Chapter 64 World B Afterword "Good evening." A man's voice...
"Good evening." The man's voice was gentle and tender, and perhaps because the night was too deep, his magnetic voice was also lowered a little: "Little Ethan."
"Damn, here we go again. That disgusting tone..." Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. Every time he faced Tenas's face, he felt a sense of dread.
Even after experiencing it countless times, Ethan still couldn't get used to him being like this, and just felt that this person was so pretentious.
Is this an eco-friendly bag? It holds so much! Who are you trying to fool by displaying it like this?
“Little Ethan—” Tenas was still sitting in his original seat, patting the seat next to him and inviting him warmly, the seat Ethan had just been sitting in: “Come sit down.”
Ethan squinted at him for a while, but still didn't choose to go over. He just said with certainty, "Are you sure I'll come with you today? That's why you chose this place."
This park was the park where he met Tenas, and also the beginning of all evil. If he hadn't met Tenas here, he might not have lost so many important things, and he and Tenas would still be painfully entangled. The fact that Tenas was still alive was the most painful thing for him.
During the years they knew each other, they met countless times in this park, lying in the spot where Tenas is now sitting and the spot next to him, talking about everything and dreaming about the future.
In my youth, I was full of youthful vigor and enthusiasm, and I could talk about anything with great enthusiasm.
On a sweltering summer afternoon, under the shade of lush green trees, they lay on the lawn beneath them. The abundant leaves shielded them from the scorching sun, creating a relatively cool and shady spot.
They ate popsicles, chatted about their lives, about trivial things that happened, about their studies, hobbies, and complained about some troublesome things.
Before we knew it, we had forgotten the scorching heat that made the air feel distorted.
Or it might be at night, when it's completely dark, and they lie there together watching the stars.
They chatted casually, from stars to constellations, discussing the typical personalities and fortunes of their respective zodiac signs.
They got so engrossed in their conversation that they had so much fun, chatting about several different topics in one night, even touching on the damned guardian and their own future.
Back then, I was young and arrogant, unaware of my own limitations, and thought that I could change this terrible situation after joining the ranks of mages.
It's strange that back then he couldn't see that his best friend, who was smiling, clapping, and cheering him on, saying that he would change the world in the future, was the one who created the worst situation in the world today.
Looking back now, I realize how flawed I was as a child, which reinforces Ethan's belief that Tenas had deliberately approached him from the beginning, and that their years-long friendship was a joke, with Ethan being the only one who was completely fooled.
Ethan hadn't thought about those things for a long time. After discovering that Tenas was the leader of the Guardians and the two broke off relations, he put all those past events out of his mind and never wanted to think about them again.
I feel a little dazed. It's so strange. Did they really have such a deep connection before? It feels like those times were a distant past life.
So, how is Tenas still alive?
If only believing in God could have made Tenas die suddenly, but unfortunately Tenas himself believed, yet he still did a lot of things that would lead to hell.
The thought that someone like Tenas could be religious and consider himself a loyal believer made Ethan sneer. This world is doomed.
“That’s right~” Tenas was as honest as ever, not beating around the bush at all. He tilted his head and said seriously, “I said the peace offer just now specifically for you to hear.”
...Sum?
Those words that just now made people cheer and start dancing, made their blood rush to their heads, made their facial blood vessels dilate, and made even the good-natured Ethan so angry that he wanted to leave on the spot... were they meant to beg for peace with him?
This wasn't the first time Ethan had been amazed by his complete lack of self-awareness. Tenas should have taken a course in the art of language a long time ago; listening to him speak always felt like there was a kind of beauty in his brainstem deficiency, making one want to punch him in the face.
For example, right now, Ethan feels like he's hard.
His fist was rock hard.
Ethan tried to shut Tenas up, and the two started fighting.
For some reason, they all tacitly chose to fight hand-to-hand, without using any guardian power or magic, just pure hand-to-hand combat.
Unfortunately, Tenas didn't use his Guardian powers, but his body had been enhanced to an extraordinary level. Ethan couldn't beat him and was easily overwhelmed.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been this close to Ethan.” Tenas smiled, a flush of excitement rising on his face. He rested his chin on his right hand and said in a light tone, “It’s been such a long time, little Etnan.”
Unlike the nonchalant Tenas, Ethan is now in a very sorry state.
He lay face down, his face itchy from the grass, and the smell of grass and soil filled the air—it was quite refreshing, but he didn't like it.
Tenas was sitting on his back, his hands were tied behind his back and his wrists were held down by Tenas's left hand, making it easy for him to be subdued.
With great strength, Ethan couldn't break free from Tenas's grasp.
Is this the difference between the physical and magical factions? It's far too great. Even after training his physical abilities for so long, he still couldn't hold out against Tenas's men for much longer than before. He was unwilling to accept this.
Ethan began to struggle, trying to get Tenas off him, his hands flailing about.
He struggled, covered in sweat and panting heavily, his strength almost completely depleted. Tenas remained unmoved, and as he struggled, he exerted some force with his left hand, feeling as if the bones in both hands were about to be crushed.
Sweat kept sliding down Ethan's forehead, even flowing into his eyes, blurring his vision. Ethan blinked.
Something hot touched his face and pried his cheek. It took Ethan a while to realize that it was Tenas's hand.
“Little Ethan?!” Tenas’s voice turned surprised and suspicious, with a hint of barely perceptible unease. His voice became cautious, all traces of his previous ease gone: “Are you crying?”
Then Ethan's eyelids were violently pried open, and Tenas's face was magnified several times.
Ethan: "..."
Ehan's voice rose and fell in unison: "Bitch!"
Tenas, you bitch!! Let go of his eyes, or it'll really hurt until I cry! Get off him! You bastard!
Because Tenas was busy prying open his eyes and no longer restraining his hands, Ethan punched Tenas in the eye socket.
Damn it! My wrist is swollen and bruised. I'm starting to suspect I might have a fracture. It still hurts so much.
Because of the close proximity, Tenas was caught off guard and took the hit head-on. He covered his injured eye and took a few steps back, feigning grievance: "Little Ethan, don't swear—I won't go around telling everyone you cried."
What are you trying to pack? You've packed it again! Are you an eco-friendly bag? How can you pack so much stuff?
Ethan responded with another punch, and they started fighting again, with the leaders of the two camps engaging in a passionate brawl in the small park late at night.
After Ethan left, Ethan's life continued in a routine and uneventful manner. He conserved his energy to become stronger, occasionally fighting with the annoying Tenas and getting badly beaten.
In the eighth year of their tormenting relationship, Tenas was defeated.
To be honest, the reason for Tenas' defeat is... hard to explain in a few words.
Because he had no one left to use, he killed almost all the available guardians, leaving only one or two not very powerful guardians, so the situation became one-sided.
They've gone mad, they've really gone mad.
Ethan had prepared a lot of things to kill Tenas. He had been lying in wait for a long time, slowly pushing things forward according to his own plan, all in an attempt to find a sliver of a chance of victory.
But what's going on?
Even when Tenas was insane before, he wasn't this crazy. Yes, Tenas really didn't value human life, especially his guardians. In the past, he would kill a few of them on a whim if he didn't like them.
But there has never been such a large-scale massacre. He killed fewer than five guardians, including himself, and the few who remained were all support-type guardians who could not play a significant role in the battle.
Not only are they often ignored, but they also try to minimize their presence. The main problem is that all the people they could help have been killed, so who can they help? Help the undead? They can't do that, their corpses have all been burned.
As far as Ethan knows, one of the survivors, Morrison, although he also has the heart of a warrior, is just a fragile healer.
What can he do on the battlefield? Keep Tenas in top condition the whole time? Tenas doesn't usually get injured in battle, and compared to his battered comrades, he looks radiant and gets more energetic as the fight goes on.
As an adversary, Ethan would frequently monitor his information and try to figure out Tenas's intentions.
This lunatic is truly insane when he's having a fit of madness. But once he gets serious, his scheming becomes so subtle that no one can detect it.
Ethan only received the news after Ethan left. Tenas had ruthlessly killed people in his camp. There was no reason, and it wasn't a special day. It was just an ordinary evening when they agreed to meet somewhere and then never came back.
After several more battles with Tenas, the fact remains that even though Tenas is powerful, their faction's strength has been weakened.
At that time, Ethan vaguely sensed something and had a hunch, but he quickly dismissed it.
How could that be? Even if he's crazy, that guy wouldn't be so reckless, would he? He wouldn't be that insane, would he?
In fact, that is him.
As time went on, Ethan recently confirmed his suspicions—Tenas had been intentionally weakening his own faction's strength.
Why is this happening? Has Tenas really gone mad?
This madman... Every time Ethan thinks he can't go any crazier, he still manages to set a new record, letting him know that Tenas can go even crazier.
Are you crazy? Do you really want to make up? In... this way?
But Tenas has killed so many people—his friends and family, and even more innocent people. He doesn't even spare his own people. He's determined to kill him.
Or is this a conspiracy? Is Tenas plotting something else? What else does he want to do?
It wasn't until he confronted Tenas that Ethan realized it wasn't a conspiracy; Tenas was genuinely serious.
Tenas was so popular that Ethan wasn't surprised at all. While they were playing, Morrison looked around and secretly treated Ethan and the others.
He lay down quickly, barely moving before pretending to be dead, and pointed Ethan and the others in the direction of Tenas.
Tenas weakened not only the Guardians but also his own power. Perhaps it was because he had learned the powerful magic Ethan taught him, but their battle dragged on for a long time. In the end, Tenas finally fell.
“HA, HAHAHA…” Tenas burst into a shrill laugh from his throat, laughing as he spat out blood. It was the madness that Ethan knew: “Little Ethan is very powerful now.”
Ethan watched coldly as he laughed until he choked on his own blood, laughing so hard he could barely breathe, before finally stopping and slowly calming down.
He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his smile still as bright as ever, yet it seemed out of place in this situation.
To be honest, he was in a terrible state. He lay in the ruins of the Guardian base, covered in large patches of blood, some of it Tenas's own, and some of Ethan's.
Fresh blood gushed from the wound incessantly, almost impatiently. The owner casually wiped the blood off his face, only making him look even more disheveled.
Tenas paid no attention to his disheveled appearance, his eyes fixed on Ethan with an unreadable light in them.
Looking at Tenas like this, Ethan had many questions he wanted to ask him.
I want to ask him why his mental illness has worsened? Were the things he did real or fake? Has he shown any remorse? Even the slightest bit? Was their friendship built on deception from the start?
Countless questions he wanted to ask could only be uttered as a cold, hard question when he opened his mouth: "Do you have any last words?"
"Cough, cough cough... I really didn't expect little Ethan to ask me for my last words." Tenas's lips curved slightly, and a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes: "Do you like it?"
Ethan didn't answer him, but a fire inexplicably rose in his heart and burned continuously.
What is this? He actually admitted it! Is this considered looking down on him? They actually let him off easy because they think he's too weak? An indescribable anger burned brighter and brighter.
“Okay, looks like you don’t like it.” Tenas said, looking at his expression with some frustration.
"Is this all your last words?" Ethan asked coldly, confirming the other's last words. He didn't know why he had asked; he should have killed him immediately.
Is it because they initially got along as close friends? After three years of perfectly compatible companionship, his current complex emotions are now facing the dying Tenas.
“Alright, alright, my last words are—” Tenas smiled again, and for some reason, his smile was even brighter than before: “Little Ethan, let’s be friends again in the next life.”
I want to meet you again in the next life, and then I'll haunt you relentlessly. I'd better pray that he has no memory of it, because if he does, he won't let you go. He's my best friend, and I definitely won't kill him in the next life.
Ethan: "..."
No way! Being around you is terrifying! You're the kind of person who would kill the people around you. You should just die and reincarnate already.
Ethan placed his hand near Tenas's heart, and as soon as his hand touched it, he could feel the powerful beating of his heart. With a thought, magic flowed from his fingertips, seeped into Tenas's body, and almost instantly shattered his heart.
Finally, Ethan heard a very soft murmur, so soft it seemed like his imagination, drifting away into the air: "I just wanted to do what you wanted."
Ethan looked at Tenas, his deep blue eyes dimmed, and his pupils dilated. Tenas was dead.
"..."
After Tenas's death, Ethan prepared to collect his body. After all, they were friends, and even if there was deep-seated hatred, now that everyone was dead, it was just a matter of collecting the body; if he didn't, people would use it to whip the corpse.
While preparing his body for his final moments, Ethan felt something hard on Tenas's chest. He reached in to take it out, only to find something both familiar and unfamiliar.
Ethan looked down at the yellow sapphire necklace in his hand, remaining silent for a long time, not thinking about anything, just staring blankly, his hair obscuring his face.
He recognized the item; it was a gift they had exchanged during their best years together. Identical yellow sapphire necklaces—a symbol of their friendship before he discovered Tenas was the Guardian, during the purest period of their bond.
He destroyed that one a long time ago, around the time Bertha died. Back then, just hearing Tenas's name would make him feel like vomiting, and he couldn't stand anything associated with him.
...
Is this revenge, Tenas?
Ethan unconsciously tightened his grip on the yellow sapphire necklace, oblivious to the fact that the uneven gemstone was embedded in his flesh due to the excessive force.
Is this revenge? Tenas.
Ethan closed his eyes, biting his tongue to keep himself calm with the pain, but his body was still trembling slightly.
But it was no use; he couldn't force himself to calm down. Even his breathing became rapid, and his nails dug into his flesh, drawing tiny beads of blood.
This is your revenge, Tenas.
Ethan trembled even more violently, clenching his teeth so tightly that they made a sickening sound, but no one cared. Now there were only Ethan and Tenas's corpses.
I hate it so much! I hate it so much! I hate it so much!
Tenas, even after you're dead, I still hate you so much.
Was this intentional? Was it intentional? Was it intentional to wear this necklace at this time, to use it to defeat him?
You won.
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Author's Note: This man didn't do it on purpose; he was just carrying it around. After death, people can be reincarnated. [Bertha's soul was protected by a magician and sent into reincarnation; she has memories.]
Tenas became aware of his own madness as he grew up, frantically researched his family history for three days, and discovered that he was the only one with mental illness [not mentally ill, just somewhat mentally disturbed].
This guy is quite afraid of Ethan's tears. He'll often beat Ethan mercilessly while laughing and joking, but he gets a little panicked when Ethan actually cries. He only saw Ethan cry after killing Bertha.
I feel that Turner wasn't well-developed in this world; my writing skills are insufficient. He's also a very complex character, acting arbitrarily yet still caring about people. [The foreshadowing of his self-weakening in the scene where Nadia dies is already present.]
That's it = Let's decide like this
I don't need you anymore = I'm reducing our combat strength, you can die now.
Tena is a religion, but I don't fully believe in it; influenced by my family, I don't actually respect it much.
I came across a video clip called "Witch Hunter Girls" and want to watch it. I recently found a few books on my wish list and have been binge-reading them. One of them really captivated me; I felt like I was learning while reading it, and I seriously suspect the teacher is a medical student.
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