As the crescent moon lightened the starry sky, its gentle glow guided my way through the darkness. At the end of my descent, you stood waiting, gazing at the raging sea. Struck by a deep curse of obsession, you stood above countless bodies, the innocent victims of your bloodied sword.

"Speak, Hero," I called out, my grip firm on the blood sword in my hand, "Why have you come for the Ideal White?"

The Hero, youthful and reckless, yet imbued with bravery and valor, pointed his sword toward me with unwavering determination, “To free my people from your tyranny, Devil!”

I couldn't help but smile, reminiscing about the days when I, too, was an aspiring hero, a beacon of hope for the masses. But now, I had turned my back on my own kind. Freed from the clutches of obsession, I finally recognized the depth of my descent into the abyss, dragging my loved ones into misery, all for a twisted fantasy—an aspiration to end all suffering, the Ideal White.

However, fantasies, I had come to realize, remained just that—fantasies.

"Listen, Celli," a voice from the depths of the past resurfaced within me, the teachings of my dearest Master. "Use your blade to shield, not to harm. To empower, not to weaken. To rescue, not to slay. To free, not to ensnare. That is the true essence of mastering the sword."

I took the time to wonder about his teaching. If he saw me now, would he say that I failed as his pupil?

"I, Cellia Vanadis, The Everlasting Guardian," I declared, my sword poised for battle, "I will stop you from reaching The Ideal White, Hero!"

The Hero looked at me with eyes filled with fake light, cursed by the gods for vain power... It was such a pity because I once loved the sea of stars in human eyes. Yet now, it was marred by the Curse of the Hero.

“Your evil deeds end here, Devil!”

The hero lunged at me, blade slashing at me with blurring cuts. The clash of our swords echoed through the barren wasteland, a testament to the power we both possessed. With each collision, fiery blooms erupted, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake upon the remnants of Earth.

“So much bark, but no bite,” I smirked, repelling his strike and cutting deep into his arm. After fighting for his life, and climbing his way to my throne, The Hero was clearly exhausted. He lost his companions and now had to fight me alone. Looking at his sorry state, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness deep within my heart.

Looking at him, my mind drifted to who I was back then.

Toward that moment, when Master embraced me and saved me from the gods' cruelty. He accepted me, a monster, with warmth and kindness, even though the world tried to punish me.

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Toward that moment, when Master taught me the way of the sword, the way of protecting the world. He taught me, a sinner, the redemption of my sin through protecting the gentle heart of humanity.

Toward that moment, when Master completed each other with love. He gave me happiness that I never deserved.

Yet destiny tore us apart. Master, chosen by The Loom of Fate, rises to become the First Hero. With his power, we exploited the world system and created The Ideal White, the omnipotent magic that could grant any wish. We created an enormous soul vessel that could host Ideal White... The Devil.

However, by a twist of fate, the soul escaped from our lab and released its wrath of emptiness to the world, eating reality to void. To stop the ultimate end, Master and I made the hard choice-- to seal The Devil inside my heart. Now the only way to complete the Ideal White... was for us to kill each other and complete The Ideal White.

A choice that he never took… until finally, he was corrupted.

He chose to believe in the strength of humanity, that they could save the world without the help of Ideal White. But, in the end, the world betrayed him again and again. This world was beyond saving.

I wonder…. If only we never met and fell in love... If only, I wasn't a coward and chose to die for everyone... Would everything turn different now? Would the world be happy? Would Master be happy?

“I’m not done yet!”

The Hero deflected my sword with his unparalleled swordsmanship. He effortlessly broke through my defenses and thrust his sword toward my heart. I was careless! How could my mind wander when facing a Hero?!

Is this... the end?

"Celli, my dream… A world full of blue sky, enveloped by roses of love, children laugh and play carelessly in the field…”

No, I can't. I can't let him die!

Grasping the hero blade with my hand, a smile on my lips despite the blood gushing from my hand. I raised my other arm, using my blood control to form a giant spike that caught him off guard. In that split second, I conjured a bloody sword in my hand, ready to conclude the battle.

“It’s yours… now…”

My hand ignited with an intense flame, fueled by the fervor of my determination. I concentrated all my power on a single strike, knowing that this moment would determine the fate of the world.

"Don't fret, Master. As long as I endure... that dream will live in my heart," I whispered as I unleashed all my power in a single burst of magic, "Raven Style Finale: World Crusher!!"

The force of my attack summoned a divine sword that sent shockwaves through the air, rattling the very foundations of reality itself. The Hero tried to block it with his sword, but then it shattered to pieces. As the light of destruction came closer, The Hero gazed at me and tried to reach it.

“... I … can’t die… like this….”

BLAST!!!

A swarm of azure butterflies swarmed towards me as the Hero turned to dust. Their touch upon my cheek was as soft as Master's, yet cruel and cold. The world's chains pulled me away from the dust, dragging me toward the realm of gods, where I would remain until the next Hero's birth.

But one butterfly lingered in my hand., “Until the end... huh?” I mused, crushing the final wisp of The Hero

I knew I had committed the greatest sin of all. Promising The Ideal White, my life lured Heroes to their demise, even my beloved Master. To eternity, the price of my sins would never be paid enough.

As I released the final dust to the world, I whispered, "Forgive me. But this is the only way to keep him and his dreams alive."