Chapter 1998 1998: Nephilim's Heart
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After I finished explaining everything to my familiars, everyone stood in stunned silence.
“I see… this is incredible,” Nephilim said softly. “So she has also developed divine power. When I evolved, I gained a great deal of divine power myself, but I didn’t develop the same way the others did—perhaps because I was already part god from the beginning.”
“Right…” I murmured.
“You guys found Nephilim inside ancient ruins, right?” Ruby asked, her eyes fixed on Nephilim. She studied the gears and robotic body with quiet fascination. “Every time I look at her mechanical form, I’m in awe of what an incredible piece of craftsmanship she is— Ah, sorry, was that rude?”
“No, it’s fine,” Nephilim replied with a warm smile. “I really am an oddity among oddities. I barely remember my past, and I’m probably the strangest person anyone could meet. I was abandoned inside one of the gods’ temples as another failed experiment. They created me to become a weapon of mass destruction—a trump card against the Demon King—by combining the powers of gods and demons.”
“I see… that sounds rough. I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories,” Ruby said, lowering her gaze.
“No, it’s okay, Ruby,” Nephilim assured her. “You always seem so worried about upsetting people. Don’t be.”
“A-Ah… haha… I guess you’re right…” Ruby gave a small, sheepish laugh. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Nephilim said gently. “We’re similar in ways we didn’t realize. Let’s become friends.”
“R-Really?!” Ruby’s eyes widened.
Nephilim shrugged lightly. “Why not?”
“S-Sure!” Ruby nodded with sudden enthusiasm. “And… um, would you mind if I could… Ah, never mind, this is going to sound weird.”
She fell quiet for a moment. Nephilim turned to her with patient curiosity. “You want to analyze how my mechanical body works? I’ve been curious myself, I can’t exactly see inside my own systems. And what I knew about my composition has changed since I evolved thanks to Sylphy’s System… so sure, I would gladly let you take a look. You’re the Blacksmith Hero, after all.”
“Y-You don’t think it’s weird?!” Ruby asked in disbelief.
“Why would it be? I can read hearts—an ability I gained recently. There are no ulterior motives in your request.” Nephilim smiled softly. “You’re a kind person who’s always worried about what others think of you… but sometimes you need to let go of those concerns and be more open. Just speak your mind without constantly fearing rejection. Because even if the answer isn’t what you hope for, at least you tried. It’s still better to say what’s on your heart than to keep it locked inside forever… and slowly grow more hopeless. I speak from experience.”
“…? Ah, I see,” Ruby nodded slowly. “You must have had a rough life, Nephilim.”
“Kind of…” Nephilim admitted quietly. “When I evolved, I finally remembered my past life… when I was human. When I lived on a planet called Earth. When life was… much simpler. Now it has been eons. Earth is no longer what it once was, and I’m on an entirely different planet, abandoned by the only family I ever had.”
“Nephi…” I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t listening anymore. I glanced back at her as we walked side by side. “If you ever want to talk about these things, I’m always here for you.”
“Don’t worry, Sylphy. I’m… really quite old. Very old. I’ve gone through so many existential crises over the course of my existence…” She gave a small, bittersweet chuckle. “I’ve learned that acceptance is sometimes the only way to keep moving forward. Self-acceptance, and acceptance of your place in this world, this universe… There are things you cannot change, like your past. But that doesn’t mean the present and future are set in stone. Thanks to you, I’ve started to believe that the first step toward accepting yourself—and toward changing the present, then the future—is to accept your past as something unchangeable. To accept yourself, even the painful parts, because that history is what made you who you are. You can’t escape it. The only way forward is to confront it and overcome it.”
“Wow…” Aquarina breathed.
“That’s… yeah, those are really powerful words, Nephilim. Hit me right in the heart too, haha,” Celeste said with a soft laugh.
“To accept one’s past and overcome it… huh?” Ruby echoed quietly. She nodded to herself, thoughtful and still.
“After all, look at what you’ve all accomplished—where we are right now, what we’re doing. Aren’t we all so much better than our pasts could ever have predicted?” Nephilim asked, her gentle smile returning.
“I guess so!” I said brightly, nodding. “Right, everyone? You’re all awesome, so please never forget that. Especially you, Ruby.”
“Aw… you don’t have to say all that, but I appreciate it,” Ruby replied, her smile shy but genuine. “Anyway, this place is almost therapeutic—aside from the pollen. Can’t we visit it more often?”
“I’ll give you all full authority to visit my dungeon whenever you want later!” I said with a wink. “So you can come here and relax anytime.”
I trusted my friends more than anything. I knew they were wonderful people I loved deeply, so there was no hesitation in my offer.
“Sounds nice. So I can go visit Armageddon and bully her?” Aquarina asked, flashing a devilish grin.
Armageddon—in her small form—gasped and darted behind me, glaring at Aquarina with genuine indignation. “Y-You viper! Who do you think you are?! Sylphy, we’re accomplices, so I hope you’ll protect my sanctuary!”
“Ah yeah, I mean… please don’t bully her… too much,” I said, chuckling.
“Heheh, noted,” Aquarina replied. “Just nice, gentle bullying.”
“Uugh! Sylphy, you’re the worst!” Armageddon wailed.
“I’m messing with you! Take it easy, queen,” I laughed. “Oops—are you not a queen anymore?”
“Grrrr!” she hissed at me.
As our laughter echoed, Beelzebub approached her yet again, trying once more to comfort her with fervent praise.
“Don’t listen to her, Your Majesty. Sylphy and Aquarina are always just teasing,” he said earnestly. “Please don’t worry—we all recognize your divine greatness.”
“Hmm? And who are you?” Armageddon asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Y-You forgot about me already?!” Beelzebub gasped in horror. “Am I that forgettable?! I am Beelzebub! Beelzebub!”
“Huh? Well, if I can’t remember you, then you’re a forgettable and insignificant being,” she said with a shrug, turning away.
“Whaaat?!” Beelzebub looked utterly devastated, the pain of unrequited devotion plain on his face.
As we continued walking, he fell behind. Furoh went over to cheer him up, shifting into Armageddon’s appearance and patting his head.
“Does this form make you happier?”
“Gaaaahhh! Don’t take her form, you shapeshifter! This only makes it worse!”
“…Sorry.”
They really were ridiculous sometimes.
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