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"Rebel against fate?"
Looking at Leah, the Demoness's eyes lit up slightly, and then she continued to ask:
"Rebelling against fate is no laughing matter. If you really want to walk the path that fate demands, you will inevitably face endless suffering. Now I ask you, are you truly prepared for this?"
"As for being prepared... Leah was ready from the very beginning, there's absolutely no problem."
Looking in the direction of Miss Heart Demon, Lia nodded vigorously and replied with a firm tone, "Even if you lose everything you have, even your life, are you willing?" Miss Heart Demon asked again with a serious expression.
“Even my life… I’m willing to give it all. That’s the truest thought in my heart.”
Faced with Miss Inner Demon's renewed test, Leah took a deep breath and, with a serious tone, began to speak, revealing the realization that had been hidden deep within her heart:
"Although I don't know what difficulties I will face next, just thinking about Chief K and my brother might suffer such harm... makes me feel a pang of pain in my heart. I want to protect my brother, and for this, I am willing to pay any price. Even if it means giving my life!"
Under Lia's firm and resounding words, Miss Heart Demon carefully examined her for a moment, and finally nodded slightly, a gentle smile appearing on her lips again, as if she was very pleased with the girl's thoughts.
"You... are a very good child, very different from me." "Hmm? Very different from you, Miss Inner Demon?"
Faced with the girl's sudden words, Lia tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled by her statement.
"Why would you say that, Miss Inner Demon? Didn't you originate from within me? If so, we should have many similarities in our hearts, so why do you say we are different?"
"The difference I'm referring to isn't about personality or attitude towards life, but rather about one's awareness of fate... I'm not like you, who has the courage to rebel against fate. From the very beginning, it was my belief in fate that led to this outcome."
"Believing that fate had brought about this outcome, Lia tilted her head slightly in response to Miss Heart Demon's words, seemingly pondering their meaning. Then, she suddenly recalled the scene that had just unfolded in her illusion, causing her eyes to widen abruptly, and a thought surfaced in her mind:"
"Wait a minute, could it be...—Miss Heart Demon, are you referring to what happened in that scene just now? In the illusion, I firmly believed in the prophecy, and as a result, I hurt my elder brother... Could it be... that this wasn't a simulation? But... that it actually happened?"
With these shocking words in mind, Leah once again shone her light on the "Demon Girl" in front of her, her gaze sweeping over her body as if trying to find out what was puzzling her.
As for Miss Heart Demon, faced with the girl's shocked words, she didn't respond directly, but simply nodded slightly, as if acknowledging that Leah's guess was correct, and slowly opened her mouth to say:
“I know… you still have doubts about my identity, but I can assure you that we are on the same side when it comes to our brother. You want to save our brother, and so do I. In that case, there is no need for any difference, is there?”
"But you... if you've experienced something like this, then why are you here? If you're not my inner demon... then that means you're another me, a real me. What is this all about?"
Muttering words of surprise, Lia's eyes grew increasingly bewildered, as if she were confirming whether what she was seeing was real. Her delicate little hand slowly reached out and touched the body of the white-haired girl in front of her who looked exactly like herself.
The moment she touched him, Leah felt a warmth, as if he were a real person. She could feel the blood flowing beneath his skin and his pulse beating. Every feature told the white-haired girl that the person in front of her was real.
Sensing this, Leah pursed her lips slightly, as if she had discovered something within herself. She then slowly withdrew her fingers, her gaze shifting back and forth between the "inner demon" before her. Finally, after calming down somewhat, she slowly spoke:
“Miss Heart Demon, I will continue to address you as such. As for your background… if you yourself are not willing to discuss it further for the time being, then I will not ask any further questions, and I will keep everything about you a secret.”
"Hmm? Have you accepted all of this?" Miss Heart Demon asked, looking at Leah.
“Even if I don’t accept it, there’s nothing I can do. After all, you’ve already appeared here and brought me information about my elder brother. If you were truly hostile towards me, you wouldn’t have revealed such things to me. Therefore, I choose to believe you… believe what you told me about the fate between my elder brother and me.”
Leah slowly exhaled, her expression returning to calm. She seemed to have adjusted herself well, and her words to Miss Heart Demon were very steady. However, beneath this calmness lay an undisguised urgency and seriousness.
"Regarding my elder brother... if those illusions I saw earlier were real, then I have a general understanding of what you, Miss Heart Demon, have experienced. You... and my elder brother have been through a lot together..." A long time has passed, but it's precisely because of this memory, and the encouragement my elder brother gave me, that I keep moving forward. Just like your feelings for my elder brother, I have the same thoughts...
The inner demon seemed to have been touched, and spoke these words. Lia, at the same time, seemed to have thought of something, hesitated for a moment, and then voiced her inner doubts to the girl before her:
"So, Miss Heart Demon, are you... me from the future?"
Chapter 357: A Place to Return in Dreams (Part Six)
"So, Miss Heart Demon, are you perhaps someone from the future?"
With an inquiring tone, Leah swallowed slightly as she began her explanation. She then took a deep breath, clearing her somewhat muddled mind, and, maintaining a serious and focused expression, continued her reasoning:
"Miss Heart Demon, because of something, you hurt your elder brother in the future and committed such a serious mistake. You felt extremely painful, so you used some kind of magic to travel back to my time and wanted to change the harm done to Elder Dui?"
"Oh? Such a strange idea. Is it just your guess? Or have you found some evidence to confirm this matter?" Looking at Leah, the Demoness maintained a calm demeanor as she asked the girl this question.
"I... I just thought about it a little, it's just a deduction, I don't have any actual evidence." Looking at Miss Heart Demon, Leah hesitated for a moment before pursing her lips and saying, "I know it sounds strange, but the current situation is very strange, isn't it... so I made a bold guess."
Faced with Leah's statement, the Demoness stared intently at her face, as if trying to discern her true thoughts. After a few seconds, she shook her head slightly, denying her words.
"It's close, but... not quite. I can indeed be said to come from the future, but not the future you're thinking of, Leah. There are huge differences between us. Even though we have similar appearances and personalities, we are not the same person."
"Hmm. The more you talk about it, the more confused I get. My brother and Lia said before that what he hates most is people who keep speaking unclearly, I think he calls them riddle people or something? Now, Miss Heart Demon, you're exactly like that. If that's the case... it'll be hard to win over Lord K's favor!"
With her hands on her waist, Lia looked quite helpless, speaking to Miss Heart Demon in a teasing tone, which eased the somewhat oppressive atmosphere around them a little.
Meanwhile, Miss Heart Demon couldn't help but chuckle softly as she listened to Lia's words.
"Ha... Did my elder brother say this? That really suits his personality. Is this how you and my elder brother usually tease and chat with each other?"
"Yes, yes, my brother is always very witty. If he meets you, Miss Heart Demon, he will definitely chat with you for a long time. He might even leave Lia aside. Thinking about it this way, I should be more wary of you, Miss Heart Demon! Hehe."
With a relaxed tone, Lia smiled slightly and exchanged a few playful words with the white-haired girl in front of her who looked exactly like her.
Miss Heart Demon gradually relaxed in this easy atmosphere. After glancing with satisfaction at Leah's innocent smile a few times, she slightly parted her lips and continued:
"In short, I cannot reveal my background for the time being, otherwise all plans may be changed, and my brother's fate... may also return to square one, which is something I absolutely cannot allow to happen."
"So, Miss Heart Demon, everything you've done... is still for Lord K?" Looking at Miss Heart Demon, Lia straightened her expression and continued to mutter thoughtfully.
"That's right, so please forgive me, but for now I can only reveal one thing, something related to my elder brother. Only by dealing with this matter can we completely break the original fate of the destroyed elder brother."
"Hmm? Breaking the doomed fate of Lord Dui sounds like a very important matter."
Sensing the increasingly serious tone of Miss Heart Demon, Lia couldn't help but adopt a more formal posture, standing upright in front of Miss Heart Demon with a slight furrow in her brow, waiting for her next words.
Meanwhile, Miss Heart Demon, sensing Leah's focused expression, slowly exhaled and began to reveal the secret she had been keeping hidden in her heart:
"Back then, after my elder brother died, I preserved his consciousness and integrated it into my own body, so that it could be temporarily preserved. Afterwards, I kept trying to find an opportunity to let his consciousness return to my body."
"Hmm... I already saw it in the illusion, but judging from your current state, Miss Heart Demon... it seems that you yourself have also become an energy body with residual consciousness. Has something happened?"
"It's a long story. In short, after killing Elder Ke... I paid a heavy price to revive him, coming into contact with some forbidden powers. I even destroyed my own physical body, leaving only this consciousness, which had been transformed into an energy form, along with my elder brother's consciousness, merging into this 'consciousness space' within the dream."
"So this space was created by you, Miss Heart Demon? I thought it was just Lia's own dream," Lia muttered in surprise. Miss Heart Demon nodded slightly and continued, "In short, after going through many difficulties, I finally found a suitable method to resurrect the adult. The way to resurrect him is to put his consciousness back into his body as an infant, so that he can be reborn in this world."
In the posture of an infant...
"Even though the plan was finalized at the time, there was still one thing that was difficult for me to control, and that was my elder brother's consciousness. Despite my efforts to suppress it, he kept trying to break free from my consciousness, especially after my own body also separated from me. I was unable to completely control him and almost let him dissipate completely."
"In that case, Miss Heart Demon, what did you do to preserve your brother's consciousness?"
Looking at the white-haired girl in front of her, Lia tilted her head slightly and asked her this question. The Demoness sighed softly, hesitated for a moment, and finally answered Lia:
"At that time, my elder brother's consciousness was acting on instinct, constantly trying to break away from my body. In order to protect him, I needed to provide him with a suitable environment to temporarily control his will. It was during that time that I... learned a new kind of magic."
"A new magic? Is it related to my brother's consciousness?" Lia asked. "It is indeed related, and the connection is quite deep. That magic allows me to find another world, and in that world, my brother's consciousness can exist."
"Another world..."
Hearing the white-haired girl's words, Leah's astonishment deepened, and her curiosity shone even brighter, prompting her to move closer to the demon girl and continue asking:
What is that world like? Is it the same as the world we live in?
"They are not the same, but rather somewhat similar. That world seems to have no magic or monsters, and there are no kingdoms or dominant races. In that world, the power of technology seems to be stronger."
With a thoughtful expression, Miss Heart Demon silently closed her eyes, recalling the series of events she had experienced.
"In that world, the most attractive thing... was probably a technology called the Internet. When I used magic, I accidentally merged with the Internet of that world, thus being transported to that technological world. In doing so, I also transferred my elder brother's consciousness to the Internet of that world and temporarily preserved it."
"This... is truly unexpected. There's actually such a thing." Facing the girl's words, Lia pondered seriously for a moment, then slightly raised her head, looking at the girl with an inquiring gaze, and continued to ask:
"What happened after that? He went to that world and preserved his brother's consciousness in the network. What happened after that? Is his brother's consciousness still there?"
"That's not the case. After going to that world, although I was able to preserve my brother's consciousness in the network, I was also worried that something might happen that would cause my brother's consciousness to be lost again. So after temporarily settling my brother down, I kept experimenting with my magic, trying to create a body in that world that my brother could freely control."
"So... have you figured out any useful magic yet?" Leah asked, tilting her head slightly.
"In general, things were beyond my comprehension. Although that world had no understanding or research on magic, the space there was filled with ample magical energy, which not only enhanced my own abilities but also greatly helped my research on magic. Therefore, I lived there for several years until I developed a suitable spell before I officially began to help my elder brother reshape his body."
"So in the end, your physical body was restored, right?" Leah asked, her eyes narrowing.
"That's right. At that time, my magic was quite profound, and the life I created was without any flaws. As a result, my elder brother's consciousness was able to successfully enter into a child he created, giving him a new identity in that world, allowing him to live as himself in that technological world."
Silently closing her eyes, the girl with the inner demon spoke with increasing seriousness, as if pondering past events, and words flowed continuously from her lips:
"At that time, I used up all the magic in my body, so after creating the Elder, I had no power left to remain in that world. Therefore, I had no choice but to entrust the Elder, who had lost his memory and was in a child state, to an orphanage in that world for their care. I was also forced to disappear from that technological world. It wasn't until more than ten years later that I was able to gather my power again and go to find the Elder."
"In that case... if your elder brother completely loses his memory, then you will also forget everything about yourself, is that right?"
"That's right... Ha, maybe this is my retribution. Originally, I wanted to reunite with my elder brother, but for him at that time, he already had his own life in that world, with his own friends and family. Even if I could meet him, I couldn't do anything."
"Can't you tell Chief K about everything you've been through? Chief K will surely understand." Leah said, clenching her fist slightly as she walked towards the direction of Miss Heart Demon.
“Tell my elder brother, ha... what can I tell him? In that technological world, my elder brother’s identity has long been established: an orphan who was adopted by an orphanage at a young age, who worked his way up and eventually lived a good life. For my elder brother, this is his own life, which cannot be replaced or ignored.”
Miss Heart Demon shook her head slightly, a self-deprecating look appearing in her eyes, and she kept sighing:
“At this time, I suddenly barged into his life, awakened his original memories, and all the painful memories of being with me resurfaced. My brother’s original life will be completely disrupted. At that time, can I expect my brother to accept all of this immediately? To make my brother face me again, face me, the one who killed him? My brother will not blame me at all, I can believe that.”
"Regardless of what my elder brother was thinking, I dared not accept any more kindness from him at that time. I could not... hurt my elder brother again."
Faced with Leah's argument, Miss Heart Demon shook her head vigorously, stopping her from continuing. She then explained, "Therefore, with this in mind, after returning to that technological world, I could only watch my brother from afar. Seeing him living well in that world was already a great comfort to me at the time. It also gave me the idea of letting my brother stay there and never let him have any further contact with this world."
"But in the end... judging from your tone, Miss Heart Demon, it seems the plan didn't succeed." Lia tilted her head and said. "Ha... yes, it's a long story. At the time, I wanted to observe my brother for a while longer, so I secretly stayed by his side. But I also had some selfish motives; I didn't want my existence to completely disappear from my brother's heart, so I did something rather unsettling."
"Some things are sick..."
Faced with Miss Heart Demon's words, Leah tilted her head slightly, her gaze filled with a hint of doubt...
Chapter 358: The Place of Return in Dreams (Part 7)
"Some patients are being investigated...about something?"
Hearing the slightly hesitant words from Miss Heart Demon, Leah tilted her head slightly, a hint of curiosity rising in her heart, and continued speaking:
"For you, Miss Heart Demon, to admit your thoughts, could it be... something that endangers your brother?" This... well, not really, right? "Why does it sound so awkward, Miss Heart Demon? Are you really not lying to me? You really haven't hurt Chief K?" Hearing the white-haired girl's stammering words, Lia swallowed slightly and continued to ask. Miss Heart Demon's face flushed slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, she continued to speak with some doubt:
"I... well, I didn't actually cause any danger to my elder brother, but I did have some kind of impact on him. What I did was secretly learn how to use the technology in that world, and then secretly compiled the events of that world and my experiences into a novel. Based on this novel... I created a visual novel, a game that is only for my elder brother to play."
"Visual...novel?" Leah tilted her head slightly.
"It's a kind of entertainment in that world. You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you. In short... that game is about me as the protagonist and my older brother as the antagonist. It's meant to let my older brother experience the series of events I went through from my perspective. Even if he doesn't realize that the game is based on him and me, I want to leave my image in my older brother's heart. At least... don't forget me. I want to leave some memories in some corner of his heart. That's my selfish wish."
"This... I really don't know how to describe it." With an expression that suggested she didn't know what kind of expression to make, Leah licked her lips and then continued to ask, "Um... in that case, does my brother... like this game?"
"My elder brother... well, he actually quite liked it. I secretly infiltrated his circle of friends and recommended the game to him, and even gave him a copy of the disc. He seemed to be having a lot of fun playing it, and I was quite happy about that. Making my elder brother happy was, in a sense, a form of redemption for me."
"So what happened after that? Was there some kind of accident? What happened after your brother lost consciousness that you, Miss Heart Demon, are showing such anxiety now?"
As Lia continued to question the white-haired girl in front of her, her curiosity deepened. She grabbed the Heart Demon's arm with both hands and began to shake her body, urging her to tell the story quickly.
"Don't shake, don't shake, I'm getting dizzy." Amidst the violent shaking, Miss Heart Demon struggled to maintain her balance. After reassuring Leah in front of her, she coughed lightly a few times and continued speaking with a serious demeanor:
"As for my elder brother, I originally thought he could continue living like that and live out the rest of his life peacefully. But I did not expect the unexpected events that would happen to him, nor did I expect his selfless character."
"So... something really did happen?" That's right, Lord Dui... suffered great injuries in a car accident while trying to save a little girl. Although he managed to push the little girl away from the truck, he himself was caught in the accident and his body was almost torn apart. When I arrived, his consciousness was almost completely gone, and he was about to leave this world.
"My elder brother is always like this, he's never changed."
Upon hearing Miss Heart Demon's words, Leah clenched her small fists slightly, as if she could already imagine the appearance that Lius might have made at that time, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart.
"Lord K, were you in a lot of pain back then?"
"You could say it was... very painful, but after seeing that the little girl was alright, I could feel a smile appear on his lips, just like when my sword pierced his back—reassuring, yet... heartbreaking."
"Then, you preserved your elder brother's consciousness, separated it from the created body, and in order to prevent his damaged consciousness from dissipating, you wanted to protect him completely, so you reintegrated this consciousness into yourself to prevent your elder brother's consciousness from completely dissipating."
Yes, it's tragic, isn't it? I originally thought that as long as my brother was away from this world, perhaps fate would spare him and prevent him from embarking on this inevitable path of destruction again. However... I was indeed too naive. Fate has been entangled between my brother and me, and there has been no sign of it dissipating... I was too innocent from beginning to end. "This is not your fault, Miss Heart Demon. If it were my brother, he would never blame you. As for my brother, although Lia doesn't know him very well, there is one thing Lia knows... something that only I know."
"Oh? Is there something I don't know but you do?" Looking at Leah, Miss Heart Demon seemed a little surprised and tilted her head slightly as she asked.
“That’s right, I’m clear on one point: my elder brother… has never had any regrets! Whatever he does, he has definitely thought it through, so I believe that. Even if this fate is real, my elder brother will not run away from it, but will face it head-on.”
“Once faced with fate, death is inevitable. You may not know this, but when you witness your elder brother’s death, can you still speak so calmly?” Miss Heart Demon said, clenching her fist slightly.
“I have no leisurely thoughts. I just... just told him what I know about my brother. He will definitely think the same way. So even if I have any worries or panic in my heart, I am willing to bear everything because I am my brother’s sister. I am the support that stands by my brother’s side. I must not hold him back, even in the face of fate.”
Faced with Lia's words, Miss Heart Demon frowned even more, looking extremely anxious. She wanted to refute something, but after feeling Lia's serious and determined gaze, she paused, finally exhaling slowly and shaking her head helplessly.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. At least I've completely explained my brother's past. That's the general situation. Is there anything you'd like to know more about?"
"Well..." Looking at Miss Heart Demon, Lia pondered for a moment before finally asking, "I want to know, where did this elder brother's consciousness go afterward...? Is it still within your body, Miss Heart Demon, or... was it stored somewhere else?"
“My elder brother’s consciousness… has actually returned to his body long ago. Although it had almost completely dissipated before and he has not yet recovered his original memories, he has actually survived successfully. Apart from still forgetting me, nothing else has gone wrong. It has been fifteen years.”
"Hmm? You said that your elder brother's consciousness has returned to his body... fifteen years ago."
Faced with Miss Heart Demon's words, Lia lowered her eyes slightly, then seemed to suddenly think of something, her eyes flashed, and she quickly asked the white-haired girl in front of her, "Wait a minute, Miss Heart Demon, you just said that my brother's consciousness has returned to his body, and it has been fifteen years. Could it be that his consciousness is..."