Chapter 609: [ I'm proud of you ]

Kris Tian’s eyes were glazed…

“I…if she knows, she would want to see me all the time. I, I can’t let her be full of longing for me…”

“… …”

“…we are of different worlds now. I’m already satisfied seeing her so happy and content…my dream was already fulfilled,”

Allen smiled wryly, “You both are the same, you know that… you both are fools…” Allen recalled how Liu Muxiao also did the same in the previous world, hiding her identity from him...until he had lost her. “Both of you are just hurting yourself in the process…you know,”

“…Even still, I’d rather be hurt than see her cry…” Kris Tian spoke with firm determination and resolve, her eyes gleaming like stars in a night sky.

“…you are really all grown up…” Allen smiled warmly, then he said, “I don’t know what is happening now but I am certain for sure that the entire universe is in disarray. The time was disrupted, probably because of our existence. This Dungeon which serves as a connection from your world was probably an after-effect of what the Gods had done when they sent us back to another parallel world. So ‘that’ world had accidentally touched the boundary of the parallel lines, though judging from Mother‘s existence, not fully connected to this timeline…”

...or else, she would disappear, or my mother here in this world would…!

By sending their souls over to the other world, one that is almost parallel to the former created a connection between the two worlds. Thus, making the former world, almost within the time stream of the current universe so to speak.

And now, with Romeia’s dungeon that has spread not only to the Celestial Realm but also to the entire Thousand Worlds, if we surmised that Romeia’s dungeon also existed in the previous timeframe, then Romeia’s Dungeon had become the common point of the two parallel worlds—becoming connected!

This can’t be done by Gods… even though Athena and the others were High Gods, they are still unable to disturb the flow of time and space. If they did, that would exhaust all their powers in the process—that is probably why many High Gods had lost their lives the moment they had done it, the ritual.

And Athena was just lucky to have come out of it with slight side effects…

And if Allen wasn’t mistaken, the vacuum that Kris Tian had said should be the thing that sucks out their souls and made them reborn to another parallel world. However, as people so close to the vacuum and without protection, such as the Demon Generals or other strong demons, it is safe to assume that they had been killed because of the Doppelganger theory, with the connection so strong in that location.

Their souls resonated—

As for why they didn't remember anything, it must have been because they had traveled from one dimension to another without protection. If not, then their deaths should be impossible—as Liu Muxiao and the others, even with their peak, wouldn’t be able to route all the Demon Generals. And also, if it was just within the explosion, the entire Demon Castle including all the Demon Generals shouldn’t have died—well, this was just an assumption…a guess…

“… …”

“…this change would probably slowly be repaired, though I don’t know when. Even still, since you had appeared right now, as long as this error wouldn’t turn back the way it is, you won’t become our child even if Muxiao conceived right now…” he said, and there was a new gentleness in his voice and a bit of sorrow.

“… …” Kris Tian bit her lips. She had also realized about this fact but what can she do…?

The lights and music and the heady scents of flowers made her feel strangely uninhibited.

“Even still,” she said slowly. She gently bit her red lip. A fierce struggle was going on in her heart at the moment. Then, a firm look appeared in her eyes, “I’m already satisfied knowing she was my mother… and that she was alive...” She muttered. She stared at Allen, her gaze unwavering.

Together with you.

A world where both of you in the place, happy and loving.

I'm already satisfied knowing that...

Kris Tian still remembers how Liu Muxiao took care of her.

Her smile, her warmth, her love, her laughter…her dreams of being with you, father...

“As long as I won’t disappear, Mother is always my mother…” Kris Tian smiled through the tears falling from her eyes.

“… I see…” Allen’s mouth was close to her cheek and his voice was a mere whisper.

"Thank you," a look of appreciation flashed in Allen’s eyes as he spoke-up with the entirety of his soul’s sincerity, “…You have become a great woman…I’m proud of you,”

They seemed isolated in a world of sound; the other dancer's mere ghosts gliding pasts as the orchestra soared and swept into a Straus waltz.

The two of them seemed to have their own world, as they danced in the center of the hall, seemingly detached from the outside world. Those who saw them, watching them, all share the same thoughts--it was beautiful...

*** ***

If only it would last forever, Kris Tian thought and seemed to lose all sense of time close in her father’s arms.

Allen sighs…

Tears start flooding from her eyes—she had never expected herself to feel like this. She had thought of many instances where she would meet her father, and all of them ended up the same. That is, cursing him till he vomits blood or beat him up until her grandma would never be able to recognize him.

All of those imaginations were just her, killing time whenever she heard about people talking about the Godly Ten, or the infamous Black Demon King…or how she was a child born from the two greatest heroes of humanity…

Her father was a hero.

Her mother was a Hero as well.

They weren’t an ordinary hero.

Even among heroes who’d spanned countless generations in the world’s history, her parents’ names were the kind that would be written in gold and be sculpted in golden statues and be glorified till forever--

Heroes among Heroes.

They were the heroes who’d saved the world. Although, they haven’t successfully defended the world, or had protected the world but, even so, their achievement, their never-wavering heroic acts, and character that inspired many people after them to stand back again, even in a hopeless situation, to take back the world and regain the light they once had…was already enough and was something that far outclasses any heroes in the entire world!

They are the ones who stand in the summit of the world, the ones who stand at the very top and heralded the once known as the Golden Generation…!

Beast King; Allen Bando, The Immortal, The Black Demon King… he was called by many names other than that. He was also known as the strongest Beast Tamer in the world.

Alma, real name; Liu Muxiao, or some unknown reason, she hides her real name and used the name Alma—[ The Celestial Immortal of Jade Lotus Pond ]

Both belong to the famous and worldly known; [ Godly Ten ]. the Ten Kings who fought the demons with all they had and in the end, managed to destroy all the terrifying Demon Generals along with their deaths, leaving hope for every people still alive…

They were incredibly dazzling names…and heavy ones as well.

And that she was born…a Hero—despite having the blood of a Demon…!

She would then thought, wanting to lash out to these ignorant people—that she never dreamt of them being a Hero, that she rather chooses that they wouldn’t become Heroes to save the world, and just be alive and be with her. See her growing up, and celebrate her birthdays, praise her when she does good, scold when she does bad—

Even if her father was an asshole and a huge womanizer, at least, he would still come back and say, “You've grown up… happy birthday, dear~” or “Here’s a present, I choose it for you…”

But… they were not there…!

No matter how much she cried, no matter how much she tried to reach her hand out, no one would take it now and hold it.

…when did she start, hating them…? She wonders…

She cursed and cursed and cursed… that dying world, why did they try hard to protect it…? Why did they try fighting when they know that it was already hopeless…?

... Even Kris Tian could understand that much.

But.

It was because she understood that.

Because she understood.

Because she was a hero’s child.

Even still… understanding and accepting are two different matters…!

Thus, she couldn’t help but despise them.

Despise the world that had stolen them from her at such a young age…

And in the end, she started to despise them…!

And yet, when she actually met him… the accumulated emotions, just surge through her and exploded, without her knowing. The hate and anger she once felt were like ice melting against the warmth of the sun—that all of them were actually just her, throwing tantrum like a small kid for being left behind…alone!

…I…I wanted to see you…

She wanted to shout those words and embraced them. Wanting to yell all her frustrations and ask why, why did they leave her alone…?! Why did they go and gone, leaving her all alone in that world…!!

But...

“…I’m proud of you…”

Those words struck straight to her heart like she was being stabbed by a knife… Ah… so that was it was…Kris Tian's lips curled upwards.

Although her eyes blurred by tears that seemed never-ending, her expression and heart were never been so happy and satisfied.

*** ***

“…Do you think I would care whether you are proud of me or not…?” Kris Tian answered, resting her head on his shoulder. However, the tears falling from her eyes couldn’t stop from falling.

A smile, that was unlike before, appeared on her lips.

Allen looked somewhat startled and grieved by her facial expression as soon as he heard her chiding him. He nodded after a good while. His eyes suddenly lit up as he said, “Well, I just want to say that… you don’t mind it. Just treat as an Old Man murmuring to himself, about the story of a father who was proud of her daughter…”

Allen felt the wetness from his shoulders but he acted like he didn’t notice it and smiled playfully. He then rested his head on her shoulder in return, his emerald eyes turning sapphire from the colorful lights flashing around the dancing hall.

“Hmph! If you call yourself an old man, I would become an old lady…in fact, did you managed to drink the fountain of youth or something…? How come you look even younger than me…? You stupid Old Man!” she replied, smirking slightly.

"No, not Old Man, Kris-"

"Don't call me that." Kris Tian raised her head up slightly. “…Wushuang is fine… you stinky old man…!” She grinned, amidst the tears, she looks so beautiful.

Like a celestial coming down from the moon. She really looks like her mother...

‘People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.’ —It was by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Allen thought he had already understood those words before after seeing so many beauties in his two lifetimes. But now, seeing the pretty girl before him, he couldn’t help but, ‘Yeah, so that’s what it was…!’ have a sudden realization of those words.

His daughter was a beauty before but it was like a painting without feelings. Beautiful yet doesn’t have an ability to tug heartstrings of those who laid their eyes on it. But now that she was smiling, her eyes sparkled like the brightest stars in the night sky and her beauty softened, and can even charm those who were blind!

"Wushuang…" Allen answered, more softly. "Yeah… that fits you more..."

Kris Tian nodded her head in silence.

The eyes of these two people were smiling. However, there were tragic tears hidden in those smiles...

Quietly she rested her head again, but her green-turning-blue eyes swirled restlessly.

At least, let this time...last a bit longer...

*** ***