Chapter 149: Stay Alive!
Chapter 149: Stay Alive!
**"What should I do if I go to the cinema?"**
Agni stood in front of the cinema, recalling what Lihata had said before.
"First, when you enter, go to the ticket counter and buy a ticket for the movie you want to see."
Agni then pulled a movie ticket out of his pocket.
**"And after buying it?"**
"Then go buy caramel popcorn."
"As for drinks, don't buy any, or you'll end up wanting to use the restroom in the middle of the movie."
A bucket of popcorn appeared in Agni's hand.
**"What next?"**
...
Guided by Lihata's previous words, Agni finally walked into the screening room. He searched for his seat among the audience in front of the big screen.
But at that moment, Agni saw...
His sister, Luna!
She was sitting among the audience, and when she noticed Agni, she smiled. Luna even lowered the seat beside her, gesturing for Agni to sit next to her.
Agni, full of joy, was about to move forward to sit beside Luna.
But then...
A hand suddenly grabbed his collar and yanked him back! The popcorn scattered all over the floor.
Lihata was now sitting in the seat meant for Agni.
She began to talk about why she liked movies.
"Agni, you know, I've always thought that one day I would become a man."
"Like the heroes in the movies, going out to save others."
At that moment, the scene shifted back to reality. Lihata was holding onto Agni, who was once again engulfed in flames!
She had saved Agni!
But in doing so, she was also set ablaze by the flames from Agni's body.
As she felt Agni's flames burning her, Lihata couldn't help but wonder how Agni endured such pain.
At the same time, she thought about how characters in movies always leave their last words before they die.
So, what should those final words be?
"We'll meet in hell."
No, there might not be any hell.
After all, she had said earlier that when people die, they go to the cinema.
So, she thought about saying, "Let's turn into cats..."
No, that doesn't work either.
"Mom..."
Finally, maybe just saying "Mom" would be best. It always seems emotional when a dying person calls out for their mother.
Although it's a bit cliché.
But that's what she decided.
However, when Lihata looked at Agni...
She suddenly thought, **"If I die, he'll probably want to die too."**
She didn't want Agni to die, especially since she had sacrificed her life to save him.
But...
**"Why does he have to live?"**
**"He's already killed Dema, and in death, he could reunite with his sister."**
**"He himself even wishes for death..."**
**"That's for sure, because living is so hot and painful."**
**"Living on is just more suffering..."**
**"So why does he have to live?"**
"Right..."
Lihata suddenly smiled, and then she spoke her final words to Agni, **"Ag...ni..."**
Agni watched as Lihata, who was burning to death, said her last words to him—
**"Stay alive."**
And then Lihata died completely, with no sign of life left.
However, Agni, looking at Lihata's lifeless body, couldn't believe it.
He shouted in disbelief, **"Why?"**
**"Why did you do this?!"**
**"Lihata! Why did you do this?!"**
Lihata... had died just like that?!
Fan Siwei couldn't accept it. He felt as if he didn't even have the courage to turn to the next page of the manga.
Lihata had died just to save Agni, and Agni had survived because of it.
The wrong person had died, and the one who should have died was still alive.
Agni... was the one who should have died!
Not because he was evil, but because death would have been the best ending for him.
If Agni had died here, Fan Siwei would have felt immense relief, even happiness for Agni.
Because... he would finally be free.
It wasn't easy, and even if "Fire Punch" stopped being Agni's story after this, Fan Siwei would have accepted it gladly.
No more tormenting Agni, and no more tormenting him.
[Translator: sauron]
This was the first time Fan Siwei felt that it was better for a protagonist to die than to live.
So, Agni, just be free.
Don't continue on, because continuing only means more suffering.
But... Agni didn't die, and instead, Lihata did.
Fan Siwei felt his stomach churning, his body burning as if he were Agni, consumed by flames.
Bitterness filled his mouth.
Why... why did Agni have to keep living...
He was now feeling the same way as Agni, like he was on the verge of going insane.
In the manga, Agni never got the answer to why Lihata wanted him to stay alive.
So, all he could do was carry Lihata's body, walking through the snow.
Eventually, he made his way back to the stronghold of the Agni cult.
But by then, the village where the cult resided...
It had been completely destroyed. Giant trees had grown out of the ruins, and countless vines and roots were growing out of the bodies of the cult members.
The cult members seemed to have been drained of all life, their bodies withered.
The Ice Witch appeared before Agni at that moment. She had led Yuda to the cult's village and started turning into a tree, draining all life from the people there.
She attacked Agni directly, but her powers had no effect on him. So she wanted Yuda, who had become the World Tree, to attack.
But Agni heard Yuda's voice coming from the giant tree.
**"Agni, kill me."**
**"I don't want to live anymore."**
**"But I can't kill myself."**
**"Here, in this tree, I created Beshimdruku."**
**"I created Dema."**
**"I killed your sister."**
**"So kill me."**
Yuda kept pleading with Agni, as if she were desperate to die.
Agni was furious, **"I see... So that's how it is... That's how it is!!"**
**"I'm going to kill you!"**
He charged up the giant tree, enduring the Ice Witch's attacks, **"Then, I'll kill you!"**
Agni climbed the tree, finding Yuda's location, and in his rage, he swung his fist!
**"I'll kill you!"**
**"I'm going to kill you!"**
**"Why can't I burn you?!"**
**"I'm going to kill you!"**
...
Watching Agni, who seemed to have gone mad, the Ice Witch on the ground ordered Yuda to kill him.
But...
Yuda didn't attack Agni. She just let Agni attack her.
**"What are you doing?"**
The Ice Witch couldn't believe it, **"Kill him! Kill him now!"**
But Yuda didn't resist at all, until...
Agni smashed a crack into the tree with a punch, and inside lay... Yuda herself!
(End of Chapter)