I Want to Hear Your Voice - Chapter 18

Satori hurriedly tried to stop Sousuke. If the Dragon God decided to act even for a moment, their lives would be at stake.

“To gain something, one needs to pay the price. That spirit made a deal with me to be able to meet you. He wanted to see you even at the cost of his own life. That price must be paid.”

Satori bit his lip. The fact that he didn’t mind losing his life still hadn’t changed. However, Satori didn’t think about Sousuke’s feelings after losing him.

It was at that moment.

“That’s why I’m saying, there’s no problem if the price is paid, right?”

Satori was taken aback. He couldn’t read the mind of Sousuke who had a brazen look on his face as he boldly said those things to the Dragon God. 

“You said earlier that Satori made a deal with you. But there’s no need for Satori to disappear.”

Sousuke?

“What do you mean?”

The Dragon God fluttered his eyelashes, which were so long that they almost made a rustling sound.

“I just have to need him to the point I’m willing to give up everything, right? What do you mean by giving up everything? What should I do? Ah, but I don’t want to leave him all alone so no dying or anything like that. In the other direction, please.”

“So-sousuke…! What are you saying…?! You can’t say something like that so easily…!”

Satori opened his eyes wide.

If by chance, something bad happens to him…!

Satori’s body trembled with fear and worry. Sousuke chuckled, then stared back at Satori with a refreshed expression, as if he was no longer afraid.

“I’m saying, it’s so simple, Satori. You’ve misunderstood. I don’t mind having to give up everything, as long as you can stay by my side.”

A large droplet of tears spilled from Satori’s eyes. Sousuke held Satori close as if to comfort him.

Sousuke looked up at the Dragon God. There was a tingle of tension swelling in his arms as he held Satori.

“Then, what’s your answer? What should I do so it would count as me giving up everything?”

“So you are fine with giving up everything for that tiny spirit. You will have to give up your current daily life, your acquaintances, and your life as a human being.” 

Sousuke furrowed his eyebrows and went thinking for a moment, then he tilted his head.

“What do you mean by giving up my life as a human? It doesn’t mean I must die right now, right?”

The Dragon God breathed out a sigh. It might be just Satori’s imagination, but it seemed like the Dragon God was taken aback by Sousuke’s attitude that could be said as brazen.

“Could you become the same existence as him? You will turn into a strange existence that is different from the one you have now. You will turn into an existence that can’t die easily, and you will have to live for such a long time that you will go out of your mind.”

“…!”

Satori was about to say that Sousuke shouldn’t do that, but then Sousuke’s hand stopped him.

“Okay. If that’s all it takes, it’s an easy thing to do.” 

“Sousuke…!”

Satori let out a voice that was like a scream. He was so shocked that he felt like the vision in front of him was swaying. Satori gasped, looked up at the Dragon God, and tried to stop Sousuke’s suggestion.

“Dragon God! Please, stop! I don’t mind sacrificing myself, but please, at least spare Sousuke…!”

“Satori!”

“…Alright.”

At that moment, Satori didn’t know why, but he felt something like a deep sadness in the depths of Dragon God’s eyes that were staring at him.

Dragon God…?

The clouds cleared up. As if the storm that had been raging earlier had been blown away, a night sky full of stars peeked through.

“Whoa. Look at that, Satori. What an amazing starry sky.” 

When he realized it, the Dragon God was no longer there. The city that had been completely dark due to the blackout, was lit up with lights again.

“He said I won’t be human anymore, is that true? I don’t feel like I look any different…”

Sousuke asked, “Satori, what do you think?” and Satori shook his head in reply. It didn’t look like anything had changed from Sousuke’s appearance.

“Does that mean it won’t happen immediately? I don’t really understand this. He should have explained it more clearly…”

Sousuke mumbled to himself, then he muttered “Oh well,” as if he had relaxed.

“I’ll just think about the difficult and troublesome stuff later.”

After that, Sousuke took the hand of Satori who hadn’t replied.

“For now, let’s return to our home.”