"Shit…"
I pulled the spear lodged in my forearm. A foul word escaped my lips on its own.
"Huff… Even so… the west is annihilated… Hah…!"
My mind raced. The blood loss was making me dizzy, but I gritted my teeth and endured.
The single fact that I had sent these damned fairies to hell was enough to keep me going.
"Next… the north? Or the south?"
No matter where I went to provide support, it was already too late.
The World Tree was burning. The screams from the village were endless.
The sound of flesh being sliced by blades. The sound of guts being torn out.
I could hear the cackling laughter of devils.
"…Mother."
The royal palace, situated at the edge of the northern hill, was still standing.
Therefore, I had no reason to stop yet.
Save as many of the 'Clan of Rain' as I can.
Kill as many of the enemy fairies as I can.
"Simple enough."
I started moving again.
There was a sickeningly large number of fairies.
"There's another one over here!"
"I'll kill you and use you as a whetstone for these fangs!"
"He's mine! I'm gonna have some fun kicking his skull around!"
Says who.
The thought that three of them could win just by ganging up on me was utterly pathetic.
"Kuh… Aaaaaargh———!"
Thud, thud, thud.
I smashed their skulls three times. That was the end.
The Fang Clan fairy who had charged so recklessly was left on the ground like trash.
"H-Hiii! I don't want to die! I… I'm running away!"
"Hey! Wait for me… uh… uhh?"
The remaining one, I separated its head from its neck.
"M…monster…"
"Not a monster. Call me a beast."
I grabbed the fleeing one by its wings and snapped its back.
Suppressing the smile that threatened to form on my lips, I crossed the village.
The village was completely destroyed.
A half-burnt ball was rolling on the ground.
The fairy collapsed beside it was one who enjoyed juggling.
Her limbs were bent at 90-degree angles. Strawberries had been stuffed into her eye sockets in place of her eyes.
She would never be able to juggle again.
A sign made of scraps of cloth was still burning.
The fairy impaled on a roof was a stoic one who had been very fond of the 'Fairy of Paradise.'
A sword had been driven vertically through his tongue, the blade emerging from his tailbone.
I forced myself to ignore the thing dangling loosely from the roof.
I pushed more strength into my legs and ran.
I cut down the fairies with swords, chewed through the winged ones, and tore apart the armored ones.
I circled Orkney Island again and again, without a moment's rest.
"Haaah…"
My legs were stiffening. They pleaded that they could not move anymore.
Just as I gritted my teeth and tried to take another step, an arrow flew into my calf.
I was forced to my knees.
My strength began to drain, starting from my calf, as if the arrow had been poisoned.
"Bast…!"
I scanned my surroundings.
An empty clearing. The bodies of what I assumed were the 'Clan of Rain' were piled in a corner.
The rest were all enemies.
The Wind Clan, the Wing Clan, the Fang Clan, the Earth Clan… all the clans were surrounding me.
I estimated their number at 100. Including those hidden from view, there were likely more.
"Kill that one first!"
"He's like a Mors! We have to get him all at once!"
"That damn bastard killed my clan! I'll kill him and cut his body into 17 pieces!"
I caught my breath.
With the large-bodied Earth Clan at the center, they slowly tightened their encirclement.
Escaping upwards was impossible.
The Wing Clan was already aiming their arrows from above.
A Mystery grazed my body.
Was that a wind Mystery? A cut appeared on my body before I had a chance to dodge.
One by one, the wounds increased. I couldn't block them even by raising my arms.
"He's a failure who can't even use Mystery! A failure!"
"Kill him!"
The number of wounds on my body grew. Blood oozed out like from a crushed tomato.
I could see the fairies preening, as if they had already won.
I will definitely kill those ones before I die.
Escape was not an option. I would kill, and kill.
"…Besides. I planned to die here anyway."
I threw myself forward.
*****
The palace window shattered.
The queen flinched in surprise.
She had already steeled herself, but it seemed her heart wasn't truly ready.
It took only an instant for the intruders to reach the second floor.
Footsteps echoed immediately. A violent noise, devoid of any courtesy, rang out.
The queen closed her eyes.
Finally, the door to her office opened.
The queen squinted her eyes open and looked at the intruder.
Jet-black hair. Bright yellow eyes. A body drenched in blood…?
"...Mother. *Cough*…! What are you doing."
"Kyle…?!"
"Where are Tonelico and Mia? Why didn't you evacuate with them?"
For a moment, the queen was almost frightened by his fierce eyes.
But this was the child she had accepted as her son.
Even if she wasn't sure he was a fairy, he was family.
Realizing there was no reason to be afraid, she hardened her expression.
"Are you telling me to run away alone? After all those who followed me have been killed?"
"Your judgment wasn't wrong, Mother. It was only ever a question of whether we died later, or now."
He was a son to be proud of.
He always possessed a kindness that made him think of others.
Even now, when everything was over, he was a gentle son, trying to comfort his mother.
But right now, she couldn't accept that gentleness.
"It's true that I was wrong. Still, seeing you brings tears to my eyes. How did you get so injured…."
"It's not. Over yet. There should be a boat on the northern coast. Take Mia and Tonelico and escape together."
"No. We are not going."
We? Kyle frowned.
Just then, the office door opened once more.
Standing there was a blond-haired fairy in a pointed hat and a white robe, one whom glasses suited very well.
Kyle's mind went blank.
"Are you insane? The bastards outside came all this way just to catch you! And you're still in the house…?!"
"N-no, brother. It's me, Mia."
His expression changed at the sound of her voice.
A face of utter agony.
It changed into one that looked as if it would burst into tears at any moment.
Mia placed a hand on her chest and spoke.
"This all happened because I told them about Tonelico's identity, didn't it? I thought it was right for me to take responsibility… so I borrowed her clothes. What do you think? We look just alike, right?"
"What the…"
"They just want to kill the 'Fairy of Paradise'… so if they kill me in disguise, won't they be satisfied? If we're lucky, they might even spare the remaining 'Clan of Rain'…."
Hah.