Flames grew larger and larger with each passing second, slowly swallowing the room whole. Temperatures slowly rose, and he backed away as the fire got stronger.
Haruo forced himself to remain calm and analyzed the situation carefully before making a move. He grabbed the towel that hung near his bedframe and tied it tightly around his mouth.
Next, he grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around his brother's body. Now he took his brother's blanket and used it to tie him around his back; with it, he tore a small piece and created a bandana for Taiyo as well.
Haruo rushed into the fire, dodging its flames to avoid getting injured himself. Paintings fell, walls turned to ash, and debris of the manor scattered everywhere.
The fire Haruo was facing was no regular one; he had tried to use his ability to calm it down, yet there was still no response. Extinguishing it was simply impossible for him.
He raced through the halls, his clothes burning slightly and touching his skin. Despite its painful burns, he kept a resolute expression and continued forward. At times, he used his hands to block debris from falling over them or used his body to protect his brother.
After searching for a while, he finally found the door to Ena's room. He kicked it open and saw Ena lying near the floor, her face slightly red.
He ran to grab her, jumping off the balcony and landing smoothly on the ground.
The once elegant manor had turned mostly into coal. Helping the fire burn ever so relentlessly.
Many of the servants had escaped in time but had suffered devastating injuries. But the rest… They had embraced death through hellfire; he felt pity for them, but he knew he wasn't in a position to worry about others currently.
He was facing the same fate as them; dozens of burns wrapped around his torso and legs, with only his brother and Ena unscathed.
He untied his and Taiyo's bandana and placed him next to Ena.
Haruo carefully checked his brother's well-being once more. Midway, a large earthquake shook the ground, tempering with Haruo's balance. Haruo planted his hand on the ground and held Taiyo and Ena—supporting them.
After it stopped, he went to evaluate Ena's well-being, checking her vitals diligently as he did with Taiyo.
'Oh, thank god…'
He took a breather, knowing that both of them were fine. He took a glance at the glowing manor, restricting himself from going inside once more to find his master, knowing that he had to watch over Ena and Taiyo.
'As if the fire wasn't unnatural enough… but that earthquake too? Just what the hell is happening?
All he could do was hope he was fine.
'It's not safe here anymore.'
Haruo carried both of them and walked away as the fire cackled behind him.
***
It had been more than three hours since the fire began, and by now it had been extinguished entirely. Earlier, Haruo had gone to take a visit, leaving both Ena and Taiyo in the hospital.
Many people surrounded the gate, while the police had stopped anyone from entering—including former servants. Most people there were reporters, taking notes diligently while trying to question the guards.
The guards—or the police—didn't answer any of their questions and remained stern. When a person tried to push through the gate, they would resort to violence and push them off before they could enter.
Haruo—Wearing a new set of clothes. A light grey long-sleeved buttoned shirt, and layered over it was a vest with the same color but a darker tone. He matched it with leather boots and black pants.
He spectated from a distance; the manor had completely collapsed. Many investigators searched the area to find clues that caused this incident—Maybe about the fire or the earthquakes.
After watching for a while, he grew tired and went to visit the hospital.
The room they were in was luxurious—Something fit for nobles. But it wasn't for Taiyo; they had only included him in the room since he was acquainted and had no more room for other people.
Both remained unconscious. Haruo closed the door behind him and sat down. As he did, Ena shot upwards; her expression dark.
She stood up from her bed and ran immediately after just waking up Haruo sighed as if he had already expected this. He followed her trail, matching her fast pace.
"Please rest, you just woke up." He said.
"Be quiet!"
"You're being irrational, calm down and think through it first."
"Did you not hear me!? I said shut up!"
She quickened her steps and shot out of the hospital straight to her manor.
"Do you really want to see him? You'll—"
"SHUT UP! Who are you to comfort me!? You're nothing but a servant!"
Both of them traversed the city. Ena's eyes started to form tears; they had made it to the neighborhood and jumped over the fence.
She saw the manor scattered in debris. Light smoke lingered around; even the garden wasn't safe from the fire's wrath, and was burnt as well. Burnt bodies were scattered in the area; most of them were missing a limb.
She ignored the devastation and rummaged through the debris. Tears flowed from her face as Haruo only observed.
She continued to search; she hadn't thought of stopping, not even once. Then she spotted him, her father…
He lay softly on the ground, blood covering his entire body. It was a surprise that none of the investigators had found him yet.
Ena sprinted to his side—tripping on her way there. After getting closer, she had seen a much clearer view of what state her father's body was in. He had two limbs missing, an arm and a leg.
Many holes were visible on his chest, with many of his organs destroyed. But he was still breathing… In Ena's eyes, there was hope, and she clung to it deeply, knowing that letting go meant giving up entirely.
Ena's quiet sobs made her father look at her gently. With the remaining hand he had, he placed it near her daughter's cheek. She clenched her jaw and activated her ability, her eyes illuminating as she did.
By placing her palms on the center of his body, A strong pulse of energy broke through the atmosphere and scattered itself within the air.
But his body remained the same; no wounds were healed, and he was still in a weakened state. Again, another pulse shot through the air, then again, and again, and again, again, again…
But the result remained the same; no matter how strong it was, she couldn't heal him. Streams of tears escaped her ruby eyes, while her father wiped them off with a simple thumb movement.
He turned his head toward Haruo, who was observing, and gave him a faint smile before his eyes lost their spark.
Snow started to pour from the sky, watching as Ena cried near her father's corpse.
'September 4, I - 4023, 8:36 am. Leon Hyakagure… Had died."
Haruo could no longer watch her sob and walked away silently. It had only been one month and two days since he had taken the job, but it was obvious… His time as a butler was up.
Just as he walked away, Ena hurried to follow him, tugging the side of his clothing. Her eyes are puffy from crying. He didn't bother to take a glance at her and continued forward.
Ena followed limply, still crying. She had no Idea why she was following him; she gained nothing from it and only made her feel worse.
But deep down, she knew—not consciously—she had nowhere to go, her manor had been burnt down, and she had no relatives to help her, no one to follow, her father had died, and she had only herself.
That was when she had realized there was one person she could follow—Haruo. The only person she could.
She had unconsciously anchored herself to Haruo and followed him.
They exited through the entrance, filled with many of the reporters from earlier. Each of them had recognized her as the only daughter of Leon Hyakagure and swarmed her almost instantly.
She ignored them quietly, tears still streaming down her face. They revisited the hospital once again to retrieve Taiyo from his rest. Luckily, he was already awake when they arrived. Taiyo already knew and went to hug Haruo.
***
Haruo dug up a large box from a tree far from the city. He took the box and pulled a key from his neck—snapping it from its string.
He placed the key in the keyhole and turned it gently; inside, only two sets of coats were visible, with a picture in the middle. He wore the dark blue coat and the grey scarf that Haruo was currently worn, and dressed Taiyo with the same outfit but different colors —a Gray coat and a black scarf.
He took a glance, nostalgia hitting him like a truck. In the picture were three people.
Haruo, Taiyo, and a man wearing the same set of clothing Haruo was wearing. His face in the picture was partially burnt only his body remained.
He saw his brother's features quite well, almost exactly opposite to his. Black raven hair with emerald green eyes. He had no color whatsoever, but he was happy that his brother wasn't like him.
He took out a ring and put it on his middle finger. He set his eyes on the city one more time before taking his leave.