Chapter 28: It's Finally Over
I have to say, life is always full of drama.
The scene that had played out some time ago was now repeating itself, only this time the protagonist was Xia Shang. Shinichi Izumi, who had just arrived and witnessed this scene, was instantly enveloped in endless grief.
He clutched his chest tightly. He desperately wanted to cry, but had forgotten what crying felt like.
"Mr. Xia!" Shinichi Izumi gritted his teeth, regretting that he had arrived a step too late.
His appearance surprised the Female Parasyte. Looking at Shinichi Izumi, who was completely unharmed, she asked in confusion, "Why? I clearly killed you. Did I not kill you back then? Or is it that the location of your heart is different from ordinary people?"
"No, that's impossible. It couldn't be such a coincidence. If I had known, I should have cut off your head as well back then."
Suddenly, the Female Parasyte seemed to realize something and subconsciously looked towards Xia Shang's corpse.
But it was too late.
A blade pierced the Female Parasyte's heart without warning. The sudden reversal caught everyone present off guard.
The Female Parasyte lowered her head and looked at the blade piercing her heart. For the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared in her emotionless eyes. Before she could speak further, another blade sliced across her neck. With a squelch, a complete head flew off.
"What?" Shinichi Izumi quickly looked towards Xia Shang's corpse.
Immediately after, under the shocked gazes of everyone present, Xia Shang calmly got up.
"Seriously, that was close, I almost actually died. Speaking of which, Shinichi Izumi, your appearance was really ill-timed. Luckily, my luck was good, and she ultimately didn't react in time." Xia Shang complained while simultaneously chopping the Female Parasyte's head into pieces to ensure she couldn't revive again.
"You... you, weren't you pierced through the heart?"
Normally, an ordinary parasyte is certain to die after its heart is destroyed. Even Shinichi Izumi, who has Migi, took a full day and night to recover after his heart was pierced. Yet, Xia Shang, who was completely unharmed before him, seemed to shatter Shinichi Izumi's understanding of parasytes.
"You must have transferred the location of your heart, right? During the combat, you had already prepared for your heart to be pierced, which is why you deliberately pretended you couldn't dodge when facing the Female Parasyte's attack." Little Par, who parasitized Mamoru Uda's chin, was many times more intelligent than Mamoru Uda.
While Mamoru Uda still wore a dazed expression, it spoke the truth of the matter.
*Clap clap clap!* Xia Shang couldn't help but applaud it. "Truly clever. It's a good thing you didn't devour Mr. Uda's brain, otherwise, it would have been a real waste of your original intelligence."
"That's right, I did transfer the location of my heart in advance. After all, its attack intention was too obvious. If it could destroy the heart, it definitely wouldn't attack other locations. *Cough cough cough*." Suddenly, Xia Shang coughed a few times, and his face instantly turned pale.
Seeing this, Shinichi Izumi, who was beside him, quickly asked what was wrong.
"It's not a big problem. It's just that repairing the wound consumed too many nutrients from the blood. I'll be fine after resting for a while." Xia Shang looked at the withered and shriveled parasyte corpse on the ground, a victorious smile appearing on his face.
"You really took a big risk. What if the other party didn't attack your heart but chose to cut off your head instead? Then you would have truly become a corpse."
Shinichi Izumi shook his head, disagreeing with Xia Shang's risky behavior.
"No, no, no. When you're 90% sure about something, it doesn't count as a risk. Besides, I'm someone who cherishes my life very much. If the other party changed the direction of their attack, I would either dodge or sacrifice other parts of my body, like my arm." Xia Shang said with a smile.
"Quite a perfect plan."
Little Par couldn't help but praise.
"Regardless, it's finally over." A huge weight seemed to lift from Shinichi Izumi's heart. He gazed at the boundless blue ocean, and the corners of his mouth gradually curved upwards.
Finally, at Xia Shang's suggestion.
The four of them held a luxurious seafood feast on the Beach. Makiko was invited by Shinichi Izumi. "Indeed, only fresh ingredients can truly bring out the original taste of gourmet food." Xia Shang broke open a crab claw and put the snow-white crab meat inside into his mouth.
"Thanks to Mr. Xia, I was also able to enjoy such delicious gourmet food."
Mamoru Uda said emotionally, eating the gourmet food heartily.
"This must cost over a hundred thousand Japanese Yen," Makiko said, covering her mouth involuntarily as she looked at the precious ingredients.
"Money is just external stuff, no need to worry about it."
Xia Shang placed a plate of sliced tuna in front of her.
"Yeah, no need to worry about it. This guy's money looks exactly like it was picked up... no, to be precise, it probably *was* picked up." Shinichi Izumi, who was beside him, quipped, and then roughly explained what had happened.
"I didn't expect Mr. Xia to have been on the News Media. May I please take a photo with you?"
"No problem."
Xia Shang readily agreed.
"Mr. Uda, what are your plans next?" Shinichi Izumi asked.
Mamoru Uda scratched his head. "I quit my job before coming here. I originally intended to end my life here, but I didn't expect things to develop so complicatedly. Now I plan to bring my child here, and then I'll find an ordinary job here. After all, this is a very beautiful place."
"This is indeed a very beautiful place, but unfortunately, I must leave eventually." Shinichi Izumi smiled, his gaze turning towards the direction of Tokyo.
"Are you going back?"
A hint of disappointment flashed in Makiko's eyes. Shinichi Izumi saw it but pretended not to.
However, Makiko still smiled and said, "Then when you have time, remember to come here for a visit."
"Definitely."
"Definitely."
...
The next day at breakfast, Xia Shang paid a visit to Shinichi's father and mother. They were both very grateful to Xia Shang, and their tone was quite polite.
This, on the contrary, made Xia Shang feel a bit unaccustomed.
After leaving the Hospital, he and Shinichi Izumi walked side-by-side on the road heading towards the ship to Tokyo.
"Honestly, you did get a bit handsomer after taking off your glasses. No wonder Makiko was reluctant to see you leave. If you ask me, you should just marry into their family. They have an Inn, you know." Xia Shang joked with Shinichi Izumi.
After going through so much, Shinichi Izumi had also matured quite a bit. He turned his head towards the direction of the Inn and said softly, "Some things aren't beautiful just because you possess them. Sometimes, regret is also a beautiful memory."
"Sorry, all I know is that women only slow down my pace of becoming stronger."
Xia Shang shrugged, saying this without any charm.
(end of chapter )