𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘 || douma

Epilogue

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𝑀𝐴𝑅𝐼𝑂𝑁𝐸𝑇𝑇𝐸
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Douma had asked you once, how come your Shingetsu were able to wield nichirin swords? Your answer was simple.

It's because of their hearts.

A human heart holds all feelings while the brain holds memories. But those with strong hearts will remember memories even after death.

It didn't take long for Douma to catch up to you. Just as you had gotten back to his castle and to the garden where you two had just been standing a few hours ago.

"Y/n-...chan..." he muttered slowly before he unleashes his Blood Demon Art. "You need...to run..."

You are done running, you wanted to tell him. But you couldn't find your voice. You were scared that if you tried to speak, all that would come out would be his name as you cry it out.

Even though he's been given a command, even though he's being controlled, even though it hurts just to break that control for a second, Douma was able to tell you to run.

Despite the fact that he's using his Blood Demon Art, you didn't use yours. You let him break you, like the marionette that you are to him. He had broken you countless times before, so it wouldn't hurt to let him break you a bit more again.

Just so he wouldn't get hurt, the more he tried to resist that man's command, his blood that was coursing through his veins became poison that would ultimately kill Douma.

So...

"So you have to kill me first," you said. "Before his blood becomes poison."

His Blood Demon Art is truly beautiful, you thought to yourself. So a beautiful marionette such as you, would accept to be killed by such a beautiful Blood Demon Art such as his.

But as demons, you two cannot kill each other. Or more like, Douma cannot kill you with his Blood Demon Art. But with your Blood Demon Art, you can command your Demon Hunter Shingetsu to kill and decapitate him.

But you don't plan on doing that.

Right now, you two are in a deadlock. Not being able to kill the other. All you two can do is watch as the other suffers deep inside.

"Let's end this, Douma."

You fell down on your knees, right in front of Douma, who, for a moment, seemed to have gotten back to his senses.

"Y/n-chan?"

"Douma, what were you about to tell me earlier?" you asked, looking at him with a smile. "Can you...say it again?"

What he was about to tell you before that man's voice interrupted what was supposed to be a peaceful evening.

Douma fell down on his knees as well, and he held your face with his hands before he managed a smile as well.

"I love you, Y/n-chan."

"I...love you too, Douma," you said before piercing your chest with your hand, taking something from inside as you coughed up blood. "So...please...take care..."

Douma looked down and saw what you were holding in your hand.

"...of my heart..."

Your heart that's in the palm of your hand, it's still beating. Douma slowly lowered his hand and caged your heart with his ice, preserving it for even a short moment in time.

"I may cease...to exist...as a demon..." you muttered, as the sky slowly turned brighter. "But I will continue to exist...as your marionette."

You averted your eyes to the wooden doll behind Douma. The wooden doll that resembles you. And that moment, Douma knew what you wanted him to do.

Before the sun could rise beyond the mountains, before you decided to leave his castle, you requested something from Douma one last time.

"Can you say it again...Douma?"

"I love you, Y/n-chan," he said. "I love you," he repeated.

Over and over again, so your heart won't forget. Even after you left, he was still saying those three words over and over again.

He put your heart inside the wooden doll he gave you as a present and he put the doll in your bedchamber.

You continued to go farther and farther away from the castle as the sun slowly rose. And for the first time in what feels like forever, you were able to witness the magnificent sunrise for the last time.

"Ah, I wish Douma could see this too," you said, tears falling from your eyes. If only he wouldn't turn to ash, you hoped he could see this sunrise. "It's truly...beautiful."

Just as Douma had unraveled true emotions, you were taken away from him. And Douma had once again ceased to feel anything, locking those true emotions deep inside him. He was back to feigning his smiles, to imitating human emotions.

And for the next hundred years he lived like that.

Like an empty shell incapable of feeling anything.

But he would still visit your bedchamber, thrice every year. Just as he said that the moon is beautiful three times to you.

He would visit your bedchamber on the day when you first arrived at his castle when you were a child.

He would visit again for the second time on the day he turned you into a demon.

And he would visit for the last time during the Autumn Festival.

After a hundred years, during Douma's visit, he was about to leave your bedchamber after changing the wilted flowers when he suddenly heard a voice. It was a distant voice, like a whisper, but still so familiar to him like the first time he heard it.

"Douma," your voice called.

When he turned you into a demon, Douma had told you this.

"Just stay as my pretty little marionette forever, Y/n."

Now, just as Douma heard your distant voice coming from that doll, it was a reminder to him that after all the years that had come to pass, you will and had always stayed as his pretty little marionette forever.

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.★.FIN.★.

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