As soon as we turned onto our street, we saw it.

"Stop!" — Wayne, Ashie’s father, was fighting a soldier.

"Stop my ass! Filthy commoner!" — The guard landed a clean punch on Wayne’s face.

Wayne collapsed to the ground.

"DAD!!!" — Ashie let go of my hand and ran toward him.

However... before Ashie could reach him, the soldier drove his sword into Wayne’s chest.

"Show respect for rank... you worthless piece of trash..."

"NOOOOOOO!" — A wave of lightning burst out from Ashie’s body, shooting in all directions.

One of the lightning bolts struck the guard directly, instantly charring him from the overwhelming electricity.

Ashie ran to Wayne, who lay on the ground.

He knelt down and cradled his father’s head in his lap, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dad... please! DAD!"

I knelt beside him too.

I placed my hand on Wayne’s neck. There was no pulse. Wayne Van Hasselof had died, leaving his son behind. If it brings any comfort... maybe in the afterlife, he’s being reunited with his wife.

Welcomed with a warm hug...

And thanked for having protected Ashie despite all the struggles he faced.

"Liar..."

"Huh?"

At that moment, Ashie slapped me hard across the face.

"LIAR! YOU SAID IT WOULDN’T BE ANYTHING SERIOUS! LIAR!" — Ashie pushed me down and sat on top of me, gripping my shirt.

Ashie...

He’s right. I said it probably wasn’t anything serious.

Why did I give him false hope?

Or maybe... I wanted to believe it too...

"I’m sorry..."

Ashie collapsed onto my chest, hugging me and crying without end.

"You said everything would be fine, Finn!" — he sobbed, hitting me weakly with his fists.

"I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have said that without knowing the situation..."

Ashie kept crying on my chest. I don’t think there’s anything I can say right now to bring him comfort.

The only thing I can do is stay by his side… as we try to get through this hell together.

However, the tavern is destroyed, and I don’t see my grandfather anywhere.

In a way, that brings me some relief. It means he’s not in this area. What worries me is that he’s probably out there, searching for me right now.

Suddenly...

I heard a gut-wrenching scream.

"That voice… EVE!?" — I stood up and grabbed Ashie’s hand, running in the direction of the scream.

As I got closer, I saw a soldier holding Eve by the tail.

"Hahahah, look what I found~ A fun little toy~" — the soldier licked his lips.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO, DAMN IT!" — Eve was kicking wildly.

"I’ve heard draco tails sell for a good price...~ I’ll be taking yours!" — And without hesitation...

The soldier cut off Eve’s tail.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" — Eve finally passed out, likely from the pain.

"EVE! LET HER GO!" — I let go of Ashie’s hand and ran toward the soldier.

What am I doing!? What am I supposed to do once I get there!?

"Oho~ More kids, huh? THEN COME ON! I’LL PLAY WITH ALL OF YOU!" — The soldier took a combat stance.

Think, Finn! THINK!

I looked at Ashie, and an idea came to me.

Metal is a great conductor of electricity.

That soldier’s full armor is metal—there’s no leather anywhere.

My grandfather once did something...

He created a metal object he called a "lightning rod." Thanks to the pointed tip, it attracted lightning during storms, making it harmless.

The soldier’s helmet has a small pointed spike at the top.

If Ashie hits him with an electric spell, not only would it be fatal to the soldier, but it could also save Eve without harming her.

I saw it.

Back when Ashie fried the soldier who killed Wayne—it happened instantly.

And Wayne’s corpse, right in front of the guard...

Was untouched.

This has to work.

"Ashie, hit the soldier with an electric spell—use all the voltage you’ve got!"

"I-I... I don’t want to hurt Eve..."

"ASHIE, JUST DO IT, DAMN IT!"

Ashie hesitated, then unleashed a massive bolt of lightning at the soldier.

"Ha! Stupid brats, announcing your next move right in front of your enemy!" — The soldier used Eve as a shield.

However... the lightning arced upward at the last second, striking the top of the soldier’s helmet.

He screamed in agony and immediately let go of Eve.

I ran with all my strength to her, scooped her up in my arms, and ran back to Ashie.

I let out a sigh of relief. Well done, Ashie...

I looked at Eve’s tail. It was still bleeding, but it didn’t seem like a fatal wound.

Some lizards can regenerate lost limbs—I wonder if she can too...

I don’t think she’ll bleed out.

"Finn... What do we do now...?"

"I want to find my grandfather, but while we search for him, let’s head south and get as far away from here as possible."

"T-There’s a stable a few kilometers south, outside the city. If we can get a carriage and escape, we might be safe..."

"That’s a good idea..."

"But... what about Mr. Ruth, Alan, and Jay...?"

That’s right. They must be somewhere out there too. But right now, they’re not my priority.

They’re people I respect, people who treated me well this whole time... but I can’t afford to play the hero trying to gather lost allies...

Besides, they’re adults. They know what they’re doing.

My priority right now is getting Ashie and Eve to safety. And of course... finding my grandfather.

But even if I want to find Lui—there’s no one stronger than him.

So above all, I’ll prioritize Ashie and Eve.

"Ashie, let’s go."

I placed Eve on my back, making sure to carry her carefully.

"Finn... Let’s walk through the commercial district. There are lots of places to hide there."

"You’re right. Let’s do it."

And that’s what we did—we headed for the commercial district.

The stalls here are covered in cloth and wood. If there are soldiers, we just need to cover ourselves and take another route.

We walked for a long time through the destroyed market district.

As we moved forward, I couldn’t ignore the sad expression on Ashie’s face. I get it... he saw his father murdered in front of him.

A few drops started falling onto my hair. I see—it’s going to rain.

We spent half an hour walking until we finally made it out of the market. We’re getting close to the city’s edge.

Still no sign of my grandfather.

The rain fell relentlessly.

As we walked, I noticed a few things.

First, most of the guards are concentrated in the city center. That’s also where most of the bodies are.

It seems they’ve started moving toward the western district. From what I overheard, some civilians are hiding over there.

It’s a shame that for my own survival, others must suffer.

But here, the cautious won’t survive. Only the sharp will.

"The gate, Ashie! RUN!" — I shouted as I took off. Ashie nodded and ran after me.

The gate was in front of us.

I know perfectly well that there are guards watching every entrance and exit.

North gate, south gate—it doesn’t matter. But here’s the thing...

We’re not the only ones escaping.

Other survivors are running in panic, trying to get out of the city. The guards are slaughtering anyone who enters their range.

Right now...

This feels like running straight into a war zone.

We ran, and as we ran, we saw the soldiers killing indiscriminately, slaughtering anyone in their path.

It hurts to see this—but right now, I have to think selfishly.

“THEY’RE ESCAPING!” “SHOOT THEM!”

I could hear the shouts behind us. I ran for the trees, making sure Ashie was still behind me.

The trees will shield us from the bullets.

I ran.

I kept running.

Right now, I feel like I’m flying.

I can’t feel my legs at all—I’m just running.

I slipped in the mud and fell. Ashie also fell behind me.

"Ugh… You okay, Ashie?"

"Y-Yeah… Just really tired..."

"Same here. Let’s rest a bit. Looks like we’re safe for now."

I propped Eve against a tree and sat down.

Now that I’ve calmed down, I can feel my legs again. The exhaustion is catching up—exhaustion I hadn’t felt while running.

I sighed, drained.

"Let’s wait for the rain to stop and then keep going..."

"Okay..."

We stayed quiet for a while, when suddenly we heard soldiers approaching in the distance.

"Damn old man wouldn’t stop resisting."

"Finn, Finn. Sounded like he was calling for a dog."

"...Huh? Finn? Wh-What are you—?"

No...

How could I forget...

I forgot completely...

He had a priority too...

And that priority... was finding me.

How could I let that slip?

How didn’t I realize?

I’ve gone without so many things in life...

So many friends...

Parents...

So many clothes...

So many toys...

Books...

But the one thing I never lacked...

The one thing I always had...

My grandfather...

The person who always put me first, above everything, who was always there for me...

At the most important moment of our lives...

I was the one who wasn’t there.

I ran toward the soldiers, tears in my eyes—

Fueled by uncontrollable rage

And above all

Not toward them

But toward myself

For not being by his side in his final moments, to say:

"Stop searching, I’m okay."

But more than anything, what I wish I could’ve told him was:

"I’m here."

The soldier escorting the one dragging my grandfather kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying.

"FINN!" — Ashie ran toward me, but an arrow struck his leg and he collapsed.

More soldiers were approaching from behind.

My head hurts.

Ugh… there’s a high-pitched ringing in my mind—way too loud.

Everything is distorted.

Why did it have to come to this?

Ashie’s smile…

Eve’s sharp fangs…

Mr. Alan’s ridiculous jokes…

Mr. Jay’s advice…

Mr. Ruth’s teasing…

Mr. Wayne’s warmth…

My grandfather’s embrace…

Did I lose all of that?

If I had one last wish...

What would I ask for?

Ah, right.

I lived this life so… selfishly.

My grandfather lived only to take care of me.

Miss Anna moved heaven and earth just for my sake.

We moved to this city… was that also for my own good?

All of this was a long, sad dream that eventually came undone.

Just lies and worn-out phrases.

All those empty promises, and in the end, nothing remains.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed something strange.

My vision was clouded by…

It’s too many.

I don’t know how to count them, but it’s clear—

MILLIONS.

I’m seeing... millions of celestial threads emanating from everything around me.

The soldiers keep getting closer...

Can’t they see them?

What... is...?

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"F-Finn..." — Ashie whispered from the ground.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FEELING!? IT’S LIKE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE BEING SHOVED INTO MY HEAD AT ONCE!

I clutched my skull.

"What the hell’s happening to that freak!? H-His hair is—!"

My hair… it was turning white, strands glowing with the reflection of the rain.

MY HEAD HURTS LIKE HELL!

IF THEY DECAPITATED ME NOW, THEY’D BE DOING ME A FAVOR!

T-The threads... they’re getting sharper. Some of them are coming out of those soldiers’ bodies.

Don’t touch me...

I DON’T WANT ANYTHING FROM THESE BASTARDS!

I stretched my hand out, as if grabbing those threads—and I tore them out.

And at that moment...

The soldiers began to scream in agony.

And one by one… they fell.

However...

I collapsed unconscious.

Somewhere else…

"Kukukuku... What a mess~" — He kicked the head of a corpse lying on the ground.

"It really was a splendid harvest... Worthy of someone like me—the great Julius~" — Julius laughed hysterically.

In the distance, he spotted a man crawling.

"Oho~... Where do you think you’re going?" — He approached the man and gently stroked his cheek.

"Are you lost, little lamb~? Don’t worry~ This noble gentleman will guide you on the path! Kukukuku~"

Julius grabbed the man’s head and...

Crushed his skull with a single squeeze...

The world can turn dark in many situations.

But life... will always find its way.