“Don’t be stupid, you know well that I didn’t bother learning how to.”

“Ahahaha! You’ve really changed, but not to a degree that I can still recognize you.”

“But I am completely clueless of what you are thinking, Nil…”

I honestly told Nil what’s on my mind. I hate to say this but, even though he was always been in my mind, and I never really knew much about what he truly wanted, his goals, his ambitions, or even his wishes.

Even though I said that I don’t know how to dance, I took his hand anyway with a slight grin on my face. He also smirks from my action as he grasps my hand and pulls me gently towards him.

“I thought you hate.”

“I do, I really hate you. Because of you, master and Milin died. I am well aware that we shouldn’t be here doing this, however, as someone who was with me for my entire life, I kind of wanted to know what kind of personality you have, the true one.”

“That’s impossible. I don’t know what I am anymore. I am twisted and broken beyond repair. Even now, this conversation is nothing short of a miracle.”

“What does that mean?”

“I wanted to kill you but, at the same time, I love you. The reason that these two exists within me is that of my desires for you, my desires for destruction, and lastly, my desire for salvation.”

“Solving the problem about revision…can’t you turn back?”

“I can’t, my body is completely eroded with Arcana magic. The reason I’ve lost all of the hope of saving this world is solely because of that. The little divinity left in this body is far gone and what’s only left is a wicked and malicious Nil. You don’t even have a chance of taking back this body.”

“What if…I said that…I don’t want you to…die…?”

“I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t stand living any longer. With your divine power which is inherent, the blooming thorn, and the divinity that the body has, and your natural disposition, all of it compose you as a transcendental being capable of erasing…no…purifying anything to its purest form.”

“That’s…is that true? Is what you are saying…the truth?”

“But of course, it is not a perfect ability. You can even barely control of it and dropped your disposition before where the nature of your power becomes negative causing not purification, but decay…”

Upon Nil’s words, I unconsciously place my hand in my chest where the everlasting scar is. Emotion started pouring in my chest as I remember that day where my very whole being was corrupted.

The sensation of eating raw meat of magical beast that poisoned me, constant searched for death at that time and, my regression to nothing but a bloodthirsty machine.

I have to be honest, I would like to grasp such power again, however, mother sealed it. She never told me what kind of nature that power has and the conditions of unlocking it. If that condition is the corruption of my sanity, I digress to use it.

“Take off your top, Asagao.”

“Eh?”

Nil’s words made me dumbfounded and my eyes look at him with confusion. However, I know better that this is nothing sort of lecherous.

I obediently unfasten the button of my dress and slowly peel it downward. I have abandoned any shame upon showing my unripe bare body towards him, my budding chest, my fair white skin, the thin and fragile frame that could break anytime, I’ve shown it.

He squats down in front of me and eyed on my body. Nil started tracing the scar from top to bottom, though should be out of bounds, he touches my chest as he started feeling me up from my nape to my clavicle, down towards my navel.

“Heh, are you ticklish? You’re muffling your moans.”

“I am! Also, I am not moaning! What are you going to do?”

“I just want to see this body where your soul got permanently planted. It suits your personality, your demure, and your ambiance very well. It’s like you are meant to be like this.”

“I am a little happy that I got this cute face, however, I feel like I am tricking people with this appearance of mine. You were the one who kept telling me that back then…”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“I don’t. I am not the one who told you words like that.”

“You were talking inside my mind! Your voice drove me crazy and I started hallucinating and hearing things.”

“It was all in your head, Asagao. I have a little aspect of your personality inside of me, and, that’s the same for you. I have an aspect inside you and all I need is to push it a little to bring out that aspect.”

“You mean that…I was that pessimistic?”

“That’s right, anyway, what’s with this body? It’s so smooth and squishy. It’s like you never trained at all. With your body’s vitality, it is impossible to gain muscles.”

“Nggnhhh! You’re not done yet?”

I…I am starting doubt his intentions!

He massages my body and touches me everywhere.

“It is a tranquil and pure body that even the sound of impurity shouldn’t come close, a body that is so small and fragile that it gives people a false illusion that you are to be protected, a beauty that can instill love and even lust despite its youngness.”

“I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“Have you?”

“Hey, cut it out…it’s…I am feeling a little weird…”

“And…done.”

As my body feels a little hot and feverish, a little tiny teensy bit feverish, Nil separates his hands from me and stands back as he looks at me with a smile. His smile faintly shows satisfaction as he nods several times as he inspects me.

“What…did you do?”

“See for yourself.”

Nil said as he uses magic to bring out a mirror out of nowhere. Upon beholding my appearance in the mirror, I grasp my breath as I look at myself.

The scar that I had thought to remind me of my mistake for my whole life is now nowhere to be seen, only my bare chest flawless and unblemished. The horrid and ugly scar that would always make me look away from my reflection is gone…

Also, I notice that the hair I cut short up to my armpits is now swaying under my waists, the hair that I used as compensation, as a treaty, and as my last lifeline to gain the trusts of the ancient dragons.

I immediately fix my clothes and fasten the buttons.

I feel happy but still conflicted, like Nil is mocking me deep inside. This is not what I wanted the most right now, I want to know things, I want answers for my questions.

“This is…Nil…you…”

“It’s the least I can do. I used my dreaded power to you, revision.”

“I see…”

“I can say for certain now that both of us benefitted in my power! Hahaha! However, I will not use this power to revive the dead. It might trigger it to reset this world. I don’t want that to happen in this crucial time.”

“Nil…why now? Why are you doing this now of all time…? Where’s Alstroe? I’ve been holding myself back from asking all of this but…Nil…please tell me…where’s Alstroe?”

With my question, Nil loses the smile on his face and looks up in the sky. My gaze follows his and I saw what he was looking at, the Erestivatria.

“Eresti…right now is asleep. However, at any moment, he will wake up. When that happens, I need to get away from you.”

“That’s not what I am asking!”

“Erestivatria is a huge living devil. Now that you killed its heart, it is dead. However, even dead, it is still up there. It doesn’t differ from any other moon, however, its gravitational pull is as the same as this world.”

“That’s not…!”

“When it dies…it will lose its force that keeps it in place…”

“What…are you saying?”

“But that’s fine, she will arrive. She will help you and you will help her. Trust in her as she trusts you with her whole life.                I never thought that you and she will be the one destined to end this endless cycle.

“You’re spouting things I can’t comprehend again!”

“Asagao and Alstroemeria, there’s a huge bond between the two of you. That might even be the reason why she was the one you met first in this world upon setting out from the castle.”

As Nil started becoming incomprehensible again, I grew weary and frustrated as he again does not let me know what he was referring to.

“Goodbye. He will now make his move. Asagao…you can do it.”

“Wait! What the hell are you saying again?! What kind of antagonist are you?!”

“A cruel and funny one, though I think I am bad at being one. Asagao is dense, stupid and a really weak protagonist.”

“I feel satisfied with your answer but…”

I feel extremely compelled to say that’s not it but whatever…

“Asagao!”

“We found you! Everyone is looking for you!”

“Pii!”

All of a sudden, voices that came from Casablanca, Hibiscus and Emby snap me back from my waving thoughts. I turn my head towards their direction. I can see them running towards me, however, because Nil is here I bet…

Nil…?

Hmm?

He is…gone…!

I just turn my eyes away from him for a bit and he disappears!

“Ahh! Asagao, what happened to your hair?!”

“Yeah! It grew back for such short time. What have you’ve been doing here?!”

I can only awkwardly smile from the twins’ words as they point at my long white hair which grew back in an instant with Nil’s intervention.

“Well…things happened…I guess?”

“I knew it, Asagao looks better with long hair. You better not cut it!”

“Ahahaha…”

“it’s not funny! Asagao really looks more beautiful this way.”

I got lectured by Casablanca.

Not that I mind whether my hair is short or long. I prefer if it was a little shorter so it won’t interfere with my movements. They sway a lot when they are longer.

“By the way, why did it suddenly grew like that?”

“Pii!!”

“Well…as I said…”

“Asagao, if it is something dangerous, you should tell us. We will help each other out, that’s what we always wanted, right?”

“I see…sorry. Maybe I’ll tell you when we get back.”

“Maybe…?”

“Ah! No…I mean…well…”

I can’t see any reason to lie to them. I am going to tell them what happened between us and Nil, except for the stripping part. I’d like to keep that to myself.

“Ah, look at that! It’s so pretty!”

“Something is dazzling up in the sky!”

Casablanca and Hibiscus said as they notice something behind us. Something bright seems to appear from the sky as my shadow roses further.

“PII!!! PIIIII!!!!”

Emby panic’s as he started pulling Hibiscus away as if to tear her from that shiny thing. Since there’s something up there, I dared to look at it too.

As I turn my sight to that place, my mind is attacked by a huge fright and the blood from my countenance feels like being drained.

“Run…”

The shiny and sparkling things in the sky…

Spread across the vast horizon, shining brightly like a sun. Hundreds…no, maybe even thousands of them. I can only see those from left to right, from top to bottom.

As the cloud hovering over the center continent was cleared, the sky becomes visible again, making this scene more frightening.

“Those are…meteors!”

And not only that…

The red moon, Erestivatria, is…closer than I remember…closer than ever… It feels like its humungous presence is being present to us.

Together with Erestivatria…meteors started appearing everywhere…

“Is that moon…falling on this planet?”