Showdown II

Though the training ground was large, at their pace, they reached it in less than a minute.

At the familiar figure not far ahead, Annie's heart stopped for an instant, and her fists clenched instinctively.

"Was all of this arranged by you, Ryan?"

Her voice was slightly hoarse.

She suddenly felt like an idiot.

So that she could help him later, she had trained desperately these past two days. Even just now, she had been prepared to use her own life to threaten that Supreme Being.

But what had she seen now?

Teacher Demiurge, who possessed power like that of gods and demons, called Ryan Supreme. Everything she had imagined had been shattered before it could even begin.

What was even more ridiculous was that after living with him day and night for ten years, she had known nothing about any of this. What had he taken her for, some pet he was raising?

And she had actually thought she could help him before!

How laughable!

Forcing herself not to cry, she refused to show weakness in front of him.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Annie."

Seeing the stubborn look on Annie's face, Ryan felt a little panicked as he explained softly.

He had seen that expression before in his memories. It had been ten years ago, shortly after he had crossed over, when Annie had misunderstood and thought he no longer wanted her, preparing to leave alone. This was the second time.

"So it really was arranged by you?"

"Was it fun watching me get fooled around like an idiot? Especially when this idiot was still thinking that one day she might be able to help you? You must have been laughing yourself silly inside!"

"I really am stupid! I never noticed."

Annie spoke in a low voice, a trace of lifelessness in her eyes.

Ryan's heart twitched at the sight. Honestly, he had only wanted to play a joke on Annie and give her a surprise afterward, but now...

"I'm sorry, but Annie, I didn't think that. I just wanted to play a joke..."

His explanation felt weak. He had not considered so much beforehand, though now that he thought about it, this really had been too much.

"A joke? A joke that lasted ten years?"

Annie laughed at that.

"But you're right. This really is a joke."

She set the longsword at her waist on the ground and began taking off her armor.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing Annie's actions, Ryan demanded, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

"Don't worry. I won't make a scene like an ordinary girl. I just want to go out and calm down."

"After all, even if you did raise me as a pet for ten years, I still enjoyed many things from you during those ten years."

"Before I repay everything you gave me, I won't leave."

Annie started walking away as she spoke. Ryan's brows furrowed deeply after hearing her.

"Stop!"

His voice was so low that even Ryan himself found it hard to believe. Annie stopped and turned around.

"What else is it?"

Her already cool voice was even colder now, as though she were speaking to a stranger.

Ryan's heart stung slightly. He stepped forward and slapped her.

"This is your punishment for what you said earlier!"

His voice was restrained and low, carrying a trace of anger.

He had kept some secrets from her, but did that mean she could doubt the feelings they had built over ten years of living together day and night?

Seeing that Annie's expression did not change even after being slapped, he took a deep breath and continued. "I admit that having Demiurge pretend to be a demon hunter to teach you was poorly considered, and I neglected your feelings. But comparing yourself to a pet—are you insulting me or yourself?"

"You have no idea how cruel the true face of this world really is.

Some secrets can be heard across time even if you say just one word to empty air! Before my wings had fully grown, I could only hide every secret I had and dare not reveal the slightest thing. In these ten years, have you ever seen me use any ability beyond ordinary human comprehension?"

Ryan's explanation gradually restored some life to Annie's deadened eyes. She asked softly, "Is everything you said true?"

Over the past ten years, she had come to regard Ryan as her closest family. She could endure anything else, but she alone could not accept that Ryan's feelings for her had all been false.

"Of course. You're my sister, the princess of Nazarick! There can be no doubt about that!"

Seeing life return to Annie's eyes, Ryan immediately replied firmly, delighted.

"What is Nazarick?"

Annie asked, catching the key point in Ryan's words.

"A force I founded with some friends. But for certain reasons, I'm the only one left now..."

Ryan hesitated and said no more.

Ryan did not regret casting out the guild members he had played with and crossing over alone. After all, his foundation could never be touched by outsiders.

But the guilt still remained.

Though the guild members he played with every day had initially approached one another with thoughts of using each other, over years of constant companionship, their feelings had naturally grown deeper. That was beyond his control.

That was also why, despite knowing that deleting every NPC and making all the NPCs in the Great Tomb of Nazarick his own creations would have been the best choice, he had not done so.

Seeing Ryan's expression turn unpleasant, Annie did not press further.

Since Ryan had called them friends, and they were now gone, something must clearly have happened.

Demiurge and Sebas thought the same at that moment. For a time, the entire training ground fell into deep silence.

"Sorry, I remembered something."

After a long while, Ryan came back to himself and continued, "Nazarick isn't in this world. Not long after I adopted you ten years ago, I accidentally gained the ability to travel between worlds. If your memory is good enough, Annie, you might still remember it. The day after I adopted you, you said outside the door that I had something on my mind. Everything began then..."

As Ryan began telling the story, Annie gradually recalled some impressions as well.

She remembered that Ryan had secretly gone to train at the firearms club every day, and bought piles of miscellaneous things that normal people had absolutely no use for. She had been very dissatisfied at the time.

Thinking about it now, Ryan must have been preparing to travel between worlds back then...

Ryan continued speaking, but he did not say much about World One, merely glossing over it. He focused instead on Nazarick and their crossing into another world three days ago.

Annie, Demiurge, and Sebas assumed Ryan simply did not want to speak much about those friends who had met with accidents or about the relationship among the Supreme Beings, so they did not pay much attention. But when Ryan mentioned that his identity had been exposed and that various countries had treated him as an alien, Annie finally could not help speaking.

"You said they treated you as an alien?"

"Yes. Because of the company name, the works I brought back from another world, and the fact that they couldn't find any record of Sebas existing before. Honestly, I never expected their imaginations to be so wild, so insane!"

Ryan sounded helpless. Even now, whenever he mentioned it, he still felt indignant.

Nick Fury must have something seriously wrong with his head—a huge problem!