“Why don’t you just go to the countryside and live a peaceful life? Why must you insist on doing this, Tiona?”
“Going to the countryside and living a peaceful life sounds good, Thirteen. But I can’t abandon everyone.”
A beautiful young lady with long black hair and purple eyes looked at the Army Camp in the distance. Behind her, countless snakes of different shapes and sizes gathered, ready to attack at her command.
She was one of the Captains of the Demon Army, and she was tasked to attack the Main Army of the Alliance before sunrise.
Although she knew that this was impossible to win, her face was calm as if she had already prepared herself for the worst.
“Why not?” Thirteen asked. “This is a suicide mission,?Tiona, and you know it. You are just being used as a pawn to divert the Heroes’ attention to this place while that bastard conquers another Kingdom.”
“Thirteen, you already know the answer,” Tiona replied. “He’s holding my family hostage. If I don’t do as he says, then they will be killed.”
“If you die here, then they will also lose their value! The Demon Lord will kill them once you are dead. At least, as long as you are alive, he will not readily kill them. You’re a useful tool for him to expand his empire. Can’t you see that?”
“You’re just talking about an IF scenario, Thirteen. And even if you are right, I can’t abandon my family. The Demon Lord might not kill them, but he will surely make them suffer. I won’t be able to sleep at night knowing that they are suffering because of me.”
“Tiona, this is madness! You’ll die if you attack that camp right now!”
“I know. This is why I’m doing it.”
“What are you talking about?!” Thirteen shouted. “Leave this place now, Tiona!”
“Thirteen, if there is a next life, I hope we can meet again in a peaceful world. If that were to happen, I’d be truly happy.”
“Don’t do this, Tiona. Please don’t do this!”
The young lady smiled before raising her hand.
Her army charged forward like a raging tide, attacking the rear of the Main Army of the Alliance.
The battle lasted for an hour, with the enemies sustaining huge casualties. Tiona managed to injure the Hero, but that was all.
The enemy was simply too many, and they overpowered her in the end.
“Serves you right, you B*tch!” the Sorceress of the Hero Party sneered as she stepped on the young lady’s head, who was bleeding to death. “You’re a Human, and you chose to side with the Demons. This is a fitting end for traitors like you.”
“I will take your head and put it on a spike,” the Hero said as he raised his sword. “I’ll make sure that the Demon Army knows that you died a dog’s death!”
Tiona didn’t reply and simply closed her eyes.
She was really tired and simply wished for everything to end.
“Thirteen…”
“I’m here, Tiona.”
“Thank you for everything, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to protect my family. I wasn’t able to protect you.”
“…”
“Let’s meet again. Make sure to find me again, okay?”
“I will find you, I promise. So wait for me.”
“Thank you… Thirteen. I’m glad you chose me as your Host.”
When the young lady’s neck was cleanly cut off from her body, cheers resounded within the Camp of the Alliance.
Thirteen, whose connection with his host had been severed after her death, hurriedly encased his Master’s soul in his protective embrace.
He would personally take her soul to the Cycle of Reincarnation and would not allow her to suffer any longer.
This was his last duty as a System who had lost yet another Host due to the machinations of Fate.
—————————————
Somewhere in Gronar City…
Thirteen felt something touching the side of his face, which made him open his eyes.
With the faint light of the lamplight inside his room, he saw the Black Snake, Tiona, using her tail to wipe his face.
Since he had just woken up, it took him a while to understand what was happening.
Only after he raised his hand to touch the side of his face did he notice that his cheeks were wet.
‘I cried?’ Thirteen looked at his hands in disbelief.
But it didn’t take long for him to realize that tears were still continuing to fall from his eyes.
“It must be because of that dream,” Thirteen thought as he remembered the dream he had just now.
The Black Snake crawled up his body and started to flick her tongue on his cheeks as if she wanted to taste the tears that were falling on the side of her Master’s face.
Thirteen lightly rubbed Tiona’s chin while he was deep in his thoughts.
“Maybe I named you Tiona because my previous host was a Snake Tamer,” Thirteen muttered. “I wonder… will I be able to meet her again someday?”
He didn’t know the answer to this question.
But he sincerely hoped that their paths would cross again. He promised her that he would come to find her, and Thirteen always kept his promises.
“It’s still dark,” Thirteen said as he lay down on his bed. “Let’s sleep for a little bit longer, Tiona.”
The Black Snake nodded. She coiled herself on his pillow and slept beside his face.
A few minutes later, the boy once again fell asleep, and this time, he dreamed a dream where he and his previous Host, Tiona, were walking hand in hand in a flower field.
The young lady had a sweet, peaceful expression on her face as if she had been freed from all the worries and hardships of the world.
“Thirteen, thank you for always being by my side,” Tiona said. “Now, it’s my turn to help you.”
“What are you talking about?” Thirteen asked. “You should just enjoy life and live it to the fullest. You deserve it.”
“How can I possibly enjoy my life when I know that you are suffering? If I am going to enjoy life, we must do it together.”
“Hah… you’re still as stubborn as ever. Me? Suffering? Is that some kind of joke? How can someone like me suffer? I make others suffer. Not the other way around.”
Tiona giggled before holding Thirteen’s hand to pull him like a spoiled child.
“Just remember, okay? This time, it will be me who will be supporting you and not the other way around,” Tiona stated. “So,don’t be afraid to knock down everyone in your way! If we can’t really beat them, we could always run, right?”
Thirteen smirked. “Good. Now you know how to run away. You should have done that back then.”
Tiona stuck her tongue out before running ahead, leaving Thirteen behind.
“Come and catch me, slowpoke!” Tiona taunted. “I’m confident in my speed to run away!”
The young man shook his head helplessly before running after her.
“Let’s put that speed of yours to the test,” Thirteen smirked. “Here I come!”
Soon, Tiona’s laughter echoed in the flower field.
A laughter that sounded like music in his ears.