Chapter 1054: 16.100 First Red Star - Illusionary Forest (VII)
Chapter 1054: 16.100 First Red Star - Illusionary Forest (VII)
As Asher Light observes Amber Dawn's life in Parallel Earth #193, he witnessed how she grew up and adapted to her surroundings. Despite having to take a life at a young age to defend herself mentally, Amber Dawn chose to suppress the memories of that incident along with her emotions and other feelings. However, this suppression ultimately led to her becoming the most formidable Assassin in that world.
Amber Light of Earth has endured battles, killings, and countless betrayals accompanied by pain and suffering. Numerous bounty hunters have sought after her, wanting her head, while enemies have wished for her demise. Some assassins have even attempted to overpower her to prove their strength, but none have succeeded. As the most elite assassin on Earth, there are few who can even come close to moving her.
Despite facing her demise, she fearlessly destroyed the den of those miscreants who created her. Unfortunately, the government saw her as a threat and took action to eliminate her. But even in the face of death, she accepted her fate with a bold smile. Upon awakening, she returned to her true identity as Amber Dawn, with only a few fleeting memories remaining in her mind. Thanks to these memories, she was able to adapt seamlessly to her new form.
He observes that the original owner of the body bullied those who attempted to harm her and imprisoned them all. Those who planned to do worse were all killed by her knife. Her abilities were so advanced that she could be considered as powerful as the world's special humans.
This Holy Son, Asher Light, was too preoccupied with the scenes playing out in the mirrors. After all, this is the past Asher Light was too shy to ask of his girl. He even witnessed the incident in which she discovered him unconscious and wounded in that small alley. He laughed when he learned that she had only saved him that night because he was attractive.
Chuckling, Asher Light murmured, "I should be thankful I was born with this face or else you wouldn't have saved me that night nor we would have met. But that sudden rain and the reason those vampires didn't find me... So it was Lord Luther's doing after all. Did he save me on a whim or did he intentionally send it to Amy's way? Either way, I am grateful."
The scene begins when he awakens from his slumber and falls in love with Amber Dawn at first sight. As he stares dazedly at Amber Dawn, he realizes how stupid he appears. With a pair of red ears on his head, Asher Light couldn't just cover his face in embarrassment.
"Ah~ I look so stupid. No wonder Amy didn't mention how she learned that I like her. So it was because everything was imprinted on my face. Oh god~"
More scenes were shown, including the first meeting of Conri Lycaon and Amber Dawn. He was grateful to his friend for saving Amber from a terrible fall. She almost died that day, and she unhesitatingly accepted her impending death if Conri Lycaon hadn't saved her.
"She is too welcoming of death. This must be fixed!"
As they gazed upon the memories reflected in the mirror, Amber Dawn and Asher Light saw everything that had happened up until the present moment. Nothing remained hidden, and they witnessed it all together. Despite Amber's past as an Assassin and her true identity as the Dawn Family's eldest daughter, Asher accepted her completely. Since the night their paths crossed, they were destined to be together. Asher's goal was the Flower Garden, and he walked towards it with determination, eagerly anticipating the arrival of his beloved lady.
---
From the perspective of Amber Dawn...
Amber Dawn was amazed by the enchanting sight of a rainbow-colored mist and a vibrant forest. She was delighted to see the same scene reflected in a mirror path. As someone from Earth, this was a unique experience that felt like watching a magician perform a trick. Despite multiple attempts to investigate and explore, Amber Dawn was unable to find a scientific explanation for this phenomenon.
A motion picture played before her eyes. Initially, she failed to recognize the person in the mirror. It wasn't someone resembling her memories. In the slums, a baby with golden hair and eyes was abandoned at a small orphanage. The parents didn't even hesitate when they left the young infant there. Amber Dawn was furious with the utter disappointment of these parents. How could they leave a newborn baby in front of the door, outside the orphanage with only a bundle of cloth around the baby? If the nun in the orphanage hadn't come to throw the trash for the collection day, that baby boy would have frozen outside the house.
Asher Light, as a child, was unfortunately treated as a monster while growing up in an orphanage located in a slum area. Amongst the predominantly black and brown-haired individuals, he stood out with his luxurious golden hair and sun-like eyes. His abilities were unparalleled, especially with his power of light. Despite being abandoned, Asher Light's potential was undeniable.
The Templar Temple unexpectedly saw Asher Light in the slums and immediately reported it to the Pope. Kenan Light, who was missing someone to devour their abilities, was immediately dispatched to retrieve the child. The Templar Temple razed the slums and killed everyone who lived there. Before they died, those guys treated Asher Light, the sole survivor, like a plague. Why must they die solely because of Asher Light?
As a 'thing' whose power was destined to be drained by Kenan Light, his very existence must be unknown. So there would be no outsiders looking for him in the future, and this act eliminated all possible future events. But Kenan Light had no idea that the fate of the child he chose would be to destroy the 'him' of the future.
Amber Dawn observes Asher Light's life in the Templar Temple. She assumed that as the Holy Son of the said temple, he would be treated as royalty, but she was mistaken. The lower echelons did not matter because they all revered those who stood above them, but ranked ones like bishops, Archbishops, and especially cardinals do not regard Asher Light as their heir but as a dog who had no choice but to obey the Pope's commands.
At the Templar Temple, Asher Light is known by another name - 'The Dog of Pope Kenan Light'. However, individuals like Mayonaka Yoru and the two cardinals who harbor a strong hatred towards the Pope view Asher Light with contempt. They question why he values his life so little and agrees to undertake dangerous missions. In truth, he cannot refuse the missions assigned to him, especially those given by the Pope. One such mission was the assassination of Athan Vladimir, which he failed to accomplish.
As Amber Dawn thought about Athan Vladimir, her younger brother, she felt grateful that Asher Light failed in his mission. Otherwise, she might never have forgiven him for killing her sibling. Asher's childhood was not a happy one, possibly much like Amber's own. However, she had the freedom to decline missions whereas Asher did not. If Pope Kenan Light ordered him to jump into a pool of boiling kava, Asher had no choice but to comply.
Additionally, Asher was unable to leave the Templar Temple, as Kenan had placed a curse on him. If he went against the Pope's commands, he could be killed at any time and place. Fortunately, this curse was lifted when Lord Fenrir Skoll nearly destroyed their world, inadvertently killing everyone in it. It was fortunate that this deadly problem was resolved.
Amber Dawn took notice of the meeting between her elder brother, Esther Dawn, and Asher Light. Despite their initial animosity towards each other, they eventually became friends. Asher Light regards Esther as a trusted confidant within the Templar Temple. It was their shared enemy that brought them together and led them to join the same faction.
Asher Light's gratitude towards Kenan Light disappeared when he learned about what happened to his Senior Brothers. Sadly, all the disciples except for the less talented ones either died of old age or became fossils. Kenan Light drained their powers and took it all away, leaving them with nothing. It's not surprising that Kenan Light still looks youthful - he exchanged his elder disciple brothers' lives for his appearance, even though they didn't want it.
In the past, Asher Light was bullied when he first arrived at the Templar Temple before being reinstated as the Holy Son. As a child without the protection of his master, he was an easy target for his peers, who continued to bully him as he grew older. Eventually, Esther Dawn intervened and taught Asher Light how to defend himself, which brought the two closer together and eventually led to their partnership.
Amber Dawn mumbled, "Those parents are not even to be called parents. How can they just abandon a child like that? Maybe I should be thankful they didn't throw the baby Asher Light in the trash can and leave him at the orphanage. It was because of such irresponsible parents that many children had to suffer."
"Is me saving him the only kindness Ash got aside from my elder brother saving him? Just how cruel this world is? And how much of a bastard that stupid old pope is!? No wonder he ended up becoming a Devil. Such an ambitious and evil person would succumb to the dark side no matter what the circumstances. Anyway in the future Ash has me and the Dawn Family. There is also Conri and Yoru-nii. He would have to be alone in the future. I shall guarantee it."
As Amber Dawn walked down the path, it split to create a clear way for her. At the end of the path, she saw Asher Light standing there with a smile on his face. He had been patiently waiting for her arrival, no matter how long it took.
Without hesitation, she jumped into Asher's arms and he caught her. Amber Dawn understood the pain and lack of affection Asher had experienced during his childhood. She felt the need to comfort and care for him, so she lovingly embraced him and patted his head like one would do to praise a good child.
Amber Dawn said, "You did well. You persevere until the end. Since you are found by me you shall be mine until the end of our lives."
Asher lightly chuckles in happiness and says as he hugs the only treasure that was destined to be his in this life, "Sweetheart, are you proposing? I'm supposed to be the one to do that!"
"Too late since I did it first~," Amber Dawn said as she kissed her boyfriend's forehead which eventually ended up becoming an intense kiss that was halted when Esther Dawn faked a cough to tell the young couple about his and Mayonaka Yoru's presence within the garden.
Cough!
Asher Light said, "Brother-in-laws, you are already here?"
"Who the hell are you calling brother!? You two aren't married yet!" Esther Dawn retorted, making everyone else in the area laugh at the antics of these two men who were good friends.