I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 176
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After losing his body to Yeshion, he had been trapped in this dark space ever since. With the souls of those who had perished because of his past choices and actions.
They clung to Yeshion’s body, whispering in his ears. Some told him to die, while others begged him to finally come to his senses.
And each time Yeshion died, one of them vanished.
“When you healed Eldis’s body and died this last time, the final soul disappeared. Muttering something about how it was a relief you’d finally come to your senses.”
“……”
“The path they wished for me to take… I guess you’re walking it now.”
The real ‘Yeshion’ let out a bitter laugh. His expression was one of clear confusion, and it was clear that he still couldn’t understand this other Yeshion who made such different choices.
“So… you don’t like it?”
“……Well. It’s not my life anymore, so I don’t think I have any right to say anything about it. I told you, didn’t I? Live thinking it’s your life. If you clean up everything I’ve done, I said I’d give you the body.”
At those words, Yeshion’s eyes widened. He had thought this was nothing more than a fleeting dream, but apparently, it wasn’t.
Feeling awkward for no reason, Yeshion scratched his cheek and cleared his throat before asking a question.
“By the way… did I really see all your memories?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t feel like I saw everything.”
Yeshion pressed a finger against one of the memory fragments floating in the air.
Somehow, it felt like he had missed the most crucial parts. For example…
“Where you dumped the bodies, where the notes with their orders were hidden…”
In the memories Yeshion had seen, the real ‘Yeshion’ hadn’t burned or shredded anything.
He had folded things up and hidden them somewhere, but strangely, only the exact location was obscured.
And the parts related to Eldis from the 19th cycle, those too, had only been shown to him in minimal fragments. It felt as though the truly clear and detailed parts were being deliberately left out.
“Do you want me to tell you?”
“Yes. That’s why I tried to see your past, to find that out.”
“And if I tell you, are you confident you can resolve it?”
“No. I’m not.”
Yeshion blinked slowly and raised his head to look at the other. Then, with a faint smile, he spoke toward the expressionless real ‘Yeshion.’
“I’m just running toward the tiniest bit of hope.”
“……Ha!”
The real ‘Yeshion’ scoffed. There was no hope anywhere. Yet this pitiful bastard who had taken his body still thought there was some sliver of hope somewhere in this mire.
“This is your last chance.”
“……”
“The moment you fail, I’ll devour your soul, and you’ll die with me. Or maybe you won’t even die. Maybe you’ll just be tormented by lingering souls for the rest of eternity.”
Yeshion’s expression was one of disbelief. He had made all those choices himself, so why was he trying to share the penalties for failure?
Perhaps that thought showed clearly on his face, because the real ‘Yeshion’ curled one corner of his lips into a smirk.
“You saw it, didn’t you? You know I’ve always been that kind of bastard.”
“……Hardly something to brag about.”
“You’d better stop provoking me. I could sacrifice my entire soul to trap you here for life.”
He threatened with a haughty tone that suggested this space at least was under his control. Yeshion, who had been sticking out his lip in protest, decided to keep quiet.
“Whether you succeed or fail, go ahead and try denying the path I lived.”
As he said that and swept his arm through the air, a new flood of memory fragments appeared. Ones that hadn’t been visible just moments ago.
Where he dumped the bodies after killing them. How he framed others for crimes. The traces and evidence left behind from the missions they assigned. And even the fact that the one they served… was the Empress.
Countless pieces of information flashed through his mind.
And just as the image of the real ‘Yeshion’ began to fade…
“Go ahead and prove it. That you’re someone worth giving even my soul to.”
With that final voice, his consciousness dimmed.
