Chapter 334 - Clue
"She told that I must never give up and continue onward. She told that's what you would do." Ren could no longer hold it in as he approached Leila.
"What else did she say, what else do you rember about her?" Leila was startled by Ren's reaction. The look in his eyes was sothing she never thought she would see on the forr strongest demon lord. That was the look of desperation.
"She didn't say much and just continued to listen to talk. The only other thing I rember about her is that we usually talk here within this garden. We always sat there near the coffin of ice. Why are you acting this way, it's just a dream."
Ren didn't bother answering the werewolf girl and imdiately went to the area Leila was pointing at. He touched the ground and used his mana to look for clues. The mont he did this a spell was activated. In front of Ren appeared an image of Tsukiko.
The wound she received from the third hero was still present as she looked weak but unlike the last ti Ren saw her, she looks relatively better. The image of Tsukiko smiled weakly at Ren before speaking.
"If this spell activates that ans you've co back for Leila, right Kretos?… Even though it's near impossible to break my mory wiping spell, I knew if anyone could do it, it would be you. You have always been soone that could go against anything and everything."
The Tsukiko that was presented in the image looked to be in so much pain as she talked, but she remained ever smiling. Seeing her like that made Ren rember those words that she said to him in the end.
"Demon Lord Kretos, I loved you. I loved how you always stood proud and tall… I loved how you were always so confident that it bordered into arrogance. I loved how you always single-mindedly did whatever you wanted to do, you were truly free from everything. You were what I aspired to be… I'm glad that I t you…"
Rembering that scene as she was dying in his hands made Ren feel uncomfortable. So even though he was seeing her looking in pain, Ren was still glad that she was alive. As long as she was alive there was still hope.
"If you did co back for the werewolf, that would an you also rember who I am… Do you rember this foolish fox that loved you and wanted to stand by your side?" Tsukiko's smile beca rather awkward.
"Well, that doesn't matter… Seeing as you are here, that must an you found out a way to heal the werewolf. I don't know how long that might have taken you or how arduous the task was, but that ans you have removed one of your regrets. I'm happy for you, Kretos."
'Why are saying all these things and wasting ti?' Ren felt a bit anxious seeing Tsukiko about to keel over any minute now. What was the point of leaving this ssage and doing all this? She should just tell him where she is now, why bother with all of this stuff?
"Kretos if you do rember , I wish you didn't. It would've been much kinder if you forgot everything about . Every ti I rember the look of pain that you showed on that day, makes hate myself. I hated how weak I was, I hated that I couldn't stand by your side, but most of all I hated the fact that I hurt you." Tsukiko pursed her lips. The mory of Kretos holding her in his arms while nearly crying made her feel anguished.
"I didn't want to see you like that, so weak, so unsure, so vulnerable… I wanted to rember you as the strongest arrogant demon lord. I wanted to rember you as that guy that never hesitated that went against destiny itself and fought against all odds with a vicious smile on his face. Unbeatable, unshakeable that was you."
Ren continued to listen to the Tsukiko image in front of him but he was now frowning. Nothing she was saying was a clue of where she was now. It was like she was giving another farewell speech and Ren didn't like that.
"I bet right now you're feeling impatient and thinking, why am I wasting my ti telling you all these things? I bet you're trying to find and looking for a clue from the dream I instilled in the werewolf girl's mind."
Ren was stunned by Tsukiko's comnt, but then his lips curled a tiny bit upward. Tsukiko knew him so well, that it was like she was peeking through his mind.
"… Hey Kretos, you should once again forget about . I tried to use the sa spell you used on Leila to stop her ti by freezing her. When I tried the sa spell on myself I failed. Unfortunately, that cursed spear interferes with my mana and the mana surrounding . I was able to slow down the deterioration of my body, but I couldn't cast a proper spell on myself. Any spell that cos into contact with the wound created by the cursed spear gets dispelled or is slowly consud… After trying different things nothing worked, they simply delayed the inevitable… I have no chance of surviving this ordeal."
Tsukiko showed the two wounds that were created by the cursed spear. Instead of closing up the holes were slowly getting bigger.
"By the ti you gain the ability to heal , it would be too late. I hope that you never find this ssage, as that would an you will forever remain ignorant of the pain that you left behind… So if you truly do find this ssage, this ti I'm unable to wipe your mory of my existence. I didn't want you to rember this way. So please forget about … I just wish to rest now under the shade of my favorite place… Kretos… Please forget that a foolish fox nad Tsukiko ever existed." The image disappeared as the snow continued to fall.
'If you really want to forget about you, you shouldn't have left this ssage. You really are such a foolish fox. You obviously wanted to be saved, but you never ask. I might not be a hero, but I was demon lord and I do whatever I want…'
…
Leila who stood behind Ren didn't say a single word as Ren continued to look at the empty space. She was able to watch the sa projection as Ren and quickly figured out that the Kitsune who was in her dream was the Demonic Fox Tsukiko. There was no other demon that had the ability to cast such complex spells.
When Leila saw Ren's expression and heard what Tsukiko said it would seem that these two shared a more complicated past than what Ren told her. Unlike her who saw Kretos as a brother, it would seem that Tsukiko saw Kretos as a romantic partner.
…
In about a few minutes of silence, Ren sighed and turned around to look at Leila.
"So what do you plan to do now?" The heavy mood seed to have lightened up a bit. Leila already guessed that Ren would ask her this question and she had an answer ready.
"I want to join you on your journey… Can I?" Leila asked looking a bit anxious. If Ren were to say no, she didn't know what else to do. In this era, the only person she knew was Ren, as even the places she once knew were probably different now.
"Don't look so anxious, of course, you can co with ."
"Really?!"
"Of course."
"Then can I ask for one more thing?" Empowered by her first request being easily agreed to, Leila tried to push a bit more.
"Hmm, what is it?"
"Can I call you Big Bro?" Leila who always wanted a big brother had found Ren to be a suitable candidate. Ren was the ideal big brother that she had always envisioned. He was strong, was confident, kind, and he thought her a lot of things.
Ren was rather surprised by the weird request, but after a mont of thought, he shrugged his shoulders and answered.
"Sure, why not."
Leila wasn't expecting Ren to agree and was montarily stunned by what he said, but after a while, a huge smile crept up on Leila's face.
"Big Bro! Big Bro! Big Bro! Big Bro! Big Bro! Big Bro!" Leila continued to repeat those two words as she bounced around happily. Ren was rather happy seeing Leila smile like that. After she felt better calling Reb Big bro a dozen tis, she looked at Ren and asked a question.
"So what are we going to do now Big bro?"
"We're going to hunt down a fox."
"But Big Bro, she said to forget about her."
"When have I ever listened to anyone's opinion? I always do what I want, and no one can stop ."
"But we don't know where she is. How can we find her without any clues?"
"Didn't you hear, she wants to rest under the shade of her favorite place. We're going to the giant tree Jubokko." Ren smiled his vicious smile as he looked at the distance.
'You cannot hide from Tsukiko. The mont you told you loved I already claid you as my own. Even if you head to the underworld I will take you back… No one can take what is mine not even the God of Death.' Ren declared to himself, since Leo his past incarnation can do it, then why can't he?
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