Chapter 707: 553 Don’t try to change me
This is an ancient memory.
"’All ends return to the sea, and all beginnings stem only from the sea.’"
"’After a meteor sweeps across the sky, all lands transform into rivers.’"
"’This is a tale so ancient it cannot be any more distant, from a time long, long ago.’"
"’Six fairies came out and found the world had become a sea.’"
"’A huge shadow rose from the sea.’"
"’With a soft and fluffy body, upon its shoulders, rested an animal that should no longer exist.’"
"’The six fairies became friends with the deity.’"
"’Although the sea, devoid of everything, is both boring and unsuitable for living — a significant problem — the deity would shield everyone from the waves, so the six fairies lived leisurely.’"
"’Though a sea without storms is also nice, we still miss the land more.’"
"’The six fairies offered joy to the deity.’"
"’The six fairies offered prayers to the deity.’"
"’The six fairies sacrificed the deity.’"
"’With the wishes fulfilled, the festival came to an end.’"
"’The deity died, deceived into drinking poisoned wine.’"
"’The six fairies obtained the deity’s body and created a whole new land from it.’"
"’The weeping animal was also treasured and utilized.’
"’Because it was the only human, just one was not enough.’"
"’Divided very finely.’"
"’Divided very finely.’"
"’Torn into pieces under the pretext that it would not die.’"
"’Magic was cast on it to ensure it would never die, no matter what, and it was utilized with care.’"
"’Thus, Britain was created.’"
"’Thus, the fault began.’"
"’May—the original six fairies find redemption.’"
"’May—the original six fairies be cursed.’"
When these sharply defined memories surged into the mind piece by piece, an image also appeared in the head.
It was a boundless ocean.
It was an ever-wavy sea surface.
Six fairies flapped their wings and flew here, frolicking with each other, but quickly grew tired due to always failing to find land and having no place to land.
In the sea, a huge creature appeared carrying a tiny one.
It befriended the six fairies, sheltering them from the elements and allowing them to continue their frolic on its own body.
This is a loving image.
This is a happy scene.
However—
"’■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■’"
Sometime, the loving image went sour.
Somehow, the happy scene vanished.
The memories in the head seemed stained red by blood, or as if being burnt to ashes by flames.
At this time, only rage, hatred, and bitterness continued to ravage the mind.
"—’Redemption’—"
Everything needed redemption.
"—’Curse’—"
Everything needed to be cursed.
"—’Hatred’—"
Not hating oneself for being deceived, but hating the fact that one could only watch everything unfold."
"—’Sorrow’—"
Not sorrow for one’s own death, but sorrow for the cruel treatment received by one’s friend (the Witch)."
Thus, Britain, the land under a curse named ’Calamity’, ravaged the fairies, erasing all indiscriminately, be they life or non-life, in the face of this hatred and anger.
Thus, Britain was sinful.
Thus, Britain should not exist.
Redemption, redemption, redemption, redemption, redemption, redemption!
Curse, curse, curse, curse, curse, curse!
Memories began to blur, and both physiology and psyche started to wail gradually.
In the darkness, constantly sinking Shinobu felt she was about to break down, about to get lost in this Sea of Curse (Sea of Rage).
Although she had already suffered many pains over the past 3,600 years, facing these tidal wave-like negative emotions, Shinobu still felt an unbearable urge to die immediately.
Once beautiful memories had long faded, leaving only a maniacal obsession behind.
If that was the case—
"’Let it be, then.’
It was as if a voice was telling her, prompting her to start giving up the struggle.
"’After all, you should have died long ago.’
Indeed, she should have died in Orkney 3,600 years ago.
"’You are a fairy of paradise, tasked with making every life in Britain recognize their sins.’
"’So, give up protecting.’
"’So, give up saving.’
"’Go destroy.’
"’Go vent.’
"’Go correct everything back.’
"’Then, the world will return to the origin.’
The voice in the mind sounded like another’s, yet like one’s own.
No, it must be one’s own voice, right?
Over the past 3,600 years, she must have thought this countless times, pondered this countless times.
It was precisely for this reason that this voice appeared at this moment, letting her relinquish her long-held persistence.
"’Let the world return to the origin.’
"’Let the world return to the origin.’
"’Let the world return to the origin.’
This phrase had turned into an echo, incessantly resonating within Shinobu’s heart.
Under such circumstances, Shinobu suddenly found herself entering another world.
This is...
"Okni?"
Shinobu recognized the landscape.
This was the northernmost city of Britannia, the home where she had once grown up happy and content.
Unfortunately, it had become ruins, turned into a world of ice and snow.
"...Is this my inner self?"
As a highly ranked magician, Shinobu easily realized what she was experiencing.
"...Indeed, my inner self should look like this."
Cold.
Lonely.
An icy, snowy world devoid of any life other than herself.
This was the true reflection of the deepest part of Shinobu’s heart materialized into reality.
"The past happiness has frozen into ice."
"The emotions within my heart have cooled into snow."
"A witch who doesn’t care, doesn’t mind, doesn’t bother about anything."
"This is me."
Speaking to herself in such a way, Shinobu walked indifferently through the icy, snowy landscape.
As she walked, her hair turned into a vast white, just like the surrounding snowscape.
Her clothes dyed black.
The Magic Wand in her hand transformed into an ominous black spear.
The once savior, now a witch, wandered through the winter as if she had abandoned everything.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a glimmer of fire lit up in this icy, snowy world.
"...What is that?"
The witch stopped walking, lifted her head, and stared blankly at that streak of fire.
The fire was growing rapidly.
The fire was turning into a sun.
When it appeared, the icy, snowy world seemed to be lit up and warmed, showing signs of thawing.
The blizzard stopped.
Warmth began to emerge from the ruins as well.
When the sun-like fire finally descended from the sky and landed in front of the witch, someone miraculously had entered her world, solely reserved for her.
The figure walked towards her with strong and powerful steps.
He looked at her with calm eyes and a serene gaze, but the power contained within made the heart of the ice-cold witch tremble slightly.
After a long time, he finally spoke.
"Once, someone in this world said something to me."
The man who brought warmth spoke thus.
"She said that she and I are the same, both denied our own world and chose the world of another."
The youth wrapped in flames spoke lightly.
"She was right."
"I indeed refused my own world and chose the world of another."
"But, it wasn’t because I wanted to escape that I did it."
"I just felt that I couldn’t change the world, but the world couldn’t change me either."
This statement made the witch’s heart tremble again.
"Unable to change the world, but the world won’t change me either..."
The witch muttered softly.
"Exactly."
The youth accompanied by the sun looked straight at the witch.
"Whatever the matter, once a conflict arises, parting ways is just a matter of time."
"At that moment, you either go against the other or you tread the other’s path and forge a new route."
"If that’s not achievable, then being left behind, being overpowered, being devoured by the other, are just inevitable outcomes."
"Do you wish to be a being who compromises with reality, crushed by things that go against you?"
This voice directly penetrated the witch’s heart, causing a response to emerge in her mind without a second thought.
"No, I am not willing."
It might just be unwillingness.
It might just be her former persistence turning into obsession.
But she truly was unwilling.
Upon hearing her words, the youth merely smiled faintly.
"Savior or witch?"
"What does it matter?"
"Since you have your own thoughts, in situations where things can’t be as desired, you should do what you want to do."
The youth extended his hand to the witch.
"Let’s go."
Upon hearing this, the witch didn’t hesitate to extend her hand and grasp his.
Gripping tightly, their fingers interlocked.
Then, the light of the fire from the youth’s body surged into the witch through their interlocked hands, enveloping her as well.
The warmth dispelled the cold.
The frozen heart began to melt.
Her snow-white hair regained its luster, the ominous black spear transformed back into a Magic Wand, and the dark attire turned back into bright, beautiful clothes.
Thus, the witch once again became the savior.
At least, for now.
"Bang!"
The world covered in ice shattered.
Darkness filled with curses once again descended, engulfing Shinobu.
But by then, Shinobu had already grasped a hand, held by the youth burning with flames, purifying curses, embraced into his arms.
"Bang!"
The next moment, the flames once again transformed into a streak of fire, exploded a cluster of darkness, and sped towards the surface of the Sea of Curse, directly bursting through the surface and the cave, heading towards the entrance of the cave.