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 244
Chapter 244: The Sisters’ Reunion
“Hmm, where am I…?”
When Rasetsu opened her eyes, she found herself not on the hard floor of a makeshift tent, but in a high-quality futon that supported her body with the utmost care.
…Ah, how warm this feels.
The cozy warmth seeped into both her body and soul, filling her with a long-forgotten sense of comfort that made her reluctant to rise.
“No… No, I can’t just stay asleep. I need to figure out what’s going on.”
With sheer willpower, she shook off her drowsiness and slowly raised her heavy body.
Her mind was still foggy, but one look was enough for her to recognize where she was. This was her castle, the place where she had been born and raised, her very own room.
“Why am I… back in the castle? What happened to me…?”
She couldn’t comprehend the situation at all.
Could this be a dream? Perhaps it was a fleeting illusion conjured by her desperate wish to return home.
She needed to leave this room and confirm the reality of her surroundings.
“Ah, gah…!”
She tried to bend her knees and get up, but as soon as she did, sharp pain coursed through her entire body.
The unbearable agony forced her to cry out.
It hurt. It hurt so much, far too much! The pain was so overwhelming that she couldn’t even move from where she sat.
It was as if her body, pushed far beyond its limits, was screaming in protest.
“Huff… Huff… Wait a moment. This pain… my body’s sensation, it’s returning?”
Suddenly, Rasetsu realized something.
Under the influence of the Calamity of Gluttony that had possessed her, she had lost nearly all sensation in her body.
But now, she could clearly feel her limbs and even the subtle movements of her fingers. She could smell the fragrance of lilies filling the room.
Her sense of touch and smell weren’t the only things that had returned. Her taste and hearing were intact as well.
Could this truly be a dream?
But this vivid, real pain… there was no way it could be a mere illusion.
The excruciating torment was undeniable proof that what she was experiencing was reality.
“I remember… after I broke the seal of Uriel, I couldn’t resist the Calamity of Gluttony that had taken hold of me…”
She tried to recall what happened, but her memories after that point were hazy, like an indistinct fog she couldn’t pierce.
What exactly had occurred after that?
One thing she could ascertain was that the sinister force that had ravaged her body had been completely eradicated.
That could only mean someone had severed the Calamity of Gluttony from her and defeated it.
“To defeat a Calamity… there are so few in this world who could accomplish such a monumental feat…”
Desperately retracing her fragmented memories, her gaze fell on a photo of her sister placed beside her pillow.
Then, in a sudden flash, she remembered the scene she had witnessed just before succumbing to darkness.
“Ah…”
What she saw was a radiant, pure white angel with six wings, and the figure of her sister, whom she had pushed away to avoid dragging her into the chaos.
She had dismissed it as a convenient illusion conjured by her dying mind.
But now…
“Could it be…?”
Right after Rasetsu arrived at her answer,
The door, which had been closed off, slowly slid open with a creak.
When she turned around, standing at the entrance of the room was her sister, now with a slightly more mature aura than when they last met.
Their golden eyes, proof of their royal blood, met.
Rasetsu immediately realized that the person standing before her was not some illusion she had seen countless times before. It was undeniably her sister, Setsuna.
“Ah, sis…!”
Rasetsu tried to call out, but quickly stopped herself, sealing her lips.
It wasn’t her choice, but she had killed their father and, without relying on her sister, set out alone on a journey to break the seal of the ring.
She had caused her so much worry and trouble.
In the end, after breaking the seal of the ring, she had exhausted herself and was almost consumed by the Calamity.
The fact that she was alive now was entirely thanks to her sister, who had not given up on her, and to the Archangel’s power, which had saved countless nations.
Someone like her, so pathetic, had no right to act as if nothing had happened and continue to interact with her sister as she once had.
Guilt filled her heart, and Rasetsu bit her lip, lowering her gaze.
She knew she needed to apologize, but her mind was blank, and her mouth wouldn’t move.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Unable to move a single finger due to the tension, Setsuna couldn’t bear it any longer and suddenly rushed forward.
“Rasetsu!”
“!?”
Bracing herself for a slap, Rasetsu was surprised when Setsuna wrapped her arms around her back, pulling her into a strong, heartfelt hug.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’ve woken up safely!”
“Sis, how… why aren’t you scolding me…?”
“…You idiot. Where is the older sister who would scold her little sister, who had been asleep for over a week, just as soon as she woke up?”
“Sorry… I didn’t realize I had been asleep for that long…”
“Yeah, you have. If it hadn’t been for the power of the ring, ‘Amber Ring,’ that you kept, you would probably be dead by now.”
Setsuna didn’t stop there and continued.
“With the power of the ring, we were able to defeat the Calamity without losing anyone. If not for Rasetsu’s efforts, there would have been much greater damage.”
“Ah… so my actions weren’t in vain…”
“Looking at the results, yeah, that’s true. …But I will never forgive you for not seeking my help and recklessly almost dying on your own!”
“Eek!?”
Suddenly pulling away, Setsuna grabbed Rasetsu’s cheeks with both hands, stretching them firmly to each side.
It hurt, but the nostalgic feeling that she had forgotten about was replaced by joy, and hot tears began to flow.
And as Setsuna pinched her sister’s cheek, the feelings of concern she had accumulated over the past few weeks overflowed.
Pearl-like tears traced down her cheek, staining the floor.
“…You are the only one in this world… my precious little sister. Please, I beg you, don’t leave me alone.”
“Sis, I…”
Suddenly, her cheeks were released from Setsuna’s fingers, and Rasetsu was pulled into a tight embrace.
The intense pain still tormented her, but at that moment, the pain in her heart was far worse, a hundred times more painful than anything physical.
“Idiot, you fool…”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, sister… I caused so much trouble for father, mother, and so many others… I’m sorry…”
Rasetsu could do nothing but apologize, and Setsuna accepted it in her arms.
With Rasetsu’s safe return, and with the king restored, peace once again returned to the Oni Kingdom.
……………….
A few days later, a grand festival was held in the Oni Kingdom.
But the hero who had played a pivotal role in this event was nowhere to be seen.
The silver-haired girl, who had rejected Setsuna’s confession and set off for a new battlefield, had returned to the heavens to confront the gods.
“I’ve finished the Four Rings quest.”
?…I see. That means you’ve remembered everything, then.?
At the largest cemetery in Kamisato City, in front of the grave marked with the Kamijo family name, Sora spoke with a complicated expression.
“Yeah, I’ve remembered everything. Your… no, your real name is—”
??Mirai Kamijo.
“…The older sister of Shiori and I, who died of illness ten years ago.”
At the moment the words were spoken, the name of the deceased sister, which had been concealed, appeared on the gravestone.
“Sister, why…?”
?Heh heh, I didn’t actually intend to reveal this, but now it can’t be helped. I’ll tell you everything. The reason I, who died ten years ago, have come back to life and am here now. And also the plan to correct the world for my beloved younger brother from now on.?
And so, the ?Four Star of the Lord of the Rings? came to an end.
Finally, humanity would face the time of sanctification.
Volume Four – The End.