Projection

Splat.

Xia sat in his chair. He closed the book in his hand with a snap and placed it gently on the table.

He stood up from his seat and walked over to the window by his side.

He gently lifted the curtain and peeked out at the backyard.

Beautiful flowers were in full bloom, showcasing their splendor. Lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze.

A beautiful blonde figure was sitting on a swing made of green vines in the garden.

Her legs were crossed idly, and her hands, resting on her knees, propped up her pouting face.

Artoria, with her pursed lips, was still sulking.

The energetic blonde hair on her small head drooped listlessly.

She looked utterly dejected...

"..." Xia, who was secretly observing Artoria from behind the curtain, could only shake his head helplessly at the sight.

He lowered the curtain and turned to walk out the door.

The wind blew gently, stirring the blonde hair that its owner had left untended.

Artoria stared blankly at the grass below.

Recalling the argument she'd just had with Xia and its outcome, she couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile, feeling as though she had returned to the Fairy Forest once again...

Back then, it seemed she had also argued fiercely with Xia because she didn't want to be protected anymore and wanted to fight for herself.

"Xia is such a stubborn mule! I can live perfectly fine without your protection!"

That's what I said back then...

But then...?

The girl who ran off on her own encountered a pack of wolf beasts. Nearly a hundred of them stared fiercely at her with their green eyes.

It was as if they were contemplating where to start tearing into her...

The girl became scared, and she regretted her actions.

Her legs trembled uncontrollably. Leaning against the tree trunk behind her, she tightly gripped the dry grass with her hands, too afraid to move...

At that moment, she thought she was doomed, that she would surely be torn apart and eaten by these demonic beasts...

Drooling mouths, pale, long fangs, pairs of green beastly eyes. And the low growls that seemed to emanate with anticipation.

"Xia..."

She was scared, she was terrified...

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

For the first time, the girl understood why he always forbade her from going out alone.

For the first time, the girl also understood why he always returned from outside with countless wounds on his body whenever he brought back food.

"Roar!!!"

A roar from a wolf beast, resembling the pack leader, interrupted the girl's thoughts. The nearly a hundred wolf beasts behind it roared in unison with its cry.

For some reason, at that moment... the girl could understand the meaning of the wolf beast's roar.

—Eat—

Facing the wolf beast that suddenly lunged at her, the girl was paralyzed by fear, her mind a complete blank. Only instinct drove her to search the ground for anything she could use to defend herself.

The wolf's dirty maw was rapidly approaching, and the saliva splattering from it filled the girl with disgust.

As the wolf's mouth drew closer, the girl desperately continued to feel around the ground with her hands.

"Huh?!"

The wolf's mouth was now directly in front of the girl, and she could even smell its breath.

Her right hand found a hard stone. In an instant, she snatched the stone from the ground and hurled it forcefully at the wolf's head!

"Aow!!"

Struck directly in the eye by the stone, the wolf howled in pain and retreated into the pack.

Watching the wolf retreat into the pack, the girl's breathing, which had momentarily stopped, resumed. She gasped for air, cold sweat from her near-death experience drenching her hair and back.

"Hah... ha... huff..."

The wolf that had retreated into the pack glared at her with its only remaining left eye.

It let out another roar at the pack!

As if issuing a command, the wolf pack, hearing the roar, began to advance towards her.

If she had only been facing a single wolf, she might have had a chance to escape.

But facing an onslaught of nearly a hundred wolf beasts...

The girl no longer had the strength to even grip the stone in her hand. She felt the stone, which she usually tossed around carelessly, was incredibly heavy. Her head was swimming, and her entire body felt ice-cold...

"ROOOOAR!!!!"

The enraged wolf pack charged at the girl huddled at the base of the tree.

Facing the pack of beasts lunging at her with ferocious faces, the girl's small body trembled beneath the tree.

Her body was tightly curled, her arms wrapped firmly around herself.

Her head was buried deep between her knees.

"ROOOOAR!!!!!"

Listening to the approaching footsteps, listening to the beastly roars drawing ever closer.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her body trembling, her mouth clamped shut.

"Nn...!! Nn... Waaah..!!"

Soft sobs, tears that wouldn't stop.

It was the first time the girl knew regret, and the first time she had been so close to death...

Regret for her own weakness.

Anger at her own ignorance.

"Xia... Xia...~"

She whispered his name, hoping for a response.

The only one she could rely on, now being longed for by the girl.

But...

She longed for the figure who would come to save her, but he never appeared...

Was she abandoned?

Was she hated?

Was she left behind...?

Facing the wolf pack that had already charged to her front, the girl's lips trembled slightly.

"ROOOOAR!!!"

Am I going to be eaten like this?

Is this how everything ends?

Without even a chance to regret it later...?

"Xia..."

Gurgle...

The stone slipped from her hand and rolled across the grass.

Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

The girl's small body emitted a final radiance under the sunlight.

Despair...?

"ROAR!!!"

Sharp beastly fangs were already pressed against the girl's slender neck.

With just a slight clench of the jaw, her fragile neck would surely be pierced by the sharp teeth.

But...

Just as the fangs were about to apply force.

Wind! It raged!

Fierce, bloody, and a rage that could burn the sky!

"You mere wild mongrels!!!!!!!!!! Who do you think you're baring your dog mouths at!!!!!"

CRUNCH!!!!!

A roar that was almost devoid of reason, scattering blood, dislodged teeth, flying back towards the wolf pack like tattered rags.

Thump!! Sizzle, sizzle...

Even after falling to the ground, their blood-stained bodies slid dozens of meters across the surface.

The wolf pack, which had been roaring in anger, instantly fell silent.

They let out low growls and slowly retreated two steps.

Looking at the strange human before them, the wolves' predatory instincts screamed at them!

The thing before them was not food.

It was a beast fiercer than them!!

Its eyes were completely bloodshot, its hair stood on end, and its face was as ferocious as a demon's.

That fist, which had directly blasted away its own kind, was still dripping bright red blood.

Turning his agile body, he looked at the golden-haired figure squatting beneath the tree.

He slowly extended his hand, checking for breath.

Once he had confirmed multiple times that the girl had merely fainted from excessive fright.

The black-haired youth finally let out a deep sigh of relief.

Turning back, the face now confronting the beast horde was no longer filled with the gentleness and worry he had shown the girl. Instead, it was a ferocious, bloodthirsty visage.

"I'll skin you alive! I'll break your bones! I'll eat your flesh raw!! I'll dig out all your insides and sun-dry them into jerky!!!"

"Roar!!! Roar!!!"

"Your filthy hearts!!!! The moment I rip them out, I'll crush them to a pulp right before your eyes!!"

"Roar!!!"

Mad and bloody words spilled from the youth's mouth, his ferocious face growing even more contorted with each utterance.

"I'll tear you all to shreds as atonement!!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the youth who had been standing before the girl vanished from his spot.

His agile body transformed into a black streak of light, instantly charging into the wolf pack.

What followed was a storm of blood and gore.

Under the afternoon sun, the bare-chested black-haired youth weaved through the beasts.

His eyes were completely blood-red, His black hair fluttered in the air, his claws as vicious as a great eagle's talons, Blood sprayed, and organs flew through the air.

Wherever the youth went, he would pierce a wolf-beast's chest directly with his palm, then give a mighty yank!

Instantly ripping the wolf-beast's heart from its body! Then crushing it to a pulp in his hand!

More ferocious than beasts.

More terrifying than monsters.

His methods were bloodier than even the most ruthless hunters.

Fear and panic spread, and the wolf pack began to scatter.

But they couldn't run, they couldn't escape.

Because every time a wolf-beast turned its back on the black-haired demon king, a blood-red arm would erupt from its abdomen! And drag out its internal organs along with it!

And so, when the wolf pack realized that if they didn't kill the demon king before them, none of them would escape.

They too went mad, losing the little reason they possessed.

They charged the demon king at the center of the pack with suicidal ferocity, using their flesh and blood to pave the way for their next pounce.

Blood had already formed rivers.

His black hair had been dyed red.

The bloody battle continued...

By the time the sun, which had been high in the sky, had descended to the western foothills, The battle finally concluded.

In the dense forest.

The youth, carrying the girl on his back as he made his way back, was completely drenched in crimson blood.

His previously furious and ferocious face was now replaced by a look of peace and relief.

Stomp... creak!

His steps faltered slightly, almost causing him to fall to the ground.

Fortunately, the youth's reaction was quick, and he quickly adjusted his stance, forcing his body upright.

"Mmm..."

At that moment, the girl on the youth's back stirred awake.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she dazedly surveyed her surroundings.

"Where is this... wolves?"

Her mumbled words reflected her current confusion.

The girl, who had thought she was certainly going to die, now found herself in a quiet environment with a strange sense of security, prompting her question.

"Artoria..."

!!!

Hearing the familiar voice suddenly, the girl's entire body tensed up.

The instinct to hide immediately.

But upon realizing she was on the boy's back, she lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

"...Xia... are you angry?" Artoria's slightly trembling voice asked.

"En!"

The conversation fell silent, with only the sound of the boy's steady footsteps on the ground, crunch, crunch.

"Mmm... sob.."

"En?!"

Creak.

Suddenly hearing the soft whimpering from behind, the boy stopped in his tracks, bewildered.

"Mmm.. mmm.. waaaahhh!! ..Ah! ..sob sob sob sob!!"

"Wha—!!! A... Artoria?!"

The girl's sudden outburst of crying almost made the boy carrying her stumble again!

"Xia, you hate me now, don't you?! Because I didn't listen to you, right?! Sob sob, sob sob!!!"

"No! Are you kidding me?! I could hate the whole world before I could ever hate you!!"

"Sob sob. B-but... you... sob... just said 'En!' sob... Does that mean you don't hate me anymore?! Sob sob!"

"Th-then...! That was me spewing nonsense! I deserved to be beaten! I was talking rubbish! You have to believe me, Artoria!!"

Facing the girl's tearful sadness, the boy was almost driven mad! If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have thrown a childish tantrum! He really wanted to slap himself twice right now!

"Mmm.. mmm.. R-really? Sob.."

Hearing the boy's earnest words, the girl finally, slowly stopped her loud crying, but still asked with a slight sob.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! That's right, that's right, that's right!!!!"

The boy nodded his head rapidly like a bobblehead, afraid the goddess on his back would start crying again.

"Sob... But... aren't you... still mad at me...? Sob.."

"No, no! How could I be mad at you?! I'm angry at those wolf beasts! Yes, them! They have no manners! That's why I'm angry!"

The boy unceremoniously shifted the blame for his earlier behavior onto the innocent wolf beasts. They were all dead anyway, so who was going to find me to hold accountable~

"Sob... Sob. En..."

Hearing the confirmation, Artoria finally stopped crying and rubbed her red eyes with her small hands. Then she leaned her entire body against Xia again.

Feeling the presence she could still rely on, feeling the peace of having survived.

The forest fell silent.

Feeling that the girl had finally stopped crying, the boy finally breathed a sigh of relief and started walking forward again.

"I'm sorry, Xia... I was being too willful."

The girl, her face buried in the boy's back, said this long-desired apology in a muffled voice.

"Heh heh, Artoria's willfulness... huff... is the greatest affirmation of me.

...Huff... Because you rely on me, trust me, that's why Artoria acts like this towards me, right...? Huff.."

Hearing the girl's words, the boy smiled indifferently.

But the heavy breaths in his words grew heavier and heavier.

"Xia... I... actually really like this current life. Being with Xia always makes me feel safe.

When I was sick, Xia stayed by my side, encouraging me.

When I was hungry, Xia always appeared before me with fresh fruit, filling my stomach.

I like Xia like this.

So... I thought, it's okay not to become a knight, as long as I can be with Xia..."

Listening to Artoria's gentle words, Xia's heart felt warm, as if soaking in warm water.

"Xia... will always be with me, right?"

"Heh heh... huff... As long as you don't mind... cough! Cough! Cough cough!!"

Midway through Xia's sentence, he felt a mouthful of blood surge from within him.

Xia, hunched over, forcefully swallowed the blood that had rushed to his throat back down. Then he let out a few violent coughs.

"Xia?! Is Xia okay?!"

Sensing something was wrong, Artoria quickly lifted her head, trying to see Xia's condition.

But the hands she had just extended were startled by Xia's sudden straightening, and she quickly hugged him to maintain her balance.

"Haha! You were scared, weren't you! This is your punishment for secretly running off without telling me! Wahaha... ha... ha..."

Xia mocked in a tone that seemed deliberately intended to startle Artoria.

"Really... please don't scare me like that!"

Artoria, genuinely a little frightened, said dejectedly after hearing Xia's words.

"Haha... sorry, sorry~ But... if we do that... then we're even, you know! Hmph...!"

Xia, forcing himself to stay alert, said with a strained smile.

"Hey, Artoria... let's sleep for a bit... when we get home... I'll wake you up,..."

Maybe... he would.

"Mmm..., but. Please promise me, never leave me carelessly, otherwise... I..."

"Heh heh, unless I'm 'dead,' I will absolutely not... Rest easy... When you wake up, you'll find that 'I' am still guarding you."

"Mmm... I know..., every time I'm in danger, Xia will definitely appear by my side, right...?"

Just like before...

"As you say..."

If it's to protect you, then this useless life is yours to do with as you please...

"Xia will protect me..."

Because I like Xia the most...

"Mmm."

I swear on my soul...

"You'll forever and ever... protect... me..."

If it's Xia...

"Yes. May. Lord."

Let the Eyes of Heaven be my witness, not even time can stop my steps.

"Xia... is my... hero... Hmph..."

Feeling the girl who had already fallen deeply asleep on his back, Xia's lips curved into a gentle, doting smile.

Then, he continued his steps on the journey.

In the lonely forest.

The boy, covered in blood, slowly walked forward, carrying the sleeping girl on his back.

With every step, the boy's life shortened by a moment.

With every step, the boy's blood flowed faster.

My eyelids... are so heavy.

All the bones in my body... are crying out.

But.

Even dragging his battered body, the boy stubbornly insisted on carrying the girl on his back.

With his own hands!

With his own feet!

He confirmed the path he was walking.

The sunset had completely disappeared from the sky, and the silent, dark night had descended upon the forest.

Creak...

The blood-soaked boy finally carried the girl on his back and returned to their temporary dwelling.

Enduring his blurry consciousness, which threatened to make him collapse at any moment, the boy gently placed the girl from his back onto the wooden bed.

With eyes that could barely see, he checked the girl's injuries several times, confirming that she had only been startled and sustained minor injuries.

A faint blush then appeared on the boy's already pale face.

Then... the world spun.

Thump!

The boy, a smile on his face, fell straight to the ground.

His slowly closing eyes closed with a sense of release and peace...

His breathing... grew faint.

His heart... began to wane.

During the journey back, the boy had not stopped once along the roadside, nor had he leaned against a tree to rest.

He had simply carried the girl all the way back to this wooden house.

He could have easily told her about his injuries and had her walk alongside him, supporting him on the way back...

But...

Why...?

"Yeah... why indeed...?"

Artoria, resting her head on the swing's rope, pondered the question, unable to quite grasp it.

Then, bored, she idly swung her clasped feet.

"Heh... why what? Are you thinking about how to escape my watch, Artoria...?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Artoria instinctively turned her head towards Xia's direction.

But upon seeing Xia walking towards her with a smile, Artoria huffily puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away.

"Ack!"

Xia, who had been about to extend his hand in greeting, stopped awkwardly in mid-air.

His lips twitched slightly, and Xia shook his head with a wry smile.

"Still mad...?"

Xia came up behind the swing and looked at the girl who was deliberately turning away from him, with a helpless expression.

"Hmph!"

The only reply Xia received was a predictable, cold snort.

"...Forgive me, Artoria. This is the only selfishness I have... okay?"

Xia walked a bit dejectedly in front of Artoria, crouched down, and looked at Artoria, who was sitting on the swing, face-to-face as he pleaded.

"...No! For me, as a king, to hide behind you is something I absolutely cannot do or accept!"

Stubborn Artoria turned her head away again, looking displeased.

"And also..."

"Hm?" Xia looked at Artoria curiously.

"I don't want to see it anymore... Xia, who was covered in wounds because of me... It feels... so painful, I can't stop crying..."

{Xia back then, lying on the wooden planks covered in blood, no body temperature... no heartbeat... not even breathing...! I was scared.}

Xia's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked at Artoria, who had uttered such words, with a bit of shock.

"Xia, who got hurt because of me, Xia, who bled because of me, Xia, who almost stopped breathing several times because of me... I don't want to see it again!

That's why I want to fight! I want to become stronger! It's not to prove anything to you! It's not to become a knight! It's even less about showing off! It's simply to!... To..."

Artoria, her body suddenly turned, reached out with both hands and tightly gripped Xia's collar, shouting at him.

"To make Xia understand my feelings!"

"It's not just one man here who is willing to offer his soul for the existence known as Artoria!

There is also a woman willing to lay down her life for the existence known as Drake D. Xia!

Do you understand, Xia!"

Love is loyalty.

Love is supreme.

Love is a poison that makes people willingly fall.

The more tragic a person's life, the more extreme their view of love becomes.

The lonelier one was in the past, the more sensitive they would be to the word love.

And Xia and Artoria were precisely such existences.

Therefore, they both cherished each other exceptionally.

But precisely because of their excessive concern, contradictions would always arise between them.

Xia was extremely afraid of Artoria getting hurt, because if Artoria were to suffer, it would be no different than a gaping wound being torn in Xia's soul.

And Artoria was afraid that Xia would suddenly disappear from her side again, that feeling of reliance, the despair of the pillar supporting her spirit suddenly vanishing. No one would want to experience that again...

Xia's lips curled up slightly, his face filled with satisfaction and happiness.

He reached out and gently ruffled the lovely golden hair in front of him.

"Thank you."

Xia looked seriously into Artoria's eyes and thanked her.

"Tha-thank you for what?"

Artoria looked at Xia, flustered by the sudden thanks.

"Thank you for everything... your smile, your beauty, your integrity, your loyalty, and... your existence."

As he spoke, Xia stood up, maintaining a condescending posture, and said to Artoria with a smile.

"However... the idea I had of having you accompany me on this sortie has been completely blasted to Mars by what you just said."

With that, Xia looked at Artoria, who had puffed out her cheeks again, with a sly grin.

"My goddess, at this moment, the task of the 'Projection' ends here.

Next, please allow me to display a power that is more than enough to protect you until the Great Cosmic Era!"

As Xia's words, which seemed to untie a knot, resounded.

The magic within the barrier suddenly began to surge collectively!

The sky! Was shattering!

The earth! Was shaking!

The "Eternal Throne" was collapsing! The Hero King and Conqueror King, who had just climbed up from the sand dunes, were violently thrown to the ground again by the suddenly violent shaking of heaven and earth.

Crack... crack... crack...

The cracks in the barrier grew larger, and then with a boom!

A beam of white light shot up from Einzbern Castle, instantly piercing through the thick, sun-blocking clouds!

The warm sunlight, once again shining upon the land, enveloped the entire Einzbern Castle, which had become a battlefield.

The castle walls, scorched black by the flames.

The rocks, pulverized by the intense impact.

Standing on a pile of ruins, two boys and one girl faced each other against the backdrop of the damaged castle.

One of the boys was clad in golden armor, wearing a purple and gold crown, holding a golden spear with dragon patterns, and a sword with tiger patterns hanging at his waist.

His face was etched with determination and a killing intent. (Actually, if one observed closely... one could still discern a trace of fervor and apprehension in his eyes.)

The other was dressed in a red battle robe, wielding a red spear with dragon patterns, and even more impressively, three crescent-shaped swords were hung on his back.

He was grinning playfully at the boy beside him, who possessed an imperial demeanor.

The girl, kneeling between the two boys, looked at the two boys, who were identical except for their attire, with a look of astonishment.

And while the girl was surprised, the boy with the imperial demeanor suddenly slashed at the empty air beside him with his spear. With a distortion of space, two more boys, dressed differently but with the same appearance, walked out from within.

Four people. Four identical yet different boys.

They stood side-by-side before the girl, silently gazing at her...

A cold wind began to blow, and the clouds that had been dispersed earlier slowly gathered again.

The cold wind caused the girl kneeling on the ruins to suddenly shiver.

Then, with a look of panic, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"What do you want to do to me?!"

A two-in-one!

The next chapter will explain what a "Projection" is.

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