Chapter 1098: Chapter 1098

After Davey took over its vitality, the creature desperately struggled while slowly dying.

Since it used vitality as its main energy source, forcibly reversing that vitality and scattering it back into the world naturally caused it to vanish.

“No... No? If I lose consciousness, if I black out, then—” Clinging to Davey’s arm and muttering in desperation, it finally collapsed with a thud.

For something with such a grotesque form, having enacted such a grand plan, its death was surprisingly hollow. Of course, if Davey hadn’t possessed absolute authority over vitality, things wouldn’t have ended so easily.

Naturally, reviving the spiritual entity Belga was impossible. As Tsuna stared at the monster vanishing into nothingness, her eyes suddenly drifted to Rinne, who was quietly sweeping her hand along a nearby wall.

“So this is how it ends... so meaninglessly...”

Tsuna looked bitter, as the boy who had come to save her had disappeared along with the creature. Even though he was technically an enemy, she still couldn't seem to shake the feeling of sorrow and loss.

The creature had insisted it couldn’t lose consciousness before dying, but nothing changed in the end.

“What should we do about this place...?”

After a brief moment of thought, Davey decided to install an additional large-scale distortion barrier. He figured it’d be best if a place like that stayed hidden. After all, the only thing to come out of researching those species, beings who destroyed and devoured everything in their path, would just be more genetically mutated monsters like that one.

“Hm?” Just then, Rinne looked off in a direction.

“Rinne suspects it was just a figment of her imagination,” she said before quietly walking off.

Davey just watched her, puzzled.

After completely destroying the Vatan Kingdom’s secret facility, Davey faced off with Marquis Barogo.

Count Trink was dead, and the monster—presumed to be one of the Vatan Kingdom’s human experimentation victims—was also gone. The Shadows also rounded up the remaining personnel who had been hiding within the facility.

Marquis Barogo, who had unintentionally ended up in the same boat as Davey, was furious beyond words when he learned what had happened. He had been thoroughly deceived by the Vatan Kingdom, and the very people who pretended to follow him had secretly handed over everything to that same kingdom.

Perhaps because of that rage, he insisted on taking full responsibility for the punitive aftermath of the situation. At that point, with Tsuna dead, his political power was stronger than ever. Of course, it wouldn't last forever, but his fury was unmistakable.

“Jeo-Seung,” Davey called out. “Extract the soul from the soul stone and attach it to the ring, immediately. Ah, and don’t forget to purify it. It’s become a bit tainted.”

“But wouldn’t it be better if Woochi handled this himself? Jeo-Seung questioned.

“I don’t trust him. He’s too slippery and always trying to escape. Still, we spent a few days together, so I'd appreciate it if you could look after it.”

“Haah. Very well.” It seemed even Jeo-Seung couldn’t argue with his reasoning. “Please make sure to catch him one of these days and give him a good beating.”

“Don’t worry. Bi Yeon’s already grinding her teeth, so someone’s bound to finish him off sooner rather than later.”

Bi Yeon won most times, but the fact that Woochi was still holding on through it all was impressive in its own way. Humans really were adaptable creatures.

Watching Jeo-Seung with a curious look, Tsuna wore a bittersweet expression.

[What about my body?]

“The funeral is being prepared. Do you have any regrets?”

[It’d be a lie to say I don’t.]

Her eyes widened, surprised by his reaction.

[No, it’s not your fault.]

However, contrary to what she said, her eyes welled up with tears, emotions clearly swelling within her.

[I still had so much to do. So many things I wanted to experience...]

Davey simply waited in silence as she cried, tears dripping down her cheeks.

No one in the ducal house was aware that her soul was still present. If it became public knowledge, it would no doubt stir up all sorts of trouble. There was nothing to be gained from unnecessary rumors.

“Yeah, that guy. Once he found out you’d died, he was furious, all ready to push the Vatan Kingdom into a corner.”

[He’s a ridiculous man...]

She gave a hollow laugh. Then, she started crying again.

[To die again... Why couldn’t I live a long life?]

“What was your past life like?” Davey asked calmly.

Her eyes widened, surprised he knew about that.

“Did I not mention it before? You and I, we're a little bit alike.”

It was safe to say that beings that possessed memories of their past lives didn’t exist. However, in rare and extraordinary cases like Davey's, it wasn’t completely impossible.

“Where was your original hometown?”

Hearing that response, Davey gave a bitter laugh.

The Lux Continent was the world that had been completely destroyed by a Princess of the Abyss. They had been the older sister to Verdandi and Skuld, and the eldest of Hercules’s foster daughters. It was also the homeland of the Mythical Beast Summoner, Shane Scrift.

She floated over to the table where she used to work. Reaching out with her immaterial hand, she gently brushed just over the surface and murmured to herself.

[I died at twenty four.]

Davey briefly closed his eyes. Though the age of adulthood in Tionis was sixteen, it was probably closer to twenty on the Lux Continent.

[I even managed to graduate university with a degree in Business Administration. I wanted to date, get a good job, start a nice family like everyone else, and have a cute baby before I died.]

Unfortunately, death had come far too suddenly.

While traveling, there had been an accident. Her boat capsized, and she ended up stranded alone on a deserted island. Surviving in such a situation might be possible in the movies, but in real life without any supplies, it was nearly impossible.

Her cause of death was starvation. Extreme dehydration, fatigue, and hunger; her body simply couldn't endure it all. Maybe that memory was why she was so sensitive about the word hunger.

“Enough. I'm pulling your soul out of the stone.”

[Wait! Maybe the living can’t have all their wishes fulfilled, but surely the dead can be granted at least one?]

She reached out and grabbed his hand.

[Even just for a moment is fine... Spend a day with me. Just one day... go on a date with me.]

[Can’t you do this for me?]

Davey paused, considering her question. He then figured it wouldn’t be such a big deal to grant her such a small wish.

Still, her soul couldn’t stray far from the soul stone. If she wanted to go anywhere, someone would have to carry the stone for her.

“Alright, I’ll help. Is there somewhere you want to go?”

She thought for a moment before giving her answer.

She then laughed, waving it off.

[Ahaha, just kidding!]

“Rinne, wait here. I’m going to go grant one wish for a dead girl,” he said while picking up the soul stone.

[Huh? H-Hey! What are you—]

“What do you think? You said you wanted to see your hometown, so I’m taking you there. You can see for yourself what’s become of the place you always wished to return to.”

With that being said, he lightly sliced through the air. A rift tore open, revealing a stream of violet energy swirling beyond it.

Tsuna shouted in alarm, clearly flustered. Davey, without thinking twice, threw himself into the rift.

Space tore open in a world of shattered silence and a sky dyed in ashen gray.

She had kept her eyes tightly shut, terrified as Davey transported her through the rift. She opened them wide, only to make an expression of pure shock.

“I can’t tell you what part is what anymore, but this is the current state of Lux.”

[You’re saying... this is my former home of Lux?]

“Yeah. The same world where Shane Scrift, the Mythical Beast Summoner, once lived.”

Her eyes widened even more after hearing him mention a hero from the Lux Continent.

[The one who saved the world... the Master of the Three Mythical Beast Kings?!]

She looked at Davey stunned, her face clearly screaming ‘Who in the world was the guy in front of her?’

“To be honest, if I were trying to be kind, I wouldn’t have shown you a world this wrecked. Still, I wanted you to let go of your attachment to it.”

[How... How long has it been since I died?]

“Hmm. Who knows? Calendars change all the time, but if you really want a number, it’s Temus year 320, I think?”

[That’s... two hundred years ago!]

She collapsed in place, devastated.

[Two hundred years have passed since I died, and now this world is completely ruined.]

Blankly muttering to herself, she looked back up at Davey.

[You’re serious... This is really Lux?]

“I already said it is. Are you always this slow to believe people?”

[You're the one who said I should learn to question things!]

She had picked up on the wrong lesson with incredible speed.

“I’m not lying. I’m here telling you to let go of your regrets for this place. Even if life eventually returns to the Lux Continent, it won’t be for at least a thousand years.”

That was a lie. If all life on Lux had truly gone extinct, it could take thousands or even tens of thousands of years for it to recover. That was the amount of destruction that Urd, the Princess of the Abyss, had caused.

“All right. You’ve seen enough. Let’s go.”

She picked up a weathered shard of wood from the ground. Even though the environment was barren, the place they ended up had clearly once been a city where people lived.

[Who could’ve done something ?!!]

“What would you even do if you knew, Tsuna de Murgent?”

“Get revenge? You’re dead.”

Her eyes widened at his bluntness.

“Wake up. You’re dead, and that is what happens when you don’t value your life. Of course, it’s only because you’re dead that I’m showing you this.”

“A living being capable of destroying the world descended here, and the Lux Continent fell apart before I could even intervene. That’s all there is to it.”

[Who... Who are you, really?]

She had finally reached the point where she couldn’t help but ask him about it.

[Are you really Davey O’Rowane?]

“I am, I’ve just had a few strange experiences,” he answered calmly.

Tsuna began to cry again, so he waited quietly, letting her grieve.

[When I woke up again, I was my new father’s only daughter. I grew up under a strict father, preparing to become the Chancellor from a young age.]

It took about twenty minutes of venting for her to calm down. To be honest, she pulled herself together a lot faster than Davey had expected.

[My first life ended too suddenly, so I didn’t want the second one to go the same way.]

As such, she had worked harder than anyone else. Her first life ended in a ridiculous accident, but she believed that if she became an undeniable Chancellor in her second life, she wouldn’t die such a meaningless death again.

“There are plenty of people who die from overworking, you know.”

[Yet I still died from betrayal.]

She pouted and then laughed hollowly.

[Let’s go somewhere else. I want to see something different.]

“Where do you want me to take you?”

[Can I really go anywhere?]

She paused in thought, then smirked mischievously. It was the kind of smile someone made right before making an impossible request.

[When I was little, I read a fairy tale about the Spirit Realm. It said it was incredibly beautiful. Is that true?]

“Guess we’ll find out.”

[W-Wait! You’re taking me to the Spirit Realm?!]

“Yep. Things might get a little dizzy, so hang in there.”

She’d still had no idea what Davey was truly capable of. Once they arrived in the Spirit Realm, she looked around in disbelief, unable to accept that they were actually there.

Naturally, the spirits sensed Davey’s presence and swarmed him like bees, chattering loudly and gleefully. To the spirits, Davey was their savior. After all, it was he who had once rescued the Primordial Spirit.

Tsuna, seeing spirits for the first time, seemed fascinated by the tiny creatures fluttering through the air, though the spirits were wary of her at first. Still, after listening to Davey, they slowly approached her, and surprisingly, her affinity with them was strong. Before long, they were chatting excitedly and clinging to her side as well.

It was the first time Davey had seen Tsuna laugh so openly, genuinely chatting without any reservations. Though she always wore a composed mask, her smiles had never felt quite real. It seemed like she'd finally let her guard down.

As they were returning to Tionis, she murmured bitterly to herself.

[Belga... That boy is really gone, isn’t he?]

[Alberta will function just fine without me, right?]

Hearing his half-hearted response, she pouted again.

[Can’t you give a proper answer for once?]

“I don’t know stuff like that.”

Only beings like Kouna on Earth with the power of Celestial Maidens or Goddess Freyja had the power to clearly see the future.

[Still, I’m really surprised. You’re someone who can move between worlds!]

It looked like she was finally letting go of her regrets.

[I promised my father I’d live a long life... I’ve failed him terribly.]

Davey didn’t know what to say at the sudden change of topic.

If the late Chancellor, who had passed away earlier under Jeo-Seung’s custody, were to see her regret, he would’ve wept blood. Davey figured it was perhaps a blessing they never had the chance to meet again. As such, he chose not to tell her anything about the late Chancellor.

[Thank you. After the miracle you showed me, I think I’ve finally let go of some of my regrets.]

He could tell she was lying, but she still seemed satisfied.

[By the way, what kind of deal did you make with my father?]

“He offered me a certain treasure that your family had kept for a long time. It was some kind of artifact crafted using materials from some kind of creature, apparently.”

[I’ve never heard of that.]

“Well, I was just curious, so I took the offer. That’s all.”

His urge to collect unusual things was pretty strong.

Before she left, she took one last walk around the mansion, careful to remain unseen. Although their trip to another world had lasted only about an hour, it seemed to be enough for her.

[Just once more... Will you dance with me? Back then, when I invited you to the royal banquet, you coldly turned me down. Can you grant this one last wish?]

Davey sighed. “You better not step on my foot.”

Without another word, he took her hand and began to dance.

It might’ve felt like an anticlimactic ending, but he knew that would be the last time he saw Tsuna. She followed his lead with surprising ease—clearly the result of years of formal training.

Bathed in moonlight, she smiled beautifully and swept her pink hair behind her ear as they came to the final step.

That was when Jeo-Seung appeared to let them know the time had come. “It’s about time we go.”

Tsuna silently turned to Davey, slowly walking closer.

She pointed at something.

“Huh?” Davey turned his head to look, then felt the cold sensation of a spirit brush against his cheek.

[I didn’t say my feelings before. I was afraid you’d laugh if I said something about them after just a few days.]

She spoke to him with a warm smile.

[But I think... I really do like you, even if it’s only been a few days. I never believed in love at first sight during my life, but maybe I was wrong.]

When she smiled bitterly and stepped back, Davey sighed, one hand still resting on his cheek.

‘Yeah. It’s just one wish from a dead—’

Suddenly, the window shattered violently, and a pair of glowing red eyes flared through the opening. A pale white hand shot out and snatched Tsuna.

“Didn’t I tell you not to let others overlook you? That human hearts don’t always do what we want? This is your fault too.”

Her usual smile was radiant, but now, he felt nothing but dread, like he was facing a demon from the pits of hell.

“H-How did you even—”

That one word sent chills down his spine.

“You think you can just disappear after causing all this mess? No way—you need to be properly disciplined. I’ll show you what happens when you flirt with someone else's husband.”

The ancient ruins Davey had left behind were completely silent. Deep beneath the ruins, in the underground chamber with the dried-up monster, a faint glimmer of light began to flicker from its corpse.

As the light slowly grew brighter, the monster’s grotesque body began to shrink. Bit by bit, the withered flesh compressed and reformed until it took on the shape of a single figure.

It was the form of a boy with light green hair.

A chilling breath and an empty glare, devoid of reason, filled the space.

The boy emerged naked, walking forward slowly. In his eyes could be seen a glint of madness, indicative of something disturbing and unstable.

With a deafening roar, the earth split apart. Massive, worm-like creatures with shining violet bodies exploded forth from below, burrowing toward the surface in a frenzy. Check latest chapters at novelꞁire.net

The boy was none other than Belga, the spiritual entity, who had gone completely berserk.