Chapter 860 THE END OF A NIGHTMARE
"IT'S BEEN a while, Yoan."
Two and a half years.
That was how long it was since Neoma burned the world and Yoan just watched it happen.
But now, his time as a bystander had finally come to an end.
Yoan descended in front of Neoma. "If you were going to act like a villain, you should have done so until the end. Why did you have to sacrifice yourself to save those children?"
"You wouldn't understand because you aren't a mother," Neoma said bitterly. "You didn't even want to be my baby's father."
"Neoma, you know that's not true," Yoan said in a pained voice. "Please don't say that."
"Are you hurt?"
"I am, but I know you're the one who's in more pain between the two of us."
That was why he knew he didn't have the right to complain about his pain.
Neoma avoided his gaze. "Are you here to kill me?"
"Your body has been so contaminated that Lord Levi and the others are afraid that you might spread the Darkness again," Yoan explained. "Thanks to you setting the world on fire while burning the tainted ones, the Darkness has finally weakened to the point that even the saints could purify them now."
"But Lord Levi is afraid that the malicious and evil Darkness stored in my body would contaminate the world again once my body completely breaks down," Neoma said, laughing bitterly. "Why are they getting worried about it? I was the only one who purified the Darkness. You all just stayed safe and sound in the Upper World."
"Neoma…"
"Tell them they don't have the right to speak about the Darkness that only I could purify," Neoma said, scoffing. "Is that the reason why you've been ordered to kill me?"
"They asked me to stop you from further burning down the World since the Darkness is manageable now," Yoan said. He didn't want to lie to Neoma, and he didn't want her to misunderstand his intentions. "But I'm not here because of their order. I'm here because I'm worried about you, Neoma."
"You don't have to worry about me because I'm done setting the world on fire," she said in a tired voice. "There's only one thing left for me to do."
"I've already punished Larissa and the others who joined her faction."
"Do you think I'll be satisfied with that?" she snarled at him. "You didn't kill them."
"Neoma–"
"I know," she said, cutting him off bitterly. "You're not allowed because you're the God Slayer bound to the divine rules of the Upper World."
"Neoma, I'm not afraid of breaking the rules because I'm afraid to be punished," Yoan said calmly. "I'm sticking to the rules because I can't afford to lose my power as the God Slayer. I need this power to protect you."
"I don't need your protection."
"But I want to protect you."
"Are you doing this to gain my forgiveness?"
"That goes without saying, Neoma."
"Then don't stop me," Neoma said in a cold and indifferent tone. "Let me kill those gods, Yoan. If you do, then I'll forgive you for abandoning me and our baby when we needed you the most."
Ah.
To be honest, he wasn't surprised to hear that from Neoma. In fact, he was already expecting her to say that.
That was why he came prepared.
"I knew you'd say that," Yoan said, then he put a hand over his chest. "Then please make sure you'd injure me to the point that I wouldn't be able to leave my room for at least a year."
"What if I killed you?"
"I know you wouldn't."
"Where's your confidence coming from, Commander?"
"Because you love me, Neoma," Yoan reminded her, giving her a small smile. "And I love you, too. That's why I'm entrusting my heart and my life to you."
Neoma looked shocked by his confession at first, then she laughed.
It wasn't sarcastic or bitter.
For the first time in a long while, Yoan finally saw Neoma smile genuinely again. It was only for a moment, but that beautiful smile was already etched on his mind and heart forever.
[Ah, Neoma finally smiled at me again.]
"Yoan, you only say the things I want to hear from you when it's already too late," Neoma said, approaching him. Then she put her hand on his hand that was placed over his chest. "But I'll forgive you this once because you're handsome."
He was confused.
Neoma, despite being literally the most beautiful woman in the entire world, was never interested in one's physical appearance.
[The only person I heard Neoma praise for being handsome was Rubin Drayton.]
Yoan had always been jealous of Rubin Drayton because Neoma seemed to really like the young lord's face.
But not anymore since Rubin Drayton was already long dead.
"That's a surprise," Yoan commented curiously. "You were never interested in someone else's appearance."
"Now I am," Neoma said. "I actually realized recently that my face is really beautiful."
It was cute to hear that from Neoma who never cared for her appearance before, so he just smiled and listened to her.
"I need something to keep me sane while Crimson was messing with my head," she continued telling her cute story in a light voice. "For some reason, looking at attractive people makes me calm. But most good-looking people I've encountered ended up dying from my flame. So, I ended up just staring at the mirror. After all, if I wanted to see a pretty face, all I needed was to grab a mirror and stare at my reflection."
He couldn't help it this time.
Yoan chuckled lightly while shaking his head. "Vanity suits you, Neoma. You're more beautiful than the moon, so you have the right to get obsessed with your pretty face."
"I don't know if I'd still be the most beautiful woman in your eyes after I'm done with you, Yoan," Neoma said, smiling lightly while shaking her head. "Do you know how I set the entire world on fire in just two years, Yoan?"
He couldn't answer this time.
After all, his face got distorted in pain when Neoma's heart started to get hot. Worse, the heat coming from her hand went straight to his heart.
To be precise, in his Core.
[I feel like she's burning my heart…]
"The Eternal Flame can burn any trees, plants, flowers, grass, or even twigs anywhere in the world," Neoma said, then she whispered in his ear. "And do you know what the gods' Cores are made of?"
Tree.
Yoan found out that their Cores were made of the 'World Tree' when Neoma almost killed him that day by simply setting his Core on fire with the Eternal Flame.
***
[AH, it's finally over.]
It took Neoma half a year to kill all the gods that she wanted to kill. She could have killed them easier if she was in her best condition. But her body was already breaking apart. Hence, it took her that long.
But, at least, she had already killed the ones she wanted dead.
[Well, except for Lord Levi.]
It wasn't like she couldn't kill the God Among the Gods– she just didn't want to because she didn't want Yoan to be alone in the world.
[I can't remember if I was the one who killed his birth parents.]
After all, Neoma let Crimson take over her consciousness when she burned the Eastern Continent. Her consciousness would only return every time there was a child involved. Otherwise, she remained "unconscious" and the God of Wrath did the work for her.
"Are you done now, Neoma?"
[Ah, he's here.]
Neoma smiled weakly at Yoan. "Greetings to the God Slayer."
After she almost killed Yoan a few months ago when she set his Core on fire.
[That's how I killed the other gods.]
She expected Yoan to stay bedridden for at least a year.
But she could tell how he recovered easily.
"I was wondering where the Eternal Flame had gone to when he left my broken body," Neoma said, her voice slightly bitter. "So, he went to you now that he doesn't need me anymore."
[The Eternal Flame probably healed Yoan.]
After all, only the Eternal Flame could put out his own flame.
"The Eternal Flame cares about you, Neoma," Yoan said while approaching her carefully. "Your body is now too contaminated by Darkness. If we don't purify it, you'll die painfully."
Ah, right.
Apparently, those who were burned to ashes by the Eternal Flame died painlessly.
"Alright," Neoma said, sitting on a boulder. "Kill me now, Yoan. It's the only way to purify me, isn't it?"
"Neoma, I will fulfill my duty as the God Slayer and end your life here to save your soul," Yoan said, then he got down on one knee and held her hands gently. When he looked up at her, tears rolled down his cheeks in silence. "But once everything is over, I promise to follow you."
"Don't kill yourself, silly."
"I will turn back time and give you a better life, Neoma."
To say that she was shocked to hear that would be an understatement.
"Yoan, what are you saying?"
"The Ancient Devil can do it."
"Are you crazy?" she asked, worried and still shocked. "Even I failed to save Trevor from the Ancient Devil when that bastard possessed Trevor's body! Don't make a deal with that kind of monster!"
Yoan only smiled at her as if he was happy.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked, annoyed, while shaking his shoulders. "I'm serious."
"I'm just happy that you're worried about me, Neoma," Yoan said, then he touched her face. "But don't worry. I'll make sure you'll be happy in your next life."
"Yoan– argh."
Neoma pushed Yoan away from her, sending him flying, when she felt her Lunacy taking over her consciousness.
Worse, the Darkness stored in her body was threatening to explode.
[I'm at my limit now.]
"Do it now, Commander Yoan," Neoma urged the commander in an urgent voice, her red eyes glowing dangerously. "Kill me now before Crimson takes over my full consciousness!"
Yoan, who just stood up after hitting a boulder, had a pained look on his face as he summoned his ancient bow. "I'm sorry, Neoma," he whispered in a cracked voice while pointing an arrow at her. The single arrow was engulfed in the Eternal Flame's flame. "I'll make you happy the next time we meet again– I promise."
***
NEOMA REMEMBERED dying in the "black ocean" made of the Impure Mana and Darkness from the people that she had killed.
It was a cold, painful, and very lonely death.
Hence, she didn't expect to open her eyes and find herself in a garden– let alone meet a tiny old woman who was sitting under a tree while knitting what seemed like a baby's clothes.
A baby's clothes.
Neoma felt a pang in her chest when she remembered her baby.
"This is for your baby, Neoma de Moonasterio."
Neoma's eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me?"
"I'm Serafina– the World itself," the old woman said, then she looked up at her with a gentle smile on her face. "And I am here to give you a reward for saving the world."
Neoma didn't know what shocked her more.
Was it the fact that the old woman who introduced herself as 'Serafina' was the world itself?
Was it the fact that the "World" wanted to give her a reward for saving the world?
Or…
"You said you're knitting clothes for MY baby," Neoma said, swallowing the gulp that formed in her throat. "What do you mean by that, Grandma?"
Serafina looked shocked by what she said. "This is the first time someone called me 'Grandma.'"
"I'll apologize if I offended you, ma'am."
"No, I'm not offended. I actually like it," Serafina said, then she smiled kindly at Neoma. "I can hear what your heart desires, child. You want to be with your baby, don't you?"
Neoma's tears already rolled down her cheeks before she knew it. "I want my baby, Grandma," she said between sobs. "But I also want to be with Yoan. Can I have both of them? That's all I ask…"
***
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