As the small boat made of twigs carried the Child of the Sun drifted further away.
The dream on that stormy day shattered along with the howl of the thunder.
“——……Yet even now, nothing still have changed, right?”
He heard the voice of a little girl. It seems like the illusion magic from earlier was the owner of this voice. However, this is too real for an illusion. It left on his body the sensation as though he had experience about a recollection from the past.
The mask on Balor broke and fell on the ground. He opened his eye.
Demon God faced to the earth, bent down and laughed sarcastically.
“……Kaka. To think someone like me fell into the dream of recollection…… Are you a Poet, little girl?”
“An apprentice, to be exact. My master is Scathach and my name is Canaria. The small bird who will soar to narrate legends, and someone who wanted to ask about your true intention as “the one with impartial eyes”.
Canaria bowed, she introduced herself politely and smiled at the Demon God.
Although the black smoke around this place was dispersed by whirlwinds created by the God King and the Elephant King, but they didn’t vanish. The black smoke that expands to infinity is still existed. It spread even faster at the center where this violent wind originates from. At this rate, if they can’t find a way to end this smoke quick enough, then it will surely reach to nearby human habitations.
But Canaria didn’t lose her impatience to the situation, only folded her arms and chose her words in an awkward manner.
She took out the [Geass Roll] and spoke while looking to the contents on the parchment.
“The black smoke will never stop, vanish nor can it be destroyed.
The King of the Far West holds the Sealing Lid.
To the one with impartial eyes.
Question the true intention of the King of Giants and expose the Lid of Invasion.
“The one with impartial eyes” must be those write the history of the aforementioned invasions from an objective point of view — They are those that didn’t appear in history and judged everything as the third party.”
Since the record on history is always reflect the subjective view of those related to it.
Therefore, what the keywords like [Question the true intention] and [The one with impartial eyes] hinted, can only be the third party who exists outside the story and history.
“Demon King Balor. The [Sealing Lid] on the parchment was yourself. You sealed the power of the Giant Cauldron – the source of the Black Smoke of Death into your body and gave the cauldron that can’t produce black smoke anymore to the invaders that was turned into slaves. —This must be the model of the legendary [Giant Cauldron of Dagda].”
[Giant Cauldron of Dagda] in the Celtic Mythology was a cauldron that produces infinite amount of foods and revives the dead to life.
It would be unthinkable to consider both this Giant Cauldron that held comparable power to the Fomorians’ Giant Cauldron are two separate objects. Or perhaps that’s already included the interpretation of “to give seedlings” on the sentence with cultural exchanges, or maybe this is to hide under the guise of cultural exchanges to introduce the serfdom on others.
Canaria puffed her childish chest and spoke in a proud voice.
“But then, this is simply a trial to test whether that person have the qualification or not. “The one with impartial eyes” is only the condition to acquire the right to question the Game. In the order to [Question the true intention of the king].”
“……Kaka. I see, you chirp well, little bird.”
The Demon God was amazed while restrained his eye.
Though I cannot confirm what’s going around him, but the black smoke is likely expanded on an extremely large scale now. It must has been a hard journey for this girl to slip through the black smoke and arrive to this place. He assumed the thunder he heard from earlier was the God King and others trying to open the path for her.
Despite so, the black smoke is still the demonic fog that can instantly reap the life of everything touches it. A little girl like this crossed the journey far more dangerous than to travel on the suspension bridge that is about to fall, is something not even the Demon God can think of.
“Demon King-sama. I may not be able to understand your true intention. But at least, I can understand the true intention of this Game. This Game was a Game meant only for — [to know the truth].”
The strong eyes of the small girl focused directly on Balor.
Balor was moved by her action.
“However, the only people who write history can only be and always the victor. There are only parts good for the victor on every documents about history. Wasn’t it the reason for you to create this Game with only this question for the desire of telling someone the truth that was consigned to oblivion amidst the infinite history?”
Canaria confessed her greatest out of place feeling regarding this Game.
This Gift Game lacks what it takes to be a Game.
For its only requiring condition is [Question the true intention].
It has already failed as a Game and as a Trial when all that takes to win is to question after acquiring the qualification to question.
“History was falsified by victors, and records left by them didn’t write anything justify for the losers. You were trying to bring out the lost history to protect the your own traces—”
“You had it wrong, little girl.”
The powerful voice refused everything caused Canaria to dumbfound.
Balor raised his head, still keeping his eye closed and corrected Canaria’s mistakes.
“Little girl. You are mistaken for something else. History is always the possession of the victors. Do you wish to write your bravery, your country’s achievements or your impacts on the history of mankind? Only the victors have that privilege. It won’t be any different from the whining of a loser once you objected against that.”
There are those who excited to win.
There are those who risked themselves to protect.
When these two conflicting types of people gathered on the same roof, there can be only wars occurred by shedding their blood upon another. Anyone who doesn’t wish for such outcome shouldn’t have even stood up in the first place.
“That is the Divine Providence (1) that all lives on the earth ought to follow by their existence.”. The Demon God spoke to the little girl.
“People who live on a matured world might not be able to understand it. But, for those lived on the dawn of the world, invasion wasn’t something bad enough to be considered as “evil”. In that era where everyone fought for their life by sword against sword, spear against spear and bow against bow…… an invasion only called “evil” when two civilizations on two different levels fought and created the sight of one-sided massacre.”
For example — the massacre of indigenous people live on uncivilized land.
For example — the use of gunfire against weaponless innocent people.
For example — the utilization of WMD capable of ravaging the planet.
“However, I have only one regret even living on that ancient era filled with wars. That is when we changed our form to the Giants. Then, to make the act of shedding blood and fight between humans to become legitimate — or perhaps to endure of the pangs of conscience, we had bear a part of “Enemy of the World (Giants)”.”
The easiest method to legalize a war between humans, between fellow humans with intelligence.
Is to fabricate every record by — [Not recognizing the enemy as human].
Since the enemy isn’t even human, they won’t be tormented by the pangs of conscience. There wasn’t any problem to use any kind of method to deal with the conquered land. There wasn’t any rebuke to use any kind of humiliation to deal with captured prisoners. Because, the indigenous people that opposed you, aren’t even human.
“……Are you still fine with it, Demon King-sama? Are you content with the Fomorians being written by the false history as monsters for eternity, Demon King-sama? Forever as a target slandered by others on?”
Hearing such unexpected rebuttal from Canaria, Balor can only averted his gaze awkwardly.
Because she thought at the very least, his wish that desires for someone who understood the truth is still included in this Gift Game.
The Demon God laughed cynically and shook his head as an answer to the girl’s courtesy.
“Kaka…… Too young and too naive. There’s nothing eternal on this world. So something like being the target of grudge for eternity does not exist at all on this world, except for one.
When all those related to the war died out, when the assailants and victims vanished, when the scars gone and faded from the streets…… that will be the moment all histories sublimed into the sole truth. “The one with impartial eyes” is the key to solve the curse of “Enemy of the World”.”
“Until that time arrives — I’m content with “Enemy of the World (Us)” continues to be the “Giants (Us)”.”
The moment Demon God who had live since the dawn of creation told the true intention of this trial, the black smoke turned into white sands, followed and scattered from here to the distance by the wind.
It was the sign that she had clear the Game.
At that very moment, the tear thought to be the source of the curse dropped from the Eye of Death, it melted and dissolved to the earth.
Balor opened his eye and looked at Canaria’s face for the first time ever.
Balor finally saw the first living being ever after many thousands of years, he then reached out his hand on Canaria’s cheek, as if he was yearning for something from long ago.
“Ho…… This is something. I didn’t thought you would be this much of a lovely girl. Though it would take you another ten years for me to enjoy you. Maah, my beloved daughter is still miles above you, though.”
“—,”
As he gently stroked the red and soft cheeks, it somehow filled a void in his heart – the face of the daughter he wasn’t able to witness. There isn’t any power in his voice anymore as his Spiritual Essence faded away. Now that he has finished his trial, a Demon King like him can only fall to sleep for one more time. Hence, the Demon God slowly looked to the far and wide everything around him, so that he can at least engrave this spectacle brimming with life into his memory for one more time.
He saw the birds soared on the blue sky.
He saw the tree sprouted out green leaves.
And, he narrowed his eye to the God King, who was watching the outcome of this event.
“……Kaka. Are you the Divine Spirit who once saved the world as a feat? Your face isn’t so bad, I guess.”
Except for his blue hair like thunders, the God King’s figure does give off a brave and heroic aura. Indeed, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he once saved the world by himself.
In that instant, Canaria asked him a question to confirm something she noticed for a little.
“Demon King-sama. Is the body you used, too……”
“Huh? ——Kaka, this body? Good grief, young as this body may, I can see immeasurable potential dwelling inside it. His talent might even exceed me. I guess it is natural, since this body is my descendant, after all!!”
Although the name of his race does not exist anymore. However, the blood of his race continues to exist to this very day.
That alone is enough for the length he went for.
The Demon God laughed with a loud and arrogant tone, but that was merely his strength on the last moment.
The Demon God bent on both knees and mustered what little left of his power to touch Canaria’s cheeks, as the way to show much he cherishes this once-in-a-lifetime meeting.
“Good, now here is your reward. I will grant every knowledge I acquire about Dystopia. Since this knowledge will be engraved into your head, you are free open this source of knowledge whenever you like.”
“But, is that even fair? Didn’t I make a mistake on a crucial part?”
“Don’t worry. Everything is fine as long as you understood what it takes to be “the one with impartial eyes”. My awakening this time wasn’t a waste, being able to know how a girl like you was brought up on this world. If those shared the same eyes as you were brought up on the future, then perhaps—”
Perhaps, the unknown day when the curse of “Enemy of the World” was solved will certainly come.
Canaria took a deep breath and nodded vigorously, as the promise that she shall live up to his expectation.
“……Yes. Someday, I will definitely solve all the curses. You can wait for that day to come as you slept, Demon King-sama.”
“Kaka. Then…… I will wait for that day.”
He drowsy eyelid slowly closed, it won’t be far anymore for him to reach his limit.
The Demon God gazed one more time on his final moment.
He looked at Scathach who was leaning on a rock on the mountain.
“……Well, I could have something for one last time, I guess.”
Balor recalled the sensation he felt from back then, he stared every gap on Scathach’s clothes with a face more serious than ever.
He peeked on the skin like the finest silk exposed through that torn clothes.
The beautiful and shining white fingers and the charming lips.
The Demon God gazed to engrave that properly deployed breasts and their cleavages into his eye on his last moment —
“I wanted to mate with her.”
He spoke the voice of regret he squeezed from every part of his body, and then fell asleep.
NOTES:(1) The term for the governance of a supreme being upon all things in existence of the cosmos. You can search the term for more detail.