lcionline Chapter 151 Beast Arc: "Prelude"
Chapter 151 Beast Arc: "Prelude"
Saturday, July 16
At 9:30 a.m., in a rather messy room at the Okamine family mansion, Nia sleepily got out of bed, rubbed her eyes, put on her glasses, glanced at the clock on the wall, and blinked.
"Ah~ I woke up really early today~"
A rumbling sound came from my stomach.
She rubbed her eyes while skillfully looking around, constantly calling out Ming's name.
"Little Ming! Hey, are you there? Kid! Where's my breakfast?" However, no one responded to her calls.
After a long silence, her gaze fell on the bedside table, where she noticed a messy letter.
Erya's curiosity was piqued. She reached out and picked up the letter, unfolding it. The handwriting was very fine. Her eyes quickly scanned the letter, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"Erya, you should be able to see this when you wake up. I left the food in the kitchen, but..."
"Ah! Young man, is this really what you want to do..." Niya's hands were visibly trembling.
"When you read this letter, my wish, which I have been planning for twenty-five years, will be fulfilled in a few days. This may be the last time I prepare breakfast for you. ... If it were before, we might have become friends, but I have a path that I must take."
"Even if what you're doing isn't necessarily right, or even if there's no one who's ever been on that path before, do you still want to go for it...?"
Even if what I'm doing isn't necessarily right, and even if there's no one to have walked that path before, I will continue on it. The publishing house will be handed over to you after my death. Farewell, Niya...
Er Ya's eyes gradually reddened. Ming's farewell came too suddenly, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
She came to the kitchen somewhat dejectedly, and when she saw the steaming breakfast on the table, Er Ya felt a pang of sadness.
She shoved her breakfast haphazardly into her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she ate, falling onto her plate. When Cong Ming laid out all his plans, Er Ya already knew the truth. She knew that as friends, their relationship might one day come to an end.
However, despite being mentally prepared for this, when the moment of parting actually arrived, she found herself unable to accept it calmly.
After finishing her breakfast, Erya slowly walked out of the courtyard, her gaze fixed on the direction of Tiangong City. She seemed to have become the sole witness in this symphony written by Ming.
A hint of sadness lingered in her eyes, and she spoke softly, almost in a whisper:
"Goodbye, young man. Thank you for preparing this last breakfast..."
Recalling their first meeting, when Ming pointed his Demon King at her, Nia was filled with emotion.
One day ago~
In the second year (2) class of Lai Chan High School, a girl with long, golden curly hair and amber eyes stood on the podium.
“My name is Hoshimiya Rokuro. I transferred here today. I am from Class 2 of Zen High School and will be traveling with you on the school trip the day after tomorrow.”
Wow, another new classmate!
"What a pity, Miki-chan went back to junior high school for some reason. But we have another transfer student. Our class is really amazing!"
Welcome, new student!
Amidst the welcome from her classmates, Hoshimiya Muku walked to her seat.
As the girl sat down, Ming's image appeared in Rokuro's eyes, followed by his voice.
"Mitsuku, while you're on leave from school, keep a close eye on Itsuka Shido from Class 3, understand?"
"I understand."
The girl murmured softly, as if she were a machine, devoid of emotion.
...Back to the present~
On a stage in Tiangong City, the time was 10:50. The stage was closed, and there was only one audience member below the stage, with no lights on.
However, in this quiet environment, a figure shines brightly in the center of the stage.
Ming stood on the stage dressed in a black tuxedo, playing the violin continuously in his hands.
A mysterious and melodious tune echoed across the empty stage. Ming was immersed in his own musical world, his eyes firm yet with a hint of determination. Suddenly, applause erupted from the audience.
"As expected of Mr. Ming! I never knew you knew this; it really surprised me!"
As Miku clapped her hands, she walked onto the stage and looked at Ming, who had suddenly asked her to come alone during the holiday to this stage that she planned to use next month. She praised him with some surprise.
Ming stopped what he was doing, looked at Mei Jiu, and his expression returned to its original, indifferent state.
"I'm sorry, Miku asked you to come here today."
Miku blinked curiously and stepped forward, saying:
"No, I was just planning to meet up with a fan today, I didn't expect to be invited by you, so is there anything I can help you with?"
"It's nothing, but... Miku, do you remember where this is?"
Miku was eagerly awaiting Ming's answer, though she knew that Ming would never make the kind of request she wanted; Ming only had that girl in his heart.
When she heard Ming's response, which was completely unrelated to the question, her expression slowly became confused, but soon she recalled the first time she shook hands with Ming.
Do you miss it?
"Yes, it's really nostalgic. I was so naive back then, and I was framed... If it weren't for Mr. Ming, your rescue, I might have committed suicide..."
Ming nodded slightly, his gaze deep. "Although there was an element of deception in what I did, you are still willing to follow me after you learned the truth."
"Yes, that's true, but rather than the deception you mentioned, I'd rather believe that you gave me a faith to follow, and I enjoy it." Miku said gratefully, her words sincere and without any falsehood.
"Can I play one last song?" Ming asked out of the blue.
Miku paused for a moment, then smiled gently and nodded.
"Of course, I'm looking forward to it."
Ming took a deep breath and played the violin again. This time, the melody was different from before, with a touch more tragic and resolute.
Miku stood quietly to the side, listening intently. As the melody rose and fell, her mood gradually grew heavy.
When the piece ended, Ming put down his violin and looked at Mei Jiu in the audience, feeling a mix of emotions.
“Miku, you should also understand that Sawa is an inseparable part of my heart. Even though my body and soul have long been tainted by the negative emotions within me, my faith in her has never changed.”
Ming took off his gloves and pulled up his sleeves. His arms were covered with countless black and blue cracks, like porcelain on the verge of breaking. His body was already nearing its limit.
Mei Jiu looked at the crack on Ming's arm, her eyes filled with shock and worry.
"Mr. Ming, how...how did your body become like this?"
Ming shook his head with a wry smile, "You have personally experienced my past, and I have been preparing for something all along... so today I want to say goodbye to you."
Miku covered her mouth, her eyes reddening, her voice trembling:
"Is this really how it has to be...? Then...can I come with you...?"
Ming shook his head bitterly, "I'm sorry, I plan to handle the rest by myself."
"Yeah……"
Miku lowered her head in silence. She understood Ming's persistence better than anyone else. At this moment, she was just like the audience below the stage, wanting to reach the stage but unable to even make such a request.
"Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"Ah...yes, Mr. Ming, if you can fulfill your dream and bring your loved one back, could you come to my concert again? Bring her along..."
Ming remained silent for a long time.
"Probably...if he can come back..."
Miku forced a smile through her tears: "Then I'll be waiting for you and her to come to my concert."
Ming nodded slightly, picked up his violin, and slowly walked off the stage. Mei Jiu watched his retreating figure, tears finally welling up in her eyes.
Hearing the sobbing behind him, Ming, who was about to push open the door and leave, hesitated and stopped. Without turning around, he simply asked one last, soft question:
"Um, Miku, what do you think of me?"
“Very good! Mr. Ming is the faith that has sustained me until now! He is my salvation! He is the only man besides my parents who I don’t find disgusting!”
"I see... So I'm really not as good as Itsuka Shido after all? I can't even correct your current misogyny..."
Ming muttered to himself, but Mei Jiu didn't stop talking.
"Mr. Ming, allow me to make one last joke! Just to lighten the mood for our farewell..."
"Oh?"
"Forget all that, Mr. Ming. I can support you. After I become a has-been idol, we'll announce our relationship... and then... in the future... we'll have at least two more children, boys or girls, it doesn't matter..."
"Migu".
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ming, this is a joke that I could only think of with great difficulty..." Miku's tone was somewhat forced.
Ming was silent for a moment, then turned around and gave a sincere smile. "I have to say, he's truly an idol. His acting is so realistic that I was almost fooled."
When Miku saw that smile, her heart trembled, as if the salvation that Ming had offered her when they first met was finally responding to her.
Ming gently pushed open the somewhat heavy door to the concert hall. As the door slowly opened, a bright light shone directly onto Ming's deathly pale face.
"Then goodbye, Miku, and forget about me..."
Ming said this before leaving, and his voice, along with the surge of spiritual energy that flooded into her mind, acted on Mei Jiu's mind.
As the original owner of this demon king, Miku also had the ability to resist, but she didn't. She just quietly watched the faith that was gradually drifting away from her, and in the end, she just smiled and watched Ming leave her mind...
"Goodbye, my one and only Flame Beast Lord."
As the key turned, Ming covered his face with his hand, thus leaving her heart forever, for perhaps he was not the one who could redeem her.