Chapter 129: Farewell

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"And so that's what happened…" Inferna finished explaining to me what had happened while I was fighting Blednica, showing me her belly, which now had a big scar where she had been attacked and almost killed. "If it wasn't for the Doppelganger, I would be dead now… But she stopped talking after I woke up. I've also lost the powers I borrowed from her, but I feel slightly stronger…"

"I see…" I sighed. "Well, that's good. I made her to protect all of you. I'm sure she's still alive, within your body, supporting you, doing her job…"

I had created the Doppelganger using Roy's slime and other materials, and as expected, it ended up being a very useful asset, and perhaps the reason why the Demons managed to survive.

Though, Inferna seemed slightly sad, she was gone. I was surprised she had managed to heal her to such an extent. The Doppelganger was supposed to disappear after 24 hours, but it looks like now that it has fused with Inferna, it might stay forever.

"She might one day wake up and talk to you again, or maybe not…" I sighed. "Sorry that I can't do anything about this…"

"No, it's fine, really!" Inferna smiled. "I'm just glad everything went well. Everyone's alive too! Nobody died… It was such a miracle, something that only you could have done."

Inferna suddenly held my hands, looking into my eyes with her own beautiful red eyes.

"Thank you so much for everything, Anna…" Tears started flowing from her eyes. "Without your help, everyone, everything... Thank you, thank you so much."

She suddenly started crying in front of me. I couldn't resist the urge to hug her tightly, letting her rest on my shoulder as I caressed her silky hair.

"It's fine, I did it because I could. There's nothing much to thank me about, if anything, I want you and everyone else to keep on living and prospering once I'm gone as a way to thank me." I smiled. "I want all of you to live and prosper, to flourish once more, you might as well be the very last Demons in the Demon Realm."

"Anna…" Inferna cried. "Y-You're going away?"

"Yeah…" I sighed, looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Inferna. But in about an hour… I'll be sent back home. I told you that my visit here was brief, and I've accomplished what I was sent here to do. Now the forces that sent me here will send me back home, and it's not something I can delay either…"

"T-That's…" Inferna seemed more shaken than I thought. "I see… I guess… I should have imagined that. Hahah…"

"Sorry…" I said, as she slowly moved away from my embrace, but stopped midway through and looked into my eyes once more, approaching her lips into my face.

"A-Anna I…" She muttered, slowly growing redder.

Her lips suddenly approached my cheek, giving me a small kiss.

"Thank you…" She said it, smiling timidly. "I don't know if it might be possible one day, but... I hope we can meet again another day, another time." She was still holding my hands tightly.

"Inferna, you…?" I felt surprised, as I was about to ask her what her true feelings were.

"Anyways!" However, she interrupted me. "Let's go meet with everyone else before you leave!" She quickly stood back up, as if she had never cried before.

If we never see each other again, I guess it's better to not address it and make her feel even worse.

"You're right!" I nodded, crossing my arms. "Let's go eat with everyone else! Is Isaac fine?"

"Yeah, he and everyone else that hid underground are just fine." Inferna smiled cheerfully, grabbing my hand again and dragging me out of the room. "Hurry! We gotta make sure to spend this hour well!"

"Okay, okay, calm down!" I laughed.

We walked out of the room and were quickly greeted by everyone else. The demons were joyful the moment they saw me, opening their eyes wide and running to my side.

"Lady Anna's awake!"

"Anna!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Did you really defeat Blednica?! For real?!"

"Thank you so much for everything, really!"

"Without you, we wouldn't have been able to survive. You have my thanks."

"Ahahaha, well, I'm fine, thank you!" I giggled. "And yes, I've made sure Blednica is no more; don't worry about it. Now the only thing left is for all of you to slowly find better ways to survive. Grow crops, raise cattle, and start renovating the village up there. Living underground won't make it, don't you think?"

"T-That's right…!"

"Now that there's no danger…"

"Even the Blood Thralls have been exterminated completely now…"

"W-We can really start anew…"

"We could domesticate those wasps for honey, and find some demonic lambs in the mountains for cattle, maybe… With our new strength, taming beasts shouldn't be so hard."

"If we can grow mushrooms and some plants, we wouldn't need to forage out there as much."

"That's right!"

It seems that everyone took my words rather easily, immediately beginning to consider what I had said and beginning to think of a new, brighter future.

I can't believe how much they've changed in just a couple of days, from looking miserable, hopeless, and without the desire to keep living to full of energy, hope, and the desire to continue forward into a brighter future.

I've done this. I've helped them reach this far. It feels so nice to make others happy. I never realized this in my previous life.

"Big sis!" Isaac ran to my side as well. "You're okay? I made sure to heal you as much as I could!"

"Yes! I'm fine, Isaac; thank you so much for your help!" I giggled. "I hope that one day you can help many other people with your gift; it is something that'll change your village for the better."

"Y-Yes! I will!" Isaac was very pumped up.

"How about we eat together, then?" Inferna asked. "Everyone, let's eat together!"

"YEAAAH!"

The Demons cheered as we sat down around a huge wooden table and started eating the stew Inferna had prepared. It was made from tender demon bear meat she had hunted just recently, with mushrooms and some of the veggies I had donated.

"S-So how is it? I prepared it with all my efforts!" Inferna asked.

It lacked salt, and many other condiments, but to be honest, it was just fine for a stew, and because it was made with the Cooking Skill, it came out extra tasty.

"It's delicious, your cooking is amazing." I smiled.

"A-Ahahah…" Inferna giggled, blushing at my words. "I'm glad you like it."

"Hoh…" Isaac suddenly smiled, looking at his sister. "Big sis has a crush on Anna?"

"I-Isaac! Shut it!" Inferna gave her little brother a karate chop in the head.

We laughed, we talked, and we celebrated. Some of the old demons brought liquor, which they shared with me. I knew I was underage for that, but I didn't care. I was drinking a cup to celebrate with them; it was a very spicy liquor made from cave mushrooms, with a relaxingly bitter undertone.

"Ahahaha! You're taking the liquor awfully well, little Anna!"

"Wow, she's already on her second?"

"Guh… My head's spinning all over... Gueeh…"

I felt like I was about to puke.

"Did you have to force her to drink?!" Inferna reprimanded the old men.

"Come on, Inferna, let the lass celebrate!" Laughed the old men.

The feast continued as they brought a whole roasted demon bear later, which we enjoyed together, the children, the elderly, and everyone. I made sure to write a few things and leave them for Inferna, mostly recipes, and methods for farming and cattle raising.

And in the middle of the festivities, I noticed my body was slowly beginning to turn into particles of light… Ah, I was going away quite slowly.

"Anna, how about you try this- Ah…" Inferna muttered, looking at my body as it slowly began to disappear.

"It has been nice, Inferna." I smiled back at her.

"A-Anna, so you're going…" She sighed. "I wonder if we will see each other again someday?"

"Well, maybe. One day, in the not-so-distant future, there could be a chance. Until then, make sure to keep training and helping your people, okay?" I asked.

"Okay!" Inferna nodded. "T-Thank you again, for everything…"

She suddenly hugged me tightly, rubbing her face on my shoulders and my long hair.

"Thank you to you too, for believing in me."

My body slowly dissipated as I saw Inferna smile amidst tears.

And then, I felt like I was moved completely elsewhere, and I found myself sitting on my bedroom floor, opening my eyes slowly.

It felt as if I had lived an incredibly long dream.

I stood up, glancing through the window, and saw the huge city of Stronghold in its night's splendor.

The city lights, the sounds of the cars, and the people wandering across the streets even at this hour.

"I'm back…"

And as I admired the view, I noticed the castle floating above the skies, in the distance. Its demonic aura slowly grows larger by the second.

"There's still a few things left to do…"

.

.

.

"Are you enjoying the result of your efforts?"

Suddenly, I started to slowly hear the voice of a young man whispering in my ears.

"In this world, efforts are always rewarded, and there's always a punishment for the mistakes you commit."

The voice kept talking, and I found only pure brilliance wherever I tried to look.

"You're a particularly interesting seed in this endlessly repeating cycle."

"Who is it?"

I tried to find the origin of the voice, as I walked amidst the whiteness.

And then, I found something.

Someone with the slight shape of a man, wearing a black suit, had his entire body made of pure light.

His two eyes shone brightly with golden and blue light.

He was sitting on a wooden chair; in front of him was a small wooden desk and a book with white pages.

"Remember that you only have one shot at this."

"What…?"

The figure slowly started flipping the pages of the book, his eyes reading through them, even though there was nothing in the pages.

"The book is being rewritten as we speak... Are you prepared for what's to come?"

"You…?"

"Are you ready for what it truly means to become a character in this story, Anna?"

"…"

He suddenly smiled as I remained silent.

"You've done many amazing things, but to truly end this endless cycle... You will need to achieve even greater heights. Heights that the protagonist alone would never do, even less as a side character."

"I can do it."

"Hoh? Why are you so sure?"

"There's no other choice. I either do it... or die trying."

"Heh… With that tenacity of yours, maybe you were indeed a good choice."

He stopped flipping the book pages and then took a last look at me.

"I will be looking forward to how you'll develop this story, {Reader}." He said. "And for that reason, I'll give you one last gift."

"What? A gift?!" I asked.

"The greatest gift of them all, {Memory}."

FLASH!

He waved his hands as a glass-looking fragment of brilliance reached my head, fusing with it. Suddenly, a stream of information I couldn't remember that well became incredibly clear—clearer than ever before.

This is... the Gift of {Memory}?!

"Who are you?! Why are you gifting me such a precious thing?" I asked. "What… do you intend?!"

"Nothing less than what you want; we're together on this, Anna." He smiled. "My Authority is limited because this {Story} has already ended. Rewriting a book always comes with a few retcons here and there, isn't it?"

"You…"

"Now then, the {Story} must continue."

Slowly, he closed the book, and at that moment, I woke up, opening my eyes.

Was that who I think it is?

There's no way...

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