Volume 6 Chapter 14

Volume 6 + Chapter 14: The Heart Demon’s Wish

“Heart demon, then I will prove it to you, my unyielding Sword Saint soul has not fallen in the slightest!”

Xia Yi declared to her heart demon.

“Let me use my actions to dispel all your doubts.”

“How will you prove it?” the heart demon Xia Yi asked curiously. “I feel like you’ve completely turned into a dragon, haven’t you?”

“That just shows how much you underestimate me. In truth… My original aspiration has never changed at all. From beginning to end, I have remained utterly consistent.”

“Your original aspiration? What is it?”

“Do you even need to ask? It is, of course, to defeat Xia Lulu. I have been honing my strength for one purpose alone, to one day surpass Xia Lulu and wash away my past defeats. As long as I never forget this goal and persevere in my efforts toward it, that proves my sword heart has not wavered, and my Sword Saint soul still shines brightly!”

“Is… that so?”

“Of course. That is precisely why the Holy Sword has continued to answer my call. Moreover, isn’t it the same for you? Haven’t you always said that defeating me is your original aspiration?”

Xia Yi turned the question back on her heart demon.

This strike left the heart demon Xia Yi with no room to refute.

She had simply taken the heart demon’s own reasoning and used it against her.

“I have to hand it to you, using that kind of argument.” The heart demon Xia Yi sounded utterly exasperated.

“Just wait. I’m going to challenge Xia Lulu right now. I have been tempering my spirit and my mind, enduring the dragons’ sugar-coated bullets… all for the day I can defeat her! And now, that moment has arrived!”

“Fine, then. Let me observe carefully whether your Sword Saint soul has truly fallen or not.” The heart demon Xia Yi nodded, seemingly accepting Xia Yi’s explanation for the time being.

“Of course you can… Wait. No, something’s wrong.”

Xia Yi noticed something, pinched her chin, and looked at her heart demon.

“Why did you come out on your own today? Aren’t you usually unwilling to show yourself?”

“I… wanted to see what you’ve been doing.”

“Huh?” Xia Yi grew increasingly confused. “Don’t you hate me? Why would you want to know anything about me?”

“Th-That’s…”

The heart demon Xia Yi hesitated. She couldn’t very well come out and say, I care about it, all right?

“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated! I’m observing your weaknesses so I can beat you next time!”

“Hmm…”

Xia Yi thought for a long moment.

This line of reasoning… felt strangely familiar somehow.

“Come to think of it, Heart Demon, I don’t really know that much about you either. You never seem to tell me anything about yourself.”

“What’s there to tell about me? I just stay in the spirit world, practicing swordsmanship…”

“Because you want to kill me?”

“Exactly!”

“Are you really that fixated on it?”

“I am a heart demon, your complete opposite, get it? I am the incarnation of your evil side. My instinct is to kill you, seize your body, and put you to death.” The heart demon Xia Yi replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“But I don’t really see you as all that evil. You love drinking milk tea so much…”

“Those are two different things!!” the heart demon Xia Yi hastily clarified. “If I took control of your body, I would unleash a terrifying malice and slaughter everyone around you!”

“Why would you want to kill the people close to me?” Xia Yi pressed further.

“…Huh?”

The heart demon Xia Yi froze.

She had never actually thought about that carefully.

“Do you hate them?”

“Well… I don’t really know any of them. I can’t say I hate them or like them.”

The heart demon Xia Yi felt no psychological burden about killing at all. She simply did whatever she felt like.

“So that means… you don’t actually have to kill anyone, right? Since you don’t dislike the people around me either.”

“I suppose… it’s true that… they don’t absolutely have to die…”

Yet the heart demon Xia Yi again sensed that something about this answer felt off.

“No, no, no, I’m a heart demon. Doing bad things is what suits my identity!”

“You said a heart demon is the opposite of existence. So if a person were truly evil, wouldn’t their heart demon, as the opposite, be extremely good? Not only refusing to kill but actually enjoying helping others.”

“Does that ever happen…?”

The heart demon Xia Yi was stumped once more. She had never seen anyone else’s heart demon, so how would she know what other heart demons did?

“Well, doesn’t that prove that heart demons don’t absolutely have to kill? Even if you don’t kill anyone, it still fits your identity.”

“R-Right…?” The heart demon Xia Yi felt dizzy, on the verge of being completely tangled up.

“I’ve never asked you this before. If you killed me and took over my body, what would you do afterward?” Xia Yi’s curiosity grew more intense. “You’re so fixated on seizing my body. Is there some wish you want to fulfill?”

“I… have no wish.”

“Then haven’t you ever thought about what you’ll do in the future?”

“…No.”

The heart demon Xia Yi clutched her head, feeling as if her mind were turning to mush.

Ever since she was born as a heart demon, she had never considered such things. She only ever thought about how to kill her original self, seize the body, and replace the true owner.

That was the meaning of her existence and the source of all her drive.

As for what came after the takeover, she had never given it a single thought.

Now Xia Yi kept digging deeper and deeper, practically asking about the ultimate meaning of life. How was she supposed to know that?!

The heart demon Xia Yi’s eyes began to swirl. She was on the verge of losing the ability to think.

“Heart Demon, if you don’t have any wish, “

“Stupid Xia Yi, stop asking! How should I know something so boring? Don’t you dare keep questioning me!” The heart demon Xia Yi grew angry. “This isn’t about me right now. You’re the one who said you were going to challenge Xia Lulu. Stop changing the subject!”

“I just want to chat. I want to understand you a little better…” Xia Yi mumbled.

“Don’t treat me that way! You’re supposed to fear me, dread me!” The heart demon Xia Yi pointed at Xia Yi. “Keep asking such pointless questions, and I’ll make my move right now, seize your body and wipe everything out!”

“Fine, fine, I get it. If you don’t want to talk, we won’t talk.”

Xia Yi pouted.

After grumbling a bit, she went off to find Xia Lulu.

“My… wish?”

Ever since Xia Yi brought it up, the heart demon Xia Yi couldn’t stop thinking about that word.

…

…

“Xia Lulu!”

Xia Yi arrived at Xia Lulu’s office.

Today, Xia Lulu was not slacking off or sleeping during the day. Instead, she was working normally at her desk.

“What is it, my daughter?” Xia Lulu asked. “Is something the matter?”

“Of course. Something extremely important.”

Xia Yi’s expression was utterly serious.

“Xia Lulu, I challenge you!”

“Challenge me?”

“That’s right. This time, things will be different from before. Hehehe…”

Xia Yi laughed.

“This will be my final challenge to you, Xia Lulu!”

[https://ko-fi.com/golden_dragon]