Chapter 11: Those Who Carry Millions of Pains
The day before the star disaster, in a room in the underground base of the Illusionary Forest, Xiang Yingdai closed the door, shook his head and sighed softly at the people inside.
The surprise attack masterminded by Yaye was inexplicably interrupted. Darim's subordinates withdrew their offensive and instead took Yaye, Heihuo, Sujie and Lingshuang to reunite with Xiangying with a welcoming attitude. Beichen, exhausted physically and mentally, fell asleep while crying, and was taken by Darim to an exaggeratedly luxurious large room with Xiangying.
But after that, the door of this room was never opened once.
"No, the owner still refuses to open the door."
"Tsk!" Black Disaster smacked his lips loudly upon hearing this. "How did things get into such a weird state?! What kind of Red Moon Knight is Darim?! What the hell is going on!"
"That's why the master found it so hard to accept it. In other words, all of Darim's crimes have been transferred to her head."
Su Jie frowned. "Little Loach, you're overthinking it. Does this have anything to do with her? ──Yeah, she's the type who's always eager to pile all the responsibility on her own head."
"Not only that," Xiang Ying glanced at Yaye with a wry smile, "Now she probably still thinks she is Senior Yaye's enemy."
“…”
Yaye tapped the floor a few times with his toes in annoyance.
"Senior Yaye...I hope you won't...blame the Master."
Xiang Ying stared sincerely into the other person's blood-red eyes.
"While these tragedies may indeed have been caused by the Master's title,... that was not her intention. For your sake, she angrily rebuked the weapon that mocked you... She must have been very afraid that you would hate her."
"Anyway, let's go and take a look this time." Heihuo said as he pulled Sujie up from the sofa, but the latter stopped his action and shook his head.
At the same time, Yaye spoke.
"I'll go. You guys stay here quietly without my permission."
As he spoke, he strode to the door, then suddenly turned around and stared at Ling Shuang who was huddled in a corner in silence.
"We only discussed the matter of the Red Moon Witch in front of you because you are truly sincere towards Xiang Beichen. Be self-aware and don't betray her and our trust in you."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Ling Shuang lowered her head and spoke softly, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
Trust? Isn't it because he felt that the matter had become too serious to be concealed that he simply spoke out?
"But if you dare to hurt her, I won't let you go."
He turned around and added this, and Yaye snorted in amusement as if he had heard something absurd, and walked out the door without saying anything.
When he arrived at the door of Beichen's room, Yaye bumped into Darim.
He stood at Beichen's door like a statue, motionless, not even interested in looking at Yaye. Seeing this, Yaye decided not to bother with him for the time being.
The top priority right now is to deal with this dead woman hiding in the room.
──Thinking of this, he ignored Darim beside him, raised his foot and kicked the door hard!
Bang!
The entire heavy wooden door shook violently and made a loud noise, and there was a slight crisp sound from the door lock.
"What are you doing?"
Darim on the side turned around and released murderous intent towards Yaye.
"If you want your beloved witch to come out of there, get out of here as far away as you can." Yaye ignored Darim's anger and kicked him again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The entire corridor was filled with the terrifying sound of kicking the door. If someone who didn't know what was happening saw this scene, they would think that some dark-skinned bandits were slaughtering the village.
"Xiang Beichen! You, Matcha, are so brave! You actually let Lord Yaye be turned away?! Quick, roll up into a ball and open the door!"
While saying illogical, arrogant and weird words, he kept kicking the door, making it bang loudly.
Darim seemed to completely not understand Yaye's actions. He stood aside with a frown, but did not stop him. After all, in his eyes, although Yaye was more difficult to deal with, he was not unbeatable. If this action could really make Beichen open the door or at least eat something to replenish his energy, he would not object.
"Ya Ye..."
About fifteen seconds later, Beichen's voice came out muffled through the already crumbling door.
"I'm sorry for making you like this—Ugh!?"
Darim's eyes widened.
Before Beichen could finish his pitiful confession, Yaye had already taken a few steps back and performed a beautiful roundhouse kick towards the door. As a result, the door could no longer withstand Yaye's abuse and flew into the room, apparently hitting Beichen who was standing next to the door.
"What are you doing! ...Miko-sama!"
He ran into the room while yelling and carefully pulled out Beichen who was trapped under the door.
Beichen rubbed his painful forehead, shook Darim's hand off, and stood up. Darim stood aside, looking at his hand with a gloomy expression, but said nothing.
Yaye crossed his arms impatiently:
"I'll give you three seconds to come here immediately!"
"yes!"
Perhaps the inexplicable unconditional obedience to Yaye had formed a reflex arc in her body. Beichen obviously wanted to hide, but as soon as Yaye raised his voice, she immediately jumped in front of him in frustration.
"Very good." Yaye picked up Beichen and tucked her under his armpit. His left hand transformed into a sickle and easily blocked Darim's attack.
"If you're worried about her, go prepare some human food right now."
“…”
"Just do as Yaye says."
Beichen was a little exhausted as he was held by Yaye's waist. He said this weakly. Darim didn't quite understand what he meant and left in confusion.
Then, Yaye took Beichen out of the base and came to the forest on the surface. He made a few big jumps onto a particularly tall fir tree and then hung Beichen on a branch.
“Help…Help…”
Because the trees were so tall, one could see the sea of trees consisting of layers of treetops at the feet. Beichen cried out softly, then hugged the branches around him tightly.
Yaye stood firmly on a branch that was higher than her and laughed sarcastically:
"Why, you're still afraid of death, huh? I thought you were planning to commit suicide in your room. If you want to kill yourself, it's quicker to jump from here."
"I, I don't want to commit suicide."
Beichen hugged the branch and twitched his lips.
"I just..."
"You just: one, feel so miserable, like you're the tragic hero, and you just have to pity yourself. Two, feel so wronged, like you've been saddled with this guilt for no reason, so you decided to go out on a limb and take revenge on the world that made you bear the responsibility. Three, you decided to act like a spoiled brat and stay indoors, refusing to come out, so everyone can coax you and stroke your fur."
Yaye gave three hypotheses without mercy, and Beichen's expression became complicated and awkward in the middle of his speech.
"Hmm... You're right, it's a little bit of both. ... It's not very pretty, is it?"
"No."
Yaye unexpectedly objected.
"This is the most common mentality among humans. It's normal for you to think this way, especially the last one. Acting coquettishly is a woman's privilege, while coaxing others is a man's obligation. You are a woman after all, so I am here to coax you."
"Um...Yaye, I would be very happy if you didn't say that last sentence..."
So, how on earth can you be considered as "coaxing" in your actions from just now till now?!
Beichen smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Actually, Yaye, you're the one feeling the worst, right? Did Xiangying already tell you everything about this?"
"No, to me, it's just knowing why a murderer kills. But even if I know the motive, a murderer is still a murderer. I won't blame his dog named Xiao Huang for it. Even if he kills to buy dog food for Xiao Huang, what does that have to do with me?"
"...Well, the metaphor above is fine, but why did you compare me to a puppy?..."
Although he was complaining, a part of him felt relieved.
"So what are you so upset about? Your warriors are all worried."
Beichen hugged the branch and sighed.
"I'm thinking about the next issues. For example, what should we do with Darim? What should we do with the thousands of weapons that can't survive in the outside world? And there's also the matter of the Red Moon Priestess."
As she spoke, she unconsciously played with the leaves at the front of the branch.
"Logically, I should kill such a criminal without hesitation, but... I also feel that killing someone who has everything revolving around him would be too much. But if I don't kill him..."
"So you're hiding in your room and refusing to go out just to think about such silly questions?"
"You also don't want to see Darim. He's guarding the door, isn't he?"
"So what's the result? Don't tell me you've been thinking about it for so long and haven't come to any conclusion. If that's the case, I'll kick you out!"
"Yes! There are results!"
Beichen was so busy waving her hands that she almost lost her balance and fell from the tree. In the end, Yaye was kind enough to grab her and put her in his arms.
Beichen moved forward in his arms a little uneasily.
"Don't be shy, you can't arouse my desire yet."
Desire, you big-headed ghost! ──Of course Beichen only dared to curse in his heart.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, "...well, this might be a decision that will make Yaye very unhappy."
"Stop talking nonsense! When did you get to express your thoughts on my behalf? Keep talking!"
"...Yes!...I've decided not to kill him. Although he does make me mad. But, firstly, as a Red Moon Knight, he's too strong. Since he's dedicated to fulfilling the miko's wish, I won't allow him to do anything out of line from now on. Then, he won't be a big threat in the future. He could become a future trump card. Killing him like this...it's a shame."
"Well, I reluctantly agree." Yaye nodded expressionlessly.
"Secondly, it's true he committed countless crimes, but since that's already the truth, killing him won't change anything. The tragedy he's already caused remains a tragedy. Furthermore, that guy doesn't believe he's wrong at all, so killing him wouldn't satisfy him. In that case, it's better to keep him alive and let him clean up his mess himself. Perhaps that will reduce the number of tragedies."
"Hmm." Yaye hummed lightly without comment.
"Third, he's right about one thing. Those modified war machines can't survive in the sun. He's the one who harmed them, but he's the only one who can give them room to survive. Until I find a proper way to dispose of those war machines, I can only rely on his help."
"Are you planning to arrange those deformed war machines?"
As Yaye spoke, he reached out and pulled a strand of her hair to play with it.
"These have nothing to do with you, right? If you think the pain these weapons endure is your fault because you're a Red Moon Priestess—"
"No, they are the responsibility of the 'Red Moon Priestess'. Now I am the Red Moon Priestess, so I choose to bear their pain. But if one day I can prove that I am not a Priestess, then I will throw this burden away without hesitation. 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Since I have the awareness to use the Red Moon Knight as my own power, I must also bear the pain he causes. This is an exchange. Moreover..."
She turned her head slightly and looked at Yaye's expressionless face.
"Yaye, how did you feel when you first saw them? Even if you didn't know who they were, even if they had nothing to do with you, you still felt heartbroken and reluctant? That's why you spent so much effort drawing a map and finding people to rescue them, right?"
“…”
"Me too. Even though I'm not a miko, seeing the appearance of those weapons and the look in their eyes, I can't just leave them alone. Of course, sympathy is one thing, and their own wishes are another. I will try to help them, but if one of them has completely given up on themselves, I won't try to dissuade or enlighten them. Whether they are willing to stand up and start their lives anew is their own business."
Yaye frowned, staring at her with bloodshot eyes. "Don't you feel tired? Don't you think the burden on your shoulders is too heavy? It's not a good thing to have too strong a sense of responsibility. Your eyes are still swollen, yet you still say such things. Don't you think you're dreaming of being a hero too much?"
"Ah, I've been called a hero again, but the last time I said that was from one of those victim weapons."
Beichen suddenly leaned back and his back hit Yaye's chest.
"What? Seducing me?"
Yaye snorted in amusement.
"No! Didn't you say that being coquettish is a woman's privilege?! Forget it..."
Beichen wanted to move away, feeling both amused and helpless, but was held down by Yaye.
"You accept that, then?"
"Becoming a hero is every soldier's dream, and there's nothing shameful about dreaming of being a hero. ... As long as you're not a clown."
"Do you consider yourself a 'warrior'?"
"Well, yes."
Beichen nodded vigorously in Yaye's arms.
Whether in this world or my old one, I am a warrior, fighting for my own survival. ――Thinking of this, she smiled with a hint of fighting spirit.
"Hey—"
Yaye let out a long tone of interest, as if he had heard something new and interesting.
"So what's your fighting technique?"
"That's a secret. It's a secret manual passed down from our ancestors and cannot be passed on to anyone else."
As she spoke, she recalled what her grandmother had once said to her.
"It's okay to cry, but no more than five minutes. After you're done, you should continue to do what you need to do and think about. It's okay to laugh, but don't forget to laugh for the people who matter most. And don't get carried away. Sharing happiness and showing off happiness are two different things."
"Oh, is this so troublesome?"
When she was a child, she didn’t understand the meaning of her grandmother’s words, but now, she finally understood a little.
"Also, no matter how hard life gets, don't think you're the most miserable person in the world. Even if the whole world is your enemy, there will always be people who love you, and I, grandma, am one of them. For those people, you must live well."
When grandma said this, did she already foresee that she would become a shrine maiden?
But even so, she still said that she loved her.
Therefore, you must believe in grandma, even if she is a "fake shell", even if she really has some connection with the Red Moon Priestess, but how can her concern and love be fake - her eyes and heartfelt words cannot deceive people.
Good, things are not as bad as I thought.
"But," she said, wiping away the gloom from her face and grinning, "I don't feel the burden on my shoulders is too heavy. No matter how heavy it is, there are people to help me bear it. Xiang Ying, Hei Huo, Su Jie, Mr. Gu Yinyue, if I leave them out, they will be very angry."
Yaye narrowed his eyes, stretched out his hand, pinched Beichen's cheek and pulled it hard:
"Oh, so you're really brave to exclude me right in front of me? You're so proud of yourself after I gave you a few punishments?!"
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... I won't rule it out, I won't rule it out! Yaye is the most handsome, Yaye is mighty!!!"
"snort!"
The great Lord Vampire Scythe then put down his hand with satisfaction, then moved his hand to Beichen's head and rubbed it hard, turning the black hair into straw.
"I was going to say a lot to comfort you, but it seems there's no need. Very good, this is the taste of matcha."
"Thanks for the compliment, but what does that have to do with matcha flavor?"
"Okay, now that you have sorted out your plans, go and tell those little kids at home who are worried about you." Yaye said as he picked her up and jumped off the tree.
"Go ahead and tell them that their master is someone who can get up and keep running even if he falls to the ground."
Wait, why is it a dog chewing mud?!
"Well, but before that...even if I don't really want to, I have to talk to Darim."
"good."
Yaye rarely put away his arrogant expression and smiled at her.
"I've handed over the right to deal with him to you. Do a good job, Xiang Beichen."
"Um!"
Faced with the man's smile that was as devilish and evil as a vampire, Beichen's face turned red uncontrollably, but she still coughed lightly a few times and nodded vigorously.
Then, ten minutes later, the Red Moon Priestess and the Red Moon Knight had the following conversation.
"Darim, your real name is—"
"Agad Barumunk Celand. Her Highness the Witch."
"Really? Then, Agaard, how much do you know about my intelligence?"
"I know your general information from the age of one to seventeen."
"Are you sure I'm the Red Moon Priestess?"
"Yes."
"Then how can you be sure that you are the Red Moon Knight?"
"I knew it the moment I was born. I can hear the voice of the Red Moon."
"What!?"
"But ever since you became a miko, I can't hear you anymore. Maybe Akatsuki thinks I don't need guidance anymore."
"Guidance? Are you saying that your previous actions were all directed by Chiyue?"
"No, Chiyue only provides me with knowledge. As for the method I choose, that is up to me."
Darim—no, Agard, could have used this as an excuse to shirk his responsibility, but he still honestly admitted the truth—no matter what, he would not lie in front of the witch.
Beichen frowned.
"Since you know my information, you should also know that what you do will make me unhappy, right?"
"Yes. So I didn't intend to let you know this. I didn't know you would have an encounter with me so early. My original intention was to meet you as Yagad."
"But what if I ask?"
"I'll tell you."
"you……"
Feeling inexplicably weak, Beichen patted his forehead with his hand.
"Return most of the ill-gotten gains looted from the Heyang Kingdom, leaving only the portion needed to maintain the operations of your organization. I've already written a letter to Rui about that. Please send someone to deliver it to him personally. As for the portion owed to the Heyang Kingdom, I'll earn it back through legitimate means in the future."
"yes."
"Where are your 100,000 elite private troops now? Can you get some of them ready for battle?"
"Yes. They are on standby somewhere in the Kingdom of Latia. Your Highness, who do you want to deal with? I can go and wipe them out for you immediately."
"Mayor Holt of Wilvis, do you know that guy?"
"...Yeah. He was originally a member of the Staff Division of the Night Cavalry. Recently, for some reason, he rebelled. This time, he came to the Sea of Trees Base to retrieve weapons to use against Ran Xiang."
"That's perfect. This person's power is unexpectedly great. I want to get rid of him myself."
"Everything is at your command, Your Highness the Miko."
A smile appeared on the face of the Red Moon Knight Yagad, as if he had found a sense of belonging and meaning in his existence.
"Those weapons that have been modified, you are not allowed to torture them any further. If they can be modified, find a way to modify them back, and if they can't, find a way to compensate them. Okay?"
"Of course."
The more requests Beichen made, the more satisfied the smile on the other person's face became, which made her inexplicably feel goosebumps all over her body.
"There's one more question,"
Beichen was halfway through his words when he looked at the other person's face seriously.
"You said you are my shadow. If one day, you were asked to choose between me and Chiyue, which side would you choose?"
"Of course it's you."
Without even a second of hesitation, Yagad spoke with a puzzled look on his face.
"The Red Moon is just a bridge between you and me. It has no other meaning. Why do you ask?"
"You..." Beichen's expression was complicated, "Why are you so... loyal to me? We don't even know each other, right?"
"You don't know me, but I have known you for seventeen years. Through the false shell."
Can I call this a perverted stalker? Beichen twitched his lips.
"So, what if what I want to do goes against the legendary mission?"
"I won't interfere with what you want to do. All I want to do is provide you with everything you need, that's all."
The knight said this while staring at her with his head down.
His eyes were focused and paranoid, as if he couldn't see anything except her.
"All right."
Finally, Beichen bit his lip.
"I have no reason to refuse a power that will not betray me. I accept everything you have prepared for me."
Money, power, military might—and the opposite: sin, hatred, and suffering.
The Red Moon Knight took a breath in surprise.
After the truth was exposed, seeing Beichen's reaction, he had already prepared himself to be completely abandoned and disgusted. He never expected that Beichen was still willing to accept the things he prepared for her.
"But you... are not my shadow. My shadow is only Xiangying."
“Then I—!?”
Facing the knight's somewhat anxious and sad face, Beichen's mouth corners curled up slightly.
"A being like you should be called a 'sword,' right? You are colorless, but if you are allowed to act freely, you will only continue to hurt others. So, instead of that, let me wield this sword."
I have accepted your power, so in return, I must also bear the thousands of pains brought by this power.
With this power──
"Am I your... sword?"
"Yes. From now on, you are Yagad, the Knight of the Red Moon. As the price of swinging the sword, I will repay the debt you owed as Darim. But I have one thing to say. If you do anything I cannot accept again, I will kill you."
Yagard half-knelt down in front of her with an almost twisted smile, muttering something in ecstasy. Seeing him like this, Beichen felt a subtle bitterness in his heart.
"Alright, alright."
Beichen helped him up - she was still not used to such a great honor.
"There's so much to do next. The first thing to do is to defeat the Jafa Divine Group and prevent them from winning the tournament. Therefore, I need to strengthen myself to the maximum. Well, it's rare to have such a powerful bodyguard now, so let's make good use of tonight's Star Disaster Night."
"Yes, Your Highness the Miko."
"Let's not call them that. It would be disastrous if someone knew my identity."
"Then, can I call you His Highness Beichen?"
"...Alas, this is all too strange... Beichen is still fine."
After hesitating for a while, Beichen finally said this - and then turned his head to avoid the other party's ecstatic gaze.
"Let's go and meet my war machine and friends."
"yes!!"
That night, in the Illusionary Forest, because it was located in a remote area, the possessed Moon Messengers did not attack a town in groups, but just wandered around furiously in the forest. Some tiger-apes that had not yet hidden their bodies tragically became minced meat under their claws. All kinds of ominous roars and shouts echoed in the forest. Even the bewitching vines lay dormant quietly, waiting for the crazy night to pass.
And in this dangerous forest, someone armed with a weapon rushed into the territory temporarily occupied by the possessed Moon Messenger.
One was a young girl in white, wielding a longsword. She swung her sword swiftly and agilely, dodging deftly and lightly, like a white swallow in the night, weaving through the swirling blue and purple demon blood. Beside her, a pair of twins laughed wildly as they cleaned up any fish that had slipped through her net. A dark-sicked man holding a huge black sickle and a young man holding a spear effortlessly protected her from behind.
One was a tall man holding a huge axe. He had a ferocious look on his face and with a low roar, he swept his arm and knocked a ninth-level possessed moon messenger flying more than ten meters sideways. His body was covered in blood and exuded murderous aura, like a Shura in the night, guarding the girl's side.
They are the Red Moon Priestess and the Red Moon Knight who have reached an alliance agreement.
The wind direction changed slightly.
The blue-purple moon above his head was wantonly emitting a blue-purple evil light, dyeing the entire sky with an ominous color, and the light of the already dim red moon was difficult to find at this time.
Just like the previous ten thousand years, the Red Moon quietly hid behind the light of the Poison Moon, and no one knew what it was planning.
If it knew that the witch and knight it had chosen had reached such a treasonous agreement, how would it feel and what actions would it take?
The wind direction changed slightly.
At this moment, Beichen, who was killing the enemy, suddenly stumbled, the long sword in his hand fell to the ground, and he half-knelt on the ground!
The expression of Hei Huo on the side changed, and he waved his claws to block a giant tiger that was pouncing on him.
"Hey!? Are you okay?!"
Xiang Ying hurriedly returned to human form and wanted to help Beichen up, but found that Beichen's whole body was exhausted, limp and without any strength.
"Master?! What's wrong with you?! Why are you suddenly──"
Beichen seemed to have lost the ability to speak. His face turned pale and he shook his head, as if to say, "I don't know."
Yaye rushed over and killed a leopard for them. He frowned and stood guard over her. "Is it because you haven't slept well these past few days? That can't be so sudden, right?"
Yagad walked over to her and squatted down, carefully examining her complexion, then gently checking the whites of her eyes──.
Then, the knight's already terrifying expression suddenly became even more ferocious.
"What happened?"
Xiang Ying shouted anxiously, and Su Jie and Ling Shuang, who had run a little further away, rushed back to the vicinity upon hearing the sound.
"Miss Beichen, she has been poisoned."
"What!?"
Awooo──
Above the forest, the sharp and hoarse roars of the possessed moon messengers were heard.
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