Grand Ancestral Bloodlines Chapter 2253

[ … words ]

The Black Rose. It was a Spiritual Herb of legend, and yet it was the one Spiritual Herb that could easily be missed. Lurking in nature, it was the most inconspicuous of all natural treasures at this level. Even Ryu’s eyes might not be able to pick one out with ease.

Ailsa had explained to Ryu long ago just what this Spiritual Herb was capable of.

The moment you touched a Black Rose, you would die. It was impossible to deny its strength.

At least this seemed to be the case. In reality, if the Black Rose didn’t acknowledge you, even if you plucked it, it would just simply wilt away and reincarnate elsewhere without a care in the world.

But should it… you would not only certainly die, but when you reincarnated, you would have all your memories, all your talents, all your abilities, and you would be given a gift of Karmic Luck the likes of which you couldn’t fathom.

This was the power of the Black Rose, a deathly thorn, and yet all the more strong for it.

Normally, the Black Rose would use the life it had taken to fuel its next evolution, growing stronger during its next cycle. But with Yaana, something odd had happened.

Because they were Life Partners, the Black Rose ended up getting attached to Yaana, and rather than using Yaana’s first life as Nuri to fuel its own growth, it acted completely unselfishly, completely fusing with Yaana instead.

Thanks to this, Yaana was able to reincarnate, and control her reincarnation so that she was as close to Ryu as possible. But that used up all of the Karmic Luck the Black Rose had, and as such it didn’t have enough left over to help Nuri—now Yaana—to recover her memories.

In the end, the woman that had once been Nuri faded away, replaced by Yaana and her own memories.

It was no wonder Rose hated Ryu so much. Her Life Partner had chosen someone else, and on top of that, the woman she had loved was gone to the stream of time…

At least in part.

But now there was a huge gap in the story. Between Yaana’s reincarnation and her reunion with Ryu, just what had happened that allowed the Black Rose to return?

What happened to Yaana in the stream of time, and why was Wobbling Fairy, or Rose, alone? Where was Yaana?

And why did it sound like Ryu did something in the future that infuriated her even more?

“But, I guess I can’t hate you too much,” Rose eventually said, smiling again. “Since I’ve decided to tell you this, I’ll accept whatever comes next.”

“What you mean to say is that you have physical form now thanks to me,” Ryu corrected.

“No one likes a smart ass.”

“You and my Yaana are nothing alike, you know,” Ryu said with a grin.

“You don’t know Yaana. You just think you know her. The girl you know has always been shy and reserved around you because she owed your parents a great debt, and then she fell for you for some ungodly reason. She’s always felt restrained because of that.

“You do know that it should be impossible for a Life Partner to fall in love with anyone else until they meet their soul mate, right?”

“I guess I just break the mold, then. I’ve already told you that you’re very lucky to have me as a husband.”

“That’s part of the problem,” Rose said softly, looking away. “They’re almost here, you know… shouldn’t you prepare?”

“I am prepared. And because Sarriel is a little too willful, I’m probably too prepared now. I’m worried it will be boring.”

“Boring is the last thing it will be. You’re underestimating the powers of Existence too much.”

“They haven’t given me much reason to respect them in the first place.”

Rose snorted, starting to feel annoyed with this supposed husband of hers again.

She yelped as she felt a pinch at her ass.

“What are you doing?!”

“I’m just trying to make sure I remember the feel, don’t mind me too much.”

“Humph.” Rose pouted and turned away, shaking her head as she tried to stifle her laugh.

“Just tell me one thing,” Ryu said as the skies began to change color.

“What’s that?”

“She’s still alive, right?”

Rose fell into silence.

“… I don’t know.”

Ryu gave Rose a glance. That answer seemed to have more layers to it than it seemed. Almost like… the answer would be more dependent on him than anyone else.

“Is that so? In that case, she’s alive.”

Rose blinked, looking up at Ryu involuntarily. She didn’t know why those words filled her with so much reassurance despite the fact she had seen far more of the future than Ryu had.

All things considered… there was simply no way it would be possible for Ryu to come out alive. And by that… her hidden meaning was just as complex as her answer to Ryu’s questions.

There were far more ways for a person to die than just waiting for their heart to stop beating. Maybe it would be precisely because one’s heart was beating for something completely different that one would die.

Rose knew of this feeling so very intimately. It was how she had lost Nuri, and maybe how she would lose Yaana.

Rose looked away. “… Maybe a husband isn’t so bad,” she mumbled.

Her waist was swept into Ryu’s arms, and before she could react, a kiss was stolen from her.

Startled and blushing, the moment Ryu pulled away she wanted to find a place to bury her head.

Ryu grinned. “Maybe you are my Yaana’s Life Partner after all.”

Rose only buried her head further, still trying to find somewhere to hide.

“Go now. Help Hope through this, I’m sure that along with Ailsa, she’ll make it.”

“… I will,” Rose replied softly.

“Mm. Just wait patiently. I’ll only return with tidings of victory.”

BANG!

Ryu looked up with the beauty in his arms as the skies shattered.

It looked like hell was descending from above, one army of Martial Gods after another manifesting.

Ryu shook his head, finding it ridiculous.

“What the hell is this supposed to be? Buzz off.”

He waved a hand and all the armies vanished, being forcefully teleported out of Sacrum.

“Now, enter again. This time more nicely. You startled my wife.”

Rose snorted with laughter, unable to hold it back.