Chapter 1093: The Approaching Final Battle
Palace.
Barghest lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She had already learned the entire backstory from her mother.
"Beryl... Mr. Red Beryl... actually used me..."
She had held considerable fondness for Beryl.
She was particularly curious and fascinated by the life in Pan-Human History he described, dreaming of one day experiencing the fashion and trends of that world.
Yet it had come to this.
Her body was immobile.
Her fingertips had already begun to rot.
The stench of decay emanated from her entire being.
Darlington, one hundred years ago.
Most of what happened then was a blur in her memory.
She only vaguely recalled being a maid in the mansion of Lord Grimalkin at that time.
As a lower-class vampire fairy who needed to consume human blood to survive, she faced discrimination and persecution from other fairies who never had to worry about their lifespan.
She feared the fairies around her.
Every one of them cast contemptuous and scornful glances her way, leading to constant bullying and mockery. No matter how she begged for mercy or wept bitterly, it was useless—her pitiful state only fueled their sadistic tendencies.
When the lord was curious about how she drank blood, she had to obediently demonstrate.
Even the commands of other maids had to be carried out with fearful obedience.
Then one day.
A Calamity erupted in Darlington.
Severely injured, she hid in a sewer filled with corpses, surviving for days by drinking the blood of human remains in the most wretched state.
When she was on the verge of losing consciousness.
The Calamity ended.
The lord died.
The Queen appeared before her, lifting her with compassion, wrapping her in warm clothes, and offering fresh human blood.
That moment of warmth felt etched into her very soul.
She thought she had died, only to find herself alive again.
From then on, the Queen adopted her as a daughter, making her the heir to the throne of the Fairy Kingdom and bestowing upon her the True Name of "Barghest."
Even so, she rarely communicated with her mother.
Every time they met, they exchanged barely a few words. Her mother always wore a stern expression, making it impossible to guess her thoughts, leaving Barghest too afraid to approach or initiate conversation.
Only when other fairies used, deceived, or bullied her would her mother appear, speaking with what seemed like hatred.
"Why are you always like this!"
Barghest couldn't understand what she had done wrong.
But she was terrified.
Terrified of losing something, so much so that she couldn't control her fear.
Losing what?
Her status as a princess?
She never truly had status; the other fairies secretly called her the useless princess who could do nothing without her True Name.
Her mother's affection?
Her mother had never shown her affection, never spoken a kind word to her—she had never possessed it from the start.
What she feared losing.
Was that warmth that had given her clothes and food.
"Go and kill."
"Since you will inevitably be persecuted, then persecute others. Kill them before they can harm you."
Barghest suddenly understood.
So her mother despised her for not knowing how to kill!
Overjoyed, she devoted herself to killing.
She killed using every method imaginable.
She killed for all sorts of reasons.
She even killed without any reason at all!
Whenever her mother scolded her, asking "Why must you always be like this?", she believed it was because she hadn't killed enough people, hadn't been cruel enough, hadn't been sufficiently unrestrained.
Thus, she redoubled her efforts in killing.
Beryl offered her many ideas.
His novel methods of murder always made her eyes light up.
She deeply felt that Beryl was the same kind of person as her - that they were truly meant for each other.
She allowed Beryl to settle in her territory - New Darlington - permitting him to do whatever he wished without needing to report to her. She only learned recently that he had been researching Mors toxin.
She trusted him so completely.
Opened her heart to him so fully.
And yet.
This was the outcome.
Used to harvest Woodwose's liver, deceived into paying the price for his transformation, turned into this neither-human-nor-monster form.
"She has already died once."
Outside the door.
Morgan whispered quietly.
"During the Darlington calamity a hundred years ago, Baobhan Sith already died, her soul shattered into fragments."
"I gathered her soul fragments, stabilized her condition by bestowing a name, and barely managed to revive her, allowing her to live peacefully for a hundred years."
"But she has no next time - this is her final chance."
Her soul shattered into pieces.
There was never going to be another chance to begin with.
Then exploited by Beryl, her soul further corrupted.
Drastically shortening Baobhan Sith's remaining lifespan.
Leaving her with only a few days at most.
Eiji remained silent.
This kind of injury, even he couldn't heal.
At times like this, he could only quietly become Morgan's listener.
"She was a very kind fairy."
Morgan continued.
"When I was still saving the world under the name of the Witch, no one believed in me or thanked me - but she was the exception. Only she, alone, thanked me for resolving their calamity..."
That would have been five to six thousand years ago.
Back then, Cnoc na Riabh had no companions and had no intention of resolving conflicts among fairies, only silently dealing with threats to the island.
In other words, Baobhan Sith was Cnoc na Riabh's first true understanding.
No wonder Morgan held special feelings for her.
"She was always so kind, but kindness is the worst trait in the Fairy Kingdom, because other fairies would scheme to exploit and deceive her. Every time, this is how she died."
"I searched for her reincarnation countless times, but each time I was too late, each time she died at the hands of other fairies, until a hundred years ago..."
She found this generation's Baobhan Sith in Darlington.
But unfortunately, this time she was again too late.
What she found was Baobhan Sith's corpse.
Left with no choice, holding the thought that "this is the final chance," she gathered the soul fragments and revived Baobhan Sith in the form of a corpse.
And taught her.
Since you're always being persecuted by others, then learn to kill!
Before others can persecute you, kill them first!
This way, at least she could ensure that in this final lifetime, she could live a somewhat happier life.
But unfortunately.
Even this last bit of happiness was destroyed by Beryl.
"I will definitely save you, no matter what means I must use!"
After parting ways, Morgan walked alone into Baobhan Sith's room.
Watching Baobhan Sith gradually approaching her end on the bed, Morgan felt a surge of intense anxiety and made a silent vow in her heart.
Elsewhere.
Eiji let out a soft sigh.
"This Fairy Kingdom, truly..."
He held no fondness whatsoever for Baobhan Sith.
Yet knowing her past, he couldn't help but sigh at the whims of fate.
"Dong— dong— dong!"
At that moment.
The final Pilgrim's Bell tolled.
"All six bells have been rung."
Eiji walked to the corridor and gazed into the distant east.
"Is the final battle finally upon us?"