The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 217

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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It was a very long time ago.

A tree sprouted. Its roots gripped the earth and became the foundation. Where leaves and fruit fell, water and flowers bloomed.

Birds came, drawn by the fragrance, and people gathered in its shade. That was the ‘Start’.

People sang songs for him. They held feasts and danced in welcome.

“Ugh, ugh, uaaah-!”

“Run away!”

Until they faced the ‘End’, who was his brother and sister, front and back, left and right.

Wherever End stepped, flowers withered and grain rotted. Birds and beasts fled in competition.

Standing in the middle of the dark night with a body stained by blood and shadow, End looked up at his half and everything.

Sometimes he wondered sadly why he had such a role. Actually, he was sad quite often. Sadness, melancholy, pessimism, and tears were End’s domain.

“You came?”

But when Start, wrapped in the dawning sunlight, smiled and welcomed him,

“Yeah. I came.”

End thought that was enough.

“Order without you is just chaos, and life without your presence is just suffering… Why don’t people understand that?”

Start sometimes said such things.

He would grip End’s hand tightly and begin speaking like that. Starting conversations and asking questions were Start’s role.

“I’m fine with this.”

“But…”

“Really. You shine brighter because I exist. You’re loved more because I exist. That’s enough for me.”

End answered like that and closed the conversation.

People in the world often chattered. End must surely be jealous of and hate Start.

Start, who monopolized all the good things, must be hateful and detestable, so we must protect Start from End… They slandered End in such ways.

But it wasn’t true. They were wrong. End liked Start.

He admired and loved the kindness that looked back at him instead of being intoxicated by glory, the gentleness that smiled saying nights were good because he was there. He didn’t know how such feelings could arise from a heart that gathered only bad things.

Is it because we are trees? Like roots and trunk are connected, can I also share your good things?

End, who raised the corners of his mouth to imitate a smile, thought so.

“We.”

Until Start, who was counting the World Tree’s fruit as usual, suddenly turned to look at him and spoke.

“Let’s stop now.”

Stop what?

Stop what?

Ah, surely. Just as I seem to share your love, you… you’ve been sharing my hatred, my loathing, my darkness.

Is that why you’re looking at me with such a hardened expression?

Have you come to hate me?

But he couldn’t ask. End covered his mouth.

End turned away. He ran away without giving an answer. Like a shadow of night, far away, like an ebbing tide, quickly running and running again.

When the tree rings had layered thickly like the years and he stopped, End looked in a mirror. His eyes were green.

“You know.”

End, thinking of his other half with complementary colored eyes, cried and laughed.

“You can’t end anything without me…”

So he had no choice but to hide very deeply.

Until you realize that fact.

*

End looked up at Elisha with a face full of ecstasy.

Elisha, Start had figured out who she was. Even without the help of holy relics!

He could feel the power rippling from her standing opposite him. Holy power as abundant as his own.

“Did you come to find me?”

End asked in a trembling voice.

Of course he was afraid. He was scared and terrified that she might talk about ending again.

But the fact that Start had come to find him who had disappeared, that she ultimately hadn’t forgotten him, made him madly happy and ecstatic.

“I had my suspicions. I didn’t think you would come directly. But the moment I saw that heterogeneous existence that had never appeared in my dozens, hundreds, thousands of deaths… I realized it was right, that you had come directly, that you had come to find me.”

“…”

“Do you know how my heart ached seeing your violet eyes dying in the previous life, and how happy I was…”

“See you again.”

Do you know.

How much I anticipated killing you so you could quickly intervene in my next death.

It was when he was about to rise as if entranced.

“What kind of crazy talk is this now?”

“Do not move.”

The sword pressing against his throat gained strength. Blood seeped from his skin.

End looked at Tesagh clicking his tongue and Ailren being wary in turn, then smiled and raised his hand.

“I told you.”

Passs—

The sword his hand touched scattered and disappeared in an instant.

“I’m being lenient.”

The two men, who had been shocked, tried to grab End with their bare hands, but he was faster.

In an instant, he snatched Start and rose into the air, looking down at the two men with cold eyes as if viewing insects.

What allowed them to act boldly even before the god of destruction and death?

Drawing his hand through the air, he simply took away the two men’s speech.

“…!”

Making what exists disappear is so easy.

He could have been more cruel. What would happen if he took away their limbs one by one? What about taking away their ability to walk, their ability to breathe?

Actually, End had taken the lives of Ailren from a previous life and Tesagh from some time before.

Since they were respectively one who had cut down countless people in war and one who had hanged traitors, by his standards there was nothing particularly to hesitate about.

But the reason End didn’t do so was one.

“Please don’t.”

Because the woman with him now would dislike it.

End, who had been quietly watching Start grab his hand and pull it down, smiled obediently.

“…Okay. I won’t.”

My kind and gentle Start.

End carefully leaned against her shoulder blade.

Even that was without putting any weight as he murmured.

“You suffered alone because of me. I’m sorry. But I had no choice.”

“…”

“How was it seeing the world? It was full of disgusting people, wasn’t it? I’m sorry about that too. I wanted to show you only good things. But I thought you needed to know a little.”

He had placed pieces of the ruby tablet with the world’s cancerous things.

He wanted her to see directly. People like Crodil and Hestian.

A father and son who hated each other, those who threw away their lives to gambling, humans who nearly killed even their own daughters, mad with money and honor.

“There were so many people who casually broke laws and rules, people who deserved to die… That’s why we’re still needed.”

Start, who had taken a breath, asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Think about it. If I hadn’t intervened, what more evil would those wicked ones have committed? And if you hadn’t gone to those places, how many people would have suffered and been hurt?”

End whispered.

“So we must continue to exist. For the sake of a fair world order.”

“Let’s stop this now.”

It was an answer she had prepared.

He didn’t know why she wanted to quit.

“To protect good people and punish evil ones. That’s what we do.”

But even if she wanted to quit because she was tired of the eternity spent with him.

Start wouldn’t be able to ignore his words that put forward stuffy justice and cause as mere excuses.

Because that was her role and the very old chain that would keep her by his side.

“So let’s go back together. To where we belong. To our small, old garden.”

Of course, this wasn’t the only thing he had prepared.

There was only one way to destroy the World Tree, that is, one way to bring an end. Using all four divine-grade relics.

‘But there aren’t four here right now. Because the sap is missing.’

The sap had dried up.

So no matter what words Start used to persuade him, even if he cooperated, it would be impossible to destroy the World Tree.

It was when End, who had glanced at the frozen World Tree, smiled and raised his head.

“So you’re saying you selectively killed only bad people?”

“Yes. Because that was my duty…”

“Then what about Crescens?”

“…What?”

Start’s voice was resolute.

“What about Crescens, who must have died with you dozens, hundreds, thousands of times? He who was manipulated by you at will and eventually repeated losing his life for countless ages—did he commit wrongs deserving of that?”

For a moment, he was speechless.

She who had been staring at the silent End bit her lips and spoke firmly.

“That one thing proves it. That the fairness and nobility of ‘us’ that you claim is ultimately just an illusion.”

“But ‘Start.'”

“If you want to persuade me.”

Start reached out her hand.

The sound of something whooshing through the air could be heard.

“Try persuading Crescens first, who has been with you all along but would never agree with you.”

“There’s no reason to end one’s life being used as a tool by others. That’s something no one can justify.”

What she held in her hand was,

“Before I destroy the World Tree.”

Rugenote.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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