Conquest didn't think much of his claim. The world ceasing to exist sounded like something a Yakuza boss would say to manipulate her into agreeing to work with them. It was far-fetched for a bunch of gangsters to have knowledge of the world ending, even if they were sorcerers.
She knew of only one person who had the relic item to see into the future, and no two relic items shared the same ability. Which meant they were full of shit.
"I've heard enough. My answer is no. Now, could you take me back home?"
Liu Han's grin faltered, his hands waving in the air.
"Hold on, hold on, before you decide prematurely, how about we get something to eat? You've been in a coma for some time. You must be hungry, right?"
"I'll pass. A Horseman doesn't need food or water to sustain themselves. If I were to eat or drink it would be purely for the experience. My body regulates itself. So for the last time, I'm not interested in working with you or hearing about this end of the world nonsense."
Liu Han's jaw dropped.
"Did you not hear what I just said?! The world really will end if you don't work with us. I'm being dead serious here."
Conquest stood up from her chair.
"I don't know how many more times I have to tell you."
"Is that it? You won't work with us right?
"You finally connected the dots, that's great on you."
He raised his right hand.
"Well, if that's how it's going to be. I can't let you leav—"
A knock at the door cut him off.
Conquest turned her head. An old woman stood at the doorway. Her short purple hair stuck out in wild strands and a black hooded robe hung loosely from her frail frame.
Something flickered against the woman's chest. A large crystal shard, clutched tight in both hands. On its surface, the large crystal shard replayed the moment of her arrival over and over again.
What kind of relic is that?
Her clouded eyes locked onto Conquest and a genuine look of shock spread across her face. Then after a few seconds, tears began streaming down her wrinkled cheeks.
"I-I've been expecting you."
Liu Han gritted his teeth.
"What's gotten into you, you old hag? Didn't I tell you I'd bring her to you after I finished explaining everything you told me? Stop interfering."
She had no idea who this old woman was. She had never seen her before. And yet the woman walked right past everyone in the room without sparing them a glance and came straight for her, grabbing her right hand, the one with the white ring on her pinky finger.
"One thousand years. That's how long it's been since we last met. If I hadn't set things in motion, you certainly would not have awakened."
She let out a weak laugh through her tears.
"I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly from my reckless gamble. I hope you can forgive me for what I've done."
Conquest's eyes widened. This old woman claimed they had last met a thousand years ago. And the way she spoke carried a familiarity to it, almost like they had known each other well. But that was impossible. She was a human sorcerer.
There was no possible way she could have been alive for that long. She must have mistaken her for someone else. And judging by the tears and the rambling, she might have just been as mentally ill as the giant standing by the door.
In any case, it was best not to entertain her any further. She needed to get back to her parents. It had been far too long since she had last seen them.
Conquest knelt down and gave a soft smile.
"Hey, look. You've got the wrong person. But it's okay. I hope you find who you're looking for, alright?"
The old woman closed her eyes and bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Her tears still streamed down her face.
"My…my mistake… I must have confused you with someone else."
"It happens. But, hey, that relic item you're holding, why is it showing this exact moment on repeat?"
"It's nothing important, I assure you. I'm blind, so this relic allows me to see the world around me. But forget about me. You need to leave, right? Go on ahead."
"Right."
Conquest turned to Liu Han.
"Well, I need a ride back. Are you going to provide one?"
Liu Han inhaled sharply through his nose, his feet tapping against the floor. However, before he could speak, Kamui cut in.
"I can bring you back. Let's go."
The old woman raised a hand toward Kamui.
"Leave the demon behind. I'll handle him."
Kamui unstrapped the demon from his back and dropped it on the floor before heading for the door. Conquest followed. As they neared it, she figured it wouldn't hurt to get the old woman's name. The way she spoke felt off and she'd rather at least know who this person was.
"Hey, what should I call you? In case we meet again."
The old woman smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Call me Granny Chiyo. Or just Chiyo for short. And I assure you, this will not be the last time we meet."
A growling voice came from her right side. She turned her head to find the muscular man by the door pointing his thick finger at his own chest.
"Me name Gundo!"
She gave Gundo a nervous smile and headed for the door.
***
The Mercedes-Benz stopped two houses down from her parents' home. She sat in the backseat, still wearing the brown jacket and boots she had taken from the hospital room. She hadn't changed since waking up.
At the very least, seeing her parents meant she could finally get some proper clothes. The jacket kept the cold out but barely.
She hopped out of the car and Kamui drove off. She stood there, staring at the house she hadn't seen in eight months. She took a deep breath and exhaled before marching toward the front door.
The wait was finally over. The guilt she felt towards her parents had weighed on her more than she expected. Conquest kept telling herself it was Yuki's guilt, not hers.
That the girl resting dormant inside her was the one who missed them. But the longing that built up inside her felt too real to ignore.
Still, If anything, this moment was for both of them. Yuki deserved to see her parents just as much as she did. And if she was inside of her, watching through her eyes, then they would experience this together.
Her hand was about to knock on the front door when a loud baby cry stopped her. Confusion took hold. A baby in her parents' house made no sense. Maybe it was a neighbour's child, but something about it made her cautious.
She moved to the window and peered through it without being seen. There they were. Her father sat on the couch, his short slicked-back brown hair and rectangular glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose.
He wore a green sweater and brown pants. While her mother stood beside him with medium length hair that fell to her neck, wearing a white apron with a cartoon bear printed on it. In her arms she held the baby that looked no more than a few days old.
Conquest clenched her fist.
The neighbors must have left their kid here. That's what's going on. Right? Right?
Her mother rocked the baby, swaying side to side as the crying continued. Her father on the other hand leaned in closer, placing a hand on the baby's head.
They both looked exhausted but neither of them stopped smiling. Then her mother sat down and pulled the baby close to her chest. Her father wrapped an arm around both of them. They looked like a family. A complete one.
She gritted her teeth.
This feels wrong.
Her mother pressed her lips against the baby's forehead.
"There, there, my sweet Yukina."
The name hit her like a fist to the chest. She stumbled back from the window, gripping her jacket tight around her body. Her breathing turned ragged.
Anger flashed across her face.
So this is it? Huh. They just moved on and didn't even try looking for me? Replaced. Just like that?
Conquest pressed her back against the wall, nails scraping against the bricks behind her.
Her eyes went back to the window but they had moved to the kitchen. Without hesitation she ran to the backyard and jumped the fence. The moment her feet landed on the ground she froze.
Missing posters with Yuki's face on it were everywhere. Mountains of them stacked and scattered across the backyard, soaked from the snow.
"What's this…"
She took a few steps, ignoring the backyard window, and knelt down. She grabbed one of the posters and held it up. Bold letters at the top read MISSING.
Yuki's face stared back at her from the middle of the poster. Underneath it read:
Name: Yuki Ayano. Age: 17. Eyes: Blue. Hair: Blonde. Height: 5'5. A phone number was printed at the very bottom.
She put a hand over her mouth and stepped back. Her heel caught on something solid buried in the snow.
She dropped to her knees and brushed the snow away with both hands. A flat slab of stone sat underneath. She kept brushing until the engraving became visible.
Yuki's tombstone.
Her eyes went wide.
this can't be!
She shot to her feet and turned to the kitchen window. Her parents were feeding Yukina, smiling, laughing. She turned back to the tombstone. Then back to the window. Then back to the tombstone once more.
It was clear. Yuki was dead.
She had known somewhere deep down Yuki was not within her. But she buried that thought because admitting it meant accepting what she had done. She didn't just take over Yuki's body. She had replaced her.
The moment Conquest awakened, Yuki was gone. And every time she told herself that Yuki was still in there somewhere, she was lying to herself so she wouldn't have to face the truth.
She had killed an innocent human. The truth was too much to bear. Her knees buckled and she collapsed into the snow, forehead pressing against the frozen ground as tears streamed down her face.
What have I done? I preached that killing a human being is the most evil thing a person could do. But I did the same thing. I'm no different from the Yakuza I condemned. I'm a hypocrite. I killed Yuki Ayano. Her life was forfeited the moment mine began.
The crunch of boots on snow reached her ears. More than one set. She didn't need to lift her head.
The mana rolling off them was suffocating, the kind that squeezed her lungs and made the air taste like iron.
Their eyes bore into the back of her skull while her face pressed against the snow. She had faced Death himself and lived. However, whatever stood behind that fence made that feel like a distant memory.