Your wish

Zander smiled amiably.

– What specifically interests you? Melania nodded. She was interested in talking to the elf. Such a case rarely falls, so you need to use it.

– How did you get it? – Zander thought about it, about to add something, but said nothing.

– I don’t know where it came from. At the age of ten, I returned home (I visited my grandmother for a year and a half), and they told me that I had a sister, Necroline, who was already four years old at that time. She was too independent back then. She thought a lot. Nobody wanted to be friends with her. Every time I saw her sitting on the swing and just looking at the children who were having fun playing football. There was always such sadness in her eyes, but not resentment. I suggested that she learn the art of ninja. She turned out to be a capable student, – Melaine sighed. She had problems with her friends at school. Caroline was always with her. Then we fought with the Hounds and Shinigami. Necroline led three special ninja squads, and all returned alive and unharmed, and most importantly, having coped with their task. She then became friends with Emperor Tatsumi. Although, I think he just fell in love with her. By the way, she used to have incredibly long beautiful white hair, but that guy doomed her to eternal disgrace by cutting her hair with a magic sword.

– The one with which he mutilated his legs?! For some reason, Takasaki clarified.

“Yes,” Meline nodded ruefully. “I don’t know, but I think Necroline knows a lot more than he’s letting on. Recently, I notice that she is beginning to be afraid of something, but she does not say what and diligently hides it. She is very similar to her parents in appearance, but did not inherit any of their character traits, which seems somewhat strange to me. She has a lot of honor and pride. She always keeps her word and always keeps her promises.

“Tell me about that guy,” Takasaki asked.

Recently, he was very interested in the question: why Necroline did not kill that guy.

– His name is Kir. He is the strongest in our clan. He fell in love with Necroline, and it was mutual of her. But when he almost lost his legs… Cyrus became too embittered. I don’t know what happened then. I came home and saw Necroline sitting on the floor. Her legs were all in terrible wounds. She tried to stop the bleeding. I helped her. Since then, she has not removed the bandages. The main problem is that I don’t know what Necroline thinks and feels, and her face is impenetrable, – Melania sighed.

Following her example, everyone sighed in unison, and everyone went deep into their thoughts. No one thought to condemn or blame Necroline for anything.

“We’ll be teleporting soon,” Takasaki suddenly said.

“We don’t know how,” everyone was indignant in unison.

– We have an old man who teleports you all, – laughed Kaname.

They sat still, talked about plans for the near future, about a peace treaty between the Haya clans and the Hounds. Kaname ran after the old man, and he teleported everyone in the blink of an eye, wishing everyone good luck and more whole bones. The most dangerous thing in this competition was that the ninja could die or remain crippled for life. Those who were lucky died quickly, respectively, those who were unlucky were left with serious injuries.

***

Necroline stood next to the imperial throne. Tatsumi was on the jury. He made the final decision.

The battlefield was quite spacious and round. It was about three hundred meters in diameter. On the site itself there was nothing but a dirt cover. The site was surrounded by a high wall with spectator stands at a height of ten meters from the ground. There were many spectators.

The point of the Strongest Ninja competition was that everyone is paired up and they fight to the death or until one side admits defeat. All known jutsu (combat magic techniques) can be used. Everyone fights for a new title and a new access to knowledge, as well as to be taken by the best teachers in the world.

At this point, all the ninja were standing and warming up. Among them were Caroline, Takasaki, and… Kir. Necroline thought she was imagining things, but her eyes didn’t deceive her.

It was cloudy weather. It was raining lightly. I wanted to spit on everything and go home to a cozy warm hearth. Around the rain and cold, evoking melancholy and frightening hopelessness. Terrible silence. This silence is unusual. It’s like unrelenting noise. This silence is also well audible. All this evoked thoughts about eternity.

The first fight between Takasaki and Shirano from the Bayayanaya clan was announced. Takasaki demonstrated excellent mastery of the Jutsu-Non-Contact Fighting technique. He immobilized the enemy with one glance, for which he was immediately recognized as the winner. Caroline was less fortunate. She was put against the Shinigami. There were seven enemies. The problem is that they bet as much as came from this clan. Of the Haya clan, Caroline was the only one. The girl actively fought back with a spear, but did not attack, which was already bad.

Necroline looked at her friend with mixed feelings.

“The winner will meet Takasaki, and there will be one more fight with Kir,” Tatsumi said, knowing full well WHAT would follow.

Necroline didn’t seem to react at all. She saw that Caroline was already barely on her feet and she was about to be simply killed.

One of the Shinigami clan with all her strength kicked the girl in the chest, and the second one already swung his saber, about to cut off Caroline’s head.

– KER!!! Meline screamed heart-rendingly from the podium, knowing full well that this was the end and Caroline would die now.

But everything went wrong. Caroline had time to notice only a shadow covering her and a stifled scream. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Necroline covered her with herself, and the guy who was brandishing a saber was lying with his throat open.

“There are seven men for one weak girl,” Necroline twisted her lips contemptuously. “Then you better fight me. The right to change!

Necroline first raised her hand, announcing that she was replacing Caroline, and then showed her Shinigami’s fist. This gesture meant one thing – “I challenge you!”. Everyone in the stands gasped.

Necroline’s violet eyes lit up with an uncontrollable fire of anger and hatred. The speed and force with which she smashed the Shinigami clan’s ninja finally convinced Zander that Necroline was not quite human, or an unusual person. In the most extreme case, she is a girl with outstanding magical abilities. Although it is possible that such power is given to her by an amulet in the form of an ajar book hanging on a silver chain around her neck.

After scattering all the enemies, Necroline waited for Takasaki to enter the arena.

Tatsumi rose from his seat. He wondered how this fight would start and end.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” the guy said softly, but clearly.

Necroline didn’t answer. A dark blue ball of magic formed in her hand. Takasaki sighed heavily and applied his already familiar technique – Jutsu-Proximity Fight. Necroline’s entire body was paralyzed. She couldn’t move, so she just closed her eyes, concentrating on… who knows what. Takasaki saw blood pouring through Necroline’s body, and the girl herself, overcoming paralysis, began to move forward. In the next moment, Necroline made a dash and pointed her katana at Takasaki’s throat. Everyone froze. The audience watched with mute admiration.

Necroline lowered her sword and raised her hand, clenching her palm into a fist.

– What??? Zander exclaimed in disbelief. – She voluntarily declares herself a loser???!!!

Takasaki looked into calm violet eyes and quietly asked:

– Why?

“Because if you fought at full strength, I would most likely die,” the girl answered also quietly and went to her place in the stands.

However, Emperor Tatsumi counted the fight as a draw. He knew perfectly well that if Necroline had fought at full strength, she would have killed Takasaki. Although on the other hand, if the guy wanted to kill her, he would have done it. So it is still unknown how the battle would have ended.

After that, the battles of different clans went on for a long time, but Necroline was the least worried about this.

She suddenly became acutely aware of loneliness. White drops of water fell from the sky. Necroline turned her face to them, tilting her head back. The rain seemed to the girl someone’s sadness. Someone was crying. But soon she herself will be made to cry, but Necroline will try her best. Otherwise, why did she come here. Clean as drops of morning dew, raindrops ran down her face.

“I do not regret anything. It’s too late for me to regret anything and nothing! I just wanted to live. What’s bad about it?” Necroline shook her head. Beside those standing were sprayed with white hair. The rain bounced off her clothes and off her skin. Rain can wash away everything… and even emotions. All the blood has already been washed away, and with it some of the positive and negative emotions. Only neutral thoughts remained, about which nothing good and nothing bad could be said. These are thoughts of loneliness.

Necroline tilted her head back.

“I am just a being who will soon disappear. No one will remember me and I will die. Everyone dies only when they are completely forgotten. I don’t want to die. I’m afraid of Death, but… if I have to… I’ll accept Death with dignity! I will no longer beg for my life, I will fight to the last. But I won’t go back there. I don’t want! I hate that place! Soon, I feel like I’ll lose my friends. They will ask for the truth and, having received it, they will leave me. They will leave me just like my sister. I feel it is close. Soon we will meet with her and then… I don’t want to think about it, because ideally there will be two corpses, and otherwise only one – mine. I don’t want to die, but…”

Necroline closed her eyes. No one will ever understand her, because no one has experienced this. She wanted to cry, but that’s the way Ada’s creatures are. They don’t know how to cry.

Zander and Takasaki openly looked at Necroline. They were talking softly.

– She’s not really human. Look, waves of magic are coming from her now. From the person such does not happen, – the elf has whispered.

If so, then I feel really sorry for her. We need to talk, find out everything. Maybe we can do something to help her? Takasaki looked down and added, “She’s a good person.” She does not wish harm to anyone.

– Are you in love? Zander’s face fell.

– No, what are you. She’s not my type. She is not kawaii. The girl of my dreams is not a ninja, but an ordinary housekeeper. A little shy and completely feminine. What about Necroline? – Takasaki tried to nod in the direction of the girl as indifferently as possible.

“So he fell in love,” Zander concluded with satisfaction.

– Where did you even get such nonsense? Takasaki blushed.

– Since that meeting, I hear from you only criticism of Necroline, and then that she is a good person. The maximum you can talk about one girl is exactly an hour, – the elf smiled. “Your secret will die with me,” he promised, and after thinking, he added. “And you’d better confess to her.” Pick a time, a place. I would give you flowers. Girls love it.

Takasaki flared up. He tried his best to hide the fact that he liked Necroline. That was why he only used the weakened Proximity Jutsu. If he used this jutsu seriously, Necroline would not only be unable to move. She would have been so paralyzed that she would have been in the hospital for another month. Zander, who had known his friend since childhood, understood all this and was not going to stand in Takasaki’s way. He just wanted to support.

“You see, it is love that inspires all deeds: great, beautiful, stupid or terrible, and all sorts of strange things. All this happens because when we fall in love, our mind and our worldview change, which is why we experience the so-called paradox of love: we have a completely clear goal, but we don’t know and don’t understand how to achieve this goal, “said It’s Zander Takasaki. Then the elf was in love with a dwarf girl and no one understood him. Elves and dwarves have so many different things. That girl, by the way, also rejected his love, but at first she mocked the elf in love, asking her to get some rare flower, then something else. But people in love think little. They begin to act, so Zander did not go anywhere to fulfill the request of this dwarf. Then, when everything came to the elf and settled down in the brain… At first it was impossible to live. Soul and heart ached. Gradually, everything came to naught. Since then, Zander’s ideal girl is kawaii. Let the girl be a little stupid, but completely dependent on the guy. But you don’t have to worry about the fact that she will leave you for some reason – for this you have to think. And so, maintain a “warm” relationship, sometimes give gifts.

Takasaki patted Zander on the shoulder. The elf twitched.

“Look,” Takasaki whispered.

Announced a match between Necroline and Kir. The girl has not entered the arena yet. She walked slowly down the stairs, keeping herself waiting.

Kir did not look like Takasaki. The only thing that connects them is black long hair.

The gong was struck to announce the start of the match.

– I see you haven’t changed, – Cyrus chuckled.

There was so much cruelty in his eyes. Cyrus himself was a teenager in his twenties, but with incredibly flabby and old skin.

The tribunes listened with bated breath to their conversation. Not every time the opponents fight and talk about something. Usually they first hit the face, and then they ask: “Who are you?”. These, for example, decided to immediately find out “hu from hu?”.

– What happened to you? Necroline asked in an indifferent tone. You’re not even human anymore. You are a demon. You sold your soul to the Devil.

– Future Devil. I think you know Sumeragi Murakamura, – Cyrus smiled slyly.

Necroline shrugged her thin shoulders. Fear and hatred lit up in her violet eyes.

“I’m not coming back,” she said decisively.

– You will be forced, – Cyrus smiled, exposing fangs.

– Hide your teeth.

Takasaki pointed his finger at Kira, pointing at the sword.

– This is the sword that left the wounds. She won’t be able to resist him.” Takasaki said it unexpectedly loudly.

– Does it move you? The elf chuckled mockingly.

– No… Yes.

– So no or yes??

“Yes,” Takasaki admitted mournfully, lowering his eyes. “Just don’t tell anyone else.

Thinking, the guy went down to the lowest stands, preparing, in which case, to run to the aid of Necroline. And the sword that he saw with Cyrus was the most ordinary in appearance, but in fact it had a unique blade of the element of fire. Wounds do not heal from weapons belonging to any element. Maximum scarring.

At the same time, Emperor Tatsumi was also visibly nervous. He recently learned that Kir died three months ago. Now it is clear what Necroline meant when she said “demon”. So Cyrus really sold his soul to the Devil.

“I must stop this duel immediately!” Tatsumi decided. But, alas, two more people, also members of the jury, refused to stop the fight.

“If you agree to be my slave, I will not kill you,” Cyrus offered, quite peacefully.

Necroline lunged forward, both katanas unsheathed.

“I promised to kill you,” she said, parrying several thrusts from Kir’s sword.

– Try it, – Kira’s next attack left a scratch on the girl’s hand.

For the first time ever, Necroline became uncontrollable. She rushed forward, trying to make an appetizing cut out of Cyrus. She didn’t think about risk. The girl made lunges dangerous for her life, sometimes she had to run away herself, fearing that the blade of Cyrus would catch up with her in the back.

Takasaki noticed that both of the girl’s katana attacked with amazing ease and speed, but Kira’s defense so far was perfect. Necroline was saved so far by one thing – Cyrus did not seriously attack. His punch would have been stronger, and given the difference in swords… the katana blades would have simply broken.

But then Takasaki miscalculated. Unexpectedly, Cyrus delivered a stabbing blow, and then suddenly turned it into a slashing blow aimed at the head. How Necroline got away from such a blow, even no one could immediately figure out. In fact, the girl framed the blade of one of the katana and therefore miraculously did not hurt her. After that, Necroline tried to carry out a high side blow, but the tip met the blade of the sword substituted by Cyrus. The blade of the katana twisted in surprise, but it held. Almost immediately, Necroline saw a yellow magical light, but did not have time to do anything. Something hit the girl in the chest and neck, and even threw it back a lot. Necroline flew head over heels across the arena. Cyrus stood and watched as the girl struggled to get on all fours, and then to her feet. Necroline touched her fingers to her neck. The only thing she understood was that the artery was not affected, but the laryngeal cartilage and muscle were pierced. Blood flowed like a stream. Necroline wanted to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth. A silver-blue lightning bolt appeared in the girl’s hand. Necroline swung it, hoping to cut Cyrus in half, but he deftly jumped over her, ending up behind the back of the ninja girl. Necroline spun around and threw lightning like a spear. The attack hit Cyrus in the chest. He fell, bleeding. Necroline staggered. Legs trembled, and knees tried to meet each other.

Takasaki jumped into the arena and caught Necroline as she started to fall unconscious.

“Doctors, hurry up,” Tatsumi commanded.

In less than five minutes, Necroline was taken to the hospital.

“I’m surprised she didn’t kill him,” Melaine shook her head.

Cyrus, unlike Necroline, crawled away on his own. Although it is necessary to say for fairness that he was seriously injured and the wound inflicted by lightning remained with him for the rest of his life.

– What is this jutsu? Tatsumi asked as he approached Caroline.

He knew Melania and Caroline well. Necroline then specially introduced them.

“I don’t know,” Takasaki admitted honestly.

“Me too.” Caroline shook her head.

– And I, – Melaine looked down.

“It’s a Jutsu Blade,” the elf replied. “Almost no one knows him. This further proves my theory.

– Do you think that Necroline is the devil’s runaway daughter and the Devil’s bride?! Caroline raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I hope it’s not true,” Takasaki sighed.

***

It was midnight. The pale bloody face of the moon looked out the window. Rain lightly knocks on the glass, calming shattered nerves.

Necroline lay on her back in bed, staring up at the white ceiling. She was still in the hospital. This is the sixth day since that fight with Cyrus. There was an emptiness in my soul. Black and cruel. Two days ago, the girl secretly got out of the hospital through the window and, making her way to the laboratory, where Cyrus “rested” in a test tube. It is in test tubes that demons are cured. At parting, kissing the glass of the test tube where Cyrus’s lips were, Necroline hit the Jutsu-Blade, permanently killing the demon. She then returned to the hospital.

There was not a single thought in my head. The day after the battle in the arena, Necroline began training in secret.

They came to visit her every day. Tatsumi provided the girl with the best doctors. Melaine and Caroline sobbed side by side each time. They were worried, because Necroline was constantly silent due to a wound on her neck. Takasaki and Zander constantly brought fruits and flowers, wishing him a speedy recovery.

“I am not really me. That is, it is, of course, “I”, but not the “I” that should actually be. “I” is a completely different me, not the one I show. So “I” is not really me, and maybe not me at all, Necroline thought.

The cold wind outside the window tore off the autumn leaves. It was the same weather when Necroline first landed on Earth.

The girl shuddered, remembering the fear she had experienced.

She was the daughter of the Devil. This devil was a friend of the Devil himself. It was the two of them who planned the wedding of Necroline and Murakamura. Necroline was a very spoiled girl. She was trained in palace etiquette, but, alas, did not observe it at all. The girl was constantly rude, rude, capricious to others and behaved in the most unworthy way.

The girl knew about the wedding with Murakamura and treated it as if it were supposed to be so. She already felt like the High Queen in Hell. Murakamura at that time played with cars, and Necroline with dolls, in other words, they did not intersect. But one day everything changed.

Her own older sister Sakura turned out to be very envious. Once returning from a party, Necroline saw several corpses. She, of course, had already seen enough of them in Hell, but they were devils and witches she knew who served. Arriving at the house, the girl saw that her entire large family had been killed. Rivers of scarlet blood, people and non-humans with eyes wide open in horror…

Necroline screamed and ran outside, where she ran into Sakura. The native older sister was armed, but the worst thing was that blood flowed down the katana blade. Then Necroline realized who was to blame for the death of her family.

She was scared and she backed away, asking not to be killed… Sakura then threw out with contempt:

– I’ll meet you whenever you want. Then you will take revenge on me. I will find you myself. Until then, get lost.

The next moment everything changed. Necroline became a child of three and a half years with some kind parents. Six months later, Meline returned, who presented the amulet in the form of an ajar book. This is how Necroline was able to retain a small portion of her power.

Now Necroline felt that Sakura was somewhere nearby. Soon there will be a last fight, and she is still afraid of death. But on the other hand, the last thing Necroline would want is to endanger the lives of Meline, Caroline, Takasaki, Tatsumi, and Zander.

“I don’t want to die,” Necroline whispered, looking up at the ceiling.

Outside the window flashed blinding lightning. She illuminated the girl lying under the white sheet. Necroline stood up abruptly and, after a pause, pulled on her dress. Now the girl has more bandages – around her neck and on her left arm from the wrist to the elbow. Putting on her shoes, the girl ran out into the street, almost colliding with some man.

– Sorry!

“It’s okay,” the man smiled.

The girl looked at him in surprise. From the look, she immediately realized that the man was from the Shinigami clan, which translates as “Gods of Death.” It’s better not to have anything to do with the “Gods of Death”.

– Are you in a hurry somewhere? the man asked sympathetically, glaring at her.

– Sorry again.

Necroline rushed to Tatsumi’s palace. She knew what to do.

The man looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled and, shaking his head, said to no one in particular:

– They also say that the Devil’s bride does not exist.

***

Everyone was sitting in the living room. Tatsumi, Takasaki, Zander and Meline were playing push-up cards. Whoever loses, he does twenty push-ups. To Melania’s credit, she has never lost. Mostly lost Tatsumi and Zander. Tatsumi honestly performed his gambling duty, despite the fact that he is the Emperor. Caroline sat apart from everyone and looked out the window.

– It’s all because of me, – the girl quietly cried. “She entered this fight because of me. If I didn’t lose…