The wind echoed a soft, morose hymn, as the crickets whispered the silent lyrics for the elegy.

He kicked a small pebble at his foot, and watched as it flew, then tumble down the hill he stood atop. He could see the whole town from the point where he stood. He remained motionless for a moment, watching the silent, sleeping town before him; then sat roughly and carelessly down onto the grass.
 

He was tired.
Truly, for the first time in his life, he was tired.
 

It was strange in the way he actually felt a bit relieved.
Almost as if a burden was taken off his shoulders.
 

… Gods, he was so tired.
… Maybe he should close his eyes… just for a little bit…
 

He didn’t bother to rack his brain, trying to recall all the things that had happened in his life. He didn’t bother wasting his time, trying to remember all the things he had done and all the things he wished he had done.

The winds continue to blow, their sounds distant now, as he let out a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

No images flashed through his head; no thoughts consumed his mind.
Even if he willed it so, he was too tired to summon neither image nor thought.

The constant pain in his chest was increasing with every beat of his decaying heart, but the comfort the night aided him with was slowly, but surely, making him forget about the pain.

He knew clearly what was going to happen to him.
For after tonight, everything was going to be over.

Forever.

After tonight, he would be able to close his eyes, and never have to open them again.

Forever.

He lifted his head, and gazed out from under half-opened lids at the town he had so-called ‘protected’ for over 1200 years. The star-shaped town was dark, with only a few dim lights scattered along its gravel roads.
 

Well…… from now on, you’re on your own.

He thought.

I ain’t gonna be here no more.
 

Even though he had never liked the humans that inhabited this area, it had still been his home on this wretched plane, none the less. He knew every bit of this town, its forest, and its secrets, as if they were his own.

The cold winter winds battered against his tiny face, and he cringed as his chest emitted another explosion-like ache.

He could feel his soul slowly being eaten away, bit by bit.
By the end of the night, there would be nothing left of it.

Then, the darkness would start to feed on his body, and by the time the first morning ray hit the ground, there would be nothing left of his body either.
 

… He was dying.
 

He hadn’t told anybody. He had known the moment the beast struck its hand into his chest and planted his doom there.

He knew.
He knew he was going to die.
Without a soul, his whole existence would be obliterated.
He would be erased clean off the planes as if he never existed.

Still, he hadn’t told anybody.
He reasoned that it was because his ego simply wouldn’t allow such a thing to be admitted –– The mightiest Demon God, finally brought to his end.
 

He was almost surprised and a bit alerted when he heard the soft footsteps of someone climbing up the hill.

“Aha! There you are!”

He closed his eyes again.

“Mou, what’s wrong, Zenki? You didn’t come to dinner again…” She stopped to catch her breath, then sat down beside him with a small thump.

Peering out from under her bangs, she eyed him curiously.
His eyes were closed, his face expressionless, and she began to wonder if he was asleep.

She giggled and lightly poked his chubby cheek with a finger.

“Ne……”

He cracked open an eye.

“… Were you sleeping, Zenki?”

“…….. No.”

She continued to stare at him until she got another word out of him.

“What?”

“Betsuni…… I just like staring at you and making you feel uncomfortable.”

“… What?!”

“Kidding, kidding….” She smiled.

She was trying to cheer him up, even though she wasn’t quite sure if he was upset in the first place. He just hadn’t been himself for the past few days….
Actually, he had been acting weird ever since they fought their last enemy.
 

They sat quietly, side by side, atop the small hill, above the small town.
She knew that the best comfort she could give him was a silent one.
 

“Chiaki…..”

“Hmm?” She turned her head to him, glad that he was talking to her.

“………… Nothing. Forget about it.”

She stared at him for a while, then gave him the sweetest smile she could summon.

She knew that stubborn little shikigami of hers.
He would tell her only what he wanted her to know, and only when he wanted her to know.
 

But she could wait for him.
She had her whole life to wait for him.

… She would wait for him.
And maybe someday…. someday… he might just tell her all the things he was unable to say.
 

Chiaki stood and gave him a little pat on his head.

“I’ve got cheese cake waiting for you when you come home!”

She gave him a wink and a smile, then turned back down the hill.
He opened both his eyes, and watched her go.
 

…. and he finally realized that he was looking at her for the very last time.
 

In that instant, he knew the real reasons why he didn’t…
No, why he couldn’t tell her the truth.
 

He would so much rather see her beautiful smile than to see her falling tears.
 

….. More importantly…
 

He didn’t want to ever have to say goodbye to her.