SSS-Class Revival Hunter - Chapter 104

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 104: His Way of Loving (2)

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Just as people managed their daily lives, I managed my deaths.

There was always an easier way for me to die. Wrap my brain in aura. Burst it. In an instant, I could end my life painlessly. Easy, simple, and convenient.

That's why I chose not to die that way.

'Because it’s easy, simple, and convenient.'

Familiarity with ease, simplicity, and convenience makes humans complacent. Even the sharpest mind dulls over time.

'It was complacency that led to the Flame Emperor's death at my hands.'

I chose a more painful death, stubbornly relying on my dagger. To keep my senses and judgment vivid and raw. That was my way.

But today would be different.

"It's okay. It will be over in an instant."

I slowly channeled aura into Lady Silver Lily's hand. Perhaps because it was an unfamiliar sensation, she flinched slightly as she absorbed my redness.

"......It's warm."

"Yes."

"It feels like warm water seeping through my veins. If this resembles your body temperature, Butler, then you must be slightly warmer than me."

Lady Silver Lily looked into my eyes.

"I'm anxious."

"......"

"I've never felt anxious through all my returns. I was content as long as I didn't lose myself. But... today, I don't want to lose you. If I return first and you forget me…."

Would that make me a bastard, if I was pleased by what she murmured? If I was happy that she felt anxious because of me?

Yes. I probably was a bastard.

"Don't worry."

But a bastard solely for her.

"I'll be with you."

Even as we felt each other's warmth, the world was ending.

Crack, crash! The ground split open. Blood gushed from the broken fissures.

Demons, once Lady Silver Lily's familiars, now rampaged beyond her control. Their numbers were like droplets in the sea, and each drop was as large as a mountain.

"Ah?"

Distant screams reached us.

"Demons! Demons have appeared!"

"Unfortunate timing."

People screamed.

The promised ten days. Lady Silver Lily's love, fixed in place by a wish, that love, an eternal love that a half-formed Constellation could no longer hope to contain, was running wild.

Yet, amidst this chaos, Lady Silver Lily remained calm, her heart as if coated in silver.

"I won't tolerate any mistakes."

"Yes."

"If I die even 0.1 seconds before you, or if you die 0.1 seconds before me, I will never forgive you. Remember my words deep in your heart. This is the only chance I give you."

"Yes."

"Again."

[The silver-plated heart watches you.]

"Live up to the trust you've inspired in me."

"......"

I held her hand a bit tighter.

"Okay."

While the demons raged across the ground, the sunset sky cracked and shattered like a mirror.

The flood of blood poured down.

The ground flooded ever deeper with red. The reverberating screams sank beneath bubbling sounds as though they, too, were drowning.

It wasn't just Lady Silver Lily's rampage that led to the world's demise.

[The Apostle of 'Ruin-Harvesting Cow' manifests.]

The Apostles of the other half-formed Constellations she mentioned once.

[The Apostle of 'Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' manifests.]

[The Apostle of 'The Immortal Missionary of Happiness' manifests.]

Beings from another realm descended through the rifts in the sky.

Lady Silver Lily was this world's half-formed Constellation. Seizing the opening left by the collapse of her barrier, they discarded even the pretense of clearing the stage and began an outright invasion.

"As usual, no sense of mood in these creatures."

Their forms were as varied as the Constellations that sent them.

"That's right."

And so, I could easily remember their appearances.

"A lesson is in order."

"What kind of lesson?"

"The lesson that if you interfere in someone else's love life, you die."

"I like that."

Lady Silver Lily smiled.

"But that can wait for later."

Indeed. There was no time now.

"Lady."

The sky was shattering, blood raining endlessly.

Demons crawling up from underground, invaders descending from the sky - amidst this apocalyptic scene, Lady Silver Lily had borne it all alone.

Until today.

"Butler."

Lady Silver Lily spoke.

"Kill me."

In a world turned red, only Lady Silver Lily, me, our boat, and a 3-meter radius of water surface remained untouched by the blood-red paint. Countless tongues and lips emerged from the blood-tainted lake, mocking us.

There.

For the first time, I allowed myself an easy death.

I set the aura filling both our bodies ablaze.

Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven.

The Ninth Form.

Sword of Self-Inflicted Death.

Without a hint of error or deviation.

[You have died.]

We died.

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

When I opened my eyes, I was leaning against a white tree.

It was evening.

The sky was ripening into a golden hue.

Waking up here wasn't strange. Ever since I decided to become Lady Silver Lily's exclusive Butler, I've been taking her for evening walks.

As I was about to get up quickly...

"---Have you awakened?"

Whisper.

A voice came from right beside me.

"You’ve finally come back to your senses."

I turned to look.

"Such a reprehensible Butler you are."

Lady Silver Lily stood with the brilliant sunset behind her. She held a parasol, casting shade at her feet. Whoosh. The wind tousled her silver hair, and I stopped breathing without realizing it.

'Did it succeed?'

My heart pounded.

'Or did I fail?'

I still couldn't tell.

Uncertain, I just looked at Lady Silver Lily.

Her fingers gripping the umbrella handle, the way she gently swept aside her wind-tousled hair, her lips tightly closed as usual. Each of Lady Silver Lily's movements resonated with me profoundly.

"Butler. You lied to me a little."

Lady Silver Lily began.

"You promised to spend the same time with me. But you returned nine days later than I did."

Ah.

"Even though it was a fake romance, leaving your beloved alone for nine days is a serious offense."

I succeeded.

"I waited for you alone for nine days. The anxiety I felt while waiting is entirely my burden. You swore to be there but failed to keep your promise. Isn't that negligence and dereliction?"

I succeeded.

"To atone for your sin this time, you'll have to suffer quite a bit."

I succeeded.

"Uhm. I'm thirsty. Butler, the tea you brought me..."

Lady Silver Lily couldn't finish her sentence.

Because I stood up and embraced her.

I couldn't bear not to hold her.

"......"

The wind blew. The umbrella Lady Silver Lily was holding fell and rolled across the grass.

Even though I was already holding her, it wasn't enough. More. More. I wanted to hold her even closer. I realized then, it wasn't just her body I wanted to embrace, but her heart.

"I'm sorry."

For making you wait alone for nine days.

"It's okay."

Lady Silver Lily wrapped her arms around my back.

"Now it's okay. Watching you not spend the last day with me wasn't completely unenjoyable."

"You're lying."

"Yes, it was a lie. It wasn't very enjoyable. But it's okay. I'm very good at waiting."

"I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

Lady Silver Lily stroked my neck.

[Immersion into your character is intensifying.]

[Your immersion rate is currently 71%.]

I want to love you madly.

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"That's a lie."

"Yes."

"I dislike lies. Jokes are okay, but don't utter lies to me. I, too, will not lie to you. Not only in words but also in gestures and glances."

"Are you crying?"

"......"

"When you don't want to speak, use the right to silence. Don't pry. Don't press. If you wait patiently until the other person is ready to talk, that would be nice."

"Hmm."

I'm glad.

That I came to love her.

I'm glad to be someone who can love her.

"Lady."

"I have a request, Lady."

"What is it?"

May I kiss you?

I held back.

It was fortunate that she could not see my face.

"I'm really sorry, but could you wait a little longer?"

"How rude. How much longer are you asking me to wait?"

"8 days."

"Why?"

"7 days."

"Uhm?"

"6 days."

"......"

"I'll count down each day."

"......"

"Until we can be together on the first day."

Silence.

"……How audacious."

Lady Silver Lily whispered in my ear.

"So you're saying you'll kill me 9 more times?"

"Did it hurt?"

"It didn't hurt. Just like you said, it was over in an instant. But even after taking my life once, your intention to take it more is cruel."

"May I kiss you?"

"......"

Sorry.

I couldn't hold back.

Lady Silver Lily moved her head to meet my eyes.

Red.

The color I will come to love the most was there.

"I exercise my right to silence."

So I kissed her.

We embraced each other.

From breath to breath, from lips to lips, I offered the warmth of my heart, flowing my aura. I'm thankful my aura's color is red. Our breaths mingled.

And then.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

The next moment I opened my eyes, Lady Silver Lily was still by my side. We didn't speak. Maybe we had already said enough. Lady Silver Lily held my hand, and I kissed her.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

To get closer to you.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

To Lady Silver Lily, who said we would forever draw parallel lines, I tilted my head a bit more and kissed her. Before our times overlapped, our lips met.

In the cool corridor of the dormitory.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

In a dark basement.

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

Under the white magnolia leaves.

"Lady."

I sighed deeply.

"Before you came, did you brush your teeth?"

"It seems like a question where I can exercise my right to silence."

"That is unfair. Only you get to do that, Lady."

"There are two occasions in this world when unfair play is forgiven. One is war, and the other is making love. Besides,"

I return 24 hours back to the past upon dying, but Lady Silver Lily goes back to the first day of the ball.

She calculated the difference in our time.

"You made me wait for 9 days, 8 days, 7 days… adding up to 39 days in total. My appropriate slyness will actually help lessen your guilt. You should be thankful."

"So, 39 days of kissing..."

"Stop being so frivolous."

[You have died.]

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

The next time I opened my eyes, I was in Baroness Goldencup's private room.

"King of Death!"

The Heretic Inquisitor, who had not yet become Goldencup, laughed heartily. My timeline continued, and the Heretic Inquisitor's was not connected. Thus, while my immersion rate remained, the Heretic Inquisitor's immersion reset as it approached the first day.

"Lady Silver Lily came to visit! Ahaha. What could it be at this late hour? I heard she doesn't stay in the dorm but has separate accommodations. If she's come all this way at this time, maybe it’s..."

"Where is she now?"

"Ah. She said she would wait in the garden in front of the dorm."

I opened the door and ran. The Heretic Inquisitor called, "King of Death?" behind me, but I had no time to answer. Someone was waiting for me.

A little faster.

Just a bit more, hurry.

Lady Silver Lily was standing under the magnolia tree.

The white lotus blooming in the night sky.

The lotus bud resembled a heart drained of red.

"......"

Perhaps someone was secretly watching the garden from a dorm window. But we approached each other closely, embraced, and kissed.

I whispered.

"Do you know?"

"I don't. Brag to me."

"My name is Gong-Ja, and I call you gongnyeo, 'Lady.' Put the two together and we become gongnyeo and Gong-Ja. Of course, it sounds different in your language, but still..."

"Are you saying we are a match made in heaven?"

"I'd like to think so."

"You’re getting carried away over a coincidence."

"I love you."

Our lips met.

Breaths intertwined.

Time overlapped.

[You have died.]

Finally.

[You will return 24 hours back to the past.]

When I opened my eyes, I was at a splendid ballroom.

Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, draping down like weeping willows.

Below them, dozens of ladies and gentlemen paired up, dancing slowly.

Where we first met.

Where the Heretic Inquisitor was slapped.

Our time first intersected on this stage.

Day 1.

"......"

In the middle of the ballroom, we stood facing each other.

I moved my foot.

Lady Silver Lily also stepped forward.

Without distinguishing who was first, under the white chandeliers, amidst the swirling shadows, we kissed.

No words were needed.

Surprised voices around us were heard. I ignored them. The musicians at the ball stopped playing, and the ladies and gentlemen ceased dancing to watch us, but I ignored them.

Lady Silver Lily's eyes. Her voice. The outline of her existence was all that occupied me.

"We,"

I leaned my forehead against Lady Silver Lily's.

"Is it still Day 1?"

Lady Silver Lily smiled.

"Now it is Day 1. It will be Day 1 forever."

"Forever?"

"If you and I wish it to be."

And we kissed again.

Savoring a moment as if it were eternity.

Only our low breaths echoed in the vast ballroom.

"Huh...?"