For You This World I'll Destroy

The Innocence Lost (End)

— 17 —

Holding hands with the Dagger, we followed Khanza with misgivings. Closer to the dark hole, as clear as our ears heard sobs of regret in it.

“Ampuni us... Forgive us... forgive us...”.

Hearing it sliced through my heart, especially after seeing that the origin of the voice was hundreds of dark figures prostrating around an extremely bright red light. From their black eye-holes, blood flowed into the intricate pipes throughout the room.

“C-Chrysant.. Who is that person?” ask Dagger scared.

Waduh, what do I have to answer? If I say in front of his eyes is The Reaper, Dagger could hang and faint instantly. But, the khanza doesn't seem to have the intention to hurt Dagger and me. Hm..

I also chose to lie, “D-He is just a very powerful Witch,” I whispered.

“Magic…? White Order?” ask Dagger confused.

I nodded, “Intinya. You don't stay away from me, okay?” my whiskey.

Stopping at the mouth of the hole, Khanza summoned black ice that forced the hole open. Surprised of me, like growing flesh, the wall heals itself. It was as if he was a single piece of an enormous creature.

“Have you guys thought, why does Malice exist?” khanza asked suddenly.

Chrysant replied, “As long as there is a dark desire in humans, Underworld will eat that desire and say Malice. But, I never saw Malice's birth process with my own eyes.”

Khanza grunts amusedly, “An exemplary student. Well, then, Chrysant and.. uhhh, Dagger? Can you guys explain the phenomenon in front?” he said he pointed at the red crystal.

Intrigued, Dagger and I used our google and brought our vision closer to the crystal. Surprised me, the red light turned out to be just smog. Behind the red, is a group of flesh that beats and sucks blood ferociously. And from the flesh, slowly came small hands and feet that crept out.

Slowly the small figure of darkness developed into various forms. Starting from a babirusa to a giant walking towards the dimensional shake that awaits in front of the red light. That disgusting head monster, the Predator. Their bodies were sucked by it and disappeared.The process was repeated many times without end.

“Judgment.. Kirby…. Predator... That's all Malice?” my mutter in disbelief, “Then, is that red crystal an amalgation of the dark desires of humans that gave birth to Malice?”

“Not.”

Dagger shook his head, he took his hand off me and approached the hole,

“... That red light is Magicite Reactor. The tools that ancient civilizations used to create limitless energy. Now. I get it. What does limitless energy mean. In the past, they bred Malice and harvested their Magicte indefinitely,” he said who opened a blueprint in his hand and matched the red crystal with it,

“But. How do they activate the tool?” dagger folded his mind and thought hard.

“Quartz Month,” my murmur that felt the incredible energy of that red light.

I. I don't know why my instincts say it's what I'm looking for. The key to my mission. But, that red light seemed to call out to me. My heart was beating in rhythm with the glow of that red light. Even the necklace that Seraphina gave me was also hot, resonating with that huge magic energy.

Dagger furrowed his brows, “But no matter how big the energy of the Moon Quartz was, he had his limits. It makes no sense for Malice's breeding tool, if the past civilization could have directly absorbed the power of the Moon Quartz,” he said who tapped his forehead, “Pasti. Key... hidden behind Magicite reactor.”

Khanza shuffled his waist “Hahaha, my genius Professors, can you hook the tubes behind you and take the hypothesis?” ask the Malice.

I shuffled my waist in wonder, “Don't tell me they created a cloning factory to supply nutrients to the Moon Quartz? Like in the sci-fi movies?” candaku.

Khanza clapped his hands and laughed mockingly, “A fascinating hypothesis! Hmm, how did I say that? Your answer is like saying biscuits and cakes are the same. Almost right, but also wrong, hahaha.”

I squashed my eyes, “Sialan, what is the true emamg trus?” grumbling.

Khanza stroked his chin, “They were not cloning someone but creating a person capable of accommodating the power of the Moon Quartz and renewing it. They call it the Chalice of Impurity,” Malice said that who raised her shoulder and continued, “Toh, let alone the ideal candidate of a cup other than organisms that are capable of self-renewing and easy to control besides humans?”

“What?!” yell at me and Dagger at the same time.

Khanza laughs amusedly, “Duh, you two are so innocent anyway sampe gemesin? The purpose of life is the greatest force that drives man. But, that strength is also their weakness,” said Malice who stepped around the ruptured tubes,

In other words, those who have reason are able to pass through all trials.”

Khanza also touched one of the tubes, “They ensnared and deceived a lot of innocent people, then injected them with foreign DNA that robbed them of their humanity and memory.

In the end, most of them die without being able to realize their goals.

“I mean Khanza, that red ray... was.... a human?” many doubt.

Khanza nodded, “Yup, that poor girl named Emilia Fairchild. She is a kind-hearted girl who always wants to help others despite sacrificing herself.  Deceived by a group of misguided witches named White Order. Now the girl actually became the most dangerous Chalice of Impurity,” Malice said he looked at the red light with pain, poignancy,

“His body was destroyed inedible by cancer cells that spread maliciously and uncontrollably. The cells escape from his body and infect all living things around him, gnawing at their bodies and turning them into poor Malice who forever begged for mercy.

This is the original form of The Endless.one of the seven S-type Malice that the world fears.”.

“How can you know all this, Lady Khanza?” ask Dagger curiously.

O-Oh, no-no, no. I immediately glared and gave the code for Khanza to shut up, but Malice was smiling cunningly. Proudly he patted his chest and said,

“Because I am the Reaper!”

Dagger sighed and shook his head, “Must be. How could such a kind and thoughtful lady like you be such a ruthless and unforgiving The Reaper?”

“E-Eh? A-Ah, u-uh, I-I'm serious. Look, where is there a human who has hands and feet like this?” Khanza.

Dagger bends his neck, “Artificial extreme is not a strange thing in this day and age, Lady.”

“T-But, my magic power is large and not abnormal it—“

“Chrysant also has that much power.”

“This terrible skull mask—“

“Lady Khanza only has unique taste.”

“You're not aware, my face is very similar to Chrysant?”

“We are in a world with time distortion, it is natural to meet someone similar to us from other time lines, right?”

“U-Uh... b-ener also yes,” said Khanza stunned.

Want me to laugh to see Khanza lose the debate to Dagger. For the first time, I was grateful for the stubbornness of my best friend. If he panics, the impatient Khanza will attack us.

Dagger nodded enthusiastically and ruffled his waist happily, “Intinya, in my eyes, Lady Khanza is a human being.”

Khanza was silent for a moment. A thin smile appeared on his lips, as his eyes—for the first time, looking gently at others. The expression on his face at that time, almost made me not know Khanza. He really looks different from his cynical and crazy facial skin when he fights me.

Right now he looks a lot like .. Seraphina.

“Now I understand why Chrysanthemum can be so expressive like that,” said Khanza who also closed the wall again and sealed it with Kaszhania Algorithm crystals.

But when Khanza touched the perfect wall, he said, “Keep must be rewarded with kindness, hmm. Okay. I've decided.”

“H-He? Decide... what?” I asked who was worried and held my dagger handle.

Slowly Khanza's body decomposes into a beautiful red butterfly. He looked at me seriously and said,

“... When you choose to protect your loved ones or save the world, Chrysant, you won't regret choosing your heart.”.