Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 222
Chapter 222: Resolution and Farewell
After everything was settled, we left the settlement and set out for the Land of Demons.
As the four of us walked together, Hart tested the condition of his regenerated left arm, removing just his helmet and making a slightly exasperated face.
“Seriously, even if it’s just a game, catching an incoming blade without even blinking… That’s crazy.”
His evaluation was similar to Kuro’s the first time we dueled: *completely insane.*
“If I’d dodged, I wouldn’t have been able to counter like that. Besides, choosing the option closest to victory rather than giving the opponent time to recover. That’s what we gamers live for.”
“Fair point. You’re right, if there’s even a sliver of hope, it’s the true gamer’s spirit to bet everything on it.”
Hart nodded thoughtfully, mulling over my words, then allowed himself a slight grin.
“But honestly, I didn’t expect the two of you to get together so soon. It really caught me off guard.”
As he spoke, he glanced at his daughter and wife walking a short distance ahead, chatting happily as they strolled.
Turning back to me with a somewhat surprised expression, he suddenly pointed at me without hesitation.
“To be honest, I figured you and Kurono would end up together eventually. But you gave off this… aura of obliviousness, kind of like me. I thought it’d take you at least another year.”
“Obliviousness… Hart-san?”
“Am I wrong, though? You two were always close, but there was this sibling-like vibe between you.”
“Ah… well, now that you mention it…”
I couldn’t help but agree with his remarkably accurate observation about our past dynamic.
Back then, the feelings I had for Kuro were more like those for an adorable yet strong little sister or junior disciple. I didn’t think of her as anything more than that.
Until recently, my emotions were more focused on the protective instinct to safeguard her until Hart and Arisa returned to the real world.
But when I thought about the future…
When everything was over, the thought of her no longer being by my side…
That made me feel unbearably lonely.
And so, I came to a conclusion. I couldn’t bear to lose her.
Even though I’d met plenty of other amazing women, none of them held a candle to her.
It was strange and remarkable, a thought that lingered as I walked beside Hart.
“By the way, it took me over three years to start dating Arisa.”
“Th-three years?!”
“Yeah. Back then, I was entirely devoted to gaming. When she, one of my rivals, kept making these passionate moves, I thought it was some kind of psychological warfare to gain an edge in competition. I doubted her intentions the whole time.”
“Wait, isn’t that worse than me?”
“Of course, Arisa killed me countless times in the game when her anger exploded.”
“That’s… terrifying. Not something you should proudly admit, though…”
“Haha, but she never gave up. She kept coming after me and even moved into the apartment next to mine. On top of that, she came over every day to cook for me. When someone does that much, even someone as oblivious as me finally gets the message.”
“So, what happened next? How did you and Arisa end up dating after that?”
When I asked, Hart paused briefly, as if searching for the right memory, then looked up at the clear sky.
For a moment, silence surrounded us, a stillness that lasted a few minutes. Finally, Hart gave me a sly smile.
“Let me turn the question back to you. After realizing Arisa’s feelings and thinking about it for over a month, what do you think I said to her?”
“Uh…”
Caught off guard, I hesitated.
After all, I’m still a hopeless novice when it comes to romance, especially with my clumsy understanding of women’s hearts. If I were the kind of guy who could answer smoothly, I wouldn’t have struggled so much in the past, or maybe I’d even have dated someone by now.
I racked my brain to the point of frustration but ultimately admitted the truth.
“Sorry, I have no idea.”
“The answer is… I told her, ‘If you beat me, we’ll start dating.'”
“Wha— Isn’t that… the other way around from how it usually works?”
“Normally, you’d expect someone to say, ‘If I win, will you go out with me?’ That’s the classic move in stories. But I flipped it. Why? Because I wanted to fight her at her full strength.”
From his words, I started to understand his reasoning.
If Hart had made it about him winning, Arisa might have hesitated or held back.
Even though she likely wouldn’t have gone easy on him, a single moment of doubt in a battle can lead to defeat.
By making it about her victory, he ensured they’d both fight at their peak. It was a perfect proposal under the circumstances.
“But what if you had won? What were you planning to do then?”
“Of course, I would’ve confessed to her anyway. That match is still burned into my memory. It lasted for hours, a relentless clash where we gave it everything we had. With every strike from her spear and blade, I could feel the passion and love she poured into each attack. It hit me right in the soul.”
Compared to my more straightforward confession during a date, his story was full of fiery youthful spirit.
As we walked, I urged him to share the conclusion to his tale.
“So, what was the outcome?”
“After an intense battle, I lost. I was just one step away, but in the end, love made her stronger.”
“That’s true. Kuro has also grown so much stronger since we first met.”
“Well, she does take after Arisa quite a bit. When I first saw her, I thought, ‘She looks just like Arisa in her younger days’.”
With a smile, Hart reached out and gave me a strong pat on the back.
Fortunately, this world doesn’t simulate pain, so I only staggered slightly from the impact.
When I turned around, Hart extended his right fist toward me.
“From here on, there will surely be many dangers. I’m counting on you to take care of Kurono.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll protect her no matter what.”
The words came out of my mouth so naturally, even I was surprised.
I raised my right fist to lightly bump it against Hart’s, and he nodded in satisfaction.
As the conversation wrapped up, Kurono stepped forward and stood alongside Hart and Arisa, each taking a side.
I quietly watched as the family shared a rare, peaceful moment together.
And so, the time for our farewell arrived.
When we reached a distance where the Oni Kingdom was visible on the horizon, Arisa and Hart suddenly stopped walking.
“Well, from here, if you head straight, you’ll reach the fourth great nation, the Oni Kingdom ?Yaoyorozu?. This is where we part ways with you and Kurono, Sora.”
“So… this is goodbye…”
“You’re not coming with us?”
Seeing Kuro’s saddened expression, I asked the question for her. Hart and Arisa exchanged a look, their faces showing a mix of regret and hesitation.
“As much as we’d like to stay together, we also have responsibilities as leaders of the ?White Rainbow Knights?. There are things we need to take care of.”
“…We’re sorry. But we can exchange messages every day, and if needed, we’ll come running to you at any time.”
Seeing their deep regret, I couldn’t find any words to say.
Instead, Kuro stepped forward. She gently held both of her parents’ hands and said,
“It’s okay. I should be the one saying sorry for making you worry. I’ll be fine. So please, Dad and Mom, focus on your work.”
“…!!”
Moved by her bittersweet encouragement, the two embraced their treasure with all the love in the world.
Even in a different world, the love between parent and child remained the strongest bond of all.
It was such a tender, heartwarming scene that I simply stood silently, careful not to interrupt.
After a long, emotional silence, Kuro whispered, “Thank you,” and stepped away from them, returning to my side with a composed expression.
Hart and Arisa wiped away the tears that had started to well up in their eyes and said,
“Sora, within the Oni Kingdom lies the ?Calamity of Gluttony?. Face it with great caution.”
“And if you need to enter the castle, show this to the Oni gatekeepers.”
As Arisa spoke, she handed me a pendant, along with Hart. It shimmered with an unusual glow.
The item’s name was ?Oni King’s Pendant?. A gift from the royal family, it granted the bearer the right to enter the castle. I confirmed its details using my ?Insight? skill.
“This is…”
“I got it when I helped the king and queen during the beta test, saving them from a high-ranking member of the ?Dark Believers?.”
“To face the Great Calamity, you’ll need the help of the princess. With this pendant, they’ll surely cooperate with you.”
“Thank you, Arisa-san, Hart-san.”
“Mom, Dad! Let’s meet again someday!”
With that, Kuro and I turned our backs to them, holding hands as we ran toward the Oni Kingdom, ?Yaoyorozu?.
They stayed where they were until we disappeared from the range of my ?Perception? skill, watching over us until we were completely out of sight.