Chapter 13:

Chapter 13: Emotions Explode

{-KILL-}

The Demon King said nothing, remaining silent. He didn't turn to look at Akazuha, but simply stood there motionless.

Sophia reached out and tugged at his sleeve to stop him, her voice a whisper.

"Akazuha, don't..."

But Akazuha didn't hear her. He simply set Sophie aside and charged towards the Demon King.

Without any unnecessary movements, with a gentle wave of his hand, a terrifying surge of power erupted from the Demon King.

Before Akazuha could react, his body was blown away, slamming violently against the wall behind him. Debris flew everywhere, creating a deep crater in the castle's sturdy wall.

He staggered to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"So... too strong!"

Before, when he was the God of Destruction, Akazuha could crush thousands of beings with a single wave of his hand. But now...

Before he could think, a huge hand gripped his neck.

His collarbone creaked horribly.

The Demon King lifted Akzuha into the air as if he were a tattered doll.

He slammed Akzuha to the ground.

CRASH!

The floor shattered, Akzuha's body writhing in pain. He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't obey.

The Demon King glanced at Sophie and sighed, then summoned his soldiers.

"Take those two away."

The demon soldiers immediately advanced without hesitation. One roughly pulled Sophie up, while others grabbed Akzuha, dragging him away as if he were a ragged sack.

He struggled, but his body was exhausted from the Demon King's attack. With each step, he could feel the excruciating pain piercing through every fiber of his being.

The Demon King didn't bother to look back. But what Akazuha, and the whole world, didn't know was that a single tear was falling from Kamikaze's eye.

The large doors of the throne slowly closed.

Darkness enveloped everything. But then a glimmer of light appeared in the darkness.

<♤♤♤>

I opened my eyes and saw that the light was from a nearby oil lamp; a young maid had noticed I was awake.

"Ah, you're awake!"

I tried to sit up, but she stopped me.

"Stop, we worked so hard to stitch that wound."

I looked around and didn't see my mother anywhere. "Where is she...?"

"Oh..."

The maid fell silent at my question, a hint of sadness on her face.

I looked at her expression and immediately climbed out of bed.

"Wait, you can't move yet!"

The maid anxiously ran to stop me, but I brushed her hand away.

"Please tell me, where is she?!"

I shook the little girl, trying to get her to tell me where my mother was.

She bit her lip, her eyes showing hesitation. Finally, she sighed and whispered,

"She... she's in the next room."

Hearing that, I struggled to crawl out of that room and into the next one.

The door to the next room creaked open as I stepped inside.

Inside, the dim light from an oil lamp shone on my mother's frail body. She lay on an old bed, her whole body covered in bandages, some still bleeding.

"Mother..."

She stirred slightly, her weak eyes opening. When she saw me, she gave a faint smile.

"You're awake..."

Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

I walked over and knelt beside the bed.

"Mother... why did you go there?" "But..."

My mother shook her head, her trembling hand reaching up to touch my face.

"It doesn't matter, son... I'm fine..."

"Fine?"

I looked at the wounds on her body, my eyes darkening.

"Looking at you like this, you say you're fine?"

She smiled gently.

"As long as you're alive, I'm content."

Hearing that, I felt like my chest was being squeezed.

I used to not care about things like family. But now, seeing my frail mother before me, I knew this was the last time I would see her.

Immediately, I rushed to the roof of the castle where the flowers I had secretly planted were.

The cold night wind swept through, carrying the dampness of the night. I stood on the castle roof, where the flowers he had planted were gently swaying in the moonlight.

The pure white petals reflected the faint light, but they no longer carried... The beauty was gone. A few blossoms had withered, dew drops clinging to their petals like tears.

I knelt down, gently touching the flowers.

They were still alive... but weak.

Like my mother.

My hands clenched. The night wind blew through my disheveled hair, but it couldn't carry away the pain in my heart.

Why?

Why did I feel so helpless?

I plucked a flower; it was supposed to be a birthday gift for her, but now...

Heavy footsteps echoed on the snow as I slowly approached the room and opened the door.

The old wooden door creaked softly as I pushed it open.

Inside the room, a flickering candle cast a weak light, casting faint shadows on the walls.

My mother lay on the bed. Her skin was so pale it was almost white in the candlelight, her breath weak. Her eyes were tightly closed, as if a mere gust of wind could sweep away her soul.

I stood there, silently watching the woman who had protected me time and time again.

I walked over, slowly knelt beside the bed, and offered her the flower in my hand.

"Mother... happy birthday."

My voice was very soft, almost a whisper. But in this silent space, it resonated more clearly than ever.

My mother stirred slightly. Her eyes slowly opened, vaguely looking towards me. A weak smile appeared on her lips.

"Akazuha... are you alright...?"

That question... choked me up.

I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I took her thin hand and gently placed the flower in it.

"I'm fine."

I lied.

She looked at the flower in her hand, her eyes softening.

"The flower is so beautiful... You still remember?" "Why?"

"Yes... I've always remembered."

I replied, my voice trembling as if I were about to cry.

"I promised to give it to you for your birthday."

She smiled, a gentle but weary smile.

"I'm so happy... my Akazuha..."

Her palm gently squeezed mine.

Then slowly... loosened.

Silence fell.

White petals fell to the cold ground.

"Mother..."

I called out to my mother, but the only response was silence and the sound of the biting wind.

"Akazuha..."

A male servant placed his hand on my shoulder, but I gently brushed it away and slowly walked out of the room.

I walked, each step heavy, as if something was weighing down on my chest.

Outside, it was still dark, the snow was still falling, and the wind was still howling. But Akazuha no longer felt the cold.

He only knew that, for a brief moment, for the first time in his life, and perhaps the last, he thought about what it felt like to lose a family.

I stopped before the small garden on the castle roof, where the flowers I had planted still swayed in the wind. Flowers that he could have given his grandmother more of, flowers that she could have gazed at longer.

I clenched my fists. The emotions welled up in my chest, threatening to explode.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to destroy everything.

I wanted—

"Akazuha..."

A voice echoed in my mind. Gentle, warm, like a soft spring breeze in the harsh winter.

Was it an illusion? Or just a memory?

I didn't know.

I only knew that, standing in the snow-covered garden, I no longer felt alone.

For the first time in a long time, I quietly closed my eyes.

The flowers continued to bloom in the cold.

"Why...why!!!"

I once knew how to smile thanks to Izumo.

In this life, I knew what warmth was.

What family was...

But now I felt an emptiness, my eyes stung, tears slowly falling onto the snow...

I knelt down, my hands clutching the snow-covered flowers. The icy coldness spread from my palms to the depths of my heart and soul.

I don't remember how long I cried.

Gods like me don't shed tears. Gods like me don't know sorrow.

But now, I'm no longer a god.

I'm just a child who has lost their mother.

Only emptiness remains, gnawing at my soul.

The snow continues to fall. The wind continues to howl.

I don't know what I'll do next.

The snow is still falling.

Sitting in the small garden on the castle roof, where the flowers I once tended are now covered in a cold, white blanket. A biting wind blows, but I no longer feel it.

I only feel empty.

A gentle breeze sweeps by, carrying falling snowflakes. For a moment, I thought I heard my mother's voice, a gentle voice that had called his name countless times.

But when I turned, only the silent night answered.

I closed my eyes, letting the last tears fall onto the snow.

My mother is gone.

Nothing holds me back here anymore.

From afar, the castle lights still flickered, whispers still echoed among the servants. But I didn't care.

"Brother..."

A voice, someone was behind me.

I turned around, only to see someone standing there.

Lilith's daughter, a copy of my sister, the creator goddess.

"What are you doing here... Aurora..."

"I... I want..."

"If you want to apologize... then don't do that, it wasn't your fault..."