Chapter V: A Promise to the Future
The sun began to sink, and while the sunset normally looked stunning, today it made it seem like the world was on fire.
Biting her lip for the hundredth time, Miledi looked over at Meiru and Laus as the three of them flew over the continent. Both of them were looking resolutely forward, but Miledi could clearly see the sorrow in their eyes and the pain in their expressions, so she couldn’t think of anything to say to either of them.
Both Meiru and Laus had lost people they cared about, so nothing she said could possibly provide any comfort. The only good news they’d found was that Sharm and Reinheit had managed to escape from the Dragon Kingdom. They’d also managed to rescue Diene, who was currently nestled in Meiru’s arms.
“Lau-chan. I’m sure Sharm-kun’s fine, so...” Miledi trailed off, unsure how to finish. She wanted to say that as long as Reinheit and Nieshika were with Sharm, there was no way he’d died, but there was no real guarantee that was the case. They had already made the mistake of assuming there was no way Ehit would be able to hurt anyone in the Dragon Kingdom, and many of their comrades had perished as a result.
Miledi and the others had found the Melusine in the valley between the mountains. It had been a complete wreck, and Salus, Mikaela, and every other Liberator on board was dead. Laus’s spirit magic could only bring back people within a few hours after their death, and even with the help of Lyutillis’s evolution magic, he couldn’t extend that time limit beyond half a day. Unfortunately, it had been days since Salus and the others had died, meaning there had been no way of reviving them. All they had been able to do was review scenes of the past to see what had happened. They’d seen how the Melusine had been attacked by the very same dragonmen the Liberators had trusted, and how Salus had left behind a final warning, knowing that Meiru would use restoration magic later to recreate the scene.
Upon rushing to the Dragon Kingdom, Miledi had found Tragdi, Grice, and several other dragonmen generals crucified to the palace. Most of the citizens were in chains, but the Dragon Kingdom’s new ruler, Shival, had been giving a speech about the bright future that awaited the dragonmen race. She’d had apostles and knights by her side, and the younger citizens who weren’t in chains had all been cheering on her speech. It had been such a nightmarish scene that it had taken Miledi time to comprehend what had even happened.
Fortunately, Meiru had at least been able to use restoration magic to recreate the past and discover that many other dragonmen had managed to flee the capital and were hiding out in the mountains.
That was also how they’d discovered that Nieshika had evacuated Sharm and Reinheit.
“Miledi, you don’t need to comfort me,” Laus said in a hoarse voice. “I’m not the only one who’s lost my family.”
Salus and the others had been like family to Miledi, so she felt the pain of their loss keenly.
“Besides, Salus, Karg, and Grice-dono all fulfilled their duty splendidly.”
Miledi didn’t even want to think about how she’d break the news to Oscar, or how Vandre would feel knowing the grandfather he’d just been reunited with was dead.
Miledi had, of course, seen their final moments...and one thing was for sure, none of them had given their lives in vain.
“Kaime and Selm made their choice of their own free will. You saw how they looked. I’ve never seen them look so satisfied,” Laus stated.
Kaime and Selm had fought against Darrion and his apostleified knights to the very end. Licoris and Debra had clung to their faith and attacked their two sons upon Darrion’s orders, but Kaime and Selm had remained steadfast. They’d fought against the church that had been their whole life with unwavering resolve.
Their valiant struggle had kept Darrion and the knights stuck in the Dragon Kingdom until Tragdi himself was slain and the kingdom was fully overrun. It wasn’t just Sharm and Reinheit who they’d saved with their actions; many other dragonmen had managed to flee thanks to them. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to accept their deaths.
Miledi vividly remembered how Laus had cried as he’d cradled their mangled corpses. They didn’t have the time to take Kaime and Selm’s corpses back, so Laus had dug a family grave for them in a nearby grove. Miledi had never seen him look as defeated as he had in that moment. For the very first time, the strongest knight, who’d shouldered countless burdens without a word of complaint, had looked like a tired old man.
As the Liberators’ leader, Miledi felt as though she had to say something.
“I’ll say it again. You don’t have to comfort me. I... I’m...” Laus trailed off, his voice trembling with emotion.
“I’m proud of them.”
“I know...” Miledi said with a nod, holding back tears.
“You’re proud of your family too, aren’t you, Meiru?” Laus asked, prompting Meiru to look off into the distance.
“You know...”
Meiru thought back to when they’d been on their way to the Dragon Kingdom and passed over the mountains where her pirate crew had been hiding. They’d found a mound of corpses there, all belonging to her own men. Meiru had, of course, used restoration magic to see what had happened, but...
“It’s no use. There are too many of them!”
“We’re surrounded! There’s nowhere to run!”
“We’ll act as bait! Find somewhere to hide in the meantime!”
“Diene, that’s enough! If you use any more renewal magic, you’ll die!”
“This is an order from your first mate! Kyaty, take Diene and get out of here!”
She’d seen as they’d fought on desperately, and after realizing that they couldn’t survive, sacrificed themselves to let at least Diene escape.
Meiru would never forget the half-crying, half-smiling face Kyaty had made when she’d accepted Chris’s orders and slung a kicking and screaming Diene over her shoulder. Ignoring Diene’s protests that she was a member of the same pirate crew and that they would all die together, Kyaty had rushed through the hordes of soldiers to ferry her to safety.
“Sorry, Captain. But, it looks like I’ll be dying ahead of you. I’ll make sure to protect our princess though, so I hope you’ll forgive me.”
That had been the last thing Chris had said. And indeed, the Melusine pirate crew had successfully protected Diene.
Meiru had found Kyaty and Diene in a cave behind a waterfall near the summit of one of the mountains. Kyaty had been slumped on the ground, with numerous arrows in her back. Even after taking numerous fatal injuries, however, she’d continued running until she’d managed to bring Diene somewhere safe. She’d protected her best friend’s, Meiru’s, precious sister until the moment of her death.
Diene, who’d been underneath Kyaty’s body, had been completely unhurt. She’d tried desperately to bring Kyaty back with renewal magic to the point that she’d exhausted herself to the soul. Luckily, though, there hadn’t been a scratch on her body.
After Meiru and Laus had healed her, the first thing Diene had said upon waking up was, “I’m sorry, Nee-sama. I couldn’t protect everyone.”
She’d apologized over and over, crying all the while. And once she’d cried her heart out, she’d fallen back asleep, and though a day had passed, she still hadn’t woken back up.
“None of the corpses belonged to the dukedom’s soldiers,” Meiru said in a small voice. Despite their predicament, her pirate crew had stayed true to their beliefs as Liberators and refused to kill anyone not directly associated with the church.
“They really were a bunch of idiots.”
Meiru couldn’t help but wonder why a group of outlaws had stuck so hard to their principles. She couldn’t help but wish they’d abandoned their lofty ideals and chosen to fight to survive instead.
If only they were still alive...
“Now that they’re dead, I can’t even punish them for leaving me behind.”
“Meru-nee...”
It was the Liberators’ creed that had killed Melusine’s crew. And so, seeing Meiru bury her face in Diene’s hair, Miledi couldn’t think of anything to say. All she could do was bite her lip again, drawing blood.
“I’m sorry, Miledi-chan. I’m a failure of a Liberator.”
“No, that’s not true! I’m the one who—!”
Miledi flew over to Meiru’s side, but Meiru brushed Miledi’s bloodied lips with her fingers to cut her off.
Meiru’s sunset-orange mana, which seemed oddly distinct from the color of the ongoing sunset, bathed Miledi’s lips, healing the cuts.
“Laus-kun is right. I’m proud of them.”
Chris and the others had given their lives for a dream bigger than themselves. If Meiru—their captain—couldn’t be proud of them, then who would?
Meiru smiled sadly, and Miledi took the girl’s hand and pressed it against her cheek. She then squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as hard as she could.
“We need to hurry, Miledi. We can mourn and reminisce once all of this is over,” Laus said.
“He’s right. First, we’ll need to rendezvous at the Pale Forest.”
The Liberators needed a new base of operations from which to decide whether to continue their rescue efforts or focus their resources elsewhere.
The few sane dragonmen they’d managed to rescue were set to reach the forest in a few days as well. They’d told Miledi and the others to go on ahead because they knew they’d just slow her down.
Miledi had agreed mostly because if the Dragon Kingdom was in such a sorry state, there was no guarantee the republic was any safer, so she wanted to make sure it was before bringing refugees there.
Lyutillis had headed back to the forest ahead of everyone else, since she was nigh-invincible with the sacred tree’s strength behind her, but even with that, Miledi couldn’t be sure the republic was safe.
The situation was growing worse by the minute as well, with more and more of the Liberators being hunted down even as Miledi rushed to and fro to save who she could. She couldn’t help but wish the compass would show her what the situation was like where she wanted to go, on top of pointing her in the right direction.
“Please be safe, guys,” Miledi said, praying for the safety of those still alive as she sped toward the forest at the speed of sound.
Miledi, Meiru, and Laus reached the republic that same night. As they passed over the White Scarred Plains, they saw millions upon millions of campfires. Even more people were streaming toward the plains from the west as well.
“Well, at least it looks like Lyu managed to kick them out with her barrier,” Miledi muttered.
There were so many fires that the sky was bright even in the middle of the night. Soldiers kept trying to push into the forest, only to find themselves walking back out, confused. The Pale Forest was once again successfully misdirecting all those who entered.
Miledi and the others breathed a small sigh of relief upon seeing that. It was short-lived, however. The moment Miledi flew into the capital, she saw the destroyed houses, the rows of dead covered by traditional funeral leaves, and the burned-down trees. Rescue workers were still coming back with more corpses too.
The city was filled with the wails of bereaved family members and loved ones.
“Ah...” Miledi gasped when she saw the faces of some of the corpses under the shadow of the sacred tree. Badd, Marshal, Shushu, Valf, Reinheit, and even Nieshika.
“It can’t be...Reinheit!”
Laus ran over to Reinheit, his face pale. It was at that point that other people started to notice that Miledi and the others had returned.
Hoping against hope, Laus used spirit magic to see if any trace of Reinheit’s soul remained in his corpse. But of course, it didn’t. Thinking he might be able to at least save someone, Laus looked over Badd and the others as well, but the results were the same. All of their souls had passed on without a trace. They were well and truly dead.
Others began gathering around Meiru and Laus, perhaps hoping that the ancient magic users would be able to save their loved ones. Before they could ask anything though, a voice called down to Miledi and the others from above.
“Good, you made it in time,” Lyutillis said.
Laus rounded on her, ready to lash out. How could she say that when they’d clearly been too late for Reinheit and the others? But when he saw her dignified expression, those words died in his throat.
“Hurry, to the palace! You might still be able to save them!”
Laus felt as though he’d just been slapped. He couldn’t believe he’d let his emotions get the better of him when there were still people who needed his help.
Miledi and the others exchanged glances, then flew into the throne room from the balcony. The wide-open space had been converted into a field hospital, and Oscar, Naiz, Baharl, Corrin, and many other familiar faces were there. All of them had their hands full treating the wounded. When they saw Miledi and the others, they gave them a relieved smile, but that was all.
There wasn’t any time for lengthy reunions. Lyutillis pointed to a corner of the throne room.
“Only half a day has passed! Hurry!”
Lyutillis cast her evolution magic on both Laus and Meiru, while Laus stared at the corner in shock.
“Sh-Sharm!”
Lying in that corner was Sharm, along with Prime Minister Parsha and Craid and his royal guard. He didn’t need to get any closer to tell that their souls were still hanging on by a thread.
“I’ll bring them all back at once. Limit Break! Soul Revival!”
Laus’s glittering, jet-black mana covered Sharm and the others like a veil of pure night.
“I’ll do the same. Tetragrammaton!”
Meiru’s bright orange mana spread out in ripples.
Everyone gathered in this room were either on the verge of death or had just died, meaning they were all people who could be cured only by Meiru and Laus. The color began to return to those who’d recently passed away, and everyone’s bodies were repaired to their original state.
With a cough, Sharm and the others started breathing again. It would be some time before they would wake up, but they were most definitely alive. Those who’d just been mortally injured were able to get back up immediately, however.
Tears of joy streamed down many of their faces, and the beastmen all gathered around Laus and Meiru, thanking them profusely.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Miledi went over to Oscar and Naiz. But as she got closer, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Dylan-kun?! Katy-chan?!”
“Long time no see, Miledi-san... Actually, I guess that’s not quite right, huh?” Dylan said with an awkward smile. Katy smiled as well, but it was no longer the innocent smile of a young girl who had trouble being honest with herself. Miledi knew she should be happy they were awake, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
“The two of them awakened in order to help Ruth and Corrin escape. They’ve inherited the skills of the ancient warriors whose souls were implanted in their bodies,” Oscar said in a proud voice, patting Dylan and Katy’s heads. Though, he still couldn’t hide the flicker of sorrow that passed through his eyes.
Heart pounding, Miledi looked around to see who was missing. Ruth was a short distance away, and he waved when he saw Miledi looking at her. Corrin was sitting close by him, and Miledi could see that her eyes were red. Naiz was in a corner, a sleeping Yunfa cradled delicately in his arms.
“W-Wait...where’s Sue-chan?” Miledi asked, prompting everyone to look away sadly.
“No...” Miledi muttered. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. But then Yunfa woke up, looked blearily around, and started sobbing into Naiz’s chest.
“Naiz-sama. Sue-nee, she, she— Naiz-samaaa!”
“I’m sorry... I’m sorry I couldn’t make it in time.”
Naiz hugged her tightly and she hugged him back.
Miledi staggered backward, and Oscar put a supporting hand on her back as she asked, “Wh-What about everyone else?”
“We didn’t lose everyone. People who aren’t gravely injured are resting in one of the other rooms.”
“Moorin’s okay, right?”
Oscar shook his head silently, making Miledi visible pale.
“I-I have more bad news. At the Dragon Kingdom—”
“I know,” Oscar replied, cutting her off. “Shirley told us everything.”
He then looked into Miledi’s eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“He really was a master synergist. Even with a hole in his side, he was still able to repair my artifact and protect everyone. Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah... Yeah, he did.”
Dylan and Katy hugged both Oscar and Miledi.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Miledi could see Meiru handing Diene over to Baharl. For a moment, he hugged Diene tight, then after seeing Meiru’s despondent expression, he wrapped his arms around Meiru as well and lent her his shoulder. At first, Meiru tried to pull away, but then he whispered something into her ear and she let him hug her. Her shoulders were trembling, and it was clear that she was crying.
Upon seeing that, Oscar and the others realized why it was only Diene who had come back with Meiru. Everyone gritted their teeth as another wave of despair washed over them.
After a few minutes of silent grieving, Lyutillis clapped her hands and said, “Everyone, we need to get moving. The situation is still dire.”
Her commanding voice reenergized everyone.
Miledi took a deep breath, nodded to herself, then looked around the room and said, “We need to come up with a more effective rescue strategy. Let’s start by exchanging information. Van-chan’s not back yet, so—”
Before Miledi could say someone should go look for him, Lyutillis replied, “There won’t be any need for that. It seems he’s just returned.”
Vandre had gone to rescue Rasul, and to find out the fate of the spy unit the Liberators had sent into the theocracy. His link with Kuou allowed him to easily track his familiar, so he might have learned something useful.
Nodding to each other, Miledi and the others headed outside. In the distance, they could see an ice dragon descending from the sky, the mists parting to allow him entry. Kuou was riding on his back, and though there were no members of the spy unit with him, he had brought someone back.
“Kia-chan?!” Miledi shouted, recognizing the bunny girl.
The moment Kiara saw Miledi, all the emotions she’d bottled up came flowing out and she burst into tears. She was carrying someone in her arms, and when Miledi lowered the two of them down with gravity magic, she saw who it was.
“Sui?” Lyutillis muttered. There was no snide, biting reply.
“The spy unit was wiped out. Sui fought an apostle by herself to help Kiara escape,” Vandre explained, canceling his transformation.
Everyone looked down at Sui’s corpse in shock, and Kiara shouted, “She protected me!”
Kiara then cast her tearful gaze over the assembled beastmen. She wanted to make sure all the warriors of the republic heard Sui’s final words.
“She said that rabbitmen were strong! That even if we can’t win right now, as long as we survive, eventually, we’ll be the ones to transform the world. She died smiling!”
Kiara’s voice echoed through the forest. The surviving members of Sui’s covert ops squad gathered around Kiara and looked down at their deceased commander through their masks.
After a moment of silence, one of them muttered, “Man, you were annoying to the very end.”
Thinking that he was insulting Sui, Kiara glared up at him. But then. she saw the look in his eyes.
“You did everything by yourself, and then you went and died by yourself too. How selfish can you get?”
“You really were the worst general in history. The whole time I was working for you, I was trying to find a way to get you fired.”
“You were such a pain that even an apostle couldn’t ignore you. Your shitty personality’s definitely going down in history.”
“I can’t believe you look so peaceful.”
Though everyone was insulting her, Kiara could feel the warmth in their words. The members of Sui’s unit all took their masks off simultaneously, and Kiara saw tears streaming down their faces.
“Salute the Haltina Republic’s greatest hero!” one of the men shouted, putting a hand on his chest. The other beastmen straightened their backs and followed suit, all of them closing their eyes.
“Miss. Thank you for bringing our general back home,” one of them said, turning to Kiara. She sobbed even harder, and Miledi hugged her and Sui both. Miledi didn’t bother asking about Kiara’s parents. If they weren’t here, it was obvious what had happened to them.
“Welcome home, Sui. The Pale Forest will never forget what you’ve done for it,” Lyutillis said in a solemn voice, patting Sui’s head. “May you rest in peace.”
Vandre watched on from a distance, while Oscar, Naiz, and the children looked like they were at a loss for words.
Just then, one of the Schnee clansmen that had been helping recover corpses near the capital gate came running over, shouting, “Van-sama!”
Van’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw that it was Margaretta, of all people. He thought he’d lost her forever, but here she was.
“Van-sama, I’m sorry for—”
Vandre hugged her tight, cutting her off.
“Huh? Wha—?!” she exclaimed. Tordretta and the others had never seen Margaretta so flustered before.
“I thought you were dead.”
“Is that because you felt your connection with Uruluk fade?”
“Yeah. If something managed to kill him, I didn’t think his rider would be able to survive it.”
Margaretta wrapped a bandaged arm around Vandre’s back, letting the warmth of her body prove to him that she was alive.
“My opponents blew themselves up,” she explained.
The demons riding on the three greatest airships the empire had ever built had poured enough mana into the engines to cause them to overheat and explode. The resulting explosion had been strong enough to carve a chunk out of the nearby mountain, and there was only one reason Margaretta and the others had survived.
“Just before the airships exploded, Uruluk threw me off and used his body to shield all of us.”
“I see... So he protected his family to the very end, huh?”
“I’m sorry. I know he meant a lot to—”
“It’s fine. Say no more.”
Vandre gently patted Margaretta’s trembling shoulder. Unfortunately, Oscar had some bad news he had to deliver to Vandre.
“Van. Nieshika-san’s here.”
“What? So something did happen to the dragon...” Vandre trailed off when he saw the pained look on Oscar’s face.
Following Oscar’s gaze, Vandre saw Nieshika’s corpse next to Badd and the others. His expression stiffened.
“Wh-What happened?”
“I would like to know that myself,” Lyutillis said, striding forward. “I didn’t make it back to the republic in time. But when I did finally return, the barrier was already active.”
She paused there, then turned to look at Sharm, who was in Laus’s arms.
“Sharm-kun had somehow activated the fog barrier. He had the Holy Sword in his hands, and he looked like he was sleeping.”
“No way...” Miledi mumbled, disentangling herself from Kiara as she turned to Meiru. Meiru immediately cast restoration magic to see what had happened.
The party saw Badd leave his will behind, then pass away while still standing. They watched Marshal and the others struggle to keep the federation soldiers out until they, too, eventually fell. Then, just as soldiers started storming the palace, Sharm and Nieshika arrived. Nieshika shielded Sharm with her body. while the young boy used the Holy Sword to activate the forest’s barrier, then drop to his knees and pass out.
After that, the vision of the past faded away.
Lyutillis staggered over to Badd’s corpse and knelt in front of him. No one knew what she was thinking in that moment, but she took his cold hand in hers and closed her eyes.
Laus, likewise, knelt in front of Reinheit. He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but it was clear that Reinheit had given his life to protect Sharm’s and then passed both the Holy Sword and the title of hero down onto his charge.
“You were a far greater knight than either of us deserved. And Sharm, you’re the best son a father could have ever asked for.”
Meiru’s restoration magic confirmed that Sharm had maintained the barrier for a full two days. He’d foregone food and sleep, used up every last drop of his mana, and had started burning his own life force once that had run out. He’d been resolved to die, if that was what it took. He’d burned away his very soul to save others. He was worthy of being called a hero, and thanks to the sacrifice of his loyal knight, Reinheit, he’d pulled off a miracle.
No, it wasn’t just Reinheit’s sacrifice that had made this possible. Every person at the foot of the sacred tree had fought and died for this miracle.
People started gathering around Miledi and the others to mourn those who had passed, and to thank them for their sacrifices. But of course, Ehit wasn’t the kind of person to give them any time to rest.
“Something’s coming!” Miledi shouted suddenly, and Oscar and the others noticed it a second later.
They recognized the presence pretty quickly—they’d seen plenty of apostles already. Not willing to wait for the apostle to come to them, Miledi and the others shot into the sky. They created platforms for themselves to stand on in mid-air and faced off against the apostle. However, the apostle maintained a healthy distance and made no move to attack.
“I have no intention of fighting you.”
“Thought so. Not like a single one of you stands a chance against us anymore.”
“I come bearing a message from my master.”
Miledi had expected as much, which was why she hadn’t instantly obliterated the apostle upon seeing it.
“Us apostles are capable of sharing the information we receive with each other.”
As she spoke, the apostle spread her silver wings and unleashed hundreds of feathers into the sky. They formed a circle above her, coalescing into a magic circle.
“After studying your Skynets, we have derived a means of projecting that shared information for others to see,” the apostle said as she created a couple dozen more magic circles. “This is what we are seeing all across the world right now.”
The magic circles began to glow from within, each one projecting a different image. Miledi and the others paled when they realized what they were looking at.
“This is my lord’s message.”
“Stop.”
The images showed various execution sites across the world.
“Stop!”
People Miledi recognized were chained up on those execution platforms. One of them had Nadia, Snowbell, and the other members of the desert village. Another showed Kipson and the other members of the village in the Fertile Land.
Mobs with torches surrounded every one of those execution sites. Miledi, Oscar, and the others all turned back to the apostle.
In an emotionless voice, she said, “Checkmate.”
“Stooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop!”
Torches were thrown onto the pyres, and the Liberators were forced to watch as their comrades were all burned at the stake. They were halfway across the continent, meaning that Laus couldn’t possibly get there in time to save them.
“The hunts will continue, and the mortal races shall dance on the palm of our lord’s hand. He has tired of this civilization and will destroy it all to build a new one from its ashes. If you wish for him to stop, then give up your lives. Will you let yourselves be executed as traitors, or will you continue to fight and sacrifice the world in the process? Make your choice. Is this free will you love so much truly worth—?”
There was a small popping noise, and the apostle’s corpse dropped to the ground. The feathers making up the projectors scattered, and the images vanished.
After a moment’s silence, Miledi shouted, “Ehiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
Her rage had reached a boiling point, as had Oscar’s and the others’.
“You’re fucking dead!”
That was the only reply Miledi and the others had for the god who had taken the entire world hostage.
Miledi and the others blazed through the night sky like shooting stars. Thanks to Miledi’s supersonic flight and Naiz’s teleportation, they were able to cross half the continent in just a few hours.
It was a few hours before dawn. The night had been long, but no night lasted forever. And tonight, the Liberators would fight to bring about the dawn they wished for.
“O-kun!”
“Got it!”
Oscar took aim with his Black Umbrella, pointing it at the sky directly above the Divine Mountain’s summit. The compass had told them that this was the place where the boundary between Tortus and Ehit’s Sanctuary was the thinnest. Oscar had fitted his umbrella with the Arrow of Boundaries, and once he’d locked onto his target, he fired.
“Shoot straight through to Ehit’s throne!”
The arrow shot straight up, leaving a rainbow-colored trail behind it. As it reached its destination, ripples of light spread out from it.
Cracks appeared in the sky, and a second later, there was the sound of shattering glass. A multicolored portal, wide enough for a few people to pass through at a time, appeared around the arrow. And at the same time, countless whirlpools of silver light appeared, spitting out apostles. That, more than anything, was proof that the Arrow of Boundaries was capable of opening the way into Ehit’s domain.
“Out of the way!” Miledi shouted, using an extremely powerful Heavencrush to obliterate three of those silver portals and crush any apostles around them.
“It’s past time that you paid for your crimes—Unlimited Overdrive! Core Seal!” Lyutillis exclaimed, enveloping allies and enemies alike with her evolution magic, empowering Miledi and the others while weakening the apostles.
“This is what you deserve—Voidshatter!” Naiz roared, venting the anger he felt due to being unable to protect those he’d sworn to by annihilating a group of apostles with a powerful spatial explosion.
“If only you were capable of feeling pain, I would make you suffer a thousandfold for what you’ve done—Stagnation!” Meiru exclaimed, slowing down all of the remaining apostles and channeling her fury at losing her crew into her spell.
“I’ve had enough tragedy in my life!”
“We’re putting an end to your twisted game!”
Oscar destroyed the apostles Meiru had slowed with a series of disintegration blasts, while Vandre rotted them from the inside out with Invasive Ruin.
“Get out here and fight us, you coward! If you have even a speck of pride, then stop hiding behind your dolls—Limit Break - Final Stage!”
Laus made two clones of himself and started crushing any apostles that got close with his war maces. Miledi flew past the broken corpses of the apostles, using her gravity magic to take Oscar and the others with her. Not even an endless stream of apostles could stop the seven ancient magic users now.
“Ehiiiiiit!”
Just as Miledi and the others were about to pass through the multicolored gate, it vanished.
Not because the path to the Sanctuary had been closed, but rather because Ehit had chosen to open it all the way. The Liberators could see straight into Ehit’s domain.
“Huh? Aaaaaaaaah!”
“Wha—? Ngh, s-stop!”
Miledi and the others had, of course, planned for a potential ambush the moment they passed through the gate. That was why they’d packed their concept magic into an arrow that could be fired remotely rather than a sword or some other weapon that needed to be swung at close range.
But who could have expected that it would be regular people waiting for them on the other side of the portal instead of apostles.
Miledi locked eyes with a young girl who looked scared out of her wits. She forcibly decelerated, which taxed her body quite a bit because of how fast she’d been going. Her innards churned, and Oscar and the others also stopped their attacks just in time with gritted teeth.
It was precisely because the Liberators had made saving people their primary goal that this was the one weakness Ehit could exploit. And it was also this weakness that sealed their fate.
Miledi and the others could hear war cries from down below. The teleportation circle that took people from the ground to the main cathedral had been repaired, and people were being teleported into the cathedral en masse. Those who were still sane were running around begging for mercy, while those who’d been fully brainwashed by Ehit chased them down and killed them. Furthermore, the people Ehit had brought into the Sanctuary suddenly started jumping off the edge of the gate.
The apostles fired lethal bursts of disintegration magic into the crowd, not caring about who they hit.
“Guys!” Miledi shouted, and Oscar and the others started moving immediately.
Miledi used gravity magic to save the people jumping to their deaths, while Laus used Soul Shock to knock out the fanatics. Meiru healed everyone who’d been mortally injured, while Naiz and Lyutillis erected barriers to protect people from the apostles’ attacks and Oscar and Vandre set out to kill all the apostles.
However, because they were all preoccupied, they noticed all too late that the girl Miledi had first seen in the Sanctuary had picked up the arrow they’d fired. She looked completely expressionless now though, and her hair went from black to white in an instant.
“Are you willing to kill her to get this back?” the girl said in a low, gravelly voice that clearly wasn’t hers. She grinned wickedly, and Miledi and the others immediately realized that Ehit had possessed her and was using her body as a shield. Ehit then hugged the arrow close and with a silver flash, destroyed it with disintegration magic.
Split in half, the arrow lost its rainbow aura, and Ehit tossed the broken ends away like they were nothing.
“Just how low can you stoop?!” Miledi screamed. However, she knew yelling wouldn’t change anything. And so, she used gravity magic to call the broken halves of the arrow toward her, while the portal to the Sanctuary closed shut.
A second later, the apostles and all the crazed fanatics stopped moving.
“To think you would manage to acquire even concept magic,” Ehit said, his voice ringing out across the sky. “The seven of you truly are fascinating. I imagine you must have created a concept magic weapon capable of killing me as well?”
He’d guessed as much after seeing the Arrow of Boundaries.
Miledi ignored his question and tossed the arrow to Oscar. He and Meiru worked desperately to restore it, while Ehit’s booming laughter rang in their ears.
“Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Splendid! So your desire to slay me is that strong?! What a delight! Do your best to struggle and reach me while the world is destroyed around you!”
Oscar looked hopelessly up at Meiru. She was using all the restoration magic she knew, but judging by the despair in her expression, it wasn’t going to work.
“O-kun, Meru-nee!”
Meiru had managed to restore the arrow’s outward appearance, but it no longer gave off the unique signature concept magic did.
“But remember this, so long as you live, the world shall continue to plunge deeper into chaos! The crazed masses won’t just hunt down the Liberators, but even their own loved ones given enough time!”
As Ehit finished his speech, all the fanatics in the cathedral pointed their weapons at their own necks. Meanwhile, the apostles aimed their weapons at those who were still sane enough to not kill themselves.
“Why are you so cruel?! What drives you to do this?!” Miledi shouted.
“Miledi, we have to retreat!” Oscar said, grabbing Miledi’s arm.
“We already retreated once! I’m not running away again!” she replied, shaking him off. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to shed them.
Oscar and the others understood exactly how she felt. They also wanted to say damn the consequences and go wild. But they knew they couldn’t. They were Liberators, after all.
Meiru and Lyutillis grabbed Miledi, while Naiz opened up a portal.
“We need to regroup,” Laus said, serving as the rearguard with Vandre while the others dragged Miledi through the portal.
Right before they left, Ehit said in a displeased voice, “Failing to understand me is what is truly evil, not what I do.”
That was the first time any of them had seen him display a negative emotion.
Miledi and the others returned to the forest where they were greeted by Ruth, Corrin, Dylan, Katy, and Sharm and Parsha, who’d both woken up. None of them knew what to say, though.
“Oscar, Meiru! Is the arrow still not fixed?!” Miledi shouted. She was in such a foul mood that she wasn’t letting anyone touch her.
Sounding utterly defeated, Oscar said, “Miledi, we can’t repair it.”
“Why not?!”
“The concept magic contained within it was destroyed. Not even restoration magic can bring that back,” Meiru explained.
“Th-Then we just have to make another one! What are you waiting around for?!”
Laus walked over to Miledi and said, “Calm down.”
“You want me to calm down?! Even though hundreds of our comrades are being slaughtered as we speak?! Even though people might start killing themselves at any minute?! Even if they wipe out the Liberators, they won’t stop! They’ll just start killing each other! We need to at least rescue what little of our friends are still alive. We have the compass, so... No, wait...”
Miledi suddenly paled and started biting on her nails. She was one step away from falling into madness herself.
“I told you to calm down! Soul’s Repose!”
Laus’s magic washed over Miledi. Normally, she’d have the presence of mind to resist it if she wanted to, but right now, she was so distraught that she ate it head-on. Calming down a little, Miledi looked around and realized how immature she’d been acting. Seeing Corrin look so taken aback made her feel ashamed of herself.
It was obvious to everyone watching that Miledi wasn’t in her right mind and that they’d failed to kill Ehit.
A cold breeze blew through the trees as everyone waited silently for Miledi to say something. She staggered backward, feeling as though she’d betrayed everyone’s hopes.
No, it’s not what you guys think. We can still do it. We can still win. I’ll make it happen. I swear I’ll kill Ehit and change the world! Miledi tried to say as much, but she couldn’t get any words out of her throat. Her teeth started to chatter, and Oscar gently laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Miledi, lend me the compass.”
“The...compass?” Miledi parroted, handing the compass over. Oscar then gave it to Parsha.
“Can the surviving dragonmen, Schnee clansmen, and beastmen warriors focus on rescuing any surviving Liberators?” he asked.
What will you guys do?
Oscar could feel the question in everyone’s gazes.
“We’re going to try to recreate the concept magic that will let us enter Ehit’s Sanctuary. It’s going to take all of our concentration, so we won’t be able to help with the rescue effort.”
“Oscar!” Miledi shouted, glaring at Oscar. But then she noticed that Oscar’s hand was trembling as well, so she shut her mouth.
“I’ll repair the Skynets we have left and make more to serve as relays for communications. Everyone, follow Parsha-san’s orders. She’ll organize things properly. Lyu, use your evolution magic on the search squad. Sharm-kun, I know this will be hard for you, but can you maintain the barrier in Lyu’s place while we’re gone?”
Everyone could tell that Oscar was doing his best to keep his emotions in check while he handed out orders.
“Ehit told us that once the Liberators are gone, regular people will start killing each other.”
Parsha and the others gasped, the blood draining from their faces.
“We have to prevent that no matter what. Please lend us your assistance, everyone,” Oscar said, bowing his head. And for a moment, there was complete silence.
It was Baharl who finally spoke up, saying, “Either way, I need to get back to Andika. If the city’s still around, I plan to evacuate everyone I can. I doubt the nations on the mainland are willing to chase us that far out.”
The next to say something was Sharm.
“I don’t mind helping. Your Majesty, can you cast your evolution magic on me as well? The Holy Sword is telling me I’ll be able to last seven days with that.”
At that point, everyone started voicing their willingness to cooperate.
“We don’t have much time, everyone! Let’s get moving!” Parsha shouted, prompting Baharl and the others to set about their respective tasks.
“Miledi, let’s go to the training ground we used to master our ancient magic. We’ll have the least distractions there. Lyu and I will head over as soon as we’ve given everyone the things they need, so use that time to mentally reorient yourself.”
“Got it. Also, sorry.”
Oscar patted Miledi’s head in response, then looked over at Meiru and said, “Take care of her for me.”
“Of course. Let’s go, Miledi-chan. This isn’t over yet.”
“You’re right. There’s no way I’m letting it end here.”
Miledi lifted Meiru, Naiz, Vandre, and Laus with her gravity magic, then carried them all to the training grounds.
A full day passed without Miledi and the others managing to recreate the concept magic they wanted. Meanwhile, a dozen more of the Liberators’ hidden villages were burned to the ground.
A second day passed, and the dragonmen refugees finally made it to the Pale Forest. By checking the compass, Miledi and the others discovered that apostles and fanatics had attacked Dastia. They also heard that Rasul had been exiled from his own nation.
Three days went by and Miledi and the others were no closer to recreating concept magic. They’d done it the first time after getting dead drunk, so it wasn’t like they had any real knowledge they could draw on. All they managed to make were inferior copies of their first arrow.
Their impatience grew, while the world finally started tilting toward destruction. The rage the zealots had directed toward the Liberators was now being directed at their neighbors. People began to wonder if maybe the person living next to them wasn’t secretly a rebel supporter.
On the fourth day, the demon empire declared war on Dastia and launched an invasion. Grandort and Velnika began preparations to cross the Reisen Gorge and invade the demon empire as well. The Dragon Kingdom became a vassal state of the theocracy, and Shival’s dragonmen began hunting down Liberators.
By the fifth day, every Liberator who wasn’t part of the support branch or under Miledi and the others’ direct protection was dead.
On day six, Miledi vanished.
There was a hidden grave on a cliff overlooking the ocean due east from Sainttown. The gravestone was a simple stone slab on the promontory.
Miledi stood before the gravestone, staring intently at the name etched into it—Belta Lievre.
“Belle, everyone’s dead,” she said in a voice quiet enough to be swallowed up by the white-crested waves crashing against the cliff wall.
“I couldn’t do it.”
They’d been this close to reaching Ehit, but in the end, they’d failed. The free world they’d dreamed about had proven to be beyond their reach.
“But you know what’s weird? No one was mad at me.”
Badd wasn’t the only one who’d left his will behind, knowing that Meiru would be able to see into the past. Salus and the others had also left behind messages in various artifacts that had been recovered by the search squads Parsha sent out.
Badd had told her to live on even if they couldn’t beat Ehit. Salus had told her he hoped she’d live her life as a normal girl from now on. Rigan had told her to find happiness. Howzer had told her that as long as the light of hope wasn’t fully extinguished, that was good enough. Cloris, Jinglebell, Nadia, and all of the other Liberators had told her to survive, even as they were being executed.
“They want a powerless leader like me to survive?”
All of them had cared more about Miledi’s happiness than the revolution they’d devoted their lives to.
“There’s no way I can do that. How can I just go on like nothing’s happened when everyone else is dead?!”
Miledi dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around the gravestone, and started sobbing.
“Belle...I want to see you again.”
In that moment, Miledi wasn’t the dazzlingly bright, ever-optimistic leader of the Liberators. Right now, she just looked like a girl who’d lost everyone she loved.
Miledi’s sobs echoed across the sea, drowning out the roar of the waves and wind.
It was hours later, when the sun had long since set and the moon was shining high in the sky, that Miledi finally rose to her feet.
“Thanks for listening to my whining, Belle,” she said, then traced the name on the gravestone with her slender fingers. “But in the end, I don’t think I have it in me to become a regular girl.”
Miledi smiled sadly, thinking about what could have been.
“I’ve decided, Belle.”
She knew who she was, and what she had to do.
Resolved, Miledi turned back toward the mainland. Her expression had completely transformed. There was no weakness or sorrow in it anymore, just firm, unyielding determination. Her eyes glimmered brighter than ever before.
As she took her first step, a gust of wind blew past her and, for a moment, it felt as though Miledi heard Belta’s voice.
“Live, Miledi.”
It might have just been a trick of the wind and waves, but Miledi could have sworn that was Belta’s voice.
Stopping in her tracks, Miledi closed her eyes and replied, “Don’t worry, I will. Even if...I’m the last one left.”
Smiling faintly, Miledi resumed walking. She wouldn’t look back ever again.
That same night, Miledi went to the closest church she could find from Sainttown. She sat down on a pew in the front row, and a priest sat down on the pew across the aisle from her.
“Ehit, I’ve come to bargain,” she said.
The priest didn’t respond, but Miledi knew Ehit was listening. There was no way he’d be able to resist the allure of something interesting.
“I’ve thought of a way to make your game a whole lot more interesting.”
There was only one option Miledi could think of that would save the present world while still keeping hope alive for future generations.
After hearing Miledi’s proposal, the priest’s face transformed into the beautiful features of an apostle. There was an ugly smile on his face, and he added a series of cruel conditions to see whether or not Miledi would accept. However, Miledi wasn’t fazed at all, and she accepted them all without complaint, with the exception of one which she negotiated slightly.
Ehit doubled over with laughter as the deal was struck, his ominous voice echoing through the church.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone make such a foolish choice. I doubt your companions will accept the terms of this contract.”
“Oh, they will. I have faith in them. Though you probably can’t understand that,” Miledi replied in a cold voice.
Laughing even harder, Ehit said, “You should be proud, Miledi Reisen. You’ve piqued God’s interest, something no one else has done before.”
Not deigning to respond, Miledi rose to her feet and walked out of the church, Ehit’s laughter following her as she left.
On this day, a deal between God and the Liberators was struck.
Once she left the town, Miledi came to a halt. Oscar and the others were standing in front of her, looking worried.
“Miledi...thank goodness. We were worried something might have happened when you suddenly headed toward Grandort,” Oscar said with a relieved sigh as he held the compass in one hand.
Oscar and the others had known where Miledi had gone the moment she’d disappeared, but they’d figured she wanted some time alone, so they hadn’t chased after her. But then she hadn’t returned even after sunset, and when they checked the compass, they saw that she was within the Grandort Empire, so they’d rushed over thinking something bad might have happened.
“Miledi, what are you—?” Laus stopped mid-question, overwhelmed by the sheer determination he saw in Miledi’s gaze. The others were similarly awed.
It was clear to everyone that Miledi had made a momentous decision.
“Sorry for leaving without saying anything,” Miledi said quietly.
Oscar instinctively knew he wouldn’t like what she was going to say next, so he hurriedly said, “Miledi, I’m sure we’ll be able to make another Arrow of Boundaries, so—”
“We can discuss that later, O-chan. Hear me out first.”
Oscar raised an eyebrow in surprise, and the others—especially Meiru—looked similarly shocked. There had been only one man around Miledi’s age that she’d used the -kun honorific for. It had been a subconscious expression of her desire to maybe have a normal romance with him someday, but that had seemingly changed.
“We’ll stand out here. Let’s at least return to the forest to talk,” Lyutillis said, and everyone nodded. They wanted to put off hearing whatever it was Miledi had to say for as long as possible.
No one said a word on the way back to the forest. It was only after they’d returned to the training ground near the capital and sat down in a circle that Miledi spoke.
“I made a deal with Ehit.”
“You what?!” Vandre said in a stunned voice. Oscar and the others were similarly stupefied.
Miledi then went on to explain the details of the deal, and Oscar and the others almost doubted their ears for a moment.
“Ehit said that he would spare this world if we died. He wanted to see if we’d sacrifice ourselves for the present, or sacrifice the present for the future, so I decided to make a third choice.”
Miledi had wanted to ensure the present was saved, while still preserving hope for the future. Thus, she’d come up with an interesting enough way to do it that Ehit had decided to play along.
That method was none other than the Seven Labyrinths Project.
“We’re going to create a series of trials within our respective labyrinths, and pass on our ancient magic to anyone who manages to clear them.”
They already knew from their time in Dastia that it was possible to make a magic circle that read the memories of someone to see if they had cleared certain conditions and also pass on power and knowledge to them. They also knew that while it had taken their combined powers to create concept magic, the first hero, Darrion Kaus, had done it alone.
If anything, it was harder to bring forth concept magic with more people, since it meant syncing up different values, thoughts, and feelings into a single extreme expression of will. The fact that Miledi and the others had managed to create three different concept magic-imbued artifacts was proof that their bonds of trust were stronger than any in history. It was a miracle that they’d succeeded even once.
Regardless, that was why Miledi and the others would craft extremely difficult trials that would require an unbreakable will to clear.
“If we can pass all of our ancient magic onto a single person, it should be a lot easier for them to use concept magic.”
It was also possible that multiple people strong enough to clear the labyrinths would all appear in a single generation. And then, once someone managed to collect all seven ancient magic, Ehit would then play a new game with them.
As Miledi explained all of that, Oscar and the others had a revelation. Not about the trials, but the fact that they could just pass on their ancient magic to each other.
Noticing the change in their expressions, Miledi said in a sad voice, “We can give it a try, but I don’t think it will work. Since you all understand the true nature of your ancient magic, you should be able to tell that.”
Natural ancient magic users had the power to interfere with one of the fundamental laws of nature imprinted onto their souls at birth. However, that meant their souls were already “dyed” in such a way that they couldn’t be modified any further. Ironically, only ancient magic users were incapable of learning other ancient magic.
No one tried to refute Miledi’s claim, and their bitter expressions made it obvious they’d realized she was right.
“Besides, even if we could, Ehit wouldn’t allow it. He’s tired of playing with us, and he wants new pawns to mess around with.”
However, it was unlikely new pawns on the level of Miledi and the others would appear ever again. With each passing generation, there were fewer and fewer people born with special magic, let alone those capable of using ancient magic, so Miledi’s proposal to create a system where a new super-powerful ancient magic user might appear at any time had been quite appealing to Ehit.
“He’s willing to give us a year per person, so seven years total, to make our labyrinths. In that time, he won’t drive people to war. The church will claim victory over the rebels and stop their witch hunts as well.”
That would be the end of the Liberators’ story, as far as the public was concerned. Of course, Miledi and her six companions would still be at large, but people would return to their everyday lives, secure in the knowledge that the church had won.
If Miledi broke her agreement at any point in time, Ehit would immediately blanket Tortus in insanity once more and destroy the world for good.
“Then, after the seventh year ends and the labyrinths are built...Miledi Reisen will be executed to bring an end to the current game.”
“Wait, why?!” Oscar shouted. He’d kept his tongue the whole time, but this was too much.
“Weren’t we supposed to become the masters of our respective labyrinths?! Why do you need to die?!”
Meiru and the others also shot Miledi concerned looks, and she smiled sadly at them.
“There’s no way that bastard would just agree without making some demands.”
Ehit wanted Miledi Reisen to be executed to properly put an end to the Liberators’ story. Then, after she was executed, her soul would be transferred to an undying vessel of her choice. After that, the seven ancient magic users would never be able to interact with each other or the outside world again.
“But I negotiated the terms a little. In exchange for staying at the bottom of my labyrinth for eternity, the rest of you will be able to pick just one person who you’ll be allowed to interact with. There are a few other details, but that’s the main gist of the deal.”
“Like hell we’re taking that deal,” Oscar shouted, rising to his feet.
“Miledi, you need to calm down and think about this,” Naiz said, glaring at her.
“Yes, this is a completely unreasonable deal, Miledi-chan,” Meiru added.
“Precisely. Do you really think we’ll allow you to suffer alone like that?” Lyutillis asked.
“There’s no way we’re accepting those terms,” Vandre spat.
Only Laus said nothing. He simply hung his head, grimacing. Unlike the others, he understood that this really was the best option, though that didn’t make it any easier to accept. He didn’t mind spending the rest of his life at the bottom of a labyrinth. It was forcing Miledi to spend eons waiting for a conclusion that might not ever come that he couldn’t accept.
“Do we have any other choice?” Miledi asked resolutely, and Oscar and the others fell silent.
They hadn’t even managed to actually fight Ehit, let alone kill him. So long as there were people held hostage within the Sanctuary, Oscar and the others would have a hard time making any progress. Moreover, the fact that Ehit had been willing to accept this deal meant that he was confident he could handily beat someone capable of using all seven ancient magic. Even if Miledi and the others were able to force a showdown with Ehit, there was no guarantee they could beat him.
“There has to be some other way! Something else we can do!” Oscar shouted.
“Honestly, there might be,” Miledi replied calmly.
“Then—”
“But we don’t have the time to look for it. This is the best we can do right now.”
People were wrapped up in a growing wave of paranoia, and they were on the verge of killing each other. So, while Miledi and the others searched for the ideal solution, more and more innocent lives would be lost. That was why Miledi had gone and made the deal alone, even though she’d known it wasn’t fair to Oscar and the others, and that they would be against it.
Of course, Miledi’s decision meant that in the future, others would be forced to dance on Ehit’s game board. In the end, she’d just delayed the problem. In fact, it was entirely possible even more people would be sacrificed in the future than would die now if Miledi and the others powered through to fight Ehit.
Ehit had been right when he’d called Miledi’s choice foolish. But even so, it had been the only way.
“I can’t sacrifice the people of the present for the sake of the future. But if we all die, then there won’t be any hope left at all!” Miledi shouted, her voice raw with emotion. Everyone could tell that it was Miledi who hated having to make this choice most of all.
But even so, Oscar couldn’t accept this outcome. In an equally emotional voice, he shouted, “Don’t you get it?! It might be ages before someone strong enough to inherit all our ancient magic appears!”
It was hard to tell if he was trying to convince Miledi to change her mind or just railing against the harshness of reality.
“I know!”
“We might not get to see each other again before we die! We might all end up leaving you behind!”
“I know!”
“Once we’re gone, you won’t even have the comfort of knowing your comrades are fighting for the same cause as you! It might take hundreds, even thousands of years of solitude before—!”
“I don’t care even if it takes a million years!”
Miledi looked over Oscar, Meiru, Naiz, Vandre, Lyutillis, and Laus, her unwavering gaze piercing through all of them.
“I’ll wait for as long as it takes! Because I believe that people are strong! One day, someone’s going to appear who can finally save this world from that shitty god!”
Ehit had proposed these conditions because part of the entertainment for him was seeing whether or not Miledi broke under the weight of time. Miledi knew that, and she didn’t care. She’d been prepared from the start to endure. What really pained her was forcing her comrades to spend the rest of their lives in labyrinths as well. She had managed to negotiate enough that they’d be able to spend time with one other person at least, but she still felt bad about making this decision for them.
“Please, lend me your strength, everyone.”
However, these six were also the only people she felt comfortable making unreasonable demands of. They were the only people she could rely on, the only people she could entrust her back to. Until now, Miledi had been loath to rely on others, but she trusted Oscar and the others more than any of her other comrades. They were special.
A long silence followed her plea. Oscar and the others bit their lips in frustration, clenched their fists, and desperately tried to think of a way out of this dark predicament.
After a long time spent searching fruitlessly for another way, Oscar finally said, “I can’t do it, Miledi. I can’t bring myself to work toward confining you to a life of solitude.”
He turned his back to Miledi and walked away, blood dripping from his clenched fists.
“I need some time to think,” Meiru said as she staggered out of the grove, looking pale as a ghost.
In a quiet voice, Naiz said, “You and Oscar were the ones who dragged me out of a life of solitude.”
He gritted his teeth, leaving without saying anything more.
“......” Vandre silently turned on his heel and walked off, his expression inscrutable.
“Miledi, you truly are strong...” Lyutillis mumbled in a sad voice, trailing after Naiz.
“Sorry...” Laus said, lamenting his own powerlessness. After a few seconds, he left as well, leaving Miledi alone in the forest.
She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. Instead of going after them and trying to convince them, she stayed behind. After all, the ultimate decision she’d made was to believe in people and wait.
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