The clear sky was nearly swallowed by dark clouds.
The forest, which had once been filled with laughter and cheerful voices, had somehow grown eerily quiet.
The birds that had been playing in front of Xia's wooden cabin not long ago had vanished without a trace.
He looked up at the oppressive black clouds, and an inexplicable feeling of dread crept over him.
Crack!!
A sudden thunderclap split the air!
Then a ghastly white bolt of lightning streaked across the sky! Its brilliant flash and deafening roar—
Made the already unnaturally silent forest seem all the more terrifying and sinister!
Inside the Life Tree's wooden cabin...
The boy and the girl were still holding each other.
The blood continued to flow.
The Holy Sword had sunk completely into Xia's body. Fresh red blood dripped from its blade, forming a crimson pool on the wooden floor.
Each new drop landing in the pool made a soft, "Drip."
Drip...
Drip...
It went on without end...
But Xia showed no reaction. He let his blood drain away, growing weaker and weaker, without moving at all...
There was no focus or light left in Xia's eyes. All the functions of his body had stopped five minutes ago.
This was already...
With a wet sound—
Artoria expressionlessly yanked the Holy Sword from Xia's body. As the blade came free, blood sprayed from his wound, spattering the golden-haired girl before her and staining her red.
Blood speckled Artoria's once-pure white dress.
Her brilliant golden hair was tainted by crimson.
A bead of blood slowly rolled down her once spotless face...
The wooden table, chairs, windows, and floor were all splashed with scarlet.
Then, with a thud—
No longer supported by the Holy Sword, Xia collapsed heavily to the floor.
Artoria glanced coldly at the corpse lying there, blood still pouring from it. With a casual flick of her wrist, she sent the blood on the golden Holy Sword flying onto the floor.
"Farewell, strange, 'unknown' Heroic Spirit. This is the end."
Swish! The Holy Sword pointed at Xia's neck once more. Beneath Artoria's icy green gaze, her lips moved.
"I grant you an eternal nightmare."
Crack!
As soon as Artoria finished speaking,
A roar shook the sky once again! A ghastly white flash of lightning streaked across it!
Perfectly illuminating the boy's figure as he lay in a pool of blood.
The golden-haired girl holding the blade had used the Holy Sword with which she had spent her life slaying enemies to end the boy's life. She ignored his kindness, his feelings, and, even more, the true cries of her own heart.
"Is this really what you want? Is this person in front of you truly someone you should be crossing swords with?" The question surfaced in the girl's mind again and again. But whenever it did, she distracted herself with something else, escaping from the thought...
"If I think about it, something terrible will be released. So... don't think about it. Don't pay it any mind. If this man appears before me again, then... I'll kill him once more!"
With that thought in her heart, the girl stepped through the boy's blood and walked toward the door, one step at a time...
Creak.
The girl opened the cabin door and stared blankly at the torrential rain outside.
The downpour pelted the entire forest, filling it with a steady rustling sound.
The girl left the cabin and wandered aimlessly through the rain, letting it soak her frail body and wash the bright bloodstains from her clothes.
So cold.
So icy.
That was how she felt now...
Her lifeless eyes swept across her surroundings.
So quiet...
So silent...
...So lonely.
That was what she felt inside.
Enough...
Pat.
The girl suddenly stopped walking. She stood dazed in an open field with no shelter, letting the rain soak her.
Standing silently in the open field, the girl suddenly lifted her head and looked around.
Her large eyes, so lifeless just moments ago, had regained their light, though now they held a trace of confusion and bewilderment.
"Huh?! Where am I? And where's that strange Heroic Spirit in red armor?!"
"You murderer!!"
"Give me back my child!!!"
"I'll pay you. Get rid of the consequences of that car accident for me."
"Could you tell me your name one more time?"
"Big brother~~~!"
"Xia... come here."
"Xia won't leave me, right?"
"Xia... that man is a traitor! He betrayed me! When I needed him most, when I was at my most helpless, he left me! He abandoned me!"
In a sky of darkness, purple clouds loomed overhead. Ominous howls echoed through the air, and a wall made from a horrifying mass of blood and flesh rose from the ground...
Our protagonist, Xia, lay quietly beneath the blood-smeared wall, while the pain buried deep in his memories replayed endlessly in his mind.
"Ugh..." His tightly shut eyes and furrowed brows made it clear that Xia was in unbearable pain.
But he still couldn't wake up...
In that crimson world, Xia slept, suffered, and despaired, day after day and year after year.
How many days had passed?
And how many years?
Why was I here...
I don't know...
Once he gave up thinking, the nightmare swallowed Xia again.
The dark sky still hung overhead. The purple clouds still drifted by, and ominous howls still echoed across the heavens.
Crack!
Suddenly, a sound like shattering glass came from the sky.
Crack... crackle, crackle...!
The cracks grew wider, and more and more parts of the sky began to shatter.
Until at last... it burst apart with a crash!
A hole suddenly appeared in the dark sky.
Then a brilliant silver light burst across the heavens~!!
In an instant, it drove away the dark sky and purple clouds, replacing them with a clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds.
The moment the silver light erupted, the ominous, anguished howls in the sky vanished without a trace...
"This isn't where you belong, Xia."
A gentle voice suddenly rang out.
The soft voice, threaded with affection and excitement, reached Xia's ears.
At the sound of it, Xia's furrowed brows slowly relaxed. His hands, clenched so tightly that the veins stood out, gradually loosened as well.
In his daze, Xia felt himself surrounded by a warm embrace. The pain and turmoil in his heart slowly settled the moment he touched it...
It felt... just like being held in his mother's arms.
Peaceful, reassuring, at ease...
After countless reincarnations, this was the first time Xia had ever felt so completely relaxed and comfortable.
His body was beginning to regain sensation. He forced his eyes open, wanting to see who could make him feel so safe...
A sliver of light passed through his slowly opening eyes.
His numb arm rose slowly, following his wishes. But it had been motionless for so long that he couldn't even lift it as far as his face. It fell back down halfway, no matter how hard he tried...
Catch~!
A soft little hand caught his falling palm.
Then it gently lifted his hand and placed it against its owner's face...
"Who are you...?" Feeling the warmth in his palm, and the flood of memories and longing that rushed through him the instant he touched her face, Xia anxiously spoke aloud for the first time in this world.
His eyes, which had almost closed again, forced themselves open once more.
The moment they opened fully, Xia's body stiffened all over again. His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief!
Golden hair stirred by a gentle breeze~!
Beautiful, resolute green eyes~!
A refined, valiant face...~!
And Sakura-pink lips, smiling sweetly...
"This time, let me protect you, Xia~!" Her voice was filled with longing and nostalgia. She leaned down and happily embraced Xia, who still stared at her in astonishment.
"Why... are you here?! Who... are you?!"
This chapter is a sample...
If you're not satisfied, I'll start over with a new chapter tomorrow.
The plot will change accordingly.
~~~~Come on, vote for the story~~~~
Before you continue