Chapter 556: The Spark of the Second Act (4)

“Am I interrupting something?”

“Not at all.”

“I can see you’ve got a lot on your mind,” I said, trying to prompt him into speaking.

He stayed silent for a while before voicing the question that had been on his mind.

“I’ve been wondering, Frey… why did you choose me of all people to accompany you? I mean, I know your reasoning—you see me as the Church’s champion, an asset in battle—but for some reason, I don’t think that’s the real reason.”

Snow had voiced his true thoughts—and it seemed he’d seen right through me. Our bond must have deepened after I last possessed him.

“You’re right. The reason I chose you goes much deeper than that,” I said, deciding to be honest with him.

He fixed his eyes on me as I began explaining the real reason.

“Simply put, I couldn’t leave you to fight the Ultras in your current state. If I did, you’d definitely keep walking the path of demons .. and that path will destroy you, nothing more.”

Hearing my words, Snow stayed silent. He knew I was right.

“It’s true that following Yusefka’s method gave you extra strength… but that’s still just a borrowed power, Snow. Power granted by the demon blood running in your veins. If you keep devouring your own kind, you’ll hit another wall sooner or later.”

In Snow Lionheart’s case, neither the human path nor the demon path was right for him. Both had given him some strength, yes… but it was far too limited.

“So what exactly am I supposed to do? I’ve been stuck, unable to grow stronger no matter what I tried—until I finally broke through thanks to the demon path you showed me. And now you’re telling me to stop, after I’ve tasted the power I’ve always wanted?”

Snow was hungry for strength ..to surpass what he was now.

If devouring his own kind could achieve that, he wouldn’t hesitate.

“All I have to do is consume my enemies’ corpses. Then no one will complain,” Snow said, wearing the expression of an obsessed addict.

Seeing him like that, I almost regretted telling him about his demon blood.

With a quick smack to the back of his head, I forced that deranged look right off his face.

Groaning in pain, he shot me an angry glare.

“Why the hell did you do that?!”

“I figured you needed it, so I hit you.” With a heavy sigh, I took the matter seriously. I couldn’t risk letting my so-called ‘promised hero’ stray from his proper path.

“Listen closely, Snow. Like I said, the demon path will give you strength—but it’s a small strength, with limits. The path that truly suits you is something completely different… a path that will let you reach your full potential and push your talent to its absolute limit. That path is tied directly to the being that gave you your holy sword.”

I looked him straight in the eye, making him furrow his brow in surprise.

“You mean… the Lord of Light?”

“That’s right.” I nodded, then explained why I wanted to bring him along on my upcoming raid.

“Whatever this so-called path is, you’ll most likely find it on the Holy Isle of Sicily. That’s probably the only place where you can interact directly with that being. Only then will you find what you’re looking for—and discover all the secrets of your chaotic body.”

I gestured at him with distaste.

“Part human, part demon, and another part of unknown origin… How the hell are you even alive with all that chaos inside you?”

Hearing my mockery, he showed a rare, faintly irritated look.

“I didn’t choose to be born this way. Since the moment I opened my eyes in this world, I was in a cursed orphanage—with no father, no mother… nothing but a curse hanging over me.”

He said that, then turned toward me.

“But, Frey… how do you know so much about me? How did you learn about my demon blood, and that other side you refuse to tell me about?”

Honestly, I’d known he’d ask that sooner or later.

“Let’s just say, Snow… you and I share the same curse. I also have a cursed body whose origin I don’t know. That’s why I understand your struggle—I’ve been through it myself, and still am,” I said with a strained smile.

At that moment, we both caught sight of one of the massive black birds gliding through the sky—Chaos Eaters, silently observing this war from afar.

“You know, Snow… in this vast world, alongside us humans and demons, there are countless other races—more than can be numbered—living just as we do,” I said, gazing beyond the sky.

“Among those races… there’s one that’s truly unique. They’re called the Great Ones.”

Listening as if I were an old man telling a fable, Snow seemed intrigued.

“The Great Ones?”

“That’s right.”

“But their reality is completely different from the stories. You see, the Great Ones aren’t actually a race—they’re a rank.”

“On every planet, there are countless living beings forming the ‘lower’ forms of life that fill the vast universe.

But alongside them, on each planet, a single creature is born at a time—one that serves as the ruling power keeping its world in balance, standing alone at the top as the highest form of life.

These are the Great Ones. Each species has its own Great One.

Very few know this shocking truth, a truth that would reshape the balance of power if it got out. The Great Ones are unimaginably strong, with abilities beyond understanding—so much so that some are worshiped as gods.”

“Gods? That sounds like a fairytale. How are these Great Ones even born in the first place?”

“A fair question,” I said with a faint smile.

“The answer is simple… They’re born from the wishes and desires of their own kind. In other words, a Great One’s appearance and abilities differ from one to another, shaped entirely by the wish their people long for.

Some wishes create destructive powers that bring only ruin and death—making their Great One capable of annihilating countless lives.

Others are the opposite ..bringing prosperity and peace, giving their Great One the power to spread joy and suppress evil.

And then there are other cases, entirely different—sometimes a Great One is born to fulfill the wish of a single person, not an entire race. That makes their abilities completely abnormal, following no logic or balance at all.”

I paused, pointing at those aimless black birds drifting in the sky.

“Believe it or not, those strange birds are one form of the Great Ones I’m talking about—and a living example of the last case. That Great One lives and feeds on chaos.”

That’s why it’s called the Chaos Eater.

“I’m having a hard time believing you, Frey. And even if you’re telling the truth, it only makes me more suspicious of you. How can you possibly know all this?”

“I don’t blame you, my friend. And I promise I’ll tell you everything someday… this burden has grown too heavy to carry alone,” I said, looking up at the sky.

“You know, Snow… like I said, the Great Ones are born from the wishes of their people. And sometimes I can’t help but wonder… about the Great One of Earth—the Great One of humans—who didn’t lift a finger even when his own kind faced extermination.”

Snow’s eyes widened. He clearly hadn’t expected humans to have their own Great One.

But that Great One was a mystery even to me ..I couldn’t remember anything about him.

“I wonder… what is that Great One doing? And what kind of wish could have shaped their existence?”

That was a question I had truly longed to know the answer to.