DKFTI 136

‘…Now, does this mean I don’t have to miss you anymore?’

Our story should have been concluded sooner. In that glorious moment, in that beautiful form.

But perhaps it was emotion that prevented it. Emotion was what Silvaren had gifted Leviathan. So, it wasn’t his fault. That’s why everything felt so regretful.

His last words felt somehow relieved. As if the shackles that had bound him had finally been broken.

The source of Leviathan’s power had vanished. The disaster was over. The dark clouds that had covered the sky had cleared, and sunlight poured down onto the square. The people who had been suffering at the sound of the resonant horn came to their senses as if nothing had happened, embracing one another.

“Oh, what happened?”

“Did we defeat the Demon King?”

“We survived! We survived!”

Cries of joy were heard. But the aftereffects of the explosion left his ears ringing. Beee-

What had just happened felt like a dream.

At that moment, Sibel felt as if he were possessed. It was a sensation he couldn’t quite pinpoint as 100% his own.

He thought maybe the memories of the past, residing in his head, had moved his body first.

Chants of victory and tears of joy filled the battlefield. But amidst all that cheering, only one place remained silent.

Where Leviathan had vanished. Sibel was kneeling. His hand was still outstretched, reaching into the air. Just moments ago, it had held Leviathan’s heart. Now, all that remained in that hand was blackened ash and the cold, cooling rain.

“…Ah.”

A small sigh escaped Sibel’s lips. It was over. Everything was over.

Sibel lowered his head. His silver hair, soaked with sweat and rain, clung to his cheek. His shoulders began to tremble slightly. Strangely, his soul ached, as if it were about to break, but no tears flowed.

He felt parched. He had never expected Leviathan to bring such a great loss to him.

He couldn’t understand why he was so sad. Perhaps this, too, was a sadness born from past memories.

It was hard to stop.

Leviathan was a being whose feelings were less than love. He had killed him with these hands.

“It’s a god!”

“You saved us!”

The plaza was vibrant and bright, centered around Sibel, but he was being sucked into the dark shadows the more it went by.

At that moment, a shadow fell over him.

“…Sibel.”

Aizen’s voice was low and cracked. He approached Sibel, his bloodied body dragged by. Each step, his legs limped painfully, but he didn’t stop.

Aizen knelt down on one knee before Sibel. He carefully reached out and wrapped his hand around his trembling shoulders.

Aizen’s hand was rough, but warm. The moment that warmth touched him, Sibel burst into tears.

“Aizen… I, I…”

“I know. I know how you feel.”

Aizen held Sibel in his arms and buried his head in his chest. In his embrace, where the scent of blood and sweat mingled, Sibel cried.

Knowing that nothing he said would comfort him, Aizen silently stroked his back.

“Cry. Cry your heart out. Let it all out.”

Sibel wept even more bitterly at Aizen’s words. The cheers in the plaza still rang out, but the silence around them was as if an invisible barrier had fallen. Only the sound of their breathing, his cries, and the warmth of their bodies remained.

It must have been a while. Just as Sibel’s sobs began to subside, Aizen wiped his wet cheek with his hand.

Sibel, slightly reassured by Aizen, wiped away his tears and snot, then raised his head. As the hazy cloud of dust cleared, a commotion could be heard from far away.

“Ouch! My fur! My tail is all burned!”

It was Ruru. He was clutching the slightly singed tip of his tail, jumping around as if the world was collapsing. Just moments ago, he was thinking the world was ending, so what’s the big deal about a little burnt fur?

“Don’t joke around, you fox. My horn is broken! Do you know how many centuries it’ll take for it to grow back?”

Next to him, Shanti clutched his broken horn and groaned.

“Is the Demon King okay? Oww!”

From afar, Racoon and the orcs were rushing. They were covered in dirt and blood, but their voices were loud. The Corteirn knights and Ron were patting each other on the shoulder, celebrating their survival. Kairin was performing aerobatics with dragons in the sky, celebrating his victory.

It was a mess. It was complete chaos, a market square.

Sibel couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. It was embarrassing that he’d just been weeping like a tragic heroine.

Really… I can’t stop you.

They couldn’t approach, so they stood at a distance, watching Sibel closely. Their eyes were filled with concern, wondering if he was hurt or upset.

“…Look at you all.”

Sibel said with a bitter smile. Only then, seemingly relieved, did his family swarm in.

“You’re the one to talk! You look like death!”

“Are you hurt anywhere? Are your bones okay?”

Ruru sobbed and brushed away the hem of his clothes, while Shanti fussed over Sibel’s limbs. Noisy, chaotic, and bustling, yet precious beings.

He was glad they were there. His world had always been one shared with others.

“Ugh, I thought the world was going to end!”

“It was definitely insane power. But why are you still alive, weakling?”

“The Demon King would be so sad if I died. Loyalty is about preserving your life!”

Listening to Shanti and Ruru’s conversation, Sibel felt proud of them. Indeed. There’s nothing more precious than being alive and by their side.

‘If you had people like this too… what would it have been like for you?’

How wonderful it would have been if he’d realized that what he needed wasn’t a quiet paradise.

‘The paradise you sought… may not have been so far away.’

It felt like a debt that he had been the one to bind Leviathan to the idea of paradise.

“I wonder. Given his power, if he had wanted to, he could have become a god himself. Why would he choose that?”

Lilianthes, who had suddenly appeared beside him, muttered, looking at the spot where Leviathan had vanished.

“No one can possibly know his intentions.”

A faint pity flickered in Lilianthes’s eyes. She thought she was somewhat similar to him, then shook her head. It was meaningless. It would take a long time to understand him.

Then something happened.

A black aura was slowly gathering where Leviathan had vanished.

“What is that?”

The Demon King Karhan had approached, crossed his arms, and gestured. Everyone’s attention turned to the black object.

“Could it be the dark energy is clumping together now that it’s lost its master? Like how organs twitch for a moment even after death.”

“Hmm.”

Sibel stared at the black thing. A small, insignificant power.

He remembered it.

The demons were born from that small, insignificant thing.

The clumpy black mass bounced and moved as if it were alive.

“…”

Everyone gathered around held their breath as they watched. Then, Shanti spoke.

“In the beginning, the demons were born from a small darkness.”

Karhan frowned at Shanti’s words.

“It’s unsettling. Shouldn’t we get rid of that too?”

Karhan took a step forward. Sibel grabbed his arm and stopped him. Then he knelt down in front of the black mass.

“Come with me.”

As he reached out, the black mass crawled up his hand and rubbed its body against his.

“This is ominous. Just kill it.”

Karhan spoke firmly, but Sibel shook his head. He then held the black mass in his arms, cherishing it.

“Ha, this is really the end.”

Sibel finally felt relieved, and flopped to the ground.

The clear sky appeared. The light was so bright he felt he could be blinded at any moment. It was beautiful. This world was so beautiful that even a single dot of darkness became endearing.

“Now I understand.”

Ironically, Leviathan had finally shown him paradise. He had learned much from him.

Sibel patted the dark mass that was burrowing into his embrace. If this was what remained of Leviathan’s energy, then perhaps he too was alive, just a little bit, here?

“Demon King, it looks like you’ve got another one to raise. A hero, beasts, are we expanding the castle or what?”

“You don’t even know what that thing’ll turn into, and you’re taking it home already?”

Ruru clung to Sibel’s shoulder while Shanti checked on Aizen’s condition, saying he’d gotten attached too.

“Whatever it is, let’s go home!”

Raccon’s piercing shout brought Sibel to his senses.

“Let’s go, everyone.”