"Mother? What about Mia and Brother?"
"You have something else you must do. Follow me."
Where could they possibly be going when the island was on fire?
Led by her mother's hand, Tonelico ran down an underground passage in the palace she never knew existed.
She was in her pajamas and hadn't even been able to put on her shoes.
The soles of her feet began to bleed.
It hurt, but seeing her mother's face, she couldn't even think of complaining.
At the end of the passage was the very same shore where she had first washed up.
A single boat was there.
Perhaps the same boat the 'Fairy of Paradise' had first arrived in.
"Get in. I will cover you with this cloth. You mustn't open it for anyone who comes."
"Mother? No. The other clans have invaded, haven't they? I will go. With my magic, I can protect everyone…"
"Shut up!"
Tonelico's shoulders trembled.
"Do you think you can protect everyone by yourself? You are one, and the enemy numbers over a hundred! Think!"
"B… But…"
Tonelico didn't dare to open her mouth.
Her ever-so-gentle mother had never once raised her voice like this.
Had she done something wrong? Tonelico's thoughts became a tangled mess.
So much so that she couldn't make a rational judgment.
"Hide. When the boat moves, that is when you will awaken."
"Awaken? Moth…er."
Tonelico couldn't counter the drowsiness that washed over her.
Dispelling sleep magic was simple, but she hadn't been prepared for it.
She had never dreamed her mother would put her to sleep.
Tonelico collapsed helplessly onto the boat.
"Farewell. My daughter, Tonelico. Become the fairy who saves the world…"
With those faint words as her last memory, Tonelico fell into a deep sleep.
When she opened her eyes, the night was ending.
All the events that had occurred during the night were slowly coming to a close.
The World Tree had burned completely, its charred branches continually falling to the ground.
Smoke rose from all over the island. The small, two-story palace where she had lived with her family was no exception.
No life could be felt. They were all dead.
Just as the dizzyingly strong scent of blood assailed Tonelico's nose,
a monstrous scream echoed across the entire island.
"■■■■■■■———!!!!"
Tonelico had never in her life heard a sound similar, or even slightly resembling, that.
The beast was crying.
Metaphorically speaking… it was grieving.
The theoretical sorrow described in books is an emotional response to loss.
Therefore, that sound was not gentle enough to be called a mere reaction to loss.
It was the shriek of one who had lost everything they loved.
A wail that seemed to crack the very soul.
"Ah..."
Surely that being was a pitiful creature.
Without realizing it, Tonelico pitied the beast.
"No. This isn't the time for this. I have to get back to the palace… quick…ly?"
As she set one foot on the ground, Tonelico sensed another's presence.
A being she thought she knew.
But now, it felt like… a completely different, alien aura.
"Bro…ther?"
"Tonelico."
His voice was cracked.
It was hoarse, like someone who had been screaming.
"…You need to escape. Get on, quickly."
"Brother. That sound from before… was that you?"
Tonelico asked, swallowing her fear.
He only glanced at her, saying nothing.
'His eyes… are dead.'
Tonelico didn't miss his passing gaze.
Ironically, because she felt nothing from within his heart, she was able to understand much.
"Brother. Are you okay?"
"…Of course. I'm fine."
It was a lie. Her brother was lying.
Tonelico was able to relax, if only slightly.
If that dead expression truly meant nothing was wrong, she might have had to give up on her Fairy Eyes.
"Don't lie to me. You're crying."
"…."
"Was there a big battle? Did many die?"
"That's right."
Half and half.
Kyle was telling the truth and a lie at the same time.
Because there had been no battle.
What happened on the island was a massacre.
There was never anything resembling an equal fight.
Tonelico then asked the question she was most curious about, yet dreaded to hear the most.
"Then… what about Mother and Mia? Are they alright?"
"Of course."
It was a lie.
Tonelico's heart began to beat rapidly.
What little semblance of a smile she had left vanished with the sea breeze.
Regardless, Kyle pushed the boat she was on.
*Scrape.* The bottom of the boat grated against the gravel as it headed for the sea.
"Brother? What happened to Mother and Mia? Please tell me seriously."
"They said they would follow after you escaped first."
It was a lie.
"…What?"
Tonelico's mind descended into chaos.
Her breathing became ragged.
"What about you, brother? Will you come with them? Or… will you follow later?"
"I'll follow later. Don't worry."
It was a lie.
The boat bobbed.
The water that had been at Kyle's ankles was now up to his waist.
Tonelico grabbed Kyle's shoulder. She couldn't let the boat go any further.
At this rate, she would bid farewell to Orkney forever.
She would never be able to see her brother, her mother, or Mia again.
To leave without knowing anything about what had happened last night… she didn't want that.
But when Tonelico grabbed Kyle's shoulder, she was so startled by the sticky, unpleasant sensation that she fell backward.
"B… Blood? Brother. Was all that red… blood?"
Kyle's entire body was red.
At first, she thought it was the dye of his clothes. She thought he had changed into a red outfit.
The thick scent of blood filling the island and Kyle's attitude of not showing any pain had made her mistake it.
But it was all blood.
What she had thought were patterns on his clothes were all wounds.
Horrible, deep wounds from which pus and blood were about to seep.
Horrified, Tonelico tried to stop Kyle. She couldn't touch him, so she pleaded earnestly into his ear.
"G-get to shore right now! If it touches the seawater, you'll get an infection! The wounds will never heal!"
"Tonelico. So what?"
"What do you mean by that…?"
He swept his hair back. His blood-slicked bangs were messily pushed aside.
"Orkney… no, the 'Clan of Rain' is finished, Tonelico."
He tried to smile, but failed. He could only manage a wheezing sound.
He looked as old as a fairy who had lived for thousands of years.
"Wh-what are you saying? Please, just lie to me instead, Brother."
"You can see through lies. I was just testing to see how long you would pretend not to know."
At the same time, his eyes were like those of a wild beast.
"The brother I know wouldn't play such pranks. Wh-who are you?!"
"Smart Tonelico. You pretend not to know when you already know everything. But just know that your imagination is only a fraction of reality."
Tonelico took a deep, calming breath. She steadied her trembling hands and spoke, enunciating each word carefully.
"I know that Mother and Mia have passed away. But I can't just leave like this, as if I'm running away. I didn't even get to say goodbye to them…"
"You want to? Hmm… I don't think so."
Her brother's constantly mocking tone made Tonelico feel like she was about to cry.
"Hey, Tonelico."
"Yes, Brother."
He pushed the boat again. The water level rose higher.
"Mother, Mia, and the 'Clan of Rain' are all cheering for you. They believe you can achieve your dream of creating a peaceful Britain."
"...…Why do you leave yourself out when you say that, Brother?"
"I can't do that sort of thing anymore."
Tears welled in her eyes.
Her one and only brother was broken. In a single night, his heart had shattered.
His heart was so broken that even her Fairy Eyes couldn't see through it.
All she could discern was truth and lies.
And he was speaking the truth.
"I can no longer hold any expectations for fairies."
*I'm a fairy too.* But Tonelico was too afraid of his reaction to dare say it out loud.
"I know. You're a fairy too. I'm sorry. For saying that."
He let out a small, knowing laugh.
"I always wanted to make you smile, but it didn't work out so well. I don't even know if I was a good brother."
His head began to droop lower and lower.
It was closer to collapsing, unable to support itself.
"'Fairy of Paradise.' Savior Tonelico. My beloved little sister…"
"I… I can't do it alone. You have to help me, Brother? You promised, Brother!"
The boat moved forward.
Leaving the beast sinking beneath the water, it moved out to sea, to the far-off sea.
"Forget the past, and move forward. With that fairy-tale dream... that I no longer have... always..."
*****
As a beast, I killed every fairy on Orkney with my own hands.
I swung everything I could get my hands on. There was something like a spear, too.
I killed them all, but nothing came back.
Screaming at the top of my lungs did nothing to fill the emptiness in my chest.
'My family. My daughter. My sister…'
Each and every one of their faces came to mind.
Everything seemed close enough to touch, yet vanished into the foam.
'What… am I living for?'
The blackened vision was once again dyed with a new light.
============================
This fanfic is a translation. I enjoyed it so much that I translated almost 40 chapters in a day and was quite satisfied with the result. This is a dark story, so it's best not to read it if you cannot handle such content.
Additionally, there will always be more chapters on my Patreon than here (subscribers will get site access): patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T
A bonus chapter will be released for every 150 Power Stones or every 7 unique reviews.