15 Power Over Memories (2/2)

Itsuki effortlessly dodged which the Baron had antic.i.p.ated. The Baron immediately made a right turn and suddenly quadrupled his speed.

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Contrary to what Itsuki believed, she had already noticed the Demon Baron lurking around. The realization of the Baron's presence had petrified her but she feigned ignorance.

She pretended to focus on doing what she was originally doing and hoped that the Baron would leave. However, the Baron did not leave and continued to spectate her for an hour which made her feel hopeless and powerless.

After running away from Itsuki, she began to ruminate in the bathtub. Droplets of water clung to her silky hair and the slight steam reddened her jade skin.

Examining her smooth fingers, she felt a pang of disappointment. She had misunderstood the hand holding to be an intimate gesture. Once again, she began to doubt herself.

He stands at the peak while I can only dwell in his shadows. Am I worthy of him? That demon didn't even faze him, she thought.

She dragged her finger across the Ring which gave her a sense of comfort yet also a feeling of loss. Technically, the rings meant they were engaged but it was also a forceful method. What if he despised the fact that they were forcefully engaged, she thought.

She then realized that from their interactions that he probably didn't even realize the significance of the rings.

I'll become stronger in order to stand by his side, Kirei decided and felt her resolve manifest.

[Power or Memories]

[At the expense of power, you can retain your memories and ident.i.ty. However, you will remain weak as you always were and have to scheme. At the expense of memories, you can retain your talent and strength. However, you won't recognize people and have to restart life many times]

Kirei was startled by the Ring's interjection. It hadn't done anything in a very long time which was why the prompt surprised her. Then again, it was the Ring of Resolve which meant that it only responded to determination.

I will choose to lose my memories, Kirei thought with a slightly bitter smile. Having memories were useless if she remained powerless. Only with power could she achieve great things.

Grasping the iridescent pearl close to her bosom, she whispered to herself. Even without memories, I will find my way towards you, Itsuki.

She chose memories and waited for her sense of self to disappear. After 10 minutes, nothing happened which made her sigh in relief. She then got out of the bathtub and noted that she felt stronger.

No longer feeling hopeless, she looked forward to the future once again. She then remembered that Itsuki had given her a package.

The coc.o.o.n was light but securely wrapped. Confused as to how to open it, she sighed before trying to unwrap it conventionally. She dexterously untangled the string which took a while.

The coc.o.o.n unfurled to reveal a beautiful kimono which stunned Kirei.

Even the ones made by the seamstress could not compete with her gift. Her new kimono had the color of rubies and on it was embroidered a lifelike phoenix which seemed to rise from ashes. The obi which accompanied the kimono resembled the golden sun and s.h.i.+mmered when she s.h.i.+fted it.

The apparel was fit for a G.o.ddess, let alone an empress.

She then noticed that the kimono wasn't the only thing she was given. She then found the Concealment Mask which could hide one's presence. Wearing what Itsuki wore made her blush, but then she saw the undergarments.

Holding up the bra.s.siere, she thought,”So this is the lingerie that Itsuki likes”

Kirei then began to smile mischievously. So he was just too shy to take action, she thought and felt elated. Then I can't be shy or we can't progress, she said with eyes radiating pa.s.sion.

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In front of the Fallen PaG.o.da, the Yamato and Akagi Clan gathered in order to take down the new menace. They only let the Demon Generals live because the Generals were weaker than they were. Now that the new demons were stronger than they were, they could only unite to stand a fighting chance.

The Demon Baron charged out of the forest and straight into the battlefield. He then ran towards the Demon Earl and was about to scream for help.

As his jaw creaked, his throat split in two. A nearly invisible thread glistened red and a figure emerged.

”I didn't expect to see the deadbeat dad here”

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