| The Cyber Ascension Arc 5 — "The Founder of Phoenix" |
Volume 5 | Chapter 49 : "The Declaration Of Love" |
The chamber fell silent the moment Shinonu uttered those words.
The dim flames reflected in Queen Victoria Reona's eyes flickered as if shocked themselves.
Shinonu:
"…But then… Shimono decided to leave everything behind and live a long life with Kiyomi."
A silence so heavy followed that even breath sounded sinful.
Queen Victoria Reona:
"W–what…? He decided to leave everything behind? After living nine hundred years… chasing only one purpose?"
Her voice trembled between disbelief and something dangerously close to fear.
Jin Yuan, leaning calmly with both hands behind his back, watched without a change in expression. But his eyes—the eyes that had witnessed centuries of war—narrowed.
Not in panic.
Not in worry.
But curiosity.
A curiosity reserved only for monsters wearing human skin.
Jin Yuan:
"…Continue."
Shinonu nodded once, swallowing, recalling what he had seen—what all three of them were never meant to see.
Shinonu:
"But destiny itself… forced him onto the same path again."
---
[ The Past Beings… ]
Snow fell in soft, white waves across the deep forest. Each flake glimmered faintly under the pale moonlight, drifting gently as if trying to wrap the world in silence.
Inside that silence—
Inside that fragile peace—
A small wooden house stood alone.
Warm. Dim. Safe.
Inside, Kiyomi leaned closer to Shimono, the faintest blush coloring her pale cheeks as he spoke.
Shimono:
"…Okay then. I'll stay. With you. As long as I live… I want to live a long life with you."
The words slipped from him like a confession carved out of nine hundred years of coldness.
It was the first time—
in centuries—
his smile wasn't a mask.
Kiyomi's breath caught.
Her hand trembled slightly before she let it rest on his cheek.
Kiyomi:
"…Yeah. I want that too."
Her voice was soft.
Timid.
But sincere enough to cut through the layers of darkness he had been buried under.
Shimono closed his eyes, leaning into that warmth like a man who had forgotten what warmth even felt like.
Tonight, for the first time, there was no war.
No blades.
No shadows of the past.
Just a boy and a girl…
trying to be human.
---
Later, under a slow cascade of falling snow, they reached the tiny wooden house.
It was simple—two mats on the floor, one old lantern, and a narrow window showing the moonlit forest.
Shimono raised a hand.
Shimono:
"Kiyomi… see? Fishes."
He held four fresh fish tied to a thread—caught effortlessly earlier when she wasn't looking.
Kiyomi's eyes sparkled a bit as she smiled shyly.
They ate together, quietly.
Talked a little.
Smiled more than usual.
Then slept on simple mattresses, wrapped in old blankets.
Kiyomi fell asleep almost instantly, head against his shoulder, her hand resting lightly on his sleeve. Her soft breaths echoed in the small room.
Shimono lay beside her, eyes half-open.
He did not sleep.
He had not slept like a normal human for centuries.
Silence…
Comfort…
Warmth…
It was all unfamiliar territory.
---
Then—
crunch.
The faintest sound of snow compressing beneath numerous feet.
Shimono's eyes snapped open.
Not panicked.
Not shocked.
Just… annoyed.
He gently slid Kiyomi's hand away, stood up without making a sound, and vanished from the room.
In the next blink, he appeared on the rooftop.
The scene unfolded like a nightmare painted across the white mountains:
19,000 Hell's Soldiers
marching slowly, black armor clattering, their demonic auras turning the air heavy.
Their red torches lit the snow with dancing flames of malice.
Shimono simply watched them, the cold wind brushing against his face.
No tension.
No fear.
Only disappointment.
Shimono (exhaling):
"…Even here…?"
His hand moved behind him without looking.
The katana he had pre-positioned on the roof was already within reach.
Of course it was.
He was always ten steps ahead.
The katana gleamed in the moonlight—
A curved jet-black blade forged from vibranium, coated with black titanium liquid.
A long hilt, iron and silver bound in thick rubber thread for grip.
A weapon that whispered death with elegance.
Shimono lifted it gently—
as if it were a paintbrush about to carve art.
In his left hand, pinched between two fingers…
A blue rose.
The one Kiyomi gave him that evening.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
Shimono:
"…Don't wake her up."
Hell's soldiers spotted him.
Too late.
Because Shimono was already gone.
A whisper in the wind.
A shadow slicing through moonlight.
The first soldier didn't even register the blade.
Just the cold, vertical line splitting down his center as he collapsed silently.
Then—
the quiet massacre began.
Shimono moved with calm precision, his blade arcs smooth, elegant.
He didn't grunt.
He didn't shout.
He simply cut them down one by one—
with the gentle rhythm of a man preparing breakfast.
A silent, refined brutality.
Shimono:
"Don't be too loud… she's sleeping."
The smile he gave them was soft.
Almost apologetic.
But every time he smiled like that…
Something died.
Ten minutes later—
The peaceful white snow had become a frozen red ocean, bodies strewn like fallen leaves.
Not a single Hell soldier remained standing.
Shimono flicked the last drop of blood from his blade.
Shimono:
"…Seems I made quite a mess."
He snapped his fingers gently.
click.
The sound echoed throughout the empty mountain.
Snow began falling heavier, drifting down to bury the aftermath in silence.
Another snap.
A perfect clone formed—his cold eyes identical, his demeanor emotionless.
Without a word, the clone began picking up corpses one by one, carrying them toward the icy sea.
Shimono returned to the house.
He slipped into the blankets next to Kiyomi, careful not to wake her.
He wrapped himself under the blanket as if nothing happened—
as if he had simply stepped out for fresh air.
Outside, the clone completed the cleanup.
The sea turned red as bodies hit the water.
Then—
The clone placed a hand on the crimson tide.
A massive wave rose silently…
and retreated, carrying all the blood away.
Then the clone dispersed into thin mist.
---
[ Back To Present… ]
Shinonu exhaled shakily.
Shinonu:
"Even after facing everything… Shimono chose to live a peaceful life. But destiny chose him to fight… and become ruthless once again."
Queen Victoria Reona's lips trembled.
Queen Victoria Reona:
"He casually wiped out nineteen thousand Hell's soldiers… like toys…"
Jin Yuan finally spoke—
his voice lower, eerily curious.
Jin Yuan:
"…I wonder what would happen…
if Kiyomi ever discovered the truth about Shimono."
The room fell silent.
Because they all knew—
If Kiyomi cried,
Shimono would destroy the world.
If she feared him,
Shimono would destroy himself.
And if she ever learned the weight he carried…
The heavens, hells, and every realm between
would tremble beneath the consequences.