Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker - Chapter 27: Eternal Promises, Kept and Unkept
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- Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker
- Chapter 27: Eternal Promises, Kept and Unkept
He stood alone, at the very edge of everything, in the realm of dreams.
“If my sacrifice can save others, I’m more than willing to give myself up.”
Such self-sacrifice was seen as arrogance. A desperate plea echoed, refuting the notion.
“It’s not true, Touko. I’m here because of you. I’m here because I want to save you.”
A familiar, tired argument. Despite knowing its futility, the body refused to obey, unable to escape the relentless cycle.
“You’ll be okay, Touko. You were always so capable. Right?”
No, it’s not okay. Not even close. You don’t understand how much your existence meant to me, how much I’ve grieved in a world without you, how fragile I am.
“Right, the me you’ll meet next won’t remember our times together… If you’re in trouble, will you help me? You know me, I’m not good at being honest.”
Nodding through tears, a promise made countless times, yet never fulfilled. This time, a vow is made to keep it, apologizing over and over for being too late again.
An ancient promise, cherished and unchangeable. Even if you don’t remember…
I regret my actions from yesterday. I knew I had wronged Touko; she mattered to me as a dear friend. I had come to apologize, but now…
Lying next to Touko, who slept soundly, I realized the gravity of my actions. It was as if we were lovers.
“Damn that Demon King…”
I managed to escape from the Demon King’s castle, and everyone was safe. A satisfactory outcome, but now… I was entangled in a misunderstanding I didn’t know how to resolve.
“Yusha, are you awake already? Hey, let’s sleep a bit more together~”
“Touko, stop making it sound like… like that!”
Panicking, I leaped out of the bed, aware of how close I’d been to a more compromising situation. Touko, pouting slightly, called me a coward. Why the superiority? I’m not her boyfriend, after all.
“Good morning. Did you enjoy last night?”
Mei and Rubure greeted us in the dining area. Rubure looked at us with shining eyes.
“No, nothing happened. We’re just friends.”
“Ehhh? I was expecting a juicy love story. You’re such a scaredy-cat, Yusha.”
Rubure seemed disappointed. It seemed she enjoyed romantic tales, but I couldn’t satisfy her curiosity.
“Fufu, Rubure is such a child… The slow progression of a relationship can be beautiful, too. Close in heart, yet physically apart, bridging that gap gradually… It can become a wonderful memory.”
Touko, exuding cheerfulness, shared her views on romance with Rubure, who listened intently, her eyes sparkling in fascination. This situation, where I’m assumed to be in mutual love with Touko, needs addressing sooner rather than later. First, I must clear up this misunderstanding with Mei and Rubure.
“A trading ship is scheduled to arrive soon,” Mei informed us, “After much delay, we’re finally ready to embark on our mission to defeat the Demon King.”
Another problem lingered. Touko and her group planned to gather strong allies to confront the Demon King, and I desperately needed to escape this party to pursue my tranquil life. I had to leave before we crossed the sea to a new continent, as the closer we got to the Demon King’s territory, the more dangerous it would become.
“Yusha, you’re facing harsh criticism in town,” Mei pointed out, “Despite Touko’s efforts to silence direct opponents, you’re being branded a fake hero and a minion of the Demon King.”
Touko, perhaps trying to comfort me, said, “Don’t worry about the townsfolk; they’re worthless. Once we cross the sea, all this slander will cease.”
While her intentions were good, her words left me feeling complicated. When I first arrived, I thought this was a nice town. But now, facing such animosity was disheartening.
Amidst our usual banter at the dining table, chaos erupted with a sudden loud impact. Initially, I feared it was the Demon King’s attack, but the real cause was far more astonishing. A gigantic creature approached the town, its immense size rendering it more like a mountain than a living being. Its growls and movements suggested life, and it was heading straight for us.
“What is that thing? Are there creatures this massive in this world?”
“Never heard of anything like it.”
The creature needed stopping, or the town would face destruction. Our plans to set sail were now secondary. But how could we counter such a behemoth?
Touko rushed out and struck the creature, defying expectations and causing it to stagger. The townspeople, recognizing her, cheered.
Touko, struggling, suddenly said, “Yusha, remember I owe you one? I need a favor. That creature had an Elf’s face… It must use Rubure as a biological unit, exploiting her Elven magic. We can stop the creature if we can disable that Elf within.”
She was referring to Treson’s own words about the ancient weapon. It required immense magical power, possibly even life energy. Treson likely intended Rubure to be the sacrificial source of that energy.
“I got it, Touko! I’ll do whatever it takes; just don’t push yourself too hard!”
I ran off, determined to find a solution, hearing the battle rage behind me. Touko reassured me, “Don’t worry about me, Yusha! Just your words have made me stronger!”
With that, she leaped into action, skilfully engaging the giant creature, buying me time to act.