The Weight of a Smile

My consciousness returned to reality once more. The fervent thrumming remained in my chest, burning with intense heat. Was that Grinning Darby’s emotion?

“Keep going, keep going~”

Grinning Darby’s words had barely faded when the next wave of attacks surged forth like a tide.

“Three—”

This time, an onslaught of countless cold weapons assailed me.

“Two—”

It wasn’t particularly difficult, merely a little more aggressive than the previous storm of masks.

Yet, I was long accustomed to cold weapons; I could effortlessly eradicate them with magic.

“Statue!”

The instant Grinning Darby turned his head, my consciousness drifted away once more.

“A demon… a demon! It’s a demon!”

‘Sure enough, this woman is no good! She’s an ominous child who brings disaster!’

“A witch! She’s a witch! Kill her quickly!”

When I finally found her, we were met with the blades and spears of humanity.

Fortunately, my abilities made escape easy, and I managed to pull her from that sea of blades, leading her back to the safety of the forest.

“Why did you go to a human village alone? It’s far too dangerous!”

“Oh, come on… I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t find any suitable materials in the forest~”

She playfully stuck out her tongue at me.

“Why are you still grinning like that?”

“Because I believed you’d come to save me~ After all, you can control the rules within a certain space, right? With such a convenient ability, just let me use it a little.”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was…?”

“I know, I know~ But you see…”

She then placed half a mask over my face.

“Hehe, now you look much better!”

“……?”

She pulled me towards the lake.

In that moment, the surface of the lake reflected a squinting man wearing a comical, smiling mask.

‘As they say, ‘Clothes make the man’! You look much friendlier like this!’

‘If you change into a nicer outfit later, one that covers your arms, you definitely won’t scare people with your appearance anymore~’

Crossing her hands and pointing them skyward, the dark-haired beauty peered at the sunlight filtering through the gaps.

“Your abilities can also be used to benefit everyone! If you use them properly, you’re sure to bring smiles to many faces!”

My gaze drifted towards her… no, more accurately, towards her dark hair.

“But what about you? With this dark hair, and those accessories that seem beyond modern craftsmanship… no matter where you go, you’re branded a witch.”

Why, even amidst all this, did she constantly consider others?

“These are glasses, silly! They’re practical, not just accessories! Without them, I’d be practically blind!”

She pouted slightly, but then deflated almost immediately.

Lifting a strand of her dark hair, she wore a look of helplessness.

“Well… it can’t be helped, I suppose. After all, there isn’t anyone else with black hair right now.”

“People are always afraid of the unknown, and they naturally tend to reject it.”

Yet, just as quickly, the gloom on her face transformed into a boundless clear sky.

“But maybe in a thousand years, things will be different! Perhaps black hair will become a trend then!”

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding.”

“A thousand years from now?”

“Exactly!”

She nodded emphatically.

“In the future, all of us with black hair will be great beauties!”

“And then, those who called me a witch will surely regret it to their core!”

Was she an optimist, or simply blessed with a vivid imagination?

“I don’t think that will happen even in ten thousand years.”

“You… Hmph! We’ll see about that!”

She turned her head away, but soon our gazes met once more.

We then exchanged a smile.

“Just watch, I will definitely change this world!”

Looking back now, my own cynical demeanor was perhaps a clumsy imitation of her.

My consciousness returned…

This memory was exceptionally long.

However… I now understood much more about the being known as Grinning Darby.

“Hehehe~”

Though he still hid himself beneath the mask, emitting strange laughter, I felt as if I could already glimpse his true inner self.

“The next round begins~”

The distance was already minimal.

“Three————”

If all went as expected, I would be able to touch it directly next time.

“Two————”

This round, a breathtakingly massive clock tower appeared.

“One————”

It held no offensive capability… so I would simply break through with brute force!

“Boom!”

“Statue!”

****

Just as she had prophesied, a century later, thanks to her tireless efforts, people with uncommon hair colors were indeed no longer as discriminated against.

Yet, reaching the aesthetic standard she had envisioned still required considerable progress.

However… she no longer possessed dark hair, and had long since become a figure beloved by all.

“I’m sorry, I won’t be able to stay with you until the very end.”

In that moment, she was as withered as decaying wood.

By any measure, her life had reached its inevitable conclusion.

Between humans and demons lay a vast, insurmountable chasm known as ‘lifespan’.

“So, you must witness the very end for me, okay?”

As she spoke, she produced a mask from somewhere I couldn’t discern and placed it over my face.

“Just as I thought. Even though I can’t do it anymore, and this one is a failed attempt, a smile still suits you best.”

“You’re someone who’s truly meant to bring joy to others.”

“That’s… not true at all.”

“Nonsense! I saw how popular you were with the children nearby.”

“I merely… somewhat imitated what you called ‘magic’.”

“Hehe… and that, precisely, is the secret to bringing happiness to people.”

She offered me her final smile.

In a fleeting memory, I seemed to see her radiant, flower-like smile from the very first time we met.

“Well then… I’ll go to heaven first and wait for you, Darbithys.”

Finally, I buried her remains in the forest where we first met.

Following her wishes, I established a ‘paradise’ here, a place from her memories that would bring joy to others.

I myself adopted the persona of ‘one who brings joy’, and wore her final mask to present myself to others.

Here, all who were lost eventually returned with smiles.

‘…Have I successfully fulfilled your hopes?’

****

“…”

Now, Grinning Darby’s heart was within reach.

Yet, at this crucial moment, I hesitated.

Having witnessed his memories, I realized he was not the villainous demon I had imagined.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to kill me?”

Unconsciously, Grinning Darby was no longer grinning; his tone had shifted back to a serious one.

Yet, he neither counted down nor looked back…

It seemed he was resolute, determined for me to kill him.

“I don’t have a reason to kill you…”

“No, you do.”

He replied with absolute conviction.

“The ‘Casket of Malevolence’ you seek is precisely my heart.”

“Why are you telling me this? Do you truly wish to die?”

“That’s right…”

He lowered his head.

“I’ve reached my limit…”

“Demons are meant to absorb demonic energy from humans through various means… but I’ve never done it, not once.”

As he spoke, he lifted a corner of his clothing.

It was only then that I understood…

—Beneath that voluminous robe, his body had already begun to crumble.