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Aher, a True Demon and a veteran of countless battles, was dead. But Cluna was no longer sane.
She sat there, cradling her daughter’s severed head, like a mother bird tending to a broken egg. She knew it wouldn’t bring Clara back, but she couldn’t let go.
Hans watched in silence.
He had made a mistake, relying on soone else in a mont of crisis. If he had used the Dragon Heart’s power, he might have saved her. As he wrestled with this thought, a voice spoke.
“The Guardian of the Forest has lost another family mber.”
“…”
“I imagine she’ll break if left like this.”
“What do you want?”
Hans hated hearing Ti’s voice.
He loathed her for interfering with Ti Stop at that crucial mont. And he hated himself for being weak, for relying on her power.
He swallowed his anger and humiliation, forcing himself to speak. As Commander, he couldn’t afford to be swayed by personal feelings. He had a duty to his comrades, especially when their lives were on the line.
“How did you like the power I lent you?”
“…”
“Amazing, wasn’t it? A power that transcends even ti.”
He couldn’t deny it. The power he had used was transcendent, even shocking to him.
A power that defied death itself.
“Tell your price.”
“You have two choices. One, give the Dragon Heart. Kim Sunghyun will be safe.”
“…”
“But without the Dragon Heart, do you really think you can survive the battles to co? I don’t.”
Hans couldn’t argue with that.
Even with the power of Ti, he needed a foundation of strength to wield it effectively. He knew his own limitations.
“It’s ti to make a decision. Hans? Or Kim Sunghyun?”
The heart wasn’t just an organ. It was the seat of emotion, the core of one’s being. It was one’s soul, one’s pride, one’s very life.
Just as he had told the Fallen Guardian, the heart was everything.
Ti was forcing him to choose.
To live as Hans, or to return as Kim Sunghyun. He hadn’t expected to face this dilemma. He chuckled dryly.
At first, he had simply wanted to go ho. He hadn’t wanted to live in this hellish world. But he had co this far, experiencing so much with them.
“I’ve already made my decision.”
“Is that so? Then…”
“But before that…”
Hans’s hand shot out, seizing Ti by the throat. He tightened his grip, cutting off her air supply.
Ti’s face contorted in pain, a sensation she had never experienced before.
‘I thought she seed weaker… so that’s it.’
At first, Ti had been an untouchable being, almost god-like. But not anymore. She was still beyond mortal comprehension, but the overwhelming sense of power he had felt before was gone.
She was descending from her pedestal, slowly becoming human. By inhabiting his body.
‘So, who am I now?’
Hans pushed those thoughts aside. That wasn’t important right now. He needed to make her pay for what she had done.
“Trust is essential for any deal. You interfered with Ti Stop. Why should I trust you?”
“Gah… you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“I need a proper apology.”
“Cough, cough… yes, of course.”
Released from Hans’s grip, Ti understood what she had to do. She knelt, pressing her forehead to the ground.
Hans watched, lost in thought.
This wasn’t good. Ideally, he should maintain a facade of civility while plotting his revenge.
But who could be rational after witnessing the death of a comrade? He decided to abandon logic, just this once.
He raised his foot and brought it down on Ti’s head. He wanted to kill her.
“This isn’t a real apology.”
“I won’t do it again.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I told you, you’ve transcended ti.”
“…”
“A power that surpasses even . I was rely borrowing it.”
Just as a river flows into the ocean, becoming one with it, he couldn’t interfere with a greater power.
Hans slowly lifted his foot.
The last vestiges of his reason held back his murderous intent. He didn’t know what would happen if he killed Ti. He might lose his powers, or worse, the world itself might beco distorted.
He couldn’t risk it.
He sighed.
A deal was a deal.
“Take Kim Sunghyun’s heart.”
“An excellent choice.”
“Shut up.”
He knew. He couldn’t afford to remain ambivalent any longer. But the little trust he had had in Ti was now completely gone.
‘Once this is over…’
He shook his head. He needed to focus on the present.
He turned and walked towards Cluna. She sat there, staring blankly at the sky, completely broken.
It was understandable. She had lost her only remaining family. But even in her despair, she reacted to his presence.
“Commander…?”
“Later.”
She recognized him, even in this state.
Hans felt a crushing weight in his chest. This was responsibility. They had trusted him, had risked their lives for him. And he had failed them.
This was the price of his complacency.
So, he would face it head-on.
He reached out and gently touched Clara’s cold, lifeless head, like he was caressing a child.
He heard a clicking sound, like gears turning. A transcendent power, defying even death.
Ti Regression.
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‘I wanted Mom to acknowledge .’
‘That desire… it was simple, really. I wanted her to see , to talk to , to let do what I wanted. That’s all I wanted.’
‘I know the situation wasn’t ideal, but… even if it was just a childish whim, I wanted to be useful to her. Mom was strict, but she was kind in her own way. She would push us hard during training, but at night, she would apply ointnt to our cuts and scrapes, talking to us softly. It was a clumsy kind of affection, but I loved it. I could see the love in her eyes.’
‘But at so point, the gentleness disappeared, replaced by fear. The fear of losing , her only remaining child. That must have been it.’
‘We started drifting apart. It was inevitable. We weren’t communicating, just repeating our own desires. How could we not drift apart?’
‘I was only thinking about myself.’
‘If I could just earn her acknowledgent…’
‘Maybe then, she would finally see .’
‘That’s what I thought. But you know what? The first person to truly see … was you, Commander. You always evaluated us objectively, but you also saw us as individuals. You respected our will, but you also set boundaries. I think I fell for your kindness, your generosity, like a vast, welcoming forest. Before I knew it, I was relying on you.’
‘I shouldn’t have. I know you’re strong, Commander. Mom said you were the first person she ever acknowledged. But you’re still human. You can get hurt, you can die.’
‘When I heard you were dead… ironically, it made reflect on everything. The thought that my complacency, my hiding in your shadow, had led to your death… I couldn’t bear it.’
‘For three years, I lived like a ghost. I believed you weren’t dead, but the fear that you might actually be… it never left . They were True Demons, after all. The thought that you might really be gone… it filled with an unbearable rage. So, I decided to kill them all, even if it ant dying myself. That’s what I thought.’
‘That day was no different. I knew it was a trap, but I didn’t care. I was actually happy. I thought I could kill them all at once. But then, in the middle of the fight, I heard a familiar sound behind . Footsteps I had heard countless tis. Footsteps I would never forget. I had to turn around. My mind went blank. You were there, Commander. You, who I had half-given up on, were standing right in front of .’
‘If I ever saw you again…’
‘What did I want to say?’
‘Oh, right. That’s what it was.’
“Thank you… for being alive.”
She shouldn’t have been able to speak, but the words ca out. She looked up, dumbfounded, and saw their faces looking down at her.
“Clara!”
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t know how to explain it. Her Mom’s face was full of worry, but his face, Commander… it was almost indifferent. She wondered if it was a dream. So she checked.
Her lips, moving on their own, t his. Feeling his warmth, she finally knew for sure. Their Commander was back.
And finally, Clara could smile.
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[Translator Notes]
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