65 64. Maria, the one who burns the void.txt (2/2)

However, I didn't want to waste time, so I continued to play with fire magic in my room. Next to the master's room where he practiced his icy magic, I continued to practice my fire magic.

Over and over, and over and over.

I chanted over and over again.

For some reason, it calmed me down.

It's so calming to see the emotions chipping away, overflowing and unbalanced.

I had a feeling that something important was being altered. Still, I couldn't stop it. Because if I didn't, I was going to be crushed with anxiety, and I couldn't bear it.

I muttered to myself.

”'Cut off the flame' --

As I wish, I continue to compose.

”'Buds of Birth Flames'

He continued to recite the poem and waited for the morning.

”'Please,' 'Don't go,' 'Don't go,' 'Don't abandon me,' 'Don't leave me.' ', 'I am,' 'I am--'

In my fuzzy consciousness, I paid the ”price” and kept wishing.

But the next morning, my wish was in vain.

The next morning, everything is broken.

◆◆◆◆◆ ...

'I knew you'd go. Master .......

The next morning, Master tried to go out without speaking to me.

That's what I mean.

It means he tried to leave me .......

I'll be back with Rustyala soon ....... So, you can wait here for Maria.

As if to mend, the master returned the words.

I will confirm the truth of it with my 'eyes'. But I don't understand.

Are you coming back?

Really?

After that, I'm supposed to run away to a different country. Maria--

When I heard that you were fleeing to a different country, Rustyala asked, ”Will you travel with me somewhere far away and different? This reminds me of the line, ”I don't know.

If I hadn't stopped my master here, we might have tried to go to a different country together.

Without me, just the two of us--

You're coming with me. The three of us can run away together.

Was it supposed to be two?

Was it supposed to be three?

I don't know anymore.

I don't know, and I only ask back what I know.

'Escape ......?　Then this house is ......?

What will happen to this house?

You talk as if you'll never come back.

This is the house that the master left me in charge of and told me to cook for him every day.

'I'm sorry, but we'll have to get rid of this house ....... It's a waste of money though. ......

But the master assured me that he would throw it away.

My dream of living in this house modestly and happily.

Now, that dream was shattered cleanly.

Shattered, it was quickly transformed into a black flame.

...... I don't like it.

This one night had filled me with black fire.

So a new black flame spilled out of my mouth.

'Huh?'

'Please don't go, Master ....... Please. Please, please don't go: ......

I can't stop the fire from spilling out, and I let everything deep inside me out.

'Maria ......?　What the hell is wrong with you, ......?

'If you go, you'll never reach ...... again. You'll be left behind .......

'No, that's why I'm asking you to go with me. I won't leave you. I promise. There's no way I'm going to leave Maria behind, is there?

'It's a lie. Even if the three of us ran away, I'm sure I wouldn't be there ....... Whether I'm there or not, I'm still the same ....... I don't want that!

But all of that kindness is unbelievable to me.

I can't trust any of it.

I can't trust Christ Eurasia.

Because the master lied to me.

He tried to shut up and go help Mr. Rustyala.

I like it, but only because I like ...... it!　I don't believe you!

'Why ......?　Why are you helping Mr. Rastiara?　You don't like it or anything, do you?

'Why? ....... Rustyala is one of us, right?　He's the kind of guy we're going to need to explore the labyrinth from now on.

The future?

I don't want to hear about it.

I don't want to hear about the future.

I just want to go back. I want to go back to ■■.

Back to what?

No!

I want to go back to time alone with my Master!

To a world with no one but the two of us!

'For future labyrinth explorations ......?　Where are you going to go from here?　If you go, I'm sure Mr. Rustyala will be saved!　If that happens, I'll see you at ......!　Same thing again!　I don't want to go deep into the maze!　You don't have to go!　If only I could live peacefully in this house, that's all I need!

I wield my self-centered opinion.

The heat of the black flames in the pit of my stomach spits out incessantly and does not stop.

'Maria, calm down ......!　The only thing I can't change is that I'm going deeper into the labyrinth: ......

'Greedy!　You don't have to go to the back, as long as you're making money safely in about 10 layers, usually!　You will live happily ever after!　I like that!　You don't have to have Mr. Rustyala for that!

In response to his cry, the master approached me and grasped his shoulder with both hands.

I grasped it firmly and we met eye to eye.

I'm frightened by the distance between me and my master, the person I want to be with, and I'm frightened.

'Now, we're not talking about that, are we?　Right now, I'm talking about saving Lastiara because if we don't do this, Lastiara is going to die and I'm going to save her. Is Maria willing to let Lastiara die ......?

Then I am asked about the death of Mr. Rastiala.

I come to myself a little bit, remembering the kind Mr. Rastiala who supported me in my love life.

'...... Mr. Rastiala is a good man. I don't want ...... him to die.

I know. Maria, calm down ....... Rastiara has to help ....... He's one of us.

For a moment, the strength drained from my body.

That was the amount of time that Rustyala-san had been kind to me.

However, I immediately remembered Lastiara-san's words from yesterday, and the strength that had slipped away swelled up and returned.

She's one of us. But yesterday, she tried to take my master away from me. She tried to do more than be one of us in a cowardly way.

Are your masters and Mr. Rastiara your mates?

I can't believe it: ......!

'Fellow (...) ......?　Because we're friends (・・・・・)?　Is your master willing to risk his life to save you just for that?

'Oh, ah, ......'

It's a lie, of course.

You can't just be one of us, that's why it happened like yesterday.

'You can't be one of us. ...... It's a lie. You're not risking your life for that reason. ...... Yes, it is. It's crazy. The master wants to make a good point, doesn't he?　For him!　Master wants to look good in front of Mr. Rustyala, not me!　When that man wasn't around, he was dressing up for me!

Lies.

You lied.

Lies again.

The fact that I'm being lied to burns my black flame.

And finally, it leaked out of my body as a flame of reality.

I am no longer convinced.

My master is a liar.

He is trying to hide everything and leave me behind.

He chose Mr. Rustyala, not me.

Then there's only one thing I can do.

There's only one more thing I can do.

I slowly approach my master while constructing my forged flaming sword.

''............!　--Michael, freeze!

Cold air spreads through the room.

The annoying cold air is trying to extinguish my flame.

I won't let it go out.

This flame is the flame I need to get my master.

It is the flame to cut the legs of the master who wants to leave me behind.

I swing the flame sword with a big swing.

The master dodges it with a paper-thin move with his unusual dynamic vision and tries to grab my hand. It's a commonplace response. My skills cannot capture the master's inner workings. But I can at least predict the most mundane of tactics.

The hand that tries to grab mine is grabbed by me.

I burn that hand with fire.

''--Heat!

The heat caused the master's body to stiffen.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he swung a sword of fire.

However, it slashed through the air without a second thought.

The master's magical power swells up. And our eyes meet. He had serious eyes.

A chill runs down my spine, and at the same time, everything was never there.

He takes my arms and puts my hands behind my back.

As it is, I'm pushed to the floor.

'Maria, you need to listen to me!　Have you met a knight named Palinkron or something like that lately!

Palinkulon--?

I've never heard of it.

It's the knight who sold you in the slave market sometime ago. He looks at you like he's observing people, he's a little taller than I am, and he's a suspicious fellow dressed like a merchant!

'Such a ......!　That's not the point: ......!

It doesn't matter.

Right now, it's more important to catch the master.

'Maria, have you fallen under some kind of spell?　You're impossibly confused!

'Magic ......!　Confusion ......!

It was the master.

He was magically brainwashed by his master, and I--

As I try to say it back, I'm stopped by the cold air of the magic power transmitted from my back.

Just as I am spewing flames from my body, my master is also spewing cold air from his body. That cold air cools my flames - the black flame.

My whole body is freezing cold.

It's a chill I haven't felt in recent years.

It seals the flame, the source of my power, from its roots.

'Yes, calm down ....... Slow down, take a deep breath and calm down .......

I hear my master's voice coming from my ear.

I do as I'm told and take a deep breath to calm my mind.

Gradually, I regain my composure.

The sludgy emotions that have been dominating my body are cooling down.

'What ......?　What, is that ......?

'Are you okay, Maria ....... Have you calmed down?

As he cools off, he understands the situation at the same time.

Every part of the house is scorched and seized by the master.

Why ......?

I pointed my flaming sword at my master ......?

Hey, why ......?

There was no way I could win one-on-one.

There's no way the master is going to like me for doing this.

It wouldn't make any sense. Instead, he'd hate you and you'd hate ......!　Why ......!

'S-Sorry, ......!　How dare I: ......!

I'm good. I know. I know I said some mindless things because of the confusion. You don't have to apologize: ......

The words are kind.

But the master looks tired and leaves my side, and is concerned about the outside.

Ah, ah, .......

No. No, no, no, no .......

My cold head understands that I've done something irreversible.

I let out the fire that I had been keeping in front of my master all along.

I don't know why.

My mind goes blank and all I can do is pile on the words of apology.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry ....... Master ......'

I keep apologizing.

I hope you can forgive me.

I don't want you to hate me.

I don't want you to go.

I want you to be with me.

I have a mixture of feelings, and all I can do is keep apologizing.

”You don't have to apologize. More importantly, how are you doing?　From the looks of it, though, the confusion has died down considerably.

'Yes, I'm totally done ....... I'm really sorry, I ......

Master pats my head and looks at me to see how I'm doing.

The palm of his hand feels good .......

But no.

Don't let that pleasure take over.

I've done something that I can't take back.

I don't know why I did it.

But I do know that I need to apologize to my master.

'--Maria, I'm going to bring Rustyala to you now. Soon. I'll be back soon.

'Ha, yes ....... If the master decides to do so, then of course .......

I answered without thinking too much about it, for I didn't want to upset my master's mood.

'Until then, Maria will wait in this house. Lock the door and never let anyone in.

No one?

Yeah, me too. I'm gonna break in through the window. No one comes in the front door.

'I understand. No matter what happens, no one can get in!

If you don't do what I say, they hate you.

That's all that was swirling around in my head.

If they hated me, I couldn't be with them.

That's the only thing I can't do.

If that happens, I'm not going to be able to--

Well, I'm off to ....... Maria.

...... Yes, have a good day. Master.

But if you let them walk away...

I really don't want you to go.

I need you to stick around a little longer.

I need you to tell me what's going on.

I need your help.

I need your help.

Help me, master.

Please, please don't go away--

--But the master has gone.

He left me alone at home .......

He has gone: .......

◆◆◆◆◆

I sit in a state of abandonment.

I let my emotions get the better of me, and I went on a rampage.

The end of it all, the master has gone.

I'd say it was the worst possible outcome.

I don't know what caused it.

It was the first tantrum I've had in a long time. It was so long ago that I can't remember the last time I was that disturbed.

And the tantrum didn't end with a tantrum.

A flood of black emotions poured out of me from the depths of my heart and I couldn't stop them.

It was a nightmare that made me feel like I wasn't myself anymore.

I was thinking horrible thoughts at the time.

--If I burn it in the flames and make my master immobile, it will be mine and mine alone.

Indeed, that's what I was thinking.

I was scared of my feelings that came from the bottom of my heart.

Was my true intentions this horrible?

Oh, I don't know.

Not only do I not understand my master, I don't even understand myself anymore.

I sit down and just stare into the air.

'...... Maria (...)'

Before I knew it, someone was standing next to me and called my name.

I closed the door, as the master had told me to do. But yet Mr. Alty was there, as he should be, and slowly sat down next to me.

I let out, clinging to the only person I could trust.

'Ahhhh ....... Mr. Arti, I don't know what's going on anymore ....... Please help me. Help me, help me .......

'Don't worry, I'm here. I'm here for you, Maria.

Mr. Alty takes me in his arms and whispers softly.

'But I!　Trying to bake the master into his own ......!　So ......!!!!

'I know, Maria. I know exactly how that feels to me.

It affirms everything about me.

'What ......?'

I want the man I love to be mine. I want to hold him back by force. If I can't have him, I want to burn him and make him mine. I know exactly what you mean. It's a natural feeling.

He affirmed it and even said that it was natural.

But I don't want you to say that much.

'And of course ......?　Oh no, this can't be natural. It's not--

I don't want to be comforted.

I just want to know why I'm in this incomprehensible state.

I just want to know how it happened, what's wrong with me, and who to blame - I just want to know.

Because I don't even know what's wrong with me anymore.

It's more that I don't even know what's wrong anymore - I just want to know.

'All I can think of is that I'm crazy (・・・・・・・・) already (・・・・・・・・)!　No. ......!　I don't even know what's wrong with it!　Help: ......!　Somebody, somebody help me: ......!

I'm going crazy.

No, maybe I'm already crazy.

I don't know how long I've been mad.

I don't even know where the madness came from.

I don't believe anything.

The Eye didn't do me any favors.

On the contrary, it destroyed something so important to me that I had nothing left to give.

'I'm sorry. Maria.

I hear voices in the distance.

But I don't know what's being said anymore.

My consciousness sinks.

I'm sinking into a deep, deep, black world, like sludge.

I am falling to the bottom, everywhere and nowhere.

Slowly, to the bottom, where there are sparks of black fire.

'If possible, I wanted to end it the way Maria wanted it most. I could have gone more slowly. But I couldn't. I'm really, really sorry: ......

I'm falling down, but I'm not alone.

There is someone who will fall with me.

Mr. Alty will be with me wherever I go.

'The timing was too good. I can't get it under control now. Today, Rastiara would be stuck. It is only today that I can go one-on-one with Christ, evenly matched in every sense of the word.

They check each other's heat, mingle, and head for the black sparks.

Oh .......

I still feel safe with Alty-san .......

Mr. Alty is the only one who won't leave me.

I can trust that he's not a liar.

It's the only day that I (Arti) and the wounded Christ (Kanami) will be alone ...... with Mary.

I finally understand.

This is the affinity that Alty was talking about.

Life is close.

It means too close.

Assimilation.

Consciousness mingles with awareness, fire with fire burning each other.

I am Mr. Arti and Mr. Arti becomes me.

'At last, my longed-for wish comes true. My 'tragic love fulfilled' is today--

This is how I understood what Mr. Alty had meant by seeming sad all along.

◆◆◆◆◆ ...

It burns.

Oh, everything burns.

All the ties that have held me back burn.

I don't need the ethics that were in the way, the calculus, the afterthought, or anything else, so let's turn it into fuel.

As I mingled with Mr. Arti, I had a clear answer.

I understood what we were about to accomplish.

I understood all of Mr. Alty's longing.

After all, Alty-san was with me.

Because we were together, she was so accommodating.

She took it as seriously as she did herself.

Fulfilling 'Tragic Love': ......

The fulfillment of a love that cannot be reached.

That's all Alti-san wanted.

And now, it is my hope as well.

Having assimilated with Alty and lost all my ties, I can now be honest with him.

I don't want to be alone anymore.

I don't want to be alone.

I don't want to be unhappy.

I don't want to be in pain.

I do not want to lose anything.

I want to keep gaining.

I want to be with the one I love.

My master.

Master. Master. Master.

I need master.

I don't want you to go away.

I don't want him to leave me.

I don't want you to leave me alone.

Just look at me.

Just look at me.

Live looking only at me.

I live only for the master, so the master should live only for me.

-- such a simple and clear desire.

The end of my emotional turmoil.

At last, I have a true dream.

I was ready to lose everything for that dream.

I'm not hesitant to burn it all, like Arti-san once was.

--and as I stare at the burning flames, the time will come.

The ”Stealer of Fire” whispers sadly to me, ”Now let's see,” he whispers to me.

The master of the lie, ”Christ Eurasia,” emerges from under the hill.

He was chosen by the 'eye' to be my ■■, the gentle man who was chosen to take the place of my ■■.

He is too precious to be captured by the 'eyes' anymore.

A hero among heroes.

--My beloved has come.

But my beloved did not come for me alone.

As a matter of course, there is someone in the way behind him.

Ms. Rastiala is there. I know she is supporting me.

But someone I am jealous of. Someone I wish I hadn't been.

Just the presence of Ms. Rastiala there draws the master to the light. No matter how much she said with her mouth that she was supporting me, the reality was that just being there was a hindrance.

Abominable.

Everything is abominable.

Gentle and dazzling Mr. Rastiala. The knights of the Hoosiers who pestered him. The new friends who try to interrupt him. No one and everything is in the way ......!

It would be better if it was just the two of us, the master and I. I wish it was just the two of us.

If only we could live modestly and happily together, that's all that matters to me.

There are a lot of people trying to take away that little bit of happiness from me.

--We must burn them.

Arti-san agrees with me, ”Yes.

Today I was left behind because of Mr. Rastiala.

So I'll have to take it back.

I will take your master back from Mr. Rastiara: ......!

Because I found the master first: ......!

That was me: ......!

”--Return your master, te ....... Ka, eshte ......--

Some of the industrial flame spilled out of his mouth.

Once it flowed outward, it couldn't stay again.

All of the flames in my body are rushing towards the exit.

My thoughts called ”karma flames” are leaking out.

With this flame, I will burn everything.

Only by doing so can my tragic love be fulfilled.

Even though my eyes tell me that in the end, everything will disappear as ashes like ■■.

Even if Arti-san, who knows the end of it all, smiles sadly.

Because I can only burn it anymore--