Brain bloom

"I won't do anything bad." The same plea as He Yuan, but much more tragic, echoed through the killing.

Through the souls linked by the magic of fate, Mori witnessed this cursed soul on a conscious level. This was not a thought disguised as a lie, but a genuine and sincere request.

“Indeed, there is no sign of lying.” Mori nodded solemnly.

"Moreover, if we don't hurry, my power will be difficult to suppress, and it will really... make everything irreversible. Please separate me from Yuan's body."

“That’s true. I can feel your daughter’s life force constantly slipping away.” As a master craftsman, he also saw some deeper issues.

As he spoke, he took out a strange-looking set of tools, identical to those used to repair the Clockwork City. The tools were wreathed in wondrous magical traces, as if they were meant to deal with the most sophisticated machinery in the world.

His backup plan was in the works, and he could use these tools to separate the curse at any time.

“Ron Stolt, the ancient demon king, your daughter, you decide.”

"Uh……"

"Stop dawdling—" Fernanda's rebuke shook the heart of the ancient demon king, Blank. "Why did you summon us? Even if problems arise, we can solve them."

It's nothing more than entering the second phase of preparation, engaging in the anticipated battle; they had already made their plans. This Evil Dragon, after all, was an old acquaintance, and its words carried considerable weight, directly calming the Ancient Demon King's troubled mind.

"Let the curse... no, let my eldest daughter leave my youngest." The giant in the shadows said solemnly, then suddenly let out a laugh, followed by a whisper as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "I can have two daughters now."

"It sounds like having a daughter with a terrible curse is actually quite a blessing?" Mori said with a solemn expression. Who knows if a battle will really begin after the curse is removed?

At this moment, Dandelion quietly touched Sen Shi's little pointed ears and brought them to her mouth: "We can have two daughters in the future too, so we don't need to envy others."

“…Hmm.” Mori clenched his fist, once again gathering his resolve in his heart.

Although the atmosphere could hardly be serious anymore, Olster was still working diligently. His skill was truly divine, like sculpting the purest jade in the world, without making the slightest mistake.

However, just ten seconds later, a terrifying force that horrified everyone broke free from Yuan's body.

Olster's magic, along with his wondrous tools, finally separated the curse and the wish's soul from their bodies. The curse could no longer endure it and escaped on its own—much like the ancient demon king.

Transparent, dark, and intensely terrifying power was emanating from it.

But she didn't look that scary; she was just a girl who looked a lot like Yuan, though a little younger and shorter. Looking at her face, Mori suddenly thought of the strange woman Matilda, the one who had appeared in the illusion of the ancient demon king—the one he loved deeply.

Hmm... more like her than like Yuan.

But the fact that this curse appeared was still quite terrifying, at least enough to make one of the people present break out in a cold sweat.

"Wait! You can't just show up like this! Oh no, the world is going to end." Olster's face turned ashen.

"Will not."

"Go quickly to the body we prepared beforehand; that's where you should go, otherwise..."

Miss Killer walked towards Mori, her aura of death extremely strong, even on par with the Ancient Demon King. She completely ignored Olster's warning, but had no intention of causing any damage; she simply approached Mori.

“The divine power can restrain me and prevent everything from collapsing immediately.”

"...Then I'll keep it that way."

Mori Toki immediately understood; she was referring to the divine essence of the coffin bearer. Although it was usually useless, at the last moment, it could be considered saving the world, right? Mori Toki could only console herself with this thought.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak."

"I'm just doing this because I want to."

“I… will no longer torture her.” A look of relief appeared on the murderous face. “So, after I’ve said my goodbyes, I’ll leave it to you. Only you in this world can completely erase me.”

Mori pressed his forehead, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought. This family is truly exasperating..."

Each one was stronger than the last, each capable of destroying the world if released, yet each was also incredibly sentimental. In the end, their greatest pleasure was the same: to have Moritoki kill them… Moritoki felt quite helpless being constantly invited to do such evil things.

Slaughter came to Yuan's side.

Yuan had just woken up and was helped to stand up by Melia, who ran over.

Hope is uncertain.

She opened her eyes to see her dearest father, her best friend with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, a circle of familiar and unfamiliar faces from the Demon Realm, her two Seasonal Companions, and Fufu, who quietly flew overhead. All of this should have filled her with joy, making her happy to discover that she was still alive.

But it didn't happen.

"Am I...is something wrong?" Yuan asked, a little scared, gripping Melia's hand even tighter. "I slept very soundly, but...it's strange, I feel something's wrong...something's very wrong."

"What's wrong? Is it a curse?"

"Shouldn't the curse be removed by now?"

"As the master craftsman, I swear on my honor that the loss of life force has stopped."

"...What exactly happened?"

Many who were about to approach stopped in their tracks. The awakening of Princess Dawn should have brought them smiles, but something seemed amiss. She had finally awakened, finally broken free from the curse, yet there was no joy of salvation in her eyes…

On the contrary, their trembling bodies and terrified faces spoke of an unprecedented horror.

Growing up in the eerie and unpredictable realm of demons, and being one of the world's strongest fighters, constantly accompanied by pain—what could possibly frighten her so much? What was she afraid of? The ancient demon king was also in a panic, not knowing what had happened.

Only one person knows.

Silently, the small hand of killing gently grasps the hand of desire.

Then, Yuan's trembling stopped, and the fear on her face vanished, replaced by surprise. Clear tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, flowing down her cheeks like shooting stars. Yuan understood everything.

"There is no need to be afraid," the curse whispered. "May you be."

"...You've always wanted to kill me, but you always kept putting it off...my curse?"

"Yes, it's me—you no longer need to endure the pain, I'm leaving."

With a look of relief, she said, "So... I felt strange, I felt something was wrong, all because... I'm no longer in pain? This is how a normal person feels—the feeling of not feeling pain?"

Having been accompanied by pain all her life, she is only now experiencing the taste of ease for the first time.

She knew all the pain, but knew nothing else.

Therefore, she felt lost and fearful, and this unfamiliar situation made her feel uneasy.

At that moment, Killing gently embraced Wish, and an all-too-familiar feeling surged up once more—the taste of pain. An unbearable yet deeply missed pain pulsed within her delicate body, composing a poem, a poem of parting.

"It's time for us to say goodbye." He left.

"The pain... is gone."

"That's your life, and the pain should leave." Finally, she asked a question, "Will you feel lonely without me by your side from now on?"

"...Yes." She nodded.

"Then, I won't apologize for tormenting you for so long." With a smile, the curse that had been with Yuan at all times finally uttered those words—"Goodbye, my dearest sister."

She left, leaving her silhouette behind.

Then—they approach the coffin bearers. They approach the most sacred and high-ranking goddess in the world to fulfill their vow of farewell.

All eyes were on Sen Shi. This short but grand story, which had unfolded in the realm of demons, would come to an end with the coffin bearer drawing a conclusion. There was no more fitting reason for this.

"—If you don't make a move soon, I'll spread pain to every corner of the world, Coffin Bearer," Killer said with a laugh.

"..." Mori remained silent, as if hesitant.

“Don’t worry, I’m willing to disappear. A curse that only knows killing and destruction and brings only pain should not continue to exist. Thanks to you, I was able to speak for the first time, to have consciousness and communicate with people… I even… I even hugged my father, and hugged Yuan.”

Her voice was melancholic and ethereal, yet full of a sense of fulfillment.

The magic of fate has altered her destiny, leading her onto a fork in the road called "happiness."

The killer left no last words, only waited quietly—and after a long silence.

"You've entrusted your life to me?" Mori asked with a sigh, as if in great difficulty.

"Yes, I'm willing to die in your hands."

"Princess Dandelion".

"Ok?"

"Let her become the one who experiences all four seasons."

In an instant, the entire arena erupted in uproar, and a heated discussion ignited the demon realm. Even the lower-ranking demons on the farthest border could sense that something unusual was happening.

This proposal is absolutely incredible!

Unlike He Yuan, this cursed one is penniless. Although Sen Shi has improved his strength somewhat, it's impossible for him to kill her. If he were to gather everyone to fight her, probably no one would be willing, and it would be beneath him, ruining the reputation of the Coffin Carrier.

In utter despair, Mori could only find a way out elsewhere. Thus, he thought of the equally evil and terrifying darkness and sealed himself away in the way of the Four Seasons.

Kesen didn't have much hope.

“Okay.” Dandelion nodded.

"...Can...can it work?"

"Can someone become a Four Seasons Master in this way?"

“Incredible, I’ve never heard of that before.”

"Don't all the Four Seasons creatures grow from the ground? That's what I heard the old devil say..."

Are you kidding me?

Dandelion shrugged, completely ignoring everyone else, and only spoke to Mori.

"I thought you were going to grant her wish, but I didn't expect you to have this idea, contributing to the revival of the Flower Kingdom. Since you've brought up this idea... well, generally speaking, no, those who can transform into the Four Seasons can't do that." Dandelion crossed her arms, keeping everyone in suspense, "But... hehehehe."

"You...are trying to save me?" Killer asked blankly.

"Generally speaking? So, there's really a chance?" The one who asked the question was the ancient demon king. Whenever his daughter was involved, he would lose his ability to think and could only blindly listen to what others said.

Mori looked at the dandelion with eager and curious eyes.

"The Winged Clouds will purify evil and reincarnate our souls. The birth of new descendants of the Four Seasons depends on sowing seeds, sacrificing a year's flowering period, planting the fused seeds on the head of one of them, and slowly nurturing them over a year. It's actually quite complicated."

“…Hmm, could it be…” Mori felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't be afraid, this is an exception, there are other ways." After saying that, Dandelion smiled and waved to Yuan. "Yuan, do you want to save your sister? Even if she has tormented you for so long?"

After a moment's thought, Yuan nodded: "...It's not her fault. If there's any hope, I don't want to break up with her."

"Alright, what about the ancient Demon King?"

"If there's a way, I'd like to see what's going on."

"Stop keeping me in suspense!" Sen Shi shook Dandelion's arm.