Akira's voice cut in, sharp and merciless. "If this is how you treat your saviors, then perhaps it truly was a mistake to save you. And the adventurers who gave their life for this city? Then yes, perhaps they really were an idiot."
The words struck like thunder.
"We don't ask for your thanks. We don't seek repayment. We only hoped that you could rise again. That you could endure your grief, kindle your hope anew, and continue living. That is the very reason adventurers fight, to protect that chance."
His gaze swept across the crowd, cold and piercing.
"But look at you now. I understand your grief, I understand your anger but to vent that fury on us? On the very ones who bleed to protect you?!"
"Our enemy is not each other. It is evilus."
Akira's voice rose, cutting through the silence.
"And yet here you are, throwing stones like cowards. You cannot kill the enemy. You cannot save your people. And now you can't even stay still and be protected? Are your lives truly lives? And what of ours? Are the lives of adventurers nothing in your eyes?!"
His words hit them harder than any fist. The crowd faltered. Faces flushed red, then drained white. Righteous indignation collapsed into shame.
Murmurs spread. Some lowered their heads. The man who had been the boldest of all was now trembling, unable to meet Akira's gaze. The stones they had been clutching slipped from their hands, clattering against the broken ground. The sound echoed sharply, shattering the last remnants of defiance.
It was then—
"Please don't blame the adventurers anymore." A small, trembling voice emerged.
The crowd parted slightly, and a little girl clutching a worn teddy bear stepped forward. Her eyes were red, but unwavering.
"I'm still alive… only because the adventurers protected me."
The people gasped. Recognition spread. She was one of the children saved during the Great Struggle, rescued by Ryuu and Alise.
The girl hugged her bear tightly. Her small voice trembled, but she continued, "I don't remember which adventurer saved me during the fighting but it must have been a brave one. Maybe… even a handsome one."
Her childish words carried innocence sharper than steel.
"Ah, that's right…" Her parents joined her, their voices choked with emotion. "If it weren't for the adventurers, we wouldn't be alive either. We owe everything to them."
The little girl's plea spread like wildfire.
"So… please don't make things difficult for them. Please…"
Her words were the signal. One by one, others lowered their stones. Regret filled their faces as apologies spilled forth.
"I'm sorry… we acted on impulse."
"We shouldn't have treated you this way."
"You risked your lives for us and we…"
The voices overlapped, weaving into a chorus of remorse.
Alise's chest tightened as she listened. A complicated swirl of sorrow and relief welled within her. She lifted her gaze to the ruined city, her crimson eyes shimmering with resolve.
Then—
"Hahaha!" She suddenly laughed, patting her chest. "It seems that under my charm as captain, everyone has finally come to their senses."
She raised her head, flashing a smile so bright it pierced through the gloom.
"So stop blaming yourselves. What matters now is that we unite, that we stand together. Only by joining hands can we drive out evilus and rebuild our home."
Her words, firm yet gentle, rekindled the fire in the hearts of the people. Nods spread through the crowd. The despair that had nearly swallowed them was replaced by something else—determination.
"Unite and fight against evilus!" someone roared.
"Ohhhhhh!!!"
The shout multiplied, voices overlapping until the cries shook the sky. The sound was deafening, and for the first time in a long time, the gloom hanging over their hearts was scattered.
The members of the Astraea Familia watched the scene with smiles. Relief washed over their faces, joy filling their eyes. They quietly sheathed their weapons, their admiration for Alise and Akira deepening.
The Astraea Familia had once again earned the trust and gratitude of the people. After the storm of anger subsided, what remained was admiration and reverence.
Akira descended lightly upon the cemetery, the sound of his boots muted against the stone. He silently observed Astraea's back as she stood alone before the graves, her figure bathed in the soft afterglow of dusk.
The other gods who had joined them earlier had already departed, leaving instructions to their own followers before taking their leave. Only Astraea remained, her gentle yet sorrowful presence standing against the twilight breeze.
When she finally turned back, her emerald eyes carried a faint sadness that tugged at the heart.
Akira stepped forward without a word and embraced her slender figure.
"Come, Astraea-sama." His voice was calm yet filled with warmth. "Let's go home."
"…Yeah." Feeling the steady heat of Akira's arms, Astraea's lips curved faintly as she answered softly.
For now, their work was not finished. The girls still had to return to the base camp to prepare properly for what lay ahead.
The sky bled into the colors of evening. At the Stardust Garden, the faint glow of dusk painted the mansion in a delicate halo of blue. A suspended crystal chandelier swayed gently above, reflecting the warm light of the magic stone lamps.
Outside Astraea's room, all the members had gathered. It had been a long time since everyone had renewed their Falna together.
"Ahh…"
Noin paced the corridor restlessly, arms crossed over her chest, her lips muttering ceaselessly.
"Hey, stop it already." Asta reached out and tugged at the short-haired girl's clothes, dragging her back like she was dealing with a child with far too much energy.
Even after being pulled, Noin couldn't keep still, her legs and shoulders still jittering as though she was about to burst.
"Honestly, if you keep shaking like that, I'll start getting nervous too."
"Hahaha! Relax, what's there to worry about?" Iska planted her fists on her hips, her grin bold and carefree. "We've done this a dozen times already. Easy peasy."
Her tone carried the usual heroic flair of someone who refused to sweat the small stuff.
But Lili wasn't convinced. She stood on tiptoe, glaring up at the tall warrior.
"Lili thinks Iska-nee is too optimistic. If our numbers don't go up, it will be very, very sad."
After several bouts of training under Lyra, her stats hadn't improved much at all. It made her start to wonder, was there some huge difference between pallums after all?
Only when Akira had gently reassured her that he would help her did her heart find some measure of relief.
Celty, listening from nearby, leaned forward and whispered to calm the bickering pair, "Shh, quiet down. Akira and Astraea-sama are still inside updating his status."
Her voice was soft but carried weight, and the girls glanced toward the door sheepishly.
Maryuu, standing toward the back with Ryana, watched the lively group with her arms folded, a gentle smile tugging at her lips.
She murmured, "I'm glad that everyone can still be the same as before."
Ryana, more mature and experienced than most, nodded lightly in agreement. Having once journeyed from a distant magical country all the way to Orario, she understood better than most how to face loss and grief.
The younger girls, Noin, Celty, and the others, had already shown remarkable resilience after everything evilus had put them through. That in itself was a relief to the older members.
Some had naturally cheerful personalities, while others simply forced themselves forward. Either way, what mattered most was that no one had broken.