“Is that true?!”
“Yep! It is indeed true!”
Well damn…
Who would have thought?!
That means I am in the body she creates many years ago and my previous body, Nil is their second child which is technically me too…
And my father…Astlan… had more child…
It only means that Higan is my sister in Nil’s body but technically my sister too…
Wait…
Higan told me that her father told her… she has an elven twin sister…
That would be the elven queen who Astlan had affair too…
That means Higanbana, and two other more elves are my sisters technically and Nil’s blood-related sister as of now.
I am a bit confused but I think I can sort it out in my head a little more.
“How do you know all of these?”
“Hmm? I am watching over you and Nil. Always…”
“You were…”
“I am…”
“That’s far worse than a stalker.”
“Eh?! It’s not like that! I know you can be so careless and idiotic most of the time but that’s all!”
I quickly reach out to her swaying hair.
“Toh!”
“…”
“Hi-yaa!”
“…”
Whoosh!”
“Don’t dodge!”
“I will dodge now! Get me once shame on you! Get me twice shame on me!”
“I already got you three times and I believe you used that quote wrongly.”
She dodges my attempt to grab her hair so I will proceed with my backup plan.
Grab her by the cheeks!
My hand rushes to both of her cheeks and pinched it.
I stretch her cheeks outward.
“eehf hurrh! I’m shorry!”
“Heh.”
I let go of her cheeks as she apologizes.
…
…
“Wow… I feel like… you are kind of weak…”
“Well yeah… I mean I don’t have any fighting capabilities after all. You should know that I lost to a cat once because it’s trying to steal my food.”
“Losing to a cat… what kind of a wimp are you…?”
“I can’t help it you know! That’s why I need to grant blessing to a suitable hero to fight for me! I can’t grant blessing to myself and I am completely hopeless with my physical abilities!”
“…that also the same for me… that’s why I am weak…”
“No, that’s because that is just a body of a child. You have your own power like that barrier…”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“That’s not it! The others… the people I came with… my friends… has powers. Has blessing you granted…”
“I granted those powers to them…true… but I cannot do the same to you… because you are the source of blessing yourself.”
“…is that… divine ascension?”
“Correct. It is one of the skills ingrained to that body.”
“Ingrained? So that’s why it appears like an old memory to me?”
“Correct, that is what I used in my time when I descended millenniums ago. There are also several skills you can use in that body but I won’t be telling it as you should discover it yourself.”
So being able to only use limited skills are because this body’s true purpose is just to grant blessings.
But… there are still more to ask…
“Then were you able to use the skill barrier?!”
“No. I can only grant blessings and travel planes. The creation of that body… I am not going to tell...”
“Then how can I use it then?”
“The divine skills are ingrained in the body, but your spirit which transmigrated into it is another story.”
“So, the skills are born from myself. If that’s the case, then how can I not use any other magic?”
“I’m sorry, I cannot answer that.”
“Then… do you know what Blooming Thorn is?”
“…”
“?”
“It’s… an abnormality inside you… It came from you.”
“I already had my guess about it but I could be wrong, please, tell me what is it?”
“Asagao… from what I have witnessed, Blooming Thorn’s disposition greatly sways on your emotion. It alters the power you have, no, the very source of your power.”
“…”
“If your mind falls into too much depravity, it will vanquish anything regardless of good and evil. It does not matter what they are, what it matters is that they exist. Too much depravity will painfully erase any existence by corrupting them.”
“That time… I can remember that huge demon, the pile of magical beasts and devils dying in my wake as blooming thorn affects them… What happened to that power?! I… need it…”
“Asagao…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“I erased it.”
“What…?!”
“The first time we met. I erased the depraved variation of blooming thorn.”
“Why?! That power… if only I could use it…”
“It will corrupt your divinity! I don’t want you to destroy yourself! I don’t want you to fall into that kind of path! I will do everything to properly guide you!”
“What the hell! Don’t joke with me!”
“Asagao… are you really that thirsty for power… for strength…”
“I won’t say I am not! But… I don’t want to be this weak anymore…”
“You are far stronger than you are initially you know…”
“?”
“That body… isn’t even capable of fighting… but because of the strength of your heart and soul, it made it possible. That’s a good thing already. You should be more proud of yourself.”
“It’s not enough…! It’s not enough to help Fon-nii! It’s not enough to help Alstroe-nee! It’s not enough to make master proud! It’s not enough to keep up with Higan! It’s not enough to support anyone! More… I ask for more!”
“Asagao…”
“I need to embrace any kind of power there is… I have been kept in the dark for so long, away from this world’s real problem, from the disaster it’s facing! Even now, my everyday struggles aren’t close to what they are facing. I know it, in their minds they don’t want me to be involved in something big!”
“Asagao…no… I won’t let you use it again… no matter what you say… find a path where you truly belong. Do not walk the path that will hinder you from reaching the pinnacle of your own power.”
What is power?
What is a strength?
Questions I need to ask the little girl that I see in the mirror.
Do I need it? Definitely.
What would I do to it? Use it! Use it for a greater purpose!
What is my purpose then?
I haven’t asked myself yet why I am here. How can I become strong?
And if I become one, how would I use that power?
To stop Nil from whatever plan he is laying out.
Why?
Do I know anything about it?
…
“Mother… just tell me one thing…”
“Asagao…”
“What’s Nil’s true intention?”
“Asagao… I cannot answer…no,… I won’t that question. I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”
“Mother…”
“All I can ask is forgiveness to both of you…”
She looks down as she apologizes.
I am angry… I am mad…
I don’t know why she won’t tell anything about Nil.
She is hiding a lot from me.
“You…really won’t tell…”
“At the right time… but right now… I can’t… please…understand…I’m sorry…”
“Why are you doing this…?”
“Asagao…”
“You left me alone in an orphanage… now I am stuck in this body you said you created yourself ages ago and now you won’t tell me anything about Nil. You even took the power I needed.”
“*sob*…I’m sorry…*sob* I just want to be a better mother for you… but please believe me. My intentions are good.”
“It’s frustrating… I am really frustrated to see you like this now that anger is building up inside me.”
“Asagao…”
I am seriously furious…
But…
I reach out my hands to her head and stroke it…
“…a pat?”
“Mother… even if I am angry… I can’t still ignore the fact that you are trying your best. You must have suffered too, right? You must be really lonely, right?”
“I….uhh….*hic*…”
A tear flows out from her eyes. The solitude she is in for I don’t know how many years and the feeling of unable to reach out her hands to people she cares about from this place.
I can tell that she is really lonely.
I can tell that she is really happy just to talk with me. I can already guess that she is fine to talk to whomever she will meet in this place.
I have my own feelings to sort out but she is facing an unimaginable suffering that I can’t fathom.
“I…*sob* am so happy…*sob*… but…”
“But?”
“Our time together is nearing its end.”
“I see… I need to return now too.”
“Yes. Please, keep everything you know a secret.”
“I understand.”
I parted my hand from her head and stands up.
I don’t know what to say as we are parting with each other.
I just simply turned my back to her.
“Asagao… I am… proud of you. Always remember that.”
“I see…”
Is all I can say to her because I don’t know how to say my farewell to her…
I will leave her in this lonely place again…
Can we meet again?
…
Eh?
“Mother…”
“Can we… see each other again like this?”
“…”
“Why…are you quiet?”
“Asagao… I don’t know… if we can…”
“Mother!”
“I will try my best to meet with you again… that’s all I can say…”
I turned towards her direction again and look at her sad and lonely face…
We don’t know when we can meet again…
She must have done everything so she can talk to me out of desperation…
But what if we can’t talk anymore…
My heart aches as this question stirs up my mind.
And I have been cold to her…
My body trembles as I realize that. Tear starts to form in my eyes.
This is my mother… that’s a fact. She didn’t hate me and I don’t hate her.
And right now, as I realize how she did her best for us to even endure this solitude.
As she endures to see people she cares suffer and she can’t do anything about it.
In this place where she is alone, she calls out for me.
I began to sob as I think of how lonely she is. How she longs to see someone. And now, we have met, but our time is limited and we don’t know if we can even meet again.
I don’t want this…
As I cry, I run up to her and give her my best hug.
“Asagao!?”
“I’m sorry Mother! I… I don’t want to leave you here…”
“I can’t get out of here and I can’t let you stay here. Asagao, there are more people who care for you.”
“But you… mother… “
“Shhh… let me feel your warmness… let me caress you as a mother would and let me hug you tightly too. I want to make you feel my love as your mother.”
“*sob*…ok…”
She caresses my head as she hugs me in her chest. I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to leave her here.
But our time together is nearing.
I regret not doing this earlier.
So I want to feel this motherly love even more…
I only sob quietly in her chest as she strokes my hair and pats my head.
“I love you, Asagao. I will miss you.”
“I…”
My consciousness slowly fades before I can even utter another word…
My vision slowly brightens up as my eyes close…
………
……
…
I love you too, mother…