The Fall

The sun had always favored Shurima. Even though evening was drawing near, the afterglow in the sky still blazed so fiercely it was hard to breathe. The heat stored in the golden sand beneath my feet came through clearly, even through my boots made from Sandrock Dragon leather, which had excellent insulation.

"This should be hot enough to cook a raw egg instantly."

I felt the heat radiating from the sword in my right hand, my beloved blade, which I'd named Red Peak, and muttered under my breath. The broad blade reflected the sunset, and its temperature was already terrifying. But for me, this was nothing. The sun hadn't even left a trace of a burn on my healthy-looking bronze skin. That was only natural, of course. With a title like Lilia of the Flame Blade, which sounded impressive even at first hearing, it would be strange if I got burned by my own sword. I wasn't bragging, either. As one of the S-rank mercenaries who'd made it to the top, my team and I specialized in taking on all sorts of difficult bounties and commissions. As long as the pay was good. Just like now, when we were surrounding an exceptionally vicious creature. It was the target we'd been hired to eliminate: the Mirage Nightmare, a terrifying being that had recently been the talk of the town. It had destroyed several oasis villages, leaving almost no survivors. Supposedly, none of the refugees who'd fled could even say what had attacked them. As people disagreed over what had happened, the legend of the Mirage Nightmare gradually grew. It hadn't really caught my attention, though. Dozens of vague, fanciful tales like that came up in the city's taverns every day. If I cared about every one of them, my brain—which Xiqi liked to call "barren"—would be even more overloaded. Besides, most strange stories were forgotten over drinks. The Mirage Nightmare should have been no different. That was until yesterday, when I heard that some mysterious person had posted a bounty at the guild to hunt it down. Even stranger, the bounty came with details about the Mirage Nightmare that had never been confirmed before: its true form, how strong it was, and even where it might appear. The information was so detailed, it was almost like a record of someone's surveillance. According to the report, the Mirage Nightmare was a vicious Void Creature. Unlike its ugly kin, it lived in isolation and sometimes even fought with its own kind. As for its strength, it had always been difficult to assess Void Creatures because they could change in all sorts of ways. Yet this report stated plainly that the Mirage Nightmare was roughly as strong as an S-rank mercenary.

"Too many suspicious points."

That was how my strategist, Xiqi, summed it up. She was right. Even I could see that the commission and the information attached to it were suspicious. How could humans know so much about a Void Creature? It had to be a conspiracy or some tasteless prank. What? You say the bounty was fifteen thousand Shurima gold coins? And three thousand gold up front? What kind of deal was that? What did fifteen thousand gold even mean? You could buy a luxurious seaside mansion in Bel'Guen for about ten thousand.

All my misgivings flew out the window the moment I heard the reward. I'm in! That was all I could think. Not even a Void Creature was going to get in the way of me making money. Xiqi couldn't talk me out of it, so I dragged her at a run to the mercenary guild a block away. By then, it was packed with mercenaries who'd come to ask about the job. When I shoved and elbowed my way into the hall, I saw Chris, the head of the Silver Fist Mercenary Group, reaching for the bounty notice. He was about to take it down. What nerve, when the highest rank in his group was only A-rank. Ah, but sorry—I sent Chris flying with a Flame Fist, then quickly dealt with his furious men. After that, I claimed the bounty without a hitch. In a manner of speaking, I'd saved the lives of those extras who'd foolishly tried to take on a Main Quest. Void Creatures were dangerous, you know. Ah, the people at the mercenary guild were pretty annoyed, too, but in the end they didn't say anything and let us take the job. The advance alone was a full three thousand gold! Could anything be better?

"Nanila! Left!"

Xiqi's anxious shout pulled my attention back from the clouds. Blue light flashed from her staff as she cried out, and a miniature whirlwind swept up the sand with a roar. It swiftly separated Nanila, who was struggling to hold up his shield with both hands, from the Void Creature charging toward him.

Caught off guard, Nanila shot into the air like a broken kite, then plunged headfirst into the sand. The Void Creature, which looked like an enormous praying mantis, had only lost its balance a little. In the blink of an eye, it had recovered and swung the pair of terrifying scythe blades on its forelimbs, each more than a meter long, at Xiqi's whirlwind. The blades, shaped like long sickles and glowing with an eerie purple light, were made of some unknown material. They cut straight through the sandstorm with ease. The mantis dug its hind legs into the ground and leaped toward Nanila, who still hadn't recovered from his dizziness.

A shrill metallic screech rang out. Nanila had frantically raised his alloy shield, but his opponent split it in two. After its first strike missed, the giant mantis let out a low growl, twisted its body, and slammed into Nanila. Even Nanila, who was built like a bull, couldn't withstand the force. It sent him flying several meters, and half of his broken shield slipped from his hand. Two sharp slashes followed in quick succession. The Void Creature moved astonishingly fast, and Nanila, weighed down by his armor, seemed completely unable to dodge.

"Clang!"

Blinding sparks burst out, and the impact left my right arm almost numb. So heavy! Maybe rushing in to look cool like that really was risky. What terrifying strength. Should I have expected nothing less from a monster? The pair of scythe blades on its forelimbs were thin as cicada wings, and looked as if they could snap with the slightest touch. But in reality, even I, a veteran of countless battles, could barely hold my ground against them. They were part of its body, yet as hard as the strongest steel. Void Creatures really were impossible to figure out.

"Rrragh!"

The Void Creature let out a low growl that made my eardrums ache. Maybe it thought I was in its way. Ah, but sorry, I felt the same way about it! You're in my way!

I shoved my sword forward and instantly detonated the spiritual energy within me. A dazzling mass of flames erupted from Red Peak's blade. The Void Creature sensed danger and recoiled. The force pressing against me weakened noticeably, so I took the chance to knock its blade limbs aside with an upward slash. Then I stepped forward, swinging Red Peak, wreathed in blazing flames, in a wide arc like a spinning windmill.

Red Peak, transformed into a blade of flame, had grown more than twice its original size. Even so, I couldn't land the heavy blow I'd hoped to hit the giant mantis with. Its back wings spread, and it shot several meters away, escaping my attack unscathed.

"Damn it, does it have to be that nimble?!"

I cursed inwardly, gripped my sword with both hands, and swung a wave of fire toward where the Void Creature had dodged. The wave swept up sand along its path, clouding everyone's vision. Did it hit? I narrowed my eyes slightly, looking forward to finding out. Just as I was about to get a better look, the murderous aura above me filled me with an icy chill.

"Lilia!"

Xiqi's cry and the whistle of a blade cutting through the air came almost at the same time. I activated the Blink Emblem I always carried in my pocket. A flash of white light swept over me, and I moved several meters away. The side effect of the spatial shift left me dizzy. But the Void Creature moved like a ghost, soundlessly darting from where I'd been and attacking from the side. When I came to my senses, my vision was already filled with a chilling gleam.

"Damn it, too late!"

I knew I was in trouble. My body hadn't recovered as quickly as my mind. Even though I'd instinctively tried to dodge, I was much slower than usual and had lost the advantage. Those deadly blade limbs were only a hair's breadth from reaching me. Then I'd be sliced into thin strips of meat without a doubt. Think that's what happened? Ah, but sorry. It might be a little unfair, but I wasn't fighting alone.

A breeze sprang up, and my body instantly felt light and nimble. Just as I'd expected, Xiqi's wind magic hadn't let me down. It was as if the weight holding me down had vanished into thin air, allowing me to leap high with movements that surpassed my body's limits. The Void Creature's scythe blades missed me, and a sudden energy barrier appeared just in time to stop them a hair's breadth away. Looks like Niedun's magic was getting more reliable, too. Having escaped by the skin of my teeth, I shouted, "Niedun, nice work!" Then I rolled with the momentum, swung around behind the Void Creature, and brought my sword down hard on its neck.

The feel of the blade cutting into flesh told me I'd gotten lucky. The Void Creature hadn't had time to react, and I'd cut a gash more than ten centimeters deep where its head met its body. Strange purple blood sprayed into the air like a fountain, coating the golden sand in an unusual new color.

The blow seemed to have hurt it badly, but it also appeared to have enraged it. Taking advantage of the moment when my last move had ended and I hadn't yet started my next, the furious Void Creature opened its mouth, ringed with serrated teeth, and lunged at me.

"Over here!"

Nia's bold voice swept past my ear. She swung her broad sword, almost as wide as a guillotine blade, in a full circle with her powerful arms, then struck with a beautiful diagonal slash. The Void Creature's long, narrow lower jaw was severed, and it flew into the air amid a spray of blood. The creature shrieked, shielded its head with its scythe blades, and staggered backward several steps. Its aggressive ferocity had vanished.

"Aaah!"

At last, Nanila had a chance to vent his frustration after being thoroughly beaten down. Carrying only half of his tower shield, he charged forward under the effects of Xiqi's Wind Rush.

Oh, I thought I heard something like a bone cracking. The Void Mantis, taller than a person, was sent flying far away by Nanila's charge, then crashed heavily into the sand. It struggled several times but couldn't get back up.

Well, it looked like there was no question how the battle would end. I let out a breath of relief. Void Creatures were terrifying, but their most troublesome feature was their numbers. This one had ventured deep into human territory and was fighting alone. I had to admit it was strong on its own, but this was as far as it would get.

"It's over."

I crouched, raised Red Peak in both hands, and took the stance for the Blazing Sword Style technique, Molten Flame Spear. It was the most powerful technique I knew. Ah, of the techniques I knew, of course. Those old masters still sitting in their Ionia dojo probably knew even more destructive ones. But that had nothing to do with me, since I'd been kicked out halfway through my training.

Flames spread rapidly across Red Peak's blade, swelling until they formed a massive crimson silhouette. Seconds later, a blazing spear more than ten meters long shot straight through the Void Creature's body, then exploded with a roar. It sent several acres of sand flying into the sky. After a long moment, the creature's ruined body fell back to the ground. The purple across its body had become a filthy, charred black, and it no longer moved.

Nanila tossed his broken shield aside and let out a monkey-like roar into the blowing sand. Nia came over, laughing boisterously as always, and gave my shoulder a hearty slap. The bounty was complete. Fifteen thousand gold coins were ours. We were going to make a fortune. Was that right? It should be, shouldn't it? The Void Creature really was dead.

"Nanila, go cut something off that thing. Then let's get out of this oven."

Xiqi rode a breeze down beside us, then shoved the howling Nanila hard in the back. His face immediately fell into a look of reluctance. But he couldn't argue with the rest of us, so he complained the whole way as he took the one-handed battle axe from his waist and walked toward the Void Creature's corpse.

"Boss, um, about the reward this time... I only need enough for some healing potions. You can split the rest among yourselves. After all... it was all thanks to you. I... didn't do much to help..."

I didn't know when Niedun had come up behind me. Head bowed, he spoke haltingly. The kid was half a head taller than me, so seeing him act so awkward was pretty funny. I stared at him for a moment, then suddenly pulled him over and rapped him hard on the gray-green head.

"B-Boss?"

"I already said we'd split it evenly. Are you questioning my decision?"

"Ah... n-no... I... really didn't do much. I should..."

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?"

"N-no... I... all right, all right. We'll split it the way you say."

"Haha, that's more like it."

I gave his shoulder a hearty slap and laughed.

"When are you going to learn to act more grown-up? You're good-looking, and you've got a talent for magic. Unlike us muscleheads, who only know how to swing our weapons."

"Heh, boss, I heard a man naturally matures after he's done that sort of thing. How about taking the kid to that place when we get back, and finding a few young women to broaden his horizons?"

"Good idea. Nia, you're a damn genius. It's settled, then. We'll—"

"Boss... Boss! Come quick!"

"Why are you making such a fuss? You can't even handle this little—"

I'd been interrupted just as I was getting into it, and I turned around in annoyance. What I saw was almost impossible to believe. The Void Creature's charred body split open down the middle, and a naked, beautiful female body suddenly appeared within.

She looked human, and she was the sort of stunning beauty you rarely came across. Even I, a woman, was momentarily dazed by the woman's inexplicable appearance. Her face was so beautiful it seemed unreal, more exquisite than even the Hextech Dolls sculpted with painstaking care by the artists of Piltover, whom I'd once been lucky enough to see. Her skin was pure and white as snow, unlike anything I'd ever encountered in Shurima. And her purple hair floated and danced in the air. We were both women, yet she was so beautiful she seemed to belong to another world.

"B-b-boss, w-what... what's going on?"

Nanila's words came out in an unnatural stammer, but his eyes were fixed on the uninvited guest's body, wide as copper bells. Ah, I could understand that, at least. There probably weren't many men who could stay composed in front of a woman like that. Ah, except for Niedun, who was already covering his face and turning away.

"Nanila, get away from her! It's dangerous!"

Xiqi was the first among us to react. She hurried over, grabbed Nanila by the collar, and tried to drag him away from the mysterious girl. But it seemed the commotion had drawn the girl's attention. She opened her eyes. Her vertical pupils, unlike anything a human should have, darted over everyone present. For an instant, I had the eerie feeling that I was looking into the eyes of a beast, not a person. Wait, those eyes... why did they look so familiar—

Realizing the truth, I rushed toward Nanila and the others, but the girl was faster. Her eyes turned toward Xiqi, and then she darted forward with a whoosh. Like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey, she knocked the defenseless Xiqi to the ground and bit into her neck.

Xiqi screamed in agony. My heart clenched, and I took two steps forward, thrusting my sword at the girl biting her. My opponent dodged with a nimble leap backward, her sharp teeth ripping a large piece of flesh from Xiqi's neck.

Crimson blood gushed like a fountain from what remained of Xiqi's neck, staining a wide stretch of golden sand in an instant. I watched the light fade from Xiqi's pale gray eyes. I watched her fall in a pool of blood, her body twitching as if in convulsions before quickly growing still. She was dead. Her eyes told me that, but I couldn't bring myself to believe it. She'd been my constant companion for so long. She was always sharp-tongued, but we both knew how inseparable we'd become. I'd thought that one day we might both die. I never imagined she'd die so soon, or so brutally. I stared at the girl. It seemed impossible, but I was certain she was the Void Creature we'd fought—the so-called Mirage Nightmare. I couldn't imagine a human chewing on the flesh and blood of her own kind without showing the slightest emotion.

"Bastard! What have you done?!"

Nia let out the most furious roar I'd ever heard from her. She charged at the girl with her greatsword on her shoulder. I wanted to stop her, but she'd already run dozens of paces ahead. Damn it! What was wrong with me today? I was always half a beat too slow when it mattered!

I watched Nia charge at the girl like an enraged bull, hoping she'd finish her off then and there. But experience told me that although Nia's attacks were fierce, she had no technique at all. It was hard to believe she'd make the sort of mistake only a beginner would make. Nia's face twisted into a snarl as she swung down with the force of a surging waterfall. Then I saw that expression freeze on her face forever. The girl easily ducked beneath Nia's greatsword. Her slender right hand suddenly transformed into a purple, scaled Demon Claw, which she plunged into Nia's abdomen.

"Nanila!"

I shouted without turning around. Nanila immediately understood and ran toward the girl with me. Damn it! Once again, my actions had caused this. Xiqi's death had hit me like a bolt from the blue. After nearly ten years of living by the sword, I'd thought I was used to corpses and blood. I'd thought I could accept death without flinching. But when someone close to me died right in front of my eyes, I realized how anxious and terrified I was. It felt as if half my soul had been torn away. I couldn't even focus on the fight. That was why I hadn't stopped Nia from rushing in!

"There's still time! Please! We have to make it!"

"Boss!"

Nanila's voice came from behind me. We understood each other well enough that I jumped backward without looking and landed on Nanila's shield. Then I pushed off, and Nanila drove his muscular arms forward at the same time. Given a double boost, I shot across the distance between me and the girl.

"Just die!"

I twisted hard in midair, using my momentum to cut through the girl's right arm, which was impaling Nia. Then I turned to the side, and my sword swept through another full rotation, slashing across the girl's snow-white neck and opening her throat.

The girl clutched her neck with her remaining left hand and staggered backward, but she couldn't stop the blood pouring from the wound. So that was it. With a human body, she had the same fatal weak points as a human. How ironic. I didn't let her struggle for long. I ran toward her and drove my sword through her heart.

I looked into her eyes. I wanted to see whether a Void Creature would show the same fear and despair as a human when it was killed. But I was disappointed. The only emotion I could see in her gaze seemed to be relief.

Rage surged through me. What was this? After slaughtering my companions like that, she still felt relieved?

"Damn monster!!!"

I roared and stabbed her in the heart again, then pulled my sword out and stabbed her once more. I didn't know how many times I repeated it. I kept going until she stopped breathing, until I felt as though I'd used up every bit of strength in my body. I lifted my sword and walked toward Nanila, who was holding Nia. The girl's severed arm was still lodged in Nia's abdomen, but it didn't seem to have pierced anything vital. Nia was still breathing. Should I have been relieved? Maybe. I was the one who'd gotten greedy for the reward and dragged everyone into this danger. Compared to a complete wipeout, this result was certainly something to be grateful for. I shook my head and pulled a high-grade healing potion from my pocket. It should save Nia's life.

"Aaah!"

As Nanila tried to pull out the girl's severed arm, Nia suddenly knocked his hand away and began screaming wildly, as if she'd gone mad. The arm melted strangely in an instant, turning into a puddle of purple sludge. The inexplicable substance quickly spread and multiplied, covering half of Nia's body in the blink of an eye and engulfing Nanila's outstretched arm, too. Nanila cried out and tried to break free, but he only had time to scream before he and Nia were both swallowed by the sludge.

"Bastard, is this never going to end?!"

I clenched my teeth and dragged myself forward to save them. Then I suddenly felt a weight at my feet. At some point, these utterly repulsive things had covered my lower body, too. I looked back. The girl's corpse had disappeared without my noticing. In its place was a quagmire of writhing sludge, greedily devouring every living thing around it.

I was getting heavier by the second. Was this thing draining my life force? I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. Was I going to die like this? Ah, I'd brought this on myself. My greed had dragged everyone into this dead end. I should have known. Void Creatures weren't so easy to deal with. And why would anyone offer such a huge bounty for one? Just as Xiqi had said, this had all been a conspiracy, hadn't it?

"Everyone... I'm sorry..."

I closed my eyes. Red Peak slipped from my hand toward the ground because I no longer had the strength to hold it. In a daze, I seemed to feel my soul leaving my body and drifting away through the gloom, until at last it sank into endless, dense, icy darkness.