C.S.O - Chapter 42 [Death and Return]

note : i do some mistakes, angels and demons is genderless. At first, i want to use "He" since the original series doesn't have pronouns. But I will use pronouns according to the gender of the vessel

The battle between Flamia and Michael can be considered the most intense battle after the fight against Kuro. Flamia attacks using high-level skills that drain a significant amount of MP. Not just once, but continuously until she hits Michael. Explosions echo throughout the area, accompanied by the land being severed by holy fire and ice.

Unlike Flamia, who continues to attack, Michael only dodges and defends himself using ice skills that are perfectly matched with Flamia's fire element. That's why even though Flamia's attacks can instantly burn him, as long as he doesn't get hit, he'll be fine.

(Damn! If it continues like this...)

Flamia is angry and wants to shred Michael, but that doesn't mean she is unaware of her situation.

With continuous high-level attacks, it means Flamia is using a large amount of MP. In PvP, such actions are reckless.

(I only have 4 Elixirs. The others can only slightly replenish my MP. If I don't defeat her soon, I'm in trouble.)

Perhaps aware of this, Michael chooses to dodge and buy time.

(This is really bad.)

Flamia attempts to attack again, this time using a skill that unleashes a large amount of fire, <Hanabi>. Its power is not comparable to the skill she used before, but she wants to test something.

Facing Flamia's attack, Michael activates the <Ice Shield> skill and cancels all of Flamia's attacks.

(I knew it.)

Regardless of whether Michael merges with Ruko, the power she can use can be said to be limited. More precisely, she cannot use any power other than Ruko's skills.

(The problem lies in his God Slayer power.)

Knowing the terror of Kamikiri-ryu, Flamia is more cautious about that power. But just like before, Kamikiri-ryu requires a stable stance, so it becomes obvious when Michael is about to use it.

Flamia's previous attack prevented Michael from doing it. This is the same tactic used when fighting Kuro.

"[I don't understand why you protect that lowly demon. Could it be because of love? If you love him, then you should know that killing him is the best way.]"

"What do you mean?"

Flamia doesn't understand at all.

"[You already know what I mean.]"

"No, I don't know."

Flamia then attacks again with a slash. But Michael dodges and immediately parries Flamia's sword. Both swords clash, and they face each other.

Although Michael is using Ruko's body, Flamia knows well that what she sees is not the real Ruko.

"[Then I'll tell you. This is a story about a demon that was once born into this world. Just like him. Yes, he is not the first.]"

"..."

"[This demon possesses tremendous power. Even we angels struggled against it and eventually lost in battle. Do you know what happened afterward? The Earth was destroyed, and many civilizations vanished from the face of the Earth just because of its rampage. No one could fight or stop it. Trapped in loneliness, the demon chose to die, but unfortunately, no one could kill it. From the strongest, it became the most suffering.]"

"..."

"[And in the end, the one who could end its suffering was a hero chosen by humans.]"

Hearing that, Flamia laughs.

"You seem to have talent as a writer, Michael. Who would believe in that?"

Flamia immediately strengthens her attack and finally pushes Michael back.

"[Of course, everyone believes in that.]"

"Huh?"

Flamia is confused by Michael's words.

"[You should remember, we are beings that originate from human beliefs. Now think, about a demon that cannot be defeated by us but can be defeated by humans. Why does that happen?]"

"It has nothing to do with Kuro!!"

"[Not directly, but you should understand. Demons are evil creatures, and angels are good creatures. Behind despair, there is always hope. If there is an evil person, there will always be a hero. And you know, heroes always win.]"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Michael disappears and appears behind Flamia. Flamia is surprised because she doesn't know what actually happened.

However, no matter how low Ruko's status and level are compared to hers, how could Michael do that?

The only one who could do that was Kamikiri-ryu. Realizing this, Flamia wants to pursue him. But suddenly, she feels pain in her stomach.

"!?"

Then, fresh blood flows from the sword wound. At the same time, Flamia's HP decreases.

The excruciating pain she felt wasn't the first time that she had experienced it, so she managed to endure it. However, because of the injury, she missed her chance to catch up to Michael.

Meanwhile, Chiaki, who was focused on taking care of Kuro, was startled by Michael approaching her to kill Kuro. At the same time, she noticed the wound on Flamia's body.

(She can injure her directly. Perhaps that's her power. I must avoid getting hit.)

Quickly analyzing the situation, she now understood why Kuro could be severely injured by Michael's sword thrust. This also explained why Kuro was difficult to heal even after drinking the Elixir.

Chiaki tightly gripped Durandal and prepared to defend against Michael's attack. But suddenly, Michael's figure disappeared.

"!?"

When she realized it, Michael was already near Kuro's body, his sword ready to decapitate him.

(Kuro-chan...)

It was too late. Neither of them could help or even assist Kuro.

With an expressionless face like a cold-blooded killer, Michael swung her sword to behead Kuro.

But-

"[Why did you stop me?]"

Michael's sword stopped just before touching Kuro's skin. It was halted by her left hand.

"[You should know, the person you call a brother is a demon worse than filth. Why did you stop me from killing this creature? Aren't you a hero?]"

Michael wasn't speaking alone; she was conversing with the owner of the body.

(Ruko-chan!)

Not wasting the opportunity, Chiaki and Flamia attacked Michael simultaneously.

Michael evaded by moving to the side. Afterward, she kept a distance of about 20 meters.

"Chiaki."

"I understand. Ruko is also doing her best. She fights because she doesn't want this to happen."

Both of them had to thank Ruko. Even though her body was taken over by Michael, she showed that she would still fight.

But the reality disappointed them.

"[It seems I have to completely erase your consciousness. I'm sorry, but rest for a while.]"

After that, Michael's aura suddenly became brighter. Light radiated from her body like a holy being, no, with Ruko's face, she truly became an angel.

"With this, I will fulfill my role. I'm sorry, but let me kill that demon! Anyone who obstructs will perish."

"!?"

"!?"

Chiaki and Flamia broke into a cold sweat. The pressure exerted by Michael was heavier than Kuro's. They realized they were facing a truly different creature.

A bright light emanated from Michael's sword as she positioned her body, preparing to use the Kamikiri-ryu technique.

(Damn it. Because of fear, we let her use it.)

There was no doubt that Michael was targeting Kuro. The question now was how to stop her?

"Chiaki, let's use our best defensive skills."

"Understood!"

Chiaki nodded in understanding. Both of them activated their best skills.

Flamia activated the <Inferno Wall> skill, while Chiaki activated the <Tempest Barrier> skill.

Shortly after the skills were activated, Michael had already finished executing her technique.

"[Shin Kamikiri-ryu <Kamigiri>]"

A slash shot straight toward Kuro. Kamigiri was one of the techniques that concentrated all its power into a single attack. Its speed and strength differed from the techniques Kuro had shown so far. It was understandable since Kamigiri was the trump card of Kamikiri-ryu.

Their defensive skills made contact with the slash. Although that were their strongest defensive techniques, as if it were a dream, Michael's attack easily penetrated the defenses as if they were paper.

"!?"

"!?"

Surprised by what happened, both of them couldn't react in time. What they saw was a sword slash now flying directly toward Kuro's body.

Kuro's body was split in two.

"With this, return to darkness, O demon."

♦♦♦

In the bright light, Ruko saw everything that happened to Kuro as if watching a television show.

Unfortunately, it was the reality unfolding before her eyes.

She had killed Kuro with her own hands.

Even though it was currently Michael controlling her body, she knew. None of this would have happened if it weren't for her.

Regardless, she was the one who caused all of this.

♦♦♦

Five years ago, a few months after Kuro returned from the ritual. As usual, Ruko invited Kuro to play. Because of Kuro's change in attitude towards her, Ruko was delighted, even though she knew it wasn't the real Kuro.

She knew it, but she ignored it.

As long as Kuro loved her and forgot about Chiaki, none of that mattered.

She became an evil sister. She didn't deny it.

Furthermore, Kuro called her "Hime," which meant princess. There was nothing more romantic than that.

But those days didn't last long.

Once again, Kuro changed.

The change began with Kuro calling her by the nickname she used to use, Ruko. It didn't mean that Kuro had returned to her old self, but something else had happened.

The change didn't only happen with the nickname but also with his attitude and behavior.

If Kuro used to be quiet and reserved, even scary, now he seemed more like an ordinary person. Moreover, his second personality was completely absent. The mischievous one and the one who loved her had disappeared.

That's when she realized that Kuro had created a third personality.

Unlike before, this third personality was weak. Although his physical strength was enough for him to become a top athlete breaking records, compared to before, his power was insignificant.

Seeing all of this, Ruko realized that Kuro was doing all of this just to escape from reality. By becoming an ordinary human, Kuro distanced himself from the truth.

There was no doubt that Kuro was a coward and the worst kind of human.

While pondering all that had happened, she heard a voice from the sky. The voice came from a bright light that illuminated the night and dispelled the darkness.

This was the beginning of her encounter with Michael.

♦♦♦

When she successfully made a contract with Michael, Ruko felt happy. Very happy. Finally, she was in the same position as their parents.

A God Slayer. A hero who kills evil gods.

Impatiently, she immediately told Kuro's parents. That's when she received their blessings, but for some reason, they didn't seem too pleased.

"As expected. She made a contract with an angel."

The conversation between Kuroyuki and Yamato made her more convinced that her choice was right. After all, she made a contract with an angel. How could anyone not be happy about that?

With that in mind, she was determined to become a stronger God Slayer than both of them.

But...

When she wanted to learn more about Kamikiri-ryu, Yamato, and Kuroyuki opposed it. In terms of ability, she was not inferior to Kuro. Moreover, her magical energy was stronger, and she could make contact with spirits. Wasn't it clear that if she honed all of that properly, she would become the strongest God Slayer in the world?

But even so, she was not allowed to train in Kamikiri-ryu.

Despite being prohibited from training in Kamikiri-ryu, Ruko didn't stop. She continued to train relentlessly until she mastered all the techniques perfectly. She didn't even need much time to do it.

This might be called a natural talent.

All the techniques of Kamikiri-ryu eventually became meaningless in Ruko's eyes. And because she wasn't allowed to fight, she couldn't test her abilities or how much she had progressed.

In the end, she understood what boredom meant.

When she didn't know what to do, Miki (Michael) told her a way to relieve her boredom.

That way was by playing VR games.

With the current technology, humans could embark on adventures in other worlds through VR machines. Of course, this method was not what Ruko desired, but once again, Miki explained that doing this, it might serve as preparation for real battles.

Ruko understood and started playing VR games. And after trying it, somehow she became addicted.

The habit continued for several years. During that time, she became accustomed to Kuro's new personality and repaired all the relationships that could be considered broken.

Not only did she play and spend time with Kuro, but now she was also close to Chiaki, who was her love rival. She even made it clear that Kuro was her fiancé, ensuring that Chiaki and Kuro's relationship would never happen.

A peaceful and calm life was not a bad thing. But Ruko realized, for some reason, that she still felt empty.

She felt that something was missing.

That's when she discovered something that changed her. It was the latest VR game called CSO.

Quickly, she bought the VR device and the game. After creating her character, she entered the game that transformed her world.

Just as advertised, the world felt like a real world.

"[This is indeed the real world]"

At that time, Ruko didn't understand and was confused. But Miki began to explain that CSO was another world they entered through VR.

The system of magic and how to use it was still a mystery. It would take years to analyze everything. But the right question was:

Why did they create that world?

In the end, Miki suggested not to think about it too seriously. Then he invited Chiaki to CSO, hiding the truth about that world.

With that system, Ruko finally trained seriously. She even sometimes used Kamikiri-ryu in battles. And she was satisfied with the results she obtained.

Time passed, and eventually, she became one of the strongest Libers alongside Chiaki. It was at that time that Miki gave the idea to invite Kuro to that world.

Yes, that was the beginning of everything.

♦♦♦

As she remembered all of that, tears flowed heavily from Ruko's eyes.

If she hadn't been unaware that Michael actually made a contract with her with the intention of killing Kuro, she wouldn't have done it.

If she knew why her parents were unhappy and prohibited her from using Kamikiri-ryu, she wouldn't have killed Kuro with that technique.

If she hadn't made Kuro play CSO, Kuro wouldn't have thought of seeking more power that eventually awakened her as a demon.

If she hadn't...

If...

None of that mattered now.

The fact that she killed Kuro remained unchanged.

"Yes. You're the one who killed him. Why do you regret it?"

A figure appeared in front of her. It was another version of herself.

For some reason, that version of herself looked very pleased.

"All of this has been your goal from the beginning. Be happy. Onii-chan can't be with anyone now. Oops. I forgot, now he can't be with us either. Laugh!! Isn't this what you wanted?"

Ruko didn't answer. She couldn't.

"Unlike them, you're the only one who wanted to kill Onii-chan. How does it feel after accomplishing it?"

"Ah... it was truly satisfying. I still remember the sensation when I pierced his body with that sword."

"SHUT UP!"

"Hmm... why should I? I'm just honest with myself. I hated him, that's why I killed him. Am I wrong?"

With an innocent face like an angel, the other Ruko smiled mockingly.

"Shut up!! Shut up!!! Stop it!!"

"I really don't understand. After all your desires have been fulfilled, you don't smile at all. Hmm... it's really strange..."

"...this isn't my desire..."

"Eh... Why are you denying it now? Look, isn't it clear?"

Like a video recording, it was clear that Ruko really wanted to kill Kuro. Not just once, but multiple times.

"See? I like it when you're like that. Honest with your feelings. And not caring about others' feelings. You're truly cruel."

Despite how heavy it was, she had to admit it.

"Onii-chan... forgive me..."

"Oh my... why are you apologizing? You're not at fault. Michael is. Hehe... it doesn't matter, anyway Onii-chan can't give forgiveness or even say thank you, kukufufu..."

"..."

That's right. Kuro is dead. How could the dead forgive the living? Isn't it the duty of the living to forgive the dead?

"Right. Who will die next? Choose, right or left?"

"!?"

Ruko's eyes widened. What she saw now was Chiaki and Flamia, crying over Kuro's body that was split in two. Their sorrow, anger, and disappointment couldn't be described.

But what was even more shocking, even though Michael had achieved her goal, she still intended to unsheathe her sword against them.

"Miki!!"

"[One who has been influenced by darkness must be purified.]"

Realizing Michael's intention, Ruko became furious and rebelled. But her body couldn't move.

"You're so foolish. This is her world. How can you fight against it?"

Once again, the other version of herself smiled scornfully.

But Ruko didn't care about that at all. What she wanted now was to find a way to stop Michael.

"I have to do something. That's what you're thinking. But after everything you've done, will they forgive you?"

"No. They won't. How could they forgive someone who killed Onii-chan?"

"Besides, do they need your struggle? Right now, they are so sad because they lost Onii-chan. Wouldn't it be better if you..."

"Silence, you wretch!!!"

Emotions erupted from Ruko.

"I understand all of that. I also understand that they won't forgive me for what I've done to them. But that doesn't matter. If I can stop Miki, I don't care what happens to me. I'm even willing to go to the deepest depths of hell. That's why get out of my sight!!"

The other Ruko disappeared like smoke. Her determination had surpassed her own self.

After that, Ruko fought back with all her might.

The light that bound her was strong and difficult to break, but Ruko didn't give up. No, she couldn't give up.

"Aaaa!!!"

With her strength, she rebelled. She didn't care about the pain as her hands felt like they were breaking and shattering.

(This is still nothing compared to their injuries)

With her newfound determination, she became even stronger and used everything she had. She even tried to use Ki energy to strengthen her body.

But she didn't have time. While she struggled hard to free herself from the shackles of light, Michael was already in front of Chiaki and Flamia.

"[Such a shame. I had high hopes for you, but I'm truly disappointed. Be grateful, soon I will make you follow that demon. ...into hell.]"

Michael prepared to use Kamikiri-ryu. The technique with two simultaneous slashes, <Futatsuki>.

"With this, it all ends."

Ruko watched it all in slow motion.

Everything that had happened flashed through her mind once again. At the same time, she realized that what she was doing was futile.

She could only hurt.

(...God. If I have been wrong all this time, give me a chance to fix everything. But they are completely innocent. Why isn't anyone saving them?)

She screamed from the bottom of her heart.

"Someone, please help them!!"

It was more of a plea than a prayer.

God would not directly interfere in human affairs. They could only send messengers.

In history and mythology, it is common for a messenger to become a hero and an object of worship. They are considered holy beings.

Unfortunately, this time, the one who answered Ruko's plea was a demon.

"Shin Kamikiri-ryu <Futatsuki>!"

Michael's attack was thwarted by the same attack. She jumped back to keep her distance.

At that moment, Michael's eyes appeared to change. It was understandable, as the one who stopped her was someone who shouldn't exist in this world.

"Can you stop hurting my wife, you damned angel!"

With a black sword in her hand, Kuro returned to the arena with a smile on his face.

Unaware of what was actually happening, Chiaki and Flamia were stunned as if seeing an illusion.

The same thing happened to Ruko. She was shocked, but she was also happy to see Kuro alive again.

"Onii-chan..."

She smiled. She didn't understand how Kuro was still alive, but she knew without a doubt that it was Kuro.

"As usual, he loves causing trouble. Don't you agree, Hime?"

"?"

She was surprised to hear a familiar voice. More accurately, it was someone she hadn't heard in a long time.

When she turned towards the source of the voice, she found Kuro's figure with a wide smile.

"It's been a long time, Hime."

The figure that Ruko saw was Kuro's second personality, better known as Lucifer.

"Now, let's start the real party."

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