Dawei POV
"I don't really dislike you. From now on, you are the King of Humans."
It's been approximately over five thousand eight hundred forty days since I've heard that statement. A dying acknowledgment that from a man who used to be my enemy. At the time, I didn't think of the comment. All I cared about was that I had the power to protect my friends. Yet even with the power King's wisdom, Robe of the Sage, and a direct contract with Haetea, it might as well have amounted to nothing.
I couldn't save Mori Jin in his time of need, nor could I even find him. I failed to save Mori Hui and Woo Seung-Tae even when they were dying within arm's reach. And worst of all, I couldn't even keep my promise to the person I loved the most. Since then, I've tried countless times to make things right, to bring back what I've lost. But as more time passes, as more scars are collected, I don't know if something can ever go back to how they were.
It's been a couple of days since I've last arrived at Nox. This is mainly due to my one-person mission of infiltrating the World Government's latest theories on Mori Jin's whereabouts. Unfortunately, I encountered our "rival" Neo Nox attacking a nearby recon team through this. Which naturally led to me meeting "her" again. Though I guess that's not surprising, we are now bound in more ways than one.
Out of our dozens of fights, I rank this one of the hardest ones yet. Come snow or summer; I never skipped a day of training all this time. Yet it seems no matter how hard I keep at it or how much I advance, Mira seems to be only one step behind. These bleeding wounds make that more than apparent. Nevertheless, I didn't dare let the pain show.
I've got too many people to protect now, and I won't let them worry about what's essentially my mess, especially since no one in the world can stop her but me as far as I know. So in the dead of night, I kept a low profile, slowly limping my way towards my room. I thought I could've been successful, but my deep thoughts and bandaged eyes let "someone" pass by me.
"My King."
I recognized the voice before even raising my head, realizing I gazed upon an anxious Xiaochen. Then, almost subconsciously, I started to shift myself up while keeping a straight face.
"Hello Xioachen, how have you've been?"
Xiaochen then unleashed a militant salute while excitedly saying through an overactive smile.
"Great, my liege, I've managed to manage to complete my daily mission successfully. Right now, our intel-gathering on the World Government has increased a total of-."
"That's not what I mean," I said casually.
Xioachen then grew a confused expression before finally asking.
"What do you mean, sire?"
"I mean, how are you feeling?" I said with a more deliberate tone.
Xioachen took a massive double-take as if it was her first time hearing such a question. Then, a few seconds later, she finally had a somewhat awkward answer.
"I'm doing fine, my majesty. I'm just about to head to bed," she said uncomfortably.
"I'm about to do that myself, have a nice night," I said, preparing to walk away.
"To you as well, my majesty," Xioachen said as she kneeled with a reassuring smile that made me feel better before walking away.
Eventually, I made it back into my room, holding on to that pleasant conversation as long as possible before getting back to business. My many fights with Mira have made it easier to patch myself up for better or worse. However, it didn't make the process any less painful. The King's wisdom gives me the power to heal, but I had already reached my limit on it. Meaning I had to do it the old fashion way.
Agonizing pain shot through my entire body as I bloodied several sheets through malformed stitches and sloppily put together bandages. The cuts on my chest were easy enough to tend to, but the large gash on my back was brutal to reach. When I finally let out a defiant hiss, I realized that I had an audience.
"You are a terrible liar, my king."
From out of the shadows, a concern Xioachen emerged. But, still trying to keep things under control, I state.
"Yeah, I guess I am?"
I didn't know if it was because of my physical and mental exhaustion or maybe because I felt lonely, but I decided to relent finally. Soon enough, the two of us sat in the comically oversized bed as he painlessly tended to my injuries. Minutes ticked by aimlessly as Xioachen remained the most silent I've seen her entirely focused on the task ahead. However, that, of course, didn't last long.
" I swear when I get my hands on that crazy bitch I swear I'll pay her back for every scar," she said with growing aggression.
"Please don't, once knowing Mira once I save her, anything you do will not make her feel any worse," I say apologetically.
Even without seeing her, I could feel a storm of unkept words that only got a passing hesitation before spilling out.
"But what if you can't save her, my King," she said in a growing concern.
Noticing that, I firmly stood my ground by counterattacking, even if it was shaky.
"That doesn't matter because I will do it. I have to," I said in an exhausted tone.
From there, the stitching started to get tenser. So much so the wound began to burn like I had put salt in it. Along with it, Xioachen grew an even more aggressive tone.
"You and I both know that this dance of yours ends in only one way. So what will you do if you can't," she said in a distressed tone.
The question struck a personal chord with me. Ever since I joined the God of Highschool Tournament sixteen years ago, or hell even before that, questions of a similar nature cropped up. Yet, I've always managed to beat back the "odd," never once worrying about failure, doubt, or even death. It's not that I didn't think those factors existed, more so that I never paid them any mind with my friends on the line.
But I haven't had "friends" for a long time, and as much as I want them back, that goal seems farther than ever. And I don't think any amount of power, "royal" titles, or servants were going to fill that place. For a flash, I could've sworn the shadows started to converge on me, leaving me with a rickety, broken, and bloody path.So in response to Xioachen's question, I answered in the gravest and blunt tone of my entire life.
"Then I guess I'll die trying," I said depressingly.
From there, Xioachen's rage peaked, turning me around while grabbing my head.
"How can you say that!? You can't throw your life away like it's waste for the Trash bin! Not when you have so many who count, believe, and adore you! Fuck can you even see how much I like you, Dae-," she ranted.
Before she could say my name, she caught herself. Burning passion immediately became crushing embarrassment so bad that Xioachen turned beet red at the drop of a hat. Combine that with her well of raw emotion, and I got introduced to a mighty slap.
Instinctively I tried to activate one of the fundamental forces, but it immediately failed. Which meant I was too late to start or summon the Robe of the Sage, meaning I had to take it on fully. So I got embedded in the wall while she ran through the opposite wall the next thing I knew.
Taking account of my various injuries, I might as well have made the stone my bed for the night. Yet despite my screaming muscles or aching bones, I was smiling. Probably the most real one I had in years. Because it seemed for a single moment, the heavy chains of "royalty" were lifted, if only by a tiny bit. Almost as if another path was laid bare for me. Like I had been transported to a simpler time. So with that in mind, I fell into the depths of slumber, more relaxed than ever before.