A full moon hung high in the sky.
Its pale light quietly covered the valley below. The waterfall flowed endlessly from the cliffs, its gentle sound blending with the cold night wind. The trees swayed softly, and countless silver leaves drifted through the air.
Beneath an old tree sat Eliza.
Her long black hair flowed down the grass, moving gently with the breeze. Wrapped in her white gown, she almost didn't look like a demon. Under the moonlight, she looked more like a celestial being who had wandered into the mortal world.
She lowered her head. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"...It's easy for him to say..."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"...But what about me?"
The valley remained silent.
———————————————————————
Two days earlier.
High in the mountains.
Dry trees stood along the rocky cliffs while thick clouds drifted below, making it feel as though they were standing above the world itself.
Jigen stood quietly near the edge.
His black robes were torn from countless battles. Blood stained the sleeves, and a few crimson drops remained on his pale face. Yet his expression never changed.
It was as if none of it mattered to him.
Eliza stood beside him.
She glanced at him for a moment before lowering her eyes.
...I think this is the right time.
I just hope everything goes well.
Taking a small breath, she slowly knelt before him.
"Jigen-Sama..."
Her voice was gentle, almost hesitant.
"If you don't mind... may I ask you something?"
For a few seconds, only the wind answered. Then, Jigen looked down at her. His crimson eyes remained calm.
"What is it…?"
Eliza slowly raised her head. Her bright azure eyes met his.
"Tell me… Why do you always treat me like a servant?"
Silence.
She continued before she could lose her courage.
"You've never truly acknowledged me… I've always followed your orders… I've always been your subordinate."
Her voice gradually became quieter.
"I tried to understand you… I really did. But... you never accepted the person standing beside you.
I followed every mission. I stayed by your side no matter what happened."
Her fingers slowly tightened.
"But in the end… you're no different from Muzan… Just like everyone else…
…I've only been someone you used."
The mountain became quiet again.
Even the wind seemed slower now.
Eliza's heart pounded.
...Did I go too far?
Jigen said nothing.
He simply turned around.
His footsteps echoed quietly across the stone.
"Eliza."
His voice was calm as always.
"...You're free now."
Her eyes widened.
"...What?"
Without stopping, he answered, "You're no longer my servant… I won't call you for my missions anymore. You can live however you want."
Every word felt heavier than the last. Eliza slowly stood up. "...Jigen-Sama."
She instinctively reached her hand toward him. But she stopped halfway.
Her fingers slowly curled back. She couldn't move.
Jigen continued walking. His figure disappeared into the drifting clouds until nothing remained… Only the cold wind. Only the empty mountain.
Eliza stood there by herself. The endless sky stretched above her. Her lips trembled slightly.
"...This… This isn't what I wanted."
———————————————————————
Now.
Eliza stood beneath the old tree, her azure eyes fixed on the moon, yet seeing something far beyond it.
The waterfall continued to flow quietly behind her. The night was peaceful, almost unreal, as if the world had forgotten there had ever been war.
"...Why?"
A soft whisper escaped her lips.
"Why do I feel like this...?"
She slowly stood up.
The cold grass brushed against her feet as she began walking without any destination. Her gaze wandered across the valley, but nothing truly entered her eyes.
"...I don't like him… I never will."
The words sounded convincing only for a moment.
"...But… We've only spent a few years together. So why… do those few years feel longer than the centuries I spent alone?"
The wind gently lifted her long black hair.
Moonlight rested upon her white gown, making her look less like a demon and more like a lonely spirit wandering through a forgotten paradise.
She looked around. The valley looked beautiful tonight. The moon, the trees, the flowers, the endless sky, everything felt strangely alive.
Yet none of it reached her heart. Her chest felt unbearably heavy. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't.
Without realizing it, memories quietly surfaced one after another.
Following him through countless missions. Walking beside him in silence. Seeing places she had never imagined existed. Watching him solve impossible situations as if they were ordinary.
Somehow… Those ordinary moments stayed with her more than the battles themselves.
Then other memories appeared.
The hatred, the whispers, the fear in people's eyes whenever they heard Jigen's name. Even demons avoided speaking about him. Simply standing beside him was enough for others to look at her differently.
She lowered her head. "...Wait..."
Her footsteps stopped.
"...No." Her eyes widened slightly.
"He… He never treated me like a slave."
The realization came so suddenly that she almost laughed at herself.
"He never forced me. If I refused a mission… he simply went alone. He never argued. He never punished me. He never even raised his voice..."
She slowly covered her mouth.
"...Then why did I say those things?"
Only silence answered her.
A few moments later...
She found herself sitting on a small hill overlooking the valley. Her knees rested against her chest. Her thoughts returned to him once again.
"No… I shouldn't. My mind keeps telling me… he's a criminal… a devil… a monster."
She smiled bitterly.
"...Then why does my heart keep telling me there's something different about him?" How embarrassing..."
She let out a long sigh.
"It's only been two days… but it feels like I've been waiting forever. I decided not to see him again… Yet..."
She looked toward the moon.
"...I want to see him. Just once… One last time. After that… I'll decide everything."
Her breathing became slightly uneven. She still possessed the authority to summon him whenever she wished.
Her fingers trembled.
"...Should I really do it? And if he comes… What am I supposed to say?"
She slowly closed her eyes.
His face appeared almost instantly. That calm expression, those crimson eyes. His quiet voice.
"...Ah. I really am hopeless."
The moment that thought crossed her mind—
Dark smoke quietly gathered before her. It rose from the ground like living shadows before slowly taking the shape of a person.
Eliza's breathing stopped. Standing before her...
...was Jigen.
His pale skin reflected the moonlight like white marble. His long obsidian hair swayed gently in the night breeze, while his black robes moved quietly around him.
He looked exactly the same as always. Cold. Distant. Untouched by the world.
For a brief moment, Eliza simply looked at him.
The moonlight seemed to fade around them. The valley became silent. Even the waterfall felt far away. His calm voice finally broke the silence.
"Tell me… What do you want now?"
Eliza immediately looked away.
"U-Umm...Nothing."
Jigen quietly watched her. He already understood.
She couldn't stop herself from calling him. A faint blush appeared across Eliza's cheeks.
...He knows. He already knows why I called him...
She awkwardly cleared her throat before forcing herself to look serious again.
"Didn't you want freedom?" Jigen asked calmly.
Eliza blinked. "...Yeah. That's between us."
She took one step closer.
"But how are you planning to explain that to Muzan and Kokushibo?"
She folded her arms, trying to sound confident.
"You handed all of my responsibilities back to yourself. Don't tell me you've already forgotten."
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how unreasonable they sounded.
"..."
Her eyes slowly drifted away. ...That didn't sound convincing at all.
Jigen already understood what she was trying to say. Without looking at her, he spoke in the same calm, emotionless voice.
"...I know what you mean."
Eliza froze. For a moment, even her breathing stopped.
Jigen continued walking. "...But I'm not someone you can live beside… The best thing you can do…
...is kill me."
Silence.
The wind quietly passed between them, carrying fallen leaves across the path.
Eliza lowered her gaze. She wanted to deny him. She wanted to ask why he always spoke as if his own life had no value. But the words refused to come out.
After a while, Jigen spoke again. "...If you wish to continue accompanying me… there is one mission."
Eliza immediately looked up. "What mission?"
"...Follow me." That was all he said.
He turned around and began walking. Eliza quickly followed after him until she was walking beside him.
The path stretched through the mountains, hidden beneath drifting clouds. For a while, neither of them spoke. Only their footsteps echoed softly.
Standing beside him always made her feel strangely small. Jigen's tall figure, over 6'4, walked ahead with unwavering steps.
His pale skin reflected the moonlight like polished marble. His long obsidian hair swayed behind him with the wind, smooth and unnaturally flawless.
Sometimes… He didn't even feel like a living person. More like an ancient sculpture that had somehow learned to walk. Or a beautiful doll with a heartbeat hidden somewhere inside.
Before she realized it, she had been staring at him again.
Her heartbeat skipped. She immediately looked away. What am I doing...?
She quietly bit her lower lip, pretending to admire the scenery instead. After gathering a little courage, she broke the silence.
"Jigen-Sama… Please don't misunderstand."
No reply.
She awkwardly smiled. "I... wanted to ask you something."
Still nothing.
"...Those rumors about you..."
Before she could finish—
"It's none of your business." His answer was calm. Not angry, not cold, simply absolute.
Eliza felt her shoulders stiffen.
"... I..." She looked down for a moment before speaking again.
"I apologize… I was only curious. Why do your missions always involve innocent people? You've burned schools… You've killed countless people… I know you're not foolish…
So… why? Can't you stop killing them?"
Jigen's footsteps never slowed.
"The answer is simple… The weak live in despair. Their deaths change nothing… They disappear, the world grieves for a few days… then forgets them. They're not worth discussing."
His voice remained as calm as the night itself.
Eliza slowly clenched her fists. His words reminded her of another rumor. The one she hated hearing the most. A quiet murmur escaped her lips.
"...No wonder they call you the mother-killing maniac."
...
Jigen stopped walking. The air suddenly became heavy.
Eliza's body stiffened. A suffocating pressure silently spread through the mountains. Every instinct inside her screamed to step back.
...I shouldn't have said that.
Her fingers trembled. For the first time in a long while, she was genuinely afraid of him.
Jigen slowly turned his head. His face remained exactly the same, expressionless. His crimson eyes quietly met hers. The overwhelming pressure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
"...You're right." His voice never changed. "Do you have any doubts?"
Eliza quickly shook her head. "N-No."
Jigen turned forward again. They continued walking.
Some time later.
The mountains opened into a wide valley. Below them lay the remains of a city. Half of it had been reduced to black ruins. Collapsed buildings stood like broken monuments. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air. Silence covered the place.
Eliza quietly looked across the destruction. She could still imagine the people who had once lived there.
Jigen looked at the ruined city. "Tell me… Can you return the dead to life?"
Eliza slowly shook her head.
"...No. I can heal wounds. I can restore destruction. But… once both the heart and the brain stop… I can't return a soul."
Jigen nodded once. "I see..."
Another silence followed. Then he spoke. "...Can you restore this place?"
Eliza stared at him. Her thoughts became tangled. ...This place… This is where he burned one of the CWSN schools...
She looked at him again. "If I restore it… won't people find it strange? The buildings would return but the teachers… and the children… They'll still be gone."
Jigen quietly looked over the valley.
"There are countless places like this... But this one must be restored."
Eliza frowned slightly, only then did she truly notice it. A dark curse lingered over the ruins like invisible poison. It spread through the earth, the air, even the trees. Not because of the fire… because of Jigen.
His presence alone had stained the land. The curse was still growing.
Without another question, Eliza slowly raised her hand. A gentle green light bloomed from her fingertips. "...Heal."
The valley answered. A soft emerald radiance spread across the ruins. The blackened ground slowly regained its color. Broken walls rose once more. Burnt streets rebuilt themselves piece by piece.
The lingering curse dissolved into countless glowing particles before disappearing into the night.
Within moments, life had returned to the city. Everything except the people who could never come back.
Once the last traces of the curse disappeared, Jigen quietly turned around. Without another word, he began walking away.
"...Wait."
Eliza's voice stopped him. "Where are you going now?"
The words left her mouth before she could stop them. She immediately looked away, embarrassed by how desperate she sounded.
Jigen remained still. "I already told you... You don't belong to me anymore. You're no longer my subordinate."
Eliza took a slow breath.
"You can't be serious. You took all of my responsibilities. I never asked you to abandon me."
Silence settled between them.
She slowly looked into his crimson eyes. He looked back with the same calm expression.
Neither of them spoke. Unable to bear his gaze any longer, Eliza lowered her eyes.
"...And... I'm sorry... For what I said earlier. I didn't mean it like that."
For the first time, her voice sounded fragile.
"I spoke without thinking."
Jigen tilted his head ever so slightly. Almost as if he didn't understand why she was apologizing.
Eliza gave a faint, bitter smile.
"Of course. Nobody has ever apologized to you before. But I truly mean it..."
She lifted her eyes again. "You understand me better than anyone. Most people only see this face. They call me divine. They admire me, they desire me. Some only wish to use me... Muzan is one of them.
But you... You've always looked beyond all of this. You've always treated me as myself... Thank you."
For the first time, Jigen stepped closer. The distance between them quietly disappeared.
Eliza's heartbeat stumbled. She instinctively leaned back until the rough bark of a tree touched her back.
Jigen gently lifted her chin so she would meet his eyes again. His pale face looked almost unreal beneath the moonlight, like a sculpture carved from white marble. His long obsidian hair drifted softly behind him, untouched by the wind.
"They're not wrong." His calm voice broke the silence.
"Sayo… Who wouldn't be captivated by someone like you?"
Eliza's breathing stopped. Her thoughts became a blur.
...What is he doing? Why now...?
Her cheeks slowly warmed.
She closed her eyes.
...
Nothing happened. Only the quiet wind.
When she slowly opened them again, Jigen was gone. "...Huh?"
She quickly turned.
A short distance away… Several demons collapsed one after another.
Jigen stood among them. Dark blood stained his fingers as he calmly wiped them against his black sleeve. It was as though those few moments had never happened.
He looked back at her. His expression hadn't changed.
...Is she angry? Perhaps I frightened her by showing one of her biggest fears.
Eliza's face is flustered. He quietly walked back. Before he could speak—
Eliza rushed toward him. She grabbed his collar. The sudden force pushed him backward against the old tree.
For a brief moment… Neither of them moved.
Jigen quietly observed her. "...Does she intend to kill me?
If she erased me here... perhaps everything would finally end… It will be better if she can erase my soul too."
But to his surprise, Eliza's anger transforms into something else. She holds him closer for the first time, feeling his strong body.
His thoughts quietly drifted. "Her body is so fragile and soft... What is she doing…? Perhaps she accidentally fell on me."
Slowly, he placed a hand on her shoulder, intending to move her away.
Instead, she only stepped closer. Jigen's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. For the first time, someone stood this close to him.
Moonlight illuminated Eliza's flawless face. Her skin glowed like fresh snow beneath the night sky. Her long black hair flowed around them like silk, and her white gown gently swayed in the breeze. She looked less like a demon, and more like a celestial doll that had wandered down from the heavens.
Jigen observes her body more. "I don't understand what she is doing… What did she see in me? This is strange…"
But to her gaze, Jigen looks otherworldly, his appearance doll-like, too unreal to even imagine. His snow-white skin, long obsidian hair, and face, it's overwhelming for anyone. His crimson eyes look like blood jewels. She traces his crimson lips with her slender fingers.
Jigen looked quietly into her azure eyes. For a brief instant—
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
The Hollow King's shadow flashed across his mind.
His gaze hardened. "What are you doing…? Get out of me..."
Eliza's blue, jewel-like eyes half-hooded, looks at him. She murmurs, her voice like siren's. "Why…? Don't you like it?"
Her one hand grabs his, placing it on her own heavy breast. "I can't hide it anymore… See, how much I want you…"
Her other hand grabs his another hand, moving it towards her lips. She bites his fingers gently, softly.
Jigen's voice was as cold and composed as ever. "Eliza… get out of me… I won't do it with someone whom I don't like."
Eliza's hands drop off him. Her hands fell to her sides. The color faded from her face. For the first time in her life… She had been rejected. She is always desired by everyone, just not by the only person she loves.
Jigen stands up, leaving Eliza alone as he walks away. He thinks. "That thing almost took over me… She chose the wrong moment… Why does she even insist on staying by my side…? She will be ruined if she stays with me…"
After several steps, he stopped.
Without turning fully around, he glanced back. Eliza still stood there, her head lowered, shoulders trembling. It felt as though every bit of confidence she had carried until now had quietly crumbled.
She's strange… She understands me better than anyone… Yet she still chose this path. There's nothing here worth loving… Leave me. I'm not meant for a life like that.
His expression never changed. After a long silence, Eliza slowly walked toward him. Her head remained lowered.
"...I'm sorry." Her voice was soft, broken.
"I forgot my limits… just for a moment."
Jigen slowly turned around to face her. His crimson eyes remained as calm as ever.
"Eliza… You still haven't told me why you summoned me."
Eliza lowered her gaze. The embarrassment from earlier still lingered in her heart.
"Do you really want to know…?"
Jigen answered almost immediately. "No… Because I already know. There is no answer that will satisfy you… I've already told you… I don't value others' lives. And there is no justification behind the things I've done..."
A quiet breeze passed between them. Eliza slowly clenched her hands.
"...Then… I'll stop you."
Jigen looked at her without the slightest change in expression.
"You think you can…?"
His voice remained quiet. "...Then do it."
Eliza's eyes sharpened. "So that's truly how you see me...?"
She took a slow breath. "Fine… If one of us has to disappear tonight… then so be it."
The next instant—
Jigen stepped forward.
With a single flowing movement, he redirected her balance, sending her body into the air using Aikido.
Before she could recover— his kick stopped only an inch from her face.
Her crystal-blue eyes glowed, the space around them distorted. An invisible force froze his movement. A heartbeat later—
Jigen was thrown across the forest, crashing through rows of trees. The mountain trembled. Silence vanished.
Eliza slowly descended onto the earth. Her long black hair gradually turned white, shining beneath the moonlight. Eight radiant wings unfolded behind her.
For a brief moment, she truly looked like an angel who had descended from another realm.
Jigen quietly stood once more. A crimson blade appeared in his hand. He rushed toward her. Before the sword could reach—
The blade shattered. Invisible force twisted his arm aside.
Eliza had already closed the distance. Their powers collided.
The forest disappeared beneath shockwaves. Trees collapsed one after another. The earth split.
The moonlight itself seemed to disappear beneath the storm surrounding them.
Some time later.
Rain began to fall soft, steady.
The battle had ended. Jigen lay among the shattered earth. His body was covered in wounds that should have already healed. Yet… He made no attempt to regenerate. Not this time.
A few steps away stood Eliza. Her white hair flowed gently in the rain. The eight wings behind her glowed faintly, making her look almost unreal against the dark sky.
She slowly raised her hand. A pale light gathered around her fingertips.
"Existence Erasure."
One movement, and everything would end. Yet… She couldn't move.
...Why…? Why didn't he fight seriously? He's far stronger than this...
The light around her hand slowly trembled.
Then, Jigen forced himself to stand. Every movement looked painful. Rain quietly washed the blood from his ruined body.
He looked toward her.
"...Eliza." His voice was no louder than the rain.
"...Erase me."
Her brows tightened. "...Why? Why are you so obsessed with dying?"
He said nothing, only took another step.
Blood dripped onto the ground, slowly flowing toward her. It stained the edge of her white gown. Then, it reached her bare feet.
Eliza frowned. "...Look."
She looked down. "...Your blood… You stained my gown."
She tried to sound irritated. "...And now my feet too." She looked back at him. "It's not like you'll clean them… Idiot."
The rain continued falling. Neither of them spoke.
Jigen quietly walked closer. Eliza instinctively tensed.
...He's coming. Does he still want to fight?
Instead… He gently lifted her into his arms.
Her eyes widened. She forgot to breathe. His movements were careful, almost unbelievably gentle. He carried her only a few steps before placing her upon a smooth stone beside the stream.
She still couldn't understand what was happening.
Then… Jigen slowly knelt before her. The rainwater flowed around the stone.
Without saying a word, he cupped a handful of clear rainwater. His slender hands carefully washed the blood from her feet.
Every movement was slow, respectful, almost sacred. The rain washed away the crimson until only clear water remained.
Eliza stared at him in silence.
The man whom the entire world feared… The man everyone called a monster… was quietly washing away the blood that he himself had stained her with.
The forest became impossibly still. Even the rain seemed softer now, only the sound of flowing water remained.
Without lifting his head, Jigen finally spoke.
"You wanted to know why I burned those schools… This will be the first… and the last time I explain myself. After tonight… don't ask me again."
His hands never stopped.
"I was summoned through forbidden black magic. The one who summoned me… was an old man. He wanted revenge against those teachers, against those schools, against the people inside the old age homes.
So… I fulfilled the contract."
A brief silence.
"After it ended… I killed him… I kill those who summon me. I kill those who worship devils… Their greed has no end."
Only then did he slowly lift his face. Eliza was already looking at him. She hadn't spoken a single word. Her azure eyes trembled. The anger she had carried until now quietly disappeared.
Not because she forgave him, because she no longer knew what to believe.
Watching him kneel before her… Watching him gently wash away the blood from her feet… It shattered every image she had built of him. A quiet guilt settled inside her chest.
Jigen calmly finished washing the last trace of crimson away.
"...I'm not asking for sympathy. I never will…." He looked directly into her eyes.
"...But… Kill me…That's my only request."
Eliza slowly reached forward. Her gentle hand rested against his cold face.
"...Please..." Her voice almost broke.
"Why…? Why do you still want to die? If you truly can't live for yourself… then… live for me. I'll carry that burden. You keep asking me to kill you… but after hearing all of this… I never could. So… why do you still insist?"
For the first time that night, Jigen remained silent for a long while. The rain quietly flowed between them.
Finally, he spoke.
"I can see everyone's lifespan. And I can see how they'll die. However, the two of us… are different. Our lifespans are beyond even my sight."
Eliza's eyes widened.
Jigen's gaze remained fixed upon hers. His voice was calm, almost gentle.
"...But I do know one thing."
A long silence. The rain continued to fall beneath the full moon.
"...You will become one of the reasons for my death."