‘But is that really a good thing, Abrisius?’
Do you think you can live with Seianes again as Abrisius?
Could he, who was of the Dark Divine Race to begin with, be happy by Seianes’s side even if Cairens died?
His origins were rotten from the start, so just because Cairens died wouldn’t change his fate.
The reason he ran away in the first place was because of the limitations of his own origins, yet to rationalize it that way just because of the helplessness and guilt of not being able to do anything.
‘How truly disgusting.’
It was enough to make him nauseous.
While rationalizing that it would be to his advantage if the kid he thought of as a friend disappeared.
If Cairens truly died, the hero who would stand against Ircadeon would disappear too. If that happened, the underworld might naturally gain the upper hand. It might truly be a good thing for Abrisius, who was of the Dark Divine Race.
However.
If that happened, what about Seianes?
Like an afterimage he tried to forget, he came to mind again.
‘If the Dark Divine Race wins, what will happen to Seianes?’
His existence, which he had been trying not to recall and had been forgetting about, came to mind along with the fact that it might be in danger.
Seianes is the god who cultivates the earth of the surface and Henelion’s son.
If Cairens died and Ircadeon won the war, the end of Seianes, a god of the surface, wouldn’t be pretty either.
He would lose his authority as the god of earth after being defeated in war, and might die at the hands of the Dark Divine Race.
‘Ah, that can’t happen.’
His hair stood on end.
This future was more terrible than being resented by him, having his very origins hated and denied.
‘Abrisius. You are my mistake and blemish. Your filthy and ugly origins disturbed my earth where milk and honey flowed and filled it with my siblings’ blood. As the price for loving someone like you, I lost both my siblings and my honor as the god of earth.’
The scene Amina had shown surfaced again. The hate-filled gaze he had seen in the illusion was vivid. A catastrophe made of jealousy toward Cairens, and their future told by the original fate called the source material.
This might be a better future instead.
‘I don’t know about other things, but Seianes dying or becoming miserable is absolutely unacceptable.’
Even if he himself was hated and died.
Then what should I do? I can’t do anything with a deer’s body. He became angry again at the helplessness arising from his shabby body.
Do I really have to let go like this? Really?
Rising anger and self-loathing. The emotion boiling deep in his chest began to slowly emit light as it transformed into desire.
Mixed colors, red and black, came and went as Abrisius’s body began to change.
—Huh? What’s wrong with you?
At Abrisius’s transforming appearance, Lyriet cawed and flew up.
She had just thought he was simply a somewhat clever deer, but to think he was hiding such power.
That’s not a spirit creature, nor a god of the surface. The underworld? No, before that, an even more familiar scent stimulated the sense of smell of her, who had become a crow.
Quietly and dampiy, the power of desire that exists everywhere.
—This is……Amina?
The surprised Lily muttered. Why would such a young deer possess that power?
While Lyriet looked at him in amazement, Abrisius’s body continued to change. Among his four legs, the hind legs became two legs, and the front legs became human arms. The black fur changed into smooth hair, and he finally regained his original form.
“Caaaaaw—!”
—What? What on earth are you?
Lily, unable to hide her shock, landed in front of Abrisius, who had turned into a human, and asked.
“I’m…… what?”
Abrisius, who still hadn’t properly grasped the situation of what had happened, stared at Lily. However, soon feeling the sensation of his hands and knees that he had forgotten, he lowered his head and looked down.
Snow-white hands that had been front hooves. The feeling of supporting the ground with knees, not hooves. At the same time, the sensation of toes wiggling on the soles of his feet.
“I’m……I’m……”
It was no longer a beeping sound but a human voice that came from his throat. Abrisius, slowly rising from his spot, reconfirmed his own body.
“I really came back to normal.”
He wasn’t the incompetent deer anymore. Unable to overcome his overwhelming emotions, Abrisius jumped around the area.
Lily, still unable to adapt to this change, watched him while just tilting her head and examining Abrisius.
What on earth was his identity? This thing mixed with the energy of the Dark Divine Race and Amina’s energy. Even if the Dark Divine Race originally contained all of Amina’s energy. This was somewhat different in texture. Like a single chimera…….
While she examined him with an uneasy face, Abrisius, who had been jumping around alone, suddenly began walking somewhere.
—Huh? Where are you going?
“I’m going to Cairens.”
—Hm? Cairens? Who’s that? Don’t tell me…… Ah, that boy from earlier? He’s Cairens?
Abrisius didn’t respond to Lily’s question. The joy was brief; now that he had returned to normal, it was time to do what he needed to do.
—What are you going to do when you go to him?
“As you said, maybe I’ll die in his place.”
—What? Are you crazy?
At the absurd words, Lily fluttered up.
—How are you going to die in his place? Are you saying you’ll become the sacrifice instead?
“Yeah, that’s right. I’ll become the sacrifice instead.”
—You must not know anything because you’re still young, but no matter how pitiful your friend is, dying in their place isn’t easy. Give up now before you regret it later.
To think he would throw away his life just because of compassion. It was obvious that in his young heart, he was doing this because he felt sorry for his friend. Before he cried and wailed with regret later, Lily tried her best to coax and soothe the child and hold him back.
“No, I don’t want to. I’m going to become the sacrifice instead of Cairens.”
However, Abrisius’s will was firm.
“It’s better for the world if that kid lives rather than me living. You wouldn’t know, but that kid was born with a hero’s destiny. Someday he’ll save this world. But for such a kid to die so absurdly doesn’t make sense.”
—Then what about you? Does it make sense for you to die like that?
Lily, finding it more absurd the more she listened, questioned back.
Whether that kid was a hero or not, whatever destiny he was born with, Lily wasn’t even interested. She didn’t even know what Cairens did in the first place.
The only thing she did was sleep, dream, and do her job.
But the idea that Abrisius in front of her would sacrifice his life instead just because that kid was a hero didn’t sound right at all.
At Lily’s words, Abrisius looked at the sky and earth alternately with sad eyes. And he whispered in a sunken voice.
“……It might be better if I disappeared.”
That was Abrisius’s conclusion.
“Even if I exist anyway, I can’t be happy the way I want. And if that kid dies, someone I love will become unhappy.”
Seianes.
Even if Cairens died, he couldn’t return to him again, and if Cairens died, he would become unhappy.
“I want him to live comfortably. As long as that’s possible, I don’t care about anything.”
—Wow!
Hearing those words, Lily laughed as if it was ridiculous.
Sacrificing even one’s life for the one they love? What absurd nonsense.
—What’s the use of that love if you die? Isn’t the most important thing yourself?
Even at Lily’s words trying to teach him as if he was pathetic, Abrisius, who had already made up his mind, didn’t stop walking.
It didn’t matter if she called him a fool. Abrisius had long ago thought it would be better if he himself disappeared.
He had even become a deer hoping to avoid his miserable fate.
And death might perhaps be the best optimal choice to avoid this fate.
A choice for Seianes, a choice that would make him happy. A life without Abrisius’s existence.
Wouldn’t that be a perfect happy ending?
—Hey, can’t you hear me?
Watching Abrisius who only walked silently, Lily was at a loss for words. That one wouldn’t listen even if she tried to stop him.
Eventually, fed up with Abrisius’s foolish behavior, she flew up from her spot.
—You foolish fellow.
With those last words, she no longer looked back at Abrisius.
