[One Piece] Inferior Star

Chapter 196 The Meaning of Restarting

When Youxiang saw that child for the first time, she knew that that person was the same as herself.

This is probably the so-called 'sense of companionship'.He obviously didn't say a word, and obviously didn't even know the name of the other party, but when he saw his eyes, You Xiang knew that he was also a person who was "cursed".

Even though Youxiang didn't quite understand what the curse meant at that time, she could only ignorantly understand that it was something that made people who had done nothing wrong suffer.Even so, when Youxiang saw that child for the first time, she thought...

If you're with him, you shouldn't be alone.

That's a slightly selfish thought, but people are always selfish.Everything started with this small selfishness, and then slowly, slowly, the selfishness became bigger and bigger.You Xiang's wish became: If she is with him, she will surely find happiness.

gradually became...

If he can be happy, then I will be happy too.

So no regrets at all, not at all.The choice made two years ago, no matter how many times you choose, whether you know the truth or not, there will be no other results.

Youxiang put her hands on her chest, she felt the heartbeat that she should have lost.Then he said, "Please tell me all the truth."

"..." Frey found a place to sit down with a blank expression.This is still the world of dreams, but this place looks much safer now than when it was just here.

There are half ruins here.Although it is a ruined wall, the parts that are not broken are surprisingly exquisite.The walls are covered with exquisite wallpaper, and the floor is made of marble. A round table is placed there, with a bouquet of daisies placed on it, and a few chairs are scattered around it, and there is a row of three-seat sofas not far away.

If it weren't for the desolate scene of the dream world that you can see with a casual turn of your head, and the chandelier and ceiling are only part of your head, you will feel like you are in the lounge of a palace.

"Let's talk about arrogance." Fino directly blamed Shipp, "After all, this is basically his problem."

"Senior is really..." How cruel!Ah... I'm going to be hated by Xiangxiang... But... Xipu looked at Youxiang in front of her, and there was still no trace of anger or doubt in her watery eyes. She believed in herself, and until now, she still believes A devil like himself.

"I... I am a newborn demon. Xiangxiang." Xipu planned to start from the beginning, "The former arrogance left the dream world, and he will not come back. So I was born in the mist. At first, I just Just a group of spirits, and that's when I was first summoned by a group of people. They asked me for 'new' power."

"What is the new power?" Youxiang planned to listen carefully, she sat on the sofa and asked.

"It's... just a kind of power... that can revive the dying. I am a newborn demon. If you offer me a new life, then this life will become my 'bride'. This is the bride's contract, Xiangxiang." Xipu said, "This is a contract with harsh conditions... Both parties must be 'new students'. And the human side must also have the power to stay awake in dreams."

"So those people found me... No, did they find my parents?"

"That's right...but believe me it's not going to be easy. Since I'm new until I have a physical body, it's been a very, very long time. For humans, maybe generations People." Xipu paused here, observed Youxiang's expression, and said cautiously, "They have been waiting for a long time...and finally found you."

"..." She really has perseverance.The power of new life... What kind of new life are they looking for?Youxiang lowered her eyes, and she said, "Then... did mother agree? Agree to let me...be a sacrifice?"

"It's not such a simple reason, Xiangxiang! That..." Ah... being abandoned by his mother or something... For humans, it is still... Xipu hesitated to speak, and he was still panicking. Well, Pupu came to Youxiang's side knowingly, and rubbed her face with her big furry head.

"...It was a delicate period at that time. Your mother and her companions were all inhumanely persecuted. At first, she wanted to take you away." Frey continued, "But Later, she was caught. She failed to survive the torture...and eventually betrayed her companions."

"Although! Although it sounds...very bad. But..." Xipu immediately added, "But in that situation, and under the continuous abuse and persecution of those who captured her, few people can survive. Xiang Xiang's mother...was corrupted by darkness at that time. She changed from a shining hero to a dark judge."

"Is it dark enough to sacrifice your newborn daughter?"

"Yes, sorry..."

Sure enough, I still care a lot.Not knowing what to say, Xipu could only bow his head and apologize: "The truth...that's it. Xiangxiang. At that time, your mother... personally killed your father who took you away, that is, her own husband .She dedicated you to the chief culprit who once persecuted your family, and at that time, she also tried to gain some kind of power to 'return the dead'."

Perhaps at that moment, Youxiang's mother even thought that if the child was sacrificed, there might be a turning point.She may have had that thought, hoping to sacrifice her own child to be redeemed.However……

"This matter is not as simple as she imagined. When she thought she didn't care about other people at all, she dedicated you to the devil, but when you left her arms, she realized that she was wrong .She still cares, she still cares about you. Love is a powerful force that can make people who have been eroded by darkness suddenly wake up."

"—so she...started her own plan."

Xipu raised his eyes, he walked up to Youxiang carefully, then knelt down in front of her, and took her hand: "Your mother started killing, and she gave the people she killed as gifts to me. Sacrifice. She summoned me again, and said to me, I hope I can give you a chance, she hopes that you can choose your own life, and that you can get a chance to start over."

A chance to start over?

Mom... do you want me to forget everything before and start over?

Do you think that, by doing so, the past disappears?

Impossible, people cannot completely get rid of their past.If I choose to be an ordinary person, then I may never know all this again.Shouldn't I know what's mine, what's made me?

Youxiang wasn't sure, she wasn't sure if it would make her feel better if she didn't know all of this, but what she was sure of was that she definitely wouldn't have chosen that way two years ago.

"I understand the general process." Youxiang looked at Xipu who was holding her hand in front of her, and she said, "Now what I want to ask is...Xiaoxi...you all knew from the beginning that the kind of thing that would happen to Ace matter, and then deliberately leave the choice until then for me to choose?"

"No, no! There is absolutely no such thing! Xiangxiang!!" Sipp said immediately, "Even a demon has no way of knowing what will happen in the future! What we call 'that moment' is just...that... "

"Hey... it's the 'devil's rule'." Seeing that Ship panicked, Frey shook his head and explained, "It's the rule of the dream world. No matter who it is, as long as it makes a deal with the devil, the winner will always be the one who wins in the end." They will all be demons."

"Such an unreasonable rule?!"

"That's the price of magic, little girl," said Frey, spreading his hands out. "Whether it's a big win or a profit from it. When the deal is done, the devil will always be the one to benefit. Living things don't You can’t take advantage of us. This is one of the few rules that are friendly to us, right?”

"That's what happened... So we just knew from the beginning to the end that there will be a moment when Xiangxiang will be in a dilemma and make a difficult choice. As for what it is, we don't know." Xipu was still a little uneasy, he didn't Dare to look into Youxiang's eyes, "I'm sorry, Xiangxiang...I, we didn't...deliberately hide it from you, I just think...it doesn't matter if you don't know. After all...that...Xiangxiang's mother is not how……"

Yes, my mother is completely different from what I imagined.Youxiang took a deep breath, she held Xiaoxi's face with both hands, and patted his cheek lightly: "I forgive you, Xiaoxi."

"Huh?" Xiaoxi closed his eyes nervously, but he said in surprise, "Isn't Xiangxiang angry?"

"It doesn't seem like there is anything to be angry about..." The demons are also 'following the rules'~ Youxiang thought about it carefully, "Ah, yes! What makes me a little angry is that you have been going all the way because of this. Keep it from me! Frey! You have to reflect on yourself!"

"..." Are you really okay?Not so long ago it was chaos as hell.Frey didn't answer right away, he looked at Youxiang and said, "Don't you feel conflicted and guilty, little girl?"

"Well... I feel guilty, maybe a little bit. After all, my mother killed those people... for me. No matter what, she hopes that I can make my own choice, and she will try her best to give me a chance." Youxiang said , "Then what I... can repay her is to make my own choice according to my own will, even if that choice is different from what she expected, as long as it is my own choice."

"It's really independent, my little girl." Frey smiled, and he spread his hands, "I don't have to worry about you."

"You should worry about me again. That's what you say, but...those people still died because of me, even if I didn't do it...their resentment, I have to bear it." Youxiang stood up, she Said, "Mom's mistake is the meaning of 'starting over'. I did start again, but I will not forget the mistakes of the past, and I will carry them on my back-"

"Of course, Frey and everyone, all~~ have to help me, right?"

"Oh, our master suddenly smells like a demon." Fino said with a slightly surprised expression, "What to do, angry... I seem to fall in love with her."

"Then just work harder?" What else can I do?Frey scratched his hair and said, "Anyway, I'll get to work with iced yuzu tea."

"I like the master too! I will always help the master!" Lance said so, he rushed over and hugged Youxiang, and at the same time Pupu meowed from behind.

"Yes~ But, I still have a question." Youxiang didn't quite understand one thing, she said, "From the beginning to the end, only Xiaoxi was summoned... right? Then what's going on with you?" Why is there still such a thing? How many other demons?

"This, this is because..." Xipu said a little awkwardly, "I was called for the first time, and I was a little nervous...so I asked the seniors to help me, and then I didn't expect it to be the 'bride'. contract……"

"The terms of the bride's contract are very strict. After all, it's not like every day there is a new big devil." Frey added, "And the person who becomes the bride is bound to become a channel connecting dreams and reality, no matter who sees it Everyone wants to get a share of the action. Therefore, someone has to watch the scene... In the words of you humans, it’s like a best man and a bridesmaid, this feeling.”

"I see!" It turned out to be the best man and bridesmaid! !When you talk about Youxiang, you understand, "So it was Xiaoxi who asked you to help, and then you saw that it was such a cute Xiangxiang, so you agreed! Right?"

"Haha..." Yeah you little girl... Frey laughed and said, "That's about it. It's not a bad thing anyway...Anything else you want to know?"

"How much does Frey like Youxiang?"

"Well, I'll tell you when we're alone."

"Xiang, Xiangxiang!" Xipu quickly came to Youxiang, "You are my bride! Seniors, it's just... that... I'm not happy!!"

"Yes, yes~~" Are you jealous? It's kind of cute.But the word bride is really subtle... Forget it.Youxiang touched the top of Xipu's head and said, "Okay, the matter is almost over, should I wake up? Luffy will be worried?"

"—Before that, there's one more thing, little girl." Frey said, becoming serious immediately, "I told you, you don't usually have nightmares of that magnitude. Because We are protecting you. But those things still appeared... They are quite dangerous to you, and in that arena, someone who also knows everything attacked you."

"..." That's right... I suddenly appeared in the dream world because I was suddenly attacked.Youxiang remembered it, and she said, "I, I also discovered recently that there seems to be someone like me... who has a special talent."

"That's right. It happens all the time. So there might be someone here who is too gifted or has studied enough to be your enemy," said Frey. "He's dangerous to you. Although now we find After getting rid of him, I can better guard against him, but you should also be alert to me, little girl. Do you know?"

"Got it..." Don't be so fierce!Really... But if it's someone who appeared in the arena, then... Youxiang said, "Does Dover know anything?"

"Maybe? It's his territory after all. And that guy..." Frey frowned when he thought of Dover, "Although it's a bit ironic, you might be safe when you're around that guy."

"Hey? Why?"

"Because he's a bad guy." Fino said at this time, "Do you still remember the feeling when you met Lingling? Youxiang?"

"Lingling..." It must be BigMom!Youxiang said, "You can't forget it even if you want to?"

"It's that kind of feeling. It's the breath of a person who has done a lot of evil, killed countless lives or caused countless tragedies and has no intention of repentance. That kind of breath, even a devil would be afraid." Fino smiled wryly, "Although we This kind of pure demon can still bear it, but the residue of resentment, or other impure types, will run far away."

In short, even evil spirits are afraid of ruthless people.This aspect shows how scary BigMom and the others are.

Youxiang swallowed her saliva, and she said, "Speaking of Dover... where did Rosie go?"

"Ah, the guy who was reborn... Wasn't he sent by you to follow that 99?"

"That's right! But I haven't come back for so long, did I encounter any trouble?" Youxiang was a little worried, "He didn't show up even when his name was called...Is he okay? Frey?"

"Is there any problem, the devil won't die anyway." Frey was not worried at all, "Maybe he is doing something. Well, anyway... You should wake up first. That guy Ace is very worried about you." ?”

Ace... that's right, that's right... what happened last night...

Youxiang remembered this, and she said: "I know. I will tell him all these things, and then... then we can start again together."

Start over...find the treasure of happiness.Ace.

Youxiang thought so in her heart, and she smiled: "I will definitely... turn this curse into something beautiful!"

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The author has something to say:

Takumi said that this is not actually a curse, but the key to the treasure chest of happiness.Now that the key is in your hand, you just need to find that treasure!

Let's briefly talk about the contract of the "bride".It has three conditions:

1. The demon of the contract must be a newborn pure demon

2. The sacrificial bride must also be a newborn

3. The bride must be able to stay awake in the dream world

In the era when mages were not yet extinct, these conditions were not particularly harsh, but when mages were extinct, it was simply impossible to wait until a demon was born and then find a newborn with talent.

The people who sacrificed Youxiang were also considered lucky, and paid a lot of money.

However, it was the bride who made the contract, not the person who performed the summoning, so the people who sacrificed You Xiang wanted to control You Xiang and use her as a puppet.And in order to make her obedient, she will definitely not come up with any good ideas, and she will definitely be tortured.Considering all kinds of possible futures is also one of the reasons why Youxiang's mother realized her conscience and took measures.

As for why Xiangxiang was chosen to be sent here, and how it came about... Let's talk about it in the next episode!