13 Demon of Corruption 2

"Mom! What's this thingy?"

"Hm? Oh?"

Sitting by the bedside, the sickly woman held onto the necklace handed by the little girl. Held together by a silver chain, it contains a beautiful crimson gem encased within a golden frame.

"Fufu, it has been so long, hasn't it?"

"Mom?"

"Say, Sadine. Would you like to have this necklace?"

"Naklays? What's that?"

The woman chuckled lightly, telling the little girl to turn her back. With trembling hands, she carefully put the necklace over the little girl's neck.

"Mom, it tickles!"

"It'll be quick, so stay still, OK?"

"Mhm." The little girl nodded obediently

CLICK!

"It's done. Turn around, Sadine."

The little girl turned around, her hand holding the gem.

"What do you think?"

"It's...It's beautiful..." The little girl's mouth gaped as her eyes sparkled, staring at the gem in awe.

"This necklace...It was a gift from god."

"God?"

"Mhm. It's thanks to him that you two are here."

"Then...where is he now? Why isn't he coming to save you?"

The little girl might have been a little dumb, but she was by no means oblivious. She knew her mother's recent condition had been getting worse without stopping, and that things wouldn't change in the coming future.

She had a gut feeling that her mother wouldn't have much more time. As such, she has been desperately finding all sorts of stuff to show to her mother - an excuse to spend even more time with her.

"Don't say that, child. It was...mom's wish for him to have done so."

"Why?"

"Oh, don't cry..."

Wiping her daughter's tears gently, the woman apologized.

"Mom's sorry for being selfish, Sadine, but there's no coming back anymore." She bit her lips bitterly, "That's why, when the time comes, you two must get out of here."

"Mom? What're you talking ab-"

"This necklace...Only use it when you're at your wit's end, promise?"

"Ah..um...Okay..."

"Good. You two have a longer way to go, after all, so don't look back."

***

"!"

Sensing a familiar energy, Jun turned his head to look back.

"To think I'd see that here...What a coincidence."

Some time back, he'd travel to the Wild West to pick up his old friend's memento. It was also there he'd saved and gave a young beastman that very same memento, according to the will left behind.

"To think I'd see it here...The Philosopher's Stone, was it?"

A miraculous device that can grant one the absolute ability to achieve their goal, an item manifested from a lifetime of the proclaimed worst artisan in existence, Helvick.

"That's enough reminiscing. It seems there's another reception I can't avoid."

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

A hand tapped onto June's shoulder.

***

(Sadine's POV)

'Thinking back, she was rather extreme at times, so much it worried me.'

"Gaak Agh Ag-"

SPLASH!

Stomping the imp's head flat, Sadine stood triumphantly. All of the dramatic emotions she went through suddenly felt trivial, but that wasn't what was on her mind.

"I'm sorry for wasting it so pointlessly, Mom. I'm such a hopeless daughter, am I not?"

She shamefully gripped the silver chain, frustrated by her pathetic, overconfident self. Had she been more careful...She wouldn't have wasted it like this.

"U-Um..."

"It's fine. I can see why."

It was faint, but when she was struggling against the imp, she could sense them trying to hide themselves within the confines of a magic circle. Even earlier, when she saw them, they were definitely not much better off compared to her.

It was a perfectly wise decision to stay keep, considering their tattered state and statuses as strangers.

Furthermore, one of the two was still unconscious, so any attempts to help would put both in danger.

WOOSH!

An object slid through the floor and hit her foot, prompting her to look down. It was the dagger she took from the mercenary group.

"I apologize for not being able to return this on time. You seemed to treasure it, but I had to make sure to minimize the risk."

"No need to feel guilty. It's just a stolen dagger, after all."

"H-Huh? Even though you held onto it so tightly?"

"Isn't it normal to not let go of one's weapon 'til the end?"

"I...guess that makes sense."

Sadine took a brief look at the dagger in her hand, confirming its condition. Thankfully, it's still in good condition, to which she let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, thank you for giving me this back. It's better to have a weapon than none at all. Anyway, I must leave now."

Covered in a crimson hue, Sadine took her first step, about to speed up. There was somewhere she must be after all.

"You won't reprimand us?"

"Why should I? A warrior should be able to choose his own death, no?"

Like a bolt of flash, she followed the trail that the monster left behind, leaving Rodrick both confused and amazed.

***

"Harry?"

June couldn't be mistaken.

That handsome face, that vibrant Ether flow, those curious eyes...it was definitely the same boy he met just a bit earlier.

However, there was something slightly different...something that drew his lifeless eyes in.

"Yes, that's indeed my name but...Do I know you?"

"Ah, right...I guess that happens too..."

Hidden behind the glamorous Ether, there was a hint of a foreign trace. Nevertheless, unlike the girl he just saved, this one appeared...almost parasitic somehow.

"Hm?"

"So....Who is this? Do you know him?"

A soft voice arose. At the same time, from behind Harry's back, two pointy fluffy brown ears popped up, twitching ever so slightly.

"No, I don't. He seemed to know me though, or at least my name."

Slowly, the beast-man walked out, showing her rather lacking proportions compared to Harry. With glasses on her face, she sent a scrutinizing gaze toward June, who was surprised by her looks.

'Isn't this too much of a coincidence?'

From her ears to her wavy hair, from her petite build to her weak Ether potential, to even the pair of eyes filled with distrust and the meek attitude, it was as if she was a 1:1 copy of that little girl he saved back then.

An uncanny feeling crawled up his back.

'Is this really another world?'