The Death In Life, The Life In Death

"Hashk-!"

Roy bent over and retched, but it wasn't vomit that came out of his mouth, but patches of blood and shredded filaments.

He had not forgotten this feeling.

There were two bloody holes on his abdomen—where two of his kidneys rested—now likely removed.

It was like the legendary ghost doctor myths on the internet—when I woke up in the ice cold water in the bath room, I found to my horror, my kidneys taken away, left only with two refined sutures—for my manhood and pitiful little brother to no longer rise again!

If an ordinary person had two of his kidneys punctured, he might have fallen directly on the death's gate, but for a Godslayer like Roy, this is not a fatal injury.

As for the lack of one or two internal organs?

Now he was very much used to it in all terms. In the past few years of fighting with Scathach, his internal organs have hardly been left intact.

Haash, isn't this a kind of perpetual sadness? To gain natural acceptance to losing your organs.

"Master, you are so ruthless, this is not just once or twice that both my kidneys have beared your brunt. Hahk, poor kiddos."

Roy knelt on the ground with his hand wrapped around his waist.

Although he complained about his current dilemma in a woeful tone, in fact he did not blame Scathach, but instead blamed himself for his carelessness and his rhapsodous ecstasy.

He unknowingly recalled the scene that staged not long ago, he had lunged in the river first.

Although Roy didn't get Scathach body—he got the 'lotusy' knee kick from his craftsman.

However, despite the supreme enjoyment, the price paid wasn't cheap.

Just when Roy almost ascended the Buddhahood and saw the Western Heavenly Paradise—Scathach summoned her two judgement spears, and sanctioned them on his bliss!

His kidneys were pierced and shredded, causing him to fall directly from the sensuous heaven into the tormentous hell.

"I'm just teaching you, no matter when, you can't let lose of your vigilance, because that is when a man is the least vigilant, and it is also the time when a man is at his weakest, the very optimal situation to get assassinated."

Scathach turned aside, with the two blood-red demonic spears flagged on the sides, she quickly left Roy out from beneath her who was just underneath her nether region.

The Queen of Shadows had a glowed face tainted with a tinge of red, her mood was certainly not calm as she posed on the surface.

Seeing this, Roy had a faint and untraceable triumphous smile on the corner of his lips. Another unknown side of Scathach he hadn't seen before. Her heart was not as cold as steel, but had gentleness too.

"But for sure, you are knowledge about weird things."

Roy remarked sourly.

Scathach had already calmed herself down. She stood up and materialized the purple tights as the runes flashed.

Seeing Roy's expression, she laughed: "Don't think about it you little devil, this is just the [Wisdom of Dún Scáith]."

"The abyss's knowledge has taught you something messy."

His face remained plain but he still couldn't help but criticize.

"When you reach the edge of the abyss one day, you will know what else it will teach you"

Scathach encouraged Roy, then with an expression reminiscent of a naughty little girl she chuckled:

"But, because I got to see a 'certain' someone's jealous expression, my effort are considered worthy an—Hmm....so that seems coming."

Scathach turned her back to Roy, and slowly walked forward with her spears in hand.

The Primordial Runes of Origin flashed across Roy's body, and the wounds on his abdomen healed effortlessly.

"When you leave the Land of Shadows, the rune I engraved on you will turn invalid, so don't let yourself be misled during the battle afterwards, that let you mistakenly think that your body's recovery ability is very strong, all your current resilience is the effect of the rune I applied, not your own ability."

"Try to avoid injuries like this in the battle. Although it won't kill you, it will greatly reduce your combat strength. This will tilt the chips into the opponent's side."

"Before your body gains the independence to assimilate the functional dependence, it is better to avoid such injuries."

Scathach pecked the teachings like a mother hen pecking on the chick, like a teacher guiding before going into exam room, and some chattering mother-in-law worried about her son-in-law.

"Yes, indeed."

The injury on Roy's abdomen healed and he stood up from the ground, ready to follow Scathach's pace.

Unexpectedly, Scathach raised her spear and stopped Roy saying, "Don't come here, Roy. It's time to part, before the real parting comes, one should part before, it feels less, for I don't like such scenes."

"Yes, but maybe it's because I've been alone for too long, in this Land of Shadows, and suddenly there is hope, which leaves me a little bit discomfited. And—"

Scathach paused, and with a flick of her right hand, the blood-red spear was thrown out by her—infixing itself in front of Roy.

"Although you may not use it, you should take it as a parting gift from your master."

The Queen of Shadows paused, she slowly turned sideways, leaving Roy with a beautiful and exquisite side face, with a bright and longing smile and continued:

"…I hope you can use it one day—to pass it through right through me."

Roy took a deep look at her, plucking the spear he examined the crystalline crimson weaponry art:

"Next time I see you again, I will use my spear to penetrate you. If that's how you absurdly wish it?"

"...That, is the not way it is or as it seems. That I can affirm."

"If then, what is it there...? It is something different from melancholy. It is also different from resignation, I can assure that. To say it firmly, as thus, as I said to that man———"

"———I want you to kill me."

"———I want death as a person."

"Now, go."

The door to cross the world suddenly appeared behind Roy—the mysterious thing lodged in his hand, in coordination with Madame Aisha's Authority, to finally start the return journey.

He can refuse to go back and stay here, but he also knows that if he really chooses to, the next moment Scathach's spear will smash his head like a watermelon.

Because choosing to stay here is a cowardly choice and not in his interest, Roy will never reach the realm of Scathach by staying here, much less to even become stronger than her.

The ship in his right hand has the power to shuttle through the infinite universe—and that's also his cheat.

From the moment he destined with this, he was meant to wander the infinite realms, he cannot left go of his advantages and still himself from being better—either now, or in the future.

No words, no farewells, no last goodbye hugs.

Scathach would always stay in her this Kingdom of Shadows, she wouldn't go anywhere, she wasn't running away, now the initiative was left in his hands—to come back with succession.

"The wind in here does have temperature."

After Scathach saw Roy's figure disappear, she walked slowly to the same rock and sat down gently. In between the imaginary gap created within the gloomy dark clouds, there seemed to be a faint light shining down.

"Many things———"

"Truly, I robbed many lives. A man. A wraith. A god. A undead. A living. Everyone."

"...I've confronted many existences of a countless number, slaughtering all those within reach."

Scathach stroked her chest feeling her heartbeat and murmured.

"...I will not grow old—I will not die. Death will not come to me."

"Neither a beautiful one. Nor even a hideous one."

"...I've changed into 'that' which is immortal. That never ending, the dead of life—"

"—yet, warmth dwells within myself and this body, immutable for eternity."

She sat motionless like a sculpture, inanimate just like in the past thousands of years, but this time there was blood coursing in her veins—

—this time her skin was emanating warmth of life. Still waiting for the end of the world like a haggard, but, this time consciously waiting for hope.

A hope for which she may have to wait ten, a hundred, or even a thousand years, but as long as you have hope in your heart, any wait is worth it.

"Roy. Crowley."

As if afraid that she would forget the name, she whispered again—the name of her disciple, the most precious and most perfect treasure she had carved in this life.