Chapter 10
Lilith, Underworld.
Valerie had put on a beautiful dress and spun around in front of me.
"How do I look?"
I stared for a second: "Kinda mid."
She didn't take it well.
She punched my shoulder.
"Ow, okay, okay! You look stunning. I'm spellbound."
Her cheeks went pink instantly: "Really?"
I went quiet.
Note to self: always don't say what's on my mind.
Valerie held out her hand: "Come on, let's go."
I took it.
We walked out together and headed straight into one of the arcades on Lilith's main street.
There was a machine right at the entrance: "Cassien, that bear looks so cute…"
She looked genuinely excited, so I gave it a shot.
A few tries later, I actually won the plush bear and handed it over.
She hugged it tight: "Thank you…"
"Come on, we've still got a lot to do." We moved on to bowling.
Valerie was… awful.
Like, comically bad.
I sighed and walked up behind her: "Here, let me help."
I felt her shiver the moment our bodies got close.
I leaned in, whispering right against her ear: "Relax. Focus."
"A-okay…"
She definitely wasn't listening.
I stayed behind her, guiding her arms, showing her how to swing the ball properly.
When I finally sat back down, I caught her giggling to herself and mumbling under her breath.
In the end, I crushed her—badly—but she didn't seem to care at all.
After that, we hit up a café: "Two pizzas, and after that two strawberry parfaits."
The waiter took our order.
Valerie rested her chin on her hand: "I had so much fun today, Cassien."
"Same here. It's been years since I went out just to have fun. There was always some goal, some purpose."
I took a bite of pizza.
It was good—my favorite food, honestly—but I usually stuck to high-protein stuff.
Valerie looked down: "It was the opposite for me… I never got to go out. My father—"
"You don't have to talk about it. But if you want, I can tell you about mine. Even if I never add you to my peerage, being friends would be enough."
She paused for a long moment: "I'd really like to hear it."
Flashback.
Judex clan territory.
Cassien's POV.
It was my eighth birthday.
Everyone in the family loved me to death.
My mom brought out a box: "Want to open your present, sweetheart?"
I tore it open and looked up at her: "Evil Pieces?"
"Yes… We wanted to give them to you on your birthday." She pulled me into a hug.
Dad smiled from the side: "Hahaha, Cassien looks like he's about to cry. Smile, son."
Mom wiped my tears.
Even the maids were laughing in the background.
Then—
BAAAAAAAAAAAM
When everything cleared, the mansion was gone—blown to hell.
Flying figures overhead…
Mom… she'd thrown herself in front of me at the last second.
Her body was burned, but she was still breathing: "Play dead, son… Just know that I love you."
Dad was wounded, roaring: "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!" A sword of pure light formed in his hand.
More blades appeared behind him.
He unleashed them like a storm.
Every single attacker got skewered in an instant— Gate of Babylon style.
But then a silver-haired man appeared behind him: "You shouldn't have taken that case, Marcus. You shouldn't have investigated us!"
"Rizevim…" Dad stared down at the sword piercing straight through his chest.
He collapsed.
He tried to crawl toward Mom and me one last time.
His head rolled across the floor.
Rizevim walked away alone.
Even though all his men were dead, he'd accomplished what he came for.
After that, a red-haired man teleported here: "What the hell happened here?"
He turned to me.
Rizevim was already gone.
I was… laughing.
"Come here, kid. Let me help you."
That was the day I met Sirzechs.
Flashback end.
I took a spoonful of my parfait and turned my head away.
Smiled.
Because the last thing my father ever said to me was "Smile, son." I hadn't cried since that day.
Knowing my mother spent her final words just to comfort me…
"I-I'm sorry…" Valerie started to bow her head.
I stopped her with my hand: "What happened, happened."
A long, strange silence settled between us.
After that, we walked home together.
Even if I look like Vergil, back then, even if I got Rizevim in the domain, he would've shattered it and walked away.
I had to survive.
I have to kill that bastard myself.
Right now I don't have the power…
I hate how weak I still am.