Life Forest...
"[๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐?...]"
The Goddess of Life slowly opened her eyes, the gentle expression that usually adorned her face now shifting into an anxious frown.
A shadow of worry cast over her beautiful, golden-glowing face.
Not without reason. Just now, she'd felt a strange resonance within her soul, her 'beloved daughter' had formed a contract with a foreign human.
Her anxiety arose because she knew Mayuri's nature all too well.
Her daughter was like pure crystal, untouched by the world, so innocent and naive.
What if some cunning man intended to deceive her, exploiting her beauty and power?
But slowly, her anxiety eased as she probed the core of that contract, because... Mayuri wasn't being harmed in any way at all.
The contract was merely about lending power, and Mayuri had entered into it purely out of overwhelming curiosity...
Regarding her new daughter's curious nature, the Goddess of Life could only shake her head gently.
Mayuri was like a newborn just discovering the world, no wonder she was so curious about every new thing she encountered.
"[๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ป...]"
The Goddess of Life nodded to herself.
She had to teach Mayuri the common sense of this world. Otherwise, her daughter might form other strange contracts in the future without understanding their consequences.
But there was something that made her rather serious.
"[๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ-๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ-๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐...]"
Her brow furrowed deeply.
Who would have thought that a contract looking so simple was actually a bond of life and death this powerful?
If only the Goddess of Life didn't know that Mayuri had the right to terminate that contract whenever she wished, the Goddess would surely have already appeared before the two of them without hesitation, intervening and severing that dangerous bond.
For now, she would watch from a distance.
If there were any signs of ill intent from that human, or if the contract began to endanger Mayuri, she would step in without mercy.
What also worried her was that the number of humans capable of seeing Mayuri had begun increasing in that city.
Her daughter's special existence had surely drawn attention, including the kind she hadn't hoped for.
"[๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ...]"
The Goddess let out a long sigh as she gazed upon her world, filled with peace.
Life Forest was the safest place for her daughter, far from the greed of humans.
***
"AH, AH, SO PURE! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL! HOW CAN SUCH A PERFECT BEING EXIST?!"
In a room filled with sophisticated equipment and giant-sized monitors, a man screamed in a hysterical tone, bordering on madness.
His eyes bulged in disbelief, while his thin fingers clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
On his wide monitor screen was displayed a young girl with blond hair and pink eyes, her expression calm.
A pure light seemed to flow from within her, making anyone who looked at her feel entranced.
Henji, the renowned biologist, lost all control at that sight. His entire life philosophy shook in an instant.
Every being surely carries sin, that was the principle he'd always held.
Henji had never once denied that he himself was a sinner. His sins had only grown as he'd made countless living beings the subjects of his cruel experiments.
Once, Henji had held a noble purpose. He'd wanted to help humanity and every race in the world with his brilliant research.
But that purpose quickly faded after he was repeatedly disappointed.
Not one of them had lived up to his expectations. Research he'd carried out for three days and three nights without sleep had instead been abused.
Since then, he'd realized one thing: humans could never escape one of the great sins: greed.
Even the Gods and Goddesses worshipped by humans carried sin within themselves.
That was why he'd resolved to create a being.
A being that was the embodiment of the entire world's sin.
Henji would use that being to destroy the world and let it start over from the beginning!
With that, the seven great sins would vanish from existence!
That was what he'd thought... but now...
"IMPOSSIBLE! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BEING THAT PURE TO EXIST IN THIS WORLD!"
Henji didn't believe it! He'd assumed this world was already full of sin and darkness, but who would have thought a truly sacred being, without a single trace of sin, truly existed!
A being with absolutely no sin whatsoever... stood right before him!
"I CAN'T ACCEPT ANY OF THIS!!"
Full of fury, Henji slammed his fist against the monitor.
Instantly, the screen shifted, displaying the giant black sphere covering itself with a pair of dark wings...
Henji froze.
Slowly, a mad idea crossed his mind, and laughter burst from him, the laughter of a scientist who'd lost his sanity.
"THAT'S IT! I'LL GIVE HER A TEST!"
He pressed a red button at the corner of his desk, and a new screen appeared before him.
The display was enough to strike terror into any ordinary person, an inhuman monstrous figure, its suffocating aura of greed clearly displayed.
With a cruel smile, Henji whispered softly yet full of determination. "I absolutely refuse to believe you can still remain that pure... once he's tainted you..."
A being equivalent to Rank SSS or even higher.
A being that was the embodiment of the Sin of Greed.
Its name... ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐บ๐ผ๐ป.
***
"Let's leave this city."
That sentence suddenly broke the silence, making the girl, Mayuri, slowly turn toward the source of the voice.
Shou stood before her, his body still wrapped in bandages from yesterday's battle. His eyes, usually radiating confidence, were now filled with unease.
With her expression remaining calm, Mayuri asked simply. "Why?"
"About that..." Shou swallowed hard, clear hesitation showing on his face before he finally continued.
Ever since the battle against Frost Assassin, Shou hadn't been able to sleep soundly.
That assassin's threatening words kept echoing in his mind, haunting every dream and daydream.
'That thing in the sky and that borrowed power... will one day belong to me.'
'NO...!'
Shou's face suddenly paled, his body trembling violently.
He shook his head in panic, trying to drive away the terrifying image that seemed to grip his mind...
The image of Mayuri lying helpless in Frost Assassin's arms... made Shou's breath catch and his head throb.
He felt deep regret for having used Mayuri's power without considering the consequences.
He was like someone who'd burst through a forbidden door without realizing the danger lurking behind it.
That was exactly why Shou hoped Mayuri would be willing to leave this city with him.
Any city would do, as long as it was far from Life Forest and every threat lying in wait.
Though he knew he might be hunted by Frost Assassin, given that assassin belonged to the Shadow Order, a Guild with a vast information network, Shou was confident that by the time it happened, he'd already have enough power to protect them both!
That conviction burned in his chest, but all of it only held true if Mayuri agreed to his plan and, unfortunately...
"No. I won't go." That answer came without the slightest hesitation from the girl's lips.
"..." Shou froze in place.
"W-what did you say?..." His voice trembled, disbelief clearly etched on his face.
The beautiful blond girl looked at him with calm yet unyielding pink eyes. "I'm staying here. I won't go anywhere..."
"Why?! Why don't you want to go?!" Shou shouted in a tone of desperation, frustration filling every word.
What hurt most was that he himself didn't understand the reason behind Mayuri's refusal.
Was it because Mayuri hated his existence?
No, if that were the case, the girl would surely never have formed a contract with him from the start.
Then why?!
At this rate, Frost Assassin's threat would truly become reality!
"Why?" Mayuri tilted her head with a graceful motion.
"Isn't it natural for us not to want to leave our home?"
"Huh?" Shou stared at her in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You... you're calling this place your home?..."
Mayuri nodded slowly. "I've lived in this city for a long time. Isn't it normal for me to consider it home? Besides... you were born in this city too, so this is your home as wellโ"
"DON'T JOKE WITH ME!"
Shou suddenly exploded in anger, his fist slamming against the ground so hard small cracks formed.
"THIS TRASH CITY IS NOTHING LIKE MY HOME! THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY BULLIED ME, MOCKED ME, AND INSULTED ME! DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID ENOUGH TO CONSIDER THIS DAMNED PLACE MY HOME?!"
"..." Mayuri blinked as if startled by the explosive reaction, but quickly returned to her calm expression.
"Is that so? I understand. I'm sorry. I didn't consider your feelings."
Seeing Mayuri's expression remain so calm, Shou immediately felt guilty for having shouted at her.
Besides, this girl knew nothing of his dark past, of the suffering he'd endured for years.
But his resolve didn't waver.
"Come... let's leave this city together," Shou pleaded, his voice trembling.
He truly hoped Mayuri would be willing to come with him, even just this once.
He couldn't imagine, no, he didn't even want to imagine, Mayuri vanishing from his life.
Just that image alone made him feel suffocated, as if a thousand needles were piercing his heart.
Unfortunately, Mayuri remained firm in her decision. "I won't go."
That second refusal was like ice water pouring over Shou's entire body. Cold, freezing.
He clenched his teeth hard, trying to hold back his surging emotions.
"...You're afraid," Mayuri said suddenly, looking straight into Shou's eyes as if she could read his soul. "You're not afraid of being chased by the Shadow Order, but of something else..."
Shou flinched.
The girl was right. His greatest fear wasn't the Shadow Order, but losing Mayuri from his sight.
"I know you're worried about me. I can understand your feelings." Mayuri's voice was so gentle.
"Understand?" Shou's tone turned intense. "Meaning you, a Spirit, can understand human feelings?"
Shou stared at Mayuri coldly, met by the girl's unshakable composure.
"I underโ"
"STOP TRYING TO FOOL ME, YOU DAMN WHORE! YOU'RE JUST A SPIRIT BORN WITHOUT LOVE FROM ANYONE! YOU'RE JUST A GIRL LONGING FOR SOMEONE'S LOVE!!"
"..." Mayuri's eyes widened slightly hearing that harsh remark, and for a split second, a flash of unreadable emotion appeared within them.
Guilt instantly struck Shou, but his emotions had already burned too fiercely to be extinguished.
"Look..." Shou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"In the end, no matter how strong you are, you're still a Spirit who can't understand the feelings of living beings. Even with your Divine Protection, it's impossible for you to understand love, jealousy, and other emotions."
"...You're right." Mayuri answered calmly.
There was no anger or offense in her voice, as if she recognized that negative emotions wouldn't help this situation.
"But let me tell you something. I am indeed a Spirit, you're not wrong about that, but... I also have feelings just like any other human."
"YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVEโ"
"You'll believe it because..." Mayuri looked at Shou with a strange intensity in her eyes. "I'm a Spirit born from the feelings of six other Spirits and I inherited part of their power. But... what's stopping me from also inheriting their feelings?"
"..." Shou froze, his words caught in his throat.
"You... you..." He wanted to argue, but couldn't find the right counterpoint...
In the end, he could only lower his head, fists clenched tight.
That statement was true.
Takamiya Mayuri had been born from the feelings of six Spirits, wasn't it only natural that she'd also inherited their emotions?
But Shou remained stubborn. "I-if you really have feelings then... why aren't you afraid?!"
Shouldn't the girl be terrified knowing her life would be targeted by dangerous people, made into a cruel experiment subject?
But Mayuri remained calm as if that threat meant nothing to her at all!
Hearing that question, Mayuri only tilted her head.
"Isn't it obvious?" Her voice suddenly turned gentle, almost a whisper.
"That does sound frightening to some people, but... to me, it's far more frightening to be separated from someone you love deeply."
๐ฟ๐๐!
'Huh?' Shou's eyes widened.
Suddenly, as if an invisible connection had formed, he could feel a wave of emotion flowing from Mayuri, a sensation both familiar yet foreign.
The Divine Protection of Life Goddess seemed to activate on its own, allowing him to feel the emotion flowing from the girl before him.
This was the feeling of love...
๐ฟ๐๐! ๐ฟ๐๐!
And this feeling of love wasn't something ordinary.
So immense, so profound!
Far beyond anything Shou had ever felt before!
With great difficulty, he stared at Mayuri with disbelieving eyes.
This girl was completely different from what he'd always imagined...
'She's like an ordinary girlโ'
Shou's breath seemed to catch.
His body froze, his eyes widening in extraordinary shock.
'She... smiled?'
The girl he'd assumed would never smile even if the world ended... now wore a smile on her face...
And... it wasn't an ordinary smile...
That smile was so gentle... filled with an affection and longing that seemed endless, like a complex web of emotion woven long ago...
That sight only made Shou uneasy, as if something wasn't right.
"You..." Shou hesitated to speak.
"Was there something else you wanted to say?" Mayuri looked at him with her captivating pink eyes, her smile slowly fading back into a neutral expression.
"No... nothing. Forget it." Shou relented.
"If you really don't want to leave this city... I won't force you anymore," he said, turning his face away.
He didn't dare hold eye contact, afraid his emotions would explode again and worsen the situation.
"I'll... come back. As for the trouble I've caused, I'll handle it later." Shou hurried off with heavy steps.
"...Be careful."
Shou's steps paused briefly hearing that familiar phrase, before he continued his journey more quickly, as if fleeing from something he couldn't face.
Meanwhile, Mayuri's, or Lux's (Mayuri's), expression returned to its perfect calm. She closed her eyes peacefully.
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐'๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐!]
[๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด! ๐ง๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ%!]
'A fairly substantial reward,' Lux (Mayuri) thought. 'But seeing how much the Son of Destiny thinks about Mayuri... is rather surprising.'
Lux (Mayuri) narrowed her eyes with calculation.
With the Divine Protection of Life Goddess she possessed, she could clearly feel the fluctuations in Shou's emotions every time they met.
If this continued, without a doubt...
'...he'll develop "special feelings" for Takamiya Mayuri.'
What kind of feeling was that? Lux (Mayuri) didn't want to think too much about it. As long as it benefited her plan, that was enough.
The real reason she'd rejected Shou's offer was clear.
Based on the patterns in many novels, Shou would surely grow incredibly powerful after leaving his birth city...
But Lux's (Mayuri's) goal was to squeeze him dry, she couldn't possibly let that young man develop into an even bigger threat.
Only a fool would indulge the wishes of a Son of Destiny, whose fate was clearly already orchestrated.
"Ah..."
Lux (Mayuri) slowly opened her eyes, a strange glint flickering in her gleaming irises. She murmured calmly.
"So... 'he's' already started moving, huh?"
Of course her "target" wouldn't just stay still after seeing her Angel's manifestation in the sky...
All the roles were now ready to take their place on fate's stage.
Lux (Mayuri) landed gracefully, then remembered another figure whose presence remained shrouded in mystery.
She turned and, with a calm expression, asked the emptiness before her:
"...Is there something I can help you with?"
"You truly are extraordinary. You've succeeded in leaving me unable to stop being surprised."
A handsome young man with blond hair stepped out from the shadows of the trees.
His red eyes narrowed sharply, watching Lux's (Mayuri's) every movement with heightened alertness.
As he appeared, the temperature around them suddenly rose dramatically, the air seeming to tremble from the searing heat radiating off his body.
"You can see me," Lux (Mayuri) said, showing not the slightest hint of surprise.
"Yes, I can." Vian nodded calmly. "Unfortunately, I have to eliminate you myself, since other Rank S Hunters can't see you. Besides, I don't want to be thought insane explaining this situation to them."
"Eliminate me? What do you mean..."
"I'm going to kill you," Vian explained in a tone as cold as ice. "If I get rid of you, that mysterious black sphere in the sky will disappear too, won't it?"
"..."
"๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ?"
Suddenly, a foreign voice sounded within Lux's (Mayuri's) mind.
A whisper from one of the Spirits that formed part of her existence seeped into her thoughts, making her clutch her throbbing head.
She looked at Vian with a gaze that momentarily blurred, before whispering softly: "In that case... you can try..."
Instantly, Vian's figure vanished from where he stood.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared right beside Lux (Mayuri), his fist already wrapped in blazing golden flame.
"In that case, I won't hold back," Vian said coldly.
๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐...!!!
The next instant, golden flame roared ferociously, creating a devastating explosive wave that split the air, hurling dust and stones in every direction.
The ground shook violently, and a blinding light illuminated the area like a second sun that had suddenly appeared on earth!