Chapter 110: Chapter 31
Retsu humd a soft, lodic tune as she gave the guest suite one final, obsessive inspection.
She had arranged the futon to the exact milliter of Seijirou’s preference, adjusted the ambient temperature, and even ensured the scent of the room matched the specific laundry detergent she used back at his house.
To her, this wasn’t just a room; it was a sanctuary she had constructed for her "property."
Satisfied, she stepped out into the dimly lit, polished wood hallway, her mind already transitioning to the nutritional requirents of Seijirou’s dinner.
"To learn ki... Seijirou needed as much energy as he can, or else he wouldn’t be able to handle the intense training..."
She should and get use those spiritual herbs her grandfather had planted.
Spiritual Herbs, as the na suggests, herbs that has long surpassed the category of ordinary herbs.
They have neen bathed with Nature Ki, the Ki of the Planet, and obtained nigh-magical properties.
They are incredibly precious, and even the cheapest ones costs more than it’s weight in gold.
There are even rumors that so herbs could extend soone’s lifespan by a decade up to a century.
From what Retsu knew, the reason why the world was plunged into world war many years ago is because such herb was discovered, and those who live in the supernatural world pushed for the war to happen to cover up their fighting and not directly interfere with the outside world.
It has actually been an unspoken rule since the ancient ti that those who are in the supernatural world must not directly interfere with the mundane world.
Why? Well, since they knew that the supernatural exists, it is obvious that they also knew that god exists.
What if they ssed up the mundane world and earned the ire of so god who love Humanity? Or worse, earn the ire of the Supre Deity, who was said to be the patron of Humanity?
Speaking of Supre Deity, that being actually wasn’t nad, but his title has been spoken in every mythology in the world as the most powerful deity and creator of the world.
There are many theories on who could be that Supre Deity, but the most acknowledged one is that he is the God spoken in the Bible.
What was his na again? Ha—
His thoughts were cut short as her path was blocked by a young man in a pristine white combat gi.
He stood with a rigid, disciplined posture, his eyes wide with a mixture of reverence and suppressed longing.
"Miss Retsu... welco back," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
In an instant, the genuine, warmth-filled face Retsu wore for Seijirou vanished. It didn’t turn cold or angry, rather, it settled into a "gentle" mask that was far more terrifying.
To a stranger, she looked like a saint, but to anyone who actually knew the void behind her eyes, it was a nauseating display of the uncanny valley—a perfect, alien imitation of a human woman.
Retsu tilted her head, her red eyes scanning the man’s face as her brain functioned like a high-speed processor, searching through discarded files of "unimportant data" to find a na.
She found nothing.
In Retsu’s solipsistic universe, there were only three categories: herself, Seijirou, and the "others".
Even her grandfather was rely "Grandfather"—a functional title rather than a person. In fact, she couldn’t even bother to rember what her grandfather’s na was.
"Hello," Retsu said with a slight, practiced nod, her voice was soft, lodic, and entirely empty.
The young man took a step forward, a hopeful smile breaking across his face. "It has been months since we last spoke. I have changed a lot, so I feared you might not rember . I am Samu Wanu."
"No, no, of course I rember you, Samu-kun," Retsu said "cheerfully."
It was a blatant lie, delivered with the casual ease of soone breathing because she had absolutely no recollection of him.
Samu’s eyes shone with a manic light. "I have been waiting! I fulfilled the promise I made to you that day in the courtyard! I pushed myself beyond my limits, and now, I am the strongest and most outstanding disciple under the Master! I did it all for you!"
Retsu kept her smile fixed, her mind wondering if she should prepare katsudon or grilled fish for Seijirou.
As for that promise? She didn’t rember any promise. She most likely told him to "do his best" in the sa way one tells a Roomba to keep cleaning.
Suddenly, Samu’s face contorted with a flash of jealous rage. "I did everything you asked! So why... why did you bring another man here? Why that Kageyama? I won’t accept it! He’s nothing but a spoiled delinquent! He’s a lowlife compared to the strength I’ve built for you! He dares to covet you... I’ll kill him! I’ll challenge him tomorrow and end this!"
Retsu’s expression didn’t waver, but deep inside, her anger had reached a boiling point.
She can tolerate many things.
She can tolerate Seijirou having many won, because for her, it’s like watching Seijirou play so gas while she watches at the side.
She can tolerate soone committing a genocide, because in her eyes it’s like watching a bunch of moving pixels in a screen killing each other.
But what she couldn’t tolerate, is Seijirou being threatened.
She didn’t say anything, she didn’t show any sign of anger, instead, she turned slightly to the side, looking out at the moon-drenched garden.
"Samu-kun," she whispered, her voice like silk. "What do you think the highest, most absolute form of love is?"
Samu blinked, montarily stunned by the shift as be stared in a daze at her ethereal profile. "Being together... protecting you... staying by your side until death do us part?"
Retsu shook her head slowly before she glided toward him, stopping until she was re inches away.
She leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "The highest form of love is spiritual longing. It is when your beloved passes away, and you spend every remaining second of your existence longing for them, holding their mory as a sacred, unchanging relic. That is the only love that is eternal."
Samu was in a daze. The scent of her, like lilies, overwheld him. He was so close that if he leaned forward, he could finally claim the lips he had dread of for years.
His pulse hamred in his throat.
Unconsciously, he moved toward her.
Retsu reacted with the effortless grace of a predator, stepping back just out of reach while maintaining her smile. "Do you love , Samu-kun?"
"More than anything!" Samu cried, his voice cracking. "I have no family, no friends... I have only the mory of your kindness! I have only you!"
"Then," Retsu said, her eyes shimring with a faked, glistening moisture, "would you be willing to die for ? To prove that your love can transcend this physical world?"
Samu hesitated, but Retsu’s gaze was a vacuum, pulling his soul out. "You an... to kill myself? Now?"
"... You’re hesitating...I see." Retsu turned away, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were stifling a sob. "I should have known. No one is truly willing to sacrifice their existence for love. I suppose I will never know what love really feels like. I’ll just be alone in this world, unable to know that longing."
She took a step toward the corner, her back to him.
Samu saw a single, glistening "tear" roll down her cheek, which, unknown to him, is a masterstroke of lacrimal control.
The sight shattered him.
To Samu, this was the ultimate test of the hero. "Wait! Miss Retsu! I’ll do it! If my death is the only way to remain in your heart for eternity... then I’ll gladly give it!"
Retsu paused, turning her head just enough to show a shocked, "touched" expression. "You would? You would truly beco a permanent part of my soul? Samu-kun... my heart... it’s fluttering. This must be it. You might truly be... special."
Thankfully. If he remained hesitant, Retsu would’ve dirtied her hands to kill him.
Samu smiled, a look of subli, tragic ecstasy on his face as he felt like a martyr. "I will show you what true love is! I will remain in your mind forever!"
He turned and marched down the hallway toward the training hall, his mind filled with the noble glory of his impending suicide.
He envisioned Retsu weeping over his body for decades, her life defined by the hole he left behind.
But the mont Samu turned the corner and was out of sight, Retsu’s face went instantly, chillingly blank.
She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away the artificial tear with an expression of mild boredom.
She had already forgotten his na, and as for "rembering him for eternity" Please! She didn’t even rember what he looked like ten seconds ago.
He was a toy that should be thrown and abandoned because it threatened the one playing it, so she had simply convinced the toy to break itself.
Retsu then took out an alcohol she had hidden in her pockets and sprayed it at her hands, feeling disgusted.
"Ugh, I should take a bath after this."
With that, she continued her walk towards the kitchen.
But as she rounded the corner, she had nearly collided with Seijirou.
Instantly, her eyes lit up with a warmth that was terrifyingly real.
"Seijirou!" she chirped, her voice bouncing with genuine joy.
She grabbed his arm, pressing it firmly between her breasts and leaning her head on his shoulder. "How was the eting with Grandfather? Did the old man behave himself?"
Seijirou, unaware of the death sentence Retsu had just casually issued in the hallway, smiled down at her. "It went well. I think he’s a handful, but he’s agreed to start my training tomorrow."
Retsu bead, her world suddenly narrowing down to just the man beside her. "That’s wonderful! Are you hungry? I’m about to head to the kitchen to cook. I’m going to make you sothing incredible."
"Sure. I could eat," Seijirou admitted.
"Great! Let’s go!" Retsu led him toward the dining hall, chatting animatedly about the local ingredients.
Behind them, in the silent, dark training hall, a chair was being pulled under a sturdy beam.
Retsu didn’t hear it, but even if she had, it wouldn’t have registered as anything more than background noise in the simulation of her life.
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