TFSAWE - Chapter 268: Farewell

Hearing his scream, I spoke to him.

"Why do you think I'm doing this? You can't be unaware."

My voice as I spoke trembled already.

Everything I'm doing now is what Evelina imagined. Every time she was trampled underfoot, she imagined things I could never do. Things that could have been done at any time if she wasn't a saint.

In my consciousness, I heard Evelina's voice. She could only cry, unable to say anything. I could understand how much she longed for what I was doing now. Each time he groaned under him, she killed Carl in her imagination. Countless times.

I stabbed Carl just as she had imagined. He mustn't die instantly. He had to die as many times as Evelina killed him.

I looked at the surging divine power around me. When I saved Iris, Evelina taught me how to manipulate divine power. Along with it came memories that Evelina had never shown me until the end. Memories of all the times she spent in fear in this temple.

"You, if you're not Evelina, then who on earth?"

Was it only now that he realized that he himself could die? Fear finally began to settle on Carl's face. I approached Carl and placed the sword against his leg. A perfectly fine leg that didn't twist.

"Don't, don't do it!"

As he begged, I drove the sword into his leg and twisted it.

[Kraaaaak!]

Despite Karl's struggle with unbearable pain, I remained unfazed. Perhaps the blade was effective; his leg was slashed to the bone, mangled and torn. I exerted even more force in my grip. Before long, Karl's leg thrashed beside him.

"My, my leg! My leg!" he exclaimed.

Although he had used his vitality, he couldn't even faint, let alone pIrish. I hurled the blade and turned, making my way toward Iris, who was cradled in Leon's arms. It was then that I heard Evelina's voice from within me.

"Thank you."

Amidst sobs, her barely discernible voice undoubtedly uttered those words. Iris' voice, combining weeping and sighs, was fading away.

Now Evelina would meet her death within me.

"Just once."

Evelina pleaded with me.

"Just once."

I knew what words she couldn't bring herself to utter. I closed my eyes, and in an instant, my perspective shifted.

Evelina, using my body in my stead, reached out her hand. She gently pressed her forehead against the unconscious Iris' forehead. Thanks to that, Iris let out a groan and slowly opened her eyes after blinking a few times. As she gazed at Evelina, she broke into a bright smile. Evelina smiled and said,

"I missed you."

Upon hearing those words, Iris' eyes welled up with tears. Evelina, as if meeting a beloved person she longed for, tenderly kissed her forehead. And like someone embarking on a distant journey from which they would never return.

"Farewell."

Those were Evelina's final words.