<h4>Chapter 9: Amon Sris (6)</h4>


    Amon couldn''t believe his ears. [Bright] may have had dark moments, but the story''s theme was always heroism and optimism. No matter how dire the circumstance, the protagonist would always turn up to save the day. Amon couldn''t believe that the ending of [Bright] was this despairing.


    "How did that happen?"


    Yue''s expression remained dark as her gaze never left Amon''s face. Furrowing her brows together, the girl continued her exnation:


    "You happened, Amon."


    "... What?"


    "In the future, you attempted to shoulder all the cmities yourself. You killed every obstacle in humanity''s way and defeated every enemy that threatened Hyades. The reason why we met was because you attempted to kill me and to prevent the fall of the Elune House."


    "..."


    Amon''s brain immediately went into overdrive. As someone who had lived and died by the sword, the only way he knew how to resolve problems was through his sword. It wouldn''t be any different if it were himself from the future. He would have attempted to solve any issue he may have had by killing the source of the problem.


    Hearing Yue''s words, it was with a heavy heart that the former Transcendent had to admit it...


    Yue did regress from the future.


    "Wait, if that''s the case, and I killed all of Hyades'' enemies, how could it have fallen?"


    "Amon you... You became too strong. Nobody could stand alongside you, and you became humanity''s only protector. And because you resolved all the conflicts, no one else had any enemies to fight, so they failed to grow. Even the ''protagonist'' of [Bright] failed to grow as nned and perished during the fifth cmity."


    "So... my actions in the future... caused the downfall of Hyades?"


    "No! That''s not why!"


    For the first time since meeting her, Amon saw Yue panic. Her eyes were shifting around while her canines bit down hard on her soft, tender lips.


    "You saved many people... You defeated every evil from the first to the fourth cmity with ease. But, the fifth and sixth cmities were too powerful for one person to shoulder. In my future, you attempted to solve everything all by yourself, and you were invincible against anyone! But... even you can''t beat overwhelming numbers."


    "Ah..."


    Yue''s words made Amon recall the moment of his death. Yes, he would have beaten any of the Transcendents gathered that fateful day in a one-on-one battle. But, when it was against a thousand Transcendents...


    "I see, so I died in the future?"


    "... yes."


    "How futile..."


    Even in the future, Amon was doomed to suffer the same fate.


    "So [Bright] included two more cmities... In my world, I''ve only read up to the fourth cmity."


    Amon couldn''t help butugh at the lunacy of the situation. The only cmities he managed to stop were the ones he knew about. The fifth and sixth cmities were part of a future he didn''t know, and therefore, it was something that he couldn''t stop.


    "So, now that you''ve regressed, what''s the n? Are you going to kill me to continue the original storyline?"


    "Of course not!!! That would be thest thing I want!!!"


    Yue hollered out.


    "Amon, your existence is vital to humanity''s survival! Without you, we wouldn''t have survived all of the cmities. The fifth and sixth cmities especially. If not for you, humanity would have be extinct. Only after your death did our decline begin."


    "I see... So what do you n to do?"


    "Amon... We should join forces."


    "Hmmm..."


    Yue''s agitated expression gradually calmed down as she gathered herself with the proposal she had initiallye to the Sris House with.


    "Your strength and my knowledge. Together, we can mould the future and prepare humanity for the cmities. We can train a pantheon of heroes to fight alongside us, and together, we can defeat all of the evils of the future."


    As Yue continued with her impassioned speech, her jubnt smile returned.


    "And... I can help you with your mana control problem."


    "... So you knew about it?"


    N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Like I said, we were married in the future. You shared everything with me."


    Yue answered with a cheeky smile.


    "With my help, you will be stronger at a much faster rate!"


    Amon leaned back onto a pir with his neck stretched upwards. Numerous thoughts were flying in his head, and his mind was filled with the desire to deny Yue''s words. However, as he continued to analyse the information he''d gotten, one flickering thought remained throbbing in his mind.


    "In the future... Was I hailed as a hero?"


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "Did I... be a hero?"


    Yue looked at Amon as if she''d seen a mentally ill patient escape from an asylum. It took a while before she realised that the boy was dead serious, and she said:


    "You weren''t just a hero, Amon. You were humanity''s greatest hero."


    "Hmmm..."


    Hearing Yue''s words, Amon''s cracked lips twitched ever so slightly. His mind softened, and his mood soared. Amon''s original goal was to understand what it was like to be a hero, and unexpectedly, this second life of his would give him a chance. And if it meant holding hands with the viin... Amon was more than happy to try.


    "Okay, let''s join forces, Yue Elune."


    "Hehe, you won''t regret it!"


    Amon wasn''t aware of it yet due to his inability to read expressions, but Yue shed a rather scary face. Her eyes were nted, and her lips trembled as she desperately attempted to stopughing. It was like a sly vixen who had just caught her prey and was desperate to prevent her victim from finding out.


    "So, what do we do now?"


    "Why, we continue with our engagement, of course!"


    "... Why?"


    Amon''s heart felt slightly annoyed with Yue''s continuous repetition. Even though the girl came from the future, there was no telling that her words were the truth. Nevertheless, since Amon would enter a partnership with this girl, he had to give her the bare minimum of trust.


    "Heh, I know you can''t trust me yet, but this is the best option!" Yue''s ruby eyes beamed in delight as she pointed her finger towards the young boy.


    "Firstly, even though we are connected in the future, we are essentially strangers at this point in time. So, we will need an excuse if we want to meet often. This engagement eliminates that problem! Also, the mana crystal vein would help bolster the rtionship between the Sris and Elune House, essentially easing any barrier we may have in the future regarding coboration."


    "Makes sense..."


    Amon''s perturbed face gradually softened into an enlightened one. Yue had a point. Even though they knew the future, they were both only ten-year-olds at this point in time. There were limits to what they could do and how they could meet. If they were to utilise the two great Houses tomunicate and travel with each other, it would be far more convenient when executing their ns.


    "Secondly, we need to tap into the resources of the Sris and Elune Houses to improve our individual powers. Also, we will need money. Lots and lots of it. Our engagement with the partnership of the mana crystal veins will ensure that."


    "Agreed."


    Given that there were six cmities to face, Amon knew the severity of the situation. They had to increase their powers and do it quickly. And given that they were still children with no resources to their name, it would be best to utilise every ounce of the two mighty Houses.


    "And finally..."


    Yue''s snowy white face slowly blushed red while her dazzling eyes locked onto Amon''s. Tip-toeing over with her hands behind her back, the young girl licked her delicious lips before standing before Amon face-to-face. Given that they were the same age, the pair were of simr heights. Amon could clearly see Yue''s lovestruck expression as she ced one of her hands on his chest, with one finger circling under his corbone with careful tenderness.


    "Even if you have no knowledge of our love, I have. The years we''d spent together, the journey we embarked on, and... The moments we shared. They are all stored in my heart."


    "..."


    "At this moment, your heart may be filled with steel. You may have forgotten how to be human and love someone, but I swear... I will make you look my way."


    Yue''s maiden-in-love face was nowced with a gleeful, determined expression. Amon could feel her lips edging in closer to his by the second. At this distance, he could smell her sweet, floral perfume distinctly. Yet, all he could focus on were those dazzling eyes that glistened as brilliantly as the full Moon.


    "I swear... To make you love me again... We will be husband and wife. So..."


    Amon unconsciously gulped. The boy felt overwhelmed for the first time, possibly ever. It wasn''t like his feeling when facing the Sris Patriarch. And neither was it like fighting against a thousand mighty Transcendents. It was apletely different feeling.


    A feeling that...


    He was being swallowed whole.


    "Amon Sris! Marry me!"