Yulia Reborn

After taking care of Lily's matter, Iver did not go to school with her.

Since I've already used up all my days off for today, I might as well stay home and rest with Yulia.

Before, when Iver was at home, Yulia would often run to Iver's place with her stuffed animal and sleep with him.

Her body was always very warm; you didn't even need to hold her, just lying next to her was like being a radiant heater. It was alright in winter, but in summer it made Iver very uncomfortable. Occasionally, the heat would even leave Iver with a dry mouth and cracked lips.

But he never refused Yulia.

Because Iver knew all too well that the pain he was enduring was nothing compared to what Yulia was going through. The two had supported each other since their Orphanage days and had developed a deep bond with each other.

But Iver could not share Yulia's suffering. From the age of six or seven, she had been running a fever and was almost always in a weak state.

If it were someone else, their soul might wither like a flower. Depression, anxiety, and rage are mild symptoms; it's normal to be unable to bear the pain and take it out on family members, throw things, or even contemplate suicide.

But Yulia never did that.

The more pain and melancholy she experienced, the more radiant her soul became.

Yulia endured all the suffering she endured and transformed it all into a thirst for knowledge.

Mathematics, physics, architecture, geology, history, alchemy...

She enjoys things that give her room to think. Things that allow her to experience the profound texture of the world without leaving home.

When Iver visited Yulia in her bedroom, she was either dismantling the appliances her adoptive father had bought at a high price—at least in Avalon, many appliances were scarce, and not many families had electric lights and telephones.

But Yulia, who was only eleven or twelve years old at the time, had already successfully disassembled and reassembled the electric fan, radio, telephone, electric iron, phonograph and camera.

At that time, Iver had not yet regained his memories of his Previous Life... He often sat next to Yulia and watched her assemble those electrical appliances. Watching the fragments return to their original form in her skillful hands, he would marvel at her magical skill.

And whenever that happened, Yulia would smile gently, like an elegant young lady.

A satisfied smile would appear on her delicate face, and her eyes would sparkle like jewels.

Compared to the obviously intelligent Yulia, Iver felt acutely aware of his own inadequacy. When Yulia was in pain, he could do nothing but watch her and offer quiet words of comfort.

Later he realized that Yulia didn't need comforting. She was strong enough to pull herself together... all she needed was companionship.

Therefore, whenever Yulia was in particular pain, Iver would stay with her for a night. When Yulia woke up with a headache, Iver would gently hold her hand or touch her head and whisper, "I'm here, don't be afraid."

—Until today.

Iver sat quietly on the bed, beside Yulia, flipping through a book. He leaned against the pillows, his left leg tucked in. His left hand supported the spine of the book as he gently placed it on his lap.

On the book's cover, the words ""Six Classics Unraveled"" are written in the language of golden Iris Language.

The room was utterly silent, save for the occasional rustling of pages turning and the almost inaudible breathing of Iver. The afternoon winter sun shone on the bedside table and on Iver's head, making Iver hair slightly warm. His smooth, platinum-blonde hair formed a golden outline in the sunlight.

When Yulia woke up, this was the scene that greeted her when she opened her eyes.

She stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

My headache is gone...

Even the skin and bones all over my body no longer hurt.

Her body was no longer weak, and her hands could no longer clench tightly. Her breathing no longer burned her trachea, and her heart no longer felt heavy or short of breath. The auditory hallucinations that occasionally echoed in her mind also disappeared.

Yulia felt hungry. It was an appetite she had almost never had before.

Yulia's body was so thin and weak, largely because she never had an appetite and was even somewhat anorexic.

Is this... a healthy body? In that instant, tears streamed from Yulia's eyes.

Iver suddenly heard a faint sob. He immediately closed the book and put it aside, asking with concern, "What's wrong, Yuli? Is something else bothering you?"

Yulia shook her head vigorously, then threw herself into Iver.

The soft sobs suddenly grew louder, but they were muffled in Iver's arms, and only Iver could hear them. It was as if all the grievances that had been building up for more than a decade were finally bursting out.

Lily, who had been quietly reading on the sofa, looked up at Yulia with a hint of pity.

Only at this moment could the Moriarty Family members truly realize that... the seemingly all-knowing and all-learning Miss Yulia was ultimately just a fifteen-year-old girl.

Iver sensed the emotions Yulia was releasing. He felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

He held Yulia tightly, gently resting his chin on the back of her head and closing his eyes. Just like he used to lull her to sleep, he patted Yulia's back lightly.

It took her a long time to finally calm herself down.

She silently pulled herself out of Iver, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wiped her face.

"I'm so happy, brother..."

She spoke softly, but no longer with the gentle, sweet voice of the past. That light, airy voice wasn't her natural tone, but rather the weakness of a patient suffering from anorexia and lethargy.

"It's not because you cured me, but because I can continue to be with you. I won't suddenly leave you at some point."

"It's true. I had a vague feeling before that day might not be far away..."

They talked about pessimistic topics, discussing their previous death dates.

But Yulia's eyes seemed to be shining. "But now, I can finally continue to live... That's wonderful."

For the first time, I was completely free from the shadow of death.

At this moment, Yulia is like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. She struggles to break free from the cocoon, spreads her wings, and is finally able to take flight.

Her entire face radiated a bright and hopeful glow. This made her appear so beautiful.

"A fifteen-year-old girl, at the prime of her life, should naturally live a happy and hopeful life."

Iver patted her head and said softly, "This is what the world owes you. I've taken it back for you."

Yulia didn't respond. She just squinted like a puppy, rubbing her head earnestly against Iver's hand.

Finally, Iver hugged Yulia again, took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky.

"I'm actually quite scared too."

Iver replied without hesitation, "Because I'm not actually sure if I can seal the demon within you. I also don't know if this will ensure your safety..."

"But I also had a vague feeling that you might have reached your limit. That ominous premonition made me anxious and impatient. That's why I didn't use anyone else as an experiment and went straight to you Yuli, for the first chance."

"Thank you, Candle Master; thank you, Serpent Father... and thank you a little to the Fallen Angel too. I really succeeded."

These were words he would never have dared to utter before the ceremony began.

That might damage Yulia's confidence, or it might make him shrink back—strictly speaking, what he experimented with were only the Phantom Demon Card made by extracting the Magic Power, not the Great Sin Card that sealed the Great Sin Beast.

While the Fallen Angel have not yet fallen, it is possible that they will fail.

Iver simply overcame this fear of failure and completed it with an unwavering determination to win.

But now that he has won, he can calmly look back and reflect on his journey.

Iver sighed, "What frightens me is that I saw during the ritual that you had indeed reached your limit. If you had lost control again, it would have been impossible to seal you safely... The Paradox Flame Butterfly would have completely devoured your life. And after the sealing, the Illumination Spell showed me just how badly your body had deteriorated."

"Your body is like an empty shell, hollowed out by the Paradox Flame Butterfly.' Like a butterfly cocoon, the nutrients inside have been almost completely drained."

Yet, under these circumstances, Yulia's life was able to burst forth with such a dazzling flame...

Iver genuinely admired his sister.

Now Yulia has broken free from the dangerous shackles that bound her fate and sought to kill her. Her soul, which is talented in balance, wisdom, dedication, and transcendence, will shine with its own unique brilliance.

She could become an alchemist or a mage. Because a trace of the flames left by the Paradox Flame Butterfly still lingered within Yulia's body, her flames were naturally more intense than others.

Once the Paradox Flame Butterfly has fully developed and left its juvenile stage... Iver can then reinfuse its power into Yulia's body.

The Shepherding Method will not permanently weaken Iver's own power, but he must carefully select his limited Shepherding slots.

Just like Lily is well-suited to the power of the Shadow Fiend.

Without a doubt, Yulia is the one best suited to wield the power of the Paradox Flame Butterfly.

"By the way... where's Dad, brother?"

Yulia suddenly thought of her strange Little Bear doll. She felt a little out of place without her doll.

Dad is a character in the popular children's comic book series "Director Brown" in Avalon.

It was white, with a round face like a bear, but large, drooping ears like a long-eared rabbit. A series of large "X" lines ran across its face like stitching, while its eyes were small "X" lines. It looked rather odd.

In that comic, he was a stupid villain. Iver had also read that comic with Yulia.

In its lore, it's an immortal monster like Jason, wielding a butcher's knife and chasing the protagonist—who is a brown bear named "Brown," a Bureau of Supervision. However, Dad is so weak that he dies every time they meet, turning him into a comedic character.

But for some reason, Yulia really liked it. Iver had asked her about it before, but Yulia always avoided answering.

Now that Iver has asked the question again, Yulia has finally given an answer.

"... There's no particular reason. If I had to say, it's a kind of superstition."

Yulia touched a strand of hair that was hanging down her forehead with some embarrassment.

"I just feel... I'm a lot like it, we're both white. Our eyes are both red, and our bodies are both tattered."

The girl whispered, "I wish I could have the same vitality as it, so that I can't be killed."

That was simply the girl's incredibly basic desire to live.

This was an incredibly strong will to survive that Yulia had never shown to Iver or the rest of her family.

Last month, I updated a whopping 200,000 words!! This is the most VIP words I've updated in a single month in nearly ten years of writing!

The cat has grown up too (sigh). Requesting votes at the beginning of the month, meow~