Chereads / The Burdens of the Lost / Chapter 16 - Chapter XV

Chapter 16 - Chapter XV

"Wake up, Arino, your auntie is here," the woman whispers. Arino perks up to see a woman with white hair and magenta eyes. Confused, he looks down to regain his thoughts after the events that occurred.

"Who are you," Arino asks, holding his head.

"Oh, you forgot your dear auntie's face?" the woman says concerned.

Arino takes a better look at her face and is shocked. A wave of confusion triggers the migraine in his head to continue.

Arino: "Nikuyoku? Why are you in this place?"

Nikuyoku: "Well, Satan kicked me out. He said that I'm not useful to him anymore."

Arino: "Well, that's… something, I guess. Why did you come to me though?"

Nikuyoku: "That's because it's pitiful seeing you like this. The older you always seem to make sure you at least stay on top of yourself."

Arino sighs as he tries to process what happened in the open field. His father shot him, with no emotion on his face when he did so. Tears are too empty to fill the void in his heart.

Arino: "So this is what I get, fitting for a loser like me."

Nikuyoku: "It's quite ironic seeing the one who uplifts others be this mean-spirited to oneself."

Arino: "Well at least others don't have a massive burden on their shoulders, don't you think? Do they have their mother's death on their shoulders? Has the reason for their village to be invaded been due to their existence? Compared to that, I would gladly take their burdens as their own. I am a manifestation of a burden, and for that reason, I'm nothing but a lost cause."

Nikuyoku: "You're sounding like your father, suffering for others isn't going to achieve anything you know."

Arino: "If I project my father's burden, then he did a good job as a father."

Nikuyoku pitifully stares at Arino as he walks away. Such a shame that someone who is seen as a beacon of hope to other demon villages on Earth is this shameful in hindsight.

**On Earth**

Mammon: "Are you okay, Arisa?"

Arisa: "Why is Mom or my brother here?"

Mammon: "Your mother is in a better place now, but your brother has to atone for his sins."

Arisa: "Why? He was the protector you've never been. Why did he have to die as well? Was his death that shameful to you?"

Mammon ignores his daughter's words. He gets up after he finishes his food.

Arisa: "Answer me, Father! Fucking answer me!"

Mammon: "Enough, you little shit. Since you care so much about your beloved brother, how about I send you to him right here now."

Arisa lowers her head and leaves the kitchen table. The Sin of Greed looks at her with shame. He thought she could be better than his son, alas he was proven wrong. As Mammon goes outside, he sees Arisa standing before him. Her brother's corpse lay behind her.

Arisa: "Care to explain this, Father?"

Mammon: "It was only a matter of time before you found out huh? What about it?"

Arisa: "You killed him, didn't you?"

Mammon: "Hmph, I told you he died a shameful death. He was the reason for your mother's death, you know."

Arisa: "No… he wasn't. I saw him the entire time. It was our mother's own decision."

Mammon: "If he didn't run into the forest, what would've your mother done?"

Arisa: "Even I know that a mother never abandons her children. Even if it was a willing sacrifice, she would've gone back. I just knew she would've."

Mammon laughs in Arisa's face. The demon's rulebook clearly states that the mother and daughter are the most important figures in any demon village on Earth. Only in Hell is where men rule and have a purpose.

Mammon: "So, what are you going to do then?"

As Mammon finishes his sentence, he feels a warm sensation on his chest. As he looks down, the sword that he gifted to Arisa has a mark of his blood on it.

Arisa: "I've heard enough, Father. Go back to Hell, where you belong."

Mammon grows a big smile as he sees his daughter's eyes glow yellow. Mammon's vision grows blurry from blood loss.

Mammon: "Well… at least my impact is certain on you. You are the true child of Greed, Akuma Arisa."