Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires-Chapter 205: Round 14

'What does your mother mean to you?' Luna asked.

Zaroth raised an eyebrow at the question.

He honestly didn't need to think much about the answer as it was already obvious.

From what the religious people believed, the world didn't exist until the gods made it so.

Then the gods created all living beings.

But he had never seen a god, and even if he did, he wouldn't feel gratitude to them in any way. Opposite, in fact—he would try to kill them.

What about the ruler of the land he was on?

The emperor did nothing for him and his family when he was struggling, living in the poor village.

So he hated him as well.

The same could be said about the Purifiers and other organizations that were supposed to help him and the poor.

He had never received any kind of help.

What about his mother, then?

She was definitely his creator, she was the reason he was here, the reason he was born.

Sure, his life had been filled with unimaginable pain and struggling, and it was just barely starting,

But it was also filled with numerous wonders, pleasures of all kinds.

And all of this was possible because he was here.

Because he was alive.

And who had gifted him life? Who had created him, allowing him to experience what it was like being alive?

His mother.

'My creator and the person I value most,' he answered immediately.

'Yes, you are right. She is the person that you value the most... Look at the person in front of you.'

At her command, Zaroth shifted his gaze.

The woman that had taken the appearance of his mother had already drawn out a short dagger and was charging at him.

This was most likely how she had won all of her fights up until that point—

Confusing her enemies with illusions, and before they could comprehend what was going on, she would stab them, defeating them and advancing to the next round.

That was surely one nasty power.

'Your mother is your most beloved person, the one you cherish the most,' Luna continued to speak.

As she did, Zaroth watched how his mother… or the person that had taken her appearance, was charging at him.

Probably because of the shock he felt, his brain pumped his body with adrenaline, so everything looked slowed down—almost like it was in slow motion.

'The person that you spent so many years watching over while she was slowly dying by her curse,' as Luna's words echoed inside his head, Zaroth noticed that her voice was becoming harsher, more menacing.

She was angry. This wasn't an act. She was getting angry for his sake—that he was put in that kind of suffering.

'The person that is more valuable than anything and everything…'

'Had been degraded to such an extent.'

Zaroth's heart began to ache as he heard her words.

'Do you remember when we dug up a grave for her? What were you feeling in that moment?'

His grip on his odachi tightened.

'Do you remember what she felt in her final moments before dying?'

'I do,' he answered immediately.

How could he forget? She was glad that he had survived and had finally managed to tame something.

'That is right. She didn't fear death, nor did she show any kind of concern for herself. She was solely focused on you and your well-being, even in her last moments.'

A sharp pain pierced his heart. He may have faced endless misfortune, but in one thing, he had been truly blessed—he had the best mother anyone could ever ask for.

'And yet… the person before you had taken her appearance in an attempt to deceive you.'

Zaroth's eyes narrowed, a hint of rage starting to appear.

'What your opponent has done is the equivalent of desecrating your mother's grave… no, it is worse. She is actively trying to deceive you and exploit your weakness by taking on your mother's appearance.'

'How do you think your mother would have felt if she knew?'

How his mother would have felt?

He knew she would have blamed herself—knowing that Zaroth's deep attachment to her had allowed someone to exploit him by taking on her appearance.

'So this person…'

"Is the same as someone who hurt my mother," Zaroth whispered, completing Luna's words.

He still couldn't move his legs, but his hands were beginning to shake with rage.

'Yes, that is right. This person degraded your mother's body to take advantage of you. What do you think this woman deserves?'

"Death." Zaroth answered out loud so fast that he almost startled himself.

But he didn't feel any kind of guilt about thinking of killing this person. In fact, he would feel pleasure in doing so. This person in front of him had to die, no matter what.

And yet he couldn't move. Her appearance was perfectly the same as his mother's. His subconscious didn't allow him to move and attack.

'Do you love your mother?' Luna asked.

'Of course I do,' he answered without hesitation.

'Does that mean that if she desired something, you would do anything to grant it?' Luna asked another question.

'Yes,' Zaroth answered again, immediately.

'…Then what would she desire? If she could have anything, what would she want?'

'To be healthy.' For a second, this was the answer that Zaroth thought his mother would give.

But then, a moment later, his soul felt like it was about to crumble. He knew that this wasn't her biggest desire.

She didn't care for her health.

Nor for her future.

Certainly, no matter how much in pain she was, there was only one thing that took priority over anything else.

'For me to succeed,' Zaroth answered Luna's question. This was no doubt what his mother desired the most.

'Then, is something stopping you from succeeding right now?'

Zaroth's eyes narrowed even more. The woman that had taken his mother's appearance had almost reached him. She was just about ten meters away from him.

'The person before me that has taken her appearance,' he answered Luna's question.

There was a momentary silence in his mind until Luna spoke again.

'Then do it. Grant the desire of your most beloved person, even if it means doing something you don't want to do. If you truly love your mother, do what she would have wanted you to do.'

'Kill her.'

Zaroth's mouth opened as he took a shallow breath.

His heart hurt, as did his head. No, it felt like his entire being was in flames.

The woman in front of him looked the same as his mother.

So his instincts were telling him to protect her and not harm her.

But he loved his mother. As such, he was going to grant her desire, even if it meant doing something he didn't want to do, even if it meant going against his core values and principles.

Zaroth's eyes weren't shining. They looked empty—hollow, even.

"What she desires," he muttered as he took a step forward.

His body wasn't shaking, nor did his mind waver with countless thoughts.

There was no need for hesitation. He was doing this for his mother. As such, he would do it, no questions asked.

Digging his foot deep into the ground, he dashed forward with dizzying speed.

The woman who had taken the appearance of his mother looked shocked as her eyes widened in horror.

No one had managed to move when they were under her spell!

She was a Trickster, not a person that was able to fight up close!

Before she could react in any way, Zaroth reached her.

Raising his odachi above his head, he slashed. His technique was sloppy at best. In fact, it was horrible.

It was clear that he hadn't taken lessons from a professional, so he lacked insight on how to properly use the weapon.

And yet that didn't matter, as his opponent was just that weak.

Taking a hurried step back, she put her hand in front of the blade.

In an instant, the blade collided with her hand and severed it.

Blood began to spew in all directions like a fountain.

Zaroth's stomach ached. From his perspective, he had just severed his mother's arm, and her face had twisted into one of pure shock and horror.

In his life, he had never felt so horrible—he had never felt this kind of pain.

And yet his feelings were irrelevant. Because this was what his mother would have desired if she was still alive.

So he was going to grant her wish, no matter what his personal feelings said about the matter.

His attack didn't stop as soon as the blade severed her arm. Zaroth managed to rotate and slash upwards.

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The woman took a step back, and rather than dying immediately, the sword made a deep wound around her abdomen and chest, splattering Zaroth's face with her blood.

The scent of metal began to linger in the air.

Yet he didn't flinch. He was doing what was correct.

Taking a step forward, he took a firm hold of his blade and pierced forward.

He was aiming at the heart.

With this attack, he was going to kill her for sure.

And yet, before the attack reached the heart, the blade was stopped.

The illusion that Zaroth was under dissipated.

The grand arena returned, and the woman no longer resembled his mother.

He shifted his gaze to the spot where his odachi had been stopped.

One of the observers had stepped in and stopped his attack, meaning that this was his win.

He had advanced to the next round.