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It’s dark.

The golden sun that once illuminated the world is now stained a deep red, failing to shine as it did before.

The only light that illuminates this world now is the ‘Light of Hope’ created by the four surviving tower lords of the seven fallen Magic Towers.

Creeeeak—!!

The chilling screams resonate throughout the world.

It was the sound of the monsters from another realm approaching while hiding in the world’s darkness. Just hearing their cries stirs the feeling of fear in many hearts, bringing despair to countless souls. The only thing visible in the pitch-black darkness was the ominous red glow of their eyes.

The three knights known as Superhumans could only dream of victory if they joined forces, yet they rushed toward a single destination, forming a massive army.

That place was once known as Sarham.

A golden land that prospered under the name of Kraus. The crumbling castle walls and broken spires left in the wake of foreign invasions tell the tale of how this place has changed.

Though it has now become uninhabitable, those monsters seemed intent on completely erasing any trace that humans once lived there, howling fiercely as they kicked up clouds of dust.

The half-demolished castle walls crumbled easily, like a sandcastle before the waves, against the onslaught of such monsters.

Not just houses, but even the brick roads laid beneath them.

Everything the former inhabitants had left here crumbled into dust and was whisked away by the wind.

In this entirely transformed wasteland of Sarham, only one thing still remains.

The shattered Lord’s Castle, once the residence of the Kraus family, quietly awaited its turn to be destroyed by those beasts.

As if saving the best for last, they turned their steps toward the castle only after demolishing everything else.

Led by what appeared to be the leader of the group, the monsters began to encircle the Lord’s Castle. The leader, sporting a wound over one eye, gazed at the castle as if deep in thought, and then his facial muscles contorted grotesquely, mimicking a human smile.

It looked up at the black sun hovering above its head.

The sinister black light emanating from the now darkened sun instilled a primal sense of revulsion in humans, yet for these creatures, that light felt like a blessing bestowed by their god.

Embracing the sunlight that illuminated them, it raised its mouth skyward, ready to order its underlings to crush everything in sight.

Creeeak…

It was louder and more imposing than any monster’s cry ever produced, but that roar did not continue until the end.

A golden line was drawn across the darkened world.

The line, which passed precisely through the leader’s neck, began to warp reality itself, causing everything it crossed to separate into two, just as they had from the very beginning.

In the spot where the leader’s head fell, a man stood.

This man maintained an expression of indifference, as if he were utterly unfazed by the scene he had created, while raising the sword in his hand toward the remaining monsters.

It all happened in an instant, and even the monsters that started it were taken aback. But that confusion was fleeting. For them, there was no feeling of fear. All they knew was destruction; they simply charged at the one coming to kill them, baring their teeth.

The outcome was already set.

His sword, imbued with a golden aura that mirrored his own eyes, cut through the monsters effortlessly.

The scene resembled a dragon soaring through the sky, giving the illusion that one was watching a single dragon descend to the ground, devouring the monsters.

Here, they were no longer the predators.

As the last remaining monster had its neck sliced, a brilliant white light descended from the sky.

The moment the starlit woman riding that light discovered the man, she rushed straight toward him.

“Damian!!! Why did you suddenly disappear…”

She halted mid-sentence upon seeing the sea of blood soaking her feet.

Mountains of corpses and seas of blood as the literal meaning suggested.

The man, upon seeing her call out to him, finally tore away the mask of neutrality he had worn until then.

“I’m sorry, Elena.”

His voice sounded as though he might burst into tears at any moment, prompting her to immediately grasp his hand. The warm red liquid, still steeped in warmth, flowed down his hand, contrasting sharply with the cold, congealing blood of the monsters.

He normally wouldn’t bleed this much from such an enemy, but the very place he stood would continuously shake his heart. Like her, he could not forget the faces of those who died when Sarham fell.

Yet, she couldn’t muster even a common word of comfort for him.

Just as he bore the pain of losing his family, the guilt of not saving those others had already sunk deeply into her heart, impossible to extract.

“Let’s go back.”

She could only say this while holding his hand, leading him away.

*

Some situations in life often bring back memories of experiences long past. This is especially true for those known as reincarnates who have already lived once before.

For him, the image of him bleeding was akin to recalling the most unwelcome memory. Though she knew that the future she would walk toward would not be as hopeless as before, she still could not erase the helplessness and guilt that lingered within her memories of not being able to act.

Perhaps because of this, she momentarily lost her composure.

Seeing him with what seemed to be a mere scratch made her react as if witnessing a terminally ill patient.

When his face came close to hers, her reason, tucked away in some corner, exploded without any protective measures. After regaining her composure, she waited for the next opportunity, but what she thought was an opportunity turned out to be merely one of his pranks.

“Damian…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Elena?”

“Y-you are a burden…”

Only then did he stop rubbing his cheek upon seeing her resentful gaze.

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

She couldn’t possibly despise the smile and touch that had pulled her from the clutches of her past memories. Yet, somehow, her disappointment loomed larger than expected.

He apologized while continuing to gently stroke her cheek, then began to prepare the spot where they would sit, placing the things she brought onto the table. Once everything was set, she sat quietly opposite him, taking a macaroon and nibbling on it.

“By the way, I wasn’t able to join for dinner. I hope I didn’t make you wait unnecessarily…”

“No, Ken informed me beforehand, so I didn’t have to wait. In fact, thanks to that, I was able to get a bit closer to young Master Alphonse.”

“Alphonse…?”

The mention of Alphonse made his face tighten slightly. He didn’t appear as grave as before, but it still felt like he hadn’t completely resolved his issues regarding Alphonse. For a moment, she even entertained the silly thought that his expression betrayed jealousy at the thought of her being alone with Alphonse, but she knew deep down that it was ridiculous.

She steadied her breathing, calming her boiling emotions, then asked him.

“Is it because of what happened at Isilia Pavilion today?”

“…Yes? Ah, yes. Right. It’s embarrassing, but I realized how much I lacked as an older brother to Alphonse. But I have no idea how to be a good brother…”

“If that’s the case, why not just act as you normally do?”

“Normally?”

Damian tilted his head slightly, showing a face of confusion. She felt a lump in her throat. Hurriedly, she took a sip of the prepared tea, allowing herself to collect her breath.

Honestly, she didn’t think he lacked in any way as a brother. In other families, brothers would go so far as to fight amongst themselves for power, but compared to that, their relationship could be seen as quite good.

These brothers simply treasured one another so much that their desire to do more for each other overwhelmed them.

“Yes. Just as you usually would. Young Master Alphonse absolutely does not dislike you, Damian. In fact, he admired you a great deal. So, I think the reason for this issue is that you two just haven’t spent enough time together. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Damian. You’re a good person.”

At her words, he stared blankly for a moment before returning her with a smile.

“Not enough time… is it? Thank you for the advice, Elena.”

As she watched the tension leave his face, she felt her own heart lighten. Just as she was about to pop a macaroon into her mouth joyfully, there was a hand ahead of her, already putting the macaroon in her mouth.

Without conscious thought, she had unwittingly bitten into the macaroon positioned right in front of her, but when she realized he had fed it to her, her face flushed red. Caught off guard by his sudden action, she quickly scrutinized his face, but he seemed completely unfazed as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Right. That’s it. There’s no need to feel anxious anymore. Let’s get used to this, Elena Edelweiss.

No matter how much she felt weak in front of him, she was still the greatest archmage in human history. She could quickly calm any emotional disturbances with just a bit of concentration.

I casually began to nibble on the macaroon he was holding, as if nothing had happened. He seemed to enjoy teasing her, noticing her continuous blush. She didn’t mind, but she couldn’t be swayed by him forever. Maintaining an expression like his, she entirely placed the macaroon in her mouth.

As I took a bite, my lips brushed against his fingers.

If I acted like this, surely he would be flustered. It was a bold act that I could never have dared to do in my right mind before.

Inside, I wore a smug smile while raising my gaze toward him once again.

Yet, contrary to my expectations, he only wore a thin smile that suggested he was quite satisfied.

Huh?

 

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