Akasi was at a loss as he looked at Number Seven.
"Next, I will use my strongest strike to end you, as a tribute to our brief friendship these past days?"
Number Seven raised her greatsword.
Like a Valkyrie gathering holy power, Akasi found it hard to imagine there could exist such a powerful human in this world; even the air around them grew violent.
He was in utter despair, about to give up struggling, because he could not imagine how to fight against Number Seven.
The gap in strength between them was like a river compared to the ocean.
But just then, he heard Number Seven's mocking voice:
"So you haven't changed at all, Akasi. Is that all your will to live amounts to?
Have you really thought about leaving this place? Have you truly longed for life and freedom?
Look at your cowardly face.
In this world, no one can survive alone. But in the future, who will you be able to protect?
Facing an absolute disparity in strength, must you wear an expression of resigning to fate?
You truly disgust ! Disgust!"
If these words had been spoken in days past, Akasi had no doubt that Number Seven would have done so with a tone of scorn and nonchalance.
He could feel the terror of the world crumbling as her sword ca down.
But he was equally certain... the rage and sorrow in Number Seven's eyes were so real, as if she were howling hysterically.
The fearso strike was about to co.
Akasi was like soone suddenly awakened by a scolding.
At the sa ti, faintly in his ears, there arose the soft sound of the tide.
It was like the sad, distant singing of a girl over an expansive sea.
In the transition between life and death, Akasi finally reawakened mories between the two voices.
He rembered.
He was not living in the past; all of this was just an illusion.
And soon he would die.
His consciousness seed to hover between reality and fantasy.
After seeing Xi He, all the questions from his past confrontation with Number Seven, which he had never understood, were answered in this mont.
In his mory, he had not succumbed at that ti; he stood up, recalling the words Number Seven had once said.
"The story?"
"There is no story, I just want to tell you a little secret."
"What?"
"My weakness. When I swing my greatsword, I'm unstoppable. I can kill an enemy with a single strike.
But when I unleash my strongest attack, the imnse power prevents from changing direction."
"Why are you telling this?"
"You can choose to fight alongside , and protect from behind."
Fate had already laid the groundwork for everything today, back then.
Just as Akasi rembered, his past self found the detail amidst the extres of life and death, under Number Seven's furious curses.
It was like a drowning person finally grasping lifesaving weeds.
Even though his calf was already injured, he burst forth with the fastest sprint of his life.
The overlord of the testing area, Number Seven, was ultimately pierced through the heart by his blade back then.
Only at that ti, he did not understand the words Number Seven had spoken before death.
The greatsword fell to the ground amidst a pool of blood, making a dull noise.
Akasi was gasping for air. Number Seven, with her long hair falling, stooped, waiting for death to take her.
"Congratulations, you finally jumped out of the fishbowl."
"Back then, why did you tell ..."
"My weakness? Poor Akasi, do you think you've won? Do you believe the world awaiting you is the freedom you long for? Outside the fishbowl is just a bigger fishbowl..."
Number Seven paused, tears streaming down her beautiful cheeks in silence.
"Forget it, I'm about to die. Whether I destroy you or not, it's the sa outco, but you did not give up the chance I gave you."
Akasi did not understand.
Number Seven seed to be talking to herself.
She used her last bit of strength to turn around, caressing Akasi's face.
"Akasi, I acknowledge you now. Always rember your will to live. Perhaps soone will truly love you soday, but until now, everything you've experienced is false. I... am the catfish."
Number Seven's lifeforce was fading.
In Akasi's mory, she died in his arms.
There were many questions, but no ti to ask.
Until the end, he did not know what to say.
His past self, strangely enough, just couldn't hate this powerful Valkyrie, though she was an archenemy.
"What is your na?"
"Ha… you still rember that question."
"Please, tell ."
"This sword is called Dragon Rose, I have no na, I am just an unlucky soul born to be a catfish.
Akasi... you don't have to rember , but you must rember, you owe a life! You must survive, no matter what..."
These were the last words of the owner of Dragon Rose, Number Seven.
She seed like soone who knew the script, wanting to spoil the ending for him, but for various reasons, she couldn't give a warning.
All she could do was to let this man understand that the only real thing in this world was himself, alive.
And up to his encounter today, hearing the words of Xi He—
Reviews
All reviews (0)