"Finally, it's starting!" Ralph excitedly clicked the play button on the webpage. The surging excitement in his mind made him widen his eyes, unwilling to miss even a millisecond of this work.
The night was dim. Strands of clear moonlight filtered through dense leaves, scattering onto the undergrowth of the shadowy forest. The hazy glow disturbed the fireflies resting on the grass blades, prompting them to flutter their wings and drift deeper into the forest.
"đ”Scarlet like roses, filling my dreams and leading me to your resting place.đ”"
"Rustle~"
A hoarse yet ethereal voice accompanied a red silhouette walking along the forest path under the night sky. She moved with light, gentle steps, emerging from the forest into the moonlightâa petite girl draped in a red cloak. The hood concealed most of her face, making her features indistinguishable. She stood there in a daze, gazing at the dilapidated white rose garden before her.
["This song⊠It's too beautiful!"] Ralph clenched his fists, unable to describe what he was seeing. It felt entirely different from the promotional PVâthe perfect fusion of breathtaking scenery and that hollow, ethereal singing voice. It was as if an indescribable magic was slowly drawing him into that moonlit world.
Before the red-cloaked girl lay a white rose garden encircled by forest. The ancient railings had long since decayed with time, now overrun by thorny vines entwined around black iron bars, blooming with pure, beautiful white roses. Under the moonlight, the petals gleamed, crystalline and pristine. It felt like a silent corner abandoned by the worldâaside from the white roses and ruined structures, there was nothing else in this vast garden.
White petals drifted with the wind. Holding a bouquet of white lilies in both hands, the girl slowly advanced, brushing past countless rose petals. She stepped lightly onto an old path blanketed in white roses. With every step she took, more pristine petals rose into the air, carried by the night breeze into the distant darkness.
She arrived at the very center of the ruined garden. There stood the only structure not covered by white rosesâa grand, colossal mausoleum. The once-golden inscriptions upon it had long faded, eroded by time.
"đ”Frost-white is cold as ice, yet ever yearning to bear the burden of royalty.đ”"
Surrounding the mausoleum, hundreds of weapons of different designs were embedded upright into the ground. Judging by their worn condition, they seemed to have been offerings left behind in remembrance of the tomb's owner. Among them, the most striking was a massive black iron greatsword several meters long. Though its blade was covered in white roses and moss, the engraved patterns still reflected a faint, cold glimmer under the moonlight.
["Oh my god, this close-up is incredible!"] This time, it was Ralph's son who shouted. His eyes burned with excitement as he stared at the hundreds of weapons planted in the ground. The time KamiyÄ Yuu had spent modeling these weapons was clearly no less than that spent constructing the entire garden.
The red-cloaked girl slowly placed the bouquet of white lilies before the mausoleum. The moment the flowers touched the ground, the moon in the sky gradually disappeared behind thick clouds, and the once-beautiful garden under moonlight was swallowed by darkness.
As the moonlight faded, darkness stirred.
When the final strand of moonlight vanished beside the girl, hundreds of crimson eyes lit up within the dark forest. Each gaze flickered with a thirst for blood as shadowy wolves, unable to suppress their killing instincts, surged out from the darkness.
"đ”Jet-black, the beast descends from the shadows.đ”"
"Rustle rustle~!"
One! Two! Ten! Dozens! Hundreds! Countless upright wolf-like monsters emerged from the forest. Compared to the petite girl, each of them was massive and ferocious. Their jet-black fur contrasted sharply with their blood-red eyes, and their presence was ominous and violent. The shadow wolves bared human-like, cruel grins, their mouths dripping with viscous saliva, hungry for prey.
They lurked in the darkness, craving blood.
Facing the bloodthirsty pack, the red-cloaked girl showed no fear. Instead, she turned and walked toward them with calm, measured steps. The music quickened, intensifying as it built to a climaxâthen abruptly stopped.
Ralph's heart skipped. He slapped his cheeks excitedly, shifting restlessly in his seat. ["Here it comes! Damn, this music is so freaking good!"] Having seen the PV, he knew what would happen next.
"đ”Golden beauty burns brightâ even gold is scorched.đ”"
"Howlâ!" The grotesque wolves howled at the sky. The moon seemed to shrink away in fear. The drifting white rose petals became the signal for slaughter. As shattered petals rose again with the wind, the wolves charged fiercely at the red-cloaked girl.
The music shiftedâfrom sorrowful and haunting to rhythmic and brisk instrumental. Perhaps it wasn't just the music that changed. The petite girl stepped forward like an arrow released from a bow, charging into the wolf pack. While midair, she drew a red case from her waist, which instantly transformed into a massive mechanical scythe. The detailed transformation sequence was even cooler than in the PV, making Ralph's son's eyes light up even more.
The feast of slaughter began.
"Clackâclackâclack! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The girl's swift movements matched the music with astonishing precision. Every shift in melody marked the end of a wolf's life. Gunfire roared, blending with the slicing of flesh into the rhythm of the music. The red-cloaked girl became a crimson reaper, harvesting livesâeach swing of her massive scythe scattering sprays of blood.
Crimson blood splattered onto the pure white petals, dyeing them red. Swept up by the fierce winds of battle, the stained petals were flung far away into the depths of the forest.
Severed limbs of shadow wolves littered the garden. Countless mutilated creatures could only howl weakly.
"Ripâ!"
The final wolf was cleaved in half by the terrifying recoil of the massive scythe. The girl stood silently in the now crimson rose garden, holding her weapon. Not a single drop of blood stained her clothes.
["Oh my god! Oh my god! How do I even describe this? Damn it, I shouldn't have said 'so cool' so early!"] Ralph's son grabbed his father's arm and shook it excitedly.
Ralph held him down and took a deep breath. ["Calm down, Jack, calm down! It's only been four minutes. The next six minutes are the main event! The giant black wolf from the PV should be appearing soon!"]
The thick clouds drifted away, and the cold, bright moonlight once again illuminated the forgotten garden. Nearly a third of the white roses were now soaked in blood. A gentle breeze lowered the girl's red hood, revealing a small face filled with sorrow and determination. She gazed into the distanceâtoward the massive mausoleum.
A giant black wolf stood silently atop the tomb. Under the moonlight, its posture was elegant yet aloof, but its fur was deep, abyssal black. Wisps of shadowy mist coiled around its massive body, making it appear ominous and terrifying. Within its blood-red eyes, a trace of rationality remained. When it saw the girl, its gaze resembled that of someone who had fallen into despair, glimpsing dawn again, tinged with deep sorrow.
"HowlâŠ" It let out a mournful cry. When it lowered its head again, its eyes held only bloodlust and madness. The giant wolf leapt lightly from the tomb, gently gripping the massive black iron greatsword in its jaws. Under the moonlight, the blade shone with a pure jade-like glow.
In the forgotten rose garden, white and red petals danced and intertwined.
["That greatsword really is the weapon from Yosuganosora's original artworkâthe protagonist's grandmother's weapon. That black wolf must be Sif!"] Ralph excitedly confirmed the similarities.
As if time had frozen, only the storm of white and red petals surged toward the moon. Ruby Rose raised her small hand and untied the clasp of her red cloak. The cloak vanished along with the petals into the lonely world. As the music transformed into a grand, sorrowful ensemble, several dull gunshots rang out. Shell casings were ejected from the back of the mechanical scythe. Wrapped in faint, smoky light, Ruby Rose became a streak of brilliance and charged toward the black wolf.
The wolf's body split into multiple afterimages. As it moved, the jade greatsword left streaks of light across the air.
"Boom!"
The jade greatsword and the massive mechanical scythe collided violently, sending a shockwave that blasted rose petals throughout the garden.
They separated instantly, landing at opposite ends of the ruined garden. Sif shook its head, and hundreds of faint green sword lights materialized around it, radiating a chilling aura that left no doubt of their sharpness. As the blades shot forward, the camera stretched infinitely, as if time and space had slowed. In this bullet-time effect, Ralph and his son clearly saw the sword lights effortlessly pierce through floating petals.
Ruby Rose remained calm. A nostalgic smile appeared on her resolute, adorable face. She planted the scythe before her, and after a series of mechanical transformations, the terrifying weapon became a massive anti-materiel sniper cannon.
"Bangâbangâbangâbang!" The complex camera work delivered an experience even more thrilling than a Hollywood blockbuster. Ralph swore he would rewatch this scene with a projector.
After all the sword lights were shattered, Sif growled lowly, its massive form fading into the shadows. In an instant, it appeared behind Ruby Rose. With a violent swing of its head, the jade greatsword slashed toward her small body.
"Boom!"
Blocking with the scythe's shaft, the girl was launched into the air. Without panic, she reversed her grip, twisting the weapon. With a thunderous gunshot, her body dove downward, propelled by recoil. Sif's elegance and agility clashed with Ruby Rose's speed and ferocity. Their intense battle allowed no moment to breathe. Several desperate counterattacks made Ralph's heart race. In the end, empowered by special ammunition, Ruby Rose seized an opening and cleaved half of Sif's body with a single strike, ending the battle.
"UnbelievableâŠ" Ralph murmured, lost in awe, silently applauding the fight.
Sif struggled to stand, its massive body bleeding heavily. In its final moments, its crimson eyes returned to golden, beast-like pupils. It glanced once at Ruby Rose, then turned back, gripping the jade greatsword. Limping, it returned to the base of the mausoleum, lay beside a pillar, and slowly closed its weary eyes.
Ruby Rose put away her scythe, looked around the devastated garden, then walked to Sif. She gently placed her hand on its head and softly said, "Goodnight, Sif."
The camera angle only showed her back, but Ralph could feel the sorrow and relief within those calm words.
When it was all over, Ralph felt an inexplicable emptiness. The exquisite character design, the blood-pumping combat, the cinematic brilliance rivaling Hollywood, the perfect fusion of music and visuals, and the quietly sorrowful endingâ'RedâCrescent Rose' far exceeded his expectations. Everything was flawless. Everything was breathtaking.
Beside him, his once-noisy son had fallen silent. Suddenly, he jumped off the sofa, grabbed the mouse, and said in a complicated tone, "Dad⊠can we watch it again?"