First Player

His Majesty Blackberry Kenite was twenty-six years old.

 He once walked through the winding river when he was young, trying to find the old grandmother who gave him bread. He once walked into the forest in pursuit of the song of the nightingale. He also flew an airship in an attempt to find his angel.

However, ten years have passed. since the war started.

 The angel did not come.

Some bold people once shouted at him that the Supreme Magician was male. So he ordered the civilian to be executed.

 …angels, angels.

 What is holding you back? Is it that things in heaven are too busy? Can you take me away and let me follow you to heaven?

Blackberry remembered her eyes when she was young, like precious black gems. No matter how many years he grew, she always looked young. She must be an angel from heaven to not dislike a monster like him that can cause diseases. She clearly said - "Whether a sword is good or evil depends on the person holding it, not the sword itself."

 He has saved so much now... so much...

 But she didn't come.

Blackberry Kenite stood in the Abyss of Naraku, his body covered in blood and wearing an evil ghost mask - this is what the angel had taught him. If someone despises him because of his youth, let them ignore their appearance and look directly at their fear.

 He has been wearing a mask for too long.

 Over time...sometimes he will believe that he is the "tyrant" people call him.

 He clutched the Eye of the Old Day in his pocket.

 …This is what he picked up in the past few years. Ever since he picked it up, his war has been going from bad to worse. The Eye of the Old One was always in his ears telling him what to do.

　　　【You shouldn't have come, this is obviously a trap. The Sorcerer Supreme will not be caught by the Church. 】The Eye of the Old Sighs.

"One in a thousand chances, I will come. I can't stand her dying," Blackberry said.

　　【You are so smart, why are you confused now? Don't you know that if you die, you will never recover? 】The voice said.

 “…I’m tired.” Blackberry said.

 He didn’t explain much.

 The more he fought, the more he discovered that ignorance had penetrated deeply into people's hearts. Even though he used his ability to inflame disease to fight, it gradually turned into fighting violence with violence. Many people would rather vomit blood and die in front of him than spit on the witch.

 …Then what is the difference between him who exasperates diseases and the "witch" who is rumored to spread plague?

BlackBerry is often confused.

 Each time the disease intensified, he could feel an extra amount of fluid accumulated in his body, as if someone else's disease was flowing into his body. He is getting weaker and weaker, and these darknesses are like time bombs that will explode instantly when he dies.

 —At that time, he became the real source of plague.

He gradually discovered that his own ability was also a huge trap. The lifespan of human beings is limited, but the lifespan of gods is infinite. He overextended his lifespan to fight on the battlefield... once he died.

That will usher in a thousandfold darkness.

Even if he wanted to persist for a few more years, he understood that this was just drinking poison to quench his thirst.

　　【Are you about to finish? 】The voice said.

"I have entrusted the government affairs to my subordinates. In the past few years, I have been traveling around on airships and have been deliberately training them." Blackberry suddenly smiled.

 His smile was like the pure smile of Xiao Xili when he was a child.

 “I have lit a fire.”

“Since this war, people have realized the unreliability of faith. They have also realized that the plague is probably not caused by witches, but spread by others.”

“More and more people are beginning to abolish trials by fire, even if they are only briefly enlightened, but they have already tasted the benefits of justice.”

“All I have to do is lift the torch and light it up for two or three seconds.”

 “I’ve done it.”

"War is a means, but not an end. What I want to do is never to unify the world. A completely unified world is of no benefit. What I want to awaken is always their minds, making them realize that there are no witches in this world, and that burning at the stake will only Burn innocent people.”

 “I’ve done it in the past ten years.”

"In order to wait for an angel, I endured the pain and lived. Now I have waited for ten years, and finally understand...an angel will not be attached to the human world. For her, I may be just a small passerby. I should not expect her to remember me. "

 “That’s it for now.”

"The world does not need a dictator. The emperor has completed his mission of enlightenment and it is time to retire."

  【…】Eye of the Old Days didn’t say much.

The sound of footsteps was heard, and surrounded by the knights, the goddess raised her sword.

At this moment, Blackberry saw the goddess of this generation through the holes in the mask - ah, he knew her.

 When he was twenty years old, he once piloted an airship through a beautiful town. There was once a girl wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket and walking leisurely on the street. At that time, he would take out his leaf flute, wear a mask, and play a song for her as a bard.

I heard that the goddess’s family has been destroyed. It seems that that beautiful town was also destroyed in the war he personally brewed.

 He ruined her life.

　　　…”

 He ruined so many lives.

 He saved the future generations of so many people.

　　When future generations judge Emperor Kenite, will they recognize his merits in awakening the mind, or will they condemn his brutality in launching wars?

 He himself didn’t know whether he was black or white.

So he opened his arms and laughed loudly.

 “Lord Angel! Lord Angel! Lord Angel—!”

"I have completed the test you assigned me! So many people have woken up from ignorance. I have done it. Can you - can you meet me -"

 He shouted to the sky, his eyes red. Like a bird about to fly into the sky. He screamed at the top of his lungs, even though he knew she couldn't hear.

 He completed the trial delivered by the angel.

　　He made people wake up, let them start to abolish the witch trial, and let them start to be independent.

 …Lord Angel, I have remembered the instructions you gave me when I was twelve years old until now.

 …

[“Bottom-up changes require a lot of blood and sacrifices, and countless people will die in the war. As long as the upper class is strong enough, top-down reforms may be successful. I will try to change this situation, end the witch hunt, and make the world a new one," Blackberry said. 】

　　　“This is not an easy task.” Su Mingan said. 】

【Blackberry's eyes are bright and sharp, like a blade that has just been unsheathed. He put one hand on his chest and bowed to Su Ming'an: "Angel, this is the trial you gave me...I will not back down."]

 …

 …Lord Angel, I did it.

 Am I good or not?

"Blackberry Kenite! You wantonly exacerbated the disease and used it to kill people - the evidence is conclusive. The Holy See has declared you a witch! You will be put on trial soon! Can you plead guilty?" the goddess crossed her hands and shouted at him.

 She was asking according to the regulations, but in fact, no one would confess.

Blackberry narrowed her eyes.

He opened his arms and laughed loudly, his voice as sharp as a knife.

 “I admit it—I am a witch!”

"I am the witch! The plagues over the years are all caused by me! You have seen it with your own eyes! As long as I stretch out my hand, someone will be plagued by plague. It's all my doing!"

“Who else can do this except me? You finally discovered that I am a witch, haha, hahaha—”

 The goddess was astonished.

Even the knights and priests looked surprised.

 They did not expect that...the noble and proud Emperor Kenite, who is above tens of millions of people, the leader of the world...would admit these sins.

This will obviously lead to him being nailed to a rack of shame after death. All the honors he has worked hard for will be completely wiped out.

 This will obviously make future generations hate him.

“It turns out that he is really a witch, so the wars over the years must have been for his selfish desires.” The priests looked at her with contempt.

"kill him!"

  "Judgment—"    The goddess raised her sword high.

 Her eyes were filled with tears.

The goddess has never been able to help herself. She has realized why Emperor Kenite admitted the crime, but she cannot stop. The goddess must kill the witch.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　loy

 Killing such demons with one's own hands, tarnishing his achievements and denouncing him as a tyrant in the history books - his end is obviously easy to see.

 He will not have a good reputation.

 People will only remember the name "witch".

 “Judgment of your crime—!”

 With the scream, everything disappeared.

 …

 The Age of Witches·342 years.

 The witch is dead.

 …

Blackberry smiled and closed her eyes.

…Angel.

If there is a voice in heaven, can you hear my heart? Do you regret saving me? Why didn't you take me away until the end?

He actually held on to a glimmer of hope. If he took the initiative to die, angels would hear his voice and take him away from this world with their gentle wings.

However.

 Until the last moment.

 The angel did not come.

 …

 When the light and fire fell, the girl would not know that she was killing the bard she once liked. The sound of his flute was so beautiful that it moved her heart, which had not yet suffered. However, as the war spread, her happiness was gone. It was the iron hoofs of the bard's men that destroyed her home.

 Then she beheaded him with her own hands.

The witch fell into the abyss.

His body was torn apart, the royal medal flew high, and the "mask" that had covered him for twenty-six years finally shattered.

He suddenly felt free and he laughed out loud.

 …He has completed the trial given to him by the angel, and he can finally rest.

 The Eye of the Old One floated up and said in a hoarse voice: [Blackberry, you are not a witch. 】

Witches don’t exist at all.

 It's just that whoever the superior wants to die will become a "witch".

 It has never been specific to every individual, it is just a tool of human government.

Blackberry vomited blood, said nothing, just smiled. He had known this for a long time, so he had to admit that he was a witch.

—In mythology, witches spread plagues, and he has similar abilities.

—In mythology, the witch has a cruel temperament, and he also showed his cruel side.

 Finally, the witch died.

 There are no more witches in the world.

 Eye of the Old Day said in a low voice: "You are going to die." Do you have any wishes? You have collected a lot of negative emotions over the years. Although you do not have the energy and authority to become a god, I can fulfill a wish for your reincarnation. 】

　　　…”

Blackberry's consciousness gradually disappeared, his mouth moved slightly, but there was no sound.

 He had already thought about his last wish.

 In the next life... I want to have a face similar to that of an angel.

 No matter what the appearance of the angel will be in the future. The moment I meet him/her again, I want him/her to remember me at a glance.

 Don’t want glory and wealth in the hereafter, nor do you want to enjoy yourself in this life. He knew that the Eye of the Old One was a divine object and could easily achieve these things, but his request was simple.

 He just wanted to see the angel again. Even if it's reincarnation...he wants to see her.

The appearance of an angel is not fixed, but as long as he always looks like an angel, he will definitely be able to find an angel in the future... no matter how many years, how many years...

 Then the eyes of the old days fell upon his face.

 At the last moment, he felt a change in his facial features. He gently touched his face, eyebrows, nose, lips...

ah.

 It turns out that the Lord Angel looks like this, it turns out that the angel is really a male, and those mobs did not lie to him...

Blackberry finally opened his lips and asked:

 Can I know... what the name... of my descendants... will be?

 The Eye of the Old One was silent for a moment.

“In the year 512 of the Steam Age, your name is Xiao Hei. You built an airship and have been keeping watch over the angels.”

“In the year 622 of the Louyue Era, your name was Xiao Jingsan. You worked hard to cultivate similar beings on an island, hoping to save the angel.”

“In the 830th year of this world, you were called Black Magpie. You also paid a lot for the angels.”

Blackberry narrowed her eyes.

nice name.

It's like the angel took it personally.

 …Then, after a long, long time, they…will definitely…live…well…together…

If given the chance, he would go through fire and water for the Lord Angel...

 …life after life.

 Finally with this thought.

The twenty-six-year-old Blackberry Kenite closed her eyes forever.

 …

　　After that, the Kenite Empire was divided among forty-two subordinates. They made a tacit agreement not to interfere with each other, forming various kingdoms and cities... Yate City, Luohe City... Baoting City.

After the witch Blackberry Kenit was killed, the plague was still spreading. After his death, people finally realized that witches did not exist in this world and stopped executing witches.

 The massive execution of witches that lasted for more than a hundred years ended with the death of Blackberry. After that, no one was denounced as a witch due to the righteousness advocated during the reign of the Kenite Empire. The world has entered the industrial steam age.

The name of the tyrant of Kenite was wiped out by the gods, and no one remembered what he had done.

Only occasionally, someone will pass by a destroyed ruins. It is said that this is a relic left by magicians hundreds of years ago. There are many white morning flowers placed in front of the tomb, and there is a very inconspicuous grave among them, with an ordinary name like "Blackberry Xili" engraved on it.

Some mothers will point to this stained tombstone and say to their children:

 “Here, this is the name of the witch.”

 “What is a witch?” the child asked innocently.

"The witch is the big bad guy. It is said that he killed many, many people. After his death, the witch's execution ended and the plague ended. Fortunately, he died..."

 The mother held the child's hand and slowly walked away from the ruins where no one was approaching.

 In the forest of steles, a white flower bloomed, facing the wind, like a gentle smiling face...

 Children look back.

 He blinked and seemed to see a beautiful elder sister wearing a witch hat standing beside the small tombstone and putting down a golden banana.