Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 407
◈ 407. [Side Story] Salome
It was a time when I repeatedly used [Mystic Eyes of Command] while vomiting blood..
《Stop it, Ash! please!》
Salome, who was lying down behind me, cried out in a crying voice..
《You have a wish! I have a small wish to give words of encouragement to that little child.!》
“…….”
《I'm going to give up that wish and die here.?!》
I chuckled..
“……My wish has changed.”
《what?》
“You said it, Salome. They say that when the essence changes, the purpose also changes. It's just like that. my wishes have already changed.”
Salome is right..
I came into this world and changed. But my wishes will never be the same as before..
At first my wish was simple.
saving that one child.
But as I fought alongside many people in this world, my wishes gradually changed..
What I want now is... … Saving the people within my reach.
wider, more.
Saving everyone that can be saved. this is my wish.
So, in order to save more people, that plague... … Raven must be killed.
“Salome. I doubted you. I thought there was no way you, a monster, could truly care for me..”
I smiled and nodded at Salome..
“But you risked your life to fight for me. I trust you now.”
《ash…….》
“You are the only one who has seen my past. You are the only one to whom I can entrust my last favor..”
I calmly asked Salome, who looked at me with trembling eyes,.
“[Get out of this place by escaping reality. And please cooperate with the people of Crossroads..”
If you use her special escape machine [Escape from Reality], you will be able to escape this plague hell..
If she is a spirit, she will be able to recover from physical injuries in the spirit world..
Since she worked so hard for me, the people at Crossroads can also trust her..
“And one day, when the people of the Crossroads defeat the Demon King and this world reaches its true ending,…….”
It may be a long and rough road, but.
If the people who inherit my flag make it in the end.
“On my behalf, please make my first wish come true. Give that kid my support.”
I grinned..
“The words of encouragement I wanted to convey to that child were…….”
I was speechless..
This was because Salome suddenly ran up to me and unexpectedly hugged me from the front..
Her slender arms wrapped around my neck, her apricot lips came closer.-
My lips and Salome's lips touched..
‘uh?’
therefore.
Salome kissed me.
At the feeling of warm and soft lips, I was momentarily taken aback and became stiff, and then…….
Chuuuuup!
Salome suddenly sucked my lips..
Only then did I suddenly come to my senses. I opened my eyes in horror. This bastard, no way right now?!
‘Essence Drain?!’
The dream demons' energy absorption skill - [Essence Drain] was suddenly smacked at me, pretending to be a kiss! What on earth are you doing in this situation, you fucking dreamer??!
But the skills had already come in, and the last bit of energy I had left in my body was sucked out by Salome... … This, me, crazy…….
《Fuhot!》
After a long kiss, Salome parted her lips and looked like an old man who had just taken a shot at a good drink..
《Wow! Get on it! Wow, it's so delicious. Ash, are you a bit sweet? Thanks to you, recovery is complete!》
“this person… … This rotten dreamer…….”
I lost all my strength and knelt on one knee on the floor of the living room and was trembled..
“Regular absorption in this situation, what on earth were you thinking?…….”
《Hehe, you sound stupid. A succubus always aims for her victim's lips.?》
Salome crossed her arms with a triumphant look on her face and proudly declared:.
《From the beginning my only goal was your lips!》
Come to think of it, when we first met, this guy immediately put his lips on me.……!
I laughed helplessly, unable to control myself properly..
Should I be angry about being stabbed in the back at the end, or should I be... … Anyway, I don't know whether I should be angry that my first kiss was taken away by a monster like this.…….
Salome smiled brightly at me..
《ash. You personally give words of encouragement to that child..》
“what……?”
《I don't know people's hearts. It steals hearts, steals hearts, and eats hearts, but it only knows how to imitate. I don't know why it moves like that, why it can move like that,.》
Why?.
Even though I don't know the human heart, Salome's face is looking at me... … He seemed more human than anyone else.
《I don't understand your wishes. So, I can't even act as an agent. It's too small and pretty for me to move it for you..》
“…….”
《You tell it yourself. Carry your flag, walk to the end, and at the end... … directly.》
your heart.
convey your wish.
After saying that, Salome stretched out her hands and grabbed me. Immediately after, her horns and tail began to glow white..
“Salome? what are you trying to do…….”
《Even though I'm lost and in this darkness, I know. That you are a person who will not give up even if you lose your way. I am the one who makes the way at the front..》
I felt like my body was floating..
When I looked down at my body in embarrassment, my body around where Salome's hand touched was turning transparent..
This, no way……?!
《Because I realized your wish. Because you got your flag back. I'm sure you'll find out who you really are.》
“Salome, wait a minute.……!”
《Surely, even in any darkness. you'll find your way.》
[escapism].
The other side of the world - a technique exclusive to dream demons that allows them to escape directly to the spirit world..
Salome didn't do it to herself... … it was used on me.
《The darkness is gathering outside. At this rate, even if you defeat Raven, it will be difficult to survive here. So, this is the only way.》
Salome's clear laughter tickled my ears..
《don't worry. I'll finish Raven. You just focus on finding yourself there.》
Salome's index finger came up on my lips as I was about to say something..
Bowing her head close to me, Salome slowly whispered.
《Lastly, I will tell you a ‘secret’ that I learned while searching your soul..》
“……?”
《Actually, you-…….》
I opened my eyes wide as I heard all of her whispers..
“What is that……?”
I wanted to ask more, but there was no time..
In an instant, my body turned into a spirit body, and I was sucked into the other side of the world just like when I fell from the teleportation gate..
“Salome, sleep……!”
《hi. my prince.》
The last thing I saw was the Succubus Queen waving her hand at me..
《I laughed at your small wish, but in fact, I may have fallen in love with you because of that small wish..》
With an expression I don't know if I'm smiling or crying.
《……I will support you too.》
so said.
《cheer up.》
What followed was a feeling as if my whole body was being swept away by a turbid current..
with a plop……!
I go into pitch black darkness……
To the other side of the ocean, it sank..
***
Ash is gone.
Salome fell helplessly to the floor..
[With the use of [Escape from Reality], Salome exhausted her last strength..
Not only the energy absorbed from Ash, but also the last remaining energy stored within her..
Raven slowly approached Salome, who was breathing hard..
《Actually, I didn't want to break up.》
Salome muttered helplessly..
《I always wanted to be by your side. Even if I get scolded or hear harsh words, it's still good so I keep going... … I wanted to be next to you.》
《…….》
《If this was a dream world, then... … Could I love that person??》
Salome squeezed her chest with her hands..
《it hurts. It hurts like my heart was cut out in the middle.》
《…….》
《Just the fact that I can't see it anymore... … it hurts.》
Raven sneered..
《Is that pain the only thing you gained by sacrificing your life, a prostitute? How foolish..》
《……You don't know anything, Raven..》
Between her disheveled pink hair, Salome's eyes were dull and watery..
《This pain is what I have been searching for my whole life..》
Raven raised a plague energy as if there was no need to listen anymore..
《It's all nonsense, Salome. Neither you nor he will die anyway without being able to overcome my plague.!》
Raven was confident of victory.
The only means that could kill him in this place was Ash's magical eye..
However, Salome could not watch Ash die and sent him to the spirit world..
Now all that's left here is a dream demon that has exhausted all its power.
Both Ash and Salome were infected with the plague a long time ago. If we had left them alone, both of them would have died..
《As long as my ego, thoughts, and malice remain! My plague won't go away. You couldn't get rid of me. This time, the world will succumb to the plague.……!》
《……I just forgot about it, Raven.?》
Salome smiled at Raven, who shouted confidently..
《‘Eating hearts is the job of a dream demon..》
I slowly stretched my hand forward and touched the waving raven mist..
Raven's foggy body flinched greatly..
It felt like something cold and creepy was piercing the inside of his chest, where it couldn't exist..
《What, what is this?……?》
《If it's your malice and your heart that drives the plague that is you…….》
Salome's hand grasped the air tightly..
《That means you're my food.》
《……!》
Salome captured Raven's 'heart'.
And, with the power of the dream demon, I began to absorb it..
Raven's ego was rotten to the core. He was tainted and corrupted by far-reaching malice..
When she forcibly absorbed it, an immediate reaction appeared in Salome's body..
Blood leaked out beyond the apricot-colored lips, and the white skin began to discolor..
《Stop it.…….》
Raven's voice contained emotions that had never been revealed before..
it was horror.
Now he has neither body nor soul..
Raven, the plague itself that had supported and bound itself only with sheer malice, felt her existence disappearing. he screamed.
《Stop it! You too die, Salome! You cannot bear my malice, my corruption!》
《…….》
《I am the very essence of plague! If you absorb me, your mental body will be polluted! You will experience more pain than anything else in the world.!》
《are you okay.》
As soon as I absorbed it, a sharp pain rushed through my entire body. But Salome smiled calmly..
《Because I was in love.》
Salome didn't know what love was.
Even at this moment, ready to die, I cannot clearly define what it is..
But one thing is certain.
this heartache.
This absence that seems to have a hole cut out (不在)).
This pain, this emptiness, this sense of loss - is unmistakable proof that love dwelled in this heart..
This act of dying for someone else... … Because it is proof of true love.
Salome smiled brightly despite the burning pain of her body..
It didn't hurt at all.
Compared to this pain engraved in my heart.
Compared to this first love, which is clearer than anything else.
After a long, desperate scream, Raven's screams quieted down..
Salome, who had completely absorbed Raven's malice, leaned her back against the collapsed stone wall..
Staring into empty space, she slowly opened her mouth and recited.
Seen in Ash's memories... … A line from an old play with the same name as yourself.
I have kissed your mouth.
I kissed your lips.
There was a bitter taste on your lips.
Your lips tasted bitter.
Was it the taste of blood?
Is this the taste of blood??
Nay; but perchance it was the taste of love.
No, this is the taste of love.
They say that love has a bitter taste.
They say love tastes bitter.
But what matters? what matters?
But who cares? What does it matter??
I have kissed your mouth.
I kissed your lips…….
《……Not as skillfully as you.》
An embarrassed smile appeared on Salome's blood-soaked lips..
《Thanks, Ash.》
And then she slowly closed her eyes.
《to me… … For teaching me love…….》
In her fading consciousness, Salome made her last wish..
if, very if.
If after this I have happy dreams instead of nightmares.
I want to dream of being in love with that man.…….
***
Salome was in love.
Heartbreaking, and therefore brilliant.
An unmistakable love that lasts all my life.
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