On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

[Millonia Trelova's POV]

"That bastard…he hid in this place. No wonder I couldn't find him no matter where I looked for him," I mutter under my breath, equally bitter and indignant.

Clearing my throat as I register the presence of my partner, I smile wryly. The flat-faced bastard looks at me with a quirked eyebrow as if wondering if I have lost my mind. I sigh and shake my head lightly. Retelling the story about the past has vexed me.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" I quirk an eyebrow and look at him as if looking at an idiot.

"Your name—why did it become Millonia?"

"Well…I wanted to be a strong girl; thus, I chose Millonia which means strong," I explain, earning a nod from the said partner.

"Is Trelova your father's family name? I am pretty sure that doesn't sound Dutch."

At that, I cough to clear my throat. The bastard is as sharp as ever. I am quite conflicted about this. Should I explain? I debate with myself. Judging from how he behaves so far, he will likely just smile in amusement after hearing my explanation about my surname. Still, I will be embarrassed and want to be spared from it if possible.

"Well…"

He seems to notice me hesitating as he smiles softly. I hate that smile of his because it is equally irritating and charming.

"Kuhum! I will tell you, all right." I sigh before muttering, "It's a wordplay. I know a little bit of English. Now that I think about it, it is honestly stupid of me to do that. I can't blame myself though. I thought I was going to die when my Origin got me, so…I was desperate for it."

"What is it?"

"True love…"

There it is—the smile. I can't tell what he is thinking when he smiles like that. That smile looks both comforting and condescending. I don't know how it is even possible. I try to keep my face as flat as I can, but I know I am blushing madly. I can't tell whether it's because of my embarrassment or his smile.

"That's quite creative of you," he remarks as he extends his hand. Petting my head softly, he continues, "You will find it someday—true love. I wouldn't say it if it was half a year ago, but now I am somewhat of a believer in its existence."

I look up at my partner whose face is brimming with warmth and smile bitterly. I know what causes him to smile like that. He must be thinking of his sugar mommy Valeria. I don't know whether I should be sad for him or happy for Valeria because she has found the one who will accept her for what she is.

The hand on my head leaves, making me return my gaze to my partner. He quirks his eyebrow before asking if I am fine. I immediately answer that I am, prompting him to point out that I am frowning. I quickly berate myself, cursing inwardly for letting my emotion reign over my facial expression.

I can't tell if he is already aware of it, but I have an inkling that he already knows how I feel toward him. It is embarrassing—I want to die. I have tried to stay away from him to prevent it from growing and I failed miserably. Even though I constantly remind myself he is the same loser that I gutted a few months ago, I still can't help it.

I ask myself if I would still feel the same if he was not the hunk he is right now and I can surely answer that I would. This brings me to the realization that I already fell for him since the very beginning. Pathetic. I have many choices and I chose my friend's lover.

Tak!

Layland flicks my forehead, taking me out of the pool of depression. It doesn't hurt—nothing can make me feel pain anymore—but I reflexively cover it before rubbing it as if to soothe the pain.

"What the hell was that for!?" I ask indignantly.

"Would you prefer a kiss?"

"Yes," I blurt out thoughtlessly. "I mean, no! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I will make sure to do that next time." He smiles cheekily, pointing out the blush on my cheeks. "Anyway, you haven't told everything to me, Valeria. What happened ten years ago? What caused your relationship with Ilschevar and Valeria to strain? How…did Kruff fail you?"

Ah, he seems to be more curious about the last question. That annoyingly accurate temporary mentor of mine made a quite impression on Layland, it seems. I heard that he was also the reason why Layland assumed his True Form for the first time. He didn't fail me; it was the opposite, but he felt responsible for it.

What a troublesome mentor he was.

"I believe you can already tell why I ended up like this."

"Your Origin got the better of you and Ilschevar was forced to seal you."

"Indeed, that was the case." I nod lightly. "But it is worth noting that my Origin didn't go on a rampage by itself. Someone caused it."

As I recall the day, I go back ten years. Standing before me was the Luxibrae Army that was ready to tear us down. Beside me, Vitolen was grinning from ear to ear. He hated the audacity of the army for coming right before our door. It was not something unprecedented, but it was sooner than we expected.

"They are confident in their skills, eh?" Vitolen sneered. "I wonder if they could smile after I paint our land with their blood."

"They must be planning something. When you are up against a strong opponent, you have to be witty to win," I sent my two cents in.

"Can you tell me what they are planning?"

"I don't."

"Figured. Your brain is all muscles, after all."

Vitolen chuckled as I hit his shoulder. The mood was light despite the bloodlust overwhelming the air. We were confident we would win. The other party might have a bigger number, but we had the most power. Their coming with that many people only meant that we would have a lot of blood to spill.

Per tradition, we charged first. The Centaurs in the frontline blew their horns, prompting the others to also charge at us. From afar, I could see the horror on their face. They tried to hide it, but the fear they were exuding made it even more obvious. I sneer and then charged forward.

As I dashed at them, I could see every single one of them tense their muscles. The fear I could sense in the air was amplified, making it more exciting for me and the rest of the Warriors. The Warriors roared and so did the soldiers of the Luxibrae Army. We lost in number, but we were louder. It was obvious who had the highest probability of winning.

Slash!

The first blood was drawn by me. I hate Centaurs the most, so my first victim was a Centaur. Their chivalry and twisted sense of righteousness were sickening. Killing them felt better than killing any other race.

After drawing the first blood, I infiltrated the army's rank. I broke their formation, sent them into a state of hysteria, and killed those who only knew how to run. Blood soon colored my black attire red. I looked like I just took a shower with blood and it frightened everyone who saw me. I showed them the reason why I was called the Crimson Maiden.

Things got heated when stronger individuals participated. It had always been like this: they joined in after I wrecked the entire army. I knew what they were doing. They were trying to figure out the pattern of my attacks and I pitied them for that. My Origin is Disaster. My power is based on chaos. The more chaotic I am, the more powerful I become.

They always wasted their time doing that useless thing and they always paid for it. It made me wonder if they ever learned their lesson.

As the war proceeded, more and more powerhouses joined in. I could no longer rely solely on my basic form, so I had to assume my True Form. A mask covered the lower half of my face and scaly black armor covered my skin. My hair also turned crimson, matching the color of my eyes. This was the reason why the Warriors also called me the Crimson Maiden.

As my overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield, Luxibrae took out their ace cards—the Paladin Master, the Great Mentor of Centaur, and the Emperor of the Light Elf. I could see in their eyes that all of them were ready to die.

It made me more excited, but I couldn't ignore this uncomfortable feeling in my chest. I should have trusted that; it was my Instinct warning me about my possible doom.

Aided by Vitolen, another heated battle ensued. Both parties were ready to die, so every attack we launched destroyed everything in our surroundings. None of us counted how many allies we had killed and nor did we register it. Our mind was clouded with the thought of killing each other.

When it was about time for the fight to end, another person joined the fight. It was someone whom none of us thought would ever show up—the Sixth Demon King. We instantly knew why he was there the moment he smirked. He colluded with the Luxibrae Army.

At this moment, Kruff, my mentor shouted at me, telling me to move away. I wasn't focused on him, so I couldn't hear him well. When I registered what he said, the Demon King's hand had pierced my stomach. Everything was a blur afterward.