto said gently as he helped her back onto the bed, sitting beside her while keeping her close enough for her to steady herself.
"I-I had a scary dream," Ronóva said through quiet sobs against Haruto's chest. "It felt so real that it made me believe my life with you wasn't real, and I was so scared that it might have been."
"I see," Haruto replied softly as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder.
"Through time and fate itself, we are meant to be together. Your hardships, fears, and doubts are all mine as well, because we share our experiences and troubles with each other."
Ronóva's grip on him tightened slightly as she listened to his words.
"Really…?" she whispered, her voice still trembling.
Haruto nodded gently, and Ronóva could feel the movement against her shoulder.
"If I tell you everything, you won't leave me?"
"Never. I would be a fool to do something like that," Haruto answered as he pulled back enough to look at her face.
The moment their eyes met, however, Ronóva broke eye contact and looked toward the side.
"I'm afraid that I may hurt you or Yomi," Ronóva admitted quietly while leaning against Haruto. "Not because I want to hurt either of you, but because it happens without me intending for it to."
"Mmm… What do you mean, Ronóva?" Haruto asked, his expression becoming more serious as another rumble of thunder echoed through the quiet room.
"I don't know why it happens, but my power keeps activating without me telling it to," Ronóva explained, her voice becoming quieter as she struggled to say the words. "Whenever my eyes land on something, it gets killed."
"So that's why you didn't want to look at me, and why you wanted Yomi to stay with me," Haruto said as he pulled her closer, finally understanding the reason behind her strange behavior.
Ronóva remained silent for a moment before giving a small nod.
"I don't care if it happens to me," Haruto said calmly as he helped Ronóva settle back against the bed, keeping his eyes fixed on hers.
"Even if your power were to affect me, I wouldn't abandon you. If being beside you carries that risk, then I will still choose to stay beside you."
"Idiot, didn't you hear what I said?" Ronóva asked worriedly as she raised her arms to cover her eyes, afraid that simply looking at him could cause something terrible to happen.
Haruto gently lowered her arms so he could see her face again.
"Ronóva, I want to know everything about you, including the things you're afraid to tell me, because I want to stay beside you for as long as we can."
Ronóva stared at him quietly, her expression gradually softening as the fear that had been weighing on her began to loosen.
"Yeah… I want to know everything about you too," Ronóva whispered as she leaned closer to him, her voice becoming calmer.
"Forever," she added softly.
"Forever… Is that a promise?" Haruto asked, hovering over Ronóva as she lay beneath him on the bed. A trace of concern still lingered in his eyes, reflecting the uncertainty he had been trying to suppress. Despite everything he had done for Yuna, he could feel his relationship with her slowly beginning to collapse beneath the weight of his choices.
"A promise? No," Ronóva replied, leaning closer until her face was only inches from his. "It's beyond that. We are bound by our very existence."
"Yeah…" Haruto let out a soft giggle, and some of the tension in his expression eased. "Our existence. That's a good way to put it."
Before he could say anything more, Ronóva leaned forward and kissed him. He froze for a moment at the suddenness of it, his thoughts scattering as her lips met his. Then he quickly returned the kiss with equal warmth and affection, allowing himself to forget everything else.
Some time later, they lay together beneath the blanket. Ronóva rested her head against Haruto's bare chest, while the blanket covered most of their bodies, leaving only her shoulders exposed. The room had grown quiet, and the warmth between them made the earlier tension feel distant.
"Ronóva…" Haruto said softly, as though the words were difficult to force out. His voice carried a heaviness that immediately caught her attention.
"I finally accept who I am."
"Mmm…" Ronóva murmured, her expression softening as she immediately understood what he meant. She remained silent, giving him the time he needed to continue.
"I'm a monster," Haruto admitted heavily, his eyes beginning to glisten with tears. The words seemed to hurt him even after he had finally spoken them aloud.
Ronóva tightened her arms around him, silently reassuring him that he did not have to carry those feelings alone. She pressed herself closer, offering him comfort without forcing him to explain anything further.
(Oh, darling…) Ronóva thought as she closed her eyes. (You sacrificed your life for this universe, and that should have been enough to prove that you were human. But somehow… you survived. Even after everything you endured, you still worry about whether you deserve to be called human.)
Before either of them could say anything else, the bedroom door suddenly burst open with enough force to make them both turn toward it.
Haruto and Ronóva turned toward the entrance, their eyes widening when they saw Yomi standing there. Neither of them had expected her to appear at that moment, especially while they were still together beneath the blanket.
"Mommy, Mommy! I want to tell you something!" Yomi said worriedly. She still looked adorably serious as she clasped her small hands together in front of herself, as though she were about to deliver an important announcement.
Then she noticed Ronóva sitting in the center of the bed, the blanket wrapped around her and a slightly panicked expression on her face. Ronóva quickly tried to hide her embarrassment, though the sudden interruption had left her visibly flustered.
Yomi tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand why her mother seemed so nervous.
Haruto, however, was nowhere to be seen. He had already slipped away from the bed and quietly put his clothes back on before Yomi could notice him.
"I-I… What's wrong? It sounds serious," Ronóva said, quickly trying to compose herself. "Come on, don't just stand there. Tell me what happened."
"Oh, right," Yomi replied. She placed both hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks slightly. "A night ago, I heard Mommy and Daddy arguing… Can Mommy and Daddy forgive each other?"
Ronóva's eyes widened at her daughter's words. A moment later, her expression softened, and warmth returned to her eyes as she realized how sincerely Yomi had been worrying about them.
"Yeah… You're right," Ronóva said gently. Her voice carried a quiet tenderness as she looked at the child standing before her.
She stood, carefully keeping the blanket wrapped around herself, then knelt in front of Yomi and pulled her into a hug. Her fingers moved gently through Yomi's soft hair as she held her close, reassuring her that everything would be all right.
Yomi squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her mother back with a soft smile, clearly relieved that Ronóva had agreed with her. The worry that had been weighing on her small shoulders finally began to fade.
"You're a nice girl, Yomi. I'm glad you're my daughter," Haruto said from behind them. His voice was gentle, and the affection in it made Ronóva glance toward the doorway.
Ronóva looked over in surprise and saw him standing by the doorway, fully dressed again. He wore a calm smile, as though nothing unusual had happened before Yomi entered the room.
"Huhhh? Daddy!" Yomi exclaimed happily. Her entire expression brightened the moment she saw him.
Ronóva released her, and Yomi immediately ran toward Haruto and wrapped her arms around his legs. The difference in their heights made the embrace look especially small, with Yomi barely reaching above his knees.
"Ahaha… You always seem happy to see me," Haruto said with a quiet laugh as he bent down and lifted Yomi into his arms. He held her securely against his chest while she happily wrapped her arms around his neck.
Yomi stretched her arms upward, clearly wanting to be carried. Her eager expression made it impossible for him to refuse her request.
"Of course! Yomi loves Daddy very much!" she said, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him with a huge smile. Her voice was filled with complete sincerity and childish affection.
"That hurts Mommy's heart~," Ronóva said softly, shifting her weight as she rested one hand against herself. "I didn't hear my name, so you don't love me?"
"Don't be silly, Mommy," Yomi replied brightly, gesturing with her hands. "Yomi loves Mommy and Daddy equally!"
Ronóva let out a soft giggle as she watched the two of them together. Seeing Haruto hold Yomi so lovingly filled her with warmth, and for a moment, the troubles surrounding their family seemed far away.
Back in Haruto's original universe, inside the main Satoru Family Mansion, Haruto and Yuna stood opposite each other in a spacious training room designed for combat practice, although it could more comfortably be described as a sparring room.
"You two know what has to be done whenever there's an issue between siblings according to the Satoru family rules," Reika said from the side of the room, her expression firm as she watched the two of them.
Yuna nodded with a serious expression, while Haruto also nodded, although an annoyed look remained in his eyes.
(Oh, I guess older sis got the word. I'm surprised she didn't assault me… but I'm not complaining. I'd rather choose this.) Haruto thought quietly, a faint edge of annoyance remaining in his expression.
(I just leave them alone for a few weeks, and there's already trouble.) Reika thought as she rubbed the back of her neck, her annoyance growing as she observed them. (Haruto must be struggling with something from within for him to say something like that…)
Haruto and Yuna took their stances after Reika gave them the signal, and Haruto's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Yuna settle into a firm guard.
"Go!"
Yuna immediately moved forward, keeping her guard firm as she faced her brother.
"Don't look so bothered, dear brother. I've gotten stronger since the last time."
Before Yuna could say anything else, Haruto drove his fist straight into her jaw with enough force to send her entire body spinning through the air.
Even so, Yuna used the momentum from the attack to swing her body around and kick Haruto on the side of his head while she was still airborne. The moment her foot connected, her spinning stopped as Haruto remained standing beneath her.
Yuna's eyes widened when Haruto suddenly caught her leg and stopped the attack completely. Rather than immediately countering, he moved her leg to the side, briefly looking at her as though examining her current strength.
Before Yuna could react, Haruto slammed her into the floor, the impact cracking the surface beneath her back. He immediately followed by driving her against the wall while still holding tightly onto her leg, preventing her from regaining control.
Haruto released her leg while Yuna remained against the wall, then swung a side kick toward the surface beside her.
Yuna reacted quickly and jumped to the side, avoiding the incoming attack before falling onto her back as she escaped the corner.
When Yuna opened her eyes, Haruto was already above her with his fist descending toward her. She quickly moved herself out of the way, rolling away while remaining low to the ground, her eyes widened by how quickly he had closed the distance.
(He's fast…) Reika thought as she watched the exchange, surprise and excitement appearing in her eyes. (He hasn't even reached that stage of the family treasure yet.)
Yuna had barely landed on her back after escaping when Haruto pushed himself toward her again. His fist remained planted against the ground from the force of his movement, while his feet had not even touched the floor.
Yuna watched him approach as he suddenly launched a kick toward her using both feet. The pressure of the attack left her with only one thought as she realized she was being overwhelmed.
(Should I give up?)
The thought lasted only a moment before another followed.
(Give up? No. I can't.)
The thought itself made Yuna angry, and she refused to surrender as Haruto's double-footed kick struck her and sent her directly into the wall.
Yuna hit the wall and dropped onto the floor, ending up seated with her back against the surface. Her white T-shirt was stained from the battle, while red marks remained across her face from the attacks she had endured.
"This so-called battle is over," Haruto said as he turned around and began walking away.
Reika lowered her head with a sigh, apparently believing that the fight had finally ended.
However, Yuna was already pushing herself back onto her feet.
She swayed slightly as she stood, her body showing the effects of everything she had endured, but she remained upright despite the condition she was in.
Haruto stopped and looked over his shoulder, his eyes becoming sharp as he sensed the movement behind him. Even after everything Yuna had taken, his expression remained calm, while Reika looked momentarily surprised to see her still standing.
"I'll never lose to you," Yuna said, looking up at Haruto with a fierce gaze. "I still have so much to show you about what I can do."
Those words had barely left Yuna's mouth when Haruto suddenly drove a punch straight into her face, sending blood from her mouth as an elbow immediately followed into her stomach.
Yuna was sent backward again, but this time she remained standing, her arms hanging loosely at her sides while her head lowered and her body struggled to recover from the consecutive attacks.
Haruto immediately appeared in front of her while still airborne, preparing to drive a kick toward her.
Yuna gritted her teeth and suddenly drove an uppercut into Haruto's stomach, breaking the incoming kick before it could reach her.
Haruto's eyes widened in surprise as Yuna followed the counter by striking him across the face with the side of her hand, keeping her fingers tightly pressed together.
Haruto was driven face-first into the floor, his lower body remaining suspended above the ground from the force of the impact.
Yuna immediately followed up by striking him repeatedly with her flat hand, each attack sending him farther backward through the air until he was thrown away from her.
Haruto continued falling backward with his back facing the floor, but just before he could land, a shadow appeared over his face as Yuna descended toward him with a powerful downward kick.
Yuna's eyes widened when Haruto twisted his body in midair and reached the floor with one knee while simultaneously blocking her kick with one hand, his back still turned toward her.
(What the hell am I even fighting here?) Yuna thought in shock, unable to understand how Haruto had managed to react so quickly.
Haruto immediately used his free hand to strike Yuna, sending her backward as blood escaped from her mouth.
He then struck Yuna cleanly across the face before copying the flat-hand technique she had used against him moments earlier.
Haruto closed the distance almost instantly, moving past one of her legs before turning his body and delivering the full force of the attack into her back.
Yuna's eyes rolled backward as consciousness left her, and she fell onto her back with her eyes still open and unfocused.
Haruto stepped backward and watched her for a moment, apparently considering whether the battle had finally ended.
However, he stopped when Yuna's eyes suddenly closed and she pushed herself back onto her feet, moving as though her body had ignored every warning telling her to remain down.
Haruto tilted his head slightly as a familiar presence reached his senses.
Reika watched from the side with a small smirk, already knowing exactly what that feeling meant.
When Yuna opened her eyes again, their appearance had completely changed. Her eyes were now entirely black, with only the irises remaining visible as a single white color.
She slowly walked toward Haruto with a serious expression, her movements noticeably steadier than before.
Haruto looked at her with a faint smile, seemingly intrigued by the change.
Without warning, Haruto launched another sudden attack and drove a downward kick toward Yuna's head, sending her crashing face-first into the floor.
Yuna immediately pushed herself back up while Haruto was still pulling his leg away, then copied the same downward kick he had just used against her and returned the attack.
Haruto remained on the floor and supported himself with one hand while delivering a fast kick toward Yuna, but her body reacted on its own and effortlessly avoided the attack.
Her eyes revealed that she had activated the Satoru Family Treasure known as Golden Combat, which dramatically heightened her physical reactions and allowed her to perform any martial art after seeing it only once, while simultaneously pushing all of her senses into an enhanced state.
Haruto threw a back kick toward her, but Yuna saw its path before it could reach her and moved accordingly.
She caught his leg over her shoulder with her back turned toward him before using the momentum to throw him over her shoulder.
Haruto crashed onto his back, causing the floor beneath him to creak from the impact as Yuna immediately followed with a fist aimed at his face.
Haruto crossed his arms in front of his face to block the attack, but even with the defense in place, the force of Yuna's strike caused significant damage and made the floor beneath him creak even more.
Haruto quickly returned to his feet, but Yuna was already behind him, wrapping both arms around his waist and using her momentum to throw him over with her.
She should have released him immediately, but Haruto held onto her and stopped himself from hitting the ground by firmly planting his feet against the floor after being thrown over.
Haruto twisted his body around and grabbed the back of Yuna's head, driving her toward the wall.
Yuna reacted quickly and placed her forearm against the wall before her face could make contact, using it to protect herself from the impact.
Haruto did not stop there. He drove his knee toward the back of Yuna's head and forced her against the wall, but Yuna steadied herself and struck Haruto directly in the center of his chest with her elbow.
The counter sent Haruto backward and crashing into the wall behind him.
Neither of them hesitated.
They immediately rushed toward each other again, but this time Haruto was also using Golden Combat.
Yuna threw a fast jab toward him, but Haruto slipped past the attack and delivered an uppercut into her stomach before following with a chop toward her neck.
Yuna attempted to attack him again, but Haruto suddenly vanished from directly in front of her before reappearing with a kick that struck her jaw.
Yuna attempted to retaliate with a kick of her own, but Haruto avoided it and immediately struck her in the stomach.
Her eyes widened from the impact, and her body dropped toward her knees.
Before she could recover, Haruto drove another downward kick directly toward her head, forcing her into the floor.
"Okay, that's enough," Reika said as she walked toward them. "Well, that was interesting. You performed well, brother."
"Come on, that wasn't even good. Let's be honest—I wouldn't last more than a few seconds against you if you were the one fighting me, sis," Haruto replied, stepping back.
Reika approached Yuna and carefully rolled her onto her back, confirming that she had been knocked unconscious during the battle.
"Ahaha," Reika said softly as she lifted Yuna onto her shoulders and turned toward Haruto. "You certainly did quite a number on her. Why didn't you finish it with the first blow?"
"Oh, who knows?" Haruto replied casually, lacing his hands behind his neck as he started walking away. "Anyway, I'm going to take a bath."
Reika sighed deeply at his response before quickly catching up to him. Together, they left the training room and entered the corridor, where an entire wall of glass overlooked a beautiful garden. Sunlight spilled across the floor, while the leaves beyond the windows stirred gently in the breeze, scattering glimmers of light across the greenery.
(My little brother didn't even hesitate to punch his own sister. Ahaha.) Reika thought, glancing toward Haruto with a small smile.
"Sister…" Haruto called softly as he walked ahead of her, his expression turning strangely serious.
He looked down at his hands for a moment before speaking again.
"Tell Yuna I'm sorry."
The words were quiet, almost casual, but the hesitation behind them gave them weight. Haruto kept his eyes lowered, as though apologizing to Reika was easier than saying the words to the person he had hurt.
"You already did. That's what the sparring match was for," Reika replied gently, shaking her head. "You don't have to run from it now. I know what you're thinking, and you're not going to stay somewhere else."
"Huh…?" Haruto looked at her in surprise, clearly caught off guard by how easily she had understood what was going through his mind. "You know me too well, sister. It's scary."
"Well, that's because you gifted me the treasure that allows me to see the real you, Haru," Reika said with a small, beautiful smile as she looked at him. "You don't have to explain every part of yourself to me."
For a moment, Haruto said nothing. Then his shoulders relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his face as they continued walking side by side through the sunlit corridor.